We didn't realise we were making memories. We just knew we were having fun. ♥

X Factor Fix

I know I said X Factor style wars would be a regular post of mine, but so many other bloggers are doing it. Secondly, after watching Cheryl Cole on Life Stories with Piers Morgan, I took into consideration what the geordie said about how unfair it is to pitch women against other women. Finally, and much more to the point, it's week 3 and I'm bored of the post already. However, one thing I will say is how AMAZING Cheryl's hair looked during her performance of "Promise This". Don't get me wrong Cheryl looked well. Very well. But her hair looked AMAZING.

THE HIGHLIGHT OF 50'S FASHION.

Marlon Brando, Elvis Presley & James Dean.

Yes, please, Thank you.

x

"Some women choose to follow men, and some women choose to follow their dreams. If you're wondering which way to go, remember that your career will never wake up and tell you that it doesn't love you anymore."  — Lady Gaga .

Burberry Prorsum.

THIS SEASON'S WARDROBE STAPLE:

Burberry Prorsum's Shearling Aviator Jacket.

To be fair, I wouldn't mind the shearling-lined aviator boots either. An amazing turn over from Burberry.

Marc Jacobs & Louis Vuitton.

A documentary, directed by Loïc Prigent, well worth seeing. A tour of the Louis Vuitton designer's jet-setting world, welcome to the wonderful life of Marc Jacobs.

The Best of Balenciaga.

"A woman has no need to be perfect or even beautiful to wear my dresses, the dress will do all that for her".

Balenciaga in his atelier conferring with his head seamstress, Madame Claude.

From the late 1930's through to the 50's, Cristobal Balenciaga was a man who changed fashion. Dior even called him "the master of us all". Known for his immaculate simplicity, Balenciaga kept a reputation as a couturier of the utmost luxury and elegance. He had a love for bold materials, classiness, relief's that caught the light, and heavy cloths. Also he was masterly known for the use of the bias-cut. His last collection was in 1968, after deciding luxury and elegance were a time of the past. Sam White of the Evening Standard wrote "Balenciaga decides to quit - and fashion will never be the same again".

MY FAVOURITE'S FROM BALENCIAGA:

"Four sided" Cocktail Dress in black gazar. Cone shaped with the four corners at the top flaring outwards, paste straps.

Big hat of Grouse Feathers. Worn by Dany, one of the top models at Balenciaga.

Evening cape of black taffeta with flounces forming the sleeves, worn over a strapless sheath dress of pearly grey crepe. Spring 1961.

Diamonds Are Forever.

Has Kanye West gone a step too far with his latest burst of "swagger"? Diamond teeth. Yes, Kanye has had a row of diamonds IMPLANTED into his lower jaw. Debuting them on TV show "Ellen", Kanye said "It's just something that rockstars are supposed to do". I wonder what's next for Mr. West.

Lanvin Alert.

Lanvin for H&M.

We have 33 days until it hits the shops. Signature Lanvin ruffles and asymmetric necklines. I'm excited.

After school they danced up the stairs and into the bedrooms, spilling clothes from drawers. Suddenly everything they wanted to wear was there for them, hot red lipsticks, beautiful wedge heels, long gowns and drapey silk robes. They were in heaven. 

10.

My 10 favourite places to shop, (and count yourself lucky I'm sharing this) :

1. Abercrombie & Fitch - the best in casual wear, and the most amazing fitting vest-tops ever. Bonus points for having American size labels, I love wearing a 4.

2. Oxford Circus Topshop - so commercial my lecturers will hate me for admitting this, but ideal for wardrobe necessities and finding something on the quick.

3. Spitalfields Market - best for finding Saturday night dresses. And the Banana cake. You can't forget the Banana cake.

4. Portobello Road - better for a leisurely stroll as it can get busy! Food stalls are as good as the clothes. Watch out for stalls such as Goldie.

5. Miu Miu - a twice a year purchase, usually a bag then shoes but all extravagant yet BEAU-tiful.

6. Selfridges - heaven on multiple floors. Including the new found fashion magazines section.

7. Dover Street - the essence of London's "Dandy's".

8. Urban Outfitters - my new love.

9. Jo Malone - Pomegranate Noir. You'll smell me before you see me.

10. NYC - in general. Possibly the best place to shop on earth.

When I die, scatter my ashes here please. Thanks.

Another week, another war...

Style war that is of course. Another weekend can only mean another Cheryl/Dannii showdown. Kicking things off Saturday night Ms. Minogue went for full out glamour with a beautiful floor-length, Victoria Beckham gown. She certain overshadowed Cheryl in her one shouldered number. Why does she have to keep wearing black? She doesn't need to look any slimmer, so Cheryl please brighten things up! None the less the Azzaro jumpsuit she wore teamed with Miu Miu shoes was a good look. My favourite part of her outfit: the new red hair! Tied up in an ultra trendy herringbone plait, it really worked in Miss. Cole's favour.

 Sunday night things got more interesting as Cheryl upped her game, wearing a racy Versus mini dress. The satin LBD had a daring twist with the sweet peephole neckline. But again, another black number from Coley. Also opting for black, Dannii went for a more sophisticated option which went down a storm. The Antonio Berardi cocktail dress was teamed perfectly with the sheer pussy-bow blouse, oozing classiness. I hate to have to say it, but this week the award goes down under.

THE SCORE:

Danni - 1, Cheryl - 1

The girls felt like they were in Wonderland, they could shrink and grow and float as if they'd fallen down the rabbit hole. This new world was full of new surprises.

The Sartorialist.

Fashion photography has always caught my eye but it's never been my most desired aspect of the business. I prefer the wittiness but also the brutality of some fashion journalists writing. However, new to blogsville I started to follow the more popular fashion blogs. Bryan Boy I think is great, Tavi is unbelievable for her age but not really an interest for me, and Style Bubble has a style of writing I find amusing. Then I saw The Sartorialist. The photography of Scott Schuman I fell in love with. Not only is his photography amazing, so is the way he finds his inspirations. I'll definatly be following him on a more regular basis.

My favourite photo's from his blog, "MotoChic - Milano & New York".

The Love of Last Week.

I HATE Mondays. DESPISE them even. I'm a weekend person, always have been, always will be. So as I sat in my lecture this morning, I began to wonder about the better parts of last week. It wasn't very eventful to be fair, but I did mark an important moment of my life. I bought vintage. Never have I before in my life bought vintage, so for me this was a proud moment. Prying myself away from the commerciality of Oxford Circus's Topshop, I decided to venture into Urban Outfitters instead, (okay I know it isn't that less commercial but it's a start). Pleasantly surprised, I'd been into the store before but only briskly. This time I explored and I loved it! From the clothes to the retro household items and even the collection of fashion books, I wanted everything! Then I met the vintage section, where I picked myself up a lovely little leather mini-skirt! I was looking for leather hotpants, only so I could steal the Frankie Sanford look, but I was distracted by the next best thing! And at £45 I was pleased with the bargain I found, and I fitted in a size small, another excuse to buy it! After that it was wrong not to make the skirt an outfit, so I found a white and black casual tee emblazoned with "Friday, I'm in love with". I told you I was a weekend person. Finished with some black lace and frilly ankle socks, I headed to the till with the content Friday feeling.

My Love of Last Week:

URBAN OUTFITTERS

The Blogger's Bookazine.

Circus. The best £12 I spent over this weekend. The bookazine full of bloggers post's from all over the world, sharing their experiences of the fashion industry. Who know's maybe one day when I grow up and take this seriously, you might just see my post's in there!



Armani Goes Gaga!

With her Monster Ball tour fast approaching the UK, excitement hasn't stopped building for Lady Gaga. Everything has been very "hush hush" about the tour so far, so there is no idea of what she'll pull out of the bag. After all this is Gaga. One thing for sure is the multi-million dollar partnership of Lady Gaga with Giorgio Armani. The legendary designer has signed up to design the costumes for the forthcoming shows. Roberta Armani, his niece as well as head of VIP relations within the company, said how "A huge company like Giorgio Armani has the duty to always be alert to trends and what appeals to young people". With no doubt, Gaga is the way to do so. Love her or hate her, everybody knows her name. Perhaps this is why Gaga is the only artist Armani has specifically designed a gown for, which she wore at this year's Grammy's. Every other celeb has been left to choose from existing collections. Gaga, real name Stefani Germanotta, has also wore designs of Armani in her "Alejandro" video as well as at MTV's VMA's, where her voluminous black dress and matching spiked head piece was made to look rather normal, in comparison to the infamous "meat dress", she was sporting not much earlier in the evening.

Lady Gaga in Armani Prive at the Grammy's.

Lady Gaga in Giorgio Armani at the VMA's, alongside Giorgio Armani's sketch.

Street Style - Ted Polhemus

Friday just gone I took myself down to the Shoreditch ways to view the Street Style Exhibition taking place in "The Book Club" on Leonard Street. Never being a visitor of "The Book Club" before I was curious to know what the exhibition was to consist of anyway. I hate to admit I was disappointed. The revamp of Polhemus's style bible I expected the exhibition to have a bit more atmosphere. The harsh reality was it was just a few pictures scattered around a busy cafe, which therefore resulted in me awkwardly appearing to stare at a handsome man's delicious looking Ceaser salad, rather than the photo behind it. It couldn't be doubted that the photography taken of such a variety of fashion innovators wasn't fantastic because I'd be lying. Perhaps it was just I had visited the exhibition at the wrong time. The night of his actual book signing would of been a better time to go.

One of the images that really caught by eye was this. A bunch of psychedelics outside Regal clothing shop, hanging out on Newburgh Street. The idea of the original innovators.

Lanvin for H&M

November 2nd is only the preview of the collection and still that is too long to wait! In this teaser we see Alber Elbaz sketch dresses for the much anticipated Lanvin for H&M range. Model Nastasha Poly wears the (highly unfair) censored designs and talks exclusivley to the camera.

My Idol.

I don't do fashion. I am fashion. - Coco Chanel

I think it's her arrogance that makes me an admirer.

To sing or to style...

So my Saturday night social life is now ruined from now untill Christmas, and I'm guaranteed to put on half a stone with my now weekly Chinese take a way. It can only mean one thing, and yes it is the return of the X Factor live shows. To be brutally honest, I'm not watching it for the so called talent. Well, hold that thought, as I am now Team Aiden. I'm sitting in to see the X Factor style wars, (and yes, I am that sad). Cheryl or Dannii? This will be a weekly Monday night post and no doubt by December you'll be sick of it, but none the less I love it. So kicking off the first set of lives Saturday night see Dannii pull a special J'Aton Couture dress out of the bag. The white lacy number had the quirky touch of directional shoulders, and was complimented by her minimal make-up with statement lips. A good effort on her part. Cheryl Cole went classic in an understated but chic one shouldered LBD by Daniel Vosovic. Smoky eyes and an orange tan for her make-up, well she's bound to score points with me here, I am an Essex girl.

To round up the weekend, Cheryl did well to find this green/grey Zuhair Murad dress with the detailed lace overlay. What an absolute beaut. Teamed with purple velvet Louboutin's it made me wonder why Cheryl didn't have this outfit for the opening night. Across the stage, Dannii re-worked the LBD in a prom dress style, straight from Project D's S/S 2011 collection. I'm not particularly a fan of ruffles and I DETEST hair pieces so I can't say I was impressed by Ms. Minogue's efforts Sunday night.

To be fair Dannii has no doubt won the opening night by a mile, but judging on the weekend as a whole, I have to give the point to Coley. And it's not only because she was orange.

THE SCORE

 Dannii - 0, Cheryl - 1

Fabric Watch: Denim

Writing about fabrics isn't really my ideal interest. To be fair if I thought I could of made this a stronger piece, writing about Latex was probably more up my street. But nonetheless the work had to be done for my lecture this morning for here is my fabric moment.

It is considerably one of the most over-looked fabrics in the fashion industry. Denim has been used in America since the late 18th century and made its mark in the fashion world in the 50's. Originally the fabric was known for the uniform of heavy labourers and industrial workers. Then Levi Strauss arrived on the scene and made denim one of the most wearable fabrics in the fashion industry. He was "the inventor" of the denim jean. As soon as the likes of Marlon Brando and James Dean were seen in denim jeans, the world went crazy. Over the decades the rugged cotton has been bleached, ripped and frayed to fit in with the new trends of the era. 1970's brought us the denim mini skirt and the 80's brought the re-introduction of 501's. Denim has never really been a fabric to sway on and off the catwalk and the jean is a staple item in the wardrobe of the world. Today the likes of True Religion and Seven for All Mankind have become the leading denim designers with everyone from Miley Cyrus to Halle Berry wearing their designs. Even Yves Saint Laurent once quoted "I wish I had invented blue jeans. They have expression, modesty, sex appeal and simplicity - all I hope for in my clothes".

Gossip Girl's Leighton Meester.

Season four, episode two. Was I crying at the reunion of Chuck and Blair in a French train station? Obviously, it's a scene I want in my own love life that's never going to happen. Was that the only reason for my tears? Obviously not. They stemmed from pure jealousy over not owning, as well as never going to be able to afford, that dress. The Oscar De La Renta tulle ball gown Blair Waldorf got to wear. The luckiest actress in the world in my eyes. The masterpiece from his pre-fall 2010 collection retails at $8,900!

Dress: Oscar De La Renta

Gossip Girl's stylist Eric Daman was on form this particular episode, not that he fails to deliver in any other. The Bensomi polka dot dress Blair wears from the Spring 2010 collection is perfectly teamed with Roder Vivier felt pumps. As the girl admits herself in the episode, they're much pricier than glass slippers! I watch the show not only to swoon over Chuck Bass but for the fashion. Never have I known a TV programme to be so on trend. Brownie points for Daman.

Dress: Bensomi, Shoes: Roder Vivier

Tights, Tights, Tights.

 If "House of Holland" is good enough for Pixie it's good enough for me! I've gone and bought these chain suspender tights myself after seeing Miss. Lott rock them at V Festival in August! With the summer well and truely over, it's long gone the bare legs and sunkissed tan! Funk up your lbd's with this winters new trend. Prices start from £12. Pretty little bargain I think!

Frankie Sanford

Fearne Cotton

The Pink Pony

Ralph Lauren

Pink Pony 10th Anniversary

"Breast cancer is not just a women's issue - it affects all of us: the brothers, husbands, fathers, children, friends. Pink Pony is our effort in the fight against cancer." - Ralph Lauren

With 10% off all Pink Pony purchases going towards The Pink Pony fund of care and prevention, it gives us that extra excuse to get shopping in Ralph Lauren. The "Skinny Polo" is a staple in women's wardrobes across the country, and now we have an even better excuse as to why we need one! How lovely is it to see designers making the most of breast cancer awareness month.



Miu Miu Spring/Summer 2010

My birthday present to myself. Yes they are the loves of my life.

Can I See A Red Dress?

Nikki Beach Red Party

Pillar box red, cherry, scarlett, maroon, crimson, ruby, you name it and no doubt some one was wearing it. Considering Nikki Beach holds a capacity of 3000 people, take into account how thrilled I was to find no one wearing the same dress as me. "The Red Party", and in other words the closing party of Nikki Beach until May, marked the end of yet another fabulous Marbella summer. This Sunday afternoon was an amazing party, and not just because of the music and the mojitos. The people of Nikki Beach showed style, class and swagger.  With one colour, and one outfit to make you stand out from the crowd, I initially thought outfit planning was going to be horrific. I was wrong. On arrival, I was pleasantly surprised at how different every one actually looked. I opted for a rose headband and my beloved nude Miu Miu platforms (spring/summer collection) to accessorize my Spitalfields dress. The headband was a wise shout as a few fellow party-goers asked where it was from. I didn't want to say V Festival. I wanted to lie!

After the fashion parade started to die down, and yes I mean the quick glimpse over the shoulder to see if the girl behind was still posing in her Versace, and the champagne got flowing (pink of course), it seemed a wise idea for me to lighten up and wear the leader of the stag do's gimp suit. To be fair I look like I should be in Lady Gaga's "Bad Romance" video, but hey at least it's red!

My Oh My, Margot!

The shoes every over the top celebrity has. The shoes every Essex girl wants. The shoes every little girl dreams about dressing up in. Christian Louboutin has outdone him self with the beautiful "Margot" from his Fall 2010  "Total Madness" collection. The black suede, embroided lace, and satin ribbon pleats make even the darkest outfit shine! Louboutin's trademark glossy red soles give an instant stamp of fashion excellence. Louboutin's ethos is to "make shoes that are like jewels" and with the innate sultriness of this show stopping ankle boot, the designer has without doubt exceeded his expectations.