T-Spoke

A picture may be worth a thousand words but a t-shirt can say  it just as poignantly.  i love boxie is a t-shirt line which does just that and gives a whole new twist to wearing your (or someone else’s) heart on your sleeve.

i love boxie tees and vests are sloppy, monochrome, unisex and are all ‘t-spoke’ – adorned by words inspired by real-life stories submitted by willing participants who have lived a little, or perhaps a lot.

I remain unconvinced that everyone has a book in them but I’m pretty sure everyone has a good story or few. And like a true child of the internet age, why not get the story printed on a tee for all to read?  Submit your story here and maybe it will appear on a tee in 23 days time…

Summer of Love

I’m back and phew!  it’s been too long.  I’ve recently been well and truly trapped in a glass cage of work emotions but I emerge triumphant and ready for some serious summer vibes.  The recent bright and pretty weather has triggered a longing for a Summer of Love… music with kaleidoscope melodies, looking at silhouettes of leaves and branches against low-slung amber sunlight, walking bare feet on grass in violet twilights and long wavy hair, tousled from lying tangled up with friends all day.

You can find your personal hippie hair inspiration from these photos by Patrick Demarchelier, as featured in Vogue Germany’s May issue, hair by Luigi Merenu  and styling by Kate Mossman.  Dreamy!

And if you’re still skeptical, this psychedelic musical offering is bound to get you in the mood…Beyond the Wizard’s Sleeve’s remix of Findlay Brown’s Losing The Will To Survive.

Liberate Me!

Aaaagh!!  I hate to revert to my default English state of obsessing/complaining about the weather but really, on top my my wish-list right now is some sunshine, the feel of treacle-y sun rays and wispy  bits of lace fluttering against my bare arms.

(LIBERTY editorial, Marie Claire Italia March 2010.  Model: Mathilde Frachon   Photographer: David Bellemer)

(As an aside, posts have been a bit heavy on the pictures recently… very very slack.  I will find myself some words soon!)

Lady Grey

Tim Walker weaving his usual magic for Vogue Italia, March 2010 issue.

Head Candy

No, I’m not dedicating this post to a questionable house music brand but to head adornments to make your head look, well, nice and pretty!

I know that bunny/mouse/animal ears have been done to death but hey, I still like them.  I think Etsy seller It’s Ok My Dear’s take on the lapin and kitten headbands are very fun and cute with enough of a design twist to make them very wearable even if  being ‘ahead of the curve’ is a primary concern in your life…!!

Pom Poms!!  Make these potentially super kawaii baubles look more directional by teaming them up with interesting silhouettes and architectural pieces.  Lots and lots of layers and clashing prints are encouraged!  Check out Jennifer Loiselle for more pom pom pieces.

For a slightly more grown-up/less pom pom-y take on pom poms, check out Pomp and Ceremony, who also do a nice line of large Liberty print bows as well as lovely, oversized ruffled creations in muted dusty shades.  Very versatile… ideal for wearing with both feminine florals as well as to add a feminine touch for those who like to ration ‘pretty’.

I think this summer I’m going to be veering towards a wholly floral tip as far as head candy goes.  I personally like a hint of “flower child” when it comes to overall aesthetics/spirit so I’ll work in flowers with my spandex somehow!  I think lean lines and contrasting with harder-edged jewellery and shoes is probably the safest bet of NOT looking like I’m about to walk down the aisle and/or attend a Woodstock themed party.  Which Goose have lots and lots of flora inspired pieces in their Etsy store so check them out!

If budgeting is not your thing, Benoit Missolin’s online shop has some beautifully playful head candy.  He also does a range of bunny/mouse ears so you might want to take a peek at them as well. I’m particularly loving the white tulle creation from his bridal collection, which I find weirdly chaste yet sultry at the same time.  It partly reminds me of a powdered wig a la 1770s France and partly of the Paris Vogue shoot with Lara Stone as a nun for the La Tentation Du Diamant shoot.

Bloc Party

Wildfox in Berlin

Up and Away (on a Dream Machine)

I have been in 100% ADHD rabbit brain mode for the last week, i.e., unable to concentrate on much and distracted by the slightest flicker in the corner of my mind/eye.  I WISH I could be super cool and fashion and be able say that this is because I’ve been busy-busy-busy with LFW but the truth is I haven’t even been to one LFW related event.  Oops!  I guess my utter excitement and self-absorption about going to Berlin with – and also to visit – some of my favourite people in the world has eclipsed any other possible event (no matter how significant) orbiting the periphery of my little sphere of existence.

Not that I actually even feel bad about it.  Forget AW10 because damn you weather! I’m still wearing AW09.  Let’s talk AW10 when SS10 becomes a part of my daily routine, ok ja? Plus  it takes a lot of time and mental energy to sartorially prepare for a mini-break when you have to contend with not checking in luggage as well as adverse weather conditions.  As my friend Liz warned me:

See what I have to deal with here??  Tricky, especially when Ugg boots are never an option.

Anyway!!  Because of all this, I have to admit that I simply don’t have anything even bordering on interesting or particularly insightful to say this week…   However, I’ve been wanting to share these photos from the Swash SS10 lookbook for a while, and now seems like the perfect opportunity to do just that.

What do I need to say really?  No matter how many times I look at these photos, I can never grow tired of the unashamed prettiness (pretty without the saccharine, mind) and the impish whimsy behind the clothes, the illustrated hot air balloons, the styling, the make up and general art direction… EVERYTHING!  The collection is named ‘Dream Machine’ and I would quite happily wear any given piece from the collection, with or without spandex, in Berlin or in London, SS10, AW11 or now.   Bottom line is: everything is good.

On that positive note, goodbye!  I won’t be updating the blog whilst I am away so hopefully by the time I come back, I will have recovered my brain and be armed with lots of observations about Berlin (minimal) fashion and maybe even have some streetstyle photos of how the Berliners negotiate hostile pavement situations in style (minus Uggs)??  Promises, promises!  I’ll see you all when I return from my tiny adventure and land via Dream Machines back in E8…

Different types of Dream Machines: Where nightmares are sired.

Wildfox WildMagic… the Witching hour

Lookbook photos from Wildfox Fall 2010 collection, “It’s Witchcraft”.  I have already fallen under the Wildfox spell… believe me, their tees feel so very luxuriously languid and soft against your skin, you don’t ever want to take them off!  After 24 hours of incessant rain yesterday, skies are blue in E8 today.  Also, my renewed passport arrived this morning which means I can begin my countdown to Berlin next week without any anxiety.   It’s going to be a good day…

Pure Wonder by Craig McDean

Having grown up on a diet of glossies since the age of 11, I can’t help but feel a sense of pure pleasure and comfort when I see models now who featured on those magical pages during the period when I first fell in love with fashion.  Personally, I think that the true definition of ‘good’ lies with timelessness… particularly when it comes to intellectual and creative output and I do believe a good model defies fashion, age and era.

LOVING these photos featuring Karen Elson, who is – let’s face it – doing a pretty fierce job in these photos by Craig McDean.  Her cool strength perfectly contrasts with the overall visual decadence and the feel of unearthly fantasy behind the shoot. The watercolour hues make my mouth water, just leaving me wanting more.

You can view more photos on Craig McDean’s facebook album…

Weapons of Mass Seduction

First of all, I wish I could take creative credit for my blog title.  But alas, I cannot and I have to give full credit to the kiwi label Stolen Girlfriend’s Club for their ingenious wordplay.  More on them later…

Anyhow!  Despite the fact I am pretty indifferent towards the Hallmark phenomenon that is Valentines day, I couldn’t resist doing a Valentines present related post, because I am a sucker for wishlists and buying imaginary treats for the people in my life.  Go forth, seduce and conquer!

If I could, I would buy Strange Beautiful nail varnish sets (available from Liberty) for all my girlfriends.

Godminster organic cheddar hearts are a figuratively less but a literally more (obviously!) cheesy option than traditional chocolate hearts for gourmands with a savoury tooth.

If you can face squeezing into a bodycon number after all that cheese, then wriggle into this baby from Stolen Girlfriend Club’s Weapons of Mass Seduction collection – the collection name which this blog title is borrowed from.

Sparkling lilac Chanel lollipop by Massimo Gammacurta.  Not available to buy but we can wish.

Love, Forever Changes… probably one of the best albums in the history of modern music.  A massive claim but I just can’t imagine anyone not falling in love with those swirly psychedelic clouds and sweeps of sublime melodies… bliss!