Georgia Hardinge Sample Sale

Yesterday I went to Georgia Hardinge‘s first sample sale in Hackney. This was probably the best sample sale I’ve ever been to in terms of the atmosphere; usually you have to shop with a bunch of people glaring at you and the designer either hovers in the background judging you or simply is not present. Georgia, on the other hand, greeted everyone who came in and cheerfully showed them all her wonderful pieces. (Also, there were cupcakes!!!)

Here is what I got;

I’m sort of dying over this jacket but it wasn’t at the sale! Check out the rest of her collections on her website.

Meadham Kirchhoff SS12

Meadham and Kirchhoff, always a highlight of LFW, delivered clown chic at its best for their Spring 2012 show in an explosion of pastel candy fluff coats, sequined and fringed hotpants, lacy trim, tartan and teddy bear appliqués. WINNING COMBINATION, I daresay. I really wish I’d seen this show in person, it looked like a massive party with balloons, streamers and ballerinas at the end.

Photos via Style.com

Sample Sale Extravaganza

Thought I’d share my recent sample sale treasures…this one is Christopher Kane from the Spring 2009 dinosaur/Planet of the Apes-inspired collection;

This one is Christopher Kane as well, from Fall 2009. I feel like its too special too wear at the moment…but I’m sure I’ll cave in sooner or later :D

I went to the Emma Cook sample sale with Una last Friday…we must have spent over an hour debating what to get…there were so many amazing dresses and beautiful prints! I fell for the jellyfish print of course, and this lace-print jumpsuit that I am tempted to live in from now on. Its so light if feels like you are walking around naked in a little cloud rather than in clothes. I’m too lazy to find runway/lookbook photos of these but let me know if you know what season they are!Product shots Drooling Isn’t Photogenic, runway shots Style.com.

1883 – Free Range: Arts University College Bournemouth 2011

I covered the Free Range Art & Design: Arts University College Bournemouth 2011 fashion show for 1883 Magazine. Read my article on 1883 Blog.

The Arts University College Bournemouth Fashion Design and Technology catwalk show took place on Truman Brewery, located in London’s trendy Brick Lane in front of an equally fashion forward audience. After a short film viewing, (‘The Flux’ by Nancy Hamshire), the 2^nd year collections took over the runway as part of Bournemouth’s “Season One” debut.

The show opened with Lara Skowronska’s “A box of Delights”, a very nude womenswear collection of sheer body suits with panels of glittery fabric, beaded fringe or a sparkly waistcoat, as well as some more wearable designs like the flowy metallic tunic worn over leggings. Next was a menswear collection entitled “Fleshtone” by designer Rory Payne; the colour palette was strictly nudes, beige and white with wide and lowcut necklines, pointed shoulders on crop tops, satins and exposed torsos.

Other 2^nd year collections included Hannah Bingham’s “Circus Freak” men and women’s looks, (using classic materials such as red tartan and grey pinstripe with unusual details and silhouettes),  and Esme Bradshaw’s “Gothic Glamour” women’s collection of black satin and lace eveningwear.

The loudest round of applause and easily the highlight of the show was when 3^rd year honours kidswear designer Emily Knight‘s crew of child models took the runway looking like a toddler version of Where’s Wally? With preppy striped red white and blue pieces, accessorized with headbands, a straw hat and Wally-esque round glasses, the collection, (entitled “Hangin’ Out”) was young and playful yet stylish.

Another strong collection among the 3^rd year students was “Medusa”, a womenswear collection by Ivy Santos that closed the show with bright red and orange hues on floaty fabrics contrasted with solid grey pieces and tights. Inspired by jellyfish, the collection featured bubble hems, ruching and draping on flowing dresses, grey bloomers paired with an oversized two-tone peasant top and tentacle-like red ribbons on the model’s ankles.

1883 Magazine

Written by Emma Freed

Photography by Matt Parfitt

Disposable

Boots keeps having these two-for-one deals on Kodak Funsavers, those cheap disposable cameras that always seem to come out with the most spontaneous, crappy, awesome pictures. I bought a bunch of them and I’ve been carrying them around in my purse for a few weeks now, so here are some highlights.

London has been super sunny! It was short lived as its freezing today but it was nice to see the sun for once. You can’t tell here but the sky was actually blue.

I bought a that JCDC bag I was obsessing over…it was 50% so I had to.

Liberty had a CRAZY shoe sale, rows and rows of discounted designer shoes. I still couldn’t afford anything but I was tempted by the teel patent Pradas.

Amazing coffee. And amazing cocktails at this all you can eat sushi place. Green tea mojitos…yesss.

At school with my friend Pennie, and enjoying a rum jug in Brick Lane with Una.

Spitalfields Market, London

My gorgeous friend Una and I spent our Thursday doing “research” for “college”. Non-fashion students sometimes like to call that “shopping”. Whatever you want to call it, we chose to check out the vintage and antique stands at Spitalfields Market. People were selling anything from spoons to shearling coats to sewing machines…there were racks and racks of fur and so many antique cameras and photographs.

Una found this fox fur that by some miracle was dyed the exact same colour as the coat she was wearing;

These shoes were so fun. They were way too big for me but I hope someone buys them and loves them and wears them everywhere;

Thought tempted, we resisted the pastries.

We then hop-skipped over to Brick Lane for an epic hotdog, photobooth photos at Rough Trade and some vintage shopping.

How genius is this cookie monster sweater? Pretty fucking genius. Beyond Retro has a tutu rainbow;

Overall a very productive day. I love Brick Lane during the week when its all empty and gray :) Its one of my favorite spots in London, even though the vintage is super expensive. I ended up getting a super ridiculous pink and black parachute jumpsuit, (which Una said she couldn’t wear with a straight face), and some little bloomers I like to wear over tights. I’ll post pictures eventually if I have a day where my hair doesn’t look like a ginger dandelion.

Red Velvet Cupcakes + Lanvin H&M

All photos copyright Drooling Isn’t Photogenic

After whining extensively about how over-hyped the Lanvin Hearts H&M collection is, guess who woke up at 6:30am to go stand outside the Oxford Street H&M this morning? Moi. Dhruv of The Fashion Meal and I were among the hoards of crazy people fashionistas that were willing to brave the cold and wrath of over-caffeinated Lanvin-crazed shoppers to get first dibs on the collection.

Fortunately, neither Dhruv nor I had any interest in the womenswear, so we didn’t have to line up and get wristbands and all that jazz. We just marched in with a gaggle of asian fashionistos and impeccably dressed men who descended upon the small section devoted to Lanvin menswear like a pack of ravenous (yet fabulous) designer-starved wolves.

The sunglasses disappeared in approximately 19 seconds, but Dhruv managed to grab me the LAST pair. Honestly I don’t think I would have bought them if people hadn’t been scrabbling madly for them, but they are selling for a pretty penny on eBay so I have no regrets. I really wish H&M hadn’t made the section so tiny and only put out a few sizes of each item out at a time, but I think it was to intentionally create an atmosphere of urgency so people would buy more. I guess it worked.

Dhruv was SO happy. He got the wonderful shiny brogues. We had to flip a coin to decide between the brown and the blue…let’s just say it took several coin flips.

After the chaos we needed fuel so we got mini red velvet cupcakes from the Lola’s inside Topshop. I LOVE red velvet cupcakes, especially mini ones, and I think I got more excited about these than the Lanvin launch. I wish I had gotten like, a zillion of them.

Some people bought SO MUCH STUFF. They were spending thousands of dollars…that’s pretty intense for a high street brand. It’s crazy what a name can do for a brand.

Did you guys get anything from the collection? Or want anything?

Go Vintage or Go Home

Today was the Affordable Vintage Fair at Bethnal Green, sponsored by Rag&Bow. As recently I’ve been on this intense vintage kick, I have been excited about this for weeks. For only £2 entry fee,  we had access to loads of heavily discounted vintage stalls from all over England and, as an added bonus, a mobile tea & cake shop. Needless to say, it was AWESOME. I got a really cute skirt for only £9. All photos by Drooling Isn’t Photogenic.

In other news, HOLY BOLERO its cold in London these days. Got caught in the middle of an unexpected yet brief hail storm in Brick Lane today. Also I thought this sign was really great, its kind of hard to read in the photo but it says “The Devil wears Prada but the people wear £5 Plimsoles”

Fall Essentials

Today was a beautiful foggy day in London, check out my view! I’ve always really loved the fog, and I’ve been spoiled in terms of gray weather; London, Paris, Monterey, San Francisco…all gray, foggy cities.

Anyway, now that I am in a thoroughly Autumnal mood, I thought I’d post my fall essentials list.

• Leopard print crop jacket from Topshop. As far as I’m concerned, leopard print is ALWAYS an essential. I’ve been wearing this jacket way too often.
• Comme des Garcon‘s “Wonderwood“. I already rambled on about it here and here but I think its the perfect fall fragrance…very warm and not flowery at all.
• Nars matte red lipstick…I’m really liking red lips right now, even though I didn’t used to be a lipstick person. Now I wear it almost every day.
• Doc Marten Divas. I don’t actually own these, but I love them and I think they would fit in nicely with my fall wardrobe (HA! Excuses).
• Bandanas/Head scarves. My hair is in that awkward growing out period. Actually its been in that awkward stage for over a year now but the best way to keep me from hacking it all off in frustration is to cover it with a scarf.
• Peter-Pan collars. I’m not sure why but I love these little collars on everything lately…this one is Topshop but its funner to find vintage dresses with this feature.

Rainy Days Yellow Bags

Being back in London means rainy days in red buses, easier access to Dazed and Confused, and of course, SELFRIDGES! People go there just to see the beautiful window displays and carry around those iconic yellow shopping bags. I went today (in the rain) to pick up the Comme des Garcons perfume I’ve been obsessing over; “Wonderwood”.

This is the first perfume that I’ve ever actually wanted to wear…I think I love it because it smells warm and cozy, and there’s nothing flowery about it, just woody, spicy, yuminess.

What’s your fragrance?

Tied Eye

This weeks top five, in photo blog form.

Chanel Particulière and tie-dye. I’ve been rocking a lot of tie-dye lately as a tribute to my hometown…I’ve been missing the San Francisco Bay. Also, I totally have grandpa hands.

This is an “Emma’s eye view” of my creeper shoes which I will continue to wear despite my fellow fashion blogger Elle’s protests and threats to burn them if I don’t start wearing something else.

Also sporting my new purse from Zara’s fancier collection. I’ve been looking for a new bag for ages, and I was pleased to find that it was real leather.

Here of course is the little camera necklace I’ve been obsessing over.

Camden reminds me of Haight Ashbury, so of course I feel at home there, despite the overabundance of confused tourists.

Last but not least, my new Alexander McQueen scarf that I got as a graduation present :) I think its been making me lose weight as I wear it all the time and refuse to take it off or eat in it, lest I get croissant crumbs on it. Bonus?

I can just hear Tyra Banks yelling “There’s no life in your eyes! Smile with your eyes honey!” about this photo but she can suck it because I’m not a model. The scarf can speak for itself.

:)

Bleue a Lèvres

I had been planning to go to the Space NK Lime Crime launch party at the Tottenham Court Road store where Lime Crime founder Doe Deere was presenting her “Candyfuture” range of lipsticks and eyeshadows. Unfortunately, I was unable to get back to London because of the volcano in Iceland so I missed the event :(

I finally made it back by train this week and I was still determined to get the blue lipstick I have been coveting…so I went and picked it up (the shade is called “No She Didn’t”) and ended up really wanting  a gorgeous orange shade called “My Beautiful Rocket” and the lilac one called “D’Lilac”. What can I say, I was smitten with the adorable pink display and all the unicorns. I’ll probably start a collection, hee hee.

I tried to do an artsy-fartsy photoshoot but ended up looking like a goober as usual, but anyway here are my “best shots”.

Please Don’t Touch

I got to see some Christopher Kane pieces in person at the Design Museum in South London. This dress stood out because a) its black sheer, and we all know how I feel about that and b) the bubbly sleeves are adorable and a refreshing new take on fashion’s recent obsession with shoulder/sleeve interest.

I think my favorite thing about London has been getting to see all these exciting new fashion-oriented things that I never see back home…here I feel like I’m in the center of invention and cutting edge fashion :)

Photo by Drooling Isn’t Photogenic.

Announcements

My “to post” folder is rather daunting right now; I have so many posts planned I’m not sure where to begin! So I figured I would start by giving you fine readers a little heads up on what to expect on Drooling Isn’t Pretty in the upcoming weeks.

• I have decided to start a street style category to show you guys how fabulous London is. I carry my camera around everywhere anyway and I’m always seeing people with the craziest styles, so I figured I should start documenting!
• I’m backlogged on my Vimeo weekly space allowance right now but I have a video blog coming up, soon to be followed by a video interview with fellow fashion blogger Voguish Glares of Publicity.
• I have dropped my “Top Five of the Week” and “Style Icon of the Week” categories (in case you haven’t noticed). Although I will definitely still post top five lists and style inspirations, I haven’t been keeping up with them weekly and I think its better to just let them happen when I’m inspired to write them.
• This just in: You guys rock for reading my blog, and your comments and emails make my day. Thank you for reading!

Thats all for now, folks!

-Drooling Isn’t Pretty

Your Shades Lie

Ray Ban rings from my new obsession, Your Eyes Lie. My friend and I are always lurking around the Soho store…such fun designs.

Little Piece of History

Great Frog

Today was spent window shopping in Soho, as most of my Saturdays are. Along with double Jack & Cokes and photo opps at the White Horse pub, my friend and I have a tradition of drooling in the window of The Great Frog jewelry store. Finally we decided it was time to go in, and so we braved entering the relatively harmless looking shop, me restraining my debit card with all my might.

The pieces are all hand-made and metal inspired, with skulls, crosses, wolf heads and Colt .45′s galore. My favorites were of course the ones with a sense of humor, like the “Michael Mouse” skull ring and the one with the top hat. There were also some really rad bone necklaces and McQueen-esque studded skull pendents and rings.

“Every piece of jewellery sold within the walls of The Great Frog is hand carved and crafted on site, at the shop on Ganton Street, Soho. Having produced bespoke pieces for a cross section of the fashion & music industry since 1972, including the Worlds Rock legends; Metallica, Iron Maiden, Motorhead, Slash & Aerosmith, The Great Frog are pioneers in hand crafted, iconic statement jewellery and originators of the skull ring”.

If they really are the originators of the skull ring, they probably wouldn’t be thrilled with me calling them “McQueen-esque”, but in any case I highly recommend this shop. Apparently they also do custom, and they sell online. Also, on the subject of this top hat skull, does anyone remember that I have a shirt with the EXACT SAME PRINT? Match made in heaven, right?????

Augmented Reality

I really need to get the new Dazed as soon as I get back to London…amazing!!!!

There are pages encoded with a symbol that allows you to play fashion films on their website…how cool is that? I’ll do a post about it as soon as I get a hold of the issue when I get home…so excited!!!

Sartorial Locomotion

The London College of Fashion is hosting a series of lectures about fashion film…right up my alley! The last one was brilliant, I highly recommend attending if you are interested in this growing field of filmmaking. Here are the details on the next lecture:

Wednesday 3 March 2010
17:30hrs RHS Space LCF
“Fashion Film Curation”
Agnes Rocamora, LCF, in conversation with Marketa Uhlirova, the director of the Fashion In Film Festival, on the issues facing the curator of historic and contemporary films featuring fashion.

More details here.

All Day All Saints

I wish Allsaints wasn’t so expensive…I love the kind of a casual boho-rock aesthetic with lots of black leather and colour mixed through. The shop display on Kensington was gorgeous too, they had racks and racks of old Singer sewing machines along the windows.

I had to restrain myself TWICE from buying the following pieces, once at their section in Selfridges and once at the Kensington Church St. store. I adore the coat tails on the jacket, and the cross necklace looks much better in person; the crosses are heavily oxidized and some of them are a rusty Statue of Liberty copper green. Both are available online.