From right: Chanel, Ralph Lauren, Aquilano Rimondi and Lanvin F/W 2011
Style.com

I first realised this was a mini-trend a couple of weeks ago while watching Project Runway. Nina Garcia was wearing this stunning Lanvin black mini dress from the FW11 collection and it struck me how incredible the big brooch at the front was. I also noticed that Nina wasn't wearing any other accessories (apart from shoes, haha).

I remembered a lot of embellished tops at the FW11 Ralph Lauren collection –one of my favourites in years. And so I looked at a few of the collections to find how other designers had approached this 'bejewelled dress' trend.
My first instinct was to revisit Ralph and Lanvin, where I found a handful of other options, all of which included some sort of intricate detail at the top front of the dress. Probably the chicest option. Then I headed to Chanel because, well, Karl tends to do this a lot. For FW11 he included the jewellery pieces in the geometric forms of the top of his dresses, which were somewhat Byzantine.
I found a different take from Aquilano Rimondi, who has instead used his jewel detailing around hemlines and the seams. A very Italian point of view, which makes me think instantly of those infamous Valentino heels.

Take a look at the H&M winter look book, which has just come out. I know we have barely even started wearing summer clothes but it's never to early to start planning your buys for next season. At least when it comes to high street brands. I am really impressed with their f/w11 collection. There is a clear and strong 20's influence (and 'Miu Miu' heels) but it's been softened by using earthy tones instead of blacks and sequins. I am also very keen on the prints, which make a nice contrast. And I love the fact that Karlie Kloss models half of the pieces. That walk...!

[Courtesy of H&M]

When I arrived at the Roger Vivier press day yesterday I was instantly awakened not only by the espresso that I quickly drank but even more so by the stunning merge of 30's and 40's inspiration and rock and roll style of the fw11 collection. Slick stilettos in black velvet, colourful suede and sparkly embellishments were, for me, the protagonists of the collection. A role almost shared with the some of the very contemporary and dramatic clutches of crow-appliquéd feathers and neon yellow shaved marmot. It seemed almost paradoxical how every piece felt like it was created to make a statement without really meaning to. I loved the use of brogue detailing on heeled Chelsea boots and Vivier's signature bags, which worked just as smoothly as the gold flat studs did on the patent leather accessories and loafers. Out of the whole line the pieces that completely stole the show for me were the suede "harlequin" stilettos (very Viviana Volpicella, if you ask me) and "Chesterfield" inspired structured clutch because of their art and interior design references and the golden heart-embroidered evening clutch because of its refined and intricate hand-sewn detailing.

I'm off.

[Pictures: Iñaki C.]

Peplum déjà vu

Fashion Month finally wrapped up yesterday in Paris. And when I say finally mean it in a relieving way because it takes quite a bit of effort to keep up to speed with the collections. I don't know if it was just me but it feels like they speed it up more and more every season. I can't imagine the state some editors are in. I wouldn't be surprised if the Bvlgari Spa in Bali was overbooked this weekend. I have managed to catch up with all the collections, which makes me happy because it means I'm not behind anymore. I have decided that it's too boring to just post pictures of the collections and rant about how much I like them (or not) so I'm going to post about the bit of them that I loved or that caught my attention. Like this one below. I loved Giambattista Valli's FW11 collection but I was surprised to see him introduce similar bold coloured peplums to the over-featured Jil Sander ones from SS11. It's not that I don't like them (even if these are attached) but they're just old news, n'est pas?

I'm off.

[Pictures: Style.com]

Le Chanel kitten heel

This week's Chanel show was the first one I can honestly say I have really liked in seasons. I loved the casual styling that Karl used for the super high-end clothes. I thought using the tweed pieces with the rolled up trousers with the sneakers. Or as sneaker-y as Chanel can get, which is a lace-up croc Chelsea boot. But I was more interested, or should I say intrigued, by the kitten heels that the Kaiser used for all the evening looks. They look much better than Valentino's SS10 studded version and they are sort of Isabel Marant-ish, which I like. However, there is something a bit odd about a woman walking in heels that size. There is no reason for them to make a hit (aside from Lagerfeld's over-60 clientele) but I have a feeling Giovanna or Emmanuelle might make me eat my words in a few months.

I'm off.

[Pictures: Style.com]

Valentino's fw11 Aces

It might just be me but I am still feeling a little iffy about Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pier Paolo Piccioli's work at Valentino. It escapes me why they need two designers to come up with work that never lives up to Garavani's old standards. Having said that, they are kind of slowly finding their way and creating a new Valentino woman. The fw11 collection was a bit hit and miss but the hits, I thought, were big ones. The cocktail dresses and night gowns obviously stood out from the bowed and bland two-pieces. I specially loved the mustard/olive green colours they used for evening and the pale pink for the day. I was also happy with the fact that they have used intricate but understated detailing like lace, embroidery and ruffles in a way that would suit the classy ladies that (I expect) wear Valentino.

I'm off.

[Pictures: Style.com]

Baby, you can drive my car

Céline is one of my favourite brands of the last few seasons. Ever since Phoebe Philo stepped in as creative director I find it intensely alluring. For fw11 minimalism acquires a certain 70's air. Philo says she was inspired by cars interiors (I love the wood prints) and you can see it in the precise but dynamic straight lines that she has used in her tailoring. Two of the most stand-out pieces of the collection have got to be the bright orange coat, which had a certain rawness to it, and the tri-colour fur coat —one of the best fur proposals from the season. I liked the sort of sportswear air to the more rigid pieces like the tailored trousers or the shirts and I found the colour palette very interesting, as some of the colours didn't appear more than once or twice. Is this the birth of aerodynamic chic?

And Phoebe is just so... Céline. She's so chic and minimal and, well, British. What else can I say?

I'm off.

[Pictures: Style.com]

Collage Sunday, 06.03.11: Parisian delights

It was so hard to choose only one or two designers to make my Sunday collage about that I chose four instead. They are some of my favourite collections of the weekend so far. Alber Elbaz did it again. I am forever in awe of his skill and imagination at Lanvin (please don't take him away to Dior!). I obviously loved his wide-brimmed hats (where you could have friends over for tea) and the beautiful shoes buckled at the ankle. Cacharel was a pleasant surprise. Cédric Charlier used colours (or lack there of) with prints to express a very modern and chic point of view. I loved the simplicity of the cuts and the layering as well. I hope Giovanna Battaglia gives this a try. I absolutely loved Sonia Rykiel's collection this season. her combination of checks, winter motifs, quilting and dyed hair was quirky but also rather Parisian. I particularly liked the tartan throw-ons and patchwork blazers. And finally, Junya Watanabe. He does extraordinarily well wherever he goes. I am dying over his fw11 light and asymmetrical knits and those slightly cowboy-ish Chelsea boots.

Clockwise from left: Lanvin, Cacharel, Junya Watanabe, Sonia Rykiel.

I'm off.

[Pictures: Style.com]

Meet Peggy

I was lucky to have made it to the Kinder Aggugini show this season in London. They had chosen a beautiful yet reduced venue, which was crammed. Luckily for me, I found a friend who couldn't make it to the show and I was happy again. Kinder is one of my favourite designers showing in London because I always love how he manages to create refined collections that still transpire his rebelliousness. For fw11 he said to be inspired by early 50's French fashion and Japanese designers of the 80's. As a result the collection made a point of juxtaposing from-hugging garments with sculptured jackets and coats, which created very interesting silhouettes. My favourite item was a cashmere mix coat dyed in a type of yellow degradé that seemed almost unfinished and had details, such as the gathered neck and the drawstring, which reminded me of sportswear or parkas.

As he did last season, Kinder commissioned hats from the genius Stephen Jones. This time they were sort of mini versions of top and fedora hats made of red, blue and green plastic and accompanied by veils. Once again, a great fusion of traditional and contemporary style (or "the fictitious marriage of Coco Chanel and Sid Vicious", as he described himself). There was also a rather elegant punk reference throughout most of the show, which, again, contrasted with the sparkly heels cuffed at the ankle that might have easily belonged to Dorothy.

I'm off.

[Pictures: soVIPzone, Style.com]

TrueGrit2

I used to be a big Dsquared2 fan some 6 years ago. For some reason I grew tired of it and their collections really bored me. They made me change my mind about them with their FW09 collection, which did a really quirky take on celebrity street style. Ever since then I have really liked them again. For FW11 they took on the Far West. As I went through the pictures I couldn't but think of True Grit, which has been so talked about both for the stellar performances of Jeff Bridges and Heilee Steinfeld and for the latter's red carpet style. I absolutely love how Dean and Dan always manage to include jeans into any look regardless of its time of origin. I loved their interpretation of this look with the exaggerated hats and long coats. Maybe they should collaborate with the Coen brothers next time for a Black Swan/Rodarte kind of thing.

I'm off.

[Pictures: Style.com, screendaily.com, photogallery.filmofilia.com]

Collage Sunday, 27.02.11: Versace goes back to Gianni

I have very seldom posted about Versace on the blog over the last few seasons. Except for the odd red carpet hit it's not a brand that often appeals to me. But every once in a while Donatella rescues some of Gianni's old flavour and manages to create a collection that reminds me of why I loved his brand so much. For fw11 Donatella has done very simple shapes, mostly cocktail dress length and black or white, with bold graphic motifs in purple, yellow and green. These, together with the big gold logo detailing took me back to the Versace of the late 80's and early 90's. I particularly liked the white one-shoulder night number that Abbey Lee rocked on the runway and the incredible bejewelled medusa evening bags, which, I hope, will make a big hit.

I'm off.

[Pictures: Style.com]

London's strongest new-comer

On Tuesday night I was one of the lucky few to attend the Thomas Tait fw11 show. And I mean lucky not only because I was invited but because I got to see closely a great designer in the making and his creations. In a charming hidden away venue in the heart of London the Canadian designer, who recently finished his MA at Central Saint Martins was won this year's Dorchester Prize, showed a collection that was as minimalist in cut as it was intricate in cut. It is said of Tait that he doesn't use shortcuts to make real his vision. Instead, he spends long periods of time focusing on impeccable pattern cutting. This showed in the architectural shapes of skirts, which combined folded wool and pleated silk, and the coats that filled the attendee's mouths after the show. I was also particularly taken away by the backless night gowns, which revealed a pleated trail so dynamic it seemed to have life of its own, and the shoes —suede slippers and ankle boots and minimal leather stilettos cuffed at the ankle.

I couldn't help but to think of Napoleonic clothing. Tait seemed to have taken 18th century France as inspiration and approached it from an avant-garde tailoring point of view. The colour palette reminded me of Céline's hit FW11 collection, as Tait restricted himself to black, navy blue, ivory and white.
Have a look at my video of the finale below. The clothes are even more stunning in movement. (And, for a spot of fun, have a look at the pictures on Style.com, I am in the background on the left!)

I'm off.

[Pictures: Style.com]

Burberry Prorsum fw11

It is probably fair to say that Burberry's show during each London Fashion Week is the highlight of the event. That's not to say everyone else isn't as good but no show is as big and covered as Burberry Prorsum. For fw11 Christopher Bailey chose a new venue in Kensington Gardens. If you attended or watched the show online you were probably as amazed as I was with how beautiful the park looked even on a grey rainy day. To compensate for this Burberry delivered a collection mostly based on coats. Bailey has clearly realised the power he acquired over outerwear when he became the king of shearling and he's not going to let go easily. This time he reinterpreted the trench in thick woollen fabrics and and bold shades of orange and cherry red as well as the brand's iconic checks. The collection was very much in line with the menswear shown in Milan a month ago . We also saw exquisite white jackets and coats covered in rabbit fur and tied to at the waist with leather bows. It was a softer more gentle collection than last winter's yet it retained that feeling of empowerment that wearing a Burberry coat gives.

As it could be expected, plenty of celebrities turned up to watch the show from the incredibly long front row. I was, of course, thrilled to see Rachel Bilson and Kate Bosworth arrive. I wasn't too keen on Bilson's long Burberry anorak for the event but she'll have to be excused, for she lives in ever-sunny LA. Bosworth, on the other hand, casually strolled in and posed for pictures in an unbelievable gold studded pencil skirt accompanied by that biker jacket we all want watching the colour of the skirt. She was, as I see it, the best dressed of the event. Even outdoing Lily Donaldson and Alexa Chung. The last attendee to report was, of course, Anna Wintour. Being a Brit at heart, she could hardly miss this!

I'm off.

[Pictures: Courtesy of Buberry]

LFW fw11: Print Heaven

It makes me excited to see so many good collections being talked, blogged and tweeted about. London has been reclaiming its place in fashion ever since the return of Burberry and it seems to me that this season is making clear the city's got its place back. Jonathan Saunders was probably the one collection I was most disappointed not to have tickets to. His fw11 line was all about contrasting the traditional and the innovative. The classic prints were remade into cool and exciting graphic motifs for the silk skirts and shirts, which came in bold combinations of tangerine, turquoise and neon green. I loved how the two combined made the classic pencil skirts and blouses dynamic and fresh. Saunders also introduced menswear this season, which was also very much talked about. Read more about that soon on Fashion, Frankly.

And it seems prints are the trend in London. Also on Saturday, Clements Ribeiro showed their extremely interesting take on prints. The design duo, who, if you care for some gossip, are also a couple in real life, focused on the fusion of prints rather than on the variety. I found very intriguing how they managed to create a kind of degradé between a leopard and a more traditional brocade pattern and then back to leopard again, all of it trimmed with ultramarine blue silk. I love how designers are starting to use technology more and more to create new ways of doing print. And I loved how Clements Ribeiro made a point out of their prints, leaving their clothes in a slightly secondary role.

I'm off.

[Pictures: Style.com]

LFW day 1: Paul Costelloe

On Friday morning I rose early to attend the Paul Costelloe show, which opened the fw11 season in London. The strong 70's influence was combined with heritage elements of British clothing the likes of tweed and checked wools. These were coloured in bright metallic greens and pinks as well as the odd mustard, orange and gold. Costelloe's was a very playful collection that fit right into the city's fashion sense and opened way for a week of exciting shows.
Have a look at the whole collection here.

I'm off.

Collage Sunday, 20.02.11: Phillip Lim 3.1

It's so hard to keep up to speed with posting about fashion week while one has a day job and attempts to make the most of the shows in London, which is why I am using this Collage Sunday to finish on the NYFW posts (for the moment anyway) and to be able to focus on London from tomorrow. I've been a big fan of Phillip Lim for years and I always love his simple approach to silhouettes and cuts. His FW11 collection was, as I see it, one of his best ever and most definitely the best from the last couple of seasons. The mixture of textures —wools, silks, leathers, furs, knits, PVC, you name it— and of colours —muted greys, beiges and navy contrasting with apple green, mustard and azure— added the edge minimalist cuts.

I'm off.

[Pictures: Style.com]

Ralph travels to the Orient

Ralph Lauren is one of those fashion designers, together with Michael Kors and, possibly, Donna Karan, who always follows a straight line in terms of style. Many could argue that his collections are predictable but I like to make a marked difference between that and creating classic styles. Ralph does the latter and he does it really well. Not one, apart from the other aforementioned designers, epitomise the East-coast look as well as him. We have seen more or less strong nods to the far West, horse racing and colonialism in the past but none as evident and formidable as this one. For FW11 Ralph has travelled to the Orient of the 20's. Instead of the usual tweeds and sandy colours we saw mostly black in jacquard, wool, velvet and sequins. The flapper inspiration was mixed with the oriental motifs of necklaces and earrings, which also introduces the intense reds and jade greens that brought most of the colour to the collection. Alongside this, there was a minor art deco influence made evident mostly on belts and brooches.

I'm off.

[Pictures: Style.com]

A collection for monkeys

Since I kind of got myself in a position to talk about style icons that become designers it seemed only fair to mention Rachel Zoe's collection, which she debuted during this New York Fashion Week. After creating several lines for QVC it must've come as a no-brainer for Zoe to step into the high fashion world, in which she's living for years. Her FW11 took a lot of inspiration from Rachel Zoe's personal style. We saw a lot of flare trousers and jeans and loose YSL-inspired dresses as well as her signature fur gillets and her giddy platform suede boots and ankle boots. There is definitely a lot of retro classics from the big names of fashion, especially from YSL and Gucci with a hint of Marc Jacobs. This is just Zoe's first collection so she's just gathering forces and expect a The Row/Victoria Beckham hit collection very soon.

I'm off.

[Pictures: Style.com, Zimbio.com]

The best Row

As I edited the pictures for this post I thought about Mary-Kate and Ashley's trajectory from teenage Tv superstars to style icons to fashion creative directors. They are, together with Victoria Beckham, the first celebrities to ever create collections that not only qualifies as high fashion but that reaches luxury standards. Just as Victoria's collection did two days ago, the Olsens' new line establishes them as rightful creative directors of young yet respected brands. It never ceases to amaze me how MK and Ashley manage to include their aesthetic in a way that becomes a language that whichever of their collections speaks fluently while allowing the clothes to bring something new to the season. For FW11 they have given into fur indulgence with over-the-top fox fur hats, jackets, gillets and estoles that contrast with the strong lines black tailoring and leather and with the ethereal laces and silk gauzes.

Also for FW11 The Row introduced their new collection of bags. All of them could easily fit into the twin's wardrobe easily as they clearly draw inspiration from their vintage pieces such as the Kellys, the 20's clutches and the velvet satchels. My other favourite are the black velvet and leopard printed loafers, which I hope they have included on the men's line.
I'm off.

PS. GG Fashion post coming later today.

[Pictures: Style.com]

Victoria Beckham FW11: pushing the envelope

It's incredible what Victoria has managed to do in just a few seasons. From a well-received collection of body-con classic dresses she has quickly created a respected brand celebrities and any woman wants to wear. For FW11 she created very minimalistic dresses in bright hues. I loved how she reused the colours and materials and simply changed the cuts to show how there is nothing else but good taste and skills that you need to create stunning pieces. For next season she also introduced coats of pure lines very much in line with the first part of the collection. Alongside these, we saw other more relaxed looks in greys, beiges and khakis as Victoria's interpretations of the safari trend, one we rarely see in the winter. All of it accompanied by slick chic black turbans and knee-length suede boots. It's a matter of time before we see Vicky herself wearing these. Just wait for it.

I'm off.

[Pictures: Style.com]