HOW SWEET IS HARVEY NICHOLS?

Posted by Melanie Rickey, Fashion Editor at Large

Just back from the Harvey Nichols press day. Like all great department stores this one is a global institution, and a national treasure with branches across Britain. Therefore their press day is an opportunity to see what fashion lovers in Edinburgh, Birmingham, Manchester and London will gain access to next Spring. One of my discoveries is so fabulous I'm saving her until tomorrow for an in-depth look at her work, but the best of the rest is here for your pleasure...

Below is a truly spectacular print from young New York based Parisian Jospeh Altuzarra who won American fashion's most prestigious new talent award, the $300,000 CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund, last night. The pocket diva is going to be huge! Trust. One thing is for sure, his sexy tropicana chic will be a welcome lift when it hits the store next spring. Just how awesome is this print?

The print above came from a dress v similar to this one. (via catwalking.com)

Hello Joseph!  Lookin hawt in one of your dresses, yes? (from W Magazine via holymoly.com)

Joseph Altuzarra was not present at Harvey Nichols' press day. He was probably nursing a celebratory hangover in NYC but other designers of note were in attendance at the store. Ed Meadham and Ben Kirchhoff, the designers behind Meadham Kirchhoff, turned up to see how Harvey Nichols, which had taken as inspiration for its press day their saccharine sweet Spring/Summer 2012 show. had handled it. Cue several arches of pastel coloured balloons, candy-floss, a balloon lady (see below) and lots of Meadham Kirchhoff's sickly-sweet Spring/Summer 2012 collection. Ben + Ed were on typical form. They informed me thay have a new PR, Black Frame in London and they are the only client of the London office. Black Frame reps Rodarte in New York. Things are definitely looking on the up and up for these two.

 Sweetie-pie chic by Meadham Kirchhoff at Harvey Nichols

Meadham Kirchhoff inspired Harvey Nichols to hire Twistina the Amazing Balloon Lady. She was ace!

Lastly, my third (but not final) inspirational Harvey Nicks  moment of the day was the young model and illustrator Naomi Preizler who created the little take-away sum-up of the press day below. She uses herself as a model in this illustration, but is also known to sketch fellow models backstage at the shows. She doesn't have a website for her illustration work, but hopefully this is only a matter of time. 

Naomi Preizler (Image from Marie Maud)

PARIS FASHION WEEK: ALL ABOUT MCQUEEN

Posted by Fashion Editor at Large

The Alexander McQueen show this evening was a spectacle of demi-couture as fine as any Parisian maison could create, though this finery is all pretty much handmade in London, England. Sarah Burton, fresh from the most unpredictably brilliant, fame-making 18 months of her life was in typically low-key form backstage, while onstage her work was breathtaking in its scope of technique and the clothes were extraordinarily beautiful and haunting. This served to remind us that McQueen is dead, but that someone lighter and easier in her skin than Lee, holds the key to unlocking the brands future.

It gave me cause for thought, though, that Burton and the Alexander McQueen business is putting out a message of pure high fashion drama, with not an easy-to-wear piece, or new season fashion message in sight. This collection was all dresses. I'm not complaining, because I know full well that the selling-collection and the McQ line lookbooks will slip into my in-box soon, and that there will be clothes for everyday life in there. But where does this leave normal folk interested in seeing what the McQueen fashion message is to be for Spring Summer 2012? I say enjoy the beauty, there is not enough beauty in the world. See for yourself.  It worked on us. We arrived at the McQueen show tired, we left on a high.

Furthering my attempts at photography with the new zoom lens, I give you the McQueen show, Fashion Editor At Large style.

Sarah sandwiched between Francois Henri Pinault (majority shareholder of Alexander McQueen) with his wife, the actress Salma Hayek. Salma said to her post the show "you have made me very happy"

Two tired but very happy Sarahs: Burton of McQueen, Mower of US Vogue, who is due to recieve her MBE next week.