The Art of Fashion
January 19, 2013 § Leave a comment
About a year ago here, I wrote about a new trend for backpacks that was taking over the fashion world – not just any backpacks you take hiking with you, but luxury ones with hefty price tags. In my selection of trending items I included Nile backpack by The Row, label owned by Olsen Twins, which was priced at over £2500. At the time paying as much for a rucksack seemed rather steep – I was not even sure if the trend was going to last long enough to be bothered to purchase one, let alone to commit to anything like The Row. Yet time has passed and Nile became one of the most sough after handbag of 2012, especially when the sisters brought out an even more luxurious version made out of crocodile skin (FYI at mere £22,000). Now that we are in 2013 I can safely say that The Row rucksack domination is nowhere near the end, thanks to one of the most exciting fashion-art collaborations of the decade. 
And here they are – three of the twelve Nile pieces designed by Damien Hirst himself (hence the multicoloured circles and pills, of course). The trio was brought together by Just One Eye online store that specialises in artistic partnerships. I adore the idea for it’s multipurposeness: that is creativity-inspiring, profit-making, charity donating and of course press-generating. Not that Olsen twins, The Row or Damien Hirst required any more buzz around them. These pieces of art are yours for £35,000, by the way.
Believe It Or Not: Trendy Backpacks
March 17, 2012 § 18 Comments
Backpacks. They have been off the fashion radar for a while but due to their functionality have remained an essential item for many despite lack of trendiness. Indeed if you have a lot on your shoulders (pardon the pun) backpacks allow you to spread the weight – hence they are perfect for things like hiking (I am not going to expand on the topic, hiking/camping and other outside activities have never been my thing). And despite some people’s aversion towards this type of bag, even a few celebrities known for their style choices have been spotted with backpacks repeatedly. For example Rihanna who changes hair colour every other week (I’m not judging, I wish I could pull off just as many shades) has surprisingly remained true to backpacks as you could see on the pictures below. 
But we all know – fashion trends rarely engage themselves with notions of utility. This season though is an exception. Backpacks suddenly became the hottest way to carry your essentials and have been spotted on catwalks of major designers ever since Spring Summer 12 shows. And fashion’s sudden love of backpacks might be slowly making my heart melt towards them- and to prove it I found a selection of backpacks I would not mind having. To tell you the truth even though I do consider some designer backpacks quite cool (I am not completely turned) I would not pay for its hefty price tag even if money was not an option (The Row, £2635 for example) because at the end of the day – it is still a backpack (all horrible images of what camping must be like flood my head).
Nevertheless here is the selection of backpacks for any budget – and if I like them, chances are you would absolutely love one or two!
- Asos Leather & Print Backpack, £70
- Paul Smith Floral Printed Backpack, £280
- Diane Von Furstenberg Printed Canvas and Leather Backpack, £225
- Asos Ice Cream Backpack, £35
- Topshop Frost Plastic Backpack, £25
- Essl Austrian Backpack, £58 at farfetch.com
- Topshop Unique Leather Rucksack, £180
- Barbour Caramel Canvas Beacon Backpack, £159
- The Row Leather Backpack, £2635
- Zara Vintage Backpack, £119
- River Island Navy Pocket Rucksack, £28
- Fleet Ilya Linked Strap Rucksack, £1019 at farfetch.com
I Wear My Sunglasses At Night
March 13, 2012 § 4 Comments
Actually I don’t. But as time progresses towards summer London is getting more and more sunny days, hence it is time to have a look what sunglasses designers created for us to choose from. D frames are once again trending, but there are lots of other shapes to choose from, if you are not a fan. Below are my top 9 sunglasses from this season – from D frames to round, this range has all those classic must haves by top eyewear brands.
- Cutler and Gross D Frame Acetate, £280 – leave you wishing for x-ray vision.
- Victoria Beckham Aviators, £275 – a very hot fashionable version of our favourite Aviator shape.
- Alexander Wang Zip Detailed Square Frames, £240 – for those who are bored of animal print plastic, this one has an extra zip or two.
- Prada Round Frame, £215 – traditional and big, this is a statement piece.
- Ray-Ban Club Master Half Frames, £120 – no eyewear selection can avoid mentioning Ray-Ban.
- Miu Miu D Frames, £190 – when you want to see your world in pink colours.
- Oliver Peoples Kosslyn Cat Eye, £225 – classic cat eye shape to lift the mood.
- Prada D Frame, £185 – add a little colour.
- The Row Square Frames, £270 – two tonal frame goes with any skin tone.
But if you are tired of conventional sunglasses and want to have fun with the vital accessory of the summer, I have to introduce you to A-morir, a very cool sunglasses brand loved by celebrities like Rihanna, Nikki Minaj and Lady Gaga that you can find at Box Boutique (online and in store on Maddox Street, London). Here are my favourite statement pieces.
- Love-Hate Dookie Tinted Green, £255
- D’Arcy, £245
- Ellington Red, £245
- Sylvia, £275
- Amadeus Turquoise, £195
Altogether there are 14 hot sunnies for you to choose from, but you might ask which are my favourite? Well, I saved the best for last. Here are Lenox D Frame 2-in-1 glasses by Illesteva (£180) that I absolutely love due to their versatility: removable sun panel transforms your frames from geek chic to perfect D frames with a twist. My inner hipster adores them..
And if all those are out of price range, there is still some use of this article – there are so many affordable sunnies on the high street that by taking those designer glasses as inspiration of main trends, you will easily find a pair that suits you and your wallet.
MY FASHION WISH LIST 