Coppola Collaboration.

So one of the latest Designer/Celebrity pairings doing the rounds at present is that of boy wonder Marc Jacobs and Sofia Coppola for Louis Vuitton. When I first caught wind of this I was filled with unimaginable glee (despite the fact that affording such possessions was another matter)- bringing the two together seemed like peaches and cream; a perfect yet simply concocted equation resulting in a mass of dreamy pastel hues and a burst of freshness on the tongue.It is a small capsule collection,consisting of three footwear designs and three bag designs but there was enough to potentially satisfy.

However, I find myself somewhat saddened by the turnout of the collaboration.Yes,Kate Moss (according to Elle) may have already snapped up some of the items and yes,they might appeal to classic,minimalist types but instead of that delicious fruit pudding,I was left hungry. Additonally, there was no sign of the aforementioned pastel hue, instead red, gold and black were the favoured colour selection.

I'll let you be the judge.

http://www.louisvuitton.com/web/flash/index.jsp;jsessionid=YRJX2QU103EFOCRBXUXFAHYKEG4RAUPU?buy=1&langue=en_GB&direct1=home_entry_gb

Sinful Stilettos.

I know those designers love their height, but with the stream of models-those trained in the art of the walk- falling from grace (smack onto the catwalk), you'd think we'd perhaps be due for a slight heel shrink.Wrong.In fact, if the range of designs employed by fashion houses this spring is anything to go by, we can only expect heels to continue their grapple with gravity.
The french lead the way it seems, with Celine sending down bold-hued shoes with an obvious nod to Bauhaus while Chanel,as only Karl Lagerfeld knows how, encorporated the classic quilting into boot-esque stilettos and iced them beautifully with a large Bow finish. Alber Elbaz went the extra pedicured step however, attempting to distract our eyes from the sky scraping heels with a childlike sprinkling of gems,studs,sequins and any other trinket that Elbaz could find in his (one presumes vast) sewing box.
For me, the italians have always done the issue of inches best- Miuccia Prada for example,gives nauticism a new twist with her scarlet,black and cream snakeskin platforms and Emilio Pucci,shunning this time the Psychedelia so favoured and opting for the fantastically trashy cream and white cut out option.
Chiropodist anyone?

Vintage Delights.

Vintage Magpies are we listening?

Faced with the issue of time, the delightful pastime of scouring second-hand shops and vintage outlets simply is not as frequent as we might like it to be. And Ebay,for all its extensive and vast perks, still ends up requiring the same amount of time as you are forced to sift through worthless tat and half broken Paraphernalia. So to help (or at least get you started), I can recommend two vintage outlet sites:

http://www.steptoesantiques.co.uk/ -This site holds a large collection of Houseware,collectables,accessories and clothes in every shape,style and spanning a number of pivotal fashion decades.Plus,free UK Post & Packaging-never a bad thing.

Secondly,http://www.thehouseofpandora.com/-Though small in its collection,this site nevertheless offers a cherry-picked range of clothing, accessories and jewellery to satisfy at least one of our many needs. Additionally, the sites creators also put together looks,rather than merely showcasing an item, so that buyers struggling to justify purchases might be inspired to try out a new look.

Horticultural Hubbub.

Digesting the lastest dose of Vogue offerings (having welcomed it back into my life in recent months), I was excited at last to find a Green role model in the form of Laetitia Maklouf. Where Charlie Dimmock failed to satisfy our wants for a Gardener possessing both know-how and style, Maklouf brings both in equal measure, even admitting "I don't like dirt under my fingernails nor being cold and wet".

Such a confession brought great relief to me and I'm sure will strike a chord with many other women- whatsmore, with the release of her new book entitled 'The Virgin Gardener", a carefully compiled collection of simple gardening guides/concoctions, even the busiest and most incompetent of us will have time to follow.

Also contained are what most of us might deem the more 'expert' gardening practices such as distilling your own Rosewater, cultivating your own chillies and excelling in the art of 'window boxing' so there seems no excuse why one shouldn't be inspired.

"This young man was born in Lyon, the most miserable town in France, he will be perfect for Leeds”

Stepping into the brightly lit third floor gallery of the Leeds City Museum, one might be forgiven for feeling an overwhelming sense of being a passer by- wandering the streets of a Leeds long since gone. Indeed, nostalgia seems to creep up on you as you witness the blown up black and white prints of the city post-war, brought back to the present only by the sprinkling of modern day photographs.

And this was exactly the effect intended. For Marc Riboud, the photographer responsible for the exhibition- entitled ‘A Lasting Moment‘- and its content , the aim is to steer the viewer down a plethora of ’streets’ ,each lending itself to an area of life in 1954 and 2004.

While many students would be happy to sing the praises of Leeds as a cultural, fashionable and diverse landmark of the North, it was only by default that Riboud came to work here. Sent for his first professional assignment, Riboud’s mentor stated that “This young man was born in Lyon, the most miserable town in France, he will be perfect for Leeds”- an interesting motive if ever one was needed.
But his work does not disappoint; with evocative stills of industrial landscapes, life in suburbia and working in the factories, Riboud captures accurately a time where life seemed far simpler in this collection and emphasises it further by his characteristically crisp black and white images. The exhibition also holds additional importance, purely for its documentation of the developing landscapes, women breaking further into the mould of industry and signs of the developing concept of people as consumers.

Many of us would find it hard to grasp dwelling in a pre-technological time and by beautiful contrast the photographs displaying life fifty years later in 2004 show how life has become seemingly easier. Aside from the juxtaposition of colour with the black images, the scenes seem somehow more filled with buildings, figures and shapes. Furthermore, one aspect which soon becomes a clear sign of modern life in the collection is the blur created in a number of the images by fast moving objects and people.
In fact, there is almost an element of sadness in the loss of traditional ways of life as speed and the bustle of modern living are seen to replace the steady pace cleverly shown in the vintage prints Riboud injected so much “passion, a passion closer to an obsession” in to.

Adding another dimension to the already life-size surroundings and prints, audio commentaries from the people contained in the 1954 images also accompany the collection and provide insightful yet somewhat melancholy recollections of the time- “worlds away from how we live now” one lady declares on the tape.

Even if one has no particular link to this period, thanks to the clever structure of the exhibition and the way it so poignantly depicts the development the city and its citizens, ‘A Lasting Moment’ somehow begs for everyone to take a trip down memory lane. Reflect, as Riboud wanted, on both past and present and be prepared to get truly lost in the streets of Leeds.

Oh to be Male.

JAMES LONG, a name sure to gain serious column inches in 2009, successfully cemented his entry into fashion by way of his Royal College of Art graduate collection, which GQ Associate Editor Charlie Porter snapped up several pieces from. The Northampton-born designer, who holds an MA in Menswear and Accessories, then received further compliment when designs of his were featured in revered magazines Dazed & Confused, I-D and Numero. As is the way in Fashion, things never run smoothly and Long suffered a major set back last year when the Autumn/Winter collection was stolen from his Hackney studio just hours after it was so well received by critics at London Fashion Week. However, it was clearly a case of ‘things can only get better’ when he was given the task of commissions from Italian Vogue. Favouring robust fabrics with strong bondage references, they don’t come much more ‘out there’ than this, especially, as Long explains, "I use my sculptural accessories knowledge in the designs I create for clothes".Be in awe of the new Gareth Pugh (?) http://www.jameslonguk.com/

And while I'm dwelling on the delights of Menswear, let me mention my new favourite accessory designer J.W Anderson. His Spring/Summer 09 collection entitled 'An Eye For An Eye' contains some of the most beautiful beadwork and crystal craftsmanship I have had the pleasure of witnessing. The influence of Christ and the time in which he dwelled among the Romans is gloriously displayed in the form of religious charms, elaborate Caesar-worthy breast plates and a crown consisting of golden acorns; emblems "historically believed to give eternal life to their wearer", he claims. Furthermore, Anderson also stresses "a nod at the oil painting of Diego Velasquez and Raphael" as a reference point, something which explains perfectly the delicacy of the materials sourced and the detail the designer has gone to in creating this intricate, art-worthy collection.
http://www.j-w-anderson.com/j.w.anderson.html

Considering Erdem.

Okay,so it was a month ago that we first witnessed the delectable doll like silhouettes Erdem had to offer at LFW for Autumn/Winter 09 but having just about got over the lust for each item in the collection, I thought now an apt time to finally comment.

Never have I felt the need to hum Kate Bush's 'Babooshka' so much as when I was watching videos and flicking through runway shots of the show; the scarlet stained lips, the carefully concieved layering of rough fabrics with dreamlike prints, iced with dramatic soviet stitching and paired with the fairest, most porcelain models. Infact, the sheer romance of it all had critics and clients alike swooning at the sight, confirmation (if any was needed) that Canadian-born Erdem Moralioglu is here to stay with his seemingly effortless ability to combine innovative yet classic elements.

Taking tailoring in a fresh new direction, waspish waists were evident throughout- as was the influence of Erdem's former employer Diane Von Furstenburg who too is known for her penchant of a bright,bold and beautiful colour palette.Despite an array of antique details-carefully laced collars, emboidered flower waistbands-somehow the designer managed to merge influences from a number of decades seamlessly.A marbled jumpsuit with ruffled collar (1970s)along with a long sleeved gown, totally black except for the aforementioned floral waistband which screams of Fitzgerald's 1920s world.

Someone take me to Moscow!