Frankie Says Relax & Have Fun #LFW12

 credit -(Jess Carter)

Here's my round up of London Fashion Week 2012 highlights, great to see that there was plenty of humour around as well as stunning wearable pieces. What do you think? Do you like your clothes to be a bit on the quirky side, will you be working a bolt or two this Spring 2013? 

 Frankenstein inspired bolt and whip stitch shoes from Christopher Kane 

Loving the care free abandon of this badly wrapped girl in bubble gum pink and a beautiful cut by 

(Christopher Kane)

Stunning trapeze shapes and opulent prints from Louise Gray

Louise Gray, fun original and hip, metallics with black print

I want this Louise Gray dress that combines my favourite colours with contemporary 50s styling

Who could resist a goodie bag with a barbie shaped camera?! Louise Gray is a genius!

#Minnie Mouse Flys The Flag At #LFW12

Terry De Havilland

Hi there any Minnie Mouse fans in the house? Good well your in for some lovely Minnie Mouse overload, Britain's top designers were challenged to come up with some Minnie Mouse contributions for LFW 2012, with designs to be auctioned on Ebay, after LFW was over, so which Minnie pieces left me wanting to be part of the next big bidding war on ebay?

 Terry De Havilland beautiful designed Minnie Mouse inspired wedges, complete with huge red and white polka dot bows could turn any die-hards tom boys amongst us into coquettish bow wearing minxes. Giles Deacons black and red spikey bow juxtaposed against the sweet back drop of clashing Minnie Mouse print with a sliver of polka dots that just covered the bra strap area is suitably saucy and edgy to warrant a bid.

The next two dresses in vintage style prints by Richard Nicoll are also strong favourites and so wearable for statement clothing. The first dress features a pair of giant Minnie Mouse ears for sleeves and the second print in a washed out grey creates a faded newspaper effect.

 I'm a big fan of accessory designer Tatty Devine and was thrilled to discover she had been one of the designers contributing to this London Fashion Week project, I love her crazy toon time eyeball necklace complete with fluttering lashes synonymous with Minnie Mouses character, it drapes beautifully and it will add a sharp contrast to any colourful necklines this A/W 2012.Could I possibly squeeze one last bid out? I decided that yes I could, for this original and pretty stirling silver and rose gold polka dot bow headband by Husam El Odeh and Luke Hershesons, it scores big in my books for combing innocence and sophistication together. 

Final Word

I love much of Lulu Guinesss work and while handbags have all the lure of the theatrical, I was underwhelmed by her Minnie Mouse offering, the quality of the design was evident as always, but I expected a more exciting use of materials, to me the clutch reminds me of a plastic children's lunch box I might pick up from a Disney store, with the exception of her signature lipstick charm. I have to say my least favourite piece from project Minnie Mouse was the finale piece in this line up a grungy black headband by designer Piers Atkinson, that left me feeling wearing it would transform me into a drowned sewer rat rather than a perky spirited Minnie. Make fashion history and try your luck with a bid here!            

Richard Nicoll

Richard Nicoll

Tatty Devine

Husam El Odeh

Lulu Guiness

Piers Atkinson

 * images courtesy of fashion telegraph.co.uk 

#LFW12 Hosts A Fashion #Retrospective

One of the highlights of London Fashion Week 2012 has to be Bourne and Hollingsworth first ever vintage catwalk show - Retrospective, journeyed through time and space plucking out the very best vintage pieces from names like Mary Quant, Dior, Ossie Clark, Chanel and Givenchy, recreating exciting fashion forward looks for SS 2013.The after party was full of theatre and a dazzling display of dance as a flash mob of flapper girls took to the floor whilst onlookers sipped Bourne and Hollingsworth cocktails dressed in their finest vintage attire. 

I first fell in love with Aquascutum years ago when I snagged a classic short cream 60s mac from a charity shop for the ridiculous price of £2.00, the cut was sublime and suited the 60's phase I was working at the time, it went everywhere with me, so I think this stunning red and navy Aquascutum mac from the 1970s has to be one of favourite pieces in this little line up together with the punchy and elegant bee stripe Ossie Clark dress from the 70s.Do you have a favourite look or piece from this little line up? Should Vintage fashions have a regular airing at London Fashion Week?     

Bronze Beauty #DiyFashion

Rain, rain and more rain left me with too much time on my hands and a box of dye which I decided to use to turn a plain vintage beige cardigan into this tie dye bronze beauty and in the words of Project Runways Tim Gun, make it work! Although its not quite sweater weather yet, it was fun to start planning out my A/W wardrobe. Excuse the shiny patches on my forehead, I'm still getting to grips with taking shots in an over lit room on a very overcast day.

I'm wearing - vintage tie dye cardigan, owl sweatshirt- Asda, button up long cotton shirt-vintage, Muji mushroom spot dress worn as a pencil skirt, taupe suede peep-toes from Clarks and a purple suede belt from Topshop.

Although it was'n't an intentional pairing, I like the fact that my cardigan buttons mirror the mushroom spots on my Muji skirt and the fact they look like posh smarties, call me mad, a little imagination is a dangerous thing!! The secret of this machine tie dye project is to use a cardigan that is a mix of synthetic and man made fibres and a dye which only works on synthetic fibres. My slightly baroque hair style was influenced by you guessed it Prince, must have been all that rain.      

Inside #Harvey Nichols Secret Vault - Manchester

Last Wednesday I was invited to Harvey Nichols 2012 A/W press day in Manchester.Once inside their SECRET VAULT the number of which will have to remain anonymous (whether your chasing your next horcrux or not I'm afraid) I peered round the vault er room and was impressed by the quality of the products and fashions to be had within the walls of Harvey Nichols.The lovely very knowledgeable Rebecca (kindly holding up the white shirt for my shot) explained that often buyers may just select one or two items from what is essentially a much larger designer range, that they feel will be popular with shoppers and that these are then used to create intimate in store boutiques, I really like this idea, kind of like a room within a room and besides too much choice can sometimes be a little exhausting when your buying gifts or clothes even!

Looking round at some of the fashion labels and creatively packaged items I could'n't resist thinking of some of my favourite fashion bloggers who would love to receive some of these delights under their Christmas tree this year. Rather than keep my suggestions to myself I thought I might spill the beans and share my gift ideas for each fashion blogger with you! You can of course disagree strongly if you are familiar with the bloggers already and think I have got them all wrong!   

1. I caught a glimpse of the bird detail on this mens pale blue Alexander Mcqueen shirt and thought of Jen @ A Little Bird Told Me she loves unusual prints and knows how to rock a shirt!

2.The packaging that I got most excited about was the large square Penhaligon gift sets these beautiful vivid oriental boxes look almost antique and house bottles of scent that look like they come from Victorian chemists.This I thought was a gift that stately home loving Pink Bow would be prepared to trade her pink bow for this Christmas.

3.The pretty pink florentines and newly launched perfume Florabotanica would have to go to fun loving Diamond Canopy I felt sure her sweet tooth would appreciate this twist on the classic florentine and she would be as thrilled as I was with a perfume bottle that reminds me of a piece of Everton rock (with stripes running the wrong way of course!) running through it and is packaged in such pretty floral box, although youthful it also has an art deco feel which is very classy too.    

 

4.Overseas elegant and luxe blogger Savvy Mode would swoon over the feel good factor of the Jo Malone hamper complete with black tissue and sprinkled with green leaves and blackberries.

5.I spied a round boxed candle with an image of the achingly hip James Dean, deep in conversation and the Benefit beauty set cleverly disguised to look like a novel complete with witty title would have to wend its way overseas to the adorable Vixen Vintage   

6. Did I miss something out?Oh that old thing,the Alexander Mcqueen floral De manta satin clutch you mean? Yep that's got my name on it, signed sealed and delivered and as sure as eggs as eggs that would be any girls Passport To Style. 

Choosing The Perfect Button #Style DIY

Hi Gals, got a bit of a style dilemma on my hands I found this brilliant online button shop which will cater to my embellishment addiction but I'm now left trying to decide which of these gorgeous buttons to use for either a baroque or army style DIY, which I will be sharing with you shortly. The top three on the diagonal are my baroque button choices and the bottom three are the ones I had in mind for an army look, any ideas? Do you have a favourite?

#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!

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* photo credits -Trend Hunter