29/08/2010

Lovesick

It all started with a little faux-silk neckerchief. Such a small thing; less than half a metre tall and less than half a metre wide. Who knew such a teeny weeny item could have such a catastrophic impact on one teeny weeny girl's wardrobe?

You see, the piece in question is...leopard print. I spotted it while I was on holiday in South Africa. I don't know why I wanted it...I was about 13 and would never have even have thought about wearing it. But it appealed to me. Like a moth to a flame, if there's leopard print around I'm all over it.

I often get obsessional. At the moment it's Coffee light Frapuccinos from the soul-sucker that is Starbucks and, of course, houmous. But this leopard print fandango has lasted a fair few years now. Watching my collection grow is half exhilirating, half horrifying. The bigger the collection, the bigger the obsession.

Here's but a portion of it:

(Vintage shirt, vintage blouse, primark scarf, H&M wedges, primark slippers, neckerchief from South Africa, vintage maxi skirt, vintage jumper, House of Fraser [sale] duvet cover)

Before, leopard print was almost a sensible obsession. Leopard print items often come up pretty cheap given the severe risk of looking like Eastenders' Kat Slater circa 2001. But recently, leopard print has become 'high fashion'. Shit. This means that a) the price of leopard smothered garments has soared, and b) I can crave a selection of deliciously decorated items that there is no way on this earth I will ever be able to afford. Case in point:

This silk Lanvin jumpsuit. My heart would happily jump out of my skin for it. Unfortunately, it costs over £2000. Wahhhh.

For my own sanity/bank balance, all I can hope is that this unhealthily greedy Leopard crush ends sometime soon. But I'm not counting on it.

27/08/2010

Mooch

I still don't feel exactly feel like a Londoner. I've been here a month now, and still get hugely confused about where the hell people live (see this post for more details). However, rather than thinking 'where the fuck am I?' 85% of the time, I'm now bordering on a far more healthy 50%. This has allowed me to do a spot of wandering without getting horrifically lost, and as a consequence I've done a nice bit of snapping with my Iphone.



The other day, I accidently found myself (this happens alot) wandering through the Barbican area. I'd never really thought about going down there before, although I've discovered it's really close to my flat. But walking through Whitecross Market, I was enchanted by the masses of mouth-watering food stalls and the buzzing atmosphere. There's also an absolutely humungous Waitrose. Which is always a plus. Towards the end of the market there's some really interesting graffiti, which I snapped in the first picture. However, what really caught my attention (unsuprisingly) was this oversized washing line strung up from one side of the street to the other. Apparently, it's the remnants of an art installation from the two day Whitecross Festival. I like that they've kept it; it's crazy and colourful, and let's face it, an absolutely massive bra is always going to brighten up your day.


Sorry, the above pictures really are horrible. I don't know why I couldn't keep my hand steady...I'd only had a sip of tea so I can't blame it on a caffeine rush. Anywho, my friend Katie has a quite incredible knack for finding lovely cafés. It was Katie who first showed me Café 1001 on Brick Lane, where I now regularly worry about falling asleep and getting robbed on their ridicuously comfy sofas. This place was in Holburn and had a quite frankly delectable selection of teas and coffee. I had green tea with rose petals. Pretty and tasty. I took a photo of Katie's Mocha, because it was so perfectly prepared. And it looked yum.

The Sherlock Holmes obsession continues. I want to start drinking here...maybe in a trench coat. I have absolutely no idea where I was though. BummerMe and Sophie found this during our East London afternoon. It was near Spitalfields but I'd never seen it before. It's not exactly graffiti; instead, it's carved into the wall. It's a shame he looks so sad. Turn that frown upside down, girlfriend.
This isn't to do with London wandering, but I bought my Momokui doorstop today! Here it is in in the first picture, perched on my lap. It's actually pretty sizable and was a bit of a biatch to carry home. I really love it though. I thought I'd zoom in on the little face that I chose. It's only now that I realise it's got stubble. I seem to have created a cross-dressing doorstop. He's totally working that floral shift.

26/08/2010

A little drop of Devon

I've never been very interested in particular models. Although I love a bit of antm, it's more to do with the fact that TyTy is completely bonkers and, let's be honest, Nigel Barker. But I am truly compelled by Devon Aoki.

She has such an unusual face-shape, and her features are so perfectly symmetric. This gives her an essence of otherworldliness, and as a result, the majoirty of campaigns she's involved in seem etheral and mysterious. With her American-Japanese heritage, she describes herself as 'weird looking', but I think it's the combination of origins that make her such an unusual beauty.

Moreover, she's only 5 ft 5 and was discovered by Jeremy Scott (who I have eternal love for). With a flourishing acting career, she isn't as heavily involved in the modelling world anymore. I wish she was. As beautiful as the likes of Jessica Stam and Natalia V are, their presence on the catwalk often feels repetitive. Maybe I've been watching too much Gok Wan of late, but I really think beauty is diverse and I will forever admire Devon's stunningly unique look.

The Girl With The Feather Tattoo

In June, I got a tattoo. I was feeling a little reckless, it was fun and I loved it. This is what it looked like:

I was a bit nervous about something happening to it during my month away. So I was really, really careful and walked around with clingfilm on my foot for a month, looking like a twat. Numerous people asked me if I was ok, if I wanted a bandage, what had happened. I felt a bit of a disapointment telling them I'd got a tattoo. I think they were expecting something alot more dramatic.

However, despite my diligence, my tattoo managed to...sort of fall off. The bottom half literally doesn't exist anymore.

Having gone back to the tattoist in Cambridge, I was informed that it happens alot because it's on the side of the foot. After agreeing to fill it in for free, she encouragingly told me 'it'll probably just happen again'.

Great. So I will have half a tattoo on my foot for the rest of my life. Thanks for the forewarning.

I'm getting it filled on October 4th. Please, please, PLEASE stay with me, my little feather tattoo.

25/08/2010

Under my umberella

Rain is such a useless weather condition. I don't mind the cold; I love walking around in a snuggly coat and warming my hands on a cup of coffee. But rain? WHAT IS THE POINT? Obviously I know the point, but still, it's so freaking annoying.
Weather-wise, this summer has been a massive disapoint. There has literally been about five sunny days. The rest have been either non-commentworthy cloudy affairs, or filled with inconvenient downpours. Having got stuck in one of the aforementioned rainy spells earlier today, I thought these might be a mood lifter:

But actually I think they've made me feel even more depressed. Stupid lucky people watching their stupid beautiful sunsets on their stupid picturesque beaches. Give me rainy-in-August England and Gok Wan on the telly anyday...

24/08/2010

Run for your life

I hardly ever get excited about flat shoes. There's something about stomping down the road in a chunky wedge that instantly lifts my mood, and you can't fail but feel sophisticated in a skinny heel (although they're not my usual weapon of choice).

But for the next couple of weeks I'm going to be working as a runner for my cousin, and the advice I'm hearing again and again is 'get some good shoes'. By 'good shoes' I don't think they mean Celine's incredible wooden soled, suede topped sandel-esque drops of heaven. I think it's time to embrace the flats.

I think the reason flats never send a fire through my veins/give me heart palpitations in the same way heels do is that they always seem so dull. The shape of a heeled shoe is simply incomparable. No unusual material or interesting pattern can elevate a flat shoe to the lust-worthy levels of a beautiful, chunky, 4 inch heel.

But I've got to get rid of this negative attitude of mine for the next two weeks if I want to look down at my feet and not feel abject horror. So I started doing a bit of flat shoe research. It's difficult to know what kind of flat to go for. There's so many different styles! Firstly, I investigated the brogue:

This fuschia pair is from Office. Although I'd enjoy glancing down at suede everyday, I think the colour's a little limiting. I did get excited by these though (not wedge style palpitations, but definite flickers):The nude colour of this Irregular Choice pair is lovely. Plus I love the way the pretty detailing contrasts with the masculine shape of the shoe.

But I don't think the brogue is for me. I'm going to have fourteen outfits and I just don't think the brogue has a wide enough repatoire. It looks best with a skinny jean or a short floaty skirt, but fails dramatically in the style stakes when combined with hareems or a patterned maxi. So, I started looking at the sneak. Undoubtedly the comfiest of the flat shoe collection, it can also be a tricky one to style. I feel like the way to go with sneaks is either completely over the top, like this Irregular Choice pair:Or to opt for the sleek sneak, in the form of these sequinned Converse beauties:

But again, I'm unsure about the range of the sneaker. I'm going to be waking up early. And I want to sleep as much as possible. I don't have time to ponder whether or not my shoes are going to look ridiculous paired with my gigantic floral trousers (although I can predict what the outcome would be without alot of brainwork).

Feeling uninspired, I'd almost lost faith in existence of the perfect flat shoe. But then I found these:This lovely pair are from Office and combine two of my biggest current fashion crushes: leopard print and maroon. I think they're suede too. It would still be preferable if there was a monsterous heel attatched to their backhalf. But as flats go, I think these are ideal. They look comfy and stylish, and the blast of pattern keeps them interesting. I can definitely imagine running around with these cuddling my feet. You never know; I might even ditch the heels and become a flat convert. Hmm...nah.

How old?

Blogs, blogs, blogs. They're everywhere. I should know, I fricking write one. With the masses of blogs out there, it's pretty hard to become well-known, well-read and, moreover, produce something original. That's why I love Advanced Style. Its two creators, Ari and Mayaan have looked at the concept of style with different eyes, and thus created their wonderous blog, charting the well-dressed ladies and gentlemen from the older communities in New York. In other words, their subjects are over the age of 40 and aren't necessarily stick thin, perfectly groomed, designer-clad ladies.

Advanced Style proves that a love for beautiful clothes needn't diminish as the years pass by. In fact, as their header states, the blog is 'proof from the the wise and silver haired set that personal style advances with age'. It would seem that the subjects of Advanced Style's posts have realised that fashion is all about having fun. In their older years, they've become carefree and fashion-savvy, and not only is it inspiring, but reading about their approach to dressing is completely, completely fascinating.

Here are some of my favourite looks from the Advanced Style archives:

Debra, a regular contributor. She focuses on the drama an outfit can create. I love it! Never, ever, ever boring.

Lubi, who's also featured regularly. She has an amazing take on simple pieces. And fit sunglasses.

How suave is this guy?! I adore his outfit, but even better is the story Ari tells in his post about him. When Ari said he'd love to dress like him, he was told 'then do it, son'. So lovely. This guy has to be a grandpa.

Lynn Dell. Proving there's nothing dull about black and white.

23/08/2010

Two Faced

Going to a market is my favourite type of shopping experience. And believe me, I like all types of shopping experiences. I even get excited about going to the supermarket. So that's pretty high praise. I love the fact that you never now what you're going to find. Sometimes it's nothing but rusty plates, tacky t-shirts and one armed dolls that you'd be seriously concerned if anyone actually bought. But sometimes you're spoilt with unusual jewellery, hand made garments and even the most deliciously decorated cupcakes.

That's what happened to me the other week, when I was walking around Spitalfields Market with my mama. Amongst the bounty of stalls selling lust-worthy gems, we discovered the loveliest little brand. Momokui sells bags, t-shirts, and home furnishings all adorned with little figures in patterned clothes. They also sell heaps of badges painted with different faces on. The idea is that you pick your favourite face, and put it on your item of choice.
They even do necklaces:
I was so overcome with adoration at the little faces when I first discovered them that I was tempted to simply buy a badge for the sake of it. Some of them are just so damn cute. But I talked myself out of it, given the no money situ and all.

However there's something about Momokui that keeps me coming back. Whenever I'm around the Brick Lane area I have to go and have a sneaky peak. I even dragged my lovely friend Sophie there yesterday, in our brief two hour meeting. It was then that I saw these:

They're doorstops. DOORSTOPS! I actually need one of these. Well need might be a bit of an exaggeration, but I could definitely justify the expenditure. It would be nice propping my door open with something a little more inviting than my desk chair...and that never really worked anyway. But which little face to choose?
(all photos from Momokui's facebook page)

22/08/2010

Some things just aren't meant to be

There's beanies, bowlers, berets; headbands, hair clips and...er...something else beginning with h. Headwear is a tricky tricky business. Hairbands look good, but hurt like a bitch. You're oversized hair clip is perfectly placed when you leave the house, but at the next mirror stop it's slid half way down your head. Hats are a whole other story. I know some people are 'hat people'. I am definitely not a hat person. They never suit me. EVER. Not even those gorgeously cosy winter beanies that look so perfect in the snow. But I did find this hat the other day:
(Topshop)
I think it's beautiful. I love the way the feathers get darker towards the outer edges. I'm too scared to try it on...I kind of feel like it's better to keep the dream alive. I guess I could always stuff it on my head and avoid mirrors, whilst pretending I am in 1950s America and therefore it is a normal affair to don a hat daily. Except the feathers kind of scream Pocahontus. Pocahontus in 1950s America? Hmm. Maybe I won't get the hat.

What's yours is mine

Mariel and I had literally been hyperventilating in anticipation of the Bloggers Yard Sale for over a week. We'd exchanged a ridiculous number of OHMYGODI'MSOEXCITED texts and had spent many an hour daydreaming over possible purchases. So setting off at 9.00 this morning (and that is dedication), I was more than looking forward to the fact that the day had finally arrived. With infinitely talented and stylish bloggers such as Susie Bubble and Park&Cube selling their wares, the sale couldn't really fail to be a success. We got there bang on 10 and it was already crammed with people rifling through the rails and bags of delectable garments. With the barbie just starting up as we left, the atmosphere was far less aggressive than your average jumble sale. I guess that's what happens when you're in a room (er...well...a carpark) filled with people with major clothe-infatuation issues.

I was just going to show you simple pics of what I bought...but instead I thought I'd show you them in terms of outfits. Mainly because I find styling up my purchases ridiculously fun. But also because I hope you like it better too.

First, up I bought these black trousers from Park&Cube. I thought I was buying pretty plain, slightly baggy black trousers, but actually they're highwaisted and have really nice pleating detail around the band at the top. Paired with Topshop Wedges, paint splattered crop top from Loveskitt at Spitalfields Market, and a vintage chain and cuff.These are a teeny weeny bit cerazy, even for me. But I kind of fell in love with them. They're silk, floral, and the legs are HUGE. Amazing. I bought them from Fiona at Save our Shoes and promised her I'd take the best care of them. So I guess you'll be seeing alot of these bad boys. Shown here with an H&M white tee and the Topshop clog/sandle hybrids. I figured I should let the trousers speak for themselves.

Finally, I bought a jacket from Susie Bubble. But it ain't just any jacket. Hell nah. It's velvet AND sequinned. The lapels are insane. I like to think it's kind of modern and chic 80s. But it could well just be full-on retro 80s. Either way, I don't care. I love it! The photo doesn't do it justice...actually I seriously apologise for all of these photos, my camera's still broken and so I'm lumbered with these phone photos of a horrendous quality. If you can tell, here it's shown with a black topshop dress and my bargainous £7.99 leopard print wedges from H&M.

I'm not sure when the next Yard Sale is, or even if there'll be one. But if there is, I'd joyfully get up earth shatteringly early on a Sunday morning to have another gander through the ladies' beautiful selection of throwaways.

21/08/2010

Because of Kors

Today I felt like channelling a bit of Michael Kors. I don't know what it is about this look but I loved it from the very first moment I saw it. Maybe it's the simplicity of the garments combined with the subtle but sophisticated detailing. Maybe it's the neutral tones that together create a beautiful autumnal colour pallette. Whatever it is, I have been attempting to find pieces in my wardrobe to recreate this look for a while now. I used to have a lovely pair of grey knit leg warmers but they seem to have disapeared, probably culled in one of my occasional but violent wardrobe clear outs. So I had to purchase a slightly less Kors-esque pair from H&M. But for £1.99 you cant complain.


I wore my Kors inspired ensemble to my friend Will's going-to-America party. At least, I attempted to. Instead I had a massive London travel disaster and ended up stuck on a train at Green Park in the sweltering heat for half an hour. WHY DON'T THEY AIR CONDITION? I made it to Brixton but promptly lost my Oyster, and having brought no money with me to make sure I was sensible, I couldnt get the bus. Hurrah. Luckily the nice tube men let me get home, or I could very possibly have been stranded in South London forever.

(H&M grey trousers, H&M legwarmers, Topshop Maroon clogs)

I paired this with a white H&M tee and my vintage suede camel cardie (£10 bargain). This outfit actually wasn't really inspired by Michael Kors...it's pretty much a full on imitation. Sorry for being hideously uncreative. But here's a close up of my shoes to make up for it...because they're new and really too tasty for words.

La Vie en Rose


LIFE PLAN:

-Learn German, move to Berlin
-Learn French, move to Paris
-Suddenly develop off-the-chain writing skills. Become renowned and respected journalist.
-Become editor of I-d/Pop/Elle/Vogue...not picky
-Try my hand at styling...style Gaga, Mary-kate and other women stated in the previous post...including Skye from neighbours
-Marry Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Johnny Depp will unfortunately be too old by then. Although if you somehow read this Johnny - HA - I take that back, way way back. Come find me)
-Have beautifully cute children
-Become best friends with Gok Wan
-Move to New York
-Write deep and meaningful novel
-Retire in a little cottage by the British sea side. With an appartment in Vienna for when Joseph and I get bored. And I don't want to lose my German, obviously.


TEENY WEENY ISSUES TO OVERCOME:

- I can only say 'der hund ist in der oven' and 'dangle der traum' in German. I don't think 'the dog is in the oven' and 'dangle the dream' are going to get me very far. Definitely have a long way to go.
-Luckily, I have AS level French. HUZZAH! However, Paris is massively and ridiculously expensive. And I'd want to live in one of those stunningly beautiful appartments with the cream walls and the exposed balconies. Hmm.
-I'm not really sure how to develop off the chain writing skills. And become a renowned and respected journalist. May take a few decades.
-Becoming an editor of a beauty of a magazine...same issues as above.
-EVERYONE wants to be a stylist. And Gaga's stylist is already absolutely incredibly amazing. May have to embark on sabotage. I'm not sure how many people are craving to style Skye from Neighbours, though.
- I don't know Joseph Gordon-Levitt. I don't know where he lives, or, really anything about him. How would I find him? How would I make him fall madly in love with me? Moreover, he could be an absolute wanker.
-I WILL become best friends with Gok Wan. I'd feel so chuffed about myself ALL THE TIME. Minor issues of finding him, hanging out with him, ensuring he likes me etc. But my Dad did once have a pee next to him. Half way there.
-Writing a deep and meaningful novel would require me to be deep and meaningful. Studying philosophy, therefore working on it.
-Retiring to an idyllic British seaside town with little (but beautiful) appartment in Vienna obviously requires a pile of dolla. Can only really happen if my slightly ridiculous career plan pans out.

Despite these obvious issues I feel strangely positive about my life plan. It pays to be ambitious, right?!

20/08/2010

Idyllic

Talking about the wonderous Lady Gaga got me thinking. She is certainly one of my idols; although I wouldn't attempt to immitate any of her looks (saying that, I do have a very strong attachment to my Gaga-esque sunnies), I love her eccentricity and find her confidence with clothes and with herself extremely inspiring. There are various ladies in the media that I have a similar kind of girl-crush on. They're the kind of women you want to be. I thought I'd share a few more of my fashion/work/general life inspirations.

I think my first ever fashion icon was Skye from neighbours.
Ludicrously, I can't actually remember a time when I haven't watched Neighbours. When Skye came into it I was about 10 years old and completely in awe. She had black hair with a blue underlayer. BLUE! She was pretty feisty, into fashion and art, she didn't care that she didn't fit in at school, and refused to dress like anyone else. She had major morals, and, despite the brief flirt with lesbianism, always bagged the hotties. I full on wanted to be her. Especially when she had blonde hair with multicoloured strands. I think I might have bought coloured clip on extensions from Claire's Accessories but I wasn't badass enough to wear them. I failed the spirit of Skye.

Typically, I have major, major love for MK. She kills it everytime. EVERYTIME. She can even make greasy hair look good. That's a pretty impossible task. I also admire the way she has handled the transition from a child star into an adult with a career. The Olsens' have a serious and desirable set of fashion lines; their own personalities and skills have enabled them to forge respectable careers whilst remaining in the limelight.

Enviously, Taylor Tomasi has my ideal life.
She was Senior Marketing Manager at Teen Vogue before becoming Senior Accesories Edior at Marie Claire. ARGH. Plus she has crazily amazing style and is, to be honest, practically the sole reason I was considering dying my hair red. I'm kind of hoping that if I do it, I'll be suddenly and magically transformed into Taylor. Hmm.


Lastly, I am currently a massive fan of Jaime Winstone;

Apart from Five Daughters (which was amazing) I've not actually seen much of her work. But because she's only 5'2" I feel a strange affinity with her. I will never have even average lengthed legs and neither will she. So when she works a kick-ass dress and 4 inch heels, I feel, strangely, kind of proud. She also seems to have a kind of 'fuck you' attitude. I don't think you'd catch her doing anything she doesn't want to do. And just LOOK at that headwear. Insane.

Absolutely frigging amazing romance

The romance in question? Gaga and I-d magazine (geddit?):

With nowhere to go and nothing to do, today I found myself wandering around Marlyebone Highstreet. Despite my phenomenal shopping habits, I definitely couldn't afford to buy anything; however, as is usually the case with extremely glamorous areas, I did discover that their newsagents had a delicious selection of magazines. I stopped dead when I saw this cover. I am a massive Lady Gaga fan; I love her flamboyant, over-the-top day wear, her ludicrous selection of platformed shoes and just the general Gaga craziness. I think this cover is truly beautiful. Celebrating I-d's 30th anniversary, there are also covers featuring Naomi Campbell and Kate Moss. So far, I've only laid eyes on Gaga's cover, but to be honest I find the two supermodels boring in comparison. Shot by Nick Knight (what a man) and styled by Nicola Formichetti, I love the simplicity of the shot, combined with the reminder of Gaga's personlity radiating through the slightly more subtle than usual headpiece. The cover eminates power and confidence.

Unfortunately, I-d costs £5 (I swear it's gone up; it's like Boots Meal Deal all over again. £3.49 what the frig?). I was all prepared to pay for the beautiful goods that would await me inside (more Gaga plus pre-fall 2010, fall 2010 and resort 2010 reviews). However when I got to the till, the kind cashier informed me that there was a pound charge for paying with a card. That was too much for my dwindling funds. I refuse to spend £6 on a magazine, however delectable. Therefore I'm still left awaiting the Gaga goodies. Hopefully I'll find some cash by tomorrow.

Ps. Another beautiful beautiful romance? Gaga and Mcqueen. And I'm not just talking about those geniously mental shoes in the Bad Romance video:

(Vanity Fair September Issue, shot by Nick Knight, styled by Nicola Formichetti)

18/08/2010

Red Head/Bed Head

This is a little bit of a vain post and I apologise in advance. I've been getting the same shade of blonde highlighted in my hair since I was 13. Once I went a bit more 'honey'. Then I dyed it back. Thinking about it, bar a few minor length changes, I've pretty much had the same hair cut since I was 13. I always think about changing it, but I'm too much of a wimp. Lately though, I've been seriously considrering dying my hair red. I feel like it's time for a change and red seems kind of exciting.

(Photos: Jak and Jil, Stil in Berlin, Sea of Shoes)

I just can't work out whether or not it would suit me. Any thoughts would be much appreciated.

17/08/2010

Think pink

A while ago I posted about Gerald DeCock's incredible apartment, and how much I utterly adored it. Still focusing on having my very own house and finding it an excellent excuse to buy things, I have since developed a pretty sizeable collection of Gerald-inspired items (leopard print duvet cover, patchwork rug, multicoloured patterend pillow cases...). But flicking through my pictures the other day, I was reminded of an appartment I'd seen long before Gerald's that I also find incredibly inspiring. In fact, it's not an appartment, but the office of Ines De la Fressange, the ex-model and boutique owner, who is also a consultant for Jean Paul Gaultier. Given her job history, it would seem ridiculous for her not to have a glamorous office. But Ines' workplace isn't just glamorous; it's eclectic, innovative and modern.
Bright pink walls that could be tacky in fact look chic combined with Ines' passion for framing anything she finds interesting or special. I love that idea; it somehow makes everything look put together, despite the fact that what's framed is incredibly random (given that each item is so personal) and they're placed so sporadically on the wall. Ines also loves shelves and, again, fills them with odd items she has collected. For her type of work, I can imagine her office is perfect. The rose-coloured walls are calming, while the clutter of the objects and frames must be truly inspiring. She also has some absolutely banging pieces of furniture:

Ines, if you ever get tired of being insanely stylish, buying beautiful clothes, giving Jean advice on his next collection, and having an incredibly decorated office, I'll happily take over.

(Photos courtesy of The Selby)