It's Christmas time, which means that it's also SHOPPING time (as if we need an excuse).
This season it's been all about leather and mixed fabrics. And as it looks like it's going to be a long winter, I'm keen on including bright colors and a metallic touch in the outfits. I love creating contrast like mixing nectarine and brick tones, combined with black and silver.
Last summer Mischa Barton opened her eponymous flagship store at 53 Brushfield Street in London’s Spitalfields.
The actress turned into designer has taken the next step in the fashion industry: considered a style icon for many during the 00's, Mischa launched her handbag collection in 2008 with great success and was distributed by on-line boutiques. Then Mischa's Place came to light earlier this year, with a brand new clothing collection, accessories (handbags, scarves) and introducing her cosmetics line. Now it's all gathered in East London, at her beautifully designed space, and surrounded by other independent boutiques. The perfect partners for this new venture, where boho style is taken to the Hollywood star's origins. It's a girly, bohemian look, with an edgy twist, that would look good on most of us. Effortless style for busy lives.
Art is running through her veins, so her success ain't no surprise.
Louisa Parris is a London born and bred designer, creator of airy, art deco-ish printed scarves, hats and gowns.
She set up her label when she moved to San Francisco, inspiring city, and has recently returned to London to base her label here.
She won the Gen Art Styles International Design Award for Eveningwear in New York, where she showed fabulous graphic designs and floaty shapes, and her pieces are stocked by prestigious Colette in Paris.
Don't miss the beautiful fashion film (directed by her sister), showed at the last London Fashion Week.
Sorry for the "blog posting-drought" but I've been working hard on a very particular fashion project that I hope I will share with you soon. I've been looking for inspiration, doing a lot of research and above all keeping an eye on this and next seasons trends.
But let's re-start with one of THIS AW12 season's trends: the leather skirt. It's been a must also during warmer weather, and it's here to stay with us on the darker times.
Young designers like talented Cynthia Buttenklepper have their own version of the leather skirt-turned-into-shorts style. An edgy and provocative look presented by the Mexican's designer. Keep an eye on this girl because she's rockin' the house at the other side of the Atlantic.
Opening Ceremony is feeling in good shape!
Here are the latest big news from the American fashion brand and it seems like these guys have been training because they not only have 1 but 3 launches this summer!
Leg 1: Opening (Ceremony) a pop up shop in London the week before of the Olympics Opening Ceremony. The 3,000 sq ft at 31-32 King Street, at the heart of Covent Garden, deserves a gold medal. Apart from exclusive Olympics themed clothes and accesories, the American fashion brand has worked with its longlasting collaborators such as Chloe Sevigny and Norma Kamali to rescue back some of the star pieces from past ranges.
Leg 2: team up with the pros and create the Adidas Originals X Opening Ceremony.
This capsule collection pays a very special tribute to sports, featuring neoprene parkas, zip dresses and halter tops, mainly using the iconic OC bandana print.
Fresh and ready to break records!
Leg 3: go all the way British!!!
London is OC's new hometown and they plan to conquer us all...
And they have joined forces with British talent like Proenza Schouler, Topshop and House of Holland to offer exclusive collections inspired by sports to be shown at the London pop up shop
Some serious Union Jack colour-themed clothes to get deeply into the British mood of the summer
The new Fall 2012 T by Alexander Wang campaign has been released and the stars are not only the clothes of the Wang's casual line.
Featuring hip-hop singer Azealia Banks, she becomes the New Girl to team up with the designer.
Filmed mostly in black and white, the video has been directed by Daniel Jackson with art direction by Christopher Simmonds, styled by Alastair McKimm and with Alexander Dynan as cinematographer/editor.
A collaboration that makes completely sense: Banks is ranking up in the fashion parallel world and is invited by designers to perform at private parties.
Uber cool soft tees, and jersey dresses...
A new explosion of talent by the man who put sweat pants with heels on trend
During the rationing times in Britain, when tailors weren't allowed to add turn-ups to the trousers and skirts were not permitted beyond certain length to save on material, some tailors were making the impossible to add their mark to the garments by including velvet edges to jackets and creating tight trousers.
Others focused on the American film industry and imported the double-breasted suits, wide lapels and coloured shirts attracting modern jazz musicians and rock stars. Different phenomena were occurring in the music and fashion industries during the 40's and 50's.
Considered one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century and one of the key figures in jazz history, with Kind of Blue regarded as US national treasure, Miles Davis not only commenced a revolution in jazz but also led changes in fashion. Davis was a "fashion animal" showing a rebellious streak by wearing loafers and moving from the traditional Ivy League style to slim Italian suits (in part to do with upward mobility).
Called the Prince of darkness due to his whispering voice, damaged after having larynx surgery, Miles Davis pushed boundaries by becoming artistically prolific when critic would not support him and adding a veneer of respectability with his clothes.
The Italian suit would be later incorporated by the mod movement and one of the best British bands ever.
But that's another story.
Til then, a little bit of improvisation
The London 2012 Olympics commence tomorrow so let's get into the sporty mood and look!
Asos Black and Puma have created a collection and as it couldn't be otherwise when sport and fashion (or spashion) get together, comfort and pragmatism are playing a key role here.
A 50 piece sportswear collection with a more tailored direction: jackets and puffa waistcoats, knitwear, tops, leather rucksacks, nylon and sport trousers.
A complete look were the details and technical features rule.
Once again Miu Miu has joined forces with American actress and fashion icon Chloë Sevigny for the AW 12 campaign, shot by Mert Alas and Marcus Piggot.
The collection digs into some of the most important trends for next season: the head to toe prints, jungle inspired colours with a mix of pink, fucsia, blue, green and yellow, a metallic touch and the use of suede on key pieces.
All combined with an androgynous tailored look inspired on the 70's but with a futuristic twist.
Orangy lips and green eye shadows make the look a 10/10.
Visit NYmag for the behind the scenes video: music by Phantogram (When I'm Small)
There is a counter-revolution started by shoppers, consumers and designers tired of the always changing fast-pace of the fashion industry. And some of them are going back to the roots.
Zaida Adriana Goveo Balmasade (aka ZAGB) is the brains behind Balmaseda, and eco fashion brand created under the principles of quality over quantity and our connection with nature.
The collection was shown at The Green Fashion Competitiongrande finaleat Amsterdam International Fashion Week in January this year.
Both audience and jury were impressed with the delicate hand-knitted garments, the search of sustainable resources and the inspiration in nature: roots, branches, moss and leaves that when converted into dresses, cardigans and leggings tele-transport us to a magical forest.
In Britain in the early 50's, at the time when a teenager called Elvis Presley was breaking into the music industry with his wild moves, post-war kids were about to commence a revolution. Working class youths popularised the neo-Edwardian look, previously only followed by the upper classes.
The Teddy Boys were born.
The different colours used to make the suit were linked to the music they listened and the gangs they belonged to: black for the hard boys, duck egg blue if you were into Johnny Ray, shiny silver as favoured by the Walham Green gang.
Teds became the focus of male fashion, but they also had a bad reputation: they were the bad boys, deliquents, rioters. Youngsters fighting the establishment. And also fighting a new movement imported from the US, the beatniks.
The novelist Anthony Burgess confessed that he partly based his book A Clockwork Orange on the rise in violence observing that Teds " were the personification of the Zeitgeist and expressed a brutal disappointment with Britain's post-war decline".
The Teddy Boys gave birth to the first youth cult: they listened to jazz and skiffle music, and even had their own dance The Creep based on the song written by saxophonist Ken Mackintosh. And after Blackboard Jungle was shown at theaters, Teddy boys started listening to artists like Elvis Presley, Bill Haley and Eddie Cochran.
After some years Teds will fade away and blended with Rockers, but that's another story.
Last month we were revealed the exciting new collaboration between H&M and Maison Martin Margiela.
But this is not the only surprise for next AW12 collection.
The Swedish giant has communicated that Lana del Rey will be the "face and voice" for their LA Noir collection next season.
Styled by Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin, the collection is inspired in the America of late 50's and 60's, with soft and feminine housewife-ish garments: pale pink angora blend sweater, leather shorts and minidresses will be some of the key pieces of the collection.
Tthe singer will star a fashion video directed by Johan Renck, which will be available at H&M's website on 19 September.
Fashion industry is quickly requesting Del Rey's services, who has been Vogue cover and has a Mulberry bag named after her.
For years women have been granted with a "footwear only" members policy at Folk, while we were dreaming of wearing those comfy cardigans and stylish shirts that were reserved for the lucky guys.
But our time has arrived! The Debut Womenswear collection at Folk has been launched for next season. And it's a good one.
We will be able to relax wearing one of the soft and warm cardigans. Or we could just choose to wear a structured tuxedo jacket paired with tailored trousers.
The collection also includes silk tops, indigo mao-type collar shirts and ponchos inspired by utilitarian workwear, which is one of the macro-trends for the next 18 months.
The collection maintains the brand's ethos and includes innovative details within the designs.
It has a kind of understated and laid-back elegance that only a detailed design process and carefully selected fabrics can offer.
