A sheer fantasy...

As I was flicking through my box of magazine clippings I came across a page I had ripped out from an old issue of Elle which featured the designer Erin Fetherston in their 'Closet Confidential' segment. I remembered initially seeing the spread in full and being captivated by the magical charm of this ethereal looking girl/woman. I say girl because Erin has flawless porcelain skin and white blonde hair styled with a thick, blunt fringe which gives her the aura of some otherworldly fairy or elf.

Fetherston's designs are also renowned for having an extremely girly, fantasy element. The clothes are beautiful enough to inspire wonder and amazement but yet they are also absolutely wearable, making them even more covetable. 

After finding this clipping I immediately logged onto style.com and began browsing the back collections of Fetherston's designs and edited my favourite looks from her Spring and Fall 2010 collections. The Spring collection incorporated a number of chic but feminine tailored looks such as this beautiful blouse with bow detail:

(i also love the heart print lace gloves!!)

But what really amazed me about the Spring collection was the incorporation of strong dark colours for some of the evening-wear looks. Unlike a lot of designers who based their Spring collections around the pastel color theme and traditionally girly looks with ruffles and pearl detailing, Fetherston kept her silhouette streamlined and simple, yet injected her fantasy element with sheer panelling in floor sweeping, long sleeved designs which would look fantastic on someone like Florence Welch.

The Fall collection had a distinctive 70s bohemian rock n roll spirit- clothes which wouldn't look amiss on Penny Lane, Kate Hudson's character in 'Almost Famous'. Once again there was a lot of chiffon and sheer panelling but the collection had some stronger colors to Spring and more embellishment and detailing.

Despite the hideous styling with those atrocious grey boots I absolutely adore the Satsuma color of this dress!

I love the geometric, almost architectural, panelling on this top and the velvet shorts look divine! A good lesson in mixing fabrics.

Reworking last year's trend for the blazer in rough metallic gold and black satin lapels.

I just love the dusky lavender colour of this dress and the way it drapes off the body. This is the style of dress and type of fabric which you really have to see in motion because the way it catches the air and swirls with the movement of the body is magical.

Another fabulous sheer chiffon creation with a daring plunging neckline. Bohemian/gothic glamour at its most elegant and seductive best.

curiouser and curiouser...

After watching Tim Burton's remake of Alice in Wonderland at the Odeon cinema in Leicester Square all I wanted to do was imagine my life as a world of Technicolor fantasy- far removed from the dust, dullness and drab atmosphere of the Birmingham University Library. Sadly, for the next few months the remainder of my student existence will be lived out amidst the hollow halls of 3C (the English section) and 2D (a dark underworld of musty atlases and tattered old newspapers). But who says you cannot inject a little glitz and brightness into your daily life with a gaudy but gorgeous piece of jewellery?

I had read in the April issue of Glamour that Selfridges had created a 'Wonder-room' in their store which was to be decorated in an 'Alice in Wonderland' theme with an array of related products for sale such as tea-cups, stationery and jewellery. In my head I had imagined a profuse shock of colours, a plethora of tea-sets piled up to the ceiling and on the brink of toppling over, a slight hint of powder blue smoke, a carpet of faux-grass with an array of fluorescent flowers and a background of jazzy, jangling music.

This was not the case.

MAJOR disappointment.

The only thing which could assuage my sorrows upon discovering a bland, and frankly very bare, room was to indulge in some pointless and extravagant retail therapy. The first-edition hand-coloured books were WAY out of my price range (£250 and above), I have enough notebooks to stock a Paperchase warehouse so that was out, I drink copious amounts of builders coffee, so a tea-set seemed unnecessary, therefore the only option left was jewellery. Naturally I gravitated straight towards the most expensive section of gold and sparkles, and left with this wondrous delight!! A necklace inspired by the pocket-watch of the white rabbit. The pendant is a clock, a horn and a rabbits head decorated with gold Swarovski crystals. I am obsessed with it. It's cute, it's sparkly and as it's gold I can layer it up with other items like my thick multi strand gold chain necklace.

'Oh my ears and whiskers, how late it's getting!'

Sweeter than Heaven, and hotter than Hell

I have a new girl crush. Someone rather unexpected who is generally quite underestimated and largely ignored by most mainstream fashion publications; albeit online she seems to have far more of a following (and simultaneously a large group of haters).

Zoe Kravitz is my age, 21, yet she has the extraordinary luck of being the progeny of both an extremely sexy male rock god, Lenny Kravitz, and a beautiful actress/model, Lisa Bonnet. Whether it is as a result of her parentage or not, Zoe herself is very attractive, has the slender curves which inspire adoration from men and envy from girls, and has a seemingly effortless boho/hobo chic style.

Several of her style choices in the past have ignited my adoration of her, mostly for the way she has reworked designer items to make them look funky and individual, in stark contrast to the overly-polished, affected look when the same pieces are worn by more renowned celebrities. For example, this gorgeous Matthew Williamson embellished fluoro mini-dress previously worn on the X Factor by Cheryl Cole:

Zoe mixes it up by losing the belt, adding nude cage sandals and adding extra bling with heavily embellished trophy jacket. The lack of styling with her hair and her natural toned make-up ensure that the look appears carefree and whimsical. Naturally sexy rather than the plastic 'Barbie' look of the overly made-up Cheryl.

Zoe is also seen wearing canonical designers which one would usually associate with a more refined, mature glamour, but which she adds spark to by her choice of items and accessories. For instance here she is wearing Chanel but with the accessory du jour of young Hollywood- Rayban wayfarers. A cute beret, two tone tights and current fashion fave, ankle boots, keep the look modern and prevent the hounds-tooth pattern from becoming stuffy and too traditional.

As I began to collect more pictures of Zoe I became increasingly enamoured with her style and several key themes which she sticks to.

Firstly, hair accessories. Zoe has naturally glossy, long and thick wavy locks (so a massive advantage over us mere mortals with thin wispy strands of hair), but she adds interest with a thick, blunt fringe and a number of headbands and decorative flowers. This is the kind of additional stylistic element which anyone can easily incorporate into their own everyday look.

Secondly, hats. A simple item which can instantly update any outfit and add a distinctive stamp of reference to a look. Beret, a traditional French item of headgear. The large floppy hat, a la Nicole Richie, is not just a beach staple but a piece which adds that extra hippy vibe.

Then there's the teen/young adult staple for bad-hair days, or bad moods when you're feeling a tad gloomy and self-reflexive- the beanie.

The daytime look of choice is loose fitting boho in pastels, white and muted greys. But as Zoe's appearance at several awards ceremonies recently proves, she is just as adept at transferring her iconic style into red-carpet glamour. 

Here at the Independent Spirit Awards, in Chloe, the look is refined Boho. Still in a muted hue and loosely fitted for that carefree hippy feel, but the sheer chest panel and soft layers of the train give it a more refined edge. The simply pulled back hair with face framing layers keeps the look from looking too dowdy or matronly.

Zoe then took her evening, old-hollywood glamour look one degree hotter at the Oscars, where she walked the red carpet with dad Lenny. Zoe wears a cream and red velvet Alexis Mabille dress with stacked Fred Leighton diamond rings. Although the strapless style is a favourite among the young A-list (Zoe Saldana, Carey Mulligan, Miley Cyrus and Kristen Stewart all also wore strapless gowns), the cut and fabric of Zoe's gown is far more interesting than the typical sweat-heart cut, embellished style. The fabric hugs her body in a provocative (yet also demure) manner, but the sweeping train adds that extra kick of drama. Simple, yet very effective.

Looks like teen spirit...

So today I got a new tattoo. My ideal, longed for tattoo. A pretty little bird on my wrist with a thin chain band. Its pearl patterned with black and grey shading.....

But don't worry- sadly the day of me getting another permanent wrist tattoo is a fair way in the future (I've learned from previous experience that parents DO NOT react favourably to visible tattoos). This is just a transfer; but not of the traditional americana style which you get in your stocking or free with a pack of gum, this is a bit more feminine.

Check out the Chanel skin art!!!

 My mum put us both on the waiting list and on Saturday we picked up our  packs from the store on Bond Street. Although they were fairly expensive at £50 a pack ( but it is for 50 designs, and it is Chanel!) I am going to have great fun getting creative and adorning my body with these beautiful images.
I decided to start with a small wrist one as my thighs are far from being the miniscule, teeny-tiny size of the girls on the catwalk (several years of Hockey are to blame for this). I shall see how long they last and what other creative ideas I can muster...

Kid-adulthood. Not a girl, not yet a lady.

Another fabulous Chanel purchase, modelled again by mom. Not too jealous of this though because I have my own!!! I'm saving mine for special, post-uni occasions, as a set of classic Chanel pearls were not made to be thrown on with the casual attire I currently wear on my trips to the library. My friend Sam and I constantly joke about the clothes we aspire to wear in 5 years+ time when we are firmly established in the world of work, with a place of our own and once we are 'LADIES'. Hopefully my necklace is that first tentative step into the world of adulthood and chic (but edgy) power dressing.

Jealous? Me? Never.

Thursday 4th March was my mom's birthday. Now, she is quite the stylish and classy lady so not just any present would do. Yesterday we made a little trip down to London and besides the wonders of seeing the fantastical, eccentric vision of Tim Burton's 'Alice in Wonderland', we made a visit to the Chanel store on Bond Street and then the Chanel concession in Selfridges. All I will say is that my mom is one very lucky lady and I am one very jealous daughter!!!

Yes, she already has the Chanel 'Classic' in black but she is now the proud owner of one of this year's bags from the Spring collection.  Thus instantly solving the problem of how to work this Spring's pastel trend when wearing buttercream, lilac, powder blue, or candyfloss coloured clothing doesn't suit you.

No dawn, no day, I'm always in this twilight, in the shadow of your heart

I have long admired Daphne Guiness for her confidence and exuberant styling. She inspires me with her fearless attitude to fashion and accessorising; where many people follow the old motto of Coco Chanel to remove one item of jewellery before leaving the house, Daphne just adds extra, but never in a careless manner. As extravagant as her outfits may be they are never costume, never affected. Each look she puts together is distinctly HER. I had previously thought that she could rise in my esteem no further than when she stepped out wearing THOSE Alexander McQueen 'Armadillo' heels- but today, on my morning internet browse, I came across a cover and editorial spread which knocked the breath out of my lungs.
Enter Daphne Guiness, as photographed by Steven Klein for the September issue of Vogue Italia 2008. A vision. An inspiration. A goddess.

OMG. the headpiece!! I love the rich dark plum hue of her lips and the sculpted cheekbones. I love that for this cover shot they have taken the stereotypical image of a woman on a beach and transformed it entirely. Daphne is not one to sit on a sandy beach. No. She sits on a gothic, wrought iron sun-lounger on a hard, rocky beach and stares right into your eyes in a confrontational manner. She is not afraid to look at you. She is not afraid to be looked at.

Daphne is renowned for wearing large, full-finger jewellery, but the mass of metal which surrounds her fingers here make her look skeletal- if in a Damien Hirst kind of way. I love the set up with the dead seagull lying with her- its like a macabre still life, a memento mori- yet strangely peaceful.  The soft lighting adds warmth and makes her look as if she is resting like a gothic sleeping beauty.

I love that, once again here, they have inverted the traditional 'descending a staircase' theme and switched it around and so the attention is placed on Daphne's back and the detail of her gown- an unusually soft look, but one that is counterbalanced by the female model in black tie in the foreground and the blazing figure in the picture frame in the background.

Daphne as a film noir spy- a cross between Kim Basinger in LA Confidential and Daryl Hannah in Kill Bill part II. I love the upward tilted camera angle here-it gives Daphne greater power in the shot.

Like a virgin? Even in white with a sheer embroidered skirt Daphne's attitude shines through to make her the dominant force in the photo- forget about the half-naked wet male, Daphne is in control.

This look is the most traditional Daphne outfit- heavily embellished, highly structured, full-length black. I love the set up with her reflection viewed from a side angle. The inclusion of the ape and Daphne's expression makes me think of one of the final lines from King Kong spoken by the director Carl Denham: "T'was beauty killed the beast..."