DECEMBER 1st: IT'S THE FEAL ADVENT CALENDAR!

Posted by Bethan Holt Fashion Junior at Large

As if you needed further reminder, today is the 1st day of December which means the official countdown to Christmas can begin- hurrah! This advent time we will be bringing you a new fabulous product each day- it may be a very practical item to add to your Santa's list or a completely fantastical, escapist fantasy of a purchase to give you a moment's respite from pre-christmas to-do lists.

Christmas is traditionally a time for charitable sharing as well as luxe item lusting and our very first choice combines the two rather appropriately. As well as being the first day of Christmas countdown, it is also World Aids Day today. Gap has been playing its part for a few years now with its (red) collection. Back in October, I got massively overexcited when I heard Gap were collaborating with Isabel Marant. Sadly, a range was not to be but this t-shirt is Marant's contribution to raising funds for this extremely worthy cause. 50% of profits made from the t-shirt will be going towards the continuing fight to eliminate AIDS- a very worthy start to the festivities.

Isabel Marant t-shirt  £24.50 from gap.eu and Gap stores

'I won't be a rock star. I will be a legend'... Freddie Mercury

HI-TOPPING (or why you will really, really want these sneakers)

Posted by Fashion Editor at Large

Here at FEAL, we are noticing a change in the tides when it comes to shoes. They're starting to migrate towards being comfortable, wearable and cool, rather than fierce, fetishistic and impossibly uncomfortable. The hi-top trainer with hidden wedge heel is a case in point. Yes I know this is similar in concept to what Tom Cruise wears to disguise his lack of height. Well, we admit it, women want to look taller without wearing heels too. These make our legs look longer, while also making us look like we are wearing flats when we are not. Cool by me. Isabel Marant's fashion badge-of-honour Bekket hi-top wedge sneaker are sold out globally right now, (there are many of us hoping for replenishment). I can't remember a time when I've seen one product so resolutely SOLD OUT. In fact I would go so far as to say the hi-top with hidden wedge is the casual shoe of this moment, and promises to be even hotter for spring 2012...


The Marant Bekkets in Paris  (Image from thisisayes.com)

The Bekket's are more New York gangsta than Parisian as they are super chunky with the wedge pretty much hidden. In Paris I lost count of the number of pairs I spotted, and tbh they've been popular since summer 2010, but now they have gone bonkers.

Isabel Marant Bekket hi-top hidden wedge sneakers. No, you can't have a pair.

The Italian company Ash, quite possibly the original purveyors of the style, have got lots of different variations on their Thelma wedge hi-top and a few of the more summery colourways are reduced at the moment. They have also just launched "Birdy" below, which comes in several colours, and is according to their Marylebone branch, selling our fast online and instore. I'm into the Biba style, which they promise is coming in the next couple of weeks

The "Birdy" by Ash. £189. Just in, and IN STOCK!

The Biba by Ash, coming soon... http://www.ashfootwear.co.uk/

If you are willing to wait, however, Marc by Marc Jacobs have a whole range of said sneakers in its Spring collection.

Marc by Marc Jacobs hi-top wedge for SS12, they will come in many colour combinations

TopShop & co I think you need to get on the job immediately. Surely there are some sneakers just like this in your archive? I'm sure I had a pair when I was 14 from C&A Clockhouse that I wore with candystripe legwarmers...

IN GRAZIA THIS WEEK....

Posted by Fashion Junior at Large

We still cannot get over our Isabel Marant obsession. Our fringe-boot lust seems to reach new heights every day.

We couldn't fit this amazing shearling on the page but we still wanted to share it with you. We're thinking white patchwork mega coat plus burgundy leather skinnies plus white fringe boots equals AW11 Marant heaven.

The Kristin shearling is £665 at Selfridges

The Fashion Editor at Large also has her own column this week in which she spills the beans on the new fashion stalking/shopping obsession that is http://hardlyeverwornit.com/ . Click in to play 'Guess the previous owner' on items such as a vintage mink bolero (Ms Moss maybe?). The FashEd is also boldly stepping forth into AW with a full-on snake print look which she carries off rather fabulously don't you think?

ISABEL MARANT: THE HOTNESS CONTINUES

Posted by Fashion Editor at Large

Isabel Marant is one of those designers who has kinda been blinkered to her success for years, but on purpose. She doesn't really want to know about the fashion world and all that. She knows a certain kind of girl/woman loves her clothes, but she keeps to herself, and is famously anti the Internet. The first online retailer she worked with was Net-a-Porter but she only joined them last year, ten years later than everyone else, and only because Natalie Massenet and Holli Rogers politely stalked her until she gave in.

This portrait comes from an excellent Australian fashion magazine called Russh

Now it seems the British public have politely stalked her and she has given in again - it was announced today that on a date in the near future Isabel Marant will open her first London boutique at 24 Bruton Street, on the same run of shops as Maison Martin Margiela and Stella McCartney. Cue a lot of happy Twitterers this morning, including me.

Though the reality is I could only afford one item a season, and I would have to really, really love and want to get a lot of wear from said item as Marant is not cheap. According to one report, the lease is costing £750,000 over 15 years, or £50 grand a year. Judging by my calculations that means Isabel Marant needs to sell 51.55 pairs of her new knee high fringed boots at £970 (see below, with the gorgeous pocahontas fringed dress that has a waiting list at Matchesfashion.com) to cover that off. That won't be hard, fashionistas are positively drooling over her latest Navajo inspired collection. A cosy patterned Navajo jumper is one of the most popular pieces (patterned knitwear is having a major high fashion resurgence for Autumn) and on waiting lists at Liberty (where stock goes on the shop floor, Thursday).

Tunic £1190 from www.matchesfashion.com (image via Catwalking.com)  

Isabel says things like "I don't belong to the generation of spending time on the internet,"  (she is 44) and "My collections remain very personal, even if there is a certain evolution within my design. I’m trying to cultivate the cosy, elegant attitude that is always mine." And the most interesting: "I'm quite anti-consumerist. Its difficult for me to be a designer in an industry I don't like."

THE boots, also available in cream

This introverted attitude clearly works for her, as Isabel is producing massively successful collections. In fact for about the tenth season in a row, Isabel has got a very desirable, trend-setting, sexy and and popular collection on her hands. This shot of french Vogue Editor-in-chief Emanuelle Alt wearing another suede fringed tunic from the AW11 collection popped up online yesterday. Lets not forget Alt used to be the brand's stylist and Alt's husband, Franck Durand, is the artistic director of the Marant company.

How divine does Alt look in this? (Via stylecaster.com)

So now onto the pieces that have got the fashion-lovers in a tizz of acquisition. Of course I can see exactly why, but I'm not going to get swept up in it all (she lied..)
THE ESSENTIAL MARANT/ AW11

Jumper £445 from Liberty- Arrives Thursday (Image via catwalking.com)

Necklace £485 at www.matchesfashion.com (Image via catwalking.com)

Feather tunic £265 from www.matchesfashion.com (Image via catwalking.com)

The Nelcie Dress £695 from www.matchesfashion.com. All arriving in September! (Image via catwalking.com)