pink cube

Check out this photo of the Water Cube in Beijing. Most of you may have remembered this back in 2008 for the Olympics. In conjunction with Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the Water Cuber went pink on September 15 which is part of the Estée Lauder Companies’ Global Landmarks Illumination Initiative this year. Isn't this gorgeous??

Photo courtesy of style.com

bianco/nero

Feeling inspired by all my recent postings and collections from Milan, I have decided to trial some of the looks myself. This look is a reference (a cross combination = crombination) to this image from Francisco's collection for Calvin Klein and Martine Sitbon's Rue du Mail which debuted yesterday. My idea here is a little different as I was favouring the monochrome look. Do you ♥ this outfit as much as I do?

Catwalk images via style.com
(Top and leggings from Zara, scarf from American Retro, shoes from a thrift store)

It's final - it's a WHITE OUT this season or total Milanese bianco pazzia. So in my frenzy of references, I remembered this Harpers Bazaar spread some time earlier this year. I loved this piece of editorial as the styling is still very relevant and edgy.

Loving the cut-out details and the bling-ed out accessories. Am inspired this very second to bling/white out myself!

Yes yes? or No no? or total Tipp-Exy-sexy love?

singing schubert

Simon Schubert is such a facinating artist. Loving his interpretations of interiors using paper. As it is all about archicture today (yawn!?) and forms, this would make facinating reading. Non?

Infatuated with the shapes and forms of the clothes shown here. Simplistic beauty. Or... papier-mâché ?

Images courtesy of style.com and toxel.com

fluid architecture

Some beautiful decorated pieces with a lot of architecture references here. S/S10 is also about sculptural silhouettes. Layering, pleating, volume and angular placements of patterns playing on the fabrics' natural beauty. The effects of different fabrics also come into play with the weightlessness and light-reflecting attributes of gazar and organza, the versatility of cotton voile and nylon help to highlight the organic shapes showcasing the neutral colours used at its best.

Images from Bottega Veneta, Calvin Klein & Gianfranco Ferre S/S 10 via style.com

blue crush

Surf's up for the summer people! Looking at these gorgeous trends, it isn't hard to defy the current crunch and just live it up next season. The prints and bright hues speak volumes. Here you can see that each detail although clashing, is being shown beautifully on a short shift dress, racerback tanks and micro miniskirts.

Frivolous? You betcha!

show choons

What's your flavour this fashion week?
The mix is rather radical from extreme ends of the music spectrum. Opera at Alberta Ferreti, 80s feel, pop at Gucci and rock.

Am personally bopping to this list:
Get Back Guinozzi - Police and Thieves
Metal on Metal- No front teeth
Grace Jones’ remake of Rita Hayworth classic Amado Mio
Brenda Lee’s All Alone Am I

Dance, dance, dance!

I ♥ Robyn Peterson

A fitting ending to fashion week. Catwalk Confidential starring Robyn Peterson as a one-woman show is part memoir, part cautionary tale, but mostly very well written and delivered with a nice swish in the tail and an irrefutable sense of authority: this woman has lived a life, and is obviously still living it. (Raised in Miami, leaving home at 16 for the bright lights of New York and then to the City of Lights, Paris, where she was catapulted to fame as a model.)

Directed by Tony Abatermarco, this ingenious production is an evocative period of snaps of Peterson and of the heyday of haute couture, climaxing in the famous Vogue topless study by Helmut Newton.

Peterson is fabulous at telling the story behind the picture, and she sketches in hilarious lightning images of a speechless Yves Saint Laurent, a hysterical Karl Lagerfeld (when she snaffles a bikini from another girl’s rail and then goes down the catwalk with a dress on back to front, peppered with his signature Germanic staccato accent) and the inscrutable, dominating Newton.

Dressed in a simple white shirt and black satin slacks, she proves fascinating company, suggesting that women should keep their thighs in shape by copulating on top. This 80-minute leaves you wanting to hear and learn more about Peterson.

Post show, I met up with Tony and was being introduced to Robyn whose beauty belies her age and suggested that this fascinating story should not shy from being featured as a movie. Your thoughts?

a breather

trekstocking

London Fashion Week saw the launch of “Trekstock Loves” SS10 collection. A collaborative effort between Richard Nicoll, House of Holland, James Long, Ksubi, LPBG, MariaFrancescaPepe, PPQ and Trekstock. The launch kicked off with a party hosted by Haynes PR, Bungalow 8 and Browns Focus - Trekstock ‘giving back to charity through music and fashion’.

Music at the party was totally awesome with amazing DJ sets from Friendly Fires, Henry Holland, PPQ, Ronnie Joice, Starsmith, live sets from Vices and The Mannequins just to name a few.

Founded in 2006, Trekstock has raised thousands of pounds for Teenage Cancer Trust. The idea originated when its founder, Sophie Epstone, signed up for a Teenage Cancer Trust trek to Everest. To raise money, she conceived the idea to put on a little music gig, pushing her to visit the UK festivals, spread the word about Teenage Cancer Trust and promote the event using her now cult 'I ♥ Trekstock' blue badges. The message grew far and wide, as did the support from world famous artists and celebrities.
Since then, the Trekstock brand has gained invaluable celebrity support from artists and celebrities such as Beth Ditto, Mark Ronson, Katy Perry, Bloc Party, Mischa Barton, Noel Gallagher, Chase Crawford, Jason Mraz, Kings of Leon, Agyness Deyn, The Klaxons, Band of Horses, Jack & Kelly Osbourne, Kate Nash, Carl Barat, Bat for Lashes, Russell Brand, Razorlight, The Mighty Boosh, The Horrors, Radio 1's Chris Moyles, Zane Lowe and Nihal, Kimberly Stewart, Sadie Frost, Jimmy Carr, Johnny Vegas, The Mystery Jets, Alan Carr, even Maggie Darling! Plus many, many more. (excerpt from The Story of Trekstock)

To continue to help support this worthy cause, please visit http://trekstock.com

matches for lfw

The scramble to advertise and market different brands and designers were rampant this London Fashion Week. London was literally a pop-up frenzy.

On site at Somerset House, Matches popped a shop near the tents in collaboration with Gary Card. The shop offered a unique selection in collaboration with some of Brit's best design talents including Charles Anastase, Preen, Louise Goldin, Erdem, Hannah Marshall, Nathan Jenden and Issa. The offering catered more specifically (I think) to practicalities of working crazy fashion weeks. When you are lugging around bags of goodies from shows to press releases etc, the huge canvas tote bags come in handy. T-shirts, in case you decide to have a wardrobe change in between shows, badges and vinyl stickers for an extra custom accessorised look. Proceeds from sales were donated to the BFC Princess of Wales Charitable Trust.

Thank you Giles for letting me grab a quick pic even though you were swamped with gorgeous ladies waiting to pruchase.

new beginning

In the last afternoon of fashion week in London, the crowd is worked up in a frenzy. Lots of shows already today. All different from the other. Lots to take in. The tent at Somerset House was very busy. Queues of people trying to get into the Wakeley show.

This is Amanda's first official foray back onto the catwalk after buying back her name again. This liberating feeling echoed through her S/S10 collection. Relaxed, easy, pull-on pieces. The fluidity and layering of the fabrics together with the combination of colours inspired by an Indian summer made the collection an inspired showcase.

PS: Loving the necklaces by Maria Francesca Pepe. Yummy!!