dress her up like a princess...

Christmas is nearly here and every mum wants the most beautiful and stylish clothes for her little one. Let them feel special these festive days.  Buy them special, sparkling, glittering  clothes, dress them up like a princess.  Gold, light grey, light pink, bronze, silver are some of the most popular colours  for this season. Tutu skirt is one of the highlight and one of the must have items in every girl's wardrobe. Have a look,  get inspired  and surprise your little one with your ideas! 

lets get in a supermarket mood!

  From the special Kellogg's boxes with Anya Hindmarch's bags to the original handbags. A. Hindmarch unveiled her new handbags ,clutches and evening small bags at A/W14.  Retro logos from usual household essentials including cereal boxes, washing powders, and matches. Colourful, happy and fancy bags! Team the big handbags with clothes in white and pastel spring/summer colours and make your  casual , every day outfit unique. For a night out add some crazy touches in your frock with the unusual Ariel clutch bag!  If you have the extra money for a seasonal bag, then definitely go for it.   

The renaissance of a Heritage Brand; the old meets the new. ‘The Birds and the Bees’/ Burberry Prorsum S/S15

  Burberry’s S/S15 collection’s title ‘The birds and the bees’ implies play, joy and innocence. It’s inspired from the British costal birds and the colours of the British countryside; it aims to alter by using different colours, to implement the ideas of freshness, rebirth and freedom and propounds contradiction among fragility and strength. However, in my view, the key message conveyed by Christopher Bailey (CC- & CEO) is the ambition –and in my opinion achievement– to change completely but not at all, respecting the 40 years of inspiration and interaction with co-workers and House’s customers.

  S/S15 indeed succeeded in this regard. The playful, joyful and charming colours –pastel tones of green, yellow and blue resembling sunlight’s interplay with the British countryside following the rain– and the freedom of the vibrant regeneration of clothes, shoes and handbags successfully reach younger –than the traditional “Burberry-ans”– ages (who may had previously found Burberrys boring), but also please the traditional Burberry’s public as the collection’s twist enhance charm, elegance, sophistication and time-lastingness.

  One of the collection’s highlights is denim jacket’s rebirth; the phenomenon is not unusual for Burberry as we’ve seen it previously with the biker jacket, the aviation jacket, the gritty parka and the trench (notably also being creatively re-presented in S/S15). The denim jacket is inventively being transformed into a tight wasp-waisted jean jacket, which is either being simply cropped or is accompanied by white sheepskin fur around the waist or by ostrich feathers.

  Regeneration also applies to shoes: trendy field flats and stylish sneakers in bright colours with trendy striped foamy soles, joyfully and in a liberal way combined with the clothes (for instance with the outstanding printed dresses).

  In the same regard are the tulle dresses and the skirts; skirts made of organza layers or covered by round coloured palettes, made of sheer silk (a creatively regenerated material) and skirts with sheer concertina pleats. In this line of rebirth notable are the coats, notably those in green grass suede with PVC collars. In keeping with this twist is the reborn trench heritage coat: bright colours (resembling birds and bees), abstract book-printed bee motifs, written words (insect, sun, flowers) and coloury tulle bows instead of belts; albeit their design, cut and style unequivocally emit Burberry’s aura.

  Alike in terms of rebirth are the book cover print handbags, the pouch, the portfolio bags and the mini bee bags (leather hand-painted with gloss patent trim and heritage buckle fastenings, or in indigo denim, or in horse ferry checks with Burberry’s signature check pattern).  

  Furthermore, the interaction of the S/S15 pieces with the show’s set-up generate a genuinely pleasant and glamorous feelings similar to those experienced at some famous London’s spots, like for instance at the alternative albeit so typically British and socialite Portobello Road: it’s the models’ motion (with Suki Waterhouse being central), the freshness and tempo implied by James Bay’s song (music and promotion of young people directly relates to Bailey’s years in Burberry), the openness of the transparent roof, the hand-painted birds, bees and coloury slogans on the runway, and the glamorous faces of My Burberry’s campaign, namely Cara Delavigne and Kate Moss sitting alongside to Matio Testino in guest’ front row. This combined effect, but primarily the charming, elegant, fresh and colourful collection is clearly and directly received: one knows immediately, it’s a new Burberry fashion proposal.

“I wish I had invented blue jeans” (Yves Saint Laurent)

  Looking at the S/S15 fashion proposals, denim can with ease be identified to be a hot trend for the next spring/summer season; during the fashion weeks, denim has been proposed by several designers and Houses including Burberry, Gucci, Chloé, Tommy Hilfiger and Marques’ Almeida.
  The classic denim, the blue jeans worn in the 1870’s by Californian coal miners have become nowadays likely the most wearable piece of clothing. Denim filtered into the universal teenage wardrobe through the popularity and influence of Hollywood movies and rock 'n' roll stars during the 1950’s, was worn in the 1960’s by the punks and Teddys and became a symbol of youth and rebellion, whereas it became truly established as a trend in the 1980’s when ‘’designers jeans’’ emerged and denim took to the catwalks. Everyone from rock stars to style icons such as Marilyn Monroe, Jane Birkin, Robert Redford, Blondie and Madonna, have embraced denim for decades, and denim is now undoubtedly regarded as a fashion staple. Designers love it and appear to be keen in maintaining denim garments in fashion.

Jane Birkin (middle), Merilyn Monroe (right)

Burberry’s S/S15 show in London, opened with a denim jacket.

  A tight, short shearling trim, denim jacket tailored to create a wasp waist in a way that reminds Jean Paul Gaultier’s famous corset –worn by Madonna.

  This new, fresh and modern Burberry’s denim jacket hugs the waist in such a nice and gentle way that flatters body’s silhouette and reveals discreet femininity and sensuality, without though abolishing the classic Burberry’s class and elegance.

 Jean  Paul Gaultier's famous Corset worn by Madonna

Gucci’s S/S15 denim creations, presented at the Milan Fashion Week, were also impressive; the pieces remind us the 1960’s, albeit achieve in an innovative way to incorporate western touch and military style. Gucci’s Creative Director Frida Giannini proposes washed out blue denim, high-waist but worn lower straight-leg jean trousers with military style buttons, military style cropped hassar jackets with gold rope trim and  gold spherical military style buttons, and denim blue dresses with oversized lacing, essentially suggesting a novel, fresh and comfortable but still chic and elegant denim style and trend.

Tommy Hilfiger’s S/S15 collection was inspired from his 70’s pieces; the show presented in London in a very festive way proposed a series of patchwork denim creations.

On a different angle, the fresh and modern look of Marta Marques and Paulo Almeida, the two trainee designers from Saint Martins College in London known as Marques’ Almeida, presented jeans with big turn-ups, denim jackets lacking collars, and asymmetric blue jean skirts and denim blouses.

Chloé, at the Paris Fashion Week, proposed denim creations that incorporate folklore and utilitarian tomboy style.

We saw high-waisted denim shorts (that bring to my mind the hot-pants from the 1970’s albeit presenting in a novel way), outsized trousers, and button frond ankle long denim skirts with oversized pockets as well as short dresses with the same features.

  Simplicity, practicality and comfort, merge with class, elegance and timelessness and subsequently fuse with sensuality, femininity and flexibility in design; all these combined, allow a plethora of options to freely express stylistic preferences and views and in my opinion dictate denim to be one of the hot new trends for the next spring/summer season.

Fashion meets art...

  It’s actually a fact, rather than a surprise, that various forms of Arts, including of course Fashion, are closely related to each other. In Fashion, designers indeed receive influence and inspiration from other art movements and artists, as it is also the case that the opposite happens with, for instance, artists receiving inspiration from Fashion in creating their paintings. Over the years, we have witnessed both individual designers and well established brands such as Burberry, Alexander McQueen, Yves Saint Laurent, and Chanel, investing in art studying and creative adoption, “transcription” and transformation of influences for producing some of their new collections. After all, Fashion is unequivocally, among others that define it, about inspiration and creativity.

  Burberry’s womenswear A/W14 collection named “The Bloomsbury Girls’’ was all about inspiration. The latter derives from the Bohemian  style and decorative art of the Bloomsbury group, an association of artists, writers and intellectuals from the early 20th century with the painter Vanessa Bell and her sister, the writer Virginia Woolf, the painter (referred to as “a champion of Post-Impressionist painting”), theorist, and writer Roger Fry , and the painter and decorative artist Duncan Grant being the group’s central figures. Burberry’s A/W09 collection was inspired by Virginia Woolf, but the connection with the Bloomsbury group was to be made crystal clear in the A/W14 collection. In line with this, the House supported Charleston (Bloomsbury group’s home and country meeting place and currently a museum) in aid of the Charleston Centenary Project, at the national Portrait Gallery in London (30/09/2014).

Burberry AW14 and Bloomsbury artist Vanessa Bell's painting 'Flowers in  a glass vase'

In terms of the collection itself, the influences from the Bloomsbury group are readily identifiable. The collection was an explosion of rich natural colours with lots of cameo pink, antique rose, elderberry, burnt amber, olive and state blue, with these colours clearly being the characteristic and dominant colours in paintings of Bloomsbury group’s members.  The colours are soft and gentle as nature is –“I wanted to be softer and gentler” said Bailey– but also charming as Burberry’s creations historically are.

Burberry AW 14 and Bloomsbury artist Vanessa Bell's painting 'Flowers and Thislte'.

Moreover, in proportion to Bloomsbury group member’s intention of giving a bit of soul to their creations (they painted everything at the Charleston: bookcases, doors, fireplaces, even walls), the A/W14 serves the same aim: we enjoy the hand-painted handbags and shoes, the hand-painted flowers in the trench coats, the printed flowers and floral landscape of the cashmere scarfs, the hand-painted cropped sheepskin jackets, the full of flowers in dusty pink and cinnamon midi-length bohemian style silk dresses, and the colours in the block check blanket-ponchos.

The inspiration and influence from the group’s representations of nature and landscape is apparent with ease; the flowers and the colours at first glance, but equally the post-impressionistic way these gain shape and are put into context in Bailey’s creations. These fashion masterpieces act in essence like painting surfaces; thick brushstrokes of autumn/winter colours are being ‘thrown’ onto them and shape freeform flowers and abstract geometric patterns in a way analogous to that we note for the paintings, transforming the collection into an art moving piece.

Burberry AW14 and Bloomsbury artist Vanessa Bell's painting 'Spring'. 

Wake up with Fashion flakes

Have a great morning with fashion flakes from Kellogg's! Anya Hindmarch designed these special boxes of frosties and Cornflakes in conjunction with her special edition  handbags! Available  in shops from November!!  

LONDON FASHION WEEK SS15/Part 1

London was dancing again at fashion rhythm! London fashion week has just ended and I am really amazed with what I have seen. New entries as well established designers, models, stylists, photographers, editors, famous fashion bloggers and students from fashion schools were all there. The designers introduced us to the new trends, colours, fabrics. 

Having said that, here comes my selection of clothes and handbags I would like to share with you. I must admit though, that it was indeed quite difficult to choose among all these impressive creations! 

Dior RTW Spring 2014

Lots of different colours... lots of different shapes...patterns...fabrics...dresses, coats, shoes and handbags!! A collection without errors!..  Raf Simons's  spring collection  for Christian Dior! 

Enjoy... 

bear them as Carrie would...

My favourite style icon, the beloved Sara Jessica Parker launched her own shoe collection. She makes come true one of  Carrie Bradshaw's dreams. SJP, her shoe collection in collaboration with Manolo Blahnic it to debut exclusively at Nordstrom on 28th February. I would say that 2014 starts nicely :) Don't you agree?