Autumn Winter 2010 Trends

New Restraint

Pure, unadulterated style is achieved this season by paring simplicity and luxury to elegant effect.

Look for minimalist pieces in luxe fabrics made for grown-up women. Granted, these looks may not instantly grab attention, but isn’t that where the beauty lies.

Matt leather, double-faced cashmere and sumptuous silk are the fabrics of choice for this style. Effortless, unfussy looks that don’t require a complicated set of style rules. But just in case,

1- - don’t stray from the strict palette of black, navy, camel, grey and white,

2- - don’t be tempted to over-accessorise – less is infinitely more this autumn.

Best designers to look toward for inspiration on this trend are Céline, Bottega Veneta and Stella McCartney

All Woman

Autumn’s retro dressing is a tribute to the female form – all tiny waists, full hips and bountiful bosoms.

Designers have embraced a nostalgic aesthetic that delights in its celebration of womanliness. Wasp-waisted circle skirts (or smart pencil skirts) and prom dresses abound. Demurely buttoned to the collar or sweet balcony corsetry are used to best display an ample bust.

To accessorise? Ladylike additions such as elbow-length leather gloves and framed handbags.

The designers who did it best – Prada, Louis Vuitton and Dries Van Noten

For pencil skirts, look toward Marc Jacobs and Dolce and Gabbana

Pretty Poetress

Meet this season’s style heroine: her paper-thin frocks in dusty hues and faded florals have a dreamy, bookish charm.

Autumn’s new bohemian look has a decidedly literary bent. From artist smocks and wispy silk slips to floor-trailing floral dresses layered over long-sleeve knits – together these pieces are an ode to sweet naivety and old-fashioned romance, accessorise with librarian-chic specs, woolly socks and sensible shoes.

Look to Ralph Lauren, Fendi and Paul Smith for the best inspiration on this style

Grunge Glamour

Slouchy knits plus elegant evening skirts: it’s a modern mash-up.

The big news in eveningwear? A floor-sweeping skirt paired with a sweater. Abiding by fashion’s high/low laws, this look strikes the ideal glamour/grunge balance. Of course, it helps that you only need invest in a sensational skirt – the knit should be an old favourite.

Best designers for this trend were Dries Van Noten, Marc Jacobs and Richard Nicoll

Camel Coats vs Perfect Parkas

The uptown classic, effortlessly elegant vs the downtown classic, mixing mod cool and utilitarian chic.

For the camel classic, it comes with endless variety, from the lightest buff to dark toffee, experiment against your skin tone and throw your new coat over a crisp white or denim shirt and cinch with an aged brown leather belt.

For edgy urban glamour, from an inexpensive army-surplus jacket to Burberry’s shearling-lined triumph (at a mere £1895, a bargain!) The most practical pieces, serve to be your best investment this season.

For camel coat inspiration look to Hermes, Aquascutum and Gucci

And for perfect parkas look to Burberry Prorsum, Marc by Marc Jacobs and Margaret Howell

pictures from Style.com

Inspired by Vogue Catwalk Report

Autumn Winter 2010 Micro Trends

Colour Bomb

Prepare to be blown away by an explosion of colour; this season’s collections exhumed breathtaking brights. Colour blocked, unexpected clashing and varying tones of the same hue.

Balenciaga

Versace

Dressing-Up Box

Forget every fashion rule you have ever learnt – autumn’s most flamboyant trend is about colour, chaos and creativity. Let fun and frivolity inspire you this Autumn.

Christian Dior

(possibly my favourite of the A/W shows - Galliano never fails to astound me)

Winter White Fur

Shaggy cuts and shrug-on styles give this winter’s furs – both real and fake – a laidback, rock ‘n’ roll edge (I'll let you decide on the real or fake debate...)

Veronique Leroy

Marni

Romantic Lace

From sweetly pretty day dresses to sensual see-through gowns and blouses, fashion has fallen in love with lace. From all over lace, to lace shirts or just lace panels - lets get lacy!

Dolce and Gabbana

Roberto Cavalli

The Cape

Practicality (easy, cosy and comfy) meets theatricality (see Givenchy) in this season’s favourite cover up. Unleash your inner crime fighter and go wild.

Givenchy

Ports 1961

Terrific Trousers

Abandon hard-to-wear harems and slouchy sweatpants: the new trousers are easy, elegant and above all flattering. Look to vintage 40's styles for a grown-up sophisticated look.

In complete contrast, ankle exposing cigarette trousers are the other big trouser story this Autumn. Works fabulously as the bottom half for tuxedo suit.

3.1 Phillip Lim

Dsquared

photos from Style.com

writing inspired by Vogue Catwalk report

Today was sponsored by the letter ‘M’

Ok, although it was a few weeks ago (Thursday July 8^th, to be exact!) that I actually went, I have been seriously slow on updating my blog… again, but insane shifts and all nighters at work have slightly taken precedent over everything else!

After reading about the Martin Marigela exhibition in Dazed that was to be held at Somerset House, I made a deal with myself (the best kind!) that this would be one exhibition I would not miss.

And what better opportunity than to combine my visit with the opening show at the Summer Series, which was headlined by the one and only Mystery Jets.

The Martin Marigela exhibition was in a beautiful space at the back of the house and down in the basement. With some really wonderful pieces, including old invitations to the Fashion Week shows as well as garments and shoes, it was a really inspiring and interesting exhibition to walk around.

Some interesting ideas including covering the models and some pieces so that they were unrecognisable and unbranded down to the finer details in which the labels are sewn into the garments.

There were some really beautiful pieces, which led me to miss designing and making and really inspired me to pick it back up again (I am getting withdrawal symptoms after less than a month since finishing uni!) there were beautiful cuts and panelling details, and beautiful fabrics used to add extra to the creation.

However, whilst I was walking around the exhibition, it really reminded me of the Victor and Rolf exhibition at the Barbican a few years ago, which was simply amazing and as much as I enjoyed the exhibition of Marigela. No exhibition will ever be able to beat the Victor and Rolf one for me. Their creativity and design aesthetic is second to none. In my opinion, they are the original crazy designers, with weird design ideas, and ideas that make you think about clothing, not just see a nice garment.

After that, I walked back to the square in the middle of the venue to see the Mystery Jets open the Somerset House festival. It was simply amazing. Not the first time I have seen these boys play and it will definitely not be the last. They have some really unique sounds and ideas; every album they come out with betters the last. With heart breaking lyrics and interesting sounds they really come alive when you watch them on the stage.

The Mystery Jets really have a lot to answer to on my present musical obsessions, it was a few years ago now when I first listened to Two Doors Down and instantly fell in love with their style. I researched more and discovered Young Love, which features Laura Marling. I instantly fell in love with her voice and looked in to her music more, which led to finding the likes of Johnny Flynn and Jay Jay Pistolet. 4 bands, who I could most definitely not live without, and who I’m sure will never be taken off my iPod.

Not only was Twenty One an album of my summer last year, it was forever being played, now whenever I listen it always brings back superb memories but hearing the boys play the tracks again, led to an immense evening, which started out with The Tribe and Connan Mockasin, both of who were good, personally I enjoyed Connan Mockasin slightly more, as they were a more tight band and they fit together in the line up really well. They also had a really interesting and unique sound.

An amazing evening, at an amazing venue, I don’t know if its just me, but there is something about watching a gig outside, especially in a venue like Somerset House, where technically you are inside a building. It set the atmosphere amazingly for the gig and the boys certainly did nothing to disappoint. They played a brilliant mix of old and new tracks and even a short cover of a Lady Gaga track. Long may the Mystery Jets continue making music.

Catching a Tiger

This is ever so slightly in the wrong order, I am in the process of writing a blog on a visit to Somerset House to see the Martin Marigelia Exhibition and the Mystery Jets, but somehow this one appears to have taken precedent… however, I digress…

Last night, in a rather stupidly excited state, I headed to London town to see one of my new favourite musicians, Lissie at the ICA.

Having just arrived in London, we checked out the venue and whilst wandering past I saw her outside having a cigarette (well how else would she perfect the beautiful edge to her voice?!) and had to go and say hello. She was absolutely lovely and was very excited about playing the show. Bonus.

We entered the theatre, which was an intimate venue and suited the event perfectly.

The evening began with four boys and their four guitars. Looking like they had mistakenly fallen out of a time machine. A throwback from the seventies. They began to play. The sound so powerful and their harmonies so beautiful they easily rivalled the likes of The Fleet Foxes and Mumford and Sons.

Their music was so beautifully and passionately played that you could tell they won over the hearts of the crowd instantly.

The four boys in Kassidy (the name of this awesome band, by the way) fit so perfectly together in style, in sound and in passion. They appeared to be genuinely humbled by the appreciation of the audience, which is in itself humbling to witness.

It is not often that I will go straight home from a gig and download an EP of a band I have just seen without first finding out a little more about them. However, this is testament to just how amazing they were, if my iPhone battery was not such a fail, I would have downloaded it then and there (the joys of modern technology!) It is just as wonderful (although there is always something special about seeing a band live) and has captured the magic of this truly unique band.

My only criticisms, if I had to be picky, were the microphones were up slightly too high in my opinion, the sound of the EP is so perfect and they could have achieved just as awesome an atmosphere without the booming sound. Also it would be nice to see the boys with a drummer, however, that might ruin the aesthetic of the band.

In spite of me, being picky for the sake of it, it is blindly obvious these boys are seriously talented, with voices that were fabulously harmonic and glided through the room smoother than warm caramel. I eagerly anticipate the arrival of their album.

Kassidy

A few minutes later and out came a tiny framed, beautiful and vulnerable looking girl. Lissie. Then she started to sing. All thoughts of vulnerability were shot to pieces. The power in her voice is simply immense. With a power to melt even the coldest hearts, her beautiful lyrics, wonderful rifts and astounding voice were able to make you forget instantly where you were and be transported to another world.

Her sweet explanations of family history made you feel and understand her passion for her music even more and made you fall in love with the tracks that bit harder. And call me old fashioned, but its so refreshing to hear an artist who doesn’t use crass language throughout their music or show, someone who actually has a grasp of the English language and uses it to make spine tingling, beautiful music.

However, enough of me ranting, back to the music – Lissie has an amazing voice and a very talented set of musicians playing with her, who again all appeared very humbled by the effect they had on the audience. I know arrogance is supposed to stream in music, but it is nice to see that there are some genuine, level headed artists out there.

The encore came, far too quickly, and out came Lissie, with a very special friend. Ellie Goulding. After their collaboration at the Great Escape in Brighton earlier this year, it appeared they were set to perform together again. Much to the crowd’s delight. Not having really heard much of Ellie’s music, I was extremely impressed by her voice and she is clearly another talented girl. They sang Patty Griffin’s Making Pies, whilst Ellie played it was astoundingly beautiful. And finally time for the last song, a fabulous cover of Lionel Ritchie’s Hello. In Lissie’s true bluesy country style, which had the whole crowd singing along.

Lissie

Overall, it was an amazing, no frills evening that was absolutely as it should be – all about the music.

Two (three?) amazing groups, who I will most definitely make the effort to see in the future!