Hold on Tight

I was sent this earlier today and I think it looks so much fun. Having done quite a few Rodelbahns in Austria (I used to live there) I cannot recommend them too highly; this looks pretty fast, specially brake-free. This is going on my To Do wish list, perhaps in some Westwood with Miu Miu shoes. Now that would be some video!

Editorial

This editorial, taken from  Flare’s December issue, is simply stunning. Titled ‘Your Majesty’, the shoot is full of beautiful regal imagery with magical fairy tale overtones.  Photographer Chris Nicholls and stylist Fiona Green manage to capture the mystery, allure and majesty of these heroines. Don’t we all wish Kate Middleton was a bit more like this?

Source: FashionGoneRogue

Calling All Jewellery Lovers….

As you will know if you read my blog, I am a massive Mawi fan. They are having one of their sample sales on Friday 25th November, from 9AM -8PM with discounts up to 80% off. It will be taking place at their studios, 2 Nimrod Passage, London, N1 4BU.  I’ll see you there!

These are a few examples of the kind of bargain you can expect. A sunray bangle, original price £405, sale price £150.

Rajah crown bangle, original price £378, sale price £140.

Triple cluster beetle necklace, orginal price £810, sale price £300.

Warming those Toes

I went to Mou boots’ Winter Tea event on Tuesday to look at their new season styles and to meet the founder Shelley Tichborne, who was exceptionally nice and I enjoyed chatting to her. Although the weather in London hasn’t quite turned cold enough yet, these warm and luxurious boots will be a must in the colder months.The word mou comes from the French adjective meaning soft to touch, and these boots do feel amazing on, as if you’ve got your duvet wrapped around your feet.

Has SJP lost her USP?

I know that making negative comments about Sarah Jessica Parker’s style credentails is pretty close to blasphemy in some fashion corners but in my opinion the pretty minimal fashion cred she had anyway seems to have vanished over recent months. I display below some genuine shockers from a woman people call a style icon.

First up: this dress is an abomination. I think bows under the bust line should not be worn by anyone over five, the material looks heavy and over-starched, and the colour of the bodice is not at all flattering to her skintone. There is what looks like a hair twist around her wrist and the whole thing is finished off with a pair of totally unremarkable shoes.

Wow, is really all I can muster. Philip Treacy’s extravagant creation is not meant for someone so small nor for indoor wear.   This is not a case of ‘oh, that’s high fashion’, or ‘oh, that’s a concept hat’, it’s just bizarre head gear for an interview where the shadow over her face is comical and distracting rather than mysterious.  This is ridiculous.

Who doesn’t love a fluorescent yellow dress with dirty blonde hair? Not I. Let’s work up: yet another dull pair of shoes and made even worse by being white. Liz Hurley wears white shoes, that’s all you need to know about their fashion status. Do I need to remind SJP that any fashion designer in the world would kill to have her wear their shoes but she chose these! Then the acid colours of the dress, the drawstring waist, another hair twist bracelet and all finished off with what look like cheap plastic beads in baby blue…

This is another treat. Her make-up and hair are ok but oh, the clothes. This is jumped up nightwear. The awful frilly uneven hem looks cheap and tacky and the dress, which does nothing for her figure, is covered by an oversized dressing gown/jumper/coat thing. The jewellry is a random pick from the miscellaneous drawer, and then, hello lover, there are those shoes again.

Tacky bridesmaid? Slutty mother in law? Either way it’s awful. Just gaze in sheer amazement and ask yourself how a grown up woman could really leave the house looking like this. The dress is white lace, with both an asymmetrical neckline and an asymmetrical hem, and there is no help from the accessories either, with the little hippy wristbands, that horrible Carrie-esque flower throwback and the nasty short necklace with a beige metal trim bag. It hurts my professional stylist’s insides.

Ah, the classic combo of  jumper and skirt but wait, why does she look so uncomfortable? Is it because that burnt orange colour does nothing for her, or that she matched her bra to her cuffs, or that she borrowed the skirt from a colourful libriarian, or perhaps it’s that her hair is eating her shoulders?

This season was all about mixing bright block colours and it’s not so much that I don’t like this clashing mix but that it is TOTALLY unacceptable of any stylist/assistant/SJP herself to have put white shoes with this outfit. It immediately takes it to Saturday Night Fever territory, which is not a good way to go.

I am a great believer in not being too ageist when it comes to clothing styles or lengths, but honestly, has SJP forgotten that she left pre school about forty years ago? And that in fact this really isn’t a dress for any age, because it truly is so nasty.  Again she’s gone with studs and a short necklace which is boring and ageing, but hurray, at least the shoes are a little better.

We come to the end of these fashion faultlines with a truly stand out performer. We’ve already had the trampy white lace dress above;  this is its ugly sister. Note the horrible uneven hemline again and the old fashioned frill across the bust line. The slit tries to make it sexy but just increases the idea that her mother made it from her lace curtains.

Monday Blues? Try Monday Reds.

I love this picture, which is taken from the beauty pages of Russian Vogue, and not only because the model, Maddie Kulicka, shares my name and because I’ve worked with the photographer Emma Tempest, but mainly because it makes me want to smile.

Source: FashionGoneRogue.com

Press Days

There have been lots of press days this week and I thought I’d bring you some highlights. The first was Aquascutum’s press day which was held at The Ivy in London. To enter the press room you had to go up one of the most amazing lifts I’ve ever been in: it was clear glass on all sides with beautifullly engraved geometric patterns and it went up inside a glass shaft and had a door that swung outwards as if to announce your arrival. Anyway…back to the clothes.  As one would expect from Aquascutum the quality was high and luxury abounded, with lots of whites and camels in loose flattering shapes and some lovely lightweight jackets. Definitely a wardrobe for the travelling woman who has business meetings to run by day and cocktail hours to grace by night. Lovely.