More punk with Luella

The Luella show was one of the most awaited show of London Fashion Week this year and as was expected from the Designer of The Year: it was amazing.

Oscillating between punk and preppy references, the young stylist -who only arrived in London very recently after proving her talent on the other side of the Atlantic- is continually developing clothes for the wild-type-It-girl. After a very posh English Spring/Summer 09' collection, Luella Bartley is now tackling army uniforms, which become incredibly girly under her watch for the Autumn/Winter Season.

"Cute utilitarianism", everything is said as the designer utters these words, as her collection takes inspiration from uniforms but still remains very girly and cute. Therefore, short dresses (which have now become her signature style) are now as grey as covers or as black as an officier's outfit. Still, in spite of dipping cheerfully in the army glossary, Luella doesn't refuse herself anything, enabling her designs to be punky and feminine enough in order to charm Pixie Geldof and Co. From then onwards, buckle braces become bow ties, the classical trench is now two-coloured and is worn with gold boots, while camouflage prints are deconrated with black tinsels.

But Luella Bartley also relies on familiar shapes and volumes: schoolgirl dresses, cheerleaders outfits and retro coats are the basis of a wardrobe to which she often adds gold or silk touches as if for us never to forget her muse is more than anything: a party girl. And Luella is definitely becoming the girl-about-town's favourite designer.

Luella's outfits have a real aura to them and a great impact thanks to a very recognisable DNA that is always renewed for each and every season. In addition to this, even if a real continuity is perceived in her collections, she manages to make them very different to each other, showing the bubbly blonde's infinite talent.

In order to be in sink with Luella's spirit next Autumn, we will have to wear a shirt with gold leggins with a nice and neat coat worn over the outfit, the final touch being added by mink pompom-ed heels Or mix a punk haircut with a shapely mini dress and a black jumper. All this toped with bright red hair of course!

Yellow, the It colour

Yellow was the Guest star on the Autumn/Winter 09' catwalks and will probably be ever present for the winter to come... Indeed, while on the New York catwalk there are countless collections punctuated with touches of bright yellow, fashionistas on the street are already wearing the colour even as its plebiscite has not yet been officialised.

At a time where street style is the new leader and where pictures from the Sartorialist are more informative in order to pinpoint new trends, as new styles and recurring pieces and colours now bloom on Bryant Park before the catwalk.
Current moods are now as obious to people on the street and designers are the ones taking inspiration from what young hype boys and girls. They take information and knowledge from places, musics, designs they like. Therefore it is now more and more common for collection to be "illustrated" in the street before even being commercialised. As it is happening now for yellow...
Fashionistas have been led by the everpresent buttercup colour on the September catwalks and they are now wearing it on accessories or small touches in order for it to really bloom during February's cold period. Until there, nothing really surprising as the colour has been present for two whole years on the catwalks now...
Still, when girls gravitating around New York's Fashion Week display the same yellow-detailed colour look as on the catwalk, radars go crazy! Marc Jacobs, Band of Outsider, Lacoste or Karen Walker all have contributed to making yellow the headlight colour of accessories this season.
Simple coincidence or is it that fashion designers aren't the only ones to know what women would like to wear in the near-future? The only sure thing is that thanks to countless fashion magazines, domcumentaries, hyp-exhibitions, fashion followers have all the information in order to know, at the same time as Marc Jacobs what will be trendy or not.
From there onwards, if fashion designers and stylists want to remain the one and only prophetes, they will have to observe fashionistas and rapidly develop anything on them they find promising, or find other new sources of inspiration less accessible than the ones they deal with actually...This said, streets and catwalks have the same clear message nowadays: yellow should now be a part of our wardrobes.

Girls just wanna have fun with Marc Jacobs

Marc Jacobs may have cut down on the number of guests and put plastic chairs for them at his Autumn/Winter 09' show in New York, he surely didn't lack in creativity as far as his collection was concerned. And it was for the best..
His catwalk shows places itself in the continuity of his recent work for Louis Vuitton and his tribute to Stephen Sprouse, the late fashion designer and artist, who really captured the spirit of the 80s in New York. While Jacobs's Spring/Summer 09' collection was very romantic and Edwardian, this one is directly linked to the craziness of the 80s. The designer admits wanting to seize the spirit of "the time at which New-Yorkers knew how to have fun", when clubs were full of young eccentrics and when the will to live fully was more important than daily problems, the time and place where he himself started as a fashion designer.
His collection is therefore dealt with relevance from the designer, creating 60 silhouettes for bad girls ready to party. The outfits are a mix of Madonna and Stephanie de Monaco as the models carry over-the-top hair and make-up taking inspiration from Kiss's members! And it is true that the economic situation doesn't really enable women to buy new accessories, the only free extravagance are hair and make-up: and Jacobs's models prove it, without looking like each other. They're all going to the same party but each of them with her unique style.
The show started quite soberly with a few zipped grey jumpers over animal-print lamé leggins or jacquard panier miniskirts. Followed by glossy mini-dresses, each of them emphasizing the model's bodies. Little by little, touches of colours appear in the party-girl's wardrobe and very soon, all she is wearing is hot pink sequined sweaters, pencil-bright coats and purple boots. Materials are mixed and matched in order for the look to be not only disco but also casual, therefore, a metallic-blue Grendizer coat goes perfectly well with a denim jodhpur.
Later on, our party-loving girls warm themselves up in oversized girly coats before a radical change appears and outfits made of pencil skirts and shouldered shirts make a grand entrance. Martin Largiela -like jackets and coats were also part of the show and were worn over very Sprousian leggins.
The show concludes with a few cocktails dresses, that Monaco's princesses could have worn 30 yeras ago...And without it being Marc Jacobs's best collection, it did enthusiasm the show's onlookers and any viewer will admit the outfits do sparks a smile on their face which is very very rare, therefore very rewarding.

Again, to see all of the silouettes from the show, here's the link to Vogue online: http://www.vogue.co.uk/fashion/show.aspx/full-length-photos/id,7512/Page,2

As posh as can be

Mrs Beckham's second collection is more about elegance than about following a trend. As was her first collection. Very few people really believed in the ex-Spice Girl's capacity to be a real and good fashion designer but it seems that she proved everyone wrong. Mrs Beckham really has someting to say and add to the fashion world.
Last September, scepticals were put to shame as Victoria Beckham showed that far from being a skinny and brainless woman, she had talent and enough intelligence to set a coherent and aesthetic collection. Indeed, she humbly avoided imposing a new style. On the contrary, she offered a collection of luxurious dresses inspired by her confederate, Roland Mouret. She wasn't offering a change of zeitgeist but a possibility for women to be as classy and elegant as she is...
For the Autumn/Winter '09 collection, Mrs Beckham hasn't changed the rules as the silhouettes on the catwalk were still timeless. Outfits had a fifties touch, in balck, ivory, gold or even tomato red, dresses were figure hugging, waists were accentuated with hems as long as under the knees. But there were also novelties such as short and flared dresses made of a mixture of wool and stretch with metallic details or capes to keep warm above a sheath dress or a pair of skinny jeans.
In addition, as a true business woman, she didn't forget to add a few ultra-long dresses, both sober and chic, that could possibly charm a few Oscar nominees...
And even if she didn't revolutionise New York's Fashion Week, masters the few collection presented by "designers" along the same line as hers such as J.Lo or Gwen Stefani with their grotesque catwalk shows a few years ago. In fact, her clothes are of impeccable quality, the materials ressemble those of an upscale fashion show and her style will be able to resist fashion's changes. Really, Posh hasn't finished surprising the fashion world as she goes from fashion victim to fashion muse and icon.

Here's a link to her catwalk show's silhouettes: http://www.vogue.co.uk/fashion/show.aspx/full-length-photos/id,7484

David La Chapelle at home in Paris

David LaChapelle, considered as the bad boy of contemporary art is making himself at home at "La Monnaie" (a famous French museum), in Paris. The exhibition, dedicated to the stars and fashion magazine's photographer gathers 200 images and facilities made between the 1990s and today. The exhibition was a good chance for anyone to immerse himself in the flash coloured trash world full of references to Art history or Gospels revisited at the porno chic sauce.
In David LaChapelle's world, women are naked with huge chests, men are overtanned with overproportioned sex and stars are put in unseen before situations. Shocking? Not really anymore. Vulgar? No more than the society flaied but the photographer. The photographer does his best to stigmatise not only the quirky world in which he lives but also its citizens with as much violence as irony as possible.
Just like Marylin's portrait by Andy Warhol. But here the face of the actress has been replaced by Amanda Lepore's, the transsexual whose face has been disfigured by plastic surgery."Recollection" (2006) , a series of paintings from the 1970s which have been fiddled with by computer emphasize the US's nationalism, the American's taste for guns as much as for alcohol, considered as the only way to party and have fun.
It's with a picture of his mother in a bikini, drinking a glass of Martini that David LaChapelle, now 45 years old entered the photography world. Andy Warhol then ordered a series of photos from him in 1982 in order to illustrate his magazine, "Interview". But the young David LaChapelle really got famous at the end of the 1980s, everyone wants a piece of his pictures that denounce the consumeristic society by advertising its products. One of the most famous examples are of the young girl crushed by a giant hamburger, but also one with a posh 50 year old woman whose 4x4 is attacked by an out-of-proportion red can.
Stars queue in order to be photographed by David LaChapelle. For them LaChapelle imagines crazy mise-en-scènes: Uma Thurman therefore becomes a poisonous Sleeping Beauty, Cameron Diaz becomes the heroine of a Magritte painting. Singers want their video clips to be made by him, until after filming a video for Madonna, the photographer realises that the world he lives in is going crazy.
Since then, he has never stopped designing apocalyptic visions, crazier than ever, shown in preview in the exhibition. His style has remained the same. As explosive as usual. But the message is more simplicistic, the shape is different as can be seen in "Auguries of innocence" with a 2D setting and a title borrowed from the poet William Blake. Pigs having sex, a prelate crushed by a harp, a diamond skull borrowed from Damian Hirst are actively involved, while all hopes have been put on a group of mixed-race children walking towards the sky. Alléluia!

The David LaChapelle exhibition is on at La Monnaie de Paris until the 31 of May.
Check out his official website: www.davidlachapelle.com/

Halston leading the way to a new Era

New York Fashion Week hasn't even officially started yet that some alternative presentations by fashion brands are already starting to appear. It is the case of Halston, which has issued a video that replaces the traditional catwalk show.
Videos are getting more and more popular (especially since Stefano Pilati, who has been presenting his collection for men on the Big Screen) and Halston goes even further by issuing its mini-movie on the internet. The American brand, which is often compared to Viktor & Rolf is hoping it will reduce its costs by saving on the price of the location, apéritifs and champagne...On this 12th of February, buyers, journalists and other privileged client received a small movie which unveiled the Autumn/ Winter 09' Collection via email.
Halston's movie is more of a Chanel advertisement, rather than an animated book. Of course, we are quite far from YSL's conceptual videos, but still, Dree Hemingway running the streets of NY, therefore making her chiffon dress float in the wind, is a lot more inspiring than sad-looking models on a catwalk. Still, the director's choice to make the women Dree encounters for a few seconds is not going to help buyers write their wishlitst. In order to deal with this problem, the brand will send a "real" look book to them and open a showroom for those interested.
So, the financial crisis doesn't only have bad effects: it enables to boost the crativity of Fashion houses whose budgets are small, therefore enabling a new way of communication to bloom. And all this even though Bonnie Takhar (head of Halston) claims that the choice of a video had little to do with the financial context, but more with the fact that the brand is trying to appeal to the 25-45 year old women rather than the 30-50...

Check the video on style.com: http://www.style.com/video

Baywatch does Westwood

Until very recently, Marc jacobs was the designer using unnordinary muses in his advertisements. Still, in England, a designer known for her anti-establishment is ready to collect the award for "most suprising muse ever" as we will soon be able to admire Pamela Anderson for Vivienne Westwood for the Spring/Summer 09 designer's campaign.

But what on earth is the blonde playmate from Baywatch doing in fashion's elilitst world? Beyond her reality-TV show (close to media-suicide) and her love escapades, the ex-star doesn't really make anyone fantasize about her anymore. Even if her curvaceous body still makes Hugh Hefner's magazine pages, she's at the opposite of aesthitic beauties of the moment. As sexy as she is - botoxed face, false blonde hair, and a D-cup cleavage - she's at the extreme opposite of what designers look for in order to represent their brands. They often chose "bankable" models or charismatic actresses, federatively beautiful.

Under cover of playing the provocative card by chosing Pamela Anderson, Punk's Queen, is putting her brand in the spotlight as it is true than nothing is better for a design House than being in the middle of a controversy and debate, a marketing strategy, Mrs Westwood has used ever since she started in fashion. And she gladly reveals the secret of her longevity: "My secret? Carry on suprising".

Without Marc Jacobs successful example of Victoria Beckham in his advertisements, we could have strongly doubted the relevance of the Anderson/Westwood duet, but the photo of Miss Anderson sporting Westwood purple silk published in the Sunday Times Style on Sunday are proving what a good idea the alliance proves to be and what a Rock Chick the blonde bombshell really is!

Get your boots on!

Snow is paralysing the whole of Britain, no cars, trains, buses or planes. Yesterday being the worse day: most people couldn't get to work. Most shops were closed but people were having walks in the snow with their children. British people hadn't seen so much snow in 18 years and were happy having snowball fights and building snowmen. And what is the essential accessory in order to play in the snow? In order not to have water dripping in your shoes, making your feet wet and making you crave one thing: a hot shower... Well, the one accessory is Wellington boots. But not just any Wellington, not the Green and plain Hunter boot.

Monday 2nd April could have been renamed National Stylish Wellington Boot Day as going out meant getting your best Wellingtons on. Flowers, dots, animal print, shiny rainbow colours, everything and anything could be seen on the streets. Women, really who made such an effort, or were naturally stylish in "stand out of the croud boots". Outfits consisted essentially in plain ski outfits but the Wellingtons were enough to make the whole look seem original.

And the trend for Wellingtons isn't waring off as Jimmy Choo has announced in January that it was teaming up with the Hunter boot company in order to produce Faux Crocodile Wellington boots, that, unfortunately will not be worn in the snow as they will be out in May but they will have festival girls such as Alexa Chung or Kate Moss ready to splash in Glastonbury's puddles!

Even if the prices of a festival are too high, and you were wondering when your stylish and fabulous Wellingtons could be worn with pride: enjoy the snow!