Diet Coke got a Make Over!

One of the greatest designers in fashion is now designing Diet Coke bottles; Karl Largerfeld's new venture:

Enjoy xx



Skinny Love

A song I have recently found after hearing the cover by Birdy, but this is the original by Bon Iver. I think the only word to describe this song, as well as the cover, is stunning.

Bon Iver - Skinny Love

Enjoy xx

Time For a Change

It was time my blog got a new name as it needed to be a little bit more creative that just being named after myself.
Hope you like, enjoy xx

India Hobson

Recently I have discovered photograher India Hobson. She is a fashion and portrait photographer and her images are beautiful and often a little bit witty. Heres some of my faves:

Check out more of her work here.

Enjoy xx

Who's Next?

(Images from style.com)

A look at some new faces on the model scene and who is set to be the next big thing:

 Aymeline Valade

She was the lead model on the Louis Vuitton show whilst also closing for Chloé and Rick Owens.

Caterina Ravaglia

She was the lead in Dries Van Noten, whilst also walking prestigious shows like Prada, YSL and Chanel.

Codie Young

Australian model, who is being called Gemma Ward number 2.

Colinne Michaelis

She opened Prada as well as walking in Givenchy, Lanvin and Clavin Kelin. This young Parisianne is set to be big.

Emily Baker

She walked a total of 60 runways including Alexander McQueen and Balenciaga. She is one of the best newcomers.

These are just a few, if you would like to see more then click here.

Enjoy xx

Chistopher Kane

I've had a stack of magazines on my bedroom floor for weeks and my aim is to get through them all this week. The first one I picked up was Februarys issue of Vogue and the first thing I turned to was 'When Alexa Met Christopher Kane'. I loved the article she wrote 'When Alexa Met Karl Largerfeld', but I thought Karl came across really badly so I was intrigued to read about Kane. However Alexa has done a brilliant job and I now think Kane is even more intiguing than he already was, and I love how he won the BFC/Vogue Designer Fashion Award this year. Heres some of my faves from Kane:

(Images from style.com)

Christopher Kane LOVES neon. This is his first collection in Spring/Summer 2007 and definitely made everyone go wow, and that wasn't just at the colour of the dresses!

 

Kane doesn't like designing clothes for everybody to like. He wants people to either love them or hate them by provoking them or testing boundaries. This is seen in the leather loving Autumn/Winter 2007.

Spring/Summer 2009

These designs and patterns are beautiful in the Resort 2010 collection.

We will never forget the giant gingham check in Spring/Summer 2010.

And who knows what will come next from Kane?

Enjoy xx

DVC

For my course we have to take an extra module called DVC (Design and Visual Culture) and this week we had presentations to give. We had to pick 2 topics, both based on modernism or postmodernism, and give a 5 minute presentation on each one from an A1 size board decorated with text and images.

My first topic was based on a quote from Yves Saint Laurent, "Fashion fades, style is eternal". From this I looked at key style icons from the last century as well as key pieces that have remained in fashion for many years. This is an image of the presentation:

My key people in fashion were:

• Gabrielle 'Coco' Chanel - Famous for the Chanel suit and quilted bag. She changed fashion for women and freed them from the corset. She revolutionised womenswear and was a modern woman before modern women even existed.
• Lousie Brooks - One of the original flapper girls and the 'IT' girl of the 1920s.
• Grace Kelly - A perfect muse for the Dior's 'New Look'
• Audrey Hepburn - Givenchy's muse and the perfect woman for his Little Black Dress. A dress that has remained in fashion ever since.
• Twiggy - A completely different look to the models of the time, and with the help of Mary Quant and the introduction of the mini skirt, Twiggy has become a style icon ever since, whilst the mink skirt has become and icon of the 60s and is still in fashion today.
• Edie Sedgwick - She may only have had 15 minutes of fame but she made such an impact that she still remains a style icon today.
• Bianca Jagger - Yves Saint Laurent's muse for the women's trouser suit, an item that is as revolutionary as the LBD.
• Kate Moss - The face of the 90s and a women that can look so effotlessly cool all the time.
• Georgia May Jagger - Could she be the next style icon?

My second idea was based on the work of Alexander McQueen. I looked at him from the beginning, and his use of controversy and technology to create shockingly beautiful collections every season and the impact that he had on the fashion world and the way we view fashion.
Here is my presentation and some of my favourite images from his shows:

This final image is from the latest collection, Autumn/Winter 11, since Sarah Burton has taken over. It will be interesting to see how the brand does over the next few seasons now the McQueen is no longer around.

Next we have to pick an idea and transform it into an essay. Currently I am thinking of choosing Alexander McQueen as this is the topic I feel most passionatley about, but I guess we will have to wait and see.

Enjoy xx

Alexander McQueen

I logged onto my Twitter today after not logging on properly for a couple of days and realised that I'd missed the Alexander McQueen show; the show that I had been most anticipating out of any of the shows at all of the different fashion weeks. The first few shows that Sarah Burton produces under the Alexander McQueen fashion house are always going to be watched with a critical eye putting Burton under a lot of pressure. However there was no need to worry this season as Burton produces a breathtaking show imitating McQueen’s legacy perfectly. It has been said that ‘Sarah Burton isn’t channelling the McQueen DNA, but she is the McQueen DNA’. She therefore had to get this show just right; which she did. The show was set in La Conciergerie, Marie Antoinette's prison and the site of a previous McQueen show. The crackling neon lights were a reminder of McQueen's asylum show and the theme "The Ice Queen and her court" had a definite ring of a classic McQueen show. The show was all about historical silhouettes, fur and organza and very,very, VERY high heels. There were some beautiful pieces, here are my favourite as well as a link to the video to watch the entire show: 

Video of Alexander McQueen Autumn/Winter 11 show

Enjoy xx

Taste Makers

For our seminar this week we were asked to come up with 4 individuals, from 197o to the present day, whom we felt have had or are having an impact on our taste and understanding of style. This is who I picked:

Alexa Chung

Olivia Palermo

Although these two girls are very different, one a typical British girl, the other a popular New York socialite, the reason I picked them as taste makers is for similar reasons. During the recent London Fashion Week these two girls were all that was talked about on Twitter and in the press. Everybody wanted to know which shows they were at, what they were wearing and who they were with. If the public cared this much then they must be having some sort of influence. Also with Alexa now a contributing writer to British Vogue with the articles ‘Alexa and ...’ is will be interesting to see if she can become any more influential that she already is. Whether you like them or not, these two are everywhere at the moment and are set to stay for a long time.

Georgia Jagger

Set to be the next big thing, Miss Jagger in having a lot of success currently. Although she may not be a taste maker yet, with the amount of campaigns she is currently in, it won’t be long until she is. I first came across her when she featured in the Rimmel advert and honestly my first thought was ‘god she’s annoying’ when she said that famous line “get the London look”. However since her massive, red, glossy lips have disappeared from my TV screen I am becoming more obsessed with her every time I see her. She has since appeared in more editorial campaigns in Vogue and is now the face of Hudson jeans and is soon set to collaborate with them to design her own range of jeans. I love the unusual look about her and how she doesn’t look like every other model, but instead has big lips and gappy teeth, like a younger Lara Stone. It will be interesting to see where she is in a years’ time.

(Georgia Jagger in a photoshoot for Vogue)

Katie Grand

Although she’s been round for a while now Katie has been described as ‘one of the most powerful stylists in the world’, therefore making her one of my 4 taste makers. She began her career styling at Dazed and Confused in the 90s, then moving to The Face, and then editor-in-chief at Pop. She is now the editor of LOVE magazine, probably one of the most influential fashion magazines of the moment. One of her latest works has been styling the Topshop Unique show in London Fashion Week. As Topshop is one of the most influential shops on the high street, whatever is seen here is most likely to influence what is seen in other stores. So if Katie Grand is deciding what goes down the Topshop runway this will in turn decide what else is seen on the high street, therefore making her one of my top taste makers of current times.

Enjoy xx

D&G

(Images from style.com and shop.hm.com)

I love the fun and retro feel about the A/W11 D&G collection this season. With a definite hint to the 80s with bright colours and alphabet prints there was a very playful theme to the collection. Eighties shapes bounced down the runway with oversized jumpers, leggings, floor length flowy skirts and stretchy tube dresses thrown over the top of entire outfits.

 I loved risk taking and playfulness of the collection, and this can already be seen on the high street today. Here H&M are already channeling this retro style:

Enjoy xx

Lanvin

(Images from Vogue.com)

It had been said that this A/W11 Lanvin collection seemed rushed and a bit of a disappointment. Alber Elbaz, the man behind Lanvin’s stunning collections, has come under fire with critics saying that there were no “oohs and aahs” as we usually expect from a Lanvin collection. Everytime the collection showed a spark it quickly fizzled out and another idea was introduced. Once the collection had finished the audience were left with a sense of longing and there was no closure to the show. Critics say this disappointment is down to time, or lack of it in Elbaz’s case as he tried to keep up with the world of fast fashion that we live in. Here are some images from the collection:

Even though the critics say it lacked something, I still think it is a beautiful collection from Lanvin. I particularly loved the collection of little black dresses as well as the explosive use of red and pink and at the end.

Enjoy xx

Who Doesn't Love Arctic Monkeys?

Arctic Monkeys are back. There new sound is playful, retro and brilliant! Have a listen:

I love them and unfortunately I had to give up my tickets to see them in Sheffield in the summer, but thankfully they are headlining V festival; I can't wait!

Enjoy xx

Black Swan

Last night I finally got round to watching Black Swan, and I'm with all the hype; I loved it! Natalie Portman definitely deserved that Oscar. I loved the juxtaposition between the beautiful ballet and the haunting undertones of Portman’s character, Nina, as she fights against her alter ego. Portman’s character is overwhelmed with fear; the fear of failure and fear of her own sexuality. This is only made worse by the taunts from smouldering, wild-girl Lily, played by the stunning Mila Kunis. Director Darren Aronofsky has created a beautiful film. Here are some images from the film:

Natalie Portman playing Nina in the white swan and black swan costumes

Mila Kunis playing Lily, dressed in the white swan costume and she taunts Nina that she is going to steel her part in Swan Lake

The stunning ballet costumers were designed by Rodarte and can now be seen, alongside others, in the Museum of Modern Art in Los Angeles in the exhibition, Roadarte: States of Matter. Here are some images of the exhibition:

Enjoy xx