NYFW

Farewell New York

Can you believe that a whole week has come and gone since New York Fashion Week slam dunked it's way into our lives? Neither can I, and to be honest, it's pretty sad to say goodbye to it. That said, London Fashion Week started today, so I don't think I will be upset for too long. To end the week though, I thought I would put together a little compilation of my favourite looks from NYFW as a sort of, end chapter to this section in my blog.

Collections Include: Wes Gordon, Marchesa, Monique Lhuillier, Tadashi Shoji, Juan Carlos Obando, Prabal Gurung, Helmut Lang, Vera Wang.

Images Via Vogue

Full collections that I particularly loved are; (in preference order)

1. Red Valentino
2. Prabal Gurung
3. Vera Wang
4. Marchesa
5. Tadashi Shoji
6. Milly by Michelle Smith

Don't forget to comment below with your favourite show from New York Fashion Week Fall 2012.

Fashion Communications Interview

BA(HONS) FASHION COMMUNICATION.

Ok, so this post is a little more personal in nature than my regular fashion reviews, however it's still linked to fashion in the academic sense!

As you'll know from some of my previous update blog entries, I had an interview at Northumbria University in Newcastle today to study a BA (HONS) Fashion Communications degree. Seeing as the interview was at 1pm, rather than getting the train down quite early in the morning, I decided earlier on in the week that I would head down on the train on Thursday afternoon and get a hotel for the night - that way I would be less flustered and be able to get my bearings a bit better.

Well. Less flustered, I was not. I was just as shaky, nervous and sick to my stomach when I woke up at 9am this morning, as I was going down to Newcastle on the Thursday afternoon (Not having my laptop, or internet for my tablet PC didn't help matters either - a quick look at the first collections to hit London Fashion Week today would have surely calmed my nerves) 

Seeing as the interview was at 1pm, I decided to head up to the City Campus East - School of Design building around noon, so that I had an hour to find out where to go etc. When I got into the building, I went straight to reception to tell them I was there for an interview and the guy behind the desk ticked my name off and handed me a plastic bag with various booklets about Newcastle - places to eat, drink and visit - a mini red sketchbook with the Northumbria University emblem on the bottom right hand corner, and finally, a questionnaire sheet which included questions along the lines of;

• Why have you applied for Northumbria in particular?
• What does Fashion Communication mean to you?
• Name a photographer, artist, musician and design company that inspires you and give a few words as to why that is.

After filling in the questions, the head of admissions for Fashion Communication came around asking people to go into one of the seminar rooms, as they were about to begin with the interviews. Once I sat down, a different lecturer (don't know her name, she spoke only briefly) came in and explained that everyone in the room was here for either Fashion Communication, Fashion Design or Fashion Marketing, and that if we were there for Fashion Communications, then we were to follow the head of admissions and go into a separate room - I think it was because we were the only course out of the three that didn't need to show a full on portfolio. Anyway, once we got into the other room (there were only 5 of us - thank god.) we each took a seat at the table and had our names ticked off the register. At this point, the head of admissions called our names, one by one to give our presentations. I was called third to give mines, but by this point my heart was in my ears, my leg wouldn't stop shaking, I was actually starting to feel my teeth chattering - it was truly horrendous. I've never been so nervous for an interview in my life so far - and it was all because after watching the first two girls present, all I could think about was, "Oh. My. God. My board is all wrong."

Each one of the girls had media related projects included on their boards or power point presentations that they had studied at school or college. Things like their social networking sites, photographs/shoots that they had personally taken or styled etc, and I was just sitting there listening to it all and thinking that I had forgotten to put in the things that should have been obvious to me - my blog and Twitter for example.

So when it was my turn, I put my board up on the table and felt the need to explain why mines was just so much more fashion/design related than everybody else's - which is fair enough, really. I mean, I've studied design since fourth year at high school. That's over five years now. Half way through my presentation though,  I felt like I should have pointed out that I had this blog and my Tumblr account, so I mentioned it. However, at the same time, all I could think about was that they must think I'm a liar, and that I only said it because the other four girls all mentioned theirs and I just didn't want to look outdone. This could be paranoia, but I don't really know.

Moving swiftly on. After the presentations were done, a third year student came in to take us up to the studios to show up where we would be working, and to show us some of the first year students work. We got there and there were a row of sketch books and briefs up one side of the table, and up the other side were magazines that the students had designed and actually produced for one of the modules (this was what got me really excited, as working for a magazine company is what I really want to do for a career.)

After having a quick look through the work - which was amazing, by the way - I started to ask the third year student some questions about how the industry has reacted to graduates from the course, what work placements people have been doing etc etc (I figured if I asked questions, then she would report back to the head of admissions and maybe say that I seemed keen and interested)

Once we had a look around, we were taken back downstairs to the design lobby where the head of admissions was waiting for us. At this point, I thought we were going to be taken in for a one to one and asked the questions that the university website said to prepare for, however we were just thanked for coming, asked to hand in the questionnaire's that we filled in earlier, told that our presentations were all great and that we should hear back soon with whether or not we've been given a place on the course.

This really had my jaw on the ground. I had prepared answers for these questions and was hoping that after my board being different from everybody else's in the presentations, that these questions would help me justify to them why I should actually be doing the course after all. So, naturally as you can image, I started to panic a little thinking that I had just blown my chances of getting in.

It wasn't until later on tonight that I remembered that the questions on the sheet we were given to fill out, were actually not that far off from the questions we were told to prepare for on the website. Having this realisation has calmed my nerves a little, but I don't think the sick feeling in my stomach will fully go away until I hear back from Northumbria.

You have no idea how badly I want onto this course. There's nothing else like it in Scotland, and the other courses that I have applied for just don't come anywhere near it. 

Everybody - keep your fingers crossed for me!

Miu Miu

MIU MIU.

MIU MIU created a collection of one-of-a-kind handbags just in time for Fashion Week — or rather, Fashion Month, if you count the shows in New York, Paris, London and Milan. The 46 limited-edition pieces, shaped like change purses with handles, are made from exotic skins like ostrich and python, and covered in embellishments. The bags are split up among the Miu Miu boutiques in each of the four fashionable cities. New Yorkers can find one with gold studs, $1,750, at the 11 East 57th Street shop and one with glitter and snakeskin details, $2,195, at 100 Prince Street. - www.nytimes.com

After coming across these totally to die for bags, I am seriously considering taking out a loan just to get my hands on them.

What do you think?

NYFW: Vera Wang Fall 2012

Vera Wang Fall Review

Image via www.fashionologie.com

As you probably know from my previous posts, the Vera Wang Fall 2012 Collection was the one show that I have been eagerly anticipating since last Thursday when New York Fashion Week kicked off. After watching the show, it is safe to say that I was far from disappointed -Vera Wang gave me everything I was hoping for and more.

The architecturally-inspired A/W collection featured shades of nude, black, smokey charcoal, tangerine and dutch blue, with each colour blending into one another as the models, in turn took to the catwalk. The designers love of history and architecture showed through in linear and geometric shapes via layers of frills, draping fabrics and cathedral ceilings printed onto sheer chiffon fabrics, which featured as the main look throughout the collection. Vera Wang described this look as "the body protectively enveloped in the soft armour of a fitted sheath, the sharp discipline of fencing-inspired jackets, the structured carapace of a coat". Long, buttery soft Nude Melton wool coats protected a body of sheer chiffon and silks, and contributed to the feeling of architectural buildings being a place of warmth and protection.

With the collection being primarily grey (a colour that Vera Wang described as; “at once industrial and poetic: hard as steel, dove-soft”), the introduction of popping tangerine through boyish shorts and sheer dresses lent a feeling of warmth for the coming season.

The evening wear finale featured silk chiffon and organza gowns in Dutch Blue with Swarovski embellishments and high neck lines. The looks were not quite red carpet ready as other designers collections this week, however if I were a celebrity stylist, I would have Charlize Theron in this particular dress at an awards ceremony, as I feel that her personal look has enough elegance and edge to pull off a look like this at an event that is so vastly covered in the media;

Image via www.WWD.com

The whole collection appealed to me personally, as my own style is edgy and a little less mainstream which is exactly how Vera Wang's collection compares to other designers at NYFW this year. I have always loved the designers work, and her Fall 2012 collection is no exception to that.

On a finale note, I will leave you with a few of my top looks from the collection.
Don't forget to comment below with your own thoughts - I'd love to hear from you!

Images via www.WWD.com

Click here for a full look at the collection!

FYI

Update!!

Hi everyone!

Just a little post to let you all know that new blog posts will be few and sparse this week, due to lots of reports being due in college, Valentines Day and I also have my Fashion Communications degree interview at Northumbria Univerisity in Newcastle on Friday at 1pm (wish me luck!)

I promise to try my best and get reviews up for Victoria Beckham, Rachel Zoe, Wes Gordon and Carolina Herrera - as well photos for each collection. (Wes Gordon & Rachel Zoe are already up: See "NYFW Gallery" tab for those)

As you are probably aware, Vera Wang and Rodarte will be showing at NYFW today, as well as Oscar De La Renta and Marc by Marc Jacobs, so I will more than likely be doing reviews and uploading those collections too as those are the shows that I have been been eagerly anticipating since NYFW started last Thurday.

I have a busy week ahead of me, so it would be great if my regular readers could bare with me and I promise to get back to my daily posts asap!

Happy Valentines Day! xo

NYFW: Alexander Wang Fall 2012

Alexander Wang Review

Image via france24.com (google search)

The designers recent collection for Fall 2012, appropriately named "After Dark", has sparked conversations in the fashion world this week for a number of reasons.

The first reason being for the lighting at the show - or rather, the LACK of lighting. 

"Each model, along with her outfit, dissolved in the darkness," said a New York Times critic in reference to the poorly lit runway. 

Spot lighting was used to light up certain parts of the floor, so those in the front row at each corner were unable to see the collection properly. The fact that the collection was primarily monochrome with deep burgundy (a colour trend being seen a lot this year at NYFW), also didn't help the situation.

The second reason the show was such a big topic of conversation, was down to the models wearing the collection on the runway. These models were no average Joe - Alexander Wang called out all the stops and had names such as Natasha Poly, Shalom Harlow, Carmen Kass, Karolina Kurkova and even Gisele Bundchen strutting their stuff for his Fall show.

This season, outerwear featured heavily in Alexander Wang's fall collection with lots of boxy, "lacquered" raincoats, biker jackets and trench coats that looked super slick and slippery. Accessories included, bicep-high leather gloves, large doctor's surgery style duffel bags and motorcycle style knee high boots were the chosen looks for the coming season .

Images via www.fashionologie.com

The show itself was set out like a production. Models came out thick and fast to begin with, then once you thought it  was all over, a second walk began which was when the big name super models made an appearance. Large, vertical mirrors spaced around the floor played part in the finale, with each model standing in front of one with their backs to the audience. Once each of the models had taken their places, they turned to face the audience in unison whilst taking down the mesh turtle necks that they wore like surgical masks throughout the show. 

The show as a whole was dramatic with a post-apocalyptic/Matrix-esque/dominating feel to it, and will be a tough finale to beat this year.

Click here a full look at the Fall 2012 Collection!

Comment below with your thoughts on this dramatic show at NYFW.

NYFW: Monique Lhuillier Fall 2012

Monique Lhuillier Review

Image via fabsugar.com

Monique Lhuillier is known for her beautiful collections of red carpet gowns and her Fall 2012 collection at NYFW last night was no exception.

For the coming season, Lhuillier designed a series of black, sunset orange and 'dragon red' knee - floor length gowns, but gave them a fierce edge with leather and embroidered lace which featured quite heavily throughout the collection - from harness-like leather belts (seen in the gown to the left), to full dresses made up entirely of leather.
Sexy thigh-high slits featured in some of the gowns, but in a classy sort of way - Kind of like, "I'm going to look, but I know that if I touch, then I'm going to regret it".

High glamour hair and make up were chosen to compliment the collection, with a classic wave and statement red lip, alongside thick brows which worked perfectly with the dominating theme.

The show itself was dazzling - quite literally - from the mirror reflecting catwalk, to the sequins and Swarovski detailing reflecting off of the garments. It was jaw-dropping and hypnotising to watch, and literally made you want one of everything that was shown.

Images via Vogue.co.uk - Edited into picks by myself.

What has became apparent in the shows seen already at NYFW, is that women in the fall this year will be a force to be reckoned with - what with the amount of leather, power dresses silhouettes and sheer intimidation that radiates in collections from Christian Siriano, Prabal Gurung, Helmut Lang and of course, Monique Lhuillier.

For a complete look at Monique Lhuillier's Fall 2012 Collection, click here.

NYFW Style Inspiration

Change of Post

So, as you will have already realised, I haven't done any kind of personal-style-type post yet, and to be honest, I hadn't really planned to - not until Fashion Week was over at the very least - however I recently came across a photo on twitter of the 'Anna Monsters' and felt inspired to do one for you guys!

If you don't already know what the Anna Monsters are, then take a look;

http://milkmade.com/posts/3264-Jenne-And-the-Anna-s-mazdack-rassi

Basically, the story is that women in Anna Wintour inspired masks have been showing up at NYFW for the past few days handing out copies of Alexsandro Palombo's Humor Chic newspaper. The eight page newspaper features large, characateur like images of designers such as Karl Lagerfeld and Marc Jacobs in less than flattering poses, and is being given out at select shows such as Alexander Wang and DVF.

So now that you're up to date with these comical versions of Anna, let's get back to the point of my post - the style!

As seen in the picture above, Jenne (in the middle) is wearing an ensemble of vertical striped flare trousers, leather jacket and fur gilet over the top, with nude platform heels. This look is not something that I would particularly go for - mainly the striped trousers - however, looking at this outfit has made me want to get the bank card out and hit the shops.

The look is loud with the stripes, but the simple black leather and fur on top keeps the look balanced and wearable whether you're a fashion outcast with your wacky outfit combo's, or prefer to keep a simpler look whilst adding one statement piece to your outfit.

Here is what I'm taking from the above look;

Striped bottoms - BlackMilk 

Leather Jacket - Muubaa

Shirt - H&M

Fur Gilet - Farfetch

Shoes - Solestruck

Let me know what you think and if you'll be adopting this trend any time soon! - xo

NYFW: Prabal Gurung Fall 2012

Prabal Gurung Review

"Awe-Inspiring" - The first two words that came to mind as Prabal Gurung's Fall 2012 collection starting strutting it's way down the runway today.

The collection started off with heavy power dressing attire. Sleek, black ensembles, military style hats and long fur coats were soon followed by dresses with sheer fabric and petrol blue-y/green panels, pulled in with a patent leather waist belt. Then came a sort of, intergalactic twist on florals. Blue/black dresses with repeat pattern roses were given a dominating feel with long black leather gloves and were seriously striking to look at. It certainly gave florals a new lease of life, being a big hit for me personally.

If I thought I was enjoying the collection thus far however, it was nothing compared to how I would feel after witnessing the finale dresses. Lace and rose appliqué dresses, with ostrich feather skirts and trains were followed by 'Elvis white' on metallic gold gowns, and Swarovski studded show stoppers which seriously impressed onlookers - Anna Wintour, Bryanboy, Susiebubble and actress Zoe Saldana to name but a few - as well as myself.

The eclectic looks combined with fierce, insect style accessorising - bracelets, neck cuffs, cape pins and waist belts - make Prabal Gurung's Fall 2012 collection a top competitor in my list of NYFW 2012 favourites.

Here are my top three looks;

Top 3 Picks - Images via www.nytimes.com
*Such a hard decision to choose only 3!

Personally, I felt that it was quite fitting that the collection showed on the anniversary of the legend that is Alexander McQueen, considering that some of the pieces from the Fall collection looked to be quite McQueen-esk in my opinion - especially the petrol blue, rose print dresses. What do you think?

To see more from the Prabal Gurung Fall 2012 collection, click here.

NYFW: Helmut Lang Fall 2012

Helmut Lang Review

Have you ever jumped out of bed in the morning, so eager and excited because you just can't wait to get ready and head into work? Neither have I. That is, until Helmut Lang's Fall 2012 collection hit the catwalk this week.

The current designers, Michael and Nicole Colovos have successfully managed to put their style into the labels history with a collection made up of monochrome and rusty red sharp tailoring. The collection featured a series of blazers in "blistered" leather (as put in the show notes), next to off-shoulder, loose knit jumpers, thigh high suede boots (boots that I would seriously consider selling a kidney for) and coats with varying lengths of fur. The collection is very much work wear attire, but has just enough edge to lend itself to after hour engagements. 

Images via Vogue.co.uk - Edited into selection by myself.

What was particularly nice about the collection, was that from a simple black, tailored blazer to an all over textured red print jacket and thigh high boots, there is something suitable for every type of women's wardrobe this coming season.

The key items that will appear on my wish list are;

From top left: beige blazer, thigh high boots, leather & fur jacket, leather coat, body con dress with leather sleeves, leather & fur jacket.
Images via vogue.co.uk

There isn't much more to say about the collection, other than it is just so effortlessly professional, yet toned down, cool and wearable for any type of situation, which makes it guaranteed to be a hit with women everywhere this Fall. 

To see more from the collection, click here.

Don't forget to comment below with your opinions! 

NYFW: Tadashi Shoji Fall 2012

Tadashi Shoji Review

“I dress for the image. Not for myself, not for the public, not for fashion, not for men,” said Marlene Dietrich, the inspiration behind Tadashi Shoji’s Fall 2012  show in New York yesterday. Tadashi took inspiration from her role in the 1932 film, "Shanghai Express." and treated onlookers to a ride on his very own "Shanghai Express" with luxurious fabrics such as velvet, chiffon and silk to capture the beauty that was the golden age of Shanghai.

The collection featured elegant floor length gowns in beautiful fabrics such as silk, chiffon and light weight velvet with lots of pleating, lace overlays and beaded embroidery. Tadashi Shoji wanted to create a feel of Shanghai, and did this through his use of jewel-tone colours such as red, green, blue and gold which made his collection mesmerising to watch as the gowns flowed effortlessly down the runway. 

The catwalk itself was a welcome change from the previous shows at the Lincoln Centre in NYC yesterday, as the entrance/exit wall on the runway displayed a projection of a gorgeous pattern that can only be described as 'damask lace meets Shanghai'. The projected print was then shown through the lace overlays and embroidery that featured in Tadashi Shoji's dropped waist gowns and was absolutely stunning in my opinion.

Images via www.wwd.com & Edited into selection by myself.

Although the entire collection stood out in it's own way, the one garment that stole the show for me was this red velvet, long sleeved gown with black embroidered back. When the model stepped onto the catwalk wearing it, I let out a gasp and my jaw literally dropped - it was absolutely captivating. Teamed with the models up-do hairstyle and statement red lips made the entire look just stand out from all the others.

Images via; www.wwd.com & photographer @_FromMeToYou - Jamie Beck

For a look at the entire collection, click here.

Don't forget to leave your comments below, letting me know what you thought!