LFW: House of Holland SS'14

With a catwalk covered in fluffy purple clouds and a FROW filled with the coolest cats in town (including Alexa Chung, Pixie Geldof and HARRY STYLES – a name I can’t even read without hearing 100,000 girls hysterically screaming it!) this could only be the setting forHenry Holland’s forthcoming House of Holland SS’14 collection.

I once worked under Henry’s instruction at a teen fashion magazine and still remember how fun he was even all those years ago, with such real creative vision, once hand decorating, sequin by sequin, a pair of heels he had found in a vintage shop for a photo shoot we worked on with a teenage Poppy Delevigne.  I am always excited to see what tricks Henry will pull out of his hat and this show did not disappoint.  In the an ode to Baz Luhrmann’s 1996 ‘Romeo and Juliet’ the collection merged the idea of the chola girl gangs of the nineties with the Mexican Tybalt-style feuding boys in the film. With brilliant bright colours, fun flowery designs, kitsch sunglasses and religious tattoo designs, the designer explained the designs were "really a love letter to that film."  I really loved the orange floral sleeved white trench coat! Oh… did I mention HARRY STYLES was there?!!

Trend: Spring Knits

Above: Day or night, no one rocks a sweater better than Alexa Chung.

Despite the sun STILL refusing to put his party hat on (yes, that is snow outside... IN APRIL!) I refuse to let my style suffer.  It may be all miserable and gloomy outside but underneath my heavy parka and umbrella I shall be wearing a series of gorgeous light and bright knits bound to put Spring in my step.  A knitted jumper is key this season so whether you choose to wear yours with a bejewelled statement necklace, layered with a shirt underneath (collar done up for the ultimate in geek chic), or, à la Brrrrr-ave Alexa Chung, with bare legs and a skirt, your Winter Blues will be banished. 

Above (L-R):  Jump(er)ing into Spring:  Sienna Miller, Poppy Delevigne & Laura Carmichael.

Happy 15th Anniversary Matthew Williamson

British designer Matthew Williamson’s two favourite blonde gal pals, actress Sienna Miller (above left) and model Poppy Delevigne (above right) recently got together, along with actress Andrea Riseborough and eight beautiful ballerinas from The Royal Ballet, to film ‘XV,’ a three minute short film celebrating Matthew Williamson’s 15 successful years in the fashion industry. Happy 15th Anniversary Matthew!    

PFW - Chanel SS'13

‘Fashion Month’ always ends on a high in Paris with the iconic French fashion houses in competition to put on the most memorable of shows.  Chanel was never going to disappoint. Karl Lagerfeld had models parade his SS’13 Chanel collection along a wind turbine and solar panel lined runway in the cavernous hall of the Grand Palais.  Playing with this concept of wind and energy, the collection was, as Lagerfeld explained, “all about volume and lightness, because usually volume and lightness don’t go together.” 

Left:  Karl Lagerfeld in THAT shirt and THAT tie. A huge difference to usual monochromatic style.

Below:  The towering wind turbines. “Energy is the most important thing in life,”  Karl Lagerfeld told reporters backstage after the show.

The collection reflected the traditional heritage of the label and the elegance of Coco Chanel, particularly reflected in the tweed and pearl embellishment but with a distinctly modern aesthetic.  I really enjoyed seeing the cocoon cuts and bell sleeves which provided a relaxed feel amongst the summery, neutral colour palate that was chosen. 
 
Below and Left:  Before this model had even left the catwalk this hoola-hoop style handbag had caused a veritable storm on the Twittersphere.  I can't imagine this being the easiest of bags to manipulate whilst shopping, dancing or on the tube?!  I cannot wait to see who is seen out and about next summer with this particular piece of arm/shoulder candy! 

Above and Below:  Oversized pearls embellished a huge proportion of the Chanel SS'13 collection, with many of the models also wearing pearl chokers around their necks and pearl clusters around their wrists, and they all wore a single pearl in their ponytails. 

Below:  My favourite piece from the collection - the movement in this dress was gorgeous.

Below:  The beautiful Chanel-clad FROW (L-R)  Stylist (and fashion favourite of mine) Caroline Sieber, model Laura Bailey, DJ Leigh Lezark and model Poppy Delevigne.

Alexa Chung: BFC Young Style Ambassador

Last week the British Fashion Council announced that Alexa Chung had been awarded the position of BFC Young Style Ambassador.

Model, style-writer, presenter, designer and muse, Alexa’s new postion will be to promote British fashion design talent to a global market, joining the already appointed Laura Bailey (the Cultural Ambassador) and Poppy Delevigne (the Young Ambassador.)

Caroline Rush, CEO of the British Fashion Council said, "we’re delighted to announce this role for Alexa. She is hugely influential in both the fashion industry and to the wider public, who have voted her as winner of the British Style Award at the British Fashion Awards for two years running."

Alexa commented, “I adore fashion and am proud that it's now officially my job to champion those London designers both new and established that inspire me so much.'”

I have always adored Alexa Chung's eclectic style (sometimes tom boy, sometimes dolly – always cool) and I can think of no one better suited and booted for this role.

Below are some of the stunning pictures from Alexa’s recent Elle Magazine cover shoot, photographed by Thomas Schenk, and an all-access, behind-the-scenes video from the day, courtesy of Elle TV.

The Dolce and Gabanna baby blue perspex shoes she wore on the cover are to.die.for. Wannem.

Hattie Rickards Jewellery - Geo Launch

Last week I went to the Electric for the launch of London jeweller Hattie Rickards’ second collection, entitled Geo.

After graduating from Central St Martins, Hattie went on to work for jewellery designers Solange Azagury Partridge and Kara Ross, before designing a collection for MADE and then starting up Hattie Rickards Jewellery.

The luxury jewellery is all fairtrade and fairmined - Hattie insists on full traceability for the gold and gems she uses for her designs - blending “aesthetics with a story and knowledge of origin.” Fans of her jewellery include Livia Firth and Poppy Delevigne.

I particularly loved the range of rings in the Geo collection (below, starting from £2000)

Top Left: Flip Octo Ring with Stones

Bottom Left: Flip Octo Ring with Enamel

Middle: Rubix II

Right: Eternal Ring Multi