Selfridges’ London store will launch an exhibition of Vivienne Westwood’s most revered shoe designs on Thursday 26 August. Called Vivienne Westwood Shoes: An Exhibition 1973 – 2010, it will be a month-long free admission presentation and will be held in the Ultralounge on the lower ground floor.
There will be a showcase of 200 of Westwood’s iconic and most memorable footwear designs such as the Super Elevated Gillie platform which people will remember to be the shoe that proved too high even for catwalk pro Naomi Campbell when she fell during a catwalk show in 1993. Or another sculptured design the Rocking Horse, a geisha-style stack heel, and not forgetting one of her most popular and covered designs the Pirate Boot will all be on show amongst Westwood’s current day creations.
There will also be support from Melissa, the shoe brand which Westwood collaborates with on a regular basis, with her quirky plastic shoes too.
Super Elevated Gillie platform
Picture courtesy of nicolecolecole
Gossip girl star and lead singer of Pretty Reckless Taylor Momsen has been chosen to front the campaign for John Galliano’s brand new fragrance which is due out this autumn. This past year has seen her model for New Look ads as well as recently been unveiled as the face of Madonna’s new Material Girl clothing collection.
The fashion forward star, who style is always commented on loves fashion and it is clearly important to the wannabe rocker, she recently told MTV that she had fired her stylist so she could take more control over her look, saying: ‘I think firing my stylist has allowed me to be more free. I was getting molded into this thing that wasn’t who I am.’
So with the Gossip Girl Taylor Momsen being the style world’s new darling, we will no doubt be seeing much, much more of her in future.
Selfridge’s new boutique the Forever Shop which is open from now through to 15 August in the Wonder Room concept store area and it features items that have transcended fashion history to become timeless style staples, which is a refreshing change in these times of throw away fashion.
In the collection you will find something for everyone with inimitable pieces, that even a fashion novice should recognise like the Chanel 2.55 handbag and the quintessentially English Burberry trench to the cult classic, white Converse All Star and Doctor Martin’s black eight hole boot. On top of this you will be able to admire a selection of culture-shaping works of design and literature to ponder, that will give you an insight on how fashion developed.
The pieces in this collection have been handpicked by the best in the fashion business, those who have lent their expertise with this include: Selfridges’ Creative Director, Allannah Weston, British design legend Paul Smith and Elle Decorations Editor-in-Chief, Michelle Ogundehin.
Selfridges’ Creative Director, Allannah Weston, believes now is the right time to host such a store saying “The pieces selected by our curators are the true heirlooms and keepsakes of fashion and design with real longevity and appeal. They are the reference points that are often reinterpreted but never bettered, presented for the first time in one place. We have been talking about bringing together the pieces that define ageless style for a while, and now just seemed the perfect time for our Forever Shop.”
Fashion designer Stella McCartney is set to take over as Addidas’s Olympic Creative Director and will be designing a fashion athletic kit for those taking part in the 2012 games, Stella already designs a best-selling line for the label. A UK adidas official said: ‘This is the ultimate fusion of performance and style,’ at her appointment, Stella’s latest adidas designs include a gorgeous glow in the dark running range, which will be launched soon.
Speaking about her designs that not only look great but are also affordable, Stella said: ‘When you are running in an urban environment, you need to feel safe, when people can see you coming and stand out, especially in winter when it gets dark earlier, but at the same time we used it on a leopard print, so it’s not so masculine and graphic. We also have glow-in-the-dark key rings which have a nice sense of humour, which you can have if you are a man, a woman, or a kid.’
The former Spice Girl Victoria Beckham has had many roles over her career, singer, mother and most recently and quite successfully clothing fashion designer, however recently Mrs Beckham has turned her designing skill to car interiors. After unveiling Range Rover’s ‘Baby’ car she revealed that she is set to design a fantastic flashy interior for it.
At the celeb-packed launch in Kensington, Victoria said: “I am incredibly excited to be collaborating with Range Rover, I like to take on a challenge and I’m ready for it.” She also stated that she has already started work on designs for the inside of the brand’s latest model, the Evoque.
The new model from Range Rover is set to be the most environmentally friendly 4×4 yet and that it will also be the lightest and most-fuel efficient of the Range Rovers so far, the new design is aimed at a younger, more fashion-friendly market, which is why Mrs Beckham has been invited to design the interior.
It’s normally all about the little black dress (LBD) a wardrobe must have, however in women’s clothing this season the LBD is taking a back seat to the little white dress (LWD). You don’t need to play it safe in black instead take a risk with white this season.
The LWD is this seasons must have, crisp and cool, it’s the best way to keep cool this summer, it’s also a great place to start off you outfit, think of it as a blank canvass and showcase some fabulous pieces of jewellery or statement shoes. You can wear during the day with pretty sandals then glam it up for an evening ala Cheryl Cole.
Its not just popular little dresses either this seasons maxi dress trend is also cool in white, you can bring out your Grecian goddess style, a perfect look for a holiday.
Little white dresses
Picked up on last year colour blocking is set to be a big trend again this year, looking at the spring/summer 2010 catwalk trends. Acid brights and garish bold pattern are also a huge trend this year so you can defiantly see that bright colours are defiantly in designer women’s wear.
Colour block
Colour blocking is a separate trend to the bold prints that we have seen flourish this year, as the name suggests you need to go for block colours in the basic hues, red, blue, yellow, pink, green and so on. With this trend experimenting in clashing colours is encouraged to make a statement but do remember to keep it simple, not too many fussy shapes or too many accessories.
Bright tops
If you’re not quite brave enough to clash your colours, try opting for colour blocks in the same tonal family or mix and match colours with white and black.
Accessories
London Fashion Week has much to offer the fashion industry. It is an annual event that is attended by fashion professionals. The venue is Somerset House, with several function rooms being given over to the various shows.
London Fashion Week is part of a fashion marathon, with shows taking place in New York, Paris and Milan too. The weeks follow each other, so the world’s press go from one to another to report on the collections that are being presented. The theatrical approaches of the designers ensure the interest of the rest of the fashion world.
The 2009 event was the 25th anniversary of both the event and the formation of the British Fashion Council. Designers that regularly take part include Caroline Charles, Betty Jackson, Jasper Conran, Vivienne Westwood and Nicole Farhi, amongst others.
The 2010 event ran from 19th to 24th February, when the overall style moved away from the eccentricity of previous years, favouring more elegant designs. The retro feel that some collections have had in the past had also disappeared, and the overall emphasis appeared to be on a more feminine style.
The event was overshadowed by the untimely and tragic death of Alexander McQueen, but the collections that were presented had the desired impact, giving the London week a serious edge that met with the approval of all watching. The front rows of the shows were filled with celebrities like Kate Moss and Elizabeth Hurley. The reviews that followed in the media were probably the most positive they have ever been.
London Fashion Week
Picture courtesy of BitchBuzz
For many a film buff the pieces on sale in this Hollywood auction are easily recognisable from some of the biggest films ever made, meaning a once in a lifetime opportunity for collectors. The auction which will be one of the biggest ever held in Hollywood is set to raise about two million pounds with an unprecedented range of 1,500 landmark items. Some of the pieces from the sale that stand out include:
From one of cinema’s most memorable song and dance sequences the “Diamond’s are a Girl’s Best Friend” sequence in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, is the famous pink satin gown worn by Marilyn Monroe, who played the part of gold-digging Lorelei Lee. It is thought to fetch £170,000.
The famous Wicked Witch of the West hat worn by Margaret Hamilton in The Wizard of Oz is also up for auction and film buffs will instantly recognise the hat which is made of black wool bunting fabric and has a wide brim supported by a steel hoop and a black silk scarf tied around its base.The hat which was used in key sequences of the 1939 film, the bidding for the hat is expected to reach £100,000.
Other items included in the sale also include the Holy Grail from Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Darth Vader’s lightsaber from Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi, an X-Wing Fighter filming miniature from Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope and Johnny Depp’s vicious looking scissorhands from Tim Burton’s Edward Scissorhands.
She may be the darling of the British catwalk but Agyness Deyn has a few more tricks up her sleeve! She has now designed a range of t-shirts for Uniqlo. Known for her rocker chick sense of style Ms Deyn has already starred in some colourful ad campaigns for the bargainous Japanese high street chain.
Both her and her sister Emily Deyn have come up with a funky limited edition collection of tees which are emblazoned with retro Polaroid photos, and take inspiration from the punk era. Agyness sister Emily also has fashion in her blood is a designer and owns cool Manchester-based fashion label Hussaindeyn, their UT women’s collection is now in store and online and design costs £12.99.