Saturday 19 October 2013

Procrastination




Photo credit - Sarah Brown 
Jeans - River Island
Clutch - Allsaints 
Sweatshirt - James Perse
Coat - ZARA

University deadline days are approaching faster than I had anticipated, so naturally, I'm using shopping as a major form of procrastination. 

I got this coat from Zara the other day and absolutely love it! Its everything you would want for a winter coat and more... And I finally found a moderately good place to take pictures, so I thought it was finally time for another outfit post.

Friday 18 October 2013

Rianna Phillips AW13









Rianna Phillips' new AW13 collection made it's debut in Manchester's Northern Quarter on Wednesday - and despite several transportation setbacks, I wasn't going to miss the opportunity to get a look at the collection. 

The collection itself was displayed against plain white backdrops, giving the vibrant colours used in her prints the chance to fully stand out. One wall contained photographs and various accessories that Phillips used as inspiration to create the collection, offering the chance to understand the development of the collection on a deeper level.

Phillips draws her inspiration from visits to Australia - where her brand has cultivated a huge following - and the combination of both photographs of various crystals and of hand drawings is masterful to say the least, and definitely gives the collection an edge which cannot be found elsewhere. 

The clutch bags can be bought in a variation of sizes, which makes them perfectly versatile, and Phillips has also added scarves to her line (needless to say I will definitely be investing soon...)

The colours used - despite being mostly brights - are a perfect combination of blues and bright purples, and are likely to give any winter outfit the lift it needs be effortlessly transformed from a day look to a night time one. 

The entire collection can be found on the official Rianna Phillips website.

Sunday 8 September 2013

Autumn essentials

Victoria Beckham Spring 2014


Image source - Fab Sugar

During the runway show of her Spring 2014 ready to wear collection, Victoria Beckham displayed elements of both solidarity and continuity. 

The collection - which has debuted just in time for the US open - shows a combination of immense attention to detail (which is evident in her carefully placed geometric patterns and pleats), and yet she has also managed to perfect the combination of a relaxed yet sharp style. 

The collection is the perfect combination of boy-meets-girl, and Beckham continued this theme by wearing a classic monochrome tailored outfit for her finale bow. 

Pink is the new black

Pink is the new black

Leather stretch pants and blouse - Alexander Wang
Perfume and lipstick - Chanel
Coat and messenger bag - Zara
Boots - Acne 

With the beginning of a new term at university approaching - I thought I would share my ideal 'back to university' look with you all. Despite the whole outfit being (nearly) all black, I love the 'pink is the new black' Autumnal trend, so I have opted for a more subtle, dusty rose type colour to break up the darkness of the outfit. 

Friday 30 August 2013

Splurge


I know I may be a bit early considering summer isn't quite over yet, but I couldn't resist this All Saints bargain! This will definitely be a staple piece in my winter wardrobe! 

Sunday 25 August 2013

Swarovski Collective 2014

Images sourced from Vogue

Having already supported over 150 designers since its launch in 1999, the spring/summer Swarovski Collective has recently been announced. 

The newcomers - who will join the existing Swarovski Collective members - include Giles and Rodarte, Mary Katrantzou, and Prabal Gurung. The idea behind the collaborations is to support both established and emerging designers, and each designer is given the freedom of experimentation to use Swarovski crystals with different textures to create their own, individually collaborative pieces.





Monday 22 July 2013

Alexander Wang Resort 2014 favourites








                                                                   Images - Vogue

I was admittedly surprised when I first saw Alexander Wang's Resort 2014 collection, primarily because it is the first time I have seen Wang expand out of his usual colour palette and include pink in the collection. In an interview, Wang defined this collection as "deflating the shapes and working with supersaccharine, supersweet colours." This is definitely evident in the techniques used to create his collection. 

His use of darts is consistently abstract; they have been used deliberately by Wang as a tool for structure in a way never seen in his collections before.

Not only does he find a way to mold the clothes to the body, he also finds a way to make them stand away from it through the masterful use of constructing shapes, and he achieves this through cutting in circular formations; creating the super-sweetness and likeness to a sweet wrapper he described in the interview he gave regarding his collection. 

Despite still using most of his usual colour palette, Wang has included "supersweet colours" such as soft caramels, spearmint green, and pink, to consistently reflect the appeal of sweet colours and coatings onto his Resort 2014 collection.

Having already established himself within his own brand, could this out of the box collection be a result of Wang now being frequently exposed to the work done by Balenciaga's workshops, or is it a result of Wang having a larger comfort level within his own label?

Either way, the collection shows a new confidence with construction and cutting techniques that definitely defined his polished, chic, and nearly colourful resort collection for 2014.

Sunday 14 July 2013

3.1

Jacket - 3.1 Phillip Lim 
Shorts - Paul & Joe 
Heels - Zara 
Watch - Michael Kors 


Phillip Lim has always been one of my favourite designers. Following the launch of his 3.1 collection in 2005, Lim successfully redefined the meaning of wardrobe basics.

Having famously told Vogue that the aim of the collection was to bring back "the flounce and volume" of clothing in an interview - this tailored jacket is no exception. 

What should feel like a masculine statement piece feels like one of the most feminine I have come across. Paired with some plain shorts and a white chiffon vest, the jacket adds a sharpness which could only be achievable by a classic piece from his 3.1 collection. 



Shorts and Jacket both from The Designer Studio pop up store at Cheshire Oaks

Saturday 13 July 2013

Summer brights

Blouse - DKNY 
Leather pants - Acne

It's no secret I'm not one for wearing bright colours. However, I stumbled across this DKNY block colour blouse in The Designer Studio pop up store at Cheshire Oaks, and I absolutely love it. 

I still couldn't resist putting black with it, but I thought the leather pants made the blouse look a bit edgier. These leather Acne pants are surprisingly comfortable, and definitely worth the investment.