Balance.
Shini, from Park and Cube, always manages to know exactly how to balance out the elements in her outfit perfectly. She's not too bad on her feet either. Five inch heels on cobblestones and slomping through muddy puddles? I didn't see her stumble once.
an Unpredictable Revolution...
Mimco approached me back in the Summer about collaborating with them for their Autumn/Winter campaign. The theme: an Unpredictable Revolution. I had never heard of the Australian company and their offer couldn't have come at a more inconvenient time. Exams, my dissertation, holidays, and fashion week all got in the way and turned my entry into more of a flagging revolution. Poor excuses, no doubt, and ever since receiving their carefully constructed package months ago I've noticed their collection popping up all over the place. I've been itching to put together this post for weeks and when I woke up yesterday morning to a heavy fog it seemed the perfect backdrop to the eerie nature of their campaign. Inspired by the mystery and secret handshakes of past uprisings, the ancient and elusive Oxford colleges could have easily been the location for such antics...
View Mimco's collection here. Thanks Rachel for including me in the project and Jill for the photos.
a colourful Storm...
Last month I got the chance to meet Storm for the first time. The brand wasn't one I was familiar with or had come across before so I was interested to see what it was all about. Their press day featured a large and varied sprawl of watches, jewelry, and handbags in a variety of shapes and colours. Described as the sort of pieces you can mix and match with your wardrobe, they've surely got something for everyone. Personally, unless it comes in the form of real diamonds, I'd rather not have any daft bling attached to my wrist so I'd steer clear of the glitzy encrusted numbers on offer. My favourites were the sci-fi sports inspired pieces that looked as if they could have fallen straight out of a 007 movie. The monochromatic oversized mens watches were straight up my alley. Additionally, I was pleasantly surprised by their line of handbags and, more specifically, a certain sweet little teal bucket bag that had just the right amount of vintage quality about it.
View the entire Storm collection here.
Thanks Catherine and Chase PR for inviting me down. Also, thanks to Jill for modeling her gorgeous pink watch in the first image.
Resurrected.
There is something refreshing about taking something old in your closet and giving it a little revival. Although the appeal to run around town picking up new goodies definitely can get the better of me, it's always nice to pull out a forgotten treasure and find it still has serious street appeal. I bought this snood and jumper about four years ago, pulled them out last winter and didn't wear either once, and then yesterday randomly grabbed for them. Both proved to be so perfectly useful and cozy in the dire London weather. The little reminder of how sweet they are will definitely get me reaching for them both more often. Is there anything long forgotten in your wardrobe that has recently gotten a little revival?
Wearing: Cabbages & Roses jumper, Jigsaw snood, Made in the Shade leggings, Mentor wedges, and Alexander McQueen bag. A big thanks to Kit and Jill for snapping these photos for me in the rain.
eskimo kisses...
It seems to be that time of year... the baubles are adorning shop windows. fairy lights illuminate the streets, and if you listen closely there are faint sounds of reindeers and snow men ooozing from store speakers. Too early? Probably. Impossible to resist? Of course. That special little magical holiday buzz has officially been ignited. It might have been the arrival of Starbucks' red cups and that all consuming power of their gingerbread syrup. Or it could be that flights are finally being confirmed and booked to visit family at Christmas. Or was it the endless stream of emails between me and 'Santa' outlining my ever growing wish list that sparked the excitement? Whatever it was, it's here... and hopefully will be sticking around for the next, what is it, six weeks.
Regardless of whether your tummy churns at the sight of all this holiday cheer or you lap it right up, it's impossible to deny the firm presence of winter. While I tend to reach for the dark knits and black coats, there is something refreshingly right about winter white. Today Shini and Kit were both wearing shades of cream with hoods pulled up right over their heads. They looked like little snuggly eskimos all wrapped up and made me want to run out and find a hoodie just like theirs to keep me warm on blistery days like this one.
the butterfly effect.
Hand cut silk butterflies adorn much of Aminaka Wilmont's Spring 2011 collection. The effect is utterly charming and completely ethereal.
'you mean you really don't...?!'
Okay pumpkins, I have a confession. Today it became public knowledge that I (gasp) don't moisturize. I didn't realize what a big deal this is to some beauty junkies, I literally got stared down like an infested disease. This opened mouth astonishment was followed by a whole host of condescending comments about how horribly, horribly, dry my face was. Now, I wasn't actually offended because my face felt like a dried out desert. I could feel it cracking with each painful expression I made. So, I was urged to shimmy my hiney over to Boots and rectify the problem by purchasing some lotion for my face (apparently my left over Banana Boat Aloe infused one wasn't going to cut it).
This whole self-induced dramatic charade got me thinking... about girls and their beauty routines. To be honest, I don't put that much thought or effort into mine (as if you couldn't tell from the above explanation). But, there certainly is some method to the madness. I have come across a little bundle of products that are my absolute favourites and that I think you ought to know about.
From left: Urban Decay brush that I stole from my Mom (after giving it to her in her Christmas stocking) about seven years ago (is it gross that I still use it? it is so soft). Laura Mercier black thickening and building mascara. Nars Hot Wired lip lacquer. YSL rouge volupte in Red Temptation. Chanel nail polish in Blue Satin. Sephora Bronzer in Bora Bora. Smashbox Blushrush in Radiance. And, my favourite new discovery (the magic of transformed eyebrows...): LORAC Take a Brow in Brunette. The moisturizer and other products I picked up from Boots can be viewed here.
So, now you know. I'm a recovering anti-moisturizer junkie and I'm addicted to a good dose of bronzer. What's your beauty secret ladies? Anything amazing I should add to my list? Are you a die hard beauty junkie or a mascara and a swipe of blush sort of girl?
The Style Icon Series...
To follow Celeste's crazy adventures and see more of her mesmerizing outfits head straight over to The Cowboy Geisha.
Roadkill remastered...
Reid Peppard's collection for RP/Encore puts a whole new spin on recycled and sustainable fashion. The creatures, who form the inspiration and substance of the line, are found in and around London and have died of natural or unpreventable causes. PARK, the designer's second collection of taxidermy inspired jewellery, features a grey squirrel, red fox, and carrion crow. At first when I saw the pieces I felt put off. Dark, they represent a sense of destruction; the essence of brute human triumph and an unyielding self gratifying nature. I couldn't help but be drawn to them though. Their vulnerability and sheer reflection on the transience of life. There is something beautiful and inviting about their nature. A stunning living creature transformed into an everyday and complacent object. The rings, necklaces, and bracelets are cast from actual parts of the animal. Personally, I'd like a fox toe bone ring to wear above the first knuckle on my finger and a fox tooth one to go with it. I'm not sure if this is everyone's cup of tea though. It certainly isn't conventional or traditional. Would you wear this designers work or even support her endeavours theoretically? With the large divide and debate over the ethics of wearing fur and leather her collection seems to have the potential to strike a very sensitive nerve...
Thanks Blow PR for the invite to your Spring 2011 press day.
View more photos from the Blow PR press day over on The Style Crusader Facebook page.
if i were dressing up...
Halloween is a time of tragic costumes. Especially if you are over the age of 18, it is very rarely done well. If I were dressing up for Halloween this year, and to be honest I sort of wish I was, I'd be going as a Bora girl... as in Bora Aksu Spring/Summer 2011. I'd have fake bugs in my hair, spider web tights, have worn out knit pieces pulled along bubbled up details and be, in a nutshell, an oversized killer insect. It would be awesome. View the full collection here.
put your hood up.
It's officially Autumn. The weather is schizophrenic and rain is pretty much a guaranteed. What better way to combat the chilly windy weather and slompy puddles than an oversized hood and plastic boots? This is what I wore tonight to the pub. Felt slightly under-dressed as there was a brigade of Halloweeners wrapped in toilet paper in the attempt to be mummies. At least I was warmer than the poor chicks, whose costumes surely were reduced to nothing by the end of the night... it seemed to be falling off in massive chunks. Poor choice girls.
Wearing: Quiksilver parka, Jigsaw cashmere cardigan, J.Crew shirt, Urban Outfitters skinny jeans, H&M boots, and thrifted bag.
Columbine...
It's the inclusion of unlikely elements that make a look stand out. Columbine's Acne dress is quite a simple shape but the blurred water colours and crinkled fabric make it anything but ordinary. The use of contrasting lengths is striking and I love that she has worn simple nude courts and a classic Prada bag. Edgy but with a grown up sophisticated twist. The details near her wrist are what sold this to me and moved her outfit into a whole new realm of perfection. The zips and thumb holes are absolutely divine.
a buttery shaped hole.
On a recent trip up to my attic, made in the attempt to bring down some proper winter gear, I discovered I have way too many coats. Single breasted, double breasted, toggle, pea, parka, army, waterproof, ski, puffer... I was strongly advised by my forlorn husband that I'd better not bring them all down into our little flat. There isn't enough room to fit them all plus my own head... Victorian property developers really should have thought ahead. This twice yearly exercise of swapping out the Spring for the Autumn clothing brought one important thing to my attention - there is a gap in my overstuffed wardrobe, a pulsating gap in the shape of the perfect leather jacket.
Then, I remembered... Clemency London. At London Fashion Week I attended their presentation and they had the most gorgeous, buttery soft, leather jacket. It was worn by a stunning model in white but my heart was firmly set on the black version as soon as I caught sight of it. Slightly distressed with almost graphic architectural stitching - this piece was irresistibly cool without looking too mainstream or cliche... plus, the leather was so soft I literally wanted to crawl up into it and never leave. Not only that, the whole collection looked amazing and was uniquely displayed through the photography and video shot by Rankin - an inspiration in itself.
highs and lows from the Savoy...
The infamous nature of PR companies was felt in full force today at the Savoy Press Days. Some could have been mistaken for prowling wolves, peeking their heads out their hotel rooms, searching for prey to suck in and bestow memorized information onto: a heady routine that even the most tactical of maneuvers failed to release the unsuspecting victim from. While this wasn't the case with every PR company, it was the few sour cats that ruined the posh broth. Do you know the type I mean? Those that send bulk e-mails with huge files attached and ask you to reproduce a standardized press release for them. Surely that is beyond boring, dull, and not the least bit credible for them or the person posting the 'article'. Thankfully, not all companies or PR agencies are so puerile in the way they approach bloggers. Some recognize that we can actually write for ourselves and take our own pictures... I've always thought that makes a post a wee bit more credible and authentic, no?
With all that said, there were some little gems to behold... some of my favourites included: Emmanuel Katsaros sunglasses and bags, Tara Jarmon ladylike separates, Peter Lang glitzy embellished jewelry plus bone effect two-finger rings and dinosaur necklaces by Galibardy.
p.s. on second inspection, I think I may resemble Willy Wonka a bit in those sunglasses...
