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)

PRESS PLAY FOR PRADA

Posted by Fashion Junior at Large (Bethan Holt)

So here I am, posting for the first time as Fashion Junior, and who better than Prada to ease us into back into the fashion mojo after a long Summer break. The brand is still riding high on the massive fashionista love-in sparked by the genius concoction of stripes, baroque motifs and bananas in the SS11 collection. The video released yesterday to showcase their AW11/12 campaign does little to abate our crush on Miuccia's quirky aesthetic. This is just a quick post as I'm still getting to grips with the whole having my own desk/ first day at work thing. So on this balmy afternoon in London I leave you with Steven Meisel's depiction of Miuccia's exotic skins and phosphorescent frocks as modelled by the ethereal Kelly Mittendorf, Frida Gustavsson, Ondria Hardin and Antonia Wesseloh. I don't know about you but the haunting soundtrack (which despite extensive research and calls to the Prada Press Office, is still unidentified, making it all the more eerie) gives me goosebumps.

Film courtesy of Prada

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...

THE SHAPE OF BAGS TO COME

Posted by Fashion Junior at Large

In the words of the Black Eyed Peas, "we got a feeling" that bags are going to take on a whole new shape come AW11. The massive, slouchy carry-alls we have grown used to over previous seasons are starting to look a little tired, and our backs have suffered serious damage from swinging these sacks from the crook of our arms.

The time is most definitely right for change, and our fashion instincts tell us that the medium sized, hard frame, top handle bag is about to have a resurgence. These ladylike numbers cropped up on various catwalks:

 Louis Vuitton AW11 (above and below)

 Marni AW11 (above and below)

 Prada AW11 (still ladylike, just held in an abnormal way. Only at Prada)

Of course, this style has been around for an awful lot longer than last season's shows, with famous handbag icons the Queen Mother, The Queen and of course Margaret Thatcher (whose man-beater Asprey bag sold for a measly £20,000, rather than the expected £100,000) all big fans of the box bag look. The hard frame hand bag is a key element in the power play of these strong women; it is a style synonymous with English heritage, quality and tradition.

HRH at some minor event on 29th April, with her Launer bag

It's not surprising, then, that our boredom with big bags is driving us to rediscover our roots. Along with Vuitton, Marni and Prada, there is one brand leading the way for ladylike, and that in Launer. We were not really aware of this company until it was brought to our attention that they make the Queen's iconic handbags, according to the email recieved by Fash Ed sales of the above bag shot up 55% following the Royal nuptials, and that many of the buyers are women much younger than HRH. I always wonder what on earth she keeps in her bag (the keys to Buckingham Palace? though the Fashion Editor at Large hears she keeps a golden gun and lipstick in there) but nevertheless, she is rarely seen without a Launer design.

 The classic Launer 'Adagio' £770 from http://www.launer.com/

We've now swotted up, so here's the brief Launer 101:
Founded in 1941, the company quickly became a favourite of The Queen Mother, and later on, her daughter.Margaret Thatcher was often seen with her Launer handbag during her rise to the political top. In 1983 they were granted the Royal W arrant, only a short time after the business had been saved by Gerald Bodmer, who recognised the importance of British heritage manufacturing and preserved it doing the Eighties move towards all that was cheap, fast and mass produced.

The Lydia bag is £615 and comes in pink..

At the moment, there is another move towards the preservation of heritage techniques, and all of Launer's production still happens in Walsall, near Birmingham, England. It's always good to discover that there are small British companies still producing beautiful fashion pieces in their homeland; long may this continue!

So there you have it, a tip for AW11: carry whatever bag you want, as long as it is ladylike.

Images: Style.com, Daily Mail, Launer.com

TOBEY MAGUIRE - PRADA MODEL?

Posted by Fashion Editor at Large

These just popped into my inbox from Prada. My first thought was 'Tobey Maguire for Prada, really?' Then I clicked into the two David Sims images of Tobey and was seduced by their moody, thoughtful elegance. I've admired Maguire's acting skill since"The Ice Storm" the brilliant 1997 film where he played a teenager, though he himself was 22 at the time. Later on, Spiderman didn't do much to dispel his angsty-teen image, though by then he was in his late 20s. Now 36, and a father to four year old Ruby, he is about to play Nick Carraway, the narrator character in The Great Gatsby, so he is finally playing his own age group. Perfect timing, then, for Prada to get their hands on him.   

The press release tells us that ..."a boxy three-button jacket over a mock turtleneck defines a new Prada silhouette, while sunglasses paired with a buttoned shirt are a fitting nod to the discrete style of Hollywood fashion icons past."

Images: David Sims for Prada AW11.

DESIGN YOUR OWN BOAT SHOES? DON'T MIND IF I DO!

Posted by Bethan Holt

Yesterday morning the Fashion Editor at Large entrusted me with my first solo mission as her Intern. When I heard that this would involve the opportunity to design my own Timberland deck shoes, a double-whammy of excitement ensued as a long time devotee of all items shoe-related. Just two weeks ago, I was curled up in my pyjamas revising for the final exam of my English degree and now I was a shoe designer (kind of!). So, I rocked up to Fournier Street where Timberland had transformed their store into a showcase for their AW11 collection and a hub for breakfast and boat shoe design.

The Timberland Store in E1

First up, I was talked through the new collection by Isabella Colombo, Timberland's Merchandise Director. It's an interesting moment for the brand as they try to add a more feminine touch to their women's offer. There were certainly some great winter shoe contenders including some very cosy looking shearling lined boots and some super pretty dusky pink peep toe boots with scallop detail. Isabella told me that the inspiration behind the line comes from the plight of women in the two world wars- an era when women were doing men's work but still wanted to stay true to their femininity. This a very logical path for a brand like Timberland to go down as well as (perhaps inadvertently) tapping into the 40s trend which you should be prepared to see a lot more of next season.

After lots of yummy breakfast, it was shoe design time. I was under strict instructions from Fashion Editor at Large to make sure my design had an unmistakably fashiony edge. After much deliberation, I decided that my ideal boat shoes should probably match my ideal boating outfit. Now, when I say boating, I mean cocktails at dusk on a super yacht in St. Tropez (we can all fantasise can't we?!) and for such an occasion the look below from Celine's SS11 collection would do just the trick.

My Perfect Boating Look courtesy of Celine SS1 (Image from Catwalking.com)

My Boat Shoes

With this in mind, I created a pair of deck shoes in navy, emerald green and white with ivory laces and, la pièce de résistance, my own initials in gold on the inside, just to remind me of my one and only design moment. I must say I'm rather proud and I think my customised boat shoes will put my Dad's 'vintage' M and S versions to shame. I certainly won't be waiting until my invitation for cocktails in St Tropez arrives to wear them! When my shoes arrive next week, I will post a photo of them.

NOTE FROM FASHION EDITOR AT LARGE:

With their boat shoes Timberland are definitely having a fashion moment. Teenagers and early 20-somethings have colonised them over the last two years and given them a new lease of fashion life. I couldn't go to the launch this morning as I was on deadline for Grazia, but I am very jealous that Bethan was so clever with her design. As soon as I have a minute, I will be going to http://www.timberlandonline.co.uk/  to design my own, hopefully in time for this years greek holiday. (Prices from £105 - £210.)

Also here are my favourite two boots from their A/W collection.

THE TRENDS A/W 2011 - FETISH

Posted by Fashion Editor at Large

Part of what I've been up to since returning from the shows is deciding on the trends for Autumn/Winter. As regular readers know trend-hunting is a geeky hobby of mine as well as being proper work. Making educated guesses is fun -and after viewing hundreds of shows, visiting dozens of showrooms and taking in every fashion retailer press day in Britain I reckon I've got it sussed. I will share my predictions on the way we will wear next season over the next week. There is something for everyone, and I mean everyone!

1. MEET THE FETISHISTA

Gaga smoking for Mugler by Nicola Formichetti

Visible underwear, lots of shiny stuff and boob handling at Mugler by Nicola Formichetti

Marc Jacobs

Givenchy by Riccardo Tisci is decidedly pervy.  Yes, an outfit comprising a cat-woman riding hat, Bettie Page bra and thigh revealing sheer netting over thigh socks CAN be feted as fashion.  

Ferragamo takes the simple Helmut Newton photography approach to the fetish trend, using a chignon, smear of red lipstick and judicious leather slicing to full dominatrix effect.

How to fetishize the fetish of Louis Vuitton at Louis Vuitton

Its dirty, its leathery, and it plays peek-a-boo with thighs and torsos, and ooo there was a lot of it about at the shows. Marc Jacobs topped and tailed the Autumn/Winter 2011 show season with fetishistic displays using Latex and strictly tailored ponyskin at his Marc Jacobs collection, and The Night Porter style peaked military caps, handcuff bangles and severe sheer at Vuitton.

The nearest most fashion lovers get to kinkiness is leather trousers. So it remains to be seen if they will take to Latex pencil skirts, rubber knee high boots, corset belts and control underwear as outerwear. 

Personally I liked Lena at Les Chiffoniers stretch leather dress with peekaboo net underskirt.

TOMORROW:  MOD GIRL

AW11 TREND: GET READY FOR THE HYBRIDS

Posted by Fashion Junior at Large

If 2010 was the year of the aviator jacket, then AW 2011 heralds the arrival of an equally massive outerwear trend. The Fash Ed and I have dubbed it 'the hybrids' and this particular breed of outerwear cropped up in so many of our favourite collections, in various guises. This look is a natural evolution from the leather sleeved Burberry trench from SS11, which spawned a thousand imitations.

Burberry SS11

For next season, the hybrids are still focused on sleeve detailing, but this time they are furry, fluffy, silky, shiny...and so on! The especially furry ones have been christened 'gorilla arms', and are something of a serious style statement.

 Carven AW11 (above and below). The ultra-commercial label produced some of the best hybrid pieces for next season, including this coat, which is a fun variation on a wool trench.

 Etro AW11. Not a label that is normally top of our list to check out, surprisingly Etro had some of the best hybrid jackets, including the patent/wool combo and some particularly great gorilla arms.

 JW Anderson AW11. Jonathan's first womenswear collection included some amazing hybrids, all making use of traditional heritage fabrics. Paisley quilted arms, a tweed body and a fluffy hood? Only at JW Anderson could that look good!

Chanel AW11 had their own unique take on hybrids. Karl showed cape/jackets, which were pretty crazy, but this beautiful blazer/tweed number was a more wearable option.

Jaeger AW11 honed in on the collars of outerwear, where they took on a whole life of their own. Collars in chunky, furry fabric morphed into scarves.

Something tells us this is just the beginning. Keep your eyes peeled for hybrids - they are going to be everywhere!

OUR PICK OF MFW AW11 - FASHION JUNIOR

Posted by Fashion Junior at Large

The Fash Ed is currently negotiating the busy streets of Paris, and I am sure she will have plenty of insider gossip to report upon her return next week. In the mean time, this is the time of year when we analyse every look from every collection - and I mean every look. Before we get swept away in the glamour that is Paris Fashion Week, it's only fair to give Milan it's due attention, so here are my personal picks.

(Before anyone chides me on the high ratio of black outfits, Milan Fashion Week generally only offers three options: black, sparkly, or both. So it's a wonder that I found any colour at all!)

Dolce and Gabbana - a collection of two halves, and what truly awesome halves they were! On one side, the girlish and glamorous, on the other, tough tomboy chic with added retro-ness (see below). Everyone is raving about the floaty star print dresses, but this turquoise glittery number really sparked my imagination. I like how it's a simple, glittering block of colour that you can style many ways, and the long sleeves earn extra cool points.

 Dolce and Gabbana (part II) I couldn't limit myself to one pick from this collection. Having never been one to shy away from a sequin, I am drawn to these spectacular trousers, and enjoy the contrast with the masculine Teddy boy coat. An outfit for days when you feel a bit La Roux-ish. Did I mention the boy shoes?! Brogues and sequins; like I said, awesome!

 

Sportmax. A lovely treat for the eyes at the end of a fairly minimalist collection; this flamboyant embroidery is just wonderful when combined with the sheer chiffon and neutral colour. I like how covered up it is too, with that appealing midi length and long sleeves (again). Librarian chic, nice.  

Antonio Marras. Another tricky collection to pick just one look from, it was full of 1930s inspired midi-dresses, in a palette of black, navy and cream, topped off with genuinely wrinkly Nora Batty stockings. I don't know why that is a good thing, but trust me when I say it is! But this outfit was primarily chosen for those fantabulous shoes: platform, peep toe, granny-strap, old-fashioned RED DREAMS. They even match my lipstick!

Pucci. Something worrying has started to emerge from Milan - the return of the Afghan coat. Seventies chic is alive and well, but that is one trend that I cannot cope with. The furry collar and hem of this decadent jacket alludes to that late Seventies look, but is a little more chic than a shaggy old Afghan. Pucci, on the whole, seems to be getting stronger and stronger, a real favourite here at FEAL HQ.

Gucci: wowarama. This collection was full on, in your face glamour, with lashings of snakeskin, fur, chiffon and colour. Teals, purples, turquoises; Frida Giannini has dictated the shades of the season. So if you are going to pick a red carpet dress, why look anywhere else? Anything that floaty and floral instantly brings out my inner Kate Bush, which is always fun!

Check back for the Fash Ed's picks, and no doubt updates from Paris!

All pics: Chris Moore Catwalking.com

AW11 - BEHIND THE PRINTS

Posted by Fashion Junior at Large

It's safe to say that the AW11 collections in London were all about print. Our eyes were bombarded from every side with a rich feast of colour and shape blended into graphic patterns, and it was exciting to see so many designers embracing the allure of prints. We were transfixed, so decided to put our art-historian hat on to discover what the inspirational pieces which may have inspired the London designers.

Three stand-out collections deserve a closer look: the amazing prints at Erdem, Jonathan Saunders and Mary Katrantzou.

Erdem

We always have high expectations of Erdem's exquisite print designs, and this season their stunning beauty took on a new level of depth.

This statuesque column dress features an array of vibrant jewel tones; the velvet fabric adds to the rich depth of colour and gives the impression that different fabrics have somehow been burnt and fused together.

This trench - which no doubt be gracing many a Fashion Editor's back come next Fashion Week - has distinct echoes of Monet's Waterlillies series of paintings.

Blood red, stunning floral explosions and dappled colour. There is something about the drama and romanticism of these prints makes me think of Pre-Raphelite paintings.

Monet's Reflections of Clouds on the Water

Nymphs Finding The Head Of Orpheus by John William Waterhouse

La Belle Dames Sans Merci by John William Waterhouse

Jonathan Saunders

This collection was breathtaking in it's simple, yet beautiful elegance, and Saunders' amazing use of colour. The incredible repeated floral prints and bird imagery had strong similarities to the William Morris aesthetic of the late 1800s, but the colour palette ensured the looks felt contemporary.

The primary motifs were these intricate floral and botantical designs...

...interspersed with these blocky graphic shapes, which recall 1930s styles.

 

This lovely bird print was confirmation that birds will be EVERYWHERE by the time autumn comes around.

Prints upon prints upon prints! Inspired by nature, but made much more exciting with these bright hues!

William Morris ceramic tiles from the late 19th Century

The Strawberry Thief by William Morris

Snakeshead by William Morris (1867)

An original 1930s dress pattern, which echoes the shape and prints of Jonathan Saunders AW11

Mary Katrantzou

Quite possibly the best collection of the week, Mary's designs were spectacular, each print a complex hybrid of artistic references, including the superlative extravagance of Fabergé eggs, traditional Oriental designs and Russian Orthodoxy.

This painting-within-a-print is a beautiful example of ancient Japanese artistry.

The combination of graphic shapes and floral designs call to mind the decadent interiors of Russian cathedrals...

...while another Russian influence is clear to see: the gorgeous artwork of Fabergé eggs.

The Rose Trellis Fabergé egg, created in 1907 - a direct reference for Katrantzou's AW11 collection

The original Fabergé Imperial Clover egg, created in 1902 for the Tzar, Nicholas II, to give to his Tzarina. We'd settle for a piece from Mary Katrantzou AW11!

The interior of St Basil's Cathedral, with its beautiful floral designs

Traditional Japanese painting and kimono fabric, a distinct inspiration for the collection.

 

The scene has officially been set: prints will be at the forefront of fashion for AW11, and this time around they are intricate, bold and entirely beautiful.