FASHION RANDOMS: I ZIG THEN I ZAG

Posted by Fashion Editor at Large

A random post for a random but good day. #Random 1. I bought a handbag! The first luxury handbag I have purchased in over three years. I first saw it on Saturday at Browns, and it kept calling to me. It is by Balenciaga and is a twist on my favourite Lariat bag from the mid-noughties. When I bought the original in 2006, it was the most I had ever spent on a handbag in my life. My new one is called the "Work" bag, and is larger in dimension than the original Lariat but has the same proportions. The deciding factor for me (there was much humming and  hawwing, this is expensive even with my lucky press discount) was that this specimen does not have the blingy glittery gold studs all over them that the Balenciaga bags of the last few years have been emblazoned with. Also it looks modern yet timeless, the requirement for any really good handbag. 

My lovely new Balenciaga from Browns with my stuff in it

#Random 2. I would like to buy this. It was created in a collaboration between Kristin Knox of The Clothes Whisperer blog and Laure Pariente of Americanretro.fr. Though I think I have both items at home and could create my own.

American Retro/Kristin Knox  

#Random 3. I'm liking zig-zags as a trend for next spring. I loved this print seen at the Loewe showroom in Paris. And Carven (one of my favourite collections for next season) was a zig-zag moment too.  

Loewe's Zig-Zags

Carven's Zig-Zags

FANCY A FLAMENCO?

Posted by Fashion Editor at Large

When I met Stuart Vevers of Loewe recently at the launch of the Spanish luxury brand's flagship boutique in Mayfair it was our chance to have a good old catch up. Since he has moved to Madrid to be the creative director of Loewe he has left a social gap that is nigh on impossible to fill. There are not many fabulously be-spectacled, be-suited secret agent lookalikes with broad Carslisle accents in fashion.

Stuart is a wonderful designer. What he doesn't know about what makes a good handbag would fit on the head of a pin. When he was in London in March we talked handbags (as usual) and while showing me his various spins on the Amazona bag (below, from backstage at his SS11 collection by Jason Lloyd Evans)....

...we also talked about his new handbag launch for Autumn/Winter 2011, the Flamenco. The lucky bag - there's two of them at the top of this post being clutched to model Mariacarla Boscono's naked body for Loewe's new advertising campaign - come in various colour pops and colour block combinations, and it really is as cute and fun as a puppy. As always Stuart has collaborated with Katie Grand, who in turn has worked with her best buddies Mert Alas and Marcus Piggot to realise the images which are currently being released at one a day on Loewe's Facebook page. I like how they used Madrid's Ritz hotel as a backdrop. The Madrid Ritz is the setting for many glamorous goings on that involve Ava Gardner, Ernest Hemingway and Loewe.
The first image from the set is above, now press play to see the fun little film they made showing all the ways you can play with your Flamenco...

SS10 CATWALK: INTRODUCING TRENDS THURSDAY!

Posted by Fashion Editor at Large

Christopher Kane incorporate lingerie detailing into his good-girl-gone-bad collection for SS10

At the end of each month of catwalk shows in February/March and September/October I come home and immediately closet myself in the study to create an enormous and comprehensive trend report. It helps focus the mind on what I've been doing for the previous few weeks. And when intensely using Chris Moore's brilliant catwalking.com you see what you missed in the flash and rush of a runway show. I love Chris.

Yesterday afternoon, while scrolling through my opus to SS10 it occurred to me that I could now serialise my trend report on FEAL. So I welcome you to the very first Trends Thursday!

I'm kicking-off with the mega-trend for lingerie, corsetry, and visible underwear. So many designers picked up on this visible/invisble, body-contouring, uber-feminine trend; each in their own unique way.  Likewise we can also adopt it in our own unique way.

So here is my personal edit. Let the pictures talk to you.

   high fashion super gorge lingerie fashion inspirations for ss10

Sophia Kokosalaki - love the way she has created the corset top with bra detail underneath. SO beautiful.

Loewe - Stuart Vevers mixed orange lace with khaki, a colour blend to take note of, methinks

Just Cavalli - who knew putting a satin bra over a tank could look so sexy.

YSL - this is demure, yet sensible and you don't need to share your midriff with the world

Ferretti - how pretty is this? The lingerie trend can be as sexy or innocent as you want it to be

Dolce Gabbana - I have seen Stefano and Domenico's corsetry up-close, and the workmanship is flawless

Justin and Thea of Preen are superb designers - I love their dresses, and this blends the corsetry theme with a light touch

Jean-Paul Gaultier - hmm. Love this shot. If I was 22 again I would wear this clubbing

The brilliant Giles Deacon corset dress - his SS10 show was my favourite EVER Giles collection. Can't wait to wear it!

Louis Vuitton - just drink in this outfit for a while....The tassled shoes, the duffel, the denim corset. It's brilliant!

 

I was lucky enough to have Antonio Berardi talk me through the making of this corset on Grazia Daily. It was created by hand and then built into the the dress. His work is exquisite and totally contemporary

Bottega Veneta - this is how I will be wearing the lingerie trend. So chic! To me it looks like a new beginning.

Christian Dior - for me John Galliano was on total form for SS10. When I saw this in the showroom, it was actually an all-in-one.

Christian Dior - another one from John. This is a dress, and when I got up-close to it, it looked like a silken treasure from the trousseau of a forties Hollywood starlet that had been re-shaped for the 21st century

Fendi - a modern way of showing the underwear trend.

Dolce Gabbana - love the way they did this play of sheer/opaque goodgirl/badgirl. Modest sexiness is where it's at

After viewing this you should be an expert, and when you see the trend highlighted in print media you can nod sagely and say "Oh yes, I know all about the lingerie trend for SS10!".

Blogging is all about comments, so don't be shy, tell Fashion Editor at Large what you think about all this....



THANKYOU TO CHRIS MOORE & CATWALKING.COM FOR USAGE OF ALL THE LOVELY CATWALK IMAGES