A flirtation with fashion, up in chilly Birmingham x

Last Friday Claire and I ventured up to the beautiful, big and bustling Birmingham NEC to take in the spectacle of The Clothes Show (all in the name of research of course). Luckily we were there on press day so it was no where near as manic as I had anticipated! The last time I visited must have been about fifteen years ago so it was a bit of a blast from the past for me personally and I can just remember it being awash with feisty teenage girls on a mission to purchase as many bargains as possible! So, after walking around in numerous circles for the first thirty minutes upon arrival and getting completely lost, we managed to clamber the escalator of fortune, leading us to the many halls which make up the show. First stop was picking up our VIP (yes, VIP don't you know) tickets, which gave us front row seats to the catwalk show in the 'Fashion Theatre'.

The theme of the show was 'A Night At The Movies' encompassing quite a few genres such as Fairytale Romance, Western Action, Sci-Fi and High School Rocks. I did get rather snap happy but unfortunately, and I totally blame the cold for numbing my brain, I forgot to equip myself with my trusty camera on Friday. So, the pics are iPhone-tastic, ie a bit blurry here and there with no flash or zoom. Apologies for that! 

Rather than focusing on current or future trends, this catwalk show was entertainment first and fashion second, which is completely appropriate to the event. With the likes of The X-Factor, Glee, Dancing on Ice, High School Musical and various celebrity focused TV programmes influencing and inspiring the nation's young and trendies, the icing on the cake was the appearance of Lauren and Mark from The Only Way is Essex, causing quite a stir, especially with the girls sat directly behind us who were pretty enthusiastic about anything, particularly the scantily clad male models (who admittedly were rather eye-catching!).

I didn't leave the show completely inspired by the fashion, but was kind of entertained. I'm not a huge fan of High School Musical or Glee, and proud of it, so this type of show was not really up my street! My fashion high point was the dear-stalker hats, which I adore! xxx

That snowing look x

I wasn't quite ready for the flurry of snow which delicately floated on down over Bristol on Friday. This seasonal smattering, along with two Christmas markets, mulled wine, digging out my much loved Cath Kidston wellies and a sudden urge to get all my Xmas shopping done in one week, must mean that winter, the season to be jolly, is well and truly upon us!

On a quest for some kind of geeky pressie for my brother in law Tim, I became quite taken with the idea of binary watches and managed to find a pretty cool, understated one which, I reckon will definitely suit his mathsy keener ways! But now, I really want one for myself and absolutely adore these Nooka watches which I remember seeing at Urban Outfitters a couple of years ago. Only thing is, it would probably take me half an hour to figure out the blimmin time!

 

From left, Zub 20 ZENH $150, ZOTV $285

xxx

Fairytale fashion and the Peter Pan collar x

I have always loved the cute, vintage, preppy appeal of the Peter Pan collar and with the emergence of a veritable feast of this particular design detail popping up all over the high street this winter, the dream destination of Neverland is never far away! After scouring the shops, I have popped these beauties on my Christmas wish list.

Leopard trim dress £35 Topshop, Lace dress £45 Miss Selfridge

These darling dresses add a sexy twist to the nostalgic prim and proper Peter Pan collar. With the addition of animal print and aluring lace, they give a cheeky wink to the trend.

Button Front Blouse £265 Milly at Net-A-Porter, Lace Collar Blouse £30 Next

I love the sheen of the silk on this Milly blouse and the bold contrast between the black and white which add a touch of sophisticated fun to this nostalgic look. As tops, either of these would look amazing teamed with super skinny Jeans or tucked into leather shorts for daring, contemporary chic.

Red open back dress £38 ASOS, Camel Coat £345 BABBU at Skirt

The optimisim of the futuristic look and it's connotations with swinging sixties fashion surface year upon year and owe themseves pefectly to the Peter Pan collar. These simple silhouettes breathe life into the past yet again.

Maybe its the inner child in me, the reluctance to ever grow up, but the Peter Pan collar makes me feel cuddly and soft and the likes of Alexa Chung, Agyness Deyn and Nicole Richie all seem to agree. xxx

Clip-clippity-clop on the stair, oh yeah! x

This season i'm decided, I want to make like a little mouse with clogs on! When I was browsing the pages of the Zara website the other day, my eye kept getting caught by the genius way that they had teamed their sandal clogs with scrunched up socks! So cute, so easy to wear, so fabulous! The 'Sock Sandal' trend has actually been clomping around for a while now, with the likes of Burberry, Marni, Margeret Howell and Muiccia Prada all pushing the unlikely trend on the 'SS10 catwalks. So now, I'm on the hunt for the perfect pair to see me through the Winter months. It is truely a hard mission but a pretty enjoyable one, so here goes, a boot (it is nippy afterall) and a sandal ...

The inspiration

Margaret Howell and Burberry

The finds

Vamp sandal £39.99 Zara, Clog boot £55 Next

Now, all that's left to do is decide which one, 'how lucky I am'! xxx

Clothes Swapsie x

When a recent invite to a clothes swapping evening arrived on my lap(top) I squealed with delight! What an absolutely fab idea! Always thinking of thrifty ways to inject freshness into my wardbrobe, this seemed like the perfect opportunity. So I scampered along to my room and selected some fineries to pack into my new I heart TruffleShuffle bag (which I love) ready for the said evening. I think that for an event such as this, it is necessary to pick things which you have to sigh a little at the thought of losing, otherwise why would anyone else want them. Or, maybe garments which you have loved to the extreme and simply moved on, yet they are in fine fettle and worthy of many more years of fun outings. So here are a few of my picks, I really hope someone likes them!

Topshop backless side pocket dress and Topshop beaded chiffon cami

Topshop swing top, Asos peg trousers and Cos dress

H&M dress, H&M skinnys and Topshop sequin panel tee

Gap check dress

The date is TBC, but I think this is a fab idea and a great excuse for bubbles, cupcakes and chit-chat on the side! xxx

New York, New York! x

One of my favorite cities in the whole wide world, New York is a source of constant inspiration. The last time I visited, the climate was arctic, but although my toes were numb and turning blue, the magical wonderland of a snow covered Central Park filled me with happy, excitable Christmassy feelings! Regular trips to Starbucks for some much needed calorific White Cafe Mochas (with cream and caramel drizzle!) sorted us out and kept us warm on the inside, ready for some Breakfast At Tiffany's style window shopping on 5th Avenue! Such fond memories of the city and the stylish ladies who pound the streets with their fiery red soled Louboutins always make me look forward to the Big Apple's fashion week offerings!

New York Naughtiness...

Vera Wang's collection consisted of the tonal greys and charcoals I love so much! With full bodied shorts and chiffons revealing cheeky black structed undergarments, tied together with fabricated belts for a modern , contemporary finish. This waistcoat and shorts ensemble, takes what should be a manly uniform and makes it beautiful and femine through the choice of fabrics, drape and layering. Rolled up shorts are key for SS'11.

The simple loose fitting dresses at Proenza Schouler were brought to funky glam life with the amazing statement necklaces, which I have already admitted to being a complete style overhauler! A daring piece of jewellery can bring any dress or outfit out of the doldrums!

Ruffles, ruffles, Ruffles, these made an appearance at quite a few of the NY shows and this fabulous knee length skirt on regal purple satin demostrates how to wear the trend in a fancy, classy way.

Another extravagant way to get out those ruffles as seen at the Jason Wu show.

Shorts again! I know, but they really are everywhere and these high waisted navy ones are truely delightful, teamed with a semi-sheer delicious raspberry top and corsage worn at the waist (must try this), a cutely whimsical look!

And so there ends my review of the SS11 catwalk shows, I now have a head bursting full of new outfit ideas and new ways of wearing the wardrobe I already have!

xxx

The Italians release their stallions x

I'm back on track and blogging all Italiano today! Cupping a steaming hot cappucinno in my hands and polishing off my leftover cold pizza (yummy, thanks Dominoes!), I reviewed the Milan shows which provided me with more than a few inticing tit-bits into the trends of Summer 2011. With floaty florals, sculptured tailoring, cheeky cut outs, slinky satins, luxurious lace and a hint of vintage corsetry, muted earthy tones of stone, grey, brown and putty were key. I love the combination of traditional Italian romance and bolshiness that Milan fashion week embodies so well!

Inspirational Italians...

Alberta Ferretti's earthy pastels, floral border prints, floaty chiffons and lace bring to the fore, thoughts of a past country life, where the hay bales are in abundance and the evening sunset casts a warm glow over the expanse of fields and hedgerows. I love the combination of this beige lace top and floaty floral skirt, accesorised with a burnt brown straw hat. Not out of place in Larkrise.

This little Armani ensemble is utterly gorgeous! The subtle drape of the dress, the cute short sleeved jacket (immaculately constructed!) and that devine statement necklace (always a fave for me), all in shades of putty and grey is made for me!

Antonio Marras may not be a name familiar with many but I absolutely adored this collection. Floral prints (yes more!), utility jackets and shorts, delicate cutwork and underwear as outerwear all featured. This outfit is totally wearable with clashing shades of stone, and peachy creams (with a subtle flash of skin).

If you feel boring a drab in suits and want to spice things up a bit with a cheeky squint of flesh, the 'cut-out' detailling seen at a few of the shows could provide you with the perfect answer. This Max Mara suit is a fab example, although I think I would have preferred the cropped trousers really skinny at the ankle!

Gucci, Gucci Gucci darlings!!! As spotted back in London and Paris, fringing and feathers are set to be all the rage! I love this (oh so Gucci) glamourous take on the trend, the tonal golds simply shimmer and shine with the feathered details fluttering like a million gleaming eyelashes! This is the way to wear the trend with maximum impact!

Next up, New York x

Oooh la la, Parisien chic x

French fashion is always classy, sophisticated and luxurious. Quirky twists are considered and impeccably constructed. The look is never fussy, with clean lines, fabulous textures and only the best quality fabrics deserving of an outing on Madame Francais! I imagine ladies of leisure elegantly gliding along the Champs Elysees, dressed in Chanel boucle suits and red lipstick (stereotype, hmmm maybe). So, to Paris fashion week, and oh what joy, I was certainly not disappointed! Today's inspirations...

French Fancies...

The Louis Vuiton collection had a distinct twenties theme, an era which I particularly love for the beautiful, daring and controversial fashions. I love the plunging v-neck of this sheer dress and antique gold lace detail. With black ribbon and tassel earrings emphasising the lines and creating a sharp edge to the dress. Stunning I think, and although I'd probably (make that, definitely) wear a black camisole underneath, this look is one I would love to re-create in my own incarnation.

I love pretty tea dresses, easy to wear, cut mid thigh and great for all the year round. Worn with jewel encrusted sandals in the summer and opaque tights with heeled ankle boots in the winter. The dresses in Valentino's collection really tickled my fancy and the stunning rose shade tiered affair was a favourite. The addition of a skinny pussy-bow detail, as seen throughout the collection, also plays into the seventies trend, set to be about over the next two seasons. 

Zac Posen, J'adore, J'adore! The whole magical collection nearly made me cry with desire and sheer adoration for such genius! I am absolutely coveting this amazing dress, with an almost dip dye appearance, how I love the way the the tonal greys and blacks flood into one another with all the softness of a watercolour painting! Contrasted subtly with the tide of cream floaty gorgeousness in the skirt and a naughty wisp of sheer black under layering, this is surely what dreams are made of. I urge you to look at the whole collection where you will find, divine body stockings, flashes of burnt orange (so ss'11 remember!) and feather flourishes. I really cannot gush enough!

Okay, so maybe some of you won't like this, but as I was sitting watching the X-Factor last Saturday, I couldn't help but shed a lustful glance towards a pair of metallic silver leggings worn by one of the Belle Amie girls. When I was looking through Gareth Pugh's collection, I was struck by these beauties and the adorable dress which accompanies them. I'm sorry...

I'd like to see myself as a bit of a rock chick and so the Balmain show really appealed to my rough and ready side! The skinny leather pants, stone wash denim jackets and slouchy jersey vests were right up my street and easy to translate into an every day look.

And so to end this merry foray for one more day, what better way to do so than with a bit of Chanel! So I have doused myself in my favourite scent, Chanel Mademoiselle and off I go. The tweeds, the boucles, the frayed edging, sure enough they were all there on the catwalks yet again. Just as they should be, I might add! One weekend, with limited means last winter I came upon a Chanel inspired jacket in Next (which I may choose to share with you on the blog at a later date). The said midi-cropped jacket is in a lovely tweed with barely there metallic thread running through, two mini pockets and frayed edging. A delight to wear on every occasion and definitely a keeper! 

Tomorrow, Milan xxx

Spritely ss'11 inspirations x

Well, after a mini blogging break I am back and feeling super inspired by the events of the last month! September is a fashion addicts dream, with Paris, Milan, New York, London (Bristol, and now even 'Essex'?) showcasing the talents of some the best and most adored designers, I have been pouring over the catwalk edits and picking out the creations which will be inspiring me for Spring Summer '11. I know that seems like a lifetime away with the brisk winds picking up and autumnal hues of burnt orange and ochre scattering the pavements, but it's always good to keep your eye one season ahead, no-one wants to be old-hat do they? So, today I start with ...

London lovelies...

I love the floaty, ethereal elegance so beautifully captured by Julien Macdonald. Enveloping, white sheer layers are complimented by intricate, sparkling embellishment, only to be out-shone by the glowing sun at a fabulous Summer Party. I was lucky enough to attend a Julien Macdonald show a couple of seasons back and will forever be a fan of his eternally 'special' pieces.

When you want to unleash your wild side, take your inspiration from Betty Jackson with a little feathered jacket. Continuing our love for the chalky neutrals of the Summer just passed, this animalistic trend looks fab teamed with some putty coloured peg leg trousers (fringing a 'la Pringle will also work just as well).

As an advocate of floral dresses being a wardrobe staple, Erdem's collection really got me hot under the petals! For a real English garden feel, the pretty prints on short prom style dresses, luxurious maxi's, blouses and loose trousers give you plenty of scope to incorporate the theme into your look. Oooh and check out the lace styles too!

Twenty8Twelve gave me more than a few hints on how to dress around the office (it's pretty relaxed!). With cutesy patterned or scalloped edge shorts teamed with tied up tops and slouchy shirts, I think my everyday look is pretty much sorted!

One of my favourite shows has to be Sass and Bide, with gorgeous shades of charcoal, mixed with amazing graphic prints incorporating orange (hot SS'11 tip!) and finishing touches of metallic fringing and quirky belts, I am utterly in awe! This utility dress and statement accessory is something I will be sporting (or similar!).

Finally neons, eeeek!!! As seen at Mark Fast, I want to be daring, I will, I will...

Tomorrow Paris xxx

Some self indulgent name dropping x

Okay so this isn't the latest news, but I was just roaming through my library of pics and stumbled across this shot of the eccentric, vibrant pink haired Zandra Rhodes! At this Summer's Pure trade show, Claire, our perky little work experience girl Katie and myself had a glimpse of the lovely lady during an interview and catwalk show of her latest project for SS11- handbags. With bags to compliment her gorgeously glamorous trademark floaty chiffon dresses, decorated in the most fabulous and colourful prints you can imagine, this was a very exciting prospect for me! The clever and down-to-earth designer spoke of her appreciation for decent sized, usable bags combined with stunning design, a flourish of embellishments and bold use of colour. I could not help but be a wee bit star struck (I think Claire was quite amused!) and had to pull out my camera to savour the memory for ever! Ahhh Zandra...