Saturday, November 17, 2012

The 2012 LBD: Little Black Dress


This season's renditions of the classic LBD.

Brand: Dsquared2
Designers: Dean & Dan Caten 
A simple sleeveless sheath dress begs for some flair. Feed it some embellishment!


Brand: Emporio Armani
Designer: Giorgio Armani
Chanel a bit of Audrey in a cape sleeved shift. Perfect for the beachside!


Brand & Designer: Erin Fetherston
Add some interest to your simple LBD by slashing up the skirt.


 Brand & Designer: Francesco Scognamiglio
 A: The embellished coat-dress...                                                          B: The embellished shift dress!



















How To Wear It: The 64th Annual Emmy Awards 2012


So it seems, TV stars no less about style (or elegance for that matter) than most Film stars these days. There will be no naming OR shaming on my account, but it must be said that some just didn't have it this year. And as I scour the net for images from American TV's big night out, I am reminded of my above mentioned statement. I think this year the problem was that, in fear of looking boring, many of the stars went 'cray-cray' with their look, sporting all forms of blinding colour, volume in the wrong places and OTT lace.

On a side note, I wanted to do something a little different today with my blog post. Not only am I going to name the trends, but if you read on, I'll be explaining how and why they suit the wearer in regards to shape, fit and colour. These 3 key factors are paramount in determining 'what-to-wear' to ANY formal event, let alone one that is aired to viewers all over the world. Hopefully, by the end of this post you'll have taken away some insider tips 'n' tricks on mastering eveningwear. You can thank me later ;)

Ariel Winter in Katharine Kidd


 A softly printed gown is the perfect choice for a bright young star like Ariel. The bodycon top and flared skirt create a balanced overall look (flared skirts glide over hips and bodycon tops emphasise the bust). Also, if opting for a high neckline, be sure to show off a bit of leg, or vice versa.

 Cat Deeley in Andrew Gn


 Dior Red is the kind of colour that anyone can pull off, but as with any bright/eye-catching colour, the silhouette needs to be considered. Cat's gown is doing wonders for her figure, as the nipped waist and fish tail create an hourglass appearance (Cat has a naturally boyish physique so shaping is paramount!).

January Jones in Zac Posen


 This is why black always wins. A classic red-carpet silhouette made modern with the use of crinoline supported organza (crinoline is a type of interfacing used to create volume).

Julia Louis-Dreyfus in Vera Wang


The easiest trick in the book for creating volume around the bust is the sweetheart neckline (curved lines = curves!). Deep reds also do very well on brunettes (winter colouring). Again, the hourglass cut creates the illusion of curves in all the right places.

Kat Dennings in J Mendel


Another great example of what a sweetheart neckline can do for your bust! Also, the sunray gathering around the waist is an alternative method of creating the hourglass figure.

Nicole Kidman in Antonio Berardi


Sequins can make or break a dress. To work, they need to have a design (like the wings pictured above). Loosely scattered or all-over sequencing don't work very well. Also, when wearing sequins, keep the silhouette simple (sleeveless column).

Kelly Osbourne in Zac Posen


If you're a rock chick wondering how to pull off an evening look, take note! Pick a pastel colour (eg. lilac) and a lustrous fabric (thai silk is a personal fave). Then you can go wild with mixing one-shoulder with a sweetheart neckline, hourglass silhouette with a billowing tail...the choices are endless but you need a good stylist ;)

Sarah Hyland in Notte by Marchesa


This sort of goes without saying, but you need to tan before you wear...uh...tan. You also need a bit of embellishment, like lace! Oh and brunette hair always seals the deal.

Sofia Vergara in Zuhair Murad


As with anything, there is always an exception to the rule. Earlier I mentioned that sequins are hard to pull off. Well, not for this fine lady. The key ingredient here is the slinky silhouette and the deep colour of the dress. Not something we should all try, maybe just something we should take inspiration from...

Tina Fey in Vivienne Westwood


A unique way of accentuating curves is the 'half-circle' or inverted curve neckline. The trick is to keep everything else really simple, with a hint of interest like lace trimming.

Zooey Deschanel in Reem Acra


Being Miss Deschanel, there is always going to be a twist. The sweetheart neckline here has a little extra space in the middle, and the skirt is asymmetric and full. A look for the quirky ones.

Saturday, September 22, 2012

Le weekend


What do you wear when your girlfriends spring a ladies dinner on you at the last minute? What do you wear when that boy wants to take you out for coffee on a saturday morning?
You wear this.

Brand: A.L.C
Designer: Andrea Lieberman
Model: Erin Axtell



Wide leg pants are a big hit for the weekend, teamed with a simple blouse.

Brand: Dsquared2
Designers: Dean & Dan Caten
Model: Unknown




















Freshen up your weekend wardrobe with a fluorescent colour like bubblegum pink. Best worn with denim or neutrals.

Brand: Elie Tahari
Designer: Kobi Halperin
Model: Alejandro Alonso


When braving the turban trend, keep other elements as toned down as possible.

 Brand: Gucci
Designer: Frida Giannini
Model: Kasia Struss


 Colourblocking has become the favourite trend for weekend. Wear it with printed accessories for extra flair.

Brand: Just Cavalli
Designer: Roberto Cavalli
Model: Unknown




















Animal prints spice up any weekend ensemble. Remember to keep everything else simple.

Brand: Mulberry
Designer: Emma Hill
Model: Patricia Van Der Vliet




















Washed denim is the ambassador for casual. Mix it with leather, stripes or play it safe with black accessories. Not a denim fan? Go for fun, floral pieces.

Brand & Designer: Naeem Khan
Model: Unknown


 A simple cut can easily be turned fabulous by adding an interesting print. Peacock prints are showing up everywhere, so go get yourself some!

Brand: No.21
Designer: Alessandro Dell'Acqua
Model: Ella Kandyba


 When in doubt, opt for a clean cut shirtdress, with a subtle difference. Exhibit A ( ^ ) lace inserts.

 Brand & Designer: Oscar de la Renta
Model: Aline Weber


 Patchwork dresses are becoming a serious contender in the 'staple wardrobe' stakes. Be sure to choose a belted style.

Brand & Designer: Peter Pilotto
Model: Marike Le Roux


 Feeling adventurous? Team a coloured pant with a printed top. Now who said you couldn't wear two trends at once...nonsense!

Brand: Preen
Designers: Justin Thornton & Thea Bregazzi
Model: Kinga Rajzak


 Rock a printed pencil skirt this weekend with a simple blouse. The trick is to match the colour of the blouse with one of the colours in the print.

 Brand: Proenza Schouler
Designers: Jack McCollough & Lazaro Hernandez
 Model: Julia Nobis


A different kind of patchwork to try. The options are endless in fashion!

Brand: Richard Chai Love
Designer: Richard Chai
Model: Andie Arthur



















Don't be afraid to wear a maxi on the weekend. The key is to choose one in a neutral colour like navy or white (obvious choices for summer). And in saying that, don't be afraid to go short either! A playful denim mini dress is all you need to get you through those warmer months.

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

The Cool & The Coat


Easy, breezy, beautiful - summer coats!

              Classic white                                                                                    Creme de la creme
 
















Military
                  Jungle fever                                                                                          Colour-blocked

















Orange crush



Saturday, August 11, 2012

Teen Choice Awards 2012

It's the one day of the year where tweens, teens and young adults take over, whether they be blood-sucking vampires, choir girls, wizards or country singers (but mainly blood-sucking vampires). They're the ones who make girls scream louder than their grandmothers did for The Beatles, and the ones who earn more than said band in a year. They stride down a pink carpet and their award comes in the form of a surfboard. And they wear 'stuff' that looks like this:

Victoria Justice in Gomez Gracia


 Taylor Swift in Maria Lucia Hohan


 Demi Lovato in Falguni + Shane Peacock


 Jordin Sparks in Chagoury Couture


 Lea Michele in Atelier Versace


 Miranda Cosgrove in Collette Dinnigan


 Selena Gomez in Dsqaured2


 Zac Efron in Lanvin


Zoe Deschanel in Monique Lhuillier


As you'd expect from young stars, the standout fashion trends were: prints, vibrant colours and embellishment. And as for hair? It was either an up-do, lightly curled or sleek 'n' straight. The thing to love about the pink carpet is that your eyes won't get bored, there's a lot of rule-breaking and trend-setting to see. In a nutshell, the future of award ceremony fashion looks bright.

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Bardot does Givenchy

For those of us who can't fork out the thousands for an original Prada bag or Burberry coat, there is a solution. It's called proliferation (think of this in fashion terms, not binary fission). When a high-end designer comes up with a genius cut, print or colour, the next minute other designers, who design for various socio-economic groups, take that original design and recreate it.

Enter Bardot SS12.
The look on my face as I walked into their store a few weeks ago was of utter excitement. I couldn't believe they had managed to recreate the Givenchy AW11 show in a handful of carefully selected styles. Yes, it bordered slightly on design theft, but no, not everyone can pick up on that. I don't know about you, but for me, its great when a designer piece is recreated for a, dare I say, poorer target market. It means we can all have a slice of the cake and eat it too. Where once being 'in fashion' was a sign of wealth and fashion was reserved for the upper class, today, fashion is about meeting the needs of the consumer. And if the need is to look like you just walked off the Givenchy runway, I think its safe to say that Bardot has met your need.



















Givenchy Fall 2011




Bardot SS2012