GET TO WORK FOR SS13

Posted by Bethan Holt, Fashion Junior at Large

Original Carhartt workwear (image from insidesyv.com)

Unlike Carla Bruni, I do think Feminism is important and would happily declare myself to be one of those oft scoffed at Feminists. Some might say that you can't be a "proper" Feminist if you love fashion.  That's rubbish. There is definitely something to be said, however, for clothes and accessories which don't hold us back; the impossible to walk in heels, for example, or the so-tight- you- can't-walk pencil skirt are quite frankly a waste of time. Sometimes then, a natural place to look for stylish yet- dare I say it- practical inspiration is menswear. There are innumerable examples of womenswear designers learning from men's tailoring for their shapes. Stella McCartney, who last night won Designer of the Year and Designer Brand of the Year at the British Fashion Awards, and Lee McQueen both trained on Savile Row.

Menswear isn't just about tailoring though. Workwear is an equally iconic part of the equation which has its roots in the labels which made super-durable overalls, jackets and trousers for American workers as far back as the mid-19th century. It was the likes of Levi and Strauss and Carhartt who clothed the troops which built the infrastructure which grew America, the builders of railways, lumberjacks and factory workers.

The gorgeous and mega talented Joseph Altuzarra looked to this culture via Virginia Woolf's novel Orlando for his SS13, an exploration which resulted in a girl/ boy dichotomy of tough fabrics, pinstripes, scalloped sequins and golden fringing. There were cape coats, skirts and bootcut trousers with "railroad stripes like the OshKosh overalls you wore as a kid" and in "a brown the exact same shade of clay that Carhartt uses". La pièce de résistance was the label which Altuzarra had created to mimic a Carhartt or Levis tag, complete with "Lot SS13". A future collectible for sure.

Miuccia Prada also took to transforming workwear at Miu Miu, using hard wearing denim and lining it with the most sumptuous silk and cutting it into slightly skewed ladylike staples like duster coats and modest midi skirts. Add a ridiculously decadent fur stole or eff off massive gem and the outfits almost seem to tell a tale of a Levis wearer going from miner to millionaire, living the American dream.

At the Miu Miu press day... frayed denim sits with bling

This is not just a catwalk thing. Rihanna, Queen of setting a trend, has taken a fancy to a Carhartt overall jacket which she's worn twice in the past couple of weeks- for a celeb that's a major fashion love affair. RiRi also too a shine to the bomber jacket from Carhartt's ongoing collaboration with APC- a coat which I spied on no less than 3 people as I walked down Oxford Street this afternoon, I kid you not. I bet RiRi will be all over the OshKosh dungarees before too long. Sadly they're now only made in children's sizes but there are the occassional pair to be found in vintage rummages. Check out the OshKosh and Carhartt selections on Rokit's website. Let the Workwear revival commence!

OshKosh jacket very similar to Rihanna's £95

Rihanna in Carhartt x APC (Image via highsnobiety.com)

THE WEEK IN FASHION: NOVEMBER 5th-9th

Posted by Bethan Holt, Fashion Junior at Large

Drama is never far around the corner in the world of fashion and this week has been no different, with  plenty of glamour, rumour and quite frankly jaw dropping development. here's all you need to know...

The week's biggest story has been the news that Nicolas Ghesquière is to leave Balenciaga, effective from November 30th. Thus the rumour mill, which had been given a little respite in recent months following the appointment of Raf Simons at Dior and Hedi Slimane at Saint Laurent, cranked up to full speed once more. Many, including Simon Chilvers at The Guardian, have expressed their desire to see Ghesquière take over from Karl Lagerfeld at Chanel as when the time comes. However, Lagerfeld himself has now put in his two pennies' worth, saying that it would be a good idea for Ghesquière to launch his own label, perhaps with the backing of LVMH. Meanwhile, a host of names have been suggested as possible replacements for Ghesquière, among them Christopher Kane, Joseph Altuzarra and Alexander Wang. This trio are already well on their way to establishing strong labels of their own and so may not want to abandon that mission for the Balenciaga job. Lesser known names in the mix include Kostas Murkidis, Boucha Jarrar and Ghesquière's current first assistant Natacha Ramsay. Of course, there is still the ongoing mystery surrounding Diego Della Valle's choice of designer to head up the revival of Schiaparelli, now scheduled for next year. LFW's very own Erdem is one of the favourites for that role. Never a dull moment.

A rather Chanel-ish look from from Nicolas Ghesquiere's
final Balenciaga collection (catwalking.com)

It's been a big week for Rihanna. She accidentally leaked, via Instagram, a series of images of her and Kate Moss in a raunchtastic photo shoot for V magazine's March 2013 issue. Not that anyone's complaining...

Rihanna and Kate Moss by Mario Testino #1

Rihanna and Kate Moss by Mario Testino #2

The night before that little incident, RiRi took to the stage at the world famous annual Victoria's Secret Show in New York where she performed alongside the world's most in-demand top models, including Miranda Kerr, Doutzen Kroes and Alessandra Ambrosio. It was a big night for the Brits as well as Jourdan Dunn and Cara Delevingne joined the line-up. The show lived up to its extravagant reputation, with a bra costing $2.5 million making it down the catwalk. The lingerie giant also donated $1 million to the Hurricane Sandy relief effort.

The "Angels" backstage (dailymail.co.uk)

Cara Delevingne makes her Victoria's Secret debut (dailymail.co.uk)

Doutzen Kroes accompanies Rihanna down the catwalk (us magazine.com)

Finally, the wait is over. Admit it, you've been counting the days. Kardashian Kollection has hit the UK and is now for sale at good old Dorothy Perkins. Now we can *finally* get the Kim/ Khloe/ Kourtney look but what to choose? Something leopard print? Something fringed? Something lacy? I"ve a funny feeling the girls who have officially given the humble, mid-alphabet letter "K" a whole new lease of life might advise "All of it, all at once". Shop the Kollection here.

Get the Kardashian look (image via guardian.co.uk)

In other high street collection news, Debenhams is to revive the iconic label Ossie Clark, whose brilliantly printed (by Celia Birtwell), frilled, full-length gowns came to symbolise the romantic mood of  the 60s and 70s.  The jury's out on whether Debenhams can really do justice to Ossie's legacy. Look out for re-worked versions of original designs as well as new interpretations. Something tells me there'll never be anything quite like an Clark/ Birtwell original.

Pattie Boyd and Twiggy wearing Ossie Clark in Vogue, 1969 (via http://herwayofpraying.tumblr.com)

She's not the first and she won't be the last but Sienna Miller is the latest celebrity to be captured nude in the final stages of preganacy. She was painted by Jonathan Yeo who will exhibit the work at his upcoming I've Got You (Under My Skin) show in Berlin. Naturally, Miller looks incredible. 

Sienna Miller by Jonathan Yeo

So, it turns out that Lana del Rey won't be the new face of Versace after last week's apparent clues that this would be songstress's next move. However, it seems that MIA could be in the line to work with the super glamorous Italian label, in what capacity is not yet clear apart from the fact that the singer otherwise known as Maya Arulpragasam has files on her computer containing "Versace outlines". Watch this space...

MIA works Versace (guardian.co.uk)

Finally, a treat awaits us. Chanel model Gaspard Ulliel has been chosen to play Yves Saint Laurent in a new biopic of the designer's life. Fashion history and eye candy, bring it on. Happy Weekend!

Bonjour Gaspard! (wwd.com)

RIVER ISLAND BECOMES RI-RI ISLAND AS RIHANNA JUMPS ONBOARD

Posted by Melanie Rickey, Fashion Editor at Large

When it comes to shopping the British high street, TopShop has been pretty much my only destination for as long as I can remember; from girl to woman. Sure there was a brief flirtation with Gap back when their European design team was based in London. Then at the advent of each new fashion season I hit up Zara as well as making a few judicious designer purchases from Celine, Givenchy and Acne.

I'm not about to say I shop at River Island, I don't, but my 23 year old sister does. She says their jeans are for girls with "booty" whereas TopShop's are for "skinny girls". Anyway River Island's recent activity has given me pause to take them more seriously as a fashion player on the British high street at this recession hit moment. First there was the cleverness of the brilliantly eclectic "Blogger Trend" at their AW12 press day back in early May. When we covered it on this blog, the story went viral with what felt like everyone in the fashion blogosphere wanting to share their thoughts on the matter.

But yesterday River Island scored the biggest and best PR coup in its 64 year history, simultaneously knocking their local and global competition into a cocked hat and no doubt jolting their rivals TopShop into speechless surprise: they revealed they had signed up Rihanna to design a Spring/Summer 2013 collection for them, in collaboration of course. Actually, unbelievably, they revealed that Rihanna had asked River Island - or as it has been renamed RiRi Island - if she could design a collection for them. Presumably she set the no doubt gargantuan fee structure too while the executive were foaming at the mouth ££ signs in their eyes...

The breathless coverage meted out in the British national and digital press today has been nothing short of cringeworthy in its overblown excitement. It supposes that all we have been waiting for in our lives is the chance to buy a jewelled cap, some high tops and an animal print onesie with laddered thigh sections - as if we couldn't already!

Anyway, the fashion chameleon that is the awesome Rihanna also happens to be the world's biggest popstar with the most followed style amongst young women and bloody hell if a British high street chain didn't go and land the big fish! Girls under 25 with a Rihanna single or five on their playlist will be lapping this one up if only for the fairy dust of their icon to rub off on them.

Someone at River Island is doing something very right. Maybe it is Ben Lewis the Cambridge University educated CEO of River Island (and nephew of the chain's founder Bernard Lewis) who recently took over the reins of the 300-store strong fashion chain after working in every department of the business over the last 20 years? But when I asked, typically as with most high street fashion press offices, the girl on the desk knew very little and is not authorised to say anything other than "it is a group effort" and other obfuscating inanities. Well, it is a privately owned company so they don't have to say anything. So well done, Ri-Ri Island. Now onto guessing what River Island and Rihanna will do together..

All that remains is for me to wonder:

1. How Rihanna's friendship with Chloe Green (daughter of Sir Phillip Green, TopShop's owner) is faring after the news hit yesterday?

2. Why DID Rihanna choose River Island over TopShop? Or did TopShop say no to Rihanna because they only work with fashion designers? Hmmm.

3. Is Rihanna prepping for a career change? Not only is she creating this collection with River Island, she has executive produced a TV fashion talent show with Sky Living HD called "Styled to Rock" which airs later this summer...

4. What do you want to see in this collection? Will you be buying? I'm looking forward to it in a twisted kinda way. 

Hmm.. maybe I'll do this one in leopard print with gold studs.. Rihanna with her serious fashionista head on,
shopping River Island back in March (from mirror.co.uk)

THE MANY FASHION PERSONALITIES OF RIHANNA...

A nice red carpet dress... 

Bootylicious bikinis and summer wear

Basics with a Ri-Ri twist

Sportswear, denim, hoodies, micro shorts

Caps..River Island is already doing Ri-Ri style for Autumn 2012

High tops: River Island collection Autumn/Winter 2012

Fuck-off sexy boots: River Island collection Autumn/Winter 2012

Blingin dresses: River Island collection Autumn/Winter 2012

FORGET FASHION, ITS ALL ABOUT TRASHION

Posted by Melanie Rickey, Fashion Editor at Large

Trashion. The word tells you what it is. But does it? If you'd asked me a month ago I would have told you the word conjures up images of TOWIE laydeez and girl chavs out on the pull of a Saturday night wearing cheap clothes and fake Angel by Thierry Mugler. These women want to look trashy, but they could not be called fashionable by any stretch of the imagination. Still, Trashion was what they seemed to be, and when we talked about it, Bethan (Fashion Junior at Large) said this is what she thinks of as Trashion.  When I googled "Trashion" to see what the popular conception of the word is, Wikipedia told me it was a movement in which followers made clothes out of trash.

Trashion, or just trash? Chloe Sims from TOWIE (via Sabotagetimes.com) 

Oh bejeezus!

In the last week, though, I've begun to sense a whole new life for the word Trashion in that it has become a genuine anti-good-taste fashion movement that is alive and kicking in popular culture, and WARNING!! its about to rear its head as a major fashion look this Autumn.

Being from the fashion school that treasures edgy, attractive chic (my other classmates include Kates Moss and Bosworth),  I do appreciate good taste but sometimes bad taste is good, as a palate refresher if nothing else, and that time is now.

Having watched Grayson Perry's excellent recent three part Channel 4 show "In the Best Possible Taste" (watch it on iPlayer here)  I've seen how relative the concept of taste actually is. Grayson made me realise how boring and predictable having good taste or the "right" taste can be. It seems the next generation down have realised this and the more experimental and fashion aware among them have been embracing what I would tern the true meaning of Trashion for most of this year,  namely the gilt laden, fucked up hip-hop inspired sportswear meets animal print clad sex vixen look so beloved of girls like Rihanna, Jessie J and Rita Ora.

Their influence is, I reckon, one reason why for Autumn fashion designers from Dolce Gabbana to Gucci and Meadham Kirchhoff have opted for more gilt, heavy Christian Lacroix inspired beading and tacky baroque styling than Gianni Versace In his heyday. In fact, Rihanna and to a lesser extent Rita Ora, Jessie J and scary Nicki Minaj have become the recession fashion pin-ups - every young designer I meet has dressed or wants to dress them, and their look is the currency of now for young fashionistas.

So, for the time being I'm embracing it, and kidnapping the word Trashion for the fashionistas.

RiRi rocking her Trashion (via thesun.com) 

Rita Ora (via thesunco.uk) 

THIS WEEK'S TRASHION ESSENTIALS

£15 at Topshop

Bling sunglasses £20

£40 at River Island

SHOW AND TELL: ABOUT BOY LONDON

Posted by Melanie Rickey, Fashion Editor at Large

  The BOY London collaboration with my favourite T-Shirt label, Long Clothing (£40 each)

When I was 18 years old I can vividly recall the day my little sister Jennifer came home with a white leatherette BOY London baseball cap. I was so frickin annoyed because I wanted one, and now she had one I couldn't etc etc. Ah, the things we used to get upset about.

We didn't look at elitist, out-of-touch catwalk fashion in the early 1990s; our bible was The Face, our icons were other young people and the brands we connected with were ones we could relate to and afford with our pathetic recession-hit bank balance. Fast forward to today and I am an adult woman witnessing a fashion groundhog day, as BOY London is in the midst of a revival and club kids dress, look and act pretty much exactly how we used to, the only difference being the addition of Mac tech about their person.

BOY London was founded in the late 1970s by a fashion-obsessed lad about town called Stephane Raynor who was part of the Blitz Kid and New Romantic clubbing movements. By the time we found it, it had been worn by Andy Warhol, Madonna, The Pet Shop Boys, Boy George, and its shop on Old Compton Street in London's Soho always had queues outside. In the mid-late 1990s its popularity and its distinctive eagle and BOY logo had had its day.

Back in February though, a curious thing happened: BOY London relaunched with Selfridges as its premier stockist, with none other than its founder Stephane Raynor still at the creative controls, although this time around he has a decent backer. Amazingly it has been freshly discovered by Rihanna, Jessie J and Nicki Minaj as well as hipster Chloe Sevigny.

The result is, after a hiatus of more than a decade away from business, the brand and its founder has taken root again in a fertile ground of edgy pop stars, even edgier club kids and a recession hit economy that is creating its "own" street culture and affordable brand icons. The brand is red hot all over again.

After Rihanna wore the below outfit on Jonathan Ross' show last month, the Selfridges website experienced such an enormous sales spike they sold out of five key styles overnight. Why? Because the brand is affordable: the average T-shirt is £35, sweatshirt £55 and leggings £40; TopShop prices.

Of course, Jessie J, Rihanna, and Nicki Minaj didn't happen across BOY in Selfridges though: their stylists discovered it after they found the 90s vintage - if 90s stuff could officially be called, vintage which it can't - store Sick on Redchurch Street  in East London which is owned and run by none other than the bad BOY founder himself Stephane Raynor. Fashion in full cycle.

Me and my sister Jennifer in our BOY days back in 1990 ish

          

BOY LONDON BACK IN THE 80S AND 90S 

Andy Warhol in BOY 

 The Pet Shop Boys circa 1994

Pet Shop Boys 1994

        BOY LONDON IN 2012

Chloe Sevigny out and about in BOY 

Rihanna in BOY on the Jonathan Ross show a few weeks ago (via ohverlycritical.com) 

BOY London founder Stephane Raynor created this outfit for Nicki Minaj, outed for the first time last weekend. From his tagged Tumblr

Jessie J in BOY last weekend - Her sweatshirt costs £55, the leggings £40 

BOY London Leggings, £40 (the black version are sold out)

BOY London sweatshirt, £55 

            

For more information on Sick on Redchurch Street go here

What do you think of the BOY London revival? 

Go shopping for BOY at 

http://leavetheboyalone.com/




PS SORRY FOR FORMATTING - cant fix it!

ADVENT DAY 19: THINKING OF SUN

Posted by Bethan Holt, Fashion Junior at Large

Start have this on sale for £115 in XS, if you're not XS then Net-Porter is your place for £185

 I write this from my desk, one handed, as the the other hand grips onto my umpteenth cup of tea of the day, made in a desperate attempt to keep warm. I am layered up with jumpers and scarves but it's not helping. I want to be somewhere warm, like lying on sheepskin next to a burning log fire or on a farflung beach where clothes are not necessary and the only tea needed is of the Long Island variety. So I thought it might help (optimistically perhaps) if I wrote about what I would be wearing on said beach. My hands down first choice is a We Are Handsome swimsuit. These first came to many people's attention last year when Rihanna and Diane Kruger amongst others confounded the usual expectations of celebrity beach attire- a super skimpy, frilly bikini- by choosing the label's Amazon Panther print swimsuit. It sold out rather fast after that. However, if you're still interested, Net-a-Porter have an exclusive re-stock. I love the The Amazon but there are also plenty of other fab designs; The Knight Rider shows a staggeringly handsome horse galloping off into the starry night while The Hunter shows a pensive stag. If you're not into the animals then The Carnival (with a very cool scuba zip) and The Garden might be more up your street. If you're lucky enough to be popping off for some winter sun then Start already have a few We are Handsome pieces on sale. And for those of us stuck with the layering and lying in front of log fires option, this is an optimistic future planning purchase.

The Amazon re-stocked exclusively at Net-a-Porter for £190

Rihanna in her panther print (image from wearehandsome.com)

Sunshine is useful for other stuff than keeping us warm on a beach... George Eliot's rather wonderful  metaphor for egotism...

'He was like a cock who thought the sun had risen to hear him crow' George Eliot

Whatever you think of Rihanna, you can't argue that this is one of THE definining songs of 2011...