Bish-Shops

Hermès on tour: J'aime mon Carré pops up in East London

noreply@blogger.com (LaBish-Shop) — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 14:08:00 +0000

French luxury brand Hermès is taking its microsite campaign J’aime mon Carré on a pop-up tour of London.

The website was launched earlier this year and invites youthful Hermès customers to post images and videos of themselves wearing their Hermès scarves in Paris, Tokyo, London and New York.

This is where luxury brands and street style converge to provide modern and relevant social media campaigns that change consumers' perceptions of brands. Burberry's Art of the Trench did it first now it's the turn of Hermès.

‘It’s a new way for Hermès to talk to a younger customer,’ Pauline Vilbert, head of UK communications told me. ‘We’ve chosen an out-of-the-way area like Arnold Circus in Shoreditch. The pop-up store will then move to Westbourne Grove in Notting Hill for another two-week stint. We wanted to take the J’aime mon Carré website and give it a little tour for our London customers.’

The East London launch event, held in the Rochelle School of Arts, Arnold Circus was hosted by indie band Warpaint who did a set while London's fashionista's experimented with gifted Hermès scarves! What's not to like!

Selected Femme: label to watch

noreply@blogger.com (LaBish-Shop) — Fri, 08 Oct 2010 13:17:00 +0000

Catching a march on other European vertical retailers is Bestseller the Danish fashion company with 12 brands under its umbrella and the best known of the brands Vero Moda and Jack&Jones, coming to London’s Oxford Street soon.

Selected Femme and Selected Homme are the contemporary tailoring collections from Bestseller and after seeing the brand showcase its new collections at Copenhagen fashion week way back in January, I’m happy to see the desirable winter collection hitting key London stockist House of Fraser this month. For autumn/winter the focus is on smart outerwear, mixed with feminine tailored pieces and contrasting fabrics such as soft leathers and suedes, silk chiffons, tweeds and plenty of fluffy knits.

Selected Femme's womenswear designer Christina Steen told me this season's collection is inspired by independent and strong personalities. "Embracing the look of a cosmopolitan woman with a clear identity and courage to create a personal style within the modern look, the Selected Femme expression is feminine, cool and chic" she says.

This autumn there's a rich colour palette from earthy brown, muted moss, desert rose, light lavender, dirty gold and dirty violet. Outer wear and tailoring are this labels signatures while knits are another strong statement especially when they are combined with a cosy graphic cardigan.

Ice crystals are expressed with edgy elegance in this sophisticated take on serenity. Watch for the shimmer of sequins, which change colours in a 3d effect. Bigger sequins become an optical illusion on a dress, while other sequins are like crystal formations seen in black on black. Meanwhile, there’s a snowy glistening feel on a terrific knit tunic born to be worn day or night.

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This label fills that gap on the high street for high-end design at high street prices with the added benefit of having a cool Scandi design heritage and the best bit is it's still a bit of a secret.

In the UK, Selected is opening more doors and developing a bigger offer at House of Fraser stores. Maybe a Selected flagship is on the cards – hope so!

Selfridges opens world’s largest shoe department

noreply@blogger.com (LaBish-Shop) — Fri, 17 Sep 2010 22:30:00 +0000

There are shoe departments and then there are The Shoe Galleries at Selfridges, which take customers on a retail journey of six ‘galleries’, 11 shoe boutiques and 4,000 pairs of shoes on display over a whole floor.

It's a shoe wonderland and beats the recent 'biggest shoe department' record over at Saks in New York hands down.

The Shoe Galleries was designed by architect Jamie Fobert to be a place of exploration within Selfridges, recently voted the world’s best department store. Actually it's like there are layers of shoe rooms to discover and explore from high-street to designer to what I would call uber-designer.

‘Imagine you are in a gallery,’ says Selfridges’ director of accessories Sebastian Manes. ‘From the entrance you see a succession of doorways and at the end a huge window flooding the space with daylight. Your journey begins at the front, with shoes from the best of the high street. Slowly you begin to travel through different galleries until you reach the end – the couture designer gallery, flanked by Chanel and Louboutin, and a vision of Eden – the new suspended garden at Selfridges.’

I hunted out some serious Alexander Wang heels, some great grey Givenchy booties, those Balenciaga op-art pumps and the must-have Celine courts for this autumn. I hear Selfridges has negotiated plenty of exclusives with designers for the various rooms. Meanwhile there are shop-in-shops for the likes of Jimmy Choo, Christian Louboutin and Repetto that are designed to reflect the homes of each of the designers.

What I also heard on the industry grapevine was that because D&G didn't get one of the designer boutique 'rooms' flanking the main designer floor they had a bit of a disagreement with management and pulled out of selling to Selfridges completely. That's £1m revenue in shoes alone! Hissy fit or what!!!

Timberland's style on the move

noreply@blogger.com (LaBish-Shop) — Mon, 13 Sep 2010 14:07:00 +0000

I wish I could translate the recent Timberland Cycle and Style event into a live retail experience.
A few style journos and fashion bloggers gathered in Regents Park last week to cycle along the canal towpath towards our end destination, the very rurban Waterhouse restaurant – all so we could enjoy an outdoor experience and see the new spring Timberland footwear collection. Oh and we were gifted with a pair of Timberland’s leather deck-shoes so we could look the part.

I love the London arm of the Regents Park canal – running from Uxbridge in the west all the way through to Bow in the east – my other half has a narrow boat so this is my stomping (or rather cruising) ground! The sun came out after a morning of rain (thank God!) and so we set off on our bikes to get into the spirit of the secret tranquil life of London’s urban canalside. It was a joy and very uplifting for the soul.

Then we arrived just in time for lunch at the gorgeous, canalside Waterhouse restaurant in Dalston, that’s committed to efficient waste management and follows a strict policy of reducing waste and recycling with a minimal carbon footprint. The restaurant was chosen for its sustainability policies that mirror Timberland’s.

One of my favourite pieces in the collection was the water resistant canvas desert boot – using P2i technology to create a more durable, water resistant canvas outer and part of the Under Canvas range. As one of the Timberland designers showed me, the water just rolls off! And it looks great too.

Both the mainline outdoor range and the more premium, formal & vintage feel collections looked great for next summer.
Maybe Timberland should do a pop-up store by the canal next summer where you can hire bikes and test out the range of shoes – much like the lucky set of journos did in our Timberland Cycle and Style trip – how to make this kind of experience translate into retail is a bubbling under trend I’m looking into for LS:N Global right now. They’re calling it Coviviality Culture and centres around ‘live’ events. Live + Retail = experience driven shopping. It’s good for the soul.

Set Pieces: Theatrical set design sets the tone for a new season at Dover Street Market

noreply@blogger.com (LaBish-Shop) — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 10:24:00 +0000

A charred old grand piano and larger than life casino table are two new installations at designer retail emporium Dover Street Market, where set design concepts have superseded retail corners for the store’s seasonal Tachiagari (change over).

A window collaboration between designer Adam Kimmel and artist George Condo grabs attention at the entrance to the store with Condo’s sinister and oversized male puppet characters standing around a casino table whilst showcasing Kimmel’s autumn/winter collection.

And on the third floor the newly refurbished shoe and bag accessories space has been designed by Studio Andy Hillman and features a charred grand piano displaying accessories by Loewe and Sergio Rossi, Fendi, Delvaux, Roberta di Camerino, Judith Leiber among walls covered in dark vintage wooden display cabinets. The effect is dark and moody reflecting the retail design trend for a Rough Luxe (see LS:N Global) atmosphere.

These eye-catching installations point to a new era of set design in retail.

My other highlights for AW10 at DSM include:
- The opening of a new Yves Saint Laurent space designed especially for DSM
- Alber Elbaz's latest VM creation for Lanvin - very lady is the vamp and theatrical
- Phoebe Philo's supremely luxe and minimal accessores space for her Celine accessories
- Hussein Chalayan's perfectly symmetrical hanging wardrobe - I loved his AW10 'Vegas' / on the road collection
- Nicholas Kirkwood's delectable shoe/rock/carving showcase
- Print fusions from Peter Pilotto or Erdem. Love the sophisticated print dress this season.
- Basement full of sneakers for men and women who like an androgynous look. I wish Visvim came in smaller sizes.

Swedish fashion house: Acne creates London studio store

noreply@blogger.com (LaBish-Shop) — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 13:21:00 +0000

Swedish fashion label Acne has opened a studio store in a former gallery on London’s Dover Street, and it's curated more like a tall townhouse with departments and artworks on each of the four floors.

The four floors not only display men’s and women’s fashion, but also art works by Helmut Lang, Jeremiah Goodman and Katerina Jebb. When entering, customers pass a piano that will be used for live music at weekends. A roof terrace adds to the feeling of being in someone’s home.

‘The studio will offer more than just clothing, it will be a house of different creativity,’ says creative director Jonny Johansson.

I particularly like the interpretations of Jeremiah's artworks - with wallpaper designs on the walls of the store very much leaping off the page of his book to mingle with the carefully merchandised collections hanging artfully on rails and mannequins.

Popping swaps: Liberty of London hosts a trio of design collaborations through pop-up swap shops

noreply@blogger.com (LaBish-Shop) — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 10:29:00 +0000

Liberty of London has extended its design collaboration roster to include working with a trio of international retail names this spring – through shared swap-shop pop-ups in-store.

First to kick off and launching during fashion week on Feb 23, the London based retail brand has linked with Milan boutique 10 Corso Como for a mutually beneficial print collaboration realised across a limited edition capsule collection for spring/summer. Under the chic Milanese owner, Carla Sozzani’s direction, artist Kris Ruhs has reworked the iconic Liberty Ianthe print into a contemporary design that adorns shirts, swimsuits, hats, leather accessories, scarves ties or handkerchiefs. The pop-up area in-store is merchandised similarly to the Corso Como flagship and the product will sell in both locations for the rest of the summer.

Meanwhile Liberty has also joined forces with philanthropic Paris lifestyle store Merci for a joint swap-shop – over consecutive weeks and with installations in both capitals happening from early March (4 March in Paris and 9 March in London). The Liberty-Merci pop-ups will sell an exclusive range of limited edition pieces, designed and created by Merci creative director Marie France Cohen. After immersing herself in the Liberty print archives she chose a selection of heritage designs that sum up the essence of Liberty for both the French and UK markets. Think summery floral sundresses for women, cute smock tops and flowery bloomers for childrenswear. Soft furnishings are a Merci strongpoint so there are cushions, specially commissioned sofas and haberdashery items too.

Last but not least is the grand daddy of retail design collaborations, Target. Liberty of London hopes to make inroads into the lucrative US market by partnering with the giant US value retailer – and following a value-nomics led strategy. The limited edition Liberty for Target collection is the US retailer's biggest distribution to date with availability at 1500+ stores. It spans fashion and homewares, picnic items and even garden equipment. The prints are bold and undeniably floral and the mass market priced collection will be on sale at Target stores in the US as well as Liberty in London from April.

This spring’s celebration of flower power is about embracing the democratic notion of design for all. Ed Burstell, Liberty’s buying director says: “The price points for our Target collaboration truly spread the Liberty look to all. Now designers and retailers around the world are recognising that by taking our iconic prints and applying them in a considered way to a garment or an object, they can create future classics, whether it’s a plastic beaker at Target, a standout suitcase at Merci or an exquisite scarf at 10 Corso Como.”

All three collaborations are well thought out brand synergies that benefit both parties. Through the swap-shop pop–up executions in each country, Liberty finds itself working with like-minded fashion and lifestyle brands and reaching a global audience on a localised level.

adidas Star Wars: may the force be with you in Berlin

noreply@blogger.com (LaBish-Shop) — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 13:35:00 +0000

After seeing the adidas Originals Star Wars collaboration for SS10 back in November at the press day and wishing I was more of a sneaker freak (OMG, the boyfriend was beyond excited and couldn't wait to make a purchase), I was even more excited at the prospect of the Vice Magazine/adidas Originals for Star Wars party in Berlin while Bread & Butter was on.

After a bit of a scrabble at the door of the underground bunker we were in (despite the sub-zero temperatures and snow), surrounded by serious Star Wars fans judging by the costumes in attendance. But this was Berlin and being Germans it was an edgy crowd all the same. Synth rock and vodka cocktails.

Oh and plenty of stormtroopers at the bar. And obviously a few sneakers on display (where are those elusive orange Luke Skywalkers? And the Princess Leahs?) So despite the photo embargoes in place I felt the need to share a few images online (think I'm safe now). Loving the Star Wars corridor of fame. Now that's a way to celebrate a collaboration.

I think London needed this kind of launch event. Anything would have been good. There was talk of a flash mob of Stormtroopers hitting Shibuya in Tokyo and over in New York, Racked just reported on how Snoop Dog kicked things off at the Soho NYC store (The Best Stunt Ever!). So come on London, I'm looking for Leah.

Acne's Black Sno

noreply@blogger.com (LaBish-Shop) — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 00:13:00 +0000

Last night Swedish denim brand Acne held its Autumn/Winter 2010 runway show in London with an atmospheric and dark, moody set by Charles Koroly.

With the collection inspired by his sons' love of the Star Wars film Clone Wars Acne founder and creative director Jonny Johansson said it's not such a literal inspiration. "More the colour palate, the feeling and the shapes which inspired me. It is also a collection that continues from last season and an exploration of spirituality and astronomy from the show’s makeup direction to the long, floaty and easy silhouette."

And Acne looks to be following the new mood in fashion for a post-apocalyptic world. This season's collection called Svart Snö (Black Snow) is an exercise in low tech vs high tech, luxe and destroyed, dessert winter meeting black Snow. Fabrics are characterized by draped silks, textural ultra suede, burnt wool, luxurious sheep skin, mesh and kid leathers. The look is enhanced by eerily futuristic metallic make-up and one-off pieces by jeweller Husam El Odeh. It's a mix of new longer proportions, asymmetric layering and protectionist clothing for a brave new world.

The Svart Snö collection was shown in the disused London tramshed with the idea to set the scene for an emotive and unique scent in collaboration with BYREDO, the Stockholm based fragrance house.

Johansson said: “I like to portray rooms, trying to capture a room through scent is super interesting and I always love to remember a relationship with a physical space through the way it smells. We imagined filling a train garage with perfume would be quite a challenge so we created this fragrance for one night only and we hope that you remember this space and this night with our Svart Snö room fragrance.”

Acne is on the money here with the way scent marketing creates an emotional connection with an experience. In this case a unique scent was created for one night only to provide a memory of a fashion show and the creative direction for Acne’s seasonal collection.

Dover Street Market Tachiagari SS10: shoe fetish

noreply@blogger.com (LaBish-Shop) — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 22:35:00 +0000

With the new spring/summer 10 Tachiagari, Dover Street Market has unveiled a host of new branded spaces with what I'm calling "precision merchandising" as key for the latest designer spaces to join Rei Kawakubu’s Comme des Garcons marketplace.

Actually my favourites this season are the new Celine corner - the first retail space from new creative director Phoebe Philo in all its elegant refined chrome understated glory; next up is the refreshed Comme des Garcons Shirt ulilitarian complex; the 'Scarecrow meet n greet' at Lanvin and the Hussein Chalayan display - an exercise in precision hanging. Nicholas Kirkwood's graphite installation kicks a punch too while down in the basement the Visvim area has pedestals for each Tokyo tech pair of men's sneakers.

But really its shoes that are in the spotlight across the store (and the window), for the new season. A new women’s footwear corner has opened on the third floor housing high end names such as Guiseppe Zanotti, Christian Louboutin, Chrissie Morris, Rupert Sanderson and Pierre Hardy. Take a seat on the park benches and admire the set design interior designed by Michael Howells. His window theme is “All About Eve Meets Paddington Green” – as an ode to park life and amateur dramatics?

And downstairs in the basement its sneaker freak heaven with the industrial looking box design corner housing a host of men’s footwear labels including Volter, DMs, Common Projects, Yuketan, Generic Man and the new Puma by Hussein Chalayan product.

Elsewhere there are designer finds in every corner from Charles Anastase cute attic style dolls, Ann Valerie Hash's adult and new girlswear collections, a new YSL Edition stand, Azzedine Alaia's impeccable workmanship, the Undercover walk-in cave, and new collaborative product featuring the Beatles apple logo for Comme bags.

See my Picasa album for the rest of my pictures this season:

Dover Street Market Tachiagari SS10

Harvey Nicks targets young fashionistas with new 4th floor

noreply@blogger.com (LaBish-Shop) — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 18:49:00 +0000

Harvey Nichols is targeting a new younger and discerning fashionista with its 4th floor contemporary designer floor due to open next week.

And I'm pretty excited because it seems Harvey Nichols buyers have taken all the best new talent from New York, London, Milan, Paris etc and put together a seasonal edit that has all the hallmarks of the best boutiques from around the world. And we're talking fresh eyes mixing up new contemporary designers that are igniting their home fashion towns - so now we don't have to travel all over the world to get the best array of new talent in one shop!

The HN team say they're moving away from the conventional and putting collections such as Versus, Opening Ceremony, Love by Richard Chai, Halston and Cacharel alongside British designers such as Richard Nicoll, Peter Pilotto and Meadham Kirchoff. Also included are hot US labels Zero by Maria Cornejo, Elise Overland and Brian Reyes. Described as a fashion "lifestyle" - the ultimate destination for anything and everything fashion related.

My favourite new stuff include a Lanvin 'Supermarket of Luxury' complete with limited edition dolls, snow globes, notebooks, music boxes and a honeymoon kit. Or there's a girls-only sneaker wall displaying the likes of Keds for Opening Ceremony, Christian Louboutin trainers, Jackson Pollock splattered Converse for WGACA and Beatrix Ong for Nike. Or wear and eat jewellery by Coco Maya and cart it all around in Erdem for Globetrotter luggage.

If Harvey Nicks has highlighted a new fashionista customer that likes her hot-off-the-press fashion from around the world and at recession friendly prices, then this new department will be full to brimming when it opens on Monday 25th January.

Kookai's joie de vivre returns to London fashionistas

noreply@blogger.com (LaBish-Shop) — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 22:27:00 +0000

Everyone's favourite French high street label, Kookai has returned to favour with London fashionists. A new flagship store on St Christopher's Place is a long overdue retail home that looks set to ensure Kookai retakes its place in the crowded high street marketplace.

Actually Kookai's return has been brewing for a few seasons now. The French label had scaled back its London retail presence, working only with its biggest store partners. Now with a new design team at the helm the label has majored on its strongest legacy: knitwear. And leather pieces. And natural fabrics. It's a mix that works with a chic twist.

At the press launch for the new store, press saw what was in store for spring/summer 2010 - all Breton stripe sweaters, easy silky prints, lightweight leather or suede pieces and a whole range of different gauge knits, from long line cardigans to cropped open knit weaves for a real fashion offer.

Here's a selection of my favourite pieces for spring, hitting the new St Christopher's Place store end of January.

Guess says "Wonder, Passion, Freedom" for retrospective celebration

noreply@blogger.com (LaBish-Shop) — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 13:25:00 +0000

Iconic US denim brand Guess decided to celebrate 28 years of sexy photography with a party in London last night. Oh and the new flagship store on London's Regent Street.

With steamy black and white photos of ripped jeans, rippling torsos and plenty of cleavage all over the walls, not to mention Claudia Schiffer and the brand's other heavyweight supermodel faces through the past couple of decades featuring in the two week long exhibition at Il Bottacio, Knightsbridge - this was a party for a party's sake.

For those party-goers unfamiliar with the current Guess collection there were a few mannequins dotted around - skin-tight denim and gothic-meets-bling touches would be my take on the brand's DNA right now.

Actually the black and white photography stills from past ad campaigns was certainly a visual retro fest for those interested in denim iconography. My how Guess has changed its tune in the last 28 years!

A couple of days later I was passing the new flagship and perused the gothic-meets-bling-meets-rock-chick windows and noted the VM is an accomplished affair. (But EXACTLY the same as the plethora of US stores). Also, I have to say the store would have been a much better venue for the exhibition - after waiting so long for the right location I can't help but wonder why the celebratory event was held elsewhere? And while they were about it, the party should have had a Hallowe'en theme guys - it's all about the costume at Hallowe'en after all!

Anthropologie is retail magic

noreply@blogger.com (LaBish-Shop) — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 17:10:00 +0000

At last! Anthropologie has finally opened on London's Regent Street. As a seasoned US Anthro customer I was beyond excited at the prospect having a good look around at the press preview on Wednesday - and they added a sumptuous tea party spread to boot!

So the real secret of Anthropologie's success Stateside is the clever VM and eclectic product display that mixes fashion, homewares and lifestyle with a certain je ne sais quoi that sews it all together. It's retail magic that makes you want to buy everything! Each store has two dedicated VM experts that change around new product all the time and are responsible for the story telling aesthetic Anthropologie is known for. From wardrobe to bedroom to kitchen table to pantry and even to garden (with sister retail brand Terrain) it's all there to be discovered.

When I asked visual manager Camdon Richardson what was his secret he told me the devil is in the detail: "It's all down to the little touches I put in the nooks and crannies to catch people's attention. Some of our shoppers are used to Anthropologie displays (and love us for it) but others are captivated when we add the little related product ideas and special props we find from our travels around the world. It's about inspiring people to follow our style in their home so I like to show them how to do it for themselves." He added that the London store has been his favourite so far because the UK - and Europe provides such a rich cultural melting pot of ideas. "It's a huge first step for us here in Europe."

James Bidwell is MD of the Urban Outfitters owned new Anthro UK. He told me: "We're all about experience and we exist to provide our customers with a journey of discovery in-store. The secret of the store is the merchandising. Average dwell time per customer is an hour and a half and it's because there's so much to discover. It's like layering different product stories for the customer." He added that the creative visual team take a completely different approach to each store - they're based in each one and take inspiration locally. So London means Union Jack wall hangings, quilts and throws - with one even styled on a mannequin as a skirt to throw the different departments together.

Other quirky highlights in-store include the giant lifesize Narwhal hanging above the laden tabletop display (made from all the plastic packaging from the products shipped in for opening, and covered in paper mache), the Magpie chandeliers made by South African artist communities, the Christmas room complete with snowy clouds (check out Anthro's wonderful ornaments selection) and last but certainly not least is the 2000 sq ft growing plant wall complete with over 80,000 plants, created by UK based company Biotech. "It's like a green oasis on Regent Street". If you look closely the plants are arranged in a plaid check formation and are supported by their very own sustainable irrigation system from the roof. The wall together with the three storey staircase (made from reclaimed wooden frames), stitches the building together. Oh and I nearly forgot the stunning circular hanging window display made from hundreds of dip-dyed used tea-bags. Very British!

I also had a quick chat with head of buying Olivia Richardson who said she wanted to bring over what was relevant from the US and translate it for the UK market. "We had our London customer firmly in mind and wanted to source the local market to make the Anthropologie offer right for Europe. So we're doing a number of collaborations with both the interiors and fashion offers including a capsule range with Eley Kishimoto and several items from the boutique Beyond the Valley. We have also worked with French artist Nathalie Lete to create some one off home pieces and British interior designer duo Clarke and Reilly have created a line of hand crafted furniture exclusively for us."

She added: "Our customer encounters everything from textiles to home accessories, as well as decorative antiques and vintage objects that are literally found by our buyers who travel the world in search of originality that's right for Anthropologie."

Wow 'buyer at large' sounds like my dream job!

As usual I didn't hold back snapping away inside, here's my selection of pics for your visual delight!

Anthropologie Regent Street

Monsoon's boudoir lingerie

noreply@blogger.com (LaBish-Shop) — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 10:42:00 +0000

Monsoon's new lingerie line is pure boudoir dressing.

Launching today, the new collection makes its debut at larger branches of Monsoon stores all over the world with a special corner boutique full of rose petals, dressing room furniture and scented candles to get you in the the bedroom mood!

Cute pastels and florals mix with silky satins for mesh bra-tops and knickers, camis and lace-edged slips. I snaffled one of the blue satin lace-edged bras and cami-knickers matching sets at the press launch in the Kings Road flagship store and was pretty impressed with the bargainista high-street prices. And the thing I love so much about Monsoon is that it does such good homewares products too - so alongside the new lingerie, find really feminine cushions, knick-knacks, picture frames, candles and other bits and bobs to prettify any bedroom corner.

It's so pretty and so Monsoon, and now we're so ready for some boudoir time!

Smithy's new shoes

noreply@blogger.com (LaBish-Shop) — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 13:11:00 +0000

Paul Smith has opened a new accessories store where it's all about the shoes. Happy dayz!

Everyone's fave eccentric British designer has chosen the quiet, chic enclaves of Marylebone High Street for his new boutique that's small but perfectly formed into two sections for men and women.

I snapped a few pics from inside the store launch last night but go check out the shoes, socks, scarves, wallets, handbags and er... teapots!

Les filles do Madamoiselle Chic in Paris

noreply@blogger.com (LaBish-Shop) — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 12:57:00 +0000

Tranoi Femme SS10 October 2-5 2009, Paris

The girls are back and it's Paris chic all the way at French trade show Tranoi where brands such as Heimstone, Les Prairies de Paris, Madame a Paris, Eurythmic, Mont St Michel and newcomer Roseanne are setting the scene for that gamine street look that mixes bohemian rock chic with effortless Parisian nonchalance.

Always a favourite of mine these are the brands that rock in Paris - it amazes me why they are not more widely available outside of France - they are all completely retailer friendly with wardrobe-ready collections just waiting to be edited down. They are a boutique owner's dream ticket; travel to Paris or St Tropez and see these Madamoiselle Chic labels in action.

Elsewhere at Tranoi previous season’s country showcases have been absorbed into the main show – Scandinavian brands including Bllack Noir, Rodebger, Dagmar all showed in the Bourse location while Japanese brands Vas Blomme, Il by Saori Komatsu and Hiromi Tsuyoshi showed at the new Carrousel de Louvre venue. And Indian designer Namrata Jamipura symbolizes the exquisite workmanship that the country is known for through its sequin eveningwear.

For out and out commercial appeal New York designer Binetti and Australian design duo Sass & Bide were our top picks returning again to the show, while first timer Bolangaro Trevor is a British label on fire right now - with sales through the roof at the show to prove it.

Trends

Surf inspiration is a big story for spring/summer 10. From neon sporty hoodies or tank vests to vibrant beach scene prints. Graphic prints are everywhere – swirling tropical leaves, painterly brushtrokes, pixilated florals – to inspire high-octane culture clash combinations.

Colours are suitably summery: pastels are on the runways and in the booths therefore they are the season’s strongest trend - along with neons and clashing brights. Metallics make a perennial appearance with all over burnished gold washes looking like a key update.

Fabrics are textured with crochets, lace, broderie anglaise and mesh knits or lightweight tweeds giving unexpected tactile appeal to seasonal favourites.

Here's a selection of my spring/summer brand picks:

Binetti – New York based designer Diego Binetti likes the Ibiza lifestyle and it shows in his glamorous, resort inspired clothes. This season the designer has focused on a gladiatorial statement of armour-style beading on metallic jerseywear pieces, digital tropical prints and tribal designs. The diffusion line ‘I love Binetti’ is now 75% of the business and this season has a light safari on the beach mood with fun prints and belted cotton shorts, tops, dresses and jumpsuits.

Bllack Noir – This ethically minded Danish fashion brand has a play on textures as key inspirations this season. Zippered leather hooded gilets sit next to satin bombers and feminine silk dresses nipped and tucked under the bust for understated sexy styling.

Bolangaro Trevor – Kate Bolangaro and Stuart Trevor are the British designer duo behind the vintage inspired collection that has quickly become a hit contemporary designer label in London. Vintage flag designs, military tailoring and preppy schoolwear jersey pieces mix with figure hugging draped or feminine dresses for a modern take on vintage “thrifting”.

Dagmar - Arty, chic knitwear items and 40s boudoir styling are key for the new collection dedicated to the Bombasse – a mysterious woman who looks sophisticated but dresses in refined lingerie parts. There’s a new casual mix from denim pieces mixed with graphic prints while voluminous drapes and close fit dresses are further highlights.

Giorgio Brato – The Italian leather brand has worked with new washing techniques on pastel leather jackets and leopard print effect bombers. The younger casual line, Wild Lab Generation features printed jersey track pants and sweat tops or nylon bombers.

Heimstone - Oversized shrug-on jackets have 70s feel with paneled leather and suede designs while the Paris brand’s lightweight dresses and tunics are perfect for underneath. Zip body-con dresses continue to be best sellers and tribal prints round out the chic Parisian collection that has a global fan base.

Hiromi Tsuyoshi - Knitwear is the main focus of the collection, with key pieces created from 14 different yarns and produced by hand. The label’s signature style is fused together fabrications with open-weave knits, multicoloured 14 yarn sweater dresses and preppy jersey striped blazers or double layer bright cardigans important items.

Il by Saori Komatsu – The desert was this season’s inspiration for Japanese designer Komatsu who loves to fuse fabrics together to produce unlikely double combinations. We love the broderie anglais look knit and chiffon weave effect dresses also worn as tunics.

Kaylee Tankus- draping and folding are key for this wardrobe building Italian collection that has officewear and smart utilitarian design at its core.

Les Prairies de Paris - Tuxedo style tailoring is lightweight for summer and brightly coloured suede or self-striped cheesecloth fabrics are product highlights for grown up smart/casual looks for day and evening. Easy footwear completes the look.

MSGN – This season the Italian label has taken influence from the blogosphere and a retrospective meets futuristic take on fashion trends for the season. Think 80s Chanel braided jackets in tweeds, lacey frill dresses and brightly coloured brushstroke strapless prom dresses. Oh and neon too.

Namrata Joshipura – Exquisite Indian craftsmanship for eveningwear with a modern, contemporary feel.

No 44 – The Japanese brand that has vintage military as its style influence takes on a wardrobe building manifesto for spring with knitted tops and knitwear added to the urban workwear offer.

Osklen – Brazilain sportswear label Osklen is having its day with the big surf trend set for spring/summer. We love the jersey broderie anglais effect printed tees, hooded sweats and layered pointelle lacey tunics. Metallics are another highlight for glamorous sporty daywear options.

Rodebger – The Swedish label was showing for the first time and with a dark brooding collection strong on textures such as punched leather or soft corduroy and silky paisley print dresses. With a new 10-piece limited edition range of eveningwear and studded wedge footwear the Scandinavian newcomer was a hit.

Roseanna – Lingerie as outerwear is the design ethos at this French label that is full of whimsy and feminine charm.

Sass & Bide – the Australian design duo are a firm favourite and now show their urban chic collection on the runway in New York. This season’s key looks were gladiator body-con meets 80s raver for voluminous jersey casualwear. The brand’s Black Rats leggings have been instrumental in starting the ‘treggings’ trend and the ruched lurex animal print styles are commercial winners.

Accessories were also strong with key footwear and bag brands such as:

Benhaz Kanani – Couture level craftsmanship puts Kanini’s shoes in another league. This season more sandals and lighterweight summer options feature snakeskin, eel and ostrich leather cuts.

Elsa – Danish footwear and accessories designer Elsa has used washed out tans, creams and pale blue or yellow for her utility inspired collection with hints of neon and transparent paneling that work for both the men’s and women’s collections. Her mix and match uppers and soles for shoes are a hit with retailers.

Jas MB – covered studs across leather holdalls and mini-camera bags as clutches are new for the British designer that sells his bags from the US to Asia.

Peachoo & Krejburg – this Danish designer duo has a new focus on gothic styled jewellery mixed with chains for belts and harness-strap leather footwear.

Stephen Venezia – the Italian shoe designer mixes avant-garde designs with high-end luxury leather techniques and colourful combinations for directional footwear.

Suecomma Bonnie – this Korean brand has been running since 2003 and has 12 stores in its home territory with a growing European interest from retailers. Styles are quite glam with high sexy heels with a focus on embellishment and intricate detailing from studs to crystals to frills and ribbon tie bows. Italian manufacture.

To see all my photos click here:

TranoiFemme SS10

3rd Central is first base for Selfridges denim this autumn

noreply@blogger.com (LaBish-Shop) — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 14:10:00 +0000

3rd Central has just opened at Selfridges and I couldn't wait to pop into the brand new third floor denim and contemporary labels mecca considering myself firmly the fashionista target market.

I was not disappointed and spent a very enjoyable hour and a half having a good look around the whole floor. From all the hottest denim labels (complete with denimology sizing scanner machine) to shop in shops for some of the best contemporary fashion labels in the market today.

My interests were piqued by the likes of Marc by Marc Jacobs, Anglomania, Juicy Couture, McQ, Helmut Lang and Alexander Wang to name just a few. All sorts of great mid-market labels like Theory, Maje, Zadig & Voltaire and Whistles are adjacent to the yellow and beech wood decorated department and the feel is buzzy, contemporary and above all urban.

Anita Barr (a long standing buying associate of mine) has really nailed it with her first big project after being named womenswear buying director last year. There's just a really great mix of the biggest (read most commercial), hottest and directional yet contemporary collections gathered together on one floor. And the spookily tall mannequins aren't even that intimidating if you squint!

It's no wonder that while helping my stay-at-home-mum friend who also happens to be super-tall and super-slender, get her seasonal fashion update we managed not only to spend most of the day in Selfridges but dropped the best part of a grand in there too.

Kane fashion week madness at Topshop

noreply@blogger.com (LaBish-Shop) — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 11:28:00 +0000

Everyone has gone Christopher Kane mad this week as Topshop has kicked off fashion week with a rush on THE designer collaboration to be seen in!

So while the guerilla t-shirt is the only thing to wear at the shows (the Topshop PR told me they have plenty of supplies!), the LFW New Gen heavyweight sponsor has dedicated its whole window to the new Kane collab, which (apart from the ape tee) is full of studs and rivets and dance-tastic Lycra pieces.

And a quick look inside Topshop's Oxford Circus mecca reveals a great looking VM display dedicated to the in-house team's high end Unique collection - also showing on the schedule this week.

I can't wait for this season's offer, as last season's rave-culture layer-it-on space odyssey chimes so well with all the retro-futuristic 90s club gems that are cropping up on the streets of London. Check out this VM display and then check out the actual catwalk exits for cross-fertilised styling tips from the Topshop team!

Pull & Bear does club cave retail on Oxford Street!

noreply@blogger.com (LaBish-Shop) — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 10:17:00 +0000

At last Pull & Bear has opened in central London with a new club-cave like store on Oxford Street. The Inditex owned brand (yes another one) is firmly aimed at the youth market (but in a different way to Bershka) and the new rock-chick and rock-guy flagship is a world dedicated to club and college kids that want their gig-going fashion on the cheap and cheerful side.

With plenty of sparkly, shiny, studded and graphic merchandise around this is a lesson in environment and lifestyle retail. I feel old just walking around - but it's all good for the teens who clearly love it as stock turnaround is fast. This is part of the Zara family afterall - blink and you'll miss those sparkly leggings, pleather jacket or studded biker boots. All for under £100!

Here's a few pics from the opening night party!

Dover Street Market: Tachiagari AW comes early

noreply@blogger.com (LaBish-Shop) — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 11:21:00 +0000

Autumn/Winter collections seem to arrive earlier and earlier each season and while most designer emporiums let the new deliveries slip quietly into store Dover Street Market has a completely new look each season called Tachiagari - and it's a refreshing way to introduce customers to the new designer offers with exciting corners, VM displays and personality enhancing spaces.

The press preview on Monday did not disappoint, so feast your eyes on my whirlwind tour of the new spaces (floor by floor - and then back again for a few bits I missed!).

First off, loved the colourful floral window display. Complete with heady scent, Andy Hillman has created a mystical garden illusion, entitled Endless Summer, which invites guests into what feels like a greenery tunnel. Andy Hillman is a set designer who regularly works with photographer Tim Walker (former DSM collaborator) forming whimsical and magical worlds.

And more of my personal favourites include the new Comme des Garcons Shirt for women corner (rose pink & frilly whites), the suspended hanging space for Hussein Chalayan, the 'front row of fashion' Lanvin show experience, Anne Valerie Hash's reading corner space, Charles Anastase's 'my own private museum' collection of drawings alongside his grown up chic outfits, the World corner complete with eccentric masks and vintage collectibles, Loewe's sumptuous leather bags, Ferragamo's vintage table laden with 70s era shoes and the hidden away, decadent new shoe "department" (love the axes on the carpet wall) carrying hot labels such as New Gen award winner Michael Lewis, Sergio Rossi, Bruno Frisoni, Mr Hare, Cleo B and T29. Nicholas Kirkwood's new geometric frame display is also nearby, next to the new YSL Edition 24 corner full of timeless classics - and don't miss the expanded Comme des Garcons Homme Deux tailoring desk.

The new Comme des Garçons pop-up brand Black made it's debut here a couple of weeks ago (now on the ground floor for 18 months) along with brand new shop fits for Junya Watanabe, Comme des Garçons Shirt (for men) with those active looking mannequins and Comme des Garçons mainline - the collection entitled, Wonderland draws its inspiration from creating illusions such as layering of materials and prints on accessories. Check out those chic military surrealist parkas.

Tao's little rail of frills is so cute and so is the Undercover space opposite - it's like a treasure trove at the top of the forbidden tower.

In fact there's a bit of a shoe thing going on too (great news for shoe lovers such as myself) for men and women.

Downstairs the basement has had a bit of a refurb too with a whole new sneaker space - carrying hotties like Volta, F-Troupe, Generic Surplus, Common Projects and new spaces for Engineered Garments, Original Fake, Visvim, Monocle, Supreme and the new own-label from Dover Street Market. Sadly it's the last collection for Number (N)ine down here too.

And finally, loving the new collector's book space from Idea Books - this week celebrating man's first steps on the moon.

Captions and more photos here:

DSM Tachiagari AW 09

Heritage pursuits key trends at Tranoï Homme where traditional summer activities combine with washed out colours and light fabrics.

noreply@blogger.com (LaBish-Shop) — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 22:36:00 +0000

Tranoï Homme spring/summer 2010, Paris, 26-29 June 2009

Paris menswear trade-show, Tranoï Homme hosted an international roster of men’s apparel and accessories brands last month, where designer sector formal, casual and sportswear labels showed summer collections following heritage pursuits – providing an early indication of what is set to be a big trend for the season ahead.

Traditional summer and hot weather activities such as British tennis or croquet, classic California surfing and African/Asia safaris feature as themes for clothes that men can return to again and again for classic summer climate styles. Washed out fabrics – especially suede, silk or jerseys mixed with over-dyed light colours from sand, dove grey and pale blues through to navy or charcoal.

This season Tranoï organizer Michael Hadida continued to collaborate with a selection of designers who showed their collections to press and buyers via runway shows at Tranoï’s Bourse location. Dries van Noten pulled a big crowd among the thunderstorms, while Damir Doma’s giant installation decorated the exterior of the venue.

Commercial trends & key pieces

Preppy and sporting pursuits jackets looked to be strong – in keeping with the theme of heritage summer activities. Ticking stripes or checks kept jackets formal while safari pockets and light shower-proof coatings provided humidity cover-ups for jungle activities.

Washed out leathers, suede, silks and paper coating were popular fabrications for blouson jackets or longer length parkas or sleeveless gilets.

Jersey linings on soft handle cottons were extra soft to the touch, shirts had a gauzy washed feel with pajama style shorts or double layer shorts over leggings and rolled up trousers lengths as key pant options. Patterned machine knits or open-weave gauzy hand knits provided a contrast to all the jersey.

Natural leather, treated suede or plasticized inserts are highlights for accessories with washed out brights for canvas sneakers.

Brands to watch

Top picks from buyers at the show included Riviera Club, Nigel Cabourn and Social Suicide. Luisa de Paula, creative director at My Wardrobe said: “I loved the washed out, relaxed feel of US surfwear brand Riviera Club, it’s got a vintage heritage feel that’s right for now.”

Apparel:

0205 – This jackets and pants only label from Italy features the same cut (short SB2 jacket, single pleat slim trousers) in a range of checks and stripes. Keeping preppy style simple.

Arne & Carlos – The Danish knitwear duo start with a set of graphic shapes (horses and swallows this season) for their machine knits and them mix up the shapes to produce a range of coordinated and Scandinavian design feel knits. Masculine and modern.

Coal Black – Japanese denim brand Coal Black is half rock n roll and half outdoors/Cherokee Indian. A great mix of biker leathers, sharp indigo denim and 50s tuxedo style suiting.

Giorgio Brato – this Italian leather specialist makes sensual soft skin leather or suede jackets, shirts and pants – all have a washed out, worn in quality. Also on show was the brand’s younger, more contemporary range Wild Lab Generation with special attention paid to repeat print graphics on jersey and nylon sweat tops.

Golden Bunny – watch out for this Italian jacket brand’s summer weight triple washed, triple coated silk blousons – so soft they scrunch up and fall out in a handshake.

Kenzo – a mini preview of the men’s catwalk collection by Antonio Marras was on show at Tranoi Homme – desert safari storm was the look that saw creative director Marras take inspiration from the central African expedition of Pierre de Brazza in 1880 to discover the Congo river.

Nigel Cabourn – British designer Nigel Cabourn took a trip to Burma for his jungle summer collection full of khaki jackets and waterproof outerwear with vintage detailing that sets Cabourn apart from other 90s labels that have since died a death in the casualwear arena.

Philipp Plein – the German designer’s design aesthetic is rock meets couture – this season manifesting itself in skulls and rhinestones. For summer the new polo shirts, and flouro details mix clean tailored lines with rock inspired studs and leathers.

Riviera Club – this Santa Barbara based vintage surfwear brand was a standout collection at the show. Split into three delivery stories, Riviera, Vintage and Safari the nautical, washed out and desert styling came through loud and clear. Highlights were the jersey lined, soft-handle cotton shirting and pajama like shorts, over-the-head cover-ups and bleached-out worn jersey tees.

Social Suicide - British summertime pursuits is this formalwear label’s inspiration, where linen and cotton jackets roll up to unravel a world of passing-the-time vacation options. Flamboyant deck chair stripes and sophisticated piping are key features on soft fitted jackets with big lapels and frayed edges. Printed gingham and polka-dot linings conceal chess and backgammon boards, sudoko, crosswords, tick-tack-toe among a battalion of pockets to hold the holiday novel, wallet, sunglasses and even mesh casing to ensure limited mobile phone reception. These are jackets to prolong the holiday experience - in town, country or ex-pat location.

Venti Cappotti Venti Cappelli – the Italian outerwear specialist has focused on paper-weight coated and over-printed wind-cheaters and parkas for its summer collection. Currency graphics look strong for Oriental influences.

Yohan Serfati – an eccentric French designer, Yohan Serfati specializes in manipulating leathers and transforming them into aesthetic design focused pieces. Jackets and open-weave knits are cut with curve detailing on sleeves, hoods and shoulders while double layer shorts or leggings are new pant options.

Accessories:

A Coba LT – this Japanese accessories brand makes mountaineering pursuits look fresh for summer with lightweight suede options for boots and sandals alongside hiking bags in exotic skins and canvas.

Converse – showcasing the more exclusive Jack Purcell and John Varvatos collections, sportswear giant Converse unveiled tennis and retro sneakers for the Purcell line and more vintage inspired weave designs for the Varvatos collaboration.

Elsa – Antwerp-based accessories designer Els Proost again joined the group showing of the Flanders Fashion Institute at Tranoi Homme and showcased her cut-out raw and over-painted leather shoes and messenger bags. The double layer shoes in pale tan colours mixed with pale blue and flouro looked fresh while her clever inside/outside design detailing brought man bags bang up to date.

Guiliano Fujiwara – the Japanese designer brand based in Italy has a new sportswear direction for Summer 10. Concentrating on the footwear offer, the suede high-top sneakers mix commercial and sportswear appeal with a casual finesse.

Martinica – the Italian belt brand fuses handcraft and design with commercial vintage styling appeal.

See all my photos here:

Tranoi Homme SS10 Paris June 09

Authenticity key at Capsule Paris, brands focus on heritage design values

noreply@blogger.com (LaBish-Shop) — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 15:19:00 +0000

Capsule spring/summer 2010, Paris
26-28 June 2009

Progressive streetwear trade-show Capsule, hosted its third Paris edition last month, with a discerning offer of mostly menswear and accessories brands. Contemporary, designerwear, casual and sportswear labels showed summer collections that majored on authenticity and heritage design values. Many brands told the story of their making with localized, vintage inspirations.

It's one of the best, not to mention earliest indications of the forthcoming season's trends - and boasts an impressive list of international retailers scouting brands that will make a difference. Even US trends website PSFK said it wished it could have attended. (Despite the fact that Capsule travels to NY and Vegas in the next month for repeat shows - I guess they just couldn't wait.) Well I couldn't wait to post my report either! I've highlighted trends and a few of my favourite brands, plus posted my usual album of photos - see end of report for link.

Captions top to bottom: Haversack, Creative Recreation, Camo, April 77, Fifth Avenue Shoe Repair

Organiser Edina Sultanik-Silver said she thought the mix of labels from Europe, Japan and the US was Capsule’s strongest to date and after only three seasons the show has quickly become a must visit for independent boutiques and department stores. She added there has been an influx of Japanese, Asia and US buyers this season paying particular attention to the British contingent due to the weakened pound. “The show is pitched as both progressive and saleable and we feel the market level is coming together with an interesting mix of heritage and new brands, balancing edgy with mainstream.”

Commercial trends & key pieces

Summer outdoor pursuits, classic nautical and authentic workwear pieces appeared as commercial themes. Light summer knits and jersey outerwear were surprising bestsellers among exhibitors. Highlights such as fine gauge cable fisherman knits, matelot stripes, short workwear or equestrian blazers, worn-out look shirting or long-sleeve placket front tops, whimsical floral prints and pleat-front tailored shorts all injected some newness into the men’s streetwear and contemporary arena for spring/summer 10.

Brands to watch

Top picks from visitors at the show included Cole Rood & Haan, Haversack, SNS Herning, Norsea Industries and Our Legacy. US fashion journalist & stylist Cator Sparks said: “I love the original story-telling aesthetic behind brands such as Our Legacy, Gitman Vintage, Cole Rood & Haan or SNS Herning. Fashion brands have to show their authenticity nowadays.”

Online retailer, My Wardrobe creative director Luisa de Paula added that British brands such as Garbstore, JW Anderson, Peter Jensen, Oliver Spencer, Lou Dalton, B-Store and Lyle & Scott were her key show picks.

Apparel:

5th Avenue Shoe Repair – this Swedish contemporary brand has become a hot export from Stockholm Fashion Week, and with womenswear as popular as its menswear offer the label is attracting an increasingly high-end stockist base. Key pieces for spring/summer 10 are drop crotch trousers, asymmetric seams and shorter blazer style jackets. Inside out lining and pocket details ensure parka style coats look fresh while washed out linen shirting and bleached denim add a summer vibe. A whimsical paisley print for shirts and tailored shorts injects some pattern interest.

April 77 – French denim and music brand April 77 is growing in collection size as well as global stockist list. Now separated into premium and core lines the three main themes for SS10 were rock n roll music, 80s denim or Apache Indian. Watch out for the myriad stone-wash denim options (on treggings too), camouflage or lumberjack print patterns and Apache Indian meets mid-Western desert styling touches.

Camo – Italian designer Stefano Ughetti looked to equestrian inspirations for his sportswear inspired collection with Arabian style dressing a clear direction. He learned how to ride horses especially for the designing process (in order to understand the functionality needs of riders) and named each piece after specific breeds. Dropped-crotch trousers and shorts alongside striped front-placket shirting and jersey polo shirts are key and a perennial bestseller for Camo. While the bold colour palette of solid colours for unlined cotton jackets with leather pockets and trimmed fine gauge knit cardigans, simple SB2 soft-structured blazers and simple front pocket tees are all key.

Haversack – Japanese label Haversack is one to watch for its love affair with British and establishment dressing aesthetic. Military and nautical themes appeared on tailored linen and light wool jackets or more casual jersey based safari-esque pieces. Plenty of pockets on outerwear pieces and layering of paisley shirting, chequered knits and gingham jersey jackets had an eccentric appeal. Put it all together and this Japanese collection looks well travelled.

Norsea Industries - The rugged appeal of the ocean was also central to Lancashire based label Norsea Industries with designer Stephen X’s new collection called “The Romance of Nature”. No nonsense brushed cotton twill jackets, chinos, cotton striped knits and whimsical fish or floral illustrated designs adorned jersey tees and plain tabard button down tops. Classic designs from days gone by made modern again for discerning menswear fans who like to keep it simple.

Our Legacy – Jockum Hallin from Swedish menswear brand Our Legacy says that the label’s design ethos was developed with the Swedish outdoors way of life in mind. Everything is kept simple and easy to wear with hunting & fishing style jackets, corduroy giets, soft-handle washed linen shirts, jersey or loosely tailored shorts and light knits all key. Hallin says the idea behind the collection is that the wearer passes on favourite or cherished pieces to future generations.

SNS Herning - The authentic fisherman cable knits in light merino wool and sea-island cotton from Danish brand SNS Herning were one of the highest quality brand offers we’ve ever seen. This young brand is still finding its feet (with a healthy kick start from Dover Street Market in London) makes second-skin knitwear with a heritage dating back to the 1930s.

Accessories:

Creative Recreation – the West Coast sneaker brand that features zip away high-top construction has extended its range to include summer-wear hiking boots and a range of canvas and leather brogue style shoes with asymmetric lacing details and soft rubber soles. The core range of high-tops has been updated for summer with over-painted and white-washed canvas, suede or leather options, texturised weave materials and dip-dyed designs.

Cole Rood & Haan – a new heritage offer from US luxury accessories giant Cole Haan sees handmade tanning and last-making for shoes come into spotlight as the brand embraces the story of its beginning. With press notes stating: “In 1928 Cole, Rood & Haan Co was introduced in Chicago, the epicenter of the Jazz movement. Through his flair for design, Trafton Cole created the company’s reputation for quality and craftsmanship while Eddie Haan elevated the brand to one known for service and style.” 80 years later their spirit is back and parent company Cole Haan can enjoy its history once more. Autumn/winter 09 was the brand’s first outing at retail so spring/summer 10 will follow its limited distribution. Light tan, vegetable dyed leathers, contrast panels of canvas and pale lacing feature in the small collection that has a washed out and lovingly created quality feel.

F-Troupe – British footwear brand F-Troupe offered new madras and ticking stripe designs for its simple desert boot styles. Lightweight primary coloured suede boots carried the label’s signature hiking style lacing and the new white sole design carried across for boat shoes and lace up brogues.

Springcourt – the French sports shoe legend has embraced pattern and print for summer, with madras checks, pixilated graphics and Aztec designs as highlights. Grey marl canvas was a basic contrast to the metallic coloured leathers that had a more rock vibe especially the stars n stripes with gold and silver metallic options for statement footwear.

For captions and more photos:

Capsule SS10 Paris June 09

Oasis talks to fashionistas for AW09

noreply@blogger.com (LaBish-Shop) — Fri, 01 May 2009 12:19:00 +0000

Oasis previewed all its hottest looks for autumn/winter 09 last week and I can reveal the top trends to watch in-store will be: Rapture for the 80s vibe (full on sequin dresses and stretch lace mixed with studs); Modernist for a wearable take on the geometric, construction styles that are coming through loud and clear (pointy shoulders and angular lines I'm talking about you); Warrior for something a bit more street mixed with glam - liquid satins and fur layering; and Modern Vintage for a slightly softer mood with investment pieces to save up for.

Meanwhile I just loved the signposting throughout the presentation - talking fashion at you and not in a condescending way - let's hope these type of insightful messages make it into stores for clear communication. And this works well for signaling the Oasis sub-brands: new for autumn we have Shirt Tales - a fashion focused range of dresses and blouses made from shirts only. Also new is Drawn To You - a range of illustrations across jersey tees and dresses. 80s New Vintage continues to reinterpret the decade that lives on in fashion (check that bronze tuxedo jacket and some stunning LBD numbers). And not forgetting the Oasis Designer Collective, now in it's second season and working with graduates from The Royal College of Art.

So plenty to choose from and more of the trend messages in-store please!

New Look's it girl bash

noreply@blogger.com (LaBish-Shop) — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 11:21:00 +0000

New Look's celebratory bash last night was a fashionista fest and filled to the brim with London's young it girls. I just loved Amber Le Bon's nonchalent chic look here. And is she sporting hot new Prism frames - just in-store at Browns? My friend Anna Laub's glasses certainly do find themselves on the finest chiselled features!