Fashion Voyeur

People will stare, make it worth their while.

Categories: Fashion, Pixie, Uncategorized

What I Wore: Spring Layering

It’s always around this time of year, when the weather is starting to show glimmers of change, that I panic and forget what I ever wore before Winter cascaded over the land, and my life.  The days of wearing my cherished faux furs are almost over but it’s not quite warm enough to wheel out that old Spring favourite, the denim jacket.  So, when I’m styling up a look for early Spring disguised as Winter, what do I look for?  That’s a tricky question, you know I’m a lover of the old juxtaposition.  Whether it’s prints, textures or colours, I love a mismatch and the quirkier the better.  Choose something unexpected and they’ll never see you coming, or maybe they will because if you’re anything like me it’ll be blue white and orange…

A full length picture of Blogger Pixie tenenbaum wearing a blue and white striped Primark dress with cowboy boots and an orange pointelle Topshop jumper standing by the River Tyne

Ok, so, take one typical Summer dress – there are loads of these around right now, H&M & Urban outfitters lead the pack when it comes to print choice and they range from £35-£49, or if you’re not too bothered about print options then you can pick up this very one from Primark for just £14, if it’s not already sold out.  Yes, before you say it I know there’s a big backlash about Fashion Bloggers and Influencers advocating for Primark because of what it does to the fashion industry in terms of hierarchy but on a surface level, I believe that if you’re interested in fashion and don’t have the resources to feed the runway, then fast fashion is absolutely an option.  I shop at Primark myself and believe wholeheartedly that there’s a place for fast fashion in the industry.  Can’t find this dress?  Check out Groupon’s offers on Dorothy Perkins clothing for something in a similar style.  I got you boo.

Ok, so now that’s out of the way, this button through, shoestring-strap sundress is my favourite of all the ones I’ve tried, that includes the more expensive versions at Marks and Spencer, Warehouse and Urban Outfitters.  It has huge pockets at the perfect height to be functional, (so many items from Primark have the pockets way too high, like maybe their fit models are 5’5″) and the straps are adjustable, like bra straps.  If you’ve read my Surgical Series, or if you know me IRL you’ll know that I absolutely hate exposing any chest. Décolletage, collar bones, however pretty you want to make it sound, it’s not on my list of body parts to show off.  You can opt to wear this dress as it is, or if like me you like to cover that area, you can throw on a tighter fitting tee first.

If you’re styling it with a tee underneath, choose something that’s shorter in length, more form fitting and with minimal design on the front as it’s not that visible once the dress is over the top.  This No Fake tee is made of uber light cotton so it doesn’t bunch up under the empire line.  This particular dress has diagonal dart placement in the bust creating the illusion that flat chested girls like me, actually have more up top.

When it comes to prepping for Spring, layering is your top skill.  Scratch people skills, social media and IT, layering is literally the skill at the top of your arsenal and the one that’s gonna score you the most style points.  Get it right and you’ve got yourself two totally different looks, one on top of each other and the bolder you go, the better it is.  My favourite top layer in this juicy combo is this orange knit sweater from Topshop which you can buy here. thrown straight over the top.  The orange against the simple blue and white stripe might be too much for some, but for me it’s perfection.

My footwear of choice is my trusty cowboy boots, a Summer wardrobe staple of mine and something you’ll have seen in various guises in my other What I Wore posts – a girl literally can’t have too many cowboy boots.  Low enough that you can walk around comfortably and versatile enough to pair with just about anything.  These ones are from Topshop and the good news is that they get a refresh every year so you’ll always find them in store and online during the Summer months.

So what are you waiting for Voyeurs?!  Spring is right around the corner…

Pixie x

Categories: Fashion, Uncategorized

APU JAN SS18 at London Fashion Week

Taking inspiration from the short lives of flowers, Apu Jan presented Before the Last Petal Falls for Spring Summer 2018 at London Fashion Week.  In this collection of 33 garments, Jan uses bursts of colour and texture variation to freeze their explosive beauty and capture the sensation of urgency in their short but fragrant life.  The collection pays homage to O Henry’s ‘The Last Leaf’ and echoes the theme of Edgar Allen Poe’s ‘The Fall of the House of Usher’.  It was also the first show of the SS18 season that saw Freemason’s Hall open up the Grand Temple – something that rarely happens during London Fashion Week and an absolutely unbelievable spectacle when it does.

‘Before the last petal fell, I remembered there was a garden in full blossom ;

Before the last leaf faded, I remembered there was a forest full of green ;

The last snowflake, the last sand grain, the last teardrop…

Nothing gold can stay.

So let me cast a spell for you, it’s necessary to freeze the beauty of flowers, it’s necessary to freeze the fragrance of coffee, and it’s necessary to freeze the fragrance of our youth…’

Using pattern to emote throughout the collection, ‘Before the Last Petal Falls’ takes us on a fantasy journey.  With motifs and patterns including blooming and fallen petals, leaves, trees, snow, ink, and manuscripts, the components play to the theme and the brands core elements of storybooks and fantasy beasts are evident throughout the collection.

The SS18 collection from Apu Jan features more of the designer’s trademark silk knitting which stands out in texture, Jan uses a self developed blend of jacquard and chiffon and varies between machine and hand knitting to create that signature and inimitable mix of chunky and uber fine texture all within the same garment – perfect for the intended season.

Strong oriental influences ring through this collection; mandarin collars, horse-hoof cuffs and 6/8 wide leg trousers with a wide set pinstripe set up the core shapes for a neutral palette of grey, black, white and grey with the occasional dancing pink petal dancing across the landscape.  Towards the finale we saw drop waist and empire line dresses with structured cape detailing imitating orchid type silhouettes and depicting the last stages of life of the flower, and burnout dresses with flute sleeves with a hint of Victoriana.  The standout piece in the collection was a grey dress with a structured capelet that drew gasps from the press as it floated through the temple.

Apu Jan is a master craftsman when it comes to working with printed satin; taking the finest print details and working them into a pattern only determinable at close range, which from afar creates additional texture and shape despite having been crafted in the lightest fabrics.

The show was set to the beat of DJ QuestionMark and a live orchestra, something that’s been lost in time over the seasons at London Fashion Week and something which created a real atmosphere on the day.  I don’t know whether it was the design talent, the live music or being seduced by the Grand Temple but this was one collection that piqued my interest Voyeurs…..

Pixie x

Categories: Fashion, Models, Uncategorized

Amira Haroon x Yana Markova SS18 at London Fashion Week

It’s not often we see a partnership at London Fashion Week and on the rare occasion that we do, there’s usually one designer or brand battling for supremacy within the collection. This one however, is a perfectly complimentary relationship and that’s a rarity in fashion.  Beautiful and delicate clothing pieces, complimented perfectly by expertly crafted headpieces.  This Amira Haroon x Yana Markova collection is a match made in fashion heaven.

Amira Haroon showed her American pop culture inspired Spring Summer 2018 collection at London Fashion Week with the late, great Whitney Houston serving as muse.  With a strong focus on the 80’s disco era, the collection was laces with glitter thread, scallop edging and satin, sounds garish but was actually uber cool, relevant and very wearable.  Seven years after setting up her own label, she’s owning the retro disco look with this collection.  It’s a collection that combines the past with the present to great effect and all topped off with some of the most Whitney-esque headpieces you’ve ever seen.  Remember the signature floppy bow that we swooned over in the early 90’s?  This partnership collection showcased a rework of that look perfectly.

Those signature headwear looks were recreated and reworked by rising star milliner Yana Markova (a darling of the Russian beau monde).  The bow, which will be making an appearance on my very own head during SS18, was crafted using a secret milliners fabric coated in iridescent glitter.  The second headwear look created specially for the Amira Haroon show is one you’ll have to double take to spot as it’s so effective.  a chain style headband crafted from dozens of individual, delicate gold chains, sewn together to give the appearance of an Egyptian style golden wig.  Clever huh?

 “I was really excited to be asked to collaborate and was honoured to see my pieces on the catwalk over London Fashion Week. I hope that we can do another partnership. We worked well together and understood each other’s design philosophies.”  Yana Markova, Milliner

This talented milliner has roots in fashion, after training in fashion design at the Ural State Academy of Architecture and Arts and went on to work for some of the largest designer fashion, jewellery and accessory brands for fifteen years before launching her own label. Her first collection was met with critical acclaim and she continued to create a fashion range, before turning her attention to millinery.  Her designs have been featured in some of the most prolific Quarterlies in fashion including Jute Magazine, l’Etoile Magazine and L’Officiel, this gal ain’t messing around and with a celebrity following including Lady Gaga (she produced the headpieces for Gaga’s tour wardrobe), this collaboration is sure to cement her status as one of the best and most current in the business.

If like me, you’re a fan of a crown, or any other elaborate and striking headwear, you’ll be pleased to know that the Amira Haroon x Yana Markova headpieces will be available to buy as part of Amira Haroon’s Spring Summer 2018 collection.

Pixie xo

Categories: Fashion, Models, Uncategorized

Joshua Kane Presents Fantasy for SS18 at London Fashion Week

If there’s one designer who doesn’t conform to the standards set out in fashion, it’s Joshua Kane.  Daring to be different in a sea of over familiar runway shows, Kane stands out by shunning the norm and producing his own show in its entirety, away from the on and off schedule venues packed out during London Fashion Week.  Known as “The People’s Designer”, Oxford born Joshua Kane has brought fashion to the masses by opening up his epic runway shows to the public.  In an unprecedented move by the designer, members of the public have been given the chance to rub shoulders with the glitterati of the fashion industry and a few devoted celebrities and fans of the British born tailor.

That one broken light has upset me greatly…

Kane favours The London Palladium as his showcase venue and when you see his branding and the associated collection, it’s plain to see that the two are a perfect match.  With his eclectic look and uber tailored style, Kane sets the standard for what is forthcoming in his show.  Like Barney Stinson, Kane is never pictured without his suit and a wide brimmed hat, and his insanely beautiful girlfriend and sidekick Francesca is never far from his side.

For Spring Summer 2018 Kane teased us with his self directed three part short film titled Fantasy, to accompany and tell the unfolding story of the collection starring Asa Butterfield.  Kane’s second outing at The London Palladium is where fashion meets romance with strong undercurrents of regal glamour.  Models walked out on to an elaborate stage set, through gates out into the audience giving a close up look at the craftsmanship as they strode through the aisles.

Rich heritage tweeds and silks in a colour palette mostly bade up of black, red and cornflower blue dominated the collection, which also announced Kane’s foray into the accessories market.  Models carried handbags from Kane’s debut accessory line and a range of pocket squares and ties were showcased with strong tailored looks.  The brand is filled with drama, from the unexpected sharp lines in feminine tailoring, to the trousers that stop at that perfect 8/8 line making them wearable with any shoe or boot.

Casting for the show couldn’t have been more on point; models with mullets and chiselled features stormed the makeshift runway, posing a contrast between the sharp cuts and feminine fabrics and patterns.

Kane’s use of leather in both structured biker jackets in black and vibrant pink, as well as in the looser trench variety, was new for SS18 and a welcome addition for the season showcasing Kane’s talent and ability to tailor harsher fabrics.  A whole variety of shapes and finishes for SS18 unveiled a new side to “The People’s Designer” and his rich portfolio continues to expand.  Starting with a solid menswear foundation Kane moved to introduce women’s tailoring, swiftly followed with this range of accessories, handbags and even skateboard decks.

I’m really looking forward to seeing how Joshua Kane develops his career, whatever comes next from “The People’s Designer”, I can’t help but think it’s going to be worth the wait.

Pixie xo

Categories: Fashion, Models

John Herrera SS18 at London Fashion Week

London Fashion Week‘s SS18 season is already weighing in as a heavyweight against New York Fashion Week’s decreasing flyweight.  NYFW was once the matriarch of Fashion Month, a beacon held aloft for the lesser three to aspire to.  Well those days are long gone, since the division of Fashion Month and The Big Four as a whole, New York Fashion Week has become the diluted and less aspirational sister to the European Three, and Vancouver Fashion Week is hot on its heels.

Back to London and we’re on day 2 with John Herrera’s Amanda collection for SS18.  Herrera launched his brand just two years ago when he was chosen to participate in the British Council and British Fashion Council’s International Fashion Showcase, keen fashionistas will remember that he went on to win at the London Emerging Designer Awards at Somerset House, showcasing his Agila collection at MBFW in Tokyo.  That’s a whirlwind career for a designer who set up his namesake label just two short years ago.

Last season Herrera put together a presentation of looks on the runway for Fashion Scout, his first runway show.  This season he’s back and he’s upped the ante with Armada; a 30 piece collection of digitally printed haute couture fashion, designed to turn heads.  Building on Agila for FW17, Herrera was inspired by the accidental discovery of the Philippine Islands by the Spanish; Diogo Ribiero’s World Map from 1529 set the pace for Spring Summer 2018’s prints and the linear fabric manipulation techniques.  All pretty spectacular when you see it in real life.

Models walked the runway complete with a strong beauty look of whited out faces with burgundy or black lips topped with bag veils fashioned from voile and tied at the neck adding a gothic opulence to the show.  Shapes were stronger this season, if Herrera carved out his niche in FW17, he’s closer to perfecting it in SS18.  Wing tipped shoulders and cinched in waists were the stalwarts within the collection, with a ruffle frilled Little Red Riding Hood-esque cape that defied these shapes to become the stand out piece in the collection.

The show was fluid and told a story, if you’ve followed Herrera’s career to date you’ll know that he employs women from challenged upbringings and communities and has produced a work ethic that’s unrivalled.  He’s a designer who cares about the origins of his collection and how it makes its way on to the runway as final pieces.  The Armada collection features a nod to the Spanish monarchy with regal ruff necklines and hourglass body shapes with a touch of fetishism brought in.

Herrera’s second mainline runway show at London Fashion Week definitely upped the drama and proved that he’s more than a presentation designer.  With 30 key looks produced in the last six months between seasons, I can’t wait to see what Herrera brings us for FW18 in February.

Pixie xo