Friday 17 June 2011

showroom obsessions

I've been playing this song on repeat so have a little listen while you look at some of my favourite pieces from the showroom this week..



I am in love with this beautiful box clutch by Charlotte Olympia complete with darling porcelain leopard clasp. Subtle but sweet.

Charlotte Olympia Autumn/Winter 2011

I'm all about luxe t-shirts for that effortless 'dressed-up dressed-down' look, and they don't get much more luxe than this Preen number. It ticks all the boxes; the front is sheer apart from the intricate beading and the purple back offers a nice hint of colour without being too overwhelming. Perfect.

Preen Autumn/Winter 2011

I'm OBSESSED with any combination of fuschia and red lately so these patterned trousers are a dream come true. The slinky texture doesn't hurt either. Statement trousers are another great way to do laid-back tomboy dressing without compromising on style.

Matthew Williamson Autumn/Winter 2011

Another cute bag by Charlotte Olympia. This banana tote is perfectly in keeping with Spring's fruit trend that was seen on catwalks the world over, from Prada to Stella McCartney to Miu Miu.

Charlotte Olympia Spring/Summer 2011

These Laurence Dacade beauties instantly had me thinking of Chloe Sevigny's Opening Ceremony collection but they've done the unthinkable and managed to one-up the inimitable style icon in the rock 'n' roll stakes by adding buckles on buckles on buckles, and swapped out the smooth leather for soft suede.

Laurence Dacade for Matthew Williamson Autumn/Winter 2011

Beautiful. Ladylike. Elegant. This embroidered Erdem gown can do no wrong. Classic but modern, this wouldn't look out on place on either Jackie Kennedy or Michelle Obama.

Erdem Autumn/Winter 2011

Yet another cute and quirky Charlotte Olympia bag. This satin quilted clutch in offbeat mustard comes complete with adorable porcelain face and her signature gold web zipper.

Charlotte Olympia Autumn/Winter 2011

My soft spot for menswear is really on show this week. I love this floaty, sheer, 'water-stained' grey James Long shirt. Anyone who knows me knows that this would fit perfectly into my current wardrobe.

James Long Autumn/Winter 2011

And finally it seems I can't do a blog post without including something by Mary Katrantzou; this time it's an intricately knitted floral jumper with subtle pops of metallic gold thread..

Mary Katrantzou Autumn/Winter 2011

Follow the twitter for by-the-minute updates.
More soon.

Friday 10 June 2011

interning obsessions

This will be my last 'interning obsessions' as I have been given a promotion to Showroom Manager at Relative MO starting Monday!! Don't worry, I will continue to post but it will simply be 'obsessions' from now on..

My absolute favourite piece of the day today had to be this Giles turtleneck sweater. Cropped and cashmere with a satin-printed angel on the front. So beautiful. And a refreshing break from his almost exclusively black collection.

Giles Autumn/Winter 2011

These satin Charlotte Olympias are too much fun! Supercute but still grown up glamour.

Charlotte Olympia

This is the kind of t-shirt I could live in. Comfy, quirky and luxe. And slightly sheer for a bit of edge <3

MW by Matthew Williamson Autumn/Winter 2011

The picture doesn't really do this deceptive Yigal trench justice. The entire thing is made of the softest leather, not just the sleeves!

Yigal Azrouel Autumn/Winter 2011

This sheer, cropped Giles shirt is beyond. The beading makes it incredibly heavy but it's worth it for the beautiful detailing and dimension it adds. Giles' whole collection feels like couture. So beautifully crafted.

Giles Autumn/Winter 2011

Another Mary Katrantzou dress for good measure.. I can't get enough! This one is entirely velvet, with plastic flower paillettes on the bodice. The skirt is kind of cushioned to retain that shape.

Mary Katrantzou Autumn/Winter 2011

More soon.

Tuesday 7 June 2011

interning obsessions

I have decided that while I am interning at one of the biggest fashion PR companies in London and am lucky enough to get up close and personal with lots of amazing designer pieces before they even hit the pages of your favourite magazines, I will share some snaps of my favourite pieces with you. I'll try to add a few photos daily, both here and on my twitter feed if I have time.

Pretty much Mary Katrantzou's entire collection is a dream come true. The clashing prints and textures of this dress (the top half is silk and the bottom is velvet!) are to die for!!! Expect to see lots of this..

Mary Katrantzou Autumn/Winter 2011

Another favourite designer of mine, expect to be inundated with pictures of Charlotte Olympia's dreamy retro shoes. Like all Charlotte Olympia shoes, these sky-high ultra-feminine heels are perfectly quirky and cool..

Charlotte Olympia

I love these pairs with the darling porcelain faces/leopards. The fringing on the red ones and the chunky diamante heels of the others is just too much <3

Charlotte OlympiaCharlotte Olympia

That's it for today, keep checking back for more cheeky pictures from my day-to-day interning!
More soon.

Saturday 4 June 2011

Kate Moss hires Mario Testino as her wedding photographer

Kate Moss has hired renowned fashion photographer Mario Testino as her official wedding photographer for her upcoming nuptials to The Kills guitarist Jamie Hince on July 2nd.

Kate Moss in an Agent Provocateur Bridal campaign a few years ago

Weddings seem to have become a recent trend for Testino who also shot the official Royal Wedding engagement photos. A more relaxed shot of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge from the engagement shoot can also be seen on the cover of this month's Vanity Fair. With his reputation as a wedding photographer firmly sealed, Moss was quick to snap Testino up for her own big day. But as far as comparisons go; we all know there really is only one Kate M.

The official engagement photos of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, taken by Mario Testino

Testino has long had a close relationship with the supermodel as evidenced by his coffee table book love letter, exclusively containing photos of Moss he had taken over the years, that was released last year.

Kate Moss by Mario Testino coffee table book

Testino has stated that he hopes to "capture the happiness that Kate is going through at the moment".

While her camp has remained notably silent on all things wedding-related, rumours are rife that famed party-goer Moss will hold her hen-do in conjunction with the Isle of Wight festival. It has also been widely reported that Kate has called upon another fashion friend, John Galliano to design the all-important dress, trial pending..

More soon.
Follow the twitter for by-the-minute updates.

Marc Jacobs hearts Dakota Fanning. Again

It looks like the fashion world's obsession with tweens is set to continue well into Autumn/Winter. On the heels of 14-year-old Hailee Steinfeld being named the next face of Miu Miu, 17-year-old Dakota Fanning has been announced as the face of new Marc Jacobs fragrance, 'Oh, Lola!'. While lately the buzz has been firmly on younger Fanning sister, Elle, after a string of well-received films and much talked about red carpet outfits; Dakota has temporarily won back the limelight with this latest move.

Marketed as the younger sister fragrance of Karlie Kloss-fronted 'Lola', 'Oh, Lola!' features a similar bottle [insert Justin Bieber rip-off jab here] and summer-y floral hints of peony, raspberry, frais des bois, tonka beans and vanilla. Of course, like all Marc Jacobs campaigns, Fanning was shot by famed photographer Juergen Teller for the ad.

Karlie Kloss as the face of Lola
Dakota Fanning as the face of Oh, Lola!

This isn't the first time Fanning has been picked as the face of Marc Jacobs. Back in 2007 at the tender age of 12 she was controversially selected as the face of his Spring/Summer campaign..


Marc Jacobs Spring/Summer 2007

'Oh, Lola!' will hit stores on July 27th.

More soon.

Lindsay Lohan actually stars in a film! (kind of)

Hyper-realist American artist Richard Phillips and director Taylor Steele have collaborated on a short film starring none other than repeat offender and sometime actress Lindsay Lohan. The film is part of 'Commercial Break', presented by the Garage Center for Contemporary Culture, which features over 100 artists exploring the relationship between advertising and culture and is currently showing at the prestigious Venice Biennale.

Phillips has previously said of his work, "My pictures involve a kind of wasted beauty - that's always been a thread in my work." The film itself appears to explore the mystery and sex appeal of the troubled pop culture icon, one of our generation's most familiar faces..



More soon.
Follow the twitter for by-the-minute updates.

Jimmy Choo sold for £500 million

Ever since last August the rumour mill has been working overtime with murmurings that Jimmy Choo would be sold to the highest bidder, for a price tag of around £500 million. A shortlist of potential buyers included luxury conglomerates such as LVMH, Labelux and The Jones Group, as well as Mr.Choo himself who seemed keen to win back his eponymous label.

It is thought that a £500 million bid from Mr. Choo would have been backed by the Malaysian government however it was German company Labelux that won out with a reported sum of £525.5 million last week, after months of negotiations. The label's former owners, TowerBrook purchased the Jimmy Choo company for £225 million in 2007.


Tamara Mellon - who owns a fifth of the firm - said of the partnership, "This is wonderful news for the women who are, or who aspire to become, part of the Jimmy Choo lifestyle." Luxury goods group Labelux also owns Bally and will reportedly help develop Jimmy Choo in the fast-emerging Asian market.

More soon.

Friday 3 June 2011

Balmain to launch diffusion line THIS SEPTEMBER!

Having seen the popularity of the house of Balmain soar under Christophe Decarnin from 2005 until April of this year when he parted ways with the French label, new head designer Olivier Rousteing is set to make waves already by announcing the creation of a diffusion line.

Olivier Rousteing

Previously the head of Balmain's womenswear studio, Rousteing took the top spot after apparent tension between Decarnin and Balmain's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Alain Hivelin proved too much - a source of which was rumoured to be this proposed diffusion line which had fashionistas buzzing years ago but never came to fruition.

Wasting no time after Decarnin's departure, the line, which will be named 'Pierre Balmain' after the founder of the brand, will be available to buy THIS SEPTEMBER!

Although there is no word of price point yet, we are promised that the line will be considerably more affordable than its catwalk counterpart which saw women eagerly putting their names on waiting lists for £3000 leather trousers and those iconic strong-shouldered jackets at the height of 'Balmainia'.

Balmain Ready-to-Wear Spring/Summer 2011
Balmain Ready-to-Wear Autumn/Winter 2010

Fans of the notoriously expensive rock 'n' roll label - which is favoured by the likes of Kate Moss and French Vogue Editor-in-Chief Emmanuelle Alt - better get saving now..

More soon.
Follow the twitter for by-the-minute updates.

Portrait photo from the Telegraph and catwalk photos from Style.com

Christopher Kane gives London cabs a makeover!

Cabs in London just got a whole lot more stylish with a makeover from top designer and all-round favourite, Christopher Kane. The patriotic taxi-wrap references Kane's galaxy print from his popular 2011 Resort collection that was seen on everyone from starlets to First Ladies to supermodels, and everything in between.

Christopher Kane for Vodafone taxi, often seen on London's Brick Lane

The cabs are sponsored by Vodafone. Any lucky person who manages to flag a Chris Kane taxi will be able to charge their phone in it as well as pay their fare via text.

This is only the latest in a string of successes for the Scottish designer having recently won Vogue's Designer Fashion Fund which seeks to give homegrown talent the support to establish global brand success. Kane said of the honour, "The black cab is such an iconic part of London's landscape. I am honoured to have the opportunity to put my own distinctive stamp on it. Looking forward to seeing one on the street and hailing it down!"

Samantha Cameron wearing a Christopher Kane skirt for a reception at 10 Downing Street

Carey Mulligan in Christopher Kane

More soon.