Christian Louboutin is having a bit of a punk moment this season and his liberal use of black patent leather, studs, red suede and leopard print is ticking many of my boxes (so to speak). As you know by now, my love of leopard print doesn't waver with the seasons. Fashion might be constantly falling in and out of love with it, but for me it is a staple. It is, however, notoriously tricky. Not all leopard prints were created equal – the colours, pattern and fabric have to be just right or else it looks cheap. It's hard to pin-point exactly what it is that constitutes the perfect leopard print but I can tell you in an instant if it is a hit or a miss.
Likewise, anything with studs can go from cool to tacky in the blink of an eye, regardless of the price tag. I've seen high street stores get it right and designers put a hefty price-tag on something that looks cheap and nasty. So, despite loving the flavour of Louboutin's AW15 offerings, not everything is on my wishlist. The selection above is my personal pick of the bunch and I would be more than happy to see any of these babies under my Christmas tree...
Wednesday 11th November 2015
The older I get the more opinionated I am about live music venues. When I was younger I didn't think twice about it. If a band I liked were playing, I would make damn sure that I was there – whatever the venue, wherever the location. But with age comes experience and, subsequently, venues are now subject to the following checklist: acoustics (actually, this one has always mattered), location, proximity to a good restaurant, bar (what do they sell and how long do you have to queue), and of course familiarity – when you have been to the same venues enough times you know exactly where to stand for the best view.
However, sometimes you get a reminder that hits you like a punch in the face that the venue means nothing – it's all about the band. I've mentioned before that I have seen some great bands rock some truly crappy venues and others have no chemistry at all in the very best, and last week was a good reminder of this.
My husband bought us tickets to see Dinosaur Pile-Up when they first went on sale. I wrote about their show at The Hope in Brighton here, and we saw them again at Camden Rocks this summer; they are incredible live and needless to say the venue didn't matter. In fact we hadn't even heard of it, which goes to show we haven't exhausted every avenue just yet. On inspection of a few online photos, my husband informed me that The Dome at Tuffnell Park looked suspiciously like a village hall. Not very rock 'n' roll....
However, Tuffnell Park is pretty close to Camden and Camden is home of Hache (the king of all burger joints), so 'proximity to a good restaurant' was one thing I could check off my list. When we arrived at The Dome it was indeed very reminiscent of a village hall and (as we drunk flat pints of beer and admired the frilly curtains) I became increasingly certain that this stage had probably been home to its fair share of nativity plays over the years. By this point I was starting to feel the beer/burger bloat and was more than a little tempted to try and track down the cupboard full of chairs that had to be there somewhere in case of an impromptu PTA meeting...
Enter Dinosaur Pile-Up. And with one chord I was awake. I already knew this band was something special live, but that night they performed some kind of magic. They sounded great, they looked great (The Dome actually has some pretty impressive lighting, presumably for helping guide Jesus successfully to Bethlehem) and they inspired the kind of passionate reaction that results in mosh-pits and crowd surfing. I don't think the security quite knew what to do, they looked a bit bemused by the whole thing.
The band's latest album came out last month and they included a fair few songs from this in their set, as well as a sprinkling of Growing Pains and Nature Nurture. The whole thing culminated in an explosive performance of 11:11 which united the whole crowd in its enthusiasm. The show was all consuming and it wasn't until the lights came up that I remembered where I was and had to laugh.
Looking at the Dome's website, upcoming acts include Cancer Bats and Graveltones, so perhaps it isn't quite the off-the-grid affair that I suspected. But in all honesty, the night wasn't about the venue, or its frilly curtains, or even my incredible dinner. It was about Dinosaur Pile-Up and the simple fact that a band this good can play anywhere and make it work – they could tear the roof off your fucking living-room.
Today sees the release of Jeremy Scott's latest foray into the world of Barbie. (Have I really devoted two blog posts to Barbie in recent months?! Who'd have thought it...) The plastic icon has proven to be one of Scott's greatest muses, so it's no surprise that he jumped at the chance to dress her from head to toe in Moschino.
But Barbie doesn't get all the fun... oh no. If you fancy matching her, you can purchase eight life-size ready-to-wear pieces that are available exclusively from Net-A-Porter. Most of the pieces are as brash as you would expect from this collaboration, and rightly so. However, if your own look is a little lower maintenance than the woman of the hour, there's always the Barbie t-shirt – probably the item I want to get my hands on the most!
Barbie is certainly getting around these days (so to speak); the fashion world is embracing her with open arms, and I for one am pretty happy about this. Having been regarded as symbol of everything that is wrong with the world's treatment of women for so long, she is finally being embraced in a light-hearted way. A love of fashion doesn't make you frivolous or shallow, that is something that Barbie and I agree on. After all, feminist issues are far too big to be shouldered by Barbie alone...
• Moschino Barbie Doll £100
• Jacket leather shoulder bag £950
• Gold-plated clip earrings £155
• Barbie-print cotton-jersey t-shirt £185 See the full collection at www.net-a-porter.com
I love bold accessories – a red handbag, bright pink lipstick, leopard print pumps – but if I'm honest, I am typically drawn to more neutral colours for my wardrobe. Luckily for me, this season there is plenty of black to be found in most designers' palettes, lifted by gold accents – the perfect combo. If I have to accept that yes, we really are officially headed into the depths of winter, then here are some of the new season's finest to make the whole thing a little more bearable...
• Crystal-embellished velvet mini skirt, £760 Balmain
• Prive 18-karat gold, pearl and diamond earrings, £2250 Jemma Wynne
• Small leather shoulder bag, £980 Gucci
• Suede and gold-plated watch, £215 Larsson & Jennings
• Printed cotton jersey t-shirt, £115 Moschino
• Croc-effect leather high-top sneakers, £85 Nike
The big day is here! My Jack Skellington pumpkin is carved, my costume is ready, and I've purchased a ridiculous inflatable pumpkin drinks cooler which is large enough to house an entire a crate of beer. All I need now is the right soundtrack, so I've put together a little playlist to get the party started... Happy Halloween!
• This Is Halloween – Marilyn Manson
• Zombie – Family Force 5
• Dragula – Rob Zombie
• Wake The Dead – The Used
• Blood – In This Moment
• This Could Be Love – Alkaline Trio
• 17 Crimes – AFI
• Hells Bells – AC/DC
I think by now we all know how much I love Halloween; horror films, pumpkin carving, ridiculously over the top
makeup... it's my kind of holiday. However, if your idea of fun doesn't
include trawling eBay to put together a DIY costume, or purchasing half a
gallon of fake blood, then here is a high-end Halloween fashion fix
especially for you.
What happens when one of the most creative fashion photographers of all
time joins forces with the king of the macabre? Magic, that's what. The
beautiful dark kind of magic that is perfect for this time of year. I'm taking a look back at a 2009 collaboration for US Harper's Bazaar by two of my favourite people – Tim Walker and Tim Burton.
From Gucci, Gaultier and Givenchy, to custom Philip Treacy
for Alexander McQueen, and even a Rodarte-clad
Edward Scissor Hands, the results were beautiful. This is Tim Burton's vision, wrapped in couture and brought to life by the incredible props that are synonymous with Tim Walker's work.
If you are in need of further inspiration, I have put together a selection of high-end Halloween accessories. Even if you aren't one for costumes, you can't tell me those Charlotte Olympia shoes wouldn't brighten up a day at the office! That being said, I am leaving my McQueen safely at home on Saturday night and have put together my costume for under £5. I'm afraid I have learned this lesson the hard way – mixing drinks can be trouble, but mixing alcohol with couture is much worse.
Clockwise from left:
• Spiderweb body by Victoria's Secret
• Harness skull ring £235 by Alexander McQueen
• Lace skull box clutch £1395 by Alexander McQueen
• Kitty flats £365 by Charlotte Olympia
• Victorian jewelled skull ring £265 by Alexander McQueen
• Claw-print zipped pouch £80 by Undercover
There are very few things that get me excited about winter, I'm a summer girl through and through. But, as always, fashion has a way of making even the gloomiest times of year that bit more enjoyable, and boots are undoubtedly one of my winter highlights. (I actually wrote a whole post about my Top 5 Sartorial Reasons to Appreciate Autumn/Winter a few years ago, which you can find here.) With this in mind, here is some of A/W15's finest footwear to brighten a rather miserable Thursday morning...
1. Corsita ankle boots, £825 Christian Louboutin
Black, leopard print and that classic red sole... yes please.
2. Chiara suede ankle boots, £650 Sophia Webster
I'm beginning to feel like I should be getting paid to do Sophia Webster's PR! But seriously, she can do no wrong in my eyes... what can I say about these boots other than I want them. Now.
3. Leather ankle boots, £695 Christian Louboutin
If ever a shoe with a spike heel was going to be called practical, this would be it. They're smart and sensible, but leave it to Louboutin to ensure that they are still sexy.
4. Embroidered suede boots, £835 Balmain
The price tag is the only thing stopping me from running out and buying these right now! It's nice to see something a little different from the typical biker boot that gets re-hashed each season, and something tells me these would be as comfy as they are beautiful.
5. Studded ankle boots, £885 Givenchy
These leather boots are perhaps a little more practical than the suede options and (I suspect) more than a little inspired by the Chloé Susanna boot. A great option for keeping your toes dry during London's rainy winters.
6. Crystal embellished suede ankle boots, £825 Dolce & Gabbana
Another suede option here, but given a D&G twist with that beautiful pearl embellishment on the heel. The detail elevates this from a classic ankle boot to something a bit more special.
