Category Archives: Fashion

How to Pack for a Beach Holiday – Go and Fetch Some Sunshine

Posted on by
Reply

Hey, I’m back!

I am very sorry for having been away for so long, but my schedule has been incredibly busy with that internship I mentioned here. But I’m free again now, so hopefully I should be able to keep you updated more often.

I am not going to get too comfy on this armchair, however, as I am soon to set off for the sandy, sun-kissed shores of Sardinia. With this in mind, I decided to write a post about what to pack on a late summer holiday.

First off: the luggage. If you are away for up to a week, there is no need to have a suitcase to check in. It is going to slow down your arrival and, needless to say, make your travel to and from the airport a lot harder. Get yourself a wheelie bag and a small purse to carry phone, earphones, passport + boarding pass and wallet, so that you’ll be able to fit it into the hand luggage, if needs be. Italian brands Carpisa and United Colors of Benetton are affordable yet very durable.

United Colours of Benetton. The smallest one is the perfect size for a week’s worth of summer clothes.

 

Carpisa. If you prefer a hardware design, this will be ideal.

 Both of these cabin-size bags are soft, which helps with the suitcase stacking, light, durable and have plenty of outside pockets for your book, iPad and camera.

Make sure you pack versatile clothes that can be dressed up or down. A good way to achieve this is to lay your outfits on your bed as you plan them day by day, which helps make matchable clothes stand out. Remember you only have a limited space in your bag so limit shoes to a pair of comfortable sandals to walk around pebbled alleys (which you will probably wear on the plane), a pair of flip flops for the beach and a pair of heels for the evening. With heels, the easier to slip off the better, in case you end up at a bar on a beach, so avoid multiple straps and laces.

Kurt Geiger. Easy chic daily sandals – currently on sale!

 

Miss Trish flip flops.

Developpa Louboutin. These hot wedges have a zip at the back for better wearability.

Make sure to bring a light-weight blazer to wear on the plane to fend off that freezing air con, which can also be used in the evenings when out. Little breezy dresses and short playsuits are great choices to minimise packing and adapt from day- to eveningwear.

L’Agence little white dress. A great day piece, match this buttoned-up dress with a black blazer and the above Louboutins for a clean-cut and trendy evening outfit.

 

Equipment playsuit. Black on yellow is a trend that has been with us from Spring ’12 thanks to Yigal Azrouël, Monique Lhuillier and Oscar de la Renta, and looks lovely on this flowery playsuit.

Don’t forget to pack a canvas, foldable beach bag!

Missoni canvas bag. Very colourful and summery.

 

Finally, pack as many bikinis as you like, they’re only tiny and it’s nice to show off different models when going back to the beach every day.

This Mara Hoffman bikini is one of my favourites for a bunch of reasons, but mostly because it channels the ‘90s trend and has a flattering bralette-shaped top which makes everything stay put and gives it a trendy finish at the back.

Mara Hoffman bikini. This bralette design is unusual and original.

Cold Summer Outfit

Posted on by
4

Believe it or not, being Italian, one of the reasons why I decided to move to the UK was the climate. I never really liked excessively hot weather and where I’m from, that’s what you get from mid-June to early August. I always loved the British summer, with a gentle breeze, a shy sun and the occasional need of a light cardigan.

All this was true until last year. This year, things have changed. We saw one week of scorching heat at the end of May and then back to 10°C, rain and gusts of ice-cold wind. Which means that the sunglasses in my handbag looking at me with hopeful little eyes are completely redundant, just like all my sandals, floaty dresses and summery hats in my room.

To try to raise the morale in my wardrobe, I decided to keep warm while wearing summery colours. So here’s what I put together.

Dust pink silk shirt and cashmere and lace cropped jumper from Italy, pink gold necklace and pendants from Braï Jewellery, leather-look leggings from ebay, pastel-green Superga plimsolls, beige trench coat from Banana Republic and Classic Q Hillier Hobo bag Marc by Marc Jacobs in black with golden hardware.

Marni at H&M Sale – Sometimes They Come Back

Posted on by
9

Firstly, I would like to apologise and say that I know I’ve been terrible for not writing in an age, but I do have a couple of good excuses. Some of my absence can be put down to me being a little poorly. Nothing serious, not kicking the bucket just yet, only nagging little pains that stole all my time as I took partial residency in my doctor’s waiting room. The rest of my time has been absorbed by the editorial internship I’ve been doing at the great Kings Chelsea Magazine, which is launching in June. Yay!

Admittedly, I discovered that adjusting to a full-time shift job and a part-time internship is harder than anticipated, particularly when those two workplaces and my house are based respectively in the south, west and east of London, but it’s definitely worth it. This internship will go on until mid-August, so I am afraid that until then I’ll probably be a little out of sight. But bear with me and after that I shall be even better (or I’ll try, at least). I wish I were doing something a little more senior with my few years of experience as an editor, but sadly, fashion publishing regards itself as a different kettle of fish, and unless you have relevant fashion experience you need to start from the bottom again. So, full to my eyes with humble pie, I ping-pong across London for the best part of my days.

With that out of the way, in the UK, H&M have collected all the neglected leftover Marni stock from the back of their warehouses and placed it on sale. This reminded me how I actually did go on a mission on the line’s launch day and took pictures to write about the collection, but ended up doing nothing with them.

I remember getting to the flagship store on Regent Street at 9 am on the dot, its opening time, and asking what the queuing system was. It soon transpired that I was way too late for their manically organised schedule, and that all the wristbands (colour-coded depending on the time you were supposed to get in) had all already been given to people queuing outside since 7 am.

Anyone with an entry bracelet was placed in a group of a dozen people and had 15 minutes to enter, explore and ransack the designated Marni area, which was a cluttered, crowded, poky little affair of about 2 m2 with naturally very little room to roam around. A man with a headset microphone would aggressively shout “Ten minutes left!” “Five minutes left!” (why the shouting, crazyman Michael? You’re wearing a microphone). Two bouncers were at the edges of the cordoned-off area trying to keep us as far away as possible. Despite sounding like the opposite of offering customers what they want, this schizo approach seemed to work, and by 9:32 another batch of collars was called up as the previous bunch had sold out. For us, bracelet-less civilians, there was little to do but wait until 2 pm, when all the chosen ones had already munched their way through the collection like mice through Edam and we were left with the red wax.

As you can see from the picture, at 2:30 pm the queue outside the Oxford Street shop was still remarkable, despite the poor selection left by hurricane People. I managed to take a few pictures of the whole process but can tell you this is probably the last H&M designer collaboration I am planning to attend.

Sadly, the quality of the pictures is not up to scratch as I also forgot that picnik.com was going to be shut in April. Has anyone got another similar, free website to suggest, please?

Street Style — London Westend

Posted on by
Reply

Vintage YSL blazer; b Store t-shirt; Paul Smith shirt; Jil Sander trousers; Marc by Marc Jacobs socks, Clarks brogues.

Copenhagen Erfurt scarf; River Island skirt; clogs and jacket from Japan; Philippe Roucou bag.

Topshop scarf; Bruuns Bazaar green dress; Joop purple cardigan; vintage lilac dress; Topshop brogues; Jil Sander for Uniqlo coat.

Two Manuelas Are Better than One

Posted on by
6

I recently discovered the designer Manuela Dack. I thought “with such a name, she can only be a winner”. Well, I was right (I don’t know if it’s down to the name, though).

Manuela Dack S/S '12

Manuela graduated from Middlesex University in 2010 and since then she has been a very prolific designer. Her first collection, Autumn/Winter ’11, was discovered at the London Concept store Machine-A and stocked at The Shop at Bluebird on King’s Road. Since then, Manuela received plenty of attention from the press and media, including Elle Japan, Grazia Magazine, Style.it, SHOWStudio, Vogue Italia, Style Bubble, W Magazine and recently The Independent and Fashion Editor at Large (Grazia’s fashion editor Melanie Rickey’s blog). And it’s easy to see why. This hot new talent’s signature elements are silk and leather layering, embellishment and texture. Her elegant style is clean despite including several intricate craft detailing, such as dreamlike hand-dyeing, embroidery and beaded fringing.

Manuela Dack S/S '12

Her Spring/Summer ’12 collection is astounding: cascading silk layers ripple ethereally like in her second film collaboration, a short video which was directed by artist Max Langlands and that focuses on the sculptural and shape aspects of clothing. British-made, delicate lace and digitally printed leather (cowhide is printed to look like stingray to keep things ethical) are juxtaposed in a natural and breezy colour palette to create a minimalistic and sophisticated collection.

The inspiration for this collection came from the designer’s childhood on the Caribbean Island of Grand Cayman. The sea, colours and textures of the Caribbean, along with the island’s traditional craft techniques, play a very strong role in influencing this collection. And the perfectionist obsession of the attention to detail, which sees beading and hand-dyeing all done in-house, the label’s production kept within the UK and the inclusion of British craft work, can only guarantee wonderfully high-quality product standards, which puts this young newcomer to the same level of high-end designers.

Manuela Dack S/S '12

Her Autumn/Winter ’12 sees the return of her inspiring outerwear, which features a powerful feminine silhouette with a focus on detail. This latest collection was inspired by a collection of carved and inlaid wooden boxes owned by the designer, which transpired in the design through cut-away leather and with an angular uniform silhouette in contrast to spring/summer’s relaxed vibe.

Manuela Dack A/W '12

Manuela won London and Paris Fashion Week Sponsorship for Autumn/ Winter 2012 from Vauxhall Fashion Scout and the Center of Fashion Enterprise and her new pieces from the S/S ’12 collection are being stocked by The Shop at Bluebird, where they seemed only too happy to take her design on board for a second time.

Manuela Dack A/W '12

Manuela Dack A/W '12

Ideal Love a New Purchase

Posted on by
4

End of the month = payday = shopping!

I’ve been on the lookout for something to buy for a while now (who am I lying to? I already had plenty of options in mind). It must be the spring-like, sun-lit, mild and breezy weather London is giving us of late, or all of these bright and rich colours invading every shop and clothes website. Whatever it is, we are all dying to inject some colour and new shapes into our wardrobes, so I thought I’d take a look at what’s cool and write a little list to give some inspiration, in case any of you was feeling stuck for ideas.

First of all: think mint. It is absolutely everywhere and my friend Sara is delighted as it’s her favourite colour. Just thinking of the high street, I saw this pale green shade in Topshop, Dorothy Perkins, Zara, Accessorize+Monsoon and Pull&Bear, just to name a few.

Topshop bow sleeve mint blouse – £36

I thought the following top was probably the easiest option to wear this colour, so you could team it with pretty much anything under the sun.

I chose this mini skirt below because it encompasses two different trends which are huge at the moment and will remain with us through the spring and summer: the Aztec print and the pastel colours (and it goes with the top!)

Zara embroidered mini skirt – £29.99

I love Zara too much. And this skirt is edgy, short, cool and cute. It’s all you need, can’t beat it.

The Aztec print is also featured on this snuggly little jumper. It’s the first time I see neon colours toned down a little to make them look paler, and thought it was different and cool. I need it to wear it over my denim shirt, paired with shorts.

River Island fluorescent print jumper – £38

…And that’s when I got the email from Moda Operandi with a preview of the new Marc by Marc Jacobs FW 2012, Marc by Marc Jacobs FW Accessories 2012 and Jason Wu Accessories. So I absolutely had to share.

This sleeveless, round neck velvet cocktail dress has a quirky geometric waistline and an eyelet embroidered skirt, with a silk lining. The colour looks nice and rich and the velvet does not look too thick, preventing the frumpy look that this fabric can give at times. I can see this piece working with contrasting accessories. The red socks really complemented the look and were matching the red lips on the catwalk.

Marc by Marc Jacobs Valentina Velvet Dress – US$628. Picture source: modaoperandi.com

Très chic! I love this tri-tone satchel. It features a snake inspired laser cut suede panel on the front flap and the caramel, mauve and shocking pink work perfectly together.

Marc by Marc Jacobs Flipping Out Satchel – US$528. Picture source: modaoperandi.com

And last but not least…These burgundy velvet loafers feature varnish red details and a low stacked heel, very comfy and easy to wear with ankle-grazer trousers, slim-fit midi skirts, shorts and mini skirts.

Jason Wu little emperor loafers – US$630. Picture source: modaoperandi.com

I now feel super impatient about getting a hold on those FW collections – skip the summer, I want a new MbMJ bag!

Machines and Lights: An Interview with Designer Sarmite Ostanevica

Posted on by
Reply

Last Thursday I attended a fashion exhibition showcasing Sarmite Ostanevica’s A/W ’12 collection called Automatic. The show was held at Testbed 1, a big ex-factory building in Battersea. It was organised by the designer herself and supported by my friend Melanie at the World Photography Organisation. The exhibition was very unusual, with the whole collection displayed in amazing pictures on the walls all over the venue, and a few sample pieces hung on a rail under multicoloured neon lights. I had the luck to interview the designer about this exhibition, and this is what she revealed.

Designer Sarmite Ostanevica

Neon lights

DfD: How did you come up with the idea to hold a fashion show in such a different, innovative and exciting way, rather than having a simple catwalk show?

SO: I quite often get contacted by photographers who want to shoot my previous collections, so I thought why not use my newest material to create an exhibition with it! And what’s the point in having all the work in a portfolio which you only show to certain contacts and not to the public? You know, around here tonight we have real public. So much work goes towards it and it’s worth sharing it.

Photographs by Carine Ottou

Photograph by Gina Amama

Photographs by Johan Paul Hion

DfD: Does this exhibition include just your Automatic collection?

SO: Yes, it does.

The Automatic collection

DfD: And are you enjoying it here today?

SO: Yes, I am, because I hadn’t seen any of the photographers’ work until today so it’s very exciting for me.

DfD: I know you’re from Latvia. Can you give me a bit more background about yourself? Where did you study and why did you decide to move to the UK?

SO: I moved to London because I wasn’t sure what to study, and once here it didn’t take me long to realise that I should study fashion. And that was an adventure for me, to see how I’d get to study and learn in a foreign country. I worked with a lot of people for free to learn the trade. I studied at Kensington and Chelsea College, and took some courses at St Martin’s College.

DfD: Where do you get your inspiration from?

SO: In terms of this particular collection, the inspiration was quite unusual. Automatic comes from motors and engines, but inspiration can come from anywhere. It is something that comes from your mind, something that you want to discover and at this point I decided I’d discover something about mechanics and machines! (laughs)

Sketches for the collection

DfD: Why not! All the luxe and metallics recall that theme.

SO: Yes, I tried to keep colours and tones quite neutral, look on the obviously metallic colours and tried to play around with the combinations. But I think cuts and shapes are the most important aspect of this collection.

A few samples

Organza top

Bronze silk top

DfD: How do shapes relate to the theme?

SO: As a designer it’s quite difficult to explain how I got to the final products. You see some images, like I have, and they will reflect in the designs. I studied and looked at motors for many days, and to begin with it was really complicated to see something out of it but then after a week or so you choose some shapes from it which you’d like to use in your designs.

Round-neck sleeveless black top

DfD: Do you retail anywhere?

SO: I do retail in Latvia at the moment. I’m sourcing for retailers in Europe but I understand especially now with this economic climate that it’s not going to happen overnight. But I’m open to suggestions.

Detail from a silk top

Detail from a wool and silk top

DfD: What other projects are you planning to work on soon?

SO: Oh I have so many! I’m going to keep it as a bit of a secret. The fact is that I am social, I have hundreds of ideas and contacts and it’s hard to choose the right one. But at least that means I never find myself in a situation where I’m stuck and I have nowhere to go. I have hundreds of options and connections.

DfD: Are you interested in other forms of art and design?

SO: I do paint a little bit. I love various art directions. This time I chose photography to express the collection.

DfD: So we just need to watch this space really, right? You might use painting to showcase the next collection!

SO: Nice one, we’ll see…

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Marc by Marc Jacobs Sunglasses to Support The Nature Conservancy

Posted on by
Reply

I love Marc Jacobs, not only because he provided me with the best bag I’ve ever owned and which I use pretty much every single day on this earth, but because Marc Jacobs loves nature.

Indeed, Marc by Marc Jacobs chic, vintage-inspired eyewear, is derived from a company well-known for a commitment to charitable projects. This new collection supports The Nature Conservancy, the conservation organisation working around the world to protect ecologically important lands and water through a newly created programme called Plant a Seed – Grow Your Tree and Save the Forest. The programme is aimed at promoting and supporting The Nature Conservancy’s Plant a Billion Trees campaign through an important awareness-raising activity for the preservation of our planet’s natural resources. The campaign’s mission is to protect and restore the Atlantic Forest in Brazil, one of the world’s most endangered tropical forests. To date, only 12% of its original area remains and only 7% is well conserved.

At the centre of this worthwhile project are Marc by Marc Jacobs MMJ 261/s bio-based sunglasses, made from a material derived from castor-oil seeds. The chocolate-coloured sunglasses, which feature leaf-textured temples and brown gradient lenses, are packaged in a chic case made from repurposed leather. In support of this project, Marc by Marc Jacobs will make a contribution to The Nature Conservancy to support the restoration of the Atlantic Forest.

A dedicated website for the project provides full details about the campaign and enables site visitors to plant a virtual tree and make it grow. A Facebook application will allow visitors to invite their friends and involve them in the project: a tangible and lasting involvement in an important environmental cause.

Marc by Marc Jacobs eyewear and sunglasses collections are manufactured and distributed by Safilo Group, a company based in Padua, Italy, which is the second-largest manufacturer of eyewear products worldwide and is the world leader in the premium eyewear market.

A Quick Look into the Italian Fashion Scene

Posted on by
Reply

I’ve recently got back from Genoa, Italy, where I went to visit my family. That little trip inspired me in putting together a super brief list of my very favourite designers who are either up-and-coming or established but still fairly obscure to the British audience.

PENNYBLACK is produced and distributed by Manifatture del Nord, one of the companies which belong to the Max Mara Fashion Group. Born in 1978, PENNYBLACK is characterised by a sophisticated yet easy-to-wear style. They utilise high-quality materials and pay great attention to detail, and their international team of innovative designers constantly create fresh looks which quickly become modern classics.

PENNYBLACK

PENNYBLACK

Claudia Tacchella is a young designer who lives and works in Milan and currently collaborates with Flashstone, another name to make note of. Her latest standalone collection was called Chromophobia, and it featured monochrome contrasts, elegant cuts in faux leather, black sheer micronet and crisp white silk. Different textures and contrasting fabrics are juxtaposed to highlight curves and blazers feature strong, structured shoulders to balance hyper-feminine hips wrapped in tight skirts and leggings. Claudia explains that inspiration for this collection was drawn from the apartheid and the contrasting roles of the white and black races. The designer said the aim of this collection was to recall through the garments the feeling of the rigidity of the segregation and, at the same time, the freedom that ensued.

One of Claudia Tacchella's designs.

Giuro Che Domani Smetto (GCDS), literally ‘I swear I’ll give it up tomorrow’, was developed from an idea by Veronica Massa, Walter D’Aprile e Vincenzo Paccone. GCDS is a journey through one-night parties which are accompanied by a clothing line. Every party tells the story of each one of us, who after excess drinking and ‘good times out’ reflect on the possibility of quitting the party lifestyle. These parties take place in Naples one Saturday per month. Tailored videos are created for each party, which encourage the people attending to take part in the next event. The clothing line that accompanies the events is GCDS’s second means of communication. Through the T-shirts, which are becoming increasingly fashionable, they communicate the main message of each event. They are ironic and mock many of the classic situations that take place during nightlife and partying. Next to the simple black or white Tees features also a more complex, edgy line: Giuro Che Domani Smetto Wardrobe, which is like a little trunk filled with unisex clothing through which men and women alike can swap clothes.

GCDS

Max & Co. is by far and away my favourite, favourite Italian brand, and every time I go to Italy I spend a small fortune in their shop in central Genoa.  Max & Co. also belongs to the Max Mara Fashion Group and was born in 1986. The lines are clean and fuss-free but at the same time edgy and stylish. The designs are classic and modern at the same time and extremely easy to wear. These guys know how to do justice to the Italian sartorial tradition with a very high attention to detail and only the best materials. The quality is outstanding and the designs are always on trend.

Max & Co.

Max & Co.

These are my top four favourite Italian designers/labels. Which are yours? Do you have any new names to suggest?

Marni for H&M 2012 – Something to be Looking Forward to

Posted on by
2

Another fashion post and yet another collaboration. On 8 March 2012 H&M will present its new collection jointly with Italian-Swiss high-end designer Marni. This exciting range will include all the staple styles and elements of this truly eclectic designer house. With strong utilitarian shapes, the new men’s and women’s collection will include on-trend block heels and wedges, precious-looking ethnic accessories next to plastic ones, colour blocking as long as big, playful, clashing prints juxtaposition and bold African-inspired prints.

The Marni brand was launched in 1994 by Lugano-based couple Consuelo and Gianni Castiglioni as a side business from Gianni’s fur company. Since then they have created a modern yet classic look that is constantly chic and at the same time cool and have had their collections photographed by many big names, among which Mario Testino.

H&M has previously collaborated with Karl Lagerfeld, Stella McCartney, Comme des Garçons, Jimmy Choo and Lanvin. Their current collaboration with Versace is in shops now and the Marni collection will be sold in 260 stores worldwide and online.

Despite generally feeling wary about H&M designer collaborations, which I often find overpriced and of poor quality if a little overrated, I am sure this new collection is a breath of fresh air and definitely something to be looking forward to.