Bailey's flock

I'm not sure if I have finally decided I'm done with summer or if my recent trip to Edinburgh reminded me how much I lover colder weather but the thing is I can't stop thinking about my FW10 wardrobe. Just today, still wearing flip-flops and having an aperitif outside, I had a chat to one of my dearest friends (who is also one of the most stylish people I know, btw) about the kind of shearling jacket we should get. Everyone from Zara to H&M to Acne and Rick Owens is doing at least one for next season so there's plenty to choose from. The problem is I don't just like any jacket and the ones I'm coveting the most go up to the four figures, which is terribly frustrating. I had a look online to see what's the offer a few weeks before the new season dully hits the stores and this is what I found —including shearling accessories that look super chic and very warm.

The truth is that no matter what you find or how hard you look the best shearling jackets are those with the Burberry Prorsum knight on the label. Bailey singlehandedly created the biggest trend for the season and he put Burberry at the head of it. The craze about the jackets in questions is such that the brown leather cropped one (at £1,895 a piece) is already sold out on Net-a-Porter and it's only the middle of August. Cr-azy.

Who do you think will be sporting of of Burberry's coats or jackets during the next fashion month?
I'm off.

[Pictures: product websites, Zimbio.com]

Burberry is so hot

By mid August I am usually so done with the summer I'd wear a coat and a pair of boots if I didn't melt. This summer my FW urge will probably take a little bit longer to kick in because June in London pretty much sucked (weather wise) and because it won't go below 30ºC here in Madrid until mid September. However, there is one particular FW10 item that I'd wear to a dinner party (Rachel Zoe style) without even thinking about it —the shearling jacket. The August 2010 issue of Interview features Christopher Bailey's Q&A along with a stunning short editorial of his FW10 outerwear for men and women. The pictures are beautiful and I love the make-up but the best part of it is how someone thought of layering the coats. I mean, not even the most fashionable eskimo could bare to wear a wool coat under a shearling jacket. But it looks cool. Very cool.

I'm off.

[Pictures: The fashionisto]

Cogito ergo Prorsum

I love Christopher Bailey almost as much as I love Burberry. And I do not only because he is extremely talented but because he has a very positive and forward vision of what bloggers can do these days. Which is why, even though their FW10 campaign doesn't officially come out until July, the pictures have been released online so all of us fashion and Burberry freaks can spread the word much better than a double page in Vogue can.
I can usually do with a little less Burberry check on the campaigns, which is why I truly love this one where Bailey has given us a very welcome overdose of his stunning shearling jackets instead. I always love the fact that everyone in the adverts is 100% British and they have that aristocratic pale beauty that kind os epitomises the young Burberry customer.

What do you think of the new campaign? Aren't you dying to get a shearling jacket?
I'm off.

[Style.com, JustJared.buzznet.com]

Jude's awesome luggage and CFDA nominations

Things seem to move at a glacial pace after fashion week. The never-ending excitement of weeks of displaying collections takes a while to wear off and, in the meantime, we try and find as much new information as possible. Regurgitating FW10 trends doesn't seem enough. That's why rather trivial things like Jude Law's amazing set of leather luggage (I'd personally love to see what's in them) comes hand in hand with the nominations for this year's CFDA awards.

It came as no surprise that the CFDA's Board of Directors Special Tribute was awarded to McQueen, I hope the first of the many tributes to come. Tom Ford's nomination for best menswear designer did put a smile on my face, I hope he gets back on his game and wins mens and womenswear in the near future. Otherwise, I only feel I have to express my irritation for Marc Jacob's eternal and rather undeserved nominations (best accessory designer, hello?) and my content for Christopher Bailey's best international designer award for his work at Burberry and Altuzarra's nomination for the Swarovski Award for Womenswear. Here are the rest of nominees, make your bets.

Womenswear Designer of the Year:
Donna Karan
Marc Jacobs
Alexander Wang
Menswear Designer of the Year:
Michael Bastian
Tom Ford
David Neville & Marcus Wainwright for Rag & Bone
Accessory Designer of the Year:
Alexis Bittar
Lazaro Hernandez & Jack McCollough for Proenza Schouler
Marc Jacobs
Swarovski Award for Womenswear:
Joseph Altuzarra
Jason Wu
Prabal Gurung
Swarovski Award for Menswear:
Richard Chai
Simon Spurr
Patrik Ervell
Swarovski Award for Accessories:
Alexander Wang
Dana Lorenz
Eddie Borgo
The Geoffrey Beene Lifetime Achievement Award:
Michael Kors
The International Award:
Christopher Bailey for Burberry
Fashion Icon Award:
Iman
The Eugenia Sheppard Award:
Kim Hastreiter (Paper Magazine)
Eleanor Lambert Award:
Tonne Goodman (Vogue)
Board of Directors Special Tribute:
Alexander McQueen

[Credits: JustJared, NbcNewYork]

I'm off.

the three Burberry musts

I know these are tough times we live in but I can't help but say it again: Burberry was a tad disappointing. If any of you remember this menswear collection when you watched the show today, you know what I mean. There were plenty of beautiful coats and jackets but I wasn't surprised or moved or even disgusted. It was rather unoriginal to create two identical collections for men and women, no matter how the inspiration might be the same. But I still love Bailey and there were three specific aspects about his collection that really captivated me.

1. Chunky cropped jackets - Shearling is all the rage for FW10 and I get the feeling we're going to be seeing a lot of these jackets in a few months time. Did anyone else notice Mary-Kate's big smile when she saw the first of these?

2. Sexy orthopaedic shoes - Models seemed to be struggling with the booties a couple of times but these Burberry shoes look as cool as they look tough. I smell loads of Jak & Jill.

3. General fluffiness - It amazed me how many visually pleasing textures can been achieved without using fur. I just wanted to stroke the model's arms. (Sorry if it sounds somehow pervy).

[Screen captures from live.burberry.com]

Did you like Burberry?

I'm off.

army sheep

Bailey did disappoint me. I said it on twitter and repeat it here. However, I will take back what I said about the collection being bland. It wasn't bland, it was muted —too muted. That being so, I decided I will only focus on the aspects of the collection that I liked.

Prorsum takes a step away from the British romanticism that found inspiration in cottages and walks into a harder territory. The star items of the season have undoubtedly been the aviator jackets and it's them that introduce that hardness. Rigid leather with sheepskin trimming and vice versa covered the still fragile jumpers and protected the neck with skyscraper double-layered collars. Jackets, that, may I note, reminded me of old Balenciaga's —something that Jak & Jill also noticed. Great minds think alike.

The slight military inspiration was made obvious by the abundance of belted coats and jackets and by the strap detailing around the sleeves and the neck. Plenty of different shadesmilitary green that faded into very attractive olives appeared in the shape of coats and jumpers. Also military-originated were the off-gold detailing and embellishments on shoulders and cuffs.

But my favourite feature from the Burberry collection, by far, have been the colour palette and the shoes. See above an below for the beautiful array of hues and the most beautiful pair of half-way lace-up boots you have ever seen.

[Screen caps from the live Burberry show at GQ.com]

I'm off.

twisted CHECKS

Burberry’s legion of über-stylish pickpocketers may seem like yet another confirmation of the recession affecting the world but is Christopher Bailey being tremendously realistic or is he perhaps sarcastic? Relaxed silhouettes, a certain minimalism and an air of neat scruffiness take us back to the 18^th century —the time of Oliver Twist.

Just as Dickens did, Bailey leaves his usual intense romanticism in order to portray a more sordid side of the world, that of burglars and vagabonds. Black and grey spread over long coats, trousers and newsboy caps —outfits like out of the British novel. But a ray of optimism breaks through by means of bright coloured lapels and Bailey’s nostalgia of Burberry’s classic checks. More of this juxtaposition is shown in the shape of thick knitwear paired up with light pinstripe suit pants. Neck and chest, which had been previously set free for the spring, now lazily cover up with shirts ending in skinny cravat-like bows and checked neck tubes to protect from the cold.

Crisis or no crisis, one thing is clear, the Burberry man stays a hundred per cent true to his anglophile origins but agilely adapts to the changing world managing to always stay stylish.

Check out my reviews at 212 Dressing Room

[Pictures credit: Men.Style.com]

I'm off.