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A Very Stylish Halloween


Like the turning back of the clocks, Halloween is upon us this weekend, and with it, the inevitable hoards of screaming children on sugar highs banging on doors demanding sweets, and flurries of invites to spooky themed costumes parties. With the former we’re afraid you’re on your own, but regarding the latter we may just be able to help out. 
After all, if you’re really dedicated to style, it’s a continual process, and there’s no excuse for cutting slack, even on what is consciously the most gruesome and ugly holiday of the year. You see, some creepy characters are legitimately chic, and we’ve rounded up the costumes you will honestly keep on wearing long after all those jack-o-lantern pumpkins have been thrown in the bin.

Morticia from The Addams Family
The morbid but lovely matriarch of television’s weirdest family was never anything less than immaculately turned out, in sleek, black, figure-hugging dresses and slinky separate that wouldn’t look out of place on the catwalk (or the red carpet for that matter, remember when Angelina Jolie won her Oscar?) To keep it appropriately gothic on the night, make sure your foundation is chalky white, and add a long black wig.




Mia Farrow in Rosemary’s Baby
From Addams family camp, to plain old disturbing. And Mia Farrow, as the title character, may be plagued by evil demons, but manages to look effortlessly stylish all the while. Her pale, pretty babydoll dress is in equal parts recognisable and adorable. And as finishing touches go, they don’t come much better than a wig of the Vidal Sassoon crop that launched a thousand copies.




Hitchcock Heroine
As the king of all creepy thrillers, Hitchcock and his films have long been the theme for many a Halloween bash. The women he picked to be his leading ladies have also become a favourite inspiration on fashion pages over the years. Commonly referred to as ‘Hitchcock blondes’ sartorially they favoured elegant, tailored separates, with cinched in waists, and demure necklines, teamed with pretty gloves and classic handbags. We’ve chosen to focus on Tippi Hendren in The Birds, her actual suit was pale green, but since most people are so used to seeing black and white stills of the film, any light colour will do. Don’t forget the chignon!




Winona Ryder in Beetlejuice
A moody teenager who befriends a dead couple, Ryder’s Lydia may have been young, but in her regular clothes, she looked like she had a serious fetish for the Antwerp Six, all misshapen black knits and shirts in the vein of the Belgians’ favoured de-constructed aesthetic. Dated accessories like a lace choker add comedy fun, but we can’t promise you’re going to like the gelled down fringe.




Sally from A Nightmare Before Christmas
Ok, her costume isn’t going to win you any genuine style kudos but we had to include because she is just so sweet, and if you’re going to really go to town on the whole Halloween costume thing then you really can’t get any better than the love interest of Jack Skellington the Pumpkin king. The clashing prints of her dress are very this season, and the ragged hem adds an edge to her look. Add the fact that she manages to make facial stitches work and you have the recipe for the holiday’s very own style icon. 
27-10-2010 16:52 # add your comment
Category : News

Never Let Me Go...



The film Never Let Me Go premiered this week, amid much buzz and a blaze of press coverage. That’s understandable, based on the simultaneously jarring and touching Kazuo Ishiguro 2005 novel of the same name, the film adaptation stars Keira Knightley, girl of the moment Carey Mulligan, and the soon to be huge Andrew Garfield (currently starring in The Social Network and recently announced as the new Spiderman’).
The acting performances are reported to be stellar, and the film makes a decent attempt at evoking the haunting melancholy of the book (don’t think it would be a spoiler to say that this is no light-hearted romp), but one thing the critics don’t mention is that it’s also a rather beautiful sartorial reference for this season. 
The story is set in a sci-fi alternate reality, although looking at the stills you’d struggle to believe it, but this world is more of a provincial, fantasy England, with a nostalgic appearance more reminiscent of the Second World War. 
The characters are dressed accordingly, everything has that casual, vintage look so prevelant on the Autumn/Winter 2010 catwalks. Everything is low-key, stylish without being obviously put-together, and generally looks a bit like a half-way point between the runway and the farm.


D&G and Prada

Jumpers at the likes of D&G, Marni and Prada were chunky and over-sized, and paired with equally modest jackets, all in muted, inoffensive shades of camel, grey, red and brown.
Knitwear is where the female leads of Never Let Me Go excel. Knightley and Mulligan spend a lot of time clad in moss green cardigans with beautiful buttons, over-sized alpine knits, and textured sweaters that look tactile but down-beat. As a trend, it’s easy to emulate, simply invest in a retro-style jumper or cardigan, work some bed-hair, and wear with loafers and an a-line skirt. It’s that rare thing, a look that’s comfy and chic. 


15-10-2010 17:02 # 1 comments - add your comment
Category : News

Japanese Fashion Special

Since it’s a Japanese fashion special on farfetch.com this week, we’re currently intrigued by all things Eastern. And though the likes of Comme des Garçons' Rei Kawakubo, and Yohji Yamamoto are true style innovators, one of the things we didn’t get to include in our round-up of Japan’s rich fashion history is the kimono, probably the country’s most iconic garment. So we thought we’d take this opportunity to celebrate the hugely recognisable piece and its enduring influence on fashion…


Traditional Japanese kimonos

The traditional kimono was originally worn by men, women and children, and can be traced back in Japanese history as far back as the 5th century, when it was influenced by Han Chinese clothing , brought over via the Japanese embassies to China.
Over time the garment became more and more ornate, grew in length, and had the ‘Obi’ belt added, so that by the Edo period (starting 1603) the design for what we now recognise as the classic kimono was in place. 
Kimono’s were worn as day wear into the early part of the 20th century, and the beauty of them as part of a working wardrobe has famously been immortalised in Arthur Golden’s best-selling novel Memoirs of a Geisha , a love letter to traditional Japanese customs and culture as the country became rapidly modernised.
Now of course, Japan favours a more Western approach to dress, with the kimono only brought out on special occasions, and since it’s such a complex and expensive garment, not to mention incredibly difficult to wear, it has never been able to establish itself as a real fashion item.



An early Kenzo kimono (they later became shorter and more daring) and Whitney Port in a Modern Vintage mini Kimono

What it has done, however, is influence many collections. 1900’s fashion maverick Paul Poiret had a visible Eastern influence in his ground-breaking designs, becoming famous for his ‘Kimono coat’, a controversial piece that transformed the classic garment’s shape into a jacket. 
In the 1970s, whimsical Japanese designer Kenzo, the first from his country to make a huge impact on international fashion, put a disco spin on the kimono, making it short, light and playful, in summery colours and clashing prints. And it was his take that was picked up on by Gucci’s Tom Ford almost thirty years later, only making things altogether shorter and sexier, pushing the boundaries of the garment’s historical importance. Mini kimono’s are still a popular Summer item, put out by young, relaxed brands like Modern Vintage.
This season we’re loving this kimono style dress by Italian fashion house Etro, which takes all the most desirable features of the kimono, the wide, dramatic sleeves, the theatrical, almost costume-like detailing, and the rich, intense colours, and adapts them into a comfortable and wearable dress that’s visually arresting, but totally up-to-date.
 
The Etro kimono-style dress
13-10-2010 13:01 # add your comment
Category : News

Fashion Week Round-Up

Paris Fashion Week may be drawing to a close, but the excitement for the collections is still far from fizzling out, buoyed on somewhat by the magnificent Vogue Paris 90th Anniversary Party, which provided still-hungry fashion bloggers with enough best and worst dressed fodder to keep them in swoons and snipey comments for weeks to come. 
But back to the shows, with powerhouses like Miu Miu and Chanel yet to show, this may come prematurely, but our fingers were just itching to get started on our favourites of the past few weeks. We present our top five shows of Spring/Summer 2011…

Hakaan
Showing in Paris for the first time (courtesy of his prestigious ANDAM award prize fund), and still flush from all the fawning his debut collection garnered last season in London, the pressure was on the Turkish designer to prove he was no one season wonder. Even with the security of his influential creative director Mert Alas (of all-powerful photography duo Mert and Marcus), and luminaries like Daria and Natalia on the catwalk, the stakes were high. Fortunately the ‘wow-factor’ was higher.
Hakaan’s collection was one large example of changing perceptions, the aesthetic was slick and restrained, a palette cleanser in a season proving big on Seventies excess. He also managed the considerable feat of making crop-tops and flesh-baring cut-outs racy without being obvious, sheer panels were geometric design features rather than suggestive, but still didn’t lose their feminine allure.  




Altuzarra
Continuing on with the glacial palette (an emerging trend for the upcoming season), rapidly rising French-born, American-based talent Joseph Altuzarra cemented his status as the one to watch with a collection that juxtaposed the grandest and most luxurious of materials with a thoroughly modern approach to shape and cut.
Pieces in thick duchesse satin and silky python skin featured some subtle nods to de-construction, but nothing that was exaggerated or directional enough to compromise the prettiness or body flattering qualities of the pieces. 
Cone shaped busts, and cut-away necklines would have given an almost tribal look to long dresses, were it not for the classic palette of white, ivory, black and navy, and instead had a glossy, high-octane Tom Ford-type sexiness.


Lanvin
Alber Elbaz may be walking around telling all and sundry that he is not a cool designer, and that Lanvin is not a cool brand, but the fact that one of his designs isn’t likely to turn up on some consciously subversive East London hipster as they launch their latest exhibition at an avant-garde gallery hardly dims the enduring brilliance of his Lanvin collections. 
Spring/Summer 11 was no exception, everything came with a typical layer of tasteful gloss, from billowing chiffon-skirted dresses with plunging necklines, to low-key suits paired with flats. 
True, a dramatic sweeping skirt the colour and size of a particularly intense sunset doesn’t exactly scream ‘cool’, but that hardly matters, it was eye-wateringly beautiful all the same. But it wasn’t all rainbow colours and candyfloss, dresses worthy of a gladiator, all pagan metal embellishments,  provided a hard edge that kept the show anchored firmly in reality, albeit a reality at the very pinnacle of the visual scale. 



Peter Pilotto
Always a reliable destination for a statement dress, the party-friendly pieces by Peter Pilotto and design partner Christopher De Vos usually have in common dazzling beadwork, marbled colours, and dramatic drapery. 
For Spring/Summer 2011 they’ve brushed those signature features aside in favour of experimenting with feather light cutaway skirts, pretty blouses and the unusual inspiration source of rock climbing. And like that hobby, it was something of a risk. Still, happily it seems to be one that has paid dividends. The use of parachute silk and rope-like scarves has an effect that is both delicate and dimensional, and whilst the graphic printed turtle-necks do have echoes of genuine active-wear, it is active-wear given the most impractical and gorgeous of make-overs.



Yves Saint Laurent
Rather than pushing forward, Stefano Pilati at YSL looked to the house’s iconic back catalogue for a collection that, perhaps in a nod to the Yves–dedicated exhibition that just ended a six-month stint in Paris, referenced some of the late designer’s most famous creations. 
And one by one Pilati certainly rolled out all the big guns. There were elegant Belle du Jour-esque blouses with prim collars, given a modern riff with the sheerest of fabrics, a safari dress pared down to its clean lines and simple shape, devoid of the plethora of accessories it was paired with first time around. There was billowing midnight-blue chiffon so representative of the heady, hedonistic disco days of Seventies Paris, and the finale cleverly fused two Saint Laurent staples, the chic ‘Le Smoking’, and the Moroccan style harem pants he found so appealing in the days when the exotic socialite Talitha Getty was his muse. 
06-10-2010 10:20 # add your comment

Milan Fashion Week


The catwalk at Dolce and Gabbana

Milan Fashion Week got off to a typically glamorous start, and as usual, there were so many dazzling pieces to look at and exciting events going on, it was hard to find time just to sit back and take them in. 
One thing that was obvious immediately though, is that bold, bright colours look set to play a leading role in next season’s trends, particularly since they were a dominant presence at big hitters like Prada, Fendi and Gucci. 


Bold looks at Marni

This was certainly true at Marni, where Consuela Castiglioni sent out strong, vibrant shades. So elegantly cut were the pieces, that even in block colour, leather, or clashing prints, they looked effortlessly chic at all times.


The catwalk at Marni

Dolce and Gabbana chose to buck the trend, with a mainly monochrome collection. It was a characteristically sexy, smouldering show from the dynamic duo, splashes of print brightened up summery white pieces, though the real show-stoppers were the breath-taking Swarovski crystal-encrusted gowns that finished off the proceedings. 

Andrea Molteni.

The front row at Dolce and Gabbana
27-09-2010 17:02 # add your comment

farfetch.com Global Gathering



Last month saw the inaugural farfetch.com Global Gathering and we’re delighted to report that it was a HUGE success. The farfetch team, and our boutique partners from all over Europe met up together at our offices in Portugal for a summit to discuss our joint venture and how we can make our online fashion market place into the ultimate retail experience. Lots of ground was covered, progress was made, socialising was done, and most importantly, everyone simply had a really amazing time. Here’s to hoping it was the first of many!
24-09-2010 10:43 # add your comment
Category : News

London Fashion Week Round-Up

The last day of LFW started with Marios Schwab, where lingerie inspired dresses were toughened up with leather harnesses, messy hair (or were they messy wigs?) and running make-up. This time around, it was Marios’ take on Nineties grunge which dominated the catwalk, but with a very feminine approach. 


Marios Schwab

 Heroin chic was left aside at Todd Lynn where his elongated warrior goddesses stomped down the catwalk with assurance. Snakeskin panels, sometimes in the form of a flap collar completed Lynn’s beautifully structured collection. 


Todd Lynn

Back to the Topshop Venue for the much anticipated Fashion East show. The editors are always excited to see which designers Lulu Kennedy has picked to represent the best of new talent. This season the line-up included Heikki Salonen, Felicity Brown and Simone (daughter of John) Rocha. My personal favorite had to be Felicity and her eye-candy ruffled cocktail numbers.


Felicity Brown

 My last show was Ashish, the king of sequins, and God did I have fun! His Rodeo Drive collection was made of heavy fringing, bandana prints and sequined cowboy shirts. What’s not to love? And his cowboy boots, a collaboration with Topshop, had ‘It shoes’ written all over them… And I never say ‘It shoes’!

Violaine Bernard.

Ashish
23-09-2010 17:25 # add your comment

London Fashion Week Round-Up


Holly Fulton

Day 4 of Fashion Week was another early start at the Topshop venue with Peter Pilotto. Far away from their shield dresses, for S/S 11 Pilotto and de Vos were offering a grown-up yet fresh collection. The flapping panels at the back of some of the dresses were reminiscent of the 1970’s Saint-Laurent era where, according to Peter Pilotto ‘your silk scarf is elegantly flying in the air on the back of a convertible’.


Peter Pilotto

 I left the old Eurostar Terminal and made my way back to Somerset House to catch rising stars David Koma and Holly Fulton (ex-Fashion East hopeful) who were showing back to back (a LFW tradition). Koma’s ballerina inspired dresses with full, heavy skirts and skin-tight bodice had some sheer organza panels for a sassy effect, with python peplums added too. It was a different story altogether for Fulton’s glamorous Riviera collection. Her trademark graphic prints on Sixties shifts definitely had punch and the ‘Lauren Bacall cruising on a yacht’ hair complemented the looks perfectly. 


Mark Fast

At Mark Fast, figure-hugging, open stitched knit dresses were completed with some heavy fringes and I was happy to see some incandescent colors, particularly candy pink and flaming tangerine. I also liked that Fast ended the show with a bridal gown.


Mark Fast 
 
Roksanda Illincic’s Seventies inspired collection was airy and elegant in pure Roksanda style. Think sorbet colors and Loulou de la Falaise inspired headscarves for another echo to the Saint-Laurent heydays.


Roksanda Ilincic

 I couldn’t finish this day in a better mood after the Meadham Kirchhoff show. Those guys are geniuses! Some would argue than starting the show with a tape of an old Courtney Love interview wasn’t the best intro, but for me it was the a good way of putting the record straight. They embodied and revisited 90’s grunge with layers of luxurious chiffon, lace and detachable collars for a slightly odd, broken doll feel. You couldn’t help but feeling inspired. And I totally dig the Goth princess’ multicolored hair. 

Violaine Bernard.

Meadham Kirchoff
23-09-2010 11:18 # add your comment

London Fashion Week Round-Up


Needless to say that the next morning was rather difficult… I pulled myself together to catch the Bernard Chandran show, also known as the Giorgio Armani of Malaysia, and not only did I enjoy his organza cocktail dresses, but he also brought Mr Hudson to DJ, even Tori Amos was tapping her heels.
 After my well-deserved bacon sandwich I made my way to Emilio de la Morena, which was definitely a highlight for me. It felt like LFW had finally started, and what a start! The colour combinations of hot pink, canary and aqua were genially refreshing after all the beige of last season (I think if I hear someone say “camel” one more time I’ll hit them with my Fashion Daily). The mix of textures such as suede, leather and perforated chiffon was inspiring.


Emilio de la Morena

 Next stop was the BodyAmr show, with his infamous draped gowns. Lily Allen was there supporting her mate Daisy Lowe who opened the show.


Daisy Lowe at BodyAmr

 Back to Somerset House where Osman's show was held. It was a very beautiful, clean collection, although maybe too reminiscent of the Celine mania last year.


Osman

John Rochas’ aesthetic always moves me and his S/S11 offering didn’t disappoint. But it was Charles Anastase’s Peter Pan collar and 60’s sweater dresses that made me finish the evening on a high. With a setting like a Parisian courtyard and Serge Gainsbourg blasting out, his leggy models walked down in pure Anastase style. When asked backstage who his inspiration was, he named Sixties icons like Francoise Hardy. Is Valentine Fillol Cordier, long-time friend and stylist, his muse? "Bien sur"he intoned. "She actually cut the models' hair to look like her…I think she already started a trend!" I went home dreaming of a shaggy fringed bob.


Charles Anastase

Day 3 started with digital print maestros Basso&Brooke in the sunny morning. The old maps and manuscript-inspired prints were surprisingly toned down but the floaty 70's dresses won my heart nonetheless. We then dropped by Somerset House's Portico Rooms to check out the Ann-Sofie Back intimate catwalk presentation with its Hellraiser inspired jewellery. After those first 3 days running around trying not to look too disheveled - the style bloggers are the fashion pack's paparazzis after all - I can clearly say that so far the highlight was Michael van der Ham and his awe-inspiring collages dresses. Dreamy, mesmerising, you name it, Michael is definitely the one to follow. 

Violaine Bernard.

Alexa Chung watching Charles Anastase
21-09-2010 15:29 # 1 comments - add your comment

London Fashion Week Round-Up


London Fashion Week is upon us once again and I have to say that after a course of fifteen hundred vitamins and filling up my clutch bag with Compeed, I feel quite prepared to brave the fashion crowd.


Jade Parfitt at Jean-Pierre Braganza

Day 1 started with the Jean-Pierre Braganza show at the Victoria House. For S/S11 he decided to surprise everyone with a palette of lilac and hot pink, although his dark side did shine through at the end, with Jade Parfitt sporting a mini dress featuring a very Donnie Darko-esque skull print. The shoes were courtesy of Nicholas Kirkwood. 

Among established brands such as Mawi, Jas MB and L’Agence, the exhibition at Somerset House, was also packed with designers to watch, a case in point being ‘The Only Son’.


The Only Son

 Next on my list were Felder Felder and Hannah Marshall showing back to back. Hannah Marshall started with a steamy but beautifully shot video by Rankin appropriately followed by a collection of sexy leather dresses, black chiffon shirts and touches of suede in acqua. The Sass & Bide collection was very cute with lots of jumpsuits and desirable bustier dresses worn with ankle boots.


Sass & Bide

Back to the On/Off venue at the Victoria House for the last show of the day, Aminaka Wilmont and their infamous draped wonders. Some appliqué of little butterflies was added to the show-stopping pieces, but my favorite had to be the multi knotted asymmetric mini in silk jersey, with a long sleeved black tee underneath. And the bird’s nest hairdo was a plus too. Feeling the fashion week buzz I dropped by Alto club on Carnaby St to congratulate Mr Braganza, and then made my way to the PPQ after party where The XX were playing the decks.

Violaine Bernard.

Aminaka Wilmont
21-09-2010 15:16 # add your comment

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Contributors


JESSIE WEISS, WRITER
Jessica Weiss is the voice behind Germany’s biggest fashion blog LesMads. Since it’s conception in 2007, Berlin based LesMads has won the prestigious ‘Lead Award’ for Best Weblog 2010. Jessica will be bringing us the latest in style news and her hot picks from farfetch.com.


TOM STUBBS, WRITER
Tom Stubbs is a stylist and writer who works for Sunday Times Style, The Rake, The Quarterly, FT How To Spend It, and Finch’s Quarterly. He also writes his own blog www.styleanderror.co.uk. Stubbs is our menswear fashion week correspondent.


INDIGO CLARKE, WRITER
Writer Indigo Clarke is Fashion Features Editor for Lula Magazine UK, Editor at Large for Oyster Magazine AUS, Contributing Features Editor for Russh Magazine AUS, Correspondent for Harper’s Bazaar AUS and also writes features for AnOther Magazine UK, Plastique Magazine UK and The Melbourne Age Newspaper. Reporting from the big apple, Indigo brings us the front row news as our New York Fashion Week correspondent.

VIOLAINE BERNARD, WRITER
Violaine is Fashion Editor of new quarterly style magazine Velour, each season she brings us the latest activity from London Fashion Week.

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