SO TOTALLY: October 2010

Sunday, 31 October 2010

Happy All Hallows' Eve

The devil is often depicted with goats horns, often transforming his shape completely. This wasn't in mind when I purchased the below ring from Topshop, £10, but while on the train today I realised how typical it was for Halloween, so Happy All Hallows' Eve everyone.

Saturday, 30 October 2010

My Vintage Vow for 2011

I suppose it was a revelation that day, not so long ago, when I looked through all my receipts from Topshop saved from 2006...trust me - there was a lot. Though more shocking than the huge pile, was the staggering figure I had somehow managed to spend. I had splashed thousands, and on what? Like countless others, I had fallen into the swing of the fast-moving fashion-conscious world, spending ridiculous amounts on overly priced pieces that would be worn a few times, then thrown to the back of the wardrobe to be forgotten.

Now it's time to change and so here is my 'vintage vow' for 2011 (a little early, but with good intentions nevertheless) ...

I vow, for one whole year (if not more) to buy only vintage, second-hand or make-do-and-mend with the clothes I currently own.

This might not be everyone's first choice, and to be honest it's a little out of my own comfort zone, but there is logical behind my madness. Firstly, besides saving a penny, I'd be purchasing truly unique pieces that wouldn't be seen anywhere else on the highstreet. Instead of looking like some cloned walking advertisement, I'd be expressing my own individuality. With each buy, I'd also be at peace knowing that my decision to purchase vintage or second-hand is an conscious effort to banish my old habits and recycle garments.

To banish any presumptions that I'll end looking like a rag-doll out of the 20's, I thought I'd share my first vintage purchase...

This 50's chunky knit jumper was £20 from WOW Retro in Covent Garden, London. Admittedly it is a mens jumper, but it's bang on trend at the moment so really couldn't resist. It's 100% wool and was made near to home in Scotland, so double points for being ethical and supporting traditional culture.

Now lets go back to Topshop...

Below is a chunky knit jumper currently in-store - how similar is this to mine? Only differences are is it's being sold at £48 instead of £20, it's only 70% Wool and it was manufactured in Turkey where you can almost be guaranteed of unfair working conditions, to say the least.

End of the day, if you ignore the label, it is still only a jumper.

Rihanna in Mark Fast - Marie Clare Dec' 10

Just thought I'd share this - a few images taken from the December issue of Marie Clare featuring Rihanna wearing a SS11 Mark Fast number.

This webbed knitted mini is typical of Fasts signature style. Fierce and daring, it clings to the contours of the body and is drenched in swarovksi crystals.

I was lucky enough to go to Mark Fasts SS11 show, and below is my shot of the dress - to see my full review on the show, click here. I have to admit, this was one of my favourite pieces. Jingling softly as the model strode down the runway, the crystals reflected the light mimicking a paparazzi front - a truly show stopping dress.

Friday, 22 October 2010

Meeting Manolo

On the 8th September 2010, Manolo Blahnik launched his wonderful store-in-store at Liberty, London, featuring the most favoured shoes from his Autumn Winter collection, and an exclusive range designed specifically for Liberty. After scouring through the archives, Blaknik used vintage Liberty prints for his iconic shoes, as well as designing his own that have been used on a range of printed accessories and gifts.

Yesterday evening, Blahnik was back in Liberty doing a book signing for his newly launched volume, Manolo's New Shoes. Those who have read my previous posts may know I received this beautiful collection of sketches for my 21st birthday, so when I saw that Blahnik was in London, I couldn't miss the opportunity to meet him and have him sign my copy.

After a quick snack in Costa, we made our way to Liberty and already the queue had wrapped itself around the iconic destination store. We waited two hours in the cold and watched the skies darken, but when we finally made it beyond the ribbon barrier, we knew it was worth the wait.

Dressed in a light grey suit accessorised with a royal purple, polka dot bow-tie, Blahnik stood behind a stack of his books signing personalised messages on both paper and shoes. He was a friendly man, very patient and considerate. He'd talk to individuals and stop to take pictures, all the while apologising to those still waiting.

Staff helping Manolo, much to my dismay, were teetering about in shoes from his newly launched collection. My favourite had to the this exquisitely formed take on the traditional court shoe printed in an intricate monochrome Nepala print, selling at a pricey £440 and exclusive to Liberty.

Dotted around the room were samples of Blahnik's exclusive collection with Liberty and what caught my eye were these silk printed scarves. All unique and featuring his beloved sketches, the prints themselves were reminiscent of vintage Liberty styles, landmarking them a new addition to the stores archive history.

Of course the staff got to fashion the accessories too - this green and cream silk fern print scarf is priced at £150.

Finally it was my turn with Manolo. I resisted getting a pair of shoes or silk scarf, and settled with a poster of my favourite Blahnik print which he signed 'To Natalie' - a wonderful keepsake to frame and treasure.

My copy of Manolo's New Shoes was dedicated to my 21st year with a 'Happy Birthday' wish. What a great birthday gift this has truly become!

Of course a thought need to be spared for the unlucky lot who didn't make it through the doors to meet with Blahnik. Going over schedule to try see as many as he could, two hours was simply not enough time to meet all the waiting crowd. Better luck next time!

Thursday, 21 October 2010

Flash Forward: The Mullet

Scouring all the runway shows across our top fashion capitals, we are able to start pulling together possible trends for the seasons ahead. Of course these collections are not a dictation of what will be, but they are nevertheless a good inclination of what could be...So with the spring/summer 2011 collections having just been unveiled, we can look forward to this season with a keen eye and start building ideas of what we can expect to see leading future trends.

The mullet dress is one that is longer at the back and shorter at the front - and it is a key cut for SS11. This summer we have graced the maxi and new longer length skirts, but it seems our love for the mini has made its way back for the seasons ahead.

Full & Flared:

In a sensual sheer pale beige, Lanvin presented a delicately pleated, billowing silk mullet skirt. It has a fabulous sense of movement and fluidity. Alexander McQueen took a fuller approach layering pleats. This created a structured form that flared from the hip, a stunning silhouette, almost creating a frame for the legs.

Frills Galore

Alexander McQueen bought a Gothic romance to the runway through a dip-dyed chiffon and excessively frilled full-length mullet. Similarly, Julien MacDonald offered a tailed mullet of frilled chiffon in an electric blue floral print.

Soft & Simple

Frankie Morello and Antonio Berardi kept the cut smooth and the dress elegantly light and fluid, no fuss with frills or pleating. Chiffon seems to be quite a popular choice across all the runway shows for SS11, mainly for its texture and transparency.

Square Cut

For those not favouring the billowing chiffon tails, feminine frills or pleats, there is the straight square-cut mullet dress, much like the ones featured in the Albino and Osman SS11 collections. Is it exactly as it sounds - extremely angular, cut-and-sew of a longer back to a shorter front.

Mini Mullet

Unique presented a mullet dress dramatically shorter than what would be expected. With a 60s shift dress vibe, this mullet cut was perfectly rounded with the longest point touching the back of the knees and the shortest reaching daring heights.

Longer Length

Quite opposite to the mini mullet, and more resemblant of the maxi, is the dropped-cut mullet. Still with a distinct shorter front and longer back, this design has its short length reaching the knees, and long length brushing the ankles. Osmans take on this style was quite rigid and structured, while Unique followed the seasons trend of sheer, lucid materials and opted for delicate peach silk.

Already leading by example, Topshop have this stunningly elegant 'bandeau tail dress' in store for £60.

...and this square cut mullet for £55.

Saturday, 16 October 2010

Inspiration: Autumn

My favourite season in colour - I really couldn't resist taking a few shots while out today. Inspiration can be found anywhere and here is what a beautiful autumn day can offer...

Saturday, 9 October 2010

Imperfect Beauty

How far would you go for the sake of fashion?

Not a lot actually shocks me now-a-days, but today I saw a short clip from America's Next Top Model which made me quite angry, to say the least. (series 15, episode 3)

Aspiring model, Chelsey Hersey (shown above), entered the competition with a natural gap between her two front teeth. Rather than plain flawless beauty, the trend of having slight imperfections has been on the increase, with a gap in the teeth being more of a fashion statement than a oddity. Hersey, needless to say, would be deemed quite desirable to most, however it didn't make the mark for the presenter and founder of the show, Tyra Banks.

'We love your teeth, and if you agree, we'd love to exaggerate that and take you a little bit more to Lauren Hutton' - Tyra Banks

Only 22 years of age and with a determination to win the hearts of the nation with her dedication to her work, Hersey agreed to undergo a dental procedure to widen her gap. With what looked like a power tool, a quarter of a millimetre was shaved off each front tooth making the barely noticeable diastema into an attention-grabbing, 'fashion' statement.

We are no stranger to the world of plastic surgery, but is this just another step too far in the name of beauty? After-all, trends come an go and unlike Lauren Hutton (shown above) who was the first model to be noticed with a gap, is it really enough to establish any aspiring model as unique?

Other celebrities known for their gap include:

In demand and last years highest paid model, Lara Stone.

Lindsey Wixson

Georgia Jagger

New to the scene, Ashley Smith.

Vanessa Paradis

Wednesday, 6 October 2010

Corinne Day & Kate Moss

A revolutionary fashion genius, Corinne Day found herself a photographic visionary in the early Nineties. Embracing the dirty reality of London girls, she had an eye for the capturing her street plucked models when they least expect - slumped, laughing or simply messing around. This unvarnished approach to fashion was a controversial move on from the pristine glam of the 80's and her work was first met with outrage. Nevertheless, Day went on to become a regular contributor to Vogue with her images becoming modern classics.

Aged 48, Day died in late August of this year having battled with a brain tumour.

"Corinne was a photographer of huge talent and integrity. Her work for British Vogue was entirely original and will always be remembers. She could capture raw beauty like few others." - Alexandra Shulman, Vogue Editor

One of her most renowned works was her depiction of Kate Moss in the '3rd Summer of Love' editorial for the FACE magazine in 1990, shown above. It was this shoot that really kick started Kate Moss's career - she was 16 at the time.

Instead of launching into a whole history of her achievements, we'll look at her latest ventures which are of course linked to our high-street favourite, Topshop.

"Topshop can confirm that the inimitable fashion partnership between Kate Moss and Topshop will enter a new phase in 2011"

Kate Moss's first capsule collection for the brand was launched back in May 2007 and has since been a regular addition. However, to bring a little more life into the collaboration, Sir Philip Green has given to go-ahead for his daughter, 19 year old Chloe Green, to join forces with Miss Moss to design together. Something to look forward for?

"She's really into vintage and I love clothes that are a little bit more modern, so I think it will be an interesting mix to work together." - Chloe Green

This October will see the last of Moss's capsule collections in-store. Instead of being tied down with seasonal contributions, she is going to become a free agent, being able to introduce looks as and when they take her fancy.

"Kate and the Topshop design team will focus on creating Limited Edition drop-in collections, replacing the current Seasonal Collections"

This matches Kate's spontaneous style, and how exciting to have a regular additions from our London girl!

To mark this new chapter, Kate has hand-picked her Top Ten all-time favourites from her past 14 collections that we go on sale under a new label, 'Iconic Kate'. These include the pansy-print day dress from her first collection and the bold panther mini dress (shown above).

The Faces of Fashion: Vogue Model

To be released tomorrow, and most definitely on my wish list, is this stunning photographic history of fashions most iconic women - 'The Faces of Fashion: Vogue Model'.

Past to present, this collective looks over 90 years of fashion publication and to those familiar faces that reflect and represent our ever changing industry. In a neat little package, we'll be able to appreciate a visual history of fashion print, but also become more acquainted with the woman who shaped it. It is an odd thought of knowing a person from sight, but we have still come to aspire to these women without knowing much else about them besides their beauty. Now we can get to know them that little bit more.

Below are just a few examples of models featured:

Lily Cole

Claudia Schiffer

Naomi Campbell

Gisele

Yasmin Le Bon