A quick snippet of Spring/Summer 2012 Couture

As a fashion promotion student, I am meant to know what's going on where and when and who's going to it... or so they say! Part of this includes looking at all the catwalks of every fashion week from every country going... BORING! Obviously I'm a great lover of fashion, I wouldn't have spent the last five years studying it if that wasn't the case, but I like to check out what’s happening, who's doing what, in my own time.

Like last week, I decided to have a look on style.com as I hadn't in so long and realised it was Couture week in Paris, woops, totally forgot about that one (bad fashion student!) I love couture collections because I find it's a way for the designers to go all out in individual pieces. So I started looking through and noticed a lot of the collections had a definite vintage feel to them... I always like looking at collections like this because it makes me feel nostalgic and all warm and fuzzy because they're creating pieces that look like they've stepped out of my favourite eras, if a designer can do that than they've got my vote!

I know I tend to write more about vintage and pin up stuff but I see if contemporary designers are creating retro inspired bits then it needs to be celebrated, so here are a few of my favourite outfits from the Spring/summer couture shows.

First we have my favourite designer of all time, Christian Dior, after all the controversy that happened with John Galliano at Dior, Bill Gaytten has currently took the reins for his second couture show at Dior, and this one showed the New Look from a different angle, using extravagant sheer fabrics and heavily constructed garments that gave it a retro, lady like feel but still made it look very edgy.

I love this outfit, it is something that could easily be worn out for dinner, the red and white dog tooth gives it that vintage feel; however the sheer cross over jacket with the bow on the side makes it look distinctive yet chic.

This dress just reminded me of Betty Draper from Mad Men, such a simple pencil dress but the detailing in the fabric is phenomenal, I love the gradient from black to white, so classic, I love that it is kept simple with just a necklace for accessories.

The finale pieces are always amazing, I must admit I did think at first these girls looked a bit like toilet roll holders but I still adore the detailing of the skirts. Bill Gaytten has dramatised the new look and made the focus of the hourglass very powerful but yet it is still elegant.

It makes me wonder how much fabric goes into pieces such as this one because look at all that net!! This piece is kept retro with the polka dot print on the bodice of the dress and the giant bow on the models waist, how cute! Once again I love the different shades in the skirt; it brings the garment to life!

Next designer is Alexis Mabille, now I'm going to be honest I hadn't really heard of this designer before but their collection really stood out to me, I think it was more from a styling point of view rather than the designs themselves. Here's a few that caught my eye.

 The style of this dress was so eye catching to me, I wouldn't completely say it's got that vintage style to it but it's a great pencil dress and they look good on anyone! I love the lace detailing on the sides so it creates an hourglass shape which every lady wants of course!

 This, I thought was just beautiful, the embroidery and the detailing, not forgetting the gorgeous aqua shade of the dress itself, if it was just a tad longer it would be the perfect evening dress to a vintage ball!

Ahh I love this one, so elegant and I love the layering of the skirt, it looks like a lace petticoat, so pretty and the colour is so calm and classic. What I love about this whole collection is the giant flowers on the models head and the matching coloured faces, it made quite a simple and classic collection have that wow factor, and this is why I love styling! 

Finally we have Elie Saab, I just wanted to try on every single dress in this collection, oh it was so glamorous, the colour palette was truly beautiful and every dress looked like it could have been something Grace Kelly would have worn! 

Pastel greens and pinks were the colour palette for this collection, you can see how much thought went into each dress because of all the detailing in the print and the embellishment, The bottom left picture reminds me of something Grace Kelly wore once I think to an award ceremony, the high neckline is so flattering and feminine, it just oozes forties glamour. The one on the right I love it has such a strong hour glass shape to it and I love the round neckline, this style was quite popular in the fifties and sixties and it just suits the style of this dress so much, I want it in my life!! I think I am partial to a bit of pastel colouring at the moment, which is never a bad thing!!

So there we have a snippet of the spring/ summer couture collections I love

Until Next Time

Toodle Pip

Xxx

Bettina presents to you : Stop Traffic Clothing

Ladies! are you after a new dress for the up and coming Christmas parties? I came across a fab company that stocks American clothing brands such as Bettie Page Clothing, Stop Staring as well as many British companies such as Miss Fortune. They are none other than Stop Traffic clothing, they stock 1950s reproduction clothing for all you aspiring pin up girls out there.

Inspired by women of the golden age of Glamour such as Grace Kelly and Marilyn Monroe, Stop Traffic clothing has a dress for every lady, I was just looking on their site and have already made a mental list of what to buy, bad huh?!

If you want to go all out for an event you may have coming up soon, go have a browse at some of the delights they have in stock.

Now how glamorous is this? Hell for saving this for the staff party,

 I'd wear it to uni!

Owner and all round vintage lover Rebecca McWattie hunts high and low for these beauts, from all over Britain to the other side of the pond in America, now if that isn't personal service, I don't know what is!

Rebecca says:'For some women they want a special occasion dress, others want to incorporate Retro into their lives. Lots of our customers love to wear the 50s dresses dancing, especially the 50s style petticoats. Since the hit TV series 'Mad Men' there has definitely been a huge interest.'

The fact that Rebecca knows what her customer is looking for makes this site extra special and shows that she isn't just another company jumping on the 'vintage bandwagon'.

glamorous Rebecca has an interest in everything retro since she was a teenager

after watching the timeless MGM films

Some of the latest designs instore by Stop Staring
As well as seeing glamour gals wearing these dresses
celebrities such as Paris Hilton and Nicole Kidman have been seen spotted

wearing their designs so you know you're getting high quality glad rags.

Stop Traffic clothing are currently running a competition for all their customers in collaboration with

The Powder Room

The prize is you get £150 to spend online at Stop Traffic Clothing, a vintage make-over at The Powder Room and a signed copy of Style Me Vintage: Make-up by Katie Reynolds.

To enter just email your full name and telephone number to sales@stoptrafficclothing.com

Competition closes December 31st 2011 and winner will be drawn at random on 2nd January 2012

 

You know I think I might have to enter this one, sounds a bit too good to be true! So ladies go for it, you never know you might be able to get your self kitted out for the up and coming seasons, Gents why don't you send your ladies name in, she'll never stop thanking you if she wins!

Until Next Time

Toodle Pip

xxx

Truely an amazing Grace

This week I went on a two day trip to London with my parents as a little trip away (I've noticed how different it is in the distance when I live at home to when I live at University, a trip to London from home is a biiiig deal, where as at university it's as easy as popping to the shop for a pint of milk). The main reason was to go shopping of course, however there was the Grace Kelly exhibition too that I've been waiting to see for months now as every time I have gone to visit it, it has been sold out!

Outside the exhibition wearing a vintage
 50s gab shirt and 60s Enid Collins style bag

   So after a dreary early morning start (who would believe how dark it is at 5am on an August morning!) we dropped our bags off at our b&;b and headed to the Victoria and Albert museum where the exhibition was being held. Even after countless times of visiting this museum, I'm still in awe of the building and the permanent exhibitions they have. So once mum and dad had took their jaws off the ground we had a quick wander around the museum with me as their tour guide!

Dresses from High Society

  

    

   We headed to the exhibition at 4pm and it was packed! I had seen a sign previously at the entrance saying all entrances to the exhibition were sold out! So even after at least five months people were still going crazy for this exhibition, Grace darling you certainly caused a stir!

      However it was a little on the smaller side for an exhibition,especially after all the hype there has been over it. Not to say that it wasn't worth it, oh no! The outfits were simply stunning, showing dresses from films such as high society (which of course was her last film) and Alfred Hitchcock's Rear Window. It was so nice to see these outfits in the flesh after seeing the films so many times over the years and still kept in such an amazing condition, you would have thought they were made yesterday! The famous costume designer Edith Head designed most of her outfits on and off screen. As well as making fantastic films in the 50s she was also known for her marriage to Prince Raineir III of whom she got married to in 1956 and became Princess consort of Monaco, even whilst married she was still a famous fashion icon which was shown well in the exhibition, with her famous kelly bag that ladies still clamber over today.

 The fashions of each decade she lived were clearly portrayed through each outfit displayed, her class and beauty on full display for everyone to see, even initimate items such as sunglasses and sketched designs of outfits. It was lovely to see such a variety of people showing their interest for vintage fashions and of a true icon. From teenagers to ladies who can remember her from first time around.

    It also came to my attention how slim Grace Kelly was, people always look back on the 40s and 50s for ladies with curves but Grace Kelly was different to women of the time, if she was around today and as slim as she was, surely she would have been involved with the size zero debate? She did have curves don't get me wrong but compared to other bombshells of the time such as Marilyn Monroe and Jayne Mansfield she was a tad on the skinny side. Looking at her garments ohh how envious I was! Maybe this was just what made Grace stand out that little bit more, she was in a category of her own,they do say it's always better to stand out from the crowd then blend in and she certainly did that, to me she was an actress and starlet that todays Hollywood stars are no comparison to.

   Having waited for a very long time for this exhibition, I remember this being advertised a year or so ago when I went to another exhibition at the museum, and for me it was certainly worth the wait.

   After the exhibition it was time to get serious and get our shopping heads on. With taking a trip to Beyond Retro where I picked up a fabulous western shirt (can I have a YEEEEHAWWW)  and bought a lovely aqua pencil dress from Vivien of Holloway simply on the basis I saw one of the assistants wearing it and it looked so good I had to buy it! Surely that's a good enough reason.... rightt?

    What a wonderful couple of days in London, even if a bit damp but perfect for any fashionista out there! I managed to get some great Vox Pops too but that will just have to wait for another blog at another time.

                    Until next time  Toodle Pip!

Collecting thoughts on the way home wearing a vintage 50s
cashmere sweater and beret from beyond retro