Oh Boy! Eudon Choi for River Island

Nothing strikes fear into the heart of my bank account quite like the news of a designer/high street collaboration. 

Designer pieces on ze cheap? Yes please, I'll have some of that. 

While I am all for the big-name brands, one high street brand which does wonderful things for emerging British designers is River Island. With their Design Forum project, the iconic high street chain aims to nurture young design talent, allowing them to break into the mainstream with an accessible capsule collection on sale nationwide.

For AW13, River Island have scored serious fashion points in cherry-picking Eudon Choi as their latest guest designer. 

One of London's leading young creatives, Korean-born Eudon is best known for his artfully crafted coats and expertly themed RTW collections. For Autumn/Winter his show was a resounding hit with the fashion crowd; his Russian-inspired collection both wearable and feminine, while remaining suitably directional.

Style.com images- Eudon Choi AW (see more here)

With a background in menswear design, Eudon Choi brings together masculine tailoring with elegant detailing and forgiving cuts. And it really is little wonder that his covetable coats have been a particular hit with the sartorially savvy.

Precise and luxurious; I am keen to see how Eudon Choi's distinctive aesthetic will translate into a high street collection. River Island today revealed that the range will focus on Eudon Choi's design principles, fusing them with the wearability so valued by the River Island customer. 

But will the magic be lost? I much doubt it, but we shall have to wait until September to make a judgment on that. 

Style.com images- Eudon Choi AW (see more here)

Four Reasons : Isabel Marant Pour H&M

If you follow me on Twitter, you may have read a rather insightful, eloquent and emotional tweet this morning :

SWfashion_: "OHMYGOD MARANT FOR H&M OHMYGOD OHMYGOD"

Think on, ladies and gents, tis practically poetry.

Jesting aside, this morning it was revealed that the latest designer joining the ranks of Stella McCartney, Karl Lagerfeld and Lanvin in collaborating with H&M is Isabel Marant. Known for her instantly recognisable breed of insouciant elegance, Isabel Marant's RTW label never fails to capture the zeitgeist.

With her contemporary and feminine aesthetic coveted from coast to coast, it is little wonder that Isabel Marant Pour H&M has fashion girls - and boys, as she's also doing menswear- in a bit of a tizz.

The Parisian doyenne of all things nouveau-boho,  Isabel Marant is the leading force behind a string of the most successful trends of recent years, and is thus among the most powerful women in the contemporary fashion industry.

Though she does offer an equally divine diffusion line, Etoilé Isabel Marant, the Isabel Marant label has always been aspirational for most. Thank heavens- or Hennes- that we can now all get a little piece of the action without emptying our bank accounts. Come November 14th, that is.

So, will you be heading up the queue at your local H&M for this ever-exciting designer collaboration, or are you less than impressed with the news of this latest collaboration?

If, for some reason unknown to me, you fall into the latter, then please do let me plead my case.

Here are four reasons to get excited about Isabel Marant Pour H&M...

Images from Style.com (see here)

1. Isabel Marant single handedly made Hawaiian prints sexy with her Spring Summer 2013 collection. This devilish little monochrome dress is very much a case in point, particularly when paired with these luscious 'Elvis' sandals, which offer the look a touch of Americana glamour. Can you tell I loved the SS13 collection, yet?..

2. She is the lady behind the reinvention of the varsity jacket, with her SS11 collection leading the way. This nonchalant jacket paired with pastel drainpipes and a string vest (she also brought that one back) was a standout look of the season, and the baseball jacket has been a style staple since. Never for one second did I imagine I would find myself coveting a varsity jacket in the same way I would a Stella blazer or ACNE biker, but Marant certainly proved me wrong.

3. Isabel Marant is the queen of leather pants. Never too tight and cropped to the ankle in butter-soft leather, Marant's leather pants are a timeless and sure to become a future classic. In addition, let us not forget that Isabel Marant is also a master of offsetting the cool-girl edge of her leather drainpipes with feminine blouses.

4. Just as she revived the varsity jacket, Isabel Marant brought a whole new meaning to Sports Luxe with her SS2012 collection. This red-hot look with tie-dye denim and worn, slouchy baseball top very much embodies the spirit of the Parisian designer- fresh, modern, flattering and effortless. 

Sunny Day Sparkles: Swarovski Crystallized by Shourouk

I am a magpie, which you should all know by now. I love absolutely anything sparkly and my latest obsession is Shourouk jewellery (check out my post here)- so much so that it is even my cover photo on Facebook.

It's so twinkling, so bright, so beautifully uplifting! It is everything one could possibly want in a piece of designer costume jewellery, and my "Celiné bag fund" has shifted once again from "The Prada fund" to my "Shourouk jewellery fund."

It's even sold out in Matches and i'm reliably informed that this jewellery label is a huge hit in the middle East... Get it before it all goes ladies, and if you don't feel like getting on the waiting list, stick around a little longer to splurge on Shourouk's collaboration with Swarovski Crystallized, which I first clocked at the lovely TCS press day last week.

Drawing on the motifs and aesthetic from her mainline collections, Shourouk's collection for Swarovski is suitably twinkly with divine fluorescent touches for a fashion-forward edge. I adore the friendship bracelets with jumbo jewels juxtaposed with the starkly modern neon pink rope.

For something rather more classic, which differentiates from the current Spring collection, these emerald green crystal earrings are the perfect statement piece to work through to the party season. They truly are dazzling... You're not in Kansas anymore, sweetie.

Though the collection is not exactly affordable, it need not be when it is so phenomenally beautiful. This dark showstopper with ribbon and gleaming crystals is a perfect piece for all manner of dark and dastardly occasions. I'd pair with a simple white tee (I know- i'm so boring) and velvet L'Agence trousers for the most decadent look imaginable.

For something devilish for evening, I would work this necklace with an incredible leather ruched dress I spotted in the Maje collection for Autumn/Winter. Chic. Chic. CHIC.

These earrings complement the afore mentioned necklace wonderfully, but I must admit that the two together could be a little too much - even for me!

I know that many of you do not share my affinity with chunky, glittering statement necklaces, but for you guys there are gleaming minimalist cuffs and these adorable earrings to pair with a dishevelled up-do and strapless evening gown.

Find out more about Swarovski Crystallized collections here and stay tuned for stockists/ availability.

Margiela for H&M!

NARS Andy Warhol nail polish in Dark Room, £14
Mulberry Pendant
Zara Clutch Bag
Martin Margiela for H&M Dress, £69.99
MAWI Ring £215
Elinda Shoes at Kurt Geiger £119 in sale

Self Depreciation is the New Black

1. Ashish at Topshop £20 in SALE (act fast - only sizes 6 and 10 left online as I write this)
2. GEEK tee at Topshop Petite £18 (it comes in regular too but it's a tad too long for my liking!)

Yesterday, standing in the Topshop changing rooms, I faced a dramatic dilemma. Which of these self depreciating t-shirts should I make my own?

A truly life-changing decision, I know. I am aware that I am both a geek and a loser, but which one is more apt?.. Perhaps I should have done a public vote. 

 

In the heat of the moment, though, I plumped for the ASHISH at Topshop number, a tee that I have been lusting over since Fashion Week, purely because I preferred the sleeves (the GEEK one isn't such a fan of my doughy upper arms.) 

You may find my fondness for these slogan tees somewhat odd, but arrogance is far overrated. I am willing, now more than ever, to embrace my LOSER status because...

A) I love cheese jokes. Not cheesy jokes...Jokes about cheese.

WHAT CHEESE DO YOU USE TO ENCOURAGE A BEAR?

CAMEMBERT...

B) I have a list of my top five dog breeds. Sexy.

C) I wear thermals, a lot, and I have even worn them to nightclubs. 

See, self depreciation is so in this season!

Tempted by Tempest...

William Tempest's fabulous sketches for the designs

Snippets from the collection:
1. Sequin Shirt Dress £100
2. Sequin Flapper Dress £150
3. Sequin Crop Top £65
4. Cut-Out Shoe Boots £100

1. William Tempest at River Island Flapper Dress £150
2. River Island Limited Edition Pale Pink T-Bar Heels £55
3. River Island Pearl and Diamante Head Piece (as seen here) £20

You all know that i'm a sucker for a fabulous collaboration so imagine my excitement when I laid eyes on the William Tempest designs for high street favourite River Island.

The fabulous William Tempest, an alumni of LCF, has designed this capsule collection for the exciting River Island design forum and it is truly beautiful- pieces that were made for the party season!

Drawing inspiration from art deco and ancient Egypt, the collection is full of decadent embellished pieces ready to grace any party girl's wardrobe.

My pick has to be this flapper dress that i've styled up above! I think it is truly stunning and certainly does not befit the £150 price tag- it looks far more expensive than that.

I think for Halloween I may go as a flapper girl... Just to give me an excuse to buy it!

The collection is in stores this month from selected River Island shops and online!

Ways To Wear: JW Anderson for Topshop

1. JW Anderson for Topshop Zebra Prints Skinny Pants £49.99 (available Friday 14th)
2. River Island Tee £10
3. The Kooples Dinner Jacket £340
4. Kat Maconie Heels (available online) £230
5. Zara Statement Necklace £17.99

1. Kurt Geiger Boots £295
2. JW Anderson at Topshop Tartan Tee £49.99
3. J Brand Major in Black at ATELIER-TO-GO (best. fit. ever.) £205
4. MAWI Bangle £284
5. Zara Stud Detail Clutch £79.99

Topshop really are the best at collaborations- sorry, H&M, but I will give you a close second!

After their fabulous Olympic themed collab with Ashish and all those lustworthy arty dresses by the godly Mary Katrantzou, Topshop have done it once again with a truly stellar collection by industry favourite JW Anderson.

Just as fashion's elite descend on London ready for LFW, the debut collection will hit Topshop stores. Cue stampedes, sharpened elbows and Valentino-induced injuries. I jest, of course, but I would recommend checking it out. 

There are some amazing statement pieces in this collection that exude high fashion eccentricity. From the kooky but oddly covetable tartan separates through to the gorgeous motif knits, I am a little bit smitten. What I love about this collection is that it is truly refreshing- I suppose that is what makes Irish-born JW Anderson such an exciting name in the industry.

His extensive collection includes almost a hundred pieces ranging from pinafores through to lollipops and iPhone covers and I can't wait to get shopping. Read all about the inspirations and feast your eyes on the full collection on the Topshop website (here).

From all the gorgeous pieces though, I had to pick out these two (styled up above). As a Scot, how could I NOT covet this tartan tee? And as for the zebra print trousers... Well, they are zebra print trousers, surely that is reason enough?

Unfortunately due to circumstances I am unable to attend LFW (crying that I am missing PPQ in particular) but I shall console myself with a whole lotta JW Anderson for Topshop. 

What are your favourite pieces from the collection? 

Jade Green With Envy?

Yesterday saw the launch of the much anticipated debut shoe collection by Topshop heiress Chloe Green- CJG. Despite being subject to a great deal of bitchy criticism, MIC starlet Chloe has been working on her first shoe collection for a good while now, and I have to say that I am surprised with the high quality of the resulting collection.

Firstly you may have noticed that Chloe Jade Green has trademarked her shoes with a Louboutin-esque jade green sole. Some are mocking this decision, but I think it actually looks really cute! In saying that, i'm a little bit in love with Tiffany blue so am immediately drawn to anything in a remotely similar colour. 

The SS12 collection really is not bad. I love the emerald glitter peep-toes for their all-out glitzy gorgeousness, but I really adore the Misha tan woven wedges which are perfect leg lengtheners (they have sold out unfortunately!) 

Chloe drew inspiration from pretty illustrations of hearts, skulls and florals as well as experimenting with fabrics and trims to create a feminine but sexy collection of shoes. 

Not everyone will be convinced though, the shoes do not come cheap and there appears to be a slight incongruity within the collection- but largely I am very impressed with Ms Green's first foray into design.

I may be contradicting my usual thoughts on celebrity designers (read the ruthless stuff here), but I am almost tempted to buy a pair... (get them HERE and at Topshop!)

What do you think of Chloe's first shoe collection?