eah
we

[Silk caftan, Matthew Williamson, $1050, @net-a-porter.com]

Listen up—if I don’t get a vacation soon, I’m going to start arriving to work in my bathrobe, weeping and shaking people by the shoulders, then setting up a blender at my desk and making dirty bananas until I pass out on my filthy keyboard.

Hop on board the daydream* train:

*Minor edits to the above scenario: (a.) the boat would be cruising the Cuban coastline, not Elk Cove, (b.) I’d be wearing this caftan instead of the thong-kini, (c.) and drinking mojitos while firing off semi-automatic weapons into the water to scare off pirates before swearing at them with in the only Spanish I know:

Quesadilla! El Camino! Tortilla! Senorita! Piñata! El gato! Buenos dias! Margarita! South of the Border! GUACAMOLE!

100% silk, sheer—and begging for a shimmy.

-Carey

Old Silver Beaded Cropped Jacket with Bronze Highwaisted Shorts

Ikat Print Jersey Rouched Dress with Cropped Jacket

Ikat Printed Cutout Dress with Navy Sleeves

Gold Metallic Beaded Dress with Blue Feathers

Floral Graphic Fully Beaded Shift Dress with Black Beaded Tuxedo Jacket

Neon Lemon Cutout Chiffon Dress

Strong Shouldered LBD with Beaded Trim Sleeve

 MY FAVORITE!!!! It is THE dress and looks amazing in real life.

Cocktail Organza Multi-colored Blue Gown

Fashion Highlights

Big in 09

Part of the Group Writing Project: 2009 in Review. From the DailyBlogTips website

1. H&M + High Profile designers collaborations. Getting a glimpse of some of the most luxurious and glamorous brands in  the world was the perfect gift that makes us love H&M year after year. H&M Collaborations



2. Lindsay Lohan. Her debut at Ungaro + all her scandals certainly got us very entertained. Check her collection Lindsay Lohan For Ungaro (SS2010)
3. Kate Moss. Just for being Kate Moss, one of the biggest fashion icons. More Kate Moss



4. Cate Blanchett. Turned 40 and still the most stylish and talented actress in the world. My favorite person and fashion icon on earth. More Cate Blanchett
5. Lady Gaga. This fashion savvy and die-hard fan knows how to make a real statement and proves that you can naver go too far for the sake of fashion. Just look at her paparazzi and Bad Romance videos. AMAZING!!!! Or what about all the buzz in the Alexander McQueen SS2010 show? More Lady Gaga and the Aleaxander McQueen SS2010.
6. Male SuperModels. Baptiste Giabiconi, Tyson Ballou, Noah Mills, David Gandy, Jamie Dornan, Kerry Degman, among others became part of a phenomenon that generated a huge buzz this year and got us saying “Male Super Models are here to stay” becoming a fashion-Power-Force. More Male SuperModels
7. Vogue. Amazing covers, editorials, books… Best fashion magazine ever. This is the fashion bible. Vogue Covers 2009
8. Gucci. The best brand of 2009- Or the one that best represents me and always want to wear – . With Frida Giannini as the creative director, Gucci has become one of my favorite brands, with a luxurious and unique style that has me aching for more. Gucci Collections.
9. Zac Efron. My favorite – and one of the fews – male fashion icon. Everybody loves Zac Efron, he is not just a pretty face, he is super charming, talented and most important has and incredible sense of style. More of Zac Efron’s amazing style.
10. Britney Spears. I am obssesed with her – I am a Die-hard fan – , so seeing her get back at the top of the game is the best thing that could ever happen. 
11. Balenciaga. The best collection for SS2010 was created by the amazing Nicolas Ghesquière. He is just a genious. Season after season he delights us with the most incredible, stylish and amazing collections we could ever wish for. Balenciaga: Spring/Summer 2010 & Fall/Winter 2009-10
12. Phoebe Philo. She is finally Back, and looking better than ever. With one of the most anticipated comebacks of the season, she gives us the Philo girl – Now Celine girl – we were aching for so long. Here is her collection for Celine SS2010
13. Fashion In Film. Following Anna Wintour for the september issue, or getting a glimpse of Valentino’s fabulous life is priceless.
14. Christian Lacroix and Veronique Branquinho. Filed for Bankruptcy.
15. LV+Madonna. The most amazing fashion collaboration in a long time. Madonna was the face of Louis Vuitton for the entire year. Louis Vuitton: Spring/Summer 2009 & Fall/Winter 2009-10
    
16. Academy Awards. One of the biggest events of the year that is always an important fashion reference. All the trends and styles seen there become a must. Academy Awards 2009.
17. Gossip Girl. The Most stylish show on Tv since Sex & The City. I love it, and the fashion is insane.
    
18. Kate Winslet. Finally won an Oscar – besides two Golden Globes, SAG Awards and many others – for her powerful performance on “The Reader”
19. Supermodels. They always Make headlines and are amazing. The World’s Top Earning Models
20. Michelle Obama. We can not talk about fashion without mentioning one of the most influential people in the industry.

Who doesn’t love H&M? Especially now that you can own pieces from Commes des Garcons, Jimmy Choo, Matthew Williamson, Stella McCartney etc…and now Sonia Rykiel… without having to rob a bank. In my opinion, this is a smart move, for both these high end fashion labels as well as H&M… to reach out to the masses.

Come Saturday (5 Dec 2009), 70 pieces from chiffon kimonos to delicate briefs, will be officially available in 1500 H&M stores worldwide.

Said Sonia Rykiel’s daughter, Nathalie, who is president and artistic director of the fashion house, “I wanted to show that i am very proud of this collection. I also wanted to entice women who love our brand, but who may be hesitant to visit our boutiques.”

 And to give all of us something to look forward to in 2010, Sonia Rykiel will have a smaller roll out of her second collection for H&M on Feb 20. Look out for her signature knitwear & accessories for women and girls, said to be sold for retail then at 250 H&M stores. Think sequinned berets, pullover knit sweaters with ruffles sleeves, blouses and skirts with big floppy bows and glittering rainbow-coloured stripes. These are said to be inspired by Rykiel’s 40th anniversary show that happened last October.

Fueron muchas las celebridades que asistieron a la re-inauguración del Hotel El Mamounia tras estar tres años en rehabilitación, la cifra exacta de invitados es de 1.200  de los cuales destacaban la modelo Miranda Kerr junto a su pareja Orlando Bloom, Jennifer Aniston, Gwyneth Paltrow, Juliette Binoche, Goya Toledo, Pilar López de Ayala etc..

Miranda Kerr optó por un vestido negro de Burberry,  llevaba unos pendientes negros y una pulsera de brillantes,un look  simple pero muy elegante.

Gwyneth Paltrow llevaba un vestido de Donna Karan de la colección primavera-verano 2010,   la verdad es que no me dice mucho este look ya que tiene poco brillo y contraste con la piel de Gwyneth.

Jennifer Aniston apareció con el peinado de siempre y un vestido negro con escote, lo mismo que el anterior look le falta algo de brillo y me aborrece ya el color negro en Jennifer ya que al parecer no existe la paleta de colores en su vestuario.

La actriz latina Salma Hayek destacó con su elección un vestido asimétrico de Gucci con un broche de colores en el hombro, con una coleta alta. Me encanta como le queda.

Y aqui tenéis otros invitados;

Juliette Binoche con un vestido rojo de  Resort 2010, que en mi opinión fue una mala elección no le favorece en absoluto.

La modelo Daria Werbowy fue una de las que más destacó durante la noche y no precisamente por su look si no por  el humo que producía al no parar de fumar en toda la noche.

El diseñador británico Matthew Williamson también acudió a la fiesta, la cual concluyó con un espectáculo de “El Circo Del sol”.

The X Factor has become as important a showcase for Cheryl Cole’s increasingly OTT fashion taste as it is for emerging singing talent.

The appearance of the ‘singing judge’ has become a regular catwalk event demonstrating as vividly as London Fashion Week the latest and most extreme looks from our most talented established and emerging designers, including Alexander McQueen, Marios Schwab, Giles, Matthew Williamson, and, more recently, David Koma and Jean-Pierre Braganza.

Cheryl’s look-at-me, flashbulb-friendly style comes at a high price. The David Koma ‘industrial chic’ dress, which featured a metal ‘staircase’ snaking across the torso, for example, carried a price tag of a hefty £1,900.

And the Matthew Williamson ‘Cleopatra’ mini-shift, in cream wool, emblazoned with a multicoloured collar of stones, is from the new autumn/winter collection, for £1,495 (www.matthewwilliamson.com/shop).

But there are always ways to nail-down that celebrity factor at a fraction of the price. The new fashion website, www.foreverunique.co.uk, for example, has its own version of Cheryl Cole’s ‘Cleopatra’ dress, for just £175, in sizes 8-14. And the new spring/summer collections from ASOS (available from mid-to-late January), which I was lucky enough to preview this morning, and from major high street brands including Topshop and Miss Selfridge, are awash with heavy metal references which recall the David Koma experience.

Source

After living in Norway for four months I fell in love with the fashion there, effortless and cool with a vintage feel. Knitted fair isle style jumpers and cardigans with shawl collars on both men and women. I was in heaven!

But their secret did not stay quiet for long, as soon as I arrived back home last year with my Nordic knit jumper in hand I noticed that suddenly the cool students and the occasional Grandad were rocking around town in very similar style jumpers.

To add insult to injury my jumper ran in the wash and the white snowflake pattern is now a dirty pink colour. So just to cheer myself up here is my selection of the finest fashion from Scandinavia…

Ilse Jacobsen wellies (Scandinavian staple!)

These wellies were everywhere in Norway and actually looked great with everything from casual clothes to more dressier attire. Unfortunately my small student budget would not allow me to purchase these beauties . I spent the money on partying instead!

Even Matthew Williamson is cashing in on the Nordic trend…

Beaded Sweater Dress & Coat (netaporter.com)

I think the coat and dress is perhaps a bit overpowering, certainly this look was not the norm in Kristiansand or even Oslo.

And most Norwegians generally would have worn leggings or jeans underneath teamed with their Ile Jacobsen wellies!

But the Nordic trend that has really taken my eye this season has been the men’s collection from Lyle and Scott.

With shawl collar cardis and discreet yet Nordic style prints sometimes I wish I was a boy!

Maybe it’s the cable knit pattern or the chunky buttons but this look was everywhere in Norway.

Lyle & Scott Cardigan

Love it!

Lyle & Scott  also do a range of polo shirts with a Fair Isle style pattern across the front.

It ’s a lot more wearable than the Matthew Williamson version of Fair Isle in my opinion.

So there you have it… My pick of Norwegian fashion which hopefully will last for a few more winters to come. If only I could learn how to knit…

勝井北斗／パーソンズで学んだ後、セントマーチンズ卒業。八木奈央／同志社大学卒業。セントマーチンズ卒業。
2001年設立。’03 S/S東京コレクション参加。05年モエ・エ・シャンドンデザイナー新人賞受賞。07年渋谷パルコに直営店オープン。21_21 design sight THIS PLAY! 展で作品を発表。08年’09S/Sサンパウロコレクションでオープニングを飾る。大阪成蹊大学芸術学部客員教授。09年 ミラノサローネTOKYO FIBER ‘09展で作品を発表。
Katsui graduated from Central Saint Martins College after studying at Parsons The New School for Design. Yagi graduated from Doshisha University and Central Saint Martins College.
The brand, mintdesigns was launched in 2001. They have been in Tokyo Collection since ‘03 S/S. The awards they won include the Moet et Chandon New Designer’s Award in 2005. In 2007, mintdesigns garage store opened in Shibuya PARCO. They presented their collection in the 21_21 DESIGN SIGHT THIS PLAY! show. In 2008, they presented the opening show at São Paulo Fashion Week for ‘09 S/S. Both designers currently hold positions as guest professors at the Faculty of Art and Design at Osaka Seikei University. In 2009 they presented their collection at the Milano Salone TOKYO FIBER ‘09.Mint Designs turned out a dainty crop of dresses featuring details such as shimmery stripes, textured fabric and quirky graphics. One frock featured a darling print of tiny Charlie Chaplins, while another showcased circular cutouts along the sides.

As I was surfing on the internet I have found a blogsite with Jean-Charles de Castelbajac’s apparels designed for Canon in 2007. At that point I thought I should make a little retrospective photo gallery to let you know that among other european designers, like Castelbajac or Matthew Williamson I was also invited by Canon to design a collection for their ‘We Speak Image’ campaign. I was teemed up with  clothes designer Bodza Team to design the hungarian collection of 6 outfits made out of Canon’s printing fabrics and papers. After finishing the collection we had a fashion show. I’m happy and also very proud that I’ve been chosen by Canon to represent Hungary with a creative collection. Our aim was to make something hungarian: feminine and colorful mixed up with traditional tailoring. The result was a fashionable yet experimental collection of 6 outfits.

Matthew Williamson debuted his first accessory collection in collaboration with Atelier Swarovski on the runway for Spring 2010. Williamson’s inspiration for the crystal cuffs, breastplate necklaces, and evening clutches came from the artist Jim Lambie, who is best know for arranging brightly colored tape into geometric patterns.

Matthew Williamson for H&M silk and sequin caftan.

Starting bid: $375.

Matthew Williamson debuted his first accessory collection in collaboration with Atelier Swarovski on the runway for Spring 2010. Williamson’s inspiration for the crystal cuffs, breastplate necklaces, and evening clutches came from the artist Jim Lambie, who is best know for arranging brightly colored tape into geometric patterns.

I have been embracing the statement necklace all season long, and I am happy to see that this trend is continuing for Spring of next year. From layered looks to chunky hardware, these necklaces were all over the Spring 2010 runways…

3.1 Phillip Lim

Chanel

Christian Dior

Dolce and Gabbana

Dries Van Noten

Jean Paul Gaultier

Lanvin

Matthew Williamson

Michael Kors

Missoni

Oscar De La Renta

Richard Nicoll

Roksanda Ilincic

Vera Wang

Zac Posen

Here at Wardrobe we are massive X Factor fans- if you haven’t guessed already. We can’t get enough of it! Every weekend we sit there discussing the performances, arguing about Jedward, laughing at Jedward, drooling over Olly (!) and of course commenting on the outfits.

How envious are we regarding Cheryl and Dannii’s wardrobe!

Back in the audition’s process, I remember seeing Cheryl Cole in a BEAUTIFUL cream embellished dress. After a quick google search I saw that it was a Matthew Williamson dress and that it wasn’t even available yet! Cheryl’s obviously got friends in high places.

A couple of weeks ago me and my friend saw the actual dress in Selfridges and we were in love (again). Up close the dress is as beautiful as it appeared on-screen. It’s a real statement shift dress with a gorgeous beaded/embellished neckline. I’d have bought it there and then if it wasn’t for the very expensive price tag, eek. However if you can afford it (the full £1,495!) then you can buy the very same dress online here.

The Matthew Williamson Dress on the catwalk

If like me it’s a little bit out of your price range then fear not. We have found a similar budget version for you- yay! We found this gem on Oli.co.uk and for THIRTY ENGLISH POUNDS (sorry got a little excited there) it really is as cheap as chips!

AX Paris Jewel Shift Dress @ Oli.co.uk £30.00

It’s not quite the same as the Matthew Williamson number but for that price you can’t really complain. We’ve made you a total saving of *drum roll please* £1,465! You can buy the budget version of the dress here, but be quick as it’s selling out fast.

What do you think of both dresses?

Images courtesy of Rex and Matthew Williamson

Sunny

It goes without saying – Matthew Williamson is a spectacular couturier. The London-based fashion designer has the magical ability to produce women’s clothing from a conservative yet whimsical perspective. Playing with the ideas of futurism, `80s post-punk and an aboriginal infusion, his clothes are always refreshing and appealing. He knows how to capture a younger generation of fashionistas, and he’s true to British fashion culture: very new wave, very fashion forward.

While it’s quite obvious that there are layers of historical references in his designs, it doesn’t matter. The clothes are pretty, wearable and digestible – that’s all that matters.

Need a dress for this weekend but unwilling to shell out a kidney? Rent the Runway saves you the embarassment of rewearing last year’s dress with A-lister designer wear from Doo.Ri to Matthew Williamson. Think of them as the Netflicks of the fashion industry providing same-day shipping for New Yorkers and next-day shipping outside of the Big Apple. As soon as you’re done, return and rent again.

Después del display tan veraniego de septiembre (y que aún no entiendo muy bien) la firma vuelve a mostrar pasarela en su habitual modo de estructurar sus posados: cinco maniquíes distribuidos por temas, texturas y colores: 

The warmest and coldest Matthew Williamson’s October 2nd. Week suggestions are being displayed by five mannequins as it used to be.

Left ladies / Cold atmosphere

Right ladies / Warm atmosphere

Ojito que le hemos pillado! El siguiente vestido ya lo vimos en el display de agosto !

The next dress was displayed already on its August window ! (Link above)

Publicado en La Vanguardia el 26 octubre 2009

El avance de cadenas de moda low cost como Primark, C&A o la japonesa Uniqlo, en pleno proceso de expansión en Europa, así como las ventas de ropa en los hipermercados empujan a las grandes cadenas internacionales a apostar por segmentos de mercados más exclusivos. La vía que están utilizando tanto Inditex con la enseña de complementos Uterquë como H&M con sus nuevas tiendas Collection Of Style (COS) es atacar el nicho de mercado que se encuentra entre las grandes cadenas y las marcas de prêt-à-porter.

“En cierto modo, es una estrategia a contracorriente, cuando los consumidores se inclinan mayoritariamente por productos low cost, los líderes del mercado se posicionan en una zona premium, ocupando un vacío del mercado”, explica Josep Solé, socio de PWC. “Pero en la parte más baja del mercado se ha incrementado la competencia y las grandes cadenas no pueden entrar en la guerra de precios low cost porque no pueden poner en peligro sus márgenes”, añade.

Inditex, líder mundial en distribución de moda, ya basa su modelo de negocio en la diversificación de enseñas, pero para H&M es todavía un experimento. Aunque la cadena sueca había empezado a explorar el mercado premium con sus colecciones limitadas de diseñadores; las prendas de Matthew Williamson o Comme des Garçons volaron de sus tiendas a pesar de tener precios muy superiores a los habituales.

“Las marcas low cost suponen una competencia salvaje en cuanto a precio para estas grandes cadenas, por lo que exploran franjas más exclusivas para captar un nuevo nicho de mercado”, explica Gerard Costa, profesor de Marketing de Esade. Una estrategia similar a la desarrollada por Ikea con la adquisición de Habitat, con la que incorpora nuevos consumidores que buscan productos más exclusivos de los que ofrece la cadena de mobiliario sueco.

“Nuestro modelo se posiciona entre el high street (grandes vías comerciales) y high fashion (alta moda), y el objetivo es dar lo mejor de cada uno de estos dos aspectos”, argumenta Pernila Wohlfahrt, directora de marca de COS, que acaba de inaugurar su primera tienda en España en el paseo de Gràcia de Barcelona. La ubicación y ambientación de las tiendas, la calidad de la ropa y sobre todo el precio colocan a COS “en la franja donde termina H&M”, explican desde la marca. Un vestido puede costar entre 39 y 290 euros y unos zapatos de hombre entre 59 y 150 euros. La marca abrió su primera tienda en el 2007 en Regent Street, en Londres, y se encuentran en una primera fase de expansión en Europa en la que alcanzarán 22 establecimientos al finalizar este año.

Por su parte, Inditex lanzó al mercado su cadena Uterquë el verano del 2008 y actualmente cuenta con 40 tiendas. Nacida como una vocación de calidad, Uterquë ha decorado sus establecimientos al estilo de una biblioteca inglesa, con grandes pupitres de madera y lámparas de mesa que recrean un ambiente intimista.

Según fuentes de Inditex, “la nueva cadena comenzó este ejercicio sus primeros pasos internacionales y en la actualidad se encuentra presente ya en seis mercados”. Además, esta apuesta por una selección de productos premium –bolsos, calzado y textil de alta gama– le ha permitido desarrollar parte de su negocio en zonas menos afectadas por la crisis, en particular los países de Oriente Medio, como Dubái o Arabia Saudí.

Las cadenas líderes, como también hizo la estadounidense GAP con su marca Banana Republic, son las únicas en posición de desarrollar estas líneas premium, ya que las sinergias en fabricación y distribución permiten controlar los costes. La gran inversión, por tanto, se centra en aperturas y en imagen de marca. Según explica Pernila Wohlfahrt, directora de marca de COS, esta utiliza “la cadena de distribución y el 50% de los proveedores son comunes a H&M”.

En cambio, Mango ha decidido rectificar su apuesta por el low cost. La línea Think Up, lanzada al mercado el pasado mes de septiembre, quedará de esta manera como una apuesta coyuntural provocada por la caída del consumo en España.

Según explicó recientemente el director general del grupo Mango, Enric Casi, “nuestro campo de batalla no es el low cost”. La marca catalana seguirá apostando por la línea masculina HE y por las colecciones limitadas con diseñadores para abordar una gama más alta.

Nearly every fashion season there is a collection that showcases clothes in beautiful, vibrant colours. We all look and admire these amazing pieces and then go to our wardrobe and put on an outfit of neutrals. I do it – white tees, black polo necks and jeans. If you feel adventurous then maybe a bright accessory, but nothing to daring. However, now it is winter there is no better time to start wearing more brights and cheering yourself up in the morning. Go on, you’ll love it!!

But how? Well, last week when I talked about coats I showed you two lovelies (the pink by Adam @ Net-a-porter.com and a yellow @ River Island)…

Coats are an easy way of brightening your wardrobe, and your day. But they are often an expensive way, especially for beginners.

How about tops? They can be worn with neutrals and are not as frightening as a block of colour like a coat…

This is a lovely Urban Outfitters top in a great purple shade.

For something a bit plainer there is always American Apparel who do wide ranges of plain cotton tees in all shades

This is an easy way to bring colour into your life, as they will cheer jeans, shorts, skirts and other neutral bottom halfs!

For the more confident with colour there are always dresses. Like coats, dresses are usually a block of colour so you really need to be colour confident to pull them off!

The yellow dress (right) by Christopher Kane for Topshop is definately not for the feinthearted but is certainly bright! If you wanted something that was less bright but still a shot of colour for winter you could try this French Connection beauty…

French Connection’s Ann Dress which is colourful, and on trend (structured, shoulders and an exposed zip). It is also an easy way to wear colour as it comes in purple, red and houndstooth check (as well as black for those who love neutrals).

So, if you like neutrals stick with them. However, if you are feeling the need for some colour in your life look no further. Don’t be afraid – colour is your friend especially in these dark days…

just ask Matthew Williamson!!

I hope you all enjoy your forays into new bright clothes and have a new found confidence with colour. Xx

P.S. I’m a peacock/cobalt/electric blue girl all the way!! x