Vlieger & Vandam
December 6, 2012 § 1 Comment
This summer I became a victim of a pick pocket – late evening in Piccadilly Circus while waiting for a taxi. He simply opened my small turn lock shoulder bag and took my phone out. And I did not notice a thing! Since then, apart from avoiding Piccadilly circus I have been looking for safer bags I can take on evening adventures. That is when I stumbled across Vlieger & Vandam’s collection of handbags that will definitely add some don’t-mess-with-me attitude to your look and maybe even keep your belongings safer! But don’t worry, these bags are totally legal as all the knifes, handcuffs and guns are just cool 3D leather designs created by the Dutch duo. They come in various shapes and sizes – from clutches to roomy bags – and have a few colours to choose from. I am definitely in love! And I’m not the only one – a few celebs, including Rumer Willis, have been seen sporting these designs. Plus they are features in permanent collection of MOMA. See the whole range all those practical modern art pieces here.
- Classic Small Deluxe Gun Bag, €389
- Guardian Angel Soft Large Gun Handbag, €339
- Handcuffs Clutch Bag, €224
- Gun Clutch Bag, €224
- Knife Clutch Bag, €224
As Seen On Celebs: Batman Fever
September 16, 2012 § Leave a comment
Batman, being the main character in one of the most anticipated films this year, has once again become a trendy figure of popular culture. And while comic books and film memorabilia sales were expected to rise, it’s the Batman influence on fashion that is the topic of the post.
Over the last few weeks we saw Cheryl Cole stumble out of Rose Club in London wearing a dress covered in Batman logos followed by rising stars Perry and Jesy from Little Mix sporting Batman inspired attire. And however geeky you are inside I bet most of you suddenly want a piece of that comic book character! Well we are in luck, since the Batman inspired collection is made by affordable East London brand called Lazy Oaf. They started their journey in 2001 and since then have been producing graphic apparel and cheeky accessories. But it is not until their latest collection that they really caught my eye and I bet you can see why.
Below I picked out my favourite items from Batman collection: dress as seen on Cheryl and Jesy (£60), monochrome shirt (£60), t-shirt as seen on Perrie (£40) and logo shirt (£65). Shop my picks and see the rest of the collection here.
Olympics Fashion: Team Karl
July 26, 2012 § Leave a comment
Two days ago on a lovely summer evening Karl Lagerfeld himself descended on London to launch his brand new Olympics inspired collection in Selfridges. Is Karl a massive sports fan then, you must wander? Apparently not. The legendary designers in the interview admitted to be inspired by the idea of Games, but is unlikely to tune in to watch the events himself blaming it on the unhuman look of the Olympians. Whether you agree or not (I definitely don’t, not only because my parents were both in professional sport but because we should never disrespect the amount of effort and commitment that goes into preparing for the Games) the main point of this blog post is not to discuss Olympics but the Games-inspired capsule collection.
So as I got to third floor of Selfridges the sight of shiny black installation that holds Karl’s designs caught my eye immediately. To enter the world of Karl I had to walk through a massive arch in the shape of Karl’s head – all in all let’s just say it is a very high impact space. But I am sure what you are interested in the most in are the pieces inside. Let’s start with my favourites, collars: gold, silver, bronze as well as lacy creations await you, no wonder they are back, being the fastest selling items of Karl’s SS12 collection on net-a-porter.com. With most of the clothing items the relation to Olympics is apparent – T shirts printed with gold medals (£95) and white biker jackets covered in droplets of gold (£345). But then there appear to be a few military-like pieces in camouflage print. To tell you the truth I can’t see the connection to Olympics but who am I to question THE Karl Lagerfeld. My most favourite item though – temporary tattoos depicting Olympic gold medal – love the attention to detail! The choice for a capsule collection is great – about 20 different items, and I was told more pieces are to arrive throughout the Games. So my advise, go see it all by yourself and enjoy the world of Karl.
In the meantime, if you are looking for S/S12 collection, there is plenty of choice online at newly launched www.karl.com store that ships to UK.
Victoria’s Secret
July 24, 2012 § Leave a comment
Congratulations ladies of UK, the day we have all been waiting for is finally here – the first ever Victoria’s Secret store just opened in London! 
Whenever I was asked about the essentials on my list of stateside shopping, the first thing that always popped into my head was Victoria’s Secret – beautiful, affordable and worn by the sexiest models of the world, I doubt any lingerie lovers could resist stopping by their stores for a pink bag full of goodies.
For the brand it was an easy move – we don’t just know it, but love it and have been asking when we can get our own piece of female heaven on this side of the pond for a while. That is why we were given not one but two flagship stores: the one that opened today is in Westfield Stratford (just by the Olympic park, hence the rush to cash in on thousands of tourists that would be in the area) and we are expecting the New Bond Street store to open its door later in August.
My only slight concern – prices. In US those are similar to our high street favourite La Senza, but it would be surprising if the brand did not take an opportunity to raise the bar in UK and enter the market at higher price point. The signs are there – flagship store location is in New Bond Street alongside boutiques like Mulberry, Jimmy Choo, Hermes and Burberry and not in any high street location. So ladies, there is a price to pay (literally) for having Vicky’s over here in London.
Despite all that I am brimming with excitement, especially for the New Bond Street store, which is so much closer to where I live (and probably less busy now that Olympics are about to kick off). Comment below if you already visited the newly opened shop and share your experiences!
Back To My Roots
July 19, 2012 § Leave a comment
Russia, with its vibrant culture and rich history has been a fashion inspiration for many designers. Being a Russian-born Londoner, it is always touching to see those pieces – they remind me of my mother-land and its infinite cultural treasures. My favourite collection inspired by Russian Empire so far has been Chanel’s pre-fall 2009, but it might be about to change with introduction of Russian Matryoshka (nesting doll) to Fall-Winter 2012 collection by Charlotte Olympia. Quirky handbag, Charlotte Olympia’s well known high heels and my favourite Pandora clutch that has been altered especially for this collection (now it comes in wood – the same material original dolls are made out of) are the first pieces to be unveiled to the world. I seriously hope there is more to come – statement elements and vibrant colours are very much needed in our autumn wardrobes. 
- Baboushka Embroidered Leather Clutch, £375 available at Net-a-Porter.com
- Matryoshka Suede Sandal, $1565 (approximately £1000) available at BergdorfGoodman.com
- Pandora Matryoshka Wooden Clutch, £575 available at Net-a-Porter.com
Ancient Greek Sandals
July 12, 2012 § Leave a comment
I don’t know how many of you will agree but when it comes to holiday the idea of wearing heels during the day goes out of the window. The replacement shoes of choice are flat sandals that leave the feet open to enjoy the sun, show off holiday pedicure and get you from A to B in absolute comfort. The only problem is finding a stylish solution – and this year there is only one BIG cool brand to turn to – Ancient Greek Sandals. Created by Christina Martini who has gained immense experience from her years in Balenciaga and Louis Vuitton and her business partner who specialises in shoe production Nicolas Minoglou, these historically inspired fashion pieces for your summery feet are simple yet extremely stylish. The entire collection is designed in neutral colours, many of which come in metallic shades reminiscent of the precious metals used in ancient Greece.
Below are my favourites, but you can find the whole range in various online and department stores.
- Ikaria, £130
- Aphrodite, £140
- Medea, £140
- Pythia, £95
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
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
Model’s Own
February 10, 2012 § Leave a comment
Kate Moss designed for Topshop and Elle Macpherson has own range of lingerie – we no longer consider ex-top models turning into designers shocking. Indeed it is very fashionable now for any celebrity to be involved in fashion. There are success stories: think Victoria Beckham, Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen (two very-chic fashion lines The Row and Elizabeth and James) and of course Sienna Miller (and her sister’s Twenty8Twelve). But there are as many failures: Cheryl Cole designing shoe collection with stylepick was one of them (read more here). And now, for the second consecutive season Claudia Schiffer has been working on her own line – Claudia Schiffer Cashmere.
It is far away from her glamourous modelling days, but that is the attraction of this collection – it is authentic to the real Claudia Schiffer and her current happy life as a wife and mother. The idea behind it is designing clothes for busy mothers that are pressed for time: a few minutes for getting dressed before making a school run is all a modern mother has and so she needs something easy to pull on, that can last all day with just small changes (of bag or accessories) and is soft and comfortable when you feel down about being up all night with the kids. And above all it is of top quality as Claudia is working with long established to produce the pieces. Here are my picks of super-comfortable yet stylish line:
- Cashmere Boyfriend Sweater Dress, £445
- Cashmere Dress with a Belt, £495
- Block Stripe Mini Dress, £290
- Colourblock Jumper, £325
To try some of the pieces on in UK, head for Harvey Nichols, it is stocked at all branches. Otherwise check the websites for stockist or shop online here.
MY FASHION WISH LIST 