THE AW11 CAMPAIGNS WE LOVE

Posted by Fashion Junior at Large

The arrival of the BIG September issues has finally brought together the slow trickle of campaign images which have been released throughout the Summer. The excitement these ads create is a sensation in itself, especially if they feature a notably young/ famous/ odd person (delete as appropriate). They also bring the brand's new fashion message to the masses. Basically, they're kinda significant, but you knew that already, right? But which ones are actually doing their job and drawing us in?
Here are our top picks....
1. MIU MIU
Miu Miu's decision to use fourteen year-old Hailee Steinfeld provoked rather a lot of debate when it was announced. Although using very young models or actresses is by no means confined to Miu Miu, we were interested to see the direction they would take with the pictures - would they try to make her look like an adult? Or, would the brand play it charmingly tongue-in-cheek and show Hailee simply enjoying the best game of dressing- up EVER? Judging by the latest Bruce Weber shots to be released, they went for the utterly charming approach...

Miu Miu sequins- just what every young girl wears to pop out for a pizza. 

Awwww. Not so much a snow angel, as a shoe angel

This is rather sad. Like nobody will play any more.

I am no photography expert, but to my amateur eye these images look just a touch soft at the edges, which gives them an even more innocent allure. It's almost as if they were taken spontaneously to capture a precious moment of a little girl growing up, by a parent or relative. In reality, they are the result of careful styling, will create millions in revenue and appear in some of the most expensive advertising spaces on the planet. So, I am taking my proverbial fedora off to Miu Miu for creating this adorable effect.

2. MULBERRY
Mulberry continues the slightly whimsical, childish theme with its Fantastic Mr Fox themed campaign. This is unmistakably the work of Tim Walker, tricking the eye as the page is turned to reveal bemused models and their Mulberries dwarfed by giant foxes and owls and other woodland curiosities. To recreate this effect for yourself, simply get you and your favourite bag down to the Southbank Centre where the supersized straw fox will provide the perfect prop!

A Taylor bag - seen above in large and small versions - and a pretty pleat is all you need for Mulberry themed country high jinks

3. PROENZA SCHOULER 
Proenza Schouler have chosen to underline their particular take on the print story which continues into this season by framing Zuzanna Bijoch's poses for Willy Vanderperre with graphic, simplified echoes of the patterns on the clothes. I love that this campaign is really just all about the clothes and the ideas behind them. Pared back and stark.

An exquisite autumnal palette

4. BALENCIAGA
Balenciaga, shot by Steven Meisel, gives us the juxtaposition of old and new- Nicholas Ghesquiere's sharp, modern pieces are worn in a convent- like setting, and then in a super futuristic, pristine cube. We are particularly seduced by the smokey surrounds and sharp architecture of the 'old' images. Balenciaga's subliminal message seems to be 'these clothes can worn anywhere, as long as it's as chic as they are'.

Balenciaga looking sharp

5. CHANEL
How could we not include these mega-cute Chanel images- a collaboration between a trio of the most-wanted people in fashion, Carine Roitfeld, Freja Beha Erichssen and King Karl himself (who took the photos). The FashEd is particularly enamoured by the shot of Freja looking a little dishevelled with a message scribbled in eyeliner across her forehead. My favourite is the extremely feline whisker and flowers-for-ears combination. Again you can recreate the look for yourself by popping to your local photobooth armed with eyeliner and/or some cat ears, easy!

6. GIVENCHY
While Mulberry takes us on a woodland romp, Givenchy prefers a more exotic rainforest-esque setting. Mariacarla Boscono is cast as a kooky bird of paradise, holding court in her den of sumptuous print and colour.

Givenchy shot by Mert and Marcus

7. MARC JACOBS

This post would not be complete without a mention of our unmitigated delight at Helena Bonham Carter's teaming up with Marc Jacobs and his long-time collaborator Juergen Teller. An absolute stellar choice of ambassador for Marc's AW dottiness. 

A lesson from Helena- You don't have to be a 14 year-old to make fashion fun.

And last but not least, we love this slightly skinny, suitably stubbly indie boy, with his luscious mop of hair, hanging out in his Diesel pants.

 Images courtesy of FashionGoneRogue.com, Diesel.

THE TRENDS A/W 2011 - FETISH

Posted by Fashion Editor at Large

Part of what I've been up to since returning from the shows is deciding on the trends for Autumn/Winter. As regular readers know trend-hunting is a geeky hobby of mine as well as being proper work. Making educated guesses is fun -and after viewing hundreds of shows, visiting dozens of showrooms and taking in every fashion retailer press day in Britain I reckon I've got it sussed. I will share my predictions on the way we will wear next season over the next week. There is something for everyone, and I mean everyone!

1. MEET THE FETISHISTA

Gaga smoking for Mugler by Nicola Formichetti

Visible underwear, lots of shiny stuff and boob handling at Mugler by Nicola Formichetti

Marc Jacobs

Givenchy by Riccardo Tisci is decidedly pervy.  Yes, an outfit comprising a cat-woman riding hat, Bettie Page bra and thigh revealing sheer netting over thigh socks CAN be feted as fashion.  

Ferragamo takes the simple Helmut Newton photography approach to the fetish trend, using a chignon, smear of red lipstick and judicious leather slicing to full dominatrix effect.

How to fetishize the fetish of Louis Vuitton at Louis Vuitton

Its dirty, its leathery, and it plays peek-a-boo with thighs and torsos, and ooo there was a lot of it about at the shows. Marc Jacobs topped and tailed the Autumn/Winter 2011 show season with fetishistic displays using Latex and strictly tailored ponyskin at his Marc Jacobs collection, and The Night Porter style peaked military caps, handcuff bangles and severe sheer at Vuitton.

The nearest most fashion lovers get to kinkiness is leather trousers. So it remains to be seen if they will take to Latex pencil skirts, rubber knee high boots, corset belts and control underwear as outerwear. 

Personally I liked Lena at Les Chiffoniers stretch leather dress with peekaboo net underskirt.

TOMORROW:  MOD GIRL

OUR PICK OF PRE-FALL 2011 - FASHION EDITOR AT LARGE

Posted by Fashion Editor at Large

Anna Dello Russo, I thank you for inspiring this post.  There is nothing like popping a cut-out of one's oversized head onto an outfit to judge its suitability for the wardrobe, (and to laugh quietly to yourself at said images while colleagues look on with a concerned frown.)

Now onto the serious business of how good the pre-fall collections are for AW11. Designers and brands are definitely putting more time, thought and effort into them. In fact, when I do have enough spare cash to buy from catwalk labels, I rarely, if ever, buy catwalk pieces. I buy pre. Not consciously, it's just what I gravitate toward. All the Celine I bought last season was pre, for example. This will happen again next season. To my mind these clothes are just more wearable for everyday life. They are a stylish fashion statement to go back to time and again. Much preferable than buying a catwalk piece that has massive impact, but that can be worn less often because it is so memorable. (Of course I do make exceptions!) So here are my top ten buys from the pre-fall collections.

There is something so appealing about this sleeveless denim coat by Alexander Wang. Think of the variety that can be achieved with the sleevage!

I am in love with the work of Peter Copping at Nina Ricci. His work has a fragile toughness that is so appealing and chic. I would dare to say Copping is my favourite designer at this moment.  Also he is English, not that this should be a moot point, however its a qualifier for me.

The last couple of Balenciaga collections were fabulous, but to my eye hard to wear. The pre-fall on the other hand was full of great, approachable  pieces. Balenciaga designer Nicolas even reprised his Alsatian head intarsia knit that I remember from the mid-noughties. The structure of this dress is elegantly bold and can work as an amazing fashion statement all year round. 

As a child my favourite teddy was Rupert the Bear; this is the only way to explain away my obsession for plaid trousers. These from Celine will be mine.  

This zingingly vivid violet outfit by Derek Lam is addictive.

Does Phoebe Philo actually know me and study the workings of my mind? This is my dream work outfit. 

Really like how Riccardo Tisci at Givenchy has given a sexy twist to the new covered up austerity sweeping through fashion. There seems to be a competition to see how much of a woman can be covered up, and to edit sexiness out of fashion altogether. This look thumbs a nose to that with its transparent layer.

Oh Alber! Beautiful fashion in motion.

When I was a kid my favourite two TV shows were Magnum and Charlie's Angels re-runs. My favourite Charlie's Angel was Sabrina the boyish one whose wardrobe consisted of flares and tight tops. This is an "uber-Sabrina" look by the other Peter, Peter Dundas of Pucci, my second favourite designer of the moment. This makes me want to leap off pavements busy going places...

Big respect to Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen whose collection The Row is super-sophisicated and modern dressing in the masculine mode that is so wildly popular in the contemporary collections. Hands up: the above look is how I dress almost every day, and I would very much like to update my basics with these from The Row.

Photos: Courtesy of the designers

INTENSELY CLOSE, IMPOSSIBLY BEAUTIFUL: GIVENCHY HAUTE COUTURE

Posted by Fashion Editor at Large

Riccardo Tisci of Givenchy was having none of that fashion show malarkey this season. This designer marked his tenth couture collection for the house by casting aside the fashion show format altogether. Tongues wagged at first – financial trouble? Loss of confidence? Nope. He wants to show off.

Haute Couture is best viewed in close-up. How else to appreciate the 1000 hours of embroidery in a single gown? A fashion show can’t do this, as well Tisci knows, so his alternative was fabulously logical: face time with the clothes with all the detail you could want about the work. Voila – surely the future way to show couture?

Within an exquisite four room apartment at the historic Hotel d'Evreux on Place Vendome he showed ten looks suspended from sleek steel beams and beautifully day-lit to highlight the thousands of hours of work. These were clothes for hard-bodied women with millions in the bank, major events to attend and the confidence to wear either pure white, pale blush or blinging gold. No black in this collection!

Tisci loosely worked with two themes: the Mexican Day of the Dead tradition – and all its associated humorously macabre nick-nacks from skeletons to skulls and his favourite symbol, the crucifix – and the passions of Frida Kahlo.

I loved the humour of his bodysuit in blush tulle, sheer bar for the lace appliqué delicately mapping out a human skeleton. A 100% gold crystal studded gown Tisci developed from the dress he created for Lara Stone when she married David Walliams was also present. Most beautiful was the thickly fringed sculptural jackets – a Givenchy jacket is a thing of wonder. You don’t see shoes that appear to have been dipped in porcelain everyday, or sculptural rings resembling vertebrae made from solid silver and dipped in alabaster (below). Of course it was all utterly magnificent to behold.

The best factoid of the entire visit, though, was news that Riccardo Tisci’s former male PA, is now a female model called Lea T, who is currently much in demand on the high fashion circuit. Lea is in the group picture below that was the last stop on the Givenchy couture tour. Can you tell which one she is?

I guessed straightaway, only because she was the only model I didn't instantly recognise. This then made me think - what hope would a non-fashion person have picking the man among these amazonians?


To read more on Lea T's inspiring story click, here for a Guardian interview; here for a Huffington Post round-up on Lea T media, and here for a more in-depth story about living as a transexual, or with gender dysphoria. Also check out this website, if you want to take your studies further.

Photos: Fashion Editor at Large