Chanel Haute Couture Spring 2015

Flowers, flowers and more flowers; the central motif at Chanel Couture last week. The show was set inside a Chanel greenhouse amongst the electronic floral delights that decorated the interior of the Grand Palais, creating le jardin de Chanel.

Opening the show came a series of block-colour tweed suits; from luscious lemon to a tantalising tangerine with perfect A-line skirts and tailored jackets. Soon, a new silouhette was adopted; chiffon ballerina skirts which sat low on the hip accompanied by cropped jackets and a belt which floated loosely through the air. Lagerfeld used a technique where he got rid of the side seams on certain pieces and made the material come together into one seam up the back, something only a fine couturier can achieve. 

The embroidery was extraordinary. A bouquet of embellished flowers draped from epaulettes, hemlines and the train of the Chanel Bride's Camèlia gown.  

Lagerfeld displayed an incredible amount of modernity in this collection. He, as well as Raf Simmons at Dior, clearly aspire to bring couture into the future and on an international scale, however still maintaining the DNA of their brands. 

Picture courtesy vogue.co.uk

Christian Dior Haute Couture Spring 2015

Raf Simmons' inspiration for his most recent couture show for Dior, was infact, David Bowie. One of the key ideas of Simmons' evolution at the house of Dior so far, has been modernity; shown through the graphic yet youthful silhouettes and the incredible forte for materials and crafting techniques. The collection clearly 'imagined the future as seen by the past', as said by Style.com's Tim Blanks. For we had the romanticism of Dior in the 50s, (hence the full-skirts) and the 70s prints and colours, alongside the experimentation of fashion at that time. 

                     

                     

One fabric that featured a lot was plastic. Floral prints transposed onto plastic, scalloped cut plastic coats; the list was endless. We also saw latex thigh-high boots, in the most garish colours with scaffolding heels that juxtaposed the set for the show. Bodysuits splashed in psychedelic 70s print, ribbon strips which floated on full-skirts, accompanied by every couturier's dream fabric, guipure lace. It is just so astonishing to think that it is all made by hand.

                       

                       

                       

                                             

After seeing all this, it is made apparent why Simmons' inspiration for the show was Bowie. He is saying to the Dior Woman that you can change into anyone anywhere, as if you are a chameleon.

                                                

            

                                  Picture courtesy fashiongonerogue.com & chikoshoes.com

College Street Style Part 2

India

As Coco Chanel once said 'simplicity is the keynote to true elegance'. India proves that Mademoiselle Chanel is indeed correct in her saying. I would call India's style simple but with a twist. Take a rather subdued base palette; as shown below for example, where we see an entirely black base. However we do not just see matte black, we cast our eyes onto an array of textures; her top being a velour texture, tucked into black denim. (an example of texture-blocking, a big trend in this fall season, seen at Fendi and Céline ). 'Colourful', she says when I ask about how she would describe her style. Shown through the geometric print of her structured purple jacket. Which adds an audacious colour-pop; perfectly complementing her rich, golden hair.

This is eternal elegance.

                     

     

Describe your style in 3 words...

Simple, classy and colourful

Style inspiration:

My friends and my older sister

Favourite place to shop:

Zara, Topshop, Rokit and charity shops

                    

India wears:

Jacket- Eastex

Top- Ecru

Jeans- Topshop

Boots- Topshop

Izzi

Style is about individuality and Izzi is a great example of that. Her style is influenced predominately by the 90s, however combined with an alternative edge of retro indie. One day it's denim dungarees paired with classic Doc Martens, the next is an oversized distressed sandy jacket layered on top of a dark-toned vintage flannel shirt. Her use of jewellery is outstanding, the different combinations of tattoo chokers, pendants and crystals add more depth to her look, juxtaposed with a slight mysterious angle. The clothes speak personality and for me each look delivered tells a story. 

                     

    

Describe your style in 3 words...

Vintage, baggy, 90s-inspired

Style inspiration:

I don't really have one, I just combine certain aspects from different people's styles.

Favourite place to shop:

Real McCoy 

                     

Izzi wears:

Jacket- Real McCoy 

Flannel Shirt- Urban Outfitters

Top- Topshop

Jeans- Topshop

Doc Martens

Georgie

I have never met a girl who has given their debit card an outing quite as much as Georgie. It is truly remarkable how she is able to produce a completely different outfit every single day, comprising of a new colour theme and general 'new look'. This girl deserves an award! Describing her style, it is very difficult to categorize her into any select styles, one day she's preppy, one day she's wearing head-to-toe Zara. One day it's a smock dress accompanied by some vintage wonders. One can never just determine what she'll wear next, it's always a suprise! In this look, Georgie wears an outfit, wholely built up from Urban Outfitters pieces (her jacket and jumper-which she assures me is not a Christmas jumper) on top of a bed of my favourite colour, black. Georgie is definitely one to look out for in the near future.

                       

   

Describe your style in 3 words...

Retro, preppy, eclectic 

Style inspiration:

I pick up inspirations from others, from friends or just people I see on the street.

Favourite place to shop:

Rokit, Zara and Topshop

                     

Georgie wears:

Jacket- Urban Outfitters

Jumper- Urban Outfitters

Jeans- Topshop

Boots- Boohoo.com

Emmy

Emmy is the definition of an English Rose. Think Rosie Huntington-Whitely or Suki Waterhouse, for example. Dewy skin, luscious brown hair, penatrating green eyes and a respectably simple, but sophisticated style. Take this look; now what do we think when I say double denim? Yes that's right, we think Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake in what they would describe as 'coordinating' double denim (I can assure you that that is not coordination, that is a complete disaster!). However, in Emmy's case double denim is no problem; just simply change the colour scheme and you can totally pull it off. Emmy mixes quintessential Britain with a slight Parisian vibe; perhaps a tweed skirt with military'esque pockets (Balmain fall 2014) accompanied by a crisp roll-neck jumper and mohair jacket. There is a great sense of effortless luxuriousness in all of her looks produced.

                      

    

Describe your style in 3 words...

casual, comfortable and sophisticated

Style inspiration:

No one in particular 

Favourite place to shop:

Topshop, Zara or anywhere that sells classic clothing.

   

Emmy wears:

Denim jacket- Topshop

Top- River Island

Jeans- Topshop

boots- New Look

Credit to Stella Botes and Immy Done for photographing.

Part 3 will be up next Friday!

Until next time.

College Street Style Part 1

The days are gone where we were made to conform to strict rules, to dress in that horrific mandatory clothing and look like one another every, single, minute of the day. As we said a goodbye to school and hello to college, it would make sense that the college campus would be the bastion of high-level personal style. Although students still have that hard-fought reputation of lazy dressing. There are a handful of others who prove that reputation wrong and take 100% advantage of expressing their individuality.

We hit college to seek out some of the most stylish and not to forget sartorially dressed students who give college style an exceptional name:

 

Elsie

This girl takes after my own heart, partly because of her love for the charity shop and partly because she's a lovely human being. Her style infuses vintage with Boho. She produces some outstanding looks, comprising of vintage fur on top of tartan dresses (layering at its finest) or here, where she sports a fur-lined, sheepskin gilet (a charity shop purchase, of course) over a basic, flowing, white t-shirt, ripped jeans, topped off with chunky, black boots. This look reminds me of the most recent Givenchy collection, which was hard Rock'n'roll meets mitigating bohemian silk.
 

 

 

  

 

    

     

Describe your style in 3 words...

Casual, distinctive and sophisticated

Style inspiration:

Luana Perez

Favourite place to shop:

Asos, Ark and Urban Outfitters

                       

Elsie wears: 

Sheepskin gilet- Vintage

T-shirt- Asos

Jeans- Miss Guided

Boots- Deishmann

Lucy

 

Quite clearly the queen of the highstreet and long may she reign! Reflected through her head-to-toe Topshop outfit (shown below). I have always thought that Lucy has 'all-around' style. She is able to deliver looks that really complement her bubbly personality. For example, she can do anything, from sophistication to edgy urban or L.A grunge (not forgetting sportswear) with ease. Fun is always asserted with Lucy; whether it is through personality or style, and we love that.

 

 

                       

 

 

 

 

 

                       

Describe your style in 3 words...

Quirky, edgy and sophisticated

Style inspiration:

No one in particular.

Favourite place to shop:

Topshop!!!

                         

Lucy wears:

Head-to-toe Topshop

Meg

 

Ah now, what can I say about darling Megan. One might consider her almost bipolar in terms of dressing. She can go from an outfit comprising of Uggs, leggings and an oversized fluffy coat; to a complete winter's radiance- subdued Hollister florals and a soft Southern Californian beach look (shown below).  She also wears one of fashion's most recognisable classics, the Timberland Boot, which adds a soft however robust feel to complete the look. 

 

 

                         

 

 

     

Describe your style in 3 words...

Current, eclectic and chilled

Style inspiration:

I don't have an inspiration in terms of a specific person, but I find more inspirations in specific looks, and I love designs my McQueen and Vivienne Westwood.

Favourite place to shop:

If I'm being high street then topshop, but more upmarket I love all saints.

 

                       

Meg wears:

Coat- Hollister

Crop-top- Hollister

Jeans- Topshop

Boots- Timberland

 

Charlotte

 

Everything Charlotte puts together is perfection. This outfit in particular reminds me of Parisian chic. Perhaps it's the monochrome colour palette, or the added textural dimension in which the fur brings, for an even more luxe feel. There is a great deal of sophistication yet edginess shown in all of Charlotte's looks. She is able to get the balance of smart-casual spot on and we all know that is hard to do.

     

 

 

 

 

                 

 

Describe your style in 3 words...

Chic, simple yet sophisticated

Style inspiration:

No one in specific.

Favourite place to shop:

Topshop and Zara

Charlotte wears:

Jacket- Topshop

Jeans- Topshop

Top- Forever21

Boots- Office

Tash

 

Thank god the 80s are back! Without Cyndi Lauper, we would not be feasting our eyes on the audacious colour combinations and texture blocking anymore. Tash wears what I would call a 'statement', knit jumper. It is easy to see a unique sense of style here. Take the crystal pendant for instance.  

As we have already seen in season's spring collections, the 80s have been revisited by brands such as Balmain and Tom Ford. Bringing a strong primary colour palette and a hint of dark urban grunge.

 

                          

 

 

 

 

 

Describe your style in 3 words...

retro, weird and urban

Style inspiration:

Friends characters

Favourite place to shop:

Urban Outfitters

 

                    

Tash wears:

Jumper- Urban Outfitters

Leggings- River Island

Shoes- Vans

Pendant- Urban Outfitters

        

Part 2 will be up on Friday with more of College Street Style!! 

 

Credit to Stella Botes and Immy Done for photographing.

Until next time. 

 

Burberry Menswear Fall 2015

If I had to use two words to describe Christopher Bailey's most recent Burberry Menswear collection, I would have to say- British Bohemian. 

The collection was, without a doubt, luxurious and artfully crafted: from the perfectly shaped, dark-toned leather bags (and clothing for that matter), the soft-to-touch velvet, corduroy trousers and shearling blazers to the mirror-embroidered finale pieces, not forgetting the heritage trench.

We still had motifs from past collections. Take the exceptional tailoring for the youthful silhouette, comprising a skinny-fit trouser or a formal bomber jacket (spring summer 2013). The ponchos (from the Fall 2014 collection) were back in full swing accompanied by its hybrid, the shawl! 

The pieces had a certain hardness, perhaps the antique feel or the scream of quintessential London, however mitigated by the flowing bohemian, borderline hippy vibe portrayed through the floral and paisley prints, cashmere fringing and the vast amount of eyewear titled 'The Scholar'.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Picture Courtesy Style.com

 

Moschino Menswear Fall 2015

Yesterday's Moschino Menswear show was certainly no let down. The catwalk, set against a backdrop of snowy pines with falling snow which lightly dusted the audience, shimmered with the iridescent shades of Jeremy Scott's more than vivacious collection. We were treated to an army of hunky, shirtless models waltzing down the snow covered catwalk draped in copious amounts of fur, metallics and that all important winter staple, knit. 

Jeremy Scott asserted that all important joie de vivre through the alpine inspired collection. Motifs included the slogan tees of '100% natural, the audacious yellow, patent 'Paddington Bear' coat (as named by the designer), the lively 70's wallpaper prints of flowers splashed over the shoulder-slung bags. (A huge trend for this season's menswear has been the retro 70s) or the wide array of fanny packs and moon boots, draped in fur and Moschino bling.

Practicality was more prominent in this collection, compared to some of his older collections. However accompanied with a generous dosage of fun.

American male model, Rob Ryan (the definition of an angel dropped down from heaven)  opened the show, alongside the handful of female models including 'Global Girl' Jourdan Dunn and 17 year-old LA socialite, Hailey Baldwin.

Rob Ryan

     



                                    

                                                               

 

 

 



                                    

 

 

 

 

 

                                     

                                     

   

                                        

                                     

Jourdan Dunn

                        Picture Courtesy Style.com