I want to be a flapper!

I was so excited to go to Jasper Garvida’s catwalk show at LFW on Saturday. As his former PR, I was ecstatic to see the new lookbooks with my press releases –all the hard work seemed to pay off!! I have, however, realised how fake the fashion industry can be and the ease with which certain narcissistic people can forget your efforts after a few weeks have gone by but, anyway – now’s not the time for a personal rant at the injustice of humanity!….. I’ll leave that for my actual diary.

Although I’ve obviously seen his collection, presenting it to potential retailers and whatnot, I was still amazed by the beauty and class of it all. The muted colours and the elegant 1920s style were hypnotising – combining all this with one of my favourite songs ever, ‘Dummy’ by Portishead and I was pretty much in fashion heaven!!



The dramatic makeup of the models enhanced the Art Deco feel even further and I was practically drooling over their funky Charlie Chaplinesque hats (sponsored by Newurban Hats via moi !!) which were pinned onto the side of their head. Long curls, strikingly pale skin and heavily contoured cheekbones gave the show a very Florence and the Machine feel. I thought Florence would suit the Garvida look very well and look especially gorgeous in the long dramatic green and black satin gown. It cuts a very sharp silhouette, mixing heavy tailoring with femininity which is a bit how Florence seems to come across in her performances. To see his former collections and learn a bit about Jasper, who is a lovely lovely individual, check out his website at www.jaspergarvida.com which has his past collections as well.

Sorry Jasper's beautiful collection seems to be somewhat obstructed by the people in the front row, but I hope you can make out the art deco theme and the beautiful sillhouettes of his garments. You can click on the images to see them in more detail.



Gorgeous and thoroughly inspirational. I am definitely investing in some art deco inspired pieces in the not-too-distant future :)

The past offers a plethora of fashion inspiration

I have been researching fashion through the ages for my internship and have been discovering the joys of rediscovering old trends, especially 80’s fashion. Even though we laugh, many of the trends are sources of HUGE influence on today’s catwalk. The resurgence in all things from the 80’s has been hugely popular, from the exaggerated shoulder pads to the chunky knits, evoking ‘geek chic’. This geek chic look is sometimes matched with thick black-rimmed spectacles just to enhance the aesthetic effect. I, for one, think that this ends up looking rather contrived – like you’ve just raided a wardrobe from the 80’s for a tacky fancy dress party. To achieve the look effectively, you need to make sure you have the right amount of vintage and contemporary items to give it a quirky – not dated – feel.

My research has also reinvigorated my love for all things 60’s. I am currently obsessed with shift dresses – patterned or plain – and let’s face it, the mini is NEVER going out of style. I love the clean forms and shapes of Mod fashion a la the adorable Twiggy but I also adore the groupie-chic look as encapsulated by Marianne Faithfull. Long, shaggy hair with a blunt fringe, heavy kohled eyes and a shaggy faux fur coat = instant rock and roll glamour.


To be honest, though, I do admire rockers that experiment with their fashion like Karen O of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Agh, how I’d love to be in a rock band.

Gothic

I want these vampy Chanel lipsticks desperately. They have a sort of gothic feel about them and would look fabulous with some clean cat-flicked liquid eyeliner so that they remain the main focus of the face. I'm thinking a lace black dress, a net fascinator and a slick of Obscure Chanel Allure (the middle deep blue colour). That's definitely something I'll be saving up for.

Accessorize have some really beautiful fascinators at the moment that won't burn a hole in your pocket. I'd probably go for something like this quirky mini top hat fascinator, which is an affordable £26. I think it has a playful cabaret feel and would add such a dramatic element to your outfit.

inspiration

I'm hoping this blog can be a place for me to document everything that inspires me, mainly relating to art, fashion and anything that interests me really. I figure if I have a place where I can keep going back to things that really excite me, I'll be able to be inspired far more often than I am. I must remember to keep my camera in my pocket and take photos of everything I find beautiful or just plain interesting.

Today I explored the area of Chiswick High Road for the first time ever. It's a pretty affluent area of London with lots of cute little boutiques littered in between your standard WHSmiths and Cafe Nero etc. For my first day, my mentor asked me to go and research the charity shops and remark on a list of points like pricing, donations, presentation of the shop.

In the first store, I met Paula who's the manager of the Cancer Research UK Retro and Vintage shop. She's this wonderfully eccentric red-headed Dutch woman who has a real flair for everything a bit quirky. I found myself becoming so enthralled and frantically flicking through all the vintage gems crowded onto the rails. Garments ranged from glamorous fur coats which I have dreamed of for far too long; however, there weren't any in my size. I did, however, take the opportunity to buy a beautiful suede coat with a subtle leopard print design that is reminiscent of the late 60s/ early 70s. It conjures up the rock and roll glamour of the time and I can really imagine someone like Marianne Faithfull wearing it with a minidress back in her prime.

I also managed to find a proper vintage 80's chunky jumper at a fraction of the price of the Topshop copies that everyone seems to be coveting nowadays. There are some really unique dresses that would be great for parties and as Paula says, we shouldn't just reserve beautiful clothes for 'special occasions' but instead 'treat everyday as a party.' I think I'll definitely be taking that idea on board ;p

I was so impressed with the selection in the shop and I'll definitely be going again - it's like a little cave of treasures and if I had a limitless budget, I would have quite easily walked out the shop with everything!