Swatch UK Mothers Day Special

Image copyright Swatch

 

Today’s post is an ode to three of my greatest passions, watches, Russia and beautiful packaging, the clever designers at Swatch have launched a set of five Russian Matryoshka nesting dolls for Mothers day 2013. In a high shine finish using an extravagant palette of colors and best of all, three of the five dolls have a matching floral Swatch strapped to their bellies, are you smitten yet? I like that each of the three watches could potentially reflect a new season; green would work for spring, blue for summer and the red for autumn. Given that these dolls traditionally represent mother daughter and grandmother though, it seems only proper that if you were to buy this as a gift for your mum that you and gran get a slice of the pie too!      

'Lomo Love' Top Blogs 2013

 

My Passport To Style was recently awarded the Lomography blog badge of honour – 'Lomo Love', for being one of their top 20 favourite blogs for 2013, this is a brand new award for Lomography UK and it's exciting to see them welcoming partnerships with bloggers. You might remember I wrote an in depth review of their fun Lomography city guide London here and have featured several of their impossibly cool cameras. It was great to discover some new bloggers and talented photographers  who are hooked by all things Lomography.

 Although I was not selected as one of their five out right winners it was lovely to be recognised as someone who cares about bringing interesting images to my blog to share with readers. I have really enjoyed using my camera and styling skills this year to showcase fashion and beauty items in what I think of as slightly quirky miniature sets. My two personal favourite shots that I took this year feature Orla Kielys perfume and some vintage china horses and Lush spa products styled as a little Tug Boat caught up in  the swell of my favourite Bali inspired duvet. This is the list of the 20 that Lomo Love and the five winners if you want to check them out .

 I thought you might enjoy a sneak peak of Lomography UK's  monochrome offering, the La Sardina Moonassi Edition Dream a bit of a mouthful but I forgive them as the dreamy graphics by artist Moonassi and the tranquility he has furnished this camera with more than make up for it.

*Images courtesy of Lomography UK
       

 

Colour Of The Year Tangerine Orange

credit - polablogzone.com

 

 

Jeffrey Campbell

So I have been musing over this seasons it colour, tangerine orange, although no colour really is an it colour for me,  I love collecting an eclectic mix of colours in my wardrobe and get really excited when hybrid colours like neons, pastels, metallic’s or muted shades pop us as I can add them to my growing collection.

Decoding Which Shoes Go With Which S/S 2013 Looks

Paul Smith Daffodil sandal -Coggles

 

Which Shoes Fit Which S/S 2013 Look?

Right now there are some pretty big bold trends emerging from fashion week 2013, among them are the transparent, ruffles, monochrome geometrical prints, tangerine orange and stripes.

Whilst the clothing for this season 2013 appears pretty theatrical with what seems like tricky trends to pull off, get the shoe right and everything else will fit together. 

Casual shoes are big this season, so that means pimped up trainers, high tops and slides, on the other side of the catwalk you have block heels, biker boots and edgy stilettos.

Diane Von - Furstenburg Alina black shoe -Coggles

 

 

 

Decoding the trends

Geometric Prints are both sharp and sporty, so if you plan on wearing lots of black and white and sharp lines, maybe a shift dress or block t-shirt a classic pair of stilettos in black and a white pair of leather or clear slides will make dressing like an Everton mint a breeze, excuse for the slightly flippant remarks I’m feeling a bit cheeky today.

Tangerine threads have a sporty and retro feel;  a simple shift or shirt dress in this bold colour is really versatile and can be worn with a pair of clear or white slides, black high tops, black bikers or stilettos.

Striped looks work best with clean lines again reach for slides or stilettos.

Ruffles require handling with care keep it classic with your favourite stiletto

Transparent this seemingly alien fabric a favourite with Marc Jacobs, creates an opportunity for sporty or more delicate looks, layer a grey transparent coat over pretty pastels which come back every spring and wear with some low stilettos in a pastel or wear the same coat over bright block colour and a pair of clear slides or a pair of high tops or bikers if your keen to play with the Grunge trend.

Wearing A Faux Fur Hat

Ok I have a fashion confessional to make to you, now seems a relevant time since we are still in ear bitingly cold weather. I live close by to a woman who may or may not be Russian, but wears what looks like a big full on Russian fur hat, every time I see her wearing it I have to stifle a snigger, so am I laughing out of superiority? No not at all, I just find furry hats pretty comical, they just seem a little ott like the Busby hats the guards wear at Buckingham Palace or the slightly cheesy images of Bond girls on the ski slopes, apologise to any Bond fans or Anglophiles .
 

 

 

 

 

 

The funny thing is I love hats of all kinds and I’m usually very open minded about style, I like faux fur and I have no issue with the many animal faux furhoods worn by festival goers during the summer last year, do I snigger about big hair, bouncy curls, bee hives or furry bear or wolf hoods? No, I often think they add something to a look and are fun. So after pondering a little longer on my reaction and remembering back to my love for Paula of Pink Bow’s tribute to fur hat wearing, I realised my embarrassingly childish reaction was all about the size of the hat. Although I do think the colour makes a difference, Paula’s fur hat is the right proportion and in vibrant turquoise creates a fun look that is more about texture and colour, her sleek hair style helps too. Do you like fur hoods or hats?

 

Paula of Pink Bow wearing a blue faux fur hat

 

*Images source - Google images, Pink Bow and Redoute*

Man Repellers Part In The Shoe Revolution

There is a rumour going round that a shoe revolution is under way, fashionistas, fashion bloggers and style icons are starting to diss the view that you must suffer to look stylish, in favour of comfort. My view is popular site The Man Repeller has played a part in shifting our thinking away from caring as much about what the opposite sex might like us to wear, to what is actually comfy for us to wear as well as stylish. Karl Lagerfeld's recent pretty pastel offering at Chanel, teamed with a chunky gold shoe that slimmed the calves as much as the toning effects of a pair of high heels sealed the deal for flat phobics everywhere .

Is Comfort A Dirty Word ?

The funny thing is though that although women of all ages like the freedom of dressing comfortably, (I read  enough complaints on fashion forums to know!) we don't like to acknowledge it, somehow the thought of saying that comfort and style are equally important to us, leaves us wide open to speculation by others that we must only ever wear elasticised waistbands, big knickers and sports bras, thus aging us by another 30 years! Remember the savage attack of Uggs and legging wearers, which left women across the UK not daring to leave the house in comfort for fear of being branded a sloth. Witnessing women up north hobble in six inch heels to a night club as they simultaneously shiver I'm not so sure those criticisms were justified, looking relaxed in what we wear rather than strained is actually very attractive and feels good.

 What's the point of looking fashionable at a night club if you then have to sit on the sidelines and watch wistfully as others dance themselves dizzy.

It's Not Cool To Encourage Models To Suffer!

 In need of more convincing just watch Britain and Irelands Next Top Model  and you can bet that there will be a shoe fail, that will sabotage one of the models during her shoot, instead of projecting her thing, her face will have frozen with the pain leaving the judges tut- tutting over her shot and questioning  how professional this makes her.

Whilst I am passionate about couture and style, I'm usually at this point yelling at the tv "she is human have a heart!"

Let us remember that the 60's one of the most popular sources of inspiration for fashion designers gave birth to the mini skirt because a woman had the genius idea of lopping inches of their skirts to allow for freedom of movement, which just happened to be pretty darn sexy too!   

Retrospective The History Behind Fashion LFW13

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I was invited to the press Retrospective fashion show for London Fashion Week 2013 at Bloomsbury ballroom, sadly I was unable to attend, so I thought I would share some of the inspirational vintage pieces that featured here on My Passport To Style. This clever new concept in historical catwalk fashion received rave reviews last year at London Fashion Week 2012, the show featured genuine vintage designs ranging from the 1920s through to the 80s blending casual look with more formal wear to present a window into the new seasons trends.Since much of  fashion is already created by taking inspiration from the past this concept makes perfect sense.The show featured pieces from Chanel, Pucci, Vivienne Westwood, Biba, Dior and Donna Karen.

My Doggy Substitute | This Could Catch On!

  

I'm a dog lover I don't own one, really because If I can't commit to walking a dog as frequently as they need I don't think it's fair. One of the fun things about dog walking is all sorts of people approach you and feel free to make conversation with you, people love guessing the type of character you are based on the type of dog you own, even though they might not admit to it! At the risk of sounding extremely frivolous the good news is us women can enjoy pretty much the same social benefits if we enjoy putting our favourite bag through its paces.
 

Bags Of Character!

  We love checking out and another women's handbag and far from the belief that it's because we are competitive about dressing, I believe it is more about the fact we are curious to learn more from our first impressions of another woman. There are exceptions 'IT' handbag owners are a little like proud show dogs owners, 'look at me, admire me', the sleek minimalist lines of their handbag declare, but the nature of the IT bag is to exude status, status does not in my opinion often equal character,which means apart from the obvious this woman is rich clue you might walk away none the wiser as to what she is like. I'm fascinated by the way we have lost interest in the IT bag at a time when you would think our social status was more important to us than ever. While men put in more hours at the gym and upgrade their cars and personal image to help create the right image I think it says a lot about us women that we are tired of the IT bag. We enjoy bags that possess a distinct character that reflects where we are in our life and how we feel on any given day.

 

Which Way Do You Carry Yours?

 The way we carry our handbag says a lot too. How do you choose to carry your bag? Personally I rarely carry my bag on the shoulder or in the crook of my arm, my favoured methods are cross body, messenger or in my hand, I think it looks cleaner and for me it feels more relaxed and natural. I like handbags that speak of adventure, travel and freedom and that have a sense of utility but are at the same time our perhaps slightly quirky, but most importantly don't detract from what I wear and melt into my sense of style . I love the way the old style camera case has now been reproduced as a classic hard cased small bag.

 

Woof Woof!

 Ok so there are limitations your handbag maybe happy to be accompany you on walks, be stroked and be tethered to your chair (rather than a lamp post) while you sip coffee with friends, but you can't throw it a stick or watch it wag its tail, on the other hand you don't have to worry about washing the mud out of its fibres after it has rolled around in the grass or collect the steaming parcels it has deposited on the pavement or at park!    

Light Club Comes To Vegas

 

 

 

If ever there was the perfect excuse for me to finally visit Vegas it is probably this, club Light launches in April (which coincides with my birthday) with the help of Cirque Du Soleil and a combination of stella DJS from around the globe, we can expect amazing light shows, theatrics and beautiful costumes and makeup.Cirque Du Soleil founder Guy Laliberte describes the clubs collaboration with Light as a working laboratory in which Cirque Du Soleil can come up with new and exciting possibilties and projects.

 

credits - technabob.com

 

 

 I am a massive fan of Cirque Du Soleil, I love losing myself in the fantasy of their visually breathtaking stories and acrobatics, throw in incredible music and sci fi dazzling lighting schemes and I'm imagining possibly the best ever place to party. So I guess this is the place to wear those really over the top outfits, that your friends look at tut and say 'too much,' Man Repeller would approve of and you sadly put in the pile labeled 'in another life.' If you wondering how over the top to go, take a look at the coat below to give you a bench mark ladies.Find out more here  

 

 

 

Source - Nylon magazine

Bloggers Paradise

When Shopping In Manchester The Words Less Is More Apply

So where should every self respecting fashion blogger head if they have a couple of hours in Manchester to kill? Well, if like me you’re always conscious of time and love gadgets that help you blog but look like they are an integral  part of your latest look, then a fashionable time piece and camera is a must. Glossy colourful accessories and up-cycled fashions are also de-rigueur. With this in mind I highly recommend a visit to the swatch shop in the Arndale Centre on Market Street, where I found the staff are warm and very knowledgeable. The knowledge that the Swiss designers of swatch are so highly secretive about each new design, makes a trip to the shop the equivalent of visiting the vault at Gringotts - well for me anyway! The breadth of the range is vast, shoe designers don't come close.                                                                      



Swatch - Double Vision watch 

 



 Fantastic Plastic

 If you're a fashion blogger up north that enjoys being playful with your style, swatch’s recent collab with American fashion designer Jeremy Scott might be for you - choose from the Double Vision swatch watch that looks like a pair of cartoon spectacles and can quickly move from one zany time piece to two swatch’s with the addition of an extra strap, I like the idea of having one coloured strap on one side and a black strap and face on the other (rather than opting for a black watch) great for Kooples wanting to share their time together!





Swatch - Portrait Watch

Scotts other watch, the swatch portrait watch in black, features a removable ornate picture frame. The swatch’s I'm lusting after are both by Japanese designers, the first is a doll faced lady (Blue Wrath) by Hideaki Kawashima and the second is Uma Wang’s Pretty Bohemian, which has a real Mexican flavour.



 Swatch Blue Wrath watch



 Swatch - Pretty Bohemian  watch



 

 Next destination for those not familiar is the wonderful world of Lomography, which has much in common with swatch’s culture and ethos, great prices, light weight plastic design and the option to change your camera to suit every occasion; from what I lovingly dubbed the Elvis camera (whilst chatting to store manager David Tester) in white and  gold, to a stunning faded looking canvas Egyptian camera that left me swooning with the romance of it all, to enough bond type camera gadgetry for those with a tendency to spy on their neighbours and last but not least Lomo’s newly launched deck chair clad cameras which are just so chic its untrue.







Lomography - Gold Edition

 








 Lomography - Diana F + Sahara










Lomography - Sardinia Capri 





I Feel Witty And Pretty And Gay, repeat after me!

 Dizzy with print I next plunged headlong into a riot of colour and fancy at Parisian label Pylones. Here you will find everything from a witty kitty umbrella, to scissors that look like ballerinas with attitude - I love that they have taken the mundane and made it beautiful and funny, to me that's art in action.

Pylones nail scissors

 



pretty lace vest made from upcycling net curtains - Junk Manchester







Last but not least anyone that can take a pair of net curtains and transform them into a garment that looks like it were stitched from genuine lace has to a be an up-cyclist extraordinaire. Charlotte, owner of Junk my final Manchester shopping destination, is a down to earth friendly fashion designer who wants purchasing up-cycled items to become as common place as a visit to your local Topshop. As someone who has featured many independent designers and ethical labels on my fashion blog, I was very impressed by the quality of her tailoring and the creative use of fabrics, there were some really standout pieces, I will definitely be back!    

 

 



peach deco inspired vest - Junk Manchester



 

Finale Thought?

 I would give my best china and a big slab of mocha brownie to design either a Swatch watch or Lomography camera and have the honour of naming it, just putting it out there....