IN THIS WEEK'S GRAZIA...

Posted by Fashion Junior at Large

....check out our edit of the two warring fashion tribes for SS11: Minimal vs Maximal! Whether you are in love with the OTT patterns, prints, ruffles and decadence of the maxi trend, or prefer the clean lines and colour pops of the minimal look, there is something for everyone.

P-P-P-PICK UP A POM POM (ESPECIALLY IF ITS BY HENRY HOLLAND)

 Posted by Fashion Editor at Large

Backstage at Henry Holland by Jason Lloyd Evans

Laura Atkinson, the very brilliant features editor of Grazia magazine happens to be one of Henry Holland's best friends, (they used to work together at Sneak magazine, which was upstairs from us at Grazia). I met Henry in 2006 when he still worked at Sneak after seeing Gareth Pugh wear one of his T-Shirts that said "Get Your Freak On Giles Deacon". Next I wrote a story about him in Grazia (the photos featured his flatmate - some girl called Aggy) and brought him to a Giles Deacon show.  Since then Henners has become the online darling of British fashion, and the poster boy for poppy cool and we are proud of the be-quiffed one at Grazia. So it's always nice when he remembers his homies as he did today by pressing two boxes into Laura's hands and instructing her to dispatch one to me and the other to Angela Buttolph, Grazia's most excellent web editor.

Having pom-poms dangling from ones ears is almost as good as swishing ones skirt (well, Laura was a bit allergic..), yet Laura, Angela and myself felt the need to record the moment for all time by posing in the corridor of the stairwell at the oh-so-glam Bauer Media HQ on Shaftsbury Avenue.

Angela, Laura and me in our pom-pom earrings of many colours - happy times!  (Laura's flecky jumper is new season House of Holland too)

The trend for novelty was number six of my top 10 trends of spring/summer 2011 because of wonderfully silly and fun creations like these large marabou clip-on-with-a-giant-diamante-pom-pom-earrings. Luckily for you, these earrings were not "show only" styling accouterments, but have become buyable schmutter. I have just found out that Internet entrepreneur Henry is selling them on his website. I told you he was smart!  

GIRL ON LEFT:

"SO WHERE DO YOU GET THOSE CRAZY POM-POM EARRINGS FROM - I WANT SOME!"

GIRL ON RIGHT:

"WHAT THESE? OH YEAH, THEY'VE JUST GONE ON SALE AT WWW.HOUSEOFHOLLAND.CO.UK AND THEY ARE A HUNDRED QUID."

Photos: Jason Lloyd Evans/Fashion Editor at Large

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

FASHION JUNIOR'S TOP TEN OUTFITS FOR SS11

Posted by Fashion Junior at Large

As you might expect, my choices are somewhat different to the Fashion Editor at Large!

David Koma:
Caters to my inner ballerina. Simply graceful.

Givenchy:
I've always been a leopard print fan, and this updates it for summer. Plus - white leopard print will always super trashy, in a wonderfully 80s way.

YSL: For when I'm feeling ladylike again, this sheer dress combines my favourite colour with just enough vintage styling. 

Moschino Cheap and Chic:
My ideal outfit for Fashion Junior-ing in.

Marc by Marc Jacobs: If I manage to go on holiday next year, I would like to look exactly like this, thanks.

Erdem:
Absolutely dreamy, I would pretend I was the romantic heroine of a movie while wearing this.

Burberry Prorsum:
Because you can't be girly all the time.

Richard Nicholl:
for sheer outrageousness.

Preen:
Bringing elegance back to the fore.

BLOWING OFF THE COBWEBS

Posted by Fashion Editor at Large

blowing at screen as I attempt to blast away the cobwebs from my sorely negleted blog after the collections. Apologies for my absence. Problem is, I'm paid to work for other people and the collections are when the blog has to go on the back burner or else I don't sleep. So, now you have them. My excuses for not being here.

Now back to a sort of business. Its always weird what gets left inprinted on the mind post shows. This time is no exception; apart from exhaustion and lying slumped watching season three of Mad Men while eating Padron Peppers and copious amounts of tea, there is one thing I KNOW I will want in my life for spring 2011.

A PAIR OF PINK TROUSERS.   Preferably those up there from the Jil Sander collection.

Thats all.

Photo: catwalking.com

MALIBU BARBIE: THE NEW STYLE ICON FOR SS11?!

Posted by Fashion Editor and Junior at Large

I'm in Paris. I love my little hotel on Rue St Honore, and how its just a block from Colette. In the cafe downstairs the manager even remembers my favourite red wine. The first 24 hours have been hectic. I interviewed Heidi Klum at the Ritz for Grazia, not before practically walking into Mario Testino in the lobby, and then being caught up in the flurry of Naomi Campbell leaving the building. Then there was Cavalli's amaaaazing party (read about in Grazia next week). After delivering the copy my first show was Balmain. Read the review over on Grazia Daily.

In the meantime, we have been thinking about the most important looks from London, and have realised that there is a new style icon in town.

Meet the muse for SS11: the one and only Malibu Barbie.

 

 The original Malibu Barbie, circa 1971

Having been released in 1971, Malibu Barbie is an icon from the era that nearly every designer referenced in their SS11 collections. Originally, she was sold wearing a fetching aqua swimsuit, with an eveningwear ensemble called 'Lemon Kick' - a yellow confection of pleated chiffon, with on-trend angel sleeves and flared trousers. 

As bizarre as it may sound, it does seem that Malibu Barbie's pastel-perfect colour scheme, love of a pleat and a way with floaty chiffon has indeed influenced what we will all be wearing next summer. The catwalks were awash with a palette of aqua, vibrant pinks, and flashes of yellow. Sleeves, capes, trousers and dresses were billowing silk-chiffon affairs in very Seventies styles, and denim was always in the palest of Charlie Girl washes. There were large helpings of crystal glitter (a Barbie essential), A-line shapes were enhanced with pleating and the abundance of fringing added to the Malibu beach feel. 

Still don't believe us? Let the pictures speak for themselves...

 House of Holland SS11

 

  House of Holland SS11

Richard Nicholl SS11

 

Giles SS11

 Unique SS11

 Matthew Williamson SS11

Mark Fast SS11

 Richard Nicholl SS11

It's not just the clothes, either. California golden blonde flicky hair, rainbow eye makeup, neon pink highlights and glittery lipgloss were the key runway beauty looks. Remind you of anybody?

Julian J Smith SS11

So there you have it: Malibu Barbie, inspiring girls since 1971, and the style icon for the new season. 

Images: Mattel, Style.com

SWAROVSKI LFW PREVIEW: FFS, its HENRY HOLLAND!!

Posted by Fashion Editor at Large

Henry

Henry is a busy man. Fresh from a trip to New York last weekend where he hosted a Fashion's Night Out party with ASOS.com (for whom he designed a special maxi dress) and Teen Vogue, he bounded into his studio to meet with us having just been at the gym. "I saw Erdem and I often see Richard Nicoll, now all we need is Chris and Tammy Kane to make it a fashion happening," he quipped before skipping off to spruce his famous quiff back into place with some Elnett. 

He seems weirdly calm, I tell him, for a man with a catwalk show in four days. "I am weirdly calm. We're organised. There's ten people working here, at this stage we're taking delivery of something new every day from our various suppliers. It's like Christmas every day," he says and as if to prove his point his gorgeous production manager Anna signs for a large box and flourishes it in our direction. It turns out to be T-shirts in various cuts (cropped tops, Y back vests, trad T-shirts) featuring the banana print shown below in various colours. The cerulean blue is my favourite.

Then he tells me and the fashion junior about his latest two discount cards; we all love a discount card in the fashion biz. Henry Holland has a Woolworths.co.uk pick n mix card, (oh lawdy how I would love one of those) "the sweets come within three hours!!" he marvelled while chugging down a cola bottle. He is also the proud recipient of a Nandos card. Nandos feed him and five interns once a week or so. Here's a thing: Nandos is every fashionistas secret favourite fast food restaurant.

                                                 Banana leaf print Henry has developed for his SS11 HOH collection

SS11 INSPIRATION

"It started with the 70s, Studio 54, and the (1980) film Xanadu, and progressively got more and more Joan Collins and Joan Rivers. It's glitzy...but I hate the word glitzy...sophisticated is better The collection is bright, fun and young with it, but not as young as before. We're getting a bit more grown up; there's a bit of Jackie O in there. The main print is the banana leaf, which we have Swarovski'd. The banana leaf print is part inspired by the wallpaper of the restaurant Indochine in New York and part inspired by the episode of Friends when Monica is in the Bahamas and has to get her hair braided because of humidity."

He then shows me some great bustier dresses hung with fringing - take it from me, London designers are TOTALLY OBSESSED with fringing this season - and says "I'm getting my hairdresser to do some looks with the fringing." We approve.

The House of Holland studio on Charlotte Road

As you can see from the board below, Henry's shapes are cute and girlie and verging on terribly chic, but the fun in them makes them young and cool. There is copious use of gold chainmail - another Xanadu connection - and a lot of Swarovski encrusted stars, as well as darling dresses and jackets.  "I have definitely used up my Swarovski allowance this season," he says. 

The look-boards for the SS11 collection. Love how their "girl" is a mini Anna Wintour

FASHION SHOW GOSSIP?

"I'm working with BlackBerry again. Look," he says whipping out his new BlackBerry Torch, "I've got a BlackBerry Torch." Henry is such a show off.  While I seethe with jealousy (sort of) he reveals the fruits of his latest collaboration with them. "I've created a BlackBerry Torch cover that has an ear on the back of it, so when the phone is to your ear, you've got an ear on show!! We've made a hole in the ear for an earring, and we have made small versions of the House of Holland earrings for SS11 which are a Swarovski stud leading to a chain hung with a giant fluffy hoop. Next year we are hoping to create a rubber ear that is 3D." He has also collaborated for the first time with Charlotte Olympia, and the shoes look divine. To see his novelty ear thing for BlackBerry go to his sponsored blog, or rather look at this hilar photo of Sienna Miller from the blog....  

...and this one - with a better view of the ear/earring - modelled by accessories designer Katie Hillier

Now on with the show, which takes place tomorrow at 4.15pm.

SWAROVSKI LFW PREVIEW: DOMINIC JONES

Posted by Fashion Editor at Large

Me and Dominic Jones

I was lucky enough to be the first journalist on a high circulation magazine to cover the talent that is Dominic Jones. I'll never forget meeting him at Dover Street Market on the night Stephen Jones launched his perfume in collaboration with Comme des Gardons. Dominic told me his plan for a jewellery collection that "has the look of fine jewellery, but is in fact gold-plated to a deeper degree than usual gold plating, thus giving it a more luxurious look."

He said he wanted his peers to be able to afford high-end jewellery. It was a blindingly good idea from the start and with Dominic's charm, talent for sculpture, eye for what cool kids want from their jewellery, and backing from his close friend Alice Dellal he was always going to do alright. And he has. We are now two years down the line, and selling through Net-a-Porter means he can relax on  the cash-flow front and get on with working.

Dominic's incredibly strong SS11 collection

SS11 INSPIRATIONS

"My last two collections were quite literal. The first was inspired by fangs, then the second was based on skulls and beetles. This time I developed the collection from two sculptures I created in miniature. I played with their proportions to recreate different parts of them as jewellery. At the NEWGEN area at LFW I will be displaying two meter high versions of the sculptures made from jesmonite and polystyrene."

"My reference points were the sculpture of Barbara Hepworth, Art Deco and the rest came from me. I love working and through the process the shapes came out. Making is what I love doing most.  I used Swarovskis even though they don't officially sponsor me. Though there is talk of me working on the Atelier range, which would be very exciting as working with crystals is second nature. This is my most instinctive collection, and I am so proud of it."

SWAROVSKI LFW PREVIEW: MARK FAST

Posted by Fashion Editor at Large

Mark Fast (above) is to show his first solo catwalk show at London Fashion Week this coming Monday. Previously he showed back-to-back with Mary Katrantzou. Fast, who specialises in highly worked, super-tight knitwear dresses became notorious a year ago at London Fashion Week when he poured "plus size" models (i.e size 12-14) into his dresses and had a disagreement with his stylist who felt the models he chose were not the gold standard in their category. The pair mutually decided to end their working arrangement, but that was not the end of it. The press got hold of the story and the outcome was a media furore which Fast milked for all it was worth, thus fast-tracking his brand name from zero recognition to sought-after in a matter of days.  So here we are at his veeery east London studio, in an old Evangelist church hall, and he is prepping up to 35 looks.

MARK FAST SS11 INSPIRATION

"Its getting busy in here," says Mark gesturing to his three main assistants and five interns. "They've been in here everyday for a month working the machines," he says pointing at the ancient looking knitting machines that dot the studio, (they go for a fortune on eBay apparently) before leading us to the back wall and his mood board, above.

"I've been feeling a darkness in the air all summer, what with the oil slick and volcano.." he says and nods at the board. "Its a feeling of wetness and danger than I'm trying to translate into the clothes. But this collection is actually less dark than usual; it has injections of colour and then fades to white. The idea is to mix the danger of an alligator with the fragility of the butterfly. The Swarovski people even found me a stud crystal that has the look of reptilian scales when it is applied densely." To untutored ear, the previous quote may look like it belongs in Pseuds Corner (Private Eye) but when you see what he is doing with his collection of webby knits it makes a kind of sense. He shows me a go-go dress in Barbie pink hung with fringing and the arms heavy with Swarovskis densely positioned like scales. The workmanship and inspiration may be intense, but the the result, as always, is an amazing party dress. 

The young design graduate above has been working on this fringed cape for days.

These Louboutin platforms are beyond fabulous. Bring on the 70s glamous trend!

A close up view of the reptilian Swarovski studs

Photos by Fashion Editor at Large

Assisted by Fashion Junior at Large