wearing some clothes.

descriptive title.

in order to prove i am alive, here is me wearing some clothes last thursday and today.
it was sunny; i was not outside. damn you, uni.

vintage dress+denim jacket+fur tail thingy//ebay hat+necklace+shoes//2nd hand belt//uniqlo cardi

vintage dress+belt//2nd hand jumper//ebay shoes//primark tights//H&M ring

semi related note... i've started applying for jobs and such like and thought having a bit of an online portfolio situation would be quite the thing. so...prospective employers; direct your eyes to the sidebar. adding stuff as and when i finish it/have time.

spiky situations.

i clearly have no time to be making random things but this appeared on tommy ton's style.com fashion week photos...

...and then this happened.

basically, i bought a hair comb from fenwicks haberdashery (i assume any haberdashery will have them...?) and some studs from ebay, cut some strips of leather i had lying about and superglued everything together.
ok... a little more to it than that, but not much.

make sure to get screw in studs.
make a hole for each stud in one piece of the leather. (i had 3 strips - you can see the pen lines from where i was trying to place them evenly on the top but, yknow, whatever.)
push the stud through; tighten the screw.
when all the studs are through, superglue the other two strips to the studded strip and then glue the whole thing to the comb.

more ways to wear:

the thing about it is, it's heavy. if you, like me, like things off centre (and don't plan on wearing it like a little tiara thing, pic #2), it's best to backcomb/hairspray the section you're putting it in to give it something to hold on to, and stick some bobby pins underneath it so it can't slide out. (that's what i've done in the first pic).

and the winner is.

ANTM cycle 16 already started, but cycle 15 winner ann ward was finally in vogue italia (as shot by ellen von unwerth) and up on fashion gone rogue.

i can take or leave the first and fourth shots, but the last one and the two in the second row are fabulous - ann is one of the only girls to come through the ANTM mill who could actually do something in the industry, but then, they say that about someone every couple of cycles.

no one is really floating my boat so far in cycle 16; thoughts?

also: ANTM is one of those ultimate guilty pleasures. like project runway, but considerably more guilty. like, obviously it's pretty far removed from the reality of the industry and it's completely OTT and cringe-y, but it's also awesome. right? RIGHT?

anyway, ann is/was awesome and the deserved winner. i still say allison was robbed in cycle 12.

suede + snakes.

snakes at chloe; where snakeskin prints were the focal point.; none working quite so well as the first look here. calf length collared pencil dress, plus skinny belt. i'll take 3.

the second look will be coming to a florence welch near you soon. (right? the floaty means it's right up her street; but the snake print is 'edgy' enough to take her out of her comfort zone! must stay away from celebrity style; fear i've been reading too much tom & lorenzo and they're much better at it)

suede - among many other wonderful mixed textures - at akris. love the prints, the tonal looks and the feature zips (note the last line of similar, rich toned, zippy dresses. yo akris; i'll take any of those? perfect for my grad ball...).

haiders gonna haid.

couldn't help myself; many apologies.
haider ackermann, anyone?

back in business.

long time readers might recall my luke warm reception to s/s11, before which i was a huge fan, but when the man can make satin look so sturdy (#7 + #8; srsly), drape leather as if it weighs nothing and mash up colours that shouldn't really go (#5), as well as making shiny shiny fabrics in rich colours look really expensive and high fash-un, it's probably time to bow down to the master, amiright?

very few people could make me covet shiny trousers.

there's a lot of banter in paris about a) who's to replace galliano at dior and b) ackermann going to chanel when lagerfeld retires next year. personally - if only going by this collection - i reckon the dior job is much more suited to ackermann's style, and chanel should probably be better off in the hands of lanvin's alber elbaz, or someone to that effect. thoughts?

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tale of interest: if this is true, then maybe the royal wedding is worth paying attention to after all? i'd rather have the day at uni given that it's not long before the show, but WHATEVER, ROYALS.

turning japanese.

paris is picking up a bit, i suppose, even if it's only the japanese contingent spicing things up (and ackermann; but we'll get to him later.)

junya watanbe took the leather biker jacket and ran. BRILLIANT. i love a leather biker as much as the next person, and a collection of structured leather situations with odd proportions/flowing silk pieces with leather collar/pocket/zip details is right up my street. the effect on the brown leather is gorgeous, even if the shape is a bit boxy for my taste; and the furry circle skirt is calling out to me.

meanwhile yohji yamamoto took to the gothgrunge90s vibes with light, flowing printed dresses and big chunky boots (as always).

i'm always amused when people say "oh, the japanese designers aren't concerned with the western idea of beauty; of fashion" (or something to that effect), because they tend not to go in for any sort of tailored/bodycon situations, but it tends to be suggested that that means they don't design clothes to flatter, and i just don't see that. there's plenty a nipped in waist or bias cut piece here; all conventionally flattering from a western standpoint.

just calling you out on your bullshit, there, fashion. no need to pigeonhole anyone.

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side note. if you're a size 4, and you're as in love with the burberry shoes as i am, i suggest you go buy these:

i wept into my coffee when i saw they were a size too small for me. some serious "could i chop my toes off?" deliberation occurred. alas; it's not meant to be.

carven.

paris, paris, paris
it says an awful lot that in the 3 days of shows i just went through, the majority bored me and the only looks to make my heart skip a beat were these three from carven. this from the city that has seen balenciaga, ann demeulemeester, dior*, dries, pugh, chalayan, lanvin and rick owens show within the past 72 hours (give or take).

awakward. turtle.**

anyways, yes, full skirts, below the knee, bold (but not too busy) prints, cute knitwear. delicious, and very much what i hope for from carven every season.

sidenote: i quite enjoyed limi feu, too.

*controversial; one of the best shows i flicked through today, and one of the best dior shows for a long time.

**i have many strange phrases. this one comes with a hand action.

mode l'italiano

what was i saying about milan?

i know multicolour python coats lined with floral prints, as either full length coats or biker jackets, should repulse to the point where i want to gouge my eyes out with a rusty spoon, but...there's...something...about...them...? if you can tell me, more than missoni can, what that is, then have at it, please, but for now let me speak in praise of pastel shaded checks, full length situations, grunge feels and layering. business as usual then.

POW. knee length, asymmetrical, padded leather coat with fur trim. (almost) 'nuff said. marco de vincenzo has clearly been tapping my mind, or something, cos he's gone for the "aviator, but not , really - look! bird motifs!" collection theme very much in the vein of me and mine. but it's different, of course, and lovely. and leathery.

absolutely needed to include piazza sempione if only for that first coat; interesting but so simple. these are all such wearable pieces in gorgeous tones, and manage to range from clean lines (#2; #5) to prints and tucks (#6; #3).

the last came as a surprise.

just cavalli.

yeah.

the thing about italian fashion; one suggests the reason i've posted so little milan; is that it so very often straddles the tacky/fabulous line, and so often comes down on the wrong side. at least, for my taste. cavalli, of course, is the king of the other side of the line.

so.

yeah.

while the majority of the collection continues that tradition, these 5 looks (out of 43) catch my eye - whether proportion wise, print wise, ridiculously shaggy shearling wise, or makes me want to take double denim to a whole new level, also note the leopard accessories wise.