POP: THAT GUCCI GIRL

Posted by Bethan Holt, Fashion Junior at Large

Just before Christmas, the lucky Fash Ed got to spend a day in Rome with Gucci designer, Frida Giannini. The resulting feature is in the new issue of POP which is out now. As we looked through the shoot this morning, we thought there was something very AW12 about the look of this collection, like it skipped over SS12's pretty pastel girliness and instead acts as a precursor to the dark, gothic elements which were so strong in Milan.

And the interview, though I may be biased, is a must-read insight into Frida's ability to combine the archives at her fingertips with the commercial edge for now.











All images from POP SS12 edition

FASHION QUESTION: JUST HOW RIDICULOUS ARE MODELS' POSES IN MAGAZINES, REALLY?

Posted by Melanie Rickey, Fashion Editor at Large

Most people would agree that fashion photography conjures up a wonderfully different world – completely removed from the realities of everyday life – but to make that point in a clever and powerful way is pretty hard. Step forward Madrid-based artist Yolanda Dominguez, whose most recent piece recreated fashion magazine poses in normal situations. The results, particularly the public reactions, are funny, thought-provoking and revealing.






I don't know what took me so long to find this. The woman with the bag on her head in the Madrid alley outside the grocers shop is genius. I would love to hear your thoughts.


(Via: http://www.itsnicethat.com)

Vintage Violet and Blue ~ Etsy VFGteam Treasury

'Vintage Violet and Blue ' by VFGteam

Here is a wonderful selection from some of our Vintage Fashion Guild Members...to remind us all that spring is on its way!


Vintage Earrings Ju...

$40.95

Vintage 70s Pucci N...

$128.00

Purple Halter Dress...

$54.00

Vintage 1960s Blous...

$35.00

Vintage 60s Evening...

$44.99

Mr Dino 60's Ps...

$145.00

Vintage Blue Enamel...

$12.00

60s vintage monet w...

$49.00

1950s 'Gallery ...

$68.00

Elegant Vintage 195...

$135.00

Vintage 60s VERA Si...

$24.00

70s Vintage BOHO Ha...

$45.00

BOGO SALE. Vintage ...

$40.00

SALE Vintage 70'...

$20.00

Vintage 40s/50s Dre...

$85.95

Vintage 60s Dress M...

$15.00

Treasury tool by Red Row Studio.

WHAT IT IS REALLY LIKE WORKING IN FASHION

Posted by Bethan Holt, Fashion Junior at Large

A few months ago, I shared my perspective on getting a job in fashion. I had lots of great responses to that blog post but since then Fashed and I have been thinking that I should really let you know what it's actually like once the longed for job is landed.

Virtually everyone I encounter who is unfamiliar with the fashion world assume it is true to its glamorous myth- that everyone spends their days wafting through impeccable fashion cupboards, wearing designer dresses and impossibly high heels, pointing at clothes. Categorically not true.

This is an amazing world to be starting out in - I still have to pinch myself when to think I attended almost 40 shows during London Fashion Week. There are plenty of things I have learnt since last August which have surprised me.

Did you know that it is not a foregone conclusion that because somebody works in fashion they will be obsessed with being uber-thin? Revelation, right? In fact, one of the things that everyone attending London Fashion Week seems to look forward to most is the food served prior to the shows at the Topshop venue. Most of the senior fashion editors I came across made an extra special effort to arrive early so they could chow down.
Anna dello Russo in head to toe Gucci (image from vogue.fr)
I also love the fact that very, very few people who work in fashion feel the need to wear head-to-toe designer looks each and every day. That's why Anna dello Russo is such a photographer's favourite; she is almost unique in her dedication to wearing looks in almost exactly the same way they were shown on the catwalk. More often than not, you will see fashion editors with a fabulous designer handbag or coat, but there are high street and vintage pieces pulling their look together. Some - shock, horror - don't care at all and slop around in jeans and boots.

Mrs Burstein of Browns (image from vogue.co.uk)
When I was a wannabe fashion journalist, many of the most revered members of the industry seemed gilded and untouchable. Some still are, but in the short space of time that I've worked with the Fashed I've met some people I never dreamt I'd have the pleasure of encountering. One highlight has to be Joan Burstein who founded Browns on South Molton Street. She is credited with introducing some of the greatest designers of our time to London- John Galliano, Jil Sander and Donna Karan amongst them. At the store's press day back in November, she was happily chatting away and greeting everyone as they arrived. To my mind, that is amazing because with a reputation like hers, she could easily eschew anything like that.

Kristen McMenamy in the heart stopping finale of McQ's
 first LFW show (image from mydaily.co.uk)

The Fashion Show holds a kind of legendary status in the public eye. Back when I was merely a super fan, I would watch Youtube videos of some of the shows I'd read about as being particularly amazing. So when I found myself last Monday, walking across a crunching bed of autumn leaves to my seat at the McQ Alexander McQueen show it felt a little like I'd been transported into one of those videos. There was Anna Wintour chatting to Samantha Cameron and, oh look, Salma Hayek just walked in too. Later, as Kristen McMenamy in her white, full skirted creation, froze on the catwalk and was showered with leaves before collapsing to the ground, I got to experience first hand the feeling which had been described by fashion editors when asked, 'What's your greatest fashion moment?'. Their answers invariably referred to the spectacles put on by Lee McQueen and now Sarah Burton had given that chance to a new generation. It was unforgettable.

I'm amazed to think how quickly you can be assimilated into the fashion world. Of course, I'm still right at the start of my working life, but this weekend I delivered two talks- one about SS12 trends, the other about how fashion designers use wool in their work- to audiences who actually listened and valued my views. That's astonishing to me but it's also showed me that once you do get a job in fashion, your learning curve is absolutely massive. Fashion is always changing so every day there's a new development, a new way of thinking about things or a new trend that's starting to emerge. That pace really keeps you on your toes. For me, that's infinitely more exciting than the prospect of a free outfit.

SS12: TEN THINGS TO BUY RIGHT NOW

Posted by Bethan Holt, Fashion Junior at Large

While most of the fashion world had their eyes fixed on Milan this weekend, London Fashion Week's main venue at Somerset House was transformed into a shopping mecca for London Fashion Weekend. This is the consumer antidote to the press/buyer event earlier in the week. I was representing FEAL in the Vodafone Lounge on Thursday and Sunday, giving a little talk about being on trend for SS12. It was great fun and lovely to meet lots of the shoppers.

Here are the ten items I told them to buy to be right on trend for SS12...

1. SILVER
We blogged about silver just before LFW. We spied a lot of silver around fashion week- usually in shoe or bag form, as well as a brave few in silver jeans. Anything with a silver sheen ties together two of SS12's biggest themes- Under the Sea and Sporty- very nicely.



Silver trousers £560 Alexander McQueen  at Matches

2. SOMETHING LACY
More specifically, white lace. Lace is always in but it's having a particular moment right now. Contrary to its usual reputation as delicate and super pretty, the thicker your lace is the better for SS12. That's why broderie anglaise (white cotton with a cut-out, lace-like pattern) is a good alternative if lace isn't quite your thing. The picture below is a rather classic example of how-to-wear lace from the lovely Erdem. But the couture tee from Oasis is super versatile.

Erdem SS12
White daisy lace tee £40 from Oasis
3. A CRICKET JUMPER
I'll admit these aren't all over the shops but in my opinion a cricket jumper would be a solid addition to the SS12 wardrobe. I love the way Christopher Kane's were styled with silk mini skirts, it's like the most luxe school uniform you could imagine. However, the cricket jumper is also a nice nod to the Olympic spirit without being too literal. And the best thing? They are readily available in the wardrobes of any boys in our lives and/or charity and vintage shops. Score.

Christopher Kane SS12


Vintage Cricket jumper £30.50, from a selection at Beyond Retro

4. A DIRNDL SKIRT
We're not telling you to dress up like Austrian peasants but we are loving the shape of their traditional skirts. One of these, especially in a lovely print, will be a mainstay of your SS12 wardrobe and is super-versatile, dress down, dress up, be girly or tomboy it with a t-shirt and converse. This Warehouse one is not quite so pouffy as many of the catwalk ones but carries the same idea.


Yellow floral £38 from Warehouse

5. PYJAMAS
Ok, not just any PJs but luxurious, silky head-to-toe print, especially paisley, is the idea here. Get the set and wear altogether with heels for evening cocktails. Alternatively, wear separately for a less full-on vibe.

J.W Anderson SS12


Whistles take on pyjamas: top £85, trousers £125


6. BRIGHT TROUSERS
This is a pretty open field- if you're brave enough go for some fluoro/ pastel jeans (the styles below are from Christopher Kane's J Brand collaboration). Alternatively, there are lots of really cute print jeans about, think palm trees and pineapples. My personal choice will be these Topshop chinos.

Christopher Kane for J Brand



Pink chinos £28 from Topshop

7. FLATFORMS
Mrs Prada started this off and there's no sign of the trend abating. In fact, SS12 sees a branching out beyond the styles with brogue uppers to a sandal look. These are a definite move on from the wedge. I love these with a painterly floral panel but ASOS have plenty more, including Nicholas Kirkwood for Pollini's rope ones and more sporty versions.
Floral flatforms £50 ASOS
8. HI-TOPS
Thanks to Isabel Marant's Bekket hi-tops- complete with massive tongue and hidden two inch wedge- the hi-top has gone from street wear favourite to fashion's darling shoe. The Bekket might be the ultimate combination of all the possibilities but there are also plenty of styles which give a sleeker look, as well as those which are more authentically sporty, like the Nike ones below which I will be purchasing shortly.

I spotted the Bekkets at Berlin Fashion Week.


9. MANOLO BLAHNIK HEELS
The FashEd recently wrote about the resurgence of love for a timeless Manolo Blahnik heel. In September it became clear that Marc Jacobs had been hugely influenced by Manolo's Mary-Janes and Mules- he used the style in his own name and Louis Vuitton collections. Every girl should have an elegant yet run-for-the-bus capable pair of heels in her wardrobe and Manolo is the first man to call. Especially poignant as it is the designers 40th anniversary.


Red heels £280 by D&G at My-Wardrobe
10. RUCKSACK
Sporty, cute and easy- rucksacks are already proving popular according to our very scientific survey involving looking at people out and about. If that sporty bit  repulses you then plenty of designers/ stores have done more grown up versions in more structured shapes and expensive leathers.

Carven SS12 (Image from lloyd-evans.com)

Printed rucksack £225 by Diane von Furstenberg at Net-a-Porter

Etsy VFGteam Featured Seller

Welcome to our new VFG Blog series featuring members of the VFGteam at Etsy!


You will be introduced to a different Team member in each new post. Please check out our Team Gallery page here.
 
Today's featured seller is Louise and you can visit her shop Catwalk Creative Vintage here.

1. When did you first get interested in vintage fashion & why?

I first became interested in vintage fashion when I discovered the bright lights of Manchester as a teenager. There was a huge rockabilly revival going on at the time (1980s), with loads of nightclubs catering to that particular style of music. Fashion went hand-in-hand with the music, and I was hooked!

2. Do you regularly wear vintage?

I think it's important to support the vintage community so yes I do wear vintage regularly. I don't wear it head-to-toe every day - it really depends on what I'm doing. I'm eagerly awaiting delivery of two rather splendid day dresses, both dating c.1950s. I'm sure they'll be a regular fixture in my summer wardrobe this year. I'm also planning a shopping trip to Liverpool with my sister this weekend and have a fab 1970s dress that I'll team with boots and a vintage scarf. And I always wear vintage jewellery and accessories when I go out. I'm never short of a compliment or two!

3. Do you have a Holy Grail?

Anything by Jean Muir.

4. If you could visit the atelier of any fashion designer (dead or alive), who would it be?

Ohhh, that's such a difficult one. There are so many incredible designers past and present. However, as I love the Sixties so much, I guess it's got to be Mary Quant. I think her dynamic personality would have been a wonder to behold. And what an exciting time for fashion!

5. What do you see as the future of vintage?

Generally speaking, people will always resonate towards quality and craftsmanship, so I think the future of vintage is very safe indeed. People have always loved to wear and collect 'old stuff' for many a decade, so there's absolutely no reason that should change. There are now very serious collectors of fine vintage attire and my only hope is that the younger generation appreciate how special vintage it is.

6. What is your favorite item in your shop?

Dollyrockers floral maxi dress c.1960s. I especially love the colour and the little added extras like the plastic flower buttons, belt buckle and purple velvet trim.

Here are a few more items from Louise's shop:


Small Metal Evening Bag c.1950s
 
Laura Ashley English Country Roses Dress c.1980s

Jean Allen Pant Suit with Long Jacket c.1960s