Picture of the Day

Because I'm looking for Halloween and Rocky Horror Picture Show costume inspiration.

Image from Fashion Gone Rogue. Lara & Freja for Paris Vogue October 2010.

Katie the Great

Katie Grand has a thing for thinking outside the box, and that folks, is why she’s as talented as she is.
This season for Giles Deacon’s spring/ summer 2011 show, Grand put Kelly Brook and a pregnant (and wonderful) Abbey Clancy on the catwalk. Was this to cause a scene? No, in fact Katie had a very straight forward reason for her actions: "Just because they haven't had the typical 'cool model' career path it doesn't mean they're any less valid than someone like Agyness", she told reporters at London Fashion Week after the show.
She even went as far as to put Kerry Katona on the front row for the show, now surely this was to cause controversy amongst the highbrow fashion set? No, again, it was just because she wanted to, simple as that. "Sometimes I think it's good to not be as highbrow", she says. "Often fashion is quite lofty. It's good to use different people."

As well as helping out ex-boyfriend, Deacon, with his Giles show, she is also following him to Ungaro. Many fashion followers are wondering what Deacon will do to revamp the house after Lindsay Lohan’s attempt at ‘Creative Adviser’ or whatever non-realistic title she was given. But with Grand at his side, I’m sure, when the collection hits the catwalk in Paris this week, the show will be a success.

While we wait with baited breath for the Ungaro SS11 offering, I have been trawling through some past editorials and campaigns that Katie has styled over the years. Here are just a few of my favourite pictures…

What do you think of Katie’s work?

Best Dressed Guests

Is it just me or is there a serious lack of celebrity sightings at fashion shows this season? I think Burberry’s AW celebrity packed front row extravaganza completely spoilt me, as one or two celebs on the front row now just doesn’t cut it.
Anyway, here is my selection of the best dressed celebrity guests so far at the spring/ summer 2011 shows: Leighton Meester at Proenza Schouler, Cat Deeley & Sarah Jessica Parker at Burberry, Rachel Bilson & Taylor Swift at Roberto Cavalli, Megan Fox at Giorgio Armarni and January Jones at Versace.

And someone who could of made a lot more effort (Mischa Barton, you’re at FASHION WEEK for goodness sake!)

All images from Just Jared, except Mischa.

The Italian Job

So the fashion circus moves to Paris this week for the final leg of fashion month. I can’t wait, most of my favourite designers show in Paris. As mentioned in a previous post, I’m very VERY excited to see Lanvin and Elie Saab, both of which will show in a matter of days (EEEKK!).

To calm my excited self down, I’ve decided to post a round up of my favourites from Milan fashion week.

To me New York means commercial, London means edgy, Milan means glamour and Paris means theatrical. Milan did not lack its glamour again this season, although many labels were going for relaxed glamour. Roberto Cavalli, Missoni and Emilio Pucci all went down a super luxe bohemian route. I love the feminine floor sweeping designs that swished up and down the runway in Milan this season, and I’m even finding myself hoping for a boho revival, a la Sienna Miller circa 2004. Here are some of my favourite rich-hippy looks from Milan, the first 4 are Roberto Cavalli and the second 4 are Emilio Pucci:

I’ve just realised that in the post I’ve just mentioned, I listed Versace as one of the shows I was most looking forward to seeing. So I’ll slap myself on the wrist for not posting about their s/s 11 offering yet. But I do have a very good excuse for my lack of posts, just not one that I wish to share, some things are better when kept to one’s self :)

The Versace s/s 11 collection was not as I had predicted. Gone was the long, glossy mane of hair, the dramatic eye make up and red carpet goddess gowns of previous seasons, and in their place was a polished, powerful Versace woman. The Versace girl of collections gone by had put her legs away as mini hemlines were replaced with knee length pencil skirts. But what the models lacked in flesh flashing they made up for in powerful silhouette. Proof that you don't have to show every possible inch of decent flesh to still look THAT sexy. This is a woman who makes a statement and dresses for herself, not for who she thinks may be looking.

All images from Style.com

Get the London Look

Arrghh, serious lack of postage! I need to get back into the swing of things, so I’m going to start off with a round up of London Fashion Week. Yes I know it finished nearly a week ago, but better late than never huh?

First up Mary Katrantzou. I loved this collection, it was so cool to look at. The prints on the dresses were made to look like rooms and balconies. The shapes were feminine yet sharp, and the colours were bright and attention grabbing. My favourite looks (as well as many other fashion fans I’m guessing) have to be these dresses, with the skirts fashioned to look like lampshades. My only question would be how does one sit down in these without flashing the entire room?

David Koma is on my fashion radar as he created that infamous black dress that Cheryl Cole wore on an episode of last year’s X Factor. It was the dress equivalent of marmite, you either loved it or you hated it. I, as you can probably guess, loved it. Although I did hate those over-the-knee boots with it, bit too try hard for my liking. Her stylist should have just let the dress do the talking. Koma’s new collection has been inspired by ballet. This is a theme that keeps recurring at the moment, I’m not sure whether it is due to the Ballet Russes exhibition due on at the V&A, Darren Aronofsky’s Black Swan due out at the end of the year, or just a general love for the classic dance, but ballet is definitely inspiring a few fashion folks.

Someone else inspired by ballet is Erdem. According to Style.com, Erdem spent the summer with the V&A’s Ballet Russes curator and from that experience came this gorgeous collection. Starting out from plain white at the beginning of the show, this s/s 2011 collection blooms into floral prints in red, blue and yellow hues. I love the cutesy collars that have been added to a few of the looks, they look innocent on their own, but when they’re added to see through lace dresses they turn subversive. There is plenty to love in this collection, so I’ve picked just two examples to highlight the brilliance of Erdem.

I’m absolutely loving the colour blocking at Issa for s/s 2011. The girls were sent down the runway looking like 1960s versions of Greek Godesses. The collection was full of gorgeous drapery in fabrics that look like they would be heavenly to touch. Some style were fashioned with a colour clashing turban, whilst others were topped off with an intricately complicated up-do. Again, there’s too much good to choose from, but here are two of my favourite looks for the coming season. I think this is one of those collections that you look at and think “there isn’t one piece that I wouldn’t want to wear”.

All images from Style.com

What Women Want

How is it that Christopher Bailey always seems to know what women want to wear before even they do? Burberry’s main man would seem to have another hit on his hands with this amazing motorbike inspired collection. The classic trench has been shortened and toughened up into a biker-style jacket, paired with skinny fit leather trousers and statement waist belts in various aqua hues.

I love this collection, its so sexy but in a ‘I dress for myself’ way not in a ‘I dress to please a man’ way. Does it remind anyone else of Frida Gianinni’s Gucci? Some of these looks wouldn’t look out of place on their catwalk in Milan next week.

As the aviator jacket has been this seasons big hit, it looks like we’ll be returning to our trusty biker jackets come spring. I love the silhouette of the Burberry girl for spring/ summer 2011, slim but feminine. It’s striking and quite a powerful look. Nothing bad can be said about this collection apart from the fact that they need to sack Nina Porter from the runway. That girl CANNOT walk in heels, she made me feel very uneasy every time she clomped down the catwalk (I think she may have even fallen over at one point).

I’ve highlighted my favourite looks above, and you can see the full show for yourself below.




What do you think of Burberry’s new collection?

Images from Fashionologie.com

Picture of the Day

Because when your hair is this big, it's impossible to pull a 'serious model' face.

Red or Blonde? That is the question...

Oh my GOD, trying to make a hair colour decision is more painful than I thought it was going to be. So, here are the two pictures currently swaying my vote:

This is the red candidate

And this is the blonde candidate

I can't decide whether I'm more in love with Diana Vickers's colour or just the cut, the grown out fringe and soft waves are gorgeous. I'm so tempted to go for this look. But then I look back at the Karen Elson picture and remember how much I love red hair and how awesome it would look.

What do we think I should go for?

Alexisonfire

Former Gilmore Girls star, Alexis Bledel, is on a fashion roll and I love it. She made the rounds at New York Fashion Week and the Toronto Film Festival, and was spotted at all the hottest parties looking lovely. My favourite look has to be either the Stella McCartney mini shift dress or the Prabal Gurung metallic one-shoulder cocktail dress. I'm loving her lighter hair colour too, it's almost tempting me away from my ginger/ red idea. Hmmm... decisions decisions, everyone who knows me well will tell you how terrible I am at making a decision! I bought my hair dye yesterday and I'm already having a change of heart.

On another note, rumours are circling that some Hollywood types are looking to develop Gilmore Girls into a film. How awesome would that be? I LOVE Gilmore Girls! I used to watch it everyday on E4, then when it all finished and went back to the pilot episode, I'd watch it all again!

What do you think of Alexis's satorial choices? And would you go watch Gilmore Girls: The Movie?