The Swelle Life

Lanvin's Luscious Ribbons

 

I've seen countless neck adornments with ribbons over the last few years, yet I fail to tire of the look. It's classic and feminine, and there's no end to the creative possibilities and variety of materials. But sometimes simple does the trick - which is not to say plain or unfashioned, but rather restrained, yet opulent. Which sums up Lanvin perfectly.

Take grosgrain ribbon and pearls in a powdery gray, link together in a pattern we haven't seen before and Voila! - you've got a modern classic. Other To Die For pieces from the Lanvin pre-collection for Spring 09 are the matching crystal drop necklace and earrings:

...And the black grosgrain ribbon and white pearl necklace, all of which come wrapped up with a big black bow in a Lanvin box. (Very clever, that packaging seals the deal.)

 

Whenever I hear the name Lanvin I feel the sensation of slipping into a hot bath. There's something very unique and special about this historic French fashion house, non? Credit the supremely endearing Alber Elbaz (love his bow-ties) for translating that for us into something meaningful, today.

The Perfect Excuse to Indulge in the Luxe Goth Trend

Loving all the dark, high drama and fantastical designs from the Fall 08 catwalks but so far have dared not venture?  If you're anything like me, you'll look for any means to justify a purchase, so under the guise of practicality, how about grabbing an Alexander McQueen fairy tale strapless or Luella's Penelope ribbon dress and transforming into a Goth goddess for Halloween? No party invite? There's nothing wrong with sitting around in couture munching Mars minis - especially if Rosemary's Baby is on TV!

Check out Halloween Fancy Dressing at NET-A-PORTER.COM for more sinister inspiration. If you dare.

Dress 'Wish List' Overload at French Connection

French Connection is known for their selection of fabulous dresses - for every day wear and making an impression (great for first dates!...I'm guessing). And for that they're first choice on many a girl's shopping list. When I go out in Newcastle I invariably see a few fun-seekers wearing their instantly recognisable beaded-front shift dresses. (Which is good as it means the girls are prettying up the place, and they've got their bits covered - at least on the top, anyway. This is not a common sight on a night out in Newcastle. Trust me.)

Despite what appeared to be an enduring aversion to anything tartan/plaid/checked, thanks to my catholic high school years where I was forced to wear a scratchy wool kilt of grey and burgundy (still can't stand that particular mix), I seem to be coming around if my attraction to French Connection's Chickity Dress is any indication. Definitely a piece that fits into the 'I will wear dresses every day' plan. I think I'm going through a re-setting phase - I've even been wearing black, a sight not seen in my wardrobe for about 6 years. I guess we all need a palette cleansing from time to time to keep things fresh, don't we?

So, if you're a 'dress girl' (or a guy who likes to look at dresses, or a guy who likes to look at dresses and imagine a girl in them - sorry, most of these are sans model or filled with a headless mannequin), then come and indulge with me in some 'Oooh, I WANT that' or 'Not for me but my sister would love it' kind of fun:

Felted Dress                                              Ziggy Dress

 

Tudor Dress                                              Francoise Dress

    

Chickity Dress                                                   Tallulah Dress

Abacus Dress                                                        Lilly Dress

And that fab one-shouldered number on the model above? That's the yummy Berry Dress

The Flapper for the Noughties

Okay, Milan is over and Paris has begun, but it's worth mentioning the major trend that emerged on the Italian runways in the form of flapper-inspired dresses, skirts and coats. Aquilano.Rimondi, the design duo who presented their first collection for Gianfranco Ferré in Milan, displayed their appreciation of 1920s fringe, giving it a textural update with sequins, wide metallic strips and beading. Jil Sander's Raf Simons managed to keep the minimalism the label is known for while creating panels of fringe, or letting it hang long and loose to add movement over black or white shells. But most interesting was the way Simons' draped silken skeins of fringe over full bodysuits to create a very sexy silhouette with subtle movement. Finally, Alessandro Dell'Acqua continued the theme but went boho with the accessorising which gave the shaggy fringe a more hippy look.

Oh, and if you're not in the UK, 'the noughties' is what the Brits call this decade (nought = zero). How cute is that?

From Aqulilando.Rimono (and above):

Jil Sander:

 

Alessandro Dell'Acqua:

Source: Style.com

Hey Baby, I Like Your Style

This is Kirsty, spotted last night in Newcastle, UK for her fabulous style, a refreshing deviation from the Newcastle night-out uniform of cleavage and cling. Her metallic trapeze dress, layering of pendants and ankle boots are all out of the 'what's hot' pages of the fashion bibles, yet she pulls it all off effortlessly with her easy, flowing hair, natural make-up, unobtrusive bag and great attitude. Legs like that don't hurt, either.

Geordie girls, can we please see more of this style savvy in Newcastle?? I beg of you.

Hey Babes, 私はあなたの様式を好む (I Like Your Style)

While out in Newcastle today, I spotted a group of Japanese students doing all three legwear trends - over-the-knee socks, 7/8 leggings and tights - and looking fabulous in their casually stylish outfits. Mari, Mariko and Kaoru certainly stood out in the crowded pedestrian streets of the city center, they were just that cute, and I hope to see more of their style around town. (I love how they all stand the same, with their toes turned in!)

Unfortunately, I was a GIANT GOOF and took off with their very important school envelopes I had offered to 'hold', realising after and trying to find them with no success.  私は非常に残念である!

Update: Contact made and crisis averted!

Terminal 5 Great for Bag Browsing and (not so much) Bag Losing - Pt. 2

 
Okay, so continuing on through my luxury browsing odyssey at Heathrow's new Terminal 5 on Friday... I came upon the Valentino bags at Harrods and my heart began racing at the beautiful rosette detailing on the models from the A/W 2008 collection - particularly the one above - finished in a stunning and rich ombre effect. I watched as each woman who came upon it couldn't resist gently running her hand over the gorgeous texture. This just may be the most felt-up bag of the season.

And more roses done in yummy chocolate brown leather (odd shape on the second one, I'm seeing a lot of that this season - they must be for carrying baguettes home from the patisserie):

 

That was the shopping highlight of the third floor, and now down to the main floor. Ooh - what do we have here? Prada! Let's take a peek:

 

Hmm...I'm picking up on a theme here with the shoes and bags. The one sparse rack of clothing contained an exceptional beauty of a jacket - a black leather so buttery you could take a knife to it and spread it on toast. Playing out the accessories theme is its ruffles, done subtley in a flirty tuxedo shirt-style, making this jacket an absolute must-have, if you've got the $1300 to hand over:

And on to the bags that I would absolutely love to own as my out-with-the-girls take along - they would go with just about everything, especially the silver, though isn't the ombre just incredible? Love the irridescent finish on the leather:

I think a bit of the lustre is lost in the photo, but trust me that in person, these are just stunning. Wish list for me. You?

Heathrow's Terminal 5 Great for Bag Browsing and Bag Losing - Pt. 1

Okay, to be fair, after arriving in the UK on Friday, we got all four suitcases plus the car seat and stroller back. But we were highly doubtful of such a successful outcome. If you're outside the UK, you may have heard about Terminal 5 in the news. It's the new baby of Heathrow Airport in London, British Airways' "state of the art" terminal, boasting luxury shopping at Harrods, Prada and Dior and dining in Michelin-starred Gordon Ramsay's Plane Food restaurant. That's the up-side.

The downside was the major system glitches fiasco that resulted in over 23,000 bags being "misconnected" (the term preferred by BA officials) upon its first two months of operation. This provided the closest thing to a reason for a violent tantrum by Naomi Campbell (a more convincing excuse than misplaced jeans), which resulted in the assault of two police officers after she was told that one of her two Louis Vuitton bags had not made it onto the plane (she demanded it be located - in classic Naomi style - and was virtually dragged screaming from the cabin).

So, with all of this in mind, we curiously entered the notorious Terminal 5, a huge step up from the ammenities-poor Gate 5 where we previously had to wait in total boredom. First up, Harrods. While walking by I spied some very interesting MARC by Marc Jacobs tops, proving that he's still the prince of smart and feminine clothes and that ruffles and texture are strong for A/W 2008:

Just over, there was a rack of Issa dresses that were absolutely To Die For. Issa is known for uniquely elegant and wearable silk print jersey dresses (DvF fans will love Issa), and for A/W 2008 the brand's founder/designer Daniella Helayel has brought us lush prints in rich shades in kimono and tunic styles that are so gorgeous you could be tempted to spend the rent if left on your own.

The print style dominating the collection reminds me of - and is almost certainly directly or indirectly inspired by - Katsushika Hokusai's famous painting Red Fuji. I got all excited and once home I wanted to see more, and found online what is, for me, one of those rare dresses that at first glance has you believing that to own it would change everything in your life for the better. Now that's good design (and very dangerous territory for us on a budget):

You can shop these gorgeous styles at Net-a-Porter.com, click Issa.

Stay tuned for Part 2 - lush rose-embellished bags from Valentino and the most incredible black leather jacket with a fine-ruffled front from Prada. You've been kind to read this far and I'm jetlagged so am going to bed. Nighty night and sweet dreams of pretty dresses. 

Hey Baby, I Like Your Style

 
Name: Connie AKA "Daddy's Girl"

Spotted for: Ability to wear multiple trends at once - effortlessly - for an everyday look that's both casual and chic (no easy feat!)

And just how did she do that? Connie, who works in accessories (of course), mixed new trends with enduring ones. The cobalt summer scarf over a bright yellow tank gets personalised with a beaded dragonfly broach. The dark blue tried-and-true skinny jeans and gold flats pull it all together. I LOVE gold flats, there is nothing they can't do. An absolute wardrobe must-have.

The summer scarf is huge right now and Connie keeps the summer in the look with her hot colour choices. The cobalt and yellow are a bright and bold contrast, perfect for the season and a more confident alternative to the safe and common black over white tee.

And as always, the perfect accessory is a big, happy smile. We're with you on that, Connie.

Go DvF for the Ultimate Maxi Dress

The maxi dress is super hot for summer 2008 and one of the most fabulous on offer is the Orioti dress from Diane von Furstenberg.

The lovely Karen sent this photo of her modelling the stunning chocolate and ivory silk gown, she was lucky enough to snag herself one of the covetable and very hard-to-find Oriotis recently (oh, aren't we jealous!).

The waterfall dot print was used in three styles - the maxi, a top and the Tuvallu, a shorter, loose-fit dress that the designer herself wore to her Spring 2008 RTW show in New York last autumn. (I personally prefer Karen's for maximum gorgeousness and pure luxury. Imagine how it feels on...how does it feel, Karen?)

Diane von Furstenberg is one of my absolute favourite designers, for the simple elegance and wearability of her designs. And of course, being the inventor of the legendary wrap dress she is idolised by women everywhere. Thank you, DvF, we LOVE the wrap dress.

She also made the first and only safari-inspired piece I've ever liked, the Safaya shirt dress in cream parchment silk shantung with a wrap front and self-tie (the winning details):

BIG SALE ALERT!! London designer boutique Matches is having an online sale on DvF with MAD reductions on some items (and not the kind of sale on stuff that you look and and say 'what the heck were they on when they came up with that?'). DvF only does great things and therefore you can get a Vintage collection black and white Julian wrap dress, regular £257 for £98, or a powder blue silk Treasa dress with front broderie anglaise and ribbon detailing, was £312 now £98 (unbelievably adorable). And if you can spend more there are huge reductions to be found in the high end of the range. They do ship to North America, expect it to be about $60. Happy shopping!

The Lovely Strokes Part 2: Price Tags Explained

Okay, I found a bit more about what goes into these Dolce & Gabbana hand painted dresses I posted on earlier. I'd quoted a price tag of a few thousand pounds. Well, that was for the lower end of the range. The flouncy tulle-under-skirted gowns are just a wee bit more pricey. Try £19,260 for the likes of the one to the left (and double that for dollars).

How can that be? As reported by Grazia (my favourite UK fashion and news glossy), as a foundation we have Dolce & Gabbana's highly sought after top-notch curve-cutting skills coupled with an artful mastery of corsetry so impressive they've monopolised the genre.  These show-stopping dresses are created like works of art. Fabrics are stretched and hand painted then draped around that famous corset base and made into dresses.

Finally, the gowns are limited edition (the two words that will send a price skyrocketing) and every piece is labelled, like a collectable print. The style shown here is from an edition of 10. So again I ask, well worth the price then, ya?

Somehow a few thousand quid for the simpler versions seem like a bargain now. So there's your justification for you to go out and get one.

The Lovely Strokes

One of the hottest runway trends this season is hand painting - dresses, tops, T shirts, jackets, scarves - anything that can be embellished with a few strokes of the brush.

Many fashion houses have shown versions of the freehand technique for 2008 (Miu Miu, Prada, Balenciaga, Badgley Mischka, Moschino) yet surprisingly, my favourite look is from Dolce & Gabbana (I just don't relate to the D&G woman, but I may have to reconsider, at least for this season). The duo presented the most beautiful execution of the hand painting trend, combining it with floral motifs and transparent fabrics, two other big elements this season, to create their dresses for their Spring 08 RTW collection. Naturally you pay for such a dreamy piece of wearable art, I've seen price tags well over £2,000 (double that for Can/U.S. dollars) and that's if you can find one for sale, they're selling out fast.

At least the dresses can be considered one-offs, painted freehand by young artists let loose on bolts of silk organza. And this is a trend that transcends trends, you'd never look back and ask 'What was I thinking?'. There's a reason if you review past collections you'll find a handful of labels each season quietly adding painted touches to their designs. Well worth the couple thousand quid, then, ya?