Sunday 5 December 2010

British Fashion Awards 2010!

I am so excited! I've recently been reading the shortlists of nominees for the various awards and the British Fashion Awards 2010 and I have made my mind up on who I wish to win each award! 

Firstly the `Emerging Talent Award- Accessories` nominees are as follows; Charlotte Olympia, Husam El Odeh and Jessica McCormack. I have concluded that out of these three I am leaning towards the favour of Charlotte Olympia- I love them all, don't get me wrong, they're all amazingly interesting designers, but at the moment I'm going through a MASSIVE shoe loving phase and Olympia's designs are so gorgeously wonderful and classically sexy that I cannot resist...





Secondly there is the `Emerging Talent Award- Ready- to- wear` and the nominees are Mary Katrantzou, Meadham Kirchhoff and Michael van der Ham. Right- so- hm- if I think back to who throughout the whole of 2010 I've always been amazed by, it'd have to be Mary Katrantzou! They've all done their bit in the Topshop boutiques, but the one that stands out in terms of how interesting the designs are is Mary Katrantzou. Her designs at LFW were also beautiful, so what can I say... She's amazing? Having said that I feel bad... I really do love the other two nominees- Meadham Kicrchoff has great style and such a unique way of thinking and the colours and imagination Michael van der Ham uses are wow! But I'm still going to say that Katrantzou is my favourite!






The third award is for `Designer Brand` and has nominees of Burberry, Mulberry, Pringle of Scotland and Victoria Beckham. This one is really difficult to choose between- I admit I am not a great fan of Victoria Beckham, but the other three designer brands are heavenly. This year I've been rather obsessed with Burberry, due mainly to George Craig, however Mulberry and their Alexa bags, beautifully thought out advertisements and Pringle with their authentic styles and the introduction of wool knit classics once again this Winter. I may have to say that I've fallen for Pringle. I am so going to end up biting my tongue if Victoria Beckham ends up winning... I just don't feel the whole bodycon everything style that she has going on- not everyone's size zero anorexic like you Posh.





Then there's the Model award... This one is always so hard and especially when there is men AND women involved because they just have such different qualities. The nominees this year are David Gandy- YUM, Lara Stone- OF COURSE and Rosie Huntington- Whiteley- ooh la la. Personally, when I saw Rosie Huntington- Whiteley had been nominated the first thoughts I had were "sorry, but who is she?" and having Googled her, I wasn't that very impressed if I'm honest. Yes, she is very pretty and has a lovely figure, but there was nothing really different about her. Then there's David Gandy and oh my God is that man hot. He has appeared in quite a lot this year and I'm glad he was nominated- I think George Craig should have been nominated, but David Gandy is the next best thing! Him against Lara Stone will be difficult. I think I'm going to have to go with Lara Stone though because she has become such an icon throughout 2010, since last year's December issue of Vogue she has been popping up everywhere. Her Louis Vuitton adverts are immense and her features are so unique that it would be hard not to say that I hope she wins.








Fifth award is for British accessory designer- Camilla Skovgaard, Emma Hill for Mulberry and Nicholas Kirkwood are this year's nominees. They're all worthy- Skovgaard's designs are inspiring and interesting, Emma Hill's bags are gorgeous and fit right in with this year's trends, but this may be due to my shoe- loving phase, but I'm going to have to vote for Nicholas Kirkwood on this one. His shoes are absolutely amazing and I love him so much. I've attempted to design shoes before, but it must be one of those things- you can either do it, or you can't- and Nicholas definitely can! I don't know where he gets his inspiration from, but his shoes are so different and beautiful that it really confuses me as to how he does it. It's not human.







Menswear is always tricky for me because I never seem to pay much attention to it, I'm normally more interested in the womenswear and dreaming about owning the clothes I see myself. But I have been noticing certain male clothing in advertisements this year and I agree with the nomination for Menswear Designer being Christopher Bailey for Burberry, E. Tautz, Margaret Howell and Paul Smith. Well, Christopher Bailey, I don't know whether to be jealous of him to have worked with George Craig or to be jealous of George Craig to have worked with Bailey... His Burberry designs this year have been immense and I've loved watching the new advertisements come out and various Prorsum shows at Fashion Weeks. E. Tautz's designs look as if they have been inspired and influenced by male university students from roughly the seventies/ eighties? They are so boyishly handsome and have a preppy take on menswear. And this is when I just get bored of menswear, it all looks similar, no fancy bright colours, no anything out of the ordinary, why can't all men dress like gay guys?! It would so much more interesting. Margaret Howell's designs are nice, I admit, but they are just suits and shirts and trousers, over and over again... Paul Smith I do like. And this this year I have actually preferred his men's collections over the women's. Blazer's are more interesting and not all of his designs are clean cut suits. My favourite would have to be Christopher Bailey though, I know he won an award for best BFC Designer last year, but I don't see why he can't win another this.






Seventh award is the Isabella Blow award for fashion creator with the nominees of Nick Knight, Nicola Formichetti and Rankin. Okay, so who has been a major inspiration? Right, so two photographers and an editor. I have always loved Nick Knight's photography and he's one of my favourite fashion photographers, like, ever! Er, I would go on, but I just couldn't favour anyone else... Knight is literally a knight in shining colour. His photography is hypnotic and gripping. Rankin is also very good, but in my opinion, not as good. Formichetti is definitely an ispirational editor who has worked very hard to get to where she is and her editorial range is very impressive, but nothing to compare to Nick Knight in my books...









The eight award is the Designer of the year and the nominees are Christopher Kane, Erdem and Phoebe Philo for Céline. Christopher Kane's range at Topshop has definitely impressed me this year with his mix of styles and Erdem's viewing at London's Fashion Week was absolutely amazing, however my favourite has got to be Céline. I just love it. The military colours; especially cream. The high- waisted dream look. And her adaptations with colour. Phoebe Philo is my personal favourite and as much as I love the other two designers, I'm rooting for Céline this year!

The ninth and tenth awards are to be announced either later on before Tuesday or at the ceremony on the 7th and they are for BFC outstanding achievement in fashion and British Style which will be very interesting to find out!

Ahh! I can't wait! Even though I'm not going to the ceremony I still can't wait to see the photos and videos online the next day! And hopefully, I've named at least one of the winning nominees correctly, but if I haven't I don't mind being a fool with an individual opinion if I'm being honest...

Monday 22 November 2010

capescapescapes.

Wow, as soon as this month started it was like BOOM- faux fur coats, capes, lace, scarlet, leopard print, tanned beiges, olive, over the knee socks, chunky wool cardigans, aviator, camel, worker boots. Oh my good gracious. In love, or what?
It's this time of year my parents always have a go at me for leaving the house with not enough clothing on, I admit I tend to prefer dressing Summery because you can wear pretty much anything you like and everyone will see it, but in Winter you're forever covering up with scarves and coats. However this year, with the beautiful capes and faux fur coats mixed with boots and thick socks or tights, I realised you can actually wear something gorgeous on top as well as underneath when staying warm! 
FOCUSING ON CAPES THIS TIME!
I'm hoping to invest in a military cape this Winter, but there are so many different versions and colours!



We're seeing gorgeously embellished capes on the Parisian catwalks, but they're also high street fashion. For example the cape nearest the bottom on the left is a cashmere and wool blend cape by Emilio Pucci who normally uses fantastically inspiring patterns, but has adapted to created this beautiful cape. The second cape is also very nice and the drape of the sleeves and shaping around the middle is definitely a signature cape that is stylish in it's classiness. 

Camel is also a fashion trend of this Winter, which has carried on from the last, and someone fantastic merged the two together. I don't know who they are, but I BLOODY LOVE THEM!
By Isabella Oliver.

YUM YUM YUM.

 So Dear Dear Dear Santa, pretty please?

Thursday 18 November 2010

Did you know that...

The Issa dress that Kate Middleton wore for the announcement of hers and Prince William's engagement sold out within the first 24 hours of images going live?


Coco Chanel's apartment looked like this?


 The nominees at British Fashion Awards 2010 for Designer Label are Burberry Prorsum, Mulberry, Pringle of Scotland and Victoria Beckham?




Jennifer Lopez and Marc Antony are planning a fashion project together?




Kate Moss has been voted best dressed woman of the decade by US Vogue?



Haider Ackermann has been said to be the most likely to succeed Karl Largefeld at Chanel?


Now you know...