As temperatures plummet and we resist any possibility of entering the outside the house for any unnecessary reason, Richard James' pop-up shop opens to persuades us otherwise. Saville Row tailor, Richard James provides an early Christmas gift as this limited edition pop-up shop opens in the heart of London. Providing signature styles and classic suiting, the pop-up shop provides perfect gifts for the holiday season or an extra excuse to look dapper.

Edited by RebeccaHawkes - 25 Nov 2010 at 8:34pm

Famous for her rebellious spirit and daring designs, Vivienne Westwood has once again teamed up with Lee, a brand synonymous with easy to wear youthful garments,  to create 'Anglomania + Lee'. After their successful collaboration last season, this new series of delights has been long awaited. The collaboration for Spring/Summer 2011 sees a bold mix of brights upon denims as paint is smeared and splashed upon the Westwood designs that see her mixing the traditions of her cut (taking influence for example from the famous 'bondage trousers') and reworking them to create youthful garments with a hint of D.I.Y. The collection was previewed during the Vivienne Westwood MAN label show in Milan back in June and will be available from January 2011 from all Vivienne Westwood stores. Westwood brings us into the new year with a burst of colour and an array of wardrobe necessities, that we cannot wait to cheer us up this January. Certainly, Westwood for Lee is a new years resolution we won't mind holding on to.



Edited by RebeccaHawkes - 21 Nov 2010 at 4:33pm

The highly successful, luxury handbag brand Zagliani are opening their first stand alone store this November. We know you will have a (literal) soft spot for such news as each design produced in leather are injected with Botox to create buttery soft textures upon signature styles that last longer than any season. The brand is already stocked at Harrods and Brown with the new store taking pride of place on Sloan Street (London). The interior of the store will reflect the sumptuous beauty of the designs, with doors exposed into mirrors to reflect every facet, raw textures running throughout the furniture designed by Mauro and floors made from resin mixed with gold leaf to bring a shine to every step.


Edited by RebeccaHawkes - 02 Nov 2010 at 10:41pm

This weekend we were given a new location to lust over, a new retreat to save for, and a luxurious trip to add to our ever growing lists. On 14th October The Waikiki EDITION opened on the Hawaiian island of Oahu. This is the first hotel created by EDITION and they have already set their sights high creating a modern, life-style hotel in a private oasis of beauty. Set close to Waikiki's celebrated surf beach, marina and world-class shopping district the hotel offers relaxing and invigorating activities that encourage visitors to take part in boot camps, yet offers the relaxation in the hotels inner sanctum. Here, two unique pools, a private beach, bar and outdoor theater experience offer a rewarding treat, a much needed rest and a place to unwind.

The dinning at The Waikiki EDITION mimics the healthy living and luxurious ethos of the hotel with renowned Japanese Chef Masaharu Morimoto brings his dynamic and original cuisine to the table. The food combines Western and Eastern attributes bringing the delicacies of Japanese cooking to the Hawaiian Islands. Cuisine is fresh and makes use of the island seasonal foods and plentiful fish supplies. 

After you have spent your day relaxing by The Sunrise Pool (made to mimic the changing colours of the Pacific Ocean), hitting the waves, shopping until your arms have been stretched to the limit and eating the scrumptious food of a Japanese master, The Waikiki EDITION also have your evening plans taken care of. Offering one of the best night clubs in the area, Crazybox. Designed to be raw in feel, the large venue takes the inspiration from natural materials and uses them in a modern way that evokes the feeling of an underground New York nightclub or a speakeasy. Using weather steel to create a 30 foot long bar, lite up with 40,000 antique light bulbs.

The focus for EDITION is to create a unique, one of experience for their visitors in a personalised way. All activities are accessible and undeniably desirable. This hotel gives true meaning to the saying "beauty attracts beauty" with this Hawaiian location.







Edited by RebeccaHawkes - 19 Oct 2010 at 3:06pm

With all the sparkles this Christmas, or perhaps the glare of fresh snow, The Safilo Group have the answer for this years most stylish Christmas present. Celebrate the festive season with Safilo's new collection of sunglasses. A fabulous gift or with brands such as Gucci and Yves Saint Laurent why not buy yourself a bit of festive joy? In tune with tones of the season, the range of sunglasses comes in colour pallet to fit the mood. Eye-catching frames come in tones of berry, maroon and ruby. With these beauty's, all we have to do now is sit back and wait for the glitter to arrive.

The collection includes designs from Gucci, Boss Hugo Boss, Marc Jacobs, Marc by Marc Jacobs, Yves Saint Laurent & Alexander McQueen. Sunglasses are available from selected Safilo distributed outlets.



www.safilo.com/en




Edited by RebeccaHawkes - 09 Oct 2010 at 11:21am

All of the stars came out when Cartier celebrated their dedication to Les Folies de Cartier, and it was sure to sparkle. Cartier transformed the sumptuous setting of the Opéra Comique, Paris, into a dazzling jewel. Inside the historic venue was covered by over by 400 square metres of floor for a gala dinner. Dinner quickly gave way to dancing as guests were entertained by a cabaret-style show with 60 performers, dancers and very special guest star VV Brown with her musicians. The stage shimmered under coloured lights against a 300 square-metre expanse of mirrors and a profusion of 15,000 flowers, including hundreds of roses and orchids.

The jewel in the crown was the exceptionally, stunning Cartier jewelery displayed in the foyers that would leave any one of the two hundred and fifty guests with delighted faces and wishing they were the Cinderella of this ball. Cartier left us all with the message that all that glitters really does shine.









Edited by Cat.85 - 06 Oct 2010 at 1:09pm

Akris

At Akris, Albert Kriemler tempts us to ‘peel and reveal’ as dresses are unzipped, geometric sheer panels make a subtle appearance and asymmetrical garments are layered. Yet undoubtedly this collection sees the minimalist and tailored trend take centre stage, an attribute that runs throughout the history of this family business. Akris has always been able to create fine tailoring and with this Spring/Summer 11 line we see a playfulness that makes one look twice at every garment and a wearability that could walk off the catwalk and into a million wardrobes. Wardrobes that come Spring will be filled with Georgia O’Keefe style printed shifts, cerulean billow skirts, asymmetrical crisp whites, elegant yet short playsuits and pops of pigment that will get the Akris customer out of bed, even on those April shower mornings. Each look was finished with heels that mimicked the appearance of a ballerina en pointe: graceful and commanding. 

Celine

‘Artisanal’, is a word as described by the Oxford dictionary as ‘a worker in a skilled trade, especially one that involves making things by hand’. In this case the ‘worker’ is designer Phoebe Philo, skilled in her trade of creating glorious designs that have influenced this years collections like no other, and the ‘artisan’ is the feel for her Spring/Summer 11. From every editor’s arm, now swings the Celine elegant, classic box bag (if not, on their wish list), to every teenage girl walking into any high street store to explore with elation, the offspring of Philo’s Autumn/Winter 10 collection. Phoebe Philo has left her (beautifully, crafted) mark on all of us and as this Paris Fashion Week commenced we felt the pull to Celine magnify. Following her previous collection was never going to be an easy feat, yet with this Spring/Summer line we saw what Philo does best, covetable elegant dressing in luxurious fabrics. It was still Celine, but looser, softer tailoring with artisan elements that enlisted traditional craftsmanship. There was an exploration of textures and fabric qualities, with quilting that did not bulk but created flattering, subtle, streamlined patterns, dark selvedge denims, soft silks in delicate milky tones and distressed patchwork knits. Leather was fabricated into long, limbed tunics flaunting lengthy zips, in burnished orange which was continued in hints through jewel neck collars, and fine belts. One of our final glimpses of the Celine masterpiece was the signature cape. The spring cape from Celine has the ability to flatter a woman’s figure by exposing a delicate arm, compose a caramel hue with that of blanched almond, and create a classic. Celine makes you urge to ask for more, but the only problem is we already have it all. 

Hussein Chalayan

Hussein Chalayan’s collection saw an evolution of dress. From hooded models, covered in ebony silk head dresses that covered the entirety of their faces striding in oversized tailored jackets, with cuff-like sandals wrapped their feet in bondage rope, to floating, floral gowns that transported the model to ethereal creatures. Chalayan’s woman was no ordinary mortal. Inspired by “an abstract take on Japan” Chalayan’ took an non-literal look at Japan’s cultural isolation until the mid-nineteenth century. It is no wonder that we see a transformation throughout this collection as it runs alongside that of historical past. The influence of the designer’s research was showcased in a film entitled ‘Sakoku’ which was shown during the catwalk presentation. The impending element of these visuals helped to create the overall mood for the show and created a performance and narrative to the garments. This is something we have come to expect from the unrivalled, technological, storyteller. Each garment tells a tale. This tale is unexpectedly dark for Spring/Summer 11 (although Hussein Chalayan is anything but predictable) as ebony fabrics dominate the opening of the show, aiming to duplicate “the sheen of lacquer in the dark”. The collection quickly brightens as sheer egg whites and duck egg blue are introduced. These give the looks a modern, digital feel as patterns mimic that of a number matrix. Silks in pearl flow to ankle length and botanical printed gowns billow with the assistance of covered collaborators. Suited shapes are made to pop, in stiff fabric constructions in bold hues that add a final playfulness to an extraordinary show. Hussein Chalayan takes us on a journey and luckily we leave on a much brighter note. 

Alexis Mabille

Alexis Mabille’s Spring/Summer collection sees the designer take us through the journey of girls adolescents. We begin the collection with a feminine ‘cuteness’, defined by laced up legs, ankle detailing reminiscent of childhood broderie anglaise, pop socks, and an abundance of bows, acting as buttons or tied up in ribbons. Later the models illustrate increased sophistication as the designer turns to jet-black motorcycle jackets, ash pencil skirts and a careful mix of patterns in monochrome black and white. The collection concludes with a singular model dressed in what appears to be bridal wear, still intact with a sense of youth as the gown does not even grace her knees, a bow still sits upon her breast but only now a veil of cascading pearls covers her crown.

Caramels, creams, and mochas create an opulence often in stripes and in delicate silks and satins. On feminine cuts we see sweet detailing through ruffles, gathered fabrics, broderie anglaise yet with futuristic opaque glasses we see another side of this otherwise innocent character. 

John Galliano

John Galliano is a Mad Hatter in a dressing up box. Renowned for his stylistic approach to recreate muses from by-gone era, Galliano takes inspiration from Maria Lani for his Spring/Summer 11 show.

Marie Lani was a unique character from the 1920’s. She took the Paris art scene by storm and insisted on being painted by all the greats. Using Lani as the basis of his show Galliano turns to what he does best, to create a fantasy of characters and personalities to create a theatre of fashion. The collection itself was a confection of ruffles, oversized garments pulled in and tweaked to create that ‘self-styled’ appearance, clashes of bold watercolour-esq colours, netting whipping through models hair, under necks and used throughout garments. The look was bohemian and made every girl unique and from a world of their own. There was the influence of the 1920’s present as drop waists slithered down the catwalk and a bounty of feathers plunged to the floor.

 The hair and make up was equally extravagant with candy floss manes in beaming shades, braiding and slick backed looks were imploded with shots of pigment. Eyes were brooding and occasionally haunting and lips were puckered with gloss.

The show culminated in a climax of gold confetti. The perfect ending for a creation as magical as Galliano’s.

Givenchy

Ricardo Tisci’s, Givenchy show for Spring/Summer 11 was a dark and haunting affair. The collection fused together pagan and gothic elements, with old school glamour. This lead to shades of onyx, jet-black, coal and ebony layered in matt, lustrous and translucent. The designs took inspiration from leopard print which was implemented through subtle print on flowing, floor length skirts in chalk, embossed in black leather, and were bold and ferocious when covering the entirety of a look in quintessential animal print. These girls encapsulate richness and beauty. They represent an attitude that is a little stand off yet exudes an enviable conviction. They wear what appears to be an armored zip winding around shoulders, and snaking over torsos to create paneling, without the chinks of the past. The look is loose as waistcoats become drawn out and lapels are exaggerated. Tisci creates delicate signature pieces from ruffles, over-laid to create fascinating forms that stand poignant in the collection. Billowing transparencies, like ink dispersing in water, hints at a ghost-like silhouette as models float down the catwalk.

All Images from Here

Edited by RebeccaHawkes - 04 Oct 2010 at 8:12pm

In her third collaboration with SIGG, Vivienne Westwood brings us a fashionable way to be ecological when we sip or swig. Launched at Westwood's stunning London Fashion Week show (S/S 11) the re-useable bottle brings new light to our over consumption of plastic water bottles, and provides an eco-chic solution. The latest design was inspired by the urgent need for action on climate change. Working with SIGG, a company known for its fashion forward accessories produced to provide ecological solutions, Westwood illustrates her ongoing commitment to sustainability. Westwood has previously created two exclusive designer bottles with SIGG and this third collaboration finishes the collection. To get your hands (and lips, for that matter) on one, just visit any Vivienne Westwood, or Selfridges store or online at Sigg.com.

Edited by RebeccaHawkes - 28 Sep 2010 at 9:55pm

Marni

Marni showcases an eclectic mix of sportswear splashed with vintage and bold prints for Spring/Summer 11.  The show illustrated the kind of 'pile it on' and 'more is more' attitude that the likes of Miss Bubble (a.k.a Susie, from Style Bubble) would be proud of. Consuelo Castiglioni illustrated the conception of sportswear with vintage, tea-party chic. The Marni woman is the type of woman you stare at in wonder (how did she combine so many fabrics and colours to create this enviable look?). The type of woman that stands out in a crowd. The woman that isn't afraid to be bold with her dressing. She is the woman you want to get to know at a party and who will tell you the most lurid and exotic tales. Marni's woman is fascinating. 

The collection saw a striking mix of leather block colours cut out in a circular motif, ribbon banded contouring, an array of colours ranging from  luxuious  biscuit and onyx all the way up to bright pops of satsuma orange and cerulean. Loathers were slashed into sandals, and were dotted and healed. Sixties style prints made an appearance in a lady like fashion yet were amalgamated with cycling shorts (that were featured throughout in a surprisingly wearable way). Throughout we saw the influence of sports attire as all models paraded down the catwalk wearing leather bathing hats, large zips wear built into over wise feminine frills, Lycra cycling shorts and the lines associated with aerodynamics brought distinct contouring to the garments.







Dolce & Gabbana

If Dolce & Gabbana had a song to represent their Spring/Summer 11 collection, ' I love you for sentimental reasons' (Ella Fitzgerald/Nat King Cole) would sum it up. Taking inspiration from the keepsake box a romantic may store away for the day she is wed, Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana created a show in almost all virginial white. The collection focussed heavily on the use of broderie anglaise, sheer and lace, on baby-dolls, floor-length flowing gowns, and provocative corsets. The collection materialized a modern take on vintage lingerie that we are only usually exposed to with the dated petticoat. Yet Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana add an elegance and enchantment to dressing up in order to be dressed down. Each garment fits within the character the designers have created however the werability and the lure to layer each sheer garment is contagious. Hints of suggestiveness seep through with hints of leopard print and black and later in the show we see intricate beading mimicking the decadence of a french revolutionary wallpaper, pasted upon cocktail dresses. What better way to celebrate Dolce & Gabbana's 25th Anniversary than to hold a white wedding. One that we all want to attend.








All Images are from Here


Edited by RebeccaHawkes - 27 Sep 2010 at 11:59am