PFW SS14: Balenciaga

B A L E N C I A G A..yes the SS14 collection was swiftly executed, classy and sporty streetwear. We did see a glimpse of Wang, mostly in the first few pieces, similar traits from his own SS14 collection shown in NY. What I personally loved was the Baroque reference, I study ArtHistory so I know how much inspiration from the past is essential and makes an appearance in present day fashion, art and music, the bold flower-type patterns were stunning and the dark blue paired with the spring palette clothes are beautiful. Cristobal Balenciaga was also seen in the collection, a rare purity was exhibited laced with an amount of fun and experiment. Molded leather, embroidered with thread and printed swirly floral motifs, these are key signs of innovation where couture and modernism are joined. 

Presentation is key, especially when showing in Paris and the presentation was liberating, the three way mirrors made me fall in love with the pieces even more, a classical feel was attached to this collection. Trends such as high-waisted skirts and tulip-shaped peplum that hug the female form, which express an effortless collection. White and black elegant silk caped tops, present the dressed-up evening looks, cool confidence and effortless edginess is present in this collection...and a round - of - applause to Balenciaga. 

To Ra. 

PFW SS14 : Undercover

Jun Takahashi's, unveiled a brilliant collection, deriving inspiration from the MOD era, which caught my eye and made me so happy. Street trends and tailoring habits have transcending into his collection, classic sharp tailoring is also slapped into his collection and the juxtaposition between the two types of  tailoring has created a truly stunning collection. 

The best features of the collection was the glow in the dark pieces..I mean that is awesome. Six looks are ignited up with LED lights, the pieces have quotes such as "I Am Here I Am Here". An undertone of bondage-esque vibes with appearances of PVC and leather made appearances in this collection. 

Asymmetry was an additional key feature, ribbons tied in bows around necks, the colour palette was great, from block colours to strong accents of red. The tops held bold phrases, a sort of campaign motif, some read SNUG (GUNS backwards) and Silence Yourself. The individual pieces from skinny neck pieces, mint drainpipe trousers, a sort of clean cut wardrobe laced with lovely colours and notions. 

To Ra. 

NYFW : Yigal Azrouël SS14

Firstly, I just want to give a high-five to New York, I mean I never assessed New York to be key, groundbreaking or of any relevance, in terms of fashion. This sounds extremely harsh, in my mind New York was living with a stain, the stain of being a "celebrity brand" city, they took no notice of classic tailoring or key trends, all I can say is that....the stigma is no longer attached.

Nevertheless, after Rag and Bone, Jason Wu, Alexander Wang and the many more radiant designers to come I am definitely more observant and considerate towards the  fashion of New York.
Next designer, Yigal Azrouël, this designer has caught my eye and pulled my heart strings (which is not an easy task), the whole collection is flawless. Yigal, is a Israeli American, New York based designer, and I can say, hands down, he is a gift to New York and the rest of the fashion world. I think the colour palette is simple but nevertheless smooth, the tailoring is superb looks immaculate harking and boarding on futuristic...hmm maybe a modernist streak has been applied to this line. Nevertheless, I love it and the strong devotion to art expressed through the monochrome pieces, I love the detail it's slightly playful.

Debs Crosswire 

NYFW: Alexander Wang SS14

Alexander Wang, hit the catwalk with dynamite, I find all his collections irresistible and this collection did not fail to disappoint. Wang's collections are ever consistent, what I think is glorious is how he takes typical masculine traits and transform them into strong feminine wear.  Cropped, Pleats, Laser Cut and Print were some of the trends I saw at Alexander Wang's show, and I loved it. What I ultimately admired about Wang's pieces, were the cuts, one feature I appreciated from the SS14 line was the pleats, whether they were small pleats or big I adored them! Runway sets are very important to me, I love seeing what creativity and variations that a designer can create other than their line, Wang's set was brilliant. A massive white geometric box, with holes so you could see the models clearly, loved it and obviously the playlist was up to par.

The white dress with side pleats in the side panelling was simply divine, perfect for a summer/spring wardrobe, elegance paired with classic tailoring. The accessories, hmmm the shoes were not really to my taste, they looked like shoe boxes, nevertheless the detailing on the front of the shoe of crossed of laces was a nice touch. The bags were celestial, I loved the colour selection, an Alexander Wang bag never ceases to disappoint.

A selection of dresses and jackets came in black airtec combined with pleats, which I think is a mastermind coupling, the airtec prints where laser cut so they immediately make the clothing look simplistic and clean cut. The highlight has to be the mesh jumper with the print of "Parental Advisory" on it, loved it definitely need to get one. Although this collection was stunning and I was not left dissatisfied, I'm afraid I think this collection did not surpass his SS13 collection. 

Debs Crosswire. 

Nike Blazer Low Premium x Black Comme des Garcons.

Trainers are everywhere, normal people are wearing trainers more than athletes are wearing them, it's actually a delight to see people incorporating trainers into their outfits, from Nike Roshe Runs to New Balance, I mean it's not something I'd wear but I can certainly admire. A new pair of kicks to add to your collection is the Black COMME des GARCONS x Nike Blazer Low Premiums, the two companies have joined forces to make this slick suede trainers. 

The special edition of Nike's Blazer Low, they look extra slick with their all blacked-out color palette, suede panels with leather accenting, the laces are waxed cotton which add a soft touch to the shoe. COMME des GARCONS is only apparent on the heel and insole of the trainer, the branding is in white print in the initials of CDG. I like them, a lot of people I know are dissing them and the on the other account the other people I know love em', some people say that it's expensive just because it's got a logo on the back...but other people say Nike has reached another level of sleek...

Debs Crosswire. 

Images Courtesy of Hypebeast.com 

FASHION EVENT.

GS SHOP CATWALK. 

Yesterday I had the pleasure of attending the GS Shop Catwalk, at the Korean Culture Centre, in London the show exhibited clothing collections from designers at Central St Martins, the designers were as follow Lee Seung Hee, Xess Homme, Kim Jae Hwan and Han Sang Hyuk. I think Korea is certainly a big team player when it comes to global fashion and this show has proved that to me.

The first designer to have their designs waltz down the catwalk was the Alette collection by Lee Seung Hee. Seung Hee's collection was specially targeted for women who wanted garments with a sense of modernity and mystic values but obviously wearable, the colors were understated with cobalt blues, ivories and burgundies. As you can see the female sensuality is very much elongated with the use of ankle enforcement and clever layering.

The second designer was Xess Homme, the brand was launched back in 1998, this brand is inspired by slim-fit and MODS and have been very active in the expression of creative men's fashion. I adore menswear so I saw the immediate beauty in this collection, I've always admired Asian menswear and to see it raw and clean cut, presented like this was great. I also loved the details of the clothes and tortoise shell glasses. I loved the colors of this collection like the beige and the olive green, great collection.

The third designer to go down the catwalk was Kim Jae Hwan with his collection A by Jae, the concept behind this collection is to enhance the silhouette of a woman's body in harmony with both the color and material. This collection provided perfect tailoring and premium material, a delightful girlish charm and a selection vivid color.I have to applaud the female suit, absolutely dazzling, the layering of the red cardigan and the ankle cut trousers, certainly redefining womenswear.

The fourth designer to exhibit down the catwalk was Han Sang Hyuk with his collection Cadet_H.
"Rather than making clothes, it is more worthwhile to change the attitudes of the people who wear them to designer's taste in clothes" Han San Hyuk. The concept of this show and the ideology behind is very interesting, youth, sentimentality, function and honor where among the concepts behind this brand laced with color and materials of wool, cotton, navy grey and khaki. A stunning detail was a black suit that had a zipper down the back, I never seen this before, these kind of details are what make Korean fashion so innovative.

(ALL IMAGES TAKEN BY DEBORAH CROSSWIRE)

Debs Crosswire.

Event Courtesy of PopPr. 

ZARA, CAMPAIGN FALL '13.

ZARA AW13...WOMAN. 

(PHOTOGRAPHS AND VIDEO ARE NOT MINE )

Zara has maintained their traits of being classy, avant-garde and on point with their trends, in which all have been displayed in their new fall campaign '13. The brilliant campaign was shot by Patrick Demarchelier, styled by Marie-Amelie with a cast of rising models, Mijo Mihaljcic, Julia Nobis, Caroline Brasch Nielsen, Ashleigh Good and Juliane Gruner. There is also a video of the wonderful magic Zara has cooked up, Zara has headed to the streets.

The girls are dressed head to toe in bohemian and youthful styles of dark florals, bold prints and clean cut angles, the girls pose on the streets of London, looking caught up in city life. I love this campaign and I can't wait to get my  hands on some of the stunning pieces, Zara is going to make me look amazing this fall, the color palette's are just sensational and so make me wish I we were already in Winter. Womenswear is back on top form and is looking sharp with the help of Zara's fall collection..

Debs.

& Other Stories.

& Other Stories. 

                           (ALL PHOTOGRAPHS CAPTURED BY DEBORAH CROSSWIRE)

& Other Stories is a shop which is a part of the H&M branch, it is absolutely stunning....in my opinion. I visited the store today, again...and I bought enough items to complete a mini haul, there are several things I adore about the store from the presentation of items to the general ambiance. My mother also deeply approves, she said "Debs there are no other stores like this one! I must comment this is store is very much a female - orientated store.

 I bought nail polish, this was a personal test I usually buy subdued and dark colours as you can see from the picture this colour is quite the opposite and I rather like it, it was a good price and spreads across the nail really well. I also bought a double leather wallet it is a lovely maroon colour with a gold lion embossed plaque, I think it was a good investment which I can't wait to style!! Another thing I bought was a belt and some accessories, this belt is very well detailed, and I am sucker for details it keeps me on my toes, in terms of the accessories a ring and two bracelets. Pay a visit to this store, treat yourself and feel the awe of the store! 

When entering the store one is made to feel like they have been transported to a European utopia of striking clothes, accessories and shoes, and model-looking cashiers! I am always impressed when I shop at this store, I have a little thing about colour palettes, from clothing to interior decorating and the colour palette of this store remarkable, going around the store is like going round on a rainbow wheel. I love the clothing, the range of materials provided is absolutely amazing, I'm a sucker for accessories especially when they are so quirky which is what & Other Stories has provided me with! SHOES! Now, what I've learnt is that despite your sex we all love shoes, if you have good taste you love shoes, and I love shooes... the shoe selection which is a whole floor left me in bewilderment, I mean less is certainly more it's a very strong motif throughout this store. 

Debs.

ALUNAGEORGE.

I first heard about AulunaGeorge back when they collaborated with Disclosure on their track White Noise, which was an awesome collaboration. I loved the track it was something totally fresh from all of the other things on the radio at the time.With the presence of Disclosure and AlunaGeorge the genre of electronic is making a swift comeback, the tracks that are being created are beautiful and are great for a summer playlist. I am fully in love with AlunaGeorge every track they have released has been stellar, I love Aluna's voice and with the combination of George's rad beats, a perfect harmony is created. Below are some of my favorite tracks.

Debs.

TREND :MONOCHROME, SIMPLICITY NEVER LOOK SO GOOD.

(PHOTOGRAPHS AND GIF ARE NOT MINE)

London, Paris, New York and Milian SS13 have exhibited a collection of trends from metallics, monochrome, neon, geometric prints to snakeskins. I am always excited to see the trends of the shows, it is always lovely to see how each designer re-works each trend. Trends are essentially a helping hand from designers to us, their beautiful ideas are condensed and coined to a piece of clothing or aesthetic that one can use. A particular trend has caught my eye, ladies and gentlemen that trend is Monochrome/ Monochromatic, i'm watching this trend take the fashion world by storm, again and I'm loving every bliss moment.

Monochromatic is something I can fully aesthetically relate to. I dress in a similar style, my wardrobe does incorporate the monochromatic trend, I love the perfection of it,  the perfection of simplicity. This trend's aesthetic value is perfect and is solely appreciated, even if you don't like this trend you can appreciate what the monochromatic trend achieves. Monochrome is a trend which is not new, it has been around forever, it has appeared on the catwalk numerous times. Some of the greatest designers have established their presence with the use of Monochrome the simple palette has erupted all over the major city catwalks. From Yohji Yamamoto's SS13 collection we can see this trend, which works rather well with his perfect aesthetic and tailoring. 

Nevertheless, some do think as the monochromatic simply as a trend which is boring and is just lacking in colour, if you think about it, this trend is not lacking in anything. The Monochromatic trend is timeless and it's an exhibition of tones that exist together in perfect harmony, the most important and successful trait of the monochromatic trend is that it eliminates all unnecessary details and acquires a perfect realm of sheer perfection. This trend has manifested itself as stripped dresses, with large or little stripes, black trousers with white panels, which are eye catching. Panels, work well with monochromatic clothing the blocks of color do look perfect and create a statement. Whenever I do see monochrome on the catwalk it always reminds me of some type of uniform due to the order and structure of the two tones beside each other. This is something no other trend quite accurately achieves in the same way. 

A number of designers have received the Monochromatic trend with open arms, from Chanel, Viktor & Rolf and Prada, Victoria Beckham to Alexander Wang, London, Italy, Paris and NYC have endorsed the monochrome trend. Jil Sander herself has also adapted the monochromatic trend, nevertheless Jil Sander is a designer which acquires the atmosphere of minimalism so well that monochromatic for her is a perfect trend. Alexander Wang, himself is always a gem of a designer who's creations are breathtaking, he also uses monochromatic well, for him monochrome is a blurring of two tones.

Black and White have been placed together to create a harmonious and completely coherent statement of perfection. Monochrome is a beautiful and stunning trend, it is both complex and simplistically minimalist two tones of black and white, the two tones can be manipulated into blocks, panels, stripes and of course checks. I personally adore Monochrome, it is forever avant-garde and it is also the simplest trend to wear, I love the clean-cut traits of the monochrome trend. One must let the clothes do the magic and this is one thing this trend achieves. Coco Chanel, herself is a perfect example of the stunning qualities the monochrome trend holds, it is chic but yet eye catching. The white gives the overall outfit an air of crispness and sharpness the black brings out the edginess the two together create an effortless atmosphere for one's wardrobe.

To Ra.

D. 

MONOCLE, THE CAFE.

(OWN PHOTOGRAPHS.)

A friend and I paid a visit to the newly established Monocle Cafe, it is a lovely cafe. Monocle is tucked away in the well-heeled area of Marylebone. I loved it, I love the minimalism of the cafe, and there is something fresh and innovative about the cafe. We walked in and I was very impressed by the ambiance, clean-cut presentation of the beverages and plump pastries, a selection from elder flower to a crisp cappuccino. My friend loved the pastry we both agreed that the pastry was simply divine they tasted "fresh and straight off the tender hands of the pâtisserie".

We both loved the environmentally friendly use of the glass bottles and the neat little stickers "drink me chilled", glass bottles look better anyways. With each order you will get a little square chocolate which is of course a lovely touch; on the back it has a little information about the company, if you don't read the magazine. In terms of music or "background noise" the monocle radio is playing throughout which I think is great it gives the place a sense of intelligence about the place. 

I have a thing for furniture it's just a little quirk of mine, I love the interior the color scheme and the photo frames that covered the walls. It was all quite dainty and ultimately perfect, you should go along and a pay a visit especially if you are in the area do yourself the favour of  grabbing a coffee, picking up a plump pastry and a piece of chocolate. I will of course be going back to the cafe of perfect pastries and crisp coffees. 

D. To Ra. 

HATERS WILL HATE IF YOU LOOK THIS GOOD.

HATERS WILL HATE IF YOU LOOK THIS GOOD. 

This is a post for the lads and any females who dress in the androgynous style. Just to let you know if you are a lad who wears urban clothes like independent brands you don't really have to read this, I love guys who wear urban clothing and independent brands this is not for you, this is for the guys who are lost and need help. I've placed the gif of "haters gonna hate" because this is the attitude you will have if you dress like this, because you will look bloody dapper, therefore amazing. Alright, these are a collection of photographs I think the lads of this era need to seriously study, my collage one by one, obviously this entirely my opinion and my views on what guys should wear and how they should look. For me before I even talk to a guy or give him a chance of being friends I take into consideration what he is wearing, so therefore if I evaluate you and you don't look up to par I don't want to be friends, I probably sound extremely mean, oh well.

Call me shallow but I'm not, is it that hard to present yourself in a light that you
look relatively interesting? Obviously people dress to "express themselves" but please express yourself properly, or at least try your hardest to impress. The key is presentation, everybody should look good, this is a very fictional and materialistic world we inhabit I am a victim of this, don't worry it's not all about your clothes. Clothes help greatly, but if you have an interesting persona then you are fine and of course I hear having a handsome face helps...I think that formal dapper attire looks great like the images above shows. The photograph of the two Asian men with canes is a prime example of what I mean by "persona" look at the confidence that oozes off them, when you do have the confidence it helps to remember that that the you should wear the clothes and not let the clothes wear you, not a great look.

Clean - cut looks crisp on the lads, a white shirt works wonders with anything, a polo...wow now we are talking, look at the images look how confident and "on-point" these men look I think in my opinion the era of The Great Gatsby and Italian gangsters in every film, those are the real men. As you can see I have placed a pair of Nike Free Runs in the collage this is just to show that I endorse urban wear and that if  you actually mix up dapper and a pair of "sneakers" or Nike's it actually looks surprisingly good and provides a good balance of style that's all for now lads. The moral of this blogpost is: put away the tracksuits and jogging bottoms, for the sake of humanity...please and thank you.

D.

To Ra.

Ladies and Gentlemen, David Bowie is back.

 Directed by the well renowned Floria Sigismondi, David Bowie's new video "The Stars (Are Out Tonight)" has been released. It is the second track on his new album New Day which is to be released by March 2013, so get ready! Okay alright the video, I'm telling you it's great...and after all this time he's still got it! Bowie has collaborated with the coolest British actress, Tilda Swinton and models Andrej Pejic and Saskia De Brauw. The video is stunning, prior to this video I wasn't too bothered about videos for Bowie, because his voice was all I needed, but now I'm stunned by how good this video is, it totally captures Bowie.
Tilda plays his wife, perfect combination, they look alike and they are both arty etc etc. I love how Bowie uses the models and actresses to show his previous performances, they are acting out what he did in his career which is cool, it's kind of like the resurrection of Bowie himself in his previous state. Now onto the song, I love it, sounds like Bowie has brought another era to ours. Bowie mellow vibes. Take a listen and appreciate.

 D.C

WHITE.

(ALL IMAGES ARE NOT TAKEN OR OWNED BY ME.) 

White. The colour. Apparently not an actual colour. Opposite of black. When mixed with black, makes grey. The colour of the gods. Celestial. The colour of purity. The colour of balance and harmony. It is spring and white is the new black. A innocence.

Surprisingly, even I am moved by this craze for the need to wear white, purely white. It was on the runways, now it's in the wardrobes and slowly but surely, it will be everywhere. This “need for white” applies to both male and females, it’s not a gender thing it’s an essential thing.  I love white, especially in fashion, clean-cut never look so good It’s purely pure and is the essence of a effortless outfit. I just pray people wear it correctly. I have also seen off-white pieces which are equally as beautiful. Another technique of style I really love is when white is enclosed with another colour for example with shoes, a monochromatic approach. The body of the shoe could be white and the sole of the white could be a wax colour which is stunning. 

I do not really like all white shoes, especially if they are worn with black trousers, they look slightly tacky. Especially if people aim to pull off the classic “all-white-outfit”, this is risky. Another item which seems to appearing everywhere is the white biker jacket, they look lovely. Acne has a white jacket and it has a bit of jeans on it, it is lovely. Even the presence of white in one’s outfit could make the outfit look slightly avant-garde and slightly futuristic. They are very few people who can pull off wearing all white. I repeat very few.

Items that are essential if in white are: Jeans. Shirt/T-shirt. Blazer. Coat. Simple shoes (off white.) Just try and incorporate these into your wardrobe, I promise this will work wonders for you. White is a statement colour in its own right. Wear white with any colour, that colour will be instantly illuminated. As it is a Spring/Summer, it will reflected by the sun.

Have a statement piece for Spring and Summer, get some white in your wardrobe.

Debs. 

LFW: Eudon Choi 2013.

I had the delightful pleasure of attending London Fashion Week 2013. My first show of the week was Eudon Choi Autumn / Winter collection. I loved the set up of the catwalk. There was a folk band playing while all the bloggers, press and photographers entered the room and got comfortable. I'd watched previous shows online of Choi's work but that was all I had saw of his work.

I waited in anticipation  as the models walked out tall as skyscrapers they were covered in Choi's designs. I loved all the pieces although I couldn't capture a picture of the shoes. Although the shoes not fully to my taste they were nevertheless stunning. I really did enjoy the jacket's by Eudon Choi, my favourite pieces were jackets, I love jackets I think they are the most important aspect of an outfit. If you have a great jacket then your outfit is going to be perfect I can assure you, as jackets are the body of an outfit. 

A favourite the over sized black leather jacket, it reminds me of the 90s and I adored the 90's and as a jacket it is such a statement piece! (4th picture.)

I really did love the blue embroidered jacket. I loved the colour blocks and the blue is so pretty and rich in colour. The material, not to sure what it is but I think it might be velvet, is awfully pretty! (7th picture.)

The jacket with the colour block of green and black is also very beautiful; I'm not very fond of collarless jackets. I don't know why but I thought this was very stunning, with a white shirt this jacket would be stunning. (8th picture.)

Another favourite of mine was the embroidered suit which has flower vines around theouter of the clothing. 

I love the colour palette of powder blue with the almost rose bronze flowers vines rising up the outer edges of the clothes. (6th x 15th picture.)

The winter /autumn palette of colour and the fabrics were a brilliant mix. I went with a friend of mine; we both really did love the show. Overall the first day of LFW was a success I'm glad I watched Eudon Choi it was an excellent show.

PEACE, LOVE AND WI-FI.

D. C.