MEADHAM KIRCHHOFF SS12

...also known as the reason I'm getting excited about summer!

Back in September this was really the only show that got me pumped for sugary-sweet pastels, cartoon prints and quirky girliness for summer. Shame on me, I'd sort of forgotten how fierce a collection it actually is!

The show was the ultimate in performance-femininity - the models strutted down the catwalk to a mashup of Hole hits (sadly missing in the video below), and sashayed round Courtney Love lookalikes applying lipstick and jerking around in 90s-style babydoll dresses. The hair and makeup were so extreme that towards the end the girls looked less like models and more like living dolls.

Strangely, the collection itself is oddly similar to MK's SS11 offering (that show even started with part of a recorded interview with Courtney Love) but rather than use the girly, feminine aesthetic to channel feelings of anger and hostility, it instead exudes a genuine sweetness - a real charm and warmth. There are reports that some front-rowers found it all so moving it brought them to tears.

I also love it because it reminds me of some of my favourite bloggers like Tavi and Marlena.

Watch the vid and enjoy!






x

THE BEST MAKEUP TUTORIAL EVER

From the inspiring artistic genuis that is Lisa Eldridge.



This isn't just a make-up tutorial, it's a history lesson delivered with a genuine passion, professionalism, breadth of knowledge and insight that truly is breathtaking. It's really more like a short documentary.

Other so-called YouTube makeup gurus take note. This is how a master does it.

Seriously, could I love Lisa Eldridge more? Her videos are genuinely a pleasure to watch plus I find them oddly soothing.

Enjoy!

VICTORIA'S SECRET SHOW 2012

So, I mean, maybe it's a little creepy of me to post pics of the Victoria's Secret angels on here just so we can all drool over their perfect bodies, BUT I thought this selection from the most famous lingerie show ever might act as some much-needed JANUARY GYM MOTIVATION material...

Karlie Kloss' legs are the eigth wonder of the world... Seriously.

I'm sold. Signing up to the gym tomorrow...

(probs not actually, but I'll now be feeling WAY worse about it.)

RAWWWWWKSANNE!

You don't have to put on your red light... etc.

No, but seriously, I really don't want this blog to turn into a tedious captain's log of all the crap I buy on a daily/weekly/monthly basis cos let's face it, that would be pretty boring for you guys and would also make me look like a some kind of nutcase shopaholic with bags of money to burn - the latter of which, at least, is DEFINITELY not the case...

That said, I've been doing a few freelance things here and there on top of the day job and felt like treating myself to a new Mulberry bag, this time in black. My mind went from the Taylor to the Harriet to the Polly Pushlock and back again, until I realised I was overlooking a Mulberry CLASSIC: the iconic Roxanne bag.

One problem - it's been discontinued. At least I think it has, I've read a few conflicting things - one blogger said it was brought back last year for a limited time - but either way it was an absolute MUST HAVE a good few years ago but has slipped by the wayside in favour of the Alexa and Lily etc. But even Mulberry themselves hold it in the same esteem as their Bayswater classic, and there are usually a few to be found kicking around the outlet stores down south.

Once I realised this was the bag for me, I had a wee reccy on eBay and discovered someone selling a slightly battered, deliciously worn-in black leather Roxanne for only £185.

BARGAIN!

And look what arrived today!

I am so in love with this bag. It's probably not everyone's cup of tea - the brass hardware, pockets, belts and buckles mean it looks quite busy on the front but that's one of the things I love about it. The other is the fact that it's been pre-owned. I couldn't bear the thought of someone keeping such a gorgeous bag at the back of their wardrobe for years, never fully appreciating it, and because it's been used, the thick leather is buttery soft, flexible and uniquely creased. It's the kind of bag that's only going to get better with age - something I don't think I'll be able to say about it's much flimsier cousin, the Alexa, which is already starting to look slightly battered and dated...

Anyway, you get it. I love it. Here it is with me at work, just for the hell of it.

The little Mulberry trees are stamped on all the studs :)

Look, it opens!

I am SO busy at work right now.........

Argh! Sorry for the plook and massive eye bags - currently completing my second week of midnight-finishes which are NOT kind to the skin/eyes/soul.

But yeah. I love this bag. Sorry to, like, shove it all in yer faces. Basically my point is next time you're in the mood to splurge consider some pre-loved designer ware, in particular Mulberry. When the bags are of this high quality and have such lasting appeal, you can't really go wrong.

GOLDEN GLOBES 2012 BEST AND WORST

So by now you've probably read at least a hundred of these Golden Globes summary posts but what the hell, I'm chucking my opinion into the bitchy swill bucket that is a best and worst roundup. You know the drill.

The Bests:

Angelina Jolie in Atelier Versace

This is the BEST of the bests. I have never seen an Atelier Versace gown look bad on the red carpet, ever. Oh Jolie, you shut it down. Check the withering stare. SHE KNOWS this is a stone cold hit.

Claire Danes in J. Mendel

I love Claire Danes. I love her now, I loved her then (skip to 6.40), and I love her in this simple, classic monochrome J Mendel dress. It's actually backless so there's some drama going on when she turns round but I like it from the front too. She looks comfortable and elegant. Plus she brought her Maw. I LOVE YOU CLAIRE DANES.

Emma Stone in Lanvin

The colour of this Lanvin gown contrasts beautifully with Emma's porcelain skin and it's sexy yet still classy (Lea Michelle, take note). Also, I'd happily rock that phoenix-encrusted belt. I'm not falling all over myself in love with it, but it's definitely a safe all-rounder.

Evan Rachel Wood in Gucci

ERW often has the tendency to about 45 years old on the red carpet but this time she got it right. It's nice that she's not shoving her gothy side down our throats, but this Gucci number is still dark and seductive enough to kind of hint that she's a totes rebel behind the scenes. Loving the under-done makeup too. Anything else and it would have been too much. Smug it up ERW, you look fierce.

Kelly MacDonald in Lorena Sarbu

This is the best I've ever seen Kelly look. She got slightly overshadowed on the night what with Jolie, Charlize and Mila etc. stealing the limelight but this dress/overall look deserves some massive snaps. I'd maybe have liked to have seen something a bit more interesting with the hair - maybe a loose side bun? - but that's me being super pernickity. All in all this is definitely a 9.5 for me. In fact, the more I look at it the more I think it's my favourite dress of the night...

Natalie Portman in Lanvin

Loads of folk were bitching about the boxy shape of this gown and the 'distracting' side train but I really love it. We all know Natalie's got a smokin' hot bod under there and I like to see her going for something a little more structured for a change. Plus, I'm sorta feeling pink at the moment. DID I REALLY JUST SAY THAT?

Rooney Mara in Nina Ricci

The gown itself is fairly plain (similar to January Jones' red Atelier Versace from last year) but what I love most about Rooney Mara here is her makeup. It's absolutely flawless. Seriously, just look at that face. I felt the makeup was fairly tame this year, minus the odd red lip here and there, but this smouldering dark eye and fierce contouring REALLY stood out for me.

The Worsts:

Charlize Theron in Dior

The heinous Kelly Osbourne et al were all fawning over Charlize and this disgusting sugary number complete with infantile Alice band. FOR WHY? Who knows, it absolutely escapes me. There's far to many things going on at once - that weird ruffling around the middle, random embellished bit, plunging neck, a split skirt AND a train? AND a bloody hairband? No. Just... No.

Zooey Deschanel in Prada

Oh Zooey. See, it starts well - from the armpits up I love it. Gorge face, gorge hair, gorge lime green sparkly...oh no, wait, what the hell is happening from the armpits down? I don't like the weird sideways-graduated effect of the sequins and I also don't like that slinky bias-cut skirt, which looks too long and clingy. The contrast of the colours and textures just doesn't work for me. At all.

Kate Beckinsale in Roberto Cavalli

Oh hey there, Victoria Beckham's not-so-subtle-boob-job-body circa 2007. Dated, boring, predictable. How exactly is Kate Beckinsale still relevant? Honestly, like why do we care about Kate Beckinsale? I do NOT get her.

Lea Michelle in Marchesa

Oh. My. God. This is horrendous. It's a shame because it's not really the dresses fault, it's just totally inappropriate for the Golden Globes and it clashes horribly with the frumpy up-do and general non-sexiness of Lea Michelle. That fact is clearly lost on her though - did you SEE the poses she was pulling for the paps? Positively glamour model-esque. Lea reminds me here of a bad Halle Berry who also tends to go for an overtly sexy dress and always misses the mark. This one was way off.

Nicole Kidman in Versace

Yeah, check that face out. You KNOW this is bad, doncha Nicole? Horrible colour and it does nothing for her boobs or arms. Her hair MAY have been perfectly coiffed and curled at one point, but here it looks like she got caught in the rain and didn't have time for a sneaky re-tong. Bad news.

Reece Witherspoon in Zac Posen

Someone on Twitter said Reese looked like a bad Pamela Anderson without the boobs, and I can TOTALLY see it. This Zac Posen dress is probably like ten thousand dollars or something but here it looks like cheap taffeta, and I'm not convinced it properly fits at the boobs either. Plus, get your roots done, Reese. There's no excuse.

Honorary Mention:

The Dug from The Artist looking dapper.

 BUT WHERE THE HELL WAS JANUARY JONES??? Shes my red carpet FAV and she wasn't there? I am distraught.

So that's my round up, whaddya all think? Have I left anyone out or been too harsh?

SALE! MARC JACOBS COAT FOR £250

Yo guys, sorry about the lack of quality posts at the moment. I've been busy with work and not been feeling hugely inspired fashion wise recently. I DID go slightly crazy in the sales and pick myself up some goodies from Urban Outfitters, Jeffrey Campbell, Mulberry and Toppers amongst others, but I've seen loads of sale posts around recently so I figured you guys probably wouldn't give a tiny rats ass about my swag.

I promise to be back with a vengeance in the next few weeks. I've been doing some really exciting things this past wee while - including working on a lookbook shoot, expect awesome photos soon - and I'm back in at the Herald this week so hopefully that will kickstart my fashion mojo again.

IN THE MEANTIME, I wanted to let y'all know, in case anyone's interested, I'm going to be having a bit of a clearout. I've accumulated SO MUCH SHIT this last year and yes I know, it's a hilarious running joke with my pals, but I have GOT to stop spending as much cash on clothes and start saving if I ever want to move out/do anything of real value. It's deep, guys. It's deep.

SO, to that end I present my first offering for sale - my gorgeous, and now totally SOLD OUT Marc by Marc Jacobs boucle-wool cardi coat:

It features a comfy, slouchy fit, notched over-sized lapels, long sleeves with cuffs that turn up to reveal striped lining (but you can keep them turned down too if you want), two gold buttons to fasten and flap pockets at front.

This coat is beautiful, super soft and comfy, but I've only had it on twice and feel like it deserves to be worn much more. I won it as part of my Net a Porter prize back at the end of 2010 and it was £555. In the Net a Porter sale it went down to £388 BUT I'm selling it now for £250. A considerable markdown for a virtually BRAND NEW designer coat!

Believe me, I DO love this and wouldn't part with it were it not for the fact that it's just a little too long/big in general. I have it in the small size but it would comfortably fit sizes 10-14+ since it's over-sized and stretchy/slouchy wool (not massively structured). I'm 5"2 however, and find it fits a bit long on me. Shame to have to sell it but c'est la vie.

I'd prefer to sell it on here than Ebay since the last time I tried that it was big ole mess and I got WAY confused. SO, if you want it, leave a comment or e-mail me at k-mclaren@hotmail.com. I'll only be accepting PayPal and I can discuss sending you it out when you contact me.

First come first serve. If no-one wants it it'll be going on ebay!

Just for fun, here's a cool Asian chick rocking it...

You GO wit you're bad self!

I'll more than likely be selling other stuff on here in the weeks to come, including a vintage mohair tartan cape and possibly some more designer threadz.

Keep em peeled!

Gray bouclé-wool cardi-coat with two gold button fastenings at double-breasted front. 61% wool, 35% alpaca, 4% other; sleeve lining: 100% acetate. Dry clean. Designer color: Waking Night.