Who's Walter?
Randomly, I wandered into this little shop a couple of weeks ago. Tucked down a side street next to Zurich's famous Freitag tower, I must have walked past it at least a dozen times before without ever noticing it. As soon as I entered I was instantly won over: the coffee pot by the entrance, the dog sitting under a table and the undeniably warm atmosphere made it feel like coming home. Only, to a much cooler more industry-chic home than I've ever had...
Walter was established six months ago by Bettina Bucchéri. After her own search for industrial style furniture in Switzerland failed she decided to fill the niche present in the market by creating her own shop that brings together old and new in an effortless and authentic way. Despite the shops trendy feel, you won't find ridiculous mark-ups on the products. There's something to fit everyones need and price range - with glass jars starting at only 3 francs a pop. I love the shops no-fuss approach and small details that hark back to days past - raw bits of brown ribbon that tie together packages and factory style heavy-duty paper to wrap gifts. It's exactly the sort of no-nonsense simple approach that I'm after.
The final cut
So here it is - a few of the final shots from eBay's 2011 winter wardrobe look book as styled by Andrea Linett and shot by Damon Heath. Yes, yes... that's me getting my pose on. Looking back, my favourite outfit is definitely the last one. At the time I was a bit skeptical of the drop crotch trousers but actually I kind of love it. The shirt with dark blue piping reminds of an old man's pajamas and the hooded poncho would just be perfect for this time of year.
Massive thank you to Rachel and Shine for having me on board and to eBay.
eBay and DKNY giveaway
I'm super excited to show you this little behind the scenes video from a photo shoot I did with eBay back in September and to announce a giveaway. The item up for grabs is this gorgeous DKNY bag from the eBay fashion outlet. Just follow these three simple steps to enter:
1. Leave a comment below stating that you'd like to enter and include your favourite eBay find. For example, mine would be a Prada bag that I accidentally bid $2,000 on instead of $200. Favourite actual purchase would be a pair of vintage round sunglasses that I won for .99p (more my price range).
2. Follow @eBayFashionUK on Twitter
3. Follow The Style Crusader on Facebook and Twitter
Please note: the winner will be chosen at random. This giveaway is open to readers worldwide and will end on November 1st.
S14
Today I took the obligatory Sunday trip to the airport... errm, to buy groceries* (sadly, not to jet off anywhere exciting). Everything in Zurich is closed so, unless I feel like paying 10 quid for a bottle of milk from the shop below my flat, the only option is to head to the flughafen**. Thankfully, it's only a short trip away. So, winter seems to have come early, it's absolutely freezing outside and I'm likely to catch myself a cold because I'm still refusing to put on socks. Ha. Does anyone else find the transition away from summer as painful as I do? All I want to wear is this oversized waffle knit jumper. It's so cozy. In other news, this hat seems to be superglued to my head (much to my husband's distaste) and I like the combination of maroon, army green and navy. That's all. Hope you've had a wonderful weekend.
Wearing: Banana Republic XL jumper (it's the only size jumper that's acceptable this time of year, I do believe), J.Crew peacoat, Zara trousers and shoes, Fjällräven backpack, and random knit hat from Tübingen.
*No, I don't normally wear heels to buy groceries - those were just special for you.
**Impressed by my German? I'm listening to some Michel Thomas learn-a-language-at-home cds - hopefully I'll be able to string together a sentence soon.
Cambridge Remix
There's nothing I love more than a classic revamped.
I remember the first time I spotted the flouro Cambridge Satchel Bag. I was in an Urban Outfitters and it was dangling from the end of a rail - in all its bright hot pink fluorescent glory. I rushed to it like some sort of deluded nut-case and held it in my arms. I still wish I had gone ahead and bought it, if only I had known the way it would go on to torment me. It's the epitome of bag perfection (for under 100 quid, that is). I love how this girl at London Fashion Week tucked in the strap of hers, instantly transforming it from a tomboyish piece into a statement it-bag. Oh, the versatility of this little beauty. If only they could figure out a way to make it change colours...
Flower power
I'm completely mesmerized by the prints from Aminaka Wilmont's ss12 collection: the milky grey colour palette with shoots of science fiction flavoured brights. Medieval style armour has been recreated into something soft and delicate - covered in florals and fitted to the female form. I'm desperate to see these pieces in person and see how it feels to have on. I love that to contrast such elaborate pieces there are simple printed vest tops included in the line - technically these are probably more my style, although now I want to be covered in floral armour...
Coming up for breath...
Oh, hello there.
Surface to Air's ss12 collection might not be a bundle of revolutionary design but it's stuffed full of silhouettes that have been bubbling under the... err... surface of mainstream fashion. Most notably, the dress-over-trouser pairing - which has been creeping up on the catwalk for the past few seasons. The only people I've seen sporting this look though are the free spirited hippie-types who clearly aren't rocking it because Nicolas Ghesquière told them to. But these two-part printed combinations are pretty much perfect and a failsafe way to try out the trend. Plus, they'd work just as well worn as separates. Yes, it's clearly high time for the dress-over-pant look to get its proper revival.
Also coveting from this collection: slubby knits, the mint coloured simple dress, sheer details, bright pops of yellow and blue, the matching glittery lurex skirt/top, and the tops with shoulders cut out.
Photos via Style.com/View full collection here
Pilatus, Switzerland
This weekend I ran off to Lucern and spent half an hour in a cable car going up to Pilatus. I'm not normally phased by heights but it felt a little unnatural being up that high. Standing on the edge looking down, with nothing but a rickety old wooden railing standing between me and and a 7,000ft drop, was enough to get my legs shaking and my tummy feeling a little queasy.
This weekend I ran off to Lucern and spent half an hour in a cable car going up to Pilatus. I'm not normally phased by heights but it felt a little unnatural being up that high. Standing on the edge looking down, with nothing but a rickety old wooden railing standing between me and and a 7,000ft drop, was enough to get my legs shaking and my tummy feeling a little queasy. It was gorgeous but I was pretty happy when we made it back down in one piece. The headline of 'Swiss cable car plummets to death' was definitely reeling in my mind at one point...
Wearing: Element Wella jacket c/o Element, Retro Super Future Lucia sunglasses, M&S jumper, YSL arty ring, True Religion Joey jeans and converse.
Fruits, flowers and vegetables...
On Fridays in Zurich, at the end of Bahnhofstrasse, a market pops up. It's right next to the lake and is the perfect place to kill a bit of time. Even if I normally don't buy anything I still love walking through the countless rows of stalls that are overflowing with flowers, fruits and vegetables.
Nerdy
That's me, sitting on the edge of a fountain in Zurich, wearing a few of my favourite things. Stripes, shirts buttoned up all the way, knuckledusters, oversized clutches, and jeans you never want to take off are what I'm currently glued to. I whacked the cuffs off this shirt the other day. Once upon a time it was part of my school uniform and had the most massive cuffs that reached down past my fingers. Getting rid of them was definitely a good idea.
Wearing: Patouf Meja wool jumper, 7 for all Mankind jeans, American Apparel large leather pouch, Balenciaga boots (not shown), Alexander McQueen knuckleduster and Brookes Brother shirt.
Disconnect
Last week I ditched on the internet for a couple of days and went to Germany with my family who were visiting. We drove through the Black Forest, watched the leaves change colour and ate unnatural amounts of schnitzel. It was so good. Love being able to jump in a car and be places like this in an hour. Photos taken in Tübingen, Rheinfalls, Titisee and the Black Forest.
Wearing: YSL sunglasses, H&M jumper, AA t-shirt, Alice by Temperley scarf and 7 for all Mankind jeans.
Sandro
Suddenly it's cold and it seems I have no idea how to dress for wintery weather. Not quite sure how this happened but I'm blaming my inability to get dressed on the balmy weather that's been around since March and my unyielding refusal to layer.
Thankfully there's Sandro to give a bit of inspiration. Their no-nonsense approach to clothing is exactly what I need in my life. Nice knits, slim legged trousers, biker jackets, shirts with cute collars... yes please, I'd gladly take the lot. This is exactly what I wish I was wearing this week.
Photos via Sandro
Alien
Pushing my toes up against the heater inside my flat and watching the rain come down over an unnaturally quiet city... thinking back to a couple of weeks ago and what now feels like an untrue dream. One part of me would like to spend each day in the sunshine wearing impossibly gorgeous dresses while the other is happy here at home curled up under a blanket.
Wherever you and and whatever you're doing, hope you're having a great weekend.
Wearing: Natar Georgiou dress and Topshop ring. Photos by Kit Lee.
Maria Grachvogel ss12
Backstage at the Maria Grachvogel ss12 show... model's were turned into sci-fi looking creatures with slicked back hair and sweeps of painterly green eyeshadow. I loved the zigzag parts created by Kenna and the ghd team - they made it look as if a lighting bolt had zapped down the middle of each model's head.
I loved the simple dress shapes and crisp colour palette of white, green, pink, and nude. The draping was gorgeous and flattering with billowing dramatic sleeves. Wishing that I lived the sort of exotic life where I can wear a white deep v-neck dress like the one below everyday...
Thank you ghd for inviting me backstage and to the show.
Please note: just a friendly reminder that, unless otherwise stated, all photos featured on this blog are my own. If you use them please credit accordingly. Thank you! x
8 and 2
Meet Yu.
He has a blog called 8 and 2. Yu was one of my favourite people to spot during London Fashion Week. He has awesome style and a pretty sweet bike. I love Yu's wild hair and sophisticated laid back style. He always looked well put together but just a little bit disheveled. It's the sort of unkemptness you can only achieve after cycling through a big city and somehow makes Yu's look completely his own. Never thought a denim suit could look so good - love it with the rolled up sleeves and trousers. It feels crisp and minimal yet functional and durable. My favourite part is the one sock that's just peeking out.
