FW17 Archives - Fashion Voyeur

Categories: Fashion, North East, Uncategorized

An Evening of Crafting & Power Dressing with Intu Metrocentre

As an official Intu Influencer I always look forward to the fashion preview events that unveil the high street’s interpretations of the key trends for each season. The team at Intu Metrocentre always put on a show to accompany their previews and the FW17 showcase was their best yet. Not content with the regular runway show, we were treated to an evening of power dressing with Costume Historian (and my friend) Meridith Towne and crafting with the gals from North East based company The Crafthood.

After being greeted with a custom blended mocktail at Zizzi we were given the chance to browse the trend rail which had been pulled from the shopping mall’s leading fashion retailers. With lots of high street versions of Fashion Month’s key trends including blazers, stripes and lots of red, it was clear to see from the outset that the evening had been tailored (see what I did there?) to the Power Dressing theme. So, what did we get up to?

CRAFTING

The Crafthood is a modern craft business. I’ve come across them before at another event and their workshop model is one that definitely hooks you in. From candle making to Christmas bauble painting and calligraphy (which I’ll be booking on to) these girls are teaching skills in a social environment and paying it forward to boot. For every workshop space they sell, they donate a workshop space to charity. Nice right?

On the upper floor of Zizzi, we had a designated crafting zone laid out with plain canvas makeup bags and a place tag in gorgeous golden calligraphy (a skill you can hone with The Crafthood). Paint and stamps were laid out for us to get our craft on and create our own bespoke washbags using any colour imaginable. With a quick lesson from Sharon and Kay, A.K.A The Crafthood, we were let loose with paint and free will, and pretty much every single person immediately looked to stamp their own initials on their bags. Even with seashells, stars and leaves available to use, it just goes to show that the trend for personalisation isn’t going anywhere.

After a lot of practice on strips of cloth, I made two very questionnable washbags, one for me and one for Plankton. Both featuring a gucci-esque bee.

SCRANNING

As this was a seated event, Zizzi put on bespoke platters to satisfy even the most fussy palates. Whether you’re vegan, vegetarian, pescatarian or a meat lover like me, Zizzi has your back. Think pizza, deep fried peppers, falafel, carrot sticks and all the carbs, the sharing platters are actually big enough to share (so many of them aren’t) and there’s a great variety of food on each one. I’d recommend the garlic and rosemary bread and that’s why I ate 10 slices. Fact.

POWER DRESSING

I’m a huge fan of fellow Costume Historian Meridith Towne and we’ve worked together a couple of times now. Basically Towne travels the country with History Wardrobe delivering a number of talks on topics she’s set, based on her extensive collection of vintage and antique clothing. Got that? It’s a sort of educational talk about era or genre specific trends with a little theatre thrown in to keep it upbeat. Towne’s Glitz & Glamour talk is one of my favourites on her menu, if you get a chance to catch it then I strongly recommend you do. Today though, we’re here to talk about the art of Power Dressing, given the number of women in politics and the rise in female CEOs it seems an uber relevant topic. It’s less of a lesson on how we as women should power dress and more a look at how these women dress to exhibit their own power. Take Maria Grazia Chiuri’s Dior for example, spear heading the trend for the feminist slogan tee, it’s not so much about angled shoulders and pant suits, but more about different ways of wearing our power in a noticeable way.

We were guided though notable moments in global history which charted the rise of female empowerment, from Maggie Thatcher’s blazers and pearls, to the tricks that women used to widen their shoulders in order to appear equal to men. Towne has immersed herself in her self curated collection, some of which she’s made herself to the exact specifications that they would have been in their designated era. After Towne brings us up to date with how female power dressing throughout history has influenced our present day wardrobes, we had the chance to get up close and personal with a small selection of her curated vintage and antique wardrobe, some of which is so old and delicate that we’re not actually allowed to touch it.

FW17 TRENDS

As you know, everything we wear is influenced by the runways of the Big Four at global Fashion Month. The fate of our 2017 Fall Winter wardrobes was actually sealed in February 2017 when the most influential designers in the world sent variations on old shapes down the catwalks. Multicoloured fur, stripes, tweed, polo and neck sweaters were all relatable and translatable trends for the high street to deliver as affordable fashion. Red was the colour of the season but as a block, not a hint so for FW17 if you’re going red then go bold or go home.

Outside of power dressing padding and quilting is the way to go, metallic puffer jackets were on every major runway in Paris with Chanel leading the pack, tailoring in beige and brown toned tweeds with applique are huge for FW17 too and my hero piece is a simple long line tweed overcoat that will bring your Winter wardrobe bang up to date for around £80.

Basically power dressing is about confidence and what makes you feel powerful as a woman. Whether it’s a slogan tee that shows the world you wear your feelings on your chest, or a pant suit and stilettos, if you know your own power pieces then get out there and work them. If you’re still discovering your power dressing style then it might just be time to take a class….

Pixie xo

Categories: Fashion, Uncategorized

Primark’s New Season Shoe Drop

I’m not one to jump on the Fast Fashion train quite so readily without assessing the durability of a microtrend first and I usually steer away from the cheaper end of the high street, however more recently, I’ve been enticed back…

We all have our own systems for managing the turnover of fashion trends. Some people don’t by into runway filtered trends, some people live and breathe them and there is a small proportion of people who monitor and turn over microtrends like their lives depend on it. This Voyeurs, is where the high street is your best friend. Everything you wear is dictated by the global runways. Whether you know and accept it, or believe that plain white tee you picked up from George at ASDA is anti-fashion, everything in your wardrobe is runway fed.

If you consider yourself a fully fledged Fashionista you probably already look to the more expensive end of the high street when it comes to the seasonal shift and the bi-annual trend forecast. With the rise of see now, buy now fashion in the industry, the high street can turn a trend into a full affordable capsule collection faster than you can blink and with global fashion month happening twice per year, you have time to plan for it.

But when we talk about microtrends, we mean short lived trends that were born as an Insta movement, maybe something your favourite Digital Influencer (obviously that’s me) has worn, or something you’ve seen an influx of younger girls wearing and championing. This is where the cheaper end of the high street really shines. Think that weird fishnet waistband poking out of your best ripped jeans that everyone did in May and June of this year – that right there is an Insta-born microtrend.

If you want to tap into fast fashion and microtrends, look to places like Primark, MissGuided, Little Mistress and those places that seem to have new stock in every month. These are stores which focus on turning over microtrends alongside seasonal trends, the places that can spot the durability and popularity for a microtrend and turn it into product the next day. You’ll have seen me championing the perfect transitional shoe from none other than Primark (if you haven’t then read this), and it’s about to get a whole lot better for all of you shoe fanatics out there because the first new season shoe drop from Primark is a doozie.

Whilst everyone else is going freaking bats for Primark’s Beauty and the Beast range and the Harry Potter merchandise filtering into stores as we speak, fashionistas everywhere are quietly enjoying the amazing offerings in the shoe department.

Here are my top Primark shoe picks to ease you into Fall 2017, all of which are available to buy right now (in addition to the ones that started it all):

1. Following on from the previous Primark Bee Flats I told you about in July, they’ve introduced some velvet slip on sneakers with a similar motif. This one features metal thread embroidery and beading so for £8 they’re a total steal and they’re available in deep burgundy as well as black.

Primark £10

2. These giltter ball boots slip on easily like a sock and the block heel makes them way more comfortable than a regular stiletto. They’re soft, super irridescent and available in black, silver and purple. Wear them with everything from jeans to dresses and booty shorts to playsuits, these have enough life in them to see out the full Fall / Winter trend for disco so they’re well worth a punt.

3. My absolute favourites. The deep V front on these shoe boots is a strong footwear trend for FW17 and something that was on so many of the big runways in February. The oriental printed satin has rich tones of orange, purple and red and they’re comfortable considering they’re a pretty high heel. Wear with black opaques when the weather inevitably turns. Eye-catching for all the right reasons.

4. These oriental ankle boots with patterned heel fasten with an inside zipper and they’re similar in shape to a cuban heeled cowboy boot. They’re available in regular and wide fit and up to a UK size 9. They’re super comfortable too – I wore them out all day on a shoot in Newcastle and they gave me no problems but threw up loads of compliments from passers by. #winning.

So, if shopping at the cheaper end of the high street isn’t your thing then maybe now you’ll at least consider a look at some of the Fall Winter trends and how you can spin them at a much cheaper cost. If you’re a fan of fast fashion then hot foot it to Primark right now to get a head start on FW17 shoe shopping, they really are ahead of the game this season.

Pixie xo

Categories: Fashion

London Fashion Week FW17: Chanel Joan Elkayam presents La Sola Rosa

London Fashion Week is always exciting, it’s a hotbed for fresh talent and in terms of ‘The Big Four’, it’s the one we look to for micro trend inspiration. It’s a great place for spotting emerging design talent and the FW17 season saw several designers make their debut, a few of whom stand out for all the right reasons. Jessie Western showed their first runway collection this season to huge success and another young designer to break the mound is Chanel Joan Elkayam.

Elkayam has been on my radar for a little while now, she’s an interesting girl and I’ve followed her career to date with curiosity after she contacted me a couple of years back. Elkayam has an impressive CV and a list of awards and accolades as long as the train on her finale gown. Whenever I read about her, I’m always curious to find out more. The reason I’m so interested in her is that she’s just 19 years old. Yes Voyeurs you read that right, this is a fully fledged fashion designer who not only creates her own collections, but produces her own elaborate shows, all at the tender age of 19.

Elkayam is a Womenswear student studying at Central St. Martin’s, she’s been around on the tradeshow scene for a little while now but in 2016 the girl blew up in a big way. Major players started to take notice, she was invited to show at Paris Fashion Week for FW16 and in doing so, became the youngest designer to show a couture collection during Fashion Month. Since then, she’s shown at New York Fashion Week for SS17 and spoken at several conferences about women in business. She may be just 19 years old but the girl is a powerhouse; at the 2016 New York Fashion Awards, Elkayam was awarded the ‘International Designer of the Year’ by industry professionals.

Her FW17 collection, La Sola Rosa was a story of Love and loss. Inspired by poet Vera Brittain who was given a single red rose by her fiancé at the train station on their last day together during World War 1. Elkayam sought to portray raw beauty, emotion, power and romantic sensuality though her collection and did this with drama and flair.

Guests took their seats and the lights were dimmed before the show began. Models walked the runway with a strong Dolce Vita inspired beauty look reminiscent of Dolce & Gabbana’s Sicilian princesses, a timeless red lip and a single red rose to compliment Elkayam’s debut accessory line. A largely monochrome palette with flashes of red and tapestry brocade, the collection showcased the female form using traditional shapes with a focus on the waist using leather waspies to cinch and create an hourglass shape.

When you’re watching a show with as many looks, comprising both a fashion collection and an accessories line, it’s hard to remember that Elkayam is still in her first year at Central St Martin’s. Detailing throughout the collection is uniform and exquisite, her eye for detail is mature well beyond her years and whilst the shapes are simple, Elkayam clearly knows where her strengths lie.

Personally, I’m looking forward to seeing how Elkayam’s career progresses, with preparations already underway for SS18, I’ll be back on the frow in September so keep it here Voyeurs and remember the name Chanel Joan Elkayam, you’ll be hearing it a lot more….

Pixie xo

Categories: Fashion

London Fashion Week FW17: N&S GAIA presents The Hybrid

SS17 has given fashion lovers more trends, sub trends and micro trends than we can shake a stick at, each of them totally wearable and lustworthy. (I’m looking at you gingham). If I’m honest, SS17 is when Fashion Month got its mojo back (with the exception of NYFW which was a soaking wet, drowning squib). FW17 had a tough act to follow and early shows out of the gate at NYFW showed promise. Now Voyeurs if you don’t know, pay attention: LFW is the younger, fresher, funkier sister of NYFW, the one that everyone loves and wants to cheat with, so as all eyes turned to the British fashion capital we expected great and wonderful things….

The early days of every capital’s Fashion Week are designated for the relatively unknown, new or emerging design talent and these are often some of the best shows you’ll see. With these showcases and presentations there’s zero expectation, often because we haven’t seen seasons previous or the label hasn’t quite established its niche. Enter N&S GAIA, a rising star in Indian fashion and originating from New Delhi, the label has contributed to the successful rebirth and modernisation of Dakmanda – a hand-woven embroidery technique of the Garo tribe in North East India. The brand is also a major proponent of the exploration of upcycling and use of sustainable fabrics. Dedicated to its pillars, the ‘N’ and ‘S’ in N&S GAIA standing for Nature and Sustainability.

Founded by designer, Sidharth Sinha in 2013, the brand made its second LFW runway appearance at Fashion Scout this show season. I hotfooted it over to the Freemason’s Hall wearing the most perfect vintage skirt and an incredibly rude tee to bring you the lowdown on this relatively undiscovered label.

Following on from the SS17 collection, which was shown in both London and Paris, and given a coveted Vogue Online collections report, N&S GAIA carries forward its signature style of colourful flowing silks punctuated by wide-legs, exaggerated ruffles, sweeping hems, bold, painterly appliqué and tapestry embroidery.

Exploring a deep, dark facet of meta-modernism, the FW17 collection, entitled The Hybrid, is centred on nature photography and existential transformation. Models walked the runway wearing simplistic pieces which grew bolder as the show progressed, starting relatively tame and occasionally rising above the parapet with something more dramatic. Soft, blurred lines adorned with tapestry embroidery and shapes which reflect the brand’s Indian heritage were the order of the day set in a muted colour palette, sometimes accented with a pop of metallic.

Shapes were fluid with constructed drapes offset by elements like wide flares, pleating and voluminous sleeves. Surfaces including the handwoven details of the Dakmanda mix with metallic embroidery echoing the hybrid forms in nature.

Nature starts with almost nothing, just a molecule; where humanity plays the role of the transformation.

A pioneer of sustainability in Indian fashion, N&S GAIA aims to use a balance of hand-woven textiles blended with mill-woven fabric and natural dyes in an effort to push the brand to the forefront of the fashion industry’s natural progression. Textile and craft are at the core of N&S GAIA and that’s evident in both the craftsmanship and the attention to detail in the embellishment.

Yes, it’s tame compared to some of the stalwarts of Fashion Month but it’s not just about the drama. This collection is wearable, relatable and ultimately, sustainable. This is a brand with a vision and some sense of direction, there are consistencies throughout the collection and that’s great news for a relatively new label. Measurable progression is key in the fashion industry and time is a key ingredient for progression. Fashion Scout is known for nurturing design talent so I’m interested to see how the RTW collection is received following show season.

I’ll be back for more in September for SS18 and N&S GAIA’s next power move…

Pixie xo

Categories: Fashion, Uncategorized

London Fashion Week FW17: David Ferreira Presents The Freakball

As you know Voyeurs, Fashion Month’s FW17 season has been fresh and exciting and full of new talent as well as big changes for established labels. Mulberry took a bold step for FW17 with a collection like nothing we’ve seen in seasons gone by and David Ferreira took us to the circus with his awesome Freakball showcase at London fashion Week.

I had a front row seat for this exclusive look at the Lisbon based designer’s first collection following his prestigious Les Etoiles Mercedes Benz win in Paris in 2016.

Inspired by the strikingly unusual and unique, Ferreira’s FW17 collection entitled The Freakball, was a rollercoaster from start to finish. Fuschia pink, baby pink, chartreuse yellow and cobalt blue collide in a vivid, texture rich collection that’s a real treat for the senses. Models were painted up to look like a clown / doll hybrid to great effect and they posed as they walked giving off a circus freak show vibe. (It’s no surprise that Bjork is a fan).

Research for the collection began at the circus and its origins, but it was in sideshows and freak shows that he found his true inspiration for his FW17 showcase.

Even though the foundation of the David Ferreira Fall / Winter collection lays in the film Freaks (1932), the book Freak Show by Roben Bogdan, The Victorian Freak Show and the work of photographer, Joel-Peter Witkin, the collection isn’t a literal inspiration of human deformities and biological rarities, instead it is a celebration of the beauty of singularity, of individuality and of rarity.

These days we know that uniqueness is the true definition of luxury. Exclusivity and rarity are highly covetable and we all know there’s nothing more exclusive than the singular. Ferreira’s pieces play with the shape of a woman’s silhouette by creating a visual spectacle that blurs the lines between garment and person, using uniqueness and rarity as the driving force behind the collection, as the thing most coveted. My standout piece from The Freakball was a pale pink fitted, duchess satin dress with a point of ruffles at the front.

The Freakball collection is a collective celebration of individuality, of not fitting into society’s stereotype of ‘normal’. It’s a collection that takes conventional proportion and flips it on it’s head, amping up the volume with ruffles, godês, gatherings, non conventional pattern cutting and straightened Mongolian lamb hair.

The most exciting part of this collection for me, was the extreme texture clash; silk, double duchess satins, silk satins, silk crepe satins, Mongolian lamb, tulle and woven metal fabric combine for absolute sensory mayhem on the Ferreira runway and the final piece changed the silhouette entirely by adding volume to the waist and nipping in the ankles, an pleasantly unexpected aesthetic and one just wacky enough to make you sit up and take notice of Ferreira. He was awarded the Merit Award by Fashion Scout last year earning three seasons of sponsorship so there’s no doubt the best is yet to come from this exciting, bold designer.

Pixie xo