Do you ever feel like an inanimate object has read your mind? 'Why hello Mr Tank, aren't you looking sultry there... basking in the hot sun on my balcony.' If you've ever been unfortunate enough to get into a conversation with me about magazines then you will know already that Tank is my favourite.
RESURRECTING THE PEPLUM...
Oh, yes yes yes... the peplum has had its moment before. Back in the '40s and '50s Dior nipped in the waists of women in the peplum style. Famously, it came to be known as the 'New Look' - one that showed off the curves of the wearers body. So, suck in your waist ladies, bust out your boobies and flaunt what yo mama gave ya because this look is making a comeback. Err, actually, fear not, it was all still very demure.
Sixty years on and the peplum has once again popped up all over the catwalk. For Spring 2012 the emphasized waist made an appearance in a whole host of collections, including Givenchy, Celine, Kenzo and McQueen. It was, undoubtedly, the silhouette de jour.
It wasn't until recently (Albino pre-fall look #12 to be exact) that I fell for the shape. Sure it's gorgeous on the catwalk in all it's elaborate charm but when it moves to the real world it gets too girly... too foofy... too laaame. But pre-fall showed that it's a shape with longevity. It's like the peplum got in a fight in a school yard and came out tougher on the other side. Make it more boyish and it's capable of working in real life. Heck, Phoebe Philo's version is so roughed up it's barely recognizable. Pair with slouchy trousers or loose shorts (summer, yes you will one day come) for a simple, wearable and (gasssp, even) flattering shape.
If you're looking for something other than pastels to get excited about for spring then this, my friends, is it...
Collections from top: Jason Wu ss12, Alexander McQueen ss12 and Givenchy ss12. Albino and McQueen - both pre-fall12. Bouchra Jarrar couture s12. Antonio Berardi and Celine pre-fall12. Photos from Style.com
THIS WEEK I LOVE...
1. Blocked denim via Cos and A Détacher. 2. Floral on floral on floral from ADAM. 3. Dreamy misty landscapes. 4. Washed out pink denim from MiH. 5. Acne accessories: the turquoise Alice shoe and clear frames. 6. Miu Miu gingham earrings. 7. Topshop's clear plastic purse. 8. Sandro.
9. One Minute by Dennis Swiatkowski - from the blog Get Your Plane Right On Time comes the incredibly succinct and effective video portrait. It's like street style but on a whole new level. The music is chilling and the characters are perfectly portrayed. Hop over and start watching.
Hope you're having a wonderful week. xx
Palmer//Harding
I first came across Levi Palmer and Matthew Harding in the NewGen tent at London Fashion Week. They were just two guys hanging out in a small space surrounded by white shirts. On a single rail they hung in perfect formation. Though at first glance the shirts looked deceivingly regular, on closer inspection it's clear they are anything but ordinary...
It must have been the simplicity and crispness that drew me in. The predominately white colour palette evokes a sort of medical cleanliness not unfamiliar to what was found in Jil Sander's recent collection. The austerity though of the traditional white shirt is dismantled by the intense focus on detail. The way the fabric is gathered and pinched reminds me of rippling sand dunes. There's a softness and a feeling that the garment is almost in motion. The rubber coated brass findings, shown above, add an unexpected weight and heaviness to the shirts - a truly unique feature.
Instead of creating a collection for the sake of show (see Matthew's CSM MA collection for an example of earlier work - it's stunning) the designers intention is to focus on something that will easily fit into peoples wardrobes. There is nothing I love more than a basic item that has been reworked into something truly covetable - Palmer//Harding shirts are just that.
Prada vs Jeremy Scott
It's Thanksgiving, I know - I ought to be snuggled up in a wooly jumper making an apple pie and planning my Christmas shopping list. But instead I'm sitting here dreaming about spring and patching together a collage consisting of the Beverly Hillbillies and cacti. Random how these things happen. I don't even care though (soon I'll swap into holiday mode and bake my turkey etc etc ec).
I can't help but feel quite captivated by the classic 1950s imagery that inspired these collections. Elvis Presley, Marilyn Monroe and Thunderbirds for Prada. Flames, Santa Fe and Elly May Clampett for Scott. It's a sort-of nod to all things Americana, in an exaggerated surreal form. Currently at the top of my ss12 wish list are those platformed saddle shoes by Jeremy Scott and the Prada sunglasses that Anna Dello Russo has already been strutting around in (swooon).
Images: fashion via style.com, cactus, hillbillies, Elvis, Marilyn.