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'I always had a repulsive need to be something more than human'

- the eternally delicious David Bowie

British Fashion Awards 2010

To Lee, With Love, Nick - A Tribute to Alexander McQueen By Nick Knight from SHOWstudio

Last night the British Fashion Council posthumously awarded Alexander McQueen the Outstanding Achievement in Fashion Design Award and celebrated his many creations, achievements and McQueen himself with this beautiful film, by photographer Nick Knight in collaboration with Showstudio.

Other winners included Lara Stone as Model of the Year, Phoebe Philo as Designer of the Year for her visionary work at Céline, Nicholas Kirkwood as Accessory Designer of the year, Mulberry for Best Designer Brand, and the multi-talented and frankly awe-inspiring Nicola Formichetti won the Isabella Blow Award for Fashion Creator of the Year.

R.I.P Lee McQueen.

All That Glitters...

Keira's Fresh Start

The absolute beauty that is Keira Knightley graces the front cover of January's British Vogue. Shot by Mario Testino and looking both glossy and slightly nineties [the wet-look hair gel; the strong bushy brow - can't help but think of Ross from Friends, circa '94], Keira exclusively reveals how she nearly quit acting three years ago;

'I think I intended not to work again. I wasn't enjoying what I was doing and I felt terribly guilty about that. I remember hating the idea that I was in a privileged position and couldn't see the point of any of it,' she said. 'I had worked solidly since I was 16, till 22, and I had not been on holiday in all of that time. I didn't know if I was going to go back to acting at all. I think for a long time I thought I wouldn't.'

Luckily for us, instead of quitting the glittering lights of Tinseltown, she went on a tour of Europe with friends and promptly got over it. Excellent stuff. What do you think of her cover?

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Beautiful, one of a kind and missed, Isabella Blow in a Philip Treacy hat.

'When I said, 'I know this sounds a bit weird but I want to buy the whole of your collection,' Alexander McQueen offered to sell me a coat for £350. I said, 'That's a lot for a student.' And he said, 'But I made it.' In the end I bought it all for £5,000 but it took me a long time to pay for it'

Charity Fashion Show and Vintage Market

A friend of mine is hosting a rather fabulous Charity fashion show and vintage market tomorrow [Tuesday] at Bar 38 in Deansgate, Manchester. If you fancy seeing some very attractive University of Manchester students modelling vintage and designer clothing, me embarrassing myself whilst trying to do some presenting AND picking yourself up some goodies at the same time, come along between 7 and 9pm, with the added bonus of an after-show party at 42^nd street afterwards.

Entry is just £5 for the show and market, with free entry into the raffle draw with prizes including a Benefit make-up makeover, a signed book by boy-band The Wanted and a free hair cut and style at Terrence Paul. After the runway display you can peruse and buy clothes from the stalls provided by some of the finest vintage shops and boutiques in Manchester, including Blessing Sule and TRingkets.

The £5 ticket or entry fee goes towards the very lovely charity, Children Today, which specializes in providing equipment to children with disabilities and the goal of the fashion show and market is to raise £895.  Tickets are available on the door, or you can text the following numbers for further info/ tickets;

07763124677
07882831220
07854696490
07817750677

Hope to see you there!

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Daphne Guinness, writer, collector of haute couture, heiress and lover of a certain well-known philosopher - a philophilosopher?

'Tis The Season

I refuse to believe that as soon as ‘Jingle Bells’ becomes the regular accompaniment to any sort of expeditions outside the house, good taste must disappear. Yet go into any high street or large department store once Christmas has been declared [like a war and by the appearance of the coca-cola advert on TV, naturally] and lo and behold, clothes that were once the height of chic and well thought-out design have now been replaced with green, red and black be-sequined monstrosities.

Why designers appear to think women want nothing more than to look like a portly elf in an unflatteringly cut, sparkly dress that would look better on a four year old angel in the nativity play, I do not know. I am also unsure as to why any semblance of a varied and sophisticated colour palette goes out the window [along with style and the designer's self-respect] as clothes are reduced to these three bold and frankly, quite scary colours. I would also like to meet the woman who looks good in elfin green, rare beast that she is. What I do know is that only the big daddies of fashion appear immune to this outbreak of mass fashion hysteria as a by-product of Christmas cheer. So, to avoid looking like shit this Christmas, either pay big or buy well in advance in autumn rather than in the two month run-up to Christmas. In particular, check out the fabulous arrange of clothing on www.net-a-porter.com, brilliant for finding that perfect Christmas Do outfit. 

However, to avoid sounding too much like scrooge, I feel I should categorically state that I actually love Christmas and indeed, sparkly things, but as with most things in life, I feel moderation is the key to avoid looking like Mrs Claus, or even worse, an overdressed Christmas Tree. If you will insist on colour, experiment with nail or lip colour instead and keep clothing sophisticated – try not to wear all of these so-called ‘festive’ colours all at once. And do not, for the love of all that is good in the world, wear ‘novelty’ costume jewellery in the form of Christmas-carol singing brooches or nasty flashing dangly earrings shaped like snowmen.

And finally, on a more positive note, a red felt hat trimmed with white fur perched at a jaunty angle is allowed.  I’m not sure why, it just is. Season’s greetings!

'Tis The Season by keiligh featuring a cape dress
Yves Saint Laurent - Rouge Pure Shine Sheer Lipstick in No. 22 Cherry Sorbet, £10, www.ebay.co.uk
Manolo Blahnik Hangisi Flat, £591, www.manoloblahnik.com
Yves Saint Laurent Arty Glass Ring, £115, www.net-a-porter.com
Prada Raso Gathered Clutch, £506, www.Barneys.com
Phillipe Audibert Manchette gold-plated cuff, £318, www.net-a-porter.com
Louis Vuitton Beauty Pump in Velvet, £869, www.louisvuitton.com
Max Factor Colour X-Pert, £3.99 each, www.superdrug.com
Burberry Prorsum Coat, £5,982, www.colette.fr
Vivienne Westwood Red Label Bow Pants, £332, www.farfetch.com
Vince Sequinned Crepe T-Shirt, £184, www.net-a-porter.com
Rosamosario La Fata Babydoll silk-crepe and lace chemise, £440, www.net-a-porter.com
Karen Millen Statement Frill Dress, £180, www.karenmillen.com
Alexander McQueen Floral Queen Skull Clutch, £997, www.alexandermcqueen.cm
Yves Saint Laurent Dress, £1,154, www.mytheresa.com

TRingkets

Amidst the gloom and doom that is essay writing season, a small chink of light was presented to me in the form of an invitation to the launch party of TRingkets, an idea of, dare I say it, fabulous proportions. Textile students from the University of Manchester have created a Design Enterprise group that recycle and source jewels, trinkets and other quirky odds and ends, which they eventually turn into one of a kind, quirky and utterly wearable rings.  
 
From statement pieces including gold knuckledusters and what I think may have been a bullet [fierce], to delicate flowers, vintage brooches and rings made of wrought gold leaves, TRingkets have created one-off, wearable and beautiful rings for everyone and every occasion. Even better, none of the rings cost over £10 and all are beautifully wrapped and presented, making them a perfect gift - and just in time for Christmas.

By the time we got to the launch party last Thursday at a local cocktail bar, the majority of the rings had sold out - although the housemates and I managed to grab a beautiful ring each - a sign, I think, of the great things to come for TRingkets in the future.

You can pick up a ring from TRingkets at the Vintage Fashion Show and Market at Bar 38 in Deansgate on the 30th of November. Alternatively, check out their website at tringkets.blogspot.com.

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YO-LANDI VI$$ER

I've had a massive crush on Yolandi ever since I discovered the joys of Die Antwoord and their massive tune Enter the Ninja last year, but after last night’s electric performance at WHP, I think we can officially turn that into a case of the full-on hots. Yolandi now has the honour of holding the official title of ‘The One Woman I Would Turn For’, hands down, no questions asked. With her gold leggings, ghetto hoodie, shaved and bleached pixie mullet and a mouth you wouldn’t kiss your mother with, she is perhaps the sexiest woman around right now – and a refreshingly different one too. My obsession with Die Antwoord has now increased tenfold, as I somehow managed to wiggle my way to the very front where I had about 45 minutes of unadulterated and completely sexual Afrikaans thrown in my face, along with Ninja’s mahoosive penis and the entire contents of Yolandi’s bottle of water [via her mouth].

'I GOT WHAT YOU WANT BOY

I GOT WHAT YOU WANT

I GOT WHAT YOU WANT BOY

YOU NEVER GONNA GET IT

I GOT WHAT YOU WANT BOY

I GOT WHAT YOU WANT

NO YOU NEVER GONNA GET IT

SO YOU MIGHT AS WELL FORGET IT'

Zef Lyf.

Don't forget to check out my newest blog, CardiffCouture

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''Darling, if you want to talk bollocks and discover the meaning of life, you're better off downing a bottle of whiskey. At least that way, you're unconscious by the time you start to take yourself seriously.''

Good Enough To Eat

A fusion of fashion + food = what's not to love? John Galliano has designed these amazing pink macaroons for Ladurée, the luxury cakes and patisserie brand and actual inventor of the double-decker macaroon. The Champs-Elysées based company has collaborated with Galliano to create these little pieces of heaven, all based on the rose and ginger notes of Galliano's newest fragrance, Parlez-moi d'Amour. I imagine they taste how Paris looks. As in, c'est magnifique [!]

The John Galliano for Ladurée macaroons also come in the sweetest vintage-inspired floral boxes, and the design is almost as delectable as the contents. A veritable match made in heaven! Box of 6 macaroons £11, box of 8 macaroons £13.40, box of 18 macaroons £29.70 http://www.laduree.com/

Lust...

Who says office wear has to be unfashionable? Fools, that's who. Love, lust and lech over all these bad boys, which just so happen to be perfect for my upcoming work experience...

'Thinkest thou Heaven is such a glorious thing?'

The quote above is from Doctor Faustus, a rather irritatingly ambiguous play about soul-selling by the Don of blank verse, Christopher Marlowe.  I'm meant to be writing my 2,500 word essay on the role of anxious masculinity in the play, 'constructed and constrained by patriarchal culture', [deadline - Monday] and instead I'm here, musing away. The quote is from the demon Mephistophilis to Faustus, if you're interested.

Now, I don't know know if heaven is or isn't such a glorious thing [actually, I think its highly likely it doesn't exist at all], but if heaven could be summed up in six words, I think those words would be; 'Urban. Outfitters. Wild. Cat. Fur. Muff'. Ever since, as a young filly of just 7 years old, I saw Disney's Anastasia for the first time, I have coveted, dreamed of, and wished for a fur muff to keep my little hands warm. Incidentally, my hands are a lot bigger now, but that's fine because it just means the UO Fur Muff fits like a glove [Aha!].

The faux fur is soft and delicious to the touch, the velvet lining is to die for and, the best part - it has a detachable gold chain strap to hang around your neck. How perfect is that? Whilst the 'Wild Cat' has a distinctly leopardskin look, they also have a distressed look white and grey muff with satin lining for the innocents out there, but personally, I'll be staying faithful to the sexy Wild Cat. Miaow indeed. Both are £26 and can be bought in-store or online, and I actually think I may need the Wild Cat more than life itself.

Yes, I do tend to throw hyperbole around a lot when reading Early Modern literature. But I do need this faux-furry item to add to my collection. So there.

Goodbye student loan...

…Helloooo Lanvin! I am literally SO excited about the new Lanvin for H&M collection I have officially resurrected the blog [after about 3 days of frantically trying to remember the password/user-name combo] in order to harp on about it. Alber Elbaz, I salute you.

The video lookbook is absolutely amazing, and even though ordinarily those slightly awkward fashion videos make me cringe [I’m looking at you, Mr Lagerfeld], this one, starring Natasha Poly, Hannelore Knuts and Tati Cotilar is dramatic, sexy and more than a little bit cheeky.

The clothes are by far the best out of any H&M collaboration to date. The statement sunglasses have already gone on my Christmas list [I ADORE you, Father Christmas and Mumma Bear] - a snip at a mere £14.99, as has the lipstick, £7.99, the one shouldered black dress, £99.99 [it’s my birthday soon?] and the most gorgeous skirt, which I want in both black and white, £34.99 [clearly an investment].

Check out the video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5DJ75cQ3o3A

Cat Dancers is probably the strangest documentary I have ever seen in a lifetime of watching strange documentaries (Documentaries are my not-so secret fetish. I bloody love them, I really do.) I know it's probably a tad late to be jumping on the bandwagon as my housemate recommended it to me last year and I think it was originally released in 2008. But I had such high hopes on hearing what the plot line actually entailed of, I think I was actually scared of it not reaching up to my expectations and turning out to be crap. Happily, it ended up surpassing my wildest imaginings and was so worth the anticipation, especially as it features some amazing grainy original footage from the sixties and seventies. It was also surprisingly thought-provoking, particularly on the whole sexuality/ morality/ captive animals front. Totally addictive viewing - sequins, bare flesh, rumours of a ménage à trois and white tigers - what more could a girl ask for?

The First Post!

After several years of resistance, the voracious reading of other people’s posts and repeatedly being told to get a blog if I want to become a writer, I have surrendered to the guilty pleasure of self-indulgent blogging. Hello, reader! This is the first post and I have to admit, it is rather exciting. Sometimes all I want to do is talk for several hours about something completely geeky or fashionista-y, like MIA’s new video or, like, the height of heels this season. This will be your purpose, my darling bloggy-blog. You will take my train of thought and allow it to flow into several lines of pure, unadulterated and quality blabber, saving some poor unwitting friend from several minutes of confused rambling. Lucky blog!

So anyway today, which is a rather typically bleak Mancunian day, I am escaping the mono-colours outdoors by curling up in bed with my electric blanket, a large mug of Earl Grey and fantasies revolving around my Roberto Cavalli grey hammered silk dress awaiting me at home. (Thank YOU, www.theoutnet.com sale!) I have yet to meet my dress, what with my distrust of the postal service (I had it delivered home-home rather than university-home) but I have no doubt that it is going to be the start of something quite beautiful.




Darling, isn't she!