LFW: Burberry Prorsum

Fashion doesn't get much more British than Burberry, apt then, that the theme of the SS14 Burberry Prorsum collection was 'English Rose'.  A much more relaxed offering than normal, the collection began with a range of pencil skirt/shirt combos in pastel shades of pink, lilac, blue and green and in laser cut detail.  The whole mood of the show was, to begin with, calm and understated, with only slight hints of high end fashion visible in the form of the high splits in front of skirt and the obvious need to leave the lining of garments on the atelier floor.  Models wore cashmere sweaters in shades of grey and white before we were introduced to this years equivalent of the hearts - big polka dots.  Let us not forget the iconic trench, this season worn loose and oversized.

All very un-Burberry as compared to the past few seasons, that is until the final segment of the show where the garments came out adorned by sparkly brooches - dresses were held up by one strap of them, skirts were all but made from them and even Cara's rain coat was made entirely unsuitable for its main purpose by them.  Well, they do say save the best till last.

See the gallery on our Facebook page.

LFW: Christopher Kane

 

'If I do flowers, I don't want them to be like everyone else's'  Christopher Kane said backstage at his SS14 collection today entitled 'The anatomy of a flower'.  Instead of floral prints or simple pastel shades Kane instead dress inspiration from the kind of botanical plant drawings one finds in a biology lab, something evident in the petal cut out details on many of his dresses.

Well known for his avante garde choices when designing, this collection, Kane managed to retain originality and, although we saw white, there was no hint of the monochrome palette or 70's theme we have seen over so many catwalks this past two weeks.  There were pleats aplenty and silk trims were added to sheer skirts (my favourite particular look was this ballerina inspired dress - above) as well as basic sweaters teamed with full length ballerina skirts - who would have thought that would be such a winning combination.

View the gallery on our Facebook Page.

LFW: Erdem

 

Erdem, a designer whose name has become synonymous with ladylike frocks and pretty floral prints shook it up at his Spring Summer 2014 show earlier today with a completely monochrome offering. Gliding down the runway to the tune of a grand piano models donned a selection of garments edgier than we have come to expect from the Canadian born designer which, although underwhelming to begin with, soon reminded us exactly what it is we love about the brand.

The collection featured a range of sheath dresses with feather trims, sheer separates, constructed dresses and my personal favourite of a midlength shirt dress finished with a black vest, we were even treated to ladylike biker jackets - who knew there was such a thing!

See the collection on our Facebook page.

Miley's Meme

I've never made a secret of my distaste for Miley Cyrus, I'm just not into that whole oversexed attitude she has going on at all! I mean if you are in the public eye and a role model to millions of girls the surely you have a duty to those fans to be the kind of role model they can aspire to be, right? 

Anyway, I digress, I could go on all day but I won't. This post is about the latest meme sensation to have hit the Internet. Meme's have become huge over the last few years and never so big as when Ange wore that dress to the Oscars. Miley is the latest to have become a, is meme victim the right phrase? 

The image in question is a cut from her latest music video 'wrecking ball', shot by Terry Richardson, the video shows Miley swinging naked from a, erm wrecking ball. The image has been cut and the background replaced for a replaced by a series of backgrounds from around the world, such as the Statue of Liberty, the Eiffel Tower and - in my opinion the funniest - riding a dolphin. 

Well, I don't know what else we expect from someone whose real name is Destiny. 

LFW: Temperley London

Theme:  Alice Temperley stated backstage that the show was 'a tropical mood in a Mediterranean environment'. 

Palette:50 shades of pink, silky colours accented by touches or leopard print.

Beauty:  Hair was pulled back from the face without making it look too harsh, keeping all focus on the clothes.

Key Look:  It is truly hard to pin down just one look from this collection but no13 was a particular favourite.  Combining pink, applique flowers and a silk trim the dress was something of dreams.

Review: There wasn't actually much tropical or Mediterranean about this show but that didn't stop it from being anything short of amazing.  The show began with a '50 shades of pink' theme of volumous proportions before transitioning into a parade of dresses fit for a princess.  Each dress appeared pure in nature and the key was in the detailing which included chiffon flowers sewn onto dresses and coats alike, ribbons stitched to the waist and even leopard print belts.  I'm not fan of leopard print, I'll go as far to say I think it is one of the tackiest prints going, but something about the way it sits on these garments makes me rethink my whole outlook.  I sincerely look forward to seeing this collection on some of our best and brightest (and hopefully myself).

See the collection on our Facebook page.

LFW: L'Wren Scott

Theme:  The Momoyama period of 16th Century Japan

Palette:  Oriental colours - red, blue, black, white and purple.

Accessories:  Bow waisted belts and oriental umbrellas.

Beauty:  Models donned short black bobs and had pale, clear complexions in keeping with the theme.

Key Look:  Look 4, a full length white dress finished with a red waist belt was the epitome of the whole collection.

Review:  A collection clearly designed with herself in mind, L'Wren Scott's latest offering was nothing short of glamorous.  A cinched waist was the defining part of every look and the palette was perfect for creating the oriental theme she was going for.  Japanese prints were featured on kimonos and pencil skirts and beautiful dresses were finished with obi belts. Each look was as pristine and polished as we have come to expect from Mrs Mick Jagger.

View the collection on our Facebook page.

LFW: Mulberry

Theme:  With a layout consisting of astro turf and columns lain with daisies, Madness' 'Our House' playing throughout the show and Winston Churchills voiceover at the start Mulberry are still proving they are key players in the British fashion industry.

Palette:  Beginning with grey and white, runway soon introduced some of SS14's much loves 70's prints in bright orange.

Accessories: Adding twists to their classic bags we saw the 'Willow' with flower detailing and 'Alexa' in bright orange.  70's style chunky heels were worn in multiple colours, most memorably the orange floral printed heels.

Key Look:  Look 4 was a personal favourite, not only for the cutest accessory known to man but the simplicity of the outfit.  Both the jacket and dress were stunning on their own but together a new dimension was created and a power outfit was worn.

Review:  A bittersweet show for the British brand today as it marks the last collection of creative director Emma Hill, who officially steps down from her role tomorrow, the women who made the brand the worldwide phenomena it has become the past 5 years.  The collection retained many of the brands famous signatures with the co ordination of pieces taking precedence.

Silk pyjama suits were shown in multiple forms, there were cullotes, jacquard jackets, house coats and even a leather boob tube.  Critiques have already dismissed the collection for lacking the usual Mulberry 'must have or die quality', something which I feel is no bad thing (with the exception of the garish orange 70's print which I would rather just ignore).  Whilst it girls may not be clamouring over themselves for this collection, a rest of us might actually get a look in to by a true piece of iconic British fashion.

See the gallery on our Facebook Page.

LFW: Preen by Thornton Bregazzi

Theme: According to designers Thornton and Bregazzi the show was heavily influenced by Miami and the east coast 'because we've never been there'.

Palette:  As with pretty much every other designer we have seen so far this month there were a lot of bright whites with bright abstract prints.

Beauty:  Straight side swept hair.

Key Look:  Look 3 was my personal favourite, whilst minimal compared to the rest, the cape attached to the dress gave it that extra something.

Review:  Whilst not the most exciting of all collections, it was the simpler pieces that saved this show.  The silk jackets were a complete waste of effort, the kind of trend that high streets will imitate only to find these garments on the sale rails come the seasons end.  The architectural lines of the skirt were reminiscent of some kind of Tinkerbell cuts and the pastel colours only added to the Neverland fairy vibe.  The monochrome pieces, whilst overdone this season, were Preens saving grace.  All wearable and simply yet elegant they are sure to be a hit with the timeless dresser and those who favour brands such as Calvin Klein.

See the key looks on our Facebook Page.

Tyra takes over...

 

Tyra Banks, an all round messiah of fashion who helps mould the future faces of our catwalk has again proved just how amazing she is by releasing a number of images via her Twitter account showing her taking on the persona of some of the most famous models of our time.  The pictures, which include shots of Tyra as Cindy Crawford, Kate Moss and Linda Evangelista, are - amazingly - un retouched and are presumably part of a shoot for the latest ANTM cycle.

The Harvard graduate has promised a total of 15 photos, stating that 15 is a number special to her because it is the age she started modelling.  They do say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery...

See if you can guess which model Tyra is impersonating.

 

From top:  Kate Moss, Claudia Schiffer, Grace Jones, Iman, Kate Upton, Linda Evangelista and Cara Delevingne

Look of the Week: Jessica Alba

You can always rely on good old Jessica Alba to be the most stylish person of the week.  Stepping out in New York for Ralph Lauren's SS14 show, dressed head to toe in the label, the Mum of two looks better than ever,  Her pink ballerina skirt, which could look dangerously childish, is balanced out perfectly with a ribbed chunky knit jumper, chic up do and diamond earrings.  Could we covet her looks anymore?

LFW: PPQ

Theme:  Seemingly another designer who has opted for a 70's theme with certain Spanish influences.

Palette:  Primarily purple and black with accents of red, green and yellow.

Accessories:  Veils, bags with bouquets sprouting from them and strapped sandals.

Beauty:  70's inspired beehives at the crown beginning with centre partings.

Key Look:  Look 5 - the flamenco skirt in a bright floral print perfectly accentuated the tight, black bodice.

Review:  Any show consisting of flamenco skirts and 70's style button down dresses was going to be a risk, in the case of PPQ it was one that most definitely paid off.  An array of totally different looks were used, from the tartan Vivienne Westwood-esque dresses complete with tulle underskirts to the emerald green halter neck maxi dress, this collection was anything but predictable.  A collection of highly versatile and wearable collections that weren't designed simply for high class events.  The polka dot two piece was on another level yet somehow it still worked.  One of the most durable collections we have seen so far with looks that are achievable for the everyday women.

See the full gallery on our Facebook page.

LFW: Felder Felder

 

Theme: Underwater dream - texture is integral to the show.  'We love manipulating fabrics' - Daniela and Annette Felder stated backstage.

Palette:  Aquatic, an array of blues, pearly pinks and dark seaweed green.

Accessories:  Satin shoes, silver pointed courts and even a metallic silver belt added to the underwater theme.

Beauty:  Models sported wet look hair with coral dip dye and shimmering cheek bones.

Key Look:  All were amazing in their own way but our fave was the above pearly pink number for its sheer femininity and all around gorgeousness.

Review:  The whole show from start to finish was, quite simply put, stunning.  The metallic accessories perfectly accentuated the muted palette chosen and the overall theme was excellently executed down to every minute detail.  The blue prints, which at first glance appeared to be reptilian soon resembled the image of the bottom of a pool from a birdseye view with the sun reflecting off the water.  Even the PVC inserts looked well placed (no easy feat considering, well it was PVC).

See the gallery on our Facebook page.

NYFW: Marc Jacobs

Theme:  A post apocalyptic beach, complete with the Jaws theme song playing in the background.

Palette:  Dark and ominous.

Beauty:  Models donned short, straw like blonde bobs.

Key Look:

Review:  The mood inside echoed that of the streets of New York.  Marc Jacobs is nothing if not an artist, a visionary if you will and his latest catwalk offering was no exception.  Models stormed the runway in an array of garments, from matador jackets to Victorian style dresses.  Can you see your average fashionista wearing it?  No, but that's not the point of a Marc Jacobs show, the clothes were luxurious in their own (dark and dramatic way) and, reworked, we're sure we'll see certain starlets attempting to make them their own.  Side note - the one and only Cara Delevingne finally made a fashion week runway appearance.

See selected images from the show on our Facebook page.

NYFW: Calvin Klein

Theme:  Minimalism - this is Calvin Klein, did you really expect anything else?

Palette: Off white, black and slights of coral.

Beauty:  Natural beauty of course.  Hair fell simply as if it had been towel dried

Key Look:  Look 29 (left)  If we must stick to black and white then a black dress will have to do, this ones nice, as black dresses go.

Review:  A bit predictable.  With Francisco Costa celebrating his tenth year as the brands creative director we might of liked to see him shake things up a little, but then what is Calvin Klein if not a brand that you can rely on for consistency year in, year out.  This year the silhouette was kept hidden and garments were boxy and un defining yet still constructed.  Clear panels appeared on a number of garments and towards the end of the show we got treated to a bit of fringing.  The most exciting part?  We got a flash of coral, yes that's right, a whole flash!

See the key looks on our Facebook page.

NYFW: Ralph Lauren

Theme:  The evolution of a school girl with a perfect nod to the 60's.

Palette: Began with black and white, introduced monochrome checks before flowing effortlessly into jade green, yellow, scarlet and blue.

Acc:  Knee high socks, glasses, Mary Jane shoes and tie's a plenty.

Beauty:  Minimal make up, soft middle partings with straight hair.

Key Look:  Look 51 (left) featuring a gorgeous black asymmetric dress that has a place in every womens wardrobe.

Review:  Ralph Lauren manage to strike a perfect balance between the 1960's and 2014 with swinging hemlines aplenty.  The show opened with a mature schoolgirl theme in a monochrome palette before being punctuated by bright summer hues of green, yellow, scarlet and blue.  There was a perfect mix of masculine and feminine with a sharp all white suit hitting the catwalk one second and gorgeous bright dresses the next.  Shift dresses had panels on the sides and one amazing dress was even finished with a full length cape.  The best part of the show?  Then man himself  giving us a wave in an outfit that matched that of the show before him.

See the full collection on our Facebook page.

NYFW: Rebecca Minkoff

Theme:  A nod to Latino women featuring a mix of floral prints, laser cut lace and sportswear.

Palette: Accents of white as well as tropical hues of orange and yellow.

Beauty:  Fresh faced models, brown smoky eyes and braids pinned roughly to the top of the head.

Accessories:  Anything went - jewellery featured tribal necklaces and thick cuffs, shoes were laced to the shins and bags were a mix of duffle bags, snakeskin clutches and oversized totes.

Key Look:  The yellow laser cut pencil skirt was by far the best piece.

Review:  A bit heavy for my taste, the shows main theme seemed to be 'anything goes'.  The latino inspiration was evident in the 'lets go mexico' look emblazoned across the tee of look 3 as well as the tropical hues, floral embroidery and jewellery featured.  The black mesh skirt seemed to me to be the only wearable piece for mere mortals although the likes of Anna Dello Rosso would definitely disagree.

See the gallery on our Facebook page.

NYFW: Jason Wu

Theme: 'A dialogue between construction and ease' was the headline for the show, fitting for one that combined tightly tailored and slouchy pieces.

Palette: Muted hues of black white and nude were accented with shades of mint, navy and a bit of sparkle by way of Wu's clever use of embellishment.

Accessories: A mixture of flat and heeled sandals in black and white, sunglasses and snakeskin clutch bags.



Beauty:  Cinched ponytails with sharp middle partings, metallic eyeshadows to match dresses.

Key Look:  The tank dress worn by Karlie Kloss as part of the shows finale.

Review:  A show beautifully opened with a simple gold embellished dress Wu's collection was amazing from start to finish.  Looks varied effortlessly between utility coats, jumpsuits, oversized jumpers with short and even ended with a tank dress.  Wu at his best, whilst not every look will suit every being, there is something for everyone in this collection.

View our favourite looks from the show on our Facebook page.

NYFW: Nicholas K

Theme:  Native America

Palette:  Natural earthy colours of browns, khaki and beige

Accessories:  Head scarves, feathered head dresses and heavy cuffs.

Beauty:  Wet look hair and earthy complexions

Review:  Considering Swedish retailer H&M recently came under fire for their use of a native indian headdress amidst claims it was offensive to the demographic in question the show was a bold move for the brand.  Utility jackets and the colours were nothing we haven't seen before and there was nothing that particularly stood out about the show barring the unisex models.

NYFW: BCBG Max Azria

Theme:  When asked who was the BCBG woman backstage, Azria answered 'She's a woman of 2014 who's in love with the world -she's modern'.  The collection hinted at 70's styled tailoring with feminine cuts and relaxed shapes.

Palette:  Began neutral with bright whites, muted blues and dusty pinks only to be followed with busy prints in darker shades before finishing with monochrome looks.

Accessories:  Box bags both clutch and worn on shoulder, wedged sandals.

Beauty: Barely there make up, softly tousled waves.

Key Look:  The shows final look of a sheer sequinned gown.



Review:  Whilst the details indicated design duo Max and Lubov Azria looked to menswear as inspiration behind their most recent fashion week venture, the collection featured twists traditional tailoring, with sheer inserts, soft draping and small but brightly coloured prints.  Core summer staples were reworked and in a contrast to the bright but neutral hues featured at the start of the show the final looks featured heavy prints not dissimilar to paint splatter.

View our favourite looks from the show on our Facebook page.

Look of the Week: Jourdan Dunn

I'm not normally a fan of a plunging neckline, especially one as revealing as this Hugo Boss number, but considering it is model of the moment Jourdan Dunn wearing it, I'm making an exception.  Considering the mum of one was recently cut from Christian Dior's Haute Couture show for having a, shall we say, ample chest, this certainly appeared to be a statement making wardrobe choice.  Successfully mastering the plunging v and thigh high slit was never going to be an easy task, but the 23 year old model manages it, beautifully might we add.

Christian Grey revealed

Ian Somerhalder, Henry Caville and Ryan Gosling - just a few of the names associated with the movie adaptation of the worldwide phenomena that is 50 Shades of grey.  Personally I feel that Somerhalder (who has the nickname of 'Smoldypants' on the set of TVD) would have been perfect for the role, but alas, it seems the producers didn't agree.  Hollywood newcomer Charlie Hunnum has been announced as the lead in the upcoming trilogy, an appointment nobody expected because of his, well newness.

Ok well he isn't exactly new just kind of unnoticed, until this summers box office smash hit Pacific Rim was released that is.  British born Charlie has been acting on American screens for a while now, in FX's drama series 'Sons of Anarchy' - a show about an outlaw motorcycle club.  Now I'd never seen the show, but I'd seen the adverts on channel 5 on random Sunday evenings but not once had I recognised the actor, until a friend pointed out that the actor was in fact the lead in 2005's Green Street.  Who knew?

Enough about the man we are going to be seeing a WHOLE lot of next summer, but what of the actress who is to play the 'beguiling' Ana?? Dakota Johnson has been awarded the role - another relative unknown.  According to Google she has a pretty decent list of credits to her name, the only one of which I recognise her from is The Social Network whereby she played 'Amelia Ritter' a small and inconsequential character memorable only for the fact that she got to sleep with Justin Timberlake's Sean Parker.

So, now we have the names, what do we think of them?  Well, needless to say there is a petition going round to have them both sacked.  Hardly surprising, we experienced the same thing with Ben Affleck last month after his Batman appointment was announced (I'll be honest, I was hoping Bale had bowed out as he has received the Christian grey role - admit it, he'd be perfect!).  EL James herself stated that R Pattz would have been her first choice despite the fact that it would be 'weird' to see him play the role - lest we forget 50 Shades began life as fan fiction - but what we need to remember with roles such as these is that whoever receives these roles will be typecast as that character for the rest of their lives, could you realistically see Henry Caville in the role without thinking 'Superman' in the back of your head?  I know the whole time I watched 'Women in Black' I was laughing wondering why Harry Potter didn't simply whip out his wand.  With this point in mind, and the fact that we have little to go by to judge these actors, we'll just have to wait and see.

Giselle for H&M latest

Not only is she ranked models.com's number 1 'money maker' as well as their number 2 'sexiest model' but her name is synonymous with the label 'supermodel.'.  It's not surprising then that Swedish retailer H&M have again decided to use Giselle Bundchen again as the face of their most recent autumn collection.

When news broke earlier this year, it was hardly surprising, I mean, she made her name as one of the most famous supermodels of all time and has a rather impressive catalogue of acting appearances under her belt to boot.  Singing, on the other hand, is a surprise  talent we never knew she had.

The worlds richest model appears in the latest advert singing a cover of The Kinks 'All day and all of the night', a track which is available on iTunes and for which all profits will be donated to charity.