Befriend a Trend: Capes

Has anyone else got the winter blues with a major case of a cba syndrome? I know I do. With the sun disappearing so early and the cold creeping in it's all to easy to transform into a moody cow. However, I found a little something to add a joyful pop of cheeriness into my gloomy winter life.

Capes. Let me guess, first things that comes to your mind is ye old Count Dracula with his high collar and whatnot? Yeah, I guess that's capes too, but with cape being among the hottest trends this season, designers such as Anna Sui, Lanvin and Diane Von Furstenberg have provided us with many new takes on the cape trend.

With so many styles around, it's fairly easy to create a variety of looks that will feature the cape. One of my favourites is blending it with the minimalistic trend, by wearing a simple retro-style dress or a pencil skirt, depending on the level of formality your look needs to present. To add a bit of quirkiness to your look, you can combine bright colours together, ending up with an outfit perfectly suitable for work and drinks afterwards with your workmates.

For a more casual look, choose a colourful cape and mix it with comfy jeans. To finish it off, you can add toned accessories, such as faux fur or chunky knit details, which are right at the top of the hottest trends list this season.

If you're looking for something more sophisticated, feel free to go old-school Chanel. Black and white combination of high-waisted trousers and a pussy bow shirt, easily achieves the classical elegance we all sometimes need.

Here's some ideas:

On Saturday me and my friend Kavita are visiting a vintage faire, so stay tuned for some new inspirations and hopefully some street style photos!

Versace for H&M

So. The undoubtedly iconic Donatella Versace, shares some of her iconic style with the world-wide high steet stores of H&M, huh? Much like the general press, my emotions were somewhat mixed upon these news. The screaming colours and patterns are not necessarily what I normally associate with H&M. At first I wasn't particularly thrilled about the collaboration, but then I saw this:

How incredibly rock-chic sexy is this? Insanely. Finally something to bring out that dangerous claw within us, while simultaneously highlighting the natural, feminine sex appeal.

There's also something for the more girly girlies, florals, colours and all things glam, which in fact could go very well with the studded, leather jackets.

Soon enough all of us will be able to treat ourselves to a little designer touch and get the look of the iconic Donatella. Or if you want an absolutely exclusive Versace for H&M scarf, you can enter a competition to win one on the H&M Facebook page:

See you in stores on 19th January!

Spring/Summer 2012

I do apologise for the ridiculous delay and whatnot, but other things such as college work and writer's commitments also had to be attended to. But here I am now, with this massive post, talking of my Top 10 SS 2012 collections. Enjoy!

No.10 - Bebe

As much as I'm not really a fan of white clothes and I refrain from wearing them most of the time, sometimes they're what the situation calls for. This collection has the strong potential to alter my colour preferences. 

It certainly has the ultimate spring/summer feel of an innocent fairy, both because of the colour and the style of the clothes. Some of them have almost a Victorian touch to them, traditional dresses and undergarments both. Complete with lace and gorgeous embroidery, it emanates the purest kind of feminine charm.

No.9 - Valentino

This collection is actually somewhat of a contrast to the No. 10 one, because while using the same elements, such as lace and the inspiration with lingerie, it's creating a very sophisticated, elegant look. The loved and adored mixture of leather and lace leaves the 2012 Valentino with more claw than the previous SS 11. The clothes seem much less fitting displaying a look of airy lightness. Also, the richelieu embroidery adds a real luxurious touch to the outfit. The widely present floral patterns, are definitely one of the main trends for the upcoming spring and summer and Valentino doesn't stray from this, by presenting to us subtle floral textiles.

No.8 - Trash Couture

Remember what I said about disliking white? Yeah, that doesn't apply when it comes to the Swan Lake ballet, which seems to have been the main inspiration for this collection. The show was like a ballet in itself, starting off with a beautiful ballerina dancing onto the catwalk in snow white feathers and lace, as the White Swan. The dress looks delightfully frivolous, almost symbolic of innocence. The sequence of white swans outfits is followed by two ballerinas dancing onto the catwalk, introducing the Black Swan section, fully seductive in black mesh and feathers. One thing I did find somewhat peculiar though... The shoes. I am dead sure that I have seen the exact same studded shoes a couple of years back somewhere. Somewhere that was not Trashy Couture or even designer. And I'm not entirely sure whether they go with the whole of the White Swan concept. 

Either way, I totally dig the shoes. The shoes, the Swan Lake and the entire collection.

No.7 - Marchesa

I have to admit, whenever I previously came across Marchesa, I was actually somewhat sceptic of it. A bit too much draping and ruffles as for my taste. 

This collection was an outstanding exception however, featuring some of my favourite trends - the glorious 20s and the iconic glamour. The flapper-inspired dresses compose magnificently with long, flowing, nude-coloured gowns, often associated with the dazzling style icons. Even the signature Marchesa ruffles add to the prestigious warmth emanating from each and every outfit of the collection. 

I also found that some of the gowns seem to be inspired by those of the Greek goddesses,  the textiles gliding, full of natural beauty.

Overall, the whole collection left me struck with awe, like with a lightning of Zeus.

(Additional bonus: Charlotte Free was one of the models walking the catwalk! Eeeek!)

No.6 - Emilio Pucci

The newest Pucci collection seems to be taking the house in a new direction. The heavy swirls were substituted with gypsy-inspired patterns, complete with lace and crucifixes, adding an almost gothic feel to it. It goes really well with other trends that the collection touches upon, such as the flapper-inspired dresses from the 20s and see-through black textiles, inspired by the fetish trend. The black colours, mixed with the forever adored red, create a style filled with sex appeal and mysterious charm. 

The crucifixes have taken their seat on the palette of most loved accessories of the season, also seen on catwalk in Paris presented by Lanvin. I still must say I prefer the subtle black Pucci cross to the humongous pearl encrusted Lanvin any day.

                     

No.5 - Liberum Arbitrium

I don't even know where to begin. The dark, shredded materials scream to the recovered goth in me and turn me all candy eyed. I can imagine getting my hands on one of those outfits and wearing it everywhere and all the time, or even sleep in it. 

A brand that has never been heard of before (not by me or style.com anyway) and which made a terrific impression on me and I'm sure I am not the only one. I can't wait till the English winter goes away and it's warm enough for me to adapt the mysterious blacks and shreds into my wardrobe. 

I was absolutely mesmerised by the futuristic feel created by the loose textiles and leather, in fact I thought it was almost dystopian. The zips add somewhat of a utilitarian touch and personally I think the zip-wrapped booties are definitely to die for.

If the world ends in 2012 (or even if it doesn't), this is exactly what I'll be wearing.

No.4 - Oscar de la Renta

 I loved Oscar de la Renta ever since I saw Leighton Meester wearing one of his Pre-Fall 2010 gowns on set of Gossip Girl in Paris - http://argfashionfirst.files.wordpress.com/2010/10/leighton-meester-and-oscar-de-la-renta-pre-fall-2010-red-gown-gallery.jpg?w=433 (if anyone can explain any way in which that hideous magenta clutch goes with the red dress, I will be impressed).

This collection was certainly not an exception of my great adoration for Oscar de la Renta. It was a perfect composition of my favourite trends, a mesmerising revue of colours, openwork and chiffon. 

The colours full of juicy vividness along with tropical themes created a real summery feel, immensely appropriate for the collection. The widely present lace (which, as you might have noticed, is my absolutely favourite trend, forever and ever) was a brilliant companion of the luscious colours. 

The collection also touches upon the natural inspirations and floral trends with grass and flowers patterned dresses, making spring appear that little bit closer. 

Last, but definitely not the least, we have outfits inspired by the glorious 20s, with lush fur, tassels, flapper dresses, openwork knitting and amazing loads of beads.

Every girl wants to be a princess and every princess wants an Oscar de la Renta. And I am all in with the party (not necessarily with the princess part).

No.3 - Alexander McQueen

I think we could all see this coming. Being my favourite designer in the world, Alexander McQueen just had to appear on the list. The only surprise perhaps being the 3rd place.

Here we have the common inspirations that we have already seen in previous shows I've talked about, but Alexander McQueen never fails to interpret the trends in a unique, magnificent way. 

There is the golden glamour, expressed in beautiful suits mixed with remarkable waist belts, something which seems to have become somewhat of a signature element of the brand. We also have lace and see-through materials, working together to create pieces of a true fairy tale.

Speaking of fairy tales, the idea of those seemed to have been an inspiration for the collection. As the show progressed, it was telling a story of frivolous nymphs in frilly dresses and ruffles, Greek goddesses in flowing chiffon, bound with gold, dangerous harpies in seductive and intricate laces. The collection had me spellbound like a little girl.

The only thing that poked my eye was obviously the totally unnecessary headgear. But then again I'm just not a fan of headgear overall.

Alexander McQueen never fails to create something so wonderful and breathtaking it leaves me speechless.  This was no exception.

No.2 - DSquared2

Forever the rocker girl, I can't even begin to describe how much I loved this collection. And the brand in general as it later turned out. It's just so damn awesome, isn't it?! Yes. I know. 

There is so many things I love about this collection. Firstly, the festival theme. Music have always been and always will be close to my heart. And I know this is also the case with many other people, which I think would find this collection as amazing as I find it. 

What I find about a lot of clothes that you see on runways nowadays, is that they seem to be very resraining. Now we all know that fashion comes with price (not only the one on the price tag), but this collection is almost bohemian in its focus of comfort. And that I believe is the beauty of all music festivals - the freedom you get. Simultaneously, the freedom that comes with the newest DSquared2 collection is its sole source of beauty.

As the saying goes, the devil lies in the details and that saying could not apply anywhere more than it applies here (except perhaps, you know, surgeons and all). Accessories, accessories and accessories once more. There is tons of those in this collection and I love every single one of them. Wristbands, scarf belts, leather belts, leather strings as necklaces. Each and every single one of them screams attitude.

While focusing on comfort and beauty of freedom, the clothes manage to express a certain amount of classy glitz, fur and glitter being the main devices.

I even loved the wellies, something which I actually never imagined myself liking at all, but who could resist grooving it up on the festivals with brightly coloured wellies? Definitely not me.

No.1 - Anna Sui

I loved this collection to the extent where I had a dilemma between who my favourite designer ever is (Alexander McQueen being the other one obviously). But if I only could, I'd dress head to toe Anna Sui by day and Alexander McQueen by night.

This collection is everything I look for in fashion and in clothing. It has attitude. My attitude.

The inspiration with rockabilly calls again to my inner rocker girl. During my journey through various styles, both in music and fashion, I often struggled to maintain the balance between expressing my musical self and looking feminine. Inspired also by burlesque, the collection manages to do something I have tried to do for many years - create the rocky sex appeal. 

The polka dots, splash of colours, huge portion of red and the lingerie inspiration all mix together to create an image of the 50s, oozing with rockabilly sex appeal. 

This collection and quite possibly the whole brand, is officially becoming my bible. 

So there it is! My top 10 SS 2012 collections. Hope you liked it and let me know what you think!

The full size photos and the rest of the collections can be found on vogue.com where I have taken the pictures from.

Style Birmingham Live 2011

I have always loved designing clothes. I was often complimented on my fashion sense and the way I dress, so I guess it was inevitable for me to eventually get sucked into the glamorous world of high end fashion, even if just as a spectator. So I decided to start this blog. Although owning a pair of Louboutins is on my 'To Do Before I Die' list.

So last week, I attended the Style Birmingham Live fashion show with George Lamb ( who I think we all agree is worth seeing on his own). I felt hugely inspired after the show and I absolutely loved the looks created by Bradley Taylor (who I later found out has worked for Alexander McQueen eeek!).
Every single one of the nine scenes left me in awe, but as always I had a few favourites.
For a start, the New Native section. It had me dazzled, my head literally bursting with inspiration for new outfits, seeing as recently I retreated back to my hippie craze again. I could clearly see the current trends - particularly the layers - mixed together to create something fantastically unique.

The next set, a great alternative to the vivid New Native section, was much more toned and oh-so-classy. The set was quite clearly inspired by Russia (which I totally love), also in terms of music that was played. The forever popular leather and fur hats created a brilliant, winter-defying look that is in fact incredibly easy to create. Fur is definitely something to invest in this season, a fur collar, or a full coat, faux or real, on a bag or on a hat - it doesn't matter. Even as little as a fur accent on your purse will instantly add on to your classy factor.

And last, but definitely not the least, there was the Dark Side set, which I thought was somewhat influenced by McQueen's last Ready-to-Wear collection and the current fetish trend. As a recovered goth chick, I felt myself drift back to my old days. My old days were obviously nothing as glamorous as this. Leather and lace added a bit of a claw to the classic, pliant clothes, creating that incredibly cool mysteriously dangerous look.

There was however one piece of clothing that had me almost dizzy and it wasn't the steampunkish top hats, the chunky knitted scarves or even furry boots.

This dress from Hugo Boss has not left my mind even long after the show. It's a simple silk dress, yet I could imagine wearing it both for every day and evening occasions. Marvellous print.
The whole show was definitely a success. The choreography was like nothing I have seen before and it created an atmosphere of a story to tell, which just got me even more involved with what was happening. All wrapped up by the humorous George Lamb, will definitely be something to look forward to next year.

More pictures from the show can be found on www.stylebirmingham.com