FRIDAY FASHION TO-DO LIST

Posted by Bethan Holt, Junior Fashion Editor at Large

FEAL is off to Paris for a few days so expect updates on our escapades while we're there. In the meantime, here are three fashion things to do now...

1. GET TO SOMERSET HOUSE FOR YOUR FLYKNITS

Nike do a brilliant job of creating real excitement around their brand and product launches. Next week, they're bringing the new Flyknit Lunar1+ to the good people of London with a big event at Somerset House. Pop in and get the supremely cool knitted trainers steamed to fit your feet then take off on a run in which you'll 'explore the city in a whole new way'. The experience will be based in the courtyard of Somerset Houseand you'll also get to see lots of inspiring outakes from Nike's running history. The experience is open all day from 9-6. Go, go, go.

2. BUY A BLACKSCORE T-SHIRT

The slogan tee thing is completely huge right now. Every other street style picture is a girl with a kooky phrase or wittily altered slogan plastered across her chest. The latest, and sweetest, version of the trend comes from Blackscore who have produced Cara Delevingne and Jourdan Dunn tees. The man behind Blackscore is Simeon Farrar, whom I had the pleasure of interviewing sometime back. He is both an artist and a fashion designer who brings a great sense of beauty and fun to whatever he does. That's what is so great about these tees; they're whimsical rather than confrontational. Get yours here 

Queen Delevingne tee £30

3.  FAMILIARISE YOURSELF WITH THE NEW BALENCIAGA

Alexander Wang showed his debut collection for Balenciaga yesterday. Rather than going completely mad for it, as one might a Wang bag, most commentators have been measured, calling it "a confident, uncomplicated debut" (Jess Cartner-Morley in The Guardian) and "quietly respectful" (Hamish Bowles on US Vogue). From my chair, it looks like terribly complicated stuff made to seem simple, see the knits made to look like crackled leather (that detail via Cathy Horyn on Twitter). The detail I am most obsessed with  is how the catwalk images were taken with a mirror behind the models so that you can see front and back views at once, genius.

Front view/ back view Balenciaga AW13

FASHION EXHIBITION NEWS: VALENTINO IS COMING TO LONDON

Posted by Bethan Holt, Fashion Junior at Large

Gowns displayed in Rome, 2007 from the Valentino archive in his favourite colour red (image from nytimes.com)

A very quick post from me today as I have just got back from Eton Dorney where I saw Katherine Grainger and Anna Grainger storm to a brilliant victory in their race to win Gold while Alan Campbell, Geroge Nash and William Satch came in to take Bronze in their races- it was just awesome. This made me think that post-Olympics London is going to be rather miserable. Then, I remembered that London Fashion Week is just around the corner and then we have privilege of welcoming Valentino: Master of  Couture in November. Somerset House is taking on what will surely be one its biggest fashion exhibitions to date, complete with 60 metre catwalk and gowns spanning the career of (now retired) Valentino Garavani. The seminal Rome 2007 exhibition of Garavani's work is one every fashion lover wishes they'd seen. Some were lucky enough to have that opportunity but those of us who missed out will now get the chance to see the work one of the Emperor/ Master himself in the city which is arguably the fashion world's creative hotbed right now.

"An evening dress that reveals a woman's ankles while walking is the most disgusting thing I have ever seen"
I adore the Valentino: The Last Emperor documentary which followed Garavani in the run-up to the Rome exhibit and his retirement. In this excerpt, there is a beautiful mid-air performance from dancers dressed in Valentino gowns. Enjoy!

Valentino: Master of Couture, is at Somerset House, London from 29 November to 3 March

HEADONISM: GETTING HATTY WITH IT

Posted by Fashion Editor at Large

I love a hat. I bought one the other day with cat ears on it. It's by Marie Mercie of Paris bought at Browns Focus (see below). When I first put it on, Mary was like, "errrr...have you lost the plot?" There were sniggers from a couple of 15 year old girls, but soon enough they were asking to try it on. Five minutes later I was clucking for it to come back to me. Wearing it gave me a buzz of fashion excitement I haven't felt for a while. It reminded me that I suit hats and that wearing one can offer a different perspective on life. Every time he sees me Philip Treacy says "Melanie, you have the perfect face for a hat." I bet he says that to everyone, but still :)

Self-portrait in the car with Walter

My hat in black, from Browns

Hats are big news for Fall/Autumn 2011.  Fedoras are everywhere courtesy of Frida Giannini's stellar and mega-influential Gucci show, but "novelty" hats are really taking headgear fashion to a new place.  As such, it was interesting to note that popping up as a last minute addition to the London Fashion Week schedule on Friday evening is Headonism, the BFC initiative curated by Stephen Jones which celebrates the new wave of emerging London milliners.

The hatters invited by Mr. Jones to take part all come from the "novelty" school. They are Charlie Le Mindu, J Smith Esq, Noel Stewart and Piers Atkinson. I put the word novelty in inverted commas because, well hats in themselves are a novelty today aren't they? Not like back-in-the-day when everyone wore hats. Both Coco Chanel and Halston began their careers as milliners; such was the demand for hats for every occasion from the 1910s to the 1960s. If a hat has cat ears, is made of hair (Charlie le Mindu) or a barbie doll, it is a double novelty, but somehow this makes them easier to wear now.  Like "I know I'm wearing a hat, it's a novelty, and because it is such a novelty I'll wear one that has novelty value." It certainly seems to be working for Piers Atkinson.

Piers Atkinson's I Heart Anna hat, part of his Spring/Summer 2012 collection to be showcased this Friday night (16th September) at Headonism, curated by Stephen Jones OBE, at Somerset House

I'm something of  Piers Atkinson fan, and am looking forward to his salon show with a performance by lovely Paloma Faith next Monday evening. I also rather adore this piece from his new collection for SS12. Last season he riffed on the word "Paris." This season it's Anna. Here I leave you for a few lines of his press release, mainly because this is exactly how my brain processed the "Anna" connection... and it made me laugh.

"BUT – which Anna? Fashion’s most famous: Anna Wintour?! Or Atkinson’s muse: Dello Russo? Does the blue hint at Piaggi? Or is it the British Fashion Council’s most international of Annas; Orsini? Could he mean our very own styliste-de-jour, Anna Trevelyan? Or, most likely, is Atkinson celebrating them all?!"

Now I've taken the plunge with my Marie Mercie Paris hat, it is only a matter ot time before the Givenchy hat below comes into my possesion. And the glasses.... I love love love this!

Givenchy backstage FW11, by Catwalking.com

An evening with the milliners, hosted by the BFC and Ascot Racecourse will be held Friday 16th September from 5-7pm, in the Embankment Galleries, with a speech from Stephen Jones OBE.

FASHION JUNIOR'S LFW ROUND-UP

Posted by Fashion Junior at Large

TRENDS TASTER:

 The conspicuous zip...

 

Burberry Prorsum

Bryce Aime

Anything sheeny, shiny and metallic...

 

Aquascutum

 

Matthew Williamson

The shearling jacket...

Julien Macdonald

Burberry Prorsum

FASHION WEEK FUEL:

Fashion week sponsors, Mercedes Benz, put these much appreciated hampers in the boot of their cars. I think everybody had one too many jelly babies. Thank god also for the coffee carts and the Topshop Hot Choc Stop in the courtyard at Somerset House.

FASHION EXTREMEISTS:

These two were causing quite the reaction all over town. Who are they? What do they do? I'm desperate to know!

COOLEST INVITATION:

Ashish's paper boat was my favourite.

MOST CONTROVERSIAL COLLECTION:

 

Fashion Editor at Large loved Meadham Kirchhoff's AW10 collection for its brave rawness. Others were not so keen.

BEAUTY TRENDS:

Firstly buns - every other person was rocking one. This was my effort.

Secondly red hair. At one show I counted 10 redheads in my immediate vicinity. Is Florence Welch to blame?

SECRETS OF THE FASHION WEEK VENUES:

Underneath all the gloss this week I saw flashes of London's history. Down in the under-belly of Somerset House - in the passages which host the Fashion East show - are graves. In the deeds of the building this area is referred to as 'The Dead House'. Creepy!

Vauxhall Fashion Scout moved to the Freemason's Hall this season, and the girls who write the VFS blog spotted this. On first impressions it's a painting of King Edward VII, but look at it in a different light and a second face appears.

LIFE SAVING PRODUCTS:

Fashion Editor at Large and I both use Lucas' Pawpaw Ointment, and it was a lifesaver in this week's icy weather. Forget 8 Hour Cream, this is the new cult product that should be in your handbag.

Pic Credits: Chris Moore / catwalking.com, thefashionscout.com

STOP THE CLOCKS! Nick Kirkwood does FLAT shoes!

Posted by the Fashion Editor at Large

How happy am I? I was wandering through the uber-slick press day held by Relative MO at London's Fashion Central aka Somerset House this week (where everything is happening - even a Tiffany sponsored ice rink, if you please) when I happened upon Nicholas Kirkwood's new shoe collection for SS10.

I am a huge Kirkwood fan. His shoes are beautiful. Wearable sculptures. My friend Yasmin Sewell has the sexiest pair he ever did, black grosgrain high heels with a pearl wedged inbetween the heel and the sole. And he is lovely. A real gentleman; even when we are falling out of Le Baron at two in the morning on one of those very rare Paris nights out at the end of the show marathon.

ANYWAY. The point of this post was in the headline. Up to now Nick has always done very high heeled shoes. And he did do lots of them for SS10 too. But I'm not showing you them, sorry, I was so excited by the flats I forgot to photograph the high heels.

Reason is I'm five foot nine and a bit, so I don't need to wear high heels in my daily life, only when I'm going for car-to-bar/restaurant, an awards ceremony or something - so about once a week. But I do like a beautiful flat shoe, and lo and behold here are Nick's! He obviously picked up on the new fashion mood in the air for a shoe that is not so ridiculously high.

I love how Nick has made his flats so feminine, but not too girlie. He even paid attention to the heel and gave them that sculptural edge he gives his high heels. So without further ado, lets feast our eyes on them. Ok, so "feast" is not really the word. A flat doesn't give me fashion goosebumps, but there is the large advantage that here are Kirkwood shoes we can wear all day and can feel more pleasure than pain.

I like the ones with the contrast tips.

 

The Fashion Junior at Large (who you will meet very soon) loved these.

These are the sculptural heels I was telling you about.