Cheap VS Chíc

It's all about shining bright in foil fabric for S/S13, the coloured metallic trend noticed earlier this year on the catwalk for designers such as Burberry Prorsum, Dior and Jonathan Saunders has stuck around with all sorts of garments filtering into stores and online in a mixture of rainbow shades.

As seen above, there are many ways to wear this 'space' themed trend with a wide price range, so whether your shopping the high street or have a special occasion coming up where you can afford to splash out a little more (or have a very kind bank account) then there are plenty of options to choose from. I have picked out just a few of my favourites of the above that I have noticed online and in the shops!  

1. Burberry Brit, Metallic Leather Bomber Jacket, £1,295.00
2. & Other Stories, Leather Mini Skirt, £79.00 *LOVE THIS!
7. Sophie Hulme, Metal Tab Document Clutch Bag, £440.00 *LOVE THIS!
11. Bex Rox Jewellery, Exclusive Gina Twisted Chain Necklace, £450.00

3. Maison Martin Margiela, 4. Zara, 5. See By Chloe Shoes, 6. Topshop. 8. IRO, 9. Versus By Versace, 10. Zara, 12. Zara, 

Now, it would't be right to cash in on these wonderful trends without accompanying them with the perfect make-up! I have picked out below some of my all-time favourite beauty brands in suited colouring which would go perfectly to match this trend. These metallic accents can also be used all year around with any outfit to help amp it up a little and add a luxurious boost to your look!

Favourites:

1. Rimmel, London Glam Eyes Gel Eyeliner, £6.49
5. Bobbi Brown Metallic Long-Wear Cream Eye Shadow,  £18.00  *LOVE THIS!
7. Topshop, Eye Palette in Atmosphere, £12.00
10. NARS, Velvet Matte Lip Pencil, Tender Night, £17.50  *LOVE THIS!

2. Bobbi Brown, 3. Chanel, 4. NARS, 6. Topshop, 8. NARS, 9. NARS, 11. Chanel,

The Cools, (New York) officially open to the public!

Throughout my final year at university, I have been focusing on conducting heavy research and analysis into the Independent market sector, specifically within fashion. So when I came across this article from The Business of Fashion website on 'The Cools' who are a curated marketplace showcasing independent fashion and lifestyle brands based in New York, I was extremely interested and so I thought I would share it with anyone reading!

Following a similar approach to ASOS Markeplace but with a much higher price point, The Cools is a social marketplace where you can discover and buy from influential independent brands, boutiques and sellers. The Cools originally launched in June 2011 as a members-only platform, however they recently have decided to expand to the public via their online website in order to offer more exposure to these emerging brands and inspiring designers.

The marketplace connects approximately 50,000 active users and due to market feedback the company has shifted its overall strategy and refocused on soley providing fresh, young, up and coming brands which will inevitably offer them a direct business-to-consumer channel. 

Womenswear Examples:                                          Menswear Examples:

To view more, visit The Cools here.                                        To view more, visit The Cools here.

Imagery courtesy of The Business of Fashion and The Cools. 

Georgia Hardinge for River Island

As part of River Island Design Forum, London-based designer Georgia Hardinge has partnered up with the renowned high street retailer to launch her S/S13 Collection which hit stores on Wednesday 3rd April 2013.

The design forum - which last season saw the partnership with William Tempest aims to give emerging designers the opportunity to showcase their collection within River Island to be able to target a wider audience. 

The SS13 high street collaboration showcases Georgia Hardinge impressive and well known designs including her use of contrasting soft and feminine fabrics abstract prints and monochrome coulour palettes, following the aesthetic of her mainline which features both garment and accessories. The fourteen piece collection will be displayed in store, online and in windows of River Island stores nationwide. 

I am a huge fan of Georgia Hardinge's work, I love that she has teamed up with River Island to launch her collection and think it is a great opportunity for new designers to be able to take part in these schemes such as the design forum in order to become established. 

View the River Island collection by Georgia Hardinge here.
View all of Georgia Hardinge collections, from her website here.

The Vogue Festival

Due to the first year of success the 'Vogue Festival' event is back for 2013, hosting a two day fashion extravaganza on April 27th - 28th held at the prestigious Queen Elizabeth Hall at Southbank Centre, London.

The festival will include talks and panel discussions from some of the most iconic members of the fashion industry giving a unique insight into their own lives and successful careers, including talks from
Natalie Massene, Paul Smith, Alexa Chung, Michael Kors, Victoria Beckham, Mario Testino, Alber Elbaz and Donatella Versace 

The event will also feature panel discussions on the following topics:

So you want to be a fashion designer? 
Can fashion change the world? 
Behind the scenes of a Vogue cover shoot
Mad about the girl
The secrets of creating a British brand
Too fat too thin?

This exciting event is definitely not one to be missed if you can make it! Guests will be able to take part in exclusive activities such as mentoring panels, makeovers, workshops, demonstrations, cover-shoots. You can still purchase tickets from the Southbank Centre website costing roughly £30 for each individual talk.

Dior Wonderland, Harrods

Harrods, one the world's most established luxury department stores have collaborated with Dior to reveal a temporary homage to the luxury label and to showcase a visual history of the renowned brand. Harrods have transformed their Georgian Restaurant on the fourth floor temporarily into a wonderland which exhibits the world of Dior though a cafe, exhibition, window displays and a pop up shop.

Inside the exhibition, you will witness videos describing the concept behind its campaigns, dresses worn by the label's renowned fans such as Diana, Princess of Wales and Elizabeth Taylor, exquisite imagery taken from the brand's archive along with a series of London's top tourist spots each personalised with the Dior label - such as the London Eye and Tower Bridge.

A giant almost-life size doll's house is also featured as part of the project on the fourth floor, which displays tiny furniture made using J'Adore Dior fragrance bottles. The pop-up store also located on the same floor sells a collection of exclusive products to customers.

Take a look at some of the images and a short sneak preview clip from the gallery below.

                     Images courtesy of Vogue and Dior, Facebook

The beautiful exhibition closes on the 14th April 2013. I think this attraction is a great way to excite and entice customers, especially having it located at such a popular destination where they attract large quantities of footfall each day. I will definitely be taking a break from my university work and going down for a visit during the Easter break!

H&M Launch New Label '& Other Stories'

After several months of anticipation, last Friday H&M launched their new high-end label, '& Other Stories' in the Regent Street Store, London.

& Other Stories are a fashion brand who offer women a wide range of shoes, bags, accessories and beauty products in order to create their personal style, or story. They pride themselves on paying great attention to detail and quality, whilst offering an affordable price.


Here are some images below exposing the interior of the store, showcasing the new collection:

The debut collection features simple lines and clean timeless silhouettes as well as showcasing accessories, jewellery and ready-to-wear garments in addition to dedicated shoe and beauty departments displayed across the two-floor space.

"Our diverseness comes from building collections around different fashion stories," 
& Other Stories Head of Design, Anna Teurnell. 

I love this new collection and think it suits H&M's aesthetic to a T, I especially admire the black and white ocean print tailored suit as I am a sucker for anything which contains a monochrome palette. Check out the inspiring video posted at the bottom of the page under the images to see the inspiration behind the ocean print theme.

Below, features some images from the look book of the new collection:

    Images courtesy of Vogue

Ocean Print Inspiration:

ISA ARFEN

I'm always on the look out for new appealing designers (- when I manage to find some spare time that is). It fascinates me to notice how they express their brand aesthetic through their collections and I love to explore their different ideas and where they gain their inspiration from.

Most recently I came across 'Isa Arfen', a new brand which showcases a traditional design aesthetic with quirky cuts and dreamy embellishments. This label was founded by Central Saint Martin's graduate Serafina Sama in late 2011, who grew up in Italy where she gained studio experience working with designer labels including Marc Jacobs and Lanvin before settling as a design assistant at Chloe for two years before moving on to London with intention to launch her own label.

The brand features sensual silhouettes and muted colours yet containing a relaxed, feminine and fun feel as you will notice from the S/S13 collection below, which displays signature pieces including high waists, cropped tops and oversized shirts, main colours include emerald green and petunia pink. Stockists in the UK include Opening Ceremony situated in Covent Garden.

                            Images courtesy of Isa Arfen