It's ShoeTime!

To mark the launch of London Fashion Week, Selfridges opened its new Shoe Gallery last week. Oooh, the excitement of having approximately 55,000 pairs of shoes in stock set within 'apartments' from designers such as Louboutin, Chanel , Prada as well as high street brands is more excitement than one can take in an afternoon. It would be like the old cliche..opening a large box of chocolates and which to taste first. My advice, ladies would be to search for a certain style of shoe. After a ten year hiatus, the pointy kitten heel is back with a vengeance and its the shoe that ticks all the trend direction boxes of the season. Sixties inspired, ladylike with a nod and a wink to the popular MadMen style. Coming down a couple of heel inches does wonders for the legs too. Calves have had to endure a few years of those darn 'Extreme' heels with their heavy platforms, strapping and bandaging ,adding extra pressure to reveal, as in some cases ugly, chunky muscles. A neat little 7 cm heel will just give enough lift to a sexy leg and won't have you walking like and extra from Michael Jackson's Thriller video. If time and money wont allow you to browse and buy from Selfridges shoe heaven emporium then find these styles from vintage vendors. There's lots to be had from this shoe genre as was the sixties was a popular time for mass production in fashion and accessories. That's where I'll be looking for a mid heel pump with a bow until I can get my hands on Isabel Marant's suede Poppy pump.
Pictures
Top right - Giambattista Valli two-tone satin pump A/W 10
Top Left - Topshop camel patent sling back kitten heel
Bottom Right -This season's Isabel Marant's suede Poppy shoe
Top Left

Beauty and The Beat

Finally the autumn collections are hitting the stores. I have been lusting over the images from the shows since February, with particular reference to Isabel Marant and Miu Miu's catwalk collections. And how I would love a pair of Marant's leather cropped skinny biker jeans or just any one of the floral appliqued or crocheted sixties tunics on offer from Miu Miu. Sadly, the winter shopping budget won't stretch to either of those items since each piece is priced at over a grand each. My challenge, this month will be to find similar, inspired garments from either trawling the vintage racks or down on the good ole' high street.So until I find those looks on the cheap I will start to channel the beauty look that I feel best compliments the sixties/beatnik style I am going for this winter. Firstly and most importantly the look starts with the eyes. A big sweeping cat's flick of eyeliner over a minky shade of eyeshadow should get the look going. Bobbi Brown's Long-wear gel eyeliner in Black Ink is certainly the best liquid eyeliner effect I have ever tried. The precision comes from using a brush and applying as little or as much as you dare to go. Keep the complexion fair with just a hint of pink blush on the cheeks. With so much focus on the eyes, leave lips pale and miminal . Tom Ford's Vanilla suede lipstick emulates the sixties lip or try a touch of concealer with a pale pink balm over the top like By Terry's Baume de Rose for lips. And dont forget the nails, this season give your fingertips a rest from all the strong, pigmented colours of seasons past and go for one of Chanel's new collection of Khaki Rose nail varnishes. Finally the hair. Think Bardot bouffants, Hepburn half up do's, bit messy, bit tousled just add a glam and expensive hair accessory from either Chanel or Marc Jacobs to keep the look modern. So, there you go, Sixties Sex Kittens, beauty sorted...now just to find the clothes.

Pictures: Top Left - Backstage at Giambattista Valli's Autumn/Winter 2010 catwalk show.
Top right - The much-hyped, long-awaited new nail colours from Chanel.
Bottom right - A glitzy glam barrette like this one from Chanel should keep a messy bouffant looking cool and modern.

Back To School Cool

I love this time of year. September is one of my favourite months . The first few weeks of this month have a very distinct feel about them. Maybe it's that 'back to school ' vibe in the air, there to mark summer's end and a time to reflect on the fun had over the holidays anticipating the start of autumn. And it's time to get excited about wearing a new winter 'uniform'. I looking forward to putting away the summer threads. It's been a long, busy few months for my holiday wardrobe. As much as I love my fail-safe shorts and heels combo even I am ready for something different. I feel its time to start covering the 'pins' up. And for the new autumn term the leg cover-up of the season surely must go to the Miu Miu art deco scalloped tights.I have been lusting after them for months. As a big self-confessed fan of hose and tights, to me they sum up the sixties vibe sweeping this season. They will look sweet and sexy in that Prime of Miss Jean Brodie innocent schoolgirl look as well as looking good when worn with slightly more edgy items like a patent leather skirt for example. Wear them with a flippy mini kilt and a pair of kitten heeled shoes your ready to kick-start the semester in style.
Pictures: Top left - Miu Miu tights for A/W 2010
Bottom right - Markus Lupfer A/W 2010

Beat Down To Your Soul

Sorry I've been a little 'offline' readers, the recent events of summer have really taken over the last few weeks. What with the long school holidays, a trip to sunny Tuscany and a big blow-out weekend at the first ever Vintage at Goodwood festival, I've been far from desk-bound.

The festival left me physically jaded to say the least, although it fuelled me with great style inpirations. From music, bands, artists to clothing , make-up and accessories, the weekend was full of cool glamour in a good old fashioned way , just like things used to be before commercially driven sterile style became the way modern folk dressed. So what was I going to pack to fit in with this dapper lot? Granted, I have a wardrobe full of vintage glamourous frocks and accessories kindly donated by my best friend ,a vintage enthusiast but was that going to see me through a wet and windy weekend in a field down in East Sussex? After a horrifc Bestival experience two years ago, I was fully aware that you just go for protection and leave the fashion at home at this type of event, but this was different. It was all about style and substance. So in the bag went the frivoulous and fancy forties dresses, heated rollers , red lipstick and nail varnish to show willing and then leather trousers, heaps of knits and wellies to be practical. It wasn't until the last minute I realised I didn't have any suitable outerwear. My coat wardrobe consists of chic beige trench coats, vintage furs and a tiny kids kagoul. So I found myself on a trolley dash to TK Maxx where I quickly found a cute navy Edina Ronay duffel coat for just thirty quid. Sorted. And needed. And it did rain, so out came the leather trousers ,rapidly slipped on in our tiny pop up tent with whatever else I happened to be wearing. Which happened to be a grey and white stripy top. With the navy duffel thrown over it all I had unwittingly created a 'look' for the weekend! 'Are you a Mod? ' asked one pillar of mod society, as I dashed to the loo. Well, not really but hey, how about a post-modernist Beatnik-type that just threw these items on in haste so as not to miss another classic track in the Soul Casino club? And well, I am quite liking it, the Beatnik look, that is. Once autumn hits I am going to channel this look with gusto and maybe indulge in some of these sixties inspired new pieces for the coming season.

Top right: Duffel coat by Proenza Schouler

Bottom left: Hat by Ted Baker

Liberty Scarf Camp

Last month in my post entitled 'Makes No Difference What They Say, We're Going On Holiday' I asked the in-store scarf demonstrators to rise to the challenge of turning a simple silk square into this season's headwear must-have, The Turban.

Those good people at Liberty of London are holding a week long Summer Scarf Camp for all the fashionistas who are looking for some extra curricular activity during the long holiday. On the 29th July, Professor Richard Weston will be holding lectures on how to fold, wrap and 'Turn it into a Turban' with his collection of wonderfully on-trend digitally printed scarves. Designers also showing during the week include The Lin Besson Project, Swash, Lousada Heyhoe and Michael Birch.

Pictures:Left- Liberty Scarf Camp Press Image

Right- Weston's Agate Print Scarf

Time To In-Vest

The soaring temperatures of last weekend had me resorting to pottering around the house in a bikini. Which is all well and good when sitting on the deck enjoying a refreshing cool drink and pretending to you are in the Med instead of South East London. But not so appropriate when you need to pop outside with a bag of rubbish to the dustbin or round the shops to pick up ice-creams. A lightweight cutaway vest is the perfect throw-over solution. Pair it up with some mini-shorts to quickly run these errands and keep cool at the same time.James Perse is a master of the casual but cool tee. His collection of tissue thin cotton vests and t-shirts are cut in such a way that their loose fits are not too baggy and just simply skim the curves to give a modern edgy feel to a wardrobe staple. Swedish brand ACNE are also from the same school of thought when it comes to their cotton t-shirt ranges, and their cleverly cut striped racer back tank top is fashion forward alternative to the plain white vest. Mint Velvet has included a soft white cotton vest in its latest summer collection. With a babydoll effect double layer and drawstring scoop neck detailing, it includes a little more design details that can be worn for a more dressy situation. Margiela's black gold clip vest has a longer hem and could just get away with being a mini beach dress for day or over glam shorts or tight jeans for evening.
Pictures: Top right - ACNE s/s10
Top Left - James Perse
Bottom left - Mint Velvet
Botton right - Martin Margiela

Mad About Margiela

There's quite a buzz around Martin Margiela at the moment. For the past twenty years he has been quitely building an enigmatic fashion brand with a cult following whilst also remaining elusive and keeping his identity hidden from the public. In March of this year, Margiela launched his first ever fragrance. Typically of Margiela, he wanted it to smell different from the established fragrances already on the market. At first spritz, the perfume smells of a masculine cologne combining a hint of dry tobacco with green, fresh notes. After a while on the skin and on the wristband style tester card the perfume moved on to a pleasing feminine scent that reminded me of a sweet-smelling version of Elnett hairspray. Different indeed. And then there is his clothing and accessories line, which cool girls and guys (especially) cant get enough of. The picks from the ladieswear collection include a pair of high waisted leather leggings and a black and nude two tone sandal with a gold strap. Both pieces are undeniably sexy yet understated. The Margiela vibe is so on trend right now. Perfect for easing the transistion from noughties excesses to today's desire for pared down minimalism. For the boys, its all about the reworked classics. A crisp white shirt with removable tux bib, a disco ball effect wallet covered in mirrored mosaic chips and absolutely anything from his T-shirt line. If this label has by-passed you all these years due to its cool and quiet nature then head down to the 'Maison Martin Margiela , 20 , The exhibtion' at Somerset House, until the 5th September and take a look at a retrospective of the collections and installations produced by the brand over the last twenty years.