Vogue Festival 2014 - Part 1 Phoebe Philo
For the third year, Queen Elizabeth Hall at London’s Southbank Centre opened its doors for the prestigious and ever growing in popularity VogueFestival. This year, the event’s main sponsor was luxury British department
store Harrods.
The sunny day started out a little wobbly for me if I’m
completely honest - we missed our first seminar; ‘The Power of Two in Fashion’.
After waiting for Hanny to turn up at Waterloo station (25mins passed, with my
excitement and impatience ever growing) she showed - hoorah! - a flurry of
excuses pardoning her lateness later, I decided not to be too annoyed about it (because
anyone who knows me knows that I’m usually the late one) and not let it ruin
our day. I will say that I felt like crying when we were refused entry into the
auditorium. Although, we were 15mins late, so I can’t say it completely took me
by surprise.
Since our next seminar wasn’t until 2:30pm, we decided to
take the early afternoon to grab some lunch and explored the street food stalls
along the South Bank.
Just so happened to stumble across an impromptu photoshoot
on the veranda outside, with the stunning Karlie Kloss!
Our next talk was arguably the most sought after ticket
of the two day event - Celine’s Phoebe Philo in conversation with Alexandra
Shulman. Known for shunning and shying away from any kind of press or media
attention, I was intrigued more than anything to hear what Philo had to say.
When speaking with the Editor in Chief of British Vogue,
most would be nervous; some could be charming or maybe even a little complimentary.
Not Philo, she was alert, sure of herself and maybe a little abrupt, blaze or
sharp at times. At one point, she confidently stated that she doesn’t read or
follow blogs or magazines (cue mass gasp from the audience and a little awkward laughter from Shulman).
One of my favourite things Philo said in the whole interview
was that she made it her mission to ‘change Celine back from a brand to a house
with a sense of quality.’ Perfect. Mission, fashionably accomplished.
Explaining why she went to Celine and taking her three year
break to be with her family after leaving Chloe, Philo explained that it was a
long process of talks and discussions with various members of the LVMH council
before she made the decision; ‘I found Celine attractive because it wasn’t iconic. I could go and do what I wanted
to with the brand. All it stood for at the time was quality, which was
liberating... I went to Celine because of the fact that I have complete
creative control.’
Another question Philo was asked is what her thoughts were
on the iconic brand being replicated on the high street, to which she answered
that ‘it’s mostly flattering and exciting, occasionally a bit too close to the
bone, but on the whole it’s great!’
As one of the only few fashion houses left to not have an
ecommerce platform, Philo was asked the question of what has gone into the
decision of not going ecomm, to which she answered that she believes ‘a
customer should experience Celine clothing by touching, feeling, buying... In a
store, you get a sense of the materials, atmosphere etc, that’s what makes it.’
It was somewhat of a fantastic talk. I felt like I’d come
away from it not knowing Phoebe Philo as a personality, but as an extremely headstrong foreword
thinking creative who is sure of herself and her brand - and the beauty of it all is that Celine really is her brand. Where other Creative Directors take on the role to continue the essence of a fashion house or brand, it was the relatively blank canvas that gave Philo the opportunity to take the heart and core of Celine, add her intuitive creativity and passion, mix it all up and produce an iconic fashion house.
Such an opportunity that not many have or will ever get a
chance to experience was one of those things where you only realise how lucky
you were afterwards. To see one of fashions most focussed and intriguing individuals
talk about her life and experiences (so far) was rare.
I’ll be blogging about what else this year’s Vogue Festival
had in store in a ‘Part 2’ including those coveted gold bags, Valentino and me
meeting Manolo Blahnik (I know!!).
In the meantime, have a look at my thoughts on Victoria Beckham when I saw her seminar at last year’s Vogue Festival, or why the Roll Up Clutch from the Celine SS13 collection made me swoon.
celine
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harrods
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karlie kloss
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london
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manolo blahnik
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phoebe philo
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south bank
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valentino
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victoria beckham
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vogue
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vogue festival
Bloggers Love Fashion Week - March 2014
Back in January, I heard through the wonders of Twitter
about an event called Bloggers Fashion Week.
Run by Bloggers Love…, every month they organise
fabulous invitation only events in Central London for exclusively for
their online community of bloggers, to showcase an amazing range of fashion and
beauty brands that #BloggersLove!
Set on the 7th Floor of The Penthouse London, 1
Leicester Square, the venue was perfect and had a gorgeous backdrop overlooking
a bustling Leicester Square and the most perfect landscape of London.
On the Tuesday I was invited to the VIB Tea Party, hosted by
the lovely folks at Debenhams. As I walked into the 8th Floor suite
of The Penthouse London, I was completely blown away. Debenhams and Bloggers
Love had gone to phenomenal lengths to really make the Mad Hatters Tea party
theme shine.
Marshmallow Oreo Bloggertini’s
where on display everywhere with very tempting ‘Eat Me’ signs on show. I then
discovered the cutest cupcake tower ever - it had the most delicious looking
vanilla cupcakes ever, made by the very talented Miss Cupcakes.
There was also jewellery, shoes, accessories, bags, and even
more sweet treats - we really were spoiled. There was even a ‘Haul Booth’ -
where Debenhams had kindly given a selection of ‘H! By Henry Holland’ accessories which were quite literally up for grabs! I had arrived only about
15mins late, and most of the bits had gone, I did however manage to get my
mitts on a super cute fuchsia phone case and little smiley purse. SO CUTE!
I absolutely loved this Jonathan Saunders for Edition grey
wool blend coat. It was originally £159, (it’s now in the sale for a bargain
£79.50! Shhh, get it now!). The quality of this coat is perfect - it’s still
heavy enough for you to be able to wear it now in the transition from Winter to
Spring, but not so heavy that you’ll be dripping with sweat on the tube! The
detail is great too - the contrast black panels on the collar and pockets
turns it into a statement piece.
Another piece that caught my eye was this gorgeous ombre
dress, again by the Jonathan Saunders for Edition collection. Priced at a very
reasonable £65, the soft matte satin, and ombre design is perfect for spring -
pair this with a summery blazer and beautiful hat and it’s perfect for the
races! Find it here.
There was plenty of activities, talks and workshops to take
part in over the course of the rest of the evening, including the grand finale
of the Debenhams and Specsavers catwalk show. Wonderful.
The third day saw more fun and frolics at the Multi Brand
Tea Party that Guirado Design took part in, as well as a great section on the 8th
floor, called the Bloggers Beauty Bar which included freebies from Sleep In
Rollers, Umberto Giannini (post coming about Umberto Giannini's FRIZZI Serum soon!) and
loads more. Unfortunately, I couldn’t stay for very long on this evening and
missed the Highlight Fashion Show (Girl Meets Dress), as I had to pack up our
Guirado Design stand and make sure it got back to HQ safe and sound!
I think the talks, discussions and workshops were great, and it really gave new bloggers an insight into the world of blogging along with invaluable advice.
Looking forward to next year already!
Fashion Month Round-Up!
It’s all over until September now, but here are my highlights
of the seasons AW14 trends and fashion houses that stood out, finishing last
week in Paris.
It all kicked off in New
York at the beginning of Feb…
Favourite Show:
Oscar de la Renta.
It was a true fairy-tale in New York. With his signature floor length gowns,
meeting fun and flirty details, this season de la Renta dazzled.
Remember that moment when Carrie opens the box from Petrovsky
and inside is that amazing pink de la Renta dress? And then she fainted? Like
that was anything to do with
Petrovsky’s extravagance, it was the dress!! It was like that moment all
over again when I first saw this collection, piece after piece had something
different to offer, and the detail - the
detail!! - was incredible.
I loved the more masculine edge in the first half of the RTW
collection, and as the shapes got bigger as the show continued, the
anticipation grew for what everyone was waiting for. That signature ballgown.
Close Second:
Victoria Beckham.
I think British Vogue Online hit the nail on the head here when they described this show as ‘somewhere
between Celine and The Row’. The colour palette was stunning - neutral with a
touch of playful (enter Celine). And the silhouette was slouchy demure with a
hint of androgyny (enter The Row).
Unlike the classic Victoria Beckham signature silhouette,
this collection showed a much more relaxed tailoring style. What I love most
about this collection is that it is so wearable! You can see it in the office,
at a dinner, at a party, an underground East London industry event… the list
goes on. The other thing I loved was the simplicity of the collection. The
pieces spoke for themselves, and the only real accessory used was the gold chain,
which proved that adding the smallest detail makes the biggest difference - I
can definitely see this detail filtering out to the high street next season.
Most ‘Out There’:
The Row. It just
made me feel so fluffy and warm. I love it! It’s no secret that Mary Kate and
Ashley Olsen are all about the fabrics, the materials, the silhouette. But this
season, they took it to a whole other level. My favourite look from this
collection was the super oversized beige and grey giant jumpers, with matching
capes (worn as skirts) in 900 gram double-face cashmere, or what they call ‘fur
cashmere’ - one thing these girls don’t ever skimp on, it’s fabric. It’s the
luxury of luxury. It makes you just want to curl up in it, huh?
One to Watch:
Lisa Perry. The
AW14 collection did not disappoint. Bringing her signature influence of the
60’s/70’s into her show, Lisa Perry was to die for. The collision of oversized
tops and babydoll dresses with a new generation silhouette worked so well, the
collection is so wearable and fun.
Special Mentions:
Polo Ralph Lauren stunned, Jenny Packham Pre left me in
complete awe, Vera Wang astounded and Monique Lhullier shone.
Followed by London
shortly after…
Favourite Show:
Marios Schwab.
Like, seriously. Every single piece in this collection is perfection. I’m
stumbling over my words and making countless typo’s writing this because that’s
how excited this collection makes me. Marios Schwab is all about the mini
dress. It’s his signature style that has graced the red carpet season after
season.
The thing that differentiates a Schwab mini-dress from any
other mini dress, is his ability to make it demure, sophisticated, romantic,
elegant but still absolutely knock-out. Suffice to say, he’s turned down the
heat on this collection and it’s lacking the raunchy oomph of his previous
collections. That’s not such a bad thing though - he’s a well-established
fashion powerhouse now, and his signature will always be that look-at-me red carpet dress, so it’s nice to see him exploring
more with different fabrics (the feathers and trailing scarves that resonate
50’s glamour), and daring, new-age cuts (asymmetric, long line, and cut out
that mirrors Grecian glamour).
Close Second:
Julien Macdonald.
It was a sparkly, dramatic, extravagant, glittery, decadent delight of fabulous
at Julian Macdonald this season. One piece that really caught my eye was the intricately detailed lingerie which seems to of revived the underwear-as-outerwear trend. In another reference to Ms. Bradshaw, remember the famous catwalk fall
episode in Season 4 ‘The Real Me’,
when she insists they put her in the massive heels?
‘But I'm very, very comfortable in heels. The higher the better. Feel
free to put me in big shoes.’
Those sparkly Dior pants that she’s made to wear reminds me
of this look so much. I don’t know if it could go any further than the runway,
but this is a smokin’ hot piece.
Enough about Carrie. The collection screamed ultimate glam.
These are the kind of dresses you wear when you want to be noticed. I like that
Macdonald was so versatile in this collection, some pieces were perfect for the
red carpet, others the ultimate evening dress and some were complete
showstoppers. The colour palette was soft shades of nudes, gold, silver and
wintery blues with splashes of bright berry shades. It was a wonderful
collection, and only shows that Julien Macdonald as a high fashion brand, is
growing from strength to strength.
Most ‘Out There’:
Anya Hindmarch.
Nobody does fun must-have accessories like Hindmarch. From being queen of
‘bagland’, she burst into the mainstream market back in 2007 where she launched
her ‘I’m Not a Plastic Bag’ campaign
in support of sustainability and recycling for British supermarket Sainsbury’s.
The bag went on sale in only five selected Sainsbury’s stores for £5, and could
be found an hour later on eBay for £200. Baller.
This season I fell in love all over again, it was like
walking down memory lane, reminiscing all of your childhood memories and
favourites - Daz, Digestives, Ariel, Frosties and Coco Pops, Bourbons, and my
genuine favourite biscuit the Custard Cream. It’s all just fabulously good old
fashioned Brit. Anyone know how much they will retail for? I’ll have my kidney
ready to sell…
One to Watch:
Georgia Hardinge.
From first launching her label in 2009, Georgia Hardinge has gone from strength
to strength, with each season’s collection being stronger than the last. Taking
inspiration from infrastructure, architecture and the human anatomy, this
collection is fun, flirty, sexy and London-cool all rolled into one. The
collection really highlights the joining of style and comfort.
More to look forward to - Hardinge has collaborated with
high street giant River Island and the highly anticipated collection is due to
hit stores next month (April 2014), with no piece being more than £100. Watch
this space!
Special Mention:
Tom Ford’s monochrome safari was amazing, Topshop Unique’s frow
got as much attention as the collection, Vivienne Westwood Red Label did not
disappoint, and the things I would do for one of those personalised ponchos at
Burberry Prorsum!
Then came Milan…
Favourite Show:
Jil Sander. When
Raf Simons stepped down as Creative Director of the brand two years ago, there
was a lot of talk that this was the end of Jil Sander. Simons had strengthened
the brand from the inside out, making it a relevant and highly anticipated show
each season.
Today, still with no Creative Director under its belt, it’s
a wonder that the brand still causes a stir. With minimalism as the Jil Sander
signature style, and paying homage to the natural curvature of the female form,
the brand has created a collection that not only emphasises its wonderful
tailoring but its wearability too. Not afraid to explore different cuts and
shapes, it’s likely we’ll be seeing these styles resonated throughout the high
street come September.
Pops of mustard or teal blue amongst wintery pastels gave a
colour palette we will all be lusting after this winter.
Close Second:
Gucci. For me,
this show was all about the colour. Continuing from last season’s trends
of dusky pales and subtle shades, Gucci really gave us something to think about
for AW14. The collection was much more wearable than Gucci’s previous shows,
and while each look created a great story, each individual piece gave as good
as it got. Some can argue that the whole point of a show is for it to be unnatainable ,
however I completely disagree. Yes, there should be an element of ‘if only’,
but why showcase something that people won’t/can’t buy!?
Cute pea coats, fabulous furs and mastered tailoring won my
heart at this seasons Gucci show.
Most ‘Out There’:
Moschino. Clear
winner, possibly most outrageous show of the entire fashion season! When Jeremy
Scott stepped in as the Italian power house’s Creative Director, we knew
it could only mean good. Making his debut at Moschino at this seasons fashion
week, Scott didn’t disappoint. He took Moschino to a level that was a
combination of humour, fun, fierceness and just had balls! It’s something so
fun and quirky - I can see the likes of Miley wearing these with her two
China-buns and tongue sticking out of her mouth.
Outrageously donning what very much looked like the
McDonald’s logo and traditional colours, the models bounded down the catwalk.
Those sunglasses are so adorable, I need them in my life! Soon after came a
cool collection of denims, quilted fabrics, and playtime-bondage.
Finishing with a collection of Spongebob Squarepants
inspired pieces and sweet treat wrappers, this is certainly a show that nobody
will be forgetting for quite some time.
One to Watch:
Fausto Puglisi. I
absolutely loved this show - the colour, the geometric shapes and patterns, the
asymmetric cuts, all beautiful. This isn’t your subtle, play-it-safe kind of
fashion house, Fausto Puglisi know how to make a statement.
The mix of streamlined, structured pieces to the oversized
selection makes for a great mix of exactly what you want in a collection. I’ll
be keeping a very close eye on this fashion house.
Special Mention:
I need a Salvatore Ferragamo poncho as much (if not more)
than a Burberry Prorsum AW14 one, DSquared2’s collection of super mini
mini-skirts have doubled, trebled my daily squat numbers, Emilio Pucci
once again showed everyone how to do print, Roberto Cavalli gave me fabrics
that made me want to nestle in them and Emporio Armani showed us why they own
at flawless tailoring and those cute oversized bowler hats were to die for!
And last, but by no means least… Paris.
Favourite Show:
Alexander McQueen.
Sarah Burton does it again. It was a true story of a cold fairytale winter.
With the drama of McQueen that we all know and love, we were taken on an
adventure - a little bit Alice in Wonderland, a touch of the White Witch in
Narnia finished with the setting of a long abandoned Middle Earth. Daenerys
Targaryen would have fit right in.
The heavy furs, bohemian peasant dresses and feather coats
portrayed a story of dark trying to overpower the white light. It’s no surprise
that Burton has continued to take McQueen on a refreshing journey going from
strength to strength, pushing boundaries but still keeping the Alexander
McQueen heart.
I could talk about this show for days, but I think for now
that’s all that needs to be said.
Close Second:
Saint Laurent.
Zone into your inner Twiggy, Saint Laurent have invoked true sixties chic.
Creative Director Hedi Slimane knows how to do rock’n’roll chic, and with a
frow of people like Kate Moss, Miles Kane and Alex Turner, this show was always going to be one-to-watch. We saw babydoll dresses, PVC, leather, fur and a mostly monochrome
colourway.
I loved that none of the hemlines dropped lower than four
inches below the crotch, because teamed with the super opaque black tights it
was perfection. The tartan cape is one on my dream-but-it’s-never-gonna-happen-wishlist.
Wonderland Magazine summed it up perfectly saying ‘To stop
it wandering too far in to mock mod and to reiterate a glam luxe feel,
luxurious fabrics and metallic lurex was heavily used and embellishment kept it
from becoming too safe. It was casual yet glamorous at the same time. Outfits
were paired with sparkly knee high boots or Mary-Janes. There was a definite
air and celebration of youth culture, Hedi has helped make Saint Laurent a
label highly desirable for all the uber cool bright young things’.
Most ‘Out There’:
Comme de Garcons.
I literally don’t even know where to start with this collection. Never afraid
to push the boundaries, CdG’s creative director, Rei Kawakubo created a
collection that was like having all of your necklaces in a jewellery box,
mish-mashing, mixing, folding, twisting and interlocking with each other that
you’d forgotten about for a year.
The collection was overpowering, I think a little too much
(though this is what people know and love CdG for). Fabrics drowned the models,
sometimes disguising them completely. It was uh, interesting.
One to Watch:
Olympia Le Tan.
This show was so much fun. It was risqué/Playboy/Alice in Wonderland/Cirque du
Soleil all rolled into one. The self-taught fashion designer, born in London
and raised in Paris showed a great quirky collection for AW14. Known for her
signature literature-classic-turned-clutch bags, she’s evolved her passions of
literature and architecture into a great selection of lingerie and fun day
wear. I can definitely see Legally
Blonde’s ‘Elle Woods’ wearing some of these pieces to law school... just
too cute!
Special Mention:
Zadig & Voltaire gave us a great lesson in dressing for girls night out, Valentino - just wow -
the colours, fabrics, prints, cuts, everything etc, Chanel was wonderful,
brilliant, Kendall, Karl, Cara, blah blah blah, read the other hundred thousand
posts on this show, yes it was amazing, but not one of my faves (shock!), Elie
Saab gave a visually stunning collection (I will one day own one of his
dresses), Stella McCartney was gorgeous - seriously, does she ever disappoint!?
Galliano made me squeal with every look. Obsessed with those giant coats at
Chloe!! Oh, not forgetting Isabel Marant’s cool, casual, slightly scrubbed up
Mary-Kate collection - I want every piece!!! Raf Simons nailed another season
at Christian Dior, with the pops of primary colour keeping the audience
captured, intrigued, motivated and excited. Beautiful tailoring - both
structured and flowing produced a brilliant show. Finally Nina Ricci once again
made me lust for a wardrobe full of her designs. And then, just LANVIN!!!
I’m aware that this was an especially long ‘Special
Mentions’, but with the longest fashion week, and some of the biggest players
in the game, Paris was always going to be talk of the town.
That was a mega round-up. I think that covers pretty much
everything NYFW, LFW, MFW and PFW related? I think the main themes running through this fashion season were dusky, pale and huey colours, mixed with sixties and seventies mod styling, the odd splash of colour and sophisticated yet oversized tailoring. Who were your favourites and
not-so-favourites?
alexander mcqueen
,
anya hindmarch
,
aw14
,
georgia hardinge
,
gucci
,
jil sander
,
julien macdonald
,
lfw
,
lisa perry
,
marios schwab
,
mfw
,
moschino
,
nyfw
,
oscar de la renta
,
pfw
,
saint laurent
,
the row
,
victoria beckham
Oscars 2014 - Kate Hudson in Atelier Versace
It’s too good. The dress, the face, the hair, the Bulgari jewels, the Jimmy Choo's, the bag… it’s just ALL GOOD!
I can’t even put into words how wonderful this gown is. It’s like it was made for her, and only her. Everything about it screams classic Hollywood glamour. You know what I mean, where the guys would smoke cigars, hold doors open and read the paper at the table every morning while they waited for breakfast. The girls of course, would be on their fourth Martini in elbow-length gloves, smoke from a slimline cigarette holder and wear a big fur coat walking around in a cloud of Chanel No.5. All set in a black and white background, naturally.
Literally cannot get over it...
When a dress creates a story like this in your mind, you
know it’s special.
Best dressed, hands down.
50's
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accessories
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atelier versace
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best dressed
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black and white
,
chanel
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classic
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dress
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glamour
,
greek iconography
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high fashion
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hollywood
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kate hudson
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luxury
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oscars
,
red carpet
,
versace
,
vintage
Mulberry SS14 Editorial Campaign
Shot by world renown (and my personal favourite) fashion
photographer Tim Walker, the campaign is classic Walker; dreamy, luxurious and
utterly breath-taking. Showcasing the beautiful collection Mulberry revealed back in September, I remember why Mulberry was one of my favourite shows of Fashion Week just gone.
I remember visiting Tim Walkers ‘Storyteller’ Exhibition at
Somerset House back in late 2012. The exhibition was accompanied by a series of
events that feature many of Tim Walker’s long-time collaborators and uncover
the influences and stories behind his work. Walking through the exhibition was
like walking onto a Tim Walker photoshoot set – a giant snail making its way
down the wall, a giant bumble bee playing the cello, a 1940′s war plane crashed
but somehow intact in the centre of the room. It was incredible.
This post isn’t going to be a long one because with Walker,
it’s all about the visual, all about the story. Just your typical English tea party, with Cara Delevingne, a cockatoo and a pelican…
accessories
,
animals
,
cara delevigne
,
editorial
,
english
,
fashion
,
fashion photography
,
fashion week
,
mulberry
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photography
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ready to wear
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rtw
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ss14
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tea party
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tim walker
Selfridges Christmas Windows 2013 - Destination Christmas!
Within it's usual splendour and glamour of faux green twinkling shrubbery, stood the intricate and very detailed Christmas Story of the store. Each window had been themed using giant products as it's display. A much simpler idea than last years' windows, but I reckon a lot more effective! The giant display draws you in, and the beautiful detail memorises. It's incredible how much work, time, organisation and planning is put into creating these displays. I make such a big deal out of them every year as they're not only crucial to the retailer as a form of attracting customers in-store to purchase, but they're also a great way of communication - your shopping experience (from your thoughts, feelings, senses, everything) has begun and enticed before even stepping through their doors. Clever.
Kenzo - the detail in the landing strip! Incredible. Santa's certainly moved on from his sleigh.
2013
,
christmas
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christmas shopping
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christmas windows 2013
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clothing
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in-store
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london
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luxury
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merchandising
,
oxford street
,
retail
,
santa
,
selfridges
,
shopping
,
visual merchandising
,
vm
,
window display
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