Outfit Post #1: Topshop Fashion Role Model

Nails in 'Art School - £5

Fold Over Waistband Maxi Skirt - £18

Animal Crop Tee - £12

Earrings - Discontinued

All from Topshop!

LFW AW11/12 Style - Bright n' Bold

 

If there was one colour popping trend that couldn't go unmissed this London Fashion Week, it would be the bright array of hair. Of course there were some drib-drabs of the dip-dyes, but now it seems like everyones now going all out and dying their hair in all the colours of the rainbow.

New Nude

We all remember the notorious 'naked dress' from Sex and the City worn by Carrie - a simple nude coloured slip dress that, in the words of Miranda, made her "look like sex". Well ladies, here's a treat, for spring/summer 2011 we have every excuse to go out and get our very own sassy number as nude is the new neutral to be seen in.

© crushable

Nude was awash the runway for SS11. Chloe brought through the soft knife pleats emerging this season in the form of a sheer silk dress that is so delicate and light. It's asymmetrical neckline and skinny waist belt are also SS11 trends to keep your eyes peeled for. Similarly, Max Mara embraced the return of the 70's silhouette in the form of wide legged trousers and boat neck lycra jersey - all very streamlined and understated.

© Chloe / © Max Mara

Lanvin played with drape with a knee-length dress that wrapped around the neck creating an asymmetrical, almost wind-swept, creation while Versace chose a body-con silhouette with panelled features and fish-scale textures.

© Lanvin / © Versace 

To see how the high-street have started to translate this trend, I turned to leading brand Topshop. Going top to bottom: 

1. Buttermilk Mesh Cape Shirt, £30.

2. Premium Sand Suede Pleat Shorts, £66.

3. GAZELLE Nude Nubuck Cut Out Shoe Boots, £68

4. Nude Frame Leather Clutch Bag, £28

5. Nails in Mannequin, £5

6. Snake Seam Back Tights, £8.50

7. Coffee Sheer Sleeve Shift Dress, £50

© Topshop

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.

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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.

   © Lanvin                                                                                                    © Alexander McQueen

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.

© Alexander McQueen                                                                                                    © Julien Macdonald

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.

© Frankie Morello                                                                                                    © Antonio Berardi

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.

© Albino                                                                                                    © Osman

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.

© Unique                                                                                                    © Unique

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.

© Osman                                                                                                    © Unique

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

© Topshop

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

© Topshop

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) 

© tv.yahoo

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

© christycoleman

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: 

© frillr

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

© futureofthefuture

Lindsey Wixson

© vanity fair

Georgia Jagger

© nymag

New to the scene, Ashley Smith.

© avalonandjessica

Vanessa Paradis