2012's Fashion Round Up

From Ange's rightleg to Slimane's debut at YSL (or SLP, who actually knows), we review the best and worst of the fashion industry over the past 12 months.

Red Carpet Moment - Angelina's Right Leg.

On the red carpet for this year's Oscars, Angelina Jolie decided to flaunt her perfectly toned right leg in this Atelier Versace gown, spawning a number of online virals and even it's own Twitter account @AngelinasRightLeg.


Moment - Fashions Olympic Takeover



I'm going to admit it, I didn't watch a single event barring the opening and closing ceremonies, but judging by this, I caught the best part. David Gandy led the way for some of Britains top models during the Closing Ceremony in London this year.


Store - Victoria's Secret



Famed for their multi million dollar fashion shows and models more than the actual garments sold, the US brand launched a flagship in London's Bond Street this year. Like we needed a reason to go underwear shopping!!

Advert - Brad Pitt for Chanel No. 5

 The American Actor became the first male to front a campaign for the luxurious perfume this year. Whilst many viewers were confused as to what exactly it was that Brad is actually talking about, no one can deny that the advert gained a lot of media coverage.

Style Crush - Kristen Stewart.

With promotional tours for Snow White, Breaking Dawn and On The Road and a partnership with BALENCIAGA, K Stew discovered that fashion might actually be something worth smiling about.

Reunion - The Spice Girls

 Not only making an appearance at the Olympics Closing Ceremony, they helped launch a musical loosely based on themselves. I, for one, will never be too old to admit how much I love these girls!


Family - The Beckhams

 With Victoria being the most tweeted about designer this year and David launching his own underwear line with high street retailer H&M, Romeo joined his parents as part of the fashion elite by fronting a campaign for iconic British brand Burberry.


Takeover - Hedi Slimane for Yves Saint Laurent

Stefano Pilati's seat had barely even cooled before Hedi Slimane had taken over at the French fashion house and completely rebranded it, changing the iconic 'YSL' trademark and changing it to 'SLP'/Saint Laurent Paris. Despite his complete overhaul and impressive background, Slimane has failed to impress critics meaning both his collections and advertising campaigns have been less successful than his predecessors.


Shock Exit - Nicolas Ghesquire at BALENCIAGA

Despite being the man who finally made Kristen Stewart smile, Ghesquire made a shock exit at Balenciaga at the end of October. No official reason was given to his exit, but many attributed his quitting to the lack of creative freedom he was given compared to Slimane when taking over YSL. As to where he will end up, that’s another mystery, with some sources making suggestions from him taking over from Lagerfeld at Chanel, relaunching Schiaparelli or even just being courted by LVMH CEO Bernard Arnault (Rivals of Balenciaga owners PPR).



Book - Grace Coddington

 The Welsh born former model was reportedly approached by a publisher during the filming of R.J. Cutlers ‘The September Issue’ in 2009, and has spent the last 2 ½ years writing this insightful book, with help of friend Michael Roberts, of Vanity Fair.

Fashion Faux Pas: Kristen Stewart

Considering she once compared having her photograph taken to being raped, Twilight actress Kristen Stewart is showing an awful lot of skin on her current promotional tour for new movie On The Road.

Whilst anyone who reads this blog knows how I have a love/hate obsession with KStew, this latest look makes me a little nauseous. As we've seen since the beginning of the final Twilight's promo tour, Kristen has upped her game lately when it comes to her sense of style but this number by Erdem just seems to undo all the effort she has gone to!

Whilst the 22 year old actress has a body many would kill for, the sheer dress and silk underwear combo just did not do her any favours. That style underwear is more for the Dita Von Teese types and it just makes Kristen looks flat. The real shame however, is that her outfit, minus the torso section, is perfect. Her Louboutin courts accentuate her legs to perfection, and her glossy pony and smoky eyes balance out the fluro shade of the shoes perfectly.

Payday Purchase

Apologies for the lack of posts, but fear not, all coursework has finally been submitted and there is time to blog again!! What better way to celebrate than with a pair of new boots?

I realise that I'm a fashion student and I am one of those geeks that gets excited in my retail job when a customer asks for wardrobe advice because it gives me a chance to link everything back to catwalk trends and designer influences and some on. Somedays however I just look at myself in the mirror and wonder how the hell they let me on my course with the way I dress!

My footwear seems to be a major factor of this, I seem to own one pair of boots, some uggs and then copious amount of ballet pumps/slippers. Time for a serious footwear overhall then.

What better way to begin this upheaval than with these GORGEOUS 'Adonis2' Cutout boots from Topshop. Teamed with wooly socks, a grey cotton dress and a leather jacket (this one from H&M looks fab), it's a surefire way to ensure you get noticed!

A Diva in Adiva

 

Ever heard of the saying 'The customer is always right?'. Well it seems that Adi of Adi Va on Ashley Road in Hale has not, even when, ironically, the customer is right!

Let me paint the scene for you. Picture it, last Thursday, an elderly couple taking their daily stroll through Hale village when the lady points out a fur gilet to her husband before going home. The husband, wanting to surprise his wife, returns to the shop later on to purchase the gilet. He is told upon purchase that the clothes in store are all one size only. Now this is meant to be an upscale boutique in a relatively wealthy area, we all know that 'one size only' garments are meant to fit sizes 8-12 only. The husband therefore thinks nothing of it, especially since the sales assistant had seen his wife earlier, and goes on to purchase the gilet much to the appreciation of his wife. That's what we all want in later life right; simple things like this to bring pleasure to us like it did to this couple.

Imagine their surprise then, when the wife tries on the gilet to find it is infact a size 'XL' and the size had simply been inked over on the Kimble. Now the store, Adi Va, are very clear on their returns policy, it states clearly on the receipt as well as a notice on the till, that refunds are not given and that exchanges can only be made within 7 days. This is fair enough you might think, but taking into account that the product was in fact miss sold, the elderly couples daughter in law decided to appeal to the sales assistant instead of going through trading standards as the couple initially had decided.

Now, everyone knows that with a boutique such as Adi Va, as with any luxury or high end store, you are not just paying the higher price tag for the better quality of the garment, but you are paying it for everything associated with an upscale store/boutique. This includes the wrapping of the garment, the ease of access to a store and, by far most importantly, the excellent standard of customer service you should receive. Sadly however, Adi appears to be missing the customer service skills sorely needed for the running of a contemporary boutique.

Back to the story, the daughter in law tried to appeal to Adi's better nature regarding the miss sell of the product; you simply can't say that a product is one size when it clearly has a size label on it. Adi's argument was that 'this is how they do it in Europe' and 'all of the clothes have this size sewn on the label'. Firstly, as someone who works for a large European fashion brand as well as studies fashion, I knew that this was a lie, but then Adi proceeded to try and demonstrate her point by showing different garments which supposedly all had the same size label. You can of course imagine the daughter in law's amusement when some of the garments in fact had a 'M/L' size label.

Adi however, belligerently tried to defend her actions, stating that they were still all one size but that 'if for your own psychological mind you need to see an M/L, I will call the supplier'. As you can imagine, the customer had stayed calm up to this point and was perfectly happy to exchange the gilet for a smaller size, but after this rudeness, she decided she would let trading standards handle the issue. This appeared to make Adi come to her senses; she took the customers details and said she would contact her once she had spoken to her supplier. The customer agreed, but said that Adi should not order in the gilet until she had spoken to her mother in law about the situation.

An hour later, the customer received a voicemail from Adi stating that after a conversation with the supplier she could confirm that the garments did in fact come in different sizes (admitting liability), apologising and saying that she had ordered a smaller size for the elderly lady to swap but it could take 3-4 days for delivery. Now, bearing in mind the returns policy, both the lady and her daughter in law felt it best to obtain a refund before the initial 7 days had lapsed, leaving the lady free to purchase the smaller size should it fit.

The daughter in law called Adi to explain this, now in a situation as precarious and the fact that Hale is a very small village leaving a store like Adi Va to rely heavily on word of mouth as the best form of promotion, one would think that Adi would simply agree (considering she knew herself to be wrong) to the refund for the sake of keeping her customers happy. Sadly this was not the case.

Adi decided to agree to tell the daughter in law she could have the refund but 'as a local business women, I've not had to pay for the cost of delivery for the new gilet and that makes you wrong'. Hold on, wasn't she told not to order the new size until contacted? The conversation went this way, with Adi telling the customer she was wrong and out of order until the customer ended the call.

The story ends with a full refund being secured, a distraught elderly couple, an angry daughter in law and an out of pocket boutique owner. However had Adi of handled the situation professionally she would of ended up with the lady buying back the smaller gilet and the reputation of her store remaining intact. Now however, Adi had single handedly tainted the reputation of her store.

I wrote a post a while ago regarding mass consumerism and my distaste for large chains putting independent stores out of business, but this has illustrated that perhaps it isn't just down to chains. If owners like Adi handled their customers better, perhaps we wouldn't all be going to conglomerates; it says a lot though, that this kind of event just wouldn't happen in Selfridges.

BFA Awards: Stella McCartney Leads Fash Pack

It's one of the most prestigious nights in fashion, and it's been another great one for our fash pack yet again with Stella McCartney alone scooping awards for both best designer brand and designer of the year.

Alexa Chung came away for the third year running with the award for best British Style, the only award voted for by the public, beating the likes of VB and Kate Moss.

I'll be the first to admit that I'm not a major Chung fan, yet even I can appreciate the contribution she's made to our fashion, 5 years ago no one in the industry would be seen out without those killer heels, yet nowadays, even queen of heels Victoria Beckham has been seen out in 'monk shoes'.

The award for best model unsurprisingly went to 'her of amazing eyebrows' - Cara Delevingne (so amazing in fact that they now have their own Twitter page @caras_brows )whilst my personal favourite designer, Erdem won the New Establishment award.

Despite the flop that was his Topshop collaboration, JW Anderson still managed to scoop the RTW Emerging Talent award where as Sophie Hulme and Jonathan Saunders won the ET awards for Accessories and Menswear respectively.

Moving On....

So as much fun as we've had blogging this past year it's time to move onto pastures new. We've finally managed to get our site up and running and will now be using this blog for sharing personal photo's and thoughts but for all current and relevant posts such as those you've been used to reading, please see the below links:

You can view the new site here: www.myfashionbox.co.uk/
Or keep up to date with our latest posts by following our new Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/MyFashionBox

We hope to see you there! xo

Rosie's New Venture

She was the first British Victoria's Secret Angel and has since fronted major lingerie campaigns at brands from Monsoon to Agent Provocateur so it was only a matter of time before the Burberry Body turned her hand to underwear design.

The 25 year old is teaming up again with Marks and Spencer to create the 1920's inspired range, set to be launched in September, that will feature 33 pieces including lingerie sets, french knickers and camisoles embellished with rose prints and deco trims.  Aptly named Rosie for Autograph, the launch was seemingly a mere extension of the range which the Devon born model has fronted for the last year with Canadian actor Ryan Reynolds.

Of the range Rosie said ' M&S is an iconic British brand, adored by many so I'm very excited to be launching my debut lingerie line with them' So are we Rosie, so are we!

Payday Purchase

I’m going to be spending a couple of hours travelling both this weekend and next due, so I’ve been looking for something comfortable to wear on the train, without looking like a slob.  Having outgrown my Converse I’ve been stuck between a rock and a hard place whilst trying to decide whether I want to go for a pair of Superga and Vans.  Until I saw these.

Exclusive to My-Wardrobe, these turquoise lace up plimsoles are perfect for the 5 hour train journey and I won’t have to worry about arriving at my destination bedraggled and looking like I just rolled out of bed.  Perfect!

Wear the Trend: Star Prints

 





Who could forget Anne Hathaways gorgeous cover for UK Marie Claire from September 2011?  Not me for one.  The Dolce and Gabbana dress she wore frequently features in my dreams, a print which has been replicated in many retailers over the last few months.  I myself now have over a dozen pieces with the highly desired print but weeding out the quality pieces from the cheap looking print hasn't been easy.

Here are some of the best pieces:

The Everard Skirt, Aubin and Wills: Maxi length, star print and pockets! Who said Fashion and convenience doesn't go together! At £125 and 100% silk it's this season's must have skirt!

Complete the look with the brands matching vest: The Willington.

Mini Stars Printed Calf Skirt, Topshop: Admittedly not as nice as the Aubin and Wills piece, but this Topshop number is still worth it's £38.00 price tag.  It's calf length will make it great for that 'Granny Chic' look the likes of Fearne Cotton seem to be going for and would look perfect with a knitted sweater and flat pumps.

Chiffon Star Dress, Tesco Online: Possible one of my favourite dresses at the moment and only £25! Pity it's sold out *Sighs*

Star Print Midi Dress, Oasis: Similar to the Tesco dress with a navy slip and chiffon overlay with sheer sleeves, this High Street favourite is about as close to Dolce & Gabbana you can get.  Offering a more vintage look, it's no surprise that it's another sellout.

You can however find it on eBay here: Oasis Star Print Midi Dress

Beauty Buy: Nail Transfers

With the current financial state of the UK, many a recent news story have reported how sales of nail products and services are on the rise, due to the fact that it is a relatively cheap beauty service, something easy to maintain and do at home as well as something that gives you an instant lift.

I'll admit I'm not a massive one for beauty treatments, but when it comes to nails, I go all out, I literally have a little book that I use to fill with pictures of nail trends that I like.  Which brings us to Zooey Deschanel and those gorgeous Tuxedo nails as seen at this years Oscar's.

I literally looked everywhere for those transfer until I finally found them on eBay. We all know how risky sites such as eBay can be for not providing the exact product you expect, however I have to say these transfers are probably my best purchase so far this year.  I've had compliments from everyone who has seen them and after posting a picture of Facebook I've had plenty of people asking where to get them, so I thought I'd share my recent purchase with you all!  Get your nail transfers here: http://stores.ebay.co.uk/frazerd123 you won't be disappointed!

Fashion Faux Pas: Samantha Faiers

Us mere mortals may be forgiven for turning to the high street to get our catwalk copies, after all not all of us can afford the hefty price tags that come with such garments. If you're in the spotlight however, you should know better.

Step forward Samantha Frairs who this week deemed it acceptable to step out in such a blatant copy of one of Victoria Beckhams diffusion line dresses.  The cat print dress from online store Celeb Boutique comes in at £109.99 as opposed to VB's £950 original version, only slightly differs from that which inspired it's creation.

We all know what happened when Abercombie & Fitch decided the cast of Jersey Shore were lowering the tone of their brand and, considering how hard VB has worked to become such a highly regarded designer in the fashion industry, I can't imagine she would be best pleased with this creation or it's wearer.

Look of the Week: Chuck Bass

So we all know that a full grown male wearing a Onesie is completely unacceptable fashion decorum as Joey Essex has clearly demonstrated right?   Well apparently not as Ed Westwick showed in this weeks Gossip Girl after he donned this rather tight red Adidas number.

Whilst your average male wearing a Onesie as a general day to day clothing might me cause for public ridicule, Ed's alter ego Chuck Bass carried it off perfectly.  Although this is the character who has previously been seen in an orange mac and a purple cardigan/lemon trouser ensemble.

How does he pull it off? Because he's Chuck Bass of course...

Payday Purchase

Another printed dress this week, this time from Miss Selfridge.  Another store I am not usually a fan of considering that most of their pieces can be found at Topshop but of a better quality.  Having said that, the new range 'Designed By' features some of the most gorgeous digital prints much like Australian swimwear brand We Are Handsome, only on dresses!

This dress, complete with it's leather bodice with paneling is the perfect piece to make that spring'summer transition and stay a step ahead of the trend.

Spring Clear Out

So it's that time of year where I'm making space in my wardrobe's for this season's latest pieces.  I'm in the process of moving house so I've decided it's finally time to get rid of those pieces that I'll never again wear but insist on keeping.

Whilst between my best friend and I, we have 6 big bin liners of clothes to take to Charity Stores or to sell at a car boot (it's all about being frugal right?), there are some pieces that are too damn nice to get rid of by one of these means.

To help with my problem, I've recently discovered eBay (I know, I'm like 10 years behind).  I've only been using it for two or three weeks but have already ensured that some of my favourite pieces have gone to good homes.

Whilst I've listed plenty of High Street pieces, I've also put up a number of designer labelled pieces, from these gorgeous Marc by Marc Jacobs pumps (which after 4 years I have finally admitted defeat and accepted that they do not fit, to D&G pumps, Ralph Lauren Sweaters, Mulberry Bags and even one gorgeous BCBG by Max Azria dress.

I know everyone is a bit skeptical when it comes to buying designer pieces on eBay but rest assured they are not fakes, just pieces that no longer fit or have never even be worn.  Take a look now : Charlotte's Ebay

Payday Purchase

Anyone who knows me will know that I am partial to a digital print.  A digital print dress? My idea of heavan.

Despite having a best friend who works for Ted Baker, I've never been a huge fan of the brand, but whilst shopping in John Lewis this week my attention was immediately drawn to this XRIL Printed Dress by Ted Baker.

At £199 it's not exactly credit card friendly, but I'm a great believer that you get what you pay for and even though Ted Baker may not provide the most on trend pieces, the quality of garments certainly makes any piece you purchase from the brand worth the money.

Look of the Week: Victoria Beckham

Victoria Beckham looked as effortless as always earlier this week whilst attending the ASCAP Latin Music Awards with husband David.

The pop star turned designer wore a dress of her own design with a familiar belt and a chic pony tail whilst footballers David donned a matching black suit to the event they attended in order to support close friend Marc Anthony.

Crushing On: KStew

She was never my favourite Hollywood star (it's called jealousy) and I know I'm not the only person to have taken a dislike to her, but despite plenty of industry insiders stating their distaste for Kristen Stewart, ever since she finally learned how to smile, she has been a regular fixture on fashion magazine covers and blogs. Fresh from having the world's first teaser trailer of Breaking Dawn pt 2 released earlier this week at Target stores in the US (in which we saw Bella join the Cullens as an immortal, complete with flawless skin, perfect hair and rose tinted lips).

K Stew has also been revealed as the July cover girl for Elle magazine, complete with previews of the 'Adventureland' stars shoot wardrobe. When she first burst onto our seen KStew was well known for her awkwardness, lack of smile and total nonchalance on the red carpet (she once turned up on the red carpet in just a hoodie, skinny jeans and sneakers).

Since then, the 21 year old star has evolved some what, the first look that changed her from 'moody teenager' to 'bad ass rock chick' was undoubtedly last years MTV Movie Awards when she some how managed to snare a dress from major brand Balmain which she chose to wear with black, pointed courts.

Since then, Kristen's been seen at the front row of more than one Fashion Week Show, consistently dazzled fans with an array of feminine dresses, become the face of a major fashion campaign and yes, even cracked a few smiles.

Despite her off duty uniform remaining the same (scruffy clothes, unbrushed hair) and Celebrity Stylists aparantley describing her as a 'Fashion Pariah' with one source even going as far as telling U.S Magazine 'She has grubby nails, ratty sneakers and a bad attitude.  Very few people want to work with her because she doesn't want to look good', it seems that high fashion designers still can't wait to send her their clothes.  Whilst she still has a tendency to change from heels to sneakers half way through premieres, it's nice to see her making an effort to be more in touch with the industry that she has worked in for so long.

She may have the boyfriend we all want, star in our favourite movies and have a wardrobe we'd kill for, but it seems all that just isn't enough to keep us from falling in love with her.  Our favourite look?  The 2009 MTV Movie awards.  The dress? Wrong. Belt? Wrong. Sneakers on a Red Carpet? Wrong.  On Kristen? So right.

Picture of the Day: Emma Watson's New 'Do

Since hitting our screens as bushy haired, 10 year old Hermione Granger in the first Harry Potter movie, Emma Watson has done her best to separate herself from the character that made her famous.  The most documented of these changes?  Her hair of course.

Since cutting it all off early last year, the former Brown University student has done her best to stay out of the limelight and retain some normality in her life.  However as today's picture shows, that's easier said than done.

We weren't keen when Emma first cut her hair off.  Yes it showed off her stunning features better than ever, but it wasn't the same Emma that we feel in love with during her days as Burberry's poster girl.

Lucky for us then, that she appears to be growing it out!

Payday Purchase

I've never been a massive fan of Spanish retail Zara.  I quite often found that everything they offer can be found in various other high street store for a better deal or made with a better fabric etc.

However, I went shopping with my sister this weekend, helping her pick a dress for an upcoming event (yes the same sister that turned me into a TOWIE watching Zombie!) when I saw this dress.  It really was love at first site.

The dress immediately reminds me of certain garments we have seen from Christopher Kane, and with the digital print it was exactly what I had been looking for for this season.

At only £29.99 I truly do not believe I have, or ever will find such a bargain.  Unfortunately, the dress has already sold out online, but get down to your local store and you may just be lucky enough to grab a return!

Look of the Week: AnnaLynne McCord

90210's AnnaLynne McCord is without a doubt our 'Look of the Week' this week with her 1940's inspired outfit as worn at the 'Stop Staring Fashion Show'.  We all know that crop tops are big for this season, but AnnaLynne rocked it better than any other with this black capped sleeved number, partnered with a gorgeous high waisted circled skirt and cute Beret.

Where can you get the dress? Well it turns out the Hollywood starlet designed it herself, in collaboration with Stop staring of course.  Her inspiration?  None other than former Hollywood Star turned Princess of Monaco Grace Kelly.

We definitely approve!

Picture of the Day: The Worlds Best Shoes

Anyone who knows me knows how much I adore Paris and, just like any girl, I love shoes.  Combine the two and what do you have...Christian Louboutin's Eiffel Tower shoes.

I still haven't quite figured out how to work Pinterest and all the new social media platforms that have sprung up in recent month's, but I love the fact that someone has taken it upon themselves to create this 'master piece'.  If only we could have such shoes....

Picture of the Day: MJ's Exceptional DRESS Sense

He may be one of the most well known men in fashion, but that doesn't mean he's the best dresser.

The Louis Vuitton - Marc Jacobs Exhibition opened earlier this week in Paris and whilst celebs such as SJP and KStew wore beautiful dresses, the same can't be said of the designer whom the exhibition was in honor of (seen here having accessorized his pink rugby dress with black buckled shoes)

Payday Purchase

Whilst the last two weeks have bought us the first hint of sunshine in more than a few months, temperatures have still left us unable to completely break out our daisy dukes and racer vests.

I know I'm not the only one that has been left confused as to whether I should reach for my peacock coat or Topshop waterfall blazer.  Today i decided to go with the peacoat and then found myself feeling as hot as a Mexican whilst walking to Marks on my lunch break.  It wasn't long until my common sense hit me and I realized that what I really needed was to order a new trench coat - the perfect compromise for when the weather can't quite make it's mind up.

We all know that Burberry is the go to brand for a modern trench (anyone who doesn't know that clearly hasn't seen Rosie in the Burberry Body ad!) but let's be realistic, not all of us can afford the almost £700 price tag.

Fret no more, I have found the perfect substitute - this Paul & Joe Sister 'New Look' trench.  Whilst I realize it's not the traditional beige that Burberry offer, but if you can't get the real deal, this black trench is a pretty good alternative option.

Coming in at only £329 it won't break the bank and is the perfect piece to make the winter to spring transition in style.  Get it now at my-wardrobe.com

Oscar's 2012: Red Carpet Glamour

After a hard weekend of partying I decided to spend the day in bed with my best friend whilst watching some of the funniest DVD's I owned, the best? Zoolander of course.  I've not seen the film for a while and it made me laugh looking at some of fashions greatest on the screen 11 years ago as cameos in the movie, from Victoria Beckham to Tom Ford, Karl Lagerfeld to Tommy Hilfiger.  You could without a doubt see the evolution the stars had gone through over the past decade, although none was more apparent than that of Natalie Portman.

With her crimped her, chubby cheeks and red face, the Black Swan star was a world away from her current style icon status and last night she proved exactly why she held that name as she showed off her post pregnancy figure in a stunning red polka dot, vintage Dior dress, making her my best dressed of the night.

Another star of the movie was Ukranian born actress Milla Jovovich who looked a vision in an one shoulder Elie Saab couture dress accessorized with a box clutch and some slick red lips.  Rooney Mara also looked flawless in her backless Ginvenchy dress, red lipstick and full fringe whilst Angelina Jolie ditched the white that she wore so badly back at the Golden Globes and went back to her signature black wearing a beautiful velvet gown by Atelier Versace.