Don't Look Back In Anger

I've been diggin' nostalgia for years, it was the theme to my college art and design final project and also my BA Hons dissertation. For this reason I've decided to start a nostalgic blog post for every season showing which historic trends are in.

The surge in popularity of retro chic shows such as Mad Man combined with the simplistic functionality route that fashion is currently redirecting to seem to have given rise to a nostalgic 1950's theme in today's trends. Proof? Here are my top 3 nostaligc trends:

1. My favourite trend and THE hottest jacket for AW10/11, the shearling, screams of Amelia Earhart (in a very post-war washing powder ad plummy British Accent). I love the story and mystery surrounding Amelia and this jacket completely evokes the same air of suspense and cold midnight air associated with her memory.




2. The Betty Paige fringe is back. It's not the coolest look ever, and it takes a certain personality (and face shape) to pull it off, but when something's in, suddenly it'll develop a renewed coolness and everyone will be trying it.

3. 50's dresses and the calf length cut. This is something I'm rather sceptical about given my stunted height and suspicion of dainty shoes. I'll be giving the cinched waist and wide skirt a go for sure, but I do wonder whether petite girls can pull it off as well as our taller longer legged counterparts. As for the shoes, noone's going to let me get away with a big Sandra Dee dress and Doc Martens are they......?






Look out for my next retro post next season...I'm predicting 90's rave gear and Spice Girl patriotism. You have been warned...

Swarovski and me

Last night I attended a Grazia Daily event at the Swarovski Crystallized store on Great Marlborough Street. It was pissing it down with rain and the atmosphere in London was pretty dreary, especially for August! However, I managed to bring some sparkle back into my day by spending some money in the Swarovski store. They were offering 15% off for the night and lavished us with 2 glasses of champers each and all the florentines and strawberries we could manage! DELICIOUS! Below are some images of my purchases (I spent a grand total of just under £150 and bought a necklace, 2 bracelets and a ring! BARGAIN!!)


This necklace was a DIY jobby, so I got to choose which chain I wanted (chunkiest available, obviously) and a charm to add to it. The charm was £16 and the chain was £42 so this necklace cost a total of £58 which I think it incredible value for a Silver and crystal Swarovski product!

I LOVE these bracelets! They're a steal for £30 each and come in a huge range of different coloured crystals and straps. They popper on and off so no fiddly clasps and they look really chic yet casual...hard to achieve! You can buy two different colours of this product here on the swarovski pop up store online (which I am currently modelling for!)



The lovely shop assistant at the store helped me choose this ring which is intended to be worn stacked with other colours of the same style. It came in classic crystal, black diamond, this midnight blue shade, a pinky shade and an opal crystal. They're only £24 each but I decided to hold back and limit myself to just one ring ;) You can get these at the online pop up store too here.


ABOVE: The full arm combo (Nail ring from Asos and olive wood ring from a market in Mallorca)


I'm not normally a sparkly person, I like matte finishes and grubby jewellery (hence the wood and nail rings!) But the new swarovski stuff is just gorgeous. I want to the event with Terri and Yolande who I work with and although we all have very different styles and tastes, we all managed to find something we liked. SUCCESS! Well done Swarovski, nice repositioning ;)

Stockholm Syndrome

Stockholm Fashion Week has just finished and the images from it have blown my mind. I seriously think I should have been born swedish. As a natural blonde (but not THIS blonde) I could clearly pass for a sexy swede...not sure I quite have the Nordic cool about me though. Check out these images from Elle.com and Facehunter to see if you agree...







The above scarfed sexy is actually from Copenhagen but I wanted to throw her in the mix.



All in all, I have decided that I want to visit Stockholm. So I shall add it to my travel list...Barcelona, Tokyo, Australia, New York and now Stockholm :) Who's coming?

Cheating, really.

This is outright cheating, I know, but I thought I should share with you my favourite bloggy reads on the web. I regularly read blogs and I frankly don't know how we ever coped without them. The rise of public interest in what everyone wears, be they famous or not (yet), has caused blogs to become the go-to for our online fashion fix. So without further ado, (and in no particular order), here are my favourite blogs :)

FASHION.GRUNGE.STYLE

I love this site cus it is just a constant feed of all things grungy and moody. TOTALLY me, as you may or may not have already figured out. I love how varied her posts are with everything from street style shots, to (her favourite) MK and A Olsen shots, to full on editorial and catwalk posts. She's a photographer and knows what looks good. Definitely my daily dose of dirty fashion ;)

Here's some pics from some of her posts:


*MOMENT TO DROOL*.....and continue...

TRAVINIA

Travinia is the blog of an achingly cool missus from Kuala Lumpur. She's got an undercut (cool) and she regularly blogs her outfits (also cool). She also posts pics from new ranges and labels she loves such as Black Milk and Christopher Kane. Love her style, love her blog, love her!



FASHION SQUAD

This blog is a bit girlier than my usual favourites, but she's got style nonetheless and deserves a mention. She's a model is Carolina Engman, and blogs backstage piccies from her shoots as well as street-y stuff of her and her friends. It's just pure, raw inside industry pics....we're spoilt really, aren't we!



I also love a bit of Tavi's Style Rookie, Rumi Neely's Fashiontoast and the big bad(ass) blogs of The Sartorialist, Vogue and Topshop.

If you love a bit of the old backstage gossip style blogs, stay tuned for insider piccies from behind the scenes of A La Mode in September as well as all the goss I gather from the afterparties of London Fashion Week....I don't know about you but I CAN'T WAIT XD

Popping Up All Over The Place

I did a spot of street style modelling for Swarovski a few weeks ago and the images have been used to promote their latest designer ranges. I'm the home page piccy at the moment (natch) and I think the styles will be rotated on a weekly basis to show different ways to wear the jewellery

It was a fantastic experience to work with Jackie Dixon on the shoot and surreal to be a model for a day. Here are my 5 minutes of fame!!...

ALAN XAN KOCA

Yet another insanely cool designer has been added to the bill for LGN Events' A La Mode show (17th-18th September 2010)

In a mammoth catwalk show, the Hamburg based designer will be showing forty looks, highlighting his innovative passion for luxury design.



Fashion clearly runs in the blood of the half Turkish, half German designer, as Koca hails from a line of successful tailors. Becoming adept in design from a young age, Koca began his fashion studies at the highly regarded Antwerp Royal Academy of Fine Arts. Here, he was able to increase his practical skills while gaining original thought, through the Academy’s focus on encouraging experimentation; skills which Koca has entwined in his work today.

First thrown into the limelight when his debut collection was shown at the 2009 Mercedes Benz Fashion Week in Berlin, designer Hakan is known for his eclectic style. He draws on his own influences, past eras and foreign cultures, whilst managing to provide a subtle hint of sensuality. Driven by his teaching at the Royal Academy, Koca strives to constantly reinvent the new, through fragmentation and innovative form. The exploration of femininity is also central to his work.

A cultural, colourful mesh of fragments and patterns, beautifully created using a variety of techniques such as draping, ruffling, fringing and braiding, Koca’s designs come alive through endless textures; cashmere, silk, leather. A woman wearing a Koca piece will not fail to be impressed, being made to feel feminine and beautiful. With collections that frequently amaze, the Alan Xan Koca label combines eclectic and sensuous style with the love of changing art into wearable pieces for everyday life.

Koca will be showcasing in an exclusive catwalk show at London’s Charing Cross Hotel on Saturday 18th September from 1pm. Be the first to see this exquisite Spring Summer 2011 range at this off-schedule London Fashion Week soiree. Alan Xan Koca - the label to watch this September!
Press and buyer’s wishing to attend the show should email: Theresa@lagenevenorth.co.uk
W: www.lagenevenorthevents.co.uk or W: www.alanxankoca.com

KAWAIIIII!

I've always been a die-hard lover of Harajuku fashion, those Tokyo kids seriously know styling. So I thought I'd share with you some of my most inspiring Tokyo fashion images (all sourced from Tokyo Fashion )

As you know, I'm a sucker for a DM. I'm SO into this chicks tshirt and hat though.


This guy deserved two spots on my list purely because of his glasses and undercut. Check out those melting ray bans! Love a subtle novelty in an outfit.


Cute couple
I love the girl on the rights necklace. Her colour matching is topnotch too!

Always loved this lady, she's got her proportions down and the layering is just 100% cool

To be able to almost completely conceal your face and still look edgy and inspiring? Takes some skill.

Want her shorts!

Love this t-shirt



So yeah, if anyone wants to send me all expenses to Tokyo to do some first hand street style blogging, I could be persuaded ;)

Also, buy Fruits, available from all good bookstores. Best picture book money can buy.

HAIRCUT

I got my hair cut and dyed on Monday but the result was more apricot blonde (bad) than pinky ash blonde (good). Went back today and my sweetheart of a hairdresser Charlie sorted it out for me. Here's the result....As you can tell, I'm pleased :) You like?

Borough St., Market

So I've been tasting the delights of Borough Street market today, hardly fashion related I'll admit but you have to agree the colours of these pics are inspiration in themselves. Also, the produce on offer is just amazing. Fresh and cured meats, chillis and herbs by the bucketful, aromatic salty fresh-caught fish, handmade jams, chutneys, pates, breads and cakes. MM! MM! MMMMM!!

Ones to watch...

So I thought, (after a short period off awol...SORRY!!!), that I would post a blog about up and coming talent and names to look out for.

First up, ZARA MARTIN:

This stunning little star of half Indian, half British descent is rapidly gaining popularity as the hottest new face of the small screen. I was lucky enough to meet Ms. Martin at a recent Swarovski shoot collaboration with Jackie Dixon and she was utterly delightful. She's sweet, friendly and I was seduced by her delectably lovely rich voice - perfect for her career path! Zara is set to host this year's London Fashion Week at Somerset House, and look out for her yet to be revealed Bodyamr collection. We wait with baited breath Zara!

Next up? RUMI NEELY:

This beautiful model has been making a name for herself online as blogger du jour. She is the face of Forever 21 (WHEN oh WHEN will Forever 21 come to the UK?? If anyone knows...tell me!!) and reports back from her various expeditions all over the world for other modelling jobs. Her impeccably edgy yet naturally effortless style grabbed me from the moment I first laid eyes on fashiontoast (her blog) and she is definitely going to become a globally recognised name. You mark my words UK!

Finally, RHIANNON JONES

Rhiannon Jones is, as her fashion brands name might suggest, Bolshie. I saw her in person at a party for the magazine Random back in July and her day to day (or at least evening) attire is just as crazy as the above image would suggest. A real life London-Lady-Gaga, (i.e. gaga but with the style and edge of Britain's most genuinely trendy city), Rhiannon is a fashion designer. Obviously her designs aren't for the faint-hearted but this name is definitely one to look out for. Her drastic take on fashion incorporates bold prints, bright colours and dacapitated Barbie Dolls. And at the tender age of 17, Bolshie is cool. End of.


My final one to watch would be me! Currently carving a name for myself in the fashion industry, I am an edgy, metal loving marketing grad currently looking for work in fashion PR, magazine work and events. If you're interested in finding out anything more about me, please feel free to email me at sarah.warman@gmail.com. :)