chanel a/w 12-13

In case I have not made this clear, Chanel is my kryptonite.

The French fashion house took a turn for the dark side for Autumn/Winter 2012-13 with Karl Lagerfeld delving into his darkest material yet. The set itself set the tone with the overbearing stalagmites and crystals as a complete antithesis of last seasons’ white and bright underwater extravaganza. As always the classic Coco elements were heavily featured but this time around the tweed skirt suits were loose fitting as opposed to cinched in and were layered over trousers for a masculine edge. More twists on the classics meant that looks were even more elaborate with feathers, appliqué and embellishments in jewel tones adorned to the extreme but with an unsurprisingly luxurious and understated effect. The styling was impeccable as always. The girls themselves were crystallised with glittering eyebrows which were offset by their slick ponytails and barely there make up. Each look was better than the one before with British Vogue’s fashion director Lucinda Chambers going as far to say, “it was one of my favourite Chanel shows for years”. The clothes were truly breathtaking. The baggy silhouette was given feminine touches with the aforementioned embellishments but also through Karl’s use of fabrics laced with glitter and unsuspecting pops of sheer and velvet. By Autumn/Winter standards this was also a relatively colourful collection, utilising beetle green and deepest amethyst in not only the clothes but the accessories as well. My most coveted accessory has to be the shoes; a cut out hybrid between pumps and booties with Perspex heels came in a variety of rich shades and have my name all over them, in particular the black leather and glittery black tweed pair with a clear heel which are so far my most coveted item for next season.

Karl Lagerfeld's very own brand of dark magic; beautiful and dangerous.

For more images go to Vogue.

newgen

This has been playing pretty much on repeat on the big screen in Somerset House throughout London Fashion Week. For those of you who haven't seen it the film is a collaboration between Topshop, the NEWGEN designers they have worked with over the last decade and the wonderful photographer Nick Knight. It stars Karlie Kloss strutting her stuff in 10 years of Topshop NEWGEN designs. It is incredible how many of these once up and coming designers Topshop has boosted to fashion stardom.

jean paul gaultier couture

What would Winehouse do? That seemed to be the question Jean Paul Gaultier asked himself when creating his spring/summer couture collection. The hair, the eyeliner and the clothes were all very much an ode to the memory of Amy Winehouse, cigarettes and all. The sporty shapes of addidas and Fred Perry that were championed by the late singer took a turn for high glamour when they were combined with classic Gaultier corsetry and styling and recreated in leather and sequins and paired with luxurious lace and vibrant prints. Colours were bold and clashing and this was carried through into the models beehives which varied in hue and hight. The show closed with an incredible display of models, in what appeared to the under garments of the outifts they had already worn, wearing heavy veils which made for a spectacular finale. For me the Gaultier show is always a wonderful event, he has an incredible imagination which he allows to run wild and in doing so he creates not only wonderful fashion and fabulous couture but also a wonderful performance.

My favourite looks...

images courtesy of Vogue

giorgio armani prive couture

Avatar came to life on the runway at Armani today. Green of all shades was the colour of the show with vibrant hues featuring heavily in nearly every look. The reptillian theme was reinforced with graphic lizard and snake prints topped off with sequin embelishment on jackets and then paired with pale green, lilac and champagne silk trousers. The plush fabrics reacted to the colours and prints with mesmerising effect and reminded me of the oil like iridescense of Chanel peridot nail polish which was the nail colour to wear last autumn. It was a show with a very strong image and all the looks were polished within an inch of their lives; super structured, super syled and super chic. The evening wear, and majority of the more day time looks, had the perfect ammount of flair and fantasy necessary for Couture fashion week and the finale gowns might as well have had 'Oscars' written all over them as at least one or two little green dresses are bound to scuttle their way on to the red carpet. Very impressed.

My favourite looks...

images courtesy of Vogue

chanel couture

Karl Lagerfeld took the runway up, up and away hosting the spring/summer Chanel couture show in a purpose built Chanel jumbo jet. The skyline theme continued in the gravity defying hair and the sky blues, greys, black and white that carried through the collection. The sihouette and styling was simple, something that is definitely a recurring theme in most of the big shows so far, but Chanel utilsed embelishments and ornate fabrics to add the key element of fantasy to the already luxurious clothes. It would have been easy for the grand scale production of the show to overwhelm or out do the collection but the clothes more than held their own. Adorable drop waisted pockets added a feminine touch to the boxy suits, coats and dresses; and heavy sequins and beading embelishment made for spectacular evening wear. Perfection as always from my favourite fashion house. I am ready for take off.

My favourite looks...

images courtesy of Vogue


Oh and you know I love a good catwalk video...

dior couture

Wearable isn't the first word that pops into my head when you think of Haute Couture, yet for some reason Bill Gaytten presented a couture collection that looked more like ready to wear. With that said, all of the more extravagent look,s and a lot of the more wearable looks, were breathtaking. Truly beautiful, if slightly too modest. The show featured stunning fifties silhouttes in pale greys, monochrome and the occasionaly burst of bright red and houndstooth print and transitioned from modest fiftes glamour to pumped up fantasy with six show stopping gowns closing the show. Sheer fabrics gave the full skirts a light and airy feel throughout the collection and billowing sleeves echoed the billowing hem lines. Much improved from last seasons effort by Gaytten and although there were some pieces that definitely gave a ready to wear vibe overall I think the aim was to create couture that was really an investment piece that would transcend the trends.The collection still lacks the spectacular, spectacualr that made me fall in love with the creations of  John Galliano but the collection is still something to be proud of.

My favourite looks...

images courtesy of Vogue

versace couture

After an eight year absence Donatella Versace returned to the Couture shows in Paris today. It was a small show of only fifteen evening wear looks that were paraded in a static presentation set on a spectacular molten gold staircase. It was a show that was typically Versace and utilised a colour pallete of yellow, green, orange lilac and champagne in variations of pastels and neons to give the sultry and sequined looks some Spring/Summer punch. The sihouettes again were typical of Versace styling- corseted, plunging and womanly with sex appeal to spare. It was all in all a very typical Versace show. Perhaps Donatella was playing it safe for her return to the runway? I have to say although I am slightly disappointed that were didn't see a more heightened and pumped of version of Versace, which is what is to be expected from the couture shows, it was not a disappointing collection. I am sure that nearly all of these looks will be making appearances on the red carpet in the run up to awards season as they are so super sexy yet super feminine that they would look incredible on any starlet. A nice return from Versace but hopefully next season we will get a peek at Versace collection...and then some.

My favourite looks...

images courtesy of Vogue

body beautiful

Probably the most viewed image in the internet this week...Karlie Kloss in her birthday suit. So perfect she could be a statue.



for the full photo shoot by Steven Meisel for Vogue Italia see here

the secret is out

View the full Victoria's Secret fashion show (without adverts) here...

backstage beauty

My lovely friend Sophie at Marchesa sent me this photo of backstage at Marchesa's first ever show in New York this past September. I just think it is so beautiful I had to share it.

girls on film

This music video is all about the video and nothing about the music even though I do quite like the song. Duran Duran's new video features the SUPERS, I'm talking Naomi, Eva, Helena, Yasmin and Cindy! The video was directed by Jonas Akerland from the Lady GaGa music video hall of fame and was styled by none other than Dolce & Gabbana and although it is nine minutes long the video is spectacular if only for the number of beautiful women that feature. The eternally beautiful and stunningly ageless models take on the roles of the members of Duran Duran and offer up a music video truly...well...super.

got a secret...can you keep it?

The Victoria's Secret Show kicks off later tonight so in the meantime enjoy some of last years show highlights. It's enough to make you want to never eat again...so skinny and so pretty, not fair!

This year is set to be even more impressive with 15 new Angel's taking to the runway and performance's from Nicki Minaj and Kanye West.

Time to hit the gym I think...

j'adore

Still not over it...

paris changes everything

Lauren Conrad had a point when she uttered those wise words. Paris Fashion Week was spectacular, truly awe inspiring.

I spent the best part of half a day trawling through images on Vogue.co.uk and it was time well spent. I am always amazed at the standards of creativity and beauty that are always displayed in Paris and this season was no exception.

Sarah Burton's third collection as creative director at McQueen has been my favourite to date, it was the perfect combination of the haunting gothic styling and subtle femininity that Lee McQueen made famous. Elie Saab, Valentino and Balmain all went for their usual high glam asthetic but of course each had their own twist; Balmain's rock and roll edge, Valentino's girly touches and red carpet ready at Elie Saab. I must admit I inspect every Elie Saab show for my future wedding dress. Dior's collection was once again a slight disappointment, despite many beautiful individual looks, so it is not surprising this show is rumoured to be Bill Gaytten's swan song. Marc Jacobs, one of Gaytten's rumoured replacements, bought Kate Moss back to the catwalk for Louis Vuitton in a very playfull collection that feautured bags so beautiful it made my Mum want to buy a lottery ticket. My most coveted collections however, had to be Chloe and you guessed it Chanel. Clare Waight Keller, who is new to Chloe this year, offered up a very safe but albeit pretty collection for the french fashion house. It was a lovely blend of both the masculine and feminine sexyness that has become Chloe's trademark and this was particulary apparent in the boysish silhouettes complimented with colourful embroided florals. Chanel took us under the sea in a fashion experience Poseidon would be proud of. Sequins, pearls and wonderfully white tweeds executed the look to perfection and the shell shaped bags were an amusing touch. No doubt the conch will be the hottest handbag trend come next summer.

My favourite looks below came from Balenciaga, Isabel Marant, Vikor & Rolf, Stella McCartney, Louis Vuitton, Valentino, Miu Miu, Alexander McQueen, Chloe, Elie Saab, Dior, Jean Paul Gaultier, Balmain, YSL and Chanel

chanel s/s 2012

I found a video of the full show rejoice!

To see my favourite looks from the under water themed Chanel spring summer collection then check out the post below. If after that you fancy devling into the world of Chanel a bit more then you can enjoy a full 10 minutes of viewing pleasure. Simply press play and thank me later.

free

Charlotte Free. Get to know her.

In the last few months Charlotte Free has shot to catwalk stardom as the new model of choice. She first came to my attention when she walked at the Topshop Unique show and since then I have been facinated by her. She has a kind of otherworldly, elfin beauty yet her pink hair makes me think of her as a mermaid. She is truly striking in both photo and flesh. Her pink hair has indeed become her trademark, making her instantly recognisable even in a crowd of other models. But it is not her hair alone that makes her unique, at only 5"7 she is the first model of such diminuitive height to make it big since the one and only Kate Moss. The kind of model I am usually drawn to is much more golden and amazonian, the complete opposite of Charlotte, but this out of the ordinary California girl has seriously got me hooked. I hope she doesn't end up being a phase, like Agyness Deyn, as I really think that at the tender age of 18 she still has so much potential that I would love to see grow seasons from now.

images courtesy of IMG models and insideout.

fashion month

With fashion month coming to a close next Wednesday in Paris I have compiled a round up of what we have seen so far from New York, London and Milan. My favourite designers are yet to show in Paris so you can be sure next wednesday night there will be some serious fashion treats on here for you - you know Im talking about Chanel don't you? In the meantime wet your appetite on this feast for the eyes and soul...

images courtesy of Vogue.

on the red carpet: crystal renn

Formly 'plus sized' model, Crystal Renn, looked ravishing last night at the opening night of opera season at the Metropolitan Opera in NYC. This is one the first real displays of Crystal's weight loss in a public arena and boy oh boy what a dress to do it in. Her figure is undeniably enviable! I think the dress is by Zac Posen (TBC) but the entire look is flawless. There have been some controversies over Crystal losing all this weight after championing the fuller figure for so long, but I just think if this is what makes her happy then good for her. It would be just as bad for her to force herself to stay big  in order to maintain her image just as other models force themselves to stay thin, at least now she is at a happy medium and looking all the more stunning for it.