Inspired By The Times Past
May 25, 2012 § Leave a comment
Statement earrings are my total weakness. Not that I wear them much to tell you the truth. When I put a pair on, usually simple diamond earrings suitable for daily wear, I get stuck in them for months. I just don’t take them off – not for parties or even showers and bedtimes. For me, a change of earrings requires a specific mood (I am just lazy when it comes to earrings), and it does help when the substitute earrings are inspiring.
And that is exactly why I am head over heels in love with Dicha Jewellery and their statement earrings. The company was established in 2009 by two business partners Diane and Chantal who previously worked together on fashion and beauty brands. The pieces manage to be striking but not in the ‘wear-once-with-that-specific-outfit’ kinda way. They are classic and timeless as the designs are inspired by (and often made with) antique statement pieces. Indeed such timelessness combined with attention-drawing effect makes me abandon my usual laziness towards earrings’ swap!
Below are my picks from the current collection, to explore other jewellery inspired by the times past or for purchases visit their website. 
- 40’s inspired Carola, £350
- Silver and Agate Mira, £215
- 30’s inspired Vina, £350
- Pink Agate creation Ciara, £338
- Selia Deco design, £300
- Cornelia (very Prada-esque), £350
MSGM on MFWL
May 24, 2012 § Leave a comment
Prints, colours and fairy-tale inspired lace – some of the hottest raw materials for creation of fashionable garment as of S/S12. And all of those have been organically combined into collection of Italian label – MSGM.
Design starts from traditional pieces that are found in every female closet, which are then updated and reworked to create pieces that keep up with fashion yet are truly versatile and wearable. And on top of that despite high quality and high-end designs, the brand keeps the prices affordable making it the one stop shop for updating your wardrobe with up to date fashion without breaking the bank – what else can a girl want?
And to top off already attractive offer, the brand, despite relative newness has already received praise from critics of the fashion world as Vogue Italia selected it as a finalist of Who’s On Next contest highlighting it as one of the best emerging collections.
So when you are looking for day-to-night (or work-to-cocktail-hour, if you prefer) dress, there is no better place to go than online store farfetch.com where the largest range of MSGM garments are available to purchase. Here are my six colourful and versatile picks that will certainly find a place in your wardrobe and become the key pieces in your summer collection!
1. Sleeveless Wrap Around Affect Dress £234
2. Bird Print Dress £319
3. Pink Lace Dress £359
4. Sleeveless Shift Dress, £424
5. Lace Dress, £435
6. Floral Print Dress, £334
The Ragged Priest
May 21, 2012 § Leave a comment
Close your eyes and imagine what really cool urban fashion looks like right now. (Now open them and carry on reading.) Nowadays the coolest items out there are covered in studs, are pastel, have a bit of dip/tie dye thing going on and are either cropped or totally oversized (perfect length and fit are so not in). And surprise surprise there is just the brand that this season has put all of those elements together and created the most perfect on trend denim collection ever. Meet The Ragged Priest.
I noticed the brand last season – wool jumpers patched up with studded leather, dark colours and a lot of denim looked interesting. But it was not until a few months ago, once revealing S/S12 collection Ragged Priest exploded – all the cool girls in town are wearing it and our favourite celebrity crushes are promoting the brand world wide (think about studded pieces Rihanna and Jessy J wore recently and chances are they were created by this brand).
But the coolness does not stop there – each piece starts off as a vintage items that is transformed to its new look (you can so steal some of the creative ideas for DIY fashion) making the exact size/colour/pattern more or less unique. And the prices are totally cool as well – completely in the high street range despite being way cooler (pardon my slight obsession with how cool this brand is).
So if you like my picks, check out the whole range at their online boutique. 
1. Candy Striper Shirt, £45
2. Albino Sweatshirt Crop, £45
3. Bon Bon Gilet, £65
4. Gnarly Denim Jacket, £90
5. Limited Edition Shorts, £95
6. Toxic Waste Shorts, £40
7. Apple Jack Shorts, £65
Green Soles
May 20, 2012 § Leave a comment
It was only last year that I honestly had no idea who Chloe Green is. I am sure I have seen pictures of her next to famous acquaintances like Kate Moss or J-Lo, or standing next to her billionaire father Philip Green (who I would kill to work for one day), but I have never consciously acknowledged her apart from possibly making a few jealous remarks on her high street fashion heirloom.
And then, apparently based on Simon Cowel’s advice she appeared in second season of my favourite scripted ‘reality’ show Made in Chelsea, and a new London socialite/fashionista was born. This week, building on her parents’ high street presence and her newly found fame, she did what any opportunity grabbing fashion lover would do and launched her own show line called CJG.
There has already been controversy whether she designed it herself or not, but to tell you the truth I am completely behind her and believe she has. No, she did not draw them herself but I am sure the shapes, colours, and accessories like studs and chains are Chloe’s creations through and through. Why? Anyone who owns so many shoes (apparently she has 200), has parents who own a fashion empire (free access to inspirational design environment) and well, is a female with a bit of imagination would have enough ideas for at least one collection!
So what can you expect from CJG? Highest heels and wedges suitable for urban jungle with mint green soles (how appropriate – not only is her surname Green but her middle name is Jade), a bit of sparkle and a lot of attitude.
Below are my favourites from her collection (you can find CJG at selected Topshop stores and online), by this time I bet most of them are already sold out, but if you don’t manage to get your hands on a pair, don’t despair as I am sure there will be plenty more to come from a lady that must have a hereditary entrepreneurial genes in her!
1.Bella Lazercut Wood Wedges, £150
2. Lady Mama Crystal Booties, £175
3 – 4. Louisa Chain Booties, £175
5. Tiger Lily Booties, £150
6. Stud Back Peep Toe, £115
Love For Books
May 15, 2012 § Leave a comment
I have not read a book for personal enjoyment for a while. And that is one of my biggest regrets in day to day life. A absolutely love reading, experiencing new things through beautiful words of talented authors, sharing lives of wonderful characters. I promised myself to get back to reading good books as soon as I am done with education and the end is indeed near – as soon as I hand in my Masters dissertation in September I will be free from textbooks and assigned reading material for the rest of my life, I hope. But until then my War and Peace, Crime and Punishment, Anna Karenina and other classics are waiting on the shelf.
On a more positive literature related topic, if you like me do not have the time to read the most influential books out there, you can now show your love for good old book by carrying one around with you thanks to Olympia Le-Tan and her beautiful book-clutches. I can not believe I have not blogged about them before! Quirky and interesting yet somehow absolutely elegant and classic these clutches are to die for. And if you follow celebrity fashion you must have seen them on various occasion in the hands of Chloe Moretz, Natalie Portman, Clemence Poesy and especially Michelle Williams who has picked those handbags for various red carpet occasions. Choose from a wide selection available on olympialetan.com with starting price of €1140 (£925).
Tough As Nails
May 11, 2012 § Leave a comment
If I was getting married, not that I am planning to in the near future, I would not want the whole affair to be ordinary. That’s because a lot of people get married, about 250,000 people in UK each year, and standing out of this very large crowd would indeed be hard. So when it comes to wedding bands I would not want them to be simple and ordinary. That is why I got so inspired by Cartier’s recent reincarnation of 70’s rebellious ring design – Juste un Clou – which is shaped as, well, a nail. I sense this might cause disapproving sighs on the other side of the screen but let me explain my reasoning.
- Being so original they satisfy my need to have extraordinary wedding affair (and when I say extraordinary I really don’t mean grand wedding, simply different).
- Idiom ‘tough as nails’ comes to mind – and with currently high divorce rates, who would not want a bit of symbolic toughness in their marriage.
- They have two designs as if they are made for a couple – bride can wear diamond encrusted ring and groom more simple tougher version.
- They are made from 3 different metals: gold, white gold or rose gold allowing you to choose your favourite medium (and if you have seen the latest Apprentice, when I say medium I am not talking about the person you use to contact the other side, Adam).
- And last but not the least – it’s Cartier! So even if they are different and rebellious, they ooze class and will attract a lot of attention to your ring finger.
Above pictured rings in white gold are priced at £2,675 and £1,625 respectively.
P.S. To my boyfriend: please don’t freak out and read anything into this.
Bikini Season – Sorted!
May 9, 2012 § Leave a comment
Walking down the street in London one afternoon my attention was drawn to double-decker red bus that was covered in bright and colourful posters of beautifully shot swimwear campaign. On the closer look I was surprised that the brand advertised was not luxurious Tara Matthews or Melissa Odabash, it was H&M.
In the recent years, possibly changing to satisfy more picky economic depression influenced customer, H&M have been stepping up their game and the current campaign is another example of winner tactics that lures consumer into the stores. The range called Swimwear Sensation, is just that – sensational. Absolutely beautiful, luxuriously looking pieces are all available at the customary to H&M low prices making it easy to walk out of the store with a bikini set costing less than £20. One word of warning – from past experiences H&M swimsuits don’t usually last past one holiday, they simply loose shape, but then again at those prices you should not be expecting more, plus I’m all up for changing swimsuit collection after every holiday!
Here are my favourite picks: top 3 look great in a matching set, but bottom 3 look more exciting if mixed and matched and include an accessory or two. Visit online store to view the whole range and the associated inspirational videos and pictures.
1. White and Grey Geometric Print Bikini Top £12.99 and Bottoms £7.99
2. Marble Effect Bikini Top £12.99 and Bottoms £7.99
3. Golden Beige Bikini Top £9.99 and Bottoms £7.99
4. Fashion Against Aids Necklace £9.99, Bikini Top £9.99 and Bottoms £7.99
5. Ten Pack Bracelet £3.99, Bikini Top £9.99 and Bottoms £3.99
6. Hair Clip £1.99, Bikini Top £9.99 and Bottoms £7.99
CoolHunters
May 8, 2012 § 1 Comment
When British April showers turned into May showers, when you haven’t experience prolonged (more than one hour) sunshine in more than a month, and when (on a more positive note) the festival season is around the corner, you know there is only one thing to do – shop for new wellington boots! In my mind there is only one brand out there that is not just utilitarian but also super cool – Hunter. I myself invested into red Hunter for Jimmy Choo a few seasons ago and have never regretted my decision. But now that it feels like we need wellies not just for festival and out-in-the-country wear, I was looking for something just as practical and fashionable yet less ‘out there’ as my red pair. And I found just the right ones! Shoreditch Ladies Biker Hunters, £95 (my-wardrobe.com). Their short length makes them city friendly, metal plate and buckle makes them luxurious yet tough and a whole resemblance with leather biker boots makes me fall in love with them even more. I don’t know about you, but for me they are the most perfect Hunters ever made. (Cash register sound).
We Dream of Ice Cream
May 7, 2012 § Leave a comment
Maybe its just a logical continuation of a massive pastel trend or maybe it is an interesting micro trend on its own. Whatever the case, fashion developed quite a liking for ice cream recently! Mulberry S/S12 campaign set (seen above) was covered in ice cream while Louis Vuitton campaign featured models indulging in frozen sundaes. But ice cream being used as a prop is not the end of the obsession – ice cream prints, embellishments and even ice cream shaped jewellery can all be found both on high street and in designer boutiques. And the main two players in the game are Mulberry and Topshop, each providing us with a choice of ice cream themed items at various price points so you can get your hands on the yummy goodies whatever your budget. Below are my delicious picks from both brands. 
- Topshop Crop Sweat, £24 – love the cropped length – exposed midriffs is a trend on its own!
- Mulberry Grey Marl Vest, £100 – so multifunctional, I’d wear it with jeans on the weekend and add to a work skirt and jacket combo for more casual look (for those who don’t have super smart work places of course).
- Topshop Printed Slit Back Shirt, £32 – possibly the cutest printed shirt of the season.
- Mulberry White Vest, £100 – white version of my beloved multifunctional vest.
- Mulberry Sunglasses and Ice Cream Necklace, £170 – barely visible but nevertheless there!
- Topshop Ice Cream Collar, £20 – silly statement necklace, perfect for adding eccentric feel to your look.
- Mulberry Pale Gold Metal Pin, £70 – it’s been a while since pins were at all fashionable but this one hits the nail on the head!
- Topshop Drop Earrings, £6.50 – perfect summer day accessory!
Splash Of Colour
May 5, 2012 § Leave a comment
Post after post I have been going on about colour as the most important trend setter of the season. And one colour trend in particular is bright neon shades. Earlier this year I have already blogged about bright handbags but this time I have a new addition to the collection – DesignInverso handbags I discovered at Luisaviaroma.com. At £78 they have the designer feel without the high price tag. What I absolutely love about the range is that they are a clever imitation of infamous Chanel shape – quilted and with a long chain. Where is the clever, you might ask? Well the handbags are PVC and not leather plus the colours are world apart from the usual black and red Chanel flap bags we see everywhere. And that is what makes them fashionable – playful and fun interpretation of one of the most classic bags making it not just practical but totally trendy. So pick your favourite shade and wear it with, well, more or less anything for the fashionably required splash of colour!
MY FASHION WISH LIST 