My Passport to Style | Influential Trends A/W13

 

 

This is a proud moment, if ever us bloggers have been influential, it was clearly visible on the A/W 13 runways where maxed out layers ruled supreme, any blogger worth her salt has perfected the art of piling on layers of fabric to add texture and interest. We learnt it from the best in the business Susie Lau.

 I’m not sure about the trend for only buying half a coat ( because the rest has been skilfully lopped off, with a very expensive pair of shears) somehow it doesn't feel like money well spent, but I’m keen to emulate some of the artful tucks, luxe folds and fabric clashes as paraded on the A/W13 catwalk shows.

 Thankfully, hourglass gals like me can celebrate that curve hugging pieces have not been wiped from the face of the high street just yet by heavy pleated pants and thick slouchy coats as we are all encouraged to man up.

After spending a pretty frustrating morning trying to pare down (read cram) the contents of four rails of clothing into my very small glossy black closet, I rediscovered a 50’s inspired shift dress that I could wear with an old khaki cropped roll neck layered over it, to transform it into a wiggle skirt, result!         

 

*mages courtesy of vogue*

Double Duty| Dressing With Topshop

 

 

 

I recently bought this navy knitted tile jacquard dress from the Topshop sale, I was pretty chuffed to nab this geometric beauty, for lots of reasons I love the colour navy and the ease of flinging on a sweater dress.The centre panel breaks up the body and elongates, always good, but I was also pleased to snap up a print that cleverly covers two of this S/S13 trends.

#DIY #Style Rooted In Renegade #Fashion

Dress VB

 Great Style Is In The Details

 

I love that the creative process that is fashion can take a functional detail that is pretty bog standard and elevates it to a new dimension that captures our imagination and reminds us that when it was first invented it was a pretty incredible thing to start with, one such detail is the zip, it was invented by Swedish scientist Sundback in1913 and patented as the hookless fastener. For many years in fashion the zip remained hidden from view a thing of modesty and practically, then punk rock arrived and with it what was then seen as extreme diy fashion emerged as clothes were shredded, deconstructed and rearranged to shock.

Renegade Fashionistas 

 Once Vivienne Westwood took hold of this trend and launched her first label Seditionaries the zipper was no longer insignificant but edgy. Since then we have seen many interpretations of the humble zipper as it has been used by fashion and accessory designers in new ways to add edge, sensuality and creativity to their labels, most prominently was the addition of a visible zipper to body con dresses such as Victoria Beckhams successful line, however the zipper was actually first used this way by Italian fashion visionary Elsa Schiaparelli (1890–1973). The London 2012 Olympics provided the perfect hothouse for growing fashions which incorporated the zippers functional attributes with designer fusion lines popping up everywhere and the predictable but welcome return of the classic biker jacket, whilst on the horizon of this A/W 2012 season we have come full circle as punk rock fashions make a strong return, hooray!

For more fashion history and musing on the world of style sign up to My Passport To Style top right of this page.

* photo credits -Trend Hunter

The Editeur Fashion Show Tips It Hat To Couture

White Peplum Shift- The Editeur

I recently received an exciting invitation from The Editeur to a pre-races fashion show at Restaurant 1539 at Chester Racecourse showcasing Laura Apsit Livens hat designs alongside some of The Editeur’s new season’s pieces. Laura has worked for Philip Treacy and has designed pieces for what is deemed the rock royalty of the fashion world from Givenchy to Valentino and McQueen . Adam, the co-owner of The Editeur (with partner Annabel) informs me that their popular boutique has it’s roots in the underwear business, which was so successful they started their clothing label; with my stylist hat on I switch into thinking that the boutiques knowledge of the ins and outs of what makes for great underwear and having it fitted properly is the perfect foundation for a high end independent fashion boutique and their clients. At the forefront of innovation and receiving awards from Drapers as well having been spotted by Vogue and GQ magazine The Editeur have recently partnered with Laura Apsit Livens to be able to offer their fans a bespoke hat service to give them the opportunity to dress head to toe from The Editeur.

Laura Apsit Livens left

  Adam invited myself and another fashion blogger the lovely Jade of The Style Rawr to meet Laura and take a look at her hats before the fashion show kicked off. Peeping down between the rungs of the shiny spiral staircase at Restaurant 1539 I could see little pockets of excitement bubbling over; Editeur clients stylishly clad in fitted dresses and razor sharp heels looking in their element as they posed for photos.

Nice Suit!

 Within seconds of being in Laura's company I can see how charming she is and her skill as a hat designer is evident, I catch myself staring at her flawless olive complexion and her perfect teeth, before my curiosity gets the better of me and I ask her what attracted her to hat design, she reflects briefly before commenting that in the world of fashion, hat design allows the designer the rare privilege of seeing the design process from conception right through to the finished product. I can understand the appeal I say, nodding and itching to pick up one of her edgy designs.  I resist, asking her instead how she felt about the negative press surrounding the hat Philip Treacy designed for Princess Beatrice to wear to Kate and Will’s wedding day, adding that I actually loved it and felt it was a bold statement. She very tactfully says it was made under a great deal of pressure and was a very large hat to be worn by someone of Beatrice's height. She tells me that she can turn a hat around in twenty four hours (which takes my breath away) but usually they take considerably longer to create, and then happily nods when I ask if I can take a few pictures of her hat designs, asking the model if she will kindly pose for me.

Laura Apsit Livens - Blue Button Hat for the Editeur

Laura Apsit Livens - Peak hat with Swarovski crystal veil for the Editeur 

Sportsmax Potus dress -The Editeur

 Laura's quiet passion and charm are really refreshing from a designer who has worked with one of the great hat designers of the decade, she puts me completely at my ease and I can imagine she would be a joy to visit for a hat fitting at The Editeur in Chester. After a tasty supper, the fashion show swings into action, the Hydrangea hat looks stunning worn with a simple white fitted peplum dress at a jaunty angle, with its rich rose hue elegant and very feminine. Laura's take on a common English garden flower hat is striking, with a Parisian feel.  My other hot favourite is a waterfall of Swarovski crystals on a black band with a playful plume of black feather, although very design led I could imagine this being a versatile look to wear and wouldn't be at all surprised if divas such as Dita Von Teese and Kylie Minogue commission Laura to recreate something of this ilk for them! Like some of the other fashion bloggers seated at my table I swooned over the geometric pastel prints by Tibi, that had a casual confidence that I love, the Sportmax shift dress in acid yellow and buttery bronze tones had to be my highlight of the night and I anticipate will be a big seller.Laura Livens hat's will be available online at The Editeur as of next month and are currently available for viewing at the Grosvenor Hotel in Chester.  

Beautiful People

       

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!! 

Anthropologies Homage To India

Having just seen the Best Exotic Marigold Hotel which is set in India for those of you who have not yet heard of it and stars the leading actor Dev Patel from Slum Dog Millionaire (above) among a stella cast which includes Dame Judy Dench at her best and Bill Nighy to name a few. The dream like setting and rich colours reminded me that I still needed to share my photos from my recent visit to Anthropologie in London. The clash of pastels and chalky brights, combined with the feeling of being in a ram shackled warehouse full of exotic treasures mirrors the mood of this film perfectly. I wonder if it was a grand plan on the part of Anthropologie or whether it was just good luck that the flamboyant slightly eccentric stying of their store with references to India fits so well with yet another high calibre film set in Asia.I promise to let you know if I find out? Hope you enjoy the photos.  

I loved this mangle of brightly coloured wool creeping steathily up the wall of Anthropologies wall!

bright orange collarless mac, I would wear it with a black lattice weave satchel

I know these are flowers festooned to the front of these mint vases but they make me think of bright coral

These  french candles were like a row of vanilla milkshakes just waiting to be downed with a few swift gulps! 

This perfume vial look like they would be at home  in a humid butterfly house

My Passport To Style | Marc Jacobs Summer 2012 Collection, At Paris Fashion Week

ill fitting lady like does not work

The question on every ones lips right now is will Marc Jacobs take over the helm at Dior? Well firstly I need to say I'm a huge fan of the man and his work, but in my opinion there were some pieces that just did not work, you know the saying a model can wear a bin liner and still look great, well it simply is not true, I know Vivienne Westwood will be displeased with me for saying that, sorry Vivienne.

Now to explain my bin liner analogy of course non of Mark Jacobs clothes looked remotely like a bin liner, however some of his detailing in this collection was supersized and as such looked ill fitting in my opinion, such as his collars and some of the skirts, now of course this is pure Marc Jacobs to be playful with proportions and materials which is often what women love about Marc Jacobs, because of his ability to inject a youthfulness into even the most sophisticated of looks and this season is the season of playing with proportion, we are seeing cocoon coats and sloping shoulders popping up all over the high street right now.


But fit never goes out of fashion and where as a cocoon coat might work beautifully to disguise a fuller shaped bottom half and show of shapely calves on a real woman, on a model who is let's face it is pretty angular, where Marc had played with shape by stretching out skirt lines, these dresses from his collection ended up looking like pretty, but rather deflated stiff crisp packets, rendering the models wearing these pieces awkward in their ill fitting garments and helpless rather than carefree.


There was much to love however, in this collection, clever use of metallic's, pastels and primary colours all held together by a variety of textured floral shapes. Mr Jacobs masterfully combined large flower laser cut outs, with a clean sporty aesthetic the crisp white roll neck featured was cut to perfection, the navy and white large broderie anglaise pattern, biker jacket with navy small broderie anglaise print skirt was achingly chic, as was the egg yolk yellow swing coat again in broderie anglaise with large collar cream collar. Marc Jacobs popularity stems from his intuitive sense of knowing what women want from clothing and what men like to see women wearing, the two are of course completely different, but Marc Jacobs genius, is in his ability to combine the two so seamlessly .