Antique Clockwork

In my confusion of actually getting the weekend off (what a shock!), I spent the day being truly lazy and just staying in bed and browsing online. My current obsession at the moment is really strange vintage jewelery and that's when I came across Londons Gate on etsy. Their items are made from old watch parts so each item is truly unique. By my surprise the items are really fairly priced too!
Hmmmm, now I just have to decide which one I would like to buy...

Arcadia Evening

Tonight Alexxsia and I went to the launch of the high streets A/W collections at Arcadia. We had such a wonderful time! It wasn't at all how I had imagined it, the room was set up with rails filled with the new collections of Topshop, Dorothy Perkins and Evans, there was a photobooth set up in the middle of the room (that took me a while to realise that you could walk through it into a studio next door!) Rails even more packed full of the new collections were alongside accessories and props to be used for the photoshoots taking place at a constant rate. There was a tiny changing room at the back where all the bloggers got to know each other a little better...
There was wine and fruit cocktails flowing freely and the cutest canapes an hors d'œuvres were being served all around!












My favourite pieces from the collections were; the purple velvet dress from Dorothy Perkins, the black coat from Topshop alongside the leather cut out skirt from Topshop Unique.
It was such a fun filled girly evening, plenty of laughter and mucking about. It was such a shame the rain stopped us from going up onto the roof! I was so looking forward to it, cocktails in the roof garden overlooking London, of course we missed out!

I was told this evening was the first of it's kind, and this was the first ever blogger meet up I had ever been to so I didn't know what to expect, I have to say it was a huge success though and I hope we are invited on a regular basis to view the new collections and to be frank, have a right old girly time!

Vilsbøl de Arce

Woven Armour - Autumn/Winter 09

Vilsbøl de Arce is a Danish design label founded by Prisca Vilsbøl and Pia de Arce in 2002, the same year they graduated from the Copenhagen Fashion & Design School.

Vilsbøl de Arce works within fashion, art and design, their projects range from avant-garde fashion design, interior decoration of Michelin-starred restaurants to conceptual uniforms and performance art costumes.

They are known for their amazing draping of fine, solid color knits and their extreme attention to detail. Each piece is perfected assuring functionality despite sometimes complex forms.

Here's a snippet of the interview with the designers that I found here.

What do you want to express with your work?
Beauty, experimentation, freedom and quality.

What would you like to do to make the world a greener place?
Consume less but better.

One thing you could never live without, is:
Inspiration.

I find the pieces in this collection, woven armour, amazing! They pack such a punch with some really unusual silhouettes, It all looks so soft and luxurious too.

I knew I had seen this dress somewhere else before, and of course, it was in this months Dazed and confused!

There are lots of other video projects on their website. The Egg Monk Warrior one is one of my faves!

Push It Magazine

Photographer and Art Director: Frank Berlin
Stylist: Frank Berlin
Make Up Artist: Dana Beil

http://www.pushitmagazine.com/

Ashley Olsen

Ashley Olsen in the September issue of Marie Claire

These images are so stunning! Here is a snippet from the article

"I think you're either born with a sense of style or you're not," Ashley says in her small, soft voice, "Either you care or you don't. And we"—she and Mary-Kate—"love fashion. When we were going to NYU, I think that was the first time we were aware of the power of our personal style. Not the power of it, but the result of it. Between the big sunglasses and the Starbucks cup and the big sweaters, the hobo-chic thing, we were more shocked than anything"—by the endless commentary and tabloid coverage. "I get it; we were fortunate enough to have really nice clothes, and we put them together in this raggedy way. My mom wears glasses this big"—she mimes massive goggles—"from the '70s, and you wonder where we got it from?" She laughs. "The dark eyeliner, the scarf around the head—it's just so interesting and natural." Her family, she says, was "very bohemian."

PHI FOOTWEAR

I don't particularly like Phi's pre fall womenswear collection but the shoes are absolutely blowing my mind!

I really liked their fall 2009 collection, it was so biker chic!

Seriously Coveting...

Michael Kors sunglasses from Spring/Summer 09

Tabitha Simmons

Just spied this new shoe collection from Tabitha Simmons on Net-a-porter. Aren't they amazing!? I have a deep love for suede and these ankle boots are a perfect example of how rock and roll can be feminine too.

I'd never heard of her before so I Googled her and found out she's actually a Stylist, currently the fashion director for 'V' magazine and a regular contributor to Dazed and Confused magazine and Another magazine. She's also styled catwalk shows for Alexander McQueen Calvin Klein, and Zac Posen.
I hope she continues designing shoes! The colours are so unusual, truly beautiful.

Wardrobe Shopping

Antwerp Shopping!

Ok so here is the rest of that Antwerp post but focusing on my bought items
.

A.F Vandevorst silk crepe ruffle top, Also bought at Labels Inc. at Aalmoezenierstraat.

I think it's always important to have a good over sized stripey top, and I am so in love with this one! Its perfect!

Crazy little beach dress, my boobs are far too small for this! I'm thinking Madonna esque summer wear haha!

Blue suede teddy boy shoes!

Oversized brown blazer that I don't think I have taken off since buying, It had an insane amount of pockets! 4 big on the inside and 3 on the outside! Perfect for travelling and hoarding around crap, which I love to do.

Black skirt that reminds me of Comme des Garcons

Gorgeous lacey slip that looks super cute under my black crepe Isabel Marant dress, all the ruffly bits poking out.

Everything above apart from the A.F top was bought at a vintage sale at T2: THINK TWICE for only 3eur!
Insane! It wasn't crappy vintage either, all the items have been handpicked and the profit goes to charity, this ensures that your not getting ripped off! I guess it's Antwerp's version of charity shops.
(There are two Think Twices, one can be located on Lange Klarenstraat 21 just off the main shopping street, and the other smaller cuter one was Sint Jacobsmarkt 86)
Episode was also a great vintage shop, the only trouble is that after you find TWO shops that sell everything for a couple of euro's, you really don't want to be paying more.

My favourite Ann Demeulemee jacket! The detailing on it is amazing!

You can totally tell that I have been living out of a suitcase for the last week, this jacket is usually pristine but unfortunately I have no where to hang my clothes here, so it all lives folded away :(

Also some recent purchases from Topshop. Really loving their new line.
Got this cute cropped top for working in the summer, good air flow. Haha

Isn't this top cute! Because it's so heavy in beads it hangs perfectly

American Apparel Lady Gaga inspired swimsuit. Rock and Roll!

I also bought some more eel leggings, high waisted this time, as my other had gone missing. Of course they turned out to be at my friends house, apparently I had given my own leggings to her when wasted thinking they were hers...crazy.

London is fantastic, I am loving it! I have seen Graham Norton walk his dogs past my balcony twice now, so surreal! I keep wanting to shout "Hi Graham!" but I refuse to turn into one of those types of people...
I had my interview for Louise Goldin yesterday and it went well. I have a trial day starting on Tuesday. Fingers Crossed!