Looking ahead to spring

This time of year is usually all about the sales, but in my experience these are usually best avoided. Most of the things that are actually worth getting either never made it to sale, or are not reduced by very much anyway. In the past I've succumbed, and I did manage to get a pair of Viktor and Rolf heels at a fairly reasonable discount - but it was still a massive splurge. Unless you have something really specific in mind that you know has gone to sale, I always think it's more fulfilling to look forward to the next season rather than the dregs of Autumn/Winter.

The grey dress from ASOS is a nice little transitional piece - it's not overly summery so will do well with a jacket and tights in the colder months, then with bare legs when the mercury shoots up a bit. The clutch would actually also be great now, in the party season - neon is tricky but the cut-out pattern is an impressive piece from a high street retailer.

The monochrome aspect of the second image wasn't intentional, but I like it, and clearly my concession to springtime involves no colour but rather a switch from white to black. Those snakeskin heels tick the 'height-you-might-actually-be-able-to-walk-in' box, and the splash of python also makes them a bit less prim than they would otherwise be. The midi-skirt on the right would be a great springtime purchase teamed with a grey t-shirt. (All Topshop).

Christmas presents for me

In the mad seasonal gift-buying scrum, I still have to steel myself to shop for others and not myself. This year, my resolve has been weak, and I found myself bagging two clutch bags and a t-shirt from H&M, and a pair of shoes I've been after ever since I saw them in an Another magazine editorial (they're from Aldo, who have been stepping up their game recently). I think when handing over my card to purchases items for myself rather than my nearest and dearest, I justified it by reasoning that of course, I do need something new to wear for New Year's Eve, conveniently forgetting that as of posting this, I still have NO PLANS for the night of the 31st December. At this stage, it's looking quite likely that it'll just be me and the cat at home together watching the fireworks on TV and then Jools Holland.

Leather Rucksack

My new schoolbag arrived today. It's big and leather and will carry all the things I need on a regular basis, like laptop and books. Took me ages to find a nice leather rucksack that looked like it was strong enough to carry all that - eventually found it here.

A parcel from Norway

 

A package arrived for me last week from my friend Ada in Oslo. I told her about the Weekday shoes I wanted, and how they were on sale, and she got them for me! Thank you Ada!

Going Out Shoes

I've been becoming increasingly frustrated by shoe shopping for a while now, so I was pleased to find these in H&M the other day. The antidote to the stripper shoes peddled by most retailers these days (heels seem to get higher every season - since when was 5 inches considered normal for heel height? What happened to 3 inches? GAH) these are unfussy, classic, and just chunky enough to have a bit of edge to them, but still feminine rather than weird looking. Plus, I won't fall over in them like I did in these shoes, and I won't be taller than all the boys I know when wearing them. Win. They also have a pleasing 90s vibe to them, and I remember having a very similar pair in velvet (but with a lower wedge) when I was about 10 - my very first 'going out' shoes.

Details: Plain metal jewellery and sequins

Just a couple of things that I seem to be wearing all the time recently; plain gold metal jewellery from H&M, my favourite grey t-shirt (AA), blue sequin skirt from Zara and monster shoes from Viktor & Rolf that I hardly ever get to wear, but absolutely love.

OIL SLICK - Autumn textures

 

The cooler weather makes me think about different textures - smooth silks and satins, soft wool, tough leather and cool metal. Came across this dress the other day while having a clear-out - it's Kate Moss for Topshop, and I love the shiny effect it has in the photos, it almost looks oily. The bag was an ebay find, the knit is a hand-me-down in 100% lambswool, and the choker is a recent find in H&M. I'd actually wear most of them together - pairing the dress and knit in particular would be very Alexander Wang AW11.

Acne Boots

Finally bit the bullet and actually got the Acne Pistol Short boots that I have wanted for years now. I've become almost obsessive in the search for the perfect pair of boots and every year is the same story - each pair is somehow either too high or too flat, too clompy, or not clompy enough, etc etc ad infinitum. Suede lets the water in, and is easily damaged (tide marks in the rain) Proper leather solves this problem, but can be tough and uncomfortable - I have been bruised before, by a pair of particularly unyielding Dr Martens.

I worked out that last year I bought 3 pairs of boots, all of which cost between £80 and £120. Two of them simply fell apart after a few month's use - and when the sole is held on with glue, there is, sadly, not much to do once this happens. The others are just a bit too high for every day use. Shoes that are stitched rather than glued together, can be more effectively repaired, and therefore last much longer.

MR. DANNIJO

Bloggers representing brands is no new thing, but we have yet to see many creative ventures between those authors and designers. This beaut is a piece from the Man Repeller x Dannijo (the MR stands for Man Repeller) collection, and it's officially on my list. It also comes in oxidised brass, but for some reason there's no picture available of that one. Get it here (I actually might).

The countdown begins...

In September one of our favourite Scandinavian brands arrives in London. Here's a couple of my favourites from their A/W 11 collection. See you at the front of the queue!

Weekday

Recently I've been banging on to anyone who will listen about a Swedish brand, Weekday, that I wish would come to, or at least DELIVER to the UK. The fact that they don't is a constant source of frustration for me, to the point where I've actually been soliciting Scandinavian friends to buy things for me and send them in the post, at great inconvenience to themselves.

Weekday stock a mixture of their own brand, designer collaborations, and other cult Scandi offerings such as an extensive range of Cheap Monday products (far more jeans styles than are available over here, reigniting my perennial hope of rediscovering my favourite ever jeans that were discontinued here a few years ago). The menswear is pretty sweet too, offering collaborations with the likes of Eley Kishimoto, and a great selection of basics.

Also it's a friggin' STEAL. Another Scandinavian brand, Monki, is due to hit London in September - may this be the start of many similar imports.

Grey knit - Weekday
Snakeprint shoes - Weekday (only €20!)
Top - Stine Goya (available at Weekday)
Men's jumper - Eley Kishimoto for Weekday

NYC Swag

A blow by blow account of all the things I bought while in New York would be boring, but the edited highlights are shown below. The shorts and top I bought at the Opening Ceremony sample sale, and were certainly worth queuing for an hour in the punishing midday sun for. I was so pleased to find a Peter Pilotto piece too, adding a little slice of hype to my wardrobe. So nice to be able to wear pink again now my hair is blonde! It was also satisfying that the two pieces work really well together as well as on their own. Now I'm back in rainy old London the summery colours don't work so well.

The cuff is a little souvenir from Trash and Vaudeville , which I was really looking forward to but found what was inside a little disappointing, and probably much more expensive than the equivalent in Camden market.

Finally, the book of the Alexander Macqueen exhibition at the Met. I haven't been to such a brilliant exhibition for a long time, and felt quite moved at times, realising that the show must have been being planned for quite some time before his death. So, I thought it was fitting to buy the coffee-table tome to take home with me, despite the fact that I'm sure it almost tipped me over my baggage weight allowance.

Shorts - Opening Ceremony
Top - Peter Pilotto
Cuff - Trash and Vaudeville

Secret Dalston: LN-CC

Last week, while on a “fashion walk” around London’s east end, (that’s another story) I had the experience of visiting Dalston’s LN-CC - Late Night Chameleon Café - a concept boutique/event space/art gallery tucked away underneath an otherwise non-descript building on Shacklewell Lane. It opened last year and has fast become a figurehead for fashion in east London, offering a welcome relief from the all the over-priced pseudo vintage tat and influx of high street brands that permeate Brick Lane and Shoreditch. On this occasion, the group I was with was able to chat to the boutique's John and Charlotte, (John is the creative director) who explained a bit about the development. While the project has seemingly moved incredibly quickly, from conception to realisation, this growth is the organic result of a group of like-minded and creative people, which is why the whole thing works so well, without seeming pretentious or contrived (always a risk with these concept stores). The whole team has a long background in retail, and knew exactly what they want to do to try to evolve the business a little bit, while still retaining a workable shopping experience.

The interior is designed by artist Gary Card, chosen by the team because of their desire to see an artist that they love given a permanent installation space, and the result is a wonderland like maze of Perspex and wood, tunnels and a treehouse. The buying transcends “it” items and current fads or trends – you may well find things by major designers there that other buyers might pass by, which is perhaps because the pieces don’t necessarily fall into whatever trend is being peddled by magazines at the time. Everything feels like it’s been chosen because it’s special and different in it’s own right – no filler to be found here. Charlotte told us that they are soon to be expanding the womenswear section into a brand new room, which is exciting news for me and will definitely see me back there when that happens. My particular object of desire was the Maison Martin Margiela feather clutch bag, which I’d seen before online and was just as taken with in real life.

The reason for my ending up at LN-CC this time was actually not with the intention of doing any writing specifically on them, but I find it such an interesting place that I couldn’t resist. It’s completely worth a visit, and don’t let the “appointment only” thing put you off, its just so that they know there will be someone around to welcome you and give you a bit of info about the shop. It's probably one of the most interesting and modern places for fashion around at the moment, and I predict that we'll see some pretty good things from it in the future.

The Margiela clutch...