memorable moments: day 1...
2 for 1 on black ensembles and red scarves? should be wrong - but it looks so right on the pair.
patterned bag and socks to match. purple zippers up the back of your legs.
christian blanken fall 2010... elevated artwork.
to be honest, i don't know much about christian blanken but when i walked into his exhibit at LFW i felt like i had wandered into some sort of alternate universe... like alice who had fallen through the rabbit hole. the models were sort of like works of art. exalted on platforms, avoiding eye contact, and shifting positions ever so often. they had extremely bright lights shining down on them and must have been quite warm - especially the girl wearing the sheepskin, which looks gorgeous by the way.
i was greeted with a stare from this moody looking model, peering out through a hazy piece of glass (or plastic sheeting possibly). she was stuck within a little cube that sat in the middle of the room and glared out at everyone standing in the entrance (my, what a big hair doughnut she must have on, i only just noticed that).
definitely prefer the outfit & shoes on the left. the textures and shine on the fabrics are quite unique. those shoes on the right don't look too comfortable... her foot looks way too arched for them. ouch.
to be honest, i was more struck by the uniqueness of the display then the clothes that were being shown. i do like the shiny texture and the sheepskin on the model above, but the other items that were hanging on a rail all looked quite minimalist and weren't anything that i can remember very well. maybe that's because i was distracted by these solemn models that were standing like statues in the middle of the room though. not sure if that is a testament to how great the collection was... it remains in my mind more like elevated artwork than a fashionable clothing collection.
I want Acne
if i had to pick one shop to spend a limitless amount of money at i think it might just have to be acne. i
love
acne. i love that they are swedish (sweden is wonderful by the way, if you haven't been in the summer - you really should go) and that their shops in stockholm feel like an art studio. their clothes are totally original, so fresh and modern. they have such clean lines. i want everything they make... from their pop chinos to their tulle infused frou-frou dresses. also, can we just talk about how annoyingly perfect the above shoes are?! if i had to pick one single item to splurge on right now, i think it would be the above bad boys. they are
perfect.
the atacoma grey & gun metal... oh, if only there weren't that slight issue of 400 pounds standing in between us. i swear, we are a match made in heaven.
how cool are these saphire & gemini little beauties above? the heels look like dripping paint...
the perfect slouchy t-shirt and body-con dress. man... i never thought i could want acne so badly.
(all photos and items available at:
)
if i went to the oscars, i'd be on the worst dressed list...
without a doubt my favourite dress from the 2010 oscars was the Givenchy 'natalie' one worn by the stunning Zoe Saldana. it has had mixed reviews - being raved about on some websites and branded onto the worst dressed list by others. worst dress? you've got to be kidding me, did you see Mariah Carey and Charlize Theron? anyway, this Givenchy number is perfect red carpet material. sure, it is a little out there - but if you can't wear it to the oscars when can you wear it? it is exactly what i would want from a dress were i going to the oscars. totally glamorous, memorable, and unlike any other. i adore the sequin bodice - saldana is literally shining in it. when she went on stage at one point it was almost blinding. even if avatar didn't snatch up best picture she radiated like a star. the colours, the shape, the insane details that flow right down to the hem are divine. if this is what being worst dressed looks like, i would gladly be cast onto that list.
my, what a big bun you have...
i don't have that much hair, i could happily do with twice as much... but lately i have been getting lots of comments about how big and incredible my bun is. how is it possible? surely my hair can't make a bun this big...
seriously, it is almost as big as my head. it is amazing. are you lost? are you confused? are you totally clueless as to what a hair doughnut is? don't worry, so was i. go here for some information on what they are. basically, they are these doughnut shaped squidgy things you stick through your pony tail and then wrap the hair around and kapoof (sound of the hair-fairy-god-mother swishing her wand) you've got one big fat bun (no, not bum, bun). still confused? check out this video. they are incredible. bad hair day? bring in the doughnut! fancy updo needed? bring in the doughnut! cool totally of the minute hair to spruce up any old look? again... bring in the doughnut! i am telling you, there is no need to be jealous of massive buns on other people... chances are, they are hiding a doughnut under their massive up do. and good news girls, you can too.
emerald, a fellow style crusader, going in for a kiss... then showing off her doughnut nicely. is this totally old news? did you already know what a hair doughnut was? have you been rocking them for ages? if so, let me know... maybe i have just been kept in the hair doughnut dark for all this time.
p.s. thank you to Jigsaw where i work on sundays for providing the beautiful backdrop to these photos.
to tache or not to tache... that is the question.
female models tend not to teeter on the edge of resembling victorian inspired men: mustaches, frizzy reckless hair, bushy eyebrows - hardly the pedestal of prestige and femininity. dame vivienne westwood, however, also tends to not follow the crowd... i don't think conformity is a word in her vocabulary. the collection was actually pretty stunning - it has been heralded as one of her strongest in recent years. plus, massive photos of female models masculinized by fake facial hair swept the covers of newspapers across the globe this weekend. hardly bad publicity. it's incredible what a little tache can achieve.
i can't help but think that she nicked the iconic crown from Where the Wild Things Are though. it looks a little too similar for my taste. i do love the collection though. the details are incredible. i wont lie, i am not an insane westwood follower (those massive emblems she brands on every accessory are a bit obnoxious) but i think this collection is pretty impressive.
(photos from here)
not your average photographer...
photographers are normally meant to be the ones pointing the camera at the fashionable and beautiful people. uh... not quite at fashion week. even the press were sickeningly cool... oozing style and originality. always a bit caught off guard when asked to have their photo taken (is it just a ploy to add to their mystique?) their candidness and sense of style is just too phenomenal to be passed up.
monochrome: has anyone read the april edition of UK harpers bazaar? they mention throughout that simple and sharp black and white (with accents of grey) is their forecasted biggest trend for spring. a trend i actually had not heard much about until i bought the magazine today. but here it is, alive and thriving, on two girls with markedly different senses of style. i have loads of photos of the photographer on the right. that hat! it is seriously divine - so luminescent and like a piece of painted artwork - the greys just sort of morph together to create this lifelike fur entity, just hanging out on top of her head. oh i love it. and those boots! with all the little studs... ah, so lovely.
seriously this girl is gorgeous. i love her (what looks like vintage) pink trench, especially when paired with the chunky black doc martins. umm... seriously, doc martins are having a moment. i remember having a pair of doc martin mary-janes when i was like, 9... too bad i don't still have those. anyway, they are great and i am appreciating that they have overcome the whole skin-head affiliation they had back in the 70s (seriously even my political theory professor wore a pair to class yesterday!).
basically i was just totally won over by these girls. they sort of seemed so uninterested in the hype of fashion week... like the total hysteria wasn't phasing them. they looked like they were there to do their job, and once the frenzies of people faded away (due to rain) they did too. i just think they look so cool, and there is something about having that big powerful camera dripped around your neck... which reminds me. a lot of the time photographers will ask if you want them to hide their camera out of shot when you shoot them. personally i like it.
these guys have such different style. i saw a photo of the gentleman on the left on another website.... but i can't remember where. he looks quite scandinavian to me (i am sure one of you out there knows who he is and will correct me on that...). his hair, glasses, beard, the structure of that coat... i really love it. have just noticed that he doesn't have on any gloves and is trying to hide his hands inside his sleeves... i totally sympathize with that. now, the gentleman on the right was pretty sly, just sort of fading into the background (although, that seems bizarre now - do you see his shoes? how could he blend in with those on?). he's pretty cool with that military inspired jacket, bright yellow sneakers, and big red bag.
shortly after i asked to take his photo everyone went mental for him and got down on their knees to photograph him. it's like their bowing down to him or something. ah, the power of a good subject.
update: have just found out that the chap in the yellow sneakers is Nedim Nazerali. he is a freelance photographer based in london and has an incredible website full of enticing photos that you can check out here and a seriously cool blog called creamsoda creamsoda (creamsoda just happens to be my favourite kind of soda... but i can't seem to find any good ones in the UK). anyway, check them both out. you'll be happy you did.
fierce feet..
brass details, black toe-nail polish peeking through, diamond print tights, lace ups and buckles...
flash your red soles... it is such an iconically glamorous look. am loving the funky cable knit leggings with metallic detail sewn through. totally off beat and unexpected with such classic shoes.
she was walking too quickly so they are a bit of a blur... but i love them nonetheless. the leather cut out detail, visible rubber grip on the sole, wooden heel...
oh the girl your facing directly towards the camera with the cropped trousers and fur hat... i love your shoes. where are these bad boys from? i thought they had chanel logos on the back of the heels at first - but when i zoomed in they definitely were not... but i couldn't make out what they were - crowns maybe? totally love the emblem on the back and am desperate to know who they are made by. also, honestly - there is an insane sock craze going on at the moment. i know it's been bubbling underground for a while... but it has seriously exploded and it presently everywhere. seriously practical - no blisters and your feet stay warm. oh, and it's pretty stinking cute.
also, hello hot mama on the right. those shoes are smoking. there were loads of people standing around and i just spotted these vibrant red satin shoes. they are seriously incredible and would spice up any old outfit. they remind me of valentino, and one of his beautiful perfect red dresses. am loving the fan detail at the back and the platform... they look very beautifully made and gorgeous quality. i didn't see anything similar at fashion week - these babies were one of a kind.
on the move, coming out of Somerset house...
was standing around the corner of the somerset house tent when a show let out and floods of people came walking around corner. it was just barely raining, the worst had passed, but those lucky enough to have been at the show didn't realize it has been bucketing it down on us poor folks stuck outside... so as they were struggling to whip out their umbrellas, minds full of the magic they had just seen coming down the runway, i was trying to shoot them s as quick as i could. i just sort of love the combination of determined looking people coming 'round that corner on their way to the next venue - black umbrellas mirroring the bigger black umbrellas that we had been sitting under in the background. some very distinctive looks walked by... i love the hair and boots on the guys above.
'I can't wear these shoes to a model party!'
I have been meaning to show you these bad boys for a while. Basically, I bought them in a moment of panic... on day 1 of fashion week. I was in classes pretty much all day so was wearing some grunge-tastic student gear (i.e. leggings, converse, hoodie etc. - pictured below) when all of a sudden it turned out that not only was I having a blast (between classes) at Somerset House, but that we were going to some Oxygen model party that night. Yah, so you sense my problem, right? I could not wear those shoes to a model party. Naturally I would already be about half a foot shorter then everyone - and if they all had on heels and I didn't, well! that would just be a travesty. I would be like a little midget lost in a sea of tall gorgeous people... and we could not have that. So, we fled to Oxford Street (where all great fashion emergencies can quickly be remedied) in search of some fierce but cheap shoes. To my absolute surprise I spotted these little beauties in the sale section of Urban Outfitters they had a sticker on the sole that said 125.00 GBP but was marked through, and in its place said 19 pounds. Nineteen?!! Chiii-chiiiiing!! Primark shoes can cost 19 pounds sometimes. Oh, I was so happy. They were the only pair, they were in my size, they are death to walk in... but hey, a small price for a bit of 19-pound-glamour, they are real leather, and (did I mention?) they have the ability to transform any drab outfit into model-party-worthy perfection?! I was slightly petrified when I asked at the till if they were actually meant to be that cheap... luckily they were, and I headed off a seriously happy little girl... ready to take on the Oxygen models.
(photo credit to Jill for these pictures of Emerald and I)
p.s. sorry i don't have a photo of the complete outfit from that night - we didn't take any photos. but, don't worry i didn't just swap my shoes i swapped my top for something better too.
flashback...
Few individuals are capable of pulling off such an iconically era-inspired look with such ease... maybe that is because he isn't trying to recreate a specific era. It just so happens one rarely sees men in such well tailored suits, that when you do - they look remarkably out of place. It seems untrue that this is the same Somerset House that was littered with wannabe fashion-pack style junkies decked out in the latest designer inspired high street gear. Remarkably though it is... another testament to how diverse London style really is. We* spotted Donald as we were leaving and obviously wanted to shoot him. Probably staring and looking anything but sly, he noticed us and waved to follow him. So, up the steps we went and over to this little location where he casually posed like a pro. Clearly you can see we weren't the only people interested in shooting him. I can attest that there was no one around wearing anything similar to his bespoke Savile Row getup... well, after all it's bespoke darling - so how could they be? Interested in traditional tailored menswear? Check out his website here. It is filled with all sorts of articles and insight into the mysterious world of mens fashion.
* In case you are wondering the 'we' refers to Jill and I - she has also done a post on him here.
KAYU: bamboo sunglasses...
New sunglasses are always on my wishlist. A girl can never have too many sunglasses. So when I stumbled across these gorgeous items at Somerset House last week I was pretty much immediately sold. They are gorgeous, so lightweight and totally unique. Not the sort of glasses (ehem... wayfarers*) that every other person has, in the real or knock-off versions. They are absolutely one of a kind from the design straight down to the material and the brand's mission...
All these frames are made from bamboo, which it just so happens, grows twice as fast as a tree and restores itself in just five years. It grows naturally, doesn't need any pesticide or fertilizer, thereby making it a sustainable and eco-friendly material. These glasses are actually made from the Mao Zhu species of bamboo, and just incase you were worried... it's not the type that pandas eat.
For every pair of glasses sold KAYU funds one sight restoring surgery in the developing world. Why? You might be wondering... well, it turns out that 80% of blindness in the world is curable or preventable and there are 36million people out there who are blind, who could be treated! Jamie Lim, the founder of KAYU, is trying to bridge the gap between technology and access - helping bring innovation and medical treatment to those who can't afford it themselves.
Not only does the brand have a double-whammy of a mission (health & environment) they also produce incredibly stylish items. There aren't any massive obnoxious logos, just the little one on the inside you can see through the lenses. They have a variety of shapes and you can get them as prescriptions or as sunglasses. You can find out more about them on their website here. In case you are wondering, no, they haven't offered me a free pair or anything like that - I just really like the frames, the vision behind the brand, and was completely won over by how sweet and down to earth Jamie was.
Jill modeling her favourite pair.
*despite my annoyance at the amount of people that have wayfarers i do still love them, okay, i can't deny that.
navy reworked...
i spotted peaches geldof in the tent at somerset house as i was waiting to go into the eun jeong show. at first no one noticed her, she was chomping away on an apple, and talking to her friend. i didn't want to act like an obnoxious paparazzi so attempted to be sly and shimmied over near her and took the above photo. as i was doing that, casually and discreetly i might add, two other ladies came over and got in her face and started screeching about how they could offer her free clothes to wear to events and started snapping her photo... i suddenly felt pretty mortified and darted back to where i was sitting. i couldn't resist though, i wanted to get her photo. even if it hadn't been peaches geldof i still would have wanted to get her photo. she looked seriously stunning.
wearing a navy coat with gold buttons, bright red dress (poking out just the right amount), and super high black strappy heels. she couldn't keep both feel firmly on the ground the whole time i saw her... it's a wonder she didn't tip over. she looked way more put together and lady-like than i would have imagined. not at all the hot-mess image portrayed in the magazines. she was also way thinner than i had expected, but surprisingly not in a gaunt sort of way... more like she had been on a few runs. apologies for my inadequately blurry photos, but i just wanted to show you my take on what the elusive celebrity is like...
