Linea Pelle 2012: My Favourite Trends
Know Wear

Back in April I was invited by the lovely people from Digital Cake PR to visit Bologna for a few days to attend Linea Pelle – an exhibition of leather and accessories, components, synthetics for footwear, leather goods, garments and forniture. The event takes place twice a year (in April for the summer and October for winter) and retailers from all over the world make pilgrimage to Bologna to spot the latest trends and choose the materials they will use to manufacture in the coming seasons.

I was one of the lucky few to have a look at the trends that will dominate the SS13 seasons. I found that some of our favourite current trends like neon and fluo colours will carry through to next summer. Innovative prints like we saw Balenciaga and Proenza Schouler use for FW12 will become even more prominent trends. Traditional animal fabrics and animal prints – especially snakeskin and crocodile – are also major for SS12.

Click below on 'Read more' to see my trend selection!

Three Summer trends Zara's got right this season
Zara.com

For some reason I haven't posted about Zara in a while, which is weird because it's one of the few highstreet shops I regularly check online. As I've said many times before I love their monthly look books because they give you a chance to ease into the change of season.

The April look book recently came out and I am in love with half of the pieces. Everything is super chic, very cool and so easy to wear, which are the three ingredients for a perfect spring look. As per usual, Zara is right on the money when it comes to trends. My personal favourite is, of course, the red peplum skirt – a perfect buy for anything from a cocktail party to a night out to a fun work ensemble.

The Spanish brand is also quickly becoming super popular for their jackets. They keep producing these Chanel-esque light jackets that suit everyone but that look completely different depending on the girl.

What do you think?

Future trend: Colour-block & panelled Furs
Leeoliveira.com, Getty, Style.com

Sometimes we don't give Anna the credit she deserves as a trend-setter. I can't say for sure but it looks to me like as soon as she ordered her Céline FW11 fur coat about a year ago word went around and some of the top designers decided to add some of the new colour-blocking panelled fur to their FW12 collections.

Apart from London, we have seen pieces like these in all the other cities. In New York from The Row – the one I think Anna will be wearing next year. In Milan from Fendi, which looked a bit bolder but could work for Anna with an edited version. And in Paris a new version from Céline (I love the navy sleeves), a red-hot cropped jacket with a trail from Givenchy, and a bambi-inspired super chic coat from fur-master Révillon.

Which one will Anna Wintour be wearing for FW12?

Style.com

Fashion Week Favourites: Reed Krakoff's 'Boxer' & 'Antlantique' bags
Getty, Vogue.com

Every season, during fashion month, there are two or three accessories that editors, buyers and fashion lovers alike go crazy about. It's usually something that hasn't even stores yet or that the rest of us mortals have failed to identify as a future hit because, well, we sort of need them to lead.
Last season I blogged about the super popular Fendi 'Chameleon' shoe that was all the rage in Milan and Paris. This time around it's all about the Reed Krakoff bags. Even though they're not exactly a new thing – you might remember I blogged about them back in 2010 – it has taken them a little while, like any other new brand, to catch people's attention. But it's done it in a grand way. So many fashionistas, from Rachel Zoe to Julianne Moore and Emily Weiss have been sporting them all through New York Fashion week only a couple of weeks ago. They're first model, the 'Boxer', seems to be Zoe's favourite while Moore went for the newer funkier 'Atlantique'.
The FW12 show was also packed with ready-to-wear hits that I predict will only become bigger. But, for me, the protagonist of the latest collection were the shoes. The croc and leather boots they showed for winter have this super sexy feel but they're tough too.

Are you a fan?

Getty, Vogue.com

Style.com

So far the SS12 season has been great! New York started out a little weak, with the exception of Alex Wang, Prabal and Rag & Bone, but London really picked up the rhythm and Milan is keeping it up.

I was very pleased with Gucci this season because finally Frida Giannini has brought it back to what it used to be –a plethora of luxurious glamour inspired by the golden eras of fashion. We have seen a lot of fringed skirts and drop waist dresses since New York kicked things off but no one has made then as well as Gucci so far. The 20's inspiration is going strong.
Versace, another Italian house who has had a little trouble getting its mojo back, has finally found its place in the current fashion panorama. Donatella is keeping Gianni's essence alive while pushing the brand forward. I love their SS12 collection and its abundance of two-piece tube skirt and top looks –a trend also very well pulled off at Pucci, despite their lose of focus this season.
Two of my favourites, Marni and Jil Sander, never disappoint. The first joined into the 20's silhouettes trend but approached it from its quirky and graphic way, which made it very interesting. Raf Simons, who is not rumoured to become the new creative director at YSL (!), went for more of a late 50's inspiration. He updated the looks by playing with geometric cuts. My favourite were the square necklines that we also saw ar Marni –so chic!

It's a first

It has taken all this time for someone famous to finally wear one of Burberry Prorsum's shearling coats! I have to admit this has made me anxious for a while because I couldn't understand how, if you can afford them, you wouldn't have one. I have to thank Anne Hathaway (or Rachel Zoe) for this. Jake Gyllenhall and her arrived in London today to promote "Love and other drugs" and Hathaway was clever enough to bring the trendy jacket to our icy city. While I didn't quite agree with the styling choices, particularly the ill-fitting high-waisted jeans, I understand that it must be difficult to find anything that covers the bit from where the jacket ends to where your trousers would normally be. In any case, I love how it gives Anne a kind of après-ski look. Hopefully we'll get to see it in some other outfits during her time in London.

I'm off.

[Pictures: community.livejournal.com/ohnotheydidnt]

Fashion month: the shoe

I know it's mid October already and I should be focusing on FW10 but I am still digesting all we saw in and out the catwalks during fashion month. I had predicted the Isabel Marant and Prada stilettos would be the greatest hit on the editor's front but, though I wasn't wrong, there was a shoe that I had underestimated. The pointy studded collection from Valentino was actually the most worn shoe. I should have seen it coming. It is feminine but there's something different about it, a kind of innocent edginess that obviously captivated celebrities and editors alike. And not only the classic pump triumphed but the flats and, more surprisingly, the kitten heels did as well. No one could have predicted the success of the latter, as only Anna Wintour was known to wear this infamous heel height.

Different women with different styles and different jobs wore the Valentino shoes proving they don't only belong in the closet of one type of woman. Can you remember or guess who whore which model? And, more importantly, would you wear kitten heels?

I'm off.

[Pictures: NeimanMarcus.com, Net-a-Porter.com, Style.com, Vogue.com, TFS]

Sheer pleasure

I don't know about you but I have missed the Olsens during fashion month! They didn't use to go along with the fair but at least they showed up at some New York shows and there was always the big Chanel appearance. But we're getting none of that lately, which is odd because they had to be in Paris during fashion week to show their The Row collection. In any case, we will always have the classic paparazzi shops of them going shopping and popping into Starbucks. The latest of these has been Ashley's visit to Céline. The chicer part of the Olsens stepped out in a cropped mega fluffy fur coat which she paired up with a black sheer maxi skirt and leather leggings showing she's so fashion forward she already knew these skirts would make a hit for SS11.

Ash's take on the sheer maxi seems to be a practical way of mixing together different season's trends. SS11 offers many different options within two main categories: rock & roll and romantic. Houses like Givenchy took sheer to a new level by printing it with leopard while others like Rag & Bone and Alberta Ferreti used a soft palette or florals for a kind of urban boho look.
I also really liked the mixture of textures in Ashley's outfit and the good combination of the black, the blond fur and the gold of the jewellery. I had a look on Net-a-Porter to see which fur (fake and real) they're offering this season and cropped is definitely the way to go wether you are a fan of Fendi's luxury or Burberry's über-fluffy pieces.

I'm off.

[Pictures: Celebrity-Gossip.net, Style.com, Net-a-porter.com]

What happens in Milano...

... definitely doesn't stay in Milano. It goes around the world. There are still two days left from Milan Fashion Week but we have already seen a lot of the biggest names turn things around on the catwalk. The SS11 trends have radically changed to opulent minimalism focused on cuts and details rather than flamboyance. It's the traditionally more pompous brands like Versace which are the biggest surprises. The colours were strong but clear and red was king even though Donatella's nudes seemed even more appealing. We also saw a lot of stripes and Versace's famous Greek motifs adding dashes of colour to otherwise monochromatic dresses. I particularly liked the extra long fringe details, the cutout shoes and the just-below-the-knee pencil-skirted dresses.

While the new collections that will dictate next summer's trends keep coming down the catwalks of the world's fashion capitals, its attendees, the fashion elite, unconsciously set another handful of trends that the rest of the industry's adepts will follow later as well. The best example of this is the cropped trousers and stilettos combo that the team of Net-a-Porter have already tweeted about. A few months ago people couldn't believe that the infamous chunky heels and wedges would be kicked out of the spotlight by their skinnier sisters but everyone from our favourite style icons to Vogue's popular editors are embracing the stiletto. Good news for Prada and Marant!

I have always been and will stay a faithful Etro fan. It is one of those houses that strongly holds on to their spirit season after season yet never fails to provide contemporary takes on their staples. However, their latest line felt incredibly restrained. We did see plenty of ethnic prints and fringes but their SS11 collection had a much more sophisticated city vibe. The prints were versatile and so were the maxi dresses. It was as if veronica Etro had envisioned her bohemian muse paying a visit to the big city. Very refreshing.

I'm off.

[Pictures: Style.com, Net-a-Porter.com, Zimbio.com, SaksFifthAvenue.com]

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]

How do you do, Mrs. Draper?

Yesterday was one of those rare summer days in Madrid when the sky gets grey and you can smell the rain coming but it's still quite warm and the only two things you fancy doing are either having a 6-hour brunch in hangover ensembles or stay home and do a TV show marathon. I went for the latter and started on Mad Men season 2. I am already on episode 7 and I can tell you the second season is a whole new world. You have met all the characters on season 1 and now you get to see more of their lives. The writers have this magnificent ability to show 48 minutes of mostly quotidian activities and make them feel absolutely fascinating. Not more fascinating than January Jone's indescribable beauté and Betty Draper's (her alter ego) wardrobe. The costume design seems even more remarkable having in mind the strong (late) 50's trends that will take over come fall. These are some of my favourite Betty Draper moments from season 2 so far.

This is Betty in action:

While I looked for the images I wanted to share with you I came across this 'Mad Men Yourself' tool where you get to choose your hair style, clothes and accessories (including Scotch and cigarettes) to create your 50's persona. This one below is mine (which I believe actually looks quite like me) next to Don Draper, so you also get a feel of the menswear in the show.

I'm off.

[Pictures: imdb.com, amctv.com, Style.com]

imprinted

The concept of printed clothes is anything but new. Yes, I know. But the SS10 shows provided us with new print options. The concepts were basic: be bold and wear very graphic prints or be arty and opt for blurred, distorted or pixelated prints. There have been two celebrities that, lately, have very much epitomised both looks. On the one hand, beautiful January Jones (whose style sense is rather spotless) has ben seen around LA porting the 'arty' print trend in numbers such as the two below, including one of the jewels from Dries Van Noten's flawless Summer collection. On the other hand, Rihanna. I have been paying a lot of attention to her as of late, specially ever since the two-leopard number (see here). She has a fantastic ability to combine colours and prints. She, however, tends to go for more graphic and bold prints. Bang on trend have also been Kristen Dunst and Victoria Beckham (!) in Miu Miu; possibly the most popular prints of the season.

And, of course, I had to have a look online to see what the biggest e-tailers have on sale in terms of prints. As I said before, Miu Miu and Dries Van Noten, though great, are a little obvious as choices. If you are looking for leopard for the summer, this is your season. There isn't a designer that hasn't created a shirt, skirt, dress or blouse with their own vision of leopard skin. My favourite is Chloé's de-coloured version. But the best brand to go for prints this season Sass & Bide. They have mixed ethnic inspiration with street style and very graphic elements. Giulia and I went to preview their FW10 a while ago (post coming up) and we loved every single piece.

I'm off.

[Pictures: JustJared.buzznet.com, Celebrity-Gossip.net, Zimbio.com, Net-a-Porter.com, Brownsfashion.com]

match the match

A couple of weeks ago for collage Sunday I posted some pictures following the colour-blocking trend (a term that instantly makes me think of Grace Coddington, by the way). These below represent a mini-trend within the trend. Creating mono-colour outfits isn't really new but lately many editors and celebrities have started to wear them more. I don't know whether it's because I am in summer mood or because my vision of fashion has evolved that I don't find these expectable colour combinations boring. It works amazingly with this season's nude hues and with white and grey, bright colours are a little trickier. Now, it requires very good skills to be able to pull this off as the shades of the colours have to be precisely the right ones for the ensemble not to look just easy and lazy.

I'm off.

[Pictures: Zimbio.com, The Sartorialist, Style.com, JustJared.buzznet.com, Celebrity-Gossip.com]

Collage Sunday, 16.05.10

For this week I am going a little into FW10 trends. Funnily enough, I despised gold and leopard for a long time when I was younger but I've come to understand that they are not genuinely tacky but misunderstood and worn by the wrong people in the wrong way. They're both going go be quite big next season (loving the lamé everywhere) so why not try to be ahead? Carine, Emmanuelle and Mary-Kate are.

Happy Sunday!

I'm off.

[Pictures: Style.com, Jak & Jill, Garance Doré, Net-a-Porter.com, Cartier, JustJared.buzznet.com, Celebrity-Gossip.net]

safari 2.1

Safari has become one of those summer trends that never ever leaves but rather acquires different twists to try and reinvent itself. So I started thinking of taking a more literal approach to the trend. Instead of wearing beiges, nudes and khakis why should we not go for a more 'animal' option? I started thinking of my favourite animals —zebras, giraffes and lions. Unfortunately, no one really makes giraffe prints or lion wigs so I eventually settled for zebra and snakeskin prints. And the first thing that came to mind mind was the amazing stripped maxi dress from Acne. For their SS10 line they have done a lot of black and white stripes and this graphic version of snakeskin that are perfect for my trend.

But I needed to find something else with a bit more colour. That's why I found Kinder Aggugini —an Italian Punk trained at St. Martin's with huge names on his CV such as Galliano, Vivienne Westwood, Calvin Klein or Costume National. The most fascinating part of his career to me was his job as head designer of Versace following Gianni's death. His SS10 collection has an amazing mélange of 18th-Century fashion with a strong stroke of Punk (kind of a nod to Westwood by means of layering) and excellent tailoring skills. He is now on my list of designers to watch. [Check out his website, collections and buy here]

I'm off.

[Sources: Aggugini.com, MatchesFashion.com, Africancraftsandproducts.com, shop.AcneStudios.com, photography.NationalGeographic.com]

wear Summer, day and night

I have never been too fond of graphic prints on clothing. I always found them a bit tacky and I got easily tired of them. S/S10 has changed this for me thanks to the creations from the hands of Prada, Maison Martin Margiela and Christopher Kane (from his Cruise 2010). Their palm tree, beach landscape and sunset prints together with the general 60's vibe of the season are the perfect way to spice up short/t-shirt summer combinations. I am currently trying to get myself a Kane sunset tee, which one would you go for?

Clockwise from left: Maison Martin Margiela palm tee @ Net-a-Porter, Maison Martin Margiela ladscape tee @ Browns, Prada beach scene dress, Maison Martin Margiela palm tree dress, Prada yellow beach dress.

Clockwise from left: Christopher Kane sunset tee @ Net-a-Porter, Prada palm tree shorts, Christopher Kane sunset trousers, Christopher Kane sunset dress, Maison Martin Margiela degradé jeans @ Browns.

[Pictures: as credited, Style.com]

I'm off.

Jesse wants to be me

A few days ago I tweeted this picture of myself wearing my vintage Levi's denim jacket and having my hair slicked back in a rather 70's look. Well, it seems Jesse McCartney has been reading soVIPzone and "taking inspiration" from my look. It looks like the basic that is the denim jacket is all the rage for men this season. However, if you look carefully you'll realise this is not the classic tidy denim jacket we have always seen but a wrinkled more faded version. My favourite for the season? Balenciaga's contemporary version of the jacket with more modern lines and grey denim. Who do you think pulls off the look best?

[Pictures: soVIPzone, JustJared, MatchesFashion.com]

I'm off.

home run

I was recently at my religious picture scrutinising of The Fashionisto when I found this picture below as part of an editorial from Vogue Hommes International (photographed by Maciek Kobielski and styled by Darcy Backlar). The whole shoot epitomised the famous "American cool" in a very contemporary way. To do that, Darcy Backlar picked an American staple —the baseball jacket. Only this one by Bottega Veneta has a more urban feel thanks to the use of leather and a slimmer fit.

The Bottega Veneta jacket reminded me of my Carhartt one (below) and so I had a look at Asos to see what else was in the market for boys in the need of one of these jackets. They are the perfect thing to throw on for an effortless cool look and they look pretty awesome when added to a shirt and bowtie combo (think Kanye West).

Gunt Rugger, Lacoste Red, Carhartt, Yves Saint Laurent (@MatchesFashion.com), Gant, Franklin & Marshall (all @Asos.com).

I'm off.

team khaki

Only three days ago we saw how Kate Bosworth has gone for the all-pastel look for SS10. We then asked you if you were team pastel or team khaki. Well, another of our favourite fashion icons, Victoria Beckham, has made her choice too. Vick got back to London in a chic black, grey and khaki ensemble perfect for the upcoming season.

[Pictures: JustJared, VisitBlackburn.co.uk]

I'm off.

15 essentials for SS10

Every season, together with the must-have bags and shoes, lists are made about the key silhouettes, colours, textures and garments that a woman must add to add the required savviness to her wardrobe. We have chosen our soVIP essentials for SS10 with a selection of our all-time favourite designers, the most acclaimed of the season and a couple new additions.

1. David Delfín's hospital green, 2. Marni's head scarves, 3. Chloé's denim patchwork, 4. Céline's structure, 5. Rag & Bone's jersey harems, 6. Isabel Marant's cropped tweed, 7. Prada's palm landscapes, 8. Dries Van Noten's printed wraps, 9. Prada's bejewelled-ness, 10. Stella McCartney's denim, 11. Givenchy's stripes, 12. Altuzarra's suede and lace, 13. Preen's fuzziness, 14. Christopher Kane's gingham, 15. Alexander Wang's leather and jersey.

[Pictures: Style.com]

I'm off.