10 Wednesday Sep 2014
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Q. Most overused word in fashion? A. Journey!
Q. Polka dots or stripes? A. Both
Q. The most fashionable literary figure? A. Scarlett O’Hara
Check out this Vogue Video to find more of US Vogue editor Anna Wintour‘s answers to 73 questions
01 Wednesday Jan 2014
Posted in Costume design, Fashion, Fashion designers, History of Fashion, Vienna
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Anglomania, Argyle check, Cafe Society, Christy Turlington, corset, Liechtenstein Palace, Mario Testino, mini kilt, Vienna State Ballet, Vivienne Westwood
What a wonderful start to 2014- the Vienna State Ballet- dressed by Dame Vivienne Westwood– performing at Liechtenstein Palace as part of the Vienna Philharmonic’s New Year’s Day concert.
The costumes incorporate key features of Vivienne Westwood’s design vocabulary: corsetry, draping, the Argyle check & mini kilts
Choreography by Ashley Page– if you’re quick you can catch it on BBC iplayer
15 Thursday Aug 2013
Posted in Colour, Fashion, Fashion designers, New York
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The iconic Coach brand was founded in New York in 1941 as a men’s leather goods company. Over the years its product range has expanded into women’s accessories and apparel keeping craftsmanship and detail at the core of the brand. For Summer 2013 Mattel have treated us fashionistas to a Coach Barbie styled from top to toe in the SS 2013 collection.
Her oversize check Tattersall Trench is combined with a striped tee and red ultrasuede skirt that features the now classic turnlocks, first applied to Coach bags by Bonnie Cashin – Coach’s 1960’s Creative Director – inspired by the closure of the hood of her convertible…
Barbie’s classic Coach ensemble is inspired by the SS 2012 collection and if your wardrobe is suddenly feeling a little wanting, find the cropped Tattersall trench here:
But it’s her delicious vermillion duffle– Barbie’s first leather bag lovingly made in a genuine Coach factory- that you’ll want to run out & grab in full size!
09 Friday Aug 2013
Posted in Art, Books, Colour, Exhibitions, Fashion, Hair & Make-up, History of Fashion, London, Magazines, Paris, Photography
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1950's make-up, Chanel, Dior, Erwin Blumenfeld, fashion photography, Grace Kelly, Jean Patchett, Lisa Fonssagrives, London, Marion Cotillard, Miles Aldridge, peter lindbergh, photography exhibitions, Somerset House
London‘s Somerset House has a fine fashion pedigree as the home of the British Fashion Council and London Fashion Week, and to the delight of us stay-cationing London fashionistas is currently hosting two fashion photography exhibitions. The retrospective Miles Aldridge: I Only Want You to Love Me runs till September 29th 2013 and coincides with the publication of a book of his cinematic work.
Having immersed yourself in the colour-bath of Aldridge’s work you must pop nextdoor see the Erwin Blumenfeld exhibition. Blumenfeld is a master of colour creating some of the most iconic fashion photographs and portraits of the 20th century which you can enjoy along with originals, magazine covers and a short biographical film.
Who didn’t gasp on first seeing Lisa Fonssagrives elegantly hanging from the Eiffel Tower, for Vogue 1939.
Grace Kelly‘s classic beauty captured in a 1955 shoot for Cosmopolitan.
Blumenfeld’s Vogue cover shot of Jean Patchett sets the standard for the perfect 1950’s maquillage– arched brow, doe eye, beauty spot & red lips- still stunning 60 years on.
Blumenfeld’s images continue to inspire- see the Lady Dior Spring/Summer 2009 handbag campaign shot by Peter Lindbergh & featuring the striking Marion Cotillard
Sølve Sundsbø brings Blumenfeld’s iconic image to life in this Chanel promotional film for Rouge Allure– what else?
And if this all leaves you wanting just a little more- indulge in The Telegraph’s gallery of iconic Blumenfeld shots.
20 Saturday Jul 2013
Posted in Colour, Fashion, Fashion designers, Hair & Make-up, Paris
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Sometimes it’s the small details that are so pleasing. Form and function coexist beautifully in the design of Chanel’s Rouge Allure lipstick and N°5 Eau de Parfum purse spray. The black lacquer body of both these products is sophistication itself, yet with a click or twist the gold inner casings appear & you’re ready to pucker up & to spritz!!
International make-up artist Lisa Eldridge shares her Rouge Allure beauty tips in this Chanel video:
18 Thursday Jul 2013
Posted in Architecture, Fashion, Fashion designers, London, Shopping
We’ve talked about Burberry before & a couple of weeks ago I was lucky enough to get a peep behind the scenes of the famous flagship store at 121 Regent Street.
Housed in a historical gem remodelled in ‘Burberry Marble’ the renovated store opened in September 2012 with CCO Christopher Bailey‘s aim of bringing the online brand experience to life in a physical store evident throughout. From the 7m digital screen that shows the live feed from every runway show- to the digital mirrors that read the RFID codes embedded in handbags and give you an onscreen product tour.
As in any flagship store customer service is paramount- 121 Regent Street has 24 hour collection, product turnaround times of between 2 & 4 minutes, and transactions through ipads. There’s even an ipad corner in the children’s department to keep the little ones happy.
The store houses all the brand’s collections including a mini-me children’s section and the Regent Street collection of limited edition pieces available exclusively in-store.
As well as Burberry Bespoke, there is an in-house tailor and product customisation is also available. Customers are encouraged to post their Burberry trenchcoat selfies in the online gallery- Art of the Trench.
Happy that his digital/physical hybrid offers the best of the on and offline Burberry experience, see Christopher Bailey introduce the store here:
17 Wednesday Jul 2013
Posted in Architecture, Fashion, Fashion designers, Paris, Photography, Shopping
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Art Deco, Fashion, Hermès, Iselin Steiro, Nathaniel Goldberg, Paris, RDAI
Iselin Steiro enjoys ‘A Sporting Life’ in the Hermès Spring Summer 2013 campaign shot by Nathaniel Goldberg.
Fittingly the Hermès store at 17 Rue de Sèvres, Paris transforms the glamorous former Lutetia swimming pool into an enchanting retail environment. RDAI architects design all Hermès’ stores worldwide and have excelled themselves by allowing the Deco style to shine through whilst creating a truly contemporary space to showcase this luxury brand.
08 Monday Jul 2013
The Access Fashion Business course is a one year introductory course at the London College of Fashion that provides an overview of the fashion business for students hoping to progress to Higher Education courses or jobs in the fashion industry. It’s important for Fashion Business students to understand the fashion product and they get to explore the fashion product development process- from concept to design. The UK pet clothing market is valued at abpproximately £30m according to this BBC report. I’m a big fan of pet styling & I love this cat fashion concept!
Enjoy Squeeze’s Cool for Cats as the perfect soundtrack for these feline fashions
18 Tuesday Jun 2013
Posted in Books, Embroidery, Exhibitions, Fashion, Fashion designers, History of Fashion, Paris
Coco Chanel‘s hands at work and Schiaperelli‘s surrealist gloves both feature in this summer’s fashion must-see exhibition Haute Couture at the Paris Hotel de Ville.
Fashionistas need no excuse for a trip to Paris– but if you’re looking for one the current Haute Couture exhibition at the Hotel de Ville (on till early July) is definitely worth a visit. Curated by the Musée Galliera‘s Olivier Saillard and Anne Zazzo, ‘Paris Haute Couture’ opens with a selection of black and white photographs of some of the best known hands in fashion- literally – and continues with sketches and toiles and then opens into a hall containing key pieces from the history of couture cleverly displayed in glass cases which allow for 360 degree viewing.
A beautiful catalogue has been produced to accompany the exhibition
Curator Olivier Saillard introduces the exhibition here:
Haute Couture runs from 2nd March to 6th July. Open Monday-Saturday 10-19:00. Free admission.
Hôtel de Ville, Salle Saint-Jean 5 rue de Lobau, 4e, Paris
06 Monday May 2013
Posted in Books, Colour, Costume design, Education, Exhibitions, Fashion, Fashion designers, Hair & Make-up, History of Fashion, London, Magazines, Music, New York, Tokyo
The much anticipated David Bowie exhibition at London’s V&A museum is being enjoyed by record-breaking numbers of visitors. We swelled those numbers by taking the London College of Fashion‘s Access Fashion Business students, many of whom were newbies to the wonders of the Bowie!
The exhibition claims not to be a retrospective but uses David Bowie’s own vast archive- including hand written lyrics to many of his iconic songs, stage costumes and ‘sound and vision’- to explore the influences on, and influence of Bowie.
Accompanying the exhibition are a range of talks and activities. Curators Jeffrey Marsh and Victoria Broackes treated a captivated audience to a glimpse behind the scenes of staging the exhibition- their visit to the David Bowie archive in New York, how they selected artefacts to exhibit and explained the innovative audio-visual experience visitors enjoy as they tour the exhibition. They also shared their surprise and delight at the amazing coincidence of their opening coinciding with Bowie’s latest (highly secretive) album release- The Next Day.
The fabulous Theatre of Fashion‘s Amber Jane Butchart in conversation with Helene Thian as part of the V&A Bowie weekender explored Bowie’s interest in kabuki theatre and his creative collaboration with Japanese designer Kansai Yamamoto which spawned many iconic costumes.
The V&A shop features some fun products- I love the Bowie paper doll book.
All the world’s got Bowie-fever including Vogue Japan– the April 2013 edition features ‘Fashion Warrior’– a Bowie fashion spread.
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