Levi's Craft of Music with Rox and Joy Formidable

Last night I was invited to the first ever Levi's Craft of Music event, an intimate gig at the flagship store on Regent Street with Rox and Joy Formidable. I'd not previously heard of either of these bands and so didn't really know what to expect; I'm not really in a position to write a really great music review (my favourite artist at the moment is Rihanna) but I can tell you that it was a superb evening.

This lovely lady is Rox and from last nights show it's safe to say that she has an absolutely phenomenal voice. I really rated her live acoustic performance of My Baby Left Me, her voice is so soulful and powerful - definitely one to watch this year!

Another band that I had never heard of before were Joy Formidable and they turned out to be an absolutely hilarious trio from North Wales. They're also super talented and we had a good little dance along to their hits (even though the crowd were a little lacklustre at times).

We got the chance to ask the musicians some questions after they'd played although after a few beers, I wasn't really in the thinking mood and left the hardcore fans to it. My best friend and I thoroughly enjoyed both Rox and Joy Formidable and  had a great evening out; it's rare that you get to hear such amazing voices in such an intimate setting - it made us both want to be at a festival with a cold glass of cider!

I'd really recommend you check them both out, Rox was especially brilliant and with a voice like hers she's bound to go far.

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

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

Spotlight: Lady Gaga 'Born This Way'

You've got to hand it to Lady Gaga because she's only gone and made another beautifully bizarre video, this time for latest single Born This Way. Released earlier today, the Born This Way video has got everything from graphic vagina references to dancing skeletons - I wouldn't expect anything less, especially as it was directed by the wonderful Nick Knight.

I know she splits opinion but I think she is a genius; no other female artist is making such great pop songs or brilliantly controversial videos and she deserves credit for that alone. The video also exploits the unusual face and shoulder implants that Gaga has been sporting during promotional tours - I can't say they're even remotely appealing to me but I can almost guarantee that scenesters around the globe were searching 'horn implants' as soon as they saw them. Weird.

Anyway, you can watch the full Born This Way video here; even if you don't like her music, it's worth a watch. What do you think of Lady Gaga? Are you a lover or a hater?

Photos from youtube.com/Lady Gaga/Nick Knight 

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