The Get Em Mamis - Work

Apart from the fact I love the song and some of The Get Em Mamis other songs, I love the really amateur fashion show in this video. Turn up your speakers!

Wool and the Gang

The Parisian-based design collective 'Wool and the Gang' launched 2 years ago, with an aim to revisit traditional knitting values and deliver them in a modern way. Knit your own slouchy, stylish, hand-knitted oversized scarf or have some fun with your very own DIY knit-kit!

Sounds great doesn't it? A step-by-step guide to knitting your own scarf/gloves/hat. But it doesn't come cheap: at Net-a-porter this kit will set you back a whopping £120.

I really want...

...thee bag of the season, Alexander Wang's 'Coco' duffel bag. But at £795 (never mind the fact it keeps selling out), I think I'll need to settle for a high street alternative as I'm sure there will be lots about soon enough.

Free Iran

After the contraversy surrounding the 'Legalize Gay. . . Repeal Prop 8 Now!" t-shirts (resulting in staff receiving death threats and vandalism on stores), American Apparel have upped-the-ante again with their next political statement.

The retail giant supplied a UCLA rally for Iranian democracy with "Free Iran" T-shirts on Saturday. A spokesperson for the company stated:

"American Apparel is a company that supports liberty and open-minded thinking. [We have] a history of putting our money where our mouth is. We have some resources and assets that your average protester doesn't and we want to use those when we can." 

Cult Clothing

Hadn't been to Cult in Glasgow in years. The thing that sticks out to me about this shop was that it used to have a pound coin glued to the ground just at the entrance so people used to try pick it up all the time unsuccessfully. Anyway, I liked their recent window display.

Lily gets the Karl treatment

Lily Allen has come a long way since her sneaks, prom dress and gold bling combinations. 

The first pictures of her Chanel handbag campaign shot by Karl have finally hit the web. The black and white shots show Lily looking distinctly Lagerfeld-like, wearing monochrome neat tailoring and fingerless gloves (which are set to be huge this Fall '09).

More Pictures...

Pictures...

...I like that over time I have saved on my computer. Might as well share them:

Furry Fashionistas.

Saw these pictures on Times Online and just adored them. Reminds me of Lula magazine who always have adventurous little ways of displaying accessories. 

Emma Cook for Topshop

Topshop's Inside Out blog had access to Emma Cook's studio and shows her working on the prints which have just been revealed in her new collection for the brand. I love seeing designers' work space. 

Topshop AW'09 Lookbook (behind-the-scenes)

Stella McCartney ft. Bambi

Shot by photographer Ryan McGinley in a forest in Worchestershire, Stella McCartney’s Fall 2009 ad campaign features beloved Bambi characters. Of course McCartney has always been pro animal rights so it is fitting that if anyone was to go down this direction it should be her. The effect is quite beautiful.

Topshop AW'09 Lookbook

Pop-Up boutique

East London boutique hotel 40 Winks will open a pop-up showroom for designers during London Fashion Week. They invite applications from clothing and accessories designers who want to show their collections close to the main event in central London.

Previously, 40 Winks has been used as a fashion shoot location by both British and American Vogue..

Dress

Topshop New Season

On my recent visit to London, I of course swung by Topshop Oxford Street. Launching their New Season's collection, the store had everything (and I mean everything) that we can come to expect from Fall '09. 

Shaggy knits, exciting hosiery, lace and sheer fabrics, glam embroidery, oversized bullet proof statement jewellery, thigh high boots, bondage shoes... and this was all just in the window display! Topshop has hit the nail on the head yet again. 

Isn't she lovely?

Isn't she wonderful? This is my gorgeous friend Kirsty again spotted by everyone's favourite 'Facehunter' a few months ago in London.

George buyers do Balmain.

(Thanks Lauren for the article.)
So I posted some of the Balmain Fall '09 collection last week, including an image of the stunning silver and black mini dress which Kate Moss was spotted wearing back in April. 

The dress is of course a tad out of my price range but check out what George at Asda have created for £16. Verdicts? The supermarket is hoping the limited edition dress will be one of their best selling items of the year.

I have a dress I bought years ago in a second hand store which is very in-line with Balmain's latest collection - I think I'll be wearing it next week and will post pics. 

Explains itself.

More Street Art.

Here's some beautiful art work by Macarena Yanez - a Masters student at Central Saint Martin's in London whom my friend introduced me to. 

As you've never seen Kate before.

Friend of Kate Moss, Swedish designer Lovisa Burfitt has the priviledge of being able to see her friend how nobody else does. She has recently created 3 quirky illustrations of the supermodel dressed as a clown, a court jester and as Charlie Chaplin. The illustrations will appear on jersey dresses sold online at my-wardrobe.com

Buyer for my-wardrobe.com, Joanne Watkinson said "Owning a piece from her collection, and it being limited edition, felt like buying a piece of wearable art. The Kate Moss connection made it even more exciting."

Hosiery

Look at some of the fab examples of hosiery for Fall. These look great with all the mini skirts that are about but also - like with Stella McCartney (bottom left) - with calf length skirts. Can't wait to see how the high street interprets these embellished styles.

Balmain handbags.

So the news has just broke the edgiest label in Paris, Balmain are to launch their own handbag collection. WWD has just dished the dirt: Retailers are in Paris for viewings of the pre-collections showing a half dozen styles. Like their clothes, expect a lot of silver, black leather, studs, crystals and fringing.

Miss Watson's wardrobe.

On Sunday, I watched a T4 special on “Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince.” Footage and interviews with the cast on the red carpet in London left me in awe of Emma Watson's dress. Turns out it was vintage Ossie Clark. 

Emma now has the most enviable wardrobe and has bearly been away from the front rows at Fashion Weeks. Further promoting of the new film saw her wearing Proenza Schouler and Christopher Kane (respectively):

But Emma has spoken plainly about the possibility of fashion overshadowing her career and the idea of celebrity branding: 

“That’s my worst nightmare. First and foremost, I’m an actress. I’m not a designer. If someone asked me to do something that was beneficial to a cause, then maybe I’d consider it, but not just [to be able to say] ‘Look at me! I’ve got my own line!’”

Topshop sells Choolips.

This summer, CHOOLIPS’ fairtrade summer dresses - playful, pretty silhouettes featuring colourful Ghanaian batik prints - will be sold exclusively at Topshop’s Oxford Circus flagship store.

The label offers garments made in Ghana by local batikers, tailors and seamstresses, all of whom earn eleven times the average national wage for their work.

Christian Lacroix Fall '09 Couture

One of the most wearable couture collections Christian Lacroix has ever created, this season's last couture installment was possibly a commercial plee for financial backing. The Lacroix business went into administration and all but 12 workers were laid off. (Due to legal issues, the models had to be paid and were reportedly paid €50 each.) The ateliers loyal to Christian donated their time in order to pull off a collection to follow (though by no means match) the opulent fantasies he has been creating since 1987.

As the whole audience stood in ovation for him walking out with a model donning his bridal creation, Christian (who had personally financed the collection himself) stated, "I didn't want to cry. I want to continue, maybe in a different way, with a small atelier. What I really care about is the women who do this work."

Without access to extravagant hues and embellished materials, he pared the collection back to mainly black and midnight blue (a huge trend when placed together for Fall '09), concentrating on shape and wearability. 

Footwear Fall '09 continued.

"Sandals? In Fall?" I hear you say. But yes, your eyes are not deceiving you so don't pack away your summer ones just yet. Designers have this season taken into consideration that some climates don't require boots. (And yes, that is a sock underneath those sandals so we can no longer cringe at our fathers.)As stated previously, the runway saw lots of new forms and interesting shapes. The "basic" pump was not excluded from this emphasis place on the heels. Shooties are not quite ankle boots and play a strong role in the transition from Spring/Summer to Fall. 

As expected, the ankle boot made its return. Notice the use of cut-out sections and straps which add a bit of sex appeal. As well as this, lace-ups are having their moment again with slight variances in the placement of the laces. I liked the subtle neon pink lace used in the top left example from Paul Smith - a more managable approach to neon brights for Fall.

Footwear Fall '09

This season's footwear is anything but bland, whether studded, crystallised, ruffled or cut out, there are so many new styles to explore.

Possibly the most important style for the upcoming season are the thigh-high boots which were seen all over the runway. I still have a pair of Topshop black suede ones from a couple of years ago although they are flat so no doubt I'll be tempted to invest in a smarter pair. My favourite ones were from Hussein Chalayan, second from the left. 

Designers really went all out when it came to designing the platform and heels this season. It's all about interesting forms and a new spin on giving height including  very vertical needle thin heels.
Black PVC, snake skin and lots and lots of straps. Perhaps a tougher look to the gladiator sandals of Summer. Can't wait to see what the high street has to offer. 

Urban Outfitters Bike Shop

Design your very own bike with Urban Outfitters! (Unfortunately only in America).

"We assemble custom bicycles based on shared design. We offer component and color selection curated for quality, value and aesthetics. Pick, choose, swap and decide and we'll build it, box it, and ship it out. Built by us and you."

Think Pink

And we thought the Devil Wears Prada was original...

DIY Chanel.

Via Topshop tweets I discovered this DIY Chanel bag - posted on  jakandjil.thepop.com  

Reminded me that I hadn't uploaded my creation from a few weeks ago. When yet another cheap pearl necklace broke, I decided to make my own alternative from old pearl, beads from earrings and necklaces and some old ribbons I had lying around. Et voila. 

Christian Dior Fall '09 Couture

Having seen behind-the-scenes photographs of Dior himself dressing his models more than half a century ago, John Galliano took his couture collection back to the more intimate Christian Dior headquarters. The result was a show reminiscent of how the clothes were traditionally presented to clients and the press in the 'New Look' 1950s era. 
A cross between 'My Fair Lady', 'and 'Moulin Rouge' , half dressed models strutted with definite emphasis on their undergarments.

Nylon Nikeheads

Today I had the urge to wear my Nike Blazers to work and got a few compliments. Then tonight I came across this video on NYLON.com - a joint party between NYLON and Nike promoting their one-colour neon sneaks. Only available in Nike and Urban Outfitter stores in NYC and LA, unsurprisingly the shoes keep selling out.

Oxfam DIY

Oxfam and Mrs Jones (designer and stylists to pop acts) have been busy reinventing Camden's Oxfam store as the ultimate fashion resource destination for independent style seekers. The store opened it's doors in June.

Proving just what you can do with second-hand clothing, Mrs Jones recently styled a photo shoot featuring people modelling unique looks created entirely using garments from Oxfam’s recycling facility. 

Flower Fairy.

Speaking of natural surroundings in fashion photography, I just found some photos I thought I had lost from a "photoshoot" I did with my two beautiful flatmates. I'll need to check to see if it's ok for me to post their photos because they are gorgeous. In the meantime, here are some of the ones of me...

Mother Nature.

This editorial from Vogue China (found on blog Hand It Over) made me realise how much I love fashion photography when it is done on a natural setting. The Marilyn shoot; Chanel's campaign; my blog banner... The countryside and sunlight add a delicacy to each shot.

Oxford Street Fashion Week.

The world's first 'High Street Fashion Week' will be held on London's famous Oxford Street. Retails giants such as Topman, Debenhams, John Lewis and Uniqlo have so far signed up for the event with many others set to follow.

Events - which will take place the week before London Fashion Week - will include workshops, fashion shows, makeovers, late-night shopping and in-store promotions. Prior to this, more than 100,000 Oxford Street shoppers will vote for which celebrity they feel is their favourite “High Street Queen” and the winner will play a major role in the fashion week. 

Never-published photos of Marilyn.

LIFE magazine - whilst digitalizing their huge photo archives - recently discovered negatives of a 24-year-old Marilyn Monroe that had never been published. 

Taken by LIFE photographer Ed Clark almost 59 years ago, the young, little-known star at the time, strolls around Los Angeles' Griffith Park completely carefree and reads up on her scripts for upcoming rolls. Beautiful.

The return of the scrunchie?

Surely not? I was surfing the net when I noticed an advertisement for American Apparel scrunchies! After further investigation on the AA website, it looks like the company is putting a lot of their weight behind the product, priced at £5 each. (I can't help but think of that Sex and the City episode when Carrie insists no New Yorker in their right mind would ever wear a scrunchie. Right enough, she never mentioned anything about LA.)

Chanel Fall/Winter '09/'10 campaign.

Shot by Mr Lagerfeld himself, Chanel's beautiful Fall-Winter 2009/10 Ad Campaign stars Heidi Mount and Freja Beha Erichsen.

'The September Issue'

Words cannot express how excited I am to see this:

Chris Kane for Topshop

Leaked images of the upcoming Christopher Kane collection for Topshop. I cannot wait! 

Glastonbury '09.

So Kate Moss was a no-show but there were plenty of other fashionistas strutting their festival gear for the press to feast their camera lenses on. Here model Lily Donaldson sports Kate's normal rocky look with the summers fringing and those all important Ray-bans. Over the last few years, outfits have become a bit formulaic in the reign of Miss Moss but there are always exceptions such as singer VV Brown's colourful ensemble. 

Of course the wellies were still the most popular item of clothing despite the lack of rain along with the floral print jersey dresses pushed on the high street.  

One of my favourite looks here is one of the simplist: an American Apparel jumpsuit, hippy head band and (my faves) Nike sneakers. Makes a welcome change from the usual uniform.