Sunday 28 April 2013

What's so great about the Blazer?

Spring time. It has always been my favourite season. It's the time of year we witness the first bursts of colour within the boughs of trees and the buds of plants and everything seems to be reborn and rejuvenated after months of hapless hibernation.

It is also the time of year we begin to realise that we have nothing in our wardrobe except woolly jumpers and cardigans. With that all-too-familiar feeling we find ourselves suppressing the desire to raid Primark and Zara, grappling for the nearest T-shirt within our reach because we just have to have it, even though, if truth be told, we don't really need anything at all. It's just that nothing we own seems to look any good twelve months later.

But if there's one item of clothing that I'm always glad to dust off come the spring, it has got to be my over-sized blue blazer that I bought from Primark already three years ago. Comfortable and versatile, it can be worn with anything. For an every day look, pair it with jeans. For a bit more glam, roll up the sleeves and wear it over a dress for the evening. Can be worn to work and on interviews as well.

I honestly never thought the blazer of all items of clothing would be one of my wardrobe's most prized possessions. It revives awful memories of a dreary school uniform that I, along with some fifteen hundred others were unhappily compelled to wear for seven years full of lessons, recs and detentions. Back then I abhorred the very sight of it yet now the same garment (albeit with a few nips and tucks, I admit!) has risen to something of a warbrobe classic, a staple that no female should ever find herself without.

And to that I have to agree. It is one of the few items of clothing that has the power to render sublime even the dullest of outfits. There is no limit to the clothes you can match it with and with the medley of colours, deigns and cuts available, this should never be a problem anyway. Buy one and you will be making an investment...not bundling it off to the charity shop the following spring.

Saturday 27 April 2013

Style Icon: The Ballerina

I have always found ballet mesmerising. It's just so inspiring that whenever I watch it I become drawn in. Nothing is more romantic than the slender graceful figure of the ballerina, who for centuries has been the embodiment of femininity and beauty through her costume and her dance. This, combined with the imagination of story and the fantasticality of production, creates the perfect source from which to seek inspiration. It's no wonder that the ballerina has found herself the focal point of numerous works of art, photography and fashion phenomenons.

Unseen Beauty by Dina Johnsen
Unseen Beauty by Dina Johnsen
Photography by Laura Zalenga
Photography by Marc Olic
Photography by Marc Olic
Photography by Marc Olic
Photography by Marc Olic
The Ballerina Project by Dane Shitagi
The Ballerina Project by Dane Shitagi
The Ballerina Project by Dane Shitagi
The Ballerina Project by Dane Shitagi

Wednesday 24 April 2013

Stella Jean Lookbook: Spring 2013

I have just stumbled upon a designer, that, up to a few hours ago was completely unknown to me. Stella Jean, the product of an Italian father and Haitian mother, visibly blends the two profoundly diverse cultures through her creations, contrasting yet linking the refined elegance of Europe against the tropical fantasy of the Caribbean as a way to express her dual cultural identity.

This union is not difficult to notice in her Spring 2013 collection, which explodes with multicoloured prints, ethnic golden jewellery, Caribbean silk headscarves, flowing skirts and straw hats, all on which Stella Jean firmly stamps her unique seal. Into the exotica she blends a somewhat 50's vibe through the elegant below-the-knee hemlines, raincoats and denim shirts all of which make to create a rich melting-pot of eras and influences by pitting the old against the new, the East against the West. The two veins of culture that intertwine throughout give the collection a refreshing vitality through style and colour.

I'll finish by saying that I'm glad I've found her and I cannot wait to see what she will come up with next. What about you?

 

Sunday 21 April 2013

Sir Norman Parkinson: A Tribute


Today I discovered the work of Sir Norman Parkinson's beautiful photographs, thanks to the Google Doodle in honour of his 100th birthday and would like to share them with you. Sir Norman is considered by many as the father of modern fashion photography. He has worked for Vogue and Harper's Bazaar and his work remains distinctive through it's abandonment of the studio in favour of outside space. His work reflects an elegance of a bygone era and a hedonistic sense of glamour that does not seem to exist anymore.

 

Monday 15 April 2013

Mango Catalogue: Summer 2013

Gosh I love the Mango summer collection this year. Simple silk vests and chemises, slouchy pants, lightweight blazers and jackets, all teamed up with bold golden ethnic-inspired jewellery create the perfect look for balmy summer days and scented evenings.

An eclectic mishmash of styles, colours and designs runs throughout the collection: juxtapositions of blacks and whites with infusions of colour and a mix of sophisticated and relaxed convey the idea that there is no 'right' way to wear these clothes. You are beckoned to experiment with them for yourself, in order to create your own signature through fashion. Block colour and Aztec patterned combos are also prominent, combining classic elegance with that distinctive 2013 twist. For me, this is the best of uncomplicated style. Simplicity is always the key, pair it with a couple of exquisite accessories and you've got a killer look.

Sunday 14 April 2013

The Ulyana Sergeenko Lookbook: Spring 2013

Ulyana Sergeenko, thirty-two year old Russian model, photographer and blogger, only until recently made her debut into the fashion world. At first renowned for her unique Anna Karenina street-style aesthetic, she then launched her eponymous couture line in 2011, which has only garnered more adoration for her sumptuous outfits.

Sergeenko's creations appear to be a halfway point between a marked nostalgia of old-world Russia and her own personal street-style. They are unashamedly reminiscent of the decadence of Russian aristocracy under the Tsarist regime yet all seem vaguely familiar when we remember the clothes that she herself used to sport when snapped by photographers on the streets of Moscow. "They are clothes I love to wear" she says "but they are also for every woman who wants to be beautiful."

Beautiful, indeed, is the word to describe her Spring Collection, which, this season took a turn to the West, remembering in more ways than one the classic American tale Gone with the Wind. Although retaining traditional Russian roots, Sergeenko's full-length corseted gowns, frills, crochet embroidery, velvet capes and hand-painted porcelain buttons, adorned with straw hats and parasols sparkle with the evocative romance and theatricality of the folktale. The meticulousness of detail that she pays to every item along with her innate ability to transport the wearer and the observers to another time through the power of clothing demonstrate that she is definitely one to watch for the seasons to come.