Happy Birthday Selfridges!

Selfridges - the Oxford Street department store that made shopping sexy - marks it's 100th year this year. 

On previous occasions when I've had time to kill in London, I have found myself wandering from floor to floor perusing the gorgeous collections on display.  I love seeing when you approach the store, the hoards of people carrying bright yellow (109 pantone to be precise) shopping bags; a massive marketing ploy screaming "Come shop inside."

When you walk into the store - as with Harrods and Libertys - you are always conscious of the history behind the brand. 

Above, an image of a roof garden fashion show during the 1920s, demonstrates Selfridges' fondness for fashion luxury. The image below shows people peering through the famous Selfridges windows at a dress on display just as clothes rationing was began in 1941. 

Selfridges is celebrating it's birthday by calling on a host of designer friends to create limited edition pieces all in the signature Selfridges yellow. 

For this entire month, designers such as Paul Smith, Jimmy Choo, Marc Jacobs and Mulberry will have their designed items on sale exclusively in Selfridges. 

One of the most hyped up pieces is a patent leather dress by Giles Deacon (costing £1500) which many staff members will be sporting throughout May. 

The store has also commissioned British designers Dame Vivienne Westwood, Stella McCartney, Giles Deacon and Paul Smith to design them some limited edition carrier bags. I am tempted to fly down to London just to experience the celebrations - yellow oragami aeroplanes will decor the store and DJ sets from Henry Holland are also on the cards. And perhaps I could get one of those carrier bags - a certain future collector's piece.

Like 'SEX', like 'Agent Provocateur'.

Whilst reading a little bit about one of my favourite designers Vivienne Westwood (please read my previous post about graduating alongside her), I discovered that her son with Malcolm McLaren (legendary Sex Pistols and New York Dolls manager) is none other than Joseph Corre - the founder of Agent Provocateur! How did I not know this? 

Corre opened his first Agent Provocateur lingerie shop in 1994 in London's Broadwick Street, Soho. Apparently he originally bought plain styles of lingerie from small sources and altered them mirroring the individual style of McLaren and Westwood's 'SEX' boutique (aka. Too Fast to Live, Too Young to Die) in the 70's. The brand has become just as infamous for creating contraversy as his parent's shop did back in the day.

As well as this, apparently Mother and son's new boutique  'A Child Of The Jago' (check out their very cool blog) in London is imagined as a place to sell off the remnants of Britain's lost empire. An eclectic mix of antique jewelery and vintage sartorial bibles sit alongside their clothing lines.  Tailored pieces described as "Victorian Pimp" and  reworked workers' uniforms in tweed and lurex show the family attitude (alongside designer Barnzley) towards Britain's heritage. It's good to know the spirit of punk is still alive!

Designer Elle Covers

To mark the 25th year anniversary of London Fashion Week, Elle (UK) magazine has asked 4 great British designers to create their own special edition cover. All 4 editions will be available to buy. I'll be keeping an eye out for them this month.

John Galliano's cover girl was "a rebel, a minx who refuses to conform". 

Stella McCartney's was based on the t-shirt she designed for Comic Relief featuring the Beatles.

Christopher Kane decided to show the polaroids he takes before his runway shows.

Dame Vivienne Westwood did her's in the style of her Manifesto exclaiming "In these hard times - Dress Up!" (Read my previous post on graduating with Vivienne Westwood.)

NY Tartan Week

So it seems that New York City goes all out for all things Scottish and tartan for one week in April. 

One event is the 'Dressed to Kilt' Fashion Show. Watching last year's highlights makes me want to go. Being Scottish, I don't look twice when I see men dressed in kilts (well, it depends on the man) for proms, weddings, or when the National football team plays, but I suppose it is pretty novel.

Robert (a.k.a. Rabbie) Burns Day is also a week today. Last year I didn't have any tartan suitable for a night out so ended up just wearing a Burberry checked scarf (oops, not very Scottish I know). I might go all theatrical this year reminiscent of Vivienne Westwood (above) or Alexander McQueen (below). Next week, I will post my outfit choice for the day.

New Vivienne Westwood store.

Last week I had my graduation ceremony with the rest of my class. I was ecstatic that Dame Vivienne Westwood was also graduating at this same ceremony, having been given an Honorary Degree from my university. (Not everyone can say they graduated with Vivienne Westwood).

(Here she is at her Manifesto: an active resistance to propaganda. My flatmate Kirsty is in the background in a potato sack costume as she read from Vivienne's script. Lucky girl.)

At the same time, I discovered that she is soon to open a new store in Glasgow: her first in Scotland. It is due to open in Princes Square (situated on Buchanan Street) which already boasts such stores as Calvin Klein, boutiques like Fifi and Ally and Penhaligons as well as many slick bars and restaurants.

Just up the road from Princes Square, Urban Outfitters already sells a selection of her Anglomania collection, but I can't wait to see this new store open. Her collections are always so inspiring and unapologetic for doing their own thing: never abiding to the restrictions of seasonal trends.