Christmas Finds

This weekend was supposed to be the busiest for the high street, with less than a week to go until christmas. I finished up some christmas shopping today, but do you find its much more tempting to buy for yourself? Especially when you know its completely selfish to do so. Anyway here's what caught my eye on the high street....







1. Tea and Sympathy Please hot-water bottle, Velevt Brighton
2. Velvet longline brassier, Topshop
3. Pearl Necklace, Accessorize
4. D&G L'Imperatrice perfume, Debenhams

Coleen Atwood

Coleen Atwood is having a bit of a moment right now. As costume designer for the latest musical hit-film Nine, which features a plethora of gorgeous stars, she has achieved Patricia Field like status.

Having previously worked on successful films like Memoirs of a Geisha, Chicago and Sweeney Toddit's nice to see a costume designer thriving right now. Here are some stills from the film and previous works....


Penelope Cruz - Nine


Kate Hudson - Nine


Johnny Depp - ALice In Wonderland (2010)


Mia Wasikowska - ALice In Wonderland (2010)


Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter - Sweeney Todd

Marchesa

Georgina Chapmans brand Marchesa has been seen on the likes of Katy Perry, Diane Kruger, Kerry Washington and Kate Beckinsale - and it's no suprise. The S/S 10 collection is extremly covetable with the elegant designs ranging from starched silk kimono dresses to corseted evening gowns. Full bows nip in waists, overlaid black lace is crafted on nude silk and cream taffeta decorates mini dresses. Even if you can't afford to be a fairytale princess like J.Lo or Penelope Cruz, a girl can dream and we can take comfort in the fact some high street stores will be reproducing similar designs at a fraction of the price come spring.
<3


Olivia Wilde


Penelope Cruz


Camilla Belle and Katy Perry


Jennifer Lopez


Blake Lively


Kristen Bell

Weekend Inspiration

Take inspiration from these lovelies this weekend, and combine chic separates to achieve NYC cool or Hollywood luxe.



Kristin Cavallari, The Hills season 5 Finale, NYC


Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen, NYC


Whitney Port, West Hollywood

Winter Warmers

This year i started early. No not christmas shopping, searching for my staple coat. As the temperature drops, i like to have a lovely coat waiting for me to start the winter season off, and protect me from the chilly autumnal air. This year was no different. I started searching in September, and by the end of the month i had brought two coats, which i have since returned. So now, we are well and truly in Autumn, with apocoliptic weather threatening to ruin our christmases and i am without a coat.

On the surface, the buying of the garment is easy enough. I could even accomplish it from the safety of my own bed, with a tea in one hand, a hot water-bottle in the other, and my mac on my lap. However the coat not only has to match the majority of my footwear, but also has to not make me look like ive lost a fight with a puffy sleeping bag. So i have looked for celebrities for style-spiration. Have a look at how Leighton Meester, my idol Whitney Port and Kate Moss have done it.



Leighton Meester, Dec 01 09 NYC


Kate Moss, Dec 01 09, London


Whitney Port, Dec 01 09, NYC

If you have already brought your winter coat, how about investing in these cute winter warmers for the festive season?



By Malene Birger, £100


Topshop, £12


Marcus Lupfer, £195


Marc by Marc Jacob, £105

Camilla Craves McQueen

Actress Camilla Belle loves British Designer Alexander McQueen. Most recently she wore an ruffled encrusted blue mini dress from his S/S10 collection to the 2012 premier. Here she was also carrying a silver McQueen box clutch (below). Earlier this year she wore a kaleidoscopic print dress by the same designer (right). 

Which look do you prefer? 

        

We heart Taylor

Taylor Swift appeared on Saturday Night live on November 7th, and i came across her singing this monologue shortly after. I had to post it as it is soooo funny as she makes light hearted jokes about 'Kanyegate' and her failed relationship with Joe Jonas. 

(Sorry i couldn't find a better video, you have to skip to 50 secs in)

xx<3

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LeiLHFeSMfk

Z Spoke

The ladies who shop at Saks Fifth Avenue and very lucky indeed. Zac Posen has created a new line which will be in store for spring, and with a price point which starts from $78, everyone can have their cake and eat it. 

For this new venture, Posen has cleverly incorporated American Sportswear into his aesthetic, a hugh trend for next season. Incorporating stylish khaki pants, cotton shirts and blazers, the Z Spoke collection is a welcome change from his normal evening wear look.

What do you think of Zac's new range?

It's Contagious

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xzrC72Xv6pE

Regina Spektor  - Us...

Silks a sign

Fate in regards to clothes is a rule which i follow unscrupiously. I believe that if i find a garment either in a shop or on the internet and they have my size it's just good stocking...BUT if i then return to the shop a week later and they still have that garment in my size, it's fate. However if the shop does not stock the as mentioned product, i relish in the fact i have saved myself some money and feign sadness that my life will be incomplete.

In my current predicament, i am waiting for fate.  Twice within two days i have seen a dress. Not just any dress i might add. It first appeared when i was scouring net-a-porter procrastinating (my pockets are not deep and i don't own a money-growing tree so there's no way i could actually buy something on there). A cream silk cocktail dress by Maje, with a huge sumptuous bow wrapped around the waist stood out. When i clicked on the dress, it was even more beautiful. Pleated and fluid, the silhouette looks extremely flattering and paired with a tailored blazer would look extremely versatile. It is only £195 which is quite reasonable considering it is from a chic Parisian label.

I saw it again today in the Sunday Times Style magazine - Gemma Soames had featured it in her Wardrobe Mistress column. So does this constitute as fate? Or should i wait for a sure sign? Either way i found this look-a-like dress from Topshop and belt from Bebe just incase anyone else takes a fancy to the pretty silk.

street style

Over the past couple of weeks i have taken these pictures as part of a university project, each have some nice fashion forward elements or their outfits are just aesthetically pleasing! What do you think?

Oxford Street, London

Covent Garden, London

Shoreditch, London

Somerset House, London

Just Dance

image: fashionindie.com

‘I love this record baby but I can’t see straight anymore’ I scream towards no-one imparticular. Drinking straws fly in all directions as I violently thrust in my make shift Gaga-esq dress constructed from drinking paraphernalia. As tonight is Halloween, I thought it only appropriate I pay homage to the woman who provides the soundtrack to my life.

Her lyrics cut close to home. We all want to be Beautiful, Dirty, Rich ‘Our hair is perfect while were all getting shit wrecked’. Tonight my hair isn’t so perfect. The platinum wig makes me look like I have an afghan puppy attached to my scalp, and it starts to slide off as I jiggle to the beat. However all woe’s are forgotten as Poker Face is pumped through the speakers. With a microphone in one hand and a lavender teacup in the other I begin swinging both objects haphazardly above my head.

Then something dawns on me. I turn to my friends Michael Jackson and Princes Leah. ‘I hate to end a night like this but, where are my keys I’ve lost my phone?’

My First Time

This is a short descriptive piece which was derived from a visit to Harvey Nicks...Let me know what you think!

‘It’s ok that you haven’t….you know’, I blushed at the thought. ‘It just means you’re a late starter’, my friends tried to reassure me, but I knew they were secretly pleased they had ‘done it’.

I didn’t plan to ‘loose it’ the way I did. I’d been expecting so much more, a thrilling, exciting experience - I might even talk to them afterwards. But as with most first times, it wasn’t all it was cracked up to be.

I was ashamed to admit it then, but I was a celeb-spotter virgin.

My first time was with Gok Wan. It didn’t last more than a few minutes on the mens floor of Harvey Nicks. He was trying on a coat, and I, overwhelmed by the sudden appearance of the fashion-fixer, began yelping in fits of giggles before scurrying into the nearest lift.

I realised then that I placed way too much importance on my first time – what an anti-climax.

Fashion Moment; The stiletto

Have you ever wanted to know a bit more about the clothes you put on your back? Here is a a fashion moment i wrote on the stiletto.

Swathed in white satin and velvet, Catherine De Medici floated down the aisle towards her husband - the future king of France - in 1533. Bejeweled in a rose bodice the French court was captivated by the Italian bride who wanted to make an impression on her counterparts, and therefore wore the first ever-documented stiletto. 

Derived from the Latin word ‘Stilis’ which translates as ‘slender dagger’, the stiletto is a spiked heel - which when worn, elongates the legs, elevates the bust and protrudes the derriere. The stiletto is the ultimate optical illusion in achieving a smaller foot. It has similar ideology to the old Chinese practice know as the ‘golden lotus’. This is where the foot is bound causing severe deformities but is perceived to be beautiful, as it is only 4 to 6 inches long. Projecting societies belief that small is desirable.

Erotica and fetishism are part of the stiletto’s appeal. With masochism and sadism as the stilettos parents; the shoe becomes a material manifestation of psychological power, emulating feminism, confidence and authority.

After fading into obscurity between the ages, the modern stiletto made a re-appearance in the 1950s. The post-war years saw a collaboration between innovative designer Christian Dior and Roger Vivier who together re-defined the future of the heel. Decorated in elaborate pearls and beads, or constructed in fine silk, Vivier created the stiletto revolution.

The 60’s saw Hugh Hefner make the shoe a staple in his bunnies wardrobe, and used a standardized 4inch heel as regular attire in his infamous Playboy magazine. The stiletto was henceforth adopted by working girls and featured in the punk-rock rebellion of the seventies.

More recently the rise of specialist shoe designers like Christian Louboutin, Manalo Blahnik and Jimmy Choo have contributed to the rising popularity of the ‘statement shoe’.  With the demise of arm candy ‘it’ bags, exotically designed heel-art is now de rigueur, and spiked-heeled creations are seen periodically on the catwalks. Miuccia Prada commented ‘The obsession with handbags has finished a little now. It feels over. It’s about shoes.’  

carvela £130, www.kurtgeiger.com 

An Essential Hour

Kick about in Shoreditch

‘Another one of those mokito things pleeeease’ I slur at the barman. He get’s me a mojito without correcting. Kick, a bar located in Shoreditch, has none of the pretentiousness the E1 area code provokes. An hour in this place can easily turn into two or three – especially if you turn up during happy hour.

From the outset, Kick is a reggae playing, football loving, continental haven. Bottles of beer clink together as chaps and chapesses crowd around foosball tables, laughing and jostling over the score. On match nights it’s worse. Cocktail conversation is marked by football trivialities as friends converse with randoms.

Within the hour, your attention will be drawn to the nibble’s menu. Kick’s selection of organic munchies and yummy platters add to the Mediterranean themed experience. As does the unique décor; international flag pennants drape across the ceiling and Cuban cigar plaques hang along the walls. Like a club in Monaco Kick is on European time, ruled by tequila shots and chat.

Ok so there is no jaw-dropping extravagance, or weird 3-D wall hangings. It’s not particularly ‘trendy’ for Shoreditch and it’s not full of art-gallery-owners.  However an hour can easily pass in the company of good food and friends. This week make Kick your ‘essential hour’ after work. 

Jealousy and love are sisters

This post is dedicated to those women who men want to be with, and who women want to be. For this once, instead of being enraged with jealousy (green's not my colour) i am saluting them. Do you agree with my choices? 

1.Megan Fox

Need i even continue...the woman is flawless. (Image form Wonderland)

2. Bee Schaffer

Anna Wintour's daughter comes across refreshingly normal and well mannered, she also gets front row seats to her favorite designers shows, jealous? me?

3.Ashley Olsen

Ashley's a true beauty, she could wear nothing but a black sack and look like a rock star.

4. Emma Watson

My my how times change. Emma Watson is a classic English beauty, from frizzy to fashion forward...everyone wants a piece of Emma.

I've spent most of my life walking under that hovering cloud, jealousy, whose acid raindrops blurred my vision and burned holes in my heart.  ~Astrid Alauda

**The title above 'Jealousy and love are sisters' is a Russian proverb**

Steal or Splurge?

We have all heard of the term 'investment'. So much so, we now apply it to wardrobe paraphenalia.

"Oh my god", she gushes, running through the shop to the midnight-blue sequined jacket. Her kitten heels slap on the tiled shop floor. "Its beautiful, it's, it's.." she stammers trying to describe the feelings evoked from the item. "It's Studio 54 meets YSL". Her eyes sparkle in wonderment. 

Grabbing the price tag she sigh's. It's hefty. But what's a girl to do? Its an investment peice for crying out loud! Should she pass up this perhaps never-found-again statement jacket, or try and find a look-a-likey at a cheapy store?

This is where it gets dangerous.

Humans, are generally regarded - and rightly so - as creatures of excess. We argue with ourselves over the pro's and con's of having the jacket/trousers/handbag, until we either;

A) have to buy the product and 'think it over at home' (knowing all the while you will never return it) 

or

B) are pressurised into buying the thus product because the sales assistant had the 'you can't afford that' face on her/him.

Either way, if its something we are stuck on we nearly always end up clutching a expensive-looking paper bag filled with the as mentioned purchase, guiltily on the train home. 

So, is there such thing as an investment piece? How long will the 'investment' last? One season, two, three? 

In an ideal world investment buying would be just that, ideal. Throw-away fashion is undeniably unethical but sometimes practical and needless to say essential. Fashion is fast, and for those of us not rolling in it a-la Stella McCartney, cheap and cheerful is at the moment here to stay. 

Todays sequined jacket Steal Vs Splurge:

Steal: Topshop £150          

        

                                         

Steal: Dorothy Perkins £60

Splurge: Paul & Joe £530            

                                        

Splurge: Les Chiffoniers £400