New York Fashion Week: Karen Walker, Preen AW12

This time last year I raved about Preen and Karen Walker's Fall/Winter collections and now I intend to rave some more. Last year, Walker's collection was inspired by Britain's Northern Soul scene and featured great prints, styles and a clever use of vinyl; this time around, she was inspired by Jules Verne's Twenty Thousand Leagues Under The Sea where boxy-woollen coats and paisley-print Chelsea boots took precedence.

Reworking her signature tomboyish aesthetic with bold colour-blocking and interesting prints, Walker's mod-influenced collection is bang on the money for Fall/Winter 2012. Cropped slimline trousers and boxy single-breasted jackets are clearly going to be huge for Winter; Walker's tartan and orange versions are especially lovely, don't you think? She used a lot of orange and yellow last year and I really love this season's interpretation, particularly when worn as a colour-flash statement under more subdued pieces.

There's something about Preen's collections that is effortlessly classy and elegant, without being stuffy or outdated. For one thing, the styling is flawless and more importantly, the clothes are always outstanding.

For Fall/Winter 2012, Preen took inspiration from Beatrix Potter alongside notions of the strong, independent modern day woman. The end result was a striking balance of intricate botanical prints and bold, geometric shapes with a contemporary 'girl power' edge. These are the kind of clothes that women in power wear, women who mean business; they're not for your everyday Jane but for someone who know's what they want and how to get it. Although not realistically practical, the suede and lace platform heels will undoubtedly appear on 'must-have' lists everywhere come the end of Summer whilst a million and one geometric-colour block suits pop-up on the high-street. Ground-breaking? No. Desirable? Completely.

Will you be investing in a boxy-woollen coat and cropped geometric trousers or botanical florals at all? I am definitely taken with Walker's collection and can totally see myself buying a single-breasted jacket, they're all over the catwalk's this season and are super versatile.

photos from style.com

Past, Present and Future: Alexander Wang

There are a select handful of designers whose collections I genuinely get excited about each season and Alexander Wang is one of them. His ingenious ability to give sport-luxe commercial appeal, his extraordinarily collectable accessories (I defy you to attend a fashion show where a Rocco/Diego isn't present) and his beautifully deconstructed take on tailoring make him one of the best designers in America right now. If you haven't already guessed, I'm quite a fan.

In anticipation of his Fall/Winter 2012 collection which is showing later today, I have put together my two favourite ready-to-wear looks from 2009 to the present day. Think of it as an homage, if you will.

Wang's Fall/Winter collection from 2009 is still my favourite of his - I distinctly remember the biker boot/cycling short revolution that followed and, along with thousands of others, promised myself that I would one day own a Diego.

There wasn't a girl in the fashion-world that didn't covet a side-plait/develop a sudden interest in American Football after seeing Wang's Spring/Summer 2010 collection. 

Everything about Wang's Fall/Winter 2010 collection was slightly odd. The flares, the slicked-down hair, the mish-mash of textures and the unusual styling technically shouldn't have worked together but they did. Harmoniously. 

I don't like white. I especially don't like metallic pastel colours. I do, however, love Wang's take on them both for Spring/Summer 2011 (he really can do no wrong in my eyes). 

My second favourite collection, Fall/Winter 2011 spurred the masses onto wearing knitwear with a silk maxi-dress on nights out. Sexy and practical, what's not to love?

Wang's Spring/Summer 2012 offering is probably my least favourite of the bunch, maybe my fear of pale-colours is preventing me from loving this collection as much as the others? Regardless, it's still undeniably great and I have faith that for Fall/Winter 2012, he'll produce something marvellous. 

Who is your favourite American designer? And your favourite designer full stop? After years of hard-graft, I am now the proud owner of Wang's infamous Diego bucket-bag and unashamedly parade around town with it, just because I can. Is there an item of clothing, or an accessory that you one day hope to own? 

photos from style.com

Couture?

Haute Couture is often considered the pinnacle of fashion; it represents excess, elitism and craftsmanship more so than even the (not so) modest ready-to-wear collections. At least, that's what I thought. Obviously, the majority of us would never be able to afford a couture gown (unless we married into royalty) but to me, it always used to represent something completely unobtainable. It's a symbol of wealth - the fashion houses are never going to make a profit from couture collections because only the richest of the rich can afford to buy them and even then they probably would commission bespoke, one-off pieces anyway. With this is mind, couture should be the most ridiculous and excessive show of fashion, not a sombre and boring display of mindless expense.

As you have probably gathered, I'm thus far entirely unimpressed by Couture Fall 2011....

Left to right: Valentino, Jean Paul Gaultier and Chanel

Valentino, Jean Paul Gaultier and Chanel all showed collections as dry as Ghandi's flip-flop - ok so there were a few good looks but on the whole, each designer didn't exactly pull it out of the bag. Last season, I was equally as uninspired, maybe I've got the whole idea of couture wrong? Regardless, I was really quite disappointed by all three - especially given that the ready-to-wear collections are usually so brilliant. Dior was interesting as it was the first show without Galliano at the helm and sadly, it was really quite obvious; it all felt very amateur and lacked that great sense of Galliano decadence.

The only collections that I liked so far have been long-term couture favourites: Givenchy and Elie Saab. Last season, I would have died for every single Elie Saab dress because they were all absolutely stunning and Givenchy, well, Riccardo Tisci is just a God, no? This season both collections felt very 'high fashion wedding' but they were gorgeous nonetheless...

Elie Saab

Givenchy

Tisci can do absolutely no wrong in my eyes - every collection from the past year has been nothing short of amazing and although Fall 2011 is quite similar to last season, I still love it.

I know I went off on quite a tangeant but I just don't feel as though Couture is anything to get excited about anyone, is anyone else of the same viewpoint or I am just being slightly ridiculous? What has been your favourite Fall 2011 Couture collection so far?

photos from style.com

In the immortal words of Johnny Bravo, 'Hey Foxy Mumma!'

I don't know what's come over me this evening; I can hear my next door neighbours at it like rabbits which is never fun and I have a horrendous amount of work to do this coming week. Anyway, I'm a bit of an Ashley Smith fan and have been for quite a while now (the most searched phrase that linked my blog on Google was 'Ashley Smith's boobs' for a good few months) and I absolutely adore this photo from the Opening Ceremony Fall 2011 lookbook...

She's stunning, right? The aforementioned work that I have this week includes a menswear photo shoot which I'm styling on Wednesday. I'm terrified because I've never done anything like this before so any hints and tips would be fab!

Apologies for the severe lack in posting, until the 15th (when the project is due) I probably won't be communicative but keep me updated either way.

photo from fashiongonerogue.com

Kate Winslet is Smokin'

We Brits love a quintessential English Rose and we pride ourselves on having Kate Winslet to our name; she's beautiful, talented, personable and is just generally someone you'd like to be friends with. Admittedly this photo is a little high-def for my liking but how incredible does Kate look at the première of her mini-series Mildred Pierce?!

I think the drastic haircut has completely changed the way I look at Kate because she's suddenly turned into a complete foxy mumma. Ok so she's not the youngest or prettiest British actress but she know's how to carry herself and is totally confident on the red carpet which in itself is massively inspiring.

I also love how she opted for an asymmetrical bodycon Stella McCartney dress - it really flatters her figure and makes her boobs look great too. I know she's only in her mid-30's and I'm talking about her as if she's some old haggard lady but in a world where its a case of 'the younger the better' its really refreshing to see someone a little bit older flaunting it, right?

If I had to chose another look for Kate for Stella's AW11 collection, this is what I would have picked:

She can definitely pull off a plunging neckline and I absolutely adored the sheer spotty sleeves but I would have given her a sexy pencil skirt instead of the velvet number. Kate has an enviable skin-tone that looks great in every colour but I do love a little black dress.

What do you think of Kate's transformation?

photos from justjared.buzznet.com and style.com

Paris Fashion Week: Givenchy AW11

There is literally nothing that I don't like about Givenchy this season. Riccardo Tisci is such a fantastic designer and this collection tapped into everything I love; the sheer layering, the gaudi prints, the cutesy hats - it was all amazing. It felt quite East London to me in the sense that it was busy without being fussy and it was very, very trendy. I could quite easily have posted the entire collection but these are my favourite looks:

I'm such a fan of the panther-print details - especially when teamed with the adorable hats. There's a bit of a Versace vibe going on with the chain detail but Tisci has managed to make it look super modern rather than something you're dodgy next door neighbour would wear.

I noticed a fur skirt at Junya Watanabe and Tisci has done a mini-version which is think is gorgeous; the fur biker jacket is a cute addition too.

I have such a Givenchy crush and want to wear everything right now; if the sun hadn't made an appearance today I definitely would have been channelling sheer/fur chic.

I know a lot of people that have been waiting for Givenchy, so what do you think now it's here, worth the wait? I obviously think so! If anyone fancies

photos from style.com

Paris Fashion Week: Comme, Celine and Junya AW11

I mentioned in my previous post about giving up slightly by the time Paris Fashion Week comes around which is terribly sad as Paris is usually the most exciting. It's a good job Paris is the most exciting otherwise I wouldn't be doing this post - Comme des Garcons is quite literally one of the best collections I've seen all season. I don't understand it and it baffles me beyond belief but I thought it was great nonetheless.

I absolutely adore the ruffled shorts and even though the half-jacket is a little impractical, I think it's stunning. You can always trust Comme to mix it up and do what every other designer is too scared to create; it's a whole new ingenious twist on androgyny.

Celine was another show I enjoyed but only for the jackets. There's always room for a tailored trouser but the coats were especially wonderful this season; the whole deconstructed element is something I didn't expect from Celine which made it all the more better.

The zesty orange number is very Raf Simons/Richard Nicoll but it's a beautiful shape and I love that Phoebe has kept it ultra simple - that sort of colour can't handle fussy details. The lengthy deconstructed coats are truly amazing. I keep seeing variations of everything I loved from the 90s but given a modern twist and these are perfect examples - I can tell AW11 is going to be a good season for me.

Last but not least, Junya Watanabe. I previously mentioned that I wanted to write about this show because I thought it was utterly bonkers - in a good way, of course.

Fur was a stand out aspect of Junya's fall collection and although I want to think it's a little bit vulgar, I really love it. The coats remind me of something hideous you would find in New Look or Primark but if you imagine Carine Roitfeld or Emmanuelle Alt in them, they suddenly become really great. Fur is an obvious choice for fall but then again so is black which was also heavily featured this season, I don't care because had I the money, I'd buy them.

What do you think of Comme's bizarre collection and Celine's take on deconstruction?

photos from style.com

Paris Fashion Week: Haider Ackermann AW11

 I know it's really bad to admit this but by the time Paris Fashion Week comes around, I've completely lost the will to pay attention. This is most upsetting because Paris Fashion Week is usually the best; Chanel, Jean Paul Gaultier, Viktor and Rolf, Comme des Garcons, Dior, Givenchy, Lanvin - the list of amazing designers goes on. Anyway, I haven't really had time to look through all the shows yet and Haider Ackermann was the first I looked at this morning. Convenience aside, I really love Haider's designs and although there were a couple of pieces I could do without this season (the wide belts and the cone-head hair), the collection was stunning.

My inherent aversion to colour makes Haider one of my favourite designers - I especially loved the jewel-toned glam-goth vibe this season. I mentioned before that grunge was going to be a big hit for AW11 and I still stand by that; grunge isn't simply about wearing Dr.Martens with a floral dress and plaid shirt anymore, it's about mixing silk with wool, wearing oversized knitted jumpers with flowing maxi-dresses and having that 'I don't give a fuck' attitude (even though we'll all know it took an hour to put together the outfit).

I particularly loved Haider's biker jackets and the floor-sweeping Matrix looking coats - I couldn't pull it off myself but know several people that could. My favourite pieces from the show were from the last couple of looks - neither of them were black (shock horror) but they just looked absolutely stunning.

That cropped white jacket makes me drool slightly, isn't it beautiful? I'm dying to post about Junya Watanabe but I'm about to go and have some lunch in London town so will do that as soon as I'm back. What do you think of Haider? Would you be inclined to wear a floor-sweeping leather coat or would you prefer to leave that to the cyber-goths of the world?

Photos from style.com

Paris Fashion Week: Hakaan AW11

This time last year (Friday 19th February, to be precise) I was sent to watch a show by little known designer, Hakaan. No one knew who Hakaan was so I was hardly expecting big things to happen. Oh how I couldn't have been more wrong. To say that it was bewildering to see Lara Stone, Natalia Vodianova and Natasha Poly at his début show in London would be a bit of an understatement. At the time, Hakaan caused a bit of a furore but mainly for his star-studded FROW and model line-up; this season, I have a feeling time has repeated itself...

The clothes are undoubtedly beautiful but I don't think his success is down to skill alone - were it not for the stellar line-up: Freja Beha Erichsen, Maria Carla Boscono, Natalia Vodianova, Karolina Kurkova, Natasha Poly and Anja Rubik, Hakaan might simply be another struggling designer. One gets the impression that Hakaan has friends in very high places, which is great, but there's only so far that monochrome-tailoring and pleated mini-dresses can take you.

Maybe I'm being too harsh; I was all over the début collection after all. I'd like to see some innovation and ingenuity if I'm going to track Hakaan's progress - not just a handful of the world's best models (although apparently, that helps). Do you think a world-class line-up is enough to propel Hakaan into designer stardom or does he need to up his game?

Photos from style.com

Milan Fashion Week: Missoni AW11

If you've been reading my Fashion Week coverage (or if you just happen to know that I like wearing black) then you'll probably be surprised to hear that I actually quite liked Missoni. In fact, I'm surprised that I liked Missoni. For starters, I stay away from colour as if it were the plague, especially pastel-shades that make candy-floss look tame. Secondly, I'm a 90s girl, not a 60s chick - I don't think that needs any explanation? Anyway, here are my favourite looks...

This collection shouldn't appeal to me, but it does. The floral chiffon, the oversized knitwear, the beautiful tailoring - it's all beautiful. Admittedly, I could do without the snakeskin biker jacket and tea-towel maxi-coat but no one's perfect, right? I think the reason I like this collection is because of it's candy-sweet grunge vibe; it might be colourful but the oversized jumpers worn over maxi-dresses and dark lips scream 'grunge'. Milan has been a little lacklustre until now and I really want to see more of this trend on the catwalk for AW11 because I absolutely love it.

Anybody else yearning for a grunge revival as much as me? Also, am I mad to like this collection, what do you think?

Photos from style.com

Milan Fashion Week: Jil Sander AW11

My personal style isn't exactly what I'd call 'polished' therefore I often struggle to relate to the Milan shows; however, there are a couple of designers that I couldn't miss (Prada, Fendi, D&G and Gucci - although this season I was supremely disappointed). Jil Sander is one of those labels that has minimal-chic down to perfection although maybe this is because Raf Simons is at the helm - either way, there's always something really great from every collection. Here are my favourite looks from AW11 that carry on nicely from last seasons simple maxi-skirts...

The first thing that I noticed were the black, pointed, heeled wedges which have been styled brilliantly with bare legs and unstructured dresses. I love the outsize silhouette, especially on the pale grey maxi and teal bubble-dresses - Raf is the master of making something simple extraordinarily beautiful and this collection is no exception. I've noticed quite a few low ponytails on the catwalk this season but I think it's a really difficult style to pull off unless you have the bone-structure of a skeleton. 

This collection isn't for everyone but then not everyone could wear it - you need great legs and even better shoulders to not be drowned by these looks. What do you think, would you be able to wear these looks as they are or would you mix it up with black tights and a pair of statement boots?

Photos from style.com

Borderline Obsessive

That's how I would describe my love for Abbey Lee. I was really rather sad that I didn't see her at London Fashion Week (to be honest the only remotely exciting people I actually did see were Janice Dickinson and that dude from Dragons Den) and I still haven't recovered from the whole thing so I apologise for the cop-out post. Until I get back into the swing of things, here's a beautiful photo of Abbey leaving the Fendi show earlier today in Milan...

The dress, the insanely amazing stacked gold platforms, the leopard jacket - I have serious wardrobe envy right now. Only Abbey could combine all those things without looking like a hooker, right?

Who has the best street style of all the models? I'd usually have to toss between Freja and Abbey but this ensemble is putting her in 1st place at the moment...

photo from http://altamiranyc.blogspot.com/ 

London Fashion Week: Katie Eary AW11

Men's Day at London Fashion Week is like a whole other world: there's no fussing or flapping when it comes to shows because everyone just gets on with it. Today was a nice wind-down after a hectic few days and some of the menswear designers really stood out, especially Katy Eary. I love Katy for her insanely cool accessories and this season she didn't disappoint - check these babies out:

The New Era hats were one of my favourite details from AW10 so I'm really excited that she's bought them back again for AW11. Inspired by a twisted notion of the American Dream and Frankenstein imagery, Eary's fluorescent collection included soft leather biker gear, bright feathery knits, leather spiders-web t-shirts and her signature leopard print design featured in a variety of different forms.

For AW11 Katie also delved into womenswear which I'm super happy about. The green sequinned maxi-dress was absolutely stunning and had all the girls backstage swooning. Bonnie Wright of Harry Potter fame was enlisted as one of the female models and she did a great job walking in the ridiculous (but also amazing) heels. Her Twilight actor fiancée Jamie Cambell-Bower was in the front row to lend his support and he was obviously very impressed with his lady, how adorable!

As you can see, very impressed. I'm an accessories girl through-and-through so this show was like a dream for me. My favourite piece's were definitely the stacked Nike Air Force One's, the New Era hats and this little beauty...

How fun is that?! I'm kind of glad that Fashion Week has finished here in London because I'm absolutely shattered but as always, it's been a great experience. What do you think of Katy Eary AW11, will you give it a thumbs up or down?

Photo's taken by me, do not use/copy without permission!

London Fashion Week: Ashish AW11

I saw my first Ashish show this time last year and I've been hooked ever since; it was really exciting being back again for AW11 because I completely and utterly adore the label. Not only does Ashish make sequins edgy (as opposed to something that resembles an 80s disco-ball) but he makes such beautiful and playful clothes that I can help but dribble at the mere sight of them. I've not had a chance to catch-up with the rest of London Fashion Week yet but this collection is by far the best I personally saw all season...

I literally thought this collection was ingenious; I'd even go so far as to say that Ashish is the master of sequins - how great are the baggy skeleton trousers?! This seasons heroine (you'll love this) is "perfectly content to sponge off Mum and Dad, yet discreet enough to ensure her flatmates are unaware of her imminent succession to a thousand acres of grouse shooting and a castle that makes Balmoral look like a Portakabin". As I said, ingenious.

Ripped jumpers juxtaposed perfectly with sequinned trousers; great for dressing-down the going-out look and vice versa. I haven't seen the BFC showspace that rammed for a long while which made the whole experience rather sweaty/exciting - especially because of the whole "only one day left to go" vibe. I never thought I'd say it but I'll be glad to see the back of London Fashion Week for another season, I miss having a social life and regular sleeping pattern!
















What do you think of Ashish? Have any shows really stood out to you from London or are you waiting for the big boys in Paris and Milan to strut their stuff?

Photos taken by me, do not use/copy without permission! 

London Fashion Week: Ziad Ghanem AW11

Ziad Ghanem has been the most surprising show I've seen so far this season. It threw me a bit, you could say. Not only was there a mix of female and male models (in full make-up and dresses, might I add) but the some of the dresses were out of this world. Admittedly many of them weren't to my liking but what's fashion if you can't have fun with it?

 As you can see, the make-up was pretty terrifying but it also made it unusually difficult to distinguish the girls from the boys. I thought the face-paint slightly detracted from some of the clothes but all to their own!

This was my favourite dress from the collection - there's only so much avant garde one can take and this struck a great balance between being a bit wacky and being really quite beautiful. I can see this being worn by a Hollywood A-Lister on the red-carpet without looking too vampy because it's so stunning, no?

Photo's taken by me, do not use/copy without permission!