Keep Us Warm Penfeild.

I have now reverted back to being a tad more sensible and considering that it is technically still winter, summer thoughts need to take a step back, and practicality needs to emerge, keeping warm in these cold, miserable days in London, requires something warm and cosy, preferably in coat form, and who else to provide us with such a product, than Penfeild, an outdoor apparel brand that was established in Hudson, Massachusetts, founded in 1975 by Harvey Gross a New England native, becoming recognised for exceptional quality, reliability and function particularly in down filled jackets and outerwear. Penfeild epitomizes the spirit and qualities of New England and the great outdoors..37 years later they are still making products according to the same basic principals on which the company was founded, suggesting that the fashion trend-setters are now looking for more in their chosen products.

Since Penfeild's inception in 1975, the brand quickly became a staple for many Americans in the 1980's, although roots of the label still lie within the great outdoors of New England, 'For Life In The Open' is their slogan, years of experience has allowed Penfeild to extend their business beyond just outdoor channels and into a broad range of retail channels, including retailers such as Barney's and a number of exclusive independent stores around the World, this exclusivity creates specific interest from a certain group of people, presumably responsible for creating 'just' a well made product and entering it into a whole new fashion level.

The brand has a long history of special collaborations and private label developments, not only across the top tier of progressive menswear such as Rag and Bone, but also high-end boutiques around the world such as Colette (France) and Edifice. (Japan)

I predict that examples from various collections speak for themselves, without the long winded commentation from myself.

Calling All Crochet Wearer's.

'Romantic. material, and feminine pieces inspired by crochet working: a kind of discreet lace for the day, but in some cases also perfect for the evening' Italian Vogue.





Yes its started, and I'm hopelessly trying to make it stop as I look through the window and predictably see the grey, dismal weather shadowing London outside, but the thoughts of Summer are just not going away and its getting considerably worse as I look through the various 'festival outfits' on many of the blogs not to mention the bombardment of the whole SS11 collections coming our way through much of the reading material. As I gradually take it all in, certain things stand out and go straight onto my Summer Wish list, to be perfectly honest this is one of the first initial times where I have scoured through the collections and directly took inspiration from the catwalks as opposed to scouring the shops and Internet to see what they adapted from the High Fashion Collections, its interesting to see where some of the High Street versions have originated from and what trends they have chosen to adapt into their own designs, one of these that stood out was Crochet. This unique fabric has a certain look, and individual take on clothes that other fabrics are unable to create, its qualities initiate that summer, festival feel as well as a more smarter feminine edge for formal occasions.



Personally its that festival image that I prefer, accompanied by denim shorts or worn as a dress with a denim or leather jacket or more casually an open shirt to add some toughness, equally crochet cardigans or vests, even smaller tops have that effortless, relaxed, edgy effect and creates 'That Look' the one that I desperately try to portray through the use of words but is normally unsuccessful without the images to back it up, messy haired, cool attitude, sort of girl? Successful?







No interest in a certain trend would be complete without my new use of extensive research, crochet is a process of creating fabric from yarn using a crochet hook, which leads to the meaning of the word derived from the French word 'crochet' meaning hook. Crocheting, similar to knitting, consists of pulling loops of yarn through other loops using the crochet hook as opposed to knitting needles. Needless to say I will not be taking up the art of physically producing this beautiful fabric, however as with many topics lately I am consumed with the knowledge behind the products as to merely just wearing the clothes.





Looking back at the history of crochet, which unfortunately sadly admittedly would be categorised as a 'less interesting' post, however it is clear to establish that crochet has been around for many years, the early references dating back to 1812 to be exact, and even in recent years it has been easily adapted to coincide with the more current trends, generally appearing from season to season. The examples of crochet being used in SS11 was evident through many designers, Salvatore Ferragamo with the low neck dress in ochre yellow, Alberta Ferritti demonstrating a more vintage inspired look with the elegant bra top, nude fringe dresses by Gucci, dresses with intricate bustiers with fringes by Matthew Williamson and the white cardigan constructed as a collarless jacket by Dolce& Gabanna. It is reassuring to see such replicas on the High Street and many demonstrations of the 'cool' look crochet creates.









Crochet will be visiting many festivals over the summer I'm sure....

The World Renowned Rebecca Taylor.

After completing my research I am now admittedly ashamed to say that I was oblivious to such a great designer, unknown to her feminine designs, unaware that the label has made a staggering $12 million turnover, and is proudly stocked in US and European Department stores as well as boutiques in Japan, and all these are the achievements of New-Zealand born fashion designer, Rebbecca Taylor. Looking for inspiration for the summer, it seems that we undoubtedly need look too far, we have all been bombarded with many a collection, its preferable sometimes to focus on a particular designer and appreciate all the aspects they have to offer in their one collection.

Taylor is now based in New York, presumably recognised as one of the most famous New-Zealand designers by many Americans, I'm placing emphasis on this to deter from the fact that I was completely unaware of such a influential talent, which I have purposely researched thoroughly so I am no longer within this shameful category, and willing to share amongst you all. Taylor first attended St Catherines college, she received her initial fashion training as part of Access, a Government scheme, one of her first jobs was making clothes for famous puppets, Peter Jackson's 'Meet The Feeeble's' characters. Once again, ambition and inspiration spring to mind when I discovered that Taylor arrived in New York to pursue who dream of becoming a designer with a mere $600 dollars in her pocket, eventually hired by fashion designer Cynthia Rowley, whom she worked under for six years, emphasis has to be put on ambition here, and her current place in the fashion industry certainly confirms where it can lead.

Her talents were obviously recognised leading to her debut at New York Fashion Week as part of the Gen Art Styles competition in the late 1990's, before doing her own catwalk show in 1999.

It has to be said that only now when I look through Taylor's archives I would of greatly appreciated her unique style if I were to have come across her many collections. It was noted on her personal website that 'Rebecca Taylor is not just a lifestyle..but a state of mind' ultimately portraying the pursued image of the various collections, urban, feminine, bold, kittenish, modern, chic and cool..with at touch of sparkle. Her flirty, modern designs have inspired legions of loyal customers and celebrity clients to indulge their feminine wiles, her creativity and energy pours into her collections with inspirational references ranging from vintage mod books from the 60's and 70's to the words of music, art and entertainment, with an almost obsessive eye for detail and unconventional colour sense. The collection tantalizes customers with perfect prints, great knits and flirty dresses, which fit into many wardrobes.

The SS11 collection enhanced modern cuts with playful, feminine details with pattern, colour and texture. I was impressed by the basics, khaki shorts or trousers paired with a bright detailed print and more simple long sleeve knits in adorable paler tones, aswell as the inclusion of a wide colour palette that incorporated both pastels with the bright, bold colour blocks seen as a main trend this season. A favourable piece would be the sheer t-shirts with two simple pockets, the minimalistic approach paired with the sheer detail of the prints, and topped of with a favourite of mine, the hair in a high bun, was a perfect combination.

I was always of the impression that the catwalks showed specific looks that were an over dramatised version of the real piece, that would be more wearable, however through research and finding out more about that great world of Fashion it is clear that the collections are able to walk straight of the catwalk...preferably straight into my wardrobe.

Oh So Sheer.

'Sheer fabric is fabric that is made using thin thread and/or low density of knit and which results in a semi-transparent and flimsy cloth' In my opinion, perfect in the form of any desired garment, sheer material allows the wearer's body or undergarment to be seen through its fabric. Though potentially regarded as controversial, see-through materials have been featured heavily on high-fashion runways since 2006, this use of see-through material has become a common element seen through-out the SS11 collections seen in shows such as Cacharel, Proenza Schouler, Jason Wu and Max Azria, whilst skimming through the Vogue supplement, that handily summarises many of the trends seen on the catwalks, I was amazed at the void of the 'Sheer Fashion Trend' it was frequently seen under various other categories, such as the 'Beautiful Bold Brights' and the 'Smart Sportswear' but it was sadly not given its own platform.



There was a time when see-through was a taboo, but this was soon changed in the late 80's by the likes of Demi Moore in Striptease, causing a huge buzz in the fashion and fame industry. Although I can still strongly appreciate other such textures, I feel that sheer fabric, creates such a feminine, delicate, intriguing and elegant look, adapted recently by many individuals representing the Sheer in a number of styles, especially many of the most influencial models off duty and yes, I would be referring to the likes of Abbey, Freya and occasionally Kate. And that's another thing about this special fabric, once again I no i have previously shared this view in the 'Velvet Post', but it is one of them unique adaptable fabrics, that can be given a toughened edge or a delicate ballerina-esque form, as seen at Chole, differentiated by the choice of colour or items accompanying our Sheer Beauties. They can be worn in a multitude of ways, from tight sheer pieces through to layers and delicate draping, with different preferences relying on the wearer.










I like the fact, that sheer is not limited to being a strict 'trend' its one that can transform into any current trend of the moment, and maybe not emphasised this season as it has been around for a while, and many prefer to focus on the new innovative ideas coming though that we haven't visited before, although, it can be said, sheer is back again, not to say it has been away, and there must be a justified reason for that...Sheer Beauty.

Stop It...Summer Nails.

The finishing touch to any outfit, an instant individual look, a slight indication of mere personality characteristics, and all down to that specific colour you chose to paint your nails that day. Now, that may be a slightly dramatised version of what your nail colour says about your character, but its a justified point that I am prepared to propose. At present, many of us who are not directly involved in the Fashion World, who were all working away preparing summaries of the trends seen at the various fashion shows way back last year, are currently being presented with the fast emerging Spring/Summer collections. And although I thoroughly enjoy, admiring all of these beautifully designed pieces, and waiting for the High Street to provide me with all the copy-cat representations of the real thing, as unfortunately the attached price tags prevent me from owning my whole REAL wish list, there are some, admittedly very small, trends that I can take directly from the Fashion Houses catwalk's and adapt into my own wardrobe accordingly, and that is the 'The SS11 Nail Trends.'

Although I feel there are no rules, no right or wrong, choices of colour for your nails it is always refreshing to be introduced to a whole new spectrum of colours and designs to try out and compliment our summer wardrobes perfectly. And agreed, them bright , neon, florescent, colours will not be left behind as they are the ultimate accompaniment to our sun-kissed skin on holiday, as well as the pale pinks, particulere's and natural colours working perfectly well for a more toned down look and equally the dark red's for a more mature, formal look when needed and all topped up with a satisfying layer of shiny top coat for that immaculate finish.







Lets be introduced to our new summer paints, admittedly quite subtle on some occasions and considerably toned down compared to some of the recent designs I have come across being designed by the likes of WAH Nails, creating various designs and even introducing textures to the nails, not a fan personally, but am equally appreciating the innovative ideas displayed on many finger tips.
Evident from the clothes there were various references to 70's specially the Studio 54 era, big frizzy hair, golden tans and all alongside beautiful nails. We also had extremes with some Houses choosing to use dark lipped models down the catwalk, with matching nails, a strange trend from the beauty side as we don't usually encounter matching nails to lip colour. There was a frosted, dead feel to the nails using frosted whites and pale blues from the likes of Alexander Wang and Vivienne Westwood.

Metallic colours were extremely popular, used at Balmain, Holly Fulton, Anna Sui and House of Holland, exposed in various colours, including the more obvious gold and metal greys aswell as dark greens, blacky blues and purples.



Glitter! Glitter! Glitter! Yes, flashes of glitter on the nails were seen sparkling their way down various catwalks including, Bagedly Mischa and Balmain, mainly solely on its own, however there was occasions where a nude base coat was painted with
gold glitter transforming the plain look.

There are also more brights heading our way for the summer, Mint green, Salmon pink, and Uniform blue, demonstrated at Rococoo, Miomia, and Dior.



There were few contenders that we have previously come across, pale pastel lilacs, and taupe's, and for the 'french tip' lovers there a new take on the original manicure pink.



Nails...you've got many colours befriending you this summer....