Love is in the air......

Sorry for the stream of seemingly random, valentine-tastic images. I was feeling somewhat glum trawling through the McQueen collections of past on Style, so felt like putting some love out there. 

Hope you all have fun plans this V-Day weekend, be it with lovers, friends or yourselves. I'm off to a Burlesque showcase this evening and am frantically trying to find something sultry to wear, whilst simultaneously trying not to look to whore-y. Now, where did I put those seamed stockings?

Images (top to bottom); shot from Prada Men's show, Alexander Mc Queen heart peep-toe shoes,

 Lulu Guinness clutch, Verner Panton heart chair (ooh! Don't get me started on my love of chairs again!), Marc Jacobs compact (impulse purchase on a night out in Vegas in order to do emergency make-up check), cheesy heart sunglasses.

Apologies for the technical issues

Sorry for my lack of posts lately, I've been having issues with my computer, and only have my I-pod touch to satisfy my internet browsing needs. The blogger application on it is OK, but I can't upload my own photos via the I-pod, so I'm back to square one. Arrgh! The curses of technology.
If my laptop was behaving better, perhaps I might treat it to one of these stunning Gareth Pugh laptop bags, (which he created in collaboration with Paris boutique Collette last year), but for now I am reduced to giving it evil stares as a try and type with my big sausage fingers on my I-pod's tiny keyboard.

Fingers crossed, I'll be back to regular posting soon when my computer decides to sort its 'issues' out. Talk to you soon xoxo

Random musings on perspex shoes and bags

The Fendi S/S 2010 show reveled some gorgeous clothes obviously, but I have to admit that as I poured over the images on Style, it really was these two perspex clutches that stole the show for me. In particular, having a penchant for all things studded and/or spiky, the clutch below was the piece de resistance for me. I mean, look at it, it even has a bare stud-less patch so you can hold it properly without your hand being impaled on the studs - how thoughtful!

The clear perspex look also cropped up again in the Fendi show with the shoes. I love the wrap around ankle tie, but sadly, every time I see this kind of perspex platform on shoes, i can't help but think of those worn by strippers (not that i have anything against strippers of course, I mean who doesn't want to know how to work a pole??!!).

 

S/S 2010 also saw Prada attempting to utilize clear plastic in their shoes, and whilst I'm loving the chandelier effect of all those chunky crystals I'm a bit distracted by that whopping great big exposed velcro strap. It reminds me of 'jelly shoes' I used to have to wear on the beach as a child. Anyone else know what I'm talking about?!

Shoes I did love from the S/S shows ( apart from the Mc Queen ones I previously posted about ) were these Jil Sander ones with their very delicate looking heel. Roll on the Fall 2010 shows so that I can see what footwear delights are in store for next winter!

Vintage gold clutch with hidden treasures

So, today has been pretty uneventful. I mostly spent the day trying to organize my clothing and accessories, but it seemed to take me forever as I kept on finding items which I had forgotten about, and then rediscovering the joys of them all over again ( I love it when that happens, it feels almost as good as buying new things).

While I was doing a quick bag inventory, I remembered about this vintage evening clutch that I have been meaning to post about since I received it as a Christmas gift. It has a hard, box-like structure, is slightly bigger than my hand and is surprisingly heavy for its size. When i opened it on Christmas Day I remember thinking, 'wow this is really beautiful, but why is it so heavy?' The answer was to be revealed on opening it......

TA DAAAAAA.....! On opening one side of the bag, I revealed an inbuilt mirror, a coin holder, a lipstick holder, and what I assume is a section for holding old school cigarettes (or as I use it for.. credit cards). There are also three clips, which pivot on a hinge to hold a comb.

The other side revealed a lighter, and a space ideal for (more) credit cards or money, or if you have one, a really tiny, thin mobile phone.

Apparently, the bag was from the 1920's and so I love to think of all the glamorous outings it would have had. Hopefully it will be able to add a few more glamorous moments to its life at its new home chez moi.

Sheer lace print top

Whilst its obviously fun to go shopping and pick out outfits for yourself, it can often be even more exciting to receive unexpected fashion gifts. not only are these items free (yipee!) but they may have been things that we did not notice in the shops ourselves, or something we would not have necessarily chosen / could afford / bothered to try on.

And so then, a big thank you to my beloved for the top which he gave me. I've been drawn to all the sheer items that are around at the moment (yes, even in this cold weather) and so was delighted to receive this sort of floral/lace print top from Urban Outfitters. Desperate to wear it today, I had to team it with some pretty heavy duty additions to keep out the cold. These consisted of a very thick and long (I had to roll it over 4 times) ribbed, knitted snood/scarf from Reiss that i received as a Christmas gift  two years ago, and a thick leather biker jacket, also coincidentally from Reiss fall '08 collection.

Much as I love the Winter, especially the Fall/Winter collections, footwear is a bit of an issue in the chilly weather. I was initially wearing these McQueen platform peep toes (bought in a sale last year at a ridiculously reduced price), until I ventured outside for about half a minute, ran back inside and had to put on some 'sensible' shoes.

P.S Being my first 'outfit' post, I never realized how difficult it is to actually capture pictures of oneself. After much propping up the camera on piles of magazines and shoe boxes, and then running back in place before the timer went off, these were the best I could do!

Remnants of Christmas

I love Christmas (as if i haven't already said that before) and I always get a bit sulky post New-Year's when the tree has to come down and all the decorations get put away. All the stores lovely Christmas windows also seem to disappear straight after Christmas, and are replaced by ugly, boring red 'SALES- 50% OFF!!!!!' signs filling up the store fronts.

With this in mind, I was delighted when shopping in Denver on the first few days of January to see the beautiful Christmas windows of jeweler Tiffany & Co. still there, and still clinging on for dear life to the last few days of the festive season. The windows were a multi-layered paper-crafted delight, and you had to get up close to see all the detail. All the diamonds and other expensive finery were draped over the paper models and scenery, although a special mention has to go out to the sleigh-driving elf, who is really working the whole ring-as-a hat look.

You can never have too many, shoes, bags...or gloves...

.....especially if you are talking about these gorgeous leather gloves from Cordwainers graduate Gemma Johnson. Whilst browsing the web, I chanced upon her site and I fell in love with the pleated fabric around the cuff of the glove, going down into a 'V' shape point on the top of the hand. Check out her website also for leather molded bags in a variety of angular/geometric shapes by the way - the perfect accessory to accompany these gloves.

It must be the chilly weather, but i've found myself purchasing several pairs of gloves already this season (see below), so I think i'll have to put any more glove purchases on hold for now. Unless I happen to find any bargains in the sales of course!

Let it rain, let it rain, let it rain.

As I'm typing this, I'm looking outside at the big, fluffy snowflakes falling from the sky and I was wondering how long it will last until, it warms up slightly and we find ourselves in a downpour of rain again. I'm terrible with umbrellas, in terms of actually retaining them, and not leaving them in various shops around town, or worse still, getting them blown inside out, so I found myself looking online for something a bit more unusual than the tiny fold-up black umbrellas that I have relied upon for many years.

I stumbled upon an online Umbrella shop by Japanese textile design Yoshida Iida, who makes beautiful handmade umbrellas for props, styling and also his own exhibitions. All umbrellas are made in his own atelier, from handmade printed textiles. Unfortunately, it seems they are rather difficult to actually obtain, although, he does sell individual umbrellas at his bi-annual exhibitions.

Being so beautiful, I'm not sure I'd actually want to get it wet, but it would be a great parasol.

Packing up for the Christmas holidays

Well, actually, I'm not packing up for the holidays, I'm staying put right here at home. However, if I were to be jetting off anywhere for the festivities, and had to choose my suitcases of choice, then to Prada, I would be heading. Having had the chance to see lots of the Prada luggage collection whilst in the NYC soho store, I totally fell in love, and the ivory and black collection (above) will be added to my wish list should I win the lottery.

A close second, would be any of the carry-on sized leather suitcases below, available in a multitude of colors. Although, if money was no object I'd go for one in every color just to ensure my travelling  ensemble was always coordinated. Wow how greedy am I?!

Christmas presents past

 I was really lucky as a child, as my Grandmother Eileen was always really into fashion. We used to enjoy several shopping trips in London together, and I used to love it when she went on big shopping sprees for her annual cruises on the QEII. She would also drop by and deliver me a fresh batch of fashion magazines each week, which I would sit and pour over for hours. Sadly, she died about five years ago, and I miss her greatly. Still, I take comfort in the many pieces of clothing and jewelry that she has passed on to me over the years, and one of my favorite pieces, is the gold locket that she used to wear everyday. The photos inside are of my brother and I as children, and its always good for a laugh to look at them.

My other favorite vintage hand me down present was from my Godmother, Sue, (AKA 'Auntie' Sue) who was my Grandmother's best friend. On my 21st, she gave me some of her vintage evening bags, my favorite of which is this beaded and sequined small white clutch. I've been using it often since I was given it, and in fact took it out to my birthday dinner this year.

Its really well made, and the beading is very detailed, so here's a close up:

The bag also sparkles a lot in the right light, so its perfect for the Christmas party season.

I'm dreaming of a white Christmas.....

....or more specifically some of Maison Martin Margiela's home decor pieces from their 'white objects' range. The first interiors collection by the label features minimalistic lamps, plain Russian dolls, cotton calendars, and feather pens to name but a few. All in , yep! you guessed it, white.

Here's some more of the pieces from the collection:

Russian Dolls

cotton calendar

The label recently hit the news earlier this month, when it was announced that the somewhat reclusive designer Martin Margiela is leaving the fashion house, and will not be replaced. The label will continue (yay!) with the same creative team, so we can expect yet more quirky-cool clothes , and hopefully more interiors.

(sorry for the interiors heavy posts over the last couple of days, by the way - I just found out I'm moving in the new year, so seem to be creating my 'fantasy' shopping list for the new pad. Now all I need is a big bank balance to bring it all together)

Anyway, back to my point. The MMM label has always been famous for having unusual elements to its catwalk shows, be it sending models with their faces covered down the runway, or their 'hoof' like shoes.- remember them? Here's hoping that this will continue despite mr Margiela's absence.

P.S. Looking on the website, and found this photo of hoof shoe-prints leading to one of their stores. Love it!

P.P.S Also love, love, LOVE this cuff by the label's jewelry line, which is essentially an enlarged cygnet ring.

Billboard bracelet vs. Patricia Field bracelet

Fashion inspiration can come from the most unusual of sources. Take this Billboard for example, which I took a photo of during my recent NY trip whilst taking a taxi ride from JFK to the hotel. The advertisement which is for Grand Marnier, features a lady (with gorgeous shoes) reclining in a chair and offering her cocktail glass up to be refilled. What drew my eye however was the chunky gold chain bracelet engulfing her small ladylike wrist. Consequently, over the next few days (and still continuing now..) I found myself searching Manhattan and the internet for a similar bracelet.

Sadly, during my stay in NY I didn't get to find a bracelet like this one, but did however find a totally different (but equally pleasing) one in the Patricia Field store.

 The search continues.......

Scissor Scarf, Winona Dress, and Alien Monkeys with lobster hands

With the Chilly Winter weather in full effect, I find myself building upon my (ever-expanding)collection of scarves. Looking at the Snoozer Loser website I was instantly drawn to the Scissor print scarf. The scarf comes in a variety of colours, but I found myself drawn to the grey/black and grey/yellow versions.

Other lovely pieces on the site included the 'Winona dress' - a linen dress with brass pyramid studs, and the Veruca Pepper twill hooded coat. (see photos below). I loved the styling on the website, and the prices are pretty wallet-friendly. All items are made in the USA, and the label also has some great arts projects.

Best bit of their website has to be, without fail, their 'Saudade Saudade' promotional video for their 2009 fall/winter line. Directed by Johnny Woods, the captivating short film is described as ; " The tale of a girl who escapes the urban jungle only to find herself amongst magical friends in an alternative universe", and is every bit as weird, wonderful, and magical as it sounds.

The abridged version (for those of you that can't spare a whole 12 minutes to watch the full version) consists of a girl and two alien monkey creatures with lobster claw hands. Throughout the film, they engage in various activities, including; playing in the park, attempting to BBQ a rubber baby alligator, playing basketball, having a tea party with a strange looking man with a ponytail beard, and paper crafting. They then conclude the film by walking off hand in hand, into the sunset. Its certainly worth a look, and i've pasted the video clip below. In the event that i've had a technological malfunction, you can also see the video on their website. Hope you enjoy!

Snoozer Loser Fall/Winter 09 (excerpt) from Mathematical Park on Vimeo.