Fashion Voyeur

People will stare, make it worth their while.

Categories: Fashion

PRITCH London Divine Beings London Fashion Week

With London Fashion Week about to kick off for another season there are always a few pre-season openers that warm up show season nicely.  We all know that New York Fashion Week isn’t what it used to be and with many of us no longer even optioning it as freelancers since the division of Fashion Month and instead opting for season openers like these instead, which give us an insight into Fashion Week on our home turf ahead of time.

Earlier this week PRITCH London gave us just that.  The invite said simply ‘Divine Beings’ with a nod to Greek mythology in its illustration and its evening slot and dreamy church location hinted its opulence.

Pixie tenenbaum holds up the invite to the PRITCH London SS20 runway show pre-London Fashion Week in September 2019

PRITCH London is a brand known for its non-conformist luxury and distinctive use of sustainable leather, something that they’ve worked hard to source.  With Divine Beings, PRITCH London aim to elevate the wearer to divine, almost god-like status – translating the power of ancient Greek mythology through striking silhouettes completely unexpected and seemingly impossible in a fabric as unyielding as leather.

The story behind this vibrant collection comes from designer Federica Braghieri’s passion and desire to illuminate the more obscure Greek goddesses who are more often historically overlooked, or misrepresented, in favour of more serene, quieter beings.

“Hecate, the three headed goddess of magic and the night, known for her ability to see past, present and future, is depicted more rarely than the gentler Aphrodite or Athena, but for us this divine being represents the multifarious expression of the collection.”

Historically depicted carrying flaming torches through treacherous night journeys, the colour palette of the Divine Beings collection reflects the mysterious tales of the goddess Hecate.   Red, yellow and copper intertwine with black and grey through various leather weaving and pleating techniques developed by Madara Rozensteina to create an almost water like texture, the garments themselves flow softly on the runway and it’s only on close inspection that they appear heavy as leather is.

There’s a cute little use of fuzzy felt type faux fur early in the show (London Fashion Week has been fully fur free for a few years now), which gives a nod to the season we’re actually in as well as some Spring Summer 20 forecasting which is real nice – perhaps a glance into the future of a new type of co-ed show?

Either way, I’m a sucker for leather and PRITCH London definitely know how to work with it.  From those tight little box pleats that don’t cram in extra weight – something that’s hard to achieve with a heavy fabric, right through to those fit and flare body harnessed blazers; suffice to say, PRITCH London delivers eloquence whilst challenging the fashion status quo.  Divine Beings is a real celebration of non-conformist skill and craftsmanship that deserves to be appreciated up close.

Pixie

Categories: Fashion, Models, Uncategorized

Lais Ribeiro to Wear the 2017 VS Fantasy Bra

You know the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show is close when the VS Fantasy Bra and it’s lucky wearer is announced.  Well Voyeurs, today is that day.  The Champagne Nights Fantasy Bra has been crafter by master jeweller Mouawad using almost 6000 gemstones including yellow sapphires, blue topaz and of course, diamonds – over 600 carats in fact.  The bra took over 350 hours to make and was fitted to its lucky VS Angel’s tiny frame during her first fitting after call backs.

Lais Ribeiro Wears the 2017 Champagne Nights Fantasy Bra, shot by Russell James

WHO IS LAIS RIBEIRO?

The 27 year old Brazilian model has worked with Victoria’s Secret and walked in the infamous VS Fashion Show for the past 5 years.  She entered a modelling competition, encouraged by a friend after the birth of her son Alexandre and the rest as they say, is history.  Picking up the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show gig almost immediately, her face (and body) have become synonymous with the brand and a regular fixture on their runway.  2017 will be her first stint in the much coveted Fantasy Bra slot.

“After three days, I was still pinching myself because I couldn’t believe it. I was very emotional. I cried very much, it’s the biggest thing in my career right now. Of course, we all hope [to be selected], but we never know because there’s so many of us, and we all work so hard. And I’m thankful and honoured to be one of them now.”  Lais Ribeiro

The 2017 VS Fantasy Bra comes with a matching belt and the obligatory VS Angel wings and Ribeiro will wear it with thigh high boots “to make it more sexy”.  That’s not the only extra it comes with, the Champagne Nights Fantasy Bra comes with a minimum of two body guards to protect it at all times making it really worth its weight in gems.

Crediting Adriana Lima as her inspiration and mentor, Ribeiro said that being selected to wear the 2017 Fantasy Bra is a real honour “you just feel so powerful wearing it, like all the hard work has paid off.”

WHEN CAN WE SEE IT IN ACTION?

The 2017 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show will record in Shanghai on November 20th and air in the US on November 24th on CBS.  In the UK E4 will air the show in early December as part of the Christmas schedule so you don’t have long to wait!

In the meantime, here’s a History of the Fantasy Bra and every VS Angel to wear it for you to get stuck in to!

Pixie xo

Categories: Fashion, Models

Victoria’s Secret Partners with Balmain for VS x Balmain

This just in, Victoria’s Secret just made a major announcement about the 2017 Victoria’s Secret fashion Show and it’s one that could seriously up the brand’s game in terms of exposure, desirability and ultimately, acceptance.  We all know that in terms of fashion, the show is one that’s never really been accepted into the high fashion calendar by the industry, it’s out there on a wing (see what I did there) and in a niche of it’s own where it thrives by simply being such an amazing annual spectacle.

This year, the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show is about to get some serious fashion edge.  We know that The Angels are a huge part of the draw for the show, we spend weeks anticipating the final line up and we coo over the Rookies, but this year there’s a whole now collaboration, and it’s one that’s so obvious it’s been staring us in the face.

VS x Balmain

That’s right, the lingerie brand famous for its heavenly Angels is partnering with Olivier Rousteing’s Balmain to produce some of the stage outfits for VSFS 2017, but also, a VS x Balmain capsule collection that will be available to buy in store the very next day.  The Balmain Army truly is staging a takeover, what with the latest collection of Invincible Color Riche Lip Sticks for L’Oreal, and who could forget the H&M collaboration that turned stores into a feeding frenzy, Rousteing is turning his hand to sexing up your lingerie drawer in an attempt to make the brand as accessible as possible for women who want a slice of that Balmain sexiness.

The VS x Balmain collaboration is one that will undoubtedly open up the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show and ultimately the brand, to a whole new audience.  Sure they’ve partnered with designers to produce stage outfits before, but never with a high fashion designer, and never one as current or applauded as Rousteing.  His gilded, bodycon designs are synonymous with feminine power and are copied and recreated up and down the high street, Rousteing’s Balmain stands out for all the right reasons.  The pairing makes total sense, Rousteing is always hanging out backstage at the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show, I spotted him interviewing Alessandra Ambrosio backstage at the 2014 show and he always dresses the Angels for the afterparty.  Who better to bring a high fashion aesthetic to the show itself?  And the VS x Balmain capsule collection?  Genius, shrewd move Ed Razek.

What can we expect from this collaboration?  Well, not a lot more than this is known right now, there’s no artwork available, no sneak peak into the designs just yet but we do know that the day following the 2017 VS Fashion Show in Shanghai, VS X Balmain will be available to buy in Victoria’s Secret stores.  So Voyeurs, mark November 29th in your calendars for what could just be the beginning of acceptance into the fashion industry for Victoria’s Secret.

Pixie xo

Categories: Fashion, Models, Uncategorized

Ones To Watch SS18 at London Fashion Week

After a rough start to day one of London Fashion Week, I hit the ground running, albeit a few steps behind, with the multi-designer Ones To Watch show for SS18.  The Ones To Watch show seeks to raise the profile of emerging talent globally and the rostered designers are selected from a long list of emerging designers by a panel of industry experts.  It’s a must see show every season and if you’re an LFW regular, then you can guarantee that you’ll see these names cropping up further down the line.  They’re selected on a number of criteria and the resulting showcase is always a very interesting show.

“THE ONES TO WATCH SHOW IS THE PERFECT LAUNCH PAD FOR TALENTED NEW DESIGNERS. THIS SEASON’S FOUR DESIGNERS PRESENT COMPLETELY DIFFERENT VISIONS OF THE FUTURE OF FASHION. THIS IS THE SUCCESS OF ONES TO WATCH AND WHY IT IS SO POPULAR.”  MARTYN ROBERTS, FASHION SCOUT

The Ones To Watch show for the LFW SS18 season featured four strong designers, each with a different focus and style, I was already flustered on arrival after having to hot foot it from Kings Cross but a coffee and a chat with the lovely Donna Air fixed all of that and set me up for a pretty decent show.

NEO DESIGN

With a palette of black, black and even more black, this almost gender neutral collection cast a stark contrast against the all white show space.  The brand was born out of a graduate project and focusses on the manufacture of the garments as much as the appearance of the final product.  This SS18 collection connected the past with the future with a range made for modern warriors.  Leather, quilting and rope combined in the deepest shades of noir to give an untouchable aesthetic making the wearer a force to be reckoned with.  A collection designed to give the illusion of power and one that certainly succeeds.

 JI WON CHOI

Ji Won Choi’s collection is one of vibrant colour with an underlying message.  The collection, entitled Excessivism, highlights the waste in our closets today.  Swathes of fabric cover the models bodies with exaggerated graphic lines, cuts and strapping.  Ji Won Choi is a designer defying the traditional fashion calendar by showing a seasonless collection, seeking to shift the focus to sustainability over fast fashion.

Bright, playful and clever with elements of wearability.  The message to society is strong with this one…

TRIINU PUNGITS

Pungits is an experienced designer with 13 years of design experience under her sequinned belt.  Normally I’m a fan of her work, a champion of self expression and freedom, her prints are to die for.  This latest collection for me was underwhelming.  Yes, sure there was the whole novelty foam hands thing but it wasn’t consistent enough throughout the collection to be something to sit up and take notice of and felt like it had been added for drama.

I loved the geometric lines, printed leotards and added red heart feature but the whole thing felt a little disjointed for me, especially after the success of SS17 and a meaningful and satisfying collection.  Interesting sure, but more filler than killer for me I’m afraid.  Soz Pungits.

STARSICA

Talk about going out on a high, Starsica SS18 rocked my world and gave Day 1 of LFW an injection of youth and vibrance with that all important wearability factor.  Taking it’s name from the term Star Seeker, depicting a wise man forecasting the movement of the stars and therefore predicting the future, Starsica represents the concept of ‘Everyday luxury wear with the anxiety of modern society’ and it gets it right on point.

Simple shapes and cut out detailing at pivot points gave a youthful edge to the collection and rolled head torches gave a nod to the explorer vibe hinted at in the brand name.  I loved this collection and there’s a space in my wardrobe for that gorgeous human heart sweater and Victoriana ruffle dress.  Despite being a playful collection, Starsica never loses its elegance and stays just the right side of wearable.  Definitely One to Watch.

Pixie xo

Categories: Beauty, Fashion, Models, Uncategorized

Karlie Kloss Confirmed for VS Fashion Show 2017

Hold the phones Voyeurs, remember we said we had a feeling Klossy would be breaking her hiatus to make a return to the runway for the 2017 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show?  Well goddammit we were right!  If you’re catching up on all things Victoria’s secret fashion Show 2017 then there’s also posts ‘What We Know So Far‘ and ‘Hailey Baldwin for VS Fashion Show 2017‘ to read, so get caught up!

Gilded Angel

Set to break her retirement and don her wings once again, glamazon Karlie Kloss has been confirmed for the 2017 VS Fashion Show.  Spotted leaving a fitting in NYC this morning the model was spotted with strap like marks on her calves and shins suggesting she’ll be wearing those signature gladiator style heeled boots in the show.  Having last walked for the lingerie label in their 2014 London Fashion Show (I was there, read my report here), Klossy hung up her wings to concentrate on fashion projects and her ‘Code with Karlie’ Academy.  Now, after the shortest retirement (and probable huge case of FOMO) in VS Angel history, she’s back for more!

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Kloss has been through something of a transformation since she last walked the VS Fashion Show in 2014, with uber bleached hair and more piercings she’s definitely pushing her off duty look in a more urban direction.  We all remember THAT haircut that propelled her to superstar status and was the inspiration for this piece), in fact, her turn on the 2012 VS Fashion Show runway was one of the most memorable given that most VS Angels have to have below collar-bone length hair.  Kloss changed that, she gave the label street cred and urban appeal alongside as its own signature glamour.

At 6ft 1″ Karlie Kloss is one of the VS Angels at the taller end of the scale, the average and most preferred height for the show is 5’10” so she already stands out.  Personally I’m psyched about seeing her back on the runway for Victoria’s Secret, she doesn’t look like the typical VS angel (in a good way) and that’s a great way of bringing in younger fans and followers from non traditional VS tribes.  When Kloss moves on the runway she moves like a swan, she’s typical high fashion stock and an awesome fashion model.  She can be sexy, goofy, serious – all in the blink of an eye and whilst this may sound like a bi-polar quality, in modelling it’s priceless.

There’s just one thing I ask, Please Ed, let’s see Klossy with short hair on the runway again, and I’m gonna put it out there right now Voyeurs, I reckon we might just see Klossy in the 2017 Victoria’s Secret Fantasy Bra…..

Pixie xo

 

 

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