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From Transatlantic Chic to European Elite

September 29th, 2009 by Stacey
Paul Smith

Paul Smith

I didn’t go to the shows, but was rooted to my Blackberry throughout, eagerly digesting every morsel of info that was tweeted, facebooked and blogged by the fashion press on a daily basis. The shows have been glossy and dramatic, everything we wanted them to be and more. Our grateful thanks goes to Hilary Alexander, Bitchbuzz, DisneyRollerGirl, Grazia and Elle, who between them sent approximately 10 tweets per minute from London Fashion Week and delivered the drama from the runway into the palm of my hand. The great surprise was Tavi Gevinson, the 13 year old fashion blogger from Chicago suburbia whose Style Rookie blog has had the fashion industry at her feet and Peaches Geldof reporting for GMTV!! Ah how I love fashion’s “New Year” and it’s not over yet!

From New York & London

With their glamorous celebrity filled front rows and continual buzz, New York and London did not fail to impress. As Gwyneth Paltrow said “London is where it’s at. It inspires the world”. How much did we love Burberry’s return to the London runway?  Emma Watson is our new Brit icon for the modern woman, and she glowed in the front row as Burberry presented the 2010 twist to their classic belted trench coat with puff sleeves and shimmering sparkles. Cue investment piece, if you don’t have a Burberry trench, get one now and love it for eternity.

DKNY

DKNY

 
Looking at the collections en masse one thing springs to mind – legs! I have till March to achieve honed and toned pins, for the trend for shorts will continue from now through to next year. It is one thing to wear city shorts with black opaque tights underneath (bring on November), but totally bare skinned? There is much work to be done before next spring.
 
I loved the way Paul Smith combined tailored city shorts with African themed leopard-prints, English gentry inspired leather elbow patches and his trademark stripes. Nicole Farhi’s playsuits in delicate pastel prints were casual and fun and Ralph Lauren’s denim was different, but it was DKNY who really went to town with city shorts and romper suits – chic and sporty in neutrals and bold brights and worn with cycle shorts underneath!!
Yes Bridget Jones underwear as outerwear for the summer to go under everything, from shorts to playsuits and dresses. Donna Karan really knows how to dress women.
Pure genius!  
  
Matthew Williamson

Matthew Williamson

But it was Matthew Williamson’s return to London Fashion Week that was my moment of pure happiness. He may have moved away from Boho chic to more structured & graphic pieces but own a Matthew Williamson from any collection and it is considered money well spent for seasons to come. His work is timeless.

 

Viva Italia

Now to Milan in beautiful Italy, the home to some of the world’s most renowned designers including Gucci, Pucci, Missoni, Armani, Fendi, Salvatore Ferragamo and Prada, where this week it’s the Italian designers chance to show off their talents. I personally am rather excited about this as Italians do fashion like no other.

So far we have seen headscarves at Marni, the return of the corset from Dolce & Gabbana which is heralded as the one single piece of must-have-clothing for next spring/summer and super-sexy bodycon from Gucci. Diet starts now.

Dolce & Gabbana

Dolce & Gabbana

Saving the Best till Last

Tomorrow is Paris, the crème de la crème of all Fashion Weeks. I am anticipating more sexy silhouettes, tulle and sparkles and simply cannot wait to see the creations from Vivienne Westwood (my favourite, we love her always), Balenciaga, Balmain, Maison Martin Margiela, Gareth Pugh, Loewe, Valentino, Miu Miu, Louis Vuitton, YSL, Chloe, Stella McCartney, Giles and of course John Galliano, Chanel, Celine and Christian Dior.

Until then…au revoir!

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Hello London Fashion Week!

September 18th, 2009 by Stacey

mulberryHow Excited Are We?

Today is D Day. London Fashion Week is finally here. After following New York Fashion week via the internet, TV, Twitter, Facebook, our favourite fashion blogs and every other form of communication imaginative… it’s now our turn. London is celebrating. Just take a look at the London Underground posters commissioned by Elle  and open any newspaper or magazine.  This is our time. It’s a time for us Brits to rule and show the world we are the leaders of fashion. It’s a time for colour, glamour, grandeur, style and creativity.

This Year is Special 

London Fashion Week has always been special. As an aspiring design student at The London College of Fashion it was always THE highlight of my year, and still is. Back then I dreamt of sharing a catwalk with Vivienne Westwood and having Supermodels sashay down the runway in my creations, but it was always the excitement of discovering new inspirations and new talent that gave London the edge.

This year, our favourite designers have come home to roost to honour London Fashion Week’s 25th birthday. We welcome back Matthew Williamson, Burberry Prorsum, Pringle of Scotland, Jonathan Saunders and Antonio Berardi, whose incredible talents and coveted creations will appear alongside Brit favourites Vivienne Westwood Red Label, Nicole Fahri, Betty Jackson and Paul Smith.

I am particularly excited about seeing what Mulberry and Temperley London are dishing up for 2010 (I confess I am an addict when it comes to these two labels) and will be keeping a firm eye on the young up-and-coming hot designers for which London is famous – Richard Nicoll, Marios Schwab, Christopher Kane and Mark Fast.

But who will be seated in the front rows and what will they be wearing? For the next week there will be no escaping British fashion 24/7… and for that we are delighted.

Get Tuned In

If you’re a LFW novice, The Times Who’s Who list  will give you a lowdown of the hottest names on the hotbed of London Fashion. Tune into Vogue.com for the schedule and following live streams of the shows at F-Tape. Their Twitter feed is pretty great as well. But for ultimate drool and up to the minute catwalk reports, there is no place better for direct news than the British Fashion Council’s London Fashion Week TV or their new London Fashion Week Blackberry application.

FeatureFarewell to The London Paper

Sadly we shan’t be getting updates from The London Paper, whose fashion pages have brought us images of real Londoners in all their street style glory for the last three years. Today is their last issue and I shall miss it. Travelling on the tube (albeit a rare occurence) will never be the same again.

Cool Brittania

It is going to be a week to remember for British fashion. Nostalgic at 25 years? Definitely. Just reading the tributes from designers and the Telegraph’s trip down memory lane  of a history of this most fashionable last quarter of a century makes me proud to be British.

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Where are all the grumpy old men?

June 19th, 2009 by Eskor

When I was just a wee lad (as you say in England, no?) my family would take yearly summer vacations to various locales.  These were always wonderful little trips, filled with the textbook family joy and pleasant stories for the grandkids, with the exception of one recurrent event: my mother’s shopping expeditions.  Mummy Dawn, in an effort to save time and effort throughout the rest of her year, saved all her shopping for the summer and she would take us with her to help carry bags.  The very first impressions, therefore, I ever had of men and shopping were of my own pained feet and my father’s dour expressions.  Even after Daddy David wizened up and began to craft some ingenious excuses to avoid having to go shopping (“I don’t want to go.”), I would still see on other men who had been trapped by their wives or girlfriends that same forlorn frown and weary look in their eyes.

My Dad during a shopping trip

My Dad during a shopping trip

 

Strangely enough, I think my Dad would be in the minority at Bicester Village.  Of course there’s still the odd son or husband walking around who’s been suckered into becoming a pack mule for the day, but most of the Village’s male shoppers seem just as eager to outfit themselves as their better halves.  Now, in this modern rebirth of male grooming (or even… vanity?), you’re likely to see as many men in the Oswald Boateng’s checkout line as women in Agent Provocateur’s.  This would be a perfect time to segue into my…

Father’s Day Gift List

Needless to say, the Village is the ideal spot to pick something up for Dad, or even for yourself if you want to celebrate how good of a father you are.  These are my top picks.

1) For the Sporty Dad: Puma Speed Cats (Was £60, Now £40).  Sleek, simple and too cool (or old?) for school.

Puma Speed Cats

Puma Speed Cats

2) For the Trendy Dad: Jacket, Shirt and Tie from Paul Smith (£560à £375, £110 à £70, £65 à £25).  I love the colour coordination.  He can stand out from the crowd… subtly.

Paul Smtih ensemble

Paul Smtih ensemble

3) For the Techno Dad: Bose SoundDock Portable Music System (£349 à £279).  You would not believe the quality of sound that this little piece of machinery generates.

Bose SoundDock

Bose SoundDock

 4) For the Accessorized Dad: Diesel Sunglasses from David Clulow (£100 à £66).  They speak for themselves.

Diesel Sunglasses

Diesel Sunglasses

 

To the credit of my own father, however, let it never be said that he is inconsistent in his convictions.  If you even so much as bring an empty shopping bag near him then you best be ready for a fist fight.

Cheers ye ole blokes.

P.S. Happy Father’s Day Dad!

 

[Oscar the Grouch Photo Credit: Runs With Scissors, under Creative Commons License]

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