Mary, Mary Quite Contrary

The day before Mary Katrantzou's show, the Fashion God looked down on me again and gave me a premonition...in the form of the One Show (a television breakfast show at dinner time). I only really noticed it on in the background when they showed a report on the last tulip farm in Britain and this image appeared:

It was absolutely breath-taking (for some reason it doesn't look quite so amazing here but the colours were just fantastic). Then I caught up on London Fashion Week 24 hours later and found myself looking at the same beautiful scenes on Mary Katrantzou's creations!  

I doubt she had watched the same episode and pulled an all-nighter in order to dedicate her collection to that one field but you can see where she may have gained her inspiration! Admittedly, Katrantzou's flowers are carnations (as were the flower beds lining the catwalk) and the designs were accompanied by prints of tin cans, shells and shoals of fish but the effect was just as exquisite (actually more so...sorry to that Norfolk tulip farm). 

Anyway, no doubt I will be raving about the rest of the show soon but, until then, google tulip farm and you will understand how Mary managed to come up with such beautiful prints. 

Once again, the designer certainly did not disappoint!

xx

When Marilyn Manson Meets The Flower Pot Men

So I still feel like poo and am very much aware that my only opportunity this London Fashion Week to ‘accidently’ run in front of Mary Katrantzou’s car and hopefully meet the designer is fading rapidly.

However, Fashion is my medicine and Ashish brought me a beautiful bouquet of flowers to brighten my day...well actually he stuck them in his models’ shoes and sent them down the runway! Yes, I realise this was a few days ago but, bear with me, I am still catching up.

Vogue’s Ella Alexander claimed the collection was ‘not a particularly practical one’ but, personally, I think it successfully combines the wow-factor with wearability. Of course, I’m not planning on making an allotment out of my shoe rack but god, don’t you love it when a designer has a bit of fun with Fashion?!

The collection is youthful, imaginative and making me almost as deliriously happy as the painkillers!

It looks like you're peering over a wall into a beautiful garden

 I’m trying to look for words to describe the style but all I can come up with is rocker-meets-grunge-meets-Bill and Ben chic.

Despite every piece being emblazoned with a floral print, the military boots and dark make-up prevent the collection from being ultra-feminine.

Love, love, love the eighties feel to this top. For some reason, I can see River Island catching on to these designs.

Giving away his inspiration for the collection a little bit.

Perhaps the only detail I am unsure about; in this context, the paper-bag waist reminds me a little of a sack of potatoes but the inspiration is still present!

Many will not go for the in-your-face floral designs but I personally love it and even more so for the black backgrounds, animal prints and trademark sequins.

I'm seeing a picnic blanket after a gentle breeze has just blown the blossom off the trees

This design reminds me of an eighties strapless prom dress my auntie gave me to work on, which I have looked for, dear readers, but must be lost to the depths of my wardrobe at the moment.  

A bit fun, a bit quirky, a bit everything; London I love you!

So what do you think of London Fashion Week so far?

What has been your favourite collection?

xx

Chapter One

I have a colossal confession to make. There has been a distinct lack of post updates recently and I can now reveal it is because I have a new job (I also managed to pick up a bug within my first week and have been as sick as a very sick dog but we won’t dwell on that).

I am not exactly a high-flying business woman complete with Louis Vuitton filofax yet but if you were to take a trip to the Kids Department of Primark at the new Westfield shopping centre, you may find me under a pile of baby-grows.

I can practically hear the gasps of horror at the very mention of the P word, yes, I know:

“the only place on the High Street where you can buy shit in more than one colour.”

I’ve heard all the jokes and, for the first few weeks, even I hid my badge from basically every other store’s employees except perhaps McDonalds. We can all agree, Primark will never have an army of hot, Hollister-like models selling its products in a ridiculously poorly lit space. Our Kate will probably never meet Mrs. Obama in that Primark dress but, you know what, it was still pretty damn popular on Tuesday’s opening!

Either way, I am not aiming to plug the brand here but the Primark people and the opportunity they have given me. Despite top grades to A-Level, relevent experience and an insatiable interest in Fashion, I spent three months looking for a job in retail. You won’t normally find me stuck in doorways because my head is too big but the fact is, I’m not incapable and very keen to learn.

Gumtree, Retailchoice and Totaljobs became more frequently visited than Facebook and the ‘New In’ section of the Topshop website. I found advertisements for everything from ‘experienced sandwich maker’ to ‘luxury footwear assistant...preferably with smaller feet’ (if you’ve seen my feet you’ll know that is a problem). On low days, I even considered begging on the streets; apparently you can get paid if you do it for charity!

 Then Primark finally took me on and, in spite of everything said about it, I have enjoyed every minute so far...well ok...most of it. You can’t spend eight hours listening to screaming infants and being repeatedly run over by prams without once asking what crimes you committed in a former life.

Quite frankly, I am grateful to have this job at all though and excited to be on the first rung of the Fashion Industry ladder. I've been involved in the preparation of the store since the first deliveries, when we had to send out search parties between the piles of cardboard boxes to find missing employees. On my second day, the Visual Merchandiser allowed me to pick out pieces for the displays, having picked up on my Fashion interests and, by opening day, I found myself engaging in a lift conversation with Breege O’Donoghue. Admittedly, I had no idea Ms. O’Donoghue was a Director and the HR Manager of Primark at the time but the fascinator suggested she had to be of some importance!

I’m guessing most people stopped reading this post when they realised it is not about the latest style finds or London Fashion Week updates but it is about the realities of the Fashion Industry. I finally know Fashion is exactly where I want to be and yet it is one of the most difficult industries to break into!

It would be unfair to say I am starting at the bottom; for all the jokes, Primark is still a thriving company with a clever business model to target the masses. Nevertheless, I am doing the equivalent of making the office tea rounds.

Oh well, time to look at the silver lining again! I am certainly learning by the day and if I can survive the pressures of a shopping centre opening day, I can get through anything! Besides this is just the first step; Chapter One of my life in Fashion...

 ...and if you are still laughing at the idea I think I am working in Fashion as an employee for Primark, check out their Autumn/ Winter collection courtesy of Marie Claire!

xx

Everything's Coming Up Tulips

So New York Fashion Week is well underway and I finally understand the male species’ hatred of finding out the footie results before they’ve had a chance to watch the game.

Suspense to find out the results of Designers’ hardwork and creative input for next Spring built as I sat trapped on the tube trying to get home last night. I even refused to pick up an Evening Standard, in case they had already started reporting on Fashion activities from across the pond. “NO, DON’T TELL ME,” I exclaimed, bursting through the front-door, as if Dad was going to ruin the surprise that knitted swimwear is back in for 2012 (don’t panic, it isn't so far). 

For the next hour my eyes were glued to the laptop watching replays of the first day’s shows and making notes like any aspiring Fashion Journalist. Thanks to youtube’s live streaming of certain shows, I can even pretend I’m sitting in the front row with Alexandra Shulman next to me, rather than my mum falling asleep to Country House Rescue.

As for the results, they were far from disappointing and the highlight so far has to be Tadashi Shoji’s tulip inspired collection of romantic florals, feminine flounces and delicate lace detailing. Without even having read the runway reports, you could immediately recognise Shoji’s muse. 

When asked, the Designer claimed he chose that particular flower because it “is full of life, incessantly evolving and changing in shape.”

 For me, the collection certainly was full-of-life; playing with different shapes and textures yet constantly maintaining femininity.

Shoji even named the colour of his garments after flowers, such as petunia, daisy, fern and magnolia.

The epitome of elegance; appliqué and lacing were also flower inspired and fit for a Princess. 

Roses may be red but Tulips are taking us into Summer 2012!

 So have you been following New York Fashion Week? What has been your favourite collection so far?

xx

A Street Cat Named Bob...and his penchant for scarves

I had the pleasure of meeting Bob today. It wasn’t a planned get-together and he wasn’t particularly talkative but what can you expect from a cat?

Before you write me off as completely crazy, Bob isn't just any feline. Okay, he can’t actually talk but he is possibly the most famous street cat going and is about to have a book published about his endearing life story!

James Bowen, a Big Issue seller, found Bob injured, after being attacked by another animal, and rushed him to the nearest RSPCA centre. Despite his own modest circumstances, Bowen nursed the cat back to health and, when the course of antibiotics was completed, he expected their encounter to be as well...

...except Bob had other ideas and hasn’t left Bowen’s side since that act of kindness.

Yeh, did I mention he has been issued with his own travelcard?

The pair are quite a fixture outside Angel tube station but today I came across them in Covent Garden. Bob was sitting more obediently than my own dog as Bowen sold a few Big Issues to pay for cat food.

Apparently, the cat has his own little lead and gets excited when Bowen gets ready to go out but, if he ever does get tired, Bob sits on his friend’s shoulders! 

Now I know this is meant to be a Fashion blog but when you see such companionship in harsh circumstances, it’s uplifting, right? Plus, Bob has a rocking range of scarves; check them out on flickr (he may have more than me).
 http://www.flickr.com/photos/normko/6113560327/in/pool-1541583@N23/lightbox/

Wonder if he knitted that himself? Bang on trend with the midnight blue, Bob!

 A Street Cat Named Bob: How One Man and His Cat Found Hope on the Streets of London will be on the shelves from March 2012. 

xx

Bad but I'm Perfectly Good At It

Despite what these pictures may suggest, whips and chains don’t really excite me and sex in the air sounds easier said than done (there is enough to think about without defying gravity as well!)         

S&M is just Marks and Spencers backwards to me so why am I still strangely attracted to the fetish Fashion trend for Autumn?

Hakaan

Giles

Louis Vuitton

I don’t think it’s the handcuffs, harnesses or dominatrix boots that are getting me going; the thought of having to add twenty minutes onto getting ready simply to tie those laces really isn't appealing. 

I just love the fierce attitude that accompanies the trend. It’s not about terrifying men, merely letting them know you’re not afraid to use that stiletto if you have to. 

Whilst the Louis Vuitton Night Porter theme and McQueen’s harnessed mistresses were showstopping looks, it is the details that will make this trend wearable. Leather, sheer inserts, laces and visible zips are the perfect way to suggest a naughty side without having to get out a blindfold and gag.

Alexander McQueen

Alexander McQueen

For me, the perfect way to wear this look is combining fetish with the forties ladylike style. You may appear the epitome of decorum in a black pencil skirt but the leather driving gloves and black sheer blouse imply a darker side. 

Lanvin

Lace is also an effective way to soften the severity of the style and embody what I have coined as erotic elegance.


So I have been rooting through the wardrobe again to attempt my own interpretation.

I apologise for the poor quality full-length pictures by the way. That's what you get when you start off with just a webcam.

The body-con shape and panelling detail on this Warehouse dress really emphasise the figure and I am reminded of Madonna’s Gaultier cone bra.

My waist belt is playing the part of a Louis Vuitton waist cincher and I’m trying out a bit of the Lanvin lace...a Topshop jumper from last year. 

As for the stilettos-oh ladies, we all have a pair...perhaps we all have a naughty side.

xx

Keep the Faith

As Victoria has told us, the secret to success is good underwear and now Paloma Faith is spreading the word for charity! I mean to write about Paloma’s striking vintage style everytime I turn on my bath-time playlist (yes, I did just say that and don’t pretent like I’m the only one who enjoys a bit of a sing-song in the tub!)

I love the confidence she conveys in her style even more than warbling along to Stone Cold Sober. Faith is a self-confessed ‘master of the costume’ and her effortless forties elegance is something to be both admired and envied.

(courtesy of ES Magazine)

If her Fashion fearlessness isn’t enough to impress, the singer is producing an exclusive collection of lingerie and sleepwear with La Senza for Breast Cancer Care.

"I'm really excited about my range of lingerie that I've designed for Breast Cancer Care this year. I've gone for a luxurious 1940s style and I can't wait for you all to see it! It's going to hit La Senza stores in October and every penny we raise will be used to help people affected by breast cancer”.

The range includes pieces such as this £30 emerald playsuit...

...and this Dolce-Vita halter-neck bra with high-waisted French knickers for £16

With one person being diagnosed every ten minutes, the disease is bound to affect most of us in some way, at some point and celebrities are certainly no exception...

"My Mum had breast cancer so this is a cause I am very passionate about. Without Breast Cancer Care some women would have nowhere to turn to...Breast Cancer Care will use the money we raise together to ensure none of them face it alone."

So on October 1^st, I urge you to take your internet shopping via La Senza or steer towards its 30 top stores to purchase what my mum refers to as an ‘over-the-shoulder-boulder-holder’ from the collection.

My mum had her ten minutes in January of this year.

From a personal perspective, I can tell you the work of this charity means even more to women than the best wonderbra going!

xx