Hats Off to Tracy Rose's 30 year retrospective Hat exhibition

Tracy Rose is renowned for her love of hats and her quirky designs - all of which have meanings and incorporate sculptural art in the designs. I'm loving the England hat with its goal netting and tiny swarovsk footballs (the 2nd image down on the poster).
Tracy started wearing her own designs to Royal Ascot 30 years ago , and now has decided to hold a free 2 day exhibition for the public to view all these wonderful creations.
The exhibition is called 'Hats Off' and is to be held at the Gallery Different, 14 Percy Street, London W1. from 1000am - 6pm on Fri 28th Oct and Sat 29th Oct. Entry is free.
Tracy will most certainly be wearing one of her creations - but will it be a new design especially made for the exhibition or will she wear one of her past favourites?  

The event will also coincide with the launch of Tracy and her husband Russell's 2012 edition of 'Fashion Fabulous London' - an essential annual guide to the best fashion outlets in London, giving reviews on the top  200 places to buy fashion in London and 132 restaurants, bars, cafes and hotels where fashionable people go plus the 62 'must visit' fashion stores.

The Young Creative Chevrolet European Awards 2011

The Young Creative Chevrolet European Awards ceremony took place on Thursday 22 Sep at the iconic London landmark Battersea Power Station.

In honour of 100 years in the industry, Chevrolet asked students from 22 European countries to help celebrate their centennial anniversary by using this as a basis for their applied arts entries.  Categories included video, music, photography, visual arts and of course fashion.

The winners of the fashion category were:

1^st Prize- Lubica Mildeova from Slovakia.

and her version of the little black dress

2^nd Prize – Ida Klamborn from Sweden

with her streamlined long red gown and cap

3^rd Prize - Tobias F Muller from Germany, with his celebration of womens freedom through trousers.

At the awards, one of the guest speakers was Wayne Hemmingway, creator of the street fashion company Red or Dead, who gave an inspiring and entertaining speech on how he and his wife started in the fashion business.

And of course it wouldn’t be a Chevrolet evening without a few fabulous cars dotted around which make very good fashion accessories:

1964 Corvette Stingray – regarded by many automotive historians as one of the best looking cars ever designed.Shown here in classiccool  white.

Looking like a  mean lean fighting machine is the futuristic re-interpretation of the Stingray - the 50^th Anniversary Corvette Stingray Concept celebrating its first appearance in Europe.

Unfortunately after the awards, it wasn’t a gorgeous Chevrolet that took me home but a big red number159 bus.

Images provided by Mischief PR

Burberry Prorsum Spring/Summer 2012 collection at London Fashion Week

Here it was the joining of the classic look with the colourful and skilled artisan embellishment touches of beads, weaves and prints.

Trench coats ranged from the full skirted - here seen in dark damson with an artisan woven raffia pompom cap, woven platform sandals, artisan beaded belt and the new Whipstitch bag in dark peacock.

brogue leathers - here in azure blue with corset belt, woven wedge peep toe boots, clutch and handstitched leather cord sunglasses.

embroidered and artisan textured - more muted tones of wheat, barley and conker, worn here with corset belt, raffia pompom cap and woven weddge sandals.

and some with hand beaded crochet collars and detailing. Here in sapphire blue with raffia pompom cap, corset belt and crochet wedge peep toe pumps

Parkas were oversized...  the foreground an artisan textured in multi colours of orange ochre, fawn rose and chocolate black and in  the background the classic khaki green. Both worn with knitted pencil skirts and woven wedge sandals.

with lattice nappa leather sleeves in asparagus green.

and cropped. Here in asparagus with full military skirt, artisan textured knit and beaded platform sandalss

Other styles were mixed fabric peplum jackets. Here with ruched knotted skirt, small clitch and woven wedge peep toe boots.

Dress silhouettes ranged from the body hugging ruched bow dress...

.. the soft pleated panel tea dresses. The colour may be described as gooseberry but you definitely won't be a goosberry in this silk crepe georgette tea dress worn with a waist belt, raffia pompom cap, Whipstitch bag in tan and beaded platform sandals.

... to the slouchy slash neck beaded crochet knit dress in rich garnet red

Skirts ranged from the full military skirt. Here seen in indigo green with a  garnet red cropped canopy parka and slouchy slash beaded silk blend crochet knit, raffia pompom cap, Whipstitch bag and woven platform sandals.

 

to the high waisted pencil skirt. Shown here with barely grey cropped canopy parka, clutch and woven wedge peep toe boots.

Knits included an artisan basket weave in garnet with sapphire blue stripes, worn  with handcrafted geometric wooden beads, indigo blue military skirt and large tote bag

whilst tops were embellished with geometric shapes.

It was city chic with a touch of folklore.

Tulisa wears Thomas Sabo Jewellery on the X Factor

Tulsa wears Thomas Sabo on the X Factor!

As the X Factor starts to hot up, everyone is talking about what Kelly and Tulisa are wearing. Our latest style crush, Tulisa, has been accessorising her destigner outfits with jewellery from Thomas Sabo.

Get her look now with the Filigree range from their AW collection

www.thomassabo.com
Images provided by Task PR

Kelly Rowland wears a Miquella ring on X Factor

Last Saturday, Kelly Rowland wore a statement cocktail ring on X Factor by Miquella.

London-based company, Miquella Jewellery is created in the London studio by a young vibrant team of designers and Jewellery makers, combining influences from across the globe and key art movements with fashion trends. With a strong emphasis on hand crafts, intricate knotting and bead work, these techniques have become an integral part of the brand.

 Ring available for £112 from www.miquella.com

Images provided by Goodley PR

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PPQ Spring/Summer 2012 collaborates with Bebaroque at London Fashion Week

This season saw the collaboration of PPQ and the fashion hosiery brand Bebaroque through their love of prints. 

Bebaroque designed a capsule collection of hosiery and body suits for the collection including a body and leggings decorated with an all over repeat digital print combining leopard print with PPQ brand letters.

A gold embroidered and embellished cream body looking good in the Mask Of Zorro disguise 

PPQ brand letters emblazoned on Bebaroque white tights, the back of which was adorned with bows, sequins and crystals.

Gold PPQ roses on black Bebaroque above the knee socks 

It’s hosiery as a work of art.

Meadham Kirchhoff Spring/summer 2012 collection at London Fashion Week

Not titled ‘A Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing ‘ but ‘A Wolf in Lambs Clothing’, 

It was every little girls dream from the runway with arches made of pastel colour balloons,

the gaggle of little ballerinas pirouetting in the middle 

and the bigger girls in blonde wigs and pastel satin baby doll slips playing with lipstick and powder puffs.  .

The models emerged in childlike inspired clothes, blue pinafore dress with large multi coloured buttons layered over a multi coloured checked dress with tie,

red skirt with heart shaped pockets and a smiley face heart shaped bib 

and spangly gym style knickers with tartan bloomers peeping through,

Slightly more grown up was the next procession of models in 18^th century French court inspired garments – baby blue coat dress embellished in gold brocade but with cheeky powder puffs peeping out of the breast pockets, 

and a baby pink leotard with short cape attachment and blue lacy blouse underneath - here Marie-Antoinette hasn't lost her head but her crinoline skirt!.   

There were cheeky elements in the guise of showgirl style white crystal embellished bustier leotard with fluffy skirt 

and a baby pink cardigan with peek-a-boo holes revealing a sequined bra underneath.  

 All gloriously over the top and very  sugar and spice even down to the wedge shoes which were trimmed with metallic frills top and bottom and looking very much like slices of cake.

Inbar Spector Spring/Summer 2012 collection at London Fashion Week

Israeli born Inbar took her SS12 inspiration from the theme of nightmares and hell of her own hometown which was destroyed by fire this year.  Focusing more on the fear which is mixed with happiness at a large gathering such as a wedding, her collection was not as darkly gothic as I expected.

In fact the colour palette was gold, white, dusty pink and pale green with only a smattering of black.

Creating a Goth like royal court, the first models wore voluminous gold and silver brocade faux leather jackets and coats over frothy tulle skirts. 

No straight lines here but wavy zip fasteners and undulating padded sleeves.

The darker side appeared in tulle strips wrapped around metallic faux leather and lace dresses like bandages,

whilst diaphanous metallic embossed lace dresses and tops clung to the body in uneven folds giving the impression of scarred tissue.

It was the honeycomb tulle dresses that fascinated me,

loved the fullness, the texture, 

the look and how they bounced as the models walked.

A white floor length tulle dress wound its honeycomb self around a model like a giant swirling meringue.  Thinking that this was the finale dress as how could you top that? 

To prove me wrong, a golden faux leather dress appeared with a floor length honeycomb skirt instantly reminding me of a beautiful 3D bell decoration you hang up at Christmas. 

This dress needed respect as it bounced and moved to its own tune, and the model had no option but to move slowly providing us with a great opportunity to see the intricate laser cut perforation designs.  

Inbar Spector was Inbar Spectacular!!

Images provided by Task PR