Style Bubble

Bitch Boots

In March, I was lucky enough to attend the Lanvin AW07-8 show in Paris and yesterday, whilst I was in Brussels, through similar connections, I got the chance to try on the standouts from the show....namely the shoes and more specifically a pair of stunning ankle velcro strapped platform ankle boots.  These aren't even in the shops yet though of course if they were, my teensy purse strings are unlikely to accomodate the astronomical price.   

The angle of the heel combined with just the right girth makes these boots neither clunky nor too tough and as the name of the post suggests, if you were in anyway inclined to bring out the subtle bitchy side in you, the boots would do the trick.  Like the jet black jagged wigs donning the models on the catwalk, the shoes seem to propel you to exude that nochalent attitude.  Begs the question whether that is indeed 'me' and so it's just as well that I haven't a hope in hell in permanently procuring them.  We shall see whether there is a chance to explore that side of me in the future.

P.S. A friend helpfully rolled up my American Apparel black lame leggings so that I'm channelling someone we're both a fan of, Vogue Paris fashion director Emmanuelle Alt...just slightly anyway. 

The Lovies of Mine Take 2

Those who have been Style Bubble followers for a while now will have already been introduced to the concept of 'style lovies' - and to quote my original post, lovies are:

"you actually don't really need on a practical level but you absolutely LOVE."

Well, it has nearly been a year and though my lovies haven't really changed, they have been augmented.  It's been a tough year work-wise and procuring my style lovies have really seen me through that.  The origins again, like my original lovies are varied: vintage finds, sample sale buys, presents, high street, designer.  As I keep extolling here, a top from a charity shop can just as likely steal your heart as a dress from Selfridges. 

So as per my original post and seeing as there are a few more readers now (I think!), I'm inviting readers to share their lovies on Style Bubble.  If possible, please send me one image with all your lovies in a collage (simple Photoshop should do the trick) and a list of your lovies in an email.  I'd love to see lovies from far flung places too... Brazil, Iceland, Australia, Korea..... international lovies unite!

(From left to right, top to bottom) Vintage silk multicoloured shoes, vintage silver satin bow tie, Miki Fukai one-shouldered gold dress, Bernhard Willhelm visor sunglasses, blue oversized chain necklace, Martin Margiela double layered long skirt, Topshop pleated black cropped jacket, Marjan Pejoski patterned knee socks, vintage silver strapless prom dress, Bernstock Spiers silver straw cloche, United Colours of Benetton red chain scarf, Georgina Goodman for Evans slingbacks, Topshop Unique pink metallic shift dress, vintage double strapped belt, vintage ridged navy sun hat, Robert Cary Williams dusky pink zipper dress, Miu Miu gold and black patent clutch, Boudicca white dress w/ huge pleated hem, vintage pleated equestrian scarf, Swash printed shorts, Sergio Rossi shiny wedges, Azona toy necklace, vintage cream lace pumps, KTZ patterned leggings, Phillip Lim 3.1 green satin one shouldered dress, fluro elasticated belt, H&M foral metallic prom dress

Topshop does Turbans

Thanks for the early tip-off from Catwalk Queen, I surfed on over to Topshop and found exactly what I predicted would happen - turbans in the style of Prada SS07 in spitting image colours.  Yup, it's safe to say that you can scoff at Topshop's claims that they don't take inspiration directly from the catwalk.  If you wore these, anyone who vaguely is aware of what is going on in fashion would do a Prada-Point with their finger.  Since I have done a wee dip into the turban pool, and despite the risk of having people do the Prada-Point on me, I faltered and impulsively bought the grey one.  It's the one colour that these turbans don't come in at Prada and probably the one colour I'd get the most wear out of.  I know what you're thinking - 'Susie, you victim!', but I promise come Tuesday when it arrives, I shall take the turban and pair it with something as far away from Prada SS07 as it comes and perhaps even take it to a new level for AW0708.  I'll just keep repeating the mantra 'Remember Susie, turbans aren't just for spring summer 2007, they're for life....' or some such similar drivel.

Speaking of Prada, I have just noticed their website has had a bit of a revamp with some nifty drop down menus where as before it was a bit of a blank shell.  On the site is a wonderful PDF download full of beautiful images of the SS07.  I don't mean the ad campaign or just plain catwalk pictures.  I mean purposeful photographs and montages taking us into the mind of Miuccia.  Where were her influences drawn from?  What was the context of the collection?  The answers to those questions seem to lie in that PDF.  I just hope there is a similar download for the AW07-08 collection, which I'm yet to fully grasp. 

Red Plastic? Whatever next...

So my curiosity with a red patent trench was piqued a few weeks ago.  But something even more appealing in a bizare way has been thrusted upon me.  From Grazia magazine of all places.  This Gaetano Navarra clear red PVC trench with giant gems is fantastico.  Plastico fantastico to be precise.  Traffic stopping red that is actually tempered by the fact that it's transparent.  Adorned with chunky gems (not so keen on teensy tiny rhinestones but big ma-hussive giant gems....yes please!), the trench is unapologetically shiny and begs for someone to go 'Hmm...can I touch those gem stones?' (that sounded less weird in my head by the by...).

I think all that sagely advice about getting a 'statement piece of the season' I've been reading and scoffing at in fashion magazines is finally being thrown back in my face.  At £614, the trench would be QUITE the statement - I mean 'QUITE' in more ways than one.  I shall be hunting it down high and low even though there's only two stockists of Gaetano Navarra in London.  Seeing it in person could push me either way.

Dark Beach Days

Despite hailing from a near equator, hot country (Hong Kong), I can't say that I do well in the heat. Heat rashes, sun stroke, excessive fatigue - you name it, I get it.  So it stands to reason that I'm not a big fan of summer swimwear issues, tanning tips and the pages of sandals/sarongs/beach bags that are invading all magazines at the moment.  But I have to grudgingly admit that sandals are essential.  I somehow got through the entire summer last year without wearing sandals at all but I can't possibly go through another summer of torturing my feet like that.  No no..... so the search began.

I had a very specifc list of 'No No's when going on my sandal search. I knew I did not want anything remotely 'delicate' or 'pretty'.  That doesn't mean I wanted Birkenstocks either (the soles of Birks freak me out...). I knew I didn't want any of that toe divider malarky (yes, I'm a weirdo who can't wear sandals that have a thong wedged between my big toe and second toe).  That's a BIG no no for me because quite simply they destroy my toes.  I knew I didn't want anything iconic that someone would immediately pick up as a certain designer or even akin to a certain designer - like Jil Sander gladiators or Marni big jewelled sandals or Prada tasselled sandals.

So thank you Public Beware.  First shop I walked into on Dray Walk in Brick Lane and wham bam, thank you mam, I'm done.  These sandals have a white spongey foam ankle wraparound and a similar spongey strap and some simple ribbon ankle straps.  A little odd but not too odd.  Very comfortable.  Not hideously expensive (£50) for a pair of shoes I won't be getting too much wear out of.  So the sandal search which I had anticipated would be a around-the-London-schlep.  But it was a case of around-Dray-Walk-breeze.

I have devised my perfect dark beach outfit using the sandals that defies the convention of revealing as much flesh as possible and is just a little bit bizarre.  It's for walking about on weak sunny days on beaches in Scotland rather than the Carribean.  H&M tank, shiny black American Apparel leggings, white ruban hat cap and a sort of watersports gear vibe.  Yup, that's MY idea of summer. 

Lather up with Leather

My visits to Graduate Fashion Week which concludes today in a big bash Gala type thing, have been irregular and a little on the lazy side I'm afraid.  Catwalk Queen has a much better grasp on all thingS GFW than myself so head on over there if you want all the details.

However trom what I did see at the shows and at the exhibition, it seems leather is everywhere.  Fashion students can't seem to get enough of the stuff and it's setting the wheels turning in my own head about my relationship with leather.  Save for some pencil skirts, a cropped All Saints jacket which I barely touch, I'm pretty un-leathered when it comes to garments.  I'm interested in leather as a pliable material and rather than buying into the normal garments you expect them to come in; fitted/bomber jackets, pencil skirts and even trousers, I'd love to see babydoll/trapeze dresses, caped/cocoon jackets and coats and even baggy wide cuffed shorts in various leather finishes and textures.  Basically, what I mean is to use leather on unexpected garment shapes.  Thus making leather all the more wearable for me.  A prime example would be this navy leather jacket with huge kimono sleeves designed by Alyssia Burridge from the University of Westminster.

We don't have to necessarily associate leather with 'bondage', 'toughness' and 'bikers' if we use it in a different way.  We shall see whether the new season yields better things for me to start a beautiful relationship with leather.   

Alyssia Burridge - Westminster   

Bronaugh Holmes - Westminster

Geannine Pollazzon - East London // Rachael Barrett - Edinburgh // Li Xia Wang - Central Lancashire

Something sweet in the form of LJ Tiny

I rarely ever get attracted to the overly sweet and saccharine but these illustrated vests caught my eye (how shallow of me to pick out the one remotely fashion-related thing at a non-fashion related arena...) at the SIT LCC 2nd year Illustration BA exhibition at the Old Truman Brewery (which has sadly now ended...).  Emily Woodard, under the name of LJ Tiny has drawn the sweetest chair-related illustrations in accordance with the starting point of the entire exhibiton; the CHAIR...doh! 

I'm loving the girl and the bird on the chair.... especially the diminuitiveness of the girl and the way the bird is towering over her. 

The girl with the boy toys

I have a bit of an odd fetish with gadgets, mechanics and general electronic bric-a-brac.  My dear daddy had instilled in me from an early age that of course the best hunting ground in London for such paraphanalia was Brick Lane.  I'm also quite taken with incorporating my gadgetry into my outfits.  Hey, if they're calling the iPod a fashion accessory, hanging it around my neck intertwined with pom pom trim and white plastic chains isn't so far fetched. 

So I was delighted to a) find this girl holding an old 1970's underwater video camera that she had found on Brick Lane and b) that the cream plastic of the camera matched her draped cream cotton dress.  That she was also standing with a bike, holding a wine glass and that her dress was belted with a DIY leather charm belt were all bonus really. 

CSM 2007 Eyeful

On an international level, of all the student shows to watch in London, the Central St. Martin's BA show ranks pretty highly.  I don't necessarily believe it produces the most interesting work out of all the schools in the UK (RCA, Middlesex and Westminster are my preferred ones to watch...), however with the 'name' of the school, and the calibre of past students, these grads really can't be ignored.  If I'm honest, I personally wasn't blown away by the bulk of the show but the ones that shone, REALLY shone.  There had to be the one grad that went for dramatic shock factor and that was Maki Ichikawa who has couture aspirations and made a Hussein Chalayan (who incidentally teaches at CSM)-esque statement with her Metronome dress, inspired by the Industrial Revolution and the passing of time.

The L'Oreal Professionnel fund award went to Jack Isenberg for his intricate laser cut leather and tulle dresses.  The standout piece of his collection (and probably the whole show) was the lace cut out bulbous-cage dress, worn by Olivia Inge but the abundance of rasberry chiffon in his other pieces looked too much on the heavy side.

The thing I found with most of the students' work was the unnecessary excessiveness of it all which is something that I would usually applaud but somehow in the collections didn't work for me. The standout for me was David Komakhidze whose work reminds me a little of Thierry Mugler but with less emphasis on the 'power-bot femme'.  He won the second prize in the funding award.  The metalwork on the dresses are quite stunning when paired with the softly shaped dresses underneath.  Without sounding trite, and in agreement with various papers, I do believe we have a 'one to watch' on our hands.  Christopher Kane is only in his second season and already he has a successor hot on his heels.

Others which I personally found interesting but I'm probably in the minority were Elodie Giraud and her strangely evocative mix of textures and 'funny' shapes, Hyun A Lee's trompe d'oeil layered pieces (the excessiveness worked here...) and the deceptively simple and white collection from Olga Kazakova.

I simply must start keeping a database of names on an Excel spreadsheet or something to keep track of their whereabouts and going-on's.