23.07.2010- Fall 2010 Couture

I've only just caught up on the couture shows after being away, but remember vaguely hearing about Chanel's giant lion, another opulent installation at the Grand Palais created at the behest of Karl Lagerfeld. I can't say I was bowled over by Chanel's Couture presentation, but as a statement of the power of the label and achievement of stage design, the lion itself was very impressive.

Chanel 

As I've already said, I was a little underwhelmed by this collection as a whole; in particular I found some of the shapes very perplexing! However, a few pieces stood out, particularly the intricately embellished dresses in cream and camel, and I love the red lipstick. 

Valentino

 Again, I love the embellishments on the dresses, and the neutral tones. 

Elie Saab

Filled with gorgeous glittering golds, this was a really beautiful collection. 

Givenchy

 My favourite collection of the week. To me, this is what Couture is all about; opulence, luxury and a little bit of fairy-tale magic. I love that Riccardo Tisci chose to present his pieces in this setting rather than show them on the runway, as the details really come to life against the elegant backdrop. Simply breathtaking. 

What did you think of the Couture collections? Which was your favourite?

(Image credit: style.com.)

22.07.2010- The Camel Coat

Camel coats grace the catwalks (click for bigger)

One of the key pieces for this Autumn/Winter is undoubtedly the camel coat. As a progression of this season's neutral nudes, the beiges, biscuits and camel colours that were seen at the runway shows of, amongst others, Marc Jacobs and Chloé back in February really encapsulate the hues of autumn and cosiness of winter. Ever since I saw Hannah MacGibbon's designs for the Chloé Autumn/Winter collection, I've been keeping my eyes peeled for the perfect camel coat to see me warmly through the winter. Unfortunately, back in April my grandmother passed away, but I was blessed to inherit a treasure from her wardrobe; her very own camel coat, which fits me perfectly. I'm not really sure how old the coat is, but at a guess I would say that my nan would have had it from either the 60's or 70's. Although it came to me in extremely sad circumstances, I feel really proud to now own a piece of my nan's own fashion history, a piece of clothing that she obviously adored given that it retained its place in her wardrobe for so long. After a trip to the dry cleaner, the coat is as good as new and I can't wait to wear it this winter, as it not only has such enormous sentimental value, but also illustrates the fact that good quality wardrobe investments never really go out of fashion.

 Myself modelling the beautifully made camel coat that belonged to my grandmother.

(Image credit: style.com and Sarah Farrell, please do not reproduce without permission.)

21.07.2010- Holiday Snaps

As promised, here are some photographs from my holiday. I stayed in a tiny Spanish village about an hour and a half away from Málaga Airport, and spent most of the two weeks I was there relaxing in the sunshine, catching up on some good reading and swimming. I haven't had a beach holiday for five years, so it was really lovely to have a really relaxing time and change of scenery.

Beautiful Hibiscus flowers were planted all around the village, in gorgeous pinks, corals, blues and whites.

Myself on the beach on day one of the holiday, hence the lack of tan!

View of the sunset from the balcony of the apartment.

Myself on the beach (again!)

The view of the village from the top of a mountain.

Shadows of roses growing along a residential street. 

A traditional Spanish townhouse situated along the main road of the village, it had the biggest garden, with a palm tree and a water well.  I can only imagine how beautiful it would be on the inside, and it would be a lovely place to live, as the rear garden faces the seafront.

The swimming pool. 

Beautiful palm trees growing all along the seafront. 

Me on the beach when the waves were very fierce!

The waves coming in over the sand.

A wave breaking on the beach.

Overall it was a really lovely holiday, and I am already missing the sunshine. 

Are you off anywhere exciting this summer? Where is your dream holiday location? 

(Image credit: Sarah Farrell, please do not reproduce without permission.)