Versace for H&M

Versace is known as a quiet brand, one that has no need for vibrant and lurid colour, or attention of any kind. Dresses are modest to the point of Amish, all represented by a well-rounded and modest-looking designer.

Oh no, wait...

Donatella Versace is the epitome of the brand: ultra-feminine, bold, daring and luxe. H&M, on the other hand, is know for its collections of wearable pieces and wardrobe staples that don't break the bank balance. So when it was announced Vercace was going to design with the high street chain, we all wondered if the Italian fashion house was going to stick to its trademark fitted and luxurious style, or if they would sacrifice it slightly for sake of cheaper prices.

This month Vogue Russia previewed the collection in its pages and let's just say Donatella has stuck to her neon-coloured guns! Quite a contrast from the recent S/S 12 collection which consisted of whites, blacks and pastel colours, Versace for H&M is all about the colour pop. An interview with the Goddess Versace herself talking about the collection has been released, in which she explains she used "iconic Versace pieces for iconic Versace women," infused with the usual drama, prints and studs, all with a bit of a rock 'n' roll edge. The dresses are still fitted and sexy, but there is more choice to suit a wider range of tastes. You still have to have the confidence of an Italian Bella Donna to carry them off, but that probably comes with the dress (and the inevitable price tag).

Versace's bold prints...and garish jewellery

I'm not a huge fan of classic Versace, but even I am drawn to a few key pieces, particularly the edgy leather LBD with swirls of gold studs, and a sleeveless leopard print shift dress (with a pattern which looks so much like Mary Katrantzou it verges on a rip-off). The jewellery, however, can stay safely on the shelves as far as I'm concerned.

Versace or Mary Katrantzou?

The Rocknrolla of the LBD World

So there we go! Versace for H&M will hit stores in November - fashion or TRASHion? What do you think? See the short video of Donatella Versace talking about the collection below:

Peace
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TV Review - Things That Go Bump in the Night

Doctor Who – The God Complex

Date aired: Saturday 17^th September, BBC1, 7:10pm

Superior Being - Matt Smith with Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill

The writer’s of Doctor Who seem to be struggling with coming up with reasons why the TARDIS and gang arrive at the main location of every new episode. The Doctor’s (Matt Smith) now clichéd ramblings of “I’m taking you to a wonderful new planet full of exciting adventures- oh, hang on...this isn’t it...” is getting a little tiresome.

This week Amy, Rory and the Doctor are surprised to arrive at a maze floating through space, decorated in the style of a 1980’s Torquay hotel. As if the floral carpet isn’t scary enough, stalking through the never-ending hallways is a Minotaur- a god who has become redundant in a secular world and now inhabits the maze while feeding on the faith of those imprisoned within. Add rooms filled with the manifestations of each prisoner’s deepest, darkest fears- including a sad clown and a room full of laughing ventriloquist dummies- and we’re well on our way to the level of Saturday evening frights we’ve become accustomed to.

The scariest part, however, is actually the appearance of David Walliams, almost unrecognisable under layers of rodent-like prosthetics. Looking like the love-child of William Hague and a mutated rat, he played the part of a dislikeable, irritating coward rather well. Turns out Walliams plays dislikeable and irritating even when he means to.

A few jokes short of a sketch show - David Walliams

The episode’s plot doesn’t twist and turn as much as usual, and the writers could have done a lot more with the idea of rooms filled with nightmares individually tailored to each character. There was nothing to hide behind the sofa from this week which feels like a bit of a letdown after the bar is continually set higher by the tension and horrifying monsters in each previous episode this series. The adventure climaxed in a Scooby-Doo “Let’s catch ourselves a monster” type chase, running through corridors to trap the Minotaur. Not exactly groundbreaking stuff. In fact, it looks like a laughable fallback plan of a writer out of ideas for plot development.

However, the final speech the doctor gives is rather poetic and stirs more emotion than the 40 minutes that went before. The ending leaves room for a whole new direction the series can be taken in, so the episode is worth a watch purely for this fact alone. Let’s just hope the rest of the episodes can pick the pace up again so as not to go out with a whimper, but with a bang.

One to Watch - Sophie Thomas

Is this one of the faces of the future?

Sophie Thomas has been booking jobs this year like there is no tomorrow! She can put her name to shoots for Ponystep, Dazed and Confused, Tatler, Grazia and Lula magazines to name but a few, not to mention for the likes of The Orphan's Arms, Nikki Clarke and Pantene runway- not bad for a girl who just got her AS Level results (and did remarkably well I might add).

Model scouts saw Sophie's potential from the age of 14, but it was Union Modelling Agency that was lucky enough to snap her up. Obviously, it helps to have lean legs longer than Lindsay Lohan's criminal record, but it's her butter-wouldn't-melt looks which will likely keep her seeming 17 for a lot longer than twelve months. Everyone is eternally youthful in the fashion world, and it definitely pays to have good genes in your favour.

What I'm most jealous of? Sophie's thick, waist-length, undamaged chestnut hair, a rarity in these hair straightener-dominating times. Pure and undyed, I often catch myself glimpsing at scissors whenever I'm in her presence, just in case she turns her back for a moment and I can fashion myself a wig from her locks before she realises. I've managed to resist so far...

What does Sophie Thomas have to say for herself? Read her 20 Questions after the jump.

 

  

Tatler, September 2011  

 

 

Tatler, September 2011

1. How long have you been modeling? Since I was 15.
2. Where are you from? Greater London- Putney.
3. Where were you discovered? Shopping in Carnaby Street with my Mum.
4. What was your most memorable shoot? The shoot I did for Tatler's September issue this year. I had to wear loads of wigs and it was 60s themed.
5. What have been your favorite brands you've modeled? Peregrine Clothing- it reminded me of Burberry. I liked The Orphan's Arms too, it was really my style, like, all casual and cool.
6. Who is your top favorite designer? Vivienne Westwood. She's so different and quirky with all she does. Flawless.
7. What runway shows have you walked in? None so far, except for Proctor and Gamble, but I hope to walk in quite a few for the coming London Fashion Week.
8. If you weren’t a model, what would you be? I'd be in school still, figuring out what I want to do!
9. What’s the biggest perk of your job? Meeting really cool people, and getting to travel. Oh, and the pay, of course!
10. What’s your favorite travel destination? Spain. I love the culture and food.
11. What’s your workout routine? Ugh. I go to the gym about 4 or 5 times a week, and fit in Bikrahm Yoga in between. I basically try to keep as active as I can.
12. Where would we find you on a typical Saturday night? Out in London with my friends.
13. Drink of choice? Water
14. Perfume? Kate Moss Vintage
15. First job? Modelling was my first job, but apart from that I worked in Hollister in Kingston-Upon-Thames
16. What’s your most expensive purchase to date? My BlackBerry or my iPod.
17. Favorite movie? I don't have one in particular, but I love all Disney films. I'll say Emperor's New Groove is the best.
18. What is your greatest fear? Failure.
19. If your house was burning, what 3 items would you save? My iPod, my BlackBerry, and a photo of all my family.

20. Where do you see yourself in 10 years time? Hopefully I'll be able to say I've had a really good modelling career, and I'll be travelling around the world.

You can next catch Sophie in Grazia Magazine in October.

 

The Orphan's Arms

Alexander the Great: A Retrospective

Alexander McQueen: A/W 2010-11

The last ready-to-wear collection by Alexander McQueen, shown posthumously in Paris, was always going to be a difficult show to judge. Viewers were all too aware of the difficulty the designer was going through during the making of this ensemble: his mother, to whom he was very close, passed away from cancer just weeks before. McQueen took his own life nine days later. Would the season’s clothes be up to his eccentric but brilliant standard, or would the immense stress he was under affect his work?

There would always be a reluctance to give this show a poor review; who's conscience would be at ease speaking ill of the dead? But of course it was incredible. Although incomplete, 16 pieces were shown to a small group of fashion editors who viewed them in a mournfully atmospheric gilded salon at the Hotel de Clermont Tonnerre. Classical music played in a grand location, suitable for such an exquisite collection.

The previous season from Alexander McQueen was about the evolution of life – the journey of going from sea to land and then inevitably back to sea again. It looked towards the future; there was a plan for the world illustrated through the clothes. This presentation had a theme of life after death, which could be interpreted as a natural progression of the line, but it feels more likely to be an insight into McQueen’s state of mind during the creative process, making it all the more poignant. 

Rich jewel colours of ruby reds and royal blues flowed through the collection, along with intricate lavish gold embroidery, harking back to Tudor dress. Necklines were high and sleeves were long, make up was sparse and the models’ heads were bound, supporting black or gold feather Mohawks. This depersonalisation, along with the cut of the clothes, gave the impression of innocence- nothing showed that didn’t have to. McQueen avoided all distraction from the elaborate details and digital prints of Renaissance art seen on silk bodices, tying in religious connotations. At times, pieces look almost priest-like, particularly a cream floor length chiffon dress with a belted silver and gold embellished robe. 

Some clothes were also angelic. Boots had gold angel wings either side of the ankle, a stunning high-collared coat was made out of thousands of gold feathers. Grey maxi dresses were bordered by almost life-sized saints, their hands stretched out in prayer reaching towards the model’s face. The soles of the varying thigh-high and ankle boots were a gold web of entwining vines and broken skulls with cherubs surrounding them.
Each piece of the collection could proudly have stood alone, yet inextricably linked.

Viewing the images of the private show would be emotive for most, especially as the designer wouldn’t hear the unanimous praise the clothes have since received. Some critics call it his best ever collection. Lee Alexander McQueen will be sorely missed as one of the best in the fashion world. He had a unique perspective on what he saw and created, and this collection is testament to a true artist.

 

What The Tweet?

Many moons ago I didn't understand Twitter. I couldn't fathom a reason why millions of people would feel the urge to tweet their random thoughts and mundane activities to the masses. Who would want to listen? Who would care? On my first Twitter attempt (Twitempt?) I gave up after a month. It might have been something to do with Claudia Winkleman not tweeting me back, but in general I did find it tedious (Tweedious). That was March 2010.

Scroll forward to over a year and 170 tweets later, I am obsessed. Since the end of May I have been bashing out my witticisms on my keyboard to my tweeting heart's content to my ever growing number of followers. I restarted posting my 140 characters of nonsense due to the advice of a certain sports hack I met one night who insisted it would help gander attention for my blog I had recently given a voice to. So out went all the irrelevant Twitter peeps (Tweeps) I was following, in went fashion journalists, magazines and various VITs (Very Important Tweeps) I wanted to stand up and take notice of my budding blog posts. The more I followed, the more followed me. One day the aforementioned sports journalist tweeted to his fans a link to a post and my page views went up to over the 300 mark. I started to see my URL @LRoseHill crop up in #FF selections (Follow Friday - a way to broadcast weekly suggestions of people you think others should follow). The Twitter bug had bit.

However, the best publicity I have received yet occurred yesterday. None other than Lilly Allen (@MrsLRCooper) retweeted (RT'd) something I wrote to her 3,000,000-plus followers. What had been a throw-away comment sent in reply to one of the ex-songstress' tweets became a massive talking point. My phone keeps pinging away, informing me of new comments on the subject and of the soaring number of followers I was amassing. Now, I don't personally know Lily Allen, and I shouldn't be this excited a stranger RT'd something I said...but it's LILY ALLEN! Queen of the Twitterati! It literally made my day.

Twitter is also, in it's purest state, an acceptable form of stalking. Its basic function is to allow us an incite to all the goings-on of the celebrities we idolise and love- people we would never have a chance to meet in real life. Their updates can be sent to our inboxes and our phones to make sure we are never out of the loop. The whole concept works because it feeds on our insatiable appetite for paparazzi-style invasion of the lives of the rich and famous. Only this is actually commissioned by those who readily voice their objection to privacy infringement. With one hand they push away the shutterbugs that hound them, while they feed us the information anyway with the other. They don't really win either way. Cruel irony? Or poetic justice?

is the shape embedded into many of the public's hearts for our beloved social website to curl up and remain. Well, for the time being, until  a new hotter, younger model is invented in a nanosecond's time which will replace Twitter and make us forget all about the site that was. What is the past tense of tweeting? Twatting?

Peace

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(follow me on Twitter via @LRoseHill)

Racy Lacy

I bought these boots (above) from Topshop last weekend for £75, which bare some resemblance to the Opening Ceremony pair (below). They cost £206 (according to shopbop.com). Not exactly a huge amount for a pair of rather fab shoes, but when combined with a large shopping spree, like the one I was- ahem- begrudgingly undertaking on Sunday, would tip my bank balance over the edge and into the red. For those who can't afford to splash the cash, Topshop definitely knows how to copy the most stylish items of the moment and add their own twist in the process. The thick heel means extra comfort when wearing them, which is a Godsend, and add a little sophistication to your outfit.

Get buying!

Peace

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What's It All About, Alfie?

ALFIE Scalloped Lace Up Boots - Topshop

I bought these ankle boots from Topshop Oxford Street flagship on the weekend. I was looking for a pair of stylish booties which would carry me through to next Spring, and ta-da! I found these beauties. 

The ALFIE boot  cuts just above the ankle and looks great when teamed with turn-up jeans. The pony skin is very soft and looks glossy, with the scalloped edges adding a subtle quirkiness to finish off nicely.

They did feel a little snug around the widest part of the foot, but once the laces were loosened, they were a perfect fit. It is best, however, to round up your shoe size rather than down if you aren't sure- there isn't exactly wriggle room in there.

All-in-all, a great pair of boots to go stomping around in and at £52 they hardly break the bank.

I should probably stop stroking them in public, though.

Peace

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