A little piece of Paris...

In honour of all things SATC and also all things Paris (I'm leaving tomorrow!! Yippee!) I wanted to celebrate one of my favourite accessories from the first film: the Timmy Woods' Eiffel Tower bag. It appears in one of the opening scenes, when Carrie and Big are apartment hunting, and is fairly small so unless you saw stills from the film you may not have seen it. It is made of wood with a glossy varnish in a perfect replica of the shape and design of the iconic Parisian landmark.

As you can see it opens with a small plastic latch at the top and splits in half to reveal a drawstring cotton interior.

Although extremely cute it is hardly practical as even with only an iphone and a Chanel lipstick in it cannot close! It is most definitely a beautiful collectors showpiece and something I will treasure as a memento of the film.

SO, I am off to Paris tomorrow for four days of sightseeing, shopping, eating and drinking! I shall try and post while I'm out there but I don't know how great the internet service will be. But rest assured I have two cameras with me and will be snapping everything in sight! Prepare for an extensive photo diary upon my return!!

And order is restored...

I had thought that my love for the Olsens was waning. Too many paparazzi shots later of them exiting their flats in odd layered and oversized clothing which made them look less hobo-chic, more actual tramp, made me doubt their style star status. That was until I came across recent photos of the twins at the 2010 American Image awards. Ashley looked sweet in a floral print maxi dress, but as usual Mary-Kate caught my eye in her edgy world traveller style outfit:

Wearing a vintage metallic kimono, tasselled obi belt and Proenza Schouler ankle boots Mary Kate is back to her stylish best.

It's all just a bit of fun!

As SATC 2 premieres tonight and my movie companion book arrived yesterday I am fixated with all things SATC fashion. The companion book is AMAZING. There are set design details, behind the scenes stories and interviews with the cast which only served to heighten my sense of anticipation and excitement for seeing the movie on Friday! I have looked at a few reviews online which are less than encouraging but I am still not dissuaded. SATC is meant to be fun!! It's a series, and a film, intended to awaken a sense of female camaraderie and carefree frivolity. I watch the show to be stunned by the eccentric fashion choices, entertained by the dramatic sexual escapades of Samantha and moved by the sense of limitless love and understanding between the four women. It is not meant to be a realistic documentary or thought-provoking drama: IT'S LIGHT ENTERTAINMENT!! So, go with it.

One of the labels which has come up again and again in the companion guide is the diffusion line Halston Heritage, the line to which Sarah Jessica Parker has been signed as designer. Some of the first pictures from the sequel to be released were of the opening sequence when Carrie steps out in the white Halston dress and bejewelled Louboutin court shoes, looking like a vision of pure stylish simplicity:

Other Halston dresses which appear in the film are this gorgeous metallic detail tiered electric blue dress:

A rich tangerine tiered maxi dress:

And this asymmetric draped dusky pink mini dress:

I love the simplicity and classic nature of the Halston aesthetic. The clothes are chic and fashionable but yet also timeless and incredibly flattering. Such pieces would be excellent wardrobe staples for Summer (if you had several hundred pounds to spare), but I am sure there will be high street versions emerging very shortly.

Other great pieces from the Halston line (off Net-A-Porter) are this silk-satin electric blue playsuit:

This metallic linen blend blazer:

And this gorgeous black sequin vest:

I simply cannot wait to see what all the girls will be wearing in the film and I am especially intrigued to see the designs Sarah Jessica Parker will produce during her time with the Halston label....

Spring Cleaning...

Oh my god. I never realised how much hassle it is constantly trying to manoeuvre all my stuff between home and uni. I am packing up to return home for the final time and finding so much crap and also many hidden gems amongst all of my jewellery, make-up and clothes. Luckily I've got five scavengers in the house who gladly relieve me of some of the things which I no longer suit/fit/like. It got me thinking though how much we, as consumers, buy and then waste each year. Holly made a guilt inducing statement of wonder at how much all of the make-up and jewellery I was so willing to give away cost when I first bought it....

I don't want to know. I am fully aware that over the last few years my personal style has changed, the fashion trends have changed, and frankly I have been far too thoughtless and fickle in some of my purchases (When exactly did I think I was going to wear a massive gold angel wings necklace?? A green hearts bead bracelet?? A pair of flower earrings which are half the size of my head??) From now on I am determined to be more practical with my purchases and more resourceful with my existing clothes. Time and again recent fashion journalists have implored us to reconsider our spending and only purchase 'forever' items. I don't intend to curb my spending to only those kinds of pieces but from now on I am resolved to only buy items which I think I will actually wear. No more cheap buys from places like Primark or New Look which, fair enough, may capture a current trend, but will no doubt unravel and fall to pieces in a matter of weeks.

Case in point: ballet pumps. I have bought previous pairs from Topshop for up to £25, from Primark for probably £5-10 and from Miss Selfridge for £25. Each of these pairs have had too thin soles for frequent use, the colour has faded, ornaments like beading/sequins/studs have fallen off and their life span has been no longer than a month or two. I am personally on the hunt for a more sturdy pair which, whilst being stylish, are more resilient and long lasting. Russell and Bromley has some excellent plain, studded and quilted leather pairs (I have had a black patent quilted pair for almost two years), Repetto (French brand) has some ballet inspired leather pumps of superb quality (but also for a high price point) and Pretty Ballerinas has a wide range of styles, all for around £100. But the best brand, in my opinion is French Sole. If you visit their website or any of the four London stores you will see what an astounding range they have-not just in colour or style but in shape: some are low cut and thin, others are more enclosed and sturdy, some have fur lining, the list goes on. Again, like Pretty Ballerinas they are fairly expensive, with the most simple pair starting at £80. Although this might seem like a lot it is a strong investment. French Sole pumps are so well constructed that you can be assured they will remain in top condition for several years, and with that guarantee you are saving yourself from buying countless pairs of cheaper styles which will only hurt your feet and end up in the bin within a month. I invested in a black quilted pair with patent toe, and a leopard print pair, both of which I am sure will look stylish and remain key elements of my wardrobe for years to come.

In a final note, to aid in the Spring cleaning of mine and my mom's wardrobes we are setting up an ebay account to sell all of our unwanted items. These shall range from Topshop and Jigsaw dresses, Zara shoes and MAC make-up to a selection of Louis Vuitton and Dior bags. Stay tuned for more details!!

Rodarte and the little white dress...

I am such a big fan of the Mulleavy sisters' designs at Rodarte; their outfits are not simply clothes in the manner of basic garments to clothe a naked body, neither are they slavish adherents to the trends of 'fashion'; to me Rodarte designs are pure abstract art. Each look is cut, draped, layered, twisted and dyed to produce a multi-textural collage of beauty. I love that the deconstructed aesthetic of their clothes is so meticulously produced and yet evocative in a different way in each collection. Although the underlying aesthetic is consistent and characteristically 'Rodarte', the concept changes each season. Whilst the AW09 collection featured lots of leathers and hard edged fabrics in cold tones, SS10 used wools and softer fabrics in rich, warm colours in dramatic contrasts with black. Previous aesthetics have been tribal, futuristic, even apocalyptic-all with a distinctly hard edge and even aggressive tone. The Fall 2010 collection could not be more different, I would even go so far as to call it romantic and Victorian inspired. The collection features characteristic layering but this time of delicately sheer chiffons and lace, interspersed with impressionistic floral prints and loosely woven knits. The layering was even extended to accessories: leather gloves with minute stud detailing, multiple thin knit socks, subtly metallic embroidered tights/leggings and what style.com describes as 'melted wax' Nicholas Kirkwood heels. A definite new variant of the classic Rodarte theme which proves that the Mulleavy sisters have plenty more inspirational designs to come in their future.

Although the full length shots are great I think the details are far more representative of the talent and ingenuity of the label:

The finale dresses were particularly spectacular in that, unusually for Rodarte, they were all of one colour-pure white. Despite the lack of characteristic clashing colours the dresses were still highly creative in the myriad textures and layers which were subtly interwoven to produce a feminine, elegant and ethereally beautiful garment.

These white dresses really brought to mind the finale dresses of the Chloe SS10 shows, one of which was recently worn with great jewellery styling by Jessica Alba on the red carpet:

As many magazines have already noted the little white dress is a key item for your summer wardrobe. In my opinion the longer and more loosely draped the better; preferably with some lace detailing and an overall vintage feel. I found a few really great designs on the Topshop website:

Current Obsession

I think perhaps I am a little too proactive. I get bored beyond easily and simply cannot just 'hang' or 'chill' for extended periods of time. Now that uni life is officially over and my days are currently lacking any definitive schedule I am finding it hard to stay occupied. Of course today the situation is not bettered by the fact that I woke up at 5am to watch the finale of Lost and therefore completed all the things on my 'To Do' list by half past nine. Anal, I know.

So, whilst I await the call to start work experience I needed a fashion fix.

First source of entertainment was the anniversary edition of 10 magazine. There were multiple covers featuring the top ten designers' portraits, but sadly, despite endless searching, I was unable to snag the desired Tom Ford and had to settle for Donatella Versace; likewise a pioneer of a design brand based on sexuality and sensuality but definitely lacking the charisma and appeal of Ford's stubble, olive skin and hint of chest hair. Interesting features include the inevitable downfall of child prodigies (provoked by current teen blog sensation Tavi Gevinson), a review of the MOMA's exhibit of vagina portraits (pictures not for the feint hearted) and a tirade against the use of leggings as trousers which surprisingly developed into an insightful and thought provoking article on the psychological analysis of the observation of women in film, as related to fashion (the conclusion being that certain overtly sexual items of [designer] clothing are both misogynistic and masochistic).

Second source of entertainment is something that will keep me entertained for hours and thus deter a major bout of obsessive spring cleaning: The Rachel Zoe project. I watched a few episodes on Really a while back but as we don't have that channel on our limited sky package in Birmingham I have begun watching it online here. Despite the obvious stigma attached to Rachel Zoe due to the size zero debate and her conflict with Lindsay Lohan which resulted in her being tagged with the unfortunately appropriate nickname 'Raisin Face', the show is actually not only entertaining but interesting and informative. Whilst I may not agree with all of the choices Zoe makes for her clients the show is stylish nonetheless due to the attire of the cast. Zoe has an enviable collection of fur, big shades, vintage dresses, trophy jackets and gold jewellery (especially her snake bangles and leopard rings). Taylor (the resident bitch) has perfected the blonde rock chick look with a seemingly endless wardrobe of draped black seperates, leather jackets, silk scarves and colourful footwear. Quite how she manages to create the perfect side fringe remains a perpetual mystery. Brad (the sweetie) has a collection of sports jumpers, bow ties and loafers which would rival even the most staunch of preppy americans; his thick rimmed glasses perfect the cheeky appeal of his ever grinning cute face. Despite my usual disdain of reality TV shows this is fabulous guilty pleasure viewing for the fashionably inclined.

SUNSHINE

As the sun has come out and this is likely to be the best weather we get all Summer  I have been indulging myself with some tasty BBQ food, summer drinks (cider, pimms and rose wine) and sunbathing. I have been spending my time in the sun wearing my three summer essentials: big shades, panama hat and nautical stripes:

That's housemate Holly on the left rocking some Topshop florals.

Other recent treats include:

Natural but very Spring like baby pink nailpolish- the new limited edition Chanel 'Mistral'

New heels- an absolute bargain at £20 from New Look. Perfect pair of cheap black cage sandals for nights out. Unfortunately I made the error of buying them in a size that was a little too small (typically I only realised this after I had purchased them and tried them on at home), but I'm sure that after a few more wears they shall stretch and fit perfectly.

Neutral but nice

After looking at the photo of Dree Hemingway in Valentino couture I couldn't help but go on a picture hunt for a few other stylish ladies who have managed to adapt the neutral trend into their wardrobes with great panache...

From left to right: Dasha Zhukova (on the right in the second photo too), Devon Aoki and Fan Bingbing

Model watch

I'm sure you may have gathered from frequent posts and blog photos that I fell head over heels in love with this year's Valentino collections, especially the S/S RTW which was a muted pastel frothy chiffon delight. The advertising campaign for SS10 shot by Marcus Piggott and Mert Alas perfectly captured the aesthetic of the new season collections.  The lighting is dramatic, playing with the sharp contours of spotlight and shadow, and the rich black and violet colour scheme creates an all pervasive gothic princess atmosphere. The setting is almost luxe boudoir meets gothic mansion meets deserted house in which the model is draped over the furniture in a sensuous and languid manner. The clothes themselves are obviously stunning but are offset by the playful hairstyling which captures one of the trends from earlier in the year: pastel hair rinses. Tavi went blue, and then grey; Kelly Osbourne is a lilac/grey mix and the models at Giles were practically rainbow coloured cupcakes with pink, turquoise, aqua and lime green dyed strands.

I looked at these photos in multiple magazines, each time struck with envy and awe at the beautiful craftsmanship of the clothes, the styling, the hair and make-up and the set design, yet one thing never occurred to me. Who is the model? After a small stint of internet research and an uncanny moment looking at a picture of her on the red carpet in Valentino yesterday, I discovered that it is Dree Hemingway, a fabulous model and great-granddaughter of literary legend Ernest Hemingway.

This is the photo I saw yesterday that got me thinking. Dree walking the blue carpet in a stunning piece from the Valentino Spring Couture collection. A fantastic example of how nude tones and bandage dresses need not be boring when they can be paired with a pop of bright neon, great legs and a sultry yet empowered attitude. Dree is definitely a model to watch out for...

To ink or not to ink...

As I was sitting patiently getting my highlights done today I noticed something about most of the girls working in the salon which really got me thinking. Almost all of the girls had visible tattoos (neck, wrist, ankle, ear) and the majority had at least one design on their inner wrist or outer hand. I have to state before you think I frequent some sort of majorly alternative hair salon that this is Tony and Guy and only one of the girls looked like the rocker type who you may stereotypically associate with body ink. It appears, much to my delight and encouragement, that tattoos are finally starting to lose the tag of taboo and become more acceptable.
I currently have three tattoos one of which is a simple five point star on my inner right wrist (a la Gisele and countless others), and I have been thinking about getting something new to celebrate the end of my uni life. It may sound sad, and I really don't care, but I have long wanted some text written on either my wrist, ankle or neck, and two quotes from poems I have studied over the last four years have really stuck in my mind. The inner wrist is a perfect place for such a tattoo because it is highly visible, not just to everyone else but to you. I don't see what enjoyment can be gained from getting a tattoo on a region of your body such as your back or neck where you can't ever see it without looking in a mirror. If I get a nice tattoo I want to be able to look at it all the time, especially if the design or occasion is reminiscent of certain events or emotions which you want to celebrate.
On a small google search I brought up countless images of celebrities with wrist and hand tattoos. Firstly Rihanna and Cheryl Cole, each of whom have several other tattoos:

It seems the finger tattoo is strangely popular right now. My brother (no idea why) had a moustache tattooed on his index finger several years ago and a family friend has a smily face on her middle finger. It seems other celebrities have caught on to this 'trend' too as both Lindsay Lohan and Lily Allen have sported some finger ink in recent months:

It is surprising that not only wild younger celebrities or music mavens are getting inked but older, more typically conservative and feminine celebrities have also been sporting some visible tattoos. Check out Victoria Beckham, Jessica Alba and Eva Longoria:

So, who knows, soon you may catch me sporting some newly acquired wrist adornments...