LFW #25: ISSA Spring/Summer 2011

And finally, but by no means least:

Bright colours inspired by the sub-continent dominated the catwalk at Issa in a collection entitled - Indian Summer.

The bright fabrics - in fuschia, royal blue, yellow, purple - were draped, tucked, pinned and pleated in a series of sari-inspired cocktail dresses, gowns and trousers.

More muted colours followed the brights for a more subdued mid-section of the show. Although the turban theme continued throughout.

A selection of lace cocktail dresses in a variety of shapes and colours made for a break from the rest of the collection and a more structured finale to the show than the draping of the initial pieces.

This is a look that I plan to take inspiration from for my summer holidays next year.


What do you think of this bright and cheerful collection?


All photos: Style.com

LFW Best Of The Rest: Day 5

This is the penultimate of the London Fashion Week posts, after yesterday's long-awaited Burberry Prorsum post:

The Jaeger collection was filled with feminine lines created by the soft silk. I particularly like the printed silk monchrome dresses. Subtle and oh-so chic.

Jonathan Saunders' collection is in stark contrast to nearly everything else shown at London Fashion Week. No '70s inspired psychedelic flares, no '80s neons, no '90s frizz. Instead the looks were simple, chic and elegant.


What do you think of these collection?


Check back later tonight for the last of this series of posts of the collections from London Fashion Week.

All photos: Style.com

BARGAIN HUNTER: the coat of the season

Since it appeared on the Burberry Prorsum catwalk for Autumn/Winter 2010 in London in February this year, the aviator has been the coat of the season:

At London Fashion Week - which finished just over a week ago now - almost every second fashionista was seen in an aviator jacket, either "the real thing" or a bargain "copy".

With a retail price of over £2,000, the Burberry jacket is likely out of most people's budgets. But that is no need to dispair as every shop on the high street - or so it seems - has produced their own version, from as little as £30:

Clockwise from top right: Dorothy Perkins' chocolate faux fur trim aviator jacket; Topshop Fleece Collar PU Biker Jacket; ASOS Leather Aviator Jacket; Matalan Faux Sheepskin Aviator Jacket; and Next Brown Faux Sheepskin Aviator Jacket.

I am currently awaiting delivery of my very own version of the aviator from Next - just keeping my fingers crossed that they come back in stock!

Will you be rocking the aviator this season?


All photos: Elle.com

Style Icon: Keira Knightley

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This week's Style Icon is the British actress: Keira Knightley.

She first rose to fame as the slightly gawky teenage star of Bend It Like Beckham but, like the ugly duckling, she has blossomed into a glamorous and stylish young woman, both on the red carpet:

Sources: photo #1; photo #2; and photo #3.

and off it:

Sources: photo #1 and photo #2.

It is perhaps little wonder then that the actress was named the new face of Chanel's perfume, Coco Mademoiselle in 2006. She has since appeared in the advertising campaign for the fragrance in print and television:

Sources: photo #1; photo #2; and photo #3.

The actress's constantly changing hair styles have long been an inspiration for me (yes, I chopped all my hair off around the same time as she did!):



Source: photo #1 and photo #2.

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What do you think of Keira Knightley as a Style Icon?

If you have missed the previous style icons featured on the blog, check them out here.

Tell me, who is your style icon?

I am also looking for bloggers who would like to write a guest post for this series, about their Style Icon, please get in touch if you would like to get involved.

LFW #24: BURBERRY PRORSUM Spring/Summer 2011

I know it has taken a while for me to post this and that I am now a little late but it took me a while to have a proper look through the Burberry Prorsum show photos:

The trench coat is synonymous with the quintessentially British brand and no Burberry catwalk show would be complete without at least one walking the runway. Christopher Bailey did not disappoint, including not just one but sixteen iconic trench coats were showcased. But Bailey is not one to sit on his laurels and these coats were up-dated with the use of unconventional fabrics, additions such a studs and different sized belts and fastenings.

But the trench coat was not the only outerwear on the Burberry catwalk for Spring/Summer 2011, the biker jacket looks to be big news for next season. From lime green to metallic silver, leather to cotton, there was something for every biker chick out there:

It might have been all about the coat at Burberry this season but interspersed between all of these were some beautifully draped and ruffled dresses fit for any party girl:

And finally, what do you get when the king of the trench falls for a biker jacket? A bench?!

What did you think of the Burberry Prorsum collection for Spring/Summer 2011? I'd love to hear your thoughts.

All photos: Elle.com

How to... tell if you are a SHOPAHOLIC

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Last year I gave up shopping for six months in an effort to overcome my addiction. Sophie Kinsella's book - Confessions of a Shopaholic - which was then made into a film, makes light of the habit which for many women is no laughing matter.

Apparently, admitting you have a problem is the first step to solving that problem. Apparently. Although I admitted that I had a problem a very long time ago, I still seem incapable of kicking the habit.

Here, I will give you the five ways to tell if you - too - are a SHOPAHOLIC:

1. You hide purchases and trips to the shops: from your mum, your boyfriend, your husband, whoever. I am completely guilty of doing this! I often shove my shopping bags in the bottom of my wardrobe to get out at a later date when the boyf isn't around.

2. You have credit cards - and mounting debt - that no-one else knows about. Thankfully, this is something I do not have. Although have been known to over-spend in a month.

3. You are an emotional shopper: you shop when happy/sad/angry/whatever. I think I have admitted that I do this before. When I was at university, I would use a rubbish class, a boring lecture or a good grade as an excuse to go shopping.

4. You neglect your "needs" in order to pay for your shopping trips: bills, rent and food goes out of the window and in come shoes, clothes, make-up, jewellery. I admit, when I was at university, I thought nothing of living on beans on toast for a week in order to pay for a new outfit; today, however, I enjoy my food too much!

5. You are a compulsive buyer: you see something you want and you buy it. I'm getting better about this. I know where there are gaps in my wardrobe and what I need and tend to buy these instead of impulsive buys. But sometimes, something is just too good to miss!

Are you a shopaholic? Come on, no need to hide here.

Banana loaf

For the boyf's birthday - today - I decided to do some baking. I usually make a chocolate cake but this year thought I'd try a couple of different recipes from the famed Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook. I went for this banana cake as alternative birthday cake and some oat and raisin cookies (recipe to come).


It didn't exactly look like a birthday cake, until I added the candles, of course:

Ingredients:

270g soft light brown sugar

2 eggs

200g peeled bananas, mashed

280g plain flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground ginger

140g unsalted butter, melted

a 23 x 13-cm loaf tin, greased and dusted with flour

Makes 8-10 slices

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 170C (325F) Gas Mark 3.

2. Put the sugar and eggs in a free-standing electric mixer with a paddle attachment (or use a hand-held electric whisk) and beat until well incorporated.

3. Beat in the mashed bananas.

4. Add the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, cinnamon and ginger to the sugar mixture. Mix it thoroughly until all the dry ingredients have been incorporated into the egg mixture.

5. Pour in the melted butter and beat until all the ingredients are well mixed.

6. Pour the mixture into the prepared loaf tin and smooth over with a palette knife.

7. Bake in the preheated over for about 1 hour, or until firm to the touch and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.

8. Leave the cake to cool slightly in the tin before turning out onto a wire cooling rack to cool completely.

Eat and enjoy!

Mani of the Week: Rimmel London Fruities APRICOT PUNCH

This is another of Rimmel London's relatively new nail polish offerings, remember last week's Mani of the Week. And remember its USP? It is said to have a fruity scent when dry! I was intrigued to find out if this was true.

Turns out that is it. This one smells just like apricots. Mmm.

This is Rimmel London's Fruities in Apricot Punch and is a wondered neon apricot shade - perfect for next season.

What do you think?

Would this be appropriate?

To wear to work? Do you think?

I love these trousers but am not sure if they are a little "out there" for my wardrobe or whether they would be the perfect way in which to incorporate the animal print trend?

Model wears: top from Reiss and trousers from Next.

A/W 2010 Trend: Animal Print

With the return of Kat Slater/Moon, to the Square in Eastenders, so her favourite print is making a big come-back too.

Animal print is everywhere this season. It was all over the catwalk earlier in the year:

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And it is now all over the high street. It was big news too on the catwalk at Westfield's Fashion Lives show.

One such piece that caught my eye is this coat by the recently relaunched Biba collection at House of Fraser:

The length of the coat makes a real statement. I am not sure it one that I could pull off, as I think you have to be pretty tall for a coat of this length to work.

Will you be rocking animal print this season?

THE colour of the season...

is definitely: CAMEL.

It was all over the Chloé catwalk for Autumn/Winter 2010:

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The fashion show at Westfield this weekend opened with a series of looks in the colour of the season. It might not be the best colour for every skin tone but I think this collection of looks proves that all you have to do is find the shade for you.

As Fashion Foie Gras said, the great thing about a show like this is that, if there is something you like on the catwalk, you can go and buy it straight afterwards. So, in the same vain, if there is something you see that you like, you too can go and buy it now:

Top left: coat by Michael Kors at House of Fraser; shirt by Warehouse; and trousers by Warehouse.

Top right: dress by Ralph Lauren at House of Fraser.

Centre left: jacket by Whistles; skirt by Whistles; and top by Warehouse.

Centre right: coat by Whistles; and dress by Next.

Bottom left: jacket by Reiss; trousers by Whistles; and blouse by LK Bennett.

Bottom right: dress by Ralph Lauren at House of Fraser; cardigan by Whistles (just seen); and cape by Whistles.

Will you be wearing camel this season?

My London Fashion Weekend

My mum and I spent the day in London yesterday. We went to Westfield for a spot of shopping and to check out the trends for Autumn/Winter on the Fashion Lives' fashion show:

It was my mum's first ever experience of a catwalk show. I was pleased to have taken her to it and shared in it.

I have a good few photographs from the show and accompanying posts that will be coming up in the next day or two (as soon as I have a chance to edit the photos).

I also realise that I have a few more shows from London Fashion Week to post, including the crème de la crème of British fashion: Burberry. I felt like I needed a little time to absorb and assess the Burberry show, so I promise to post that very soon too.

Mum and I also headed over to Somerset House for London Fashion Weekend, where we saw another catwalk show and had a wander around the stands and stalls.

Did you all have good weekends? What did you get up to?

LFW #23: FASHION EAST Spring/Summer 2011

The dresses and tailoring in this collection are functional and fresh but the socks and sandals are not. If you read my Friend Friday post this morning; these are making me cringe. A lot.

I have fallen head over heels for Felicity Brown's ruffle-filled collection of chic cocktail dresses and separates. They are just right for the stylish-woman-about-town. This is definitely my favourite collection from the Fashion East show.

Simone Rocha - the daughter of designer John Rocha - was the third and final designer to show at Fashion East. The clean whites are cool and spring-like. Again though, the shoes let this collection down for me: the white ones look like the slippers one wears at a spa.

What do you think of these collections? Which is your favourite?


All photos: Style.com

Friend Friday #8: Fashion Dos and Don'ts

So many stylish women - bloggers, celebrities, models - profess to be "free spirits" and are held up for their "unique" sense of style. But for the rest of us - mere mortals attempting to navigate our way through the oft confusing world of fashion - there seem to be a whole host of rules, of fashion dos and don'ts. Socks and sandals/boots/platforms with bare legs were all over the catwalks in New York and London for Spring/Summer 2011 - again - but how good to these actually look on the everyday woman in the street?

This week's Friend Friday topic is all about those fashion hits and misses, all of those dos and don'ts:

1. What do you think are some of the top fashion don’ts? (Things you would never be caught dead in and cringe when other people wear them.)

Denim shirts. More particularly denim shirts tucked into jeans. With a denim jacket. Eek. I know that double denim was all "in" last season and will be again next season but, no. For me, it just looks all wrong.

UPDATE: After reading Taxonomy Of My Wardrobe's post, I have to add Crocs. Such a bad invention. Why anyone would wear them, I do not know but why anyone would wear them out, I am at a loss!

And after my appraisal of LFW's Fashion East show, I also have to add, socks with man sandals, like Birkenstocks. No no no. Never looks good. Always looks like a middle-aged British man abroad!

2. What previous fashion don’t do you now wear with pride?

"Jeggings". I've been a huge fan of skinny jeans for years but always thought that jeggings were something I'd never get my head around. Until I found the perfect pair.

I am also going to be trying out the socks with ankle boots and bare legs look this week. I think.

3. Do you think there is a universal fashion do?

I don't know whether it counts as a do as such, but my must for Autumn/Winter is black opaque tights. And skinny jeans - whatever the season!

4. What items lately, either recently in style or coming in now, do you think should never make it off the retail shelves?

Furry everything. I know that it was Chanel that started it but furry boots and bags - really?! I have furry slippers but I wouldn't wear them out of the house. You will look like an eskimo who is lost.

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5. In your opinion, is there any blogger, fashion icon, celebrity who some how manages to pull off some fashion don’ts and still look good?

Alexa Chung. She even managed to pull off my double denim cringe:

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And Katie, off-of What Katie Wore. That girl knows how to work a million colours in one look and funky tights and leg ties and more!

What are you fashion dos and don'ts?

If you want to join the conversation each week, or if you would just like to read the other posts for this week's topic, please visit Modly Chic.

Happy Friday everyone!

LFW #22: TODD LYNN Spring/Summer 2011

Todd Lynn's collection reminds me of the nudes and neutrals that were all over the catwalk in New York just over a week ago:

What do you think of this simple but sophisticated collection?


All photos: Style.com

LFW #21: MARIOS SCHWAB Spring/Summer 2011

Marios Schwab offering for Spring/Summer 2011 is underwear-as-outerwear-biker-chic. I love it. I also love the model's hair. And make-up.

What do you think of this cool collection?


All photos: Style.com

LFW Best Of The Rest: Day 4

Laid back ladylike dressing was big on the catwalk for Peter Pilotto's Spring/Summer 2011 collection.

It is strange - to me - how many of my favourite pieces from Fashion Week have been from designers I have had little or no knowledge of. Like David Koma. I love the middle dress. This collection is great for a monochrome loving girl, such as myself.

The knitwear designer took for his story line, a utopia destroyed by acid rain. The collection certainly plays on the central notion of destruction with open-stitch knits exposing large areas of skin on the models. It is a pretty dark collection and I, personally, found it difficult to enjoy it as a result.

A wonderful collection from the original menswear-designer-does-womenswear. This collection is for the women out there who are constantly raiding their boyfriends' wardrobes. Just watch out ladies, now your boyfriends might be trying to get their hands on your clothes!

Loose knits made for a laidback look on the Pringle runway.

What do you think of these collections? Which are your favourites?



All photos: Style.com