R for...

So... it was only when I logged in to look at something on here that I noticed it has been almost 2 months since I last blogged... TWO MONTHS.  I thought that it was time to put something new up, and what better week than this week to start blogging again, for this week is my last week at my current job before I start interning.  I am terrified and exhilarated all in (mostly) equal measure.

Anyway, there will be more about my interning later on... but for now I wanted to do a quick post about a beeeeautiful new bit of jewellery I got recently.  If you scroll down the page a bit you'll see I did a post a while back about the amazing London-based jewellers ECOne.  Well that blog post actually won me a competition with them and THIS was my prize...

If you can excuse the terrible iphone photography, you can see my beautiful initial necklace (wrapped around my lucky buddha).  The necklace is made by ECOne's in-house team and the photo doesn't do justice to the lovely intricate flowery pattern that is embossed onto the front of the R.  I chose to have the green tourmaline and the pearls added to it, and I wasn't sure how it would look when I asked for it but they actually look great against the gold.  Again, the very amateur photography doesn't show it but the gold is really bright and it stands out amazingly well against a lot of my clothes.

I currently wear this by itself most of the time but I want to get some longer chains to tangle it up with a bit.  I haven't been shopping in so long and I need to go before my internships start so I'll have to keep an eye out for some good jewellery to go with this.

For now though I'm off.  I'm about to start a second blog (yet to be named) that is going to act as my online diary whilst I'm interning.  So if you want to know what goes on in the life of a fashion intern, check back for the details.

Until then,

Becky xx

Exciting times...

So my love of fashion extends beyond a (sorely neglected) blog and reading a lot of magazines*... I actually want to do this full-time as a career, the whole works.  So I recently decided to give up my not entirely badly paid job and work for nothing for a while doing some internships.  


I haven't mentioned it on here before as my employers didn't know but I finally handed in my notice yesterday after weeks of thinking about it, and I couldn't be more excited!  I am finishing at the end of August to spend as much time as I can afford getting experience that will hopefully, one day, lead to a job.  I'm going to blog about my experiences along the way in a kind of journal... so goodness knows if anyone actually reads this thing but hell if you're interested, I'll be letting you know exactly what goes on during a fashion internship.  


Anyhoo... that was just a quick update.  I have been leaving this poor blog unattended in recent weeks due to seemingly being all over the place but there have been hundreds of things that have inspired me recently and I need to get some of it down.  


More soon.  




*I am moving house right now and have recycled a LOT of magazines.  Why do I keep weekly magazines?!  My monthlies like Vogue I can't bear to throw away, but weeklies?!  It's not right.

Anthropologie

So just been doing my nightly round of all the fashion blogs and magazines and came across a bit about Anthropologie's new collection and I'm a little bit in love.  I've not been into their store on Regent Street yet even though it opened about a year ago, mainly because of my end-of-university induced financial state.  I knew they were a bit out of my price range at the time and didn't want to tempt myself... and having seen their new collection I know I would have been in trouble.  Take at look at some of my favourite pieces:

Photos: Anthropologie

I think the top one of these is beautiful, although I'd wait until autumn to wear it.  It's just so soft looking, like a little grey rain cloud.  And I love the rain (I'm English, I have to).

Photos: Anthropologie

I adore these two.  I adore them more for knowing that they are not something I would usually wear.  No matter how many times I try, and no matter how many nice looking clothes I buy, whenever I go shopping I always end up buying clothes that are black, grey, or white.  These are definitely a break from that... and a step towards my aim to buy more colourful clothes this summer... I failed miserably by buying a black maxi dress last weekend. 

Finally... there's THIS:

 

Photo: Anthropologie

This is just beautiful... the detailing on the bust is so intricate and it's quite an interesting neckline.  The only thing I'd be tempted to to is cut off that tiered piece at the bottom... or at least I would if the dress wasn't over £200. 

I've just noticed that I have typically chosen to talk just about dresses... another hint to my personal style.

I am heading off to Notting Hill this weekend for some vintage hunting... all these have left me feeling a little bit inspired to find something a bit different to what I would normally buy.  

Or maybe I'm just feeling inspired by this new wave of summer air...

London, ECOne

About 18 months ago I was introduced by a friend to the wonderful London-based jewellers ECOne.  Run by Jos and Alison Skeates, who set it up 13 years ago, the company's name comes from the the postcode of the diamond and jewellery-making area in London (EC1).

I must admit, as much as I love jewellery I very rarely go out looking to buy it, I usually pick up odd bits and pieces on random shopping trips.  However, when I was asked to go along to an event at one of ECOne's stores I was instantly in love and it is somewhere I would happily go to all the time to look at their stock, were it not for the damage it would do to my bank balance.  This by no means that ECOne's stock is ridiculously expensive, in fact it's all quite affordable, the problem is I'd want to buy it all.  

The affordable factor is just one of the things that attracts me to ECOne's stock, and as a quick note do not read affordable as cheap, these pieces are high quality and beautifully designed and most pieces are over £100 minimum.  The other main attraction for me is the contemporary style of most of the pieces at ECOne; I'm totally not a traditional jewellery type of person, it just doesn't suit me.  I prefer more unusual pieces, and that's just what you get at ECOne.  Here are some of my favourites from their most current collection:

Photos: ECOne

Both of these rings are by designer Monica Vinader, whose pieces I love, so much so that I have one of her rings.  I'll post a picture of it soon, it's quite different to both of these.  Monica's rings always follow a similar theme of a large stone with a border on a usually gold band.  Most of the stones are cut on the surface, which makes them so interesting to look at, one of my favourites from a couple of seasons is a square version, oh I wish I had it!

Sticking on the theme of rings, I cannot describe how much I want THESE:

Photos: ECOne

I just love, love, LOVE these.  The more I look at them the more desperately I want them.  They are designed for stacking... just imagine!  They'd look beautiful with a long skirt and some sandals, a casually thrown on scarf and a denim jacket and perhaps a couple of long necklaces.  Oh I WANT!  Maybe time to start dropping hints to the boyfriend... 

Right, time to stop lusting.  Just so you know, those two lovelies are by Erika Pena.  

Finally for tonight I want to show you these two little treasures:

Photos: ECOne

Cute, no?!  They're designed by Tina Lilienthal, and there are a couple more like them in the collection.  I like the simplicity of the second one with the single gold bunny, but I like the oxidised skull and chain on the top one.  I think it'd be quite nice to wear a couple of these at once a little bit tangled up... I'd be tempted to alter the chains so they were different lengths as well. 

There is so much more available at ECOne than I have put up here, and there is one collection in particular that I am going to post about separately.  I recommend taking a look at their website to see everything else, but I recommend going into one of their shops even more highly.  The staff are lovely and so knowledgeable, and if you go to the Exmouth Market store you can take peer into their in-house workshop and see some of the pieces being made! 

Just maybe leave the credit card at home... 

Miss Moss

Hmmmm... so the fashion force that is Kate Moss released her twelfth Kate Moss for TopShop collection today.  (By the way I can't believe it's been twelve collections, I remember when the first one came out and it doesn't seem that long ago).  As with most of the other collections it has been met by mass hysteria from the media, because, you know, it's KATE MOSS. 

I know I already sound cynical, and I should probably try and correct that, but if I'm completely one hundred percent honest I AM cynical about these collections.  Now don't get me wrong, I do have some pieces from past collections, in particular I LOVE one light blue vest top I bought from that first collection, it sits perfectly and has a quirky detail on the neckline at the back.  But to me a lot of the pieces just don't quite justify the madness that surrounds their launch.  There always seems to be something lacking... for instance, take this shirt:

Photo: TopShop

So it's kind of cute I suppose, although they definitely should not have styled it with most of the buttons done up.  And ok, it might look nice with a pair of denim shorts and the sleeves rolled up, but I know for one this is not something I would automatically pick up if I saw it in a shop.  It's just a bit meh.  I know it's all about how you wear it and all that business, but my point here is there is a LOT of fuss made when a new Kate Moss collection comes out, and this kind of stuff just doesn't warrant it.  Nor does it warrant the £55 this shirt costs.  I could pick up something similar but more beautiful in a vintage store, and it'll have more character. 

My other problem is, that not only is some of this stuff a bit dull, but some of it is downright hideous.  My main culprit is this little number:

 

Photo: TopShop

This. Is. VILE.  I am not a fan of butterfly prints on clothing as it is, but this is just horrifically twee and I just cannot imagine how it made it into the final collection.  In all honesty to me it looks like something you'd get in those shops you see in London that have no name on the front and are filled with a lot of tacky clothes and a one hell of a lot of man-made fibers.  In fairness though, I feel this piece repulses me so much due to a combination of the cut and the print, because it's kimino-style friend here offends me far less:

Photo: TopShop

I don't mind this at all and in actual fact quite like it.  Although I simply cannot think of any occasion when I'd wear it.  Maybe my life just isn't quite exotic enough... I imagine it would do quite well with some sandals and a tan if I were on holiday in St Tropez, but given my financial status I don't think that holiday is coming any time soon.  Maybe I'll hold off buying this one. 

A couple of pieces I WOULD buy, are these:

Photos: TopShop

I realise they are both kiiiiiind of similar in a pale, lacy way, but I love the summery feel of the shirt and I love love LOVE the shape and structure of the jacket.  I really have to get out of the habit of buying white tops though... a vast majority of my wardrobe is either black, grey or white and just recently it's been driving me mad and I'm on a mission to change it.  But more about that another time. 

Finally, before I give this up and head to bed (I feel so old when 11 o'clock is a late night) I wanted to mention this jumpsuit:

Photo: TopShop

This is probably my favourite piece from the collection (except maybe this lace dress) but I know I could never wear it, which upsets me greatly.  Not only do I probably have even less occasion to wear this than the kimono, I am far too short and also just don't have the "look" to carry this off.  However, one of my friend has the most wonderful twenties kind of look to her and she's tall, so I will be living vicariously through her and forcing her to buy this, I even know she has the shoes to go with it!

  

Happy Birthday Chopard

So just a quick post as it's quite late at night and I am actually at my boyfriend's house an sat upstairs being remarkably unsociable (everyone else is downstairs) but I was just doing a quick online shop and decided to check vogue.com quickly and saw some pictures of Chopard's 150th birthday celebrations and had to comment.  Take a look at the article here and check out Gwyneth Paltrow's dress, it is just beautiful.  In case the link doesn't work, it's a long lace number by Antonio Berardi, and the lady herself also looks phenomenal.  Gorgeous hair, perfect make-up, and a body to die for.  It's quite unbelievable that she has had two children.

Incidentally though none of the other guests really set my world on fire with their outfit choices.  Kate Hudson disappointed me in particular with what looked like a grey silk sack... I nearly cried when I read it was by one of my all time loves, Lanvin.  Not one of your finest creations Mr Ebaz.  Kate's lazy accessorising didn't help her case either, just a (quite frankly fairly high-street looking) set of beads slung round her neck.  I suspect the necklace is Chopard and had been lent to her for the evening but it looked a bit weak and last-minute, and like a publicist had given it to her as she was abut to get out of the car.  Chopard had also kindly lent her some earrings which were far more beautiful but because Kate has such (gorgeous) thick hair, and she was wearing it down, they kind of got lost.  Big earrings need an up-do. 

Anyhoo, check out the pics at vogue.com, I'm off to pretend to understand why boys find Match Of The Day exciting.     

  

Found: one cat, goes by the name of Miu Miu, last seen on the High Street, looking for one careful owner.

So having just posted about those little Miu Miu beauties last night, check out this piece on New York Magazine's website.

Zara is doing a rather familiar-looking cat print this season!  I have to say I am quite excited... and will be making a trip to my nearest Zara later in the week.  Even the style of the dress is spot-on Miu Miu, with the low neckline and the little collar.  Maybe a tad suspicious for the people at Miu Miu, but very happy days for my wallet. 

Looking forward to a bit of summer wardrobe shopping this weekend... it's been a long time coming but the sun is finally out here in London!

Long time... and object of lust.

Wow... it has been a really long time since I've blogged... its not through lack of things to talk about, but just a lack of time to actually get them down on here... a lot has been going on in the past couple of months.  Anyway, hopefully I will now have some more time to put more into this, and hopefully there are also some adventures coming my way that will give me a lot to talk about!  More about that though as it happens... 

So tonight I thought I would write quickly about my object of lust... a pretty tough choice given I'm like a magpie and get distracted by pretty shiny things very quickly.  However, I have to say that THESE make me feel a little bit weak at the knees:

Aren't they just BEAUTIFUL?  The cat print is just adorable.  I never thought I would wear clogs again after the last time when I was about 6 (they were white patent, and I loved them) but some of the ones that are out this season are incredible (see also: Chanel).  It's the big chunky wooden heels that do it for me.  I'm not a massive fan of stiletto heels, for one they are ludicrously uncomfortable, and I also just don't find them as visually exciting (save for Christian Louboutin - the man can do no wrong).  I always tend to go for more chunky footwear, I think it offsets pretty dresses really well.  This does tend to find me in bit of a situation at times though, sometimes chunky footwear just stands out a little too much and doesn't exactly match the occasion... maybe I need to invest in some more delicate shoes.  Hmmmm... a reason to go shoe shopping?  Never a bad thing. 

Interesting how this post has gone from me lusting over these rather heavy clogs to looking for stilettos.  I know in my heart though it just won't happen... I'd be won over by these any day.  Sadly though, I know that no matter how much I adore these, the likelihood of me having them is slim... they're sold out all over the place and, more importantly I suppose, my budget doesn't exactly allow it.  Sigh... There are some really good high street clogs out there though (but without the cat print), Topshop do a particularly good pair.

Right... time to go and grapple with this Twitter malarky.  I've avoided it for a long time but I decided it would be a good idea as I can post shorter bits and pieces when I don't have the time to do longer posts. 

More blogging soon. 

LFW - Burberry

So the London Fashion Week womenswear shows closed in wondrous style on Tuesday evening with Burberry showing at the Chelsea College of Art, just round the corner from their headquarters.  This is only the second time Burberry have shown in London in recent years (they returned for the Spring/Summer shows back in October to wild excitement from the fashion pack) and by all accounts their shows haven't disappointed.  This week the soundtrack inside the venue was of pouring rain, which I just love the thought of - there's nothing better than being all cosy indoors and hearing rain pouring down outside.

And speaking of cosy... just LOOK at this collection!

I cannot describe how much I want that military jacket... the shearling detail round the bottom is just magic.  I am a huge outerwear person, I have a real thing for coats and I particularly love the really high collars on these aviator jackets.  I just love the idea of doing them right up on a really cold day here in London, you'd never want to go indoors!

I must confess that I do have a massive affinity for Burberry, I did some work experience with them about a year ago and I have followed their collections closely ever since.  I got to work with the fabrics team on the design floor of their huge (and very beautiful) offices and it was just the most fascinating thing to sit and watch everyone going about their work.  It was amazing to see just how much work goes into a collection, and even more amazing to see the finished articles in magazines and in shop windows over a year later.  All those pastel colours that are currently in the Spring Summer '10 collection?  I saw them pinned to a mood board in December 2008.  It's just insane to think that what we are going to wear next spring has already been decided for us, for the brands this is not just last season, it's even older.

However, let's not try to get too ahead of ourselves, it's bad enough to be thinking about Autumn/Winter '10 when we're only just coming out of Autumn/Winter '09 (is anyone else SO ready for summer now?  Even just a bit of pale spring sunshine would be welcome).  But seeing as we're on the subject, lets go back to Burberry A/W '10: there were some welcome tailored pieces amongst the bulkiness of the sheepskin, including THIS:

A lot of the fashion publications have concentrated on the colours of the delicate lace dresses that were underneath the coats, which to be honest I didn't really care for, a couple were pretty but in all honesty I thought some of them looked cheap.  However, THIS is wondrous.  It was such a massive pop of colour in amongst all of the dark khakis and military greys and blues.  Can you imagine walking down the road on a miserable winter day and seeing that? I know it'd make my day!

To see the whole Burberry collection go here.  I recommend looking out for the military jackets with the zip-off bottoms and also the shearling ankle boots that I am going to beg, borrow or steal to get hold of!

Another success for a certain Mr Christopher Bailey, the nicest man in fashion. 

London Lovin'

My oh my... time just rushes by doesn't it?  I constantly feel bad that I am putting up nowhere near as much as I would like on this blog at the moment.  I just feel stupidly busy at the moment, my job keeps me busy during the day and then in the evenings and at weekends I seem to be out a lot either visiting friends or seeing my boyfriend.  There barely feels like time to sit down sometimes.  Although I can't really complain about having a social life, there are worse thing to happen.

One of the things that frustrates me though is that this is a fashion blog and so far this blogger has missed out on covering Paris couture week AND New York fashion week.  Even more shockingly, I only have one more day to cover London Fashion Week, so I better get to it.

London is, right now, my home town, and I love it.  Bit of a cliche maybe, but I genuinely do.  I came here when I started university just over 4 years ago and I can't imagine leaving for quite a while yet.  It's such a diverse place, and for me is THE fashion capital.  I love the different styles you get around the world, but to me there's nothing quite like British style and I think that that's an opinion that is held by many across the world.  It frustrates me sometimes when you hear people talk about London style and London Fashion Week in a kind of patronising way, like we're the little kid brother or sister of New York, Paris and Milan.  Even the British fashion press do it, like we're accepting the title, and we shouldn't.  We should stand proud and make ourselves known, much like the late Alexander McQueen did.  He was a man who was incredibly proud of his heritage and made London the focus of his internationally renowned label.  Much has been said about McQueen in the past two weeks, but I would like to say this: the man had a point.

So, here is a quick round up of some of my favourites from fashion week this season:

Gypsy florals and leather at Christopher Kane A/W '10

Gorgeous colours and digital prints at Erdem A/W '10 - I want this whole collection.

Mark Fast A/W '10 - I was a bit disappointed with the rest of this collection but these two are beautiful.

Matthew Williamson A/W '10 - Expect to see more on this collection in a post later on, I'm obsessed! 

There's a couple more collections I want to put up, but I shall do that at a later date but for now this post is a little picture-heavy!  

Last day of LFW tomorrow, hopefully I'll be blogging with first-hand experience next time it comes around... fingers crossed!