Category: Designer Brands
Dries Van Wonderful x
Dries Van Noten Fall 2015 is that rare mix of beauty, intellect and empathy.
It’s what happens when fashion, art and history collide. The layering is exceptional – clever pieces, beautiful materials and brilliant lengths that reference the past – from the brocades of the tudors to the frills of the dandies. Combined with innovative textures and a lifeblood of ideas, the collection springs to life.
Long oxblood gloves with short sleeves..
Jumper dresses re-invented with brocade..
gold and decadence..
(I must get a quilted jacket)
High mixed with low..chinos with velvet and…more quilting..
Clothes made with a warmth associated with polar bears and snowy days..
(All photos Style.com)
It’s winner, winner, chicken dinner.
Laters, Kate x
Padded Cell.. x
Sometimes I wonder if my coat obsession is a bit like a whining cry of entitlement, endlessly wanting it all. The Husband is certainly worried – he now wants one coat in, one coat out..which seems eminently sensible..but it nags away at me. I just think we spend a lot more time in coats – particularly in the UK – than we ever give them credit for. They can be the ultimate style statement of an outfit.
The latest flame for my moth is the quilted coat. I’ve been looking for the perfect one for sometime and was even considering buying an indian kantha quilt to make into the ideal article. How ironic then to see Burberry Porsum with the same idea..
(Although I know which option will be cheaper..)
And then there’s the smoking jacket, once the sole preserve of men and now fair game for all with their jewel-like colours radiating magpie charm. How cool with the cropped trousers and no-nonsense footwear?
Or else there’s the Japanese option, particularly the winter quilted kimono jackets to love and wear..imagine with a pair of dark navy flares and a casually worn cross-body fringe bag..and the majority of these are reversible: Two for the price of one! Bargain!
The truth is how can one be limited in a world of endless possibilities??
Laters, Kate x
Totally Temperley x
It’s the end of half term and back to the school routine..I’m sad the lie-ins are over, but I’m already grateful it’s getting lighter every day, although I’m still wishing on the morning star for summer. At least there’s the rich mix of London Fashion Week to dive headlong into..
Termperley London is what you wear when you want to tell the person you love that you love them. It’s long lines, supremely elegant and a masterclass in wearing flats..
The silhouettes are lux and gorgeous, but it’s the effortless layering that really captures the eye. Competing currents that clash and compliment with equal eloquence.
Impeccable diction and great bones.
Detailed and tender.
It’s a potent combination of direct appeal, subtle perception and unshakable artistry.
Laters, Kate x
Luscious Libertine x
Designer Johnson Hartig of Libertine is a man who likes to chase the scream..it’s all over his clothes: Surrealism, Dadaism, futurism, exhilarating exuberance, rave, punk, street and fun.
Jazzed up juicy vintage silhouettes with glorious jewel case colours to relish with rapture.
All thrown together with Warhol’s soup can and Pop Art talismans: The joy is in the impact…the devil’s in the detail..
If I could choose any item from NYFW 2015 it would be one of these coats..the splinter is deciding which one..
Laters, Kate x
H-two-Oh! x
Caroline Herrera Fall 2015 will never be an out & out rock chic heroine..but Caroline Herrera is still a heroine.
There’s no slip and slide on an outrageous avantgarde walk of the wild. This is soft, respectful and poetic with a sense of attentive stillness and clever touches.
There’s so much to appreciate with her now seemingly old-fashioned stance of taking a theme like water, and milking all the inspiration from it: transforming, transfiguring, transmogrifying. With the materials chosen taking as much precedence as the silhouettes.
Where she needs it, the tone is strong and textural, adding a mean streak with a flash of red and killer-pointed shoes..
Or paired right back: Reflections on water at sunset..
Or snow on a frozen lake: Simplicity and peaceful fragility…(and a rather stunning wedding dress)..
Cultivated, charming and full of quality – it’s a commanding performance with an impressive range, always offering an underlying sense of knowledge and calm in a world too full of dragonflies..
Laters, Kate x
Coach Journey..
NYFW is in full force with a royal gallimaufry (look it up) of offerings, each screaming for attention. But sometimes it’s the unexpected that catches the roving eye. This is Coach..a brand I normally associate with tan and handbags..
But these are tough, potent clothes designed for attitude with a modern, fit-for-combat edge, ready to fight the worst of the winter weather with chutzpah and style whilst keeping enemies at bay.
And there’s a duffel..accessorised with a bandana. What’s not to love?
These shoes nail the bitch sentiment…hard nosed, no-nonsense but with just a subtle sprinkling of fairy dust with their glowing gold and cheeky tassel. Never thought you’d like a kitten heel? Look again..
(All photos from Style.com)
This is functional dressing with eclectic additions, it’s hard and seductive, frank and forthright with an awareness of what’s happening…but a determination to strut their own path.
I’ll have some of that..
Laters, Kate x
Jewel x
There’s a perverse delight in unearthing a bargain, and one of my best ever were these earrings from Siren London – not that you could buy this exact earring as they were actually my mash-up of two of their pairs…but it’s still possible to emulate.
The ‘kiss’ part was from one pair, and the lips from another – the ‘kiss’ earring was a ridiculously clever design with the word being a separate part of the earring which then hung off the main stalk of the stud and looked cunningly suspended just below the earlobe. The design meant there’s this blue-sky-thinking ability to use ANY stud earring to hang the word from. Sadly ‘kiss’ is no longer available..but ‘love’ is (tempted?) The lips were then the perfect foil to the words, but at £3.94 precisely one had to worry about their quality (having said that – I never got an allergic reaction wearing them) and how long they’d last..but now there’s a rather wonderful solution..
As requested in the original post, there’s now a posh version available..which means treasure, longevity and rapture..
Aamaya by Priyanka also has some other rather cheeky, desirable designs..
So here’s the thought: Indulge and mix them all up..sad face on one side with ‘kiss’…(yep..still got mine..)
Heart eyes on other with ‘love’..
Oh, how I laugh!
Laters, Kate x
Twinkle, Twinkle Little Toes..
On Tuesday I went to the rather exclusive Westbury Hotel in Mayfair for the PFLM London Shoe Show where there were all sorts of stands offering tempting delicacies of the sole variety – See by Chloe, Jill Sander, Paco Herrero to name just a few…but there was only one label for me….Claire was there with Air and Grace..and most importantly her new designs, literally hot off the factory floor….Meet Woodstock, the sophisticated over-the-knee boot you’ve only dreamt of (see this post here) complete with block heel, super soft black suede, the perfect elasticated cling and an inspirational, funky fringe running the full, graceful length…pure genius.
(Woodstock will also be available in tantalising tan. I drool…)
The new Coachella’s are also a sight for sore eyes..
The leopard and snakeskin offerings are an exquisitely menacing set of shoes, primed and ready to strut street style..
And the pumps are all ready for the summer sun…the nude and stud combination should be an illegal high…
This was also the first chance to see the new Air & Grace sole..Claire’s trademark feather is now a cunning tread, with the potential for a starring role in any detective drama..
There are so many reasons to be excited about this label: A courageous, talented woman ready to take on the world and prove that art and commerce aren’t mutually exclusive, with a product that’s sassy and stylish and super-intelligently combined with the soft stuff of snug bedding beautifully translated into utter joy for feet…
I can hear mine sighing…
Laters, Kate x
MiH Magic x
MiH, the original British jean brand have brought out their easy wear, always stare SS15 Collection.
With their love of denim and lashings of groovy inspiration, their designs are classic, pragmatic, clever and very independent.
You really sense it’s an high energy, slow process with thought and quality poured in.
They catch the nostalgic vibe of pre-mass market, when things were built to last and gently soften in the sun, improving with age and use.
To be worn collecting sea-shells on a sandy beach..or blinged up with statement jewellery at a posh party in London.
They work.
Wholesome, exhilarating food for the eyes, I can eat it all standing up…and always want more.
Laters, Kate x
Game of Thrones x
I think I have a genetic disorder that reacts to Valentino..every time I see the work of Pierpaolo Piccioli and Maria Grazia Chiuri my heart starts pounding and I start reaching for my credit card..and mortgage statements..
Their Valentino couture show was exquisite, drawing on references from across the board: Byzantine, monastical, peasant, ecclesiastical and more, then tying them all up together with a beautiful cohesive ribbon.
This shirt for the summer with a pair of faded shorts..
The achingly wonderful workmanship: It’s not avante garde, pushing the boundaries of wearability. It’s time and craftsmanship with a quiet, deep down confidence.
(All pictures Style.com)
This Collection adds one more cog to their star-making machinery..
Laters, Kate x
Maison Bentley Style 