Wax works....

If there is one fabric that has made a spectacular comeback over the last two years, it is leather.   It was not too long ago that leather was a symbol of many things......none of them beginning with "fashion" or "style"!

Then in the past couple of years leather went global - nay...universal!  Suddenly it was everywhere!  And those who thought it was a passing fad have really been truly silenced this year!  Leather was as prevalent as ever, 
if not more so!

There is one problem with this of course, and that is that leather is generally as costly as it has been popular, thus making it out of 
reach to many.

So luckily, there are other options.....just one of these being waxed denim, which has made been quietly growing in popularity, allowing many people to capture the same edgy 'rock' style without having to possess a rock bank balance.  
xxo

Chanel dreaming....

Aaaaaaaaaah!  What can I say?  I'm in love - with a DRESS!  A beautiful, blue, Chanel dress!

This Chanel is a little piece of heaven really.  The floaty net fabric, the muted dusty lavender tone, the empire line, the delicate beading - it is a true classic.  Indeed, I was really struck by how ultimately timeless it is.   You wouldn't be at all surprised to see this dress in a faded photo from the 1900's, the 1920's, the 1950's..... 

There is always some debate in New Zealand as to what the rules are when dressing for an event, and deciphering the dress code maze is not really our forte as a nation.  Indeed, as a country we are notorious for our under-dressing (& I don't mean our stylish lingerie!!!) - jeans to opening night of the ballet anyone?  I can clearly recall my childhood dismay upon glimpsing the informal outfits on display when I attended my first ever opening night at Wellingtons Opera House.  I yearned for Chanel - I got blue denim! 

Of course, I think it is highly unlikely that I will ever be fortunate enough to own, or even wear a dress such as this, but....well.... a girl can always dream, right?  Sighhhhhhhhhhh..........

xxo

Top of the town

It certainly is exciting that Topshop has finally reached NZ shores*, (even if it is a small collection within another store).  Once merely a British High St brand, Topshop is now loved worldwide, for a variety of reasons.  Here are a few of mine:

Firstly - It is a brand that really lets you play with fashion, offering a phenomenal collection of garments from the sublime to the ridiculous.  

Second - Topshop is well known for it's support of up-&-coming designers, giving many fledgling labels a foothold in the industry that it would have been virtually impossible for them to gain otherwise.  

But the thing I love about the brand the most is that it allows many of us the opportunity to own a slice of designer heaven that would normally be well out of our reach (for example the Christopher Kane designed dress above)!   Yes - god bless those wonderful designer collaborations!  And god bless Topshop!!!

xxo

* I should note that while Topshop arrived in New Zealand months ago, it only recently made its way to Wellington.  Thank you to you Karen Walker!

Costume characters....

When we are little we love to dress up.  I remember wistfully the large wooden 'Dressing Up' box upstairs in my grandmothers house - the way I would dive in head first, emerging minutes later as a "Medieval queen", a "fairy princess" or a "victorian lady" - (even, on occasion, as "my mother at her school ball").  One of the [many] sad aspects of aging seems to be that we lose that playful desire to dress up outrageously, (save for those special occasions when we deem it acceptable, ie. Halloween)....

.......or some of us do!  Thankfully there have always been those amongst us who retain this youthful sense of style in their daily sartorial choices - the Marchesa Casati's, the Isabella Blow's and the Anna Dello Russo's.

I love the couple above, not only for the gorgeous colour but for their sense of fun!  To me, they look as though they have just stepped from the pages of Oliver Twist, or some such novel - a modern day Artful Dodger and Nancy.

So I think why not employ more fashion fun on a daily basis - we only live once after all....

Hmmmm - I think I feel a New Years Resolution coming on......

xxo

Chalk Farm Road, London

I've said it before & I'll say it again - winter has some sartorial merit!

I think it's also worth noting that I'm seeing more & more black lipstick this year too......first at London Fashion Week on Marina (of Marina & The Diamonds), now looking pretty cool in Camden.  I am personally looking forward to the new black YSL lippy that will be coming out soon, alongside a white one.  These are to layer over your existing colour to either lighten or darken it - how clever is that then? 

xxo

Autumnal thoughts...

One of the great things about Autumn has to be that the fabulous overcoats can come out of the back of the wardrobe where they have patiently waited out the summer months......  Everyone looks great in a coat - particularly the men!

xxo

On the subject of colour...

While I'm talking about colour, I must say that one thing has really struck me lately.....  Colour is gorgeous!  I have always been a purely "black" gal - open my wardrobe and you will see lots of black sitting alongside more black, punctuated with subtle tones of......black!  But I have to admit that this colour thing is worth a look.  When wandering the streets it is, more often than not, colour which catches the eye - and more important than that, it is colour that brings a smile!  So, to colour or not to colour?

xo 

Shocking Pink - Oxford Circus, London....

In a season where we seem to be faced with a sea of camel coloured capes, this was a sight to behold....and a happy one at that!  Refreshing, yes? 

xo

Warm & Wooly, London

It's very difficult to know where to go after images of the gorgeous Rihanna - so I have decided that right down is the only way......to an image I took while rather inebriated at a fabulous London establishment.  I looked over and saw this warm winter wooly, and while being from New Zealand made the sheepish print appeal, in fact I think it is the length that really appeals to me.  To my enormous chagrin, with my body shape I can't really wear shorter tops, but I think they look wonderful!  It's a look that really brings to mind those spunky WWII gals with their newly acquired sartorial freedom.....or the American rockabilly?  Either way, this was a fabulous choice for an autumnal evening in one of Soho's many drinking holes, and with the simple black pants, she wears it well! 

xo

Rihanna, Topshop London

LFW SS/11 Day 5

LFW SS/11 Day 1 - Epilogue

London Fashion Week: Day One