Category: Style
Vita Kin x
I’m a sucker for a boho dress with a folksy feel..the bigger the sleeves, the more intricate the embroidery, the greater my little heart beats.
And Vita Kin with her vyshyvanka dresses hits all the spots.
She’s become an fashion sensation purely through her instagram account, marrying the craft crush of her native Ukraine with artisanal cool and easy, wearable bohemian chic.
It’s a bit like wearing your great-grandmother’s favourite linen (particularly if she was Ukranian) down the street. But the pin tucks are edible, the lengths are to die for with en pointe colours and glorious needlework…and the pockets are perfectly placed.
When asked if she wanted to build a fashion empire Vita Kin is reputed to have replied ‘Of course, not. What I want to do is to lie on the beach on a sunny warm day and sell my creations through Instagram. My terms are 100% payment pre order, a 21-day wait for production, paid shipment, and 2 sizes to choose from. I don’t really care about anything else, I really don’t… I can’t even imagine having a factory or anything like that … I’d rather spend my time thinking of new designs...’ How refreshing.
It’s a high risk way of telling a story – there are many opportunists out there more than ready to jump on the band wagon and copy her designs. But no-one can deny it’s her works that fly out of show rooms and have long waiting lists..it’s rumoured that Matches will have some in in August – but chances are they’re sold already. Sometimes less is more and quality can stand for itself. And why does everything have to result in world domination? Sometimes the greatest power to dazzle is with what is simply there, beautifully done.
I don’t just likey. For me it’s the fire pit of timeless love. Forever…
Laters, Kate x
Hellfire!
Wearing a pair of knock-out shoes is like delivering an ironic joke with perfect rumpled nonchalance; If you’ve gone out in a sack, they’ll still make your outfit.
So it’s been a bit of a joy to discover Miss L Fire (with bases in both the UK and US) and it’s heady mixture of new and found..
Bright and compelling, silly but sharp they’re a pop pickers party bag.
Designed with retro in mind, they’re not slavish reproductions but vintage with a twist.
And very happy to burn rubber with a pink tongue to poke out at unbelievers. 
I think I’m in love. I just want to dance down the summer streets to the mellow sounds of the slapped strings of a double bass accompanied by low husky vocals to carry me home.
Laters, Kate x
Fashion Warrior x
A style icon is someone with the power to dazzle by simply being themselves and Gwendoline Christie, (best known for playing the part of Brienne of Tarth in Game of Thrones) is as bright and compelling as any of the celebrity fashion role models regularly spoonfed to us by the synthesised, visually generalised media. But with added spice..there’s something powerful, complex and original about her..made all the more special when you take into account her six foot three inch size..
As someone who has at times felt genderless because of her height, it interests her to challenge our assumptions of femininity and what it is to be a woman.
The role of Brienne – unfeminine in appearance, an object of scorn, clinging naively to the idealised concept of knighthood but always being treated with contempt and resentment for her gender, despite her considerable skill – is a role she relishes as a gift and the most extraordinary opportunity to portray the type of feminine outsider we rarely see in the mainstream.
It’s a part that crosses the invisible line between an actors vanity and personal vanity..you have to be prepared to be displayed as unattractive, large and masculine..and for people to believe that’s what you truly are.
When the reality is very different..
This is a lady who knows how to dress and is unafraid to push boundaries.
(All photos Google and Pinterest)
It must be rather satisfying to hear the crushing sound of misconceptions crunching under the designer soles of her stiletto clad feet every time she walks…
Laters, Kate x
Style Icon x
5 reasons to love Jamie Bochert…she’s a 30 something model who stalks all the major catwalks with ears that stick out just a little bit, proving that beauty is beauty not perfection.
She fronts a band called Frances Wolf (and even managed to land a gig playing back-up for Patti Smith..in Paris).
She doesn’t believe the hype.
She prepares for fashion week…by eating.
(All photos from Google)
She loves to dance. Wild style.
Laters, Kate x
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
Sarah Harris x
Sarah Harris, Fashion Features Editor at Vogue, started going grey at the age of 16.
She says: ‘It’s amazing the consternation and/or bafflement this is causing the people around me. I am ‘brave’ apparently. Or ‘mad’. And though I remain determined I can’t deny a frisson of concern at their horror. What if they are right?
How levelling to know a stunning, stylish, beautiful woman has the same issues as the rest of us..
It just goes to show..it’s never one thing..it’s the whole person and their ‘look’.
(All photos google)
It’s about all those cliched, over-used words..honest and authentic..and still being utterly fabulous.
Laters, Kate x
Super street style x
It’s the little things that make the street style photos of fashion week so fascinating..the glint of an unusual piece of jewellery sparkling in the sun, a plait of hair coiled like a blonde horsewhip on a cashmere shoulder..or just a casual chic humour that brings an outfit together in a shower of golden sparks..
This year is the celebration of the unexpected..like a jumper dress with tights, socks and trainers..
A soft, black, leather bow..
Glasses that smile back..
Chic shearling with buckles and straps.
A piece of gold and a flash of pink.
This one is specially for Dievca..
(All pictures Style.com)
Awesome earrings and a palette of grey.
Sometimes it good to stand outside the circle.
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
Finery London x
There’s a new label on the cyber-street..Finery London, led by Caren Downe who’s high street pedigree and gene pool includes buying director at Top Shop and ASOS.
She left ASOS disillusioned with the emphasis on commerciality rather than creativity…and has returned to fill what she sees as the glaring gap in the market: Women that know their style and want something more considered in the £40 – £250 price bracket, that magical hybrid of excellent design and affordable prices – and she’s certainly talking my language…
It’s a range cleverly jigsawed together – there’s a sense of calm and knowing, rare in the heart of the retail storm, with warm, welcoming air that gently blows you across the threshold..
The shoes are incredible..
With a rich current of ideas running under simple shapes, that cunning mixture of cool statements and strong balls.
Forensically clear with a sense of attentive stillness, but still authentic and heartfelt..I’ll be following this story with interest..
Laters, Kate x
Maison Bentley Style 