It's that time of year again..

WHILE we may still be packing up our summer wardrobes, the retail world has turned its attention to another season and has already unpacked all that is Christmas 2008.

The Christmas shops are now being created in the Capital's department stores, with John Lewis unveiling its new department earlier this week. The festive press packs from the high street stores have long been gathering dust at Life&Style, giving us a sneaky peek as to what are going to be this year's must-have decorations and what will be filling our stockings.

It may seem premature to those who are still grieving a no-show summer but, for the retail world, it's been planned for months. In fact, it was planned before Christmas 2007.

"We actually start (the new concepts] in September of the previous year so we're literally talking Christmas all year round," says Jenners' head of visual merchandising, Dan Healey.

"And so before this Christmas 2008 has even happened we're starting to look at Christmas 2009."

Jenners and John Lewis aren't alone. London department store Selfridges launched Christmas back in August, while Harrods launched its 15,000 square feet Christmas World a staggering 142 days before the big day itself. Thankfully in the Capital at least, there are no halls decked with holly – yet. According to Dan, who also creates the Christmas concepts for House of Fraser, starting earlier and creating a comprehensive concept is crucial to staying one step ahead of the competition. After all, Christmas is where it's at for ringing tills.

Dan says: "The team start with a review of what all the retailers did the previous year – we'll buy in samples and we'll look at forthcoming fashions and trend predictions. Fashion trends are very important to us as the home has become more fashion-led. People update their homes with the seasons, and interior trends increasingly look to fashion trends."

"In the first week of December we then go to New York to check out the visual merchandising to see what the stores are doing over there. Retailers in New York are extremely innovative.

"We also go to the three-day Nordic display exhibition to pick up on any high-level trends that can be adapted Christmas-wise. I am also hoping to take the team to Paris and Milan to see what is happening in the European market too. So we get inspiration from various sources, go back to the buyers and tell them what trends are coming through. By the end of December, we're putting together ideas and putting together mock windows."

So, just as we're pulling down our Christmas cards, packing up the tinsel and lugging our trees to the tip, Dan and his team are deciding exactly what we'll be putting back up 12 months later. And this apparently is the norm.

"We start the Christmas process on January 2, every year," reveals John Lewis Edinburgh's home manager, Charles Watt. "Immediately after the New Year break, the next concept is being created and 'stories' devised.

"Christmas is a vast product, especially for department stores and supermarkets. We order in mass and therefore the lead times for such deliveries mean that Christmas is a full-time job. It also takes time to create new and interesting concepts."

Like Jenners, John Lewis creates a capsule collection of Christmas "stories" – concepts and moods, that are fashion-led. "Our Christmas collections are always based on our home colour furnishings," Charles explains. "Nowadays, people are much more likely to update their home with the seasons, through soft furnishings and wallpaper, so our Christmas stories reflect the trends we've tapped into."

So, what is set to be hot this Christmas? According to Edinburgh interior designer Anne Hunter, the festive season is set to be an opulent one.

"There will be a lot of feathers and crystals for opulence and grandeur, and so much choice in terms of colour palettes," she says.

"Jewel colours, purples, emerald greens, reds and golds will all be popular. Christmas will be a glamorous one, and retailers will go all out, so while we're in the midst of a credit crunch, we can at least feel special at Christmas."

So, it's all about celebrating in style ... even if there's no money for presents. Timeless reds and whites create the perfect backdrop to a merry Christmas, while traditional themes are given a modern, elegant feel.

Charles agrees: "We've got a story called Winter's Tale and it's a very Nordic look with lots of felts, woods and nostalgic paper decorations. It's almost paying homage to those Christmases we used to have as children. Then there's our elegant theme which consists of luxurious purples, silvers and blacks. And, of course, there's the traditional colour story of gold and red."

So think old Hollywood Christmas glam, with a rich and sophisticated colour palette of silver, gold, jewel colours, black and white. Gold-gilded decorations in the shape of bird cages, butterflies and ballet shoes, and traditional red berry wreaths. Jet-black tassels and black feather baubles. Tabletops will be adorned with touches of gold baroque on silk layering. And candles will take focus.

At Marks and Spencer, it's glitz and glitter with sparkling decorations, accessories and tableware. Red and blacks; silvers and whites; gold and ivory; and chocolate and bronze, create a "sumptuous" Christmas feel, with prices starting at just £1.

Jenners has opted for opulence and understated glamour with a kaleidoscope of rich colours, including ivory, gold, red, purple and black. Cinnamon tones and coppery shades crop up too, in The Pier and Habitat.

Home stylist and Edinburgh interior designer, Jules Hodge, says: "Christmas is always about having fun and indulging, so why not do the same in the home? It's no longer just about resurrecting those old decorations and putting them back up, it's about creating a new and exciting feel to the home every year.

"Decorations have got cheaper and cheaper – with many now available for under £1 – so it's become easier to update the home, keeping the expensive classics every year as the base. That picture perfect Christmas card look is readily available – and achievable. It's what Christmas is all about."