Elizabeth & James - We are family

Twins Ashley and Mary-Kate Olsen are showing their talent as designers collection after collection 

Elizabeth & James, their fashion label named after two of their siblings, presents tailored masculine shapes combined with femenine and vintage hints, resulting in an elegant collection for this summer

Light blouses, dresses and wide-leg trousers floating in the summer breeze

Eyewear, shoes and jewelry complete the outfits

The casual collection Textile presents denim garments, tees and modern silhouettes

I've got all the sisters with me

A pre-view of the new fall 2012 collection

Opening Ceremony - Winning talent

A combination of retail shop, showroom and gallery, Opening Ceremony presents a contemporary collection and promotes at the same time new talent by researching design labels all over the world

Under the inspiration of the founder of modern day Olympics (very appropriate these days...) their vision comprise merging brands, business and global participation, which has been represented by having collaborations with toy, stationery and fashion brands (Chloè Sevigny, MM6 Maison Martin Margiela, Pendleton, Keds, Postalco, Sanrio and much more)

Every year they have a "visiting" country or city sharing their OC's space, capturing its essence and bringing both established and emerging designers

And above all of this, the Showroom in NYC with over twenty designer collections it's worth a visit

Coming to London in time for the Olympics

Ready, Steady, Go!

Rapsodia - Bohemian rock

The new AW'12 collection from Rapsodia is inspired by rock and the nomad culture
Think of those September days and chilly nights, when summer seems to be part of our memories
The collection presented by this Argentinian brand is full of finely embroidered vests, long coats and ponchos, studded jackets and hints of leather, with reminiscences of the 70's rock lifestyle
Ikat and geometrical prints and layered mixture of garments make the iconic edgy look of this fashion label
And look at those gold skinnies...

Sessun - French delicacy

After a successful fashion show at Who's Next in Paris, anthropology student from Montpellier Emma Francois set up the first Sessun boutique in Marseille in 1999

Now an international fashion label, I first knew about this fab French brand when I found this shorts in Supra (Portobello Road) 

Stockists include Urban Outfitters (I found an amazing blouse at the NYC store)

And there are lots of reasons to love Sessun: delicate shapes and soft colours that enhance feminity, vintage reminiscence and playful girlyness with an androgynous wink

Different elements drive the inspiration for the collections: a colour range, a film, a story or even an album cover

With a mix of graphic and sound designers in her team, Sessun's trendy and timeless designs match the philosophy and key aspects of their identity

Monday Monday, so good to me

Music and fashion (II): Karen O - Oh yeah!

It's Friday but the weekend started yesterday for many...

Put on your shades, we're gonna have fun out there

Karen O, frontwoman of post-punk-indie-rock band Yeah Yeah Yeahs, New York band formed in 2000 with Nick Zinner and Brian Chase

Under the sound of the iconic siren-like guitar and drums, Karen O gives everything to the audience

Non-stop adrenaline bombs thrown during her performances

Crazy outfits: studded leather jackets, multi-coloured feathers like the ones in Lollapalooza, green/blue eye masks, fringed DIY garments 

Style icon?

Love her or hate her

After seeing her live, you'd worship Ms. O

Heidi Merrick - California dreamin'

Perhaps the fact that it's been the second day in a row with more than 20º makes me feel like talking about Heidi Merrick and her SS'12 collection

Heidi is from California, and daughter of Channel Islands surfboards shaper Al Merrick

Her femenine, laid-back style, with an edgy twist, is present in all her collections

Easy to wear, amazing details, great combination of textures and colours

Full and tulip skirts, leather tops and trousers

Perfect for a day look with sandals

Killer look for the night with heels

Oh my dear Sun, where have you been all this time?

The Fashion Club - Not only members

Designer Heidi Leung and blogger Lulu Chang have joined efforts to create their own label

Heidi, finalist for 2011 Fashion  Fringe, and Lulu, featured in Barneys and Elle + Vogue Japan, presented their capsule collection AW'12 for The Fashion Club

One of the star pieces is the mohair jacket with detachable straps and black details, followed by cropped cashmere knit tops and two-tone denim dress

Minimal design and mix of luxe fabrics to enhance feminity

Menswear reinterpreted by two women

Preen - Deconstructed chic

Justin Thornton and Thea Bregazzi set up their first shop in Portobello Road, with one-off pieces that quickly run off from their hands

Preen was born and grew up under the influence of punk, deconstruction, recycling and hand craft effects

Evolution has brought the fashion label to a more effortless elegance look

Still keeping a strong image with cutting-edge shapes

From the dark romantic floral and leopard prints of the pre-collection, with beautiful details like the blouses' collars

To the faded pixeled pastel prints and lace of the SS'12 collection

And the rockin' style of the Preen Line collection, with embroided skirts, leather jackets and feline look

The couple has already presented the pre-fall 13 collection

Don't blink 

Or you'll miss it

Preen pre-fall '13 collection