THE WEEK IN FASHION: 24TH- 28TH OCT

Posted by Fashion Junior at Large

Hello Friday Fashion lovers. Welcome once again to your end of week fashion news round-up...

 First up, our immaculately placed sources tell us  that Marc Jacobs will CATEGORICALLY not be taking the vacant role at Dior, despite all the hype pointing to his imminent appointment. I'm afraid we can't shed much light on who it will be but the FashEd is thinking that it may end up being a complete surprise, somebody we've hardly heard of before. Quite frankly, I wish they'd just hurry up and tell us- the suspense is too much.

Marc with Kate Moss after Louis Vuitton SS12 (Image from Vogue.fr)

In other Marc related news, this week he has been appointed a member of the CFDA board- the panel which represents the American fashion industry and exerts influence in all areas of the fashion world. It seems baffling that after many years at the top of his game, designing for his two eponymous labels as well as Louis Vuitton, Marc Jacobs has only just been admitted onto the panel. Proenza Schouler duo Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez also took up their places.

The Proenza boys (Image from www.thegloss.com)

Golly jeeps, I'll stop going on about anything Marc related in a mo, I promise. However our third bit of news is the rumoured development of Louis Vuitton's first perfume. WWD reported that Jacques Cavallier- Belletrud, whose family are long time perfumers from Grasse, the home of fragrance making, will begin concocting something in January. That's all we know at the moment. Many of the world's biggest design houses are summed up by their perfumes; Chanel No.5 and YSL Rive Gauche are just two which spring to mind. Thus if this perfume comes off, it will be an echo of Louis Vuitton's identity, rather than part of it.

Sacks of rose petals used to make Chanel No.5, in Grasse (Image from graziadaily.co.uk)

 My Monday was greatly brightened by the news that King Karl Lagerfeld is launching a new and very affordable line of clothing. Prices will start at just 60 euros in the 100 piece collection which will be available from 25th January at Net-a-Porter. According to those in the know, Saskia de Brauw stars in the lookbook; highlights include a backless black dress and silver jeans as well as Karl's own personal favourite fingerless gloves.It seems the venture is mostly down to Pier Paolo Righi who heads up the Karl Lagerfeld brand. His philosophy? It would be stupid not to build on the 100 million euro plus which Lagerfeld already generates. Business sense for them, fashion joy for us!

Karl Lagerfeld with Pier Paolo Righi

After her wedding dress was heavily referenced by the Duchess of Cambridge back in April, my obsession with Princess Grace of Monaco A.K.A Grace Kelly hit an all time high. Wonderful timing then for a film about a six month period of her life with Prince Rainier of Monaco when she played a central role is abating tensions with France. After much wrangling, the script by Arah Amelhaving will now be produced by Pierre Ange Le Pogam. I should imagine that Princess Grace would be a dream character to play for any actress. My personal picks would be January Jones, whose Mad Men character Betty Draper has consistently been compared to Princess Grace, or Rosamund Pike who can flit between icy and warm with immense talent. Both have the look to do justice to a woman who is oft called one of the most beautiful ever. Now, who will design the costumes?

Grace Kelly (image from easyart.com)

 

January Jones as Betty Draper in Mad Men, with Don (Image from confessionsofahighbrow.com)

In an interview with WWD today, Raf Simons explains how he took the Jil Sander brand  and made it his own by going beyond the parameters which the label had previously worked within:

'I started with the idea of being inspired by everything that I thought was not allowed in the brand Jil Sander — other cultures, another time, another moment in history,” Simons recalled. “It was very naked, very exposed — at least for the Jil Sander brand. That [2009] show was very well received. When I saw that it started to work, and the followers of the brand were open to it and we also got a new customer in, I thought it was the moment to start exploring a new form of language.'

A 20s inspired dress from Simons' Spring 2009 collection for Jil Sander (Image from catwalking.com)

These comments are fascinating in the context of all the SS12 geeking that the FashEd and I have been doing. We've noticed that some our favourite collections have taken reference from a bygone era but made that reference look incredibly modern and right for now. Take a look at the drop waist dresses at Theysken's Theory or Preen's Virginia Woolf influences (which I blogged about during LFW) to see what I mean. 

Raf Simons (from culturesinbetween.net)

Finally, this film from Nowness.com is such a treat for anybody who loves fashion- so I assume that's all of you! Cathy Horyn from the New York Times talks to Alexander McQueen Creative Director Sarah Burton. We hear about the fashion industry from their perspective and how McQueen faithfully retains its aesthetic from season to season, apparently eschewing trends, or a desire to set them. I remember watching Sarah Burton explain the royal wedding dress and I could listen to her going through intricate details and elements of artisanship for hours on end such is the depth of her knowledge and the passion with which she narrates it.The film itself also zooms through pieces from the SS12 collection so you can sort of say you've been inside a McQueen gown. If I haven't sold it to you by now then please just watch it!


Diving for McQueen on Nowness.com.

MY TOP TEN LOOKS FROM MILAN

Posted by Fashion Editor at Large

One word can sum up the entire spring/summer 2012 catwalk shows so far, and that word is optimism. Everything is bright and sunny, light and airy, jolly and upbeat, go-getting and fun. You get the picture. Yellow is the colour of Spring 2012, and if a floral print is not your thing, god help you.

The main thing about Milan, was, well it was very Italian. Molto Italiano. Looking at Pucci, Gucci, Cavalli, Dolce with their big bouncy haired models, exuberant prints and multiple-colours, there was no where else in the world you could be. And, as this is a season of optimism, the Italian designers were ten times more jolly about it than London and New York was.

Well, apart from Prada, Jil Sander, and Marni the triumverate of  thoughtful greatness that resides in the city. Without further ado, here is my top ten which veers away from that Molto Italiano vibe focusing on Fashion. Amazingly there is only one dress - its all about separates in fashion these days.

Divine Arizona Muse at Marni. Love the craft and layering.

No 21 by Alessandro dell'Acqua. All over print but done in cool way.

Sporty, youthful and feminine chic by Christopher Kane for Versus

Dolce Gabbana, just beautiful no matter how you look at it 

Pucci's only beam of cloistered purity in a show of steamy prints

Fashion's man of the moment Raf Simons at Jil Sander asked the Picasso family for permission to use this face - taken from some of the artist's pottery - for this sweater which is top of my wish list for SS12

This Jil Sander look by Raf Simons is perfection itself. Love this neon paisley.

Guipure lace embroidered coat in a colour clash last seen on my childhood duvet cover at Prada.

Prada, taking it to the limit in its uniquely cerebral way. What may jar with you now will trranslate to gold in the shops next Spring. Trust.

You can't do Milano without some Mr Lagerfeld at Fendi. This outfit is luxe and relaxed

All photos by Catwalking.com

What is your top Milan Fashion Week look and collection?

Write me back

DADDY, I STOLE YOUR COAT

Posted by Fashion Junior at Large

For FW11, there is something about a big coat. A coat so big that it tends to look like you might have borrowed it from your Dad/ Boyfriend/ Brother. In fact, a good way to try the look is to do exactly that. If you're anything like me, then before now you may have taken comfort in the 'big coat' look anyway. I can confess to stealing the jacket from my male companions' backs on numerous occasions as we stumble home in the chilly, small hours. Now there is a bona fide fashion excuse for this habit after Stella McCartney, Miu Miu, Michael Kors and others included blatantly oversized jackets in their collections.

Dolce and Gabbana

Michael Kors

 This look can be styled in two ways- take it straight down the masculine road by adding tailored trousers or make it feminine and sexy with a pretty dress, or nothing, underneath your big jacket. Take note of the silhouette at Stella and Miu Miu; the shoulders are wide and sloping (a significant departure from the pointy Balmain power shoulder) but the sleeves finish just above the wrist, rather than hanging down several inches below the fingers as an actual man jacket might. This flash of the slimmest part of the arm is extremely flattering and stops the jacket from bulking you up too much. Miu Miu's little coat also nips in under the bum, making for an altogether neater line than the flapping circumference of your Dad's suit jacket. Given that this male/female thing is set to be a key aspect of how we dress in the coming months, we would like to suggest that the single item which can transport you between the two looks most successfully will be the oversized coat.

Stella McCartney

Miu Miu

Kirsten Dunst wears the Stella look in her shoot for the current issue of Elle UK. Her pose pretty much sums up the appeal of these big coats- while the sheer dress beneath is revealing and daring, any vulnerability this evokes can be immediately countered by hugging the big blazer close. The ultimate comfort fashion.

Kirsten Dunst in ELLE UK's September issue.

These baggy, sculptural shapes are not confined to the coat. If you fall for the oversized look, then a tunic would be a great way to explore further. Raf Simons' version at Jil Sander is particularly desirable.

Jil Sander

WE RECOMMEND:

This tweed version by D&G is available now at My-Wardrobe for £565

We love the deep pockets and buttery colours of this Winter coat. £180, Coming Soon at Full Circle

£60 from Warehouse

All catwalk images from catwalking.com

THE WEEK IN FASHION 20TH-24TH JUNE

Posted by Fashion Junior at Large

This week in fashion has been all about making up, breaking up, love and hate. It's been emotional.  Here's our look at the goings on from the fashion playground over the last 5 days...

 Galliano's last couture collection for Christian Dior. There will probably never be anything like this ever again.

1) The big one. John Galliano's trial took place on Wednesday at the Paris magistrates court. Just in case you were under a rock/in rehab/on the moon when the scandal broke, Galliano is being sued on moral grounds for an alleged anti-semitic, racist, and generally offensive rant directed towards three people in a Paris cafe earlier this year. He also subsequently lost his job at both Dior and his own label. It's a really sorry state of affairs, which has seen a former shining light of the industry reduced to a shadow of his normal gregarious self; hidden away in a rehabilitation program since the alleged attack, his future remaining highly uncertain and bleak.

He appeared in court to explain his behaviour (apparently a consequence of problems with drink, drugs and stress) and the result of the trial will be announced in September. This is undoubtedly a very dark moment for both the designer and the industry, and the case should be given the coverage it deserves - however is the slew of commentary about the outfit he wore for his court appearance really necessary? With that in mind, I won't be posting a picture. If you do crave a blow by blow account, the Telegraph have it covered in their live blog.

 

Tania Fares, Bella Freud and Lulu Kennedy, all in Lulu &Co

2) In a much friendlier turn of events, this week Lulu Kennedy hosted a lunch to celebrate the launch of the latest Lulu and Co collection. According to a certain Fashion editor at Large who happened to be in attendance, "the whole of London" turned out for the fashion feast, proving that there is a lot of love for Lulu. The new collection will be in stores from August.
 
3) Back to the business of bitching, and Azzedine Alaia has exploded with the outburst to end all outbursts, and the subjects of his disapproval are one Karl Lagerfeld and one Anna Wintour.

 Grace Jones and Azzadine Alaia. Who do you reckon is scarier? Read on to find out...

Lucky it was no-one important, eh? According to Alaia, Karl "has never touched a pair of scissors in his life", and "no-one will remember" Anna Wintour. Despite her scary rep, Alaia claims that when the Editor-in-chief of US Vogue sees him, "she is the scared one." Somehow, we're not surprised! 

4) As far as fashion relationships go, this week has been more on and off than Made in Chelsea's Caggie and Spencer (oh! the drama!). After joining in the whoops and hollers that followed the announcement of a Versace and H&M collaboration, the industry was subdued by the news that Jil Sander will no longer be designing for Uniqlo, and the next J+ collection will be the last. There were audible sobs emitting from fashion editor's offices across the city. If you are a fan of the Sander/Uniqlo collab, you better start preparing for the last offering now; it will no doubt be elbows at dawn when it hits stores.

Jil Sander: no longer + Uniqlo

5) Florence Welch 'got the love' from Nylon magazine (sorry, that was terrible) when she hosted a party at the Mondrian Hotel in New York, to celebrate their music issue, of which she is the cover star. Florence can do no wrong in my eyes; she is consistently beautiful, inspiring and unique. Her choice of this quirky Anna Sui dress for the party has divided opinion, but the people who don't like it are, well, wrong.

Flo: it's good to see you back. New music soon please!

6) Fashion doesn't get much more friendly than bestest buds Leith Clark (Ed of Lula) and Kirsten Dunst, who are rarely seen at events without each other, and have obviously been having a bit of a girly week out and about in London town. These two are so close, they are even co-ordinating outfits like schoolgirl best friends do - but you know what? They are so cool, they can get away with it.

 Leith and Kirsten looking demure yet achingly stylish at Wimbledon  (nice sunnies, Ms Clark!) ...

...and just a little bit naughtier as they skip out of The Box in matching trenchcoats. Kirsten&Leith4Eva!

7) And finally, a little bit of eye candy to put a spring in your step this sunny Friday afternoon. The SS12 Menswear shows have been happening over the past week and yesterday's offerings from Paris were causing ripples all the way over this side of the Channel. Friend of the Fash Ed, Kim Jones, sent his debut Louis Vuitton collection down the catwalk to rave reviews, with critics hailing his arrival as the best thing to happen to the label since Marc Jacobs.

 Louis Vuitton SS12

However, before Kim Jones took Paris by storm, one other designer had got everyone hot and bothered. Twitter exploded, pictures were being sent round the world, journos who normally pay no attention to the menswear collections were suddenly clicking onto Style.com like there was no tomorrow.

Five words: Nicola Formichetti, Mugler, ARMOUR BOY.

Mugler SS12

Images: Splash, Getty, AFP, Style.com

MY MOST IMPORTANT TRENDS FOR SPRING/SUMMER 2011

Posted by Fashion Editor at Large

Apart from being a fashion writer and editor for Grazia and POP I'm also an occasional trend consultant. Upon returning from the shows I geek out with my show notes and compile trend reports. Originally this was done as a hobby - a bit like my blog is now - then one of my friends who is a creative director asked to see one of my trend reports, so it kind of become proper, though it still feels like a labour of love. Anyway. Though me and the Fashion Junior laid these trends down last October, now is exactly the right time for me to share my top ten new trends of Spring/Summer 2011 with you. 

                                      1. MINIMALISM

Jonathan Saunders

(also seen at Celine, Chloe, Stella McCartney, Philip Lim, Calvin Klein, Alexander Wang)

 

 2. MAXIMALISM

Marc Jacobs

(also seen at Louis Vuitton, Giles, Prada, Dior, Burberry Prorsum, Christopher Kane, D&G, Michael van der Ham)

3. LONG

Peter Pilotto

(also seen at Lanvin, Givenchy, Fendi, Ferragamo, Unique, Vuitton, Chanel, Pucci, Richard Nichol)

4. SEVENTIES

Derek Lam

(also seen at House of Holland, Richard Nichol, Halston, Marc Jacobs, Sonia Rykiel, Anna Sui, D&G, Alberta Ferretti)

5. COLOUR

Lanvin

(also seen at Jil Sander, Prada, Roksanda Illincic, Fendi, Mulberry, Theory by Olivier Theyskens)

6. NOVELTY

Prada
(also seen at Holly Fulton, Giles, House of Holland, Unique, Mary Katranzou, Louise Gray, Mark Fast, Moschino Cheap and Chic)


7. GRAPHICS

 Celine

(also seen at Holly Fulton, Giles, House of Holland, Unique, Mary Katranzou, Louise Gray, Mark Fast, Moschino Cheap and Chic)

8. FLORALS

Jil Sander

(also seen at Jil Sander, Erdem, D&G, Cacherel, Dries, Jaeger, Clements Riberio)

9. GEISHA

Roland Mouret

(those shoes are absolute winners too. Worn with every single look in the collection they looked good with everything from trousers to evening dresses)

(also seen at Marc Jacobs, Louis Vuitton, Haider Ackermann, Philosophy)

10. SUGAR &SPICE

Miu Miu

(also seen at Mulberry, Chanel,  Rykiel, Erdem, DKNY, Marc by Marc Jacobs)

Photos: Catwalking.com/Christopher Moore

MY TOP TEN OUTFITS FOR SPRING 2011

Posted by Fashion Editor at Large

Celine.

This looks so easy and chic, and fresh and different.

Lanvin

This outfit took my breath away on the runway. To wear long next season, it must billow and have a split. To wear this oneself is surely to feel all-powerful and alive.

YSL by Stefano Pilati

The platforms, the oddly coloured ruffle, and the conservative black skirt-suityness of it all is seductive.

Diane von Furstenberg

A silk blouse and boyish cropped trouser. My staples.

Louis Vuitton.

There is no other word for this but LOVE

Nina Ricci

I am a huge admirer of Peter Copping, he is a charming Englishman as well as extremely talented and brilliant. This dress might be frou-frou but I can so imagine wearing it at something major.

Preen

Simple, elegant and easy. All you need when rushing around being Fashion Editor at Large.

Valentino

Hard to choose my favourite, but can see this dress will bring me hours of fun and admiration.

Peter Pilotto

This makes me think of Wallis Simpson. Not a bad person to channel on a late spring night out.

Jil Sander

My pink trousers!