How to be GeEk.

I remember, about this time last year, realising that the 'geek-chic' look was more than just a passing phase and was in fact a strong fashion trend that was made to endure. I can so distinctly recall walking into one of my exams (and I'm an English student so my 'Arts' peers are fairly fashion forward and experimental) and seeing multiple band/cartoon t-shirts, a few granny cardis and multiple pairs of thick black rimmed glasses. Now, I've been wearing glasses since the age of about 14 when I realised just how visually impaired I was so I find the wearing of glasses as a 'fashion accessory' when you have perfect 20/20 vision affected and a tad annoying. But the rest of the geek-chic items have been fairly constant aspects of my wardrobe for the past few years. I have a Johnny Depp 'Cry Baby' t-shirt, an Iron Maiden and a Metallica t-shirt (and YES I do know who the bands are and I DO have music by both which I listen to on my ipod fairly frequently), I also have some granny cardis, some brogues, loafers and a number of other items. But the latest geek item to get a high fashion make over is something which I have secretly being feeling very nostalgic about for a while so I shall be jumping on this particular bandwagon with more than usual levels of enthusiasm.

Prepare for the re-emergence of the BACKPACK! Yes, that practical staple of your childhood days is firmly back in the game now that satchels, that other useful bag, are back on the map. I typically decide if I like a fashion trend if I see it road tested by a celeb whose style admire and whose look I think I could incorporate into my own. Alexa Chung is my usual style icon for such things (previously converting me to loafers) but even she will not sway me towards a love of clogs. Sorry, but no. Wedge, or wooden heel sandals maybe but a full Netherlandish clog? No way. Mary-Kate Olsen, my long time style crush, was the one to fully reinvigorate my love for the backpack.

Aside from the cuteness of her over-head plait and the emerald green of the gorgeous Dries Van Noten jacket, I am loving the backpack as a practical yet stylish accessory. The style of this particular bag is traditional with an over the top flap and two front pockets. It reminds me of a very old model Louis Vuitton backpack which my best friend Luci had when we were 12. I lusted after it for years before finding out that particular style was discontinued. Luckily now though there are a number of great backpacks back in the shops and in designer S/S lines.

I have just ordered this lovely little number off the Topshop website. It fits in with the military/utility trend and comes in either khaki or grey. I didn't want to look like a solitary member of the army so I opted for the grey.

I always carry around everything I could possibly need for life in my bags so I'm mega excited about putting all sorts of useful things into each of the pockets. (Yes, I'm extremely anal and have a mild case of OCD)

Other great high street versions include:

This mock-croc backpack, also from Topshop.

This cloud-print design bag from Urban Outfitters.

You can also find a number of reasonably priced and stylish backpacks from LeSportsac.

Some great designer versions include:

 

The Alexander Wang 'Sydney' backpack.

The Louis Vuitton Bosphore backpack.

Both of these are from the men's collections but I don't see the problem with that. It's totally all about unisex dressing these days anyway and especially for items like accessories the men's lines have some much more interesting and less obviously 'fashion' items.

More SATC delights!!

As the date May 27th draws ever nearer it seems that the hysteria surrounding the latest Sex and the City film is just getting ever greater. Since the release of the new extended trailer, which provides numerous hints as to what may be in store, it seems that all the gossip sites and celebrity magazines are gossiping about what juicy storylines may unravel. Does Charlotte have a mid-life crisis? Who does Stanford marry? Will Big cheat? Will Carrie cheat? How is Aidan still so damn cute?!

WHAT WILL THEY ALL BE WEARING???

The latest edition of Grazia gives a sneak peak into Carrie's closet revealing that contrary to previous speculation that the second instalment would feature a 'credit crunch appropriate wardrobe', we shall still be graced with copious amounts of couture and Carrie's lifelong friends- her Manolos.

The May issues of magazines all seem to be profiling strong female actresses in a bid to increase publicity for their upcoming films: Gwyneth Paltrow is featured on UK Vogue's cover promoting Iron Man 2, Jennifer Aniston is featured on the cover of Bazaar to promote the inevitable flop that is the Bounty Hunter and of course Sarah Jessica Parker, ever the graceful beauty, is featured in American Vogue. SJP looks elegant, ladylike and FABULOUS. And if you needed any more proof that SATC 2 is ready to knock you dead with ever more glamour, romance, drama and fashion just check out the Arabian delight that is the new promotional poster!!! 

Heavy duty jewels...

As I was researching collar necklaces for my DIY designs I was reminded of a jewellery line, Fenton, which I had seen in many of the top fashion publications, several Vogue's, Elle, Bazaar etc. Although this is a high-end line with most of the items retailing for several hundreds of pounds I had to post about it because of the innovative and high-impact designs which would be the perfect statement item to update a simple look. Fenton was created by Dana Lorenz in February 2005 and quickly established its reputation as the luxury jewellery line to invest in. Now stocked in many of the worlds top retailers, including Barneys in New York, Fenton is set to garner more praise and success with the drama and beauty of its designs.

Although the line includes bracelets/cuffs and earrings, the pieces which grabbed my attention where the extremely chunky necklaces. This is my pick of the top items from the S/S10 collection:

The above two designs are stunning in the way they merge contrasting elements into one thick, united band. I love the mixture of glamorous pearls, delicate diamantes and then the the thick chains and spike elements. The pieces take a dramatic concept which could become too industrial and hard but is refreshed by the use of soft coloured metal and that feminine bit of sparkle.

This piece is another unusual combination of edgy spiked elements with a vibrant mix of colour and an injection of glamour with a massive diamante stone. You would never expect such a disparate combination of styles to work but oddly it does. I even think that this piece would work with a graphic print top or dress. You just have to have the confidence to pull it off.

This piece reminds me of the heavy-duty chains being sported at Givenchy a few seasons back. The extreme texture of the multiple chains is kept light with a few strands of alternating clear and black diamante stones. A bit of gothic edge for the modern glamazon.

A dash of colour with extra benefits...

If last week's make-up obsession was Yves Saint Laurent then this week it is most definitely Dior! Aside from the sheer futuristic beauty of the packaging the new Dior products are both functional and fabulous for Spring/Summer. The latest lip products work on two levels- firstly, and most obviously, injecting a pop of colour, but secondly, providing an additional beauty boosting function. The lighter pink lipstick on the bottom is Lip Glow Colour Reviver Balm. This acts like a glorified chapstick/lipbalm or a less heavy version of Elizabeth Arden's famous Eight Hour lip treatment but simultaneously gives a subtle hue of pink. The moisturising effects of this balm last for several hours therefore making it an essential beach/pool bag item for this summer, especially as it has SPF 10. The top vermillion shade lipstick is Dior Addict High Shine lipstick in Designer Coral (154). If you are looking for the perfect shade of red/orange to give that much needed burst of colour into your days of overcast British 'summer' then this is it. The colour is strong but not overpowering, and the creamy texture make it moisturising but long lasting. I think it is a perfect toned down version of the beauty looks from Prada's S/S10 catwalk:

If, however, you are looking for a lipstick with a bit more punch then try MAC lipstick in 'Morange', but do not wear with a strong tan otherwise there won't be enough of a colour contrast between your skin tone and lip colour!!

The lipgloss at the top left is Lip Maximizer Collagen Activ- a lip plumping treatment. There are a lot of products out there claiming to enhance the thickness of your lips without drastic measures and a lot of them fail to live up to your expectations. This Dior version is no different. It is glossy, but not overly sticky, gives a slight sheen and makes your lips tingle but I'm afraid any plumping effects are marginal. 

The last product is the new Dior Show Extase mascara. The promises of this product are definitely kept. The brush is thick and shaped like a wave so it covers your lashes from root to tip with strong black ink. Unlike the YSL version which offers similar thickening effects but only works when layered with another mascara this Dior one looks great when used on its own and doesn't give you a clogged up or 'spider-legs' effect.  Definitely worth a try if you want extra volume on your lashes.

Vivre le France!

Over the past two years the focus of my art history degree has been eighteenth-century French visual culture and, more specifically this year, visual culture during the French Revolution (from the first in 1789 to the third in 1848). In February last year our seminar group went on a week long study trip to Paris taking in the sights of Versailles, the collections of the Louvre and Musee Carnavalet and a few of Paris' many churches including the Pantheon, St Sulpice and Notre Dame. The experience of seeing the paintings, sculptures and art objects which we had studied in their original, genuine eighteenth-century, context was astounding. The contrast between seeing images of Versailles in guide books and then witnessing the overwhelming splendour of the Mirror room or Marie Antoinettes bedroom and then the idyllic make-believe world of the Hamlet was truly breathtaking. It was also incredibly interesting to see French interiors first-hand. In my final year I chose to study the French Revolution rather than French Interiors because I was sure that it would be intensely interesting, full of drama, violence, action and constant change. The course has fulfilled all those hopes but I do feel that tinge of regret for what the interiors course may have been like. Now that I am coming to the very end (only 5 weeks to go) of my University life and I have to start thinking of entering the real world, getting a job, a house, a pet etc I have started to become far more interested in the adult world of domesticity- cooking, organising dinner parties, gardening and so on, and part of that new interest has extended to planning, designing and buying furniture and other household items. 

On an internet search one day I started looking for French eighteenth-century furniture and found two amazing sites. Firstly: juliettesinteriors which specialises mostly in more modern French furniture but has some amazing pieces of sculpture and things like fluted columns and mythological urns. Secondly, newtonsfurniture which is PERFECT. Newtons has several collections of furniture which are based around specific periods of French art/architecture/interior design: there is the Versailles collection, Josephine, Rococo, Antoinette and Louis among others. My favourite is without a doubt the Rococo collection- it is elegant, decadent and very feminine. The furniture comes in a range of different colourways and wood treatments but I like the traditional and less gaudy French white or Parisian cream. These are the particular items of furniture which are on my wish list for creating a mature yet girly boudoir:

Add with these pieces of furniture some Fleur de Lys print wallpaper, some Sevres porcelain and a few paintings by Boucher, Fragonard and Girodet.

Boucher- Madame Pompadour- 1759

Fragonard- The Swing- 1767

Girodet- The New Danae- 1799

If you are interested in French eighteenth century paintings, sculpture, interiors etc you should check out the Wallace Collection in Manchester Square, London because it houses the best collection outside of France and has a great restaurant and gift shop!!

And here's one we made earlier...

Big embellished collar/bib necklaces were a key statement jewellery trend for A/W- one that Olivia Palermo (the queen of accessorizing) was seen working with typical panache in New York and London.

Unfortunately, much as I have scoured the shops and the internet, I have been unable to find a similar necklace which I liked or which wasn't in the price range of above £250 which is so ridiculously beyond my shopping limit for a necklace.

So, if you can't buy it, MAKE IT!

My mum and I found a simple template on the internet and set to work pulling apart bits of old jewellery to convert into something new. I realised that there is so much you can do to reinvent old bits and bobs- we used belt buckles, gemstones from bracelets and bangles, old earrings with the hooks taken off, little sequins and gems, old corsages. It was great!!

So we got one of our many boxes of old and unwanted jewellery plus some shop bought self adhesive gems and diamonte studs...

We bought a few packets of felt squares in different colours (we started with black because we thought it would be easiest), and then just pinned on this simple stencil we printed off the internet and cut the semi circle for the neckline and then just straight down the sides (not the bottom) to create a long rectangle which would give us enough space to play around with different designs and positioning of the stones.

This was necklace number one! We went for a vintage-esque theme with the main focus being the central diamonte brooch. We used other black gems, earrings and diamonte studs to create a glamorous and glitsy design.

This was necklace number two. A bit younger and more fun and playful. I wanted it to have a luxe-hippy feel to make it more versatile for wearing with day-looks rather than the one above which has such high-impact that it is best saved for evening. I used some old gems cut out of a bracelet (the black stones across the top) and the rest was made with gems and self adhesive diamonte studs which we bought from craft stores in town.

Once you cut out your design and add some ribbon to the top edges you're good to go! Doing something creative gave me lots of other ideas for fun things to make, I might have to dig out my sewing machine again!!

The moment we've all been waiting for...

AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!! prepare yourselves for beyond normal levels of excitement, anticipation and sheer FABULOUSNESS....

the EXTENDED trailer- warning, this gives away a LOT!