Make Me Wanna Die

Quick update of hot new music. If you haven't seen Kick Ass at the cinema yet then get out and watch it, but equally as awesome is the truly kick ass soundtrack! I bought it yesterday (along with Ministry of Sound Mash Up Mix 90s- a double disc road trip soundtrack of absolute dreams) and listened to it on the way home. I got to track six and thought that the song 'Make me Wanna die' was a really great grungy rock tune. Then imagine my surprise when I look at the case and realise that it is by The Pretty Reckless (soon to just be The Reckless) aka Taylor Momsen's band. Admittedly I'm biased because I think Taylor is a sullen, faux gothic fashion delight but I listened to the song without knowing who it was and genuinely really liked it! So check it out-obviously this isn't the official video because one hasn't been made yet but this is good fan-made one.

Life is a flower

If anyone needed the proof that a) florals for Spring were definitely a 2010 trend (groundbreaking) and b) that digitally manipulated images were the next big thing, then here it is- the newly announced winner of the Vogue/BFC Fashion Fund is Erdem Moralioglu!!!  Erdem is a relatively new designer, having only graduated from the Royal College of Art in 2004, but he has already won the approval of the fashion elite and the grande dame of international politics-Michelle Obama. I think the appeal of Erdem's clothes lies in their fresh femininity and, dare I say it, the sheer prettiness! Erdem designs symbolise the carefree nature of girlish youth but translated into a chicer, more sophisticated cut. An Erdem floral dress would be the perfect outfit for afternoon tea at the Ritz, a picnic in the gardens of Hampton Court or a romantic stroll through a quaintly historic town like Stratford-upon-Avon. To me, dresses like these represent the apex of womanhood but in that beautifully idealised way as envisaged by a young girl who looks up to her always so glamorous Mom. These are the types of dresses that I see myself wearing once I am a more mature Lady, with pearl studs in my ears, glossy hair pulled back into a loose ponytail, a cosmopolitan in my hand and a group of my favourite girlfriends chatting around me.

A lace detail coat-dress. Just add a parasol and some freshly-cut grass and it would be the perfect Spring afternoon.

Just so pretty- look at the floral print mary-janes!!!!

Florals for evening. This would be perfect for a sunset dinner in an open-air restaurant in Venice or Florence.

YOU'VE GOT THE LOVE

Prepare yourselves girls, the moment is getting ever closer... it is only two months until the release of Sex and the City 2!! Official date- May 28th!! My girlfriends and I have been re-watching the TV series from the beginning and revelling once more in the fabulous fashion, the shocking sex and the wonderful friendship of Carrie, Samantha, Charlotte and Miranda. I know a lot of people have a favourite girl, one whose style they aspire to, whose personality they relate to or whose situation they empathise with but I like to think that we all have aspects of each girl in all of us- the optimism of Charlotte, the sassiness of Samantha, the sarcasm of Miranda and the style of Carrie. Of course there are outfits or accessories the other girls have worn that I have envied (Charlotte's pink Jackie-O outfit which she wore to Brady's first birthday) but Carrie's quirky style is something I've always appreciated, regardless of the fact that I wouldn't have the courage (or the body) to wear a lot of her clothes. Patricia Field must be given a standing ovation for her creative input in this show- I don't think the characters would have been even half as realistic or likeable without their distinctive looks.
So, in celebration of the coming sequel I put together a few of my favourite outfits seen on Carrie in the first film.

The opening sequence- such an iconic outfit as corsages were SUCH a big thing in the series. And of course for the film the flowers had to be SUPERSIZED! The dress is vintage, the shoes are Dior Extremes and the clutch is Castor & Pollux.

Apartment/penthouse shopping- vintage coat and dress, vintage 'Roger' belt (seen repeatedly throughout the film), Dior Extremes again and Timmy Woods Eiffel Tower bag which I HAVE!!  (I say I have, but the bag is definitely my moms- I shall dig it out and photograph it while I'm home because it is super cute but completely impractical) Floral print dresses with studded belts is a look that must have been made by this film because I have seen it countless times on girls around Birmingham and London and have worked the look myself on several occasions.

I can't quite remember whereabouts this still comes from in the film but I love the grown-up schoolgirl chic of knee-high socks, cardigan and lace up ankle boots.

Dress by Nieves Lavi, top by Georgio Armani, Sweater by Tomas Maier, Shoes by Valentino and bag by Prada

Shopping and telling Samantha about the engagement- I love the contrast of black and pink here, despite the fact that I hate pink clothes with a passion. In my eyes its a modern 80s Madonna look.

Vintage dress, 'Roger' belt, Dior shoes and Chanel bag.

I have to add in here the extended clip of the montage scene when the girls are packing up Carrie's wardrobe ready for the move. There were a lot of hilarious outfits you didn't get to see in the theatrical cut which are definitely worth checking out now!!

No words, just sound-sharp intake of breath plus smile. Vivienne Westwood. Genius.

Fashion Week- Usually the proportions of Carrie's outfit wouldn't work; chubby fur plus voluminous puff-skirt?? But it works because of the tonal greys and Carrie's newly dyed brown hair.

Dress by Dolce and Gabbana, fur by Lucien Pellat-Finet and shoes by Sigerson Morrison (you can't see them in this picture but they are cream pointy-toed stiletto ankle boots).

I have to say I also LOVE Samantha's PK fur. It looks so soft and so white (until it gets blood stained)

House-warming plus baby shower- I loved the new style of decoration in Carrie's flat; it is far more feminine and boudoir-ish than before which suits her style more. I also LOVED the blue of this dress against the heavy gold chain and Carrie's newly blonde again hair.

Dress by Emma Domb, shoes by Manolo Blahnik and vintage necklaces.

And now for a preview of what is to come in the second film...

80s FLASHBACKS!!!!

OUTRAGEOUS but FABULOUS!!

So, you wanna play?

If there is one thing I would recommend to any one to do this week it would be to go and see 'Kick Ass'. This is one superhero movie which goes far beyond the stereotype of an egotistical masked crusader. It is fresh, original and totally modern. The world of Kick Ass is no sparkle dusted fairytale,  this is real life. It's brutal, it's funny and it is SERIOUSLY entertaining. Plus you have the hotness of Aaron Johnson (Sam-Taylor Wood's surprisingly sexy boy toy), the geeky comedy of Christopher Mintz (aka MCLOVIN) and the major shock factor of Chloe Moretz as the 12 year old Hit Girl who has some killer fighting moves and an expletive ridden vocabulary which would put a lot of older teens to shame! Without a doubt the best movie I have seen all year.

Latest girl crush...

Ok, so typically my style inspirations and girl crushes have one thing in common-slightly grungy/tomboyish/quirky looks a la Alexa Chung, Erin Wasson and Taylor Momsen. But I have recently found myself going green with envy over the perfect features, glossy hair and luxe-bohemian glamour of the model Rosie-Huntingdon Whitely. Of course having such a grandiloquently long and aristocratic sounding name does help create an aura of self-importance and grandeur but just one look at the sharp cheekbones and jaw-line and pouty lips and OMG let's not forget her enviably slim and toned body (who else could have the honour of being crowned the first British Victoria's Secret model?) and you could be forgiven for instantly loving this girl.

But, yes, despite her stunning looks and killer body Rosie also has great style. If you check out her blog on Vogue.com, 'What I'm Wearing', you can see that her daily look is all high-impact luxe glamour with furs, Missoni stripes, J-Brand jeans and Isabel Marant boots. Rosie's red carpet appearance also show off her penchant for vintage finds, high-street buys and beautiful draped Grecian style goddess gowns.

Wearing a Topshop sequined trophy jacket and a vintage dress, looking FABULOUS.

The Louis Vuitton drawstring 'pochette' bag as I like to call it (or as my housemate Sam prefers-'papoose', no idea why but it's far more entertaining than a traditional bag label)

Working a cut-out Mark Fast design long before the rest of the Fashion pack cottoned on to the genius of his sexy knitwear.

I also love that despite her sex icon status Rosie remains modest about her appearance and promotes edgy, rather than stereotypically 'pretty', beauty: "Prettiness is the enemy of beauty- it cancels out beauty's greatness, grandeur and presence"

Wish List...

I have always loved the tough and raw edge to Rodarte's clothing and the Mulleavy sisters always manage to complete their hard-girl apocalyptic aesthetic by bringing in amazing footwear designers. In Fall 2008 the gothic distressed knitwear and collage-like designs were completed by Christian Louboutin's spiked, studded and multi-strap sandals which I fell in LOVE with. They epitomise the rock-chic look which I have always aspired to.

But of course, being Louboutin's, these fabulous sandals were so far out of my price range that they were purely the shoes of unachievable fantasy. 

BUT- Louise Goldin has just brought out some shockingly similar sandals at Topshop which, despite still being fairly pricey at £150, are far more affordable than their Louboutin counterparts.

The only question is: black or cream?

A love affair of the future

I think the defining moment of my love for Balenciaga came with the Fall 2007 Ready to Wear collection which was an inspiring concoction of preppy tailoring, Heritage emblems and world traveller prints and accessories.

What captivated me most, then and now, about Nicolas Ghesquiere's designs is that they were edgy, evocative and yet still totally wearable. That same ethos is going strong in the 2010 collections. The Spring line incorporated traditional street-wear motifs of hoodies and skinny pants but transformed them with sculpted leather and geometric, fluorescent patterning- the look was relevant and contemporary but with a twist of futurism. Just what the modern woman of today wants and needs.

The Fall collection maintained the same staple element of geometric linear patterning but with brighter colour tones and a silhouette which was less streamlined and more loose and expansive on the top half.

The highlight of the Fall presentation for me was the SHOES. As a bit of a closet shoe addict who cannot fulfill her desires of strutting the city streets in 6inch stiletto Louboutin's or Charlotte Olympia super wedges due to height and money issues I am always enamoured with interesting footwear. The Balenciaga heels were an insane combination of architectural and geometric elements fused with Tetris-like colour blocking. Truly modernist, futuristic and also sculptural. An iconic pair of shoes.

What I'm loving right now...

• Music- Soundtracks from the OC, especially Mix 1. It brings back all the memories of when American teen drama was good and not suffering from the curse of season 3-aka when the characters start to grate on you and the storylines become so melodramatic and unrealistic that watching is painful. Check out the current season of Gossip Girl to witness such a train-wreck. Great tunes from OC:Mix 1 to check out:

-South~ Paint the Silence

-JEM~ Just a ride

-Joseph Arthur~ Honey and the Moon

-Spoon~ The way we get by

-Jet~ Move on

-The 88~ How good it can be

-Doves~ Caught by the river

-Turin Brakes~ Rain city

-The Dandy Warhols~ We used to be friends (soundtrack to Veronica Mars)

-Finlay Quaye and William Orbit~ Dice

-Alexi Murdoch~ Orange Sky

-Phantom Planet~ California

• Books- Leo Tolstoy 'Anna Karenina' and 'War and Peace'- epic in the true sense of the term due to the great length of each book and the sheer scope of the stories which cover the greater part of a lifetime. These books may be hard going at first but the reward of reading them more than compensates for initial difficulty. The characterization is superb, and although the often hard to pronounce names might get you confused they also add a touch of foreign intrigue and mystery. 'Anna Karenina' in particular is a heart-rending tale of romance, society pressures and the consequences of wrong choices. A very shocking ending.

• Shoes- I have been on the hunt for new going out shoes for AGES and still can't quite seem to find the perfect pair. They need to be predominantly black so as to go with all my different coloured dresses, they need to be high enough to make my legs look good but not so high that I a)fall over b)am over 6ft c)break my ankles, and they need to ideally be cage sandals rather than flimsy strappy ones or too girly peep toes. Dramas. This pair of GlamRock sandals from Oasis are the closest I've come but I still can't decide.

• Clothes- I have recently purchased, at long last, my beloved nautical themed playsuit from Urban outfitters. The top section is like silk and feels wonderful against your skin. I can't wait for it to stop raining so I can wear it!!

Unfortunately I do not have the lithe limbs, flowing locks and clear, dewy skin of this model so shall not be looking this gorgeous wearing it.

• Make-up-I have, of recent years, become far more of a lipstick fan than lipgloss. I think it has something to do with the youthful pink glitter associations of lipgloss and the fact that most were flavoured with strawberry or bubblegum to heighten the appeal. The richer colour of lipstick allows for a more dramatic look than the sheer effect of gloss, so it is easier to create impact in a brief amount of time. The new range of  rouge coco de chanel lipsticks, advertised by Mrs Johnny Depp herself, Vanessa Paradis, are perfect. They are rich and moisturizing creating a smooth, satiny finish, and the range of colours from lightest pink through beige and brown tones to dark red will suit everyone.

Painting the roses red...

If you have not yet watched 'The September Issue' then not only are you missing out on a fascinating behind the scenes peek into the world of arguably the most prestigious fashion publication ever, but you are missing out on witnessing the true gem of American Vogue-creative director Grace Coddington. Almost every review of the documentary has commented upon Grace's friendly and enthusiastic demeanour, her innate skill and inventiveness in styling and most important of all the extent to which she overshadowed the 'ice-queen' Anna Wintour. The footage of Grace displays her complete involvement in every shoot-from initial research and drawing on sources of inspiration, to her hands-on involvement and almost maternal relations with the models. Unlike Wintour who comes across as cold and abrasive, purely viewing fashion as a business, Grace is completely immersed in the world of fashion as a magical wonderland-styling, for her, seems like a form of escapism, a form of child-like fancy dress and storytelling. This to me, aside from her ability to concoct an amazing look from completely disparate items of clothing, is the essential aspect of Grace's talent; her ability to create a narrative behind each shoot. The models are not just clothes-horses or passive hangers but characters with personality and joie de vivre. You only have to look at the Paris, Je T'aime spread from September 2007, shot by Steven Meisel and featured in the documentary, to see the strong sense of atmosphere which Grace can create:

I also wanted to flag up Grace's talent because she was featured as one of the Icons in issue nine of Lula magazine which was dedicated to fabulous red-heads. Model Karen Elson was Guest Editor and provided the text for the feature on Grace which I think summarises her appeal perfectly:

"When you work with her you realise that the term 'stylist' doesn't apply, she is the life and soul of every shoot. The camera angle, the light, the hair and make-up, the pose, the tug of the dress. Grace has it all inside her mind. She is a fighter of the most elegant kind. Grace will stand up for her convictions in a manner which is purely from the bottom of her heart. She adores fashion but not the whirlwind, glitzy front row which most people perceive fashion to be. Grace understands the power of an image and the timeless and affecting beauty of clothing. She wants every page in Vogue to be epic."

I also have to include two of the shots from Karen's spread in the magazine because she has such a beautiful yet enigmatic face and her flawless porcelain complexion and glossy red hair perfectly suit the gothic yet glamorous styling.

Left- Blouse, skirt and bunny ears from Louis Vuitton

Right-Dress by Proenza Schouler

Skirt and blouse by Valentino

Dandy Diane

As I began a small internet browse of fashion sites/blogs/online shops I came across the images below from Vogue Germany April 2010. These images epitomise, for me, the height of black and white portrait photography. The stark background and close-up shots create a sense of intimacy, maybe even voyeurism,  and allow Diane's natural beauty to emanate through, unobstructed by excess make-up or hair styling. Her bone structure is just astounding-it is quite possible that she is one of the few women lucky enough to be graced with a perfectly symmetrical face. I could continue to rant about Diane's beauty and style in general, and in these photos in particular, but I will let them speak for themselves. Oh, and did I mention that the photographer was Karl Lagerfeld?? How talented can one man be?