A GIRLS BEST FRIEND

Is anyone else STILL lusting after them orange Gucci platforms on the cover of 13.12.08 Times Magazine?! Im usually not too interested in The Times saturday magazines, preferring to wait for the sunday bundle, just for Style. But last week, the cover just got me. How gorgeous are them heels!? Although, at £720, i don't somehow think Santa will be bringing them to my house! 

The article featured in the magazine, boasted pictures of sky scraper heels by Cavalli, Robert Vivier, YSL and, of course, footwear royalty, Christian Louboutin.

(all heels Louboutin.)

well, you never can have enough shoes........

RIGHT ON TREND

Geometric is in. The trend graced New York fashion weeks Spring/Summer '09 runways, in more ways then one.

Notable geometric silhouettes strode down the runway. Taking that step ahead in fashion were designers such as; Phillip Lim (3.1), Michael Kors and Calvin Klein.

Prints and patterns also championed geometric, along with over-sized features and embellishment. Marc Jacobs and Badgeley Mischka were right on point.

With this being a smoking hot trend, i thought id look closer to home, to add a bit geometric to my wardrobe...and i knew exactly where to look.

Margo Selby, is a woven textile designer (award winning, i may add), and friend of my mums. Owning a studio/shop in London, Margo's work consists of striking fun colours, three-dimensional structure and, of course, geometric patterns. Focusing mainly on accessories for yourself (bags, scarves) and for your home, all the fabrics are made on a handloom in her London studio; where you can visit and see the products made, right before your eyes.

Combining the colours blue and orange (very in!), this gorgeous Rivchic Baguette cushion (£55) could be a centre piece for any living space.

Or how about a coin purse (£30), as a gift for someone else, or yourself. My favourite is the Mabel Purse (unsurprisingly popular), featuring luxe earthy colours...and if your in the mood, why not getting the matching cushion?!

Selby caters for that fashionista, and their family; female relatives - purse? clutch bag? scarf? cushion?, or for your dad - he'd love that bow tie! Oh go on, treat yourself!

www.margoselby.com

GRR.

McQueen. Now, some may think I'm about to start a blog on one of the members of the dysfunctional family on Hollyoaks, but to those that have their finger firmly on the pulse, will know I'm talking about Alexander McQueen, as his name suggests, fashion royalty.

Born and bred in London, McQueen took his first step into fashion when he left school at 16 and straightaway got an apprenticeship at the iconic Saville Row tailors, Anderson and Shephard; the rest, they say, is history.

But its in the year 2005, we saw Mr McQueen taking the first step into the mainstream. Jumping in the same bandwagon as Stella McCartney (Adidas), Eley Kishimoto (Ellesse), and Yohji Yamamoto (Adidas), McQueen signs up a partnership with sportswear line Puma for 'an unexpected and unique exploratory footwear collection'. But why trainers? and why Puma?

"I have always had a great passion for trainers, so I am very excited about this collaboration with PUMA."

The Alexander McQueen collections for Puma have always been inspired by the human body and 'ManCat', a half puma half man symbol McQueen developed with renowned fashion photographer Nick Knight.

Bringing it up to the '08 autumn/winter collection, the original concept is predominately there. The line is visually contemporary and intricately crafted for an air of sophistication. With the inspiration for the trainers derived from the whole human anatomy, but logically, focusing on the foot, they reference all the tendent structures, toe prints and vien formations. Very scientific, aye!

With McQueen on their side, Puma are sure to be King of the jungle.

SHES GOT THE XFACTOR

Like many, my Saturday nights for the last couple of months have been spent cringing, laughing and very nearly crying (omg, Diana's exit!), at the Xfactor. With the final fast approaching us (be there: Saturday 13th Dec, ITV, 7.10pm & 9.40pm), i felt it was only right to celebrate the shows very own Princess (no, not Louis) and now fashion icon, Cheryl Cole.

The ITV show saw the Girls Aloud member take a seat on the judges panel for the first time this year, and boy, do we love it. Completely out shining sour-faced Dannii Minogue, its not only her addictive grounded personality, her fiestyness and her aura that has won the viewers hearts; its her clothes!

Simon used to be a firm favourite it the headlines when it came to his, umm, grandad-like attire, but he has fully been pipped by Cheryl, THANKGOD.

Seen flaunting outfits and accessories by Matthew Williamson, Luella, PPQ, Sass and Bide, Marc Jacobs, Tibi, Derek Lam and Phillip Lim (PHEWW!), Mrs Cole has injected a little bit of glamour into the reality TV show...and i know I'm not the only one waiting in anticipation to see what she wear for the final!

Its usually the contestants that get all the attention, but this year, Cheryl has truly stolen the show.

(from left to right: Tibi, Derek Lam, Matthew Williamson, Luella)

THE BECKHAMS <3 ARMANI

Founded in Milan, 1975, by Giorgio Armani and Sergio Galeotti, the fashion house Armani is world widely known and has 11+ lines within the company. Now, everyone knows that behind a good (and successful) line is a smart advertising campaign.

Possibly one of the smartest moves for the Armani house was THAT advert with David Beckham flaunting the labels 'tighty whiteys'.

This sent fans and fashionistas into overdrive. Stores stocking the briefs saw sales rocket, with store Selfridges announcing a 30% increase of sales of Emporio Armani underwear, with the featured white briefs outselling the boxers by 2 to 1.

After the success of using one half of a super-couple, why not use the other half? "Who better than Victoria Beckham to launch our new global Emporio Armani underwear campaign?” said Armani. “Victoria is a style icon, a dynamic lady whose influence and recognition will add great excitement to the continued international growth of our Emporio Armani women’s underwear business.”

Victoria Beckham is no stranger to the fashion world, turning heads after featuring in her fashion designer friend, Marc Jacobs, ad campaign in spring....and of course starting her own fashion line.
Mrs Beckham will not be photographed by just anyone in her smalls, oh no, the same photographers that took the saucy pics of David, will be focusing their lens all on her; Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott.

Posh Spice is said to be "really excited" to be able to lend her celeb status to Armani's line, and besides, anything Golden Balls can do, she can do better.

The ad campaign is said to be unveiled for the spring season.

CRUISE CONTROL

Now, my dads a mechanic, has been ever since i can remember. But, i really didn't expect to see in a million years that he would be ahead of trend. Its back from last summer, yes, i am talking about the jumpsuit.




With a high abundance of the all-in-ones at New York and London Fashion Week, it is a staple for every girls spring/summer '09 wardrobe. Not the most convenient piece of clothing, specially when nature calls (but no pain, no gain, aye?), but it seems that London, in particular, are reaching to the working class trades for inspiration.

Matila Wendelboe,Diana Orving, Lick My Label all show cased the jumpsuit on the runway. Ranging from the skintight beauty (Lick My Label) for them fashionistas that have the bod, to a more baggy, figure swamping take (Matila Wendelboe).

With Christmas time looming, its a wonder why we're even thinking about what we're gonna be wearing in spring/summer, but there's nothing like being prepared....

asos have a great selection of jumpsuits, on trend and in budget? Don't mind if i do;

This gorgeous Karen Millen jumpsuit looks like its, well, jumped straight off the runway. Made of a neutral coloured satin, its perfect for that big night out. And with its cute turn up sleeves and sash tie waste, its a dead cert to turn heads. (£156.60, asos).

Arrogant Cat do a beautiful strapless satin jumpsuit, with a sexy boned bustier, it flaunts harem style bottoms; bang on trend. (£56.77, asos).

If your more of a laid back kinda gal, why not opt for a jersey jumpsuit. With a choice between colours black and grey, this asos own jumpsuit has a plunging v-neck, drawstring waist and ruched ankles...and priced under £30? A steal! (£24.47, asos)

Go on ladies, take a leaf from Girls Aloud's book, show the men who really looks better in a Jumpsuit.

GOD SAVE BRITAIN

Paris Hilton. A name most likely to be related to the colour pink, rat dogs and ahem, night vision.

The all American Socialite/It Girl has decided to cross the pond (No doubt in a swarovski covered jet?) for her new ITV2 show, Paris Hilton's British Best Friend. That's right Ladies and Gents, Paris is looking for a new BFF, but why (oh why, oh why) has she chose Britain?

"I’m in the UK all the time, but of course I can’t bring all my friends, so I’ve decided to look for a new BFF across the pond."

The wannabe bosom buddies have been whittled down to the final 12 contestants. Made up of 1 boy and 11 girls, the cream of the crop are to be put through their paces to see if they can keep up with the party girls 'hectic' lifestyle.

She may be irritating to some, a wind up to others, but she is pure comedy gold; as seen from the success of The Simple Life. Its proven, we love to hate her. And i don't know about anyone else, but i will definitely be tuning in....miss the chance to see her make a boob of herself? Me? NO WAY....plus, after recently splitting with her boyfriend, Benji Madden (of Good Charlotte), the Heiress had to find another way to secure column inches, right? Well, shes definitely done that. All hail Princess Paris.

Paris Hilton's British Best Friend - Coming Soon.

Fashion Moment - 'SEX'

'Fashion was much more important than music. Punk was the sound of our fashion.’ - Malcolm Mclaren.

Sex sells. And the best example of this is the infamous shop, ‘SEX’, owned by then couple, Malcolm Mclaren and fashion royalty Vivienne Westwood.

430, Kings Road, London, was the home to the shop that single handedly defined the short lived, but forever influencing movement that was, Punk. Previously known as ‘Lets Rock’ (1971), catering for Teddy Boys, and ‘Too fast to live, too young to die’ (1973), which offered rocker gear and zoot suits, It was in 1974 the shop got converted into SEX.

The shop itself was painted black with barred windows and said SEX in four foot high foam rubber letters, its controversial exterior mirrored its interior. With black rubber curtains, graffiti walls and red carpets, this temple of British iconoclasm centred in fetishistic accessories and ranges of clothing in which studs and leather took over. There was an air of rebelliousness about the shop, the couple wanted to create anti-fashion, they took the rule book, turned it on its head and then tore it up. They wanted to create a new world through fashion. The essence of the Punk movement was a direct reaction of economic situation during the economic depression. Punk was creation through disorder.

Disorder came in the shape of specialist bondage trousers, fetish gear and t-shirts with philosophical slogans and aggressive controversial images, which caused a stir among many. Mclaren and Westwood were taken to court various times.

Mclaren had the genius idea of mobilising the punk ethic through music and so he got behind the Sex Pistols as dark, fashion terrorists which would be his cultural ambassadors and infiltrate punk to the mainstream. This was about the time SEX got revamped and was renamed Seditionaries, keeping much of the same stock, but focusing much more on punk fashion; Anarchy shirts, bondage suits, parachute tops and tartan blazers.

Closing down in 1979, the shops spirit is still alive today, controversy still caused with fake Seditionaries clothing being sold to individuals wanting to relive the carnage.

Because of Punk, London has retained its influence over fashion. The vision of Mclaren and Westwood was truly genius and SEX’s influence still reigns today.

"SQUEEZE EVERY PENNY"

Helllloooo Credit Crunch. Is it me, or is that all we're hearing about? I suppose it doesn't really effect me, per say, because I'm still mothered enough to not know too much about it (Result!).
Even so, living on a student loan, i suppose i can kind of relate. I'm afraid Ive said a fond farewell to Foxs Hob Nob biscuits and had to welcome Smart Price chocolate digestives...not all bad, I've got used to the cardboard taste (Yum).

Saying that, being a student does have serious advantages. Living just on the outskirts of London, the train and tubes have become my new best friends...whether it be popping to Sutton to see Buns, or to tease myself with Marc Jacobs in Selfridges. Either way, i can get there for less then a tenner with my student rail card (£1.90 to Sutton and £6 something to London, for all them fact fans out there).

On top of that,my spanking new NUS card has seen my signature disappear due to the amount of times I've whipped that baby out for 10% discount on clothes, food and cinema outings. As much as its my saviour, I'm pretty sure i didn't need that top in 3 different colours and spent more then i saved...but you only have a student loan once, right?

IF IT'S GOOD ENOUGH FOR THEM...

Fifth & Last...

Celebrities sell.

"Because your worth it", actress Eva Longoria says as she swishes her photo-shopped shiny hair in one of the many Lo'real adverts she features.

We see what the famous have, and we want it; have it be shampoo or socks, we just cant get enough. Which is probably why celeb endorsements are standard for the major players in the advertising industry.

But how do we know that the lifestyles of the rich and famous involve £3.99 shampoo? The likelihood is that they don't, even if they do endorse it. I'm sure their fortunes cater for more of an 'upmarket' way of life.

One star that felt the wrath was English celebrity chef, Jamie Oliver, when he revealed that he doesn't shop in Sainsburys, although he is the face of the supermarket chain. The £1 million endorsement deal saw, in 2000, the outspoken chef say that he uses independent traders for his restaurants.

Oliver isn't the only famous face to put his 'foot in it'. Actress Helen Bonham Carter was signed as the face of Yardley cosmetics, then admitted she in fact doesn't even wear make-up!

Along with selling the product, the stars are selling a piece of themselves. Who can say no?

LIKE A PRAYER

Forth...

Religion is a touchy subject for any individual. The question, 'What do you believe in?', is hard to answer, but celebs seem to take it all in their stride. Welcome to the new school of recyclable-religion.

Kabbalah, is one of these 'religions'. Represented by a thin, red string bracelet (easy for you Fashionistas to copy, obviously), this Jewish spiritual movement has actually been around for 4,000 years. So why has it just become know to, well, everybody? Famous followers, of course! Could it be that they genuinely want to attempt to embrace spirituality, or maybe just way to make themselves seem more interesting. Stars part of this, regularly known as, cult, are; Madonna, Will Smith, Nicole Richie and Paris Hilton.

Surely religion is meant for a way of life? Not just because everybody else is doing it, a 'fad'. Like it or not, celebrities are idols. People are going to copy their hair, clothes and religion.

So whether it be Kanye with his 'Jesus piece' necklace or Britney with her Kabbalah bracelet, celebs have somehow made religion fashionable. Sinful?

I CAN DO THAT TOO

Third...


Actor, Singer, Socialite, Fashion Designer?!

Forget working your socks off for many years; putting your bloody sweat and tears into every inch of your designs in the vein hope that it might, just might, reach the masses. Because being an accomplished actor or singer means adding Fashion Designer to you CV is a dead cert.

Child star actresses and siblings, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, have been in the public eye since tots. Not content with having their posters plastered over every 13 year old girls wall, their VHS on constant repeat and their books thoroughly thumbed through, they wanted to pursue the only thing they hadn't put their stamp on; fashion.

Their first clothing line for mammoth supermarket ASDA (Wal-Mart), was aimed at youngsters and was unsurprisingly successful...but hardly Haute Couture. Growing up worked to the stars advantage, with developing their own individual styles, along with not one, but two, fashion lines: Elizabeth & James (named after their other siblings) and The Row.

Only two of the many 'entrepreneurs' picking up the sketch book and fabric, does this show fashion design to be a true passion? Or just another way to cash in?

FRIENDS FOREVER

Second...



Fashion designers are worshipped by celebrities, and it turns out the feelings mutual.


Movie stars, musicians and models are being claimed by different designers as their muses (Defined in the Oxford English Dictionary as a source of inspiration). This really isn't surprising. Thorough bread designers can help these celebs, and vice-versa. Fashion houses can give these stars an air of class, and in return they can offer their following of avid fans.


One of the earliest designer/celeb tag-teams was Givenchy and Audrey Hepburn. In 1953, Hepburn personally requested Givenchy design the clothes for her forth coming film, Sabrina. Together they popularised the LBD (little black dress), and started a fashion phenomenon, closely followed by Givenchy designing for many of Hepburn's later films.


Bring it up to date. The most fun, edgy and popular 'team' is the London Darlings, designer Henry Holland and Model (also a genuine 'it girl'), Agyness Deyn. Best mates since youngsters, they are 'THE couple', owning runways and social events, with Deyn supporting Henry with his label House of Holland and his new tele show Frock me with other media goddess, Alexa Chung.

Just a marketing ploy, or true friendship? Either way, being or having a celebrity muse has some serious rewards.

SNAP

So, we were set a task of producing 5 blogs for our course, all having to be linked in some sort of way;I decided to focus on celebrity culture and its effect on fashion. This is my first, Enjoy.....




Why is everyone so interested in looking like their favourite celebrity?

Celebrity culture has risen rapidly in the 21st century, wiht the development of celeb mags, all offering a voyeuristic view into what goes on behind closed doors; arguements, affairs and addiction. And its because of this we, the readers, think we know these often out of reach people, making judgements as to whether we like them or not....but maybe 'like' is the wrong word? 'Obsession' seems to be more apt.


Websites such as asos.com (As Seen On Screen) makes it possible for avergage Joe to get an exact replica of that dress Nicole Richie wore to KFC; but considerably cheaper. With all the products 'in the style of...' its no surprise since its launch in 2000, asos has seen its sales rocket - more that doubling since last year!

Proven popular and evidently successful, does this mean that edgy individual style has been lost in the celeb frenzy?!