what the topshop girls wear

How's this for a cool concept? This week Grazia Magazine armed Kate Moss with a camera and ordered her to take a gander around the Topshop offices in search of girls whose look she loved. And these are the results. I don't care so much about the Kate Moss element, without being too dubious, I'm not even sure I believe it happened quite like this (more likely that someone searched around for those dressed most suitably to be presented to Moss) I'm just enjoying being able to have a nose at the ensembles of the Topshop ladies.

I don't recognise any of these sartorially blessed lovelies from my oh-so brief stint of work experience at Topshop HQ, so I'm guessing they work for the design team or at least such a department that Kate would actually talk to when she pops in to Berners St to "design".

But I can imagine it now, it's the stuff dreams are made of; you've been told that Kate Moss while be taking a trip around your office in search of the most stylish of you and your collegues. You're filled with hope and wanting, imagining her complimenting your shoes and asking if you're free at lunch to grab a bite and swap style tips. She's approaching your desk and you're mid breakfast with mouthfuls of granola buried deep into your cheeks, "Ah," you think "She has spotted the Acne-esque silhouette I was crafting until the early hours of the morning!" and just at that moment she saunters straight past and grabs the hand of a grinning collegue decked head to toe in Erin x RVCA. You could cry.

pics; grazia

whatever you think of her

willa holland

forever dancing to and fro, back and forth over the hipster chalk line and sometimes into "actually, she's quiet cool" territory in my mind. but she is actually doing something with herself at the moment, so I don't feel bad thinking about her..

Describe your style?
I go with the mantra ‘what feels good, looks good’. I like long floaty clothes that don’t restrict me, and I live in flat boots. I love Sienna Miller’s look, especially when she went all 1960s after filming Factory Girl.

What’s your wardrobe staple?
Right now, my black leather jacket. It’s by a label called S.W.O.R.D. When it’s raining in LA it is never off my back.

Which designer would you go to for a red carpet gown?
Stella McCartney. I fell in love with a brown and gold silk dress by her that I wore for the launch of Genova at the London Film Festival. It was only on loan but, boy, did I want to keep it! It was worth a fortune, so it’s probably fair enough that I had to send it back.

source: daily mail (eugh), the fashion spot

Look the Business

"It simple, elegant, makes a statement; says to people confident, a risk taker, not afraid to be noticed. Then you hit them with you smarts!" - Tess McGill, Working Girl (1980)

Work wardrobes. Groan. Hardly the easiest territory to navigate. Any business brain worth her capsule closet though understands the importance of looking put - not thrown - together. But where does one start? Overdo it - you're likely to people off; act too nonchalant - you're readily dismissed. Despite our coffers sporting the size zero look, there's ironcially never been a more profitable time to show off your style smarts. Luckily the lovely ladies at The Gloss have put together an event to help inspire business looks that are both fashionable and fiscally prudent. Not bad!

Look the Business, hosted in association with Vodafone, will take place on Wed, April 29th at the Mansion House, Dublin. In addition to catwalk shows highlighting styles from Harvey Nichols, Aideen Bodkin, Helen McAlinden, Seagreen and Diffusion, there will be a fab Moet & Chandon reception, sit down dinner and vino networking. We likey! Deets for the event are below along with some snazzy pics from the April issue of The Gloss.

What: Look the Business in association with Vodafone
Where: The Mansion House, Dublin 2
When: Wednesday, April 29; 6.30-10.30 p.m.
How: Tickets can be booked by contacting The Gloss on 01 2755130 or register@thegloss.ie.

Pic credits: Barry McCall / The Gloss Magazine

blushed

[click to enlarge]

top row: topshop, asos, isaac mizrahi, josh goot
middle row: alessandro dell'acqua, candy necklace, opi, topshop
bottom row: kimberley mcdonald, topshop, stella mccartney, asos

The SBP Digs I Blog!

Hurrah! It's official. I Blog has made it to the hallowed pages of The Sunday Business Post! Does it mean I'm swapping this season's jumpsuit for its pin stripe cousin? Perhaps not. But it does mean some serious site kudos; especially when placed side-by-side with the venerable Susie 'Style Bubble' Lau. Mucho thanks to Ruth O'Connor for a swell write-up. I'm all sorts of chuffed and flattered.

just a note

to those of us living in the UK, Heathers is free with the Observer today.

I still haven't seen it, but we can rely on Jeanie's recommendation of this cult teen movie with a twist and the fabulous costumes; plaid skirtsuit galore!

and to those of you not in the UK, while we're on the subject of films inspiring style, what are your personal favourites?

I Blog Predicts - Dejan Despotovic

Belgrade may not exactly spring to mind as a fashion hub but this former war-torn capital is beginning to produce some seriously avant-garde talent. Take Dejan Despotovic whose Cimmerian menswear collections have won kudos at both Belgrade and Berlin fashion weeks. At only 22 years old, this no mean feat. As a stylist for the Serbian edition of Elle magazine, I Blog predicts some Dejan Vu in the future. Check out his A/W09 collection below:

Image Credits:
Photographer : Marko Sovilj http://markosovilj.com
Model: Florian Pessenteiner @ Larapixie talent agency
Hair/Make-up: Dragan Vurdelja www.draganvurdelja.com
Clothes: Dejan Despotovic
Styling: Dejan Despotovic @ Larapixie talent agency www.larapixie.com

Fashion Gaydar - C&A

Andy and Neil are back with some email musings on C&A's advertising campaign:

Subject: Is cheap and awful ready for a comeback?

Andy: Found this on a new blog I'm reading called Made in Brazil. May make me venture into C&A if only to look at the posters.

Neil: One hot poster does not a H&M-collaboration-with-Comme-des-Garcon make! C&A are perfectly positioned to be the Primark for 2009 but unfortunately the last time I was in one they still had granny gear and not in a granny chic type of way! Cheap Dutch rubbish.

a proposition

paris vogue, use handwritten type across your covers more.

and i'll kiss you behind the bike shed after school.

image: fashion spot

lara stone in real life

this is why I love the love blog.

pics: love

danny glicker on milk

Alas OSCAR season is well and truly behind us, and shit films are once again "showing at a cinema near you". For me, Gus Van Sant's Milk was one of the best of the academy bunch and for those of you who look to the cinema to inspire your style, I recommend grabbing it on DVD when it's out. Though the film focuses mainly on men's style, as there are no central female characters, you can't help but absorb the highwaist denims and brown cord jackets. The whole 1970s essence of the Castro district is also fascinating; with an atmosphere of excitement and sweat.

Interview Magazine spoke to Milk's costume designer Danny Glicker, who has worked in the business for 18 years about his part in shaping the visual elements of the film.

1. What were your main sources of inspiration for the film's looks?The real life of Harvey Milk and culture of 1970s San Francisco. I poured over countless documents, stacks and stacks of images depicting the real people and events, and did everything within my power to meticulously organize them into their proper timeline and recreate the people and the thriving San Francisco scene.

2. Who would you love to dress for this year's Oscars and how would you dress them?
Harvey Milk! Were he still with us, he would have LOVED all the attention. He would have completely embraced the theatricality of the most photographed event of the year to publicize every issue important to him. I see his rented tux covered in "OVERTURN PROP 8" pins.

6. Levi's are so omnipresent in the film that they almost become their own character. How do Levi's encapsulate the sensibilities of Milk and San Francisco? Levi's are so iconic to both San Francisco, and especially to the mystique of the "Castro Clone." It was really fun to play with all the authentic denim of the 70s. We squeezed, and I mean squeezed those guys into their 501's, and when they're that tight, nothing is left to the imagination. There's a reason the look was so popular.

7. I imagine you did a lot of vintage shopping while dressing the cast. What were some your best finds? I was responsible for dressing literally thousands of people, and I really wanted to recreate the grunge and filth of the early 70's, so I visited a lot of untapped dumps. Filthy, nameless warehouses, but gold-mines of amazing vintage stuff that hasn't seen the light of day since the 70's. When the nominations were announced, I called my dear friend Audrey Fisher, who worked as my assistant designer for prep, and said "Could you believe this all started with garbage bags full of crap in the back of a U-Haul?

pics; advocate.com, interview from interviewmagazine.com

panic on the streets of london panic on the streets of birmingham

clockwise from left: tee by Rodebjer, $100; ring by kimberley mcdonald, £3,530; clutch by yves saint laurent, £820; frilly vest by topshop, £16; pleat trousers by lanvin, £560; marc jacobs heels, £425

pelayo

this cool cat has a blog..

katelovesme.blogspot.com

click for instant teleportation into a world of hair wax, fashion parties and backstage madness..

that was hazy cosmic jive

day dress, strapy wedges, skirt suit, flared slacks, killer heels, graphic satchel, easy hang vest.

Now evidentally, none of the mid-range fashion brands have taken seriously their responsability of shamelessly recreating peter pilotto-esque space and galaxy prints. Lusting after all things intergalactic since the backend of last year, I'm still on the hunt of garments to help me act out my nebula fantasies (haha, just me or does "nebula fantasies" sound like a phrase that would be incredibly well suited to space fan porn? anyone?..) the disappearance of my galaxy print purse (the same fateful night I lost my camera) certainly hasn't furthered me in my quest. Desperate times call for desperate measures and all that. And well, what can I say, I'm a natural designer, allow me if I may..

"I present the "Hazy Cosmic Jive" collection, kindly named by Mr David Bowie himself, these silky pieces hang like carefree whispers with the occasional Hannah Gibbons scalloped edge thrown in for good measure. Snap up the collection before the Scientologists do, they've been poaching me to sell them rights to reproduce the pieces for their "uniform". I'll let Beck and Juliette Lewis wear them, but after that I draw the line."

What a pitch! I think I smell funding pie..

Gush! Swoon! Blush!

Check out number five! Yay! Very flattered. Very flattered indeed. :)

The 8th Fashion Bloggers' Brunch

There's not a lot that gets me out of bed at 7.30am on a Saturday - unless it involves shopping and brunching. Being the trooper I am, I bucked the weekend trend and hopped a private coach to Kildare Village for the 8th Fashion Blogger's Brunch. Oh how we were pampered! Pink champagne to start, followed by goody bags, gift vouchers and shopping (I'm loving my All Saints scarf - was €92, now €27.60), brunch in Dunne and Crecenzi's and ermm...more shopping. Dublin Streets scored two pairs of trainers and a hoody from Nike for €40 while Male Mode and Fashion Filosofy pulled off some nifty bargains in Reiss. I'll be back again me thinks to check out the Anya Hindmarch swag and pillage All Saints again. In the meantime, I'm looking forward to using my North Face lip balm lanyard skiing this week. Seamless segue, no? That's right kids, I'm off to sample some 5 star chalet action in the Alps. Out with my harem pants and in with some swanky salopettes. Until next week. Woosh! Woosh!

two of a kind

proof that two girls with concentrated style is always more rewarding:

foto decadent, vogue, tfs, google, stylesightings, noirblancetrougepartout, wildfox, saganendalausa

iekeliene stange at viktor and rolf

hintmag

it shouldn't work but it does

fantastic coat.

fantastic bag.

that it all.

stylesightings

On Yer Bike!

I never thought I'd see the day I'd consider cycling stylish. But let's face it, pissing Irish rain + the worst public transport in Western Europe = a change of heart. Hence, I'm hearting majorly on these new GRAN(NY)TURISMO bikes (€695) from BT2. They're retro enough to appeal to my vintage side with the benefit of anti-rust colours (loving the aquamarine), a fully enclosed chain guard (no greasy ankles there!) and...wait for it...a basket! Agyness Deyn has already been spotted on one around London and its only a matter of time before Alexa Chung matches one to her Marc Jacobs cardi. What's more - the aul 'high nelly' is a bit of an Irish institution. A bit like the travelling equivalent of knitting and drinking tea. We likey!

Style Secret - Swiss Guipure

I don't get slackjaw too often; unless you vintage ER reruns with Dr Ross or rare Tyson Beckford sightings (LFW: Central Saint Martins - swoooooon!) Suffice to say, Co. Tyrone's own Sharon Wauchob left me fairly speechless with her edgy PFW presentation at the Garage Turenne. As I wrote my notes, I couldn't quite put my finger on the luminous fluid fishnet used in her avant-garde dresses. Backstage, she let me in on the secret - Swiss guipure. Soft and pliable, the clever fabric helped anchor the edgy collection with a softness. Draped over architectural edges, Wachoub was able to create a killer visual impact that ranks her with Haider Ackermann and Bruno Pieters in my fashion week favourites.

Image: Siammuse.com

sharon tate in valley of the dolls

If you haven't already , you really must watch Valley of the Dolls, it's unintentionally hilarious and great for a dressed up night in with a group of mates. You should equip yourself with a bottle and a homemade bingo board so that you can cross off a box everytime you hear "Sparkle Neely, Sparkle!"

I read the Jacqueline Susann novel a couple of summers back during a lazy week in Devon with my best friend and recommend it; nothing life changing, but perfectly trashy all the same.

Watch the trailer below and you should get an idea of how fantastically camp the film is. Dionne Warwick's theme tune is perfectly self pitying and the interiors and costumes don't hurt, either.

sharon-tate.org

Haider Ackermann - the One to Watch

Apologies for the size zero posting but I've barely recovered from PFW. Regardless, I had to share the news of my latest style crush - Haider Ackermann. The Columbian-born designer and former Galliano intern turned out a most immaculate collections at Les Beaux Arts de Paris. The balance of hardware-embellished feature pieces and fluid separates made me gush. Exquisitely draped gowns played peek-a-boo with thigh-high slits, an exposed arm or a flash of back; while jackets and tops bedded with floral metal rivets made 'rock chic' effortlessly elegant. What's more, the dude plays to my favourite trend - masculine/feminine. Hard military shoulders flirted with languid draped tops, zippered gilets butched up floor-length skirts all to the strains of Leonard Cohen. I think it might be love. Just maybe...

Image: Style.com

hats off

For every fad, there comes a backlash.

The irony is that often this backlash will, in itself become a fad, but let's leave that thought for now.

As a little backlash against the fedora fad of 2007/08 comes a preference for some "proper" headwear. Think Mary poppins and men in boater hats.

My choice of headwear this summer is going to be the boater, I curse the day I didn't go ahead and buy one from a fantastic little second hand shop in Ross-on-Wye after trying it on twice.

The hats featured in Jalouse March 2009 are pleasingly squished in appearance, they're very much in the style of Mary Poppins. They make me want to create a shamelessly crafty version for myself; some quality street wrappers glued here? A bunch of flowers stuck there?

chloesevigny.info, the fashion spot