LANVIN & H&M: COLLABORATION OF THE YEAR?

Major High Street label H&M has got fashion fans frantic with their latest collaboration with the luxury brand Lanvin. The collection will consist of both womenswear and menswear and is designed by fashion royalty Alber Elbaz and menswear designer Lucas Ossendrijver. Want some of the action? Well get ready, as the collection is set to be released on November 23rd to around 200 stores worldwide. With the best pieces sure to be snapped up like gold dust, be prepared to make a speedy purchase. For those of you who want a sneak preview, H&M are launching a film which will showcase the collection on November 2nd.

H&M, who have previously collaborated with the likes of Stella McCartney and Karl Lagerfeld are eager to stress that the collection won't just be “A dress for less,” Elbaz stated that what attracted him to designing the collection was the “idea of H&M going luxury rather than Lanvin going public.” It seems then, that the consumers have nothing to lose – they're getting the quality of designer at high street prices.

The collection – although luxurious, will also be “modern and playful,” and will very much reflect Lanvin by using their cut and tailoring as well as a focus upon “form and detail” - which is a major factor in Elbaz's designing philosophy. If Elbaz's history is anything to go by, the pieces are sure to be a hit as he has headed some of the biggest trends of the last few years – namely, ribbons, bows and pearls - died and gone to fashion heaven? Let's hope that the collection is as good as the buzz that surrounds it.

Knitted Out

With Knitwear a major trend this season I thought I'd share some of my favourites from Topshop. I am loving the big chunky knits around at the minute. They give me a reason to stop complaining about the cold weather and start embracing the fact that I can be all nice and cosy whilst been completely on trend. Now that's something to smile about this winter. All of the below can be found on topshop.com

Has Taylor Taken It Too Far?

Recently I found this quote from Taylor Momsen on Style.com. I actually found it quite shocking. I mean, this is coming from a teenage girl. As well as raising other issues (ie. are girls growing up too fast?) it really made me consider if Taylor is taking her rock star persona a little bit too far. Come on, she's just turned 17, should she really openly be talking about 'fucking' anyone, let alone discussing her favourite Porn stars?

I'm all for freedom of speech and a bit of teenage rebellion but doesn't she know that young teenage girls see her as a role model? Yet, in a society driven by sex, maybe teenage girls talking about their favourite porn stars is a social norm now? I sure hope not.

Don't get me wrong, I'm actually a huge fan of Taylor. I personally love her sexy, punky vibe that she has going on, whereas a lot of people just see her dress sense as overtly sexy and downright trashy. Thoughts?

Her band The Pretty Reckless has so far been a huge success. Personally I think her voice really has that something special and love every song on the album. Yet, I can see why she might be setting a bad example for her fans. Take the lyrics “I'm just 16, if you know what I mean, do you mind if I take off my dress?” and “Somebody mixed my medicine, I don't know what I'm on”. These are clearly about promiscuity and drugs. Surely for a 14 year old girl listening to the band, this almost advocates these things as the 'cool' thing to do. And that on Taylor's part, is so not cool.


Quote and image courtesy of style.com

Style Crush: Leighton Meester

Okay, so I admit it. I have a style crush on Leighton Meester. Who doesn't? She looks amazing both on and off screen. Her off screen look is a lot more edgy than Blair's (the character she plays in Gossip Girl) and just as style worthy, if not more so. She always seems to look immaculate, whether it's on the red carpet or she's just being papped walking down the street. Although, as a more negative footnote, I'm not really a fan of the music route she seems to be taking. Stick to the acting Leighton, it's what you do best!

Below is Leighton looking sugary sweet in Marc Jacobs. A match made in heaven if you ask me.



A few other snaps of Leighton looking as stylish as ever:

All images from style.com

I Heart Elie Saab

Whilst browsing through Style.com recently I came across Elie Saab's Spring 2011 ready to wear collection and was immediately sold. I'd never really paid much attention to this designer but utterly fell in love with this collection. Probably because I'm a sucker for clothing that's the slightest bit romantic and romance is certainly what Saab does best.

I found the collection breath taking. Okay, so maybe it wasn't innovative or daring but there was something beautifully interesting about the sheer femininity of the collection. Both the designs and the colour palette exuded romance. Something that personally, I'm a big fan of. Take the sheer, periwinkle shirt which exposed the breasts. Saab managed to combine the androgyny of the shorts and shirt design with the sensuality of the sheer fabric. Other pieces that caught my eye were the green 1970's-esque floor length gowns. Other favourites included the above the knee halter neck dress which had a beautiful overlay of sheer fabric which seemed to flow into the shape of a tulip flower as the model floated down the runway.

I'm never normally much of a fan of the red carpet dresses, I find them boring and predictable, yet Saab's completely captivated me. They took me into a world of romance and hedonism. I imagined walking barefoot through a meadow at dusk wearing one of Saab's flowing creations, watching the sun set, the perfumes of the surrounding flowers capturing my senses.

Getting back to planet earth, all I need to achieve this, is thousands of pounds for the dress and an idyllic place to prance around in. Totally realistic right? Wish me luck.

A bit of background information on Saab:
Elie Saab set up his business at the young age of 18. Saab, who had previously specialised in Couture, presented his first ready to wear collection in 1998. Since then the designer has gone from strength to strength with his first boutique being opened in 2005 and then his first UK boutique opening at Harrods in 2008.

That Southern Charm

Jeff Garner is a Tennessee born designer of sustainable clothing label Prophetik. As soon as Garner walks into the room all eyes fall immediately upon him. His dirty blonde hair is scraped back into a ponytail and he's wearing his worn in riding boots that he's had since he was a boy. With clients such as Taylor Swift, the Jonas Brothers and Miley Cyrus and supporters such as Jimmy Choo this guy seems promising. It was the first time that I had ever heard of him yet the second he began to speak I felt instantly privileged to be in his presence. His soft welcoming tone oozes warmth and his authentic southern accent makes you feel instantly at ease. For a guy that seems to be going places, he seems incredibly humble and down to earth.

He's a man that eats the same three things everyday, only wears naturally made clothing, sleeps a mere four hours a night and doesn't watch TV or follow the media. Instead he prefers to seek solace in nature, horse riding being one of his main hobbies. As well as making beautiful clothes he really is a charming and sincere character. He doesn't seem to be weighed down by the pressures of the industry. He says himself that the minute he no longer loves what he's doing, he'll quit. He also seems to have a firm grasp on what is important in life. His interpretations on life being utterly inspiring and thought provoking. He talked about people always complaining to him about things they 'have' to do. He commented wisely that “No one has to do anything.”. His point ultimately being that people are free to do anything they want to, so do exactly that and enjoy every day!

He confesses that you can often find him sleeping outside. His explanation being that it is always better to be uncomfortable as that way you are more alert and attuned to what is going on around you. In a world obsessed with the need for constant comfort, he proposes an interesting outlook right?

His current Spring/Summer 2011 collection, 'Midnight Garden' which was shown at London Fashion Week was inspired by one of his many dreams. The collection exudes romanticism with the focus being on the fairytale concept of the damsel in distress and knight in shining armour. The women were wearing beautiful floor length flowing dresses made of Hemp, Silk and organic cottons, whilst the men were in beautifully made prince like waistcoats and shirts. If you haven't guessed already, Garner is a self confessed romantic and this reflects heavily in his collections.

What's more is that his collection is completely sustainable. His fabrics are all made ethically using natural plant dyes that are non harmful to the environment. He even uses traditional methods of producing the clothing. He doesn't use foreign factories to mass produce his clothes. No, in fact they are all produced with love in his home town of Tennessee. If that wasn't enough, they are all made by women who have worked in the industry for years and if it wasn't for Garner, would be out of a job.

His designs emanate the old world, with dresses reminiscent of the Victorian era. Though much of his clothes are made of Hemp. Keen to shake off the fabric's hippy associations, he stresses that the fabric is the best out there as it is extremely strong and durable. Thus, he emphasises that the throwaway culture of today needs to be changed and the notion that clothes are disposable should be eradicated. His point being that clothes should be kept, worn and loved for years. Yes they may be a little more expensive than normal, but they will last you much longer than anything from the High Street.

He understands why big companies don't adopt the sustainable outlook. Hence, why he hopes his label will spread awareness to the influential designers. He wants them to realise that it is possible to combine both sustainability and style on a mass production level. He's got a long way to go, but if anyone is going to change things, it's Garner.