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.    

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

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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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

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

I Love Being Minted!

As soon as I saw this little mint topped biscuit with it's delicate scalloped edges studded with pure white pearls I felt myself yearning to play dress up and came over all frilly. These darling shoes and earrings are the result! Will you be working pastel shades this spring 2012 ?

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photo credits -style bubble, the cake decorating company and anthropologie

A/W 2012 Review | The Tartan Queen Goes Tribal

I have a bit of obsession for British heritage fabrics such as tartan, tweed and plaid. So it was an obvious choice to choose to cover Vivienne Westwood's A/W  2012 Red Label runway collection here on My Passport To Style today. Take a look at my favourite pieces from her runway collection. Westwood combined her impeccable pinstripe tailoring with tribal prints in very wearable shades, such as toffee, burnt red, denim and violet.

 Signature Style

 Her usual signature design elements were evident such as big bows on shirts, the floppy cowl neck ( used in dresses for both evening and daywear)  that she loves to use and the side fastenings on dresses and jackets. She is the mistress of layering pattern and texture and making it look exciting but at the same time elegant. 

Even The Great Get It Wrong

I liked her reworked version of Victorian spats, but felt her honey monster stripe rugby shirt was just not hitting her usual high notes, I am biased as I have never really liked rugby shirts on women, they are so boxy, I think it was a odd choice for her given how she loves to accentuate the curves of a woman. The tribal markings that were etched onto models legs were a bit clichéd and looked slightly tacky in my opinion.

Accessorize Watch Out!

 Accessories were strong, rakish hats wound with broad contrasting ribbon, pretty Aztec print broad scarves, large black fuzzy bags, pretty tartan totes and squat ladies handbags in blueberry tartan fizzed and popped on their journey across the runway. Verdict?  A very wearable collection, with a stunning  colour palette. What do you think of Westwoods A/W 2012 collection? Do you have a favourite piece?

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Stella McCartney S/S 2012 | More Than PJS And Paisley

When I think of Stella McCartney I think of pyjamas and paisley, two interconnected S/S 2012 trends that the Brit designer has been quick to translate with her usual elegant ease. The paisley trend has also been picked up by my hero of quirk Marc Jacobs for winter 2012, more on his A/W 2012 debut soon.  Stellas new S/S season is made of so much more these two heavy weight trends though. She's a designer who knows how to take one simple detail and work it to the max, I think it comes from her time working in tailoring and a real respect for showcasing the materials she uses in her designs. Here's an example that I was excited about sharing with you from her new handbag collection, she's taken zipper teeth chain and used it to create so many different moods/styles of handbag, these are my favourites from her Falabella collection . 

  credits paisley image - Nancy Davies