{Runway} New York Fashion Wk ○ SS13

○Proenza Schouler

I'm feeling the industrial-inspired hardware closure clasp's on the fore of the Proenza shoulder bags, At first sight, I did think it was a whistle, yep I blame my poor eyesight. The angular sculpted heels can look pretty groovy on those summer nights out. 

Backstage -Proenza Schouler

Too many P's to mention in the Spring Summer 2013 Proenza collection - Plethora of Perforated leather and Patchwork Python and Photo Print. Vibrant colors of key lime, tangerine and cerulean. The handbags were my highlight.

○Louise Goldin

The architectural silhouette and layers calls to mind the uniforms on a starship voyager, a space age sporty vibe, that included crisp whites along with sandy gold, brown and cobalt blue and teal color theme. The metallic accents look cosmic.

○Michael Kors

Tasty accessories alert, I gotta say, I am doting on most of the transparent items.

○Anna Sui

Romantic trim edged printed dresses, a homage to Madeleine Castaing, a French designer and interior decorator, with a punk rock chic twist of fishnets to leather. Elaborate statement jewel, bead, cameos seashells and choker accessories. The pointed corners of the sunglasses are decorated with flowers, my highlight are the cat ear-shaped embellished hats decorated with lace and beads.  

 ○Rodarte

The dragon ear cuffs look super, there's many on the high street right now, would like to get my paws on one.

I've been faffing around lately, now I am playing catch-up posting the London, Milan Paris and Fashion week, I seem to do this every season! Particularly since the latter fashion weeks have me more regaled.

Photos courtesy of Sonny Vandevelde + Vogue + Gobackstage 

Baker Days: Letterbox Cake Review

Small enough to slip through a letterbox, but large enough to celebrate the big occasions 

I buy all my greeting cards online and prefer to personalise them, and send them directly to the recipient, without having to leave the house. But I've often wondered ' wouldn't it be great if you could slip a cake through a letterbox like you can with a card!? ' without leaving the house, it could be a perfect remedy for last minute gift/cake buying?! Turns out Baker Days have done just that! Yay!  

Courtesy of Baker Days I was sent the letterbox cake that I personalised via the online store options, the cake had arrived through the letterbox, my postman, decided to attach the small sturdy A5 box with a pile of letters with an elastic band. Here I began to think the cake could arrive a little roughhoused, but my fear was completely unfounded. The cake arrived, well packaged in a pretty stripey tin, along with some fun party goodies seen above.  

I chose the all congratulations perfect evening cake, with Madeira sponge, once I sampled the cake it tasted lovely light and moist, beneath the not too sweet and sickly icing, better than most store buy products, it is large enough to serve 3-4 people at a push.

Above all, I am impressed with the surprise factor this gift would bring. No one in their right mind would assume a personalised cake along with balloons, candles, card and tooter could arrive through the letterbox along with their letter bills and correspondence.... until now! I give my hyena howl of approval :) 

Parsons MFA Spring/Summer 2013

The new MFA in Fashion Design and Society course at Parsons The New School for Design, ( a highly selective program initiated by Donna Karen ) showcased its first 18 graduates from all-over the globe, the show was held during MADE Fashion Week at Milk Studios. This first graduating class is truly international – its 18 students represent Australia, China, Italy, Ireland, Japan, Korea, Norway, Peru, Switzerland, Taiwan, The Netherlands, United Kingdom, and United States.

Jie Li

Highlights : avant-garde pastel pieces, customised headphones / headdress rhinestone floral my little pony 

Jie Li, 26, is from Beijing, China. During her studies at Parsons, she was a finalist in the Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty graduate fashion design competition organized by the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute. Her work addresses the most fundamental of elements of designing clothes, that of craft, technique and making. For her graduate collection, she combined pleating and quilting, overlapping multiple layers of chiffon to create new colors.

Beckett Fogg

Highlights : oblong textured minimal clutch bags, seamlessly embossed leather and chiffon, clean silhouettes

Beckett Fogg, 24, was born and raised in Lexington, Kentucky. She graduated from the University of Virginia in 2010, where she earned a BFA in Architectural Design, minoring in Studio Art. Upon completion of her undergraduate degree, she moved to New York to study at Parsons, where she interned with Badgley Mischka, Cynthia Rowley, and Peter Som. A capsule collection she created as part of a special project with Donna Karan was selected to represent the United States during London Fashion Week as part of the International Fashion Showcase. 

Carly Ellis

Highlights : Jewellery neck-pieces and rings, sporty street-wear athletic and upbeat digital prints, below knee sport socks   

Carly Ellis, 24, was born and raised in northern England, and received her undergraduate degree from the University of Westminster, where her thesis collection was featured in Vogue.com UK and Vogue Italia, and acclaimed by Hilary Alexander of London Telegraph. During her time at Parsons, Ellis styled signer Rye Rye for her national tour, album artwork and music video, and worked on commissioned pieces for SuperSuper magazine and the Candy Boutique in Tokyo. Using screen grabs to capture the moment before the software has time to fully process images of newsstands, I created designs that united the original inspiration, the Ndebele tribe, enabling me to fuse three seemingly different core influences.

Lucia Cuba

Highlights : the collection broadens your horizons to the forced sterilizations that have took place during Alberto Fujimori’s reign as President of Peru and many other cases of human rights abuse in Peru, I can discern the emotional personal connection Lucia has put into this Articulo 6 collection, using a fashion platform to raise social and political messages in the form of garments.  Prints on cotton and twill, Andean pollera inspired skirts. 

Lucia Cuba, 32, is a fashion designer and social scientist from Lima, Peru. Prior to coming to Parsons, she studied Fashion Design at Centro de Altos Estudios de la Moda , Peru, and earned a Bachelor’s in Social Psychology, a Master’s in Educational Psychology, and a Ph.D. in Public Health from Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia. She has participated in projects for the development of arts and culture in Peru and Latin America, and in conferences and workshops aimed at advancing the development of local emerging fashion.

Images courtesy of Milkmade + Metrovelevet 

Madrid Fashion Week - Spring Summer 2013

I'm trying to refrain from my posts becoming clogged up with upcoming Fashion Weeks, I will make an effort to gradually update on the beguiling runway collections. For now here is a mini round-up of Madrid Fashion week Spring/Summer 2013. I'm still very reluctant to say adiós to Summer and welcome Autumn, but here I can pine over and keep myself peppy in my summer-tide bubble - a tiny tad longer!

María Escoté

Upon viewing the first sequence of the 'Sweet Cannibal Cannibal' collection, you could be espying through a hammock mosquito mesh in the middle of the Amazon. Eyes peering out to jungle prints, foliage, angry monkeys tropical flowers, felines and birds. The collection exhibits glam biker jackets shorts and vests. Thereupon lands in a new sequence of pastel shades, skater skirts and sparkly mini dresses and maxi dress bandeau's and bustier's. Thus creating alittle something for everyone, call it the sweet cannibal buffet  - my general favourite collection. 

Teresa Helbig

The designs are inspired by the gardens of Versailles of André Le Nôtre in France, the locations sounds beatitude, the lima green boots look enticing with the feminine romantic skirts with volume, punctuated with hints of fuscia and green. 

Jesús del Pozo

The venue where this collection took place looks beautiful in an unique open setting, at the Parques del Capricho in Madrid. The pieces would certainly compliment a fine summers evening, adding sophistication and feminine chic.

Made it to another Friday. Have a great weekend EVERYBODY!

G-Dragon One Of A Kind MV : Versatile Style Guises

I usually don't pander to the mahatmas of the fashion music or film heavyweights on here, unless I'm really compelled to! (it's not for disliking them, but I guess I feel I don't want to regurgitate popular culture infinitely) I do make an exception for G-Dragon, maybe because some of the folks in the west are not yet acquainted with him, or maybe I just need any excuse, since I'm an aficionado of South Korean bands 'Big Bang' & 2NE1.    

G-Dragon dons many various style guises in this MV, a certified style chameleon, who's not afraid to experiment. Most of the attire are from the menswear collections, as well a few pieces from the womens-wear collection, inspiring men and women alike all over the globe.  ― Have a good weekend !