Category: Designer Brands
Jewels x
Rejina Pyo x
There’s a quiet freshness about Rejina Pyo’s clothes.
She says herself ‘When it comes to clothes, I prefer a subtler approach and an element of surprise’.
With that in mind she resists the temptation for disposable, seasonal pieces.
Which makes her clothes familiar yet special.
Less is more: It’s feeding into my subconscious.
Laters, Kate x
Vika Gazinskaya x
It started with this dress spotted in Pintrest. So simple yet beautifully crafted – the flow on the placket, the upright collar, the slouch on the shoulder, the choice of colours, the block of colours..the clever, subtle curve on the blocks..
And so the journey starts discovering a new label and what other delights to feast on.
That blue at the bottom..
You’re either a volume person, or you’re not. I love it. I love the sense of intrigue that’s added when a person steps inside. Vita Gazinskaya has it down to a tee.
Not that volume is the only choice.
It’s clever cutting and ingenuity.
A simple palette with bold designs. Mi piace.
Laters, Kate x
Penny Winter x
Looking through old posts is a bit like looking through an old address book – you see people you must catch up with again. I wonder what Penny Winter is doing now..
It’s rare that I don’t use my own words for a post…but then Penny Winter is a rare beast and an endangered species. I first came across her work when exploring one of my favourite Labels Edun – for their SS14 Collection she designed and produced the horn & crystal neck cuff as worn by Helena Christensen above at her workshop in Nairobi and it piqued my interest. So in her own words – because nothing should be left out – please meet the incredible Penny Winter…
She is one of those truly remarkable people that inspires just by breathing. I can’t help but wonder when a film of her life will be made…
In awe, Kate x
BY. Bonnie Young x
A woman of my heart as a true renaissance woman, Bonnie Young has worked in the fashion industry, travelled the world, written a book, amassed an important collection of tribal costumes and jewellery (hashtag-very-jealous). Then returned to Donna Karan, to leave Karan to start a children’s line to suddenly realising that women were actually buying the clothes for themselves (pausing now briefly for a cynically raised eyebrow at the momentary snapshot of society today) leading her to start her own label, BY.Bonnie Young. This was her New York Fashion Week debut.
It was inspired by nature, the South, the Victorians all wrapped up in a velvet bow with a flair for seventies ease.
It’s flounces with fierce rather than frivolity – there’s nothing over the top or distracting.
Each texture, cut, silhouette has a reason.
It’s totally wearable, totally special, grown up, no-nonsense strength.
She’s one to watch.
Laters, Kate x
Rachel Comey. Homie.
Rachel Comey stirs the spirit, lifts the soul and happily shakes it.
Take her Ready to Wear 2017 collection which she staged, in celebration of 15 years in the business, on the streets of NY in reference to her very first catwalk show.
How apt: The source of inspiration part of the realism.
With garments in different shapes and sizes reflecting reality.
Modelled by real people of all genders, age, figure type yet still sewn together with a signature style.
It’s a gauntlet.
Laters, Kate x
Bags of love x
It was on Wednesday when the realisation struck that I was already down to one pair of school socks between the two of them. I high-tailed it to Oxford street, partly because I wanted speed…partly because I had an ulterior motive: A few weeks ago, after years of drought, I’d spotted that the stalls selling the touristy type of tat usually avoided had started selling designer rip-offs again. I’m not a great fan of faking it make it..except if you want to do something a bit radical.
I’ve been wanting to cover a recognisable designer bag in junk for sometime (sort of inspired by Anya Hindmarch, but also by an earlier random street style photo of someone carrying a battered Louis Vuitton bag covered in sewn on patches). This is just the start – the idea is to cover as much of the bag as possible.
Except maybe the back.
Laters, Kate x
J’adore..
If I was a trust fund babe, this would be my luggage of choice.
Made in America by Steamline, they’re the perfect marriage of the elegance of yesteryear and the practicalities of modern performance: Handcrafted in leather and brass they swear to be lightweight and durable.
In the past, Louis Vuitton held the aspirational luggage high ground – but it’s now so tinged with the fake tans of tv reality star wannabees that to say your luggage is LV is like announcing to the world that your coat is fur and your knickers are missing.
After years of broken zips, plastic and making do, maybe it’s time for a change…these are certainly on the list of lust.
Laters, Kate x
Deja Vu..
I’m in need of distraction: It’s the return day of the crittall door fit and there’s lots of sweaty men and heavy drilling in my house. At least the doors have made it inside this time (she writes as something loud and metallic crashes to the newly fitted parquet floor). There seems to be an emotional kickback for days like this..You want to pretend that everything is totally normal…but you get to the evening and realise you’ve actually achieved nothing..yet desperately need a large vat of gin – because these days are in fact, the black hole of time suck.
Time to mentally check out..and what better way than to surf through Pinterest..it was the summer dress above that first caught my roving eye..a simple flowing line, easy to wear but with a modern silhouette and pockets. So I followed the bread crumbs and discovered Canadian designer Kaelen Haworth.
Deceptively simple with thoughtful cutting.
They’re edgy classics with a twist.
(All pictures from Kaelen Howarth and Pinterest)
And always a joy to see they’re not designed by a man who’s a stick. Maybe that explains their appeal.
Laters, Kate x
Ace & Jig x
Ace and Jig is a fusion of street cred and hippy, contemporary and classic folded together with indian cottons and hand dyed fabrics.
The label was started by Cary Vaughan and Jenna Wilson and is based in Brooklyn, New York. The two met more than 10 years ago as fashion design interns and instantly bonded over their shared love of antique textiles..from ancient, french feedsack bags to Japanese boro quilts.
They believe in the power of the stripe.
And they believe in being different. Just delicious.
Laters, Kate x
Maison Bentley Style 