ASOS and Her Autumnal Coats

Like many, I love a browsing session of online shops. My regulars are Nastygal, Topshop, Shopbop, Net-a-porter, Outnet, Missguided, Urban Outfitters and ASOS. A large portion of my monthly pay packet gets put aside for a mini shopping spree on one or more of these sites, and nearly always I start with ASOS. I will sit at my laptop for hours, trawling through every section, choosing things to put in my Saved Items (which stays saved for 30 days as opposed to the two hours when put in the Shopping Bag.) often weeks before payday is even in sight. I also subscribe to the monthly magazine and email newsletters so I am kept as up to date as possible. Non-online shoppers may think this a tad obsessive but, let's face it, I'm not alone. Store emails make up 90% of our inbox.

The most recent ASOS magazine for September got me very excited. There it was, lying neatly on the hall floor, eagerly awaiting my arrival home from work, like a loyal pet in need of a good fondle and flick-through. It is the first look at the A/W11 range which has already started to arrive in stock online. So I sat there with my cup o' Earl Grey, black marker in hand, circling all that will inevitably wind up in my Saved Items and then possibly on my bedroom floor.

I am most impressed by the jumpers, jackets and coats that'll start filtering into our wardrobes over the coming months. The androgyny trend continues in the form of chunky knitted sweaters with thick block stripes, men's sized jackets and coats, and autumnal colours of fawn, dark red and mallard green running heavily through. Fur is- of course- back with a vengeance. You can even add a faux collar or cuffs to a jacket or top to complete the look.

This is a selection of the items on asos.com that caught my eye:

American Apparel Fisherman Jumper

 ASOS textured Knit Jumper

 ASOS Rollneck Jumper

 ASOS Jumper with Star Elbow Patches

 ASOS Premium Coat with Double Lapel

 DRESSMONSTER Jersey Boyfriend Jacket

 ASOS Faux Fox Fur Coat

 ASOS Fantasy Fur Short Cuffs


Pair with something gothic: lace, velvet, dark floral patterns and bird prints are trending right now. Add a pair of creepers, dark red lips and statement earrings (the new statement necklace) for your friends to think “God, she’s so bloody cool”.

Peace

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Fashionably Pug Ugly

This is possibly one of the best Louis Vuitton campaigns EVER. A vintage soft-top car, soldier hats, fur coats...oh, and a pug. Two pugs. Double the cutest quadrupeds with faces that look like they collided with a brick wall ever to grace a fashion shoot. There is another shot with models holding spaniels, but who honestly gives a poodle about that?

The wrinkly prune of the dog-world is a star on the rise at the moment. They are much loved by the fashion pack, even though we should probably recoil in horror at a glimpse. Everyone from Brix Smith-Start to Jessica Alba has one (or two), planting the thought in my head maybe they have an ulterior motive in owning one. Stand next to anything ugly and you instantly become more beautiful. It's the beauty by comparison theory; ugly dog = gorgeous owner. You look the compassionate hero by taking one in, and just because it fell out of the ugly tree, hitting every branch on the way down, doesn't diminish your love and devotion. It's the ultimate Pity Pet - the canine Jennifer Aniston, if you will. You want to take it under your wing to nurture, but no one finds it attractive. Just a little bit pathetic.

I have wanted a pug for a couple of years now. I've even named my FFF (future fashion friend). She shall be called Angela Lansbury, partly due to the resemblance of her actor counterpart, partly because I want to go to a park and shout "Angela Lansbury, it's time to go back on your leash now!" My aunt even got me a small toy pug with its namesake engraved on a bone-shaped collar tag hung around her neck. Ask my six year old cousin who Lansbury is and she'll tell you firmly she's a puppy. I have warped my family's association with the name to the point they no longer think of Murder, She Wrote, like normal people, but of a small wet-nosed creature who does its business by a lamp post (for all I know this describes the real Angela too, but I don't know how to go about finding this out).

Sadly, I'll have to wait a while longer before Pug Angie scampers her way to me. My Dad, with whom I live, hates dogs. They smell, malt, they bark and drool, not to mention we are both allergic. Still, some day I vow to own at least one. However, I do imagine the whole situation getting out of hand. I fear I'll end up adopting about 12 puppies and live out my golden years as a recluse with a brood of pugs each named after Dynasty characters ("Blake Carrington! Get off Crystal!").

Actually, I'm secretly quite excited.

Peace

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What The Other Half Think of Us

My friend came home one day to find a note lying conspicuously on her table. It was from her Polish cleaner (the ethnicity of said cleaner isn't important, but you will understand why it is crucial to know when reading the exerts below- she writes with an accent!). My friend used to have lodgers staying at the top of her house who were expected to clean their own lodgings, and were not given the privileges of a cleaner once a week.
However, it turns out not everybody's level of cleanliness is up to scratch. My Friend asked her cleaner to venture into the unknown and clean the bathroom her lodgers once used after their tenancy was up. Little did she know what chaos a request would cause....

"Hi [friend's name]!

I clean as you ask that bathroom on top floor. And I don't know what to say, my English is not rich in the words which I like to use. In easy English, I can say what a FUCKING DIRTY BATHROOM (sorry for my language). I see the bathroom like this for the first time in my life. How 2 adult persons can't clean after your self I don't know.
Hope they rooms looks better.
You so lucky you don't have small animals in your house wich [sic] can come with all these dirty people. Hope you tell them to clean they own bathroom every single time after use. I don't need go ther [sic] any more time.

[she then lists a load of industrial products needed to tackle such a monstrous task- no sarcasm intended]

"I stay a bit more than 4h because those bathroom take me 40 minutes to clean. Now it's [sic] look better but still needs some job.
See you next time, have a nice weekend
A x
P.S Sorry for not really nice note. But you know me! I tell what I think.
With love
A x"

Powerful stuff. Poetic, no?

Peace

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My Mid-Year Xmas List

I start planning my list for the coming Xmas on the 26th December, and then add to it over the next 365 days. It is an ongoing struggle to remember to be realistic in my pickings and to take into account my family's budget, which does not usually match my £1 million self-imposed dream allowance.

Still, a girl is allowed to dream. So now that we've broken the back of the year, I have culled the recesses of my mind and compiled a selection of a few choice items I would like very much to find in my stocking on the 25th Dec.
What do you want Santa to bring you this year?

Jonathan Saunders - Sheraton Printed Wool-crepe Midi Skirt
Perfect way to combine brightly coloured graphic print and midi skirt trends together for this Autumn/Winter. Not one for overbearing outfits, this piece teamed with understated accessories is just the right amount for me.


Isabel Marant - All The Midnight In All The World Feather Cuff
I have a bit of a fashion fetish for feathers, particularly peacock. When stood alone against a plain outfit this piece exudes enough luxe to make you look a million dollars. 

Maison Martin Margiela by l'Atelier d'Exercices
Isn't this just the coolest magnifying glass you have ever seen?! Forget needing to read with glasses- why have the skin on the sides of your nose pinch when you can hold one half of the most stylish geek chic specs around? Purely superficial, but a neccessity for the home.

Alexander McQueen - Suede Ankle Boots
I have wanted a black tuxedo to sport around town after hours, but fear I'd look too...well, masculine. These boots would be the perfect colour pop to offset androgyny with femininity.

Tom Binns - Fauve Hand-Painted Swarovski Crystal Drop Earrings
Slightly trashy yet classy; I name thee Fluro-Chic. Again, perfect to wear with my monochrome tuxedo and Alexander McQueen magenta boots (above), they are just long enough to catch the eye and compliment ombre hair with it's dip dye-like shading.

Sandro - Elegante Crepe Blouse
I'm a sucker for anything this shade of blue as I'm convinced my eyes are the same colour. I pretty much live in big baggy shirts, so this smart number would be a perfect addition to my collection.



Acne - Beeta Lux Wool-Crepe Jacket
I love the 60s mod look on girls. It's almost patriotic in the way the look is intrinsically British (The trend started on Carnaby Street). I can see me now: Mulberry Bayswater in one hand, Marlboro in the other, black cigarette turn-ups and Chanel black and white pumps. All eyelashes and nude lips, not a hair out of place. And this coat. What a lovely dream...

 Yves Saint Laurent - Arty Gold-Plated Glass Ring
 This little number has been on the Xmas list for a couple of years running. Again that Yves Klien Blue (a post-WWII artist whose use of the colour has inspired many a designer for the past few years), this ring is the epitome of the kind of statement jewellery I love.



 M Missoni - Leather-Trimmed Twill Cape
Bound to be on the shopping list of many a fashion socialite, the Chic Poncho has been seen on the catwalk for Alexander Wang to Rag+Bone. I change my colour palette according to the season, so wear a lot of blacks and greys in Winter. This would fit straight into my frosty uniform while also keeping me toasty against the chilling December snow.



                                             Sam Edelman - Zoe Boot
It is safe to say this is one of my favourite shoes of all time. Ever since Mary-Kate Olsen stumbled about on her skinny limbs planted shakily into 8inches of heeled ankle boots six years ago, with as much grace as a calf learning to walk, I have lusted after a pair. Eating disorders have come and gone for the actress-cum-designer, but the boots have stayed. I expect the same level of companionship from my future pair. Who needs friends when you have the Zoe Boot?


Jeffrey Campbell - Safety Platform Heel
Why do I want to have a pair of these beauties to call my own? Look at them. Just look. They're fantastic! Probably quite comfortable too. The actual shoe is not too high, so dancing around for hours on end don't look too much of a daunting thought. Heels that the designer has made to look like architecture give them an extra eye-grabbing edge over their other less-exciting counterparts, plus that heel looks like it packs a kick, if ever one needs to defend oneself, Charlie's Angels style.



All images belong to http://net-a-porter.com/ and http://nastygal.com/


Peace

x

Yohji Yamamoto Exhibition at The Victoria & Albert Museum Review

Walking on the rain-sodden streets of London umbrella-less is bad. Entering a freezing exhibition when you’re soaked through is even worse. Add caffeine-jitters and indigestion from wolfing down a sub-par potato salad and it’s a wonder I even lasted five minutes in the V&A’s Yohji Yamamoto Exhibition. I thought to myself “this better be mind-blowing”.

Yohji Yamamoto, born in Tokyo 1943, is considered one of the most influential designers since the early 80s, mixing humour with reinterpretation of classic shapes and juxtaposition of contempory trends. For such a powerful figure, you would expect to see fireworks at one of his exhibitions. No such luck. Yamamoto himself had control over the presentation of his work and collaborations with various artists using a range of media, thus the layout was minimalistic so as not to detract from the intricacy of his pieces. Sparse walls, hanging lights and scaffolding (a theme slightly overused in the art world), which separated video installations from a selection of clothed mannequins had a half-finished industrial feeling to it, with the viewers’ atmospheric anticipation failing to fill the void.

The display begins with a succession of his catwalks and films on wall-mounted video screens– a personal favourite was the Male/Female ’98 Show where only women modelled the men’s range (look out for Dame Vivienne Westwood in a three-piece suit playing the part of a cocky gad about town). To see the clothes live in action, albeit on grainy film, is the best part of the attraction. His fashion designs, arranged in small groups around the more elaborate pieces, are a letdown after viewing the shows. Instead of my jaw dropping upon seeing the real McCoy, I was left wanting more. The dresses were incredibly designed, but lifeless without the narrative of the catwalk and the model’s performance. Yamamoto’s skill as an artist, directing an all-round presentation, is what has helped spear-head his critical acclaim: the elements of his shows combine to make an unforgettable experience, but when separated you are all too aware something is missing.

My advice is to avoid the cold and the rain: watch his shows online instead. That way you’ll avoid disappointment.

A Shoe to Walk All Over All Shoes

I am, by all accounts, short. I come up to most men’s armpits. What makes matters worse is the fact my best friends are all 5’7” and above. I worked out early on that a low centre of gravity and nosebleed-inducing heels would be a necessity if I ever wanted to be noticed when in their company, without falling face first. A few years of tottering around in cheap peep-toes and the like, increasing in height as fashion dictated, soon followed this revelation. But even I wasn’t prepared for the unleashing of six inchers with hidden platforms we’re supposed to pose, dance and, God forbid, walk in. Ever the optimist, I gave them a go and inevitably fell head-over-heels on several occasions. I’ve now accumulated the nick-name ‘Bambi On Ice’. Still, God loves a trier.

Then Camilla Skovgaard entered my radar. Her elegant sandals and ankle boots look more like architecture than something purely to cover your feet. Her designs are made tough and brutal by their tyre-tread half inch sole (similar to a row of Alan Carr’s teeth). They seem almost too good to be true. Are they made for wearing? Are they even shoes? Should they be put on a mantle? All viable questions I pondered while viewing pairs online.

Until I saw them for real in Dover Street Market. My heart raced. My hands went clammy. I could hear myself chanting “Ohmigod! Ohmigod! Ohmigod!” Who knows how long I’d whispering my mantra for. I didn’t care: all logic had gone straight out the third floor window. I just knew I needed them. A peep-toe ankle boot was seductively purring “buy me and we’ll walk all over your leggy companions together”.

Short of leaving the store with a Skovgaard-shaped pregnancy belly that day, I’ll have to wait to save up for the shoe I was born for – neigh – the shoe that was made for me. One day we will unite, walk into a room and claim: “We’ve grabbed your attention and look like a fashion rockstar, but make fun of our artistic panache and we’ll kick your ass”. And by God we will. Even if I fall over doing so.

Bow to the all-powerful shoe:

The hair that haunts my dreams and is a nightmare to my reality

I have wanted- neigh, needed- ombre (or dip-dye) hair for a VERY long time now. Ever since January I have been on a long and winding path to amazing hair-dom, but alas I have yet to reach the trophy finish.
Attempt number 1: the woman dyed half my hair reddish-brown with flicky blonde highlights merrily poking through from the underlayer, a hairstyle akin to what I believe Justin Bieber's mother would sport. She also blow-dried my hideous barnet into a style last seen on the set of Dynasty. I swear a couple of children started crying when the horror of yours truly passed them that day.
The next couple of attempts left me with contrasting brunette on top, blonde underneath a la My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding, only with less tan and without the 20stones-worth of wedding dress (complete with LED mechanical butterflies, of course).
Attempt number 3: occurred two months ago. This time I came prepared, pictures of 90210 star Shenae Grimes in hand to use in reference to the style I wanted. I explained carefully the ins and outs of what each individual hair on my head should look like, leaving no room for mistakes. EIGHT HOURS AND THREE ATTEMPTS LATER I left the salon with nothing remotely like the picture that now lay angrily scrunched up in the hairdressers bin. Images of hacking off Shenae Grimes' locks and ceremoniously burning them while laughing manically flashed through my mind.
Fast forward to now, I have worked my way back to sanity and have booked myself an appointment with a trusted friend/hairdresser for next Tues. I shall still be bringing a picture for reference (Billie Piper this time), and I have everything crossed that this time it shall be a success story and not a tale of woe. Will our friendship have remained intact by this time next week? Only time will tell...

Peace

x

Shenae Grimes

Billie Piper

Sup

My brand new blog.
How exciting.
Breathe in that fresh air. Absorb all the inspiration to weave rich tapestries for the readers of today.
Or make a latte. Either one.
I've been wanting to write a blog for a while now as there are far too many thoughts contained in my head at any one time, I never get round to doing anything about it due to my lack of concentration.
However, this evening - which may seem like any other evening to you - is the first day of the rest of my life. A bit dramatic, yes, but it is high time I got my priorities in order so I might as well start them now and blog about them while I am at it. I only hope I have enough to talk about, but then again, bloggers normally do. Dull people don't blog...they Twitter.

Ahem, my Twitter is @LRoseHill, if you're interested...

Peace

x

Welcome!

Hi

I'm a 21 year-old budding (fashion) journalist starting at the bottom of the ladder getting a grounding in the magazine industry before I venture out to make a name for myself in a few months time. Here is a place where I can ramble on about the mundane and the fantastic, talk about the things I like and the multitude of things that I don't, my life and everything in it, and...well, we shall see, shan't we!

Peace

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