Paris Fashion Week AW 2012...Caroline

Tank magazine's Caroline Issa, Tuileries, Paris, March 2012.

I absolutely love this look on Caroline - that lace covered trench? Simply beautiful.

Recreate the Look (kind of):

The Investment Piece - an embellished classic trench: Valentino embroidered trench, Erdem Kaiija trench coat, Gryphon New Timeless trench  or Red Valentino embroidered trench



Add a striped sweater: Edun colour-blocked stripe sweater, Aubin & Wills Mellanby striped sweater

or Etoile Isabel Marant Zena sweater

Leather pants: J Brand leather skinny pants or A.L.C. Brice leather pants

Miu Miu velvet and lizard clutch

New York Fashion Week AW 2012...Margaret

Margaret Zhang, from Shine by Three blog, NYC, February 2012.

Recreate Margaret's Look (kind of):

Theory leather Oleksa skirt, Thakoon leather tulip skirt, Free People vegan leather skirt or Miu Miu leather mini

Preen Kimono printed silk satin top or Carven printed shantung top 

New York Fashion Week AW 2012...Andie

Andie Arthur, after Philosophy di Alberta Ferretti, NYC, February 2012.

I am a big fan of the tuxedo stripe pant (see my post on the lovely Natalie Hartley here) and these Rag & Bone jeans are a brilliant, versatile interpretation of the trend. Dress them down with flats (a brogue perhaps?) and a blazer for day and for night, wear a leg-lengthening pair of heels.

Recreate Andie's Look (kind of):

Rag & Bone/Jean The Tuxedo skinny jeans (slim stripe), black and blush (wider stripe) or charcoal grey and neon (slim stripe)

Rag & Bone Classic Newbury booties

p.s. Love the way Andie is joyfully swinging around that Celine bag! I probably would be doing that as well if I owned one ;)





London Fashion Week AW 2012...Lisa Marie

Stylist and swimwear designer, Lisa Marie Fernandez, Somerset House, London, February 2012.

Paris Fashion Week AW 2012...Mohini

French singer Mohini Geisweiller, after Carven, Paris, March 2012.

Listen to Mohini's music here (you have to watch until the end of the Milk Teeth video to find out what happens to the little white "creature")

Recreate Mohini's look (kind of):

Carven twill and tweed dress

Jimmy Choo patent leather pumps, Pierre Hardy round toe pumps or ASOS storm point court shoe





Paris Fashion Week AW 2012...Before Louis Vuitton

Before Louis Vuitton, Paris, March 2012

Recreate the Look (kind of):


Vince cotton-slub jersey sweater, Derek Lam ribbed sweater, Theory Aleksy open knit sweater or if lemon is not your colour, try this grey and yellow sweater by Vkoo

 Add a pair of cropped wide-leg trousers or gaucho pants:

Nanette Lepore Boy Crazy pants, Sonia Rykiel cropped wide leg denim pants, Opening Ceremony printed pants or Sonia Rykiel tie-front cropped pants

Boutique by Jaeger lemon oxford shirt, Carven wrinkled cotton-poplin shirt or MHL by Margaret Howell cotton shirt

Givenchy embellished Hagfish sandals, Diane von Furstenberg Baina sandals or Rachel Zoe Stevie Ankle band sandals

New York Fashion Week AW 2012...Krystal

Krystal Bick from This Time Tomorrow blog, before Prabal Gurung, NYC, February 2012.

Think you can't do double-floral? Think again!

Edit: thanks for letting me know Krystal's name :)

Recreate the Look (kind of):

Floral pants: Clements Riberio silk pants, Thakoon rose print pants, ASOS ankle grazer floral print pants, Tucker cuffed pants or Alice + Olivia print Arthur pants

Floral top: Peter Som floral tweed blouse, Thakoon rose print top or ASOS shirt in black rose

Smythe leather trimmed duster coat

Miu Miu two-tone sequined clutch or Anya Hindmarch Valorie clutch  

Paris Fashion Week AW 2012...Hanne

Hanne Gaby Odiele, after Giambattista Valli, Paris, March 2012.

Recreate Hanne's Look (kind of):

I love Hanne's trousers but there is a lot of fabric going on....which is a little tricky for those of us not blessed with as quite as long legs as Hanne's. I think perhaps heels are the key along with a defined, slim silhouette on the top. Anyone manged a pair of trousers this wide especially in a taffeta fabric?

Acne Nubia cropped turquoise taffeta palazzo pants, See by Chloe cotton-silk blend wide leg pants or See by Chloe denim wide leg pants

ASOS oversized boyfriend coat or Surface to Air red Maxi coat (I loved the oversized coats at Jil Sander and Celine...I can't wait to see them on the street next season)



London Fashion Week AW 2012....Edda

Edda Oscars, Somerset House, London, February 2012.

Recreate Edda's Look (kind of):

Boy. by Band of  Outsiders cotton jacket, Textile Elizabeth and James Robinson parka or Free City Sun Sparrow LNL jacket

American Apparel denim shorts, Ksubi Alberceque cut-off denim shorts, Blank Denim semi fitted shorts or Topshop Moto high waisted hotpants

T by Alexander Wang classic t-shirt or ASOS Forever t-shirt



Paris Fashion Week AW 2012...Marianne

Marianne Theodorsen from Style Devil blog after Dries Van Noten.

Love this vaguely sporty/preppy/varsity look on Marianne. It is the Olympic year after all! (does anyone have tickets? I applied for lots of tickets - swimming, rowing, diving, equestrian - and ended up with just the equestrian).

Recreate Marianne's Look (kind of):

Alexander Wang track suit bomber jacket, See by Chloe Varsity jacket, Chloe Sevigny for Opening Ceremony varsity jacket or Antipodium Game Player jacket

Rory Beca Rambler Dolman blouse or Chinti and Parker oversized t-shirt

J Brand Aidan slouchy boy jeans or Current/Elliott The Boyfriend cropped jeans

Proenza Schouler PSII shoulder bag

Paris Fashion Week AW 2012...Before Chloe

Before Chloe, Paris, March 2012.

I love the soft, peachy, blush tones in her outfit - so pretty and fresh.

Recreate the look (kind of):

Chloe pleated silk georgette dress

Chloe silk and leather belt (in cream) or navy

A.P.C peach cotton and linen jacket (love this jacket - I think it is the lovely colour) or Chloe pleated leather jacket

Chloe two-tone pumps or Chloe slingback sandals

Proenza Schouler PS II white leather clutch or Chloe Jade handbag



Paris Fashion Week AW 2012...Natalie

Natalie Joos, before Miu Miu, Paris, March 2012.

Recreate Natalie's Look (kind of):

Sonia by Sonia Rykiel polka dot denim blazer  or Paul & Joe polka dot twill jacket

Dion Lee Asymmetric printed mini skirt

ASOS Santo suede court shoes or Jimmy Choo Aurora suede kitten heel pumps or Rupert Sanderson Winona patent leather pumps or Walter Steiger curved heel pink pump

Maison Martin Margiela handmade tasselled gilet



Weekend Life.....Washington DC → Philadelphia Road Trip

Road trip, Washington DC to Philadelphia, USA, February 2012.

Before NYFW in February, we took a mini road trip from Washington DC to Philadelphia and then on to NYC.

 

A few of my favourite things from the trip:

Eat:

Good Stuff Eatery (Washington DC). Home of great burgers, fries and the glorious, rich, brain-freeze inducing marshmallow shake. If you go, you just have to have a shake (any flavour!). So good.

Ray's Hell Burger (Arlington, VA). If you are flying into Dulles International airport and driving into Washington DC, Ray's Hell Burger is well worth a stop along the way, particularly if you have avoided the food on the plane and need to refuel with a juicy, fresh burger.

Bens Chili Bowl (Washington DC) - Disclaimer: I am a big fan of Man v Food (how I didn't know about the show, along with Diners, Drive-ins and Dives, until last year, I am not sure!) so I have dozens of bookmarks noting places I'd like to visit in the US. And this was one place I bookmarked for when we visited Washington DC. And how good it was. It was pouring with rain when we arrived, but as soon as we opened the door and joined the line (it was early Saturday evening) our mood lifted. The beats were pumping (people were grooving along in the line), the main dude behind the counter was bustin' some moves with the guys working the grill and smell of chili and hot-dogs was in the air. And the food? We had the chili half-smoke and it was excellent (although admittedly I don't eat hot-dogs very often. I think the last time was at the Jets season opener on September 11th last year at the MetLife stadium in NJ).

Di Bruno Bros (Philadelphia) - A great Italian deli near Rittenhouse Square if you want to stock up on picnic ingredients for lunch/dinner. We arrived in Philadelphia mid-afternoon on Super Bowl Sunday so just picked up some salads, sliced Italian meats and cheese for a wee picnic in our hotel room before the game. Sometimes a makeshift hotel room picnic is just what you need after a long day sightseeing.

Coffee:

M.E. Swing Co (Washington DC). Righteous espresso and very close to the White House. Only open Monday to Friday.

Peregrine Espresso (Washington DC)

Elixr Coffee (Philadelphia)

Volo Coffeehouse (Manayunk, Philadelphia). We stumbled across this cafe after we called in to Three Potato Four (my favourite online store to browse for vintage/retro American homewares. Their warehouse isn't really open to the public (except by appointment) but Janet and Stu were kind enough to show us around anyway).

Sleep:

Hotel Palomar Philadelphia. This was my first time staying in a Kimpton hotel and I have only good things to say. The staff were very helpful and nice, the room was super clean and nicely decorated and the location is ideal - walking distance to The Liberty Bell, Rittenhouse Square, Reading Terminal Market. Plus, they are a pet-friendly hotel so four-legged furry friends are welcome to stay with you (love that!).

Sightseeing:

Arlington National Cemetery - so quiet, moving, peaceful. We visited at 8am on a Saturday morning and had the place pretty much to ourselves (jet lag is sometimes useful).

We walked from the cemetery all the way to the Capitol Building (via the Lincoln Memorial). A long way but highly recommended if you enjoy walking. Plus Good Stuff Eatery is just on Capitol Hill so something yummy to look forward to.

Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum - brilliant. I highly recommend the free guided tour.

Lancaster County - home to the Pennsylvania Amish community

London Fashion Week AW 2012...Peony

Peony Lim, Somerset House, London, February 2012.

The last post for a little while (well, except for the one below;) on the white suit and how to wear it as separates*. I love this simple, elegant look on Peony - a crisp white jacket, a beautiful blouse with lace detailing and a pair of gently flared jeans - it is difficult to go wrong. Adding a white fur (or fake fur) stole for Autumn/Winter makes it an outfit for all seasons.

Recreate Peony's Look (kind of):

Joseph Sir blazer, Thakoon ivory suiting blazer, Calvin Klein Collection Kamau blazer or ASOS white blazer

Alice by Temperley Esmeralda embroidered blouse (in ivory) or blush/ivory

MiH Marrakesh kick flare jeans or J Brand Stella high rise pants or Mother The Mellow Drama high-rise flared jeans

*when you aren't, as @Wild Flower commented on Audrey's post below, having a Bianca Jagger moment :)

Paris Fashion Week AW 2012...Elisa

Elisa Nalin, after Balmain, Paris, March 2012.

So, so love this look on Elisa (well, anything she wears looks amazing) - the skirt kind of reminds me of a liquorice allsort!

Recreate Elisa's look (kind of):

ASOS floral print sweater or Isabel Marant Astia print sweatshirt

Carven  printed swing skirt

Paris Fashion Week AW 2012...Roxanne

Roxane Cohen, after Roland Mouret, Paris, March 2012.

In keeping with white trouser suit week on the blog (which was unintentional but kind of just evolved), I love the way that Roxane has teamed her white trousers with the red accents and floppy hat. For me it says summer.....preferably spent on the French Riviera :)

Recreate Roxane's Look (kind of):

Alice + Olivia Eric pants, 3.1 Philip Lim slim leg trousers (with back "skirt" so your undies aren't on show!), Tess Giberson slouchy trousers, Sandro twill straight leg pants

ASOS black boyfriend blazer or BLK DNM black blazer

Jean-Michel Cazabat Zulaka red wedges, Madewell Streetside wedge (love the wooden wedge and colourblocking), or Pierre Hardy leather and canvas sandals

Proenza Schouler bright red PS1 pouch, Marc by Marc Jacobs Bars & Bells crossbody bag or Alexander Wang Brenda chain bag

Eugenia Kim Honey floppy sunhat, Rag & Bone woven hat, Bop Basics floppy raffia sunhat or ASOS 70's floppy hat

Add a spotty dotty scarf: Club Monaco Petra scarf, Sonia by Sonia Rykiel dot scarf or Marc by Marc Jacobs Jacobsen scarf (it is stripes rather than spots but I love the colours) 

London Fashion Week AW 2012...Inga

Inga Krohn, Somerset House, London, February 2012.

Recreate Inga's Look (kind of):

If you want to say something to the world, say it on your sweater!

Zoe Karssen You, Me, Oui sweatshirt, Sonia Rykiel Dangereuse knitted sweater, Wildfox I Like You cropped sweater, River Island LOVE sweater

Enza Costa black Hi Lo Skirt, AWear Asymmetric drape skirt or Topshop Earth printed dip back skirt

Steve Madden Frankie motorcyle studded boots or Rag & Bone Moto Boots II

Paris Fashion Week AW 2012...Audrey

Audrey Leighton Rogers, from Frassy blog, Paris, March 2012.

On Monday I talked about the white suit and it all being a bit tricky to wear white + white in everyday life especially if you anything like me and prone to dripping/spilling things or wearing fake tan in the heat :) The way Audrey is wearing her white/off-white blazer is a great way to incorporate a white suit into your wardrobe: wear the entire suit on days when you are feeling particularly brave (the days when you are convinced a pigeon will not poop on your head* or you won't sit in something unidentifiable and icky) and wear separates (which work so well with this season's florals and prints) for all the other days!

Recreate Audrey's look (kind of):

Joseph Sir blazer (off-white), Calvin Klein Collection Jens jacket (white) or ASOS tailored blazer (white)

Add paisley print: Stella McCartney paisley print blouse, MinkPink Prince of Persia cape top, MinkPink Prince of Persia paisley shorts (great with a white blazer for when the summer heat kicks in) or Thakoon paisley printed shorts (my favourite and perfect with a white blazer)

A pair of slouchy trousers: 10 Crosby Derek Lam cinched waist carpenter pants or Alice + Olivia print Arthur pants

Rachel Comey Hitch suede perforated booties or ASOS Aqua suede ankle boots

Topshop Peter Pan collar or Karl faux leather collar

Karen Walker Helter Skelter sunglasses or ASOS oversized retro sunglasses

*This happened to me when I was lined up for coffee at a stall in Borough Market. Pigeon poop in your hair is never an attractive event.



Paris Fashion Week AW 2012...Josephine

Josephine Skriver, after Cacharel, Paris, March 2012.

Love the tangerine explosion (definitely more than a pop!) of colour of Josephine's jacket. Looks fab against her skinny black jeans and booties.

Recreate Josephine's Look (kind of):

Sandro Vicky blazer, Rebecca Minkoff Becky jacket or Rag & Bone Bailey jacket

Rag & Bone/ JEAN high rise skinny jeans

Rag & Bone Lovell platform booties

Paris Fashion Week AW 2012...Dorothea

Dorothea Barth Jorgensen, after Léonard, Paris, March 2012.

I find it a bit tricky to photograph all black street style but when there are different textures involved, like the leather detailing on Dorothea's coat and her furry scarf (+ beautiful make-up), it makes it so much easier.

Recreate Dorothea's Look (kind of):

DKNY funnel neck coat with leather trim or Smythe leather trimmed duster coat 

Paris Fashion Week AW 2012...Milagros and Magdalena

Milagros Schmoll and Magdalena Frackowiak, after Guy Laroche, Paris, February 2012.

Recreate Milagros' look (kind of):

Lennon-ish round sunglasses: Cheap Monday Link sunglasses (priced so you won't weep if you sit/lose/run over* them), Linda Farrow luxe metal and watersnake sunglasses (priced so you may wish to superglue them to your head and never let them out of your sight!) or Elizabeth and James Wooster sunglasses (love the mother of pearl version).

Marmen cross charm necklace, Ben Amun tassled twisted necklace, Tom Binns Passive Attack multi- strand necklace (complete with neon safety pins!) or ASOS multi-cross necklace

Recreate Magdalena's look (kind of):

Karen Walker Number Six sunglasses or Miu Miu round-frame sunglasses

*it happened to a friend in a hire car in Italy!