Wolf Whistle

London Fashion Week: Central Saint Martins

I'm sure no-one wants to graduate in the midst of a major recession (as I may well do next year), but happily the graduates of Central Saint Martins at University of the Arts London didn't let the economic climate get them down. The show is the pick of the graduates from one of the world's most famous fashion institutes and it never fails to disappoint.

These were my favourites, but the whole collection was incredibly strong and showed some amazing new talent. It's a hostile environment for anyone graduating right now, but I'm sure these strong designers will be snapped up very soon. I'm proud to be a UAL student right now!

Unfortunately, these were unlabelled on Style.com and I'm unsure of which designer created what. Let me know if you know so I can credit these up and coming talents.

London Fashion Week: 10 Yes Dresses

10 dresses from London that lit my proverbial fire. Yes!

Kinder Aggugini's pretty dresses are perfect for a lazy summer. Wait, which season are we in again? I imagine the polka dotted and floral dresses sitting in fields by rivers eating picnics. Which, thinking about it, might be a nice little bit of escapism for A/W!

 

There's something about Topshop that makes me massively proud to be British. Ok, so they're not perfect by a long shot - accusations of sweatshops, anybody? - but I get the feeling that they're trying, at least. And god, was this an excellent collection for Topshop Unique. There were one hundred million references - rave, crop circles, sci-fi, acid house - and somehow it's the most delicious mess. Unique gets stronger with every collection... I love it!

Another (upper end) high street institution going from strength to strength is Jaeger London. After a great S/S 09 collection (which I raved about back in September) the design team presented another awe-inspiring collection of graphic tailored clothes for a clever working woman. In the same way that I enjoy Top Gear even though I don't care about cars, I can appreciate and even covet Jaeger's clothes even though I know they are not aimed at me in any way. And that to me proves its credentials.

 

Danielle Scutt's show was strong, sophisticated and um, inspired by cocks. Cockerels, obviously: her suits had red lapels like a cock's red coxcombs.

It felt a little 80s - what didn't this season? - but it felt relevant and strong and the black, white and red prints were gorgeous. I wouldn't at all mind being one of Scutt's empowered women.

 

Peter Pilotto's clothes are a subtly beautiful fit and are apparently selling well amongst early fashion adopters - A/W is only Pilotto's and his partner Christopher De Vos' second on-schedule season - but this thoughtful collection could well send their dresses mainstream. Inspired by the Big Bang and natural history, the silk tufted dresses (I thought it was feathers!) are printed with digitalised versions of fur and animal skin.

I keep wanting to say beautiful, because I  just honestly really think it is.

 

This opening dress from a collection of - wait for it - yet more bandage dresses with cut-outs proved to be the most exciting thing on Mark Fast's agenda, but that's not to say it wasn't a good show. It was strong and sexy, but I felt slightly exhausted by it all. Can I really look at yet more 80s inspired clothing?

 

Simplified images of perfumes bottles adorned Mary Katrantzou's womanly dresses for Fall, teamed with oversized collars, huge jewelry and slicked back quiffed hair. I find that when I'm looking at the shows, I divide the things I like into two categories - things I like but wouldn't wear personally and things I like and would kill to wear, if you'd give me half the chance! Karantzou's feminine dresses have moved on from her simple shifts and sheaths of last season to become more draped and elegantly twisted. This branching out  on style whilst puts her firmly in my latter category. The more I look at this, the more I love it - right down to the styling and gorgeous make-up.

 

I agree completely with Style.com when they say that an up side of the recession is that designers are thinking more closely and carefully about exactly what individuality they bring to the table. Sinha-Stanic are one of those brands that seem to have gotten more themselves since the pressure is on and it's working beautifully. This  marabou trimmed purple marbelled dream dress is my favourite and although the whole collection didn't exactly work, there were some amazing gems in there, including some amazing rock and roll studded dresses.

 

I don't know what to say about this outfit except: It's grey, it's purple, it's gorgeous. It's Giles: what is there not to love? I want it and ultimately, isn't that the goal?

 

 

Fashion East has been bringing amazing designers to wider attention since 2000 and has showcased many designers that are now household names when they were just starting: House of Holland, Richard Nicoll, Marios Schwab and Jonathan Saunders (who I lovelovelove), to name just a few. I know I can trust the taste of Fashion East and I look forward to being educated by them each season!

For A/W they presented three designers, one of whom, Natasha Stolle, created the amazing outfit below. I love the slouchy, attitude-y sexiness of it and those twisted sheer knee highs. WOW. Please please please donate me this outfit? I'll wear it til it falls apart, seriously.

Pictures from Style.com, except Natasha Stolle from Elle UK. (The whole Fashion East show is definitely worth checking out, if you haven't already seen it!)

By The Grace of Light (& Romance): Selfridges Window Displays

Although Valentines Day has been and gone, I'm still in the mood for romance. (Who am I kidding? I am always in the mood for a little romance!) Something that's making me feel romantic at the moment is the gorgeous window displays in Selfridges, which is just over the road from my uni - dangerous, huh? 

 

Sorry these pictures aren't the worlds most amazing, but hopefully you get the idea! it's surprsingly tricky to take photos through a window, espcially when you and your camera are just getting to know each other. I actually love the reflection of the building behind, though. (It reminds me to look up. There are some beautiful buildings in the center of London, if you just tilt your head back.)

 

The ladies are draped in gorgeous Grecian dresses: pleats, ruffles, folds, gathering - you name it, it's there. The windows have a loosely warrior-ish theme, with these charming men complete with chain mail and um, light sabres? Well, creative license!

   

And this time last year, Selfridges were getting massively romantic. I wasn't writing Wolf Whistle then, but I couldn't resist taking these pictures of 2008's Valentines Day displays with my ancient camera phone.

 

White and neutrals definitely seems to be a theme for Selfridges at this time of year. I loved the gorgeous paper curlicues and circles surrounding the mannequins. It was all so dreamy and other-world-ish in quite the most delicate and charming way.

 

 

In fact, this was maybe my favourite window display of the whole year last year. I kept sneaking back to look at it!

   

New York Fashion Week: Wolf Whistle Top Three

It's not easy to decompress from New York Fashion Week whilst keeping up with London, but now I'll had a little time to mull over all the collections, I present to you: Wolf Whistle's Top Three from New York for A/W 09/10!

3. Marc Jacobs
(View full collection here.)

 

 

Is picking a Marc Jacobs collection as one of my favourites a massively typical thing to do? Well, I don't think I care. I completely adored the nostalgia trip to the 80s club kid scene of New York. It was memory lane time, sure, but MJ managed to inject a touch of much needed modern humour and wit into the collection to stop it feeling too past-tense. Love the colours - especially chocolate box purple, gold and a luscious grey, love the satin with ruching, love the sharp sharrrrp shoulders. Big shoulders this year, yeah? Yeah! It feels so fresh (and so Roisin Murphy) right now.

 

2. Rodarte.

(View full collection here.)

 

Everyone loved Rodarte, didn't they? I'm no different at all! I feel that the sisters of Kate and Laura Mulleavy have been gradually creeping up to snatch a lot of attention for their last few seasons. and Autumn/Winter was stronger than ever. 

The varied textures, the soft organic colours, the silky and woolen materials, the marbelling, stripping and patchwork techniques - like Kirsten Dunst rhapsodised at the show, it really does feel like emotional clothing. It was like an underwater world where wannabe-mermaids that haven't shed their legs wear boots that are a bafflingly sexy cross between waders and stripper-wear and each wears produly their own similar, but unique costume. Rodarte is still like a fairy-tale, in all the best possible ways.

 

 

   

 

 

 

and my #1...

Jonathan Saunders.
(View full collection here.)

 

Like anyone who follows fashion, there is always a mental checklist of designers that you look forward to each season - and Saunders has been firmly on mine since Autumn/Winter 2007, where his use of colour-blocking and ombre in diaphanous but still modern feeling gowns made a big impression on me.

 

And somehow I think modern is still the word for Saunders. His bold graphic prints combined with sheers, ruched over-sized shoulders, exposed zips and bright colours feel like exactly what I want to be wearing right now. There is something so spot-on about his sci-fi gowns: I can't wait to see these in editorials. Surely they're a stylists dream?

 

That green dress will definitely be one of my favourite pieces of the whole season.

 

 

 

 

 

Oh, P.S. - Highly Commended: 

 

Marchesa

 

 

 

Phi

 

 

ThreeasFour

 

 

My favourites from London soon, after I've had a little time to digest it all! 
 

The Oscars! (Of course...)

I'm not doing a massive Oscars post, honestly. But I am sitting here looking at the photos now and couldn't resist posting my three favourites...

Maybe my sister-in-law has thoroughly brain-washed me with the whole High School Musical whatnot, but I happen to think that Vanessa Hudgens looked absolutely, completely and utterly gorgeous in Marchesa. Well played, Disney poplette!

I love this red confection of wonder, but I do think that Amanda Seyfried is being worn by her dress a little. Hmm, actually: maybe a lot. But hell, I'd let that dress wear me, too! Valentino Haute Couture - too amazing.

Jessica Biel changed for the Vanity Fair party from a weird dress that looked like an over-sized napkin and suddenly I got a bit over-excited. She is someone who I never ever normally notice but, well. Wow.I love the colour combination of chocolate box purple (you know what I mean, right?) and gold, combined into that striking silhouette.

Mmm, Oscar dresses. Such a guilty pleasure!

Mary-Kate Olsen for Interview

Me and my fashion partner-in-crime R* have had many debates about the Olsen twins. He has often said to me that they look like goblins! I have to disagree with that, as I like their little urchin messiness and crafty ways with a vintage dress. And I love love love these pictures of Mary-Kate in Interview magazine - although, in a lot of ways I think I'm maybe an Ashley girl at heart... 

Oh, that dress!

Although, to be honest, I should admit that one of the things I like so much about these pictures is that I'm not sure I'd have recognised her if I hadn't been told. It's a good new look for Mary-Kate!

 

 

P.S. Go download R's radio shows for free here before he's a star. Too good! 

As Four: Designers for Elle UK March 2009

What is it with March being mutiple cover month? Don't get me wrong, I get really excited about   choosing - after all, what you buy says something about you, no? - but sometimes the choice is tough.

 

Never one to miss out on a bandwagon, Elle UK this month has four special edition covers designed by designers to celebrate 25 years of London Fashion Week. And seriously, they picked some big names: Vivienne Westwood, Stella McCartney, John Galliano and Christopher Kane all turned their hands to designing a typically them cover. (I'm sure you'll have no problems working out who designed what, huh?!)

 

And this is on top of the regular cover, featuring Gwyneth Paltrow. She always comes across as zzzz to me, but I have to admit that it's an entertaining interview - and that is one hell of a killer dress on the cover. That amazing Dolce & Gabbana outfit for Spring/Summer 08 reminds me of the 80s/Minnie Mouse/happy fun bubbly things. I like it teamed with a smile, too...

 

Anyway, after some deliberation I plumped for Christopher Kane. Who did you pick?

Jet Setter: Viktor & Rolf x Samonsite

Reason I wish I was an international jet-setter, part #100385:  Being able to legitimately justify buying Viktor and Rolf for Samsonite travel bags. Look! Blue for a boy, red for a girl.

That aeroplane print!

That over-sized clasp and bow! 

Too amazing. V&R, I salute you: yet again.

New York A/W 09: 10 Yes Dresses

What I'm loving from New York Fashion Week. Well you know, so far...


So London lost Alice Temperley to New York this season - well, kind of. I would say it was our loss, but she presented via video, anyway, so perhaps the location is unimportant. Origami pleats, military styles, bold prints, kimono silks: the elements were varied, but the new, harder style remained consistent and actually, I think it's her best collection yet. Love this look, head to toe!

I got invited on Facebook the other day to join a rather charming group called "F**k the Recession, Let's have a f**kin session!!!!!!" and while I would have put it a little more eloquently than that, I do enjoy the sentiment. And, in a way, that's exactly what Marc Jacobs was doing. His 80s a go-go dresses are fun, feminine and fantastic. Isn't that exactly what we need in times of woe? Like the man himself said: "Is all-black going to help the economy?"

 


You can say what you like about La Beckham, but like it or not, she kind of is turning into someone, well, credible. Perhaps the rumours are true and Roland Mouret really did design this collection - I admit that some are rather a little too like his tailored dress designs - but I'm liking it none the less.

Yesterday in the london paper, Joe Public was busy dissing her designs for being too formal, boring, old-fashion and built for stick-insects, but I'm going to make a stand and say that I think they're lovely - and classic, rather than old-fashioned. Show-stoppers, in fact!

Unashamedly pretty at Jill Stuart - and whats wrong with that?  Her black and white collection was inspired by "iconic women of music" but that doesn't mean that there's not room for some incredibly girlie frills and fripperies. (Love how it's on Meghan Collison - goth chick extrodinare! - too).

It's not rocket science, but the draping and simple dresses by Joseph Altuzarra for his debut presentation really worked. It's sexy in a less in your face way than some of the more erotically charged designers (I'm looking at you, Wang) and it works. Definitely one to watch!

 

Erin Fetherston's collection reminded me of Luella Bartley's A/W 2008 especially for the similar styling, but I found it hard to get excited by this collection in the way that I always do for LuelIa. As a plus, it was less twee than usual... definitely a good thing. Sometimes Fetherston's sugary sweetness can get a little cloying.

Do love this sheer/polka dot/pleat/everything at once black dress, though. It's my inner goth in me, sorry!

Sophie Theallet in a word: urgh. Her innate Frenchness versus the Native American inspiration of her tribal float-y pleat-y - and boring - dresses came together for a peculiar - but still boring - mix. Hate the styling, hate the clothes, HATE those shoes. This whole show was a miss for me of epic proportions. (But the dress below isn't too bad, right?!)

Assymetric layers, cut-out shapes, hip embellishments, futuristics sheens and sheers, half-black and half-white, crystals everywhere and all with a healthy dollop of sci-fi: I'm in love with Threeasfour for A/W.

Alberta Ferretti dropped rather a lot of her softness for a harder-pedged show. There was still enough girly-ness to not alienate her fanbase, but there were still some bold moves for a lady known better for her beautiful gowns than her rock and roll spirit. It definitely seems to me that rather than play it safe for an unsteady climate, a lot of deisngers are pushing their own boundaries and creating some exciting pieces instead.

I look forward to Preen's duo of Justin Thornton and Thea Bregazzi collection every season and this year, they did not dissapoint. I'm still thinking about sheer in a big way and this dress ticks a lot of my bozes (well, to look at... not for me to wear!) Influenced by Quadrophenia and Blade Runner, the show was full of body con and cut-outs, which are both posed to be massive trends for Autumn/Winter.

Sheer Will Power

...might make the weather change so I can wear my latest obsession: sheer.

I'm currently feeling inspired by the picture of the ever amazing Chloe Sevigny, above. I think it's yet more proof of my innate contrariness as it has been freezingily shockingly cold here in London (what will all that snow!) but I'm busy idly day-dreaming of see-through everything  - well, nearly everything. I like my underwear to be incredibly opaque, thank you very much.

I've been thinking a lot about sheer without the sexy  light colours, simple shapes, sweet vibes. Like the sheer green sleeves teamed with grey pinafore above from United Bamboo for A/W 09. Pretty and feminine: sheer done the good girl way!

I definitely want to start with this gorgeous skirt from COS - which, rather shamefully, is somewhere that I keep drooling over the clothes online but haven't actually gone to, even though there's one right by my uni. Oops.

Couldn't you make this rather wonderfully your own? I was thinking bright pink leggings via American Apparel underneath, yum...

Beautiful sheers from Preen magazine.
 

But I'm totally into the bad girl version, too. BLACK LACE.



Jill Stuart's goth rock sex dress for A/W 09.

Maybe the idea is to do both: good girl shape, bad girl material. Loving this cute as pie 20s flapper-style dress here from seller Sleepy Head Vintage on Ebay: naughty but nice, right?

Or maybe bad girl curves in innocent white? Alexander Wang is still the king of sheer!

 

Hair Hair Bows

Londoners, where can I buy some super cheap fake hair? I was absolutely crazy for Lady Gaga's hair hair bow - double hair entirely deliberately there!

Now the ever impressive Elizabeth from White Lightning has made her own version with some $2 (!!!) fake hair and although she publicly doubted her own sanity, I think it's completely genius.

Hair bows looked beautiful in a softer way at Gianfranco Ferre for S/S 09.

But first of all: Paris Hilton = style legend. Primped know she was there wayyyy before. (Also, I promise never to precede the words 'style legend' with the words 'Paris Hilton' ever again.)

Want. Badly. DIY time?

Nico C'est Chic, Oh!

It seems to be birthday season around here! Lots of people I'm crazy about have birthdays next week and as I was shopping the other day for a gift for my flatmate, I thought that maybe I'd buy myself a little present too. Self-gifting has to be done sometimes, right? So I got over excited in R.D. Franks (best magazine shop. ever.) and picked up a lovely I'd never heard of before.

The magazine is called Nico and I'm a little bit in love.

It's full of gorgeous images and even better, it's half in English and half in French... so I can totally pretend to be bi-lingual. (Oh, I wish!)

 

Definitely one to watch, I think. See you next issue, Nico!

In Anticipation of Love

Eep! I'm so excited about Love magazine which comes out in five short days and whose teaser shots have been getting me massively excited. Don't you just love the pseudo-naff logo?

I have confidence in Katie Grand's - she of Pop and glorious styling - new venture.





And the actual cover? The amazing Beth Ditto. Love it! (Haha, puns are excellent!)

P.S. Oh, gosh: is that the date already? In anticipation of actual love, Happy Valentines Day!




Beautiful Valentines Day picture by IPOM on Flickr.

If you're celebrating it with a loved one, then I hope you have nothing but romance. If you are single, remember that you're fabulous and that I think you're fantastic!

More Is Still More

Less is more? Nah: i-D magazine knows that more is always more.
I'm loving the 12 (!) model covers for i-D's March Issue Best of British.

"The confirmations were instant - it was about doing something for England, and models have been so faceless - British models always have personality," said Enninful "With i-D, what Terry (Terry Jones Founder and Editor-in-Chief) encourages you to do is to bring out personality...It's not about gloss - it's about letting character shine through." he continued.

Which is good and fair enough, but if that's the case, why haven't all of the models got a tagline revealing their personality? I'm not sure that bigging up i-D counts as 'letting character shine through', exactly...

But as always with multiple covers, which will you pick? My favourite covers here are Agyness Deyn, Jourdan Dunn and Susie Bick. Gorrrrgeous!

But...there is something gloriously girly about Twiggy's that I just adore.
You're still looking banging, lady!

 

However, my personal dislike for Kate Moss is so much that I'd buy any of the covers as long as it wasn't hers. I cannot believe that the nation is still so obsessed with her, seriously. Boooooorrrrrring. Also, below right: loving Naomi's new short hair, too!

As always, you can click on the images to make them pop-up larger.

So, which lovely lady are you picking? Let me know!

It's Good To Be Back

Hey whistlers! Sorry that things have been so quiet around here. It's frustratingly easy to get into the habit of not posting after you take a couple of days off, but I promise that now I'm really back. I've missed it massively!

In my time away from WW I've still been super busy with a huge fashion forecasting project I'm doing at London College of Fashion. I also have shoots to style and organise for both Thursday and Friday this week... Eek!

Also, I went to Prague with my friends Team Doom! The gothic city was completely amazing and it was a fantastic (ly drunken) couple of days.

On the bridge, heading up to the castle.

However, the people in the Czech Republic had absolutely no idea what to make of me. I had small children pull on their mothers arms when I walked by, teenagers turn round and shout  and men old enough to know better who would just point at me. I think maybe it was my lace leggings that caused all the uproar! You can click the above bigger if you want to see the leggings in close up: I love these Topshop babies, but am not impressed by how baggy they've gotten after just three wearings

In the metro!

So yes.... essentially, I'm just saying sorry for the gap in posting. But it's good to be back!

(Pictures of me in this post by the incandescent Martyn Kelly, photographer extrodinare and Wolf Whistle sponser. Look out for a sexy new layout soon, courtesy of him!)