THE GLAMOROUS TURBAN by Julia Clancey

The turban is one of the most glamorous fashion accessories, with timeless appeal. Adored by the iconic Swedish movie star, Greta Garbo in the 1930s, it has been adopted by stylish women in Hollywood and beyond and adds both sophistication and ultimate glamour to every outfit.

Self-taught designer Julia Clancey began her career as a fashion stylist in the music and advertising industries. She then ventured into accessory design, which came as a natural progression from her styling work, creating detailed pieces for editorial photoshoots.
 Her first piece of body jewellery was shot by Corrine Day for UK VOGUE.
 In 2010 Clancey launched her own private showroom in West Hollywood, catering to her loyal following of private clients and red carpet clientele.
Her work has been worn by many celebrities including Megan Fox, Sienna Miller, Juliette Lewis and Dita Von Teese and has been featured in publications such as VOGUE, W Magazine, Grazia and ELLE.
Julia Clancey now splits her time between London and Los Angeles developing her collections.

www.juliaclancey.com

Alexis Carballosa AW17 at London Fashion Week

Titled 'Unbound' inspiration comes from the unexplored and delves into the contrasts between the underwater world and the unlimited universe.

Video of the show's finale:


Showpieces feature dramatic volume in the sleeves and trains whilst still accentuating the waist to flatter the feminine figure.

The idea of the construction was to find balance and manipulate it with different fabrics to flatter the feminine figure.

It is an exploration of the balance between structures and fluidity while challenging the stereotypical idea of what a AW collection is supposed to be.

Colour palette is hues of blue, green and yellow.

With accents of metallic adding another dimension of texture.

All accessories have been hand created by Carballosa using repurposed material.

The finale look is an all black gown made from gazar silk and organza, complimented with this seasons signature sleeves, amplified to create a powerful silhouette.

www.alexiscarballosa.com

Corrie Nielsen SS13 Collection - Florilegium

Titled ‘Florilegium’ and inspired by flora and fauna, Corrie Nielsen’s SS13 collection shows her designer talents are in full bloom and thriving.  

 

Although the literal meaning is ‘the gathering of flowers’ Florilegium refers to the medieval botanical books that recorded and accurately illustrated flowers.

Through her signature sculpted and elaborate tailoring, Nielsen recreates petals, sepals, stamens and anthers in the form of ruffles, peplums and large loose tie-necks.

Here, metallic silk is shaped around the entire body as a giant all-encompassing peony rose.

Sleeves varied from the wide bulbous to slit like pods keeping the arms held securely to the side.

The colour palette is delicate with light shades of vanilla, ivory and blush pinks.

Her main inspiration was that of Kew Gardens. Not just the plants but also the glass house architecture as she flips Kew’s Victorian Palm House inside out with folds of leaves wrapping around a transparent glass like bodice.

Nielsen was also inspired by computer graphics artist Makoto Mutayama’s botanical blueprints where he sketches the inner cavity of a flower and then creates in 3D digital.

Couture headwear continued the floral theme with milliner Emma Yeo showcasing her SS13 ‘Lucidus Lilum’ collection. Each headpiece was inspired by the petal of the Japanese Mountain Lily (Lilium Auratum) and was constructed to emulate the lucidity and purity of botanical linear illustrations.

Fabrics used are translucent frosted plastics (to illustrate shadows and highlights), taffeta and Yeo’s signature laser cut wood bonded with soft blush pink and dusty grey silks.

www.emmayeo.com

For the finale, Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution is played out in the avant-garde dip dye wedding dress. Large sculpted petals in a gradient of grey are rib boned at the waist and followed by a trailing swathe of finely layered ivory silk.

Emma Yeo’s headpiece is softened with large dip dyed grey taffeta petals embellished with a light scattering of Swarovski crystals mimicking dewdrops.

Most wearable pieces were:

 

The least wearable was the black book shaped dress but maybe it was just to represent the closing chapter of Nielsen’s floral story. 

For information on where to buy any of the collection pieces email info@corrienielsen.com

Photographs by Christopher Dadey

www.christopherdadey.com

 

The Autumn/Winter Shift Dress- Get the French Chic Look

The shift dress has a simple straight silhouette which suits the more boyish frame or the apple shaped women who carry most of their weight around their waist. 

French women go for a quality capsule wardrobe and so make sure most items will mix and match. The shift dress  is a great staple piece because of its versatility –it can be worn on its own or over a jumper, blouse and tee shirt which can be in a tonal colour or a more contrasting colour for the more fashionable colour blocking trend.  The camel fitted shift dress from Elegance is a blend of 60% new wool and 40% angora. Price £249.00. Here worn with a black polo neck top in 100% silk jersey £119 and black leather bag £249.

All from www.elegance.co.uk 

M&S mini beret headband

Give a nod to the French look with the black M&S wool mini beret headband. Price £18 www.marksandspencer.com

Laura Ashley cape

Instead of a cumbersome coat, team with a cape. A cape is a good alternative to a coat for the transitional months, plus its simple tailoring complements the simple shift dress.  This Laura Ashley camel cape has a stylish black trim. Fabric: 75% wool 25% polyester Price £105 www.lauraashley.com  

Then add long leather gloves plus your bangles and bracelets and rings on the outside to give some drama. 

Most shift dresses have high necks so may make the larger bust look boxy.  One solution is to wear a mid length necklace (but not so long that it is dangling over your bust) or scarf to create a v shape and break up the area.