Monday, February 28, 2011

Dressing for a rainy day...

Sasha Boyarskaya from Look At Me. When she is not writing articles, attending shows or being photographed by The Sartorialist, she works as a photographer's assistant in London.


Saturday, February 26, 2011

NYC - Gentlemen of Style


I know that what I am about to say will result in a few enemies amongst the London "fashionistos"* but I will say it anyway - New York gentlemen are better dressed than their London counterparts! I guess when I say "better" I mean their ability to wear everyday outfits so well.. they are stylish without being too over the top. They will turn heads but for all the right reasons. And of course, I am the first to admit that when it comes to menswear I have EXTREMELY limited expertise, almost handicapped really (you've probably noticed that I didnt even bother writing a review for James Long). Yet, style is style and one does not need to be fashion savvy to recognise it.

Edixon Valdez - NYC based fashion designer 



*plural, masculine of fashionista (yes, I am now so fabulous that I feel entitled to create new fashion terms :))

NYFW 2011 Layering...


James Long AW2011 - London Fashion Week


Friday, February 25, 2011

Abbey Lee Kershaw at LFW 2011

Abbey Lee has to be one of my favourite models right now and most definitely the favourite Australian model. She is tomboyish, independent and has this incredible vibe about her. She is one of those people you feel the need to get to know when you see them. No wonder she is so successful.. some things you are just born with I guess...



Thursday, February 24, 2011

In the detail: Bag Report




Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Ashish AW 2011 - London Fashion Week

Not going to lie, Ashish show was a standout for me. A little daring, a little tomboyish, and a lot British.  As a lot of the new season's trends are heading in the feminine direction, Ashish is an alternative for when you are feeling a little bit rebellious. There was a A LOT of sequence and A LOT of holes. Absolutely loved the ripped jeans combined with Union Jack tee's and leather! I also liked that Ashish added a bit of humour to his collection with the "Hard Times" and "Holly Crap" knits. The two pieces suits reminded me of Chanel, albeit tripping on acid (I mean it in a good way!). It is just so great to see colour in so many of the new season collections, Ashish being no exception.

Here is a slideshow/movie with some of the looks - all photos, video and editing done by me. Soundtrack - Hot As Hell by Drop The Lime (unfortunately I could not find any of the songs used in the actual show soundtrack)

p.s. the movie is HD so you if you run it once and let it download, the second time you watch the quality should be decent (depending on the speed of your internet connection)



Issa AW 2011

Issa show, which took place at the BFC show space, was anything but grey and grumpy winter. Lots of amazing colours, flowing fabrics and bold accessories. A lot of the pieces were floor length in gorgeous patterns and deep rich shades of green, red and burnt orange. It was winter, but it was fun! I absolutely loved the flowing fabrics which made all the garments so feminine and soft. The collection, like many others this season, was making a bold 70's statement. It was not a suggestion, it was an order - next winter we WILL be wearing 70's fashion. Unlike many other collections this season, Issa only flirted with the idea of fur, making fur more of a subtle accessory in the form of hat brims and manteaux as opposed to a statement in itself.

Another favourite feature of the show for me were the suede gloves. I am a huge fan of gloves in any fabric and Issa absolutely excelled in making the gloves not only work with but also complete the look. And of course I cannot omit the fact that Yasmin Le Bon and Andrea Dellal walked the catwalk for Issa this season which added to the overall excitement of the show. Andrea Dellal has such an amazing energy that she seemed to ignite the catwalk in that elegant and (for the lack of better word) RED HOT number!

Overall, a great collection by Issa and we will no doubt be seeing Miss Middleton sporting a lot of those looks next winter.

Here is a little slideshow/movie to show you some of the looks. The soundtrack is the one that Issa chose for her finale. All photos, video (blackberry) and editing - by me (please be nice, this is the first movie I have ever made). Enjoy!

p.s. the file is quite large so for best quality let it load first or click here to watch it through YouTube



Monday, February 21, 2011

Miss Peony...

The wonderful and ever-so-stylish Peony Lim - blogger, stylist and a true fashionista. You better put this one on your fashion radars as you will definitely be seeing more of her in the seasons to come!


Sunday, February 20, 2011

Miss Milano rocking winter


Unfortunately, I didnt get a chance to ask who this young lady was. Although, I am pretty sure she is from Milan and her name is either Amina or Emina - if anyone knows, then please let me know. In any case, I think she is absolutely rocking this wearable everyday winter style. In case you didnt realise from the photo her skirt is leather. She looks warm and trendy and I think that is what it's all about - making fashion work for you as opposed you slaving for fashion (and freezing you butt off, be it fashion week or otherwise).

p.s. today was my first day of shooting at LFW. After being really excited about it the entire week, I woke up to the sound of rain which in any other circumstance would've been great and cosy on a Saturday... BUT NOT DURING FASHION WEEK! After, sending an abusive message to Mr Nyanzi about how much I hate the rain, I had to completely rethink the prepared outfit and wear something totally different. Nevertheless, the day was quite busy. I have hundreds of photos to edit so it will take me a little while but I will show them to you eventually.

I have also decided to do some reviews this season so stay tuned.. Today I saw Jaeger and Issa shows and will post about them shortly. Happy fashion week!

Friday, February 18, 2011

NYFW - Mr Swagger

Mr Swagger 360  is not only an amazing dresser but would also have to be one of the nicest and friendliest  bloggers of the fash pack (click on the image to enlarge).




Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Joy Cioci Fall 2011 - NYFW presentation

First and foremost let me apologise for the photos - all taken with my Blackberry so the quality is pretty bad  but at least you get to see the clothes.. somewhat..

On Day 2 of NYFW I attended the Joy Cioci Fall 2011 presentation which marked the debut of Joy Cioci as a designer in her own right. This is the first collection that Joy has designed under her own label, although she is no novice to the fashion industry, having worked at the heavyweights like Gucci, Carolina Herrera and Nina Ricci.

The collection, as the label itself, is young, fresh and extremely likeable. For her first collection, Cioci showcased a good mix of flowing chiffon dresses, cosy knits and funky jackets. Every piece in this collection is both wearable and loveable. If I had to describe it in a few words I guess it would be: "New York Romance". The clothes are distinctly New York yet carry a feminine, almost a dreamy flair.

All there is left to do now is wait until Joy Cioci pieces hit the stores...








(designer Joy Cioci with models after the presentation)
   

Malandrino Fall 2011 - Presentation

 On Day 4 of the NYFW I was lucky enough to attend the Malandrino Fall 2011 presentation. The clothes simply blew me away! I believe the following words sum up the collection perfectly: 70's, Fur and Parisian Chic. The outfits would not have been complete without the 70's inspired floppy hats and oversized sunglasses and specs. I was literally drooling! Below are a few of my favourite looks. You can view my complete album of Malandrino Fall 2011 on the State of Sunday Facebook page or by clicking HERE 






Monday, February 14, 2011

What happens at New York Fashion Week?

Even a simple thought, a mere contemplation of the New York Fashion Week was an intimidating affair. What to pack? What to wear? Where to go? The questions in my mind were literally endless. As I have mentioned in one of my previous LFW reviews, you either dress to shoot or to be shot. Combining the two is a challenge that only the likes of Hanneli  can pull off.

I flew into NYC late Wednesday night and come Thursday morning I was actually questioning whether going to NYFW was a good idea to begin with. To top it all off the weather in NYC was... well ... painful. And when I say painful, I mean actual physical pain of not feeling your fingers and hence not really being able to press the button on your camera!

Therefore the question of 'what to wear?!' disappeared and was replaced with 'what other sweater can I add to my already impressive layer count?'

In reality, all is not as scary as it first seems and if you follow me on Twitter, you already know that Day 1 was a blogger's day from hell - freezing cold weather, harsh light and absolute lack of fashion traffic. I rocked up at the Lincoln Centre at around midday hoping that the action would've kicked off by then. The scene was a miserable one: the only people present outside Lincoln Centre (apart from tourists) were Tommy Ton, Citizen Couture and one other unidentified dude who was there literally just hoping to get snapped for his ridiculous outfit which can be best described as 'an Eskimo on acid hanging at Studio 54'. If it wasnt so cold, I would've expected a tumble weed to make an appearance.

Tommy and Jason were freezing and waiting for at least someone fashionable to walk past. No one did. For at least an hour. By this stage I was getting miserable. By 4 pm everyone dispersed and I left with about 4 photos, 0 of which were good.

Day 2 was much better as people actually started pouring into the Lincoln Centre for the shows. The major difference between NYFW and LFW is that the latter attracts more posers whilst the former is business, business, business. Buyers, editors and sundry others fly in and out of the show ground and only a few would stop to pose for a picture and even if they do, you only have about 3 seconds to get it right.

The building itself contains 4 spaces (Theatre, Stage, Studio and Box) and hence more shows and presentations are held at the main venue. Inside a mayhem of models, photographers and PR people and the overall atmosphere is not as chilled out as at the LFW.

A very interesting point is that NYFW seems to have more presentations than London although catwalk shows obviously still dominate. The presentations seem to involve just as much effort as the catwalk shows and require a production company and the whole shebang of people to organise a 1 hour event. The cost of these events, depending on a number of factors such the size of the team and the venue location, can be anywhere between $50K to $150K.

My Days 3 and 4 where filled with other commitments so unfortunately I did not get to shoot any street style but I managed to attend a number of presentations. I will do separate posts on these, pictures and everything!

Now back in London, I am in anticipation of the LFW and hoping that the nicer weather and a more generous venue layout will make for another fruitful LFW.

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Harper's Bazaar Russia

So I am literally running out of photos to show you because I have not had time to shoot any street style in the last ..well few months. So instead I thought I would share this with you. I saw this article in Harper's Bazaar Russia when I went home over the Christmas break. The article features my favourite Vanessa Jackman and I wonder if she knew this had been published. The problem is the article is in Russian and hence Vanessa wouldn't have had a clue about what it said. So I thought I would jot down the main points but the process of translating was so captivating that I tried to translate the whole article. So I thought I would share it with you ... since I don't really have any pictures to post.



 





"All on show"



By Polina Dubik (Translation by Sunday)

These days the stuff that goes on before the shows during fashion weeks resembles madness that one would normally see on the red carpet at a big movie premier. Except, instead of paparazzi, it's the fashion bloggers. Instead of movie stars - fashion editors and models. But the key question remains the same: who is wearing what??

"Natalia! Natalia! One picture please!" - a bunch of fashion bloggers from Japan are attacking our fashion director Natalia Alaverdyan in the middle of Tuilleries Gardens right before the Dior show. Two minutes later she is surrounded by dozens of photographers and approximately the same number of assistants writing down the details of her outfit. This scene is a common one during fashion week and happens at least 20 times a day - before and after each show in New York, London, Milan and Paris. 

"Sometimes the situation gets absurd" - says Shala Monroque, editor of POP magazine, who is one of the bloggers' favourites - "one fashion journalist told me that she started using the back entrance when getting to a show, otherwise she just won't get there on time" 

Today, the number of photographers who come to fashion weeks from all over the world to shoot editors, models, buyers and celebrities, exceeds the number of photographers who are there to shoot the actual shows. As a result, the photos circulate on multiple blogs and websites for months after the fashion week and are carefully analysed, criticized and evaluated by the commentators from all around the globe: "Oh, Carine is the best at wearing Gucci pumps from the label's Tom Ford days!" or "Who knows where I can get a white jacket like Emmanuelle's?" 

"The stuff that goes on before the actual fashion show is looking more and more like a fashion show in itself, - says blogger Tommy Ton, who shoots for style.com - The way the fashion insiders dress, today is becoming almost more important than what appears on the catwalks". Of course, fashion insiders are aware of this and a lot of them are following the unwritten rules of this new game. 

"There are certain trends and patterns that become apparent. For instance, it is clear that the way editors dress changes as they travel from city to city during fashion weeks", -says blogger Vanessa Jackman. Indeed, at New York fashion week, which kicks off the fashion month, everyone is more reserved in how they dress, as though they are saving the best for Europe. The most interesting stuff starts in Milan - here you can see more prints and brighter colours. And, of course, the climax takes place in Paris. "everyone puts in a lot of effort during the Paris fashion week, - says Vanessa, - this is the closing fashion week and everyone is keen to show off their latest buys and the key trends of the season". 

During the S/S 2011 shows the favourites among the editors were the Valentino studded pumps, Celine bags, silk blouses, maxi skirts, Prada knits and 'cat eye' sunnies.

"The style of fashion insiders can be roughly separated into two main categories. Ones that opt for the clean cut, minimalist style along the lines of Celine. And the others, who mix prints, colours and go for interesting textures and fabrics" - says the founder of turnedout.tv Maya Villiger. There is also the third type - models and young stylists, who are boldly mixing vintage finds with designer pieces. And of course, there are those that cannot be classified into a group, the likes of Anna della Russo who are in a league of their own. However, regardless of what category they fit in, everyone enjoys having their photo taken. "You shouldn't underestimate the importance of these photos for the editors themselves, -says Tommy Ton, - from a PR point of view, blogs are an excellent instrument. I know a girl, who got a great job offer from a big brand due to the fact that she appeared in the right outfit on the right blogs".



In Yasmin Sewell's view, who is the creative consultant of Liberty and one of Tommy's favourites, it's not all that simple: "Yes, of course, blogs make us more recognisable. But when you are working with big corporates, it is important not to overdo it, otherwise you risk getting a reputation for doing nothing but dressing up and having your photo taken".