Portobello Market

On Friday I went to portobello market with my best friend lauren. It took a while on the stuffy, claustraphobic underground but we made it and ventured out for the day into the exciting world of portobello.
I discovered some amazing shops and stalls and spent the afternoon haggling down prices and buying items that I loved.
My favourite food shop was of course Hummingbird bakery where lauren and I bought a cupcake each which in my honest opinion were so amazing they could have been better than Lola's!

I bought a ring which was originally from the 70's its gorgeous. I also got some john lennon circle sunglasses for... £5 - bargain! and a crop top from american apparel and lastly a vogue from 1993 - the year I was born!

My favourite store was 285 where they sold tonnes of vintage clothes as well as a huge amount of vintage Vogue's from the 70's onwards for low prices.

Balmania at Outnet

If I said you could buy Balmain for 85% off would you believe me? I wouldn't believe it myself, but I opened my emails this morning and it seems the Outnet - the website for discounted designer clothing is having a pop-up sale for the next few days only and is selling Balmain at 85% off!
Check out http://www.theoutnet.com/ and click on the pop-up sale to purchase some amazing Balmain. However, even at 85% off it still seems to stretch my budget and even though some dresses are about £4000 from about £15,000 I definately wish I could buy some of it!

Items from SS 09 and AW 09 collection are on sale and prices start at about £300.

Items available include:

Hurry and check it out because it is selling out so quickly!

The changing face of fashion

Today's Icons

Vogue - July

I have to admit, this months Vogue is just pure genius. I must have spent the past 3 days reading it so much in depth and trying to grasp the concept of every interview, every piece of style advice and thoughts on ageless beauty. This month's cover star was of course for ageless beauty, the gorgeous Cameron Diaz. She exudes and radiates glamour and in my opinion never seems to age... how does she do it?!

You know that awkward time between SS collections and AW collections where you are not sure if you should be following the SS trend or the AW trends? This month, Vogue has featured this years pre-collections. This pre-collection helps warm you in to the AW collections nicely but not totally full on if you get what I mean? That full on time is catwalk surprise only.

1. Red
2. High-waisted trousers
3. Leopard Prints
4. Military
5. Midi

Thoughts? Shocked? Surprised? Prepared. Gosh, I am so not ready for red. I mean red, its really not my colour and personally I find it quite a deep colour, insightful, thoughtful but never me. How can I put this? When I think of red I think of things like death, blood, gore, you see where this is going, I just couldnt wear it. But, knowing what I'm like - the trend-whore, I will probably be contradicting my words this time next season decked out in red (although I hope I do it well).

I have the most gorgeous high-waisted vintage trousers my grandma gave me last summer when we were clearing out her wardrobe of all the junk she owned from the 70's and 80's the stuff that  for me is so retro is for her well 'mutton dressed like lamb'. So she welcomes me to take whatever I please and I choose a few massive shoulder-padded blazers, you know last year when big shoulders were MASSIVE ... and I mean massive and I was attempting to channel the whole Balmain look. Well, I also took 2 pairs of high-waisted trousers in dark blue and light blue and aaah I love them and true to form they can be tapered at the end or just left loose, they look great either way. Cannot wait to wear them this winter.

Ok there is one thing I hate more than red and that is - leopard print. When I think of leopard print, I think of Cruella DeVil and old cranky grannies trying to dress youthful with smudged lipstick and jet-black eyeshadow. Yuck! Personally, if in doubt with leopard print, take my advice - wear in moderation please. It does not look great with your full on leopard print top, trousers, belt and fur coat, so just choose one item.

Military ok ok I LOVE THIS. Truly truly truly love the military look. My mum had a gorgeous military jacket a few years ago, but stupidly chucked it away. I bought a pair of military style khaki shorts a few days ago, and I'm pretty excited to wear them.

Lastly, midi - midi, midi, midi, what do we do with you eh? We try you long, we try you short but for this season it seems just below the knee is the way to go as shown at many designers such a Marc Jacobs. I like midi, its elegant, sophisticated and classy. It's not easy to get right, but take inspiration from the catwalk and stores like Zara and Mango will be pushing this trend it no time.

The most awesome interview EVER with karl lagerfeld was taken by Alexa Chung and I really am insanely jealous that she got to have an interview with such a fashion God. I don't want to give away the context, but man its soo good and you have to buy this month's Vogue to check it out so what you waiting for...Go get it!

June Favourites

I haven't done this kind of post before where I post about my own belongings, I usually post about items I would like, however, this post is about my month's 'Best Buys' and hopefully things that will get me through this intense GCSE month, but then (slight excited scream...) SUMMER!!

I am going to try and do a post per month of my month's favourite purchases and feel free to give your opinions.

Click on the photo to enlarge and read the captions

1. Obviously my fashion Bible's - this month's Elle and Vogue (ahhh)
2. New Topshop cream patent clogs with buckles, studs and wooden heels
3. Butterfly mirrors (I only showed the medium and small) in three sizes and I can't wait to hang them on my wall
4. Straw Topshop trilby with a pale flower corsage

London College of Fashion's Graduate Collection Preview 2010

For the select few, (me included) on the Thursday of half term, I was invited to go and view the London college of fashions graduate 2010 collection. It was a really good experience as I was able to view the designers creative insight into each piece of their collection. Each student had designed around 7-9 pieces per collection and each collection varied intensely.

I would like to apologise in advance for my crappy camera quality! If you would like to get me a new one...I wouldn't complain!

Here are a few of my favourite looks:

06 (Top Left) was one of my favourite looks because I really feel that the designer had created these clothes with the vision of people wearing these in their mind. Nod and shake your heads all you want but I have a strong feeling cycling shorts are coming back!

09 - (Bottom Middle) is one of my favourite looks because this is definately an outfit I would LOVE to wear. The pastel shade tailored trousers and layering of the pastel shirts and the big furry gilet just give the outfit the wow factor.

18 (Bottom Right) is my fav fav fav look. You all know what a big lover or Miu Miu and Chanel I am. Well, this look combines the both for me! The collar and the embellishment of this outfit make it 'So Miu Miu SS10' but the fraying and pom-pom top and skirt also make this 'Chanel-esque'. Really love this one.

11 (Top Right) features a long skirt, just below the knee and from the recent designer collections this student has followed the soon-to-be trend of just-below-the-knee skirt lines. Par example - Marc Jacobs recent LV show.

So many good looks, they were all well thought out but these ones were my favourite.

The show took place in Central London and it started at 8pm later than expected, but no surprise there, thats fashion! Awards were given out to the students who the judges had felt had produced the best items. The winners were as follows:

Best Embellishment Award - Vilvin Sabu

Surface Textiles Award - Yelena Loguiiko

Design and Technology Award - Karashima Shahani

Collection of the Year - Nattaphon Sampataphakdee

A lot of the clothes were brilliant but just too damn crazy to be worn in public, however I wish them all the best of luck and hope they manage to develop their designing skills into a career.

GAGA

These past few weeks have been so hectic I have not had much time to blog, which has meant that my blogging thoughts have built up and up so I have a lot to blog about now! FIRSTLY...
omgah LADY GAGA ... I went to see her on the sunday night of half term and no words describe how totally amazing she really is and what a fantastic performer she shows herself to be. I have always been a strong supporter of Lady Gaga. I find her to be so creative and inspiring for so many people all over the world with her music & lyrics, her music videos, her concerts, her interviews and of course unbelievable clothes. Along with her 'Haus of Gaga' she creates an indivuality that no-one can beat.

Of course don't let me forget to mention her new video of Alejandro -



She's just so great, she pushes boundaries that no other artist dare to push. From the religious references to the feminist values shown through this video, she honestly does it like no other. She always her audience to view her however they want.

This leads me on to her concert, which of course as expected was just breathtaking. The one thing that I did not expect was such intimate closeness and releationship with the audience, such attatchment. When she says she loves her little monsters, she means it. After each song, she would talk to the audience about her day, matters related to her and create a feeling of unison among Gaga fans. She made her fans feel special. I quote - "All of you little monsters here tonight, tonight you can be whoever you want to be and we won't judge, and my monsters, the good thing is, all the freaks are the ones outside and guess what - I've locked the fucking doors". She gives us the power to feel free. In the 'Bad Romance' video she repeats 'I'm a free bitch baby!', maybe if we were as free as her we could be just as great.

Here are some pictures from her concert.

If you can I suggest you go to see her in concert, her next concert this year is around December time and if you want to go you should buy tickets soon as they will definately sell out!

The Céline woman

The Celine woman is elegant. She may not be extra tall, or extraordinary but she has a special quality. That quality has that extra 'je ne sais quoi', I guess it could be called style. It stems from the magnificent Pheobe Philo who is the creative director and board member of Celine, she creates women this way. You may have a plain Jane but put her in some Celine clothes and BAM she is now the 'Celine woman'. She walks taller, struts harder, sashays her hips more vehemently and every man turns to look at her and gawp.

Pheobe Philo is the epitome of style. She was born in Paris but she was educated in England. Best of both cultures I believe. She has been able to see the Parisien culture that surrounds every corner of Paris and the quirky and individuality that surrounds England. She has an ability to design and capture each outfit so perfectly, that every woman who wears these clothes will transcend time. Me? One day I will hopefully be a Celine woman and then I can transcend time too.

Pastels for S/S 10

These pastels...

have now been translated into these ice-cream pastel-shade garments...

For me, pastels are the go-to trend for summer. With the exception of khaki and the whole military thing going on at the moment, if in doubt choose PASTELS, you are unable to fail. I have done quite a lot of posts recently on high-street garments, so hope you don't mind but my source of inspiration is straight from the lap of the designers.

Derek Lam with beautiful draping at the top and two colours of pale, pastel, sky blue and a dark cream

Louise goldin and hint: the shoes with the studs can be bought online or in store at topshop

Luella (sob sob, last ever collection ... sob sob)

and lastly this gorgeous Jenny Packham dress for SS10 Cruise collection. Totally amazing. You just look at this dress and feel inspired. Seeing as I can't have the real thing for prom, I have settled for a similar style dress by Betsey Johnson which is light-pink pastel coloured with cream detailing.

mmm pastels

Fab-ELLE-lous?

It is Spring right? I have got the correct season - non? Am I only person here who is slightly surprised at this month's choice of cover star and cover for July Elle.

Let me explain...

Kristen Stewart - yes of the teen sensation 'Twilight' or known to many as 'Bella Swan' is this months cover star for Elle. Now, don't get me wrong, she is great and her style is to be commended for someone who is not particularly interested in fashion, she gets along just fine. She doesn't conform to what other people want her to wear and follows her own path of style. However, for this months summer cover Elle has decided to use her, dress her in black, have a black and white cover ... for the summer. Mind-storm, what comes to mind when I say the word summer? Florals, colours, silk, chiffon, pastels, elegance. I'm sorry Elle, but Kristen just does not tick any of those boxes. She would have been a good cover star to use over the wintery period but right now I can't say I approve of having such a dark cover for such a summery period, however, this could have been used to reflect this awful rainy weather. Running downstairs on saturday morning, feeling icky because of this horrible weather and hoping to be cheered up, I grabbed the post (nearly falling over in the process), ripped open the packaging and turned over my Elle magazine to reveal something I really didn't expect. But maybe Elle this was your strategy all along?

I really love you Elle, but please please for next month could you have a summer cover and try to raise my blogging spirits.