Thursday 18 June 2015

Oh Oscar, Oscar, Oscar...

         

On the subject of Pre-Fall I have a burning desire for this backless Oscar de la Renta gown... Peter Copping is doing the godfather of fabulous proud, and keeping the spirit of one of the most iconic brands alive. 

God knows where I would wear it... To Tesco to buy Prosecco ready for the impending shortage?! 

Illustration be me. Enq... amanda_alice@hotmail.co.uk


Monday 15 June 2015

Summer is dead... And it's not even summer yet!



I have two favourite times of year... Couture season and pre-fall. There. I said it. Don't get me wrong I love the merry-go-round of the fashion months, but after many a season in luxury retail the pre-collections are always my favourite. Especially Chanel whose are so utterly fabulous they have their own name, "Métiers-des-Arts" which is Karl Lagerfeld's way of flicking two fingers at the world and showing that he does everything better to the point he throws the show a massive party, makes a film about it and shows it about a year before the rest of the calendar.

Anyway back to the rest of the fashion world and it is the time of year when the Pre/Fall product hits shop floors, as a former shop girl I got sick of looking at the mainline collections for 6 months so the arrival of Pre-Fall and Resort is like a mini Christmas. 

First off this season I have been perving over Acne... It is perfectly Scandi minimalism, full of pastels and so sexually oblivious I'm considering robbing a bank so I can have it all, especially the lilac oversized straight jacket-esque knit and mega beanie... But I personally adore the very Acne mannish tailoring and flashes of grubby mustard and sky blue lace that is so un-Acne I could weep. If it wasn't so warm outside I would be bashing the plastic and prancing around in pastel mohair and wearing trousers so mannish I'd look like a modern day Annie Hall. Oh and don't even get me started on the navy... 

Don't get me wrong Karl you're magical but I can't give up my desire and love for wearable Scandi elegance that makes you realise why you love pre-collections. They are a magical little burst of "shit I didn't realise I NEEDED that forward thinking and totally weather inappropriate piece of knitwear" that crops up twice a year to save your life just before all the pieces you've bought over 6 months gets slashed in price the very minute you're sick of looking at it, making investing in new pieces all the more exciting. Not only that but now high street retailers such as Topshop and Zara are being savvy and joining in on the action. So regardless of your budget you can get a sneak peek at what's coming in stores the following season, and you can update your current season purchases and look ahead of the game. Plus it'll soften the blow caused by seeing all the pieces you invested in at the start of the season are being sold off at knockdown prices and rocked by anyone and everyone. 

Images Acne Studios Pre Fall 15 illustrated by me. 

Man/Woman/Other



Darlings... Sunday was my birthday and in true fashion hag style I felt that the "Only Way is Marbs" TOWIE special being aired on the very day was some kind of birthday magic from the telly box gods. But low and behold fears I had a mighty shock... 

Now I decided man-buns were ovahhhhhh about a million years ago  because dating a boy with better top knot game than me is, well, sacrilege! But I knew a boy rocking a greasy ballet bun was definitely being relegated to the sartorial graveyard when a very pretty man-child with better eyebrows than Kim Kardashian and a pout to rival a porn stars was prancing round poolside rocking one and giving half the Essex princesses the glad eye whilst wearing a "floral co-ord bebs" my point being once it's on TOWIE I know a trend/style/outfit/grooming habit is officially dead. Deader than disco. 

Now don't get me wrong he was fit... But will all the penis packers please just stick to looking like men. Why are they plucking their brows, shaving their pubes/pits/legs and nicking our hair styles?! The only thing differentiating Pete the Top Knot from the girls was his artfully trimmed beard! Even his outfit looked like he had borrowed it off his sister. Now don't get me wrong I can appreciate a metrosexual, I like men who can be romantic and understand the concept of SPF and moisturiser making you look fresh and not too old... But fake tan, brows tidier than mine and rocking my favourite hair style cannot be tolerated! I'm all for them doing a Gosling and embracing feminism, but looking like you no longer pack a penis is a step too far... It's high time all you bearded, man bun rocking hipsters started embracing your inner cave man! Next you'll be asking if I've heard of Sunday Riley face oils and wearing my bras! Bleurgh!

Man buns be GONE!!! I'll even pay for all of your hair cuts...  

illustration by me. Enq. amanda_alice@hotmail.co.uk

Meet Caitlyn...



Last week Vanity Fair's July issue hit news stands... Yeah, yeah not exactly newsworthy but in the year that gay marriage and transgender actresses are finally getting the column inches they deserve a certain Caitlyn Jenner took to the cover to launch herself mid-transition. 

I decided to use this nugget of news to re-launch my blog because for me the issue of equality in fashion is a pretty big deal... I tend to illustrate what I think and what interests me and the lack of ethnically diverse, trans and plus size models in high fashion and mainstream publications really frustrates me. 

I was so happy to see such an iconic title such as Vanity Fair commenting on an issue such as this... Don't get me wrong the fact Caitlyn is so high profile and one of the most celebrated athletes (before her most famous role as Mr Kris Momager Kardashian/Jenner) of the past century will be the main reason Vanity Fair chose her as the poster girl for transitioning, but I found it refreshing none the less. The fact that Annie Liebowitz shot the story is amazing too, I just think issues such as this are more important than taking down the gluten phobic queen of uncoupling that is Gwyneth Paltrow. I find it rather brilliant, and not just because it sells a shit load of magazines. Anyone with half a brain and a mild fleeting interest in fashion (and equality issues) knows this is a pretty big deal. I just hope that this kind of breakthrough keeps happening and maybe my wish will come true and RuPaul and Conchita Wurst will get asked to do Vogue... 

Let the haters hate... I still think it is utterly poignant that one of the biggest fashion and society publications in the world has a transgender woman on the cover. Oh, and doesn't she look fucking fabulous?! Now let's get some more women of colour and a dress size bigger than a 4 on Covers and I'll be quiet. Oh and fuck Kim... Caitlyn totally broke the Internet!