Friend of Mine

Inspiration is such an interesting concept, I love looking at designers inspiration/mood boards, I think they talk a thousands words without actually having to be put into writing. I am fascinated by the way this inspiration is filtered through into a final design, for example Alexander Mcqueen's reference to birds in his collections, in the documentary about the designer his brother described how he was always watching the birds from his bedroom window, Isabella Blow used to take him to a country estate where he was able to watch birds of prey fly, I believe it takes a certain sort of person to be able to process and generate ideas from just looking at something, you are able to see the reference through the use of more obvious terms such as the use of feathers, but also by certain silhouettes and the way the clothes are structured and hang in a certain way I can only presume this was based on simply watching birds fly and their whole movement of their body.

I was also reading recently that Coco Chanel was inspired by lions, she had statues of them in her apartment and they were also featured on the stone where she was buried in tribute to her love of this animal. This was a more direct influence as in literally using the image of a lion, these were found in the form of lion heads on buttons appearing on the classic tweed suits. We still see aspects of her inspiration in more modern collections such as the SS11 jewellery with the lion head being heavily featured on bracelets/rings and necklaces and also in the form of broaches attached to the clothes.

Carrying on from individuals inspiration I have become increasingly obsessed with the 'Eagle Claw' I have seen this appear quite literally on many pieces, from necklaces and rings to my most favourite source, the Friend of Mine platform ankle eagle claw boot! I initially noticed the beauty of a simple eagle claw through the work of Pamela Love and her signature talon cuff, it now appears quite frequently in many forms.

Oracle Fox blog without a doubt is a constant source of inspiration to me, every single post is of something representing the style I love aswell as many designers I have'nt even heard of, many of which are based in Australia.....I have now been introduced to Friend of Mine, an australian label designed by Teale Talbot and managed by Latitia McLean. The label is descried as 'blending a feminine edge with a relaxed look that a girl can make her own.' The designers have embraced unexpected unexpected aubtleties and contradiction since debuting in 2009, the label rapidly established itself across Australia with a clean beach-meets-grunge attitude.
A rockabilly aesthetic is referenced throughout and is seen in the labels namesake, which is drawn from a cult Bob Dylan track. The look is one that is undeniably fashionable, yet in a simplistic thrown together style that is far from contrived. Friend of mine's effortlessly cool nature results in versatile peices, basics-with-a-twist as well as stand out shoes and accessories.

Whilst Friend of Mine has already carved out is own signature aesthetic, each new collection brings a new palette of inspriration ranging from pop culture to music to childhood memories.
Theres possibly not one piece in all of the collections that I wouldn't wear, even the name of each collection are perfect....Smokey Rolls, The Crusaders, A Lad Insane, The Other Side Of Love...

Battle Of The Brogues.

For a while now the appearance of flat shoes worn as a means of 'dressing up' is becoming a much more favourable choice. Going out no longer requires high shoes, making dressier outfits have a completely different look to them, one that I much prefer, with out a doubt Alexa Chung would be up there in pulling of this look for any occasion.

I think the whole brogue look started this off, 'everything will come back into fashion one day' and the brogue is an example of this, well to a certain extent, I think its more taking an item and changing the way its worn, a smart shoe such as the classic brogue would always be seen in an office, accompanying a suit to any occasion, this however is also a change in who is wearing them, referring to brogue being popular with both boys and girls. In Luella's book, I love how she refers to to 'Miss England' she describes it perfectly, for example imagine a typical European couple going out, the lady wearing high shoes the boy in smart shoes would be expected, but Miss England style would make no difference to her both wearing brogues, or take for example just in the day both wearing converse...get my drift? Androgyny I believe is the correct word.

Androgyny is a term—derived from the Greek words άνδρoς (andros, meaning man) and γυνή (gyné, meaning woman)—referring to the combination of masculine and feminine characteristics. This may be as in fashion, sexual identity, or sexual lifestyle, or it may refer to biologically inter-sexed physicality, especially with regards to plant and human sexuality.[1]

'In this century we can see it all over fashion and celebrities on it, the androgyny. Models turn into the angrognous style, consequence of being part of a youthful time, where there's no limits, and the only thing that matters is comfort.'

'Clothes are getting more and more borderless, for example unisex collection's, women's wear always takes ideas from men's wear' I think this has always been a case for girls, who have that sort of style, boy's t-shirts/vest's/jeans, even the representation of men's clothing catered specially for women with something so classic as the simple trouser.

Ok, so before i go of the point I'll get back to what triggered these thought's, Mui Mui's SS/11 shoes, more specifically the woven leather brogue. And of course this is an example of the above, inspired by a traditional men's shoes we now see a vast number of female interpretations of this, mixing both the male characteristics of the shoe with female touches, such as the colour/style. Although I like the classic brogue uninfluenced by any other trends I do like how it has been altered and transformed in many variations, in particular the Mui Mui woven leather brogue. A simple shoe that can be worn with anything, an inoffensive colour with an original effect of the woven leather.

Obey The Vest.

Now this isn't your ordinary designer story, this is backed up by various other motives...Since 1989, the Obey street art campaign has become an important urban phenomenon, subconsciously touching those well aware of their environment. Through the vision of Shepard Fairey, Obey has evolved into one of the most controversial yet influential symbols of the 21st century. Derived from Andre the Giant, a pop-culture athlete in the eighties, the Obey icon has been bombed in developed and rural cities around the world. Its ambiguous idea immediately sparks philosophical discussion and ultimately motivates the inner-person through active participation.




This naturally progressed to clothing...'With the help of Mike Ternosky and Erin Wignall, Obey Clothing continues to spread Shepard Fairey's message through Men's and Women's sportswear fashion and one-of-a-kind accessories. Every Obey Clothing designed piece is cleverly thought out, attracting people of all genres and ages, reminding them of the days when "style" was a one syllable word. Men's and Women's Obey T's, sweats, knits, Obey denim, belts, wallets and military inspired jackets and caps are all examples of what we are known for. Season after season, Obey Clothing has progressed into a brand that holds a huge amount of content and depth.'

Of the collection the casual vests are my preferred choice, perfect for summer, I'm not really a fan of label emblazoned clothing although Obey almost gets away with it I think I'll be sticking with my favourite pattern at the moment, aztec?

Chanel And The Lion.

Born a Leo on the 19th August, Gabrielle Chanel surrounded herself with models of lions in wood, silver, bronze or alabaster for her apartment at 31 rue Cambon. The lion became a timeless biographical seal on numerous of her creations, 'August 19th is my birthday. I was born under the sign of Leo. I am Leo and, like a lion I use my claws to prevent people from doing me harm, but, believe me, I suffer more from scratching than from being scratched.'



The lion is also the symbol of the city Venice, most notably the lion at Saint Mark's Square, the protective emblem of Doge's Palace. Coco Chanel fell in love with the city when she went for the first time, a voyage made in attempt to ease the pain of the sudden death of her lover, Boy Chapel, in December 1919.



The infamous lion was then featured at the Coco Chanel couture show in Paris where we was witness to fashion, art and sculpture colliding in the making of the magnificent gold Lion statue measuring 18 metres high on a podium protectively clutching a giant iridescent pearl under his front paw and like a scene from a surrealist dream, a door opens and models magically appear from within the pearl. The design was inspired by a dream fashion icon Karl Lagerfeld had about the late Coco Chanel's miniature lion sculpture. Karl immediately dispatched his lead set designer Stefan Lubria to make the colossus as the centre piece of the Chanel Fall-Winter 2010/11 Haute Couture line.







The mere presence of a lion is that of great strength and power feared as a creature due to these characteristics, the irony being portrayed through modern versions of Blandina released from the lion's den, their beauty will overpower the beast; their wild allure will tame it, this terrifying lion was as meek and gentle as a lamb.





Coco Chanel loved lions and they surfaced everywhere from her apartment decor, buttons and even her gravestone, the lion inspired many of her creations and lion heads were commonly found embossed on the buttons of the iconic tweed suits. Karl Lagerfeld an ingenious designer and it is evident that he truly respects and understands the woman Coco Chanel was, he stays true to what inspired her and gives it a modern twist, with the added advantage of being one of the few people in the world who has access to her apartments and archives.





The Chanel Spring Summer 2011 pre-collection pays tribute to all of the above, the lion being among the main source of reference for the costume jewellery collection. A contribution of fringes, pearls, delicate chains and embellished lions and of course the infamous two c's come together to form a truely iconic representation of what Chanel stood for in a more modern sense. The extravagant lion head ring with a pearl in its mouth as well as the resin bangles create something which each individually stand out magnificently.

Happy Easter.

'Fashion is not something that exists in dresses only. Fashion is in the sky, in the street, fashion has to do with ideas, the way we live, what is happening.'

Tooth Bikini.

Still in holiday mood after arriving back from Mexico, such a shame that I saw this bikini after I returned.....