Jean-Charles de Castelbajac SS12

I was very surprised by Jean-Charles de Castelbajac this season….although there were some of his trademark over-the-top cartoony pieces, such as the Mickey Mouse dress and the grid coat, this collection seemed a lot more somber than he is known for. I was a bit disappointed that his collection was less fun and zany than usual, but I think he does serious well; that little star and cloud dress with the sheer is beautiful, as were all of his wonderful coats and jackets and armour-inspired pieces. I’m just really hoping that this isn’t a permanent change of focus for him, because he is one of the rare designers who infuses a genuine sense of fun and playfulness in his work.

Photos via Style.com

Random Photos from LFW

London Fashion Week is over :( Time to catch up on sleep and sort through photos!

“Fashion trend inspired” cocktails at the Trafalger Hotel. Shouldn’t cocktails always come with nail polish?

Male models were passing out Snog frozen yogurt at Vauxhall…awesome. 

Glam Media/Rimmel London had an awesome hotel room set up for bloggers and press to chill out, have some champagne, and untangle uncooperative XLR cables like I’m doing here;

Shooting interviews with Lewis and feeling very short.

Some of the 1883 Team; Me with Lewis and then me with Lucy (more here);

Be sure and watch the videos we made throughout fashion week! 1883 Digital

LFW Day Three with Lewis Taylor

Day three of London Fashion Week, brought to you by Lewis Taylor and 1883 Magazine! Video by me.

Vauxhall Fashion Scout – Men’s Casting Video

Here’s a video I shot with 1883 Magazine, presented by the hilarious Lewis Taylor!

Gareth Pugh AW11

McQueen SS11

Possibly the most anticipated show of Spring 2011 Paris Fashion Week was Alexander McQueen, as it was their first womenswear show designed in the late Lee McQueen’s absence. It was all eyes on Sarah Burton, the new head designer, yet she somehow managed to deliver under the pressure. It couldn’t have been an easy to job to stick to the house trademarks of meticulous tailoring, dark influences and edgy, otherworldly designs, without simply regurgitating Lee Alexander’s previous designs…but the critics have weighed in and it looks like she pulled it off, all while adding her own flair.

“In an extraordinarily beautiful show, Burton succeeded in both being faithful to the late designer’s distinctive design ethos while taking the label into a new era.” -The Guardian “A tour-de-force that channeled McQueen’s darkly surreal style, remodeling his signature elements into strange and beautiful confections that managed to be at the same time new and reassuringly familiar.” -Associated Press

“A show laden with emotion that was made even more remarkable because of how right she got it.” – Vogue.com UK

“Inspired, this time, by the anatomy of the woman who chooses to wear it and by the flora and fauna of the natural world, it was both technically and artistically perfect.” -The Independent

“Sarah Burton … revived the late designer’s challenging legacy with a brilliant first collection imbued with a pagan, bohemian spirit and featuring spectacular hand-crafted detail.” -The Daily Telegraph

Photos by Sonny Vandevelde via A Shaded View on Fashion

Beauty Confession

Hey guys, I am now a contributing writer for fashion blog Beauty Confessional!  Here are my posts so far, feel free to check them out! Thanks again for all your support and your readership :)

The highly anticipated Alexa Chung for Madewell collection is finally for sale, but not for long! The 25-piece collection, which consists of graphic tees, blouses, vintage-style smock dresses, jackets…Continue reading.

Everyone’s favorite WAG, ex-Spice Girl and British Fashion Awards nominee Victoria Beckham just unveiled her Spring 2011 collection at New York Fashion Week. Although the collection featured…Continue reading.

Audrey Kitching is known for being pretty, petite, and, well, pink. Her signature cotton candy tresses tend to get her noticed, but not always appreciated…Continue reading.

Legendary

Met BryanBoy this weekend…epic :)

That’s Not a Bird, It’s a Butterfly

I didn’t really grow up in a typical American family that watched baseball games and owned all the Disney movies on VHS, but we did have Bambi and I watched it on loop when I was little. Thumper was kind of a hero of mine, and what do you know, so is Jean-Charles de Castelbajac and his Bambi-themed Fall 2010 collection.

I don’t know about you guys but I definitely need some Bambi shoes in my life. More photos from the runway after the jump;

DIFW Day Two:

For day two of Drooling Isn’t Fashion Week, I just had to post this Chanel SS10 “Focus on Accessories” video, even though it was from last fashion week. It’s just so beautiful to look at the details on serene models, including Karl Lagerfeld’s current favorite, the ever-fierce Freja Beha Erichsen. I adore the hair and styling…this video sort of makes you hold your breath as you would if you were this close to Chanel haute couture.

It also goes to show that all you really need to make an incredible video lookbook is some high key lighting, a gentle wind machine, a relatively steady camera and a gorgeous collection. Oh, and it doesn’t hurt to feature some of the best bone structure in the industry.

Baubles & Beads

I love this little beaded vest by Gryphon, its such a fun layering piece. I’m not usually one for sparkles and beads and such, which is why I’ve chosen to entirely ignore the recent sequin trend, but this piece is understated enough for me. It’s currently on sale on Gilt for those who are members…if anyone needs an invitation code for Gilt, shoot me an email.

Also just thought I’d mention why Drooling Isn’t Pretty hasn’t been covering the various fashion shows right now. Although I do have lots to say about the current collections, I don’t feel like I have anything important to add to the discussion at this time because I’m not actually attending any of the shows. D.I.P. will continue doing its own thing unless I see something I absolutely have to write about.

-Drooling Isn’t Pretty :)