Milan Fashion Week SS13: Fendi's Fluffy Dice

Of all the accessories in the fickle world of fashion, none get a girl more excited than a good handbag. I'm an absolute sucker for anything by Alexander Wang but for SS13, Fendi's fluffy dice and bold studded totes have come up top trumps.

Whilst I wasn't overly enthralled by the collection as a whole, the accessories really stood out as being the potential 'It' pieces of SS13. The fluffy dice are hilariously cute but the vast array of textures and varying styles that have put Fendi up there with Mr Wang; studded heels, bright geometric designs and the combination of leather and fur makes the whole collection really desirable. It's been a while since we've had some sexy handbags to covet, no?

photos from style.com

Milan Fashion Week: Dolce and Gabbana AW12

This past week has been incredibly busy. In between working and dog-sitting, I managed to go to the London Aquarium, have a well overdue night out with the girls, go to the gym and have a bike ride along the beach. Good for the social life, bad for blogging. Well aware that I've completely ignored some of the best shows from London and Milan fashion weeks (I haven't even checked out McQ, Jil Sander or Prada), the first designer I looked at this evening was Dolce and Gabbana. I have a slightly biased love for the Italian duo as I once snapped up a beautiful silk top in the sale for a mere £20, but I still think their Fall/Winter 2012 collection was AMAZING.

This collection evokes images of otherworldly opulence; of the Tudors and the murdered wives of Henry VIII. It's an amalgamation of everything I love within fashion at the moment: quirky prints, luxurious fabrics, classic shapes and sexy gothic undertones. I'm a complete sucker for anything leopard print therefore the cape is pretty much a no-brainer (trend alert?) whilst the baroque embroidery, the Michaelangelo-esque prints, the ruffle necks and the tapestry all scream 'made by Dolce & Gabbana'. I love that as always, the collection is completely over the top - that's why we love Domenico and Stefano so much, right?

Not only that, I now have an excuse to finally buy the Dr. Marten's I've been dreaming about since last year:

I fell in love with these babies (from Dr. Martens Spring/Summer 2012 collection) when they came into the showroom in New York but seeing as though I already own three tapestry bags, I figured another tapestry-related item might have been a bit too much. How glad I am that Dolce & Gabbana don't agree! What do you think of these Dr. Martens and do you love Dolce & Gabbana's AW12 collection as much as I do?

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/ 

Milan Fashion Week: Menswear AW11

It's no secret that I'm a massive Gossip Girl fan and it's also no secret that menswear doesn't get enough coverage. I for one love the menswear shows because not only are they a breath of fresh air from the women's shows, there's also plenty of eye candy to go round. Chuck Bass (Gossip Girl's resident millionaire bad-boy) is the epitome of Milan's luxurious menswear - just how great does he look in these outfits from AW11?

From left to right: Alexander McQueen, Gucci and Umit Benan

Hot off the Milan catwalks, I like to call these looks (from L-R) Chuck's business outfit, Chuck's ostentatious limousine scene outfit and Chuck's casual 'Nate' time outfit. Although menswear coverage is on the rise, I still wish it got as much credit as it deserves - how else are we going to know how to dress our billionaire boyfriends?!

What do you think of my (slightly crude) Chuck Bass outfits and will you be keeping an eye on Menswear this year? 

photos from style.com

Milan Fashion Week: Fendi SS11

The blogging hiatus is officially over! Following what I can only describe as the most hectic month of my life, I am back and it seems it couldn't have been more perfectly timed. London Fashion Week pretty much passed me by entirely (I attended one show that unfortunately happened to be rather rubbish, I'm looking at you PPQ), which is a shame seeing as I actually live here.

However, Milan has caught my eye, or more specifically Karl Lagerfeld has - it was only a matter of time before I was entirely seduced by Fendi all over again...

I'm not usually a colour girl, black suits me just fine and its been a great friend over the years, but if anyone is going to get me wearing the stuff, it's Papa K. The contrast between bursts of colour and sober neutrals is so perfect, plus those sunglasses are to-die-for.

At first glance, I wasn't all that taken with the collection, it looked a bit frumpy and for want of a better word, wrong. However, the accessories and minor detailing really do make it brilliant. There are some great pieces which I can see everyone worth knowing about wearing and I literally can't wait for these watches to hit the stores.

And if that wasn't enough to get me drooling, Karl threw a bit of Abbey in for good measure. On a more serious note though, how did I miss this change of hairstyle??! I know people have their reservations about the new 'do', many being that she definitely now looks like a crack addict, but I love it. Of course.

Does Fendi make you weak at the knees? Also, are you for or against Abbey's hair, it's sort of strange seeing her so pale but I'll get used to it, roll on Chanel...

photos from style.com

Milan?

I'm usually blown away by the big-kids when it comes to Milan Fashion Week. However, I'm really not that excited by their offerings for AW10/11.

There have been a few - Prada, Gucci, Pucci, Jil Sander - which I've really liked, but everyone just seems to be playing it safe. Being super short (apparently I'm 5"1), wearing trousers is pretty much an art form that I rarely get right; therefore I'm reluctant to like several of the collections.

Aside from the trousers, there were some really nice design elements at Gucci. The coats were just to-die-for - I'm usually a scruffy old jacket type but Frida Giannini made me yearn for something a bit more classy. I also really loved the feather/leather details; very Tom Ford's Gucci in the 90's.

Of course my penchant for mini-dresses is the reason I loved Pucci AW10/11 and it helps that the colours and pattern is gorgeous too. I can see all of these on the red carpet and boy, that fur is beyond amazing.

Have there been any collections that disappointed you this season? I know we're in the middle of a recession and all, but AW just hasn't captured my imagination as much as SS did...

photos from style.com