It is a new Saturday, which means a bunch of streetstyle photos. I love waking up early on Saturday mornings, putting on my boyfriend's denim shirt, making a large, hot cup of coffee and start searching the web for inspiring streetstyle photos. A great way to start the day.
As you can see in these photos, I love a lot of maxi skirts and maxi dresses, and perfectly tailored coats, preferably together. The long silhouette it creates is gorgeous. Also, I am very into all of the black, chunky boots and all the different shades of grey. AND, I desperately want Bruna Tenorio's yellow velvet skirt!
Which is your favourite? I really like them all, but my favourite has to be outfit number 2; Elin Kling is the best!
During the Fashion Weeks, we are spoilt with photos of great outfits. I always keep an eye out for Christine Centenera, fashion editor of Harper's Bazaar Australia, as I adore her style. During Paris Fashion Week, Christine was spotted in these pants by Celine teamed with a black tuxedo blazer (+ the amazing necklace by Celine!). At first I didn't like it much, as it reminded me too much of pyjama bottoms, but I have to say that this look has actually grown on me, and I am starting to like it a lot.
What do you think about these trousers by Celine? And what do you think about the whole outfit?
I often do like the editorials that are featured in Vogue China a lot, and this is one of those that I love. Firstly, it is because photographer Solve Sundsbo has taken these great shots (he is one of my favourite photographers!), and secondly, it has to do with the amazing styling by Marie Chaix. The turquoise accessories, the Alexander McQueen jacket and the yellow bodycon dress are my favourite pieces in these photos. I have a sneaky feeling that I will wear a lot of yellow this summer!
Kate Winslet prides the April issue of UK Vogue, shot by Mario Testino. At first, I didn't recognize Kate as she is not the one that springs to mind when chopping off a lot of hair and dyeing it bright blonde. I applaud everyone who dares to make such a bold change (I wish I was as brave as her!), but it doesn't look good on this cover. It looks like a wig which is not placed on correctly.
However, when that is said I wish they had used this photo of Kate in white instead. Here, her new, blonde hair comes to its perfect right. It might have to do with the lighting, or maybe her white dress instead of the black on the cover, but all I know that I love this. I went from hating her new hair to loving it in seconds.
Do you like the April cover of UK Vogue? And what do you think about Kate's new hairstyle?
...then this is what I want to wear. Sofi Fahrman, fashion editor for the Swedish Aftonbladet, looks fantastic in this outfit. I absolutely love the combination of a maxi skirt or a maxi dress teamed with a leather jacket. I just can not get enough of it. Whenever I see someone on the street in this combination I always turn my head, whenever I see a photo of someone wearing this I have to download it straight away, and so on and so on. You can say I have a mild love affair with this look.
Are you as crazy about this combination as I am? What are you looking forward to wearing when the weather gets warmer?
Ps. I am so sorry for not replying to any of your comments or e-mails yet! I will have more time during the weekend, so please bear with me.
I am still swooning over Mila Kunis' Elie Saab gown that she wore to the Oscars, so I was very much looking forward to his A/W 2011 collection which he showed today in Paris. I read that for this collection, Saab wanted his protagonist to be the epitome of Parisian chic. With the long, elegant silhouettes, the rich colours and the sequins he has achieved just this. Elie Saab is known for his stunning and elegant dresses, especially among celebrities. I know that if I was rich and famous, I would wear a LOT of Elie Saab.
Last night, Valentino showed its A/W 2011 collection in Paris, and the front row was, as always, filled to the brim of stylish celebrities. I have had my eye on the pale yellow leather dress that Alexa Chung wore ever since I saw Valentino's Pre-Fall 2011 collection. That shade of yellow is one of my favourite colours. It is such an unusual colour for a dress, and I love the innocent sexiness it gives together with the flirty details, such as the deep neckline, the small frills on the top half and the short length of the skirt.
Julia Restoin-Roitfeld showed up in this leopard printed leather trench, also from Valentino Pre-Fall 2011. I have always thought that Julia looks incredible in animal print. She oozes of femme fatale, and has the perfect confidence to pull it off. C'est magnifique!
Dark, elegant silhouettes inspired by panthers, was the theme Riccardo Tisci went for with his A/W 2011 collection for Givenchy. Fitted pencil skirts and looser jackets and jumpers took over the runway. The looks were mostly black with prints in green, purple and yellow, and here and there a print of a panther's head showed up.
Amongst all the dark, it seemed as if Tisci wanted to add a radiant light of sunshine. An all yellow look; an element of surprise which shows that you do not have to leave the shocking bright colours behind when entering the autumn and winter season. I think I have to say that this is my favourite look from the collection, though the full A/W 2011 collection was brilliant.
Sienna Miller always looks wonderful in capes, and her latest "cape look" was only a few days ago out and about in London. I remember back in 2004 and 2005 (her bohemian days with Jude) she used to wear a lot of capes, and the one that comes to mind first is this outfit. Every time I see Sienna in a cape, even though it is as basic as this recent outfit, I am always left with the feeling that I really need to get myself a great cape. It can make an outfit look chic in only seconds. Especially when it is as well-tailored as this one.
Haider Ackermann is a man with great talent. So much talent that Karl Lagerfeld has expressed his wishes that Ackermann will replace him at Chanel when that time comes. Also, Ackermann is one of the hot candidates for the vacant position at the Dior after John Galliano was recently fired. Ackermann showed everyone with his Fall 2011 collection why he receives such praise by big names in fashion.
My favourite look from the collection was look 33; a look consisting of silk trousers and a silk shirt with a well-tailored tuxedo over, all in rich jewel colours. The layering is perfection and tailoring exquisite. Also, those ankle boots are amazing. A-m-a-z-i-n-g! This look wraps up Ackermann's brilliant aesthetics all into one, and proves why he is becoming such a celebrated in the fashion world.
Do you like the Haider Ackermann collection? Do you think he is a suitable candidate for Dior?
I decided to wait a bit with doing this post, as I expected that the fashion blogosphere was filled with the news of Balmain's new collection. On Thursday, Balmain showed its A/W 2011 collection during Paris Fashion Week. I would write Christophe Decarnin for Balmain, but rumour has it that Decarnin was not part of the designing process for this collection. Instead, it is said that stylist Melanie Ward (known for working for Helmut Lang) created it together with Balmain's team. And where is Decarnin? Reportedly, staying in a mental hospital since mid-January, the reason being a nervous breakdown.
Still, I see a lot of Decarnin in the Fall 2011 collection. Especially in the pattern that was used for some of the dresses, skirts and jackets. The whole collection received mixed reviews, something I can understand. The pattern is wonderful, and I would love to own one of those dresses (or all three!). At the same time, one can't help but ask: how long can a fashion house rely on the embellished jacket + skinny pants combination?
It's Saturday, and that means Streetstyle Saturday. This time, I have found a lot of great streetstyle photos of known people, such as Alexa Chung, Olivia Palermo and Abbey Lee Kershaw. After seeing all of the photos together, I see that the main thing they all share is the use of neutral colours, which I love as it allows a lot of room to play around and experiment with the outfit. The only splash of colour is Alexa's yellow scarf, and Giovanna Battaglia's hot red skirt. I LOVE that red together with the beige - such a gorgeous combination!
Meadham Kirchhoff's collections from the past year have been so good that I always felt I had to wait until I had something especially insightful to say other than ADIGHAFKDHFDKJ in order to do them justice, but their new show had me boiling over so we shall go over the past year of greatness now, ADIGHAFKDHFDKJ's and all. Plus I would like to rid of the feeling that one must sound Supersmart and Intellectual when talking about something as Serious as Fashion and would instead just like to babble about how much I like ribbons and sequins.
Fall 2010
This was the one that really converted me, with its floor length veils and bangle piles. It was Courtney Love-inspired (maybe I should just rename this blog I Like Courtney Love already? What if CL saw it? How would she feel? How would that girl who came up to me in real life and said she read my blog and that she thought my Love love was poisonous feel?) but did the kinderwhore grungey thing without falling into cliches, focusing more on CL's DIY skills and broken beauty queen fascination, with pipe cleaner tiaras combining the two most perfectly. The collection was really Grey Gardens in a way, more in theory than in relation to Little Edie's style of dressing. Each look felt like the outfit form of a house occupied by women who were once members of high society but now live isolated with raccoons and creaky floors and an old record player and memories and junk accumulated over time. I think that's my life goal, ultimately. I want a lot of wrinkles and a lot of raccoons and a lot of junk. The Hoarders kind of junk, not the Fergie kind of junk.
Spring 2011
Spring 2011 reminded me of an angsty girl in the formative years trying out different identities, with all the sugary/goth combinations, graphics of faces of anonymous young women, and millions of different colors in each head of hair. ("It's not red, it's Crimson Glow.")
I liked the details more than the overall collection, like the Desperately Seeking Susan jacket and velvet ribbon necklaces (hi that scary story that freaked me out when I was little) and nutty crowns and arts n crafts shoes. I used to draw eyelashes like this on with eyeliner -- I don't know why I haven't in a while -- and it once made one of my teachers think I'd gotten stitches under my eye.
Fall 2011
But this collection, THIS collection was inspired by Riot Grrrl and Chanel, which resulted in tiny shouts of rebellion coming from stiff, uniform-like dresses and knee highs and crosses. There's definitely a Nordic-y sweater vibe happening here too, making it more fall-appropriate. I think my favorite thing about Ed Meadham and Benjamin Kirchhoff's interpretations of angry music like Riot Grrrl and Courtney is that they don't add "punk" elements to their collections with studs and leather (looking at you, Givenchy) (looking at you, Balmain) (looking at you, Y-3) (as adorable as the image of Yohji sitting in candlelight, hand-stitching the ACDC logo is). They turn to the actual concept of DIY instead of the look associated with it so frequently that it's lost any meaning, and create identities that are about being passionate and loud and individual (words that are, again, so overused they've lost any meaning, but at least I'm not charging you thousands of dollars for consuming my cliches!)
ETA: "tee" from the comment section raised a good point: "Isn't there something kind of problematic about trying to mass produce "individual style"/DIY clothing period?" Yes, there is! My point with this was that MK's collection, as art, before we consider the business side, inspires a person (me, at least) to create their own DIY vibez because they make it look so damn fun. Now, when we consider that these pieces are also products that will be made many times and sold places, I don't think the DIY style is problematic because that's just it -- it is a part of their style, but that doesn't mean the clothes are something anyone else could think up or create themselves. It's high in quality and the design doesn't stop at just using DIY elements like pipe cleaners and a million brooches -- they develop those a step further with their own ideas. And yes, it's weird to mass-produce individuality, but Meadham Kirchhoff isn't a brand as inescapably everywhere like the Gap, and, again, I think the styling of their collections encourages one who would buy one of their pieces to mix it up. Like, I don't think you would ever see anyone wearing an MK head-to-toe runway look. (That was really long, but I think it's about more than just MK's collections, since this is something a lot of designers try and I'm trying to explain how I think they got it right.)
The Riot Grrl shrine full of iconography and flowers and what look like zine photocopies? I can't tell.
The little embroideries were supposed to be inspired by the little doodles in Bikini Kill zines, though.
And this is where the ADIGHAFKDHFDKJ gets used. ADIGHAFKDHFDKJ HOW GREAT IS THIS SWEATER. I knew the graphic reminded me of Hole, but it wasn't til I looked at my Live Through This tape that I saw it's the exact one, though I couldn't find a picture from the album art online. Hole wasn't part of Riot Grrrl, but the sweater still feels perfect in the collection, and maybe the Meadham boys need a bit of CL in everything they do. Also, remember how I was talking about my life goals earlier? Yeah, now it's this sweater.
This seems like a good time to post these pages I made for a fashion/music/feminism zine I started last year. I never finished it and probably won't now because all the pages have been sitting in the corner of my room since the summer and I'm sick of them so I may as well post a couple.
In the interest of combining my favorite Spring 2010 collection and some favorite songs: And stuff from Fall 2010 that made me think of the following 90s music ladies:
