17.08.2011- Fashion's Night Out 2011

With less than a month to go until Fashion's Night Out here in London, a few details are emerging of some of the events which will be taking place. On September 8th (co-incidentally the same date as my graduation ceremony!), London will once again be transformed into fashionista central, and, after last year's antics, I'm really excited to see what this year will bring. Here are a few gems of information which have been released so far:

Rob Ryan has designed the official Fashion's Night Out tee for 2011, which will retail for £18 across the retailers participating in the event. All proceeds will go to Kids Company.

Mulberry will be offering manicures and photo booth sessions at their Bond Street branch, following which you can pop over to the Brompton Road store to have your fortune read. There will also be prize draws taking place.

Rupert Sanderson will be having a roller disco in his Mayfair store (amazing!) and will also launch an exclusive disco platform boot, with 10% of the proceeds going to Kids Company.

Matthew Williamson will be showcasing his new diffusion line MW at his Bruton Street store, where he will be joined by the face of the collection, Edie Campbell. An exclusive limited edition t-shirt will also be available in store.

Alexander McQueen will be selling these exclusive keyrings which will be sold at their Bond Street branch:

And that's just for starters! For more information about some of the exclusive merchandise which will be sold on the night and for more on the events taking place visit the Fashion's Night Out website. I can't wait to hear what else will be going on!

Are you looking forward to Fashion's Night Out this year?

(Image credit: Google and Fashion's Night Out on facebook.)

19.04.2011- Savage Beauty

If I lived in New York (a girl can dream, eh?) or was visiting over the next few months, I'd definitely make my way to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where the much anticipated retrospective of Alexander McQueen's work, entitled Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty runs from May 4th until the end of July. Curated by The Costume Institute, the exhibition features a range of McQueen's work, paying tribute to his unique vision and the unparalleled contribution which he made to the fashion industry. In celebration of the launch, the latest issue of US Vogue showcases some of McQueen's most iconic designs in spread aptly named Alexander the Great. Styled by Grace Coddington and photographed by Steven Meisel, the feature sees some of McQueen's most beautiful and extravagant creations modelled by the likes of Karen Elson and Coco Rocha:

Alexander the Great, US Vogue May 2011 by Steven Meisel.

The stunning lace gown and antlers as modelled by Karen Elson in the first photo from McQueen's Fall 2006 presentation remains one of my favourite pieces ever; I adored it when I first saw it and still love it as much (if not more) today. I suppose it's this aspect of McQueen's vision, that his work feels as if it has been drawn from a long-forgotten history whilst still being groundbreaking, which makes him a perfect subject for an exhibition like this. Fingers crossed it comes to London!

What do you think of the Alexander McQueen exhibition? And do you like US Vogue's take on his work?

(Image credit: fashiongonerogue.)

16.03.2011- Fashion Week Top Five: Paris AW11

Paris Fashion Week was well worth the wait and there were so many collections which really stood out. Needless to say, I found it very tricky to narrow it down to my five favourites, so as well as the collections I've chosen, honourable mentions must go to Riccardo Tisci's walk on the wild side at Givenchy and Stella's re-invention of spots and shoulders. Here are my top five from Paris:

1) Valentino

Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pier Paolo Piccioli's presentation for Valentino was charming. With romantic maxi dresses, pleats and beautiful embellishments, this collection channelled understated elegance and femininity. The main thing I really admired about the designs shown here was how accessible they felt; even if you haven't got the budget to afford Valentino (who has?), the shapes and colours of this collection provide a slice of inspiration which I'm sure will filter down to the high street for next season. I can't wait!

2) Cacharel

 The Cacharel presentation was clean, fresh and felt really modern. The prints are amazing (I especially love the way the white print pops against the navy blue) and the crisp white on show here looks like a massive trend in the making. 

3) Lanvin

 Alber Elbaz delivered yet another lovely collection for Lanvin, complete with his now trademark asymmetric floor length gowns and bold colours. His use of floral print somehow feels really fresh, and I really like the way the motif has been used throughout the collection. 

4) Carven

The designs which Guillame Henry created for Carven were cute, feminine and sophisticated. Once again, pleats made an appearance, as did the cute collars which have become synonymous with the Carven label. 

5) Alexander McQueen

Paris wouldn't be Paris without the anticipation of a McQueen show. Sarah Burton's latest creations for the label are breathtaking and I really admire the way that she is developing the signature aesthetic created by Lee McQueen. As ever, the collection featured beautifully engineered dresses, elaborate detail and a sense of character which is quintessentially McQueen. 

So that's it until September when the SS12 presentations kick off! 

What were your favourite collections from Paris? Do you agree with my picks?

(Image credit: style.com and fashiongonerogue.)

13.01.2011- Butterfly, flutterby

As well as starring in Mulberry's latest campaign, Lindsey Wixson is also the face of Alexander McQueen's SS11 advertising:

I thought these pictures were simply too stunning not to share and I adored Sarah Burton's designs for spring/summer when they were debuted at Paris fashion week. The use of the butterfly motif here also really reminds me of McQueen's SS08 collection, which featured this fantastic hat created by Philip Treacy, bedecked with butterflies, and a stunning array of butterfly print dresses, which I'm still in awe of.

I love that whilst retaining momentum and driving the McQueen brand forward, Sarah Burton isn't afraid to look back at past collections for inspiration, as we see here. It just demonstrates how much of a visionary Lee McQueen really was.

What do you think of the Alexander McQueen ads?

(Image credit: fashiongonerogue and style.com.)

10.10.10- From Paris with love

As promised, here are my picks from the SS11 shows at Paris Fashion Week:

Alexander McQueen
 

Sarah Burton's beautiful collection for McQueen was sumptuous, romantic and fantastical, bearing all the hallmarks of the late Lee McQueen's genius (as particularly evident in the tailored coats.) For me this collection struck the perfect balance between old and new, with a nod to classic shapes invested with a fresh sense of purpose and direction. I can't wait to see more of Burton's work for the label. 

Miu Miu

The Miu Miu collection really reminded me of a graphic novel, with almost cartoon like prints, and exaggerated superhero shoulders, but I love the way the pieces retained a sense of femininity through repeated emphasis on the waist and line.

Paul and Joe

A gorgeously bright, fun and girly collection, which felt really evocative of summer. 

Celine

Uncomplicated minimalist chic at its best.

Valentino

As you may have guessed by now, I absolutely adore dresses, so this collection was my idea of heaven! I really love the detailing on each of the pieces above, as well as the repeated use of shape and line at play here. 

Stella McCartney

Again, I really like the simplicity and muted tones of this collection. 

Chanel

 How could I write about Paris and not include Chanel? Although I'm not sold on the clumpy looking footwear, I love the 1920's influence at play here, with the tiered fringing and longer lines, as well as the dramatic eye makeup. I'm also obsessing over the camellia print! 

Chloé

 Beautiful Grecian style draping, simple yet so elegant. 

So, the fashion circus is over for another few months. What were your favourites from Paris? I've drawn up a top four, with my favourite shows from each city:

* New York- Mulberry

*London- Erdem

*Milan- Dolce and Gabbana

*Paris- Alexander McQueen

Which collections have been your favourites from the last month overall? Do you agree with my picks? And which Autumn/Winter shows are you most looking forward to?

(Image credit: style.com.)

02.04.2010- The Girl from Atlantis.

Sorry for the back to back image posts, but I came across this editorial from the May issue of Vogue Nippon yesterday and just had to share:

Alla Kostromicheva styled by George Cortina, photographed by Sølve Sundsbø. How beautiful do the Prada and McQueen pieces look here? The etheral quality of this editorial really brings the pieces to life in a whole new light.

(Image credit: fashiongonerogue.)