BexBella

One Love: tropical skies

2011-12-07T04:00:00.000+11:00

When it's snowing at home a week in Saint Lucia has been the perfect winter escape. Tropical print bikinis, cool kaftans for sipping rum cocktails in and bright hues of nail varnish helped raise the temperatures to a humid 30+
I packed light and bright with bikinis and sun dresses, leaving all heels and sequins at home.

To a Marley soundtrack I have explored smugglers coves and seen wealthy Europeans on pristine plastic beaches. The volcanic sulphur mud spas of Soufriere were hot

hot hot and left the skin feeling silky smooth. Captain Typhoon took a boat trip to Pigeon Island and we snorkelled in a sun drenched bay with 'Nemos' and turtles.

Although the coconut palm trees and poolside chat have been uplifting, the real hi light for me was undoubtedly horse riding bare back in the crystal clear Caribbean waters with a young local guide of 20 named 'Alpha Maxon Signal' we galloped along the beach at pace on 'Spartacus' a dappled grey pony and 'Opal' a tall bay mare. I could not have been happier. Although he wanted to 'make me his woman' which was tempting as he offered 40 horses as part of the dowry but I politely declined in favour of a poolside rum punch and escaped with 2 beaded bracelets from his pushy sales compatriots at a bar we visited 'to rest' the horses (read rip off the tourist).

With sun blushed limbs I've soothed any bare foot riding cuts and bruises (not to be advised) with fresh Aloe gel squeezed from the plant and a pamper session in the spa. I'm feeling very jet setty waiting for a helicopter connection to a flight back to a forecasted UK winter wonderland. The stray cats have been fed and befriended, the limbo has been performed and I feel thoroughly refreshed.
One love.
BexBella

If I could, I definitely would

2011-10-05T06:29:00.001+11:00

I inherited expensive tastes from my grandmother 'Sally' who I project as a slideshow as a slideshow of elegance. I remember houndstooth check skirts, shiny court shoes and Chanel perfume, coiffed hair and singing 'supercalifragilistic' together in the lounge looking out of the bay window into the drizzly northern sky.

I recently shopped in Burberry and swanned around in bone and porcelain coloured trench coats. I pranced about like a giddy gazelle in liquid foundation shades of sand and beige. Then I saw the most heavenly knit & fur combo & I can't get the look out of my head. Like a department store fragrance it reeks of expense, understated glamour a ticket to chic-dom. The chunky knit & fur is exquisite..the cost well..coughs..sighs..it's a mere £1,1295 but I have to say if I had the money it would be worth every penny.

Recession and budgets have meant a need to curb my fashion enthusiasm but aspirational fashion is part of the point. We covet things of beauty that find pockets of posession in our wardrobes, they are loved and lived in and form part of the story of our fashion lives.

BexBella

Charlie Moss: a ticking fashion time bomb

2011-10-04T05:46:00.001+11:00

The next generation of whispy blonde Mossiness is waiting in the wings. Charlotte Moss, Kate's 13 year old half sister is as fresh faced as Kate's first appearance in 'that' Calvin Klein campaign way back when. Seen here at Kate's wedding (left)she is the picture of fresh faced innocence, unblemished and pure. It is only a matter of months before the model agency vultures begin to circle her 14th birthday and whisper seductive fashion campaign chatter in her perfectly formed elfin ears.

Charlie is a natural beauty and presumably has been exposed to all things fashion for some time now, but how she is to be squished, neaded and moulded into fashions current whim will be an interesting exercise in model sculpture. There is no doubt she will have offers aplenty but will she succumb to the allure of the runway? What's a girl to do? Speculation is rife, watch this pretty little English rose blossom but lets hope her delicate petals don't burn under the spotlight.

BexBella

Madame Butterfly: Julien Macdonald LFW

2011-09-20T03:06:00.003+10:00

It just so happens that I saw Madame Butterfly at the Opera on Saturday night and fell in love with the fragile femininity of the Orient. So it seems oh so appropriate that Julien Macdonald showed a veritable feast from the east for London Fashion Week. Shimmering flying fish, dragon wings and serpents embroiled in delicate embroidery and gilded aspiration.

Dussel-Deutsche

2011-07-26T06:27:00.000+10:00

So, last week I visited Dusseldorf for an impromptu long weekend to look at all things Deutsche. I strolled along the Rhine in the sunshine absorbing the fascinating fashions and culture. There was a buzz in the old town where I sat and ate bratwurst in the pouring rain under an umbrella whilst watching four tandem tied Dachsund dogs hop out of a Volkswagen. Whilst scanning the crowds the one thing I noticed is that it seems that the Germans do understated style extremely well. Indeed, the polished urbanites swaggered with Euro chic glasses and Tod’s suede loafers carrying a pilot case in the severest of black leathers. The fashion on the ‘Konigstrasse’ (King’s Road) is exceptional with designer boutiques lurking on every corner seductively winking their wares and with a German designer (Karl Lagerfeld) at the helm of Chanel, it’s easy to see why Germany is leading the way in refined luxury. There was a smattering of skater kids and students with paint on their ripped army shirts, wearing intellectual expressions, undercuts and piercings. So what would be my German inspired fashion recommendations following my 4-day city break. Invest in masculine flat army boots, plait your dishevelled hair (if you can) wear dog tags, a mid length trench coat and ruby red lips for military chic

♥ BexBella..

Greek Dressing

2011-07-06T06:21:00.000+10:00

Fresh back from Santorini with a post holiday hangover I have had time to reflect on Greek dressing of the none tsatziki variety. It’s always interesting to observe another countries dress code - in this instance gladiator sandals and acid wash jeans seems to be the preferred uniform for exploring volcanoes in.

Over a poolside raspberry mojito I pondered vacation attire, from understated airport lounging to pool bar style. It seems that everyone considers their wardrobe differently when faced with the packing conundrum of just 15 kilos.

My hot tips for this summer are coral lips, a neutral pashmina and a cute jumpsuit in a quirky print. Always take flats and trusty ballerina pumps for city strolling, never contemplate heels or too many sequins you will regret it the second you unzip your suitcase. Be sure to pack a black cardigan, wide leg trousers, statement jewellery and a delicate scent.

I am planning my next foreign adventure but in the meantime I will be taking on board mediterranean dressing whilst eating a greek salad at the Trafford centre!

Yiamas!
BexBella

A Chantilly Web: Lovely Lace

2011-06-26T04:50:00.001+10:00

When I was a little girl an old French nun taught me to lace make, not proficiently but enough to make a pattern. I was probably 11 and I was transfixed on the delicate dance of the wooden bobbins as she demonstrated how to weave her magic black web. There is something dark and gothic about black lace and to see a nun in a rocking chair making this sensual fabric in retrospect is quite strange.

“I consider lace to be one of the prettiest imitations ever made of the fantasy of nature; lace always evokes for me those incomparable designs which the branches and leaves of trees embroider across the sky, and I do not think that any invention of the human spirit could have a more graceful or precise origin.”
Coco Chanel, April 29, 1939

Lace is complex like a woman - it can be innocent, feminine and bridal or it can be black, sexual and dangerous, it can be aristocratic or trashy - what a powerful medium of transformation. Lace has made many an icon; think of Grace Kelly’s exquisite wedding dress or Madonna’s fingerless gloves that helped to define the eighties aesthetic. Recently I have become obsessed with finest Chantilly lace - it’s so fragile and beautiful like a whisper or froth; there but not there.

© Bexbella

Geisha Gold

2011-06-26T04:46:00.001+10:00

Enter the geisha. This beautiful creature revered for her mystery and creative talents creates a welcome distraction from western excess. With a calm and composed confidence the geisha is captivating. With silk kimonos, cherry blossom red lips and spinning parasols she shuffles through Tokyo like an exotic butterfly.

So absorbed in shallow consumption in the west we have become like fashion parasites sucking the lifeblood from a few fat and fleshy design houses. It seems fashion is so obvious and literal these days, with little scope for allure or intrigue. It got me to thinking that feminine subtleties have disappeared from aspirational fashions. Everything is commercial, fake gold, brash, raunchy bare flesh and superficial bling.

Where is beauty, mystery, femininity and allure?

© Bexbella

No Mad Hatter: Vivien Sheriff

2011-03-27T22:24:00.000+11:00

Inevitably Princess Kate Middleton fever has hit and her future as a regal style icon has recently been cemented with a variety of considered outfits for public outings.

Kate has paraded in the predictable Burberry Trench coat and a couple of bland LK Bennett court shoes but the real piece of intrigue was an elegant hairpiece by British milliner Vivien Sheriff. A truly British operation Vivien is based in the Wiltshire countryside with a small production team whose combined creativity produce bespoke pieces for high end retailers including Harrods and Selfridges.

The Royal seal of approval has obviously catapulted Vivien's name on to the front covers of British papers but the trick now is to build on the existing brand equity to forge forward with a uniquely ownable brand.

♥ BexBella

www.viviensheriff.co.uk

Smitten with Mittens

2010-12-08T07:31:00.000+11:00

The big British chill persists and whilst nobody wants frosty fingers I am seriously smitten with fingerless gloves. There's something a little Varsity about clutching a hot, frothy mocha with frosty exhales in a knitted ensemble. My favourites are stripey, cable knit and of course purr-worthy cashmere.

♥ Bexbella

Would be Good? Vintage Goodwood

2010-08-14T03:00:00.006+10:00

Tomorrow something truly'spesh' is happening (Aug 14-16) Take all that’s amazing about the UK and become a vintage vulture; devour retro-fashions, pick the flesh off a pop-art archive and greedily tear at nostalgic cinema until you are fat and bloated with cultural overload and then indulge in all things thrifty, sustainable and eco. Place all this in a giant, wet, green field in the countryside of West Sussex and you have the exquisite ‘Vintage at Goodwood’ weekend.

This event will be a triple tequila shot of Vintage vinyls and all that makes up Britain's unique cultural heritage. There will be art exhibitions on double decker buses, 60's fashion workshops, vintage cars, bands, collectors, DJs and *big breath* wait for it - a mini-Fortnum & Mason's, how delightfully British!!

The musical line up has not been neglected either, with a Roller Disco and a Soul Stage. There will be a selection of films played, including the iconic 'Zulu'. Fashion shows will happen throughout the weekend including a presentation by 'Oxfam'. The festival will showcase the 'Best of British' culture - camping in the rain and trotting around in wellies will be an inevitable part of what promises be a fabulous weekend. Any Brits reading this who are going, you can download the iApp with a map and timetable of events *Eek, very exciting*

♥ BexBella

Caped Crusaders

2010-08-14T02:08:00.005+10:00

This Autumn/Winter (2010), sweep a cape over your shoulder for dramatic impact; it’s a fabulously theatrical affectation. Capes have crept back in to the Autumnal arena as a stylish and practical way of trans-seasonal dressing. Many designers featured capes in their cool weather collections. Jaeger London created an elegantly cut out black doily cover up perfect to wear over evening attire whereas Hussein Chalayan preferred to channel intrepid-adventurer chic. My favourite of all the caped-crusaders is Rag & Bone’s Scottish Highlander offering (pictured) the ‘Northfield’ poncho. To be worn in a field in the North sometime/anytime soon with my Hunter Wellies, walking alongside a splendid little spaniel named 'Dash'.

♥ BexBella.

Gainsbourg: Si Fort

2010-08-13T23:39:00.003+10:00

'I'm the man with the cabbage head. Half vegetable, half man' says Serge puffing on a cigarette, blowing clouds of silver smoke across the screen. So Frenchy so chic. This movie rates highly on the summer seduction scale. Gainsbourg the archetypal 'bobo' (bourgeouise- Boheme) is portrayed as a rampant, womanising, Frenchman who oozes self-assured sex appeal whilst seductively bedding the sexiest French women on the planet, Brigitte Bardot, Jane Birkin et al.
This extraordinary biopic (of which I am a massive fan) showcases the ‘sexy-cool’ life and loves of Serge Gainsbourg the controversial, erotic, poetic songwriter with a free-spirited soul. The fantasy scenes are super-surreal with narratives imagined by a quirky, comic-strip director (Joann Sfar). A bizarre-fictional cartoon Serge appears puppet-like with an uncanny resemblance to ‘Count Dracula’ from Sesame Street *spooky*. I kept expecting this mini-Serge Dracula doll to tap dance on the roof tops to ‘Singing in the Rain’. This long-beaked muppet was used as a vehicle to demonstrate Serge’s inner demons, tiptoeing around the slightly selfish and sinister aspects of his spirit.
It is left to the viewer to determine whether or not we revere or disapprove of his debauchery-filled existence. Personally I felt there was a little over-emphasis on the ‘Alfie’ aspect of the plot. The ‘tragic-male-tramp’ to me is not the most intriguing aspect of Gainsbourg’s remarkably intriguing character. One thing’s for sure, there should have been a government health warning on the content: smoking has never looked so seductive and alluring. Each exhale of intoxicating fumes is perfectly expressed by Eric Elmosnino who plays Serge in all his charming Casanova glory.
As far as I am concerned, Serge: ‘Je t’aime encore plus’.
♥ BexBella.

Camels: Hot to Trot (with curves in all the right places)

2010-08-10T02:07:00.016+10:00

Camel in colour with curves in all the right places. It seems camels have got it right for Autumn 2010. Indeedy the camel overcoat has always been an elegant wardrobe classic. In terms of investment dressing the camel coat is a must and in a post credit crunch era I am looking for ways to transform my look from ‘Hobo to Nobu’. I particularly liked the masculine silhouettes that were stomping the runways, particularly the classic double-breasted ¾ length at Gucci *mmm liquid toffee*

This is a grown up look, so style with funky little stockings, fingerless gloves, denim or some high-hikers. Or maybe invest in a couple of camel accessories like a satchel or a skinny, waspy-waisted belt.

Another reason camels are hot to trot are their curvaceous humps. Yes, ample bosoms and full hips are being celebrated particularly at Louis Vuitton. Lady-like frocks are showing off womanly curves with fifties prom dresses complete with frou-frou, hooped petty coats, cinched waists and the mandatory mark of a lady; elbow grazing gloves.

♥ BexBella

Paperback model

2010-08-08T22:35:00.010+10:00

Lusty and librarian are not two words you would usually put together in the same sentence. However there is still a burgeoning fashion crush on the nerdy and neat. The antithesis of cool; bow ties, waistcoats and geek-chic glasses are still trotting around ironically sported by the country’s cool kids. The statement is an odd one; to me it’s a really perplexing trend. Will ‘meek geeks’ need to rebrand in order to withstand the pressure of becoming mainstream mannequins?

That said this season's bespectacled, secretary-chic has a somewhat softer more subdued approach. Poetic florals and literature tweeds were mixed with socks and super-sensible shoes. Overall I'm not such a big fan, it all seems a bit dowdy rather than romantic. Artistic maybe, dull a little, timeless perhaps *yawn*. If you like Ghost, Noa Noa, Jigsaw et al, you will love the whispy creations from Paul Smith and Marc Jacobs as well as the prim looks from Chloe and the new layered smock dresses that are walking straight out of a pottery class near you.

♥ Bexbella

Blooming Bloomsbury

2010-08-08T22:23:00.007+10:00

To be fash-forward, it’s often essential to look backwards over your perfectly angled shoulder towards a bygone-era. For me, the eclectic and home crafted style of ‘The Bloomsbury Group’ is a welcome distraction from eighties trash. I have always had a gentle bohemian crush on the Bloomsbury Group ideal. I mean how can one resist a collection of artists, writers, poets, philosophers, free-thinkers, along with a healthy dose of controversy? These 20^th century lovelies included the elegantly eccentric author Virginia Woolf & the economist John Maynard Keynes. Their apparently infamous try-sexual (try anything) relationships and love matrices were so avant-garde, they make Kate Moss’ ‘Primrose Hill Set’ seem prim.

The great news for fashion fans, is that the gang are back, in all their Charleston glory. The dishevelled, Boho-aesthetic is hot for 2010. Topshop Unique nodded to WC1 with a distinctive palette of pastels, as well as prints at Dries van Noten and of course Christopher Bailey cites the inimitable Bloomsbury style as a constant source of inspiration for his British, boy-girl dandy. So, fill those book cases with philosophy, pull out a hand-dyed dress and purchase a little Proenza to get the full effect.

Open-minded, progressive pacificism will always be cool.

♥ BexBella

I want to ride my bicycle

2010-07-23T02:30:00.005+10:00

I want to ride my bicycle, I want to ride my bike. Not just any bike you understand for 18months I have coveted a new set of vintage wheels - but as yet I still haven't met my match. I am still on the quest for 'the one', complete with faded pastel paint and a sizeable basket. A recent trip to Hamster-dam has reignited my search, it's becoming an obsession. Where have all the good bikes gone? I don't have the patience to trawl e-bay or search classifieds, when the right bike appears I will just know. Love at first sight, let's hope so?

BexBella.

The Ghost Who Walks

2010-07-23T02:24:00.005+10:00

Modelling's most legitimate convert to the music industry is MTS (model Turned Singer) Karen Elson. Married to a musical pedigree the supermodel lives in Nashville with Jack White from the White Stripes *tough gig*. Elson is probably the most famous red head around competing perhaps only with Vivienne Westwood & Sonia Rykiel. I have a soft spot for this northern beauty as she stems from the same mother model agency as me; she was the success story to emulate. The album 'The Ghost Who Walks' is pardon the pun a haunting offering, her voice is velvet and her dark lyrics suit her beautifully. Check her out at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WsNhwMDC1yM

Mrs.White = no one hit wonder.

♥ BexBella.

Red Ahead: Rouge up ladies..

2010-07-22T21:13:00.009+10:00

Well, let it not be said that red is dead. Chanel showed red lips at Couture. Vanessa Paradis is rocking as an ambassador for Rouge Coco and plump lips of pillar box red will never date. So I decided to create a moody-board to celebrate a little red-lipped Parisian chic. Rouge up lovely ladies & don't forget to kiss often.

♥ BexBella.

Pretty & Pimms

2010-07-22T19:49:00.009+10:00

After a 5.5 year period of Australian laissez-faire fashion, I am ready to take on English dressing. Following my return from down under I attended a Pimms & Rounders picnic near Kenwood House on Hampstead Heath. It probably doesn't get any more English.

The preppy city boys arrived in chinos bearing scotch eggs and the pretty blonde girls who grew up in Pakistan wore beautifully embroidered pashminas. The gathering was a drunken postcard for English summer. Barefoot girls in maxi dresses and pastel cardigans and pearls, hoola-hooped in fits of giggles.

A new age Tory-boy made a style statement sporting a mustard navel grazing tiger tee complete with a floppy fringe and grandad's gold vintage Rolex. The west country visitors arrived all rosey cheeked, carrying Scrumpy Jack cider and cut sandwiches. Bertie (Bertram) the token Frenchman posed for photos fag in mouth, in his Breton tee with a worried looking duck under his arm (that he stalked & caught from the lake). Tempers flaired after he gulped far too much vin rouge and began ranting on Sarkozy and the French tax system, the gitaine never parting from his mouth corner.

The fashion uniform was Tods loafers, pastels, petite nose studs and travel bangles by the wristful, each one marking a festival or an Inca trail. It's amazing how a social setting can reassure a returning expat that is well in the Kingdom. Just for once it was refreshing not to be in Uggs, thongs, singlets and board shorts. Man it felt good.

BexBella.

Sewell be my sister?

2010-03-25T13:58:00.005+11:00

Yasmine Sewell is effortlessly, achingly cool. To be honest, this post could end right here right now. "Nuff" said, full stop, end of sentence. This women, knows herself inside-out, and isn't afraid to dress in a self-assured way - it is simultaneously refreshing and inspiring, in a sort of whirlywind of right-on chic!

Not only does the Sartorialist salute her, which apparently is the litmus of nonchalant, uber-hipdom these days, but I am also bitten by the besotted bug *that evil little critter*.

Sewell was at the forefront of British fashion for many years in her role as buying director for "Browns" one of the most prestigious roles in fash-dom. Since leaving Browns for pastures new, she has had great opportunities landing on her lap, including a collaboration with Australian brand "Saba". After all, when all said and done she is probably the best dressed Australian by a kilometre of cool.

I am appealing for anyone who knows anyone, to put me in touch with her people, to request that she adopts me forthwith, as her wardrobe stealing sister?

♥ BexBella

The Artist v. The Fashionista

2010-03-21T21:05:00.006+11:00

An artist acquaintance recently sermonized the shallow “tackiness” of flock fashion. I listened intently as she chastised the industry that I love. My initial response was to retort angrily, but then I decided to listen to her views whilst sipping back the Bloody Mary’s silently fuming. “The Artist” referred to broad trends as “pop-conformity” and proceeded to paint a rather ugly picture of fashion-followers as sugar coated pop-princess clones with no free-thought. I was horrified. *Shocked pause*

How could an artist, someone who draws creativity from varied sources, claim not to be inspired or indeed have some form of respect for the following of fashion? *Bizarre*
To me, a true artist has the ability at a glance, to look at the work of the great masters and appreciate their style, understand composition and analyse technical aspects of an artwork subconsciously. This visual and mainly subliminal dissection, does not presume that they will create a reproduction of the same artwork. It is simply an understanding and appreciation of a great work. It is vitally important to take inspiration from a myriad of sources. This is not carbon copying, it is merely agitating imaginations. The dilution of mastery she argued is damaging to originality as it creates a conformist society, but I think the opposite. Many of fashion’s masters are inspired by their consumers, it is often a hungry upward-feeding pyramid not a trickle down theory of diffusion. Take cool hunting in all its guises....*tut*.

I agree, there is an element of tacky and cherry gloss about certain aspects of the fashion industry, that sometimes disinterest and disappoint me, but it is necessary to see past the bad and the ugly to reach what is good. There is so much originality to celebrate and I challenge any artist not to be a fashion follower. Sermon over. *Amen*

♥ BexBella

Cutler & Gross: A Glorious Spectacle

2010-03-17T11:54:00.016+11:00

Where does one find the perfect geek-chic frames to scaffold a pallid face? A sexy, disheveled, laboratory assistant-look requires a stellar pair of specs. Although, be warned, it’s a fine line between striking and strange. Indeed there is nothing more charming than a chiseled gent with glasses. Maybe it’s an ode to Clark Kent and his journalistic loveliness but I can’t resist!

Geek not your go? Sometimes we need feminine accessories to get us girly-girlies over the fantasy line…you know, a little, whimsy or floral fancy? Delicious lenses are a prerequisite for any fashion profesh. So, I am borderline obsessed with London label Cutler and Gross’ characterful frames. www.cutlerandgross.com C&G are flagship, vintage, Knightsbridge and Shoreditch, all at once, they can't really decide. That’s okay though, I forgive them, I can invariably decide on much.

The Spirit of Lempicka collection (based on the 1930's Polish painter Tamara de Lempicka) is on the one handsoft, sensual and synthetic but at the other end of the spectrum bold, cubist and architectural. Let’s not over-think this thing..they are above all great glasses!

Ridiculous Hot

2010-03-15T21:10:00.009+11:00

W-o-r-d-s quite aptly will never express how ridiculously hot these Louboutins look. In fact, these alpha-betti boots are a new favourite thing of mine, those glossy red soles have stolen my soul.

A sleek, sexy heel to be worn with skin tight, Olivia Newton John, Grease, denim - I've got chills! I would love to channel Angelina & wear them on the back of the Harley, but I suspect the pipes would melt them to a molten tar.

I look, I lust..I ♥ Louboutin.

♥ BexBella

Sentimental

2010-03-12T23:21:00.004+11:00

I can't put down this putty palette that has consumed me. I am trapped in a land of mulberry, bicycles and satchels. I hope this mellow, melancholy will leave the building and I can focus on sexier stories. Apologies for the brooding angst, I will reform & reinvent!

♥ BexBella