Cut, Copy and Pastel

UHHH WHAT'S YOUR DAMAGE?

Christopher Kane and Donatella

Poor Henry Holland, every fashion week he completes a collection, pats himself on the back and congratulates himself on being Britain's answer to Jeremy Scott: garish, cut-out, and under researched. And then, a bit later every fashion week, along comes Christopher Kane and reminds us all what an audacious British designer really is. Forget the visual work-out that is tassels, pompoms, metallics, pleats and puffs, Christopher Kane is not caught in the perpetual struggle between commodity and street credit. Instead he quietly commands Versus like the younger brother he never had, weaving his trademark armour-like minidresses in with the archetypal bad-ass Versus babe. Unlike Holland, Kane designs for young women without patronising them, there are no slogan tees or fussy patterns. Steering far clear of Americana trash culture, so often what designers fall back on as eternally 'young and cool', Kane and Versace present a sort of LSD fuelled Catholic school of young Italian sex kittens. Unfortunately for his rivals, it doesn't just prove that Christopher can run with the big dogs, it cements his position at the head of the pack.

I want to be in PARIS

(In case you can't tell, the model is CRYING. POOR MODEL)

Jil Sander

Showing a collection tailored around the active woman, JS sent short-sleeve t-shirts and clear plastic bags down the runway bringing a bit of 'young mum at the airport' to the voluminous skirts and relaxed suits made up of hot pink/orange/yellow/red/ and, um, basically every other colour. In fact, it was so bright that vibrant was not the word, it was more... fizzy, and almost a little nausea inducing. Despite the loud colours, the cut was subtle and hugely flattering. Less masculine than Sanders suits often feel, instead the trouser of choice was what was last year hailed as the 'miracle trouser to wash all your troubles away': tight, slightly bootcut, with a pleat and a high waist. On one hand they looked super sexy, on the other, those girls are 14 so can we really tell? I still feel bootcut is just a little too Sliding Doors for me yet, but I'm so willing to be persuaded otherwise. The opening look started the collection on a high, the creamy block of skirt below the supertight T-shirt (anyone else thinking Chippendales?!) is almost surprisingly bold, and steers well clear of any over prettiness often used to counterbalance what can be an awkward length. It feels stronger than any of the trouser suits, and in the same breath is wonderfully feminine in the softest pink and white. Indeed, just like a young mum at the airport, firm but fair was the order of the day. Now stay behind me and look where you're going!

Just Dotty

Hands up who knew Moschino were doing a concessions line for the circus? Wait, before you say anything to hurt my feelings, it's necessary to tell you that I love it. I love it and I want to put it on and run around in Paris and you should too because if fashion isn't about ridiculously patterned suits that make you feel like Humpty Dumpty then what the hell is it about? I would choose this stuff over Rick Owens or Helmut Lang or Alexander Wang 365 days out of the year. Swap the sandals for some Church's and lets go play with kids!

Red and Yellow

Marc Jacobs tackles the mid length skirt, the high waisted flare and some serious hats in a collection which spells out one thing above all, the seventies are ALIVE!

Back to School

First Miu Miu did detachable collars, then Alexander Wang did a leather collared tank, and now Phillip Lim has taken the ball and run with it. His collection was slouchy, shiny and preppy in a very Upper West Side Gentleman's Club kindof way (see how I didn't mention Gossip Girl? Oh damn..). These two looks specifically stand out as trademark Lim, that being something you actually want to own and wear often, as opposed to something you'd like to put on once and prance around in until it got too tight around the armpits and started straining down the zip. Admittedly I'm not the biggest fan of those flared blue shorts, and the black dress is arguably a bit simple for what is undoubtedly a hefty price tag, but as always with Phillip Lim it's the details you can't see in the pictures which make the pieces so special, something the delicately dipped back and seperated collar serve to remind us. This isn't groundbreaking stuff, but it stands the test of time, and you will wear it forever more. Amen.

Boom Boom

Valentine Fillol-Cordier and Charles Anastase must be the ultimate fashion dream team. It's dangerous to use 'effortless' as a compliment to a french designer because 'effortless parisien chic' has become as played out as the 80's, but the simplicity of this is just flawless. I mean I'm majorly drooling over the muted purples and blue grays, sheer tights and overdraft worthy mustard platforms right now, not to mention the loose bobs which are making me dangerously tempted to grab the kitchen scissors as I write this. The mid-length skirts are beaten into submission by the slim waists and boyish t-shirt sleeves, making for a sort of Virginia Woolf meets Hitchcock Heroine meets hospital gown look. In fact the whole thing is reminiscent of Julianne Moore in The Hours, and finishes rather fittingly with the ophelia-esque wisp of tulle and flower buds. We should have known only Charles Anastase would dress women like drowned poets, and don't we love him for it?

HIT

Let's go on safari with Diane von Furstenberg!

Softly Does It

Float along on the river of pastels and florals which cut through the somewhat overwhelming bold and deconstructed Spring collections, because who doesn't love a bit of romance? 1+2: Dolce and Gabbana, 3: Fendi, 4: Mulberry.

HAUTE

Excuse the cringe post but here are some NYC adventures. ROCKIN!!!!!!!

POMPOM!

@ Giles and House of Holland. Both collections definitely had their low points. Yes Giles the big urban jungle pastel trainers were atch just hideous.. And Henners, lose the leather jackets and fringing right? But the pompoms are GR8!

Some shoes wot I have seen lately.

MULBERRY FOR TARGET

Kindof amazed they're doing this, the bags are pretty vile, but at $49.99 and $34.99 get ready for some serious queues on October 10th!

HOLEY COW

Super bad pictures but vintage school skirt from Screaming Mimi's (very Prouenza dare I say), and soft soft fluffy jumper from Trash & Vaudeville. It keeps snagging though, thumbs down.

FLUFFZ

Who doesn't need a blue rabbit fur cardigan? Glamour. Got this treasure for $20 in Beacons Closet in Williamsburg, it's so close you can see it from the roof of the flat. Temptation reigns.

I Feel Better

Vintage Prada from Screaming Mimi's. Good enough to spread on toast.

Stomach Pains

Teeny weeny shirt dress and 70's Carber platforms. They fill me with joy and love and peace man, however the price tag filled me with fear. I haggled ferociously, I realised that people in NYC don't appreciate ferocious haggling. We completed the transaction in silence, adding to my shoe guilt. Awkward. Bye bye money, hello... um.. wow.. total happiness and inner tranquility? Shut UP shoe guilt. SERIOUSLY.

PHOTO SENSATIONAL

So I just spent the equivalent of a plane ticket in a thrift store on North 6th + Bedford Av, and now I think I'm having minor heart palpitations. So I'm gonna do a few show + tell posts (this is for you mother). All I can say right now is welcome to the summer of love, peace.

Above is me in my new tomato red hat, eating a tomato. Below is me in my new tomato red hat, after finding a hair in my bagel. Vom.

I'm a Genie in a Bottle

Pink velvet high waisters for 20 dollars in Uniqlo (!!!), lace Xtina homage - vintage from Screaming Mimi's. Come/come/come and let me o-ut.

NO WAY

MR BIG WENT TO SEE HOLE @ DON HILL'S!? MR BIG GOT PAPPED BY THE COBRASNAKE!?

I DIDN'T BUY IT ?!?

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Hmm

Everyone in NYC looks like this:

Except me...:

USA---WHAT

HERE I COME WAFFLEZ

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YUM!

Clothes are great but they don't even compare to stuff like salami and cookie dough. Check Bakerella out if you don't believe me, but you do, don't you.

I WONDER IF SHE HAS A BLOG?

You Drive Me Crazy

Hi guys! How's it going? I have loads of great stuff to blog but I kinda want to start with something that's been bothering me for a while, can I even say a few years? I mean a few years is true.. The thing is, it isn't my carbon footprint, or like, whether I eat enough iron (broccoli and tofu, YUMMY), but unfortunately it is the eternal debate of the belly button. To show or not to show.. That is the, um, dilemma? You see when I was 12 and wore flares and stuff, showing the belly button was a sign of status, you'd made it, plus we all had stomachs like washboards so in a way it was less offensive *cough* hmmm. Anyway that all escalated into the whole belly button piercing phenomena, not for me I gotta say, strikes me as similar to wearing a toe ring, not my fave (Britney don't worry you keep doing your thang girl). However eventually the interest in the belly button waned, and they were firmly suffocated under high waisted whatevers, shorts, knickers, leggings (VOMIT). And then, last summer, determined to emancipate my tum, I wore out a pair of high waisted-ish shorts which showed a peep of button. It felt breezy! It felt good! And then a girl turned round to me and whispered: "wow your belly button.. That's daring.." Now bear in mind this girl may not be a defining voice, but she did manage to use the belly button as a weapon powerful enough to make  me quiver with shame and pull my top down as far as it could go, leaving me in a state of too little dress and overwhelming confusion. Ever since then I have been wary to say the least, but I think the time has come. High waisted things are boring, and low waisted things are unflattering, the mid waist is doing it for me, and some of my tops aren't long enough to tuck. So here comes the belly button, and if you don't like it, well tuck you. Oh wow I just wrote a whole blog post about this. Intense. Bye!

I'm blue dabadee da ba.. Yahyah you get it

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HEY MOM!