Armoured Girl

Into the fabulous days

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 30 Sep 2014 03:32:00 +0000

Isn't that an amazing title for a fashion editorial?
I mean, isn't that the most perfect summary of the essence of fashion? You don't buy clothes with the intention to look anything less than fabulous so when you head out with a killer new outfit "into the fabulous days" is the perfect statement.

This editorial also features the lovely Louise Parker, soft lighting and killer eyeliner.

It was featured in Spur Magazine Sept. 2014.

Photos: Amanda Pratt

Model: Louise Parker

Stylist: Teruyo Mori

Hair: Andre Cueto-Saavedra

Makeup: Courtney Perkins

Rest below the cut.

I am obsessed with this jacket.

I want it!

There is also something about this image that I love as well. I don't know, the down turned glance which is so demure against the juxtaposition of the super slick and masculinity of the jacket - I don't want this one, but I do love the photo.

I can't tell if this dress is brown or black. Either way...do not love.

Can I get away with eyeliner like this?

Movement. Love.

Also - the shoes!!

As always, remember:

Fashion is a weapon, use it without fear.

Fashion Editorial: Collections II

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 29 Sep 2014 02:57:00 +0000

Since I was so slack the past little while...prepare for fashion editorial overload!

After my post yesterday about Louise Parker's photos I went on a hunt for fashion editorials of hers that I love.

This editorial is from Dazed Autumn 2014, photographed by Charlie Engman and styled by Karen Langley, staring (of course) Louise Parker!

What I love about this editorial is the movement be it either the in the fashion itself or in the gatorade (you'll see in the photos). What I don't like about this editorial though is the fashion itself. I like parts of the outfits but it is sport luxe - a style I do not appreciate at all.

These photos make you stare at them. The movement puts the clothes in interesting shapes and lets you see them from different angles.

Who knows why she'd be running with an open gatorade in 3.1 Phillip Lim, but it does make an awesome photo.

As you can see, it's very much an urban sport-luxe style which is not my taste. Runners, even if they are designer made, are not my fashion choice.

If you don't know what sports luxe is, essentially is the trend of wearing gym-like clothing including leggings, yoga gear, runners - basically if you look like you've just left the gym or could head there after work, then that's sport luxe. To be totally honest, in terms of fashion as armour I do not agree with sports luxe at all. I wear the clothes that fit into "sports luxe" when I don't want other people to see me!!

Louise Parker Photography

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 28 Sep 2014 02:10:00 +0000

Hello everyone - clearly keeping a regular blog is something that I am not the most successful at because life keeps getting in the way. No excuses, I simply need to get myself together.

Louise Parker is a really beautiful model who has graced high fashion runways, ready to wear and fashion editorials - but the reason she is one of my favourite models is because of the photographs she takes of her fellow models.

Louise Parker photographed by Andrew Yee for How To Spend It ‘Space to Roam’ (November 2013)

The photos Louise takes are beautiful and true renditions of the busy life of a model, which face it, everyone dreams of occasionally from the travel, the beautiful clothes and (in my case) the height.

Look at some of her beautiful photos under the cut and envy the model high life.

Are you dying with envy? I am.

As always, remember:

Fashion is a weapon, use it strategically

Women In Prada...(I mean art)

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 14 Aug 2014 09:47:00 +0000

Women in Art
Prada 2014 Spring Collection shown in Elle Japan March 2014.

Photographer: Takaki Kumada

Model: Marina Nery

Stylist: Shino Suganuma

Not only do I love the colours, silhouettes, prints and everything else about this prada collection I love how Marina Nery manages to be so in focus but look so out of it at the same time.

This coat and bag. Ugh.

The hair in this is amazing too. I wish I could make my hair look that fabulously messy yet perfect!

Want it all.

Fashion is a weapon, use it vivaciously

That's TSAR last season

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 13 Aug 2014 01:00:00 +0000

I think I'm a little in love with Russia.

Now, if you know me, you'd know I love snow but I detest the cold - so I actually think I'm more in love with the idea of Russia. From their onion domes, babushka dolls to the rich history of the Tsars, the revolution, communism and so much more! It really is a fascinating place.

I spent a good deal of my childhood watching the Anastasia movie and being in love with Dimitri (my first crush and yes, I am aware he is a cartoon character) which only fuelled my love for the country and its myths even more (and it's an awesome movie). Also there was an extravagance of the time that (granted their extravagances were arguably one of the reasons the people of Russia rebelled and killed the Tsar and his family...) are the sort that don't exist today. Seriously. Look up Faberge Eggs if you want to get an idea of the wealth and opulence these people had at their disposal (I'm totally jealous - aside from the whole being murdered part).

(Seriously if you haven't seen the film go see it now. Go.)

So because of this love and because it's winter I'm posting a Tsarist-Russia theme photo editorial which is just so beautiful it makes me want every single thing the model wears! Which is exactly what a good photo editorial should do!!

Title: Русские сезоны

Source: Tatler Russia, December 2011

Model: Madelene de la Motte

Photographer: Thomas Whiteside

Stylist: Anya Ziourova

Seriously, does she look like a Tsarina or what? Ugh.

Fluffy hats are the best things ever, I've decided.

So are fluffy boots. Want.

Seriously, go see the movie.

Fashion is a weapon, use it sassily

My last word will probably be "oops" or "crap".

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 12 Aug 2014 07:56:00 +0000

Okay so in case you haven't noticed I've been a little absent from this blog for a little while because...I accidentally killed the internet by downloading too much (hence the "oops" and the "crap"). So, to compensate, I'm going to try to post something every day for the rest of this week to make up for it!

Starting off the bat in a photo editorial from Marie Claire Australia (circa September 2013) which features one of those things I always love to see on people but actually don't really have the guts to wear myself too often!

FEATHERS!!

Seriously, feathered pants? They are so ridiculous I'd never wear them but I want them to sit in my wardrobe for me to admire how wonderful they are.

(Only half joking)

"In full plum"

Marie Claire Australia

September 2013

Photographs: David Gubert

Styling: Jana Pokorny

Model: Caitlin*

I think the best thing about this photo shoot is the movement used in it. Who cares if you have feathers on your skirt unless you shake it!

God this sweater is AMAZING. I don't care if it's "last season" or not (actually I never really care if it's this season, next season or four seasons ago) - I want it.

Feathers always make me think of the 20s. Feather boas, flapper skirts, feather headbands. I could totally imagine some uber chic flapper girl rocking the above skirt with scandalous results at a speakeasy.

Here's a fun feather fact: feathers have been used in fashion as far back as the Native Americans and Aztecs - and possibly even further with a discovery in Verona of bird bones and fossilised feathers alongside Neanderthals remains. It kind of makes you wonder what other fashionable tips we could learn from our extinct relatives...

*Unfortunately I couldn't find anything more than "Caitlin" to describe the models name other than that she is with img...if anyone knows please let me know. I'm pretty sure they're are a lot of Caitlin's out there.

As always:

Fashion is a weapon, use if buoyantly

Monday Runway: Dolce & Gabbana F/W 2014

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 20 Jul 2014 04:05:00 +0000

The fall/winter ready-to-wear collection from Dolce & Gabbana, entitled "Enchanted Sicily", is one that brings to life a fairytale fantasy complete with knights in shinning armour, woodland animals, chain mail hoods, bejewelled gauntlets and kings in crowns. This is by far one of my favourite Dolce & Gabbana collection and not only because it brings my philosophy of fashion to life, but because it is a truly beautiful collection.

Dolce & Gabbana's Knights in Shinning Armour for the shows finale

This collection is another exploration by the pair into the Sicilian way of life, one of several the pair, Domenico Dolce (a Sicilian by birth) and Stefano Gabbana have created over the past few seasons.

Click below to see my favourites from the runway as well as the campaign for the collection shot by Domenico Dolce including supermodel Claudia Schiffer.

The Woodland Animals

These simple applique shapes really bring to light images of the woodland animals from Disney films like Snow White and the Seven Dwarves and Sleeping Beauty.

The Keys

The keys to what? A magic door? The key to the castle? Whatever Dolce & Gabbana were thinking, it was an obvious motif throughout the show and it only added to the magic of the fantasy and fairy tale.

Princess Worthy Gowns

These dresses, with their beautiful print in different colours were absolutely stunning. I'd love to have all three! I also love the Norman influence in the mens line. It's a little known fact that the Normans ruled Sicily in the eleventh and twelfth centuries.

Backstage & Details

The shiny chain mail-esque balaclavas were fantastic in selling the concept of fairy tale knights.

The aplique details of the woodland animals is just too divine. And I love the bags in this collection with the crystal frog and bugs.

Beautiful coats were a feature of the show, along with the long flowing yet feline and sexy gowns D&G do so well.

Knights in shinning armour.

Bejewelled gloves and a matching bag - does a girl need more?

A last minute check that the chain mail was in place.

Life's a rush backstage.

This beautiful gown with the furry hood was my favourite of the show.

The Campaign

Fashion is a weapon, use it majestically.

Haute-To-Trot: The Magic of Haute Couture

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 17 Jul 2014 06:49:00 +0000

The magic that is Haute Couture Fashion Week wrapped up last week in the glistening city of Paris. It is an event which occurs twice a year, once for Spring/Summer collections in January and a Fall/Winter collection in July, and is the time when the dreams of fashion grace the runways, unbound by the needs and demands of ready-to-wear (prêt-à-porter) fashion.

These two weeks a year I always sit fascinated on my computer watching seemingly impossible works of art grace the runways. Being able to actually watch these shows live and have my own piece of Haute Couture both have proud places on my fashion bucket list. But what is Haute Couture really?

A backstage photo from Chanel Haute Couture S/S 2014

Haute Couture (literally translated to 'high fashion') is a tradition of 150 years that is both protected and regimented by the Chambre de commerce et d’industrie de Paris. In English, this organization is the regulating body that determines which fashion houses are eligible to pronounce themselves as Haute Couture Houses. There are strict rules in place to protect the art of Haute Couture, including that all houses must design made-to-order clothing for private clients with a minimum of one fitting, that the house has a atelier (workshop) in Paris that employs at least fifteen people full-time and every season present a collection that contains at least twenty-five “passages” (outfits). This number was reduced from sixty in 2002. Members of this organization include French houses like Christian Dior and Chanel, as well as foreign houses (correspondent members) such as Versace and Elie Saab.

Valentino, Zuhair Murad and Giambattista Valli from their Haute Couture F/W Collections 2014

The atelier staff, known as “petite mains” are masters of their craft. Every stitch, every bead and every feather is sown onto the garment by hand. Haute Couture houses employ the use of these masters in order to produce jaw-dropping garments. In the last decade, in order to protect these dwindling artisans, Chanel has started buying and funding such ateliers including embroidere Lesage, feather specialists Lemarié, button maker Desrues, glove maker Causse and even the Scottish cashmere producer Barrie Knitwear. This is both clever and lucrative on the part of Chanel, but it also ensures the continuation of these lesser houses and protects the future of the precious art form of Haute Couture.

Instagram from Stuart Emmrich at the Dior Haute Couture show.

The back of Anna Wintour and Grace Coddington's (both from Vogue) heads are shown.

I’m not being melodramatic when I say Haute Couture is the dreams of fashion brought into reality. These exquisite items go so far beyond normal fashion. They are art, pure and simple. “Couture has a power that ready-to-wear can never have. Because the intention of les petite mains as they sew, all that love and belief, goes into the cloth.” Lady Amanda Harlech, a couture veteran who has worked alongside the likes of Karl Lagerfeld of Chanel and Jean Paul Gaultier for more than eighteen years once said. “Couture is my laboratory of ideas,” says Jean Paul Gaultier, whose Haute Couture lines have been inspired from everything from butterflies to vampires.

Dior and Chanel models in the finale of the Haute Couture F/W 2014 collections

Over the past few years, Haute Couture has experienced a revitalization, largely due to the work of Didier Grumbach, the outgoing president of the Paris’ Fashion Federation. “With so much focus from fashions powerhouses on heritage and traditions, couture has returned to the center stage as it is the embodiment of savoir faire,” said the co-founder and director of Flaunt magazine, Long Nguyen, suggesting a possible reason for the rejuvenation of Haute Couture, which over the decade has lost some visionary design houses like Balenciaga, Balmain, Yves Saint Laurent and Lanvin. Why have some of these great houses relinquished the title of Haute Couture? Because despite the hours of work that goes into making such divine pieces, Haute Couture lines do not garner profit for the houses. Pierre Bergé, the original business partner of Yves Saint Laurent, was famously quoted in 1987 saying “No we don’t make profit from couture.” But that doesn’t stop many fashion houses from continuing. Most of these houses support their Haute Couture work by the profits of their ready to wear lines, accessories such as shoes, bags and jewelry, or through makeup lines or signature fragrances.

Elie Saab, Chanel (detail) and Jean Paul Gaultier dresses from their Haute Couture F/W collections 2014

The work of Haute Couture is, to many, shrouded in secrecy and assumptions. The most common legends of these garments include that they are astronomically expensive and are bought by a very select crowd. Both these rumours are (sadly) true.

Dior models walk in the finale of the Haute Couture F/W 2014 show

There is no doubt the clothing in Haute Couture are expensive. Astronomically so. But when you consider all pieces of Haute Couture are hand-made and the hours, skill and quality put into the designs, if you can afford it a Haute Couture piece will last you your lifetime and longer. “Bare in mind that it takes two people two weeks to make one suit all by hand,”Amanda Harlech reminded us. Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pierpaolo Piccioli of Valentino have been quoted saying that a laborious garment can take anywhere between four hundred to eight hundred hours to complete. A Haute Couture wedding gown can take up to one thousand hours to finish and multiple fittings. But such work creates pure masterpieces. It’s expensive, but these garments are worth it considering their uniqueness and the time spent constructing them.

Viktor & Rolf, Ralph & Russo and Versace dresses from the Haute Couture F/W 2014 collections

Also true is the fact that the customers of Haute Couture are very small number. Jean Paul Gaultier claims to have between sixty and eighty loyal Haute Couture customers, but he also has stated that this number is increasing. No longer is Haute Couture exclusive to the unknown stuffy world of European royalty and Western “new money” – the cliental of Haute Couture now extends beyond these limited boarders and into the regions of the Middle East, Singapore, Malaysia, Brazil and Russia. Julien Fournié, who launched his couture fashion house in 2009, recently said that “I believe that the reason why people have a new taste for couture these days is because after the financial crisis they are rediscovering in a new light the value of craftsmanship, of lasting finishes, of genuine know-how, far removed from the worst expressions of marketing.” So whilst the numbers of people who actually purchase Haute Couture may be small, there are a growing number of clients around to purchase items and keep the magic from ceasing forever.

A gown from Maison Schiaparelli Haute Couture F/W 2014 collection

Lebanese socialite and famed couture customer, Mouna Ayoub insists that word of mouth has driven larger numbers of rich Middle Eastern women to Haute Couture during the last decade. “It’s all so secret and they deny it, because spending more is frowned upon,” says Ayoub, who reportedly spent nearly 300,000 Euros on just one Chanel couture dress (lucky thing!). “But I personally know at least one hundred Arab women who in the last few years have started buying couture. They love it.”

Backstage at Elie Saab Haute Couture F/W 2014 and at Valentino Haute Couture F/W 2014

So, in the mists of this revilalisation of Haute Couture, what did some of my favourite fashion houses produce this season?

Christian Dior	With a collection entitled “Encyclopedic”, Raf Simons presented a time travelling collection of styles ranging from the very traditional gowns to very modern dresses. Too divine to express.
Chanel	With his runway designed to look like a simple Parisian boudoir, Karl Lagerfeld’s designs walked down the runway in simple, clean cut tartans with beading and punk-rock style hair. Not unusual for the infamous designer and fashion house.
Versace	Donatella’s mix of high slits, cut-outs, round shoulders and garments that could only be considered dresses because she claimed they were. Inspired by the fifties and Charles James, Donatella also took inspiration from her muses of Lady Gaga and Grace Jones.
Jean Paul Gaultier	Inspired by vampires of all things (I think he’s a bit late on that trend – Twilight is over) this collection was dark and gothic with lace jumpsuits, chains, pompadour hair and blood red lips. Interesting, if not a little scary.
Elie Saab	Ever the designer of princess worthy gowns, Elie Saab’s latest collection was inspired by Paris, the city of light. Lace, tulle, fur and crystals intermixed with jeweled colours of sapphire, aquamarine, ruby and rosé.
Valentino	With nearly nude-faces the models for Valentino glided down the runway like Grecian goddess with elegant drapery and simply chic hairstyles. Chiuri and Piccioli were inspired by Pre-Raphaelite art in this divine collection.
Girogio Armarni Privé	Dominated by three colours: black, white and red, the Armani collection was a striking mix of girlishness and bold designs, with some of the dresses looking like they’d gotten mixed up in some fishing nets.
Ralph & Russo	Delicate lacework, a palette of soft purples, blues and whites, voluminous skirts, rich satin and beautiful drapery describe the Ralph & Russo collection. I want almost every piece of this collection.
Zuhair Murad	The most red carpet worthy collection in my mind, Murad was inspired by geometry to produce glittering garments rife with sex appeal and floor length gowns.
Giambattista Valli	Garden-party chic with lace, flowers, skirts that flounce mixed with tulle, embroidery, feathers and ruffles. The final four dresses in candy-like colours were unbeatable.
Maison Schiaparelli	Marco Zanini’s collection for the recently revived fashion house of Elsa Schiaparelli was full of luxurious garments laced with well placed senses of humour. And of course there were hats.

Giambattista Valli, Elie Saab and Dior dress from Haute Couture F/W 2014 collections

Kendall Jenner makes her Haute Couture debut in Chanel's show

Versace, Chanel and Armani Haute Couture F/W 2014 dresses

From Lan Yu's Haute Couture collection F/W 2014

Jennifer Lawrence, Dior boss Sidney Toledano and Emma Watson watch the Dior Haute Couture F/W 2014 show.

Please note no photos are mine.

Fashion is a weapon, use it with class.

Monday Editorial: Hyoni Kang by Chris Nicholls for Flare

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 14 Jul 2014 02:28:00 +0000

It's Monday and that means editorial time. This time it's from Flare Magazine December 2011 starring Hynoi Kang. This is a beautiful wintery editorial that I just adore.

Photographs: Chris Nicholls

Fashion Editor: Elizabeth Cabral

Makeup: Simone Otis

I love this image! The movement of the skirt! Divine!

Blue eyebrows are so cool.

Fashion is a weapon, use it coolly.

EDITORIAL: The Red Lady

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 11 Jul 2014 04:10:00 +0000

Because I'm still stuck in bed my posts are a little off-timing at the moment - no apologises for the extra pretties. This is one of my favourite editorials because I've been a dancer my entire life and I love the blurring of fashion and ballet. Enjoy.

Fashion is a weapon, use it gaily

The FIFA World Cup Trophy is cooler than me

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 11 Jul 2014 03:48:00 +0000

At the last FIFA World Cup in 2010 I was bullied into watching the final rather than going to bed. Obviously, I'm not a particularly big sports fan (the only "betting" I do is on eBay and I consider my exercise walking around in my new pumps). Regardless, I sat down to watch the football/soccer match (I’m an Australian so it’s soccer down here since we’ve got our own version of football and it’s too confusing to think about otherwise!). And the one thing I noticed about the match that night (I fell asleep about half way through - much to my friends chagrin - only to be awoken by the cheers of victory) was that the trophy was presented in a Louis Vuitton custom designed trunk.

It was official. The FIFA World Cup Trophy was cooler than I was.

2010 was the debut of the Louis Vuitton trunk as the custodian of the FIFA trophy, being presented to the Spanish victors on the final field. The trunk itself is handmade in Louis Vuitton’s historic and infamous Asnières workshop and designed specifically for the trophy’s requirements.

Unlike you or I, the FIFA World Cup doesn’t need to worry about clothes, toiletries or accessories – instead the trunk is built to protect the beautiful trophy which is made from solid 18-carat gold! The trophy stands at 36cm and weights around 6kg and has a green malachite base. The trunk is fitted with the traditional Louis Vuitton Monogram canvas and brass locks and opens at the front so that the trophy can be easily removed and presented to the World Cup Winners for 2014 on the 13^th of July.

FIFA is by no means the first to order a custom built Louis Vuitton trunk. The infamous luxury brand was originally known for its trunks before later branching into bags, clothes, shoes and other of life’s essential non-essentials. The trunks crafted in the Asnières workshop are renown for their quality, skillful craftsmanship and the innovation in their design. Their other commissioned projects include the trunks and bags featured in Wes Anderson’s film The Darjeeling Limited, the fold-out bed trunk of the African explorer Pierre Savorgnan de Brazza and the trunk Karl Lagerfeld uses to carry 40 of his iPods and his speakers in.

The trunks from The Darjeeling Limited and Karl Lagerfeld's iPod trunk.

I have to say I an endlessly jealous of whoever got to discuss with Louis Vuitton about the trunks creation – it is on my fashion bucket list to both (1) visit the Asnières workshop and (2) have my own custom built trunk. Both are pretty unlikely but a girl can dream. I’d love a trunk that would be big enough to hold a small selection of clothes, shoes and jewelry, but also have room for books and my laptop! What would your dream trunk be?

The Louis Vuitton Mansion and Anières Workshop

Fashion is a weapon, use it dynamically

Model Citizen: Grace Simmons

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 09 Jul 2014 06:19:00 +0000

Fresh face alert!! I love hearing about new Australian talents getting out there into the worldwide fashion scene and today the news is all about 17-year old Queenslander Grace Simmons.

The willowy 5ft11in teenager breezed across the runway at Dior Haute Couture like she’d done it a thousand times before (I didn’t actually see the show of course, I’m not cool enough for that yet! But imagine so), in front of Hollywood icons like Emma Watson, Jennifer Lawrence, Charlize Theron and Marion Cotillard. Grace was first discovered through the Girlfriend magazine Model Search for 2012, giving her a start in the modeling career. She told the Daily Mail Australia: “Walking in Dior Haute Couture show was an absolute dream come true. I’d come to Paris with the intention of merely experiencing Haute Couture Week and learning all I could, so to be cast in one of the biggest and most prestigious shows of the week is something I’ll never forget”. Simmons has signed onto Next Model Management in New York, Paris, London, and Milan, Bravo Models in Japan and Chic Model Management here in Australia.

Like all of us she too had issues with the way she looked, admitting in the article that she used to hate her red hair the most but admits to loving it now. Let’s hope we see so much more of Grace in the upcoming fashion weeks and maybe even the face of a campaign!

Congrats Grace!

RUN(a)WAY WITH THESE!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 09 Jul 2014 03:49:00 +0000

The Chanel Super Marche

When Karl Lagerfeld puts his mind to something, it appears anything is possible. Guests to the Chanel Autumn/Winter 2014 Ready-to-Wear show in Paris entered the city's Grande Palais with a sense of wondrous trepidation; what could Chanel possible have to do with the loud, brightly coloured supermarket scene laid out before them? With its shopping trolleys, cheese stall, hardware section, boxes of tea and bottles of wine (all with Chanel inspired names), how could it possibly be fashion or fashionable? How could a supermarket be as glamorous, luxurious and as classic as Chanel?

I don’t know how, but all I know is it can, thanks to Mr. Lagerfeld.

What do you wear when you go to the supermarket? For me, it’s as casual as I am game to be; the poor checkout boys & girls have seen me in everything from full makeup and a party dress to quite literally having been awake five minutes, in my tacky pants and forgotten to brush my hair. But for the Chanel designer, going to the supermarket is a luxe, playful, colourful and all around fun experience.

The entire Grande Palais was decked out to resemble a WallMart-esque supermarket, complete with trolleys and aisles and food. The food packaging all bore names that somehow related to the brand such as:

“Paris Dallas Ketchup” - a hint at the future Paris-Dallas Chanel line
“Boite A Bobos De Coco” - a first aid kit named after the fashion house’s infamous founder, Coco Chanel
“Delices de Gabrielle” - a can of fish (caviar maybe? Or tuna?) using Coco’s first name, Gabrielle
“Charmbonany” - Camembert Cheese named for the street where Coco once worked and where a Chanel store still resides
“Little Black Tea” – named after Coco’s classic little black dresses
“Lait de Coco” – literally means coconut milk, but is obviously a play on Coco’s name again
“Mademoiselle Prive” doormats – doormats emblazoned with the same phrase Coco had on her door
“Elsa’s Black Rice – Forbidden to Great Couturiers” – hints at the rivalry and feud between Coco and another infamous designer of her time, Elsa Schiaparelli.
"Jambon Cambon" - ham named after the location of the quintessential Chanel store: 31 Rue Cambon

There were also toiletries named for Boy Capel (Coco’s lover), rubber gloves emblazoned with the camellia logo so frequently associated with Chanel, Chanel bottled water, a fruit stand and even a Chanel chainsaw. Overhanging signs advertised 20% mark ups, a joke by Lagerfeld I'm sure. These sets went so beyond what almost anyone expects to see at a fashion show, and in my mind this one really will go down in history as one of the most imaginative and innovative runways ever.

With such luscious sets however, it would be easy to imagine that the clothes themselves would be overpowered – don’t be silly! It’s Chanel, darling.

From the moth-holed leggings to vinyl pants, sporty outfits with big coats, classic tweed mixed with a modern twist, tailored tracksuits and the sneakers – yes, that’s right, Chanel sneakers – the show was exuberant and modern, fantastical and edgy. The main themes of the show included neo-corsets that can be unzipped (but really do look like a corset!), textures of vinyl, metallic and wool, leggings, oversized coats and reimagined versions of the classic tweed. The New York Times described the collection as “sporty”, “merry” and “fabulous”. Most of the models were also equipped with a Chanel chain-link handle basket, designed to look just like those at the supermarket using the straps of a Chanel handbag! After completing a round on the elaborate (and huge) runway circuit, the models returned to do a little shopping. They quite literally walked around and placed certain items in their chain-link baskets as you would at the regular shops, filling them to the brim with wonderful Chanel-esque goodies before making their way to the "checkout".

This collection was certainly original, if not a little bizarre in places. Those chain-link baskets could actually be bought, as could the classic Chanel flap bag wrapped up in cellophane and looking (slightly disturbingly) like a packet of meat (left)! But first let me talk to you about the shoes…

Oh, the shoes. Chanel does great shoes and therefore its no wonder they do great sneakers as well. From short sneakers in wonderful pastels, clashing colours and holographic leather to the knee highed sneakers, ah! Be still my shoe obsessed heart. For those who believed the classic Chanel would never deign to design something as common place as sneakers well then, you were really quite incorrect this time.

The bags of this collection were…kooky, I suppose is the best way. There was a Chanel wheelie-bag, the sort you usually see school teachers with grading papers and heavy texts or old ladies pushing. There was the usual flap-bag of course, but there was also the curious new version of it in foldable form, which I had to admit I loved! Kind of like unfolding the bag itself. There were bags shaped like milk cartons labeled “Lait de Coco” and a clutch that could (quite probably literally) double as a jewelry box and clutch. There were two new versions of the Le Boy bag (which is still one of my favorite Chanel bags ever), some triangle bags, fluffy, oversized clutches and the Chanel-shopping-bag-inspired-leather-totes I also covet madly.

The jewelry of this collection was on a similar chain of thought to the bags – kooky is a good word for them. There were the expected pearls of course, but there were also pearls spilling out of tuna-can like pendants, heavy bangles emblazoned with the double C’s, cuffs that resembled a tin can and (my favorite) a range of jewelry that looked like that candy necklaces you had as a kid!

At the end of the show, when all the models had finished their shopping, something unheard in runway show history was heard: “Dear Valued Customer, the Chanel store is now closing. Please feel free to pick up your complimentary fruit and vegetables as you leave.” Naturally, it was a riot. Some 3400 people swarmed towards the aisles of supermarket just like the Christmas sales. Fashion bloggers scrambled over buyers, Anna Dello Russo was seen pushing through the crowd, editors, celebrities and more had fun running along the aisles – it looked like a scene from a horror movies where panicked people were running away from the monster – only this time they were running towards something. But in the end the joke was on them, all non-fruit and veg items were to be returned, with all the remaining sets food to be donated to charity. Still however, several pieces of that set I’m sure went missing…

The question still remains; why a supermarket? Certainly it showed Chanel in a novel environment and I actually have to admit that although some of the clothes were far too luxe, there were actually quite a few things I’d wear to the supermarket.

Some reviewers speculate that the runway was a social parody on our consumerist lifestyles, however seeing as Karl Lagerfeld is a man who has 70 iPods, I don’t think he really had much of a foot in mocking the rest of us for buying things. What I do wonder however, is if he anticipated the chaos that would ensue post-show. There are videos on Instagram about the “riot” and they’re terrifying to watch. Usually demure Chanel clad ladies scrabbled over one another to grab a Chanel “So Chic” broom, reaching and grabbing things simply because they were there and they’d been given the tiniest slip of permission to take – the fact that the allowance didn’t extend to the boxes of tea, cans of tuna, tissue boxes and olive oil seemed to fall on fashionably-deaf ears. I mean, sure, it would have been exciting as hell, but ultimately it’s a pretty sad image to see some of the wealthier individuals who either work in the fashion industry or buy Chanel regularly, climbing over one another for a freebie. t reminds me eerily of The Bling Ring mind point of wanting something means its okay to take it. It bothers me to say the least and I would really like to know whether Karl had imagined it in such a way or not. Was he being witty? Or was he disgusted as people tried to make off with Chanel feather dusters simply because he’d offered them fruit?

Regardless, Lagerfeld has been renown for his innovative work on fashion runways, taking people not just to a world of fashion but another world entirely. From his Chanel art-gallery (Spring-Summer 2014 RTW) to the beautifully ruin of a building for Haute Couture (Fall-Winter 2013/2014), he has created numerous worlds and merely given us desperate, frantic glances into them.

Fashion is a weapon, use it properly.

A Fashionable Guide to: Hospital Stays

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 08 Jul 2014 07:16:00 +0000

For those regular readers you may have noticed I missed my usual Monday editorial/runway images and Thursday regular posts. I promise you I have a very good, albeit unfashionable, reason for this: I was in hospital. Why? For the very boring reason that I am one of the rare people in the world who have Behcet's syndrome (when you google it, the fourth search suggestion is how to pronounce it - I still have to say it five different ways for a doc to know what I'm talking about). It's a disease described as "insidious" and largely I agree as it lands me in the hospital for long stays and often very little clear answers. I got a clear answer this time though, happily, and now I am appendix-less! So, in celebration of that charming fact I thought I would share with you, my readers, the fashionable guide to: hospital stays!!

1. Beautiful blooms. To brighten up your mood, remove the hospital sterilisation smell and also because they're pretty!

2. Trashy Mags. Gossip, celebrities and fashion - what more do you need?!

3. Lip balm. This is an essential. I don't think you can comprehend how drying the hospital environment is until you're forced to spend a week in it. Whilst you have have to forego your usual arm-pit, legs and eyebrow management, dry lips are something easily managed no matter how sick you are. My choice? Chanel's Hydramax + Active Nutrition Baume Lèvres, for a person with chronically dry lips it is simply the best. It is a little pricey at 50AUD for a tub of 0.35OZ, but for me one tub will last about six months - so in my books it's worth it. However it is being reproduced under another new name shortly....fingers crossed they don't change the serum!

The first three important things are shown in this picture!

4. Guilty Pleasure TV Shows. Everyone has them. Admit it. Whether it's watching The Real Housewives Of... or The Voice or Sixty Minutes - everyone has a guilty pleasure TV show. For my 60yr old English Lit teacher in University it was The O.C.! But for me it's America's Next Top Model and the Rachel Zoe Project.

5. Track Pants and Comfy (but fashionable) Tees: despite what Karl Lagerfeld said about sweat pants, even he's released a Chanel version of them this year, and for hospital they really are great. No one likes a hospital gown. I saw waaaaay too many butts when I was there and unfortunately I think I few people saw mine before I was able to rectify this necessity.

6. A View: as Diana Vreeland once said, when she was asked how one became Diana Vreeland "one must arrange to be born in Paris, after that everything follows quite naturally." And whilst as charmingly impossible that arrangement may seem, getting a view in a hospital is too dissimilar. By 'a view' in this case I mean a glimpse at the outside world that is non-hospital. The sky or grass for example. Many hospitals are built with inner courtyard and have windows that look inwards into such enclosures - but these views are often highly depressing, especially if you can see the elderly who are obviously being "let out" for a walk in there. A window to the world outside hospital is essential if you can swing it, if only for it be like flowers and just cheer you up a bit.

7. Fancy Footwear: after a week in hospital I've seen it all! From the multi-coloured and rhinestones UGGs to those fluffy boots they used to sell at Target to velvet loafers and slippers so ratty I think they were older than I am. My choice of footwear is Peter Alexander (aka the King of Pyjamas) slipper-socks. The ones pictured on my instagram were bought by my mum for my latest hospital stay and are too cute to not like however ridiculous they are.

(A furry friend like a teddy bear for your weaker moments also doesn't go astray, but you didn't hear that from me!)

Fashion is a weapon, use it charmingly

EDITORIAL: Cara Delevinge & Tom Hiddleston for US Vogue

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 30 Jun 2014 00:58:00 +0000

There are two things I particular love in a fashion editorial: movement and a story. This editorial is one of my favourites (even though it doesn't have movement) because it has a fun and playful story. And beautiful colours. And Cara (who I love) and even more importantly Tom Hiddleston who in my opinion is sex on a stick.

Enjoy

Photos by Peter Lindbergh

Styling by Tonne Goodman

Seen in Vogue US May 2013

I love the bedraggled look of this photo. I think the pearls are trying a little too hard to convince us that tough girl Cara is soft and delicate but they are an interesting touch. I love how even through pictures Cara somehow manages to look strong and intense just through the power of her eyes.

I love the story that goes along with this, even though it seems to be written by a horrible fan fiction author, it is a cute idea and really simple in carrying us along this editorial that feels more like a story with photos than the usual editorials in Vogue.

I love the above photo so much. Not so much because of Cara, who does her best to look fragile, but because of Tom who looks intent and strong. The look in his eyes says "I'm going to protect my woman!" sort of thing and I have to admit it is incredibly sexy.

I love this last picture. It has the whole 'strong woman on my own' sort of message. Plus I want her coat, dress and shoes so that only makes me love it more!

Fashion is a weapon, use it creatively

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 26 Jun 2014 10:45:00 +0000

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The Devil doesn't just wear Prada

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 26 Jun 2014 04:38:00 +0000

When Lauren Weisberger published her debut novel in 2003 it was met with polarizing opinions. Some loves its insights and almost cruel mocking of the fashion world and its elite, whilst others detested its critical gaze on fashion and above all, it’s thinly veiled roman à clef of none other than Vogue magazine and Weisberger’s former boss Anna Wintour. Some critics accused Weisberger of writing ‘bite-back’ fiction towards her former employer whilst others loved the mocking images of the ‘clackers’ (dubbed so because of the sound of their heels against the ground) and people who consider “calling in fat” to work. When the movie was released in 2006 starring the incomparable Meryl Streep and the ever-demure Anne Hathaway we see the visual representation of that mockery from small touches like Miranda Priestly’s office being eerily similar to Anna Wintour’s (prompting Wintour to recorate) and the utter callousness that Miranda treats Andy with. In many ways the movie improved dramatically on the ‘chick-lit’ book, not least because of Streep’s performance and plot changes. But the question still remains however, even all these years later, is Anna Wintour deserving of the association with the character entitled ‘the Devil’?

And I can assure you she doesn’t just wear Prada.

She also wears Chanel.

Anna Wintour and Miranda Priestly

Lauren Weisberger was an assistant to Anna Wintour from 1999 to 2000, whereupon she quit to pursue a ‘more worthy cause’ (travelling writing) much like her character Andrea Sachs in The Devil Wears Prada. However the release of the book suggests that Weisberger harbors a lot of unresolved resentment towards her former employer and the fashion industry as a whole. The fashion world is one that has always been treated with contention, from the die-hard fans who will do anything to be a part of that world, to the people who find it frivolous and silly. As Wintour said herself, “you either know fashion or you don’t,” and it literally is that simple. Some people revel in the beauty and the glamour, people who crave drama of the runways and the majesty of the editorials, who love and appreciate the madness, luxury and exuberance that only the fashion world can give. However there are some who do not appreciate fashion, and they are not only the stereotypical geeks or fat people or ugly people (I myself am a scientist and in my profession it is very rare for someone to be a devotee of fashion). These people find the extremities of fashion bizarre and ridiculous and will almost never come to understand why some people live and die for fashion or go to insane lengths like choosing to buy Vogue over food (as Carrie Bradshaw did in Sex and the City) or saving up for months and months to buy a Louis Vuitton bag or a Chanel necklace (as I have). They don’t understand why we wear beautiful but painful shoes and they never will – and that is fine. The concept of it may be as foreign to me as Mars but it’s perfectly okay to not understand or like fashion, we all have our faults. I for one, am a Melbourne born and bred girl who doesn’t like football, rugby or cricket (which in this city is an almost punishable offense). The point is, Weisberger was clearly in this group of non-believers. She admits to feeling like an “outsider” and not really caring about the fashion world. This opinion is blindingly obvious in the book as well. Not that it should matter if Andy (her characters) does her job to the best of her ability. HINT: she doesn’t. She whines about how she’s destined for me and ruins thousands of dollars worth of dresses by accident, so of course Miranda doesn't pat her on the back and say congrats.

Miranda is not impressed.

In some review articles Andy is painted like the poor victim who was destined for more and who rose above the petty and frivolous world of her otherwise uninteresting fashion devoted colleagues. Her character feels as though she is above the clackers and has a great destiny awaiting her at The New Yorker (because you cannot get any more pretentious than that). Her job at Vogue (called Runway in the novel) is nothing more than a sidetrack or a speed hump – a means to an end. That in itself is something I’m sure most adults can understand. Everyone has at least one job which they do or did to reach a particular goal – I waitressed at a casino for a year to save up money to travel to Europe – but you don’t have to look down on the job that you do or feel that you are better than the others who enjoy their work. In the pages Weisberger, through the guise of Andy, mocks Anna Wintour – ahem – Miranda Priestly through her inner monologue of thoughts such as “throughout our weeks together I felt there was nothing I did not know about Miranda Priestly. Except, of course, what exactly made her so important that I’d filled a legal pad with [her] likes and dislikes. Why, exactly, was I supposed to care?” Um…maybe because she’s your boss? Or because she’s editor in chief of a prestigious magazine and you’re a lowly assistant? The passive agrresion in some of the pages couldn’t have been more obvious if they were written in neon yellow ink, and these examples I feel speak magnitudes about Andy and by extension Weisberger and what she really thought of her position at Vogue.

Miranda's office which is so similar to Wintour's that it prompted Wintour

to redecorate. They even have the same octagonal mirror!

Positive reviews for the book hinge on the assumed fact that Weisberger has “bravely” spilled the beans on the fashion industry, a fact to which she has never admitted. Negative review however, such the one by Kate Betts, a former employee of Vogue and protégé of Anna Wintour who was editor in chief for Harper’s Bazaar for two years and is currently a contributing editor at Time and The Daily Beast, defends Wintour and insists Weisberger's book is the result of bitter revenge. Betts's calding review of the book is one where she does not pull punches and points out examples such as Andy’s belief that the fashion world and those who inhabit it are beneath her and that they exist purely to be mocked. Betts also highlights the similarities between the main protagonist of the novel and Weisberger herself which are particularly uncanny (Andy Sachs is definitely a Mary-Sue). The fact remains that Andy found herself in a job that could open countless doors and that many girls would quite literally kill for. Even as Andy ‘adapted’ to the fashion world through access to the Runway closest, lost weight and earns the right to go to fashion week in Paris over the first assistant, she still plays the ungrateful brat who remains ignorant to the opportunities being presented to her. As Betts’s puts it: “but if Andrea doesn’t ever realize why she should care about Miranda Priestly, why should we care about Andrea or prize the text for anything more than the cheap fission of the context?” From the conclusion of the novel and the movie it is clear that Andy has not grown from her experience and returns to her 'normal' state that her friends support - a fact which irritates me to no end.

Wintour on the cover of the Wall Street Journal with her trademark bob and dark sunglasses.

The Devil Wears Prada movie was released in 2006 and, in my opinion, improves immensely from the book. The character of Nigel the fashion editor (quite literally a pale imitation of editor-at-large André Leon Talley) portrayed by Stanley Tucci is a scene stealer. Emily Blunt as the demeaning bully of a first assistant (who is rumoured to be based on Plum Skyes a writer and former Anna Wintour assistant) is brilliant, but it was Hathaway and Streep who stole the show. Hathaway made Andy seem less whining and a little more real, whilst Streep could give the camera a look that I swear could melt your face off or make you require a change of undies. My favourite change was Andy deciding the leave Runway in a mature manner rather than reducing herself to dropping the F-bomb at Miranda in public at a runway, becoming a mini gossip star in the process and ending up selling stories to Seventeen magazine, which to Andy seems to be a big improvement (really?). The calm, respectable ending of the movie I found was much nicer and gave us that little bit more depth into Miranda as a character.

Anna at a fashion show with her usual expression.

It is well known that Anna Wintour is not a warm person. Much like her immaculate bob and even fringe, impeccable clothes and dark sunglasses, she is infamous for it. Perhaps it is the British in her, or the driven ambition that got her where she is today (she’d already told her Vogue predecessor, former editor Grace Mirabella, that she wanted her job long before she actually got it) and she’s managed to hold onto the Vogue reins for more than a quarter of a century for one very good reason: she’s good at her job. The release of the book and subsequent movie did little to render her a more likeable person, but in 2009 there was a release of one of the most talked about fashion documentaries, The September Issue. The documentary by R.J Cutler focused on the creation of the 2007 September issue of Vogue gave Anna Wintour a new way to present herself to the world. She certainly didn't shy away from being harsh to her employees but she did not seem the brutal caricature that Miranda Priestly was meant to be. It showed the work Anna put into Vogue, her cut-throat attitude that she directed at everyone within her world and the fashion industry. Fashion is not an easy or fair business and Anna seems more then well aware of this fact. In fashion nothing short of perfection is expected, for example when Grace Coddington uses one of the camera men for the documentary in a photo shoot, Anna wants his bulging (but not obese) tummy flattened to be more glamorous (Coddington doesn’t allow the change, thank Gucci). During her time as editor-in-chief of British Vogue Anna earned the nickname ‘Nuclear Wintour’ for her treatment of fellow staff and Vogue traditions. New York journalist and socialite Barbara Amiel claims that although she and Wintour are friends it doesn’t help the “cold panic that grips me every time we meet.”

Left: the photo shoot styled by Grace Coddington featured in The September Issue. Middle: Anna Wintour's first Vogue cover showing a smiling, young model that was vastly different to the close up covers of Mirabella's time. Right: Madonna's Vogue cover in 1989. She was the first celebrity to grace Vogue's cover.

In my opinion Anna Wintour’s work speaks for itself. She hasn’t been editor for twenty-six years because of her cool personality, she has kept it because she is good at her job and has revolutionised many aspects of the fashion world from putting celebrities on the cover to supporting young designers. Her charity endeavours have raised millions of dollars for the Metropolitan Museum of the Art and also millions of dollars for AIDS research – a disease that has claimed many lives in the fashion industry.It is a fact that many Vogue editors before her have been famously harsh to their assistants, although maybe not having Wintour’s ice queen personality. Diana Vreeland, for example, was famous for making her assistants cry. Not because she was aiming to be mean to the them, but because she expected them to do their job and to fail to do so would lead to a reprimand.

Wintour, Coddington and Blake Lively at Chanel's F/W 2010-2011 show.

I believe that ultimately you either get fashion or you don’t, much like Wintour’s quote. It’s a simple and as complex as that. Weisberger, for what ever reasons, does not get the fashion world and chose to take her resentment of the fact out in the form of a book that she was “naive” enough to publish. To some fashion is how they follow social norms and keep warm in winter, whilst to others it is the armour we use to the survive. The movie explains this perfectly in a quote from Miranda about Andy’s blue jumper that she believes has nothing to do with the fashion industry but to Miranda is much much more.

"This... stuff'? Oh. Okay. I see. You think this has nothing to do with you. You go to your closet and you select... I don't know... that lumpy blue sweater, for instance because you're trying to tell the world that you take yourself too seriously to care about what you put on your back. But what you don't know is that that sweater is not just blue, it's not turquoise. It's not lapis. It's actually cerulean. And you're also blithely unaware of the fact that in 2002, Oscar de la Renta did a collection of cerulean gowns. And then I think it was Yves Saint Laurent... wasn't it who showed cerulean military jackets? I think we need a jacket here. And then cerulean quickly showed up in the collections of eight different designers. And then it, uh, filtered down through the department stores and then trickled on down into some tragic Casual Corner where you, no doubt, fished it out of some clearance bin. However, that blue represents millions of dollars and countless jobs and it's sort of comical how you think that you've made a choice that exempts you from the fashion industry when, in fact, you're wearing the sweater that was selected for you by the people in this room from a pile of stuff." - Meryl Streep The Devil Wears Prada (2006).

Fashion is a weapon; use it wisely.