is this fate?........

Shirt: Vintage Yves Saint Laurent / Leather Skirt: Vintage / Shoes: Converse

I have this weird notion of fate when it comes to my sartorial choices.

Weird because I'm loathe to leave anything else in my life up to the whims of something so elusive, so devoid of concrete evidence of it's existence. Something that contradicts every logical thought that runs through my mind. Fate. What the hell is fate?   

But, like I can't help but feel strongly about tweed, I can't help but feel strongly about fate. Of the sartorial kind that is.

Because of this strength of feeling, I've been known to leave something behind, as a way of testing the very fate I believe so wholeheartedly in. I did it last week.

I fell upon a denim shirt. A men's one, (of course), with a yoke and collar of a tan suede. Sigh. And on sale. And I walked away. In hindsight, total dick move. But my supposition that if I'm supposed to have it I'll have it, gives me this kind of bravado.

Yes, I can walk away from perhaps the most important denim shirt of my life, (is that even a thing, can you have an important denim shirt, rhetorical question because the answer is yes), and know that if it's supposed to join the growing pile of shirts already in my life, it will.

It wasn't. I went back and it was gone.

At this point, without my ridiculous belief that fate rules my wardrobe, I'd be curled up in a corner somewhere sobbing.

I mean, suede yoke people, suede!

But I'm not. Because, you know, fate.

Luckily fate was on my side when I scored this (Y)SL shirt and vintage leather mini. They were, obviously, meant to be. 

xx

how i'd wear: the leather tee.......

Is there anything that encapsulates both a too cool for school nonchalance and a slightly scary sexiness like leather? Or more to the point, the leather tee? Perhaps the most modern of iterations, the leather tee takes what is a wardrobe staple and turns it into a wardrobe hero.

Hence today's rendering of How I'd Wear features this most wondrous example of the leather tee courtesy of a Mr Lim. This 3.1 Phillip Lim tee is quite close to being perfect, in my own humble opinion.

Take it's slightly slouchy fit, that's a nod to menswear in my book and anything that nods in the general direction of the boys department is a winner. It features slightly elongated sleeves which I appreciate because of the inherent versatility hence provided. It's a summer leather and a winter leather, see?

And it's got that quilted thing happening. Quilted leather. Surely any more words after those last two are simply unnecessary.

But the questions remains, how would I wear said tee. Well like this of course.

/ Dress: Dolce & Gabbana / Shoes: Nike / Sunglasses: Illesteva / 

/ Bag: Cambridge Satchel Company /

Does it get more nineties then floral and layers? With Nike's? No, I didn't think so either. The juxtaposition of the floral and leather is a well worn one, but when it works it works. The Nike's, while keeping us grounded in 1998, also bring a little sports-luxe to the ensemble, and combined with the mirrored sunnglasses ensure we look inspired by the nineties and not transported directly from the nineties.

 / Ring: Lanvin / Shorts: Kenzo / Shoes: ASOS / 

/ Clutch: Mcq by Alexander McQueen / Sunglasses: Quay /

It's the cool look. As if I could resist, just like I can't resist those Lanvin rings and necklaces that are starting to drop. I mean surely if you're wearing it, it must be true. Aside from being cool, you could also make a case for referring to it as Gold......ilocks maybe? Goldie, goldfinger, goldmember - too far right. And sure while the gold makes a case for itself here, the main focus is those Kenzo shorts with the outside pockets. Am I right?

/ Shoes: Sophia Webster / Denim Jacket: R13 / Tote: Reason /

/ Jeans: Joe's Jeans / Sunglasses: ASOS /

Leather and denim. It's match made in heaven. And then you have double denim and leather, and there simply aren't enough words in the English language to describe the brilliance of that. Instead, let's talk about those shoes. Sophia Webster has the great knack of being able to create shoes that are at once ridiculous and covetable, my favourite kind. These ones might be from last season, but I'm still coveting.

Thoughts??

xx

label love: kahlo.......

For a label that is barely two years old, Kahlo is impressive. Founded by good friends Sydney stylist Rachelle Sinclair and Fay Ogunbadejo in early 2011, there is just something inherently cool about Kahlo.

Maybe it's the extensive use of leather, never a bad thing. Maybe it's the pared back colour palette, all blacks and browns and white. Maybe it's just Kahlo. The label has an understated aesthetic that belies the clever design. Simple silhouettes, luxe fabrics and gorgeous finishes, it's the perfect mix. Even better, it's all manufactured in Australia.

Neither Sinclair or Ogunbadejo have any formal fashion design training, not that it matters. These ladies clearly know their stuff. What they're making is pieces that will sit comfortably in your wardrobe without dating. Even better, they're doing it at price points that aren't going to burn a giant hole in your credit card.

Their most recent collection at Mercedes Benz Fashion Week earlier this year riffed on the leather theme again, though the shapes felt a little more evolved this time. There were some mixed textures, something I'm big on, asymmetric hemlines and killer crop tops, with some pretty fierce menswear inspired pieces too.

Big fan of the white looks. Especially that white zippered dress, which also came in black and brown, sure to be a hit amongst fans, both new and old alike.

The separates however where the standouts for me. I think, in fact I know, it's because of the versatility of the pieces. Take any one of them and see how easily it slots into your current wardrobe.

The denim look cape type number in the middle is practically screaming my name, you can hear it too right? I can imagine it with a tropical print high waisted skirt and maybe a leather tee, maybe even that tan number above, which also comes in black. See how easy that was?

Check out the rest of the collection right here.

And more Kahlo goodness right here.

xx

p.s. you're welcome!

Pics: Mercedes Benz Fashion Week

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