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Pinko go Clueless for Spring!

March 8th, 2010 · Fashion, London, Shopping, Stores

Remember Cher’s amazing personal styling computer in Clueless?  Well, it turns out she was years ahead of her time, as Italian retailer, Pinko recently launched a similar device at their Brompton Road store.  Store Stylist is a like a massive touch screen iPod that helps customers pick out key trends and put looks together, based on current stock.

The looks are continually transmitted from Pinko HQ and feature interpretations of catwalk trends and key seasonal pieces.  Over 300 looks are presented on Store Stylist and 80 new products are added every fortnight.  Also, everything you find on Store Stylist can be ordered from any PINKO store and delivered within 48 hours.

Embracing new technology is a pretty clever move for Pinko, as by allowing customers to create unique and complete looks, they stand to sell a lot more than just a single statement piece.  In fact, the Brompton Road store revealed that since installing the Store Stylist a few months ago, their sales have gone up by a mighty 70%.

A store’s layout is absolutely vital to showing off the new collections and maximising sales (as Mary Queen of Shops would say), but what do you do when you’re looking for this season’s nude blush dresses and all you can see is sequinned harem pants and or work wear?  At least with the Store Stylist, you can organise your thoughts and rope in a Sales Assistant to help you make them happen.

The downside is that it takes away the spontaneity of just stumbling upon a garment you love and tech phobes might get irritated and just give up.  Either way, it’s sure to enhance the shopping experience and help build your wardrobe systematically, if you can afford to do all your shopping chez Pinko, that is!

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Beauty lust-have: Kate Moross x Kiehl’s

March 8th, 2010 · Beauty, Shopping, Stores

Kiehl’s have enlisted illustrator/designer Kate Moross to give their best selling body lotion, Creme de Corps, a new graphic make-over.  The limited edition bottle features her super bright, hand-drawn slogans paying tribute to the product’s reputation as a cult must-have.

The body lotion has been tipped as the perfect Mother’s Day and you can also feel a bit smug that it’s so exclusive, that it’s only available in the UK.

You may recognise Kate Moross’ work from her t-shirt collaboration with Topshop, her apocalyptic East London club night posters or if you’re a proper muso, the Young Turks skeleton in a Fez hat logo.

At just 23, Kate has an enviably diverse portfolio and has even worked with major clients like Dairy Milk, Nike Dunks and Sony Walkman.  Her illustrations have also featured in NYLON, Dazed & Confused, FACT magazine and on Oyster Card holders for Guardian Jobs.

If you missed out on Kate Moross for TOPSHOP, you can buy printed tees, tote bags, necklaces and records from her Isomorph label at her Big Cartel shop.

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Mad Hatter Madness!

March 6th, 2010 · Accessories, Afternoon tea, Beauty, London, Paris

Tim Burton’s long-awaited Alice In Wonderland was released just yesterday and if you managed to get a ticket, then well done!  Back in October, I was invited to a preview of the film at The May Fair Hotel, with an impressive pop-up Wonderland and a delicious Mad Hatter’s Tea Party.  The Wonderland was a replica of that in the film and all of the incredible costumes worn by The Mad Hatter and The Queen of Hearts were on display.

London’s gone mad as a hatter for Alice with afternoon teas, jewellery, make-up and treats inspired by her adventures. Everyday is like a Mad Hatter’s tea party at Ladurée (although a much more civilised one), so it’s fitting that the divine temple of macaroons would create a limited edition Alice box.

The gorgeous music box is covered with illustrations from Alice in Wonderland and Ladurée’s signature cakes and in packed with 12 green apple macaroons (Ladurée’s new Spring flavour).

The Ladurée tea salon at Printemps in Paris has been turned into an ephemeral Wonderland, with giant tea pots and long communal tables, so you can have your own Parisian Mad Hatter’s Tea Party!  Printemps have also installed their own Alice-inspired creations by designers such as Haider Ackermann, Manish Arora, Chloé, Ann Demeulemeester, Christopher Kane, Nicholas Kirkwood, Maison Martin Margiela, Bernhard Willhelm, and the late Alexander McQueen.

The limited edition Alice macaroon box is available until 18 March at all Ladurée stores.

If you’re after more of an English Eccentric kind of tea, The Sanderson invite you to fall down the rabbit hole for a Mad Hatter’s tea party.  The afternoon tea consists of rainbow-coloured sandwiches, Heston Blumenthal-style molecular cakes and some very traditional scones with clotted cream and jam.

Curious desserts include a Queen of Hearts teacake, which melts in the mouth when you bite through the white chocolate and strawberry shell; a hazelnut and passion fruit tart topped with the White Rabbit’s pocket watch; a chocolate crackle cupcake; pineapple lollipops that turn your mouth from cold to hot and mint chocolate chip ice cream lollipops that explode with a single bite.

The tea is served in the hotel’s Courtyard Garden and is presented on the prettiest vintage tea set by ClaraBows.

The Mad Hatter’s afternoon tea at The Sanderson is available daily from 2.30pm – 5.30pm throughout March 2010.  The standard tea costs £20.00 per person, and is also available with a glass of Veuve Cliquot Champagne for £26.00. To make a reservation, call 0207 300 1444

Selfridges have also given their appropriately named Wonder Room an Alice make-over.  They are displaying costumes from the film, including Johnny Depp’s Mad Hatter suit and hat (sadly, that’s as far as most of us will get to him).

Stella McCartney, Tom Binns and Anna Lou of London have teamed up with Disney Couture to produce a range of Alice in Wonderland jewellery, all available at Selfridges.  Expect a multitude of charms such as playing cards, pocket watches, broken hearts, white rabbits and tea pots.

Make-up junkies will find it hard to resist the Alice in Wonderland Book of Shadows by Urban Decay, OPI’s collection of Alice glittery nail polishes and Paul & Joe’s adorable Disney range.

Warning: As lovely as these Alice-inspired events and goodies are, don’t get too distracted and forget to go and see the film!

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From Shopgirl to ELLE Stylist!

March 4th, 2010 · Events, Fashion, Stores, Websites

Last week, I joined the ELLE team and invited bloggers for breakfast at The May Fair Hotel, to get the low-down on their first national campaign, Shopgirl to Stylist.

As part of their 25th anniversary celebrations, ELLE is launching a six-month long talent search to find the nation’s most style savvy shopgirls (or boys) – a kind of ‘fashion X Factor’.

Aspiring stylists must create a look from the high street and enter their work on ELLEuk.com.  The winner will get the chance to style a shoot for an issue of ELLE, an internship at the magazine and some career-breaking mentoring from the ELLE fashion team.

The competition closes on 4th May and the ELLE judging panel will then select 25 semi finalists, who will then complete a styling assignment.  The list will be cut to just 10 finalists and the five ELLE mentors (Marissa Bourke, Anne Marie Curtis, Stacey Duguid, Natalie Wansbrough-Jones and Carrie Gorman) with then take two finalists and lead them through the final stages.

The London final takes place in the first week of June, where the finalist’s intuitive sartorial skills will be put to the test with on-the-spot styling tasks, followed by a one-to-one interview with Editor-in-Chief, Lorraine Candy.  During then next few nerve-racking months, Lorraine Candy will select the most promising stylist and the winner will be announced in the October issue of ELLE.

British style owes a great deal to the high street, as the majority of us turn to these stores for seasonal on-trend pieces, affordable designer collaborations and wardrobe staples.

The quality, craftsmanship and originality of designer garments can’t be disputed, but the high street has recently come leaps and bounds in interpreting catwalk trends and investing in new designer talent.  Where else in the world would a high street store be one of the most talked-about shows at fashion week?

It will be interesting to see how the shop assistants make use of their non-designer resources and I reckon there could be some truly unique looks to be inspired by.

You can enter at elleuk.com/shopgirltostylist from Friday 5th March.

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Michael Van Der Ham’s A/W 10-11 Liberty loveliness!

March 1st, 2010 · Designers, Fashion, London

Michael Van Der Ham has been one of the most talked-about designers at London Fashion Week this season (apart from the unanticipated kerfuffle over Hakaan), with almost every editor or blogger worth their salt, gushing over his super feminine, jigsaw dresses.

I had the pleasure of meeting softly spoken Michael at the exhibition and found him as utterly charming as his collections.  Michael told me that the pieces were made using Liberty Art Fabric, vintage material and silks sourced from Italy.

In fact, Michael’s show has been sponsored by Liberty and with the support of Yasmin Sewell, his collection will be stocked there.

Michael’s second show at Fashion East was a flurry of bold pastel dresses created in a palette of fuschia, coral, neon pink navy and grey.  He plays with the idea of decontructing dresses and reworking them with juxtaposing weights and textures, creating a patchwork effect.  One single dress could include a concoction of mohair, silk, sheer jacquards, satin organza and a cluster of Swarovski crystals.

Each garment has a unique feel and has been created using a range of techniques such as curved seams, gathering and draping.  This season, he has also expanded into knitwear, collaborating with CSM classmate and knitwear designer, Morgan Oliver.

The popularity of Michael Van Der Ham’s garments lies in his innate understanding of what women would love to wear.  While the dresses are incredibly pretty, they have a quirky, crafted element and sometimes teeter on the borderline of garish.  But you just have to look at Marc ‘Ugly Betty’ Jacobs’ success to realise that many of us like our fashion with a good dose of granny prints and colour clashing.

Michael Van Der Ham’s jigsaw colour clashing reminds me very much of Erotokritos, whose garmets are usually accentuated with with quilting, knits and sparkly panels.  It also can’t be ignored that Erdem has paved the way for Michael, preparing the fashion world for ‘the new prettiness’ (coined by British Vogue’s Harriet Quick) and helping the revive florals from sartorial siberia.

Even more impressive, Michael Van Der Ham is a one man publicity machine, even handling press enquiries and sample requests on his own.  Michael left The Netherlands to work with avant-garde New York label, As Four, then moved to London to assist Alexander McQueen and Sophia Kokosalaki, before graduating from the Central Saint Martin’s M.A Fashion course.  With the support of Fashion East and Liberty, he is sure to be a ‘one to watch’ in seasons to come.

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First Look: Natascha Stolle online!

February 26th, 2010 · Designers, Fashion, Websites

Fashion East designer Natascha Stolle is set to launch her stunning new online site at the end of the week. Chérie was given a secret password to have a gander around the site before going live, so here’s a preview of the delightful things to come…

Handcrafted by rehabstudio, NataschaStolle.com is more than just an online lookbook, it is a reflection of her cool, kooky design philosophy, with a nod to her awkward teen muses.

Natascha Stolle won the inaugural rehabstudio Design Award in collaboration with Fashion East and her prize was to have a bespoke website created by rehabstudio.

The homepage opens with on an Americana-style prom scene, but the smooching couples and sea of meringue ball gowns have been replaced with Natascha’s troupe of unamused geek chic girls.  The scene is dimmed and you can move the spotlight over each of the girls, who then pose, shrug their shoulders or check their watch.  The models were sketched in 2D, dressed in key pieces from Natascha’s past collections10 collection and shot on video.

The black and white sketches were produced by renowned illustrator Charlotte Mann and brought to life by rehabstudio’s digital creatives, bringing animation with the user’s mouse movements.

Natascha said: “By combining the cut and paste approach of Charlotte Mann’s signature black line illustrations of girls wearing my clothes, with the humorous and highly personal environment that rehabstudio have creatively animated for the girls to inhabit, they have engineered a website unlike any I have ever seen before and I can’t wait for everyone else to see it!”

Although the design is really sophisticated, the website is easy to navigate, with everything you could hope to find – past and present collections, press coverage, latest news, international stockists, a bio and contact info.

Natascha said: “By combining the cut and paste approach of Charlotte Mann’s signature black line illustrations of girls wearing my clothes, with the humorous and highly personal environment that rehabstudio have creatively animated for the girls to inhabit, they have engineered a website unlike any I have ever seen before and I can’t wait for everyone else to see it!”

American designer Natascha Stolle studied English Literature at university before moving to London and gaining a placement with Peter Jensen, with whom she stayed for 10 years.  After graduating from Central St Martin’s Fashion Design M.A course in 2008, she was snapped up by Fashion East founder Lulu Kennedy and in September 2008 her debut SS09 collection was showcased at London Fashion Week.

Natascha has worked with Asos on an exclusive collection of luxe jersey, chiffon wide-leg trousers and bangle detail leather gloves, and has consulted for b Store.  She also exhibited as part of NEWGEN at London Fashion Week, in Somerset House’s East Wing.

Her Autumn/Winter 10-11 grey marl, jersey, twisted chiffon leggings, knotted jersey, slouchy tailoring, rainbow smudge prints, and funnily enough, studded mules – perhap’s they’ll be next season’s clogs!

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Daphne Guinness opens her wardrobe to New York

February 26th, 2010 · Exhibitions, Fashion, News, USA

Haute couture collector Daphne Guinness has one of the most enviable wardrobes in the world and now we can take a peak at her sartorial treasures.

Daphne will be exhibition 80-100 pieces from her extensive collection at New York’s Fashion Institute of Technology. Alexander McQueen, Balenciaga, Comme des Garçons, Dolce & Gabbana and Azzedine Alaïa.

F.I.T’s chief museum curator Valerie Steele will work with Daphne to highlight her signature styles through the garments, so expect plenty of neck ruffs, hats, jewel encrusted ribbons, pristine white shirts and House of Harlot patent leather Mary Jane platforms.

For those of us who can’t just hop on a plane to NYC, an accompanying coffee table book will be published by Yale University Press.

Daphne oftens describes herself as “a work in progress”, from her ‘Cruella De Vil’ striped hair to her various fashion and art projects.  She certainly has a compulsive attitude towards fashion, making it her life’s work to create the perfect white shirt or find just the right height and shape for her trademark platform heels.

I adore Daphne Guiness mostly for her fearless embracing of the future.  She’s had the kind of charmed, bohemian past that most people could only dream of – growing up in artist colony Cadaqués with the likes of Dali, Duchamp and Man Ray, hanging out with Andy Warhol in New York and sailing around the Med with millionaire ex-husband, Spyros Niarchos.

However, she started to make a name for herself assisting friend Isabella Blow on fashion shoots, becoming a muse to her designer friends and creating her first scent, Daphne, with Comme des Garçons.

The exhibition promises to include the most impressive selection from Daphne’s wardrobe, especially as she weeded out the ‘chaff’ two years ago, auctioning off over 260 lots in aid of  Womankind, a charity to help women in developing countries.

The exhibition runs from September 2011 to January 2012 at the Fashion Institute of Technology, New York.

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French Connection go ‘ooh la la’ for Spring!

February 26th, 2010 · Fashion, Shopping, Stores, Videos

Alluring, coquettish, enigmatic and knowingly seductive – this is the new French Connection woman.  Paying homage to their name, French Connection have reinterpreted their image with a chic new campaign for Spring/Summer 10, inspired by French New Wave cinema.

The provocative FCUK logos that were so synonymous with the brash 90s have been replaced by a demure, intelligent advert with a typically French sense of humour.

The irreverent short film presents a critical study of ‘The Man’ and ‘The Woman’ and builds a story around their emotions, quirks and contradictions.  It references the stylish absurdity of French New Wave cinema and French Connection’s Anglo-French heritage with a little bit of ‘franglais’.

French Connection’s philosophy is that it is the woman or man wearing the clothes that gives them life and a unique personality. Their style DNA is based on well-made classics with a fashion-forward edge and as the film suggests, the quality of the clothes speaks for itself.

French Connection has always been about affordable luxury, with feminine tailoring, the perfect LBD and well-cut jeans being the foundation of any wardrobe.  They have established their bestsellers and reintroduce them each season, building up a collection of French Connection ‘classics’.

But lets not forget about ‘The Man’!  Monsieur is the stereotypical French belle-bête, complete with beard, furrowed brow and philosophical air, modelled on Serge G

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LFW Day 3: Harriet’s Muse presentation

February 22nd, 2010 · Designers, Fashion, London

After spending the afternoon trawling around central London’s H&M stores for some serious Sonia Rykiel shopping, I headed back to Vauxhall Fashion Scout for the the Harriet’s Muse presentation.  At first I thought I’d missed all the action, with fashion folk toasting a handful of dresses and a vacant gold backdrop.

About 20 minutes later, Sophie Anderton and two impossibly lean models took part in a live photo shoot to showcase the garments. Sophie has been a regular on the front row at the Vauxhall Fashion Scout shows this season is taking a serious interest in emerging designers.

Despite her ‘train wreck’ reputation, Sophie cut a statuesque, dignified figure in her photo shoot and showed off her amazing body with some angular poses.  It seems like Sophie is making a statement this season by trying to shake off that tacky reality TV image and getting back to the industry that made her famous – fashion.

Harriet’s Muse was a wise choice of designer Sophie to be associated with, as it’s strong, sexy and very feminine.  Their Autumn/Winter 10-11 collection, entitled Armoured & dangerous is inspired by the idea of body armour and the durable, abrasive shell of a beetle.

This is achieved through sharp tailoring, quilted textures and hand embroidery in metallic thread.  Each look had a different silhouette, such as pointed, jutted out hips, nipped in waists and volume around the legs.

The make-up was severe femme fatale (ignoring this season’s no mascara trend) and the messy up-dos with statement silver hair pins added to the spiky, insect-inspired aesthetic.

The asymmetric, scale-effect corsets were a great addition to an otherwise very simple black party dresses.  There appeared to be a few too many black cocktail dresses in somewhat unoriginal shapes that would have benefited from some more inspiring detailing or finishes from the designers.

Similarly, the deep teal silk dresses were beautifully cut, but they needed something extra, other than the lovely embroidered beetles to make them really stand out.

The highlight of the collection was the artfully tailored, belted tulip coat with asymmetric quilted detailing.  It evokes 80s Yves Saint Laurent and is a sophisticated draping with a fashion-forward edge.

This voluminous, batwing dress also caught my attention for its minimal, Grecian silhouette.  The shoulder bow lifts the garment and stops it becoming too dense.  The dress was in deep contrast with the luxurious black satin corset and full skirt look that just screamed seductive pirate girl.

Illustrator Stephen Stone was on hand to sketch the dresses and he even did some portraits of the audience before the show started.  The coloured drawings are so beautiful, I’d love to cover my walls in them!

The Harriet’s Muse Autumn/Winter collection is cohesive and somewhat commercial, with a strong focus on partywear.  The use of luxurious fabrics and accomplished tailoring are designers Cheryl and Craig’s strong points and their following is sure to increase with this playful, vampy collection.

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LFW Day 3: Doii Paris at Vauxhall Fashion Scout

February 22nd, 2010 · Designers, Fashion, London

It’s the third day into London Fashion Week and the majority of the fashion industy has swapped vertiginous heels and blazers for flat military boots and wool coats.  Perhaps the sartorial shift had something to do with swapping Sunday morning in bed with coffee and the Sunday Times Style for a typically delayed show or the pouring rain outside, but the coquettish Doii Paris show quickly lifted everyone’s spirits.

This is the first time that Korean designer Doii Lee is showing at London Fashion Week and her show was arguably one of the prettiest, among a sea of asymmetric panel dresses.

Doii’s Autumn/Winter 10-11 collection was inspired by her favourite Russian fairytale, Babushka, and the folklore influences are present on all of the striking, bohemian pieces.

The first part of the collection was all about bold rose print dresses with translucent sequins, coats trimmed with white faux fur, rose covered headpieces and those shoes!  These gorgeous cherry red, platform courts with printed silk ankle-tie were awarded their own post on The Fashion Scout daily blog, as they really are just so stunning!

The models looked impossibly fresh, with tumbling curls, red lips, rosy cheeks and dewy skin – no slicked-back androids there!

The Doii Paris collection reminds me very much of Blumarine’s colour-bursting prints, Moschino’s bold romanticism and KENZO’s crafted, patchwork-inspired detailing.

The purpose of the digital prints is to tell a story and Doii does this with playing cards, winter landscapes, skulls and even bottles of wine.  It is a style similar to Romeo Pires’ Spring/Summer 10 collection, which featured a collage of checkered flags, skeletons and apples.

The second part of the collection focused on an adorable coral, red and turquoise print depicting birds and monsters.  The whimsical print featured on very feminine and wearable trench coats, romantic ruffle dresses and a full-length gown.

Next up was more detailed, abstract digital prints in floaty silk dresses and an Eastern kimono-style shift dresses panelled with grey jersey.

Then came the lace – a delicate lace party dress with a structured bodice (very Daisy Lowe), a lace wool two-tone coat and a 50s minimal lace dress with bell sleeves and contrasting printed detailing.

Metallics also featured with this dainty drop-waisted, printed dress with soft-spun gold cuffs and waistband and translucent sequins. Wool coats also got the Doii treatment, with colourful fabric-covered buttons, polka dot lapels, faux fur trims and printed tie-belts.

The show culminated with a model dressed in a black fur and embroidered print coat with an oversized fringed bonnet – very elegant, old world Parisian.  I wonder if Doii took inspiration from that other stylish Parisian, the inimitable Diane Pernet, with her signature black veil…

Doii Lee graduated with BA Hons in Fashion Design and Knitwear from Central St Martins in 2002 and soon after started her career with John Galliano in Paris.  The next year, she was approached by Antoni Marras, the new art director at KENZO, and worked for KENZO Défilé Studio.

She presented the first collection of Doii Paris during Paris Fashion Week, October 2006 and is now based in London.  Doii’s work is so intricate, exquisitely tailored and optimistic, which is a breath of the fresh air at London Fashion Week!

All photos by Neily Alimohamadi/Cherie City

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