26 Mar 2012

Alphabet Chic


Liberty floral high tops


Y is for yellow, the colour of the brave and the bold, the colour of custard, daffodils, lemons and the middle of a crunchie. I like that yellow is bold and pretty, without being sickly I declare yellow the new pink!

Sunshine tote


Erickson Beamon earrings



Trend Alert | Why I'm Dodging Sun Beams!




Hello again! I really didn't  get the whole ombre thing until fairly recently, I had no burning desire to join a herd of pink dip dyed ombres, which surprised me as I love fun trends, but basically I'm a bit of a boring purist when it come to my hair, maybe this is for the best, as I think the ombre hair trend is in fact intended for those with poker straight locks, not my frenzy of dark waves! When I saw these ombre tights it was love at first sight, they are a stylist/photographer/fashion bloggers dream, no tanning booth required to help create shapely legs, just slip these tights on for instant shading in all the right places, darn that heat wave!! 


21 Mar 2012

Hainsworth And Clarks Shoes Create The Stuff Of Legends

 
I noted with glee recently that high street shoe shop Clarks have gone all rebellious with their latest collection of shoes that reflect British rock royalty, shrugging of any last vestige of rumour that Clarks shoes are only for those of an age to grow bunions or small children in need of correctly fitted shoes. As someone who has had to endure pitying looks from friends in the past (when Clarks fashion cred was on a much smaller scale) when I confessed I was a fan and bought my shoes from there, as they actually provides stylish and comfortable fitting shoes for my five and a half duck shaped feet, even I was impressed by their latest collaboration with Yorkshire fabric mill Hainsworth who supplied the famous scarlet doeskin fabric used in the design of this seasons dessert boot that looks like it has stepped out of Sergeant Peppers LoneyHearts Club Band.






19 Mar 2012

Shiny Happy People!





For those of you Marni fans who were in raptures that they were soon to be guest designers at H and M, but then failed to get your hands on pieces of the collection (or were unwilling to camp in a sleeping bag OVERNIGHT outside the doors of your local H&M!! ) that you wanted after they sold out in a record 24hrs! You might be pleased to know that I recently stumbled across some great Marni Esq  pieces whilst browsing in Topshop, Marnis collection for H&M was all about contrasting shiny fabrics, unusual prints and simple sporty lines all tied up with a chic Italian bow that is their signature.

                           Just A Magpie At Heart


 I confess to having magpie tendencies, put me within a eighty mile radius of anything remotely shiny and I will soon be lining my nest (wardrobe) with the latest pretty bauble to hit the high street! As a curvy gal I need to proceed with caution as to what shiny pieces I can actually wear, these latest sporty pieces from Topshop are goof proof for those shy of shine.

Top Style Tip - Think Out Of The Box When Trying A New Trend

 I particularly like the idea of wearing this shiny graphite coat not as a raincoat but open with a patterned baby blue t-shirt and these shrimp pink trousers and a bold but simple necklace. These metallic sandals are a nod to the look and have the sporty simplicity that made me first fall for Marni, wear them with baby blue rolled up jeans or some silk draw string trousers in the same colour, if you're thinking of  buying into this seasons luxe look.    

11 Mar 2012

Why I'm Doing A Madonna

Silk Coi Hat, love this model and her hair and makeup

I want to do a Madonna and recreate the film the Great Gatsby purely so I can source all the beautiful clothes I and my friends would get to wear at all the best parties we would attend, what inspired this latest fantasy of mine? Me stumbling into BHLDN an online Canadian bridal shop, but hey the small matter of the store being for brides to be, is in my opion pretty irrelevant, clothes this pretty need wearing at least twice a week!!

backless silk waistcoat

slender long mint tutu skirt

loving that the bows look like swallows swooping downward




Hybrid | Designs A Pendant For Me And Invites Us Into Their Virtual Workshop!


 If you read my last post featuring the talented  Cari-Jane Hakes of Hybrid Handmade you will know she agreed to design a piece of jewellery for me so I could share her design process with you here on my fashion blog. I chose a long necklace and asked her to use my new pin interest boards for inspiration.


Cari -Janes  inspiration board based on my pin interest passions




From this she created her own inspiration board and also made up another board of some of my favourite pieces including the Storm necklace (top centre), the Barnacle ring (top right) and the Yellow Submarine ring, (centre right) from there she came up with her own sketches of what she wanted the piece to look like, creating a tactile piece that could swing from a long cord or chain and be held in the palm of the hand. She drew on detailing featured on the silver barnacle ring which I love so much, such as the faceting and the clever copper barnacles; she then brought the sketches to life using a piece of wood and turquoise, it's has been really exciting spending time in Cari-Jane Hakes virtual workshop and seeing her create my necklace. Thank-you Cari-Jane!   




Can you believe this is the back of the wooden version!
And Here's My Finished Pendant,with the back below







6 Mar 2012

Meet Soulful Jewellery Designer Cari- Jane Hakes

Yellow Submarine ring

I recently came across Cari- Jane Hakes jewellery and her blog after she left me a comment on a fashion post I wrote during London fashion week. We both share a love of architecture and the enjoyment of translating that into our sense of style, me as stylist and fashion blogger and her as a jewellery designer. Add to that I'm a bit of a sucker for the poetic and with the names of Cari-Janes pieces ranging from Storm necklace to Yellow Submarine ring I had to find out more about her label and her design process.



 I have never been particularly snobby about jewellery, having lots of costume jewellery and can honestly say I cherish my strings of plastic beads and clusters of colourful glass brooches (and how they can help transform an outfit) nearly as much as the pieces in my jewellery box made of green amber or white gold. Cari-Jane knows how to be playful with proportions and shape, when you look at Cari-Janes work you feel like you have just stumbled into a room of special objects, adults would not of let you play with, but you know in your heart you could have hours of fun playing make believe with, her pebbles contain tiny spy holes and gleaming rings, sprout copper barnacles , wearing a piece of Cari-Janes would be like wearing a secret that only you and she know about.

Rock Pool ring

 I asked Cari- Jayne to design a piece for me and I thought it would be fun to share her design process here with you. Here are some of my favourite pieces from her current collection, in part two of this post on Cari-Janes work, I will be sharing what inspiration Cari -Jayne used for designing a necklace for me based on some of my passions and key pieces from her collection and her design process and sketches.
Storm Necklace


Fearlessly Feminine Necklace

 You can find more of Cari-Janes Hakes work here at hybrid handmade

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3 Mar 2012

Preview Of Russian Designer Nikolay Krasnikov S/S 2012


Every now and again I love to write and showcase clothes here on My Passport To Style that reflect my romantic nature, sometimes though, that can backfire, as perceptions of what is romantic varies across cultures and tastes. I don't for example find is at all romantic to wear a pale pink dress limply clinging around my ankles like a piece of curled up ham. I like dresses like my hot chocolate served with a shot of fiery chilli or should I say in relation to clothing slightly tempestuos, think Carmen Miranda or the hot bright colours of Mexico that's more me! So when I was sent the look book of Russian designer Nikolay Kransnikov  S/S 2012 collection inspired by the paintings of Philip Malyavins which combined a story of peasant women wearing  heady reds and blue floral tapestries I was smitten enough to share the images here. Nikolay Kransnikov shares his next collection during Russian Fashion week on the 24th of March just incase you fancy popping by, (show me the plane and I'm on it!!) to see the painting  that inspired the collection click here    







photo credits- Anton Bundenko