H+M MAGAZINE: COLOUR COLOUR COLOUR

Posted by Fashion Junior at Large

In the Autumn issue of H+M magazine, the Fashion Editor at Large explores the continuing colour transfixion, declaring that Raf Simons' SS 11 was a such 'a brilliant game changer for designers and fashion fans alike, amending the status quo for the autumn colour scale'. Just because the temperature's dropped and the sun seems not to have his hat on doesn't mean that we can't brighten up the world by wearing a 'small gang of colours'. We've already tipped you off about burgundy but get mixing with teal, mustard and violet for a truly now colour explosion.

IN GRAZIA THIS WEEK....

Posted by Fashion Junior at Large

We still cannot get over our Isabel Marant obsession. Our fringe-boot lust seems to reach new heights every day.

We couldn't fit this amazing shearling on the page but we still wanted to share it with you. We're thinking white patchwork mega coat plus burgundy leather skinnies plus white fringe boots equals AW11 Marant heaven.

The Kristin shearling is £665 at Selfridges

The Fashion Editor at Large also has her own column this week in which she spills the beans on the new fashion stalking/shopping obsession that is http://hardlyeverwornit.com/ . Click in to play 'Guess the previous owner' on items such as a vintage mink bolero (Ms Moss maybe?). The FashEd is also boldly stepping forth into AW with a full-on snake print look which she carries off rather fabulously don't you think?

DO THE LANVIN DANCE!

Posted by Fashion Junior at Large

You've mastered the macarena, the YMCA et al, but really we wouldn't dare crack out those routines wearing Lanvin. Well, now the label's dance challenge positively encourages a little foray into cheesy moves. Alber Elbaz is letting us know about it in a fun-filled video which also just happens to showcase the capes and cocktail dresses which dominate the AW11 collection- a feast for the eyes and ears.

Raquel Zimmerman and Karen Elson (who loves a party- she even threw a joint one with her ex Jack White to celebrate their divorce) are joined by Lowell Tautchin and Milo Spijkers in this manifesto for having fun in your high fashion. Elbaz himself was obviously loving Steven Mielsel's shoot so much that he makes a cheeky cameo, can you spot him?

Never fear, the fun is not reserved for the lucky models. Those of you who will be in New York on September 8th (when Vogue's Fashion Night out is taking place) can bust a move at the Lanvin boutique in a bid to win prizes, surely the chicest dance contest ever? And if you're not in NY then any dancefloor/ bedroom will do.

THE MCQUEEN EXHIBITION IS COMING HOME!!!!

Posted by Fashion Editor at Large



Alexander McQueen AW1O (Image courtesy of Alexander McQueen Savage Beauty)

 
With the petition to Bring Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty Home in full swing (with the Guardian, Huffington Post, StyleBubble and Grazia picking it up, the number who've signed sits at 2000 +), it seemed only right to find out what the team at McQueen HQ are thinking. So I put a call in to the people there, people I've known an almost indecently long time.

It goes without saying that the McQueen team in London want the exhibition home, this is their town as much as it was his, they just can't talk about all the machinations...yet. The conversation had with them would, if I were to share it here, be full of blacked out, off-the-records bits, so I asked them for a statement of the things they could say and here it is!

"Alexander McQueen appreciates the huge amount of interest the public has shown towards the Savage Beauty exhibition. We have been in discussion with a number of major venues in London for some time now however nothing has been finalised. Please be assured that an official announcement will be made the moment we confirm our plans for London."

Success!

Alexander MQueen SS1993 (Image courtesy of Winter Phoenix's Flickr)

The details are still sketchy, but it now seems certain that Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty will take place at a venue to be confirmed in London during 2013, the 20th anniversary of Lee's business. (He started his business a few months after showing his St Martins MA graduation collection named "Jack The Ripper Stalks His Victims" in 1992).

The rumour mill is already throwing up some surprising potential venues: Somerset House, The Truman Brewery (where the real Jack the Ripper indeed stalked his victims), The Tower of London, The London Dungeons, Battersea Power Station and some traditional art venues too.

The McQueen team promise to keep us all informed of any developments, so you'll know when I know.

Alexander McQueen AW06/07 (Image courtesy of Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty)

THE WEEK IN FASHION 22nd-26th AUGUST

Posted by Fashion Junior at Large

As August draws to a gloomy close, we have our usual round-up of the fashion news stories which have caught our eye this week, what better way to kick off the long weekend? Enjoy!

 Queen of the Statement necklace and bug-eyed spectacles, Iris Apfel has already (unsurprisingly) been the subject of a very successful exhibition, 2005's 'Rara Avis (Rare Bird)' at the Met. Now the 90 year-old style maven is to be filmed by Albert Maysles for a documentary.  Maysles seems to have a soft spot for the more eccentric members of New York's high society; he is the filmmaker behind  the 1975 documentary 'Grey Gardens' which charts the reclusive existence of Jackie O's aunt and cousin, Big and Little Edie Beale. While that is a heart wrenching story of dysfunctional relationships and social exclusion, we hope (and know) that Maysles' Apfel film will be more uplifting- how could it not be when it stars our favourite- in her own words- 'geriatric starlet.'

Iris Apfel is not scared of a chunky piece of jewellery (Image from fifka.pinger.pl)

After the incredible success of Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty at The Met in New York, speculation is building about how they can possibly follow it up. How long do they need to wait before doing another fashion exhibition without it just feeling like an anticlimax? Well it seems, that Miuccia Prada and Elsa Schiaparelli might be the answer. Before reading this news story I had never drawn the comparison between the two designers but they are actually a remarkably apt pairing, especially given their talent for making a subversive statement in their collections.
As a P.S to that Savage Beauty reference, don't forget to sign our #bringmcqueenexhibitionhome petition and use the hashtag on Twitter. The FashEd will have an update next week on the impact which the campaign has had. You will want to tune into that!

Schiaparelli in the 1930s. Image from (LisaWallerRogers.blogspot.com)

Miuccia Prada (Image from guestofaguest.com)

It is a truth universally acknowledged that Anna Wintour is the most powerful woman in fashion (isn't it?) but how about in the world? Well, according to Forbes she comes in at no.69, leaving the real superpower positions to the likes of German Chancellor Angela Merkel (no.1) and businesswoman and philanthropist Melinda Gates (no. 6). The world of fashion is still well represented with Gisele in 60th place, Andrea Jung, CEO at Avon, at 64, Diane Von Furstenberg at 91 and  Angela Ahrendts, CEO at Burberry at 58. Given that the fashion industry is one of the biggest employers of women around the world, we're glad to see some of the biggest players included in the power list.

Angela Ahrendts with Christopher Bailey. Under their supervision, Burberry became the first fashion company listed on the FTSE 100 (Image from thisislondon.co.uk)

The King of all collaborations will be unveiled on 22nd September with the Gala Opening of 'Ocean's Kingdom', a ballet composed by Sir Paul McCartney with costumes designed by Stella. Ballet is one of my favourite ways to pass an evening but the prospect of a production with music and costumes from two absolute heroes of their fields, neither of whom have ever forayed into ballet before, promises to be fresh and exciting and a must-see. Hopefully there'll be a big screen showing in London.

Paul with Stella and James on their farm, photographed by Linda McCartney (image from meetmeatmikes.blogspot.com)

Finally, Westfield Stratford City opens on 13th September, just in time for a pre-fashion week spree. Given that the space is in the heart of East London, it seems only right that the area's young talent and creativity is on show. Enter the Studio East panel which includes Roland Mouret and Erin O'Connor. They have chosen up-and-coming artists and designers to contribute to  creating a unique Westfield vibe. One of the winners is Julian J Smith who has designed glamorous uniforms for lucky Westfield staff- no dodgy fleeces or polyester monstrosities for them! Also look out for art installations and renewable energy initiatives from the Studio  East crew.

Julian J Smith's design for Westfield uniforms.

CURATORS, THE NEW COLLABORATORS?

Posted by Fashion Editor at Large

Towards the end of the Kate Moss for TopShop collaboration, you could almost feel the braincells at the Arcadia Group (which owns TopShop) head office exercising over what to do next.

Designer collaborations are one thing.  A collaboration with a "stylish person" quite another. A "stylish person" is not and will never be a designer (except for Kanye West, showing at Paris Fashion Week in September so I hear), and there is only so much steam to generate before it all peters out.

So, what next?  Curators, of course! Every major fashion boutique has a curator, a custodian who manages and oversees their institution, your Mrs B (Browns), or Carla Sozzani (Corso Como, 10) figure. Strictly speaking the term should apply to someone who manages a library or museum, as has been pointed out to me on Twitter, but fashion has nicked the term for its own ends.

On the world stage of high street retailing TopShop were first past the post with the idea. Earlier this year they set up their "Edited by" space at their flagship Oxford Circus store, a normal room-sized area for the design team to put their selection of what they consider to be the key fashion pieces. That idea was OK, (though I would always just head to the Boutique section of the store for my Top-shopping) but they really hit pay dirt a few weeks ago when "Edited by" got its first curator in the shape of the visionary young stylist Katie Shillingford from Dazed & Confused. (I still sigh with happiness everytime I so much as think about the divine wedding pictures from her August 1st nuptials.)

Katie Shillingford (via Hanneli.com)

Katie Shillingford's Edited By..(from insideout.TopShop.com)

Instead of creating a collaborative collection, just get someone with an amazing, unexpected fashion insider's eye to edit what's already out there, across basics and higher end product, down into an easy to digest package. Eureka! Not only do you get the vision of one unique person wrapped up, it also means you don't have to trawl the entire shop to find something that will jolt you out of your own fashion and style zone into a fresh new area. Katie's edit re-framed micro-mini dresses styled with Quentin Crisp jaunty coloured hats and animal prints, as more high fashion than high tart.

It makes so much sense, you wonder why the high street haven't done it before. “We needed to update the collaborations idea – mostly because everyone from Debenhams to Asda are doing it,” says Andrew Leahy, head of press at TopShop told me. “People are getting bored of collaborations. We even found with our designer collections that people – especially through our .com - are buying into key pieces, the add-on elements that are not signature pieces from the designer don’t sell because they don’t resonate with the customer.” 

The next "Edited by..." curator is Susie Lau who will bring her magpie eye to TopShop from Sept 1. For London Fashion Week, from 16th September, the curator will be my friend and Fashion East impresario Lulu Kennedy. I can't wait for either Lulu or Susie's edits to hit TopShop in both London and Manchester flagship stores and online, definitely a reason to shop.

TopShop are not alone in this though. Second past the post with a curator concept is H&M who have hired MisShapes DJ and all round fashion muse Leigh Lezark to help launch their shop-in-shop at Selfridges next Thursday. The Selfridges store is also an "Edited" concept, and they too have taken on a curator and it's the first time H&M have gone into a store without their name above the door.

Leigh and the Misshapes

Coat: Curated by Leigh

Dress: curated by Leigh

Striped top: curated by Leigh

Jacket: curated by Leigh

If you want, you can even meet Leigh next Thursday, August 25th at Selfridges Oxford Street from 9.30am. Personally I look forward to seeing H&;M's rolling list of curators for this project. Let's hope that between them TopShop and H&M keep this new curatorial chapter interesting.

FLO THE ARTISTE IS BACK

Posted by Fashion Editor at Large

As someone who greatly appreciates the creative oeuvre of Florence Welch, (+ her Machine) I am massively delighted that her new video celebrates her as an artiste, not a fashion icon.

It's great that Flo wears Gucci on tour, and that Valentino designers Paolo and Maria cite her as their muse in this months Vanity Fair, its even great that there's rumours of a TopShop collaboration. But enough already!

So trilbies off to Flo and her manager Mairead Nash for making this video go back to her roots as a singer/songwriter/performer and artist doing her thing in the studio, pencil and paper in hand, cans on her ears. In a pleasing turn the clothes in this video - all vintage - are mere accessories to her talent.

Put this on big screen and forget about the world for five minutes.

DO YOU BELIEVE?

Posted by Fashion Junior at Large

Twitter has been all a buzz today with the news that Marc Jacobs is to move to Dior, with Phoebe Philo taking up office at Louis Vuitton while continuing to design for Celine. We reported a few weeks ago that Marc may have been in talks to take over the Dior role but the addition of Philo's name is a new detail to mull over.

Some examples of the tweets fuelling the rumour mill:

'@Bryanboy: Imagine: Marc Jacobs at Christian Dior, Phoebe Philo at Louis Vuitton. Match made in heaven, yes? Can Marc do couture? That's the question.'

'@FashionFoieGras: Marc Jacobs for Dior and Phoebe Philo to fill his shoes at Louis Vuitton... That is today's prediction of the fashion musical chairs'

Phoebe Philo in The Gentlewoman (Image from www.rag-pony.com)

'@Vogue_London: Is Marc Jacobs really set to take over at Dior, and will Phoebe Philo be taking his place at @LouisVuitton_HQ? http://t.co/c1eLjmG'

'@JimShi809: #MarcJacobs said headed to #Dior, leaving #LouisVuitton open for Phoebe Philo (who'll also do Celine) & starting a major LVMH reshuffling.'

Where is Marc off too? Anywhere? (Image from fashionindie.com)

What are your thoughts, dear readers?

Would Phoebe Philo really take on the Louis Vuitton job when she has previously said that she only took on Celine because it meant she could remain and in London and juggle it with her two children? Would Marc tear himself away from all he has built up at Vuitton? What would Marc Jacobs' couture be like?

Can we really take these new rumours seriously? After all it's August and so everyone in Paris is en vacances. The FashEd's tip is that all will become clear in Septemeber once John Galliano has been sentenced. This is quite probably just another installment in this now long-running Dior job saga

Comment or tweet us @fashedatlarge.

DADDY, I STOLE YOUR COAT

Posted by Fashion Junior at Large

For FW11, there is something about a big coat. A coat so big that it tends to look like you might have borrowed it from your Dad/ Boyfriend/ Brother. In fact, a good way to try the look is to do exactly that. If you're anything like me, then before now you may have taken comfort in the 'big coat' look anyway. I can confess to stealing the jacket from my male companions' backs on numerous occasions as we stumble home in the chilly, small hours. Now there is a bona fide fashion excuse for this habit after Stella McCartney, Miu Miu, Michael Kors and others included blatantly oversized jackets in their collections.

Dolce and Gabbana

Michael Kors

 This look can be styled in two ways- take it straight down the masculine road by adding tailored trousers or make it feminine and sexy with a pretty dress, or nothing, underneath your big jacket. Take note of the silhouette at Stella and Miu Miu; the shoulders are wide and sloping (a significant departure from the pointy Balmain power shoulder) but the sleeves finish just above the wrist, rather than hanging down several inches below the fingers as an actual man jacket might. This flash of the slimmest part of the arm is extremely flattering and stops the jacket from bulking you up too much. Miu Miu's little coat also nips in under the bum, making for an altogether neater line than the flapping circumference of your Dad's suit jacket. Given that this male/female thing is set to be a key aspect of how we dress in the coming months, we would like to suggest that the single item which can transport you between the two looks most successfully will be the oversized coat.

Stella McCartney

Miu Miu

Kirsten Dunst wears the Stella look in her shoot for the current issue of Elle UK. Her pose pretty much sums up the appeal of these big coats- while the sheer dress beneath is revealing and daring, any vulnerability this evokes can be immediately countered by hugging the big blazer close. The ultimate comfort fashion.

Kirsten Dunst in ELLE UK's September issue.

These baggy, sculptural shapes are not confined to the coat. If you fall for the oversized look, then a tunic would be a great way to explore further. Raf Simons' version at Jil Sander is particularly desirable.

Jil Sander

WE RECOMMEND:

This tweed version by D&G is available now at My-Wardrobe for £565

We love the deep pockets and buttery colours of this Winter coat. £180, Coming Soon at Full Circle

£60 from Warehouse

All catwalk images from catwalking.com

THE WEEK IN FASHION 15th-19th AUGUST

Posted by Fashion Junior at Large

We've been having an exciting week here at Fashion Editor at Large; on Wednesday we were helping put the finishing touches to Mary Portas' fabulous new concept store in House of Fraser (a project which the FashEd has been very involved in. She is the genius behind 'armery'!). If you're anywhere near Oxford Street then take yourself to the orange lift from where you will be transported into a retail narnia where bellboys and brilliant stylists (passionate, enthusiaistic and knowledgable) will ensure a stress free shopping experience.

Mary with a member of her mannequin army (Image from telegraph.co.uk)

Secondly, our #BRINGMCQUEENEXHIBITIONHOME campaign is really gaining momentum. This week GraziaDaily, Handbag , Evening Standard and The Guardian have all joined us on our mission. While from a personal perspective we might be gunning for this because of our love of great design and beautiful clothes, we passionately believe that this is an exhibition which is important for so many reasons besides that; Lee McQueen's story is an incredibly inspiring one given where he began, what he achieved and his path to those achievements.His legacy will form an integral part of the UK's cultural heritage for many, many years to come so it is only right that we begin as we mean to go on.

Rosamund Urwin's Evening Standard piece from Thursday.

This week, the Global Language Monitor has decided that London has taken over from New York as the world's fashion capital- tell us something we didn't know! This shift has been explained as a consequence of the Royal Wedding and Kate's extremely wise choice to commision Sarah Burton at McQueen to create her wedding dress. This fact really does make bringing the exhibition to London a complete no-brainer. As a graduate of Art History, and clearly someone whose first love is not cutting edge fashion, Kate is the perfect example of how McQueen resonates as a brilliant artist as well as fashion designer.

The eyes of the world on the Middletons in McQueen (Image from Zimbio.com)

Legendary Vogue and Harper's Bazaar editor Diana Vreeland is to be the subject of a book, a documentary AND an exhibition at Venice's Fortuny Museum. Vreeland is a standout figure from 60s and 70s, known for her very particular style and modus operandi. In the photo below, I can't help but think of Miuccia Prada and her banana earrings- I know Vreeland's jewellery is a shark's tooth, or similar, but the quirkiness is just as cool. We can't wait to absorb all we can from these upcoming Vreeland themed projects, in  the meantime, some rather brilliant quotes.

A style tip - 'I always wear my sweater back to front, it is so much more flattering'

On taste- 'I'm a great believer in vulgarity - if it's got vitality.  A little bad taste is like a nice splash of paprika.  We all need a splash of bad taste - it's hearty it's healthy, it's physical.  I think we could use more of it.  NO taste is what I'm against'

Vreeland, animated (image from nymag.com)

London College of Fashion represents yet another reason why our city fully deserves its global fashion capital status. So, we are thrilled that the College is to open a pop-up shop on Carnaby Street to coincide with London Fashion Week. Among the designers whose wares will be sold in the space are William Tempest, Ada Zanditon, Beatrice Boyle and Hesan Hejazi. Opening night is on September 8th (Vogue's Fashion Night Out) and the shop will be part of the Carnaby Catwalk event on the 10th.

William Tempest's AW11, illustrated by Victoria Lyons (Image from thefashionscou.blogspot.com)

Nicholas Ghesquiere was interviewed this week by WWD. Bridget Foley's piece offers some particularly notable insights into the development of Balenciaga over the past few years- it seems models have had a lot to do with the label's direction. In fact, if it hadn't been for models spying the prototype of the now massively recognisable Lariat, then it may not ever have been produced on any great scale at all. Ghesquiere tells Foley that 'The handbag element was and is a great element of a growing business'. Balenciaga (as a business) had recognised this and the lariat was simply one of a number of potentials which had been dismissed. Until, that is,'every girl who was walking [the show], including Kate [Moss] came in and was like, ‘What is that? Is it vintage? Is it something that you found at the flea market?’ I was like ‘No, it’s a handbag that we prototyped but just didn’t produce.’

Image from allure-allure.blogspot.com

 Ghesquiere also credits Gisele with steering him away from crazy high heels and back to flats; 'I understood sometimes the pain on the feet... the idea was to have this crazy casting with Gisele and Amber Valleta and Carolyn [Murphy]. They were not used to walking with heels any more. Gisele was worried; she would not work with my heels' These comments are an invaluable insight into the power of the model to override, or drive the creative vision. Ghesquiere clearly believed that the models were more important to Balenciaga than the high heel. Maybe this is also about a woman's perspective though; Ghesquiere admits to exploring the house's archives and finding lots low-heeled shoes, he understood that these would be more comfortable for a woman to wear and such assumptions were confirmed by Gisele, and so the Balenciaga flat was re-born.

Gisele walking for Balenciaga SS11, in flats (Image from dailymail.co.uk)

 After the very exciting news that Isabel Marant is to open a store in London, we were also thrilled to hear that Helmut Lang is also getting in on the act with their biggest European store opening on Westbourne Grove on September 1st. A Helmut Lang shearling coat is top of my AW fantasy shopping list, as modelled by Saskia de Brauw.

Helmut Lang AW11 (Image from Style.com)

Finally, CONGRATULATIONS to Micheal Kors who married Lance Le Pere this week on a beach in New York state. Kors said 'To marry someone as wonderful and special to me as Lance barefoot on a glorious beach is more than I could have dreamed of''. I concur entirely, for I would also like to marry someone as beautiful as Lance, barefoot on a beach.

Lance and Michael (Image from WWD.com)

IF YOU'RE JOINING US FROM THE EVENING STANDARD/GUARDIAN

Posted by Fashion Junior at Large

Then welcome, and thank you for coming to check out our #bringmcqueenexhibitionhome campaign. Rosamund Urwin and Imogen Fox have said it all. You can read Fashion Editor at Large, Melanie Rickey's thoughts about why this is such an important cause here. Please do take the time to sign the petition by following the widget below,  adding your thoughts in the comment section and tweeting the link with the hashtag #bringmcqueenexhibtionhome.

Petitions by iPetitions.com | Get Widget

For your appreciation, Alexander McQueen FW10, his final collection (style.com)

FW11 TREND #3: HERITAGE

Posted by Fashion Junior at Large.

Next up on our menu of FW11 trend reports is Heritage- think blue-blood, aristocracy, crumbling stately homes and wholesome country pursuits. This trend encompasses a lady in two very different, but equally glamorous and elegant guises. In the first, she is hunting, riding and shooting thus requiring riding coats with practical elbow patches, a warm polo neck and some jodhpurs. When the horses are stabled and the guns stored, the skirts come out, but are still tweed-centric, and the addition of a decorative silk shirt  transforms the gutsy equestrian to Lady of the Manor. This is our muse.

Celine's riding inspired opening look for FW11(Image from catwalking.com)

Margaret Howell FW11

Two women who sum up this trend are Wallis Simpson and The Queen (we are very sorry Your Majesty, to mention your name in the same sentence as a woman's we can imagine you are not mad keen on but fashion needs must). The Queen is the ultimate country pursuits poster lady, always resplendant in custom made riding jacket and neatly knotted silk scarf. Even at 85, recent pictures show she is still able to pull off this look with aplomb.

A young Princess Elizabeth riding with her sister, Princess Margaret (Image from telegraph..co.uk)

Softened with a silk scarf. A lesson for Ronald Reagan from The Queen (Image from wikipedia)

 There is a great deal of buzz surrounding Wallis Simpson at the moment. Most notably, Madonna is preparing to release her biopic W.E which examines the life of the woman who remains somewhat of an enigma; there is still great intrigue surrounding her relationship with Edward VIII and the reason why he would choose this woman over the God, country and duty he had been brought up to believe in. Sartorially, Wallis represents our archetypal Lady of the Manor. A legendary hostess, Wallis always dressed exactly as the occasion demanded and her look was invariably accessorised with a cigarette.

Wallis with Edward. Her suit is ladylike AND tweedy (Image from englishtap.com)

Let's not forget that not so long ago, Madonna herself developed quite an obsession with all that is English and Aristocratic. She rode, she shot, she had the Gloucestershire acres and she wore the tweeds. The manifestations in her look and lifestyle may have now worn off, but her involvement in W.E indicates that something of this story had a great resonance for her. To celebrate the film, Vanity Fair's September Issue features a shoot with the actors playing Edward and Wallis, James D'Arcy and Andrea Riseborough respectively. Arianne Phillips has done a sterling job collaborating with the likes of Dior, Dunhill and Stephen Jones to create bespoke pieces for the shoot. Very handy too that they also provide perfect inspiration the Heritage look.

Lady of the Manor does evening in Dior and Cartier (Image from www.fashionista.com)

Andrea Riseborough wears a brilliant Dior twist on tweed  (Image from www.fashionista.com)

Dashing (Image from www.fashionista.com)

So those are the muses... How did the catwalks do it? Here are some of our favourites.

A careful concoction of tweed, elegance and modernity at YSL (Image from catwalking.com)

Gucci. Perfect for Afternoon Tea. The stole adds glamour and keeps you warm in blustery big houses! (Image from catwalking.com)

Tweed, deconstructed. Modern day Girl of the Manor at Erdem (Image from catwalking.com)

Mulberry make it modern with crinkly socks and long hair (catwalking.com)

Celine's Pre-Fall collection pre-empts this trend. The trench is a good transition alternative to full on tweed (Image from style.com)

Celine makes riding the tube as elegant as riding a stallion. (Image from style.com)

Now, do it yourself. As we have previously said, don't take these things too literally otherwise you may end up looking like a walking anachronism. That said, I have been fantasising about my own riding coat from Savile Row and some custom made riding boots. Equestrians and Ladies of the Manor alike are all well catered for. Here is our curation of what's available NOW.

Fedora £55 from Reiss

Skirt £170 D&G at Net-A-Porter

Shirt £270 See by Chloe at Net-a-Porter

Riding Pants £64 American Apparel

Elbow Patch blazer ASOS £65

Chelsea boots £62 Topshop

Pretty, pretty dress £175 Whistles