H&M Presents.....

Hi Fashion beauties!

This week I want to focus on High street brands collaborating with designers; as it has just been released that Isabel Marant is teaming up with H&M. I love H&M as a brand; they’re very aspirational and trendy yet still attainable and affordable. Over the years they have teamed up with many designers and celebrities; which has caused females everywhere to queue for hours in big cities such as Oxford Street and Manchester.

I’d like to talk this week about my favourites picks from previous ventures that H&M has gone into; and speculate what could come in the future.

First off is H&M’s first collaboration in 2004 with the Fabulous Karl Lagerfeld: The collection is very monochromatic and minimalistic; true to his own personal style and that of the LBD made famous by Chanel. 

Next up is the fabulous Stella Maccartney; who teamed up with the high-street store in 2005 and sold clothing that stayed true to her very sport-luxe motif; giving a nice twist to the tailoring.

In 2006 H&M release a wedding collection designed by boys Viktor and Rolk; the advertising campaign was amazing; resembling the figures on top of a wedding cake (accept there’s two grooms) The collection was big and bold with bows and frills and was very limited.

Matthew Williamson release 2 collections; one for women and one for men; my favourite was the S/S 2009 beach wear collection for woman; featuring bright carribean inspired prints; the billboard pictures were very bright and inspired many high street stores to replicate that theme that year.

One of the most fun and fruity collections that H&M have ever released was when they teamed up with Sonia Rykiel; it was very 70s and eccentric; with bold striped jumper dresses and berets; they even sold clothing for girls. Christmas was good in 2009.

Lanvin was one of the biggest partnerships; with women queuing for days on end to grab one item from this very chic and sophisticated collection. The big sunglasses and pearls worn by the models in the advertising campaign was a strange tribute to Coco Chanel, I thought. But still fabulous.

Versace was next in H&M’s sights; with top models with long blonde elvish hair wearing greek-mosaic inspired embellished jackets and skirts; then there was that infamous leopard print/palm tree print that EVERYWHERE copied. Just beautiful.

Japanese Vogue Editor Anna Dello Russo guest modelled in her own accessories collection for H&M just as Paris Fashion Week ended. Including bags and jewellery. She looked stunning posed precariously on a big shoe; looks suspiciously Tim Walker- like.

Finally we have the beautiful Beyonce Carter; sporting H&M’s 2013 summer beachwear in her amazing post-baby body, it’s bright; it’s vibrant, it’s very (Sasha) Fierce.

So now H&M is getting together with Isabel Marant for their next big line; and judging by the images the collection is going to be very detailed; with lots of ethnic patterns and prints. Very exciting for H&M customers.

That’s all for this week. More soon!

Mica

Best Dressed at Cannes Film Festival...

Bonjour Fashion lovers!

Cannes Film Festival Finished yesterday (26/05/13) and I wanted to share with you all a list of my favourite outfits and looks; both male and female.

For the boys:

James Franco chose to be different wearing a medium blue Gucci suit; finishing the look off with a pair of aviators. Very Cool.

During the day time, Justin Timberlake opted for a very nautical but casual look; as if he’d just stepped off his Yacht. His blue checked shirt and double breasted cardigan screamed ‘This is how an ex-Disney star should look’. Whereas in the evening; he looked effortlessly chic in a dark navy suit and bow tie; while Garrett Hedlund went for the brighter navy suit with black dress shirt and tie. Both Saint Laurent and both gorgeous.

Leonardo DiCaprio stood handsomely next to Indian actor Amitabh Bachcham at the event opening; both sporting completely juxtaposed looks. Leo went for a traditional tuxedo and classic slicked back hair- a la The Great Gatsby; while Cannes jury member Amitabh wowed in a glittering jacket and thick framed glasses. What a contrast.

It was lovely to see Actors Michael Douglas and Matt Damon co-ordinate their navy suits with producer Jerry Weintraub; complete with cute little bow ties of course. Because bow ties are cool.

Finally, Ben Affleck’s younger brother and Ocean’s 11, 12 and 13 star Casey Affleck wore a smart blue single-breasted suit; with a very Indie skinny tie. Very chic.

For the girls:

We’ll start with the ever chic Uma Thurman; wearing a stunning Atelier Versace gown; she looked very Hollywood Glam with chandelier earrings and slicked hair.

Jury member Nicole Kidman wore a gorgeous white Giorgio Armani gown; with quite a low neck line and a red pout to the closing ceremony.

Actress Zhang Ziyi wore one of my favourite dresses; an Elie Saab couture sparkler. It cinches in her already tiny waist and is finished off beautifully with tiny dangling earrings, natural looking make up and slicked hair.

British Actress Juno temple looked alarmingly skinny and slightly gaunt in her silky grey number; her metallic shoes are awesome however.

Model turned actress Mila Jovovich looks so chic in Prada; but again too skinny; she’s starting to get a bit of a chicken neck. Her fringe frames her face very nicely.

One of my favourite Pin-up esque women Dita Von Teese stuns in Elie Saab Couture; looking just as young and flawless as she always has.

Actress Zoe Saldana looked stunning in a grey-blue Valentino Gown- you all know how much I love Valentino and her tiny olive skinned-frame pulls it off to perfection. Plus the red pout is a lovely contrast.

I can’t usually look at Kirsten Dunst and not think about Bring it On, but this Michael Van der Hamm number; sculpted cheeks a red pout make her look very sophisticated and grown up! Love the white detailing, simply divine.

Now, I loved this girl anyway; her attitude to fame is just spectacular; she’s the epitome of cool. So no one but Oscar-winning Jennifer Lawrence could have pulled off this simple Dior dress. Her figure is fantastic as well. 10/10.

Brazilian model Alessandra proves she is definitely more than just the face of Next in this shimmering Roberto Cavalli gown; her slender frame looks amazing in it.

Rimmel London girl Doutzen Kroes looks very much the All-American Girl in this flowing Versace dress; wearing no bra couldn’t be pulled off by anyone other than a model.

Eva Longoria’s 2 outfits were like chalk and cheese for me; one was very unflattering and pointed out very much how petite she is; whereas this flesh coloured Zuhair Murad number does wonders for her curves; she has been very skinny over the years but this curvier look definitely suits her. And she even manages a wave fit for Royalty; we bow down to you!

As if I wasn’t jealous enough of Emma Watson enough; the money, the male friends (Rupert Grint anyone?) the killer figure and now the perfect signature pose for red carpet events. This girl has it all; and once again the Harry Potter star wows in a stunning monochrome Chanel dress. Sigh.

Slum Dog Millionare actress Frieda Pinto has definitely come a long way; looking quite the Hollywood starlet in an embellished gown by Sanchita.

This is one of my favourite outfits; I haven’t seen this girl in much but she is beautiful; complimenting her paler skin with this gorgeous cream Elie Saab Couture dress; and of course, the signature red pout. Just breath taking.

Ludivine Sagnier looks so juxtaposed to all the black suits in this lemon yellow Louis Vuitton gown; she reminds me of Kate Hudson in ‘How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days’; simple but beautiful.

Sonam Kapoor wears a very typical, but still very magnificent Dolcen and Gabanna floral princess dress. The purple in the flowers compliments her skin tone; her hair sweeped to the side reminds me of Disney Princess Jasmine from Aladdin. Gorgeous.

Now here we come to Cara Delvigne; apparently she brushed off Leo himself; I am honestly not surprised; the way she pulled off her Chophard jewels at the Great Gatsby Premiere most likely made her untouchable; and dropped a few jaws I can imagine. She is stunning.

Great Gatsby actress Carey Mulligan (I remember her in Doctor Who opposite David Tenant- my does time fly by) looked the 30s babe in the just amazing Dior Haute Couture dress made from Duchesse satin. She very much suits being a blonde; and looks like she is having much more fun too-even in the rain.

Well that’s it for now, more soon, much love!

Mica

x

Graduate Fashion Week 2013

Hello all you Graduates and Students!

I want to give you guys a glimpse of my experience when I went to Graduate Fashion week on Monday 3^rd of June 2013.

I went to see the International show, and there were some amazing students from all over the world. Berlin, New York, Denmark, Turkey, Paris, Pakistan, Rome, Florence, Milan, Israel, Tokyo and San Francisco are just some of the cities that were featured in this spectacular showcase.

The show was a flurry of embellishments, flowers, and leather, strapped up arms and legs, and some really inspirational punk-esque music. My favourite collection was by Chisung Ihn from Bunka Fashion Graduate University in Japan; the leather assymetric skirts, the metallic wedge boots, and the studded helmets were just some of the cutting edge fashion forward pieces shown from that incredible collection. For me, seeing that raw talent coming from Japan just fuels my belief that Western Countries like the UK and America should definitely look for Eastern nations like Japan and China, now more than ever. They’re technology, creativity and flair is extremely advanced; as well as the discipline they drive into children from a young age. You will never see a Japanese Student misbehaving in say for example Brighton on a foreign exchange programme.

The highlight of my day, however, was going to the George stand in the centre of the exhibition to meet the some team members from Company Magazine; I was shortlisted in their Graduate competition to co-edit the October Issue. I had to send them an idea for a new trend; be it through a moodboard, PDF, series of images, or any other kind of visual document. I sent them the PDF document I created when completing my Fashion Forecasting Project for the beginning of my second year of university. They obviously liked it as I was asked to come to the sponsor’s stand with a couple of feature ideas and a cover star. I and 14 other shortlisted girls had to cut and collage our own Company cover out of previous issues onto an A5 piece of card; the sky was the limit creatively and we had to use words and pictures. My cover was very edgy and art-inspired; and had a theme of childishness and looking to Japan and China for ‘Fashpiration’ (a word they coined). It fit very well with my ‘Nextism’ trend (a word I coined) and featured ex Disney Channel presenter and Music Diva Christina Aguleira as the Cover star. Another part of this workshop was to be interviewed by features editor Lena De Casparis, artistic director Tanita Montgomery and George at ASDA brand director Fiona Lambert. I loved meeting them all and sharing my enthusiasm and ideas about what the October issue could provide for readers; as well as explain to them what my cover collage was all about.

Overall, a truly unforgettable day; filled with creative excellence, artistic passion and a real hope for future talent. Every Fashion Students’ dream come true. 

My trend prediction A/W 2015

Hi Guys, this is the report from my Fashion Futures project about the trend Nextism...Enjoy Mes amis!!

Mica <3


"It is A/W 2015, and the human race has invented 5G, 4D, microchips that can be used to pay for items instead of a card, phones that are just LCD glass screens and cars that hover. This may seem a bit far-fetched, but imagine how much technology has evolved since 2010, and the grasp on the speed of high tech contraptions tends to become a bit clearer. It is already possible to pay for things using a smart phone; so surely it will not be long before it is an eye or finger print alone that determines entire account details. Plus modern technology has much more of an artistic influence than it ever used to; be it designs for cases/covers; or layouts and colour schemes within the gadgets themselves. Whether it is fashion, art or science, Newism has been a big consumer trend for a while now. But the next big thing is well overdue. The future needs to make way for Nextism to take centre stage. 
To some, the British fashion industry lost its shock factor after the 1980’s/90’s. Designers like Vivienne Westwood are still successful and setting the trends, but shock and awe is directed at Japanese/Chinese designers, brands, and in particular street style. Many niche fashion magazines like Dazed and Confused are becoming more art orientated than ever-with the most recent issue revolving around Chinese fantasy. 

What drives Nextism is the notion of taking innovative and absurd fashion and technology from Eastern society and bringing it back to Western culture. It is exciting and refreshing; it will breathe life back into the United Kingdom. It will give Britain its edge back, but it will have extreme amounts of fun in the process.  

Nextism is heavily influenced by technology, the shapes, the innovation, the brains behind the innovation and the countries responsible for the brains; and countries in the East, like China or Japan, seem to be leading away. Western society loves gadgetry from overseas and as more and more are buying into Iphones and Ipads, the most logical step to take is truly buying into the Easts eccentric and totally staggering fashion. The concept behind Nextism is taking the brightest and wackiest minds from British fashion design (cue John Galliano) and combining them with the graphic, brightly coloured shockers from Japanese brands like Comme des Garçons (founded and run by Rei Kawakubo). Inspiration has also been drawn from many modern devices around at the moment; from Ipads to electric cars to 3D televisions. The story for this trend is taking the quiet, the subtle and the generally quite small and reconstructing it into something big, loud, and good old fashioned in-your-face. It is oversized, it is bold, and it is a little bit absurd. 
The ideal consumer is a very creative, eccentric, unique individual who is not afraid to stand out and go above and beyond what is socially acceptable to be fashionable. This consumer can be male or female, but the trend’s end result will most likely be womenswear. This consumer can be any age, so long as they are capable of using modern technology like phones, laptops, ipads, macs, etc, and are confident in using various social networking websites like Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, Blogger, Pintrest etc. This demographic is young at heart, with spare cash and an incentive to be one step ahead of everyone else. One vital characteristic, however, is the target market will need to be self-motivated, ideally within art, design and media, where they can use the clothes to reflect the characteristics of their business; but it is not a corporate look. This creative industry can be something broad, for instance media, design, fashion, film and TV, or something more specific like photography, architecture or interior design. They have to have the time to social network, as well as use all these high tech gadgets and devices that will be coming into existence from now until 2015. Finally, they need to have the money for all this expensive gadgetry, fashion garments and accessories; so their business needs to be successful. 

In terms of colours, initially quite child-like colours seemed to be the most appropriate choice for the demographic (i.e. young at heart), but they proved to be too primary- like yellow and red- and were described as ‘retro’. This message was not supposed to be portrayed. To counter this issue, mood boards were constructed with some inspirational magazine cut outs, and significant colours were chosen from that. The end result was equally bright and vibrant, but with a more secondary impression- like purple and orange. Plus, the secondary colours depicted a much more modern and high-tech message, with colours the target market would easily be able to decipher and personally identify with. Coloured knits and faux fur emerged as a pattern when researching into fabrics- Dazed and Confused and LOVE magazine are just two publications that encompass Nextism and wool and fake fur play a big part in their photo stories. 

The shapes in the silhouettes are very dramatic and geometric, and incorporate the concept of technology, fashion and art coalescing into one aesthetic. Sleeves and hems do not sit naturally on the shoulders, elbows and waists; the wearer automatically demands attention with the daring colour palette and immense mass of material surrounding them.  

Nextism can be seen to filter  into a more achievable and relatable version on the high street, then spreading into more creative outlooks, like interior design (something for Ikea to really experiment with), automobile colour forecasting, and eventually, brand new technology."

Fashion Futures Project

Hey everyone!

Been a while since I've posted anything, I just wanted to show you some of the pictures I took for my Fashion Futures Project, for the trend I predicted called Nextism! It was inspired by the new Dazed and Confused issue, I hope you guys like! 

Much Love Fashion loverrrrs <3

Mica