Britain Creates: Fashion + Art Collusion

Two weeks ago I went to see the Britain Creates: Fashion + Art Collusion exhibition at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London. The premise of the exhibition was to bring artists and fashion designers together to collaborate on brand new pieces of art that celebrate design and innovation during this important year in the history of Britain. Each piece was unique and really showed off the collective strengths of each artist or designer. I really enjoyed working my way through the intimate space.


This free exhibition ends on the 29th July 2012 at the V&A Museum so catch it if you can, there’s more details about the artists and their work here


Life
Jonathan Saunders + Jess Flood Paddock
Each individual screen print was created by tossing one of Jonathan Saunders’ jumpers on to an exposing plate. The shapes created were then printed using vibrant coloured inks. The artists decided to present these prints as if they were clothes on a rail, almost like a mass produced fashion line. This was probably one of my favourite pieces in the exhibition, because of it’s simplicity and the clever way they combined colours.

BLEU06 - Details FW12 #1

Summer here in the UK has pretty much been a write off so far. It looks like I we won’t be needing my summer wardrobe after all or am I just being pessimistic? Anyway, with that in mind I thought it would be a great time to re-visit some of my favourite Fall/Winter 12 collections. I’m not going to churn out another review as I’m pretty sure we’ve all seen enough of those. Instead I want to zero in on the tiny details that we don’t always see during the runway shows. This week I’m starting off with arguably one of the most prominent fashion houses of the moment. GIVENCHY.

Forget the minotaur graphic print tops and the stars and stripes that seem to be EVERYWHERE at the moment, one of my personal highlights from the Givenchy Autumn/Winter 2012 collection was a pair of bejewelled brogues. I really loved the contrast of the traditional suit and the camp, over-the-top luxury of the shoes. Each stone was hand set and arranged in alternating sizes, the level of craftsmanship is something that I’ve come to expect from Riccardo Tisci. If I had to walk down a yellow brick road (or any other type of road for that matter!) I’d much rather wear a pair of these bad boys. 


Here’s a quick reminder of the rest of Tisci’s FW 12 collection, what piece(s) were your favourite?  

Images via: HommeModel

Bloggers’ Withdrawal Syndrome

So basically the last couple of days have been pretty manic to be honest. Two weeks ago I was sitting at home wondering what I’d end up doing for the rest of the loooooong summer holiday. I had no idea that 2 weeks later I’d be interning at one of London’s most respected Fashion Business magazines. I’m really enjoying working behind the scenes with the editors and all the clothes!! I’ve helped out with two issues so far and I can’t tell you how amazing it feels to physically see the work that you've been working on for days!


The fun doesn’t stop there though. As some of you may now, the British Fashion Council and Bazaar Fashion Arts Foundation brought together a talented bunch of visual artists and designers to collaborate in a new exhibition, "Britain Creates 2012: Fashion & Art Collusion” held at the V&A Museum in London, I went down to have a look at the artwork so expect to see some images from that soon. I managed to squeeze in another amazing fashion-related event that same day. I went to see luxury brand, MCM’s new collection on an actual Routemaster double-decker bus! Between the fabulous collection and the free champagne I had a lovely experience, look out for images from that as well.


So now that we’re all updated, let the blogging continue!

Red_White_Blue

BLEU06 wishes our American brothers a great Independence Day tomorrow, whether you’ll be heading down to a beach party, barbecue or fancy dinner, we’ve put together some 4th of July-inspired looks to put you in a patriotic mood.

Lacoste Eastport Coated Canvas Bag - Lacoste
TOPMAN Stars and Stripes Denim Shorts - TOPMAN
River Island Plaited Wristbands - River Island
DC Pool LE Shoes - Urban Industry
The Quiet Life Painted Stripes 5 Panel Cap - ASOS
Reiss Rovner Crew Neck Top - Reiss

Paul Smith Double-Breasted Wool-Blend Twill Blazer - Mr Porter

Dolce & Gabbana Solid Classic Shirt - Matches

TOPMAN Stone Skinny Smart Trousers - TOPMAN

Grenson Archie V Brogues - Grenson

Nick Bronson Knitted Silk Tie - Liberty 

Bald Eagle Brass Brooch - Etsy

Milan Fashion Week: Salvatore Ferragamo SS 2013

Zesty yellows, corals, spearmint greens and cool blues reflected the colours of the sea at Salvatore Ferragamo’s Spring Summer 2013 show. A marked difference from the more reserved collections of the past, yesterday’s presentation was a candy-coloured feast for the eyes. Ultra-light knitwear, perfect for summer were paired with contrasting coloured oxford shirts and ties creating even more shades of brilliant colour. The rampant explosions of colour gave way to more subtle experimentation as seen in the hand-painted jackets towards the end. The closing look, a white hot double-breasted jacket with matching trousers was a welcome palette cleanser for such a vibrant spectacle. Each look was paired with sneakers in a variety of eye-popping colour combinations, another trend sweeping across the SS 2013 menswear collections. I really admire the expert way in which they injected impeccable Italian tailoring with such youthful vigour to produce a body of work that would make any budding fashionisto jealous, I certainly am!

Images via: HommeModel

Milan Fashion Week - Neil Barrett SS 2013

Neil Barrett’s Spring Summer 2013 collection embodied the athletic, manly man. Baseball jerseys,  slouchy sweatshirts, and baggy shorts gave the show a relaxed youthful feel. Barrett chose a palette of rich shades of indigo and purple, earthy browns and deep blacks.  The degraded pinstripe prints added texture and depth to suits and shirts. Highlights from the show included lush pony hair slip-ons and iridescent leather jackets, echoing the metallic trend that’s swept menswear collections for Summer 2013. Tailored trousers with satin stripes on the front rather than on the side breathed new life into classic tuxedo trousers. Barrett’s collection again proved that he’s got his finger on the pulse of the sports luxe trend.

Milan Fashion Week - Versace SS 2013

Donatella Versace described the SS 2013 Versace man as a "tough pugilist champion” who is part Rocky, part Elvis and part Mr. T”. From the start it was clear that the well-toned, muscled models would be the most exciting part of the show. Although to be fair it provided an excellent excuse to re-launch their new range of underwear and swimwear. It felt like someone had turned the camp-o-meter all the way up, models took to the runway with their gelled quiffs and decked in gold medallions and wrestling belts. Sleeveless double breasted jackets in metallic fabrics were toughened up with wide leg trousers. The psychedelic floral print jeans paired with Versace’s iconic key print on long t-shirts and parkas were a definite nod to the 90s. Some of the stronger pieces in the collection were the broderie anglaise (english embroidered) fitted sports jacket and the gladiator/sneaker hybrid shoes. Excess and indulgence are words that have always been associated with Versace and it’s newest collection was no exception.