VOGUE'S OLYMPIC SUPERMODELS

PHEW! What an immense two weeks it's been, right? Never before have I been so enthralled by sport. I was always that kid in school trying desperately to fake "period pains, sir" to get out of the dreaded bleep test or feigning a mysterious elbow injury in softball so I could sit out and gossip with my pals on the grass. I wasn't lazy PER SAY (OK, maybe a little lazy), just really, really, REALLY rubbish at competitive sports. I didn't have the drive or motivation to care about winning - I'd rather have been beating myself up about getting 99/100 in a spelling test or something... geek4lyf.

But honestly, I found myself becoming seriously OBSESSED with the Olympics! I reckon a lot of that has to do with it being constantly on at work - my company subtitled all the live footage over all the channels which involved months of prep, hundreds of hours of live respeaking and serious hard work - proud of us!

The highlights for me were the gymnastics - both the team events and individuals. Even though I was rooting for the USA girls, I couldn't help feeling super sorry for Victoria Komova of Russia, or the wee Chinese girl who lost out on beam to her teammate. Both girls were breaking their hearts over ONLY getting silver - that's an impressive competitive mindset! The cycling events were also ace, mainly cos Team GB absolutely smashed it! But swimming was super disappointing, no? GAHD, I could honestly chat about it for ages...

Unfortunately I missed most of the closing ceremony because, stupidly, I'd decided to go to the pub instead of staying at home glued to my telly. I did catch some of it above the din of the Sunday night quiz and OBVIOUSLY the Spice Girls were amazing, as was George Michael... But  my favourite bit was when the massive Nick Knight images of David Gandy, Kate Moss, Jourdan Dunn, Lily Cole etc came on stage only to be ripped apart revealing the supermodels themselves!

I die!

I actually got so excited I knocked my pals full LARGE glass of wine right into her lap. Not impressed. I loved this part of the show because, hello, SUPERMODELS, and also because it mirrored that amazing Olympic-themed shoot in UK Vogue's September issue. Iconic British models wearing golden gowns/garments by British designers. Perfection.

Actually, let's revisit that awesome spread...

My favourites are Naomi in Alexander McQueen, Stella Tennant in Chris Kane and Lily Cole in that stunning yellow-gold Erdem number. I always forget what a unique, striking model she is.

So aye, that was pretty much the best bit ever. And to all the Cynical Cindys on Twitter and Facebook moaning about having to watch eejit models strut about at the Olympic closing ceremony while in the presence of "REAL" greatness, let me just remind you that the British fashion industry is worth BILLIONS to the UK economy, and in the face of constant belittling and cuts to grassroots funding and resources, is an industry which stands alone in its international respectability, creative influence and ultimately in its profit.

Don't knock it or Naomi'll smash your face in with her mobile phone, DAHHLING.

FAVOURITE

Happy Easter, bloggies!

I'm afraid Easter doesn't really mean much to me (sept a monster sugar coma DUH) and I've been working all day instead of out and about enjoying the relatively mild/dry weather SO I'm in a bit of a spring grump.

To cheer myself up I've been taking yet another evening to appreciate this stunning collection. Why? Cos it makes me happy and cos I CAN. SIGH. Indulge me...

Christopher Kane AW10

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Pics from Tumblr

Uhhhhft! I CANNOT understand why the highstreet didn't pick up on this trend/print.

Aaaaaanyway, soon as I saw this badboy back in December on Net a Porter, I knew I had to have it:

Christopher Kane galaxy print modal tshirt

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Excuse the crappy toilet shot - I don't have a tripod or a white wall or the BALLS to take full outfit shots... Anyway, yeah, pretty much my most favourite tshirt in the entire world now :)

I know I go on and on about this galaxy/nebula print but I seriously think that the highstreet has missed a massive opportunity to make a killing by replicating the Kane AW10 look. I mean come on, I don't know about you but... I would do heinous, unspeakable things to own this badboy:

LUST.

 Over and out for tonight bloggies.

KANE AND TS UNIQUE - AW11

I've decided to lump these two collections for this review, partly for time/space and partly to illustrate a stark contrast between what happens when you transform childhood memories into fashion and get it right and what happens when you rip off Disney and get it wrong.

I'm starting with the exponentially positive - Christopher Kane.

His fluro-neon, "Princess Margaret on acid" (anyone else sick of hearing that quote?) SS11 collection was well received by insiders and hailed by the mags/blogs as one of the key collections from which retailers and trendsetters alike should take inspiration for the coming season.

Personally, I liked it because it reminded me of sweeties - in particular Rainbow Drops - which in turn made me think about my childhood, and with AW11 we can assume Kane is still riding this wave of retrospective inspiration. Lava lamps, crochet rugs, soda streams... all were cited as inspiration for this, another outstanding collection.

I'm not gonna lie, it was a grower. At first I was like, muted earthy tones, a vaguely 90s grungy feel mixed with a weird futuristic shapes, FURTHER contrasted with conservative lines and twin sets? REALLY?! I struggled for a while to put the collection into context... Then I realised I was over thinking it. Once I stopped freaking out I began to see the genius behind it all.

The prim and elegant black dress is transformed by trimmings of liquid-filled plastic made to resemble lava lamps. LAVA LAMPS, y'all! This particular inspiration could have been translated in a really pedestrian, obvious way but Kane is too cool for that. Instead he keeps the reference totally literal while still retaining the wearability of the garment.

I actually had a top like just this when I must have been like 14 or something. It was pink and white though, but it was an open crochet-knit just like this with plasticky straps. I get it Chris. I get it.

You can't fail to see this is beautiful - all the tiny shimmering pockets resembling sequins are actually filled with a clear viscous liquid... This'll be the Soda Stream reference then. Love that the mary janes give the look a deliberately dated feel.

More close-ups of that amazing plastic/fabric/whatever. Designed to warm to the body, the liquid inside shifts and moves exactly like a lava lamp does. Like I said before, the effect is futuristic but rooted in childhood memory. Just breathtaking.

Possibly my favourite look, but it's too hard to choose really.

The longer I thought about this collection, the more it reminded me of my youth. As well as the pink crochet top, I also had a spice girls cropped-top with a squidgy, liquid-filled plastic square on the front that said SPICE, and a rug just like that first image. I didn't have a lava lamp (weird scared by them) but I knew loads of other kids who did.

It got me thinking about staples from my childhood like astro belts, mood rings, those weird alien babies in slime, and that TV show The Tribe on Channel Five early in the morning... I fear I'm going off on a tangent but I hope you all get what I mean!

Anyway, yes, this was yet another outstanding collection by Christopher Kane. Perhaps even more so than the embroidered leather of AW10...

Now for the not so positive - Topshop Unique.
I didn't hate it all, in fact some of the later, 30s-inspired Art Deco looks were actually quite pleasing but I was generally left with an overwhelming feeling of disappointment. Oh Topshop Unique, I had such high hopes for you, especially given the absolute smash of last year's AW collection. A triumphant nod to woodland creature/Lion Witch & The Wardrobe chic, complete with mental bushy eyebrows and even the odd pair of antlers... This proves I don't mind a bit of childish fantasy or over-the-top styling!

But to basically copy the (lesser known 1956 novel but later a successful) Disney film 101 Dalmatians - to literally lift the inspiration from somewhere else and represent it directly without doing virtually anything to it? Nah, I simply didn't get this.

This collection showed just how much Topshop is a retailer first and foremost and a design house second. I like fun and quirky, I like cheeky and whimsical, and I've even been known to approve of tongue-in-cheek, but Topshop more than ever needs to up its game. A few fake Dalmatian fur coats and dog-eared models does not a fashion-forward collection make.

Seriously, am I being overly harsh here, or does this just look lazy and uninspired?

Are the proportions here whack, cos this coat is making this size 4 model look chunky. Not good. A trench coat with Dalmatian sleeves... Yawn.

I've pretty much run out of things to say about this. And that in itself is a BAD sign.

One of the looks I actually didn't hate. But then I'm a sucker for a fab fur coat, dress and knee-high combo. Again though, I feel like I've seen this before. I have no doubt that if any of these pieces make it to the shelves they'll sell like hot cakes, but are they doing anything different and original? Nope.

Again, another look I actually liked. The Art Deco print and drapey, lounge-wear feel of the set makes me glad that SOMEONE put some effort into this collection.

I don't really want to end on a low here, but SERIOUSLY?

I feel like I can't look at this collection objectively anymore because I've become kind of angry at it. It's a cop out... I'm sure those horrific doggy jumpers will sell out, but it just feels all too easy. I wish Topshop Unique had taken more of a risk.

Christopher Kane showed us that you CAN use childhood memories and experiences as inspiration for something greater, but you don't have to represent your influences it in a childish way. I was ROOTING for them, but ultimately I wish Topshop Unique had done better. I really do.

AS EVER I'd love to hear what you think - am I chatting rubbish?

Congrats if you made it to the end of this post btw, what a MONSTER!!

KANE CAPSULE MEN SS11

Happy snowday Monday folks! I couldn't get to work yesterday as the roads round where I stay were pretty much cut off by snow, and it's much the same this morning. So... snowday!! (still have to venture out to work tonight though. Boo.)

Got my 50wpm shorthand test tomorrow and lots of hand ins this week and next HOWEVER I must blog about this before descend into shorthand hell!

I'm not sure if I've mentioned before but I am a HUGE Christopher Kane fan. I've defo featured him on the blog somewhere I'm sure... Anyway I absolutely ADORE space/galaxy prints (I know I've said that before y'all) and as such was just about overcome with excitement at Kane's SS 2011 womenswear collection. I had planned on doing a post about it but the lovely Claire from Bee waits for no one beat me to it!

BUUUUUUT, this morning I wake up to discover Kane is going all out on a capsule menswear collection for SS11... DROOLNOMDROOOOOOL!

Pics from ELIXE (click on it to enlarge - pics are so freakin small on here grrr!)

Kane on his new menswear collection:
"I decided to launch menswear so I could wear my own designs, my friends were
forever asking me to do t-shirts off the back of the womenswear show themes, so my first shot at it was with the monkey tees;they were so popular I decided to keep it going.

So each season we sell men's tees alongside the mainline collection.
I find it difficult to find staples that I love, so I guess I am launching this so I can have a decent wardrobe!
The inspirations differ every time, but usually taking the lead from the womenswear."

My favs are the cardigan, the bottom left tee and bottom right sleeveless hoodie. Oh, and the leather shorts, OBV! I don't know what it is, but there is just something so mystical and engaging about prints of space. Sometimes I actually go onto hubblesite.org and spend ages just trawling the gallery... I'm THAT cool.

Ahem! Anyhoo, I recently bought a galaxy-printed vest from Your Eyes Lie and while I like it, I think I'd really prefer a tshirt rather than a vest. Plus, if I'm honest, the fit is a little weird... (Too much side-boob action.)

I really like Your Eyes Lie's range of digital-print mens t-shirts which rip off... I mean PAY HOMAGE TO Kane:

Digital-print galaxy T. Has been sold out online for months. RE-ORDER ALREADY!


Cloud Print T. Sigh...

Eagle Print T. Reminds me of the screaming Gorilla dress from 2008 and the Croc-print tees he did for Toppers. This could actually be his.

I really need to start paying more attention to menswear.

Right, off to do shorthand. GREAT!!