Sunday, March 31, 2013

a girl can dream: march..........

Let me set the scene.

I was nestled in my sewing/work room trawling some of my favourite online haunts. I'd just popped over to the always amazing Farfetch when I stumbled across this.






Stunning. I immediately saved this picture and made a mental note to return. Unfortunately when I tried to earlier today, the jacket had disappeared. Hashtag sad face. I only hope it's gone to a happy home, where it will be treasured and cared for just the way it deserves.  

This amazing leather jacket is by Martina Spetlova. The London based designer, a graduate from the prestigious Central Saint Martins in the UK, creates visually striking pieces, incorporating what has become her signature patchwork look. 
The winner of the Chloe award for textiles in 2009 and the L'Oreal professional bursary in 2009/2010, Spetlova can also lay claim to the prestigious honour of having her final Saint Martins collection chosen for the schools London Fashion Week show in February 2010.

What I love about her work is not just her incredible use of leather, weaving the fabric to create pieces like this jacket, it's the sense of adventure that I get from her designs. The textures, the pleating, the fabrics, it all just works.

I find I get that feeling a lot from young designers. Perhaps it's because they don't have a history to live up to or a huge fan base to appease. They're free to experiment and try new and exciting things and the result is that you and I get to wear these brilliant creations that might otherwise have never been imagined. 

Look for example at the reaction Heidi Slimane received after his most recent collection for (Yves) Saint Laurent. The history of such a house doesn't always lend itself to experimentation. Customers of such a brand have certain exceptions and they expect the designer to deliver. 

Imagine if Celine decided to ditch the whole streamlined aesthetic and create a collection of heavily embroidered whimsical bohemian pieces, the Celine customer would be perplexed at the very least. 

How did this dream turn into an essay on the experimental nature of young designers? What a weird dream.
Anyway all hail the young, free and experimental designer I say.

Thoughts??

xx    

Friday, March 29, 2013

how i'd wear: the embellished dress........

Versatile. Perhaps not a word you'd often associate with your sartorial choices. And maybe not even a word you'd use to describe this Topshop dress.  

But isn't the best thing about any great acquisition it's ability to coexist happily in your wardrobe?

Living the life I do as a twenty something student with two jobs, yes I'm insane, there just isn't a great deal of occasions that traditionally call for a bedazzler of a dress like this. So I though I'd put my stylist hat on and show you How I'd Wear such an embellished number, with a more casual vibe.

Yes flats, green leopard print ones from Florsheim at that. Flats are the key to dressing down such a sultry shift. And of course the perennial favourite, a denim vest, this gem is from from Topshop. A simple black cross body bag from ASOS and some killer tortoise shell Bailey Nelson shades and you're set for what I imagine will be either of the following;
- An afternoon spent trawling outdoor vintage markets, flats are key here;
- Or a brunch hangout with your crew.
Both excellent ways to pass the time. 

Again with the flats, but this time they have a sporty connotation with these 410 black trainers from New Balance. Ditto for the Rag & Bone laser cut leather skater skirt and the Topshop slouchy denim shirt. Obviously you'd rip open those buttons and show the world your sparkly chest. Topped it off with a little leopard and leather in the form of a crazy good Minkpink clutch.
Skirt over dress is a look I'm very much in favour of. It's the old versatility thing again.
Side note how great are the New Balance trainers??
Last but certainly not least, a little simpler, a little more grown up, a little more dressy but still dressed down. Throw on a short sleeved Rick Owens winged jacket, black Senso booties, gold arm cuff by St Xavier and emerald green bag from Niclaire, it is the colour of the year after all.

Now that you've scrolled down to the final How I'd Wear picture, you'd have noticed that any form of heel is noticeably absent. This is not a mistake my friends, but a deliberate choice.
Taking such a dress and adding heels kind of, read does, negate the whole idea of making it more versatile and casual.
However, add a stunning pair of heels to any one of these looks and you've got an instant hit the town look. Such is the versatility of the embellished dress.

You have to be sick of that word by now!

Thoughts??

xx

Saturday, March 02, 2013

feeling nostalgic........



I've never done one of these posts before. Filled with pictures, mostly unrelated to each other. Like random thoughts drifting across the page.
I've been feeling a little nostalgic all day, for what I'm not sure, and it just felt like the right thing to post today. 
Yes I'm one of those people who love quotes, mostly because I love words. Words have such power, they have the ability to convey so much, to hide so much, to inspire, to hurt, to compel. Combine that with the feeling a picture can illicit and you have one dangerous combination. But also a beautiful one.

xx