American Retro is a Parisian brand offering a unique insight into French style; I'm loving the juxtaposed brand name! Their style - daily Parisian chic...with that little extra "je ne sais quoi!" Parisian's have an inimiatble and envied style, so it is a true gift to find it incapsulated in American Retro's collection. Be in awe of their website and pay a visit to one of their boutiques the next time you visit Paris.
Erdem is a name I've seen floating around several magazines recently. I'd never heard of this fashion brand before, therefore further investigation was required. Their website is a revelation. It showcases an eclectic mix of shape and style and makes me yearn for summer as the U.K.'s dark nights draw in. The hints of colour, bold prints and mix of fabrics offer everything that appeals to me in a collection. I have been unable to find an online stockist yet but on their website is a list of their above ground stores. Keep your eye on Erdem, I feel a bright future beckons...or maybe just a hint of colour.
FrostFrench has always been a brand with top celebrity credentials. Sadie Frost, ex-wife of Jude Law, is the brand's co-founder and Kate Moss famously got down to her FF knickers for one of their fashion shows. FrostFrench is so much more than a celebrity favourite. Their looks are relatively affordable, while still maintaining a strong sense of originality, effortlessly fusing the contemporary with the traditional. So, in my world, Sadie Frost and Jemima French are more than "the celebrity's friend", they are a true up-and-coming design duo.
There are posts to come from my Barcelonian experience but here is something that has caught my eye since my return. Space NK are producing their own beauty range, which would add more than a hint of coolness to any bathroom or dressing table. I adore the design value that these products offer. This is my problem; sometimes the "value for money" ethic behind beauty products is lost on me. "Is it pretty to look at?", tends to be my first question, "Does it work?", tends to be my second...so wrong! Well apparently these products work and look beautiful; everything I require!
Barcelona was beautiful. I saw the sity by bici and foot and now my bones feel as if they are made of dust! (Click on any of the images above to enlarge) Let the posting recommence...
...so no posts for a few days while I pound the streets of one of my favourite cities. I shall take a plethora of photos and look out for any random fashion cool, which I know there will be in abundance!
I know that we are now well into the winter season but these ads by Missoni still slightly take my breath away each time I see them. The idea behind the campaign is so simple, yet effective. I adore the purple hue, exaggerated angles and beautiful use of shadow. Missoni becomes so much more than a bold print.
Tatty Devine is getting bloody...ready for Halloween. Have your name-necklace personalised, in dripping blood style, ready for October 31st. What I love about Tatty Devine is how they quirkily publicise their products. I adore this comic style storyboard and despite not being a huge fan of the necklaces (slime green not really being my colour), I am drawn to the product. Also take a look at the new Dark Stages collection here.
Following my recent ranting post about American Apparel, I must add that they kindly did refund my item last week, easing my AA woes! Here is some appreciation for the AA brand. With Oct 31st quickly approaching, American Apparel have offered us some great costume solutions. Be you favourite fashion icon or film star with the great inspirational outfit finder. Such a quirky yet simple idea - AA redeems itself!
Pushing Daisies is a gem of a show on the US ABC network. I never feel compelled to blog about television shows but Pushing Daisies is so visually stunning, it has to be commented upon. It is filmed in the vein of Amelie and is a concentrated bubble of colour à la Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory but it is the fashion that blows me away. Anna Friel's character is a impeccable style icon, dressed to perfection in each scene. There are no screen shots that accurately depict this fact but I assure you, watch and you will agree. The plotline - genius! but I shall not give it away. I am not sure when Pushing Daisies will grace British screens but there are plenty of places to "share" it and lots of You Tube clips. See ABC's show site here and glimpse into the fairytale world of the Piemaker.
This little one speaks for itself. Vivienne Westwood's designs blow me away. Coggles are stocking what I can only consider my dream dress, below (if it weren't for the price tag of £2,555!). But it is Miss. Westwood's new add campaign that has caught my attention. She has channeled her inner cave woman and made a very organic, back to basics set of print adds, with a personal appearance to boot. I adore the unusual use of bones as accessories and the "minimal" dirt make-up. Fashion must be fun and Vivienne Westwood's tongue-in-cheek viewpoint is so refreshing. Feast your eyes on what Vivienne has to offer here and start some serious penny pinching now!
...the answer is easy VERY COOL. I have headwear issues. Even when I ski I feel uncomfortable in my woolly hat. It may be my asymetrical ears or misshapen head but more likely it is the attention that headwear can bring. Sometimes it is unwanted, people misunderstand your fashion choice. Sometimes it is appreciative, a mutual love of the "different". I would looovvve to be cool enough to get away with these looks below but my fashion courage (and more importantly my self-esteem) aren't that high yet! If you are brave enough check out Urban Outfitters looks here. When my braveness arrives I shall post some celebratory photos!
I often find it hard to find a truly original piece of jewellery, something no-one else will have. Hidden Art has offered me a possible accessories haven. They sell original pieces by a variety of designers that have to be unique, special or distinctive. They have many sections but the jewellery has to be my favourite, especially the Frida Kahlo inspired hand earrings and the Virgin Mary brooch selection - so weird, so different! See all the delights on offer here.
Illustrative design is one of my favourite artistic media, so I was bowled away by Laura McCafferty's stand at 100% Design. Laura creates beautiful textile artworks that aren't shown in their true glory via the pixelated screen. I love individual pieces translated into 3D art forms, especially the red military trench. Check out Laura's unique vision here.
Melanie Haarhaus' aim is to find individuality in a truly complex world. She definitely succeeds with her truly unique designs...all injected with a sense of humour. Her website explains,
We live in a confusingly complex world. Every individual, incident or item presents itself in a different manner to different observers. Viewed from one angle a facet may shine all the brighter, while from another it will disappear into the shadows.
I adore the ironic and iconic "Hello from Moscow" brooch above - a true feeling of fun can define fashion for me. Melanie's humour is evident in her bio; coming from a small Bavarian town of 30 inhabitants, she says how disappointed she was to discover, "not one dwarf among them!" See more of Melanie's fantasies become jewellery here.
Fashion hides in many guises, one being unconventional art. I adore the literal "cut out and paste" aesthetic to Swoon's graffiti. Her form of art is definitely not pedestrian but on the pavement is where her audience hides. Her work becomes part of its surroundings, as the paper discolours and curls, it decomposes into part of the street. I have posted before about the Parisian wonder that is Fafi; her art moved into collaborations with major manufacturers. Her New York counterpart, Swoon, may currently resist commercial temptation but I predict it won't be long before Swoon's design talent is channeled away from the street. Swoon's site is under construction, until it's up and away read an interview with her here.
Caravan is a gem of a boutique in Spitalfields, one of my favourite areas of Londinium. I was lucky enough to meet its founder in her vintage Citroën H-Van - what an inspirational retail guru. Emily Chalmers was kind enough to take time out to tell me all about her shop and the ethos behind her stock choices. Her shop is a modern day Aladdin's Cave, littered with eclectic joy; if it weren't for the fact I arrived there at 5.30, just before the 6pm closure, I would have gladly spent the day on a super rummage. The Caravan "van" is a thing of childhood dreams. A kitsch menagerie of loveliness, guarded by some seriously menacing crows. Click to feast your eyes on the enlarged versions of my photographs or take a closer look at Caravan's delights here. My favourite product...has to be the little mechanical, movement sensitive birdy below; I have a funny feeling its tweeting would be pleasing to both myself and my cats!
I worry about surcoming to all news trends...but I'm afraid the myriad of brogues available have truly sucked me in. Above left, are pairs from Office, relatively reasonably priced at £60. Urban Outfitters offer a more expensive but no less stylish version, at £100 - their main appeal for me is the colour, glorious grey (a rather juxtaposed phrase for some!) So one new trend definitely has my support.
In 2006, designer Chris Jackson invited Ten London based designers to illustrate their views on the subject of sustainability within the capital. The designers were restricted to work within a 10KM radius of their studios to utilise resources and scavenge materials, with a budget of £10. The resulting objects diverse and fresh, were displayed within 100% Design. After rave reviews and two awards, the same 10 designers reformed for ‘Ten Again’ 2007. Under the same theme of sustainability, the designers produced 10 objects for 100% Design.
Of this group, Stephen Bretland offered us these sunglasses. At first glance, above, they are simple cardboard specs (in the style of the old 3D glances). On further inspection a more dark, ingenious, design element is revealed...each is made from a Stevie Wonder LP cover! I found myself in a state of quandary - yes, Monsieur Wonder is well know for wearing sunglasses but to disguise/aid his blindness, quite a juxtaposition in ideals! Therefore, are these glasses ironic fashion genius, or do they hold a darker, more twisted edge! Keep up to date with Stephen's work here and make your own mind up! Click on the images to enlarge.
I rarely post about the beauty industry but the strong design ethic behind Lipstick Queen has convinced me to change my ways. Poppy, the lady behind the Queen, began the brand after a fruitless search for lipsticks, aged just 18. I always feel a greater respect for those that reveal their inspiration, especially in pictorial form, as Poppy shows us here on the left. Poppy's products are intriguingly named - Saint, Sinner and Oxymoron (one of my favourite parts of speech!) Read Poppy's story here, and in the U.K. shop at Space.NK
Merci beaucoup Madame Wang! I adore layering...but have never doubled up on a cardigan. Vera Wang is offering us the "double cardigan" for a rather hefty £485 on Net-a-Porter but the inspiration behind the design...free!
At the Designer's Block one stall that really stood out was Miss Geschick & Lady Lapus. This German duo's "hairy" underwear shocked my eyes slightly, definitely sparking my interest! The products I truly love are above, aptly named "Chewy Beauty" (hair clips and badges) and "Disaster". Another favourite you must check out is kotztierchen - they are puking pets; not an attractive prospect but what a cool name! I think it is my inherently clumsy nature that attracts me to making an eventful incident into a piece of fashionable art! See their e-store here and marvel at their concept below.
