London Fashion Week Highlights: Matthew Williamson.

Exciting, Interesting, fun and wearable. Matthew Williamson shows us his collection for Spring/ Summer 2011.

ADD. TO. MY. WISH. LIST.

By Louise Dawson

I Love Love Love Love Love Tracy Reese's A/W 2011/12 R-T-W Collection. Having collaborated Midi and maxi dresses with knee high boots and faux fur collars, Tracy Reese has introduced leather to faux fur and silk to our old friend knitwear - properly introducing the blind souls of the fashion industry to the coalition that is chunky knitted jumpers with maxi skirts and dresses. I probably amongst many others, have been waiting for this since last winter. So a big thanks from me![Image]If this didn't bring enough happiness to my day, I noticed that the colour palette in her R-T-W collection will in fact flatter us all. Finally - a fashion designer who designs for real people, not just match sticks. In contrast to the colourful rainbow of colour to hit us face first this summer, the colour spectrum according to Tracy Reese this Winter is set to be quite neutral with a lot of creams, off white and black going on with splashes of electric blues, Rich Purples and Various shades of Maroons. Colours that will defiantly brighten and warm up your face on a cold winters day. It even has a contrast of added zebra print and tie dye. Seems so wrong but believe me she has defiantly got it right!

My favourite has to be The Pinkish maroon tie dye streaked midi body con dress.Worn perfectly on the runway in this photograph >
with a pair of Calf high suede heeled boots.
For a look at the full collection, visit this great website: FASHIONOLOGIE.

So I will now be off to try and find high street copies of this great look... if all else fails I guess I'll just have to make do with an I <3 T R  tshirt - bit over the top though don't you think?!
THANK YOU TRACY REESE ! <3

Getting Loud for Rihanna

WORDS // LOUISE DAWSON

Rihanna recently finally released her fifth studio album called ‘Loud’- and boy were we ready!

With a fresh and altered sound to go with her new look, the tracks on the album portray a contrast of a more mellowed, sensual yet quirky and exciting side to the artist. Catering for her fans, Rihanna’s album consists of 11 tracks that are:

Emily Mackay of the U.K.'s New Musical Express stated "If Rated R seemed disparate sometimes, Loud's experiments feel more organic, its tone better paced, from the Caribbean-tinged anthem for doomed youth of 'Man Down' via the glossy, dark tectonic beats of 'What’s My Name?' (featuring Drake) to the ludicrously banging trance pop of 'Only Girl (In The World.,’ 

True to that the fresh new vibe from Rihanna’s latest sound is definitely one for ladies across the country to be singing out loud.

The first single to hit the charts from the newly released album was Only Girl (In the world) that although described by some as a song with no serious depth, still instantly stormed the charts with its towering chorus and a beat worthy of a nightclub dance floor. In the United Kingdom the song debuted at number two on the chart selling over 126,000 copies.

 The second single from the album What’s my name features award winning rapper Drake. Certainly an addictive track the catching lyrics oh na na… what’s my name set in instantaneously.The lack of complexity in the lyrics is definitely replaced with an uplifting tune that not only makes you want to get up and dance but also undoubtedly helped bring this single to number one in early January.

The latest single from Loud, S&M is a blatant contrast to the other tracks on the new album. Newly released from the album on January 21^st 2011, the video to the song has already been immensely condemned by the press with the BBC refusing to show the video before 7pm and MTV demanding a re-edit. Controversially however, the track showed great success in the charts and already reached number one during its fourth week in its chart release.  

Having worked with performers such as Nicki Minaj, Shontelle, Ester Dean and Drake on her new number one album,  Rihanna has definitely given her fans a new sound to listen to incorporating various music tastes into her own style setting a fresh tone for her album Loud with tunes most definitely worth buying and blasting out on your MP3 player!

Block Party

Colour block your way through the new season. 

WORDS // Louise Dawson. 

t is no exaggeration that winter seems to last forever. It made its appearance last year about mid-September – so four months later, no wonder we are lusting after the new 2011 spring trends. There are yet again many trends to choose from and it is easy to get lost amidst the clothes rails searching for what style is going to wow your wardrobe this up and coming season. Silk Vests and 70s trousers are a must and work for day and night time. If you are looking to start this year in the mutually appreciative awe of all fellow fashion gurus then be bold, proudly embrace the kudos of colour collision, and opt for clashing colours to update and add colour to your life! 

Jil Sander S/S 2011 - shows us how to work the
optimistically bright coloured trend. 

From year to year bright colours always have and will continue to appear in full force on the fashion runways.  Bright colours were first really made a big deal of in the seventies when we saw the rise of the ‘hippy’. Whilst they did make fabulous usage of every colour imaginable – they focused more on the patterns rather than the actual colours. Patterns soon became out dated and thus the colour blocking began. Colour Blocking fought through trends such as New Romance, Punk and American Prep and soon became part of power dressing that has since stayed around (think Marc Jacobs NY Fashion week 2009 – not Lady Gaga or Boy George) followed by this colour blocking soon became one of the leading trends to follow – especially during the seventies and eightees. So what’s changed? Apart from the obvious facts that shoulder pads are out and we will not be wearing leg warmers with matching wristbands, the only thing that has really changed is that the new focus seems to be on bright clashing colours rather than pastels and neon’s. 

To start you off a few rules and tips to remember with this trend are that: 

• It is okay in fact to make your outfit clash. Think orange and pink, yellow and red. Yes the past ‘sins’ of fashion are now back to be its ‘saviours’. 
• Reframe yourselves from going for the multicolor patterned vibe. The trick is to be colour blocking – Not to be colour belligerent. Jill sander and Raoul have the right idea on their runway shows.  
• This vibrant trend does not necessarily mean you have to throw out your wardrobe, if you’re panicking because you do not have any bright bits of clothing then panic not – invest in some vibrant accessories such as skinny belts, handbags and chunky jewellery.

If you are one of those people who still have the ‘urge to merge’ then do not worry. Why not take inspiration from Gucci’s Spring/Summer 2011 runway show and wear a brightly colored lipstick with some matching nails.  If this still doesn’t please you’re scare to be bold then opt for a more minimal look on the trend like those seen in the current collection of a new designer, who is certainly one to look out for – Cynthia Rowley. Its Art Deco meets high fashion. High fashion you can carry off.