Introducing: Thunder Road

Introducing:

Thunder Road

With a name like Thunder Road, it's hard to find a reason not to love this vintage clothing brand. Much to my delight, I had the very lovely task of interviewing it's owner, Miss Claire Kelly (who also has the same name as my sister funnily enough) and bagging my very own Thunder Road skull studded shirt in black velvet - I know, it sounds like a dream when you say it - so watch out for that style post early next week!
Claire is a fun, friendly and incredibly fashionable lady: so stylish actually, that I felt a little under-dressed when chatting to her yesterday evening! 

1. For those out there unaware of Thunder Road, what is it and when/how did it all begin? 

Thunder road is an american style vintage store selling customized clothing along with hand picked vintage pieces. It all began a long while ago when I started collecting vintage clothing for my own pleasure, then it just grew from there into more of a business than a hobby. My love of America is a huge inspiration for the brand. Their street style is the best, from Texan locals to the super polished Los Angeles party gals.

2. What inspires the creations at Thunder Road?

Mostly LA street style from the 90's til now. Movies and Icons also inspire me, as do rock stars like Axl Rose. People I would love to wear my clothes are 'It girls' such as Atlanta Decadenet and Sky Ferreira.

3. Have you always been interested in vintage fashion & up-cycling unwanted clothes?

Yes, I was always claiming my friend's unwanted clothes and making or styling them into something new. 

4. Where do you shop for your own wardrobe?

Charity shops, H&M, Asos, Online vintage shops. Really I focus more on the item than the shop it is being sold in.

5. Where can those interested buy your garments?

Thunder roads website is up and running and you can access it here -

www.thunderroad.bigcartel.com

6. Where do you see both yourself and Thunder Road in 5 years time?

I hope that Thunder road is popular enough to have a stand alone shop. I aspire to be as successful as Sofia Amoruso, owner of the fabulous Nasty Gal brand. I believe if you're passionate and work hard enough you can achieve success.

7. Summarize Thunder Road in 3 words?

American Roadtrip Apparel ;)

Below are some images of garments sold at Thunder Road. The image to the right of the skull studded shirt is similar to that of my own black velvet version from the brand - which I am insanely excited about recieving. Although advertised in silver and turquoise, Thunder Road also offers the shirt in golden silk, check and of course, black velvet. You just have to drop Thunder Road a tweet or comment on the website and Claire will be happy to help you out!

If you want to follow Thunder Road on twitter, facebook, blog (TIP: a lot of the items are shown here and facebook before the website!) or buy items from the website (currently under a little construction) the links are available below.

What do you think of Thunder Road? Can you see it in the same league as Nasty Gal? I think it definitely has the potential to grow and become hugely popular!

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Fashions Blogs #1 Up & Comer

Fashions Blogs:

Vote for Vita di Moda Now!

Over at fashionsblogs.com, a panel of judges have been choosing 20 blogs to put into a final draw. The chosen winner will win a variety of prizes, one of which is an $8000 Editorial in Runway Magazine! You can see how excited I am that Vita di Moda won week #19 and now that the voting has opened, I'm going to need a little favour from you guys.

Click this link here and vote for Vita di Moda. It's just a simple list, click Vita di Moda and then hit 'done'. It couldn't be simpler. Two seconds out of your time is all I'm asking for :)


You can only vote once from now until votes close on June 11th, but you can vote on your laptop/pc AND your mobiles, ipods, ipads, tablet pc's etc etc. Every vote counts, so let's ger Vita di Moda to number 1!

I hope you all vote and I want to thank you in advance for doing so!!

Resort 2013: Oscar de la Renta

Resort 2013:
Oscar de la Renta

Checks, fine vertical stripes, floral, lace. Royal blues, white, black, yellow, red, emerald, tangerine, gold, grey and baby pink: These are the eye catching details and colours which contribute to creating the spectacular Resort 2013 collection at Oscar de la Renta. Maybe it's this little bout of sunshine that Glasgow seems to be having right now, but this makes two Resort collections which I have blogged about. Can it be that I might take some interest in more Resort wonders for SS'2013? Possibly. Well, if others are as gorgeous as the Chanel and ODLR collections at least.
Classic, monochromatic looks in a pattern that can only be described as: a floral print made up of lots and lots of 'C's. The print was shown through accessories such as shoes and in the clothes shown. High waisted flare trousers, knee-length pencil skirts and cap sleeve tops: some with deep V necklines and added peplum waists. One long sleeved top featured nude material behind it to give the pattern a mesh-like appearance. This look was teamed with a ruffled, layered black skirt and royal blue obi tie belt, finished with chandelier earrings and the same patterned black heels. It gave the classic and elegant ODLR woman a new twist to her regular every day wardrobe.
Lace featured heavily in some of the looks. For example, a cobalt blue silk blouse and pencil skirt formed the base, with a black lace cardigan and skirt layer on top. There were also blue lace dresses with scalloped edges and even a dress made from layers of ruffled blue lace.
Belted waists were a given with the collection and helped create balance throughout the various patterned fabrics and colours.
The finale dresses? Well, those were TDF! I had to pick my jaw back up from the ground after I first laid eyes on some of them. I won't talk in detail about them all, so let's focus on the three shown below. First we have the gorgeous, fish tale emerald green beauty. Featuring a stunning floor length gown in emerald green satin. peplum waist detailing and a constructed, origami bust. It immediately catches your attention and keeps you staring at it for hours. Tight fitting at the top but then flows into a balanced fish tale at the bottom. Che bella! Second we have the tangerine dream in in the middle. A-symmetrical with a belted waist and sexy, cross over, thigh-high slit. I can almost see Beyonce wearing it now at her next red carpet event. Last, but certainly not least, we have the gothic, black lace number to the right. Layers of sheer fabric add texture to this other wise body con, floor length gown. The reason I like it so much? It's effortless elegance with edge. Who would I put in this dress? Charliz Theron probably. She has the killer body and looks required to carry this sort of look off.

What do you think about the Oscar de la Renta Resort 2013 collection? Have any of the pieces sparked particular interest for you?
Photo Credit: www.fashion-style.becomegorgeous.com

Hot Sun, Cool Shades

Summer Shades:

The Hottest Trends In Sunglasses...

I don't know the where-abouts of all of you lovely readers, but here in Glasgow, the weather has gone from April showers, cold winds and snow up on the mountains, to cloudless skies, bright sunshine and above all, temperatures to rival that of South Africa and Spain. Us Scots like to cherish what little sunshine and warmth we get - after all, this week of sunshine is our Summer, so when you see everyone out with sunglasses, maxi dresses and sandals, you tend to feel cheery and light-hearted about life. As well as bringing a smile to my face, this spout of good whether has also inspired my next post: well, that, ASOS and the Summer 2012 issue of H&M Magazine. When you think of the belting sun showing it's face, you automatically think: "Ok, I'm going to need my shades today". If, like me, you have a particular favourite which go with every outfit you own and are the pair which you turn to without thinking, then perhaps this post is just going to be for entertainment purposes. However, those of you thinking that maybe you want a little change of eye-wear for the summer months, then you'll love this post!

Scour the high street stores, designer boutiques and online retailers and what will you find they each have in common? Some seriously funky eye-wear - that's what. This Summer, when it comes to choosing your sunglasses for that relaxing fortnight in the Neapolitan Riviera (or is that just me?) you're going to want to choose something fun and dramatic: after all, those are the new trends. Think along the lines of: Novelty, Retro & Cat Eye and you'll know which looks I'm talking about. There are around six various trends listed in H&M Magazine, however I wanted to show you my favourites.

1. X Burn Out Shades - ASOS

2. Tom Ford Cat Eye Shades - Tom Ford Eyewear

3. Two-Tone Shades - West Seal

4. Eiffel Tower Shades - ASOS

5. Mauricio Stein Shades - ASOS

6. Metal Bridge Shades - ASOS

7. Red Shades - Mango

8. Cocktail Shades - ASOS

9. Frosted Cat Eye Shades - ASOS

10. Cat Eye Half Frame Shades - ASOS

11. Extreme High Brow Cat Eye Shades - ASOS

12. Pineapple Shades - ASOS 

The Novelty sunglasses - pineapple, Eiffel tower & cocktail - are just for some fun and not a pair of shades that I would personally sport, however if that's up your street then by all means go for it. Kudos to you for being brave enough to pull them off: You need bags of confidence to get away with them. I quite fancy a pair of cat eye shades, so I might buy a pair in black or nude. My wardrobe may have a splash more colour in it, however I like my eye wear to be almost like an LBD - elegant, classic and suitable for any situation.

What do you think of these new trends? Which pair out of the twelve do you prefer the most?

Best & Worst: Cannes Film Festival

Best & Worst Dressed:

Cannes Film Festival

As you all know, the Cannes Film Festival kicked off this week and what a joy it's been watching that (slightly large) red carpet! The film festival is one of the most highly anticipated events of the year and it does more than exceed our expectations when it comes to fashion and what the stars wear! Twelve days of fashion, celebrities,  awards and a jury panel containing Scottish actor Ewan McGregor and French designer Jean Paul Gautier: what more could you ask for?

As mentioned above, the fashion at said event really is one to watch, so I thought I would put together a short 'best & worst dressed list'. Want to see? Ok, let's start with the best dressed:

1. Eva Longoria: When it comes to events, the Desperate Housewives star really knows how to dress. The Marchesa pale lilac fish tale dress with ruffled tulle train is without a doubt my favourite, however the black lacey number by Alberta Ferretti below, is a close second.

2. Hofit Golan: If this gold, long sleeved embroidered gown had been on anybody else, it might not have looked as nice, however the Israeli socialite managed to pull it off . Then again, I can't decide if the reason I like it so much, is because maybe anything would be nicer than what she wore to the film festival in 2009: a wardrobe malfunction or a publicity stunt - you decide.

Cannes Film Festival 2012

Cannes Film Festival 2009

3. Ewan McGregor: Ok, so maybe I just have a soft spot for the actor seeing as he's Scottish just like myself, but I really did think he looked mighty dapper on the red carpet in Cannes this week. 

4. Jane Fonda: Dressed in a shell pink Atelier Versace gown, how could she not go into the best dressed list? Oh and the fact that she still manages to look sexy and slim at the age of 74? Uh, hello?! She looked fantastic!

Before I delve into the worst dressed, I want to share with you possibly thee best dressed (and attractive) couple at the event: Chris Pine & Dominique Piek. I don't think I have to justify my decision, do you?

Now onto the Worst Dressed List! First up:

1. Jada Pinkett Smith: Normally I'm all in for futuristic looks, however this petrol blue number with statement shoulders just seemed a little out of wack for the film festival in my opinion. Jada has a great figure, but that flat chest just did nothing for the deep V in the gown.

2.  Lara Stone: Being a Calvin Klein poster girl and wife to comedian David Walliams, I might have expected a little more in terms of fashion sense for the model, however this silver CK number does nothing for her. In fact, it looks like it needs a good press ASAP. Nothing else to say other than, I hate it!

3.  Hao Lei: To promote the film Mystery, Chinese actress Hai Lei turned up to the Cannes photocall area in a printed maxi and peep toe ankle boots - A look which I deemed less than impressive. I think I like it, but then my better judgement jumps in with a "No, Maria. Just, no."

There were two other actors present at the Cannes Film Festival who I considered putting in the Worst Dressed list, however in the end I came up with an entirely different category for them: Cannes Most Comical. Actors Sacha Baron Cohen and Bill Murray each turned up in their own little worlds, with Sacha dressed to promote his new film The Dictator and Bill in a colourful, patterned ensemble. The two were hilarious!

What do you think of the fashion at this weeks Cannes Film Festival? Were there any celebrities which you found particularly memorable that I didn't feature? Let me know in the comments below! 

Photo Credit: Images via www.marieclaire.co.uk

Art At The Heart

For many of this week's submissions, art was the center theme. From DIY projects to festivals, museum exhibits and dramatic runway sets - there are so many ways that art manifests itself in the world of fashion, not just in the clothes we wear. We create it, it moves us, it changes our mood and makes our world a more beautiful and magical place. I loved reading posts about the Costume Institute's new exhibit, Chanel's crystal runway set - and even how to make a glitzy pair of Mui Mui-inspired sunnies.
Edited by Taylor Davies

LINKS À LA MODE: THE IFB WEEKLY ROUND UP: MAY 17TH

• A Casa da Va: 10 Ways to Achieve Bohemian Bliss


• Beauty x Pose: Colorblock Your Shoes


• Bleu06: Sh*t Guys Should Know About Fashion #7


• Bugwear: Royal Mail issues Great British Fashion stamps collection


• Crystal Eyes: White Out


• Dress Code: High Fashion:


• Fashionista's Diary: Crazy for Crystals


• Finely Made: DIY Glitter Mui Mui Catwalk Noir Sunglasses


• Fly Songbird: Orange Lips Love


• Get Fierce Style: The Freedom In Loving Your Body


• Meredith & Gwyneth, the new yorkie: DIY No Sew Feather Dress


• Pink Pineapple: Internship Essentials


• Pret-a-Porter Palm Beach: festival fashions


• Real Girl Glam: How To Wear A Denim Jacket


• Spy Girl: Blog Essentials: Designing a Memorable Business Card


• The Curatorial: Duchamp, Pop Art & The Rodnik Band - Art As Fashion


• This is a Yes: Frieze Art Fair New York


• Toronto Shopaholic Blog: 3 Fun Uses For A Multi-Tasking Barette


• Tse Parfait: Anthropologie Summer '12 Fashin Show


• Votre Garcon: Schiaparelli & Prada: Impossible Conversations

SPONSOR:
Skirt Sale at Shopbop: DKNY, A.Wang Skirts, Helmut Lang, Minis, Jean skirts, Splendid, Jenni Kayne, AG Skirts, Tibi, Cacharel, ALC, Pencil & Hervé Skirts

PLEASE READ IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO PARTICIPATE
If you would like to submit your link for next week’s Links à la Mode, please register first, then post your links HERE. The HTML code for this week will be found in the Links a la Mode group will be published later today. ~Jennine

How To Wear: Creepers

How To Wear:

Creepers

Brothel Creepers: A slightly strange, yet wonderful trend that has caught the attention of my younger inner goth. However, think of brothel creepers and you instantaneously think of chunky black shoes with a strip of faux animal print on the front - am I wrong? Well, things are changing - fashion is changing. Top designers including the main man himself: Karl Lagerfeld has jumped on the creeper bandwagon for both the current and up and coming seasons of 2012 & 2013 -  It was actually the Chanel Resort 2013 collection which I blogged about earlier, that inspired me to dedicate a post to the fashionable, yet, strangely intriguing shoes.

Now that the shoe is on trend, retailers and designers galore have been experimenting with new ways to bring us consumers a new and improved design on the old classic. On my recent window shopping trip, I came across two designs which instantly took my fancy, and those are the creepers that I want to share with you, my lovely readers. Take a look:

Image created at Polyvore

I decided to feature two variations on the creeper, as I myself have an almost split personality when it comes to deciding what I wear: One day I can be all girly, with florals and bright colours etc. However, the next minute I might decide that I want to dress quite grungy and punk-rock-ish!

You can purchase the blue spotted creepers here & the heeled creepers here. I can't decided which ones I love more, so I think I'll have to just add both to my list of items to buy on pay day. I love the heeled creepers as they give a modern twist to the shoe and lend themselves to a night look, whereas the dotted flat creepers are perfect for day to day wear. What do you think? Are you into this current trend at the moment & why?

Chanel Resort: 2013

Resort 2013:

Chanel

Held in The Palais de Versailles and inspired by the marvellous Marie Antoinette, Karl Lagerfeld (or King Karl as people seem to be calling him lately) created a collection that combined classic French aristocracy, with a modern day twist. The result? A series of looks with enough wow-factor to make any type of woman crave a piece of the collection for themselves. 

Gold embellishments and touches, ruffled white lace tiers that ran petticoat-like down the side of skirts, boucle jackets, modern swimwear, culottes, scoop neck sun dresses and gathered gowns came together to create a wardrobe for the modern day Marie. Accessories? Short, candy coloured wigs, floppy sun hats, white sole-brothel-creeper trainers and beauty spotted cheeks topped the looks off in a surprisingly chic way. According to the man himself, "Serious frivolity" was the key idea behind Karl's pencil when he created the collection.

Personally, I loved the collection - not every piece, but most - and thought Karl Lagerfeld did a brilliant job in taking an iconic woman such as Marie Antoinette and creating a look for the modern day women in her image.

This dress is absolutely gorgeous!!

I've included some pieces that (and a photo of Karl, of course) I felt were particular favourites of mine. What are your thoughts on this collection? Would you wear any of it yourself?

Photo Credit: Ghetty Images found at www.telegraph.co.uk

Wanted: Wardrobe

Edited by: Sonia of In Pursuit of Style
Something about the change in weather that makes me want bright colors, fabulous new clothes and fancy new shoes. This happens every year, as excitement builds with peep toes, sleeveless tops and flowing skirts aplenty. I’ve been feeling uninspired lately, but this week’s blogger submissions have me excited again. We have some showing us how to make old things new again, trends in different iterations and best of all, at a great price! Maybe I can go out a buy that new wardrobe after all...

THE IFB WEEKLY ROUNDUP: LINKS À LA MODE: MAY 10TH

• Miss Vicki Secrets: New Bloggers In Town


• Tobruck Ave: Pioneer Girl


• Ma Derniere Addiction: Flamingo


• Urbanite: The Artist


• DIY Diaries: In All My Glittery Goodness


• Boheme Noir: The Return of Matching Shoes & Bags


• A Woman Like Me: Neon Wish List


• The Chic Street: The Vested Interest


• Camo Meets Couture: Color Me Coral


• The Citizen Rosebud: Your Little Red Dress


• The Style Confessions: How To Make A Fashion Trend Yours


• Fashionopolis: Trend Spotting - Colored Jeans


• Fashionista’s Diary: DIY Colorblock Bangle


• The Simply Luxurious Life: Why Not Wear A Pencil Skirt?


• Net Vignette: Shopping Fashion Blogger’s Closets


• A Little Too Much: I Heard You Like The Wild Ones


• Fumiko Kawa: Whip My Hair


• The Style Safari: Weekend Prep


• In Pursuit of Style: Orbit


• Welcome To My Closet: What Would Alana Do?

SPONSOR:
New Satchels at Shopbop: Anya Hindmarch, MBMJ Satchels, Tory Burch, Chanel, 3.1 Lim , Red Valentino, Chloé, Messengers, KORS, Jerome Dreyfuss, Beach Bags, Shop Minkoff & Cambridge Satchels

PLEASE READ IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO PARTICIPATE
If you would like to submit your link for next week’s Links à la Mode, please register first, then post your links HERE. The HTML code for this week will be found in the Links a la Mode group will be published later today. ~Jennine

Update!

Just to let you all know, over the next week or so I might disappear for a while again: I have just two weeks left before I finish up for the summer, so I have a lot of work to get done on top of organising our end of year Fashion Show!
(Check that out here: www.cogcfashion.blogspot.com)

I don't want you all to think that I've abandoned Vita di Moda - I could never do that! - so I wanted to leave this here so that if you come by my blog within the next couple of weeks, you'll know why there's been a lack of new content.

I'm hoping to maybe get a sneaky little post in here and there, so fingers crossed that I get my college work finished sooner rather than later.

- Maria xo

Sorrento, Italia

Mi dispiace! 

Ok, so I wanted to make a post dedicated to apologising for my little, five day break from blogging for Vita di Moda! On Sunday morning, my mum, sister and I got on a plane and went to Sorrento, Italy for a couple of days to visit my uncle and stuff our faces with gorgeous Italian food. Let me tell you, I thoroughly enjoyed myself in the food department: gelato in every flavour you could imagine, pizza margherita, penette pomodoro, dough balls, potato croquettes, vino...ugh, just thinking about it makes me start salivating. It really was great to just be there for a little while,  as I was starting to feel a little home sick. I'm actually going back in four weeks (June 15th) with my other half for two weeks, so I'm counting down the days until I'm back!

Want to see some of my holiday snaps?

Images taken by myself with my FujiFilm FinePix S2980