IN THS WEEK'S GRAZIA...

Posted by Fashion Junior at Large

...we wax lyrical about the brilliant idea of using your iPad case, make up bag or any other cool pouch-type-accessory as an alternative to your standard It bag. With the fantastic array of coloured zip-ups currently on offer, it's easy to switch from your standard shoulder bag to something a little more sleek. They also offer a sneakily lower cost option from a full on designer bag; one friend of the Fash Ed uses her £200 Mulberry cosmetic pouch instead of a £700+ Alexa, and the beautiful patterned Marc by Marc iPad case comes in at - you might want to sit down - £35.

This is one trend everyone can invest in - and one that was inspired by the super success of the Celine pouch, which kicked everything off. Available in lots of zingy colours, these colour-pop zip-ups were seen under many fashionable arms at the shows; as captured by Tommy Ton in the way only he knows how.

Images: Tommy Ton for Style.com

RESORT 2012 - FASH JUNIOR GETS BIGHEADED!

Posted by Fashion Junior at Large

Following on from the Fash Ed's Resort 2012 selections, I too had a go at our favourite 'dress up dollly' game to model my own top picks. Judging by these choices, I will primarily be wearing sky blue, hot pink, black, white and gold over the next few months, and acting like a starlet in a Sixties movie.

 Celine's hot hot hot pink throw-on shirt dress. For those 'I feel like Barbie days'.I'd probably have to pair it with a LOT of eyeliner or something to balance out the Pretty in Pink-sugary-sweetness...

 ...and would definitely NOT wear it at the same time as this flipping incredible Michael Kors coat. Wowzers.

 Marc by Marc's dreamy 60s party dress, for the Betty Draper days (and nights)

Whilst Roksanda's crossover playsuit is just classic cool.

 Richard Nicoll's gold dress has spot-on Sixties Sophia Loren style. Could also be teamed with sheer pale tights for an even more Carnaby Street feel, but I'd rather wear it whilst sitting at a cafe in Cannes (note: I am not a member of the Made in Chelsea cast. I'm talking about 1960's Cannes, with Brigitte Bardot posing on the beach in a bikini)

Back in Blighty, with a complete lack of summer weather, this more appropriate Stella McCartney ensemble is simple yet highly effective, Mod-ish awesomeness.  I'd swap the shoes for a nice patent loafer for extra Quadrophenia points.

 Bobby socks? Patent heels? A full tulle mini skirt? A JUMPER WITH A GOOGLY STRAWBERRY ON IT? Nobody does cute like Mulberry do cute. Did I mention it has a strawberry on it?!

 Peter Jensen has produced my favourite Resort images by far (above and below), ostensibly inspired by a silver-haired Meryl Streep, looking cool (as always) in various New York locations. Weirdly, my hair is the same colour as the model, which makes these Big Head pics look even more odd. Seriously though, the clean lines, pastel colours, loafers and general Sixties NY gal perfection made me fall in love with Jensen just a little bit more.

And finally, in true fashion show tradition, the bridal couture...

...er, not really! But this Lanvin number would definitely help me get my Jerry Hall on. Or look like a debutante. Either way, Alber strikes white gold with this one.

RESORT 2012: THE BIGHEADS ARE BACK!

Posted by Fashion Editor at Large

Oh, I just couldn't resist the lure of a Big Head post! What better way to celebrate my favourite looks from the Resort 2012 collections, I ask you?  It is a bit "look at me" as so many blogs and fashion editors columns are these days but Susie Lau, Lisa Armstrong, Jess Cartner Morley and Polly V have so much fun starring in their own personal fashion shoots, why not join in? This way I get to be skinny and jump around a lot in nice clothes without lifting more than a few fingers on photo-shop (well, ahem the Fashion Junior does that, so I can't lay claim to the effort). I've been confined to bed all week due to a rather unexpected turn of events so have had ample time to peruse the resort SS12 collections and formulate exactly where fashion is going. Here are my top ten personal picks.

Max Azria

The easy cotton shirt, tracksuit-ish trousers and little retro looking pumps are so SS12. Trust that sporty vibe

Celine

Phoebe is still leading the pack with her work. Love the trilogy of shirt, trouser and sporty jacket in an all over wallpaper print on black.The sporty track jacket is delicious.

Celine

Mmmmmmmmmmm.... Makes me want to break out  my copy of White Women by Helmut Newton

Gucci

I am a confirmed fan of Frida Giannini's work.Think what you like about that, as I'm not your cookie-cutter Gucci girl. This dress is proper great. I'm also in the market for a Gucci handbag. I haven't bought a designer bag for over a year because I cannot find anything I like enough.

Kors

This outfit has my name all over it, except the shoes. NO to them. I still love pink trousers, a year after first seeing them

 

Preen

Thea, Justin? Remember when I saw you the other night and said I loved your Resort coll? Well, this is my favourite outfit. OK?? (Mel, stop fantasising)

 

Vuitton

Marc has been doing patterned pajama's at Vuitton for a while. A lot more people are doing them now (Celine, Jonathan Saunders, Thakoon, Gucci to name a few) but his are still my favourites. I could do with a pair of these now, for looking stylish against the pillows, and enable me to pop up for yet another blood test looking cool)

Jason Wu

This guy is fast shaping up to be my second favourite New York designer

 

Lanvin

This is luscious

Lanvin again!

If you're going to buy a jumpsuit, this one with a matching turban has to be the ultimate. Looking at it makes me dream of the social events I might attend in it, and the things I would get up to and sod that its white. 

Photos: style.com

ARE YOU FEELING MOD? I AM

Posted by Fashion Editor at Large
Additional research Bethan Holt

Last week we explored aspects of Teddy Boy style. This week we delve into the even more influential-for-now Mod style...

Incidentally, British high street fashion retailers have reacted to the Mod influence shown in pre-fall and catwalk collections for Autumn/Winter 2011, so be prepared for an onslaught.


The Mod and his Moped were inseparable (image from 60smodfox.blogspot.com)

 The Mods (i.e. Modernists as opposed to Traditionalists) can truly lay claim to having permanently changed  the British cultural landscape. Their key stomping ground was Carnaby Street where they would all meet up on a Saturday to spend their hard-earned cash on sleek Italian tailoring and Parkas to protect said tailoring as they sped about town on their most important accessory- the moped. The shopping destination of choice was John Stephen's 'His Clothes' from where trends were dictated. Here is Stephen himself telling us his key pieces for the wannabe Mod.  Particularly interesting is his response to the analysis that Mod fashions might be effeminate. For his generation, no, he says: that is the old thinking which he and his peers are seeking to challenge. These sentiments are so key to the events which would come to give that decade its ‘Swinging Sixties’ moniker- swinging from the old school, stiff upper lip to a sexual revolution  which ultimately came to be expressed in the hippie movement.

The Beatles in moddish mode with their sharp suits and chelsea boot/winklepicker hybrids (image from last.fm)

The details here- the contrasting lapel and skinny collar- scream Mod (Celine Pre-Fall 2011)

In 1966, The Kink's 'Dedicated Follower of Fashion' signified just how much the Mod generation had permeated the national consciousness- they had become so big that they were now worthy of a highly public mocking. According to The Kinks, Mods were all 'eagerly persuing the latest fads and trends' and could alter their attire at a moment's notice- 'one week he's in polka dots, the next week he's in stripes'. 

The Mod look has proved a huge source of inspiration for the AW11 collections.To perfect the Mod look, there are several key pieces which your wardrobe must contain. An extremely slick overcoat, preferably of the parka or trench variety, slim fit trousers, crafted using the very latest in Italian tailoring techniques and a skinny collared shirt- the specific colours and patterns would have changed on a weekly basis for the 60s Mod. but for AW11 it seems that Celine's geometric blue will set the standard.

One of the four amazing parkas from Joseph Altuzarra's AW11 collection



The sharp lines of the trench, with it's exaggerated epaulettes, and peep of tailoring in Burberry's AW11 collection
recall the Mod silhouette

Celine's generous and precisely tailored coat from the Pre-Fall 2011 collection is perfect for emulating the Mod's preferred cover-up while also encompassing vibes of the Italian tailoring worn underneath

The perfect moddish shirt- Celine Pre-Fall 2011

 On the shoe front, the Teddy Boys' beloved winklepicker was also a Mod favourite- a chelsea boot or desert boot will also do the job nicely. And finally, it won't fit in your wardrobe, but to carry off the Mod look to perfection, a moped, preferably a Vespa (Italian clothes, Italian wheels) is essential.

A Chelsea Boot try on session (Image from thesongsthatpeoplesing.wordpress.com)

Burberry and Celine are the go-to labels for the AW11 interpretation of the Mod look but be prepared to see plenty of high street references too. The Mod's sartorial signature soon gained a more futuristic and geometric slant. Silhouttes became bolder and colours brighter. This was also when the female Mod look really came into its own, with mini lengths and the Vidal Sassoon five point hair cut . At Balenciaga, there is a nod to this brighter aesthetic but the Italian tailoring and longer length coat still dominates.

Celine's Pre-Fall 2011 trench seems to bridge the gap between the 'classic' mod look and the progression to colour and geometric construction

Balenciaga also showed space-mod influences for AW11

Balenciaga AW11

Images courtesy of Catwalking.com and Style.com

TEDDY BOY COMEBACK FOR AW11

Posted by Fashion Editor at Large

Additional research by Bethan Holt

For Autumn/Winter, we will be seeing a lot of influence from the British youth subcultures of the 50s and 60s, notably Mods and Teddy Boys. So, we decided to investigate what was de rigeur for these young people seeking to break free from the wartime austerity which characterised their childhoods.

Abbey-Lee as a Teddy Girl in Dolce Gabbana AW11

First up, the Teddy Boys. These teenagers from disadvantaged areas of London are often credited as being the first to define a distinct identity for a group that weren't children, but were also not quite ready to call themselves adults. I am always keen to find a literary reference and that is easy-peasy with the Teddy Boys as their high maintenance look has roots in the dandy figure of the late-Victorian and Edwardian era, some 50 years before. In fact, the name Teddy Boy comes from this association with the Edwardian period. The poster boy for this look is the venerable Oscar Wilde whose preoccupation with velvet jackets and flamboyant buttonholes is legendary

Teddy Boys got their influence from Dandies. Their icon was Oscar Wilde. Here he is looking whimsical in the 1880s (image from www.wikipedia.com)

 The dandy attitude- placing having fun and looking pretty  above all else- provided an ideal template for the Teddy Boys. We have been hugely entertained by the brilliant names for all the elements which made up their look. The BROTHEL CREEPERS were orginally worn by soldiers fighting in North Africa in WWII and the thick crepe sole would save feet from getting burnt. Back in Blighty, they carried on wearing the army issue shoes out and about and so the creeper became the brothel creeper (we'll let you make the connection!). There is also a theory that the name comes from the creep dance which all self-respecting Teddy Boys perfected. 

Prada's flatforms for SS11 bear more than a passing resemblance to the Brothel Creeper

Doing the creep! (Photo- a 1980s teddy revival- from A30yoyo on Flickr.com)

WINKLE PICKERS provided an alternative to the brothel creeper; a sleeker option which 
has consistently survived in the mainstream (Image from http://www.riotmode.net/) How fabulous is this shot?

Also demonstrated above are the ANKLE STRANGLERS, which would be sewn in at the
bottom to create the desired effect. A coloured sock peeping out at the bottom finished
the look. Finally, the DUCK'S ARSE is probably the last thing we'd want on our head 
but this is the name given to highly sculpted, grease heavy hairstyle sported by the Teddy 
Boys. Although not exclusive to the Teddies- it was widely worn throughout the 50s , its
prevalence shown through the film which arguably epitomises the decade, Grease- it is a 
vital part of the signature look.

Elvis with his "Ducks Arse"

Here is a fascinating clip of Wayne Hemingway (of Red or Dead fame) discussing his
impressionsof the style choices of the Teddy Boys.  Key musical heroes for the 
Teddy Boys included Jerry Lee Lewis, Elvis, The Drifters and Cliff Richard (Never
thought you'd see his name in a fashion blog did you?). We also love the video below
of Buddy Holly, who was another key musicalinfluence on the Teddy Boys, on a 
rather prim and proper American dance show. The contrast between Buddy's rock
and roll sound and the perfectly poised ladies in the background, dressed

in their Dior 'New Look' influenced attire shows the tug between vastly different
reactions to the post-war era. Don't you think everyone should be dancing around
the background rather than standing tall, looking like puppets?!

The Teddy Boys certainly paved the way for men to become more engaged with their
fashion choices  but it wasn't just a question of style. The Teddy Boys may have been
swathed in velvet and inconveniently tight trousers on the outside, but these outfits 
were a mask for a more sinister motive. They were notorious for carrying around
knives in secret pockets of their jackets. After the release of Blackboard Jungle, they 
rioted and so the Teddy Boy name became associated just as much with violence as it
was with the seismic shift in men's attitude to fashion which they spearheaded.

Dolce and Gabbana are mostly responsible for bringing the Teddy Boy back into the
fashionconsciousness. They used velvet collars, winklepickers, coloured socks and
even a hint of a duck's arse to recreate the Teddy Boy aesthetic. Phoebe Philo also
references the subculture in her Celine Pre-Fall collection.

Dolce and Gabbana AW11

Celine Pre-Fall 11

Images courtesy of Catwalking.com and Style.com

MY PARIS AW11 A TUMBLE OF IMAGES

Posted by Fashion Editor at Large

It was a monumental Paris. A game-changer, at least in terms of the business of fashion. The last time there was more to report on than the customary new trends and fashion shows was in the late 90s and early 2000's when LVMH and Gucci Group were snapping up designers and brands for their respective conglomerates.

Who knows what will happen between now and September/October when the next runway shows take place. Will Riccardo be moved to Dior as is the word in all quarters? Is Haider Ackermann commercial enough for a move into Givenchy? Can John Galliano recover enough to be seen in public, and can he hope to resurrect his career? Is Sarah Burton designing the Royal wedding dress; or is she, as she protests, busy working on the McQueen brands' hugely significant Met Museum exhibiton, and dressing the attendees of the accompanying ball (three days after the wedding) instead? One thing is certain, right now the fashion industry is the perfect muse for a contemporary Shakespeare. The actual fashion isn't bad either. I'm working on that too. As is customary post the catwalk shows, for the next week I will be sitting in a darkened room with the fashion junior creating a trend report of the season before it all dissolves from my mind...

So welcome to my Paris fashion week tumble.

At the end of the Dior show, which was pretty but surreal after years of seeing the Galliano spectacle, atelier staff came out to take a bow in place of John Galliano. The team, in their white coats, stood and modestly clapped us the audience, while we clapped them. It was a masterful and emotional moment, reminding us - following a decade in fashion that championed fashion designers as stars - that while the creative talent of a fashion house can be disposable, the fashion house itself remains sacrosanct.

This little book is indispensable to me throughout Paris, telling me where to go, when, and who to see about what.

David Bowie taken from Phoebe Philo's inspiration book, placed on seats at the Celine show. Phoebe has hit her stride at Celine. Her show was solid.

Rather loved the Jean Paul Gaultier invitation, and the show was the first one of his I have loved in a long time..

The Jean Paul Gaultier show finale

The Givenchy invitation tickled me; this is a close-up of the Jaguar head featured on one side of the invite. The eyes reflect the silhouettes of a naked make and female. I wonder if this is the exact print Riccardo used in his collection? (below) On closer inspection I don't think so, more's the pity.

The Hakaan invitation was beautiful; this is going into a memory box for future use.  

Below is the translation of Sidney Toledano's address from the beginning of the Dior show. While I respected and admire the manner in which the Dior brand reasserted its power, I still cannot help feeling sorry for John Galliano the man. I hope he will be forgiven for his outrageous conduct.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Since its founding by Monsieur Dior, the House of Christian Dior has lived an extraordinary and wonderful story and has had the honor of embodying France’s image, and it’s values, all around the world. What has happened over the last week has been a terrible and wrenching ordeal for us all. It has been deeply painful to see the Dior name associated with the disgraceful statements attributed to its designer, however brilliant he may be. Such statements are intolerable because of our collective duty to never forget the Holocaust and its victims, and because of the respect for human dignity that is owed to each person and to all peoples.
These statements have deeply shocked and saddened all at Dior who give body and soul to their work, and it is particularly painful that they came from someone so admired for his remarkable creative talent. So now, more than ever, we must publicly re-commit ourselves to the values of the House of Dior.


Christian Dior founded his House in 1947.


His family had been ruined in the Crash of 1929 and his own beloved sister had been deported to Buchenwald. In the aftermath of the dark years of the war, he sought to free women, to give them back their sparkle and joyfulness.


Christian Dior’s values were those of excellence in all that he undertook, of elegance and of craftsmanship reflecting his unique talent. His mission was not only to make his clients – indeed all women – more beautiful, but also to make them happy, to help them dream. He saw himself as a magician who could give women confidence and make them ever more feminine, more sublime. He believed in the importance of respect and in the capacity of this fundamental value not only to bring out the beauty in women, but also bring out the best in all people.


His values, his genius and his legacy have contributed to enhancing France’s image and culture around the world for more than sixty years.


The values that Monsieur Dior taught us are unchanged today. Those values are carried on by the wonderful and diverse group of people within the House of Dior who devote all their talent and energy to achieving the ultimate in artisanship and femininity, respecting traditional skills and incorporating modern techniques.


The heart of the House of Dior, which beats unseen, is made up of its teams and studios, of its seamstresses and craftsmen, who work hard day after day, never counting the hours, and carrying on the value and the vision of Monsieur Dior.


What you are going to see now is the result of the extraordinary, creative, and marvelous efforts of these loyal, hardworking people.
Thank you.

Chanel AW11 by Karl Lagerfeld. Chanel I would wear.

More Chanel pour moi.

Roland Mouret always sends us a little note.

The show notes for Nina Ricci, one of the highlights of my Paris and one of my favourite catwalk looks. I am making it my business to profile Peter Copping, that is if he will let me after I compared his looks to an old photo of Monsieur Dior. He took it well though.  

It was lovely for Phoebe Philo to share some of her visual inspiration with us. I can totally see how these images have inspired her work.

Stella McCartney is another designer sweet enough to add the personal touch to her fashion show notes. In her show Stella had a bit of an 80s Miyake, Alaia and Montana big-shoulder-small-waist moment that I have a feeling will be mighty influential in the coming months.

Stella McCartney AW11. Is Stella studying 80s Miyake and Claude Montana "State of Claude Montana" silhouettes? I like this a lot.

Chloe show notes, and a look from a show that can only be Chloe. I hope Hannah MacGibbon stays on there. She has her own very good thing going on.

The novelty show of the week was Nicola Formichetti's work for Thierry Mugler, the show began a week that was topped and tailed by fetish inspired shows - Louis Vuitton ended the week. (Givenchy was also rather fetish, as was Giles show in London.) By the end of Paris fashion week I was taking the fetish trend seriously.

Mulger by Nicola Formichetti

It also begs the question: why can Lady Gaga get away with smoking on a runway, and Kate Moss can't?

 Lady Gaga smoking on the Mugler runway

Kate smoking on the Vuitton runway

Another still from Phoebe's book.

Finally, to my fashion-show music of the week; Chanel. Karl Lagerfeld seemed to take inspiration from the 1979 Cure track A Forest (my all-time favourite Cure number).

Come closer and see
see into the trees
find the girl
while you can
Come closer and see
see into the dark
just follow your eyes
just follow your eyes

I hear her voice
calling my name
the sound is deep
in the dark
I hear her voice
and start to run
into the trees
into the trees

into the trees

Suddenly I stop
but i know it's too late
I'm lost in a forest
all alone
The girl was never there
it's always the same
I'm running towards nothing
again and again and again

The show setting felt like we were in the middle of a post-apocalyptic forest with the models stomping in their flat boots through scorched, smoking earth. The quality of the sound coming from the speakers was pretty awe-inspiring. Five days afer the show, the song is still going round in my head. The collection also had some great not-typically Chanel elements too - the butchy trousers, workman inspired boots and some fantastic tweed capes. I leave you with The Cure in 1979. Here, Robert Smith looks like Ben Affleck. Clearly his thick eye-liner and badly applied red lipstick wearing days were just around the corner.

Images: Modem, Celine (Artists Research Management and Anna Kustera Gallery), Jean Paul Gaultier, Givenchy, Modem, Hakaan, WWD, Chanel, Kenzo, Chanel, Roland Mouret, Chanel, Nina Ricci, Celine (Larry Fink, Sibylle Bergemann) Stella McCartney, Chloe, New York Times, Celine (The British Council), Christian Dior, Chanel All catwalk images: Chris Moore/Catwalking