The Studded Dress Syndrome
April 1, 2012 § 1 Comment
It started of with Versace Spring Summer 12 fashion show – tightly fitted gold studded dresses paraded up and down the catwalk. And when Donatella emerged at the end of the show wearing one of those herself fashion world knew this would be a new must have. The first to be caught up in the spread of the micro trend were celebrities – Katy Perry and Nicole Kidman showed off their sex appeal in white creations. But Versace influence on the trend was not over: when collaborating with H&M a much more affordable range of studded figure hugging items emerged and even more people signed up to the trend.
And now those that did not get their hands on Versace or Versace for H&M studded pieces have been given another chance: River Island created a more affordable range of dresses inspired by original Versace designs. I’m in!
- Black Studded Dress, £30
- White Studded Dress, £50
- White Studded Dress, £30
- Black Studded Dress, £50
Millie + Lipsy
March 29, 2012 § 1 Comment
Whether you are a fan of London based reality show Made in Chelsea or not, there is one thing everyone will agree on – Millie Mackintosh is gorgeous. In fact so gorgeous that after seeing her model the new range of Lipsy VIP dresses I could not wait to get my hands on them: I am once again excited about Lipsy creations, and that has not happened for over a 6 months! They are not your day to day party dresses – in fact VIP range is perfect for special occasions and now that the wedding season is approaching, I would recommend you go no further for the outfit of choice than Lipsy’s website. Beautiful and impact-making dresses come in both mini and maxi lengths and give you great choice of fabrics. Plus each dress gives you a different focus: feathers, lace, tutu skirt, embellished, scalloped, sequined, printed – just pick what S/S12 trend you want to follow and grab one of them before they get away!
Below is my selection of favourite pieces from the collection to inspire you to have a look at the entire range at www.lipsy.com.
- Rouched Bust Dip Dye Prom Dress, £120
- Waxed Lace Feather Dress, £110
- Scalloped Edge Sequin Dress, £120
- Flower Bust Maxi Dress, £130
- Sweetheart Embellished Neckline Ruched Maxi Dress, £130
- Printed Embellished Maxi Dress, £130
Pre-Loved
March 22, 2012 § Leave a comment
Are you looking for more affordable designer items? Or are you reshuffling your designer wardrobe and want to earn on no longer needed pieces? If so your answer is not the untrustworthy Ebay but a new London based store Chic&Seek where previously unwanted designer goodies are handpicked to ensure quality and resold. An environmentally and purse-friendly idea allows you to find treasures among a second-hand items that are yet in very good conditions (many are brand new!). Where can you sign up, you may ask. First step is to visit the online store http://www.chicandseek.com, and if you are certain about an item just buy it there and then, and if not, make a virtual rail of goodies you would like to see in person and book a time to come down to a very chic mews house in Notting Hill to try them on. Isn’t this the most personalised service for finding pre-loved items ever? 
And you know, I just could not avoid picking a few pieces that are going straight to my wish list: great condition, amazing discount and no authenticity worries!
- Isabel Marant Floral Dress, £175
- Christian Louboutin Mary Jane Shoes, £225
- Tods Patent Clutch, £300
- Chanel 2.55 Handbag, £1750
- Marni Necklace, £120
- Bottega Veneta Boots, £200
- Matthew Williamson Strapless Sequined Dress, £250
- Hermes Scarf, £175
Made in China
March 20, 2012 § Leave a comment
‘Is it possible for a Chinese company to build a worldwide brand?’ is the title of many marketing papers and is a popular topic for deliberation. Indeed with the overwhelming negative attitude surrounding ‘Made in China’ label, many assume that it would be a while before a truly popular brand can emerge out of China. Surprisingly, it might be the realm of fashion that sees the above claim overturned. Indeed for the last year one high street fashion brand from China has been experiencing very fast growth by looking for support from style bloggers, support that it has been receiving in bundles. Indeed if you read a few street style blogs you must have come across Romwe – fashionable and affordable online brand that designs and manufactures its range in China and offers free worldwide shipping. A tempting proposition indeed since the quality of Chinese production is higher than many assume – most of the technologies used in clothing manufacturing are identical to expensive European designer items, some of which have a portion of its production in Asia. 
I decided to explore the website to see what the style blogs loved about the brand: I was on lookout for truly trendy items that fit an international fashionable customer and I found a bundle. For example I absolutely love the range of shirts with contrasting detailing (collars and cuffs) and here are my top six picks, all in a very affordable price range:
- Montage PU Lapel Silver-Tone Blouse, £22.22
- Paillette Embellished Fake Twin-Set Nude-Pink Shirt, £22.88
- Leopard Print Chiffon Shirt, £17.65
- Off Shoulder White Shirt, £20.92
- Oversized Splicing PU Star Black Shirt, £24.18
- Paillette Lapel Black Chiffon Shirt, £20.26
I have to be truthful though, while level of trendiness of the clothing is high there are a few things that Romwe should work on to satisfy high demands of international consumer, which of course requires a large financial investment (possibly unachievable at the time yet important enough to be prioritised in the future): items photography is not uniform or of the highest quality which leads to underselling the garments, product names are slightly misleading (second shirt in my selection is referred to by ‘fake twin-set’ leaving me to guess what it’s meant to mean), ‘about us’ page needs major work – it’s not doing the idea or the website justice and requires a few reads to gasp the content leading me to an overall point about the need to work harder on any written material as words like ‘stuff’ should not be used when referred to products, let alone in the description on the home page.
All in all I have to say a very good effort, the kind that can be easily seen in growing sales figure. I have a feeling the brand will do very well in the future, especially if some alterations to the website are made to ensure even the toughest international customer is satisfied with the experience.
Motel’s Welcomed Achievement
March 19, 2012 § Leave a comment
Motel have outdone themselves. The brand has been known for a while for pretty and feminine party dresses but it has never before been truly fashionable. Until now. Their new season collection contains a dress that excites the fashion side of my brain – Zoe racer back dress with bold photographic prints. First of all I am a fan of photographic prints: for example my obsession with We Are Handsome bikinis prove this. Secondly I absolutely love the shape – simple yet feminine and definitely sexy it will fit for both day and night wear (for the day just match it with tights and an understated jacket and for night add a statement bag and killer heels). And thirdly they are £29 yet Motel did not cut corners and the back of the dress is also printed: improvement of the usual disappointment of purchasing the dress online only to realise the back of it is just black – shame knowing that I’m not in 2D. And fourthly, there is so much choice: from varied prints to length as you can pick a mini or midi style. Below are my favourites:
Motel Zoe Dress in Cityscape Print, £29
Motel Zoe Dress in Horses Print, £29
Motel Zoe Dress in Mountain Print, £29
Motel Zoe Dress in Poppy Field Print, £29
Those four and other print/length versions are available on ASOS.
Dressing Up Denim Shorts
March 15, 2012 § Leave a comment
I wish it was warmer outside. I am already feeling the spring vibe and can’t wait to wear my favourite warm season piece of clothing – denim shorts. Last summer when I was exploring West Coast of US denim shorts in all shapes and colours were the only ‘bottoms’ option in my suitcase, the fact I did not once regret. And now even thinking of wearing all those garments mentally transports me back to my American adventure. So for emotional boost of getting through the not-so-warm-or-sunny London days I compiled a few outfits with my beloved denim short. 
The one above is urban spring chic with metallic accessories (courtesy of Topshop). It is essentially summery but the colour palette suggest I remember it is still London in mid-March:
Oversized Lightweight Parka, £68
Metallic Vintage Rucksack, £38
Pilot Sporty Curved Wedges, £85
Spike Stretch Hair Band, £10
All Over Skull Bralet, £12
Moto High Wasted Kristen Hotpants, £32
Total: £ 245 of Topshop goodies
This second outfit on the other hand shows that denim shorts don’t have to be just for casual weather – with right accessories they become very lady-like! Vertical stripes are slimming, shirts with collar tips are currently very trendy and these pointy studded courts are to die for. All items are from one of my high street favourites River Island:
White Diamante Trimmed Shirt, £28
Silver Tone Twisted Diamante Hairband, £8
Light Pink Bow Hinge Skinny Belt, £15
Blue Striped High Waster Shorts, £25
Pink Colourblock Bowler Bag, £40
Light Pink Stud and Spike Point Court, £55
Total: £171 for this feminine denim ensemble
So if you are not feeling the weather and need something to lift you up, why not compile an outfit for yourself? Fashion satisfaction is guaranteed and you won’t spend a penny!
Fashion Inspiration
March 9, 2012 § Leave a comment
It is rare that just one designer collection emerges to epitomise the whole season – there is always more than one favourite. Yet Spring Summer 12 season is different. It has a clear winner – Louis Vuitton. Just recently I stumbled upon Daily Mail Article about how Louis Vuitton Lace from SS12 collection has already been featured on seven top fashion magazine covers indicating a unique success in the eyes of fashion editors from around the world. 
And what those seven covers made me think is that I myself used Louis Vuitton as a focal point when discussing this season trends on more than one occasion. For example pastels trend – LV fashion show was all about pastels and its campaign even more so with not just ice cream shades everywhere but even ice cream itself. Hence when discussing the trend LV campaign was my starting image – fashion designer inspiration (see it here). And then I turned to LV once again when discussing sudden reemergence of pointy shoes that have been updated with metal toe cap thanks to LV fashion show (see it here).
Hence I proudly announce SS12 LV collection as my fashion inspiration and it seems like the fashion world is doing so too. And since now that we are more or less on the right track knowing what to wear I though I wound mention Autumn Winter 12. Indeed I have a reason to since LV show in Paris was just two days ago and Marc Jacobs as usual caused a fashion frenzy with some critics saying it is one of his best. And if this is true – LV might stay truly inspirational all the way through next winter (next winter, I shiver at the thoughts of it).
The T-Shirt Crew
March 8, 2012 § Leave a comment
I have to admit my favourite item of clothing is cotton T-shirt: whether it is cropped, with cut off sleeves, racer back, plain colour, printed, has statement writing etc (Let’s just say my definition of T-shirt is not narrow and also includes vests, cropped styles and so on). 
And I get excited whenever I see some realy cool additions to my collection that I can simply put on in the morning with my favourite jeans and sunnies and feel like a million bucks (that’s one of the reasons I am looking to one day move to LA, weather here in London hardly ever allows me to indulge in one-layer-of-clothing ensemble).
And I just have to share my finds with you – all these cool and highly affordable T-shirt are from Republic.com. So if you are in need to stock up on every day essentials, I am sure you would find a few others to add to your basket.
The Must Have Item
March 1, 2012 § 17 Comments
For as long as I remember there only ever been 2 lengths of skirts in my wardrobe – either maxi or mini (to tell you the truth the majority are mini and I am sure I am not the only one). Calf length aka midi skirt would only be associated with black and white photos my grandmother used to show me of her youth. But now it is time to forget that association and welcome the new fashion piece into our lives (and wardrobes) – Chiffon Pleated Midi Skirt. 
Slight fascination with this particular item started on a few catwalks for autumn winter 2011 season, but by spring summer 2012 pleated midi has repositioned itself from charity shops to everyone’s fashion wish list and it seems it is here to stay! The item is so versatile, as you can see from the catwalk looks above, it is likely to become a wardrobe staple: you can wear it on leisurely walk, to a work meeting, during cocktail hour and pretty much everywhere else by teaming it with different tops and accessories. And did I mention it looks as good with flats as with heels?
My favourite way to wear one this season is to pick one-colour version in either bright or pastel shade, team it up with oversized T-shirt and add randomly put together long chain necklaces. And if you are not afraid to experiment team up socks with wedges à la Mulberry campaign and you are ready to rock it!
The best thing – there is such a wide range to choose from whether you are looking for designer item or cheaper way to adopt this trend. My favourites are those by Jil Sander which come in so many colours you would not want to look anywhere else. Bellow are my designer and budget picks for joining on the hot trend of Spring Summer 12!
Designer:
- Maison Martin Margiela, £330
- HMH Couture, £150
- Pleats Please Issey Miyake, £339
- See By Chloe, £334
- Jil Sander, £580
- Jil Sander, £580
- Jil Sander, £282
- Jil Sander, £580
High Street:
- Jovonista Pleated Skirt With Tonal Flower Print, £25
- Topshop Pleat Calf Skirt in Yellow, £48
- Max C Pleated Midi Skirt also available in red, £15
- Asos Petit Exclusive Midi Skirt also available in yellow and baby blue, £28
- New Look Chiffon Pleated Midi Skirt also available in cream and black, £19.99
- Sister Jane Pleats Skirt, available in Topshop, £49
- Asos Midi Skirt With Pleats also available in black, £21
- Zara Accordion pleated Skirt, £39.99
Marni for H&M
February 20, 2012 § 2 Comments
The time has arrived for the brand new H&M collaboration with Marni to be revealed. Original patterns, amazing silk pieces, to die for jewellery – I can not wait till 8th March to update my closet with a handful of items. By far my favourite are the silk creation – bright shorts, pajama styled shirts and trousers (trend alert!) and even silk cardigans: those items will be unique on high street. But also, unlike the Versace for H&M predecessor, Marni jewelery creations are worth paying attention to: statement necklaces, colourful earrings and oversized bracelets that scream high fashion. The only items I am not impressed with are sandals, which look too masculine and bulky and anything in brown and green tribal print – the kind of print that despite uniqueness just does not look stylish enough. All in all though, I am excited as there is a whole range of items I absolutely love! This will go down in history as one of the best collaborations for H&M.
Indeed the success of the team up could be predicted by looking at the great turn out at the launch party which saw stars like Drew Barrymore, Freida Pinto, Winona Ryder and Mila Jovovich showcase the designs. Below are (a few) of my favourite items. I promise to return to the topic on 8th and tell you all about the shopping experience and what items I ended up purchasing!
- Patent Leather Top, £79.99
- Bag, £29.99
- Silk Shorts, £34.99
- Bracelet, £24,99
- Wool Cardigan, £49.99
- Leggings, £29.99
- Sequin Collar, £19.99
- Swimsuit, £29.99
- Bracelet, £19.99
- Silk Cardigan, £59.99
- Necklace, £34.99
- Silk Shorts, £34.99
- Earrings, £19.99
- T-Shirt, £19.99
- Shoes, £69.99
- Blouse, £34.99
- Skirt, £39.99
- Silk Trousers, £59.99
MY FASHION WISH LIST 