Trending Fall 2015- Brisk Boho

70s Bohemia was the defining aesthetic brought to us by designers this new Fall season. We saw Christopher Bailey at Burberry produce a British Boho Burberry girl, comprising of patchwork, fringing, whimsical folk dresses coated in embellished florals and paisleys.

 

 

 

Lanvin's Alber Elbaz combined his Moroccan roots with the Lanvin archive, creating a raw sophistication. It was dark, texturally complex (fur, goat hair, snakeskin yokes, leather harnesses, embellishments), but at the same time screamed luxury.

 

 

                                        

 

Others labels such as: Etro, Dsquared and Dries Van Noten all formed an embodiment of  boho beauties or Aztec princesses. Laid down in front of us:- printed ponchos, gauzy gowns and earth-inspired hues, all spiced up with a generous handful of eclectic ethnicity.   

 

 

                                      Etro

 

Another trend, relating closely to the boho chic was a gypsy, medieval revival. Think Esmerelda from The Hunchback of Notre-Dame. Gypsy dresses covered in quaint waistcoats, suede tunics draped in strips of fringe and,lastly, flowing patchwork skirts in all manners of textures (seen at Chloé). With gypsy boho, one can have the freedom to experiment- there is no conformity in this trend, it's all about that element of  uniqueness.

 

 

                                      Chloe

                          Picture Courtesy of Style.com

Balmain Fall 2015 PFW

I have always admired Olivier Rousteing's work for Balmain. He knows how to dress women and make them look young, edgy yet totally glamorous. Glamour was the main theme at Balmain today, a long side the hype which surrounded Queen Kim Kardashian and her new platinum locks.

It is safe to say that every piece in the collection, Kim would wear or has already worn in some incarnation. From the billowing pleated skirts to the tight-fitting bandeau tops submerged under a sheer chiffon day dress. She was the muse for the entire collection and we all knew that.

We had a sense of opulence; perhaps the vintage-toned riche colour palette, consisting of the most luxurious colours- metallic mustard, a bronzey orange, forest green and fiery fuchsia.
The iridescent fabrics were a marvel, especially in pleats. We had the most volumizing balloon trousers which sat below a tailored blazer.

It was out with the 80s (last season) and in with the 70s- well,  as much as possible. Flares were still a big feature throughout: saw in lace, pleats and with 10x added volume.  In the last half of the collection, lighter than light chiffon jumpsuits in all manner of prints (florals in particular) graced the scene- contrasting to the fierce, strong and seductive woman as seen in the first segment.

The casting for the show screamed sass. Victoria Secret Angels left right and centre: Alessandra Ambrosio, Adriana Lima, Karlie Kloss; combined with the model greats of the moment, Jourdan Dunn, Lily Donaldson, Kendall Jenner and Gigi Hadid. It was evident why he chose these girls to convey his sexy, glamorous Balmain goddess.

We had less of the skin and more of the cover up. Less sex appeal but more business.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Picture courtesy of Style.com 

College Street Style Part 3

Firstly, apologies about how late this instalment is. It is fashion week, therefore reviews are taking presidency at the moment. Secondly, I'm trying to spread the series out for as long as possible, hence the amount of people I haven't done yet. My apologies. Rest assured all will get done in due course!

Emily

When I think of Emily's style, I think Studio 54. Mixing old school glitz and glamour with a modern edge. Take this equation; a vintage fur + a velveteen top = effortless luxury. 

Here, we see Emily wearing a vintage sheepskin coat over a gypsy'esque embroidered top- this is Vogue, defined.  The ripped jeans mitigate the look ever so slightly, pushing it into the 'smart-casual' category. It is incredibly difficult to pull off smart casual. However, only a select handful of people can accomplish the look to the level of perfection, Emily is a great example of one of those people. Dressing like this is a talent, and you all know it!

                       

   

Describe your style in 3 words...

Vintage, Parisian and eclectic

Do you have a style inspiration?

I guess I take inspiration a lot of different people, but the only thing they have in common is their  individuality, for example I am hugely inspired by Marilyn Manson (although I don't dress like him!) and Vivienne Westwood because I think originality and expression is what inspires me about fashion, that is what I think its for.

Favourite place/s to shop:

I love charity shops and second-hand shop, but if we are talking more high-street then All Saints and Urban Outfitters.

                      

                        

Emily wears:

Vintage sheepskin coat

Boots- New Look

Jeans- Boohoo.com

Top- French Connection

Ruby

Ah now Ruby. This girl is effortlessly stunning, you can tell that her eternal style has already been bestowed in her. There is never a day when Ruby looks badly dressed, in fact she could probably wear the new Margiela or Comme Des Garçons and pull it off with so much ease. 

I would say Ruby has the classic style. When I say classic; I mean putting your own twist onto wardrobe staples. For example an overcoat; now would you invest in a MaxMara Teddy Bear Coat? Or perhaps just a well-tailored black overcoat? The epitome of chic. It is not about the pieces themselves, it's also about the person who wears them. As Marc Jacobs once said 'clothes mean nothing until someone lives in them', personality is key for timeless style, and in Ruby's case, with her bubbly personality she is able to achieve a high-order classic style. I applaude her!

                       

  

Describe your style in 3 words...

Simple, casual but sophisticated

Do you have a style inspiration?

I don't really have one but I do love Vanessa Hudgens' style!

Favourite place/s to shop:

Topshop, River Island and Urban Outfitters

                       

Ruby wears:

Top- Topshop

Jeans- River Island

Boots- Topshop

Becca

Edgy, eclectic and fun- 3 words to describe Becca's style, rolled up into one. This girl's got style, there is no denying about that. This very outfit pictured was the outfit that made me want to worship her manner of dressing. Let me break it down for you; firstly a last season Topshop jumper. I can tell you something- I want that jumper, and that's saying something! Secondly, the combination of the boyfriend jeans and that jumper; it's effortless edge with a hint of the je ne sais quoi factor. Adding the shoes in, perfects this outfit. It's laid-back, in the moment and full of charisma. Love it!

                      

Describe your style in 3 words...

Casual, current and eclectic

Do you have a style inspiration?

I'm afraid I don't.. I literally just see something I like and looks good and I wear it... I mean I look around at what people are wearing at the moment but I'd much rather I wore something I was confident and comfortable in than dressing how everyone else does just to fit in.

Favourite place/s to shop:

Topshop by far, Urban Outfitters for the basics and I have always been a New Look fan.

 

Becca wears:

Jumper- Topshop

Jeans- New Look

Shoes- Vans

               Credit to Immy Done and Stella Botes for the photography

Zac Posen Fall 2015

I have always admired Zac Posen's work. He is able to produce the most beautiful evening wear which is always red carpert worthy.

This collection was dramatically glamorous. On the one hand, we had the Grace Kelly influence; cinched in waists, silky foulards and volumizing skirts. True elegance. 


 

                

 

 

On the other hand, I felt that this collection was targeted at the more mature, sophisticated woman; seen through the fitted sage green suits (very Christian Dior in the late 40s) and the complexity of the built up appliqué on the evening wear pieces.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was made apparent that Posen had prepped this collection with the thinking that A-listers will choose his brand ahead of the Oscars.

I can tell you one thing, my readers, that that ball gown which Naomi Campbell closed the show wearing. I predict that someone will be wearing that in a couple of weeks time.

 

 

Picture Courtesy of Style.com

 

 

The collection had body. More strong, elegant glamour than sweet, sexy and seductive (a trend for this current season).

 

 

 

Alexander Wang Fall 2015

Dark, gothic goddesses at Alexander Wang last night. Wang produced an entirely black collection, featuring grungey plaid, Frankenstein boots (double-soled) and a myriad of heavy metal hardware that doused black silk robes and boxy tailored suits. 

 

There were influences from Marilyn Manson and Gene Simmons of The Kiss; figures who lived their lives covered in notorious noire. Japanese references fluctuated loosely through the collection. Perhaps the masculine silhouette: cropped trousers which sat loosely on the hip paired with a heavy, square jacket decorated with miniscule metal plates to create the look of a bulletproof jacket.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hints of the dominatrix described the evening wear. The iridescent fabrics which layered over sheer skirts, tied together with an obi belt; had quite a menacing quality about it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Picture Courtesy Style.com

 

 

 

Normally an all black collection has a tendency to be quite safe. However, with the right amount of styling and attention to detail, as shown, we see a extremely dark and powerful portrayal of the Alexander Wang Woman.