London Wonder

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 7^th 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.

I was doubly lucky as not only was I one of the lucky few chosen to be a VIB (Very Important Blogger), but I was also given the opportunity to showcase one of the brands I look after for the Bloggers Boutique on the Monday, and the VIB Tea Party on the Wednesday. You can see how that went on the blog post I wrote for Guirado Design here.

The Monday was brilliant - so many bloggers showed up, and though I was technically working, it was a great opportunity to network, meet other fabulous bloggers and get to see some of the other gorgeous brands that were showcasing. Unfortunately, I didn’t get a chance to see either the multi-brand fashion show, or the highlight fashion show (because the stand for Guirado Design was busy, literally the entire night - not the worst problem to have!). I did pick out some of my favourite brands showing at the Bloggers Boutique though - Nadia Minkoff, Rachel Black Millinery, Taro Collection and Maro.

On the Tuesday I was invited to the VIB Tea Party, hosted by the lovely folks at Debenhams. As I walked into the 8^th 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.

It was the Edition Collection from Debenhams that took my breath away - a beautiful diffused SS14 collection from top designers such as Johnathan Saunders, Preen and Marios Schwab.

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 have to say, I was blown away by the Edition collections that Debenhams had on offer - each piece was made by both the fashion house, and the Debenhams team of designers to make it right for their customer. It had the signature look of the designer, but with a more accessible and wearable aspect to it.

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 8^th 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!

All in all, it was a great event - for the first Bloggers Love Fashion Week, they have really set the bar and may have set themselves a rather difficult task of topping it for next season.

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!

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.

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?

It’s too good. The dress, the face, the hair, the Bulgari jewels, the Jimmy Choo's, the bag… it’s just ALL GOOD!

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.