My Friend Brix

Posted by Fashion Editor at Large

I'm currently at Babington House about to assist in an event named "An Evening with Brix Smith-Start." A lot of people find it an unlikely pairing, but nevertheless the fact remains Brix is one of my dearest friends and I adore her. Which is why tonight, at 7.30, I will be interviewing Brix in front of a live audience who have paid to see/hear her at Babington. I compiled a Power Point presentation full of images of Brix's life from her as a big-haired precocious L.A teenager who counted Bret Easton Ellis as a friend, to a rock star in the group The Fall (and living in Manchester), to the girl friend of violinist Nigel Kennedy and now fashionista, pug lover and co-owner - with her husband Philip - of the Start boutique in Shoreditch. Not forgetting of course her growing television career. Brixie has co-hosted Gok's Fashion Fix, Promzillas, and pops up regularly on This Morning as fashion correspondent.

Brix with her bass guitars

To assist in the presentation, I've put my two favourite Fall videos in here - plus a hilarious interview with Brix and Mark E. Smith of The Fall, and more of Brix the fashionista. They wouldn't work within the Power Point...Grrr... So what better window than here?

GHOST IN MY HOUSE



L.A





Interview on Snub tv




The Start of Start



Brix at LFW

WHO ARE YOUR UNLIKELY STYLE ICONS?

Posted by Fashion Junior at Large

In this week's Grazia, the Fash Ed and I have had great fun choosing the unlikeliest of muses for our AW wardrobes. I am feeling a definite affinity with a Del Boy look with so wrong it's right polo neck and sheepskin combinations and a bit of bling as the cherry on the sartorial cake. Meanwhile, the Fash Ed is enamoured with the Fraggle Rock look- think super fun textures and bright, bright colours. They are such 'happy, jolly creatures' she says- I don't think they could be anything else given their cheering appearence!

Quentin Crisp- Gay Icon and general fabulous dresser

Del Boy and a darling 60s air hostess

Have fun with a nun... and a fraggle.

As space in Grazia is at such a premium, we couldn't fit in our sixth Unlikely Icon but we think she deserves your attention. So, meet the cowgirl.

Jane Fonda in stills from the fabulous 1965 movie Cat Ballou  

The real Lucy Ewing (aka actress Charlene Tilton)

Jason Wu's city-fied cowgirls for FW11 (from catwalking.com)

FEAL recommend....

7 for All Mankind at Donna Ida



River Island £75



Rokit- from a selection. Around £80

Topshop £16

True Religion shirt £206

Hat from Vanessa Bruno £288

Collar tips- a must have styling accessory this season- £10 from ASOS

HEADONISM: GETTING HATTY WITH IT

Posted by Fashion Editor at Large

I love a hat. I bought one the other day with cat ears on it. It's by Marie Mercie of Paris bought at Browns Focus (see below). When I first put it on, Mary was like, "errrr...have you lost the plot?" There were sniggers from a couple of 15 year old girls, but soon enough they were asking to try it on. Five minutes later I was clucking for it to come back to me. Wearing it gave me a buzz of fashion excitement I haven't felt for a while. It reminded me that I suit hats and that wearing one can offer a different perspective on life. Every time he sees me Philip Treacy says "Melanie, you have the perfect face for a hat." I bet he says that to everyone, but still :)

Self-portrait in the car with Walter

My hat in black, from Browns

Hats are big news for Fall/Autumn 2011.  Fedoras are everywhere courtesy of Frida Giannini's stellar and mega-influential Gucci show, but "novelty" hats are really taking headgear fashion to a new place.  As such, it was interesting to note that popping up as a last minute addition to the London Fashion Week schedule on Friday evening is Headonism, the BFC initiative curated by Stephen Jones which celebrates the new wave of emerging London milliners.

The hatters invited by Mr. Jones to take part all come from the "novelty" school. They are Charlie Le Mindu, J Smith Esq, Noel Stewart and Piers Atkinson. I put the word novelty in inverted commas because, well hats in themselves are a novelty today aren't they? Not like back-in-the-day when everyone wore hats. Both Coco Chanel and Halston began their careers as milliners; such was the demand for hats for every occasion from the 1910s to the 1960s. If a hat has cat ears, is made of hair (Charlie le Mindu) or a barbie doll, it is a double novelty, but somehow this makes them easier to wear now.  Like "I know I'm wearing a hat, it's a novelty, and because it is such a novelty I'll wear one that has novelty value." It certainly seems to be working for Piers Atkinson.

Piers Atkinson's I Heart Anna hat, part of his Spring/Summer 2012 collection to be showcased this Friday night (16th September) at Headonism, curated by Stephen Jones OBE, at Somerset House

I'm something of  Piers Atkinson fan, and am looking forward to his salon show with a performance by lovely Paloma Faith next Monday evening. I also rather adore this piece from his new collection for SS12. Last season he riffed on the word "Paris." This season it's Anna. Here I leave you for a few lines of his press release, mainly because this is exactly how my brain processed the "Anna" connection... and it made me laugh.

"BUT – which Anna? Fashion’s most famous: Anna Wintour?! Or Atkinson’s muse: Dello Russo? Does the blue hint at Piaggi? Or is it the British Fashion Council’s most international of Annas; Orsini? Could he mean our very own styliste-de-jour, Anna Trevelyan? Or, most likely, is Atkinson celebrating them all?!"

Now I've taken the plunge with my Marie Mercie Paris hat, it is only a matter ot time before the Givenchy hat below comes into my possesion. And the glasses.... I love love love this!

Givenchy backstage FW11, by Catwalking.com

An evening with the milliners, hosted by the BFC and Ascot Racecourse will be held Friday 16th September from 5-7pm, in the Embankment Galleries, with a speech from Stephen Jones OBE.

NEW YORK FASHION WEEK: THINGS THAT MAKE ME GO WUUUUU

Posted by Fashion Editor at Large

I am not at New York fashion week. Want to be there, but couldn't justify the cost in time out from LFW prep and cost. I try make myself feel better about the fact I'm not there by telling myself that - and this is purely personal - only two handfuls of NY designers showing are properly relevant to the global picture of fashion. The rest are successful and pertinent in their homeland.

My NY stars are Marc Jacobs (+ Marc by Marc Jacobs), Alex Wang, Jason Wu, Philip Lim, The Row, Donna Karan, Calvin Klein, Diane von Furstenberg and Ralph Lauren. Also these days I can't not look at Joseph Altuzarra, Peter Som and Prabal Gurung to see what they are picking up on.

Though, as a side-thought, and in a kinda nostalgic way, I am loving that Tara Subkoff has properly brought her label Imitation of Christ (IoC) back to life in the form she originally created it back in the late nineties. Tara was feted then, and she and her friend Chloe Sevigny (who worked on the label too) were the coolest girls in NYC.

An older and wiser Subkoff did a runway show Thursday at the ballroom of the W hotel in Union Square that doubled as the actual wedding of model/actress Lydia Hearst to a man who, according to Susie Lau is called Miles. Though, from the impression I get no-one thought it was real at the time. Surely turning a genuine wedding into a fashion show (or is it the other way round?) is a fashion first?

N.B  SEPTEMBER 13th UPDATE, The Cut blog reported over night that Lydia Hearst claims she is not married after all, and remains resolutely single. So the most twsitedly cool fashion event of NYFW was a stunt after all!

Lydia Hearst and her un-identified new husband. (Image Racked.com)

IoC, in its original form, showed wonderful, crafty and romantic ways to re-work vintage, and seeing the girls dressed in1930s flapper dresses, and depression-era-seeming tea dresses as they wandered dreamily down the aisle made me wish I was at this particular happening.

I want it all. Imitation of Christ by Tara Subkoff

So, as I am not in New York, I use subscription only catwalking.com for visual close ups, flick onto Graziadaily.co.uk to see what our style director Paula Reed is up to and of course, for its complete hose-down of everything that breathes at any given fashion week, Style.com. I have been a fan of style.com since it began in 2000, and still miss my friend Sarah Mower's writing on there, (she's now at American Vogue's website, critiquing. A site, despite forcing myself to be patient with it, I find painful to navigate) though Tim Blanks and Nicole Phelps have stepped into the empty chief critic position at Style with aplomb.

ANYWAY..I've been dreaming of and waiting patiently for the day that on a catwalk site like style.com, a still catwalk image would be accompanied by a moving image, (what a geek). And this morning, when having some face time with the Jason Wu collection -  massive fan of his work and all that - I saw the day had come!  A button to the left of the image says "move It!" and boom, sure enough when you press said button on look 11, Jourdan Dunn - in a black lightweight parka with a decidedly 40s's hourglass/fishtail shape, gym shorts, and a pink lightweight knit over a cute-collared shirt - look, she walks!

Here are the looks from the show that made me go Wuuu...

Jason Wu SS12 (catwalking.com)

With his Spring/Summer 2012 show Jason Wu has picked up with some tiny trends that were emerging at the last shows, and run with them. Namely peplums, an hourglass silhouette of tiny waist and full volume at hips, pretty pink, acid-ish yellow, decorative collars and wearing the same print top-to-bottom. His look is very European American; and this collection is most definitely for a modern, young and cool version of Grace Kelly. Top marks.

THE WEEK IN FASHION: SEPTEMBER 5th-9th

Posted by Fashion Junior at Large

Before we get on with the business of the day, I just need to tell you my own fashion news highlight of the week. Last night, at Vogue's Fashion Night Out, I spied the delectable David Gandy as I walked along Bruton Street. Of course, the moment I spied him my, erm, journalistic instincts kicked in and I chased after him to ask, rather blatheringly, for a photo. He kindly obliged. I'm ashamed to admit that I'm still not entirely familiar with the machinations of the FashEd's camera so my image is, to put it mildly, terrible. But hopefully you can just make out an Adonis-y silhouette.

Sorry David, I'm no Mario Testino. Things can only get better.

 I didn't manage to get around too many FNO events as I was attending a talk about another aspect of my work with the FashEd. However, I did poke my head into Liberty for a yummy Mahiki cocktail and then went on to Stella McCartney (via Bond Street which was madness). A little while ago I blogged about the polka dot, and in particular Stella's dress. So, I was thrilled to play at being Natalia Vodianova as well as having a little dance at the disco. I also thought Nicoletta who works as a supervisor at the store looked amazing in her sheer polka dress so couldn't resist sharing this photo with you.

So those are some snippets my VFNO. Now onto other stories making the news this week- it's been busy!

Yesterday, John Galliano was found guilty of making anti-Semitic remarks. He received a fine of 6,000 euros which he will have to pay only if he re-offends. He must also pay a nominal 1 euro to each of the victims of his crime. It's a shame that this saga has dragged on for so long now but we hope that a line has been drawn which mean Galliano can concentrate on getting himself well.

Vogue Italia never fails to disappoint and this month's cover is no exception. We are completely intrigued by their transformation of Stella Tennant which must surely have involved some photoshopping, don't you think? Her impossibly cinched waist  and brutal piercings are said to have been inspired by artist Ethel Granger who claimed to create the smallest waist ever at a mere 13ins.

Ethel Granger (image from chicquero.com)

Following on from Love magazine's What Lies Beneath shoot, we bring news of a rather unlikely case of fashion photography plagiarism. This time Steven Meisel seems to have done two very simailar editorials for Vogue Italia and W magazine, both featuring Raquel Zimmermann. Having shot every cover of Vogue Italia since 1988, Meisel is no stranger to working with the team there however this was his first time working with W. Each shoot is a kind of before and after sequence, showing models in natural, off-duty poses and then in more stylised, made-up looks. While self-plagiarising doesn't really hurt anyone (apart from making you samey), the real issue here may be the effect the discovery has on Meisel's relationship with the two publications, especially given the contrasting relationships he has with both. The fact they both belong to the same publishing house, Conde Nast, entangles the issue further.

On the top is the Vogue Italia shoot, On the bottom is the W one (Image from telegraph..co.uk)

The unbelivably successful young blogger Tavi launched her new online magazine Rookie and from my older eye it looks very cute yet savvy. Tavi is fitting in her editor-in-chief role around teenage mundanities such as school. If any of our younger readers have a point of view on the subject we'd love to hear it! We also love Tavi's recent attempt to recreate the Hailee Steinfeld for Miu Miu ads. More pictures over on Style Rookie.

Tavi does Miu Miu (image from stylerookie.com)

This week, Lisa Armstrong has begun her tenure as Fashion Editor at The Telegraph. She kicked off in the best way possible with a fabulous Tom Ford interview ahead of his showcase on Sunday of London Fashion Week. We learn that Mr Ford is partial to an episode or two of The Only Way is Essex, his cultural highlight of the year. Lisa and Tom debate whether the British sensationalist ways go back to Punch (Tom) or Chaucer (Lisa) and he divulges that a woman at her best is slim and limber. There's a bit of sex in there too.

Tom Ford gives the middle finger to TOWIE naysayers. (image from fashionindie.com)

Another wonderful interview in The Telegraph, this time Kate Finnigan talking to Katie Grand. Images of fashion brilliance are conjured with Grand's tale of drinking in Azzedine Alaia's apartment with Grace Jones while watching films of the designer's show. 'I die I die' Jones apparently exclaims. And that's just another day in the life of Katie Grand. Cool. Read the interview for amazing insight into Katie's role in honing the collections of the likes of Marc Jacobs, Ungaro and Jonathan Saunders.

Katie Grand (Image from oystermag.co.uk)

 Yesterday, Topshop Chicago opened its doors with a little help from Phillip Green, his daughter Chloe and Miley Cyrus. So, quite a different vibe from April 2009's New York launch with Kate Moss as the star attraction. It has long been speculated that Chloe is set to take on a bigger role at Arcadia but we wonder if her position so firmly at her Father's side is an indicator of his anointing her as his successor. Of course, it will be a while before that actually happens so in the mean time Chloe will be kept busy with her forthcoming appearances on Made in Chelsea.  And while Miley Cyrus may be the 4th richest person under the age of 30 in the world, the choice to have her open the store sends an entirely different message from the previous Moss affiliations.We wonder if Miley and Chloe had a who's-richer-off, and more to the point, who would win?!

Miley is flanked by the Greens outside Topshop Chicago (image from Topshop)

Finally, I have mentioned the Diana Vreeland book,film and exhibitions which are coming up before but this week we'd like to give a special mention the film 'Diana Vreeland: The Eye has to Travel', which had its premiere at the Venice and Tulleride Film Festivals at the weekend. The FashEd proclaims herself to be Diana Vreeland's biggest fan and is already planning her trip to Venice to see the exhibition at Palazzo Fortuny.

Diana Vreeland ( image from brookspeters.com)

ADELE SHOULD NOT BE TOO BIG FOR VOGUE TO DRESS

Posted by Fashion Editor at Large

Yesterday I Tweeted "Dear Vogue UK, why, when photographing celebrated size 16 Adele in your October 2011 edition, did you only snap her from the neck/chest up?" Cue an avalanche of replies in agreement; "I was thinking the exact same thing" was the majority reaction. While others tweeted about the seeming hypocrisy of Britain's ultimate high fashion glossy using our current greatest British music artist (and export) on its cover, and then not delivering her in full-length fashion shots inside.

Adele's cover (image from gossiponthis.com)

What a missed opportunity, when there are so many Vogue reading women who would love to see how the magazine and its stylists would deal with beautiful Adele's voluptuous figure. Well, truth is, they didn't. And the clothes she is wearing are not available to buy at all, which adds insult to injury if you are a woman who likes fashion and is larger than a size 14.

what, no clothes? (Photo: Solve Sundsbo/Vogue)

Two of the dresses are "to order" from Burberry, which means they were custom made for the shoot. The other dress (barely visible, but described as 'metallic silver dress', £1280) is from Clements Ribeiro, but unhelpfully at the back of the magazine there is no listing for where Clements Ribeiro is sold. We called Clements Ribeiro's PR, who said the label and the dress are available on Net-a-Porter. In fact, they had been misinformed. The dress is not on Net-a-Porter, and when we called them, their press office said "the dress is not on our current list", so that one is not available either. The message here is, "we might be a fashion magazine, but, er, we couldn't find much for Adele to wear, so we got a few bits made, lets hope no-one notices..."

The Clements Riberio dress is here somewhere....

Well, busted! I love the photos of Adele by Solve Sundsbo, the hair by Samantha Hillerby is stunning, the Charlotte Tilbury make-up sublime and those nails! Anatole Rainey, I salute you! Christa D''Souza's interview is, as always, frank and open, but I think Vogue are leaving themselves open to criticism over the way they handled the fashion shoot. I'm no disgruntled size 14, and have been slim my entire life, but I feel short-changed. Hey Vogue, why not demonstrate how to celebrate Adele's shape, and give fashion confidence to legions of shapely women?

Nice lace, same about the dress.... (Photo: Solve Sundsbo/Vogue)

For her part, Adele loves fashion. In the piece she tells Christa; "Before I got into Johnny Cash and discovered June Carter [his wife] and decided to wear nothing but black from there on, I wore loads of colour, and like, miniskirts over jeans. But, like, now I love old school. Chanel, Prada, you know. And Burberry, definitely."  Adele changed her style from colourful to old-school black after being dressed for the Grammys by stylist Barbara Tfank on the suggestion of Anna Wintour.

Chanel's largest size is a French 50, or a UK size 16/18. Prada's largest size is Italian 46, or size 16, and Burberry and Clements Ribeiro goes up to a 16.  So why couldn't Vogue put her in off-the-peg?

Q Magazine managed to show full length photos of Adele.... (from Q: July 2011 issue)

Anyway, for interested parties, I think I have found the "invisible dress" by Clements Ribeiro from the Vogue shoot (photo above), Adele wore it on Tuesday night for the Mercury Music prize, and indeed has been wearing lots of Clements Ribeiro on her recent tour of US and Canada.  Doesn't she look lovely?

Adele wearing Clements Ribeiro on Tuesday to the Mercury Prize

What do you think? Please share your thoughts with me...

(Friday 9th September update: Scroll down to see the comment made by Inacio Ribeiro of Clements Ribeiro, staing where the dress can be bought)

GLITTER SHOES: OUTDAZZLE THE NUDE

Posted by Fashion Junior at Large

Miu Miu FW11. Note the glitter shoes sparkling as they walk away on the left (Image from catwalking.com)

On the shoe front, Summer 2011 has been rather dull. Duchess Kate brought nude heel 'fever' upon the nation, egged on by early enthusiastic ramblings about the leg-lengthening magic such a shoe might offer. Nobody ever thought that though one's leg might look longer, the effect of no feet or shoes might be so disturbing as to detract from any initial benefit. ANYWAY, September is here and the fashion press are keen to move on from Summer's yawn-inducing blip. Lisa Armstrong at The Telegraph and Karen Dacre at the Evening Standard have both plumped for the red shoe as the New Nude. I would like to introduce you to the real fashion choice: the glitter shoe.

I understand that the red shoe is probably a more likely contender for what Kate wears next but the for the rest - break free! Abandon the nude boredom (by the time of Zara Philips wedding, the entire Royal clan had nude feet) and have a glitter party a la Miu Miu and Dolce Gabbana. The great news is that although these styles are particularly fabulous in heel form, the brogue and trainer versions will also bring glitterball brightness to an autumnal morning. The ultimate members of the glitter heel club are the Miu Miu varieties, some of which have already sold-out. Thankfully, there are still plenty to chose from but here are our favourites.

Miu Miu at My-Theresa £555

 Marc Jacobs at My-Theresa £525

Love the glitter/calf texture clash on these Miu Miu at Net-a-Porter £400

Glitter slippers- Pedro Garcia at Net-a-Porter £225

ASOS £40





Sparkly brogues at Dolce and Gabbana FW11 (Image from catwalking.com)

 These are boys shoes but they would be rather wonderful for emulating a Dolce and Gabbana catwalk look if your feet are anything over a size 6. I would love to spot a boy with beglittered feet, do you know any who might dare?


Glitter for Boys: Ask the Missus at Office £71.99

 If your glitter fixation knows no bounds then you could spend the whole of the next few months swinging between a Miu Miu heel and a Miu Miu trainer. We are very seriously considering that option.

Available at Miu Miu stores and concessions