THE WEEK IN FASHION: JULY 29th to AUGUST 3rd

Posted by Bethan Holt, Junior Fashion Editor at Large

All the need-to-know fashion news is right here for you to enjoy in one handy place. Your catch-up starts here.

Vanity Fair's Best Dressed list, the world's arbiter of who's putting on the right clothes every time they step out of the door, was published this week. Actress Kerry Washington gained the top spot, with Duchess Kate coming in at number three. Notable absences included Michelle Obama and Samantha Cameron. I love that this list seems a well-considered edit of how those in the public eye are working with designers and stylists, rather than a simple re-iteration of whose most famous right now. There's no Rihanna or Cara Delevingne but Carmen dell'Orefice is at number four while the Chinese President's wife Peng Liyuan makes her debut at no.38.

Kerry Washington in lovely Miu Miu at this
year's Oscars (image via huffingtonpost.co.uk)

Speculation has been rife for sometime about Tamara Mellon's next move following her departure from Jimmy Choo. She'd been teasing with tweets of fittings and meetings. On Monday she unveiled her new eponymous brand to fashion press in New York. The range comprises everything from shoes and handbags to ponyskin coats and cashmere t-shirts. The point of difference? A move away from the schedule of fashion weeks and showing six months before going to retails. It's about e-commerce, immediate satisfaction and monthly drops.

AT THE TAMARA MELLON PRESENTATION...

The Tamara Mellon logo (via @VVFriedman)

via @jimshi809

via @jimshi809

via @jimshi809

Bad news for Topshop this week after Rihanna won her "passing off" case against the retailer. The legal battle was the result of some t-shirts printed with Rihanna's face which Topshop was selling. The singer claimed that it looked like she was endorsing the product when she not. I suppose it was an extra sensitive topic given RiRi's collaboration with Topshop rival River Island. To understand why Rihanna managed to win, read this.

The offending Topshop Rihanna emblazoned t-shirt (via telegraph.co.uk)

Following the news that Reed Krakoff is leaving Coach, it has been revealed that he will also be buying back his own label via a group led by the designer himself meaning that all ties with Coach are cut. Apparently the financial implications of remaining under the ownership of his former employers was too great. The moves paves the way for a new beginning for both parties; Stuart Vevers is set to join Coach from Loewe while Krakoff will concentrate on his own line. We can't wait.

Reed Krakoff gorgeousness in US Harper's Bazaar (via harpersbazaar.com)

GQ's September cover stars are One Direction. Cheekily, the cover line of the issues bearing the angelic face of Harry Styles bear the caption "He's Up All Night to Get Lucky". Sadly, One Direction fans haven't taken too well to this insinuation and have been showing the GQ team exactly what they think through angry tweets and, it seems, actual stalking as documented by GQ editor Dylan Jones this week... Not even Mayfair is safe.

Dylan Jones ‏@DylanJonesGQ22h

Am currently being followed by a dozen suspicious-looking One Direction fans. In Jermyn Street, too! #staringatthepavement

Dylan Jones ‏@DylanJonesGQ22h

One of the Directioners appears to be holding a chainsaw!

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Harry Style on GQ (via spin.com)

Kate Phelan is back at Vogue with a chic and refreshing Daria Werbowy September issue cover. This issue would usually show a recognisable catwalk look, a signifier of the new season. Instead this feels different. Daria could feasibly have just turned up in the studio in her (Balenciaga) biker jacket, wearing a fluffy jumper and assorted jewellery and had her snap taken in 2 minutes. That's the illusion anyway. It's unbelievably natural and seems less high fashion, more personal style. I can't wait to see what Kate does next.

Make sure you read Henry Conway's delightful defence of the much discussed male legwear phenomenon that is red trousers. My favourite line... "I know they make me look like a total rah, but they are soft and beautiful and befitting of my Queen Sloane status".

A lot of red (and some) trousers on Lookatmyfuckingredtrousers.blogspot.co.uk

Talking of red, if you're after a modern classic designer investment then make sure you head to Harrods' pop-up Valentino rockstud boutique which opens today on the 2nd floor. Stock includes the exclusive cristal tote (below, £5,110) as well as lots of options on the stud- strewn shoes and sandals, all in classic Valentino red of course. 

Cristal tote, Valentino at Harrods (via vogue.co.uk)

Rockstud rouge shoes £675 at Harrods (via vogue.co.uk)

What happens when Alexander Wang invites everyone to a mystery event which turns out to be a mahoosive giveaway? This video...



Emma Cook has made a delightful video with handmade animation to showcase her dinosaur and flowers themed Autumn/ Winter collection. "The dinosaurs were toys belonging to my son, I thought they looked very cool" Emma told me. Emma made the film in collaboration with Oscar Gränse. It's a whimsical and wonderful start to the weekend.

EMMA COOK AUTUMN / WINTER 2013 from EMMA COOK on Vimeo.

LFW AW13: WATCH TOPSHOP'S GOOGLE PLUS HANGOUT

Posted by Bethan Holt, Junior Fashion Editor at Large

Did you see Fashion Editor at Large extraordinaire Melanie Rickey hosting a global hangout from Topshop HQ this afternoon? Take note, this is the future of fashion...

ALL ABOUT TOPSHOP AND GOOGLE'S "THE FUTURE OF THE FASHION SHOW"

Posted by Melanie Rickey, Fashion Editor at Large

From this Friday through next Tuesday it is London Fashion Week.  Yes, again. Only this is a fashion week that would have been unimaginable ten years ago when proceedings were trade-only. For the duration of this one, should you be so inclined, you can settle down at home or office with laptop and a cup of tea (or Champagne to really get in the mood) and watch 70% of the shows live on You Tube  and follow the goings on in real time via Instagram and Twitter with the #LFW tag. But what if there was an even more instant, fun, integrated and most-importantly shoppable way to consume real time fashion shows online?

Step forward Topshop. These vexing thoughts have been occupying the creative thinkers over there for some time, not least because theirs are the most digitally engaged and enthusiastic customers in the omni-channel marketplace of 2013.

Last September the brand, which holds a London Fashion Week show for its influential Unique range and funds a number of young designers through the New Gen scheme, hit paydirt with a Facebook collaboration. The link up enabled two million of Topshop’s digital users in 100 countries to view the Unique show and to share it instantly via their Facebook pages, download the music, buy the lipstick and pre-order and recolour items of the collection. Oh, and one more thing, when the data was crunched it turned out two million was the magic number that made it the most watched catwalk show ever.

Gaining such global traction was like a drug to the two relatively new brooms heading up the artistic output of the brand, namely Creative Director Kate Phelan who joined from Vogue and the former Burberry executive Justin Cooke, now Topshop’s Chief Marketing Officer.  Having mined the possibilities of Facebook, Cooke and Phelan approached Google +, the social networking arm of Google and now, with Sunday’s 3pm show streaming from the vaults of the Tate Modern, aim to reimagine the future of the fashion show experience by putting it out on Topshop’s own website, its You Tube Channel, with curation of all content on its Google + page. Or as Justin Cooke puts it “we will give you whatever you want, however you want it. We want to connect with the emotional side of the show.” 

The look of the Topshop website for Google hook-up

If all goes well, that emotional connection will reap dividends as the digital activity is measurable, from stats and locations of users, to their likes, dislikes and preferences. Not to mention a heads up of what their customers wants to buy from Topshop, and tracts of new users for Google +.

This morning I was at London's Google towers for breakfast with the team behind the project at the precise moment restrictions were lifted from the embargoed press release, and the atmosphere was crackling with excitement. This is groundbreaking for both Google and Topshop and the logistics are verging on terrifying. I will be hosting the Google Hangouts, a multi-person digital chat on Friday at 4pm with Kate Phelan and Unique's designers, and again from 2.30 live from the red carpet at Tate Modern, the show venue. 

As previously, there is music, nail polish and clothes to buy plus a show to watch, 

but what I adore about this is the opportunity for total immersion in the catwalk experience. I predict a meltdown of the ‘Model Cam’ option, which sees supermodels and best friends Cara Delevingne and Jourdan Dunn given outfits embedded with mini HD micro-cameras which will allow us all to see a models-eye view of backstage, those scary flashbulb popping steps out onto the runway and whatever it is models get up to backstage. The Model Cam will also be worn by Topshop's newest model discoveries the British 17 year old Rosie Tapner and New Zealander Ashleigh Good, who are writing digital diaries of their fashion show experience for Topshop.com.

Rosie Tapner (model.com)

Ashleigh Good (rapax.com)

For those wanting a more fashion professional slant on the action, I recommend the Be The Buyer App, enabling users to curate the collection and get tips from the buyers on how to put looks together. I’m pretty darn excited to be working on the project with Topshop and Google and will get to see the whole thing in action and will report back. “This has the potential to be digitalwildfire,” says Cooke. I don’t doubt it for a minute. 

A shorter version of this piece appears over on The Guardian 

SHOW AND TELL: TOPSHOP AW12

Posted by Bethan Holt, Fashion Junior at Large

Every time I enter Topshop Oxford Circus, my heart flutters a little, well quite a lot actually. This is because Topshop was the first place I got properly excited about clothes, a place I could go and drown entirely in the possibilities and options calling out to me across those three huge floors. Autumn/Winter 2012, and this summer for that matter, are going to be seasons to get really excited about a trip to Topshop. In fact, those of us lucky enough to go to the Unique show during February's LFW have been in a thrall since we saw the luxe military, shearling and bomber coats parading past us as part of former Vogue Fashion Director Kate Phelan's first collection as Creative Director.

I went along to Topshop's press day this morning where I heard plenty of fashion press discussing which jumper/ coat/ trouser they'd be ordering.

The neckline on this red crosses jumper is going to look bang on for AW12.

Melanie is ordering one of these

That low polo neck again, this time sportier. I wanted to wrap myself up in this quilted, animal-y jumper.



One of the best things about the Unique collection is the heavy, layered up theme which runs through. It makes it look and feel properly high end.

Melanie's favourite bomber, she wants the coat version too (greedy girl)

My personal favourite- zippy shearling...

Double breasted bomber.... Genius. 

AND there were highly covetable accessories...

It wasn't just the Unique collection on show today. Richard Nicoll has worked with Topshop on a small collection of bridal wear which is going to launch in June. There are no pics allowed yet, but expect baby doll and nightie shapes in wedding white as well as sweet pastels. A very refreshing alternative to frou frou frothiness and really rather bargainous at around £300.

Next Friday sees the launch of Maarten Van Der Horst's collaboration. If you like the Fashion East designer's Hawaiian shirt spin offs and bright colours then you'll love the Topshop line. I've got my eye on the tailored Bermuda shorts. Alex Fury wrote all about the trend for Hawaiian prints in last Sunday's Indy.

Finally, if you're still searching for perfect pyjama then never fear, Boutique is coming to the rescue. I immediately made a mental shopping list for the red overblown paisley print tee and shorts which will hit stores in May.  Oh Topshop, you do spoil us. 

All images by Fashion Junior at Large

SHOW & TELL: TOPSHOP SS12

Posted by Melanie Rickey, Fashion Editor at Large

While the other brands within the Arcadia group sink further into obscurity (400+ stores closing in next two years and lack of personality driving them), thank God the brilliant creatives at Topshop (and Topman) work it to maintain their pole position as the coolest fashionistas on the British and international high street. 

There's no denying Topshop is an exciting and innovative fashion brand. Yesterday while other stores are sea of sale signs and packed rails, its Oxford Circus (London) store was a palace of pretty pastels and streety sportswear. Their plans to celebrate Topshop's 10 years of NEWGEN support gave me a thrill when I heard them - ten years worth of amazing collaborations, revisited in special luxe T-shirt collection. Yes please!

Last Autumn TopShop brought Kate Phelan in as Creative Director of Topshop from her senior position at British Vogue. I wanted to share her advertising images from the new Spring collection. The photographs by Josh Olins, and Kate's studied (colour) and beautifully insouciant (black & white) styling are a perfect introduction to the new season.  

This model looks like the younger sister of 30-something Belgian model Anouck Lepere

This jacket is on my shopping list 

My summer look 

Jacket + silver mini rucksack please!

I'll be pulling together a look like this asap

Topshop Spring/Summer 2012

Stylist, Kate Phelan
Photographer, Josh Olins - CLM
Hair, Sam McKnight- Premier
Makeup, Hannah Murray - JW
Manicure, Jenny Longworth- CLM
Production, CLM