H&M POUR ISABEL MARANT ON EBAY: IS IT WORTH IT?

Posted by Bethan Holt, Junior Fashion Editor at Large

 A natural part of the life cycle of an H&M collaboration is the furious eBaying which ensues the moment it goes on sale. And so it has been with the launch of Isabel Marant's collection today. I've just got back into the office having been out all day to discover that the current asking price on the tuxedo jacket (retail price £79.99) is up to £900. The fringed boots which are one of the star items of the range would have set back sharp elbowed shoppers £149.99 this morning but can now be snapped on up eBay for £400. 

Just a thought but checking out the latest real deal Marant buys on Matches and Net-a-Porter shows that for £725 you could pick up a sleek pair of boots and still have change from the £900 you were going to spend on the blazer. Or perhaps get some Bekett's for £30 less than the collab boots on eBay. It's a fraught kind of fashion maths which would be ripe for some sort of physiological experiment. When there's this kind of shopping moment does our appetite for the "real" thing dull compared to the need for the limited edition piece?

GET THIS…

 OR THIS…


 AND GET THIS

OR THIS...

ISABEL MARANT X H&M: PARISIAN BOHO CHIC WE CAN AFFORD

Posted by Bethan Holt, Junior Fashion Editor at Large

Isabel Marant in Paris at the launch of her H&M collection today

As fashion legend goes, Isabel Marant is one of the coolest designers around, totally au fait with having her photo taken without a scrap of make-up on, hair mussed into bun and wrapped in a big, old jumper you or I might reserve for Sunday afternoons. She is nonchalant where the rest of us might be control-freakish and overprepared. In fact, Isabel Marant is so cool that she has practically invented a whole new definition for the word. And so it comes of something of a surprise for her to admit that the reason she finally plumped to join H&M for their next designer collaboration is that slightly nerdish phenomenon, fanmail. "It made sense for me to do this collection for the people who love me; they send me letters telling me how much they love my clothes" explained Marant at the preview of her H&M collection which launches with a party in Paris tonight before going on sale on November 14th. So touched is Marant by the contents of her mail bag that she is compiling a book of "all the super-sweet letters I have received".

By the looks of the H&M collection, Marant is about to add to her fan base. Unlike many of the other designers who have worked with H&M (Donatella Versace and Karl Lagerfeld, for example), she is not a celebrity in her own right. Those beyond the fashion world might know Marant's name, but perhaps more as a by-word for the very particular way of dressing which her brand had engendered. H&M call it "boho elegance and rock'n'roll nonchalance" but you only have to look at Emmanuelle Alt, Gwyneth Paltrow or Kate Bosworth to see it in action. And beyond that, anyone who's considered a wedge trainer or ankle boot, a laced leather trouser or anything Navajo has come under the Marant influence, even if they don't know it. It's actually this group which she is keen to reach by designing for the high street- "It's a good way for me to remind everyone that it was me who made these things". It's crystal clear that Marant is a bit pissed off with seeing girls walking around in second (or even third/fourth) rate copies of the products which she calls her "kids".

Although there's not a wedge trainer in sight in the H&M collection, there is a brilliant selection of beautiful, instantly distinctive Isabel Marant greatest hits. Those fringed wedge boots have been reinterpreted in two-tone suede and leather. Then there's a huge selection of ikat printed skirts, loose slouchy trousers and tiered dresses. There are several versions of the super skinny, slightly cropped and zipped trousers which come coated (in red, white and black) rather than the original leather. Among the most fabulous components are sparkling going out clothes; sequinned leggings, a shrug-on silver jacquard bomber and several of those super-sexy teeny weeny mini dresses which appear in each and every Marant catwalk show.

Marant for kids

Isabel Marant jumper- supposedly for kids.

Isabel Marant kids denim jacket

She has also taken this chance to expand her horizons beyond womenswear into men's and kids'- please can somebody photograph a Marant clad family? As with everything Marant, her approach to this new venture came from her everyday experiences; "My husband (the accessories designer Jerome Dreyfuss) often takes my jeans and sweaters- our bodies are the same. Of course, I borrow his clothes too. I think it's very contemporary to share a closet'. The result is a menswear collection which doesn't look so very dissimilar to the womenswear, with plenty of chunky knits, embroidered jeans and slouchy boots making the cut. The savviest of shoppers will be buying bits from across the gender/ age categories. I'll be snapping up the tea dress from the women's collection along with one of the men's sweaters and perhaps even a shrunken little denim jacket or tie-dye skater shoes from the kids range (sizes go up to a generous age 14/ shoes size 39). Marant, meanwhile, might need to buy a bigger postbox.

AIME GOES TO REDCHURCH STREET

Posted by Bethan Holt, Junior Fashion Editor at Large

In the same week that Aimé, the boutique which introduced Isabel Marant to London, opened a new outpost in Shoreditch, H&M announced that their latest designer collaboration would be with.... Isabel Marant. You might think that Val Heng-Vong, who founded Aimé in Notting Hill with her sister Vanda fifteen years ago, might be indifferent to Marant's new venture. But indifference would be the attitude of a mere stockist, someone who just sells Marant. It's quite clear though that Val lives and breathes the Marant life which we are all getting so excited about being able to buy into for £30 come November. "The collaboration is great. Isabel is a real artist. Even now that she's under so pressure, she never has a bad season" Val tells me, just days after the announcement, "she always has what you want. She's amazing."

Isabel Marant at Aimé, Redchurch Street

More Marant at Aimé

In many ways, Isabel Marant's story underlines why you should be excited about the opening of Aimé on Redchurch Street. They brought her to the UK in the early days, so we can probably trust them to introduce equally exciting discoveries as they make them. The boutique is about a lot more than the impeccable Marant edit. There are plenty of other labels too which Val and Vanda scout out when they go back to Paris-"We love Merci", Val says. Don't we all? Masscob, with its silky printed pieces, and Forte Forte (think light, crisp boho summer dresses) were looking particularly great when I visited last week. The new store isn't a straightforward copy of its Notting Hill sister, there's a bespoke edit for the "young and creative" new customers who will undoubtedly be passing by as well as some great homeware including glass, prints and chairs. The decision to open was easy, the sisters simply couldn't find their favourite labels over East.

A great silky jacket by Masscob

Aimé has evolved with the Notting Hill times over the years. "When we opened the only other shops in the area were antiques and newsagents, it's changed a lot" Val says of Ledbury Road, where Matches and Village Bicycle are now among their neighbours, as well as their kids shop Petit Aimé . Redchurch Street could be going the same way. It's a sleek area already, backing onto Shoreditch House with Aesop and APC among the others along the road. There's a huge building project going on just down from Aimé and there have been rumours that the likes of Prada and Christian Louboutin have their eye on spaces on the street. When I went for the store's launch, it was bustling. A crepe van was parked outside, people were hanging out on the sweet little bench at the front of the shop. You can imagine it being quite a hub.

Like all the best shops, Aimé is about more than products. Val is acutely aware of the thrown together yet immaculate Parisienne chic thing whose poster girls are Marant and Emmanuelle Alt and of which she and her sister are possibly London's most authentic example."We're pretty classic in our style, it's the grooming which is important. You would so rarely see a Parisienne with chipped nails, or anything like that. It's how we grew up" explains Val when she's asked to proffer advice on style. She can't sell you her elegant but ruffled brunette hair, nor her bright skin. But her Isabel Marant embroidered top is hanging on the rails in Redchurch Street right now.

DECEMBER 1st: IT'S THE FEAL ADVENT CALENDAR!

Posted by Bethan Holt Fashion Junior at Large

As if you needed further reminder, today is the 1st day of December which means the official countdown to Christmas can begin- hurrah! This advent time we will be bringing you a new fabulous product each day- it may be a very practical item to add to your Santa's list or a completely fantastical, escapist fantasy of a purchase to give you a moment's respite from pre-christmas to-do lists.

Christmas is traditionally a time for charitable sharing as well as luxe item lusting and our very first choice combines the two rather appropriately. As well as being the first day of Christmas countdown, it is also World Aids Day today. Gap has been playing its part for a few years now with its (red) collection. Back in October, I got massively overexcited when I heard Gap were collaborating with Isabel Marant. Sadly, a range was not to be but this t-shirt is Marant's contribution to raising funds for this extremely worthy cause. 50% of profits made from the t-shirt will be going towards the continuing fight to eliminate AIDS- a very worthy start to the festivities.

Isabel Marant t-shirt  £24.50 from gap.eu and Gap stores

'I won't be a rock star. I will be a legend'... Freddie Mercury

HI-TOPPING (or why you will really, really want these sneakers)

Posted by Fashion Editor at Large

Here at FEAL, we are noticing a change in the tides when it comes to shoes. They're starting to migrate towards being comfortable, wearable and cool, rather than fierce, fetishistic and impossibly uncomfortable. The hi-top trainer with hidden wedge heel is a case in point. Yes I know this is similar in concept to what Tom Cruise wears to disguise his lack of height. Well, we admit it, women want to look taller without wearing heels too. These make our legs look longer, while also making us look like we are wearing flats when we are not. Cool by me. Isabel Marant's fashion badge-of-honour Bekket hi-top wedge sneaker are sold out globally right now, (there are many of us hoping for replenishment). I can't remember a time when I've seen one product so resolutely SOLD OUT. In fact I would go so far as to say the hi-top with hidden wedge is the casual shoe of this moment, and promises to be even hotter for spring 2012...


The Marant Bekkets in Paris  (Image from thisisayes.com)

The Bekket's are more New York gangsta than Parisian as they are super chunky with the wedge pretty much hidden. In Paris I lost count of the number of pairs I spotted, and tbh they've been popular since summer 2010, but now they have gone bonkers.

Isabel Marant Bekket hi-top hidden wedge sneakers. No, you can't have a pair.

The Italian company Ash, quite possibly the original purveyors of the style, have got lots of different variations on their Thelma wedge hi-top and a few of the more summery colourways are reduced at the moment. They have also just launched "Birdy" below, which comes in several colours, and is according to their Marylebone branch, selling our fast online and instore. I'm into the Biba style, which they promise is coming in the next couple of weeks

The "Birdy" by Ash. £189. Just in, and IN STOCK!

The Biba by Ash, coming soon... http://www.ashfootwear.co.uk/

If you are willing to wait, however, Marc by Marc Jacobs have a whole range of said sneakers in its Spring collection.

Marc by Marc Jacobs hi-top wedge for SS12, they will come in many colour combinations

TopShop & co I think you need to get on the job immediately. Surely there are some sneakers just like this in your archive? I'm sure I had a pair when I was 14 from C&A Clockhouse that I wore with candystripe legwarmers...

IN GRAZIA THIS WEEK....

Posted by Fashion Junior at Large

We still cannot get over our Isabel Marant obsession. Our fringe-boot lust seems to reach new heights every day.

We couldn't fit this amazing shearling on the page but we still wanted to share it with you. We're thinking white patchwork mega coat plus burgundy leather skinnies plus white fringe boots equals AW11 Marant heaven.

The Kristin shearling is £665 at Selfridges

The Fashion Editor at Large also has her own column this week in which she spills the beans on the new fashion stalking/shopping obsession that is http://hardlyeverwornit.com/ . Click in to play 'Guess the previous owner' on items such as a vintage mink bolero (Ms Moss maybe?). The FashEd is also boldly stepping forth into AW with a full-on snake print look which she carries off rather fabulously don't you think?

ISABEL MARANT: THE HOTNESS CONTINUES

Posted by Fashion Editor at Large

Isabel Marant is one of those designers who has kinda been blinkered to her success for years, but on purpose. She doesn't really want to know about the fashion world and all that. She knows a certain kind of girl/woman loves her clothes, but she keeps to herself, and is famously anti the Internet. The first online retailer she worked with was Net-a-Porter but she only joined them last year, ten years later than everyone else, and only because Natalie Massenet and Holli Rogers politely stalked her until she gave in.

This portrait comes from an excellent Australian fashion magazine called Russh

Now it seems the British public have politely stalked her and she has given in again - it was announced today that on a date in the near future Isabel Marant will open her first London boutique at 24 Bruton Street, on the same run of shops as Maison Martin Margiela and Stella McCartney. Cue a lot of happy Twitterers this morning, including me.

Though the reality is I could only afford one item a season, and I would have to really, really love and want to get a lot of wear from said item as Marant is not cheap. According to one report, the lease is costing £750,000 over 15 years, or £50 grand a year. Judging by my calculations that means Isabel Marant needs to sell 51.55 pairs of her new knee high fringed boots at £970 (see below, with the gorgeous pocahontas fringed dress that has a waiting list at Matchesfashion.com) to cover that off. That won't be hard, fashionistas are positively drooling over her latest Navajo inspired collection. A cosy patterned Navajo jumper is one of the most popular pieces (patterned knitwear is having a major high fashion resurgence for Autumn) and on waiting lists at Liberty (where stock goes on the shop floor, Thursday).

Tunic £1190 from www.matchesfashion.com (image via Catwalking.com)  

Isabel says things like "I don't belong to the generation of spending time on the internet,"  (she is 44) and "My collections remain very personal, even if there is a certain evolution within my design. I’m trying to cultivate the cosy, elegant attitude that is always mine." And the most interesting: "I'm quite anti-consumerist. Its difficult for me to be a designer in an industry I don't like."

THE boots, also available in cream

This introverted attitude clearly works for her, as Isabel is producing massively successful collections. In fact for about the tenth season in a row, Isabel has got a very desirable, trend-setting, sexy and and popular collection on her hands. This shot of french Vogue Editor-in-chief Emanuelle Alt wearing another suede fringed tunic from the AW11 collection popped up online yesterday. Lets not forget Alt used to be the brand's stylist and Alt's husband, Franck Durand, is the artistic director of the Marant company.

How divine does Alt look in this? (Via stylecaster.com)

So now onto the pieces that have got the fashion-lovers in a tizz of acquisition. Of course I can see exactly why, but I'm not going to get swept up in it all (she lied..)
THE ESSENTIAL MARANT/ AW11

Jumper £445 from Liberty- Arrives Thursday (Image via catwalking.com)

Necklace £485 at www.matchesfashion.com (Image via catwalking.com)

Feather tunic £265 from www.matchesfashion.com (Image via catwalking.com)

The Nelcie Dress £695 from www.matchesfashion.com. All arriving in September! (Image via catwalking.com)