What makes Paris so amazing lately is definitely its style. I have been observing Parisians for a while now and what I realize is that there is a fine line between between formal and décontracté, as they call it, and they blend it quite effortlessly when achieving this great style so typical theirs.
"I WANTED TO CAPTURE that happy, elated feeling of self-expression," said Emilia Wickstead backstage after her spring/summer show, staged at a London Art Deco location that few people knew about. The Harlem Renaissance was the inspiration, and while it could have been reflected with more diversity on the runway, it was certainly in evidence in the clothes. There were wide sunhats tied at the chin, calling to mind those worn in the fields, paired with demure silhouettes and dropped hemlines. There were plays on transparency, perhaps what a modern It girl would like to see more of, especially when paired with some 'mom' jeans and white t-strap heels. There was a pink drop-waisted dress with an alluring cut-out at the chest. And then, of course, the sequinned gowns in rose gold that seemed to be emitting light, drawing smiles on showgoers' faces. Who doesn't love some glamour, especially amidst all the turmoil happening in the world?
KNEE BOOTS HAVE BEEN RELEGATED TO THE BACKEND OF TRENDS, for it is the ankle boot in all its iterations — from the suede Isabel Marant version, to sleek patent leather white sock boots — that has featured in every season’s catwalks as the must-have piece for the winter season.
COPENHAGEN FASHION WEEK appeared on more media outlets than ever last week, whether for shows like Ganni or Saks Potts, or the street-style looks of Danish It girls. The Swedish H&M is taking over the high street, for one can quite literally walk down London’s Regent street and only walk into the group’s eight retail spaces...
SEPTEMBER IS THE FASHION INDUSTRY'S NEW YEAR. The start of autumn means reinventing your wardrobe to be the woman you've always wanted to be, whether it's finally succumbing to French girl style, or buying your first leather trousers for a femme fatale look. Fall campaigns — much like fashion editorials — are a reflection of their time, pointing to the zeitgeist of the moment as much as articles or features. The mood for this autumn? Well, it's a positive one, simply look at Missoni's colourful campaign, or the promising new look of DVF under Jonathan Saunders; and an imaginative one, cue Gucci's 60s sci-fi campaign complete with extra-terrestrial creatures and dinosaurs. So, whoever you want to be this fall, make it a stand-out.
IT IS ALMOST AUGUST AND WE ARE HALFWAY THROUGH THE SUMMER, and yet, it seems unbelievable that time has gone so quickly. Store windows and rails that were once filled with silk maxi dresses and dainty white tops, are slowly replaced by cashmere sweaters and leather jackets.
IT’S MID-JULY AND SUMMER IS UPON US, setting even the busiest of cities — London, New York — in a languorous haze where days seem to move at a slower pace. Dinners are spent alfresco, preferably somewhere by the water, and weekend getaways to laze in the sun become routine. But deciding what to wear when it’s a blazing 28º outside and the preferable choice is nothing, can be difficult, for combining style with comfort is paramount…
BLANCA IS THE IT-GIRL of the season, and it’s refreshing to see a Spanish face, slightly darker, and more mysterious than the myriad of Eastern European girls who usually take centre-stage.
FOR A GLIMPSE OF THE JET SET LIFE, one must look no further than Slim Aarons’s photographs, capturing all that is cool and chic of the café society of the 60s.
SUNSHINE GETS BRIGHTER AND DAYS GET LONGER, and so, with the summer, there is a certain appeal to pulling off beachwear in the city. During these warmer months we tend to dress down, swapping intricate layering techniques and embroidered velvet jackets for Levi’s cut-off shorts and silky day dresses.
A LOVE LETTER TO PARISIAN STYLE best describes Giambattista Valli's vision for the spring. In the midst of a wave of politically-charged collections mirroring the events shaking up the globe, the romantic melancholy presented on a rainy Parisian morning was a welcome addition.
SPAIN BEGUILES FASHION SEASON AFTER SEASON. It evokes images of toreadores in their embellished gilded jackets; flamenco dancers moving to the sound of a guitar in long skirts with endless layers of polka-dot ruffles; and copla singers standing on stage in back lace shawls with a rose behind their ears...