Louis Vuitton window bag display.

Very cool.

Louis Vuitton: Art, Fashion and Architecture

On September 1st, a book detailing the Louis Vuitton brand's fascination for fashion, art and architecture and all their artistic collaborations will be released. 

Louis Vuitton hired artist Camille Scherrer to present the new “Louis Vuitton : Art. Fashion and Architecture” book in this stunning video.

Marc Jacobs in Sugar Kane.

I was just watching Sonic Youth video 'Sugar Kane' from 1992 and I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw that the catwalk themed video featured none other than a young Chloë Sevigny acting as a model AND Marc Jacobs! 

Turns out the young fashion impresario Chloë wasn't very well known at the time out-with the New York fashion scene and Kim Gordon knew someone who knew Jacobs so he volunteered to do the clothes for the video. 

Model's Muse.

This Vogue video is basically an unbelievable who's who of the fashion world - Intimate interviews with all the A-list guests who attended the Metropolitan Museum of Art's gala celebrating 'The Model as Muse' exhibition. 

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.

Smells like Marc Jacobs.

OK so about the origins of Grunge and how it came into the fashion forefront... In the late 80s, a bunch of musicians started to form bands in the Washington state, escaping the gloomy weather in their garages.

The music tended to be influenced from punk and the hard rock of the 70s.  

It wasn't until Nirvana's second album "Nevermind" and in particular the first single from the album "Smells Like Teen Spirit", that the scene was catapulted into the mainstream. 

Of course grunge was extremely anti-fashion. The music reflected the unhappy mood of America and Europe's children ("Generation X") and the clothes were further validation of the "we don't care" youth attitude. The messy hair and clothes were intended to counteract the image of plasticity that MTV sold.

When Marc Jacobs designed a SS '93 collection for Perry Ellis, stylizing grunge, consumers were shocked and rejected it stating "you cannot charge $1200 for a dress that looks like it was bought in a second hand store". Subsequently, Jacobs was fired by the Perry Ellis Company despite tremendous editorial support from fashion critics who felt that the look was significant - it showed women they didn't have to dress in a certain style. They had choices. 

Perry Ellis SS '93, Marc Jacobs AW '06

Unfortunately, by embracing the look, the fashion critics killed the anti-fashion trend and with Jacobs' firing, grunge suffered a backlash. On the musical front, the bands that had started the movement rejected it's new associations with the fashion world and with the untimely death of Kurt Cobain in '94, grunge too was pronounced dead. 

I feel their has been a slight resurrection of late.

Grunge isn't dead...

I feel the need to discuss my recent return to all things grunge.

Whilst I rediscovered the looks and the music I so dearly loved when I was a teenager, coincidently NY and London were showing a return to the look which originated from a bunch of Seattle based bands in the late 80s/early 90s. 

It's all very exciting for me since I was too young to take any notice the first time round!

Though of course punky style (doc-marten boots and stone-wash denim in particular) is a non-mover, Grunge has a way of combining the toughest of garments with pretty floral dresses and cardigans that look like they've been taken right out your Granny's wardrobe.

Here's my favourite grunge looks from the Fall/Winter '09-'10 collections so far, both sides of the Atlantic:

Topshop Unique - very futuristic grunge.

Marc Jacobs - the King of Grunge fashion (not counting the likes of Kurt Cobain of course) had to be in here.

Luella - yet another triumphant collection which we will no doubt see all over the high street come Autumn.

Christopher Kane - only 6 collections in and getting stronger.

Tribal

A tribal/safari theme was seen all over the Ready-to-wear SS '09 collections and this has evidently been filtering through to the High Street stores. Here are some of the designer labels which are pushing the look.

Louis Vuitton:

DKNY:

(I began to select a few images from all the designers but it turned out there were just too many so here are a few more shots. Top l-r: Anna Sui, Christian Dior, Christopher Kane, bottom l-r: Ralph Lauren, Gucci, Alexander McQueen.)

High Street retailers need to know their customer well in order to successfully interpret catwalk trends. (It might look good to Marc Jacobs but the truth is the typical UK lady will not wear a short grass skirt.) 

Marc Jacobs tribute to Stephen Sprouse

Remember the Louis Vuitton graffiti print bags? Remember their leopard print scarfs that could be seen on everyone after their Fall Winter 06 07 collection? Well it was all a result of the collaboration between Creative Director Marc Jacobs and 80s graffiti artist/fashion designer Stephen Sprouse back in 2001.

Sprouse died in 2004 but a few years later Jacobs decided to use a leopard print they had designed together that was never issued. And Jacobs has yet again paid tribute to Sprouse by creating a new collection inspired by their original collaboration. Last week he held a massive tribute event in NYC over 3 different LV locations. Reissued Sprouse LV bags were on display, Debbie Harry did a unique performance and the interiors were completely kitted out in neon lights and graffiti prints.

The highlight of the images for me has to be the exterior of the Wooster Street, Soho store which was covered in a polythene film and then spray painted over. Who else would have the guts to deface a luxury brand but Marc Jacobs?

From the collection itself there are not many things I would buy as I'm not a huge fan of anything too...garish. But I do love the sepia rose print and I can tell the collection is going to be a huge hit so start saving your pennies and get in there fast.

Michelle Obama - spoiled for choice.

The President-elect Obama's Inaugural day is in the not too distant future (January 20th) and it seems that Fashion Designers are clambering over themselves to dress the stylish and chic Michelle Obama (& children) for the day and evening events.

On WWD.com you can see drawing after drawing of proposed dress designs for Mrs Obama and they are all absolutely gorgeous. Here are a few fashion illustrations from just a handful of the most sought-after designers hoping for a chance to be a part of American History.

Oscar de la Renta

Marc Jacobs

Christian Lacroix

Diane von Furstenburg

Chanel

Twiggy's Frock Exchange

A new programme on the BBC has opened people's eyes to the concept of swapping clothes. On Twiggy's Frock Exchange, the idea is that everyone invited brings at least one item of clothing they will never wear again and swaps it for somebody else's. The chances are you will go away with something that you might not have considered before when high street shopping. Some lucky attendees were also going away with amazing items, some brought in by celebrities (such as the gorgeous Marc Jacob mini dress brought in by Ferne Cotton). Twiggy keeps the momentum going with help from rock chick Lauren Laverne and Grazia's Style Director Paula Reed.

I was particularly interested in the section of the programme where a person's old garment was altered and remade into a new garment altogether. I looked into this concept in my uni project (in fact even looking at the same company who do it on this programme) last year and ended up doing a similar idea.

(You can also go onto the programme website and find out more about how to hold your own Frock exchange party).