Day 4 - There is only one McQueen.

As promise, here is my day 4 analysis of London Fashion Week, and of course, how can I not write about Alexander Mcqueen and his successor, Sarah Burton? Also featured, the Topshop Unique collection, which brough coolness to the catwalk without being unwearable. 

Every fashion and design student/industry expect has a deep hearted loved of McQueen - it is instilled in our creative blood from day 1 (that and of course, Vivienne Westwood). So, when the McQueen dreadfully passed away, there was almost a nervousness in the air of who would keep the McQueen house running and keep the designs true to their pre-accessor. Bring in Sarah Burton. Originally personal assistant to McQueen, once Gucci confirmed the continuation of the brand, it was only right to put Burton in place as creative director, and she has indeed stepped up to the job title.

Said to be of a woman who is a night creature that drifts beytween dream and reality, McQueen's gothic romantic work plays through the entire collection, with Burton showing her skill in tailoring through the emaculate dinner and tuxedo jackets - worthy of the red carpet. The floral print that was present in the men's collection also makes an appearance in this dreamy story, showing the importance of identity and belonging. With the feminine silhouettes and romantic story telling qualities of the garments, could the rumours be true of Burton taking up the empty throne at Dior after Simons? One would hope not, as as far as I can see, McQueen is still present at London Fashion Week. 

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Now, to the other end of the fashion spectrum, we have Topshop Unique, but not as you know Topshop.

 My first memory of Topshop was when I was 10 years old and my sister and mum took me to Topshop in Staines-on-Thames to find my sister some clothes - there were metal baskets of sale items, and it was reminiscent of a Woolworths for clothing (we all remember Woolworths). add 10 years on and Topshop has now become every cool-girls guilty pleasure - especially now that Topshop Unique exist - our inner Kate Moss can now scream out in happiness! 

Showing the juxtoposition between the 'proper girl' and her naughty alter ego, creative director Geoffrey Finch exclaimed back stage that 'we wouldn't want anything to be too proper', pointing to Topshop Unique's image as being for the girl about town. Garments were contrasted against each other with elegant feminine cuts, against masculine, sexy materials - models donned grungy makeup whilst holding scruffed up 'sex hair', as if mum was dragging her angsty teenager to see her grandparents on a saturday afternoon. Still with Topshop's inherent 90's theme in the mix, Topshop Unique collection was the collection to see, the must on the list, that brought reality back into the mix and made fashion buyable (and East London worthy).

images - vogue.co.uk

Pause and Think.

Don't worry, I promise I'm still writing about London Fashion Week (blog posts will be up late tonight about a few more shows that have interested me), I just want to take a minute to just pause and think about where I am and how far I've come. 

This all started two nights ago, when I received a Snapchat from my best friend, of her first pair of Christian Louboutin shoes - red sole, stilleto heel, bright red love heart on the toe. The works. Now this friend has worked for almost a year full time, putting her tips in this "shoe fund" to save money towards her Louboutins. She finally bought them on saturday. Every one pound, two pound coin, 50p, 20p most likely went into this pot - she didn't spend it going out, she saved. I know, we all save, it's nothing special, but for me it really is. I'm incredibly proud of her working towards her goal, and it made me realise just a little something about myself.

We all have end goals. Be it, a designer pair of shoes, that Celine handbag, to have a huge house in the centre of London, to be well known and seen as powerful in our industries, to see others wearing what we create. We all make choices - to go out drinking at the weekend, to spend our money on holidays, to spend our money on travelling. But the important thing is to focus and work hard towards that end goal - sometimes we need to make choices in order to reach the end goal. 

Both Paris and New York have been these "choices". Choosing to study Fashion Design rather than intern has been one of these "choices", to move away from my friends and family and the comfort of London has been one of these "choices",  these "choices" are all to work towards the end goal, even if we do not see it quite yet. 

Yes, I'm rambling. My point is, back to my best friend and her Louboutins, anything is possible if we just work towards it - every choice we make, is towards the end goal and nothing is impossible. Stay focused, stay motivated and stay persistent. So hi there, Celine bag! 

boots - asos bag - furla jacket - riverisland

Day 3. We are London.

Day 3 and one of my favourite design houses has pulled it out of the bag and showed the fashion world why London is one of the best. The numerical brand 1205, created and kept alive by the work force that is Paula Gerbase. With a background of men's tailoring on Saville Row, Paula is no stranger to impeccable tailoring and cut, with previous collections focusing on the actual construction and material of the garment rather than print and message, all the features that suggest the learnings of Saville Row. But this season, Gerbase did indeed excel herself.

With one of the focuses of the collections from 1205 being of the material and how to make it seem something it's not - for example, a nylon to look like a silk, it is no question that Gerbase has a investigative eye towards bringing something new to the table of London Fashion week. This season, she did it once again. "Fool's Gold" - mineral pyrate, a compound rock that is only sold in one location in northern spain. Through persistance, Gerbase chased the substance down and included it in her collection, as both embellishment and fastenings. Along with this minute detail of thought and persistance, the collection's material are that of lust and luxury - if you wish to see a collection that is made of dreams, this is your girl, a true advocate of the teachings of Saville Row, and one of London's best.  

images - www.vogue.co.uk

London Fashion Week - Day 2.

London college of Fashion hits again, but this time with previous student alumni, Charlotte Olympia. A transcendent from the legendary Cordwainers, this season she brought intergalactic flirtation to every woman's attention, with a nod to Hollywood glamour. 

Enriched with space humour and graphics, the accessories designer brought sex and playfulness in a space journey. Queue Sarah Jessica Parker and a run through Manhattan on Christmas Eve, but this time, decked out charlotte Olympia's space fantasy. 

Remaining true to her roots of Hollywood glamour, heels remained platformed and the boots remained thigh high, but shone through a darkness that is only reminiscent of a black hole. Olympia brings fun and fantasy back to London Fashion Week, showing that girls really can still be fun and feminine in Fashion.. after all, everyday can be a sex in the city moment, no?

images - http://www.inthefrow.com/

London Fashion Week.

So I'm sad to say that this is the first season of London Fashion Week I am missing - London will always have my heart, especially during Fashion Week. The Glamour, the parties, the craziness, the work schedule, and not forgetting the collections that show the world why London remains as one of the fashion capitals in the world. London Fashion Week. 


Day 1.
As a London College of Fashion design student, it is fair to say that the London College of Fashion MA16 show for LFW AW 17 showed why we are one of the best schools for design. The collections appeared artistic and dynamic, as well as wearable and well-crafted. However, All incredibly thoughtful, there were two collections that stood out - by designers Pelin Isildak and Yiru Sui. 

With uniform as the main influence of Turkish designer Pelin Isildak, the collection features an organic colour pallet focusing on natural tones such as back, moss green, brown and mustard, combining to create a collection of history and class. It is visible to see the contrast between uniform, the common and the class influences within society, through the structured shoulder shapes and visible panelling to separate the the print from the velvet- the Anne Boleyn from the house wife. The pieces seem wearable, yet when assembled together, tell that of a historical journey.

With leather detailing and thigh high boots breaking up the nattural hues, the wearer is transported from the pass into the present, updating the elizabethan shapes to garments that can be easily worn on a friday night in East London. What made the collection interesting to me was that the pieces seem intelligently thought through - understated yet still artistic. There are no obvious suggestions of what the collection is based on, which suggests a level of maturity behind the thought process, a quality that can often be lost when showing to the public. The collection is buyable without being overally 'fashion' and instagram worthy.

Similarly, Yiru Sui creates a collection of understated beauty, with the focus being on the opposing qualities of zen and mathematics. The collection whisper calming qualities, with neautral tones as used a basis to show that of zen and buddhism, opposed by the deconstructive nature of the geometric garment shapes, to show the idea of mathematics.

It is obvious to see the influence of mathematics on the garments, through the angular lines in the garment construction, which accompany the clear differences in tone and colour of the garment panelling, carefully brought into the fashion market through the accessory choice and hair and makeup. One of the details that also makes this collection is of the choice of using unconventional materials to represent the design idea - Sui makes uses of a thin wooden material as part of one look, thoroughly enhancing the idea of peace and tranquility within the collection's aesthetic. 

What I love about this collection is there is a connetation of an artisan nature - a process of careful thought and construction to manipulate creativity in a way to show skill and intelligent design.The use of using wood as one of the materials is indeed clever, yet brilliant in the way that the piece in question, seen above, still appear wearable and comfortable. 

images - http://blogs.arts.ac.uk/fashion/2016/02/19/lcfma16-womenswear-catwalk-show-recap/

Round 2.

So inevitably, as part of a quest, you're always searching for that one end goal/prize right? Well, here is round 2 of the coffee hunt, the scandi-esque Telescope Cafe.

Based near the fashion pack's Colette, a stone's throw away from Pyramids metro station, this is a hidden gem. With no sign to indicate the coffee shop, sitting next to a vintage designer second hand shop, this is the understated yet excellently crafted Telescope - memorise the image of what the coffee shop looks like from the outside (note : beige painted walls) and you'll never choose to go anywhere else when need of a escape from human interaction.

As we sat down inside, I noticed that the coffee shop had an interior of being stripped down to its basics - the concentration is indeed on the coffee, but it's this that makes it refreshing. With room for a number of tables and chairs that lined the outside walls of the interior, and the coffee bar in the centre of the store, it is indeed an escape from the reality outside - which makes the best coffee shop. With the "neccessary items only" menu and the key food items to make a break worthy (croissant no?), it was perfect for my morning coffee at 10am with a fellow design student.

The only issue was that there was no Wi-Fi, which would have made it my favourite coffee shop by far - quiet, peaceful, calming, good coffee, it would have been my perfect work space. Yes, I'm a fashion student - WiFi is always neccessary, but maybe that is why it makes the focus on the coffee?

Now to the coffee. You know that taste you get when you drink a black coffee, and it hits you at the back of your throat? And you need that glass of water just in case? Well, tasting a simple 'Cafe Crem' (basically a latte), the coffee was smooth and not sharp. It was easy drinking - I was quite tempted to buy their coffee beans, if I possessed a coffee making machine.

So, for that morning meeting / first date, Telescope is the perfect shield from the outside world - the perfect place for the relationship between you, your companion, and your coffee.

http://www.telescopecafe.com/

coffee hunt - round 1.

As promised, I have not forgotten you, dearest blogging hemisphere (and those that kindly take the time to read my ramblings). I hereby give notice of future blog posts featuring the 'Paris City Guide' produced by the Cereal City Guide team. As mentioned before, this guide was my holy bible in New York, where I found the best coffee shops, the coolest museums and some of the best restaurants. And so, the hunt begins (as of last week).

My first quest (in a non-lord of the rings manner), was to the small yet comfortable Honor Cafe. Based just by Comme Des Garcon, a 5 minute walk from Rue Royale and Madeleine Metro station, this tucked away creation is one that has to be visited. Based in a court yard surrounded by white apartments (may I add, Chanel is also just around the corner), the structure of the building is that that resembles a pop-up store - simplistic, small yet oh so affective. From the front, you can order coffee and cakes, as well as hot soup, and yes, the lovely lady that served me was also British - no need for "je voudrais cafe crem", and she also understood when I said I wanted something that resembles a latte.

Around the back of the structure, were tables and seats surrounded by books and plants and heating lamps - enough room to have a quiet conversation with friends on your lunch break or when you have just finished work. The pair working the coffee shop also advised us to try the coffee before putting in sugar, as the coffee beans they use may be different to what we usually take in other coffee shops - coffee knowledge, check. The music and atmosphere was calming inside Honor Cafe, ideal for relaxing and taking a minute out from city life, with benches on the outside for the warmer weather / smoking.

To those that are reading this and are anything like me when it comes to discovering new places to go and trying to break the habit of just buying a Caramel Latte in Starbucks, this little treasure is definitely somewhere worth checking out - the minimum spend on card is €10, but if you wish to spend under still on card, you can get the remainder amount put on a gift card to use in the future.. very handy when you don't have any spare change. So after passing through Champs-Elysees and you're not quite ready to bare Chanel and Dior, pop into Honor and give yourself that 15 minute break that you've been craving for... as well as the coffee.

Honor Cafe - http://www.honor-cafe.com/