Topshop NEWGEN

It has been a crazy few weeks, turns out moving country is kind of a big, stressful, time-consuming, no-blogging-coz-iv-no-internet-in-the-house-yet deal, who would have thought?!! Anyway, enough with the excuses and back to the FASHUN. I took a lot of pictures in and around Somerset House during fashion week, and I feel that they are still relevant, even if the madness is over for another season. Rightly so, as designers work all year round to prepare their presentations, and perhaps we should take time to look at them in a slightly more reflective way, after the circus has died down. So, yea.

One of the great things I like about about Fashion Week is the British Fashion Council, Topshop sponsored NewGen scheme. I dropped by the tent at Somerset House and was delighted to see (and touch!) some of my favourite up-and-coming designer’s work. Clearly, I am soooooooooo faaaashun, I am familiar with most of the designers that were there, and am excited to see that they are about to reach breaking point. I am a massive fan of Holly Fulton and nearly fell over myself to get into her stuff.*

Holly Fulton

 

Holly Fulton's super cute illustrations!

Then there was Michael Van Der Ham, whose name keeps popping up everywhere, and once you see his stuff, it is really no surprise.

Michael Van Der Ham

Michael Van Der Ham

The Irish were being represented by wunderkid JW Anderson, whose minimal layout belied a mature, developed collection.

JW Anderson

Speaking of developed, I am developing a massive thing for Christopher Raeburn’s work. While I am not street, I love the look of urban sportswear, and parkas, and generally things that are well designed. Raeburn’s work catches my eye time and time again, and I have a feeling that he is about to blow up big time. The British Fashion Council obviously think so too, what with him being in the NEWGEN lineup. Watch this space. (**Oops, I forgot to take pics….I’m a dope. Visit his site though, it is COOL***)

David Koma is another designer that caught my eye recently, mostly because of his face prints – they are on the right sides of kitch, weird and wonderful.

David Koma

David Koma

Finally – actually firstly, as it is just as you come in the door – I really enjoyed the moodboards that the designers put together for the collections. It gave a real sense of the collection, and I think it is always inspiring to see how other people work and their approach to things.

Moodboards!

More moodboards!

More more moodboards!!

So that was NewGen. Keep your eyes peeled to see great things from these guys in the near future.

*I quite literally nearly fell over – each designer is in a little tent-cabin-y thing, with a little lip on the door…..oops….

Cozy up beside me

Autumn is here, much to my dismay. I am cheering myself up by pondering winter coats. Those that know me will know that I have a teeeeensie coat obsession…to the tune of twenty-odd of the things. Still though, I think I can justify perhaps a fresh one this season. Well, you know, fresh city, it just seems fair!

Giles AW11

Chloe AW11

Giles and Chloe rocking Gestapo chic, DELISH

So this is what I have been thinking….I am in the mood for something functional yet stylish, something that screams – I AM A DESIGNER, living in LONDON. haha. Seriously though, I’m only half joking. I want an oversize, anti-fashion, functional thing. I really like when garments go beyond fashion to become pure design, the beauty is in the simplicity, the lack of superfluous embellishment. A pocket where you need a pocket, just the right amount of warmth, a neutral colour that works with everything, the works.  As much as it is boringly on trend, I am really crushing on Barbour at the moment, if just from a quality perspective. The high street is flooded with imitators, but only the original is as warm as it is stylish….I just can’t decide which one I want more!

 

Barbour Beadnell

Barbour xLiberty Beadnell

Barbour National Trials

 

 

Living in Dublin, London, anywhwere similar,  means that for basically half the year, the most important garment you have is your coat. Because you need to wear one almost all the time. The most well thought out outfits have come undone by forgetting to incorporate the coat. And given that I am the whatever-is-closest-and-cleanest kind of dresser, getting a coat that says the right thing without having to figure out in-depth outfit plans is a major bonus.

 

Simone Rocha AW11

Celine AW11

 

Antonio Berardi AW11

Philip Lim AW11

Alexander Wang AW11

Contrasting textures & colours for added interest

I have been on the hunt for the perfect parka for roughly two years now. I have had terrible luck, because I didn’t want to pay loads of money, because in my head a parka is a casual thing, and casual things should be cheeep. But the high street ones are useless quality, flimsy and just not even worth the more reasonable price tags. Furthermore, the shape needs to be just right, long enough but not too long, utilitarian, just the right amount of oversize and straight.

Turns out I have been a FOOL, because I have found a bucketload of them on the interweb from army surplus style sites. Why I didn’t head straight there is beyond me, but now all I have to do is decide which of these babies is just right.

Aquascutum AW11

Dress Monster via Asos

Won Hundred

Swedish Military Parka

Or maybe a Duffel Coat? Maybe?

Burberry AW11

Christopher Raeburn via Brownsfashion.com

Barbour

 

I LOVE this colour!

Celine AW11

and the highstreet version…

Topshop

 

And finally, it’s not practical, nor affordable, but if someone wants to buy me this, I’ll love you forever…

Alexander Wang AW11

 

Pressure’s for tyres

I have been very remiss about blogging the last little while. However, the reason for this is because I was working my ass off in the real world. It seems to have worked, too (to no noone’s greater surprise than my own!). The reward for my work is a spot for my collection in the fashion show in college, I am too excited about this. In a stress vomit, oh dear god how the hell am i going to do all this work, sort of a way. But I was thinking…what am I going to wear?? I always totally judge designers when they pop their heads out. Too much is, well, too much (Donatella, I am looking at you), but too little is almost worse. Like, you MAKE CLOTHES. As evidenced by the collection that just went down that runway. And I get that backstage is stressful. But have a dress or something to throw on once the first model starts walking maybe. No? I’m just saying.

Anyway, this is what I wore the other day, in my normal, non catwalk life. I love the shirt, even if there is a giant ink stain on it…I guess this look is sort of like goth lite…I remember when I was a teenager I tried to be a goth for about a week, but I realised that I was far too happy to pull it off, all the other goths saw through me, ha!

Dress H&M, Shirt Vintage, Boots Topshop, Necklace Swarovski cross on ribbon

Happy Monday!

London Calling

Things I saw in London last weekend…

Acne. In EVERY deparment store. Everywhere. I guess I never really thought about it, but I suppose they are pretty much on the money – great shapes in interesting fabrics, and lots of black. It’s funny, because I generally like their stuff but never seek it out. And by the looks of it, I’m on my own there.

Acne Resort 2011

 

Acne AW10

Acne AW10

images via style.com & Acnestudios.com

Gruau & Dior in Somerset House. René Gruau is a really famous fashion illustrator, his use of line and composition is unreal. It was amazing to see his original paintings, that have become iconic campaigns for Dior. If you are unfamiliar with his work, I highly recommend you check him out, you will not be disappointed.

Selfridges shoe gallery. For about two hours…. It’s another world. I spent most of the time being quite sad what with the prohibitive price tags and heel heights. I consoled myself with a pair of patent punched leather chelsea boots from Topshop. I originally had my eye out for a pair of black loafers, but I didn’t see any I liked, and boots make more sense for winter. Win.

Brown’s Focus. For some reason I’ve never been in it before, but the place is unreal. I think my favourite piece was the Hussein Chalayan pleat sweatshirt. It was just the right combination of wearability & Chalayan’s forward design. Sadly the price tag wasn’t so wearable so it stayed in the store. Sigh.

Vogue Oct2010

Cos. I’ve mentioned this store before as a favourite place, and now there’s a concession in BT2. However, I wasn’t really impressed with the selection the BT buyers brought over, so I visited the much bigger and far-more-my-style Regent Street store. Got an amazing thick rib oversize cardigan. It’s a great shape, but the knit really makes it special. I can’t even figure out how it’s done, it’s like double knitting or something. I also had to stop myself from buying their collarless long blazer, it was divine, but that would have been a step too far. I wish Cos would sort out their website though – it’s pretty slick to be fair to them, but it’s a pain in the ass to use.

Pizza East. There was a summer-long running joke in our flat about going to Pizza East, and we never did, so I finally got Pizza East pizza on Sunday. It was pretty tasty, although we got take away so it was a bit cold :/ Next time, maybe. It’s in a pretty sweet space in the Tea Buildings. I’m not one to go on about food, but it’s pretty cool.

Columbia Road Market. Again, this is something I meant to do during the Summer, but the Sunday morning early wake up call meant it never happened! I managed to drag myself out of bed this Sunday (surprisingly enough, everyone else told me where to stick my flowers when I suggested they join me in the rain early in the morning) and headed over. It was the only time during the weekend I actually remembered to bring my camera out with me, so here’s what I saw.

Sunday Up Market. I lived around the corner from Brick Lane over the summer so I was so sick of it after the first couple of weeks I avoided it like the plague, but I had time to kill this Sunday so I went for a wander and got a giant Lion ring for a pretty nice price. Bargains are really hard to come by on Brick Lane/Spittalfields these days, so I was happy.

Friends. Nothing beats hanging out with friends and there was lots of that as well as the fashion things, epic win.

I came home very tired and pretty sick (my awesome new Cos cardigan is not waterproof even a little bit, sadface) but pretty satisfied with myself. WIN.