disneyrollergirl

That niggly nineties feeling

2010-01-08T08:43:00.000Z

As soon as this preposterous weather gets over I'm getting my ass down to Selfridges. I'm totally into their clever new concept store, The Nineties Are Vintage, which opens on 11th January for 3 weeks. Apparently, now that the 90s are over ten years old, they can be classed as vintage so Selfridges are cashing in and partnering with Rellik, Beyond Retro and Idea Books to celebrate the decade's stylish offerings.

The nineties was the decade that I found my style groove which encompassed mostly monochrome minimalism - APC, Comme, Helmut Lang - as opposed to Kurt Kobain-tinged grunge. This is all making me want to rejig my wardrobe. Having despatched 2 giant laundry bags of old sweatshirts and too-short Joseph trousers to charity, I now have space to see what I've been missing. Specifically, I've been missing a black wool jersey calf-length Comme skirt circa 1995 that I unearthed in immaculate moth-free condition that I fancy wearing again with biker boots or riding boots. I think it would go nicely with a Marimekko breton and my polka dot Comme-from-H&M cardi or another relic, my black laddered Joe Casely-Hayford jumper (I do like writing my outfits down, they look so much better on ~~paper~~ screen!).

I'm most excited about the Comme skirt as it's been forever since long skirts were in any way fashionable - bar the odd maxi-dress. And yet as we inch closer to the flat shoe usurping the uber-heel, it feels like long skirts will return to meet them half way. I'll report back...

Quote of the day

2010-01-07T22:15:00.005Z

"We’d all wear Azzedine Alaïa, these tight belts and heels and the fashion room was full of glass tables that you were only allowed to put three things on. White lilies and nothing else."
Venetia Scott on Vogue in Ponystep

How to put a teen star on the cover of a fashion mag

2010-01-07T08:30:00.000Z

DO: shoot in black and white, have a cool hair do and an expressive stare a la Dakota Fanning for V

DON'T: go for a mumsy bouffant, icky prom styling, nasty commercial lighting and a toothy grin a la Miley for Haper's Bazaar
Read more here and here

[Pics: Fashionista]

Is it a shop or a magazine? Or both?

2010-01-06T10:37:00.019Z

The trend for magazines and newspapers to partner with retail is on the up. US Vogue started the whole thing off with Vogue.TV in 2008, an online entertainment network that viewers can shop as they watch and where you can even buy straight from the ads (although the site now seems somewhat neglected).

Newspapers are also increasingly linking their online fashion coverage to etailers where readers can buy featured fashion items straight from the page thanks to innovations like LynkU.com which operates Guardian Fashion Store. Another Magazine recently opened Another Shop in collaboration with Colette selling original limited edition fashion items by favoured brands and designers.

The latest news is that Purple magazine has launched Purple Boutique with an exclusive Olympia le Tan minaudière. Le Tan's book-shaped Liberty-print lined clutches caught my eye at the Browns press day. For Purple Boutique, a design has been created using the cover of John Wyllie’s 1950s novel Johnny Purple as inspiration.

With Net-a-Porter producing its regular online magazine and other etailers adding to their unique editorial content, the lines between magazines and retailers are becoming increasingly blurred. Where will this go?

[Pics: Purple Boutique]

Anya Hindmarch for Barbour

2010-01-05T15:06:00.003Z

I'm loving the news that Anya Hindmarch has designed a mini-collection for Barbour. I have one of her own-label jackets which is a great everyday shape and has served me well for about three years. Barbour is really stepping up its game and offes a new service in its new Newburgh Quarter store whereby customers can customise their Barbour to their own specifications.

I must toot my own horn here though and point out that I saw this collab thing coming a while ago although my suggestion at the time was Luella. Hmmm, maybe for next season?

On bow courts and boyfriend jeans

2010-01-02T20:24:00.004Z

My trusty Levi's 571s have just kicked the bucket after four faithful years which is a total disaster as they were my go-to boy-fit jeans for wearing with loafers, brogues and other shoes that require a loose fit and ankle-flashing length. The search is on for a replacement, especially as I have recently discovered Rae Jones' captivating footwear. Her low-heeled bow courts would be perfect with the jeans, a twinset and my new Hermes cravate foulard tied in a big floppy bow. Just add little white socks for a Sloaney take on garconne dressing...

Juicy Couture by Tim Walker

2010-01-01T21:13:00.003Z

I know it's wrong but I secretly like a little bit of Juicy Couture and this was one of my favourite campaigns from 2009 - it was plastered all over Bond Street tube. Balloons and factices do it for me every time.

Happy New Year!

2009-12-31T19:35:00.002Z

It's been lovely getting to know everyone in 2009. Here's to more fun and fashion in 2010...

Hello sailor

2009-12-31T08:26:00.001Z

2010 is mere hours away which means in fashion terms I'm thinking about spring - AKA all things nautical. Now that the Breton has gone bananas, I'm thinking about sending my stripes on sabatical* in lieu of something with a touch more whimsy. I'm feeling sailor collars. I found a lovely little tie-on collar a few weeks ago at The Cloth House in Berwick Street - one of the staff makes them and sells them for about £18.

The only problem with sailor collars is they're not very throw-on-and-go. If you wear one on a top, a dress or as a piece in its own right, you can forget about trying to put a cardi, coat or jacket on top - it's too much of a faff. Keep those for summer and focus on jackets and coats for now. This Topshop one is proving particularly popular.

*who am I kidding? Those stripes are going nowhere... Here's some Breton candy as well...

[Pics - from various websites. If you spot your pic please let me know and I'll credit you.]

Space Oddity

2009-12-30T08:19:00.001Z

Did anyone else watch Monday night's spectacular space documentary For All Mankind on BBC4? The 1989 documentary told the story of Apollo 11 and showed some breathtaking footage of the lunar landing. I find myself inexplicably fascinated by imagery of space and astronauts, especially photography. 2009 is (was?) the 40th anniversary of the Apollo moon landings and the occasion was commemorated with the book Spacesuits: The Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum Collection.

These are just a few pictures from the book which is written by Amanda Young, museum specialist in Spacesuits and Astronaut Equipment for the Division of Space History of the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. The museum is home to many retired spacesuits and prototypes and they were really put through their paces - resistant tests included playing football and baseball in them to see how comfortable and movement-friendly they were.

The sad thing is that despite their phenomenal technical properties (some were made to withstand heat of 275 degrees farenheit), the suits are surprisingly fragile. They were made for a short life span in extreme conditions and now lie draped in muslin to preserve what's left of them.

Brrrrr...

2009-12-29T22:33:00.005Z

I know it's freezing but please, have some decorum. Say no to Uggs and yes to these little lovelies from F-Troupe....

Liberty + Merci = perfect match

2009-12-28T08:52:00.002Z

If you were overwhelmed by all the Liberty print hook-ups in 2009 then tough titty, there's even more in store for 2010. At the SS10 preview we saw Liberty print watch-straps and these pretty-as-you-like Liberty print Repettos - watch them fly faster than the Nikes...
Even better than that is the news that Liberty will launch a collection in collaboration with French concept store Merci. Merci's owner Marie-France Cohen has magicked up a homeware and fashion collection that plays heavily on Liberty's Carnaby Street location which also ties in with Carnaby Street's 50-year celebrations. The range will be sold in Merci in Paris as well as a pop-up Merci store in Liberty. Best get over your floral fear fast...

Hermes to launch new brand

2009-12-27T12:26:00.009Z

More news on the Hermès front following my rant last week. (By the way, very strangely, the day after posting my moan about Hermès' inefficient supply system, my elusive cravate foulard miraculously appeared in the Selfridges store. That Christian Blanckaert has totally been reading my blog.)

According to CPP-Luxury, the Hermès group will launch a new brand aimed at the Chinese market in 2010. The lower-priced brand called Shang Xia will be made using traditional Chinese materials and techniques to take advantage of the new Chinese luxury consumer. This chimes with research I have recently undertaken on the luxury market for the next decade. Heritage and authenticity is something that luxury brands will be focussing on, moving away from the noughties version of luxury that was more to do with brand names and status than the quality and craftsmanship of the goods. This is certainly a brand to watch as if it does well, others are sure to follow.

Happy Holidays...

2009-12-24T18:15:00.002Z

Merry Christmas to all my fellow bloggers!

On service, scarves, supply and demand

2009-12-22T19:27:00.013Z

Retailers in America are responding to the recession by offering customers champagne as they browse according to the New York Times. Good idea, if you ask me. As well as making the customer feel all warm inside (literally and figuratively), supping a tipple or a brew is clearly going to make you linger for longer, thus upping the chances of a sale. In fact I don't know why more stores haven't cottoned on to this. The article goes on to discuss improvements in customer service generally, illustrating with an example from Hermès about a sales assosciate who searched high and low for a particular bag for a customer. Whoopee. My experience with Hermès is this.
1) Covet scarf seen at press day.
2) See scarf in Liberty pop-up Hermès shop. Alas, not available in my colour. "Can you order it?" "No, try Bond Street."
3) Attempt Bond Street. Ignored. Finally served. "None in stock but we can call you when it comes in." "Great! When is that likely to be?" "No idea. But I could keep you updated?" "Thanks."
4) Times passes. Finally a month later, a message to say the scarf has still not arrived. (Translation: "We give up.")

In Selfridges this week I decided to try my luck one more time. The apologetic Hermès sales associate looked in a drawer but didn't have my scarf. I moaned and groaned. "What can I do?" I huffed, "why can't you order one?" Her explanation was that they just don't do this. Demand is greater than supply, they simply can't keep up so they don't, i.e. they don't have to try, the customer will still come back. How lovely. And then I realised that she has a point. By making it difficult to get what you want, what happens? You want the bloody thing even more! Well, I'm not playing that game Mr Blanckaert*. I'll take my money elsewhere. I know The Shop At Bluebird has some very nice scarves and the customer service there isn't half bad either.

*executive vice president of Hermès

And now for something completely different

2009-12-21T21:11:00.007Z

If 2009 was the year of the pop-up shop, then 2010 is set to be the year of the concept store. In the UK (OK, London), Dover Street Market and The Shop at Bluebird first set the tone, Liberty followed suit with its personal touches and now Anthropologie has raised the bar further. Couturelab, the online luxury portal recently opened its beautiful concept store on Davies Street, an outlet that is just as compelling as its online counterpart. Meanwhile, Darkroom (above) has just opened in Lambs Conduit Street selling under-the-radar fashion alongside interiors with in-store exhibitions a major focus.

Come January, Harvey Nichols London's newly spruced-up fourth floor is set to be the next big buzz. It will have a concept store feel with a frequently evolving product mix including exclusive and limited edition collections, a Lanvin 'supermarket of luxury' curated by Alber himself and a buy-it-or-regret-it collection of vintage magazines (ooh), furniture (aah) and books (I'll take 'em all).

The keyword for concept stores seems to be 'edit'. It's all about the precise mix of labels and the perfect ratio between new, vintage and limited edition. I think the other key point is to keep things changing constantly. Every time I visit a store I want to discover a surprise, something that wasn't there before. It's all part of the experience, otherwise why brave the crowds when I can shop online anytime and pretty much anywhere?

By the way, the concept store trend isn't limited to London. There is a major luxury concept store arriving in Manchester in February 2010. Hervia, the company responsible for eight of Vivienne Westwood's standalone stores is behind Hervia Bazaar, an impressive-sounding retail space and etail site. Designers slated for the store include Comme Des Garcons, Sibling, Zero+Maria Cornejo, Rick Owens and Gareth Pugh alongside lesser-known names such as shoesmiths Michael Lewis and Atlanta Weller.

Exciting, no? Watch this space for further updates...

Clog-watch

2009-12-17T22:23:00.001Z

I hate to say it but this clog thing is slowly growing on me. These were shown at the KG and Carvela press day and the main thing is they feel really light - must be hollow inside. I think the glitter ones (above) are the most interesting - innovative and stylish. The beige patent ones (below) would look sweet on someone like Alexa with black ankle socks and an APC-like little denim dress.

Not so crazy about the combination of red + patent + clog. 'Cheap and nasty' is the phrase that comes to mind...
The red suede ones (below) are my favourite - I'm picturing them with loose denim shorts and a half-tucked grey marl sweatshirt with elbow-length sleeves. I think buckles and straps are going to be important on clogs this time around - bare heels on a traditional clog are too reminiscent of (whisper it) mules...Ugh.

Thoughts?

Sketch and skates

2009-12-16T08:01:00.001Z

Last week I had tea at Sketch with Sketchbook magazine - how apt. During the course of the chat, we discussed my obsession with rollerskates and tried to unravel its origins. I've never really thought about it but as we'd earlier been discussing my favorite novel, The Catcher in the Rye, I made the connection with a reference to rollerskates in the book*. And then - spooky - I stumbled upon these old-school skates on the Liberty's menswear floor that evening. Very Holden-does-rollerdisco, no?

*On the other hand, it could simply have been this 'seminal' video...

New muse

2009-12-15T12:04:00.004Z

Talk about late-adopter, I have only just discovered Cherry Blossom Girl. Oh man, where have I been? It's like Lula in blog form...

All is calm

2009-12-15T09:11:00.002Z

COS is giving out Chritmas decorating tips. Very nice they are too...

Judy's gems

2009-12-10T10:08:00.004Z

Fabulous Fred Butler has alerted me to this intriguing pop-up shop. Alas, I am chained to my desk for the next five days so can't make it... someone report back please!

Fabulosity Fred

2009-12-08T15:02:00.000Z

Lovely Fred Butler is one of the busiest people in fashion. Not only is she an in-demand set designer, power party-goer and prolific blogger (miss a day at your peril), she is also a bit of a creative genius on the accessory-design front. Lucky old SHOWstudio have smartly enlisted her skills in decorating their Christmas tree - could there be a more apt set of Christmas baubles? You can buy Fred's jewels to decorate your tree or your self (or both!) from today at the SHOWstudio shop. Get em before they go...

PIC: SHOWstudio.com

Notes on nostalgia

2009-12-07T08:00:00.000Z

Looking at pictures of Filofaxes in the Kate Spade 'Contents' book made me a wee bit misty-eyed for the pre-technology days (excuse me while I adjust my rocking chair). What is it about those luxe leather ring-bound pages that's so appealing? Filofax has tapped into the nostalgia and is giving its personal organisers a big push for Christmas. They told me this at a special bloggers' preview. I thought it was ironic that a traditional stationery company was courting bloggers but they explained that their customers like to use paper products alongside technology, not instead of. Good point. Apparently Filofax sells more products to women now than men when the reverse was true in the '80s. Who knew?

For Christmas it has a natty beauty gift package comprising a choice of three styles of Filofax with hidden mirror, a pen-cum-perfume-atomiser and (here comes the biggie) a voucher for a free beauty treatment or photo shoot - all for £40. Personally, I'd be happy with just the organiser but that's not a bad little deal. I actually have a huge old silver Mulberry organiser that sits unused on my desk (still with 2007's diary therein) - it's such a beautiful object, I'm happy for it to stay there but I think I want to start using it again.

On Friday's trip to Bicester Village, I couldn't resist the pull of posh stationers Smythson, despite my attempts to steer myself away and in the direction of Phaidon Books instead. Nothing doing. Before I knew what had happened I was walking out of the shop swinging a blue beribboned carrier bag from my wrist. Inside was a postcard-sized camel zip-around organiser encasing a slimline diary/notebook/address book and a handsome propelling pencil. Once I have had it monogrammed, this will replace my Moleskine diary and travel everywhere with me. No really, it will.

Ooh la la Lanvin!

2009-12-06T17:32:00.003Z

More on the philately front. News comes via Fashionista of the release of a pair of Lanvin stamps in the new year. Alber Elbaz has designed these chi-chi stamps to celebrate Lanvin's 20th anniversary. Alas, they're only available in France - maybe someone can post me some...

On presents, presence and Present

2009-12-02T23:42:00.001Z

I'm still umming and ahhing about the whole online shopping thing. I get that it's convenient and quick but how can you beat the fun of discovering hidden gems like My Two Front Teeth? I've just been alerted to this wee Christmas emporium which has just opened at 72 Rivington Street, EC2 (until 23rd Dec). I have my eye on Riitta Ikonen's Christmas stocking made of stamps (proceeds go to charity), Dominic Wilcox's multi-coloured thread cane and Toby Pennington's too-good-to-tear illustrated wrapping paper. And you can also choose from hundreds of one-off Christmas cards by international artists and creatives.

While ambling down Shoreditch way, be sure to pass by Present. An irrisistable haven of all things casual for the gentlegent-about-town, it's brought to you by Eddie Prendergast and Steve Davies (the original brains behind Duffer of St George). There are tote bags by Want Les Essentiels De La Vie, exclusive Trickers shoes, Happy socks, own-label cashmere and you can even enjoy a coffee frothed by world barista champ, Gwylim Davies while mulling over your sartorial choices.