Desert Days: Comtesse Natasha

What could be a better combination than Natasha Poly and Paris Vogue? Not too much at all (well, perhaps looking like her...) The Russian supermodel features on the latest cover and spread that was shot by Inez van Lambsweerde and Vinoodeh Matadin somewhere in the dunes of the African desert.

I looove the styling of this shoot, and how many of the trends of the past few seasons have been interpreted in a way that so perfectly fits the location. I especially love all the draping- but not in the way I usually do- all the colour, the clash of prints and embellishments is just gorgeous. Dohti pants, while fashionable now, did- and still do- serve as staple basic for desert travelers... everywhere. The heavily beaded neck pieces and stacks of jumbled bracelets aren't too far removed from what you might imagine adorning the local women of Cairo's market bazaars. Although I'm not too sure how often you'd see couture wandering the desert paths, I love that these contradictions exist at the same time as all the similarities. Oh, and I'm loving Isabel Marant's "Dana" fringe canvas boot from her spring collection- a follow on from the freakish success of her original "Ottway" studded ankle booties. Favourite look? The overtly-embellished Lanvin romper tucked into the aforementioned Marants. Not sure if it was intentional, but featuring Moroccan born, Israeli-raised Elbaz's creation in this ethnically inspired shoot? Genius.

Too bad I'm no longer in Paris otherwise I would've strolled down the Rue de Sevres just off St Germain de Prés, to my local marchand de journaux, and picked up a copy for my morning perusal. Until then, there's always airmail... and inflation.













I first stumbled upon this spread on the blog of super-stylist Monica Rose - definitely worth a look over. She's amazing.

Photos from fashionising.com

Paris wind-up: favourites of Spring 2010 prêt-à-porter

The end of Paris fashion week signals the end of the Spring 2010 season, and just in time for our very own Australian summer! The culmination of the shows heralds the end of runway party-season, with buyers for boutiques and departments stores the world over collating their lists of what exactly women will be wearing come summer. This season's in-store picks definitely won't disappoint- with the designers serving up an extremely wearable array of collections (amongst a few not so wearable... McQueen's amphibian woman instantly comes to mind here!) Below are some of my picks of the Paris collections that will have the biggest buyer appeal this season.

Celine

Phoebe Philo's latest showing for the French label will have women clamouring for the strong yet clean lines that have followed on from the fall shows. Minimalism was definitely the key trend, with the designer wanting to 'clean it up,' saying her aim was to make the collection 'strong and powerful.' Mission accomplished. The collection epitomised the contemporary woman; sharp tailoring paired with leather-everything; from the not-so-predictable jackets and capes to skirts, tops, dresses and shorts. Crisp whites and midnight blues perforated the neutral palette, which will ensure this collection packs a staying punch with the power-players.

Stella McCartney

Sticking to her 'what women want' aesthetic in a way that would've made Mel Gibson proud, saw Stella emerge from her boyfriend-blazer cocoon with the return of the waistlines. McCartney has always been one to focus on chic wearability as opposed to the showy artiness some designers can't get away from, and this aspect of her design is sure to please her clientele (and attract new ones) for many years to come. The blazers didn't disappear completely (thankfully!) but they were taken in a new- more shapely tailored- direction. Expertly placed ruffles were played down with pleats and belted waists, while also adorning bust and hemlines of print and flare-heavy skirts and dresses. As a cohesive collection, one can see how the woman McCartney designs for could easily move from day to night, office to weekend. Her chicly tailored separates enable wardrobe versatility; an aspect that couldn't have arrived during a more convenient summer.

Givenchy

With a mainly monochromal palette, Riccardo Tisci is another who's nailed the combination of geometric shapes and soft drapes. The program notes alluded to a roman theme; and while the toga-esque lines were a highlight, the Catholic inspired priest hats were not! The overall look was all clean-lined and refreshingly simple, and each piece had the sort of detail and craftsmanship you'd expect from one of the biggest names in Parisian couture. The handful of sheer, lightly draped dresses often complete with beaded shoulder accents were cleverly juxtaposed with the resounding strength in other silhouettes, creating a collection which will heavily - and successfully- target the edgy youth market.



Karl Lagerfeld also focused on accentuated waistlines paired with rising hemlines- a feature that also showed up in his collection for Chanel. This time around we saw a much more playful version of the label- in both the show and the clothes. Karl's current obsession, Lily Allen, kept the country theme rolling along, whilst the models waltzed (and in some cases, rolled) down the runway amongst bales of hay- whilst wearing clogs! Let's hope this part of Paris doesn't translate off-runway anytime soon. Lanvin's overt embellishment, whilst showing disregard for the recession, was a resounding favourite for the fashion-sweet tooths, while everything at Balmain will continue to be quick sellers, and feature on many a fashionable celebrity I'm sure. With the doom and gloom of winter behind us, this summer will shape up (quite literally) to be a buyer-blowout.


pictures: Style.com

The British are coming (actually, they've been and gone...)

Front row at Burberry


Alexa Chung and Agyness Deyn at Burberry's afterparty


Looks from the Burberry Spring 2010 collection


Julien Macdonald finale

I know it's a bit late to be posting on London Fashion Week seeing as though we're already up to Paris, but London's always so fashion-forward that even the lengthiest of delays can't make this week seem old. The week just gone celebrated 25 years of fashion week in London, and what a week it was! London's Br-It girls Alexa Chung, Peaches Geldof and Hermione Granger's alter-ego Emma Watson were out in force for the week, where the London-cool was translated both on and off catwalk.

Actor-turned-designer Sienna Miller showcased her second collection for label Twenty-8-Twelve with sister Savannah, while Aussie Duo Sass & Bide also showed for the tenth time in the 25 year history of the major event. I wasn't quite sure what to make of the pair's latest showing, with the collection emanating that British cool factor but seeming to rely too heavily upon inspiration from past collections. One particular look- a plain grey tank and denim cutoffs weren't particularly inspiring; but the beading detail of other garments added a much needed element to the show. The highlights of the duo's latest showing included their modern take on gathering which has become their trademark of late, and glimpses of cutouts; a trend that won't be disappearing anytime soon.

An interesting take on glamorous sportswear was seen at Julien Macdonald, where the British maestro paired gauzy fabrics with jersey to create a mermaid slash scuba-inspired collection. After taking the plunge the designer recreated that feeling in a collection: "I felt so good in the suit, I thought, why wouldn't a woman want to feel that way in her clothes?" If scuba was the theme then tight was the motto, with of-the-season body con dresses featuring cut outs and cobwebbing in a palette of building block colours. Sheer panelling helped to give an updated edge to some of the overtly repetitive trends of the season, making Macdonald's minimalist pairings a highlight of London.

Among the atypically quirky shows such as Vivienne Westwoods's Red Label and Christopher Kane, without which London wouldn't be the same, was headline act Burberry. There was definitely no question when it came to the premier show, with the quintessential British brand, headed by Christopher Bailey, ensuring London went out with a bang. An afterparty DJ'd by retired models Alexa Chung and fellow Briton Agyness Deyn (already?), helped along with Brighton outfit The Kooks and attended by fash-pack co-founder Vicky B didn't hurt Burberry's new-found cool factor. The label's latest poster child Emma Watson, previous muse of Chanel's Karl Lagerfeld had the prime seat in the house, upstaging fellow fashionistas Victoria, Gwyneth and Mary-Kate. On-runway also gave us something new to talk about, with the laid back country tailoring of seasons past banished by Burberry-gone-short: draped minis teamed with the updated (read: shortened) version of their iconic trench. With a palette of creamy pastel-ly goodness with a hint of metallic, Bailey was a man with a mission, proving why Burberry is back: and better than ever.

Photos: Zimbio

Spring Fever hits Bryant Park

The buzz surrounding the month of September isn't just from the bees outside. It's been a busy month in the fashion world of late, with the major fashion capitals hosting their latest round of fashion weeks. Mother of all fashion festivals- Mercedes Benz Fashion Week- kicked fashion season into gear in New York two weeks ago, and ever since there’s been a non-stop fashionable whirlwind of runway shows and exhibitions.

New Yorkers proved why they've kept their "fashion capital of the world" tag, where the designers weren't the only ones showing off their fashion credentials. The fash-pack was out in force, with actors, socialites, on- and off-duty models, fashion-kids, stylists and, of course, The Anna Wintours of the world arriving at the Bryant Park tents in droves for their favourite week of the year. If the dresses didn't wow, the front row more than made up for it.


Celebrity Stylist Rachel Zoe with Elle's Joe Zee and model/actress Milla Jovovich

French Vogue's Carine Roitfeld

Aussie actress Rose Byrne was spotted front row at Calvin Klein, with a neat little posse of fellow screen stars including Kerry Washington, Eva Mendes and Thandie Newton. Even tennis player Serena Williams took time out from abusing officials to catch a few shows with model slash wannabe Oprah, Tyra "Bankable" Banks. Gossip Girls Blake, Vanessa and Taylor were also spotted sitting front row at Dianne Von Furstenburg, Rag & Bone and Erin Wasson x RVCA. With the designers madly congregating their celebrity clientele it seems to make it in this industry all one needs is an A-list front row. Good clothes can't hurt either.



Front Row at Calvin Klein

Gossip Girl's Blake Lively at DvF

Familiar faces were seen strutting their stuff on the catwalk too, with local favourites Chanel Iman, Jourdan Dunn and Karlie Kloss on high rotation after wrapping up the European fashion season. Other in-demand girls to walk for the likes of All-American (all stars?) Zac Posen, Tommy Hilfiger and Michael Kors were Natasha Poly, Sasha Pivovarova, Lily Donaldson and Aussie model of the moment Abbey Lee Kershaw.


Natasha Poly for Michael Kors

Abbey Lee for Isaac Mizrahi

In terms of trends, New York did what it does best; forecast. There was definite carry-through from the power-loving fall ‘09 season, especially with draped jersey, cut-outs and bondage style straps done Rodarte-esque. Tommy Hilfiger kept true to his famed All-American style with his Beachside Romp collection retaining its classic simplicity, but injected with youthful glamour and modernism. This was achieved through sharp tailoring offset by more slouchy, free flowing pieces, (nautically) knotted up with a crisp colour palette. This sure was a running trend for the week, with similar casual yet sexy tailoring at Rag & Bone and Christian Siriano (one of the rare gems unearthed by Heidi Klum’s Project Runway).


Casual cool at Tommy Hilfiger

Other refreshing shows were Isaac Mizrahi, were we saw the mixing of deconstructed masculine silhouettes with understated fifties glamour. The eighties revival is still going strong, with an almost harlot-like rock chick theme at Jill Stuart, featuring mesh filled cut-outs, hardware embellishments and the obligatory of-the-minute spandex body con. Balenciaga-inspired draped dresses were also a standout at Rachel Roy, while the draping and strong ‘80s power suit was reinvented at Donna Karen. Tribal warrior met hippie lover at print- and accessory-heavy DvF, with the adventurous designer proving, like many others, although the economy might still be lagging, fashion definitely is not.

Pictures from Zimbio

Brisbane's Mercedes Benz Fashion Week

August 23 marked the beginning for the fashion event gathering momentum in Brisbane as Queensland's premier fashion week. With a collection of the best local and national designers, the show was based in Brisbane's City Hall- and largely aimed at the public, similar to the Rosemount show recently held in Sydney. The week started with a swimwear show featuring designs by Flamingo Sands, Riot Swimwear and Rebecca Manning Swim, which saw models strutting bare-foot on the suitably chosen Portside Wharf.

Running up until November 8 is the greatly anticipated showcase by Queensland design duo Easton Pearson; celebrating the twentieth anniversary of their internationally recognised label. The collection explored the eccentricities that have inspired the designers since the label's conception in 1989. Sidestepping current trends, as always, the collection- showing in Brisbane's Gallery of Modern Art- features beautifully detailed beading and embroidery. The editor of Australia Vogue herself, Kirstie Clements, was extremely impressed with the showcase, saying the pieces were "works of art."

Another Queensland local, was winner of the first season of Project Runway Australia; Juli Grbac, showing the latest designs from her Grbac label. I was definitely a Juli follower on the show, but looking at her collection this time round it seems like she's still stuck in Project-Mode. Her style really hasn't evolved since her first collection, and this week was proof her aesthetic favours the same satin, tulle and ruffled dresses. And it wouldn't be a Grbac show, of course, without the obligatory shoulder-frill that stands in contrast (and rightly so) to the strong shoulders we see around today. Although some may argue these features are her trademark, she plays it quite safe with one too many bodiced dresses. Although I would have expected her to embrace some more pleating in the way of pants for this season especially, her designs cannot be faulted in terms of craftsmanship. The picture below is one of my favourite pieces from the collection, which could have been a stand-out if she had ventured a bit further from her very frilly, very ruffly safety net.

Visitors to "Bris-Vegas" had seemingly much more to offer, still flying high after the success of previous shows and collections; with Kirrily Johnston, Nicola Finetti and Akira Isogawa to name a few. Johnston's collection was one of the highlights- featuring more (bang on trend) soft draping and muted colours than her show in Sydney, but still with the perfectly placed pop of orange.

Finetti's collection was beautiful, yet it too was borderline safe, with many of his looks similar not only to one another, but previous collections. His trademarked bodiced mini dress featured heavily throughout the collection, with sheers and a hint of an uneven hemline giving it a modern spin. I especially loved the dress below (partly because it reminded me of Dion Lee's Rosemount O Dress) for the incredible structure that was responsible for the collection's architectural saving grace.
If there was a brief for the Brisbane shows, Akira would have nailed it. His use of refreshing summer colours, floaty fabrics and models in sandals suited the place and climate, and has epitomised Queensland Fashion (strange, for a Sydneysider...)





Pictures from zimbio