Thursday, 29 September 2011
Paris Fashion Week: Damir Doma
I know it seems like I have bypassed London Fashion Week show stuff, but rest assured, it will appear elsewhere. In the meantime, Paris Fashion Week is in full swing so get ready for some related pictures and words. It also serves as a good break from all the patriotic stuff I've been doing recently.
The staple black pieces mixed in with white, gold and a lush olivey/yellow colour worked well for the collection, and the odd gold embellishments further accentuated the Grecian feel.
Damir Doma
So the robes are gone, well, more or less, to be replaced with something rather more decidedly...Grecian. The progression from robe-like garments to togas isn't the overhaul of the century, but his latest approach is interesting, especially when combined with modern jackets and even city shorts - mixing the new with the old. The long, drapey elements still make an appearance here and there, although definitely outnumbered by the torque-collared dresses paired with wrap around sandals. Although originally a menswear designer (I remember attending a show and imagining how his garments would look on a female form), he has a fine grasp of a good female silhouette, but there are still moments where he prefers to stay loose and billowy, rather than form fitting. Of course, that is not necessarily an indication that he shies away from accentuating womanly curves, but just a manifestation of his aesthetic.
What is interesting is that this collection is definitely a more commercial affair than previous offerings (especially compared to his menswear), but it may also just be that Grecian/floaty/robe elements are more common for mainstream womenswear compared to its use in commercial menswear.
Still, there is plenty more room for development for this relatively new designer to womenswear. Not too many compaints, here, though.
Wednesday, 28 September 2011
Scots at LFW
So my attention has been particularly drawn to all things Scottish and fashion-related recently, stemming from my recent discovery of the Design Collective Scotland. Another contributory factor may be the low I often experience when returning to Scotland from my fashion-laden trips. Reminding myself of the good things here helps to ease the pain...
While wandering through the massive maze of an exhibition at this season’s designer exhibitions, I was lucky enough to stumble across the Design Collective room, featuring four Scottish designers who have teamed up to take on the fashion world. Their sartorial expertise varies from knitwear to shoes and aesthetically they all have their own distinct look. Watch out for them around Scotland and beyond...
Di Gilpin
With a collaboration with Meadham Kirchoff under her belt, Di’s unique knitwear is being noticed as innovative and striking by all the right people. Being surrounded by the beautiful landscapes around rural Scotland has definitely influenced her designs, and her technical mastery means she is able to create pieces with varying types of construction and pushes the boundaries of what can be done with knitwear. I really loved what I saw at the exhibition - I particularly enjoyed her fisherman/fishing nets inspired knits and the way she uses wool to mimic other materials. Unique,wearable and beautiful.
A sexy fisherman's wife vest? Yes please.
I would definitely replace denim shorts with knitted ones..
Iona Crawford
Soft cuts mixed with masculine silhouettes, Iona’s SS12 collection is a contrast of inspirations with great execution. Feminine prints and the best fabrics like silk, merino and cashmere make the garments look (and, no doubt, feel) luxurious to wear. Her self-designed prints are the perfect complement to the ultra-refined creations. I especially love the delicateness of the bird print on the V cut of the dress and on the subtle upturn of the tux jacket. Divine!
Marc Ross
With a love of leather and strong looks, Marc Ross is the definition of edgy chic from Scotland. His roots in pattern cutting are channelled through the expert use of brave designs throughout his pieces. His creative flair allows him to make garments that are both striking yet well structured and wearable. After learning and perfecting his craft outside of Scotland, he returns to work on new things with his eponymous label. As a fellow lover of leather (try saying that fast), I'm definitely excited to see more.
Due to my lack of new shoe designer discoveries, I was delighted to ‘discover’ Emily Lamb. Her beautifully hand-crafted shoes are understated yet timelessly elegant, with intricate details such as cut out sides and multi-tonal and multi-texture leathers. Each shoe is made to order so patience is required to get your hands on them. Shoes so delicate and precious, I want to put them all on display.
One of the rare mid heels I've seen that I actually like!
The Design Collective is jetsetting to more global fashion destinations and are setting up shop in Glasgow very soon. Details to come when I know more, as I'll definitely be visiting...
And even more Scottish fashion stuff is happening this weekend in my very own Edinburgh! The launch party of the Edinburgh Fashion Fall/Winter Event is just in time for the Indian Summer we are having. I know next to nothing about the launch and the event itself so am quite excited to get acquainted with the fashion show that's closest to home.
You bet there'll be pics to come.
While wandering through the massive maze of an exhibition at this season’s designer exhibitions, I was lucky enough to stumble across the Design Collective room, featuring four Scottish designers who have teamed up to take on the fashion world. Their sartorial expertise varies from knitwear to shoes and aesthetically they all have their own distinct look. Watch out for them around Scotland and beyond...
Di Gilpin
With a collaboration with Meadham Kirchoff under her belt, Di’s unique knitwear is being noticed as innovative and striking by all the right people. Being surrounded by the beautiful landscapes around rural Scotland has definitely influenced her designs, and her technical mastery means she is able to create pieces with varying types of construction and pushes the boundaries of what can be done with knitwear. I really loved what I saw at the exhibition - I particularly enjoyed her fisherman/fishing nets inspired knits and the way she uses wool to mimic other materials. Unique,wearable and beautiful.
Iona Crawford
Soft cuts mixed with masculine silhouettes, Iona’s SS12 collection is a contrast of inspirations with great execution. Feminine prints and the best fabrics like silk, merino and cashmere make the garments look (and, no doubt, feel) luxurious to wear. Her self-designed prints are the perfect complement to the ultra-refined creations. I especially love the delicateness of the bird print on the V cut of the dress and on the subtle upturn of the tux jacket. Divine!
Marc Ross
With a love of leather and strong looks, Marc Ross is the definition of edgy chic from Scotland. His roots in pattern cutting are channelled through the expert use of brave designs throughout his pieces. His creative flair allows him to make garments that are both striking yet well structured and wearable. After learning and perfecting his craft outside of Scotland, he returns to work on new things with his eponymous label. As a fellow lover of leather (try saying that fast), I'm definitely excited to see more.
The Design Collective is jetsetting to more global fashion destinations and are setting up shop in Glasgow very soon. Details to come when I know more, as I'll definitely be visiting...
And even more Scottish fashion stuff is happening this weekend in my very own Edinburgh! The launch party of the Edinburgh Fashion Fall/Winter Event is just in time for the Indian Summer we are having. I know next to nothing about the launch and the event itself so am quite excited to get acquainted with the fashion show that's closest to home.
You bet there'll be pics to come.
Thursday, 8 September 2011
Pre-Fashion Week Shakes
So it is a week before London Fashion Week (yes, I know fashion month has started already but I ignore NYFW because 1) it's really far away and 2) it's a bit MEH) and the fretting has begun. Whose shows will I be invited to, or will I have to jump the (not so) proverbial fence. How am I going to get there and stay for as little money as possible to maximise potential spending (Greyhound - YUCK and spare room of sympathisers). Obviously the most important question is, what the fuck am I going to wear???
So with all that in mind, I tried very hard to look away from the slim-fit, washed and aged lamb leather variations, with cut and style inspirations from Rick Owens to Julius.
Will I be able to resist the pull of lamb leather and raw edge seams at reasonable prices..?
See what the fuss is all about at the Muubaa website.
So what have we learned from this analysis of my shopping habits? Ignorance is bliss and the virtual knife that twists as you realise you've just missed out on a flash sale, or that you want something that was discontinued months or years ago is a difficult pain to bear.
On the other hand, where else would you get a 6 seasons old bag you've wanted ever since you discovered its existence 4 seasons ago, with the added bonus of yanking it from the clutches of a few dozen other women who you know wanted it just as much, in the comfort of your own home?
Internet shopping - 1, Physical shopping - 0.
Living in Edinburgh, I rely heavily on the internet for a lot of my special sartorial needs, which has developed in me a keeness for comparison shopping. An usual evening looks like this:
This next label I was very reluctant to like, due to the fact that you can't turn the page quick enough to avoid Cheryl Cole's over-exposed face and not notice that she is in one of these. All the time, seemingly. I wouldn't be surprised if she sleeps in them.8pm: Feeling the need to revisit /renew interest in a specific item - usually shoes or bags
8.15: Scrolling through eBay and the millions of fakes, find a few good bargains but too impatient to wait the 4 days when the auction ends, annoyed at stupid BIN prices.
8.30: Proceed to trawl through the vast expanses of Google with lame key words that either turn up too many or not enough search results.
8.45: Reconsult eBay, then back to Google, eBay. Repeat.
12.30am: Pretty knackered at this point, watching an extra 10000 items on eBay, similar amount in wish lists on various websites.
Repeat the whole process for weeks, at a bit more frantic pace when fashion week approaches and the only option becomes next day international shipping...
Sometimes it does seem I would be happier without the "choice" of internet shopping. I often find myself being much more spontaneous when I shop in person - once I try those shoes on...there is no going back and I'm determined to walk home with them. No time to worry about where else I can get them, or whether it's free delivery over £100. No wallowing in inexplicable grief when the internet taunts me with the ghosts of shoes and bags already sold out, at sale price..
And my recent results and achievements?
The one I'm most excited about and ashamed to have only discovered them recently is LD Tuttle. An American designer with an impressive range of interesting footwear, with dark names like The Hunt, and The Empty. After a chance encounter with an amazing pair of mummy-like wrap wedges on Matches, I proceeded to investigate further, and came across a pair of shoes that stirred something in my, er, heart.
The Haunt definitely sent a chill, but of the thrilling kind. The blood-red layers of bandaged leather, the concealed wedge and the back zip is the most exciting combination I've seen in ages.
The bad news is, I couldn't find any European retailers that stock these, so to get the from the US, one would have to pay a whopping $200something customs fee. Ouch. The internet giveth, and it taketh away..
So with all that in mind, I tried very hard to look away from the slim-fit, washed and aged lamb leather variations, with cut and style inspirations from Rick Owens to Julius.
Will I be able to resist the pull of lamb leather and raw edge seams at reasonable prices..?
See what the fuss is all about at the Muubaa website.
On the other hand, where else would you get a 6 seasons old bag you've wanted ever since you discovered its existence 4 seasons ago, with the added bonus of yanking it from the clutches of a few dozen other women who you know wanted it just as much, in the comfort of your own home?
Internet shopping - 1, Physical shopping - 0.
Tuesday, 16 August 2011
Noir's McQueen
In a seamless segue from the last post to this, I shall continue as if I never left my keyboard and get on with talking about the latest Noir event, which saw Summerhall transformed into a quirky and slightly macabre setting for the McQueen-themed evening. The old university vet building is a great addition to the ever-growing list of Edinburgh Festival venues, and the many different rooms of all shapes and sizes could be utilised to great effect. The deliciously named Dissection Room was a fab choice for the event - a spacious hall with bar (woohoo), winding raised catwalk installed and an overseeing balcony. Huge projections of images of McQueen's past collections were emblazoned on the wall for the whole evening, just in case you got too drunk to remember where you were.
As this is a fashion-oriented blog, I shall start talking about that, mostly. The exciting flyers promised a night of cutting-edge-everything and as they expressly said the event would be a tribute to the late legend, I was not surprised when I saw that nothing on the catwalk was McQueen. So I wasn't expecting a Savage Beauty-esque collection of garments but I was still intrigued as to what Harvey Nichols and the creative team behind the show could muster, due to the outrageously bizarre and wonderful source material they were to take inspiration from. Well, one thing I couldn't fault was the music. Composed especially for the evening, it was haunting, creeping and melancholic as only a cello could be, and the models shuffled along at funeral march pace, while the audience observed them under spotlights. So the scene was set and while the atmosphere was definitely impressive and the clothes beautiful, I could not help thinking it really didn't deliver on what was promised. The garments were solely from Harvey Nichols Edinburgh, with a few millinery additions from Joyce Paton. Nice dress after nice sweater after nice coat after a few nice dresses, it became clear that the tributee's creativity was nowhere to be seen. A lot of black looks were sent down the walk to reinforce the solemness of the show but compared to the guests that were present at McQueen's funeral (yes, I'm thinking Daphne Guinness), these looks were decidedly less tribute-like, especially given the now-obvious premise of the event. Understandably, the stock available at an Edinburgh store limits the extravagance of the main pieces for each look but there was no accessorising or styling that would tug at the corner of my mouth into a smirk of recognition of a reference to one of McQueen's quirks or traits, or make me even begin to utter even the teeniest gasps of awe. Essentially, this was an assortment of clothes from various designers strung together with the heavy reinforcement of the surroundings that this was, indeed, a tribute to McQueen. If walking in blind to the event during the darkness of the show, without the visual aids, you would be hard pressed to know the reason for all the fuss.
Ferret heads in your beaded fur stole, anyone?
As this is a fashion-oriented blog, I shall start talking about that, mostly. The exciting flyers promised a night of cutting-edge-everything and as they expressly said the event would be a tribute to the late legend, I was not surprised when I saw that nothing on the catwalk was McQueen. So I wasn't expecting a Savage Beauty-esque collection of garments but I was still intrigued as to what Harvey Nichols and the creative team behind the show could muster, due to the outrageously bizarre and wonderful source material they were to take inspiration from. Well, one thing I couldn't fault was the music. Composed especially for the evening, it was haunting, creeping and melancholic as only a cello could be, and the models shuffled along at funeral march pace, while the audience observed them under spotlights. So the scene was set and while the atmosphere was definitely impressive and the clothes beautiful, I could not help thinking it really didn't deliver on what was promised. The garments were solely from Harvey Nichols Edinburgh, with a few millinery additions from Joyce Paton. Nice dress after nice sweater after nice coat after a few nice dresses, it became clear that the tributee's creativity was nowhere to be seen. A lot of black looks were sent down the walk to reinforce the solemness of the show but compared to the guests that were present at McQueen's funeral (yes, I'm thinking Daphne Guinness), these looks were decidedly less tribute-like, especially given the now-obvious premise of the event. Understandably, the stock available at an Edinburgh store limits the extravagance of the main pieces for each look but there was no accessorising or styling that would tug at the corner of my mouth into a smirk of recognition of a reference to one of McQueen's quirks or traits, or make me even begin to utter even the teeniest gasps of awe. Essentially, this was an assortment of clothes from various designers strung together with the heavy reinforcement of the surroundings that this was, indeed, a tribute to McQueen. If walking in blind to the event during the darkness of the show, without the visual aids, you would be hard pressed to know the reason for all the fuss.photos from the Noir Blog, by DN Anderson and Mike Byrne
So taking the event as a whole and sweeping aside the inadequacies and disappointments of the show (which is, arguably, the central attraction to the event), the DJs, people and even the wee exhibition right at the very back (pics below) helped to make the evening enjoyable (for pics of the party people and the rest of the pics of the event, go to Noir's blog). Perhaps this whole experience is quite a good warning against overblowing the awesomeness of the content of your main attraction, but it also shows that at least Edinburgh is trying to compete with the multitude of fashion gatherings happening most weekends a mere 40 miles away...
Tuesday, 9 August 2011
Me on the Internet
So, I had almost forgotten about the possibility of my face appearing on the internet due to the abundance of photographers at fashion week. I'm sure you now know I'm not so keen on the sheer number of them BUT it's not like I'm going to act like a cold bitch by slapping their camera out of their hands as they try to take my picture - plus some of them actually had good chat and insight about fashion, but even they agreed that the streetstyle blogging market is "over-saturated". I'm a follower and lover of such blogs myself but obviously not all of them are of a great quality and personally I prefer the focus to be more on the shows during FW (I also tend to grumble at the celebrity culture surrounding womens week especially but that's perhaps a rant for a later post). Who knows, maybe there's a perfectly good explanation for their numbers - obviously there has been a growing demand for moremoremore pictures of snappy dressers on the streets - and other people are still loving it and don't see it as a minor annoyance like I do?
I have no idea if my images have been popping up elsewhere - Tank were kind enough to tell me who there were and where I could find myself - and even then I only just came across this. Not so easy when not everyone spoke English.
Not very used to smiling on cue so feel free to snigger at my lame attempt at the end of the vid.
In other news, exciting event going on in Edinburgh this weekend. The McQueen tribute bug has hit Scotland and Noir have dedicated their latest event to an evening of McQueen!
I will be there with camera in hand to document all the debauchery!
I hope you're excited...
Still, despite my moaning, it is nice to know that others enjoy your style (but it means less when others take a shot of you just because they see someone else being polite and approaching you..) so I was pleasantly surprised when I saw that my interview with Tank Magazine had been published. Popular outfit that day - not forgetting the lovely shot Jonathan took of me and the boif (linked in my last post - shall not milk it).
I have no idea if my images have been popping up elsewhere - Tank were kind enough to tell me who there were and where I could find myself - and even then I only just came across this. Not so easy when not everyone spoke English.
Not very used to smiling on cue so feel free to snigger at my lame attempt at the end of the vid.
In other news, exciting event going on in Edinburgh this weekend. The McQueen tribute bug has hit Scotland and Noir have dedicated their latest event to an evening of McQueen!
I will be there with camera in hand to document all the debauchery!
I hope you're excited...
Friday, 5 August 2011
I Miss Fashion Week
Finally, the time came when I had to upload my pictures from Paris, even if it took me all night (and it did), unless I wanted to save them for a rainy day for a cheeky reminder nearer to the next season. But I decided that since it's been so long since I've been on holiday, or done anything Fashion related, I would use a few photos in a blog post to remind myself and let everyone else know what I enjoyed most about Mens Fashion Week. We've all seen the shows and reviews (remember that excellent article in the latest issue of Slave Magazine?)so this is merely just a wee trip down a smooth and uncobbled memory lane for all the less than comfortable shoes worn by all the women - the true victims of fashion...
As it's August, I'm already looking forward and ready to request invitations for London Fashion Week in September, and clinging onto the memories of the last one will no doubt make me more eager for the next..
Also, it's always nice to remind ourselves of what sunny weather is like - I'm starting to forget already...
The crowds:
What I like about Mens Week (while others will disagree) is the notably calmer atmosphere. While the carnage and feather-ruffling of Womens Week is entertaining, it is also irritating in equal measures. While you'd like to commend their effort, the words "try" and "hard" inevitably come together for some. You know something is wrong when photobloggers outnumber buyers in their thousands... I like the abundance of black at Mens Week - it's rarely boring when most of those wearing them are effortlessly cool and often mature attendees.
As it's August, I'm already looking forward and ready to request invitations for London Fashion Week in September, and clinging onto the memories of the last one will no doubt make me more eager for the next..
Also, it's always nice to remind ourselves of what sunny weather is like - I'm starting to forget already...
The crowds:
What I like about Mens Week (while others will disagree) is the notably calmer atmosphere. While the carnage and feather-ruffling of Womens Week is entertaining, it is also irritating in equal measures. While you'd like to commend their effort, the words "try" and "hard" inevitably come together for some. You know something is wrong when photobloggers outnumber buyers in their thousands... I like the abundance of black at Mens Week - it's rarely boring when most of those wearing them are effortlessly cool and often mature attendees. Mr Spock at Juun J:
Wait, did I not already talk about this jacket when JP Braganza designed it for his AW 11 collection...?
Wait, did I not already talk about this jacket when JP Braganza designed it for his AW 11 collection...?
The well-used venue of the Maison des Métallos, a really interesting building, except when it's boiling hot and it feels like it was the designer's intention to cook his guests alive. Then I'm not that keen on it.
Friends at Julius:
While the show was so-so (what can we expect, though, if the clothes are only "secondary" in the multidirectional art...thing that is Julius?), it is always pleasant to see friends abroad, as Jonathan rightly said, and due to their front row status, Garçon Jon and Michael appeared in many of my pics. It was very inconsiderate of them, really.
While the show was so-so (what can we expect, though, if the clothes are only "secondary" in the multidirectional art...thing that is Julius?), it is always pleasant to see friends abroad, as Jonathan rightly said, and due to their front row status, Garçon Jon and Michael appeared in many of my pics. It was very inconsiderate of them, really.If I could get my hair to look like this, I would. With Autumn coming up, I could just stand outside in the wind and rain for a few hours. And then just lightly spritz with hairspray to hold. That should do it.
A dark and somewhat disappointing Boris Bidjan Saberi, but highlights included sitting next to mysterious and old cowboy man, allowed into every show, while the reason always eluded me and the names of designers always eluded him. Who is he? Sadly, no photo due to impossibility of taking a photo of someone squeezed in next to you in a dark room without being really obvious with the blinding flash of light as you take a photo of part of his face.
Was happy to see the odd splash of colour here and there, there is a lot of waiting around (everyone's obsessed with being fashionably late) so I spend a lot of time playing with my zoom lens and still not being able to focus when I get into a show.
This guy always had a Hawaiian shirt on. A different one every day. The boif said it was like a big "screw you" to all the solemn fashion folk in their serious blacks. I think it's because they flatter his figure so fabulously. Also would like to know who he is.
This guy always had a Hawaiian shirt on. A different one every day. The boif said it was like a big "screw you" to all the solemn fashion folk in their serious blacks. I think it's because they flatter his figure so fabulously. Also would like to know who he is.The beautiful boys of Demeulemeester. Favourite venue. Favourite show. Will definitely gush more about her in later posts..
Yellow hair at Songzio. A very accomplished collection with beautifully cut jackets. Shame the heat made it difficult to be in an appreciative mood.
Lovely patterned suits at Qasimi. Rest of the collection was a bit too literal at times but these were definitely my favourite. Also the genius notion of having the show in an airy and open pavilion made me even more susceptible to his offerings. Will I get the boif into one? I hear giving up black is hard...
And so we've reached the end of my highlights so far. Did and saw so many other fun things but this was only meant to be a quick tour of my Mens Week experience. Maybe one day I will learn not to wait until I have 600 photos and no free time to get around to processing them all.
As punishment, I have included the most embarrassing portrayal possible and summary of my time in Paris. The sun was shining, the city was romantic, I was on my way to a show and most importantly, I was stuffing my face as usual. Until next time...
Thursday, 4 August 2011
Note to Self - Blog is Back On!
Sooo I would not blame anyone for thinking that this blog more or less (more) defunct now but then I surprise you with another post about how I plan to turn things around very soon. And I am telling you now that I do indeed plan to turn things round with this blog, with new and fresh ideas that I will try my utmost to realise - if I don't, please restrict yourself to one hate mail per reader.
My only poor and feeble excuse about my now well-extended sabbatical is the interference of other aspects of my life - namely graduating and the almost never-ending search for a career job (for now). With that all out of the way, I can finally put myself back in the blog game without feeling like I should be looking for a means to my next meal...
So why have I decided to continue boring the internet fashion community by maintaining my blog? Mainly because it's fun for me (it's all about me me me) but also I have had positive feedback so why the hell not. I have come to realise that a lot of my favourite blogs are more personal, rather than just a review show, so maybe I shall aim to achieve this and show you exciting things from my life, if and when they pop up..
Right, grovelling apology over, what can you expect when you stumble across this sacred URL?
- I intend to add actual pages to this blog and have my portfolio on here too. Model Mayhem was great but not too professional as the only source to my port..
- I WILL start invading other people's wardrobes again and bringing the photographic evidence to you - definitely more to be explored there.
- More personal stuff and maybe even delving beyond the realms of fashion. Then you can decide that actually, I'm not that interesting and a little bit irritating.
- At least one post every week. I'm going to regret adding this to the official list of commitments. I could easily re-edit this post and remove it. A list of three looks better anyway...
All of the above is basically a wordy 'note to self' about how I want this blog to be, but in writing and published so it makes me feel even more guilty about not fulfilling it.
I'm not even going to say something generic like I usually do like "watch this space" because I feel like I need to do a real post imminently or people will never bother with this again, after having read this without some kind of reward at the end...
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