THE FASHION NEWS ON INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY

Posted by Bethan Holt, Junior Fashion Editor at Large

Today is International Women's Day and so (quite rightly) the internet is celebrating female achievements and talking about the inequalities and injustices which still exist and what we can do about them. One of the things I read this morning was The Telegraph's 'Feminist and Proud' piece in which four high profile women who proudly call themselves feminists discuss why that fight is still important. Personally, I don't see what all the fuss about calling yourself a feminist is. The term has a bad rep but I wish that everyone who just wants to live in an equal, fair world would just get on and say they're a feminist rather than worrying about whether that might label them a man-hating bra burner (yawn).

One of the contributors was Sandi Toksvig who wrote:

"Not long ago... I attended a degree ceremony for the University of Surrey at Guildford Cathedral. Afterwards, a young woman dressed in her academic gown and mortarboard was being helped down the steps by her parents. In addition to being bedecked in educational success she was also wearing high heels; such high heels that she was unable to manage the stone stairs on her own. On the day in which her mind was being celebrated, her shoes infantilised her."

Girls looking happy in trainers (images via facehunter.blogspot.co.uk)

 I am quite into the idea that part of being a good feminist is supporting other girls in whatever they chose to do. Have a baby and stay at home with him/her? Go for it. Get an abortion? Be my guest. Wear ridiculously high heels which you absolutely cannot walk in? Yes, have fun! But sometimes the choices we make aren't exactly autonomous but heavily influenced by what we think others will think of us. Fashion can be guilty of implanting ideas so strong that people who really want to be fashionable follow them, sometimes to their own detriment. So it is my personal opinion that is was quite stupid of the fashion/ celebrity/ TOWIE machine to make those silly heels so very desirable. Luckily we're mostly past that little era. So much so in fact that we have completely swung the other way and pretty much the hottest footwear right now is trainers. I'm wearing my fluoro Nikes today and every street style blog is littered with influentially stylish girls  in Air Max, New Balance, Vans etc. What's more, plenty of shows this season styled their looks not with spindly heels but with sensible brogues. I love The Times' Hannah Rochell's blog En Brogue, which is a tribute and source of inspiration for all shoes flat. 

I'm not stupid enough to think that this will last forever but let's just have fun with it for today. 

THINGS TO DO THIS WEEKEND...

While there might not be loads of sample sale action at the moment, there is one which you might like to take a look at this weekend...

We know that this blog can get rather London-centric sometimes so were very pleased to hear about a fun-sounding fashion event up North. Peter Jensen's SS13 collection was inspired by the sculpture of Barbara Hepworth so he has hooked up with The Hepworth Wakefield to host an event to celebrate the launch of the collection. On 27th March, Jensen will be at the gallery along with models wearing his pieces to talk about how he worked with Hepworth's art. Contact  01924 247360/ hello@hepworthwakefield.org to get your free tickets. 

Peter Jensen SS13 with hats by Bernstock Spiers

If you like shoes, you need to get this book. Pre-order now or get to a Roger Vivier boutique (great excuse!) to get yours from April 5th. P.S These might have heels, but you can definitely stride along alone in them, no infantilising issues. 

THREE'S A TREND: HISTORICAL PAINTINGS AT MCQUEEN, CELINE AND VALENTINO

Posted by Bethan Holt, Junior Fashion Editor at Large

Stop Press! Fashion Influenced by Art! Yes, hardly headline news I understand. There's never a season goes by without several major collections which are inspired by a certain artist or artistic movement. Remember the AW12 Carven Hieronymus Bosch skirts and dresses which dominated street style blogs for a months last year? Or Peter Pilotto and Christopher de Vos's continued obsession with the paintings in Siena's cathedral? While we won't get into the debate of whether fashion is art right now but there's no question that art inspires fashion and very often looks darned good translated from canvas to garment.

This season, a selection of Paris's finest turned to kinds of refined portraiture which hangs in the National Gallery for their mood boards. In the case of Alexander McQueen's Sarah Burton, who's just had twins, it was allegedly the attire of popes and cardinals which set her off for AW13. Lots of us were a bit confused by this because what we saw were stunningly crafted re-imaginings of gowns we are used to seeing Elizabeth I wearing in the paintings, such as Marcus Gheeraerts the Younger's The Ditchley Portrait, which are our only visual connection to England's Tudor Queen. As several tweeters astutely pointed out, this is the kind of thing we'd love Kate Middleton to wear for her eventual coronation. Whatever the papal connection, there wasn't a mitre in sight.

Alexander McQueen AW13

Queen Elizabeth I- The Ditchley Portrait (Image via npg.org.uk)

More straightforwardly, Phoebe Philo at Celine and Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pierpaolo Piccioli's both cited great historical portraitists in their notes. Philo produced a book of inspiration which was re-produced for each of the show's attendees. There were numerous and varied references, from images of shapely bottoms to modern art. For our purposes, the Arnolfini Wedding by Jack van Eyck is important. While the designs on the catwalk looked completely modern, the colours and dress made entirely from mink could be directly linked to this image.

Celine AW13

Arnolfini Wedding, Jack van Eyck (image via Yareah.com)

Phoebe Philo's inspiration book (image via Business of Fashion)

To Valentino, where the designers loved intense studies like Jan Vermeer's  The Girl With a Pearl Earring. They told Style.com,  "We wanted to capture women in a private moment... In this show, the face is very important". Indeed, it is striking to look at the line-up of looks as you see it on Style.com and see that each model's hair is plaited and draped across her left shoulder. It's like lots of little walking portraits. And they're all dressed in dreamily pretty, demure dresses, cut either as sweet, short tunics or 17th century long.

Valentino AW13 

The Girl with the Pearl  Earring (via essentialvermeer.com)

THREE'S A TREND: SKROUSERS? SKIRTS OVER TROUSERS

Posted by Bethan Holt, Junior Fashion Editor at Large

They were made from scratchy nylon. I wore them with an embellished lilac top and sparkly hair clips from Claire's accessories. I felt good. I was 11 years old and they were skrousers, or whatever you call a skirt/ trouser hybrid. Mine came from New Look and were properly attached together so there was no making them just separate pieces. I felt awesome at the time, but soon afterwards consigned my skrousers to the "Regrettable/ Embarrassing" category in my own personal fashion history.

And yet, a glance at Dries Van Noten AW13 gives a newly glamourous slant to the item I thought would never see the fashion light of day again. Dries' jacquards, drop waists and feathers are worlds away from my young self's cheapo skirt over trousers styling but the idea is, in many ways, the same. A skirt is girlish while trousers, especially in an evening context, are cool and a bit unexpected. When the two combine, they form a silhouette which makes you not sure what to think. I think we like that, being a bit undecided. Dries's skrousers are very chic and lady like, as were the option shown by Alexander Wang as part of his debut Balenciaga collection. Then, thinking back to London, Marques' Alemeida did little pelmet denim skirts over super baggy frayed jeans. And there you have it, three's a trend. I know that other designers have done this too by now ( ACNE, Clements Ribeiro) but these three feel like the strongest anchors for the look. Whether we'll be brave enough to actually wear them again is another matter entirely. One thing's for sure, I'm still glad I haven't kept my old New Look jobbies but I would be more than happy to roadtest the Dries Van Noten version...

Dries Van Noten AW13

Marques'Almeida AW13

Balenciaga AW13

ANDROGYNY IN FASHION: EACH X OTHER

Posted by Bethan Holt, Junior Fashion Editor at Large

As I've scooted about London and Paris this season, one of the biggest themes I have noticed is the number of emerging brands who describe themselves as 'no gender' or 'androgynous', although quite a few of them don't even seem to like that term. Perhaps its the influence of JW Anderson creating a sort of preference towards these kinds of designers? It's not that they're a totally new thing, but now is their time. It could even be that the minimal, tailored theme of which Phoebe Philo is the high priestess lends itself to women buying into menswear. In yesterday's Times Luxx, Sarah Mower wrote 'at the moment men’s clothes are better than women’s on almost every count'. Mower's piece makes you stop and think about about the rituals of womenswear; fast and furious. You're pretty much always behind because the thing you just bought is no longer cool, so short is the life cycle of a trend and they are so not made to last that they come apart before long anyway. So, in the spirit of this not new, but certainly relevant mood, expect posts about the likes of NEWGEN designer Paula Gerbase of 1205 and Antonio Azzuolo (who is exhibiting at Americans in Paris) in the near future. 

The inspiration for for Each x Other

First though, is Each x Other, a Paris based brand which I've had my eye on for a while. When I spoke to co-founder Jenny Mannerheim this afternoon, she quickly pointed out 'You know we are no gender? My favourite phrase is I am Man. It's so ambiguous'. Each x Other isn't just clothes, in fact it's quite difficult to get your head around everything the brand is really trying to do but it's main function is the marriage of art and fashion. 'Art is useless!' Jenny exclaims, just moments after telling me that she's worked on art magazines (like Beaux Arts) and has her own gallery (Nuke in Paris). However if you take art and put it onto something useful, like clothes, then it becomes functional, so the philosophy seems to go. Each x Other came about when Jenny met Ilan Delouis, who had a solid fashion background as founder of Faith Connexion. They bonded over a Robert Montgomery piece which reads:

'The city is wilder than you think and kinder than you think it is a valley and you are a horse in it it is a house and you are a child it it safe and warm here in the fire of each other'

That was a year ago and now there is a large group of artists from all over the world who are putting their own particular stamp on the core aesthetic of Each x Other which is probably best described as left-bank rocker Parisienne, lots of printed skinny jeans, luxuriously soft biker jackets, silky blouses, simple throw-on tees and functional pea coats. There is a main collection with off-shoots designed in collaboration with any artist whom Delouis and Mannerheim feel a 'magnetism' with. For AW13, those artists include Alessandra D'Urso, Daniele Innamorato and Yi Zhou (whose biker jacket is my new dream thing). Robert Montgomery is a permanent fixture on the roster too. 

Jacket by Daniele Innamorato for Each x Other 

Silk front polo neck by Daniele Innamorato for Each x Other

Dream biker jacket by Yi Zhou for Each x Other

At today's event, the Each x Other philosophy was brought to life with the presence of Blair Chivers who was screenprinting the brand's signature life affirming, positive phrases onto anything you wanted. There's hardly anything which doesn't come without an epic sentence on the label or tucked into the lining. As well as clothes, Each x Other will publish and exhibit the work of like-minded creatives, a vision which should really come to life when a Parisian flagship opens 'as soon as possible, this year we hope', Jenny says. It strikes me that Each x Other is less about shopping somewhere because you're a boy or a girl, but buying into something because you appreciate what it stands for or just really want a great jacket. 

Buy Each x Other at Net-a-Porter

Blair Chiver screenprints for Each x Other

FRIDAY FASHION TO-DO LIST

Posted by Bethan Holt, Junior Fashion Editor at Large

FEAL is off to Paris for a few days so expect updates on our escapades while we're there. In the meantime, here are three fashion things to do now...

1. GET TO SOMERSET HOUSE FOR YOUR FLYKNITS

Nike do a brilliant job of creating real excitement around their brand and product launches. Next week, they're bringing the new Flyknit Lunar1+ to the good people of London with a big event at Somerset House. Pop in and get the supremely cool knitted trainers steamed to fit your feet then take off on a run in which you'll 'explore the city in a whole new way'. The experience will be based in the courtyard of Somerset Houseand you'll also get to see lots of inspiring outakes from Nike's running history. The experience is open all day from 9-6. Go, go, go.

2. BUY A BLACKSCORE T-SHIRT

The slogan tee thing is completely huge right now. Every other street style picture is a girl with a kooky phrase or wittily altered slogan plastered across her chest. The latest, and sweetest, version of the trend comes from Blackscore who have produced Cara Delevingne and Jourdan Dunn tees. The man behind Blackscore is Simeon Farrar, whom I had the pleasure of interviewing sometime back. He is both an artist and a fashion designer who brings a great sense of beauty and fun to whatever he does. That's what is so great about these tees; they're whimsical rather than confrontational. Get yours here 

Queen Delevingne tee £30

3.  FAMILIARISE YOURSELF WITH THE NEW BALENCIAGA

Alexander Wang showed his debut collection for Balenciaga yesterday. Rather than going completely mad for it, as one might a Wang bag, most commentators have been measured, calling it "a confident, uncomplicated debut" (Jess Cartner-Morley in The Guardian) and "quietly respectful" (Hamish Bowles on US Vogue). From my chair, it looks like terribly complicated stuff made to seem simple, see the knits made to look like crackled leather (that detail via Cathy Horyn on Twitter). The detail I am most obsessed with  is how the catwalk images were taken with a mirror behind the models so that you can see front and back views at once, genius.

Front view/ back view Balenciaga AW13