THE ROW AW/11 (AND A CATCHUP OF SORTS)

This week I have been mostly suffering with a stinking bloody cold, sitting a NCTJ newswriting exam, subtitling Catherine Cookson adaptations, assisting on shoots with the Sunday Herald, watching Norwegian Wood (disappointingly lacking in substance - review here), gaining Twitter followers :) and losing blog followers :(
- well ONE but still, stings like a smack roun' the chops with a wet cod.

Oh, and chopping off virtually ALL my hair. More on that later...

I've been neglecting FFS somewhat - but my actual life must unfortunately take priority. So frustrating when I keep constantly having great ideas for blogs, scribbling them down on random bits of paper/receipts/subway tickets then losing them all over Glasgow. Such a scatter-brained eejit it's amazing how I'm still alive... please stick with me!

ANYWAY one of the things I had noted down from donkey's ago was to do a quick review of The Row's AW11 line... Jeezeballs, just getting round to it now.

The Row, if you didn't know, is the fashion house of uber-cool, fashion-tastic it girls Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen. Love em or hate em, those ladies KNOW fashion, darling.

Hotties.

I think it's fair to say just about everyone scoffed when, in 2007, they announced they were turning their tiny, ring-adorned hands to designing. But five seasons on it's clear we should take these miniature moguls seriously.

The distinguishing thread running through all previous Row collections has been a minimalistic tailored vibe, despite the fact that MK pretty much epitomises grunge-boho, New York-eclectic chic.

But their AW11 offering stands apart, raising the bar in luxury for RTW...

I mean, who doesn't need a fabulously-oversized, real mink hat and faux-leopard coat combo of a chilly afternoon in Glasgow? This look makes me KICK MYSELF for not buying an animal print coat this year. Won't be making that mistake this year... Oh, and the slipper-esq shoes? Love.

Love everything about this. How to make a plain jumper infinitely better? Fur.

Oh how I love the mix of fur and lace as well. Bravo.

Sleek tailoring makes an appearance, along with leather sleeves. This look has been literally everywhere, from Topshop Unique to Burberry, so you can bet it will be all over the highstreet come September. But what I love most about this is the bag and newspaper (looks like a FT?) - like she's just off to work. GLAM.

Just... YES. Yes to everything, but most especially the shoes. Check those badboys out...

MK and Ashley aren't usually associated with colour, so again this powder blue was a refreshing change, but of course it wouldn't be The Row if it wasn't hugely luxurious and bourgeois, so naturally this jacket's done in fur. Obv.

It's plain, it's white, but I love it. Go figure?

Well hello, sexy dominatrix-y croc skin and leather. And there's that hat again. Swoon.

 Love the deep chocolate colour as opposed to black - adds something else to the rich and elegant overall feel, like dark chocolate and red wine...

So, yes. Aspirational is the word. But all these are looks than can easily be recreated and copied - faux fur will be everywhere next season, even moreso that it was last year, and it's due in part to this stunning collection.

What do we think?

I also really love the shoes, not a sky-scraper heel in sight. Interestingly, these particular cashmere slipper-style flats are a collaboration with American brand TOMS, and are set to retail for around $150 - positively cheap when you imagine how much those coats/bags will go for!

OH, almost forgot. I mentioned earlier that I* whacked a massive TEN INCHES off my hair on Friday... Here's the result:

Awesome toilet shots, yes?

*I say "I" but I actually mean Uconcept in Battlefield - GGow ladies check em out - they were brilliant!

chow for now! x