LUISAVIAROMA: AW'12 Picks!

LUISAVIAROMA:
AW'12 Picks!

From time to time I enjoy the oh so tempting hobby of making a dream wishlist on various luxury fashion websites. This morning I woke up and felt the urge to make one for AW'12 at LUISAVIAROMA.com. I don't have a clue why I even do it: I mean, I only ever end up on the verge of tears at the realisation that I can't actually afford £16,000+ to buy my dream wardrobe. And then, what's worse is that I actually contemplate a credit card to buy some of it. Insane or what?!

So, after I got over my little sulking session, I thought it would be a good idea to share them with you. Seeing as I'm such a nice personal and all, I thought it would be nice to be sad together - unless you can actually afford these items, then I hope I inspire your AW'12 wardrobe (whilst being totally green with envy).

1. BALMAIN: Soft nappa leather biker trousers

2. DEMOBAZA: Waxed light denim leggings

3. VALENTINO: Rockstud nappa leather gloves

4. DSQUARED: Leather zipped half gloves

5. RICK OWENS: Yak & wool knit cardigan

6. ELENA IACHI: 70mm suede and calf sneakers

7. CHLOE: 30mm suede ballerina wedges

8. GIVENCHY: Nappa leather top

9. GIUSEPPE ZANOTTI: 150mm suede spiked sculptural wedges

10. ALEXANDER MCQUEEN: Victorian puckering wool jacquard dress

11. MCQ ALEXANDER MCQUEEN: Cap sleeve interlock jersey dress

12. MCQ ALEXANDER MCQUEEN: Waxed denim stretch skinny jeans

13. KARL LAGERFELD PARIS: Leather & wool cloth coat

14. JIL SANDER: Two tone soft cashmere melton coat

15. GIVENCHY: Leather sleeve cotton denim jacket

Just click the links above and you will be taken to the Luisa Via Roma website, where you will be able to purchase each item.

Leather, studs, comfy knits and wedges are items that you will find in my wardrobe, no matter which season it is. So for AW'12, those will remain my main staples - it just so happens that a lot of my picks are trending for Fall 2012, so it's a win, win situation.

What are your wardrobe staples? Which trends will you be adopting for AW'12 this year? Let me know in the comments below!

The Upcoming: An Interview With Vita di Moda

The Upcoming:
An Interview With Vita di Moda

Hello my lovelies! Just a little short post for now, but if you are familiar with the on-line magazine The Upcoming, you may perhaps know that they like to interview individuals from various industries from time to time: music, sport, fashion and news, they cover it all. Earlier this weekend I was contacted by them for an interview which which ended up being a lot of fun, so why not pop along to their website and check it out!

(psst!: just click the image to read the interview)

Chanel's First Nail Bar!

Chanel:

Pop-Up Boutique & Nail Bar

Don't you just love it?! - how girly did that opening statement sound? I'll be in the next Clueless movie before you know it *cringe*. Seriously though, when I heard about Chanel's pop-up boutique and nail bar opening at the store on London's Convent Garden Piazza, I got quite excited for a few reasons:

1. Shape and polish will only cost you £20 - I know, talk about bargain!
2. Over the Summer you can attend makeup classes, preview catwalk trends and chill in the outdoor area made to recreate a backstage catwalk atmosphere.

3. Chanel's A/W range will be launched at the boutique on August 3rd - 3 weeks before it hits stores nationwide!

The downside: it's only open until December 27th, but the store promises a special Christmas surprise. I think fashionista's everywhere will have a manicure session at Chanel before their Christmas parties, don't you?

Hopefully I'll be able to make a little trip down to LDN soon and get my nails seen to - I'm so excited!

I wonder if Choupette will be getting hers done...

A First For Vita di Moda!

A First For Vita di Moda:

The Fiat 500 Gucci

Who would have thought that a car would make an appearance at Vita di Moda: Well, if it has a Gucci label on it, how can I not mention it? In the last week or so, my lovely little mummy went and got herself a new car. That car happened to be a sexy, sleek Fiat 500. She has considered the Gucci model, however later changed her mind as the waiting time for it to arrive was a little longer than she had anticipated. So, she chose the black and it arrived in the garage only a few days later.
Since bringing it home, I've not stopped staring lovingly at it out of my bedroom window. Every time we go a little outing in the car, I steal the keys from her and jump in the drivers seat. I can't help it, ok? It's just so comfortable and fun to drive! 

The general look of the Fiat 500: It's sleek, sexy, compact - yet has a decent sized boot for it's small frame - and will get you from A to B in style. Just this weekend I took it a little drive in to IKEA to get some supplies for my new flat in Newcastle. We managed to fit a trolly full of pots, pans, towels, vases, flowers, dining sets and everything else that you may need for your first flat into the boot of this little beauty. We then managed to get both my mums and grans grocery shopping in as well - all without busting the suspension! The boot doesn't look like it'll do the job, but I can definitely confirm that it does.

With around 500,000 ways to personalise your Fiat 500, my mum had quite the decision on her hands as to how she wanted it to look. In the end though, she chose cream on black with a black paint job on the outside. When she told me about the cream interior, my first thought was that the seats would get dirty fairly easily, but I was glad to see that only the dash, wheel and tops of the seats are cream, with everything else being black. Much like the boot, the back seats of the Fiat 500 look to be relatively small (made especially so with the lack of a middle seat), however sitting in the back proved quite spacious and comfortable - I even have the agreement from my 6ft something, lanky fiance to back me up with this statement. I would even go so far as to say it's a lot more comfortable and spacious than the Mini!

Although the original Fiat 500 is without a doubt, stunning on it's own, I think the fashionista in me would still prefer the Gucci version. Maybe it's just the whole branding thing, with Gucci being such a famous label that makes me want it, but whatever the reason, the Gucci Fiat 500 is beautiful: especially with the stripes along the side, which just appeals to my Italian roots. How could I not like it?

The running of the car is equally as smooth as it's look. With a 1200CC engine, it's perfect for us girls who don't exactly want a car that's going to swallow us up. £30 road tax for the year (first year free) and only £36 to fill the tank, it's proving to be quite a cheap runner as well - which means more money for essentials such as: shoes, bags and everything else us girls need in our lives, eh?

Overall I'm in love with the Fiat 500. So much so, I'm dreaming about the day when I can actually have my own. 

What do you think of this car? Would you drive around in a Gucci design? Let me know!

Follow @Maria_Litizia

If you could click this link and vote for Vita di Moda in the Cosmopolitan UK Blogger Awards 2012 in the best New Fashion Blogger category, I will love and appreciate you forever - more so than I already do obviously. Voting closes on Friday, the 31st of August so make sure you get your vote in now! Thank you xo

Cosmopolitan Blogger Awards 2012

Cosmopolitan Blogger Awards 2012:
Shortlist!

You may already be aware of the above mentioned shortlist in the Cosmopolitan Blogger Awards 2012, however what you may not know is that Vita di Moda is in the running to take the title of Best New Fashion Blogger! I know, I can hardly believe it myself.
Whilst checking my weekly traffic, I noticed a few hundred hits coming from Cosmo's website. I wondered how that could be, so I clicked on the website and almost jumped through the roof - shortlisted...Vita di Moda! It's insane. I'm over the moon right now!

The shortlisted few in my category are:

Emily Divine, Fashion Fade, Girl In The Lens, It's a LDN Thing, Logan's Runway, London's Closet, Lulu Trixabelle, My African Closet, Pret-a-Reporter, South Molton Style, Style Me Curvy, The Little Magpie and Vita di Moda.

Now, here is where I need you to help me: Can you do me a huge favour and vote over on the website? It'll ask you to vote for someone in each category, all I need you to do is choose Vita di Moda in the Best New Fashion Blog section. It would mean the world to me if you could do this. 

VOTE HERE!

Thanks!

Follow @Maria_Litizia

Guest Post: Men's Summer Travels

What to Pack For: Your 2012 Summer Holiday

Summer is upon us, at last, and you have decided to escape to a more exotic setting for a week or two. Packing your suitcase, both organising it and the physical doing, is one of those things that seems easy enough, until you realise the night before that you do not have half of the things you need. Then you end up eating into your holiday budget at the airport, spending ridiculously inflated prices for clothes and other holiday accessories in the terminal concessions.

Use our essential packing guide to ensure that you get your suitcase planned and packed early, and can keep your holiday money for more exciting purchases over the next two weeks.

List Making

Lists are awfully boring, and not a very “man” thing to be doing at all. Trust me, as stupid as you may feel doing it, it will be worth it later.

What do you need on your list?

Essential Clothing

The first thing you need to consider is your footwear. If you are an avid wearer of plimsolls or classic trainers, then you may need to keep them for evening wear only. For the daytime, buy yourself stylish pair of espadrilles, which will keep your feet cool and comfortable even in the most soaring heat.

If you are not planning on spending a lot of time in the swimming pool or the sea, then consider linen trousers as an alternative to shorts. The additional air flow around your legs will keep you cooler, as well as saving you from sunburn and being bitten by any exotic bugs or insects.

Should shorts be more your thing, then stick to basic colours and patterns when it comes to your swimming options, just stay away from anything by Speedo! Consider too that these will be unacceptable evening wear, so ensure you have packed a few pairs of stylish tailored shorts. Tan colours are the most fashionable and will leave you with more outfit options up top.

Forgotten Anything?

Aside from the obvious things such as sun block, the only avenue left to explore is what will you wear up top? As much as I always talk about well-fitting clothes, if you need to go a size bigger for your holiday so you are more “airy,” then it is understandable. If that is the case, try and get the linen jacket when you buy the trousers, too, so you can pull off a sophisticated, smart look while keeping cool and at ease all throughout your holiday.

Stylepilot is designed exclusively for men to navigate fashion online and to discover which styles and items to purchase. Stylepilot displays a large collection of mens jeans, mens shirts, casual wear and tailoring.

The Best Of: Haute Couture Fall 2012

The Best Of:

Haute Couture Fall 2012

Versace Haute Couture Fall 2012

When I first began to think about the Haute Couture collections for Fall 2012, I thought "do I write about each in turn? or do I just group them together and do a sort of, 'Best Of' post?", well as you may have realised by now, I opted for the latter. Pinterest proved itself as my main source for images today (until the day I'm personally invited to the shows! *wink*), as it is quick, easy and has every fashion source available these days - Vogue, Nina Garcia, Harper's Bazaar, WWD etc - all under one tab. Also, I then realised that the Elie Saab show wasn't to be found at Vogue, so I'm glad I opted to use Pinterest in the first place.

The elite few members of the Haute Couture club will have a rather dashing choice of attire this Fall, as the collections from Dior, Elie Saab, Chanel, Iris Van Herpen, Giambattista Valli, Versace, Valentino, Maison Martin Margiela, Jean Paul Gaultier and Givenchy are all beyond fabulous. Ok, so maybe there were one or two collections which I felt didn't really, entice me, shall we say. For me, when it comes to Couture, I want it to look and feel Avante-Garde. Costume-like, if you will. Fair enough, some say that fashion designers should make collections that are wearable and can relate to every day working life, however, with Couture, I see it as more of a 'look and don't touch' scenario. If you want something wearable, go for the RTW and Resort shows. Couture comes from only a handful of select designers. It should be different to anything we've seen from their RTW collections - almost like it should be displayed in a glass cabinet in a museum, or at the very least, worn to some elaborate Venetian masquerade ball.

Anyway, that's enough of my view on Haute Couture. Let's get back to the shows: After looking at each collection in detail, I have come up with my top three. First up we have the gorgeous and colourful collection by Versace. When you think back to Versace's SS'12 Couture collection, you just think "wow" (then start to swoon) so you might think that it could be difficult for Donatella to top what she gave us at the beginning of the year. Well, I didn't think it was possible, but when you look at the Fall collection, you almost start to forget what that SS collection even looked like. For Fall 2012, Versace gives us colour: shades of purple (a huge trend featured in the Fall RTW shows in February), blue, green, pink, yellow. It's a magical array of colour that is bound to help clear away any shadows that Autumn/Winter may bestow upon us. One main feature in the collection - as with many of Versace's recent designs - is the structured corset, with panel detailing that hugs the feminine silhouette in all the right places. It is absolutely beautifully designed, and a treat to lay your eyes upon. The entire Fall collection is beautifully intimidating to look at: actually, the three images below look like a modern day take on the costumes for the three fairies in Sleeping Beauty, don't you think? If I owned a piece of Versace couture, I don't think I would ever take it of!

Next up we have the amazing Jean Paul Gaultier. What can I say about the fall couture collection? Well, for starters, it gave me what I wanted to see in a Couture show: exactly that - a show. It was theatrical, comical and generally amazing. To me, it seemed like a mix of Alice's Through The Looking Glass and 1920's Gatsby/Fitzgerald. I don't know what I enjoyed more, the elaborate collection, or the fact that JPC took his bow with a black and white zigzag turban on. 

Last up is none other than Elie Saab. As you may already know, Mr Saab is my favourite designer. His shows inspired me to pursue a career in fashion and I will always love his collections. For his Fall Couture line though I felt that the collection - although undoubtedly awe-inspiring - gave me a dose of déjà vu. I was looking at the collection images thinking "Did he not do something similar in his AW'12 RTW collection?" Either way, I can't deny that the collection had me in tears over the fact that I may perhaps never own a piece - it is simply stunning as always.

CLICK TO SEE MORE IMAGES FROM THE FALL 2012 COUTURE SHOW!

What are your thoughts on the above Couture shows? Which was your favourite (mentioned or not)?

AW'12 At Matches

AW'12 Taster Trend Report:

Matches Fashion

Karlie Kloss from Ellie Saab AW'12 RTW

Can you believe that we're already in July?! - oh! Happy belated 4th of July to my American lovelies - It seems like it was just yesterday that it was the beginning of January and I was curled up in front of the fire, feeling the blue's due to the horrendous winter we had in Scotland. Fast forward six months and it feels like these past months have just flew by in an Olympic sprint fashion. This SS'12 has not only brought me a new found outlook on my fashion sense, it has also brought my 21st birthday celebrations in Paris, two trips to Italy to visit family in Sorrento, Campania, the birth of Vita di Moda, a competition win to match and a place at university in England to study my BA (HONs) in Fashion Communication. All in all, I'd say that the first half of 2012 has been pretty spectacular really. With that in mind, and SS'12 just about done and dusted anyway, what say you to moving on to AW'12 with a little look at the trends you might be coveting in the next few months? I may complain about the cold, rain and every other consequent result of winter, but the AW months really are my favourite time of year.

From time to time, I enjoy a little online window shopping on websites known for stocking luxury designer items. So, when my August edition of Vogue came through the post this morning, I felt inspired to create a little Winter wish list over at Matches fashion. 

For AW'12 at Matches Fashion, you will have a numerous choice of trends to adopt: from winter floral bloom, to oversized...well, everything really. In between you'll have the options of eye-popping opticals, head-to-toe black leather, grand opulence, luxurious layering, purple garments and makeup, elegant waist silhouettes, oriental influences, English country-woman, fur, fur and more fur. Accessories standing out from the AW'12 shows back in February were oversized handbags, leather gloves (short biker styles, as well as elbow length), waist belts with bows, buttons, decorative claps and hidden fastenings, statement, decorative heels and knee/thigh high boots.

Each of the following garments shown are currently available over at matchesfashion.com. Just click on the 'Just In' section and shop till you - figuratively speaking, of course - drop!

1. Charlotte Olympia: Ava floral print pumps - £515

2. Alexander McQueen: Exploding tulip-print chiffon cape - £560

3. Alexander McQueen: Victorian puckering jacquard dress - £885

4. Lisa Marie for Peter Pilotto: Carnation-print scarf - £275

The great thing about items 2, 3 & 4 is that they can also lend themselves to the Oriental trend for AW'12 too!

1. Roksanda Ilincic: Swing crepe coat: £1,100

2. Stella McCartney: Visconti boucle inverted-lapel coat - £1,115

3. Stella McCartney: Stanley collarless coat - £1,215
#3 can also lend itself to the English country-woman trend

4. Weekend by MaxMara: Rive coat - £355

5. Bottega Veneta: Intrecciato wovan tote bag - £2,655

6. Stella McCartney: Falabella boucle bag - £790

1. DVF: Yvanna leather dress - £613

2. Sportmax: Zulma dress - £320

3. McQ: Leather midi skirt - £645

4. Vanessa Bruno: Collarless leather jacket - £620

5. Alexander McQueen: Peplum detail biker jacket - £4,195

6. Drome: Stretch leather leggings - £490

Without running the risk of going on forever, I think it's time to move on to accessories now, don't you?

1. YSL: Ariane wedge boot - £810

2. Lanvin: Crinkled leather (or suede) knee boots - £600

3. DVF: Jeanette cut out sandal - £230

4. Alexander McQueen: Suede ankle boot - £590

5. Isabel Marant: Dicket suede ankle boots - £325

1.  Gucci: Exposed stitch leather gloves - £290

2. Gucci: Horse-bit logo gloves - £315

3. Gucci: Leather and suede gloves - £195

4. MSGM: Neon elasticated waist belt - £42 - Sale Section

5. MaxMara: Cennare snake-print waist belt - £105 - Sales Section

6. DVF: Corset leather belt - £139 - Sale Section

CLICK FOR IMAGES FROM THE AW'12 SHOWS!

So, there you have it - a slightly larger than normal taster trend report for AW 2012 at Matchesfashion.com! Which trends have taken your fancy for AW? Would you buy any of the above mentioned items? I don't know about you, but my shopping basket is over flowing, awaiting the day I win the EuroMillions...

*Photo Credit: Images from www.matchesfashion.com > created on Polyvore.

10th Tribe

10th Tribe:

A Tribe You'll Want To Be A Part Of

To the lucky few currently residing in the United States of America (NYC in particular) and Australia, 10th Tribe may be a brand which already graces the insides of your walk in closets - much to my insane jealously - however for those of you in the UK and EU, it may raise an eyebrow and the question, "10th What?" Well, let me use this post to shed a little light on that mystery for you: 10th Tribe are the insanely hot fashion label based in Manhattan, NY: Created in SS'12 by an inner circle of friends who's aim was to create garments that they wanted to wear themselves - now, they sound like my kind of girls actually.

Looking at 10th Tribe's website and current Signature collection, you would think that they had been in business for much longer than SS'12. The collection looks so put together, casual-yet-stylish and matches exactly that of a modern day NYC fashionista. Don't get me wrong, I love eclectic looks and mismatch outfits, but nothing beats a subtle white tee or dress and some denims for looking classic and on trend - and this is exactly what 10th Tribe brings to the market. Currently available in select stores across the US and online at Zaden Row, Stripe Los Angeles and I Don't Like Monday's, prices range from around $80 for a t-shirt and $140 for a dress or cape. At a first glance at the price, you may think that's a little steep for a t-shirt, but when you think about it, it's hardly much more than what you're expected to pay in stores such as Topshop and Urban Outfitters. Think of it as an investment if you will: I mean, it's going to transfer through the seasons, whilst remaining classic and on trend. If only I lived in the states, I would be stocking up on 10th Tribe whenever payday came around *sigh*.

Looking at the first few pieces by 10th Tribe, it makes you think of labels such as Wild Fox Couture etc. Equally, it makes you think of the possibilities that this brand could, and probably will have in years to come: to me, it's almost a given that they will make it big in the future, as their current (and likely future) collection can be worn by woman of all tastes. It definitely gets a thumbs up from me, but what do you think? Would you wear it?

General Inquiries
info@10thtribe.com

PR & Press 
pr@10thtribe.com

Sales
sales@10thtribe.com

Customer Servicescustomerservices@10thtribe.com

**Photo Credit: Images courtesy of www.10thTribe.com and www.10thtribe.tumblr.com**