Alexander McQueen Fall/Winter 2009-2010

I love the new campaign ads of Alexander McQueen Fall/Winter Collection. They are so bold and colorful. Models posed against the Halloween background too. Photographed by David Burton.







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The One That Got Away: Rachel Roy Spike Necklace

WTF? I was going to be GOOD and NOT impulsively buy this Rachel Roy spike necklace (until next week), and now it's SOLD OUT! That is officially THE LAST TIME I DON'T BUY SOMETHING! The lesson I learned here is IF YOU SEE SOMETHING, GET IT BECAUSE IT MAY NOT BE THERE WHEN YOU'RE TRYING TO DO THE FINANCIALLY RESPONSIBLE THING AND WAIT!

If I had only had a cash advance, this necklace would have been mine.

Harlequin-Inspired Shoes From Alaïa & Nude Footwear

Inspired by my silk blazer purchase, I've been on a 1930s tuxedo-y menswear jaunt. Therefore I've been gazing longingly, loving at harlequin-inspired black-and-white shoes. Such as...

($129, nude footwear, Piperlime.com)

These two-toned suede heels are kind of like a girlie tuxedo in shoe form. They're precious without being OVERLY precious and venturing into the dangerously cutesy barf zone. NEED!

($669, Alaïa, TheOutnet.com)

A Deco dream in bootie form. I really should just STOP looking at TheOutnet.com.

($669, Alaïa, TheOutnet.com)

Perforated patent booties are as close to Lady Gaga as I ever want to get.


Oh, so PS, I had a wedding this past weekend, and I needed a nice blazer to wear over my dress (this Christopher Deane dress, which has now seen MANY weddings -- yes, I impulsively bought a pricey-for-me new blazer, but seriously, that Christopher Deane dress has danced with me at like five weddings as well as my own engagement party). So I ended up getting this silk-esque blazer from Topshop:

($145, Topshop)

BTW, the description says navy blue, but friends, it's black. It fits well, but when I saw it on me in a photo we (the blazer and I!) looked kinda amorphous. I'll chalk it up to the fact that I was wearing a waistless shift dress. Lesson learned -- don't wear a slouchy blazer with a shift dress and expect anything less than a net result = slouchy/ no waist look! I won't make that mistake again, but I will rock this with some yes-I-actually-do-have-a-waist outfits: t-shirts and skinny jeans and boots. YAY, FALL!

Trapped between the stripes...

Cary Grant in Hitchcock's To catch a thief.

For the last week or so I have become consumed by a desire to own a certain wardrobe staple, the Breton top. Those all too familiar signature blue and white stripes were originally the garb of French sailors and fishermen but the lightweight chambray cotton versions have since become a symbol of classic cool. The traditional loose fit, wide neck and dropped shoulders that we all know and love, caught the eye of Gabrielle Chanel during a trip to the beach, or so the story goes (as demonstrated in Coco Before Chanel), and she copied the look to kick start a fashion craze and association with style which has never really subsided. However, as great as Audrey looked in her Breton creation, there is one film moment which really resonates with me when I think of those stripes: Alfred Hitchcock's To Catch A Thief. It might take a brave man to accessorise a breton top with a red silk scarf the way Cary Grant did but I think I could be just that man to give it a try...I just need to invest in this classic staple. I have seen two recent incarnations of the classic breton and both appeal to different sides of me and I have to admit to being a little torn between them...

As previously mentioned here on, for S/S 10 E. Tautz took inspiration from a set of photographs of the Duke of Windsor holidaying on the island of Majorca in the 1930’s. Patrick Grant and his team explored the whole idea of an Englishman enjoying life on the Mediterranean in the summer and the above look really caught my attention. It just exemplifies how an good an Englishman can look abroad, the relaxed, almost nonchalent tailoring is a million miles away from the larger lout beach dwellers that come to mind today.

The E. Tautz version of the breton is certainly appealling to my more classic side but there is another, very different version which is also tempting me with its charms. Susie loved Sibling's warped take on the Breton and her enthusiasm is infectious in this respect. Sibling's knitwear pieces frequently combine timeless qualities and tongue-in-cheek references, all expertly knitted with fine gauge precision that never ceases to surprise me. Here, Sibling collaborated with artist Noah Scalin (of askulladay.com) to incorporate his skull patternation into the stripes perfectly. I just can't look at it for too long because it make my eyes feel a little drunk. I am a man currently torn between two bretons. I want them both.

Sweating in the name of fashion

During my twitter coverage of Menswear Day I mentioned to getting a tad warm and even little sweaty as the day wore on. Now, I'm not normally a sweaty chap, if I get a little hot under the collar I normally give off a healthy glow (ha!). The reasons for my slight over heating are twofold. Firstly, it was a warm, muggy day which would not have seemed out of place in the month of July but did so in the later stages of September and I was taken a by surprise. Secondly and most tellingly, I wanted to give my Carolyn Massey AW09 cable knit its first outing because it was the perfect occasion to do so...regardless of the climate! The below shot was taken at the mid point of the day when tiredness was creeping in but as it was taken by our flat guest, Phil from Street Peeper, I'm laughing because he is such a funny chap!

Carolyn Massey knit, trusty backpack by Material Boy, white t shirt and pleated grey wool trousers both by COS, socks from uniqlo and Stingray Orwells by Mr Hare. Shot by the lovely Street Peeper.

After inspecting the knitwear pieces up close (at the studio and at the Reflect Forward exhibition) I was left gushing at the cable knit pattern and I needed to own a piece and this one was just perfect. I have been in possession of this beautiful knit since mid July and it has been almost painful having to see it every morning and not having the opportunity to feel the soft, warmth of the wool because of the sporadic days of sticky sunshine we experienced at the tail end of Summer (oh boo hoo, I hear you cry and I have to concede that you'd be right but bear with me). Well, the opportunity to wear the knit to Carolyn's show and to support British menswear on the day proved too enticing and I teamed it with the best of the High Street and finished it off with those shoes. Despite seeing some folks in Spring/Summer attire I dashed from show to show, a little warm but extremely pleased. I can't wait for the temperature to drop that bit more so I can wear my knits every day!

London Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2010 Highlights

Check out the runway highlights from Burberry, Peter Pilotto, Roksanda Ilincic and Basso & Brooke during the London Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2010 last week.

Burberry

The Burberry show in London was flooded by celebrities like Emma Watson, Victoria Beckham, Liv Tyler and Freida Pinto. Burberry's collection for next year's spring and summer season was consist of nude palette. The pieces came in pale hues of pink, grey, blue and lemon yellow. Models walked in the runway with ruffles, body-hugging drapes and frills, skirts and tops that are accessorized by skinny leather belts.

Roksanda Ilincic

Roksanda's collection was comprise of silk fabrics in nude, bronze, turquoise and black colors. You will also see double breasted trenches with bold shoulders, wide pants and maxiskirts.

Peter Pilotto

Sun-bleached fabrics were dominant in Peter Pilotto's collection that ranges from grey to blue to yellow and green colors. Bold shoulders, asymmetric frocks and fold-over skirts paraded the catwalk.

Basso & Brooke

Basso & Brooke's creations were full of colorful prints. Models wore sexy dresses and minidresses that made them look more sassy.

Source: Instyle UK

Dolls Replaced Michelle Obama, Jackie O and Carla Bruni in Harper's Bazaar Japan

The September issue of Harper's Bazaar in Japan featured the First Ladies fashion styles. Entitled as First Lady Chic, the magazine showcased the fashion statements of Michelle Obama, Jackie Kennedy, and Carla Bruni.

However, when you go through the pages of the said magazine, you'll be surprised to see that the First Ladies had been replaced by dolls. The dolls posed in different presidential events.







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