Archive for the ‘Designer Fashions’ Category
Designer Fashions, Designers, Gallery, Haute Couture, Paris Fashion Week
By emilyborrett on July 7th, 2011
Givenchy Haute Couture 2011
It’s indisputable that one of the best moments of Paris Haute Couture Week has to be yesterday’s transcendent Givenchy show. Creative direction Riccardo Tisci had certainly pulled a white rabbit out of his hat for this truly magical, delicate show which was glorious against the backdrop of the River Seine in Paris. Tisci has a great history of powerful and impressive designs but nothing prepared me for yesterday’s collection, which, without sounding too gushing, took my breath away.
It was a smaller display of work than some of the other shows this week, with only ten dresses making up the collection. Normally we’d feel a little short-changed, but in Givenchy’s case yesterday less was definitely more. In each dress you could see the care and love of design that had gone into its’ creation.
The collection, in all its’ virginal beauty, was an interesting combination of simplicity and intricacy. The garments, which were a mix of trailing fringe, wisps of sheer white chiffon and heavy embellishment and embroidery, still seemed light and delicate despite the intricate detailing. To sum it up, completely exquisite. Yesterday the models selected to walk for the show could have been angels. Particularly spectacular was the show’s finale dress: gold fringing falling in columns to the floor from metallic winged detail around the hips, below nude fabric showing the model’s body. Like we said, angelic and fit for a goddess.
To us, yesterday’s show seemed to be a true celebration of the art of couture. Tisci seems to only go from strength to strength as a designer. We absolutely can’t wait to see what he’s got in store for us the next time Fashion Week rolls around.
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Designer Fashions, Designers, Features, Gallery, Haute Couture, Paris Fashion Week
By emilyborrett on July 7th, 2011
Jean Paul Gaultier Haute Couture 2011
Paris Couture Week is one of my absolute favourite fashion events out of the entire calendar, so I was excited this morning to pore over Jean Paul Gaultier’s latest sumptuous couture offering. There are certain boxes at a Gaultier show that are always going to be ticked – nipped waists, leather, black PVC, feathers and embellishment – but still the iconic house managed to surprise us anyway.
There was an obvious dance inspiration to this summer’s couture collection, as Gaultier combined full-skirted suits and pert tutu-esque garments with softly elegant ballet slippers. We duly noted that even the models’ sky-high wedges were worn with criss-crossed ribbon details around the ankles for a balletic feel. Perhaps the designer has been watching Black Swan a lot lately? Anyway, we loved the dance influences and were particularly charmed by a bell-sleeved black velvet biker-feel jacket with a light-as-air chiffon and feather tutu, which was modelled by the kittenish supermodel Sasha Pivovarova.
Another vibe that we picked up on in this show was that of the wicked stepmother. Scarlet-belted leather coats with fur collars, fiercely angular feather fascinators and vintage-style costume jewellery were all part of a vibe that we reckon Cruella DeVille would have been majorly into if she had been in Paris yesterday. Our number-one total favourite moment from the entire show was a particularly cruel-looking coat/dress made out of shredded strips of plastic and leather, that on closer inspection had a black plastic fox peeping out from the strips. Just like the fox-fur scarves your mad granny wore thirty years ago, except it’s MADE OF PVC. I always knew that “mentally ill heiress” had scope to make a comeback, and I was right. HA.
All of our favourite Gaultier touches had been added to each piece. Some leather detailing here, a plumage of tropical feathers there, shredding and draping and corsetry, oh my! The result was very dark with a slightly cruel edge and we really hope no plastic foxes or birds were harmed in the making of this collection, but basically the whole thing was very fabulous and very Paris Couture Week.
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Designer Fashions, Designers, Gallery, Haute Couture
By Andrea Petrou on July 5th, 2011
It was a bitter sweet moment yesterday as Paris opened its doors for the autumn/winter 2012 haute couture season.
And the excitement surrounding this long awaited event did nothing to disguise the fact that first show of the season – Christian Dior show that did not feature John Galliano.
Instead, Bill Gaytten, who was last week named Galliano’s successor, took the reigns to show off the collection, which gave a nod to a range of different eras and influences.
Fluorescent fabrics, which were mixed with classic woolens from the 80s, gave a nod to the punk/dance 1980s era while keeping a contrasting theme, while bold geometric prints and floaty chiffon fabrics suggested a 60s and 1970s Marrakech bohemian vibe.
Then there were the clear 80s style nipped jackets and pouffy skirts, which were clear favourites for the likes of Madonna and Tiffany in the era, while oversized ballgowns made from petals of delicate chiffon were vamped up and bought into the New York era with kitsch sparkles.
Add to that some ruffles, clown polka dot influences and of course those headpeices and you have a collection worth spending those hundreds of thousands on.
See the gallery below for the collection.
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Tags: autumn/winter 2012 haute couture, avant garde, Bill Gaytten, Christian Dior, collection, John Galliano, Paris
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Designer Fashions, Designers, Fashion Tips, Footwear, Gallery, New Fashions
By emilyborrett on June 30th, 2011
It always makes me happy when I discover a new online store stocking designers I’ve never heard of before (I always feel mildly depressed and disappointed in myself when I limit my shopping options to Asos and Topshop), so it was a massive “Yay!” moment for me yesterday when I stumbled across NASTYGAL.com yesterday. Besides a steady stock of old favourites such as Cheap Monday and Lazy Oaf, there’s also a veritable array of new labels available to please any adventurous dresser and fashion-lover.
The big plus point for me is that the online store has an amazing shoe section which sells more Jeffrey Campbell shoes – one of my favourite shoe designers at the moment – than you could shake a stick at. There are so many on-trend shoes there perfect for referencing vintage and 1970s trends; plenty of chunky platforms, tan leather mixed with sizzling neons and pretty candy colours. It’s enough to make a shoe lover weep.
If you want a few interesting pieces for your summer/wardrobe I’d seriously recommend NastyGal for its’ cool selection of printed sundresses, grunge-inspired crop tops and hot-pants. Yes, it is based in California and you’ll have to pay extra for postage, but if you’ve got a little extra money to burn I think it’s worth it for the enviably cool American wardrobe you’ll be sporting.
Check out the gallery above for just some of our favourite pieces from NastyGal – I wanted to choose it all.
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Designer Fashions, Designers, Gallery
By emilyborrett on June 29th, 2011
Soft pastels and sweet stitched illustrations for Autumn/Winter 2011
Not many designers give me that summery, dreamy feeling in my stomach the way that legendary fashion knitwear house Missoni does. Every time Fashion Week rolls around they are one of the first designers I look up on the timetable; their playful and colourful knitted creations instantly make me think of long, lazy vintage summers frolicking in minidresses and sunhats.
While sometimes their designs aren’t totally wearable – see Spring/Summer 2011′s mental Mexican fiesta theme, which featured multicoloured ponchos and schizophrenic Aztec knits – they’re fun, and youthful, and always renew my love for fashion and dressing up.
We’ve put together a gallery of our personal highlights from Missoni’s collections over the past few years, and there are many. At their most recent A/W show they were referencing this laidback, 70s stoner vibe with pink-tinted round sunglasses and pastel-shaded furs, which I completely love and adore. I’m really hoping the high street cottons on to this so that I can afford to get in on the look.
Happy summer, everyone! Make sure to check out our gallery of Missoni’s best designs.
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Celebrity Style, Designer Fashions, Designers, Gallery, Trend Alert
By Andrea Petrou on June 22nd, 2011
Alexa Chung
Doug Peters/Empics Entertainment
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Tags: Alexa Chung, catwalk trends, celebrity fashion trends, David Koma, Emma Watson, House of Holland, Issa, Jennifer Aniston, Nicola Robers, Paul Costelloe, pleats, Sarah Jessica Parker, Summer 2011 trends
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Designer Fashions, Designers, Fashion Crush
By Andrea Petrou on June 15th, 2011
Alexander McQueen scarf £425
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Tags: Alexander McQueen, bargains, Designer Fashions, Jimmy Choo, Net-a-Porter, sale
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Celebrity Style, Designer Fashions, Fashion News, Gallery, News
By Elisabeth on May 6th, 2011
Even though she’s co-created her own clothing line, House of Dereon, with her mother, Beyonce Knowles has admitted she loves clothes by British designer Gareth Pugh because they make her waist look “teeny tiny.”
Now this sounds like something we have to look more into as we wouldn’t mind getting a smaller waist – or we could just have someone photoshop it like Grazia apparently did to Kate Middleton on their royal wedding issue…
Speaking to more! magazine Beyonce said: “I love Gareth Pugh, he’s amazing. His work is so different. The dramatic shoulder pads make your waist look teeny tiny and it’s very structured and graphic and modern. I think the contrast of his garments and my personality is really cool. And I get to dress up and be whatever I want.”
If you’re not sure what Beyonce is talking about, below is a collection of Gareth Pugh’s Fall-Winter ready-to-wear 2011/2012 collection to feast your eyes on.
Gareth Pugh Fall-Winter 2011/12
A model shows a creation by designer Gareth Pugh as part of his Fall-Winter ready-to-wear 2012 fashion collection, presented in Paris, Wednesday, March 2, 2011. (AP Photo/Francois Mori)
Tags: Beyonce Knowles, Gareth Pugh
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Celebrity Style, Designer Fashions, Designers, Fashion Crush, Features, Gallery
By emilyborrett on April 20th, 2011
Vanessa as the face of Chanel Rouge COCO lipstick
When it comes to making or breaking a star’s fashion legacy, Chanel mastermind Karl Lagerfeld is the man who makes it happen. A true fashion phenomenon throughout the world- who couldn’t recognise that snow-haired, be-gloved satorialist from a hundred paces? – he has a gift for plucking out actresses, singers and models from modest, slightly obscure fame and launching them into fashion superstardom.
We’ve all seen Keira Knightley’s flawless pout as the face of Coco Madamoiselle, and Lily Allen’s performance, clad head-to-toe in Chanel, smack-bang in the middle of a catwalk. Most recently to become an ambassador for France’s chicest fashion house is Blake Lively, who’s just had a handbag designed in her name. Bloody cow. We all want what these girls have got – so what is it that makes these women a Chanel girl? That’s what ShinyStyle wants to find out.
Today we’re starting with Parisian popstrel Vanessa Paradis, the current face of Chanel Rouge COCO lipsticks and long-time sweetheart of Johnny Depp. With her adorable unabashed gappy smile, razor-sharp cheekbones and effortless French style, we have such a girl-crush on the Joe Le Taxi singer. Karl loves her so much that he uses her endlessly for fashion stories and has even produced Chanel-branded lip-shaped badges in celebration of her famous gap-teeth.
Looking through some of our absolute favourite Paradis moments, it’s obvious to us why Kaiser Karl has such an admiration for her style. Never try-hard or over-the-top but always gloriously elegant, whether she’s wearing a tux jacket and jeans or a decadent evening look, she looks like a true Parisian woman all the time. Plus, the girl looks GREAT in Chanel – who could be a better ambassador? Check out our gallery for some of Vanessa’s best looks.
Tags: Ambassador, chanel, coco rouge lipstick, couture, Designers, french style, Karl Lagerfeld, Paris, Vanessa Paradis
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Celebrity Style, Designer Fashions, Designers, News
By Andrea Petrou on April 19th, 2011
Donatella Versace has rubbished the efforts of celebrity designers claiming they are no competition to her.
The 55-year-old Italian – who took over as creative director of Versace after her brother Gianni was murdered in 1997 – has slammed a “lack of creativity” in lines designed by famous stars.
She said: “I think it is more a question of marketing. Some of these collections are for cheaper, mass market fashion. I don’t think that creativity is there.
“You need to live among real things, you need as much information as possible.”
While Donatella did not single out any famous person in particular, there are a number of celebrities with their own clothing lines including Victoria Beckham, Gwen Stefani, Katie Holmes and Jessica Simpson.
Although she’s not a fan of celebrity designers, Donatella – whose famous fans include January Jones and Angelina Jolie – has previously revealed she is worried that young designers find it difficult to get started in the industry, saying: “Since the big fashion groups started, of course, it’s harder for young people to get started. Now you talk about merchandising, marketing, where to put a product, how much it should cost, entry prices, and for someone straight out of college, that’s scary. I think that the pushing of the commercial side of fashion over the past 10 years has maybe killed creativity a little – I’m talking generally here – but that may be changing again now.”
Tags: creativity lines, Donatella Versace, fashion designs, Gwen Stefani, sienna miller, Victoria Beckham
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Designer Fashions, designer pick of the week, Designers, Gallery
By emilyborrett on April 8th, 2011
Carrying on with our galleries of some of our greatest designers of the moment, we’re getting in touch with our fabulously Italian sides today and shining the spotlight on Miu Miu, the diffusion line of Miuccia Prada and one of the biggest labels in fashion en ce moment. Infamous for their devilishly girly designs, with more than a dash of blatant sexuality in a naughty “Lolita” way, Miu Miu is the label to love if you like your fashion frothy and playful.
Anyone who’s anyone has been seen out in recent years in one of their deliciously eccentric designs – their speciality seems to have become fun, sugary prints that are great for wearing if you want to go out and play. Everyone from Victoria Beckham to Daisy Lowe was seen last year in their Spring/Summer swallow-printed dresses with the cheeky cutaway panels which revealed a lot of beautiful skin – you know you’re doing something right if both fashion’s first lady and a scruffy edgy thing like Daisy are angling to wear your dresses.
Another favourite of ours recently have been their gorgeous kitten-printed blouses, complete with sparkling Swarovski detail. I know that on paper it sounds hideous and OTT but when in reality was a piece of fashion magic – a reflection on a world that now welcomes the kitsch and the silly with open arms. And why shouldn’t it?
Their most recent collection has been a bit more muted, with overcoats and dresses in burnt umber and oranges, but the ornate Miu Miu attention to detail remains, with beautifully stitched and printed oriental-style florals creeping up hemlines and sleeves.
Miu Miu, we love you! Passionately! Check out the gallery above to see our favourite moments from Miu Miu since 2006.
Tags: bird print, designer spotlight, Italian fashion, jewels, Milan Fashion Week, miu miu, Prada
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Designer Fashions, designer pick of the week, Designers, dresses, Gallery
By Andrea Petrou on April 7th, 2011
By Emily Borrett.
As we continue paying tribute to some of fashion’s finest designers with galleries highlighting some of the best of their work, there are few designers as deserving as the late, great Alexander McQueen, whose tragic suicide last year rocked the fashion industry and whose absence is still felt.
It would be fair to say that Alexander McQueen, first real name Lee, is one of the finest designers that Britain’s ever had. With his expert knowledge of advanced tailoring, reckless and innovative approach to design, and a talent for shocking an audience, his shows have always buzzed with the kind of atmosphere that only happens when you are in the presence of true, unadulterated creation.
One only needs to look back at the footage from McQueen’s funeral to see just how loved he was by all: the whole fashion world seemed to be (and still is) in mourning. At his funeral the likes of Daphne Guiness, Sarah Jessica Parker, Naomi Campbell and Claudia Schiffer were all there to say goodbye to Britain’s most brilliant designer, some of them wearing their own McQueen pieces as a final good-bye.
A year has passed since the maverick designer was tragically found hanged in his home, but his legacy of design still remains him. Always bursting to the seams with drama, darkness and emotion, his collections were all true works of art. To see our favourite Lee McQueen moments since the beginning of his career, right up until his final collection shown after his death, check out the gallery above.
Tags: Alexander McQueen, best of, costume, death, designer spotlight, drama, Suicide
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Celebrity Style, Designer Fashions, designer pick of the week, Designers, Gallery
By Andrea Petrou on April 6th, 2011
We couldn’t do a designer spotlight series without including Chanel, after all this iconic fashion house has bought us a great deal of style joy over the past century.
The design house was the first to bring chic elegance into the mainstream and combine different fabrics including fur, tweeds and on-trend hats.
And this is really what attracted celebrities right through the 50s and 60s to now to wear them. Under Karl Lagerfeld’s current designs, Chanel has become alot more funky – think mini dresses, luxe fabrics and tiered styles, yet that elegance still remains. Fans now include the likes of Lily Allen, Emma Watson and Sarah Jessica Parker, just to name a few.
See the gallery below for styles ranging all the way back to the early 1900s to today, as well as celebrity fans.
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Tags: Alexa Chung, chanel, Coco Chanel, Emma Watson, Karl Lagerfeld, old fashions, Sarah Jessica Parker
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Designer Fashions, Designers, Gallery, Style spotlight
By Andrea Petrou on March 30th, 2011
By Emily Borrett.
Carrying on with the recent spotlights we’ve been casting some of our very favourite designers, today we’ve turned our attentions to American whizz-kid Marc Jacobs. Juggling his time between designing under his own name for his designer label and diffusion line Marc for Marc Jacobs, along with being creative director for Louis Vuitton, he manages to always smash it whilst being super-busy. Today we’re going to look at his work for his primary self-titled label, which has churned out flawless collections season after season for years now.
He’s always been one of the first designers to get behind a huge trend in fashion – who could forget his edible Spring/Summer 2011 collection, a gorgeous collection of silks, floppy silhouettes and accessories that had us all frantically trying to find similar 1970s pieces? Or his Spring/Summer 2010 collection, in which that nude-coloured midi-dress, as seen on Alexa Chung, had us all spurning short hemlines for the chicer midi-length hemlines? He’s a designer who truly has his fingertip on the beating pulse of fashion.
We’ve looked through his past collections from 2006 to the present to find our very favourite pieces of his work – check them out in the gallery above.
Tags: 70s, designer spotlight, Marc Jacobs, New York Fashion Week, NYC, Trend Alert
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