Yaba Daba Doo!

I am transfixed by Jeremy Scott at the moment. His latest collection which is inspired by the Flintstones is just so cool! I love all the bright coloured animal prints with jagged edges (they remind me of the B-52’s). I also adore the little bones wedged into the models nest-like hairdos. I really want the pink swimmers… They are a modern Stone Age fantasy!

Pearly Kings and Queens

A few weeks ago I was having a conversation with my boyfriend about Pearly Kings and Queens. I have been fascinated with them for a while now (it is such an amazing and unusual tradition). My boyfriend (who is English) had no idea what I was talking about and thought I was just being a ranting foreigner who had created some sort of English mystical creature.

When I checked the Tatty Devine website this morning I was absolutely delighted to see her new collection called Button Up which is a tribute to the East End’s Pearly Kings and Queens. The new collection has buttons, heart brooches, anchor necklaces and bow earrings which are a reflection of the Pearlie’s costumes.

Tatty Devine is also donating £1 from Pearly King brooch and necklace sales to the Pearly Kings and Queens Association. Such an awesome idea!

In Tatty Devine’s East London shop there is also an exhibition of Pearlie portraits by photographer Harry Dutton (see below). Their costumes are so amazing. I love all the little details. Imagine how heavy they must be though!

Funny Bones

Last week was a great week for post (lots of amazing treats arrived in the letterbox). Firstly a lovely gift arrived from my mum (thanks mum!). She bought me a Karen Walker necklace. It is a pale blue skull on a white rope. I am so excited about it. I feel like a voodoo witch doctor when I wear it.

My giraffe print shoes arrived on Friday. I purchased them in the Urban Outfitters sale (why are their sales so good?) They are really comfortable and I think they make a nice alternative to the black or brown brogues which everyone seems to wear in the wintertime (not that I am dissing black or brown brogues – I think they look awesome!)

I teamed both of my new treats together for a party on Saturday night. New goodies certainly make this girl feel great!

Hair Flair

I really wanted to post this picture of Blake Lively’s great hairdo for the Emmy’s. Could this girl get any cooler? Who else can wear a messy plait and look totally chic? I think I love her…

I also wanted to rave about Alexa Chung’s new raven locks. She looks all wintery and glam. Such a pretty girlie. I also love her chunky cardigan. It is nice to see someone not sporting shoulder pads, studs or leather at the moment.

And what about Lady Gaga’s new oddball haircut? It looks a bit like a nuclear explosion but I think it works for her (in an odd way). She is so crazy and kooky that Miss Gaga…

Spiderman

Is it me or are spiders becoming the hot new jewellery trend at the moment? Giles Deacon’s new jewellery range has this incredible spider ring and Zoe and Morgan have also used our eight legged friends in their designs. I like the idea of wearing jewel encrusted critters so I am going to be riding this trend!

London Fashion Week (come on people! I have to write something)

So everyone is blogging about London fashion week at the moment and I thought it was about time I jumped on the band wagon because London is buzzing at the moment and I cannot contain myself. Also what sort of fashion blog would this be if I totally ignored London Fashion Week?

Mark Fast’s show has made a stir because of his use of plus size models. Having been accused of designing clothes with slim ladies in mind, he hit back saying that his knitwear could be worn by women of any shape. I must say his curvy babes on the catwalk looked totally awesome and they didn’t seem out of place to me (however I do fly the flag for ladies with a bit of meat on them – I am one myself). Fast’s stylist quit just before the show appalled by Fast’s decision to use plus size models. Apparently we bigger lasses cannot walk properly… Is that the reason I always seem to trip up on my walk to work? I always thought it was the shoddy footpaths and my ridiculous footwear… Aside from that, Mark Fast’s knitwear is looking super tasty.

I have also been impressed by Eley Kishimoto’s collection ‘Beyond the Chintz.’ I have never seen so many pretty prints in my life. It is all very bold, bright and playful.

I am head over heels in love with this fun, flirty and playful theme which seems to be running across a number of shows during fashion week and the epitome of playfulness has to be the Mulberry show. The Claridges Ballroom was decked out like a fairground with pastel balloons and carousel horses. Once more pretty prints and gorgeous flirty clothes were on show (sigh – it is all too beautiful!). Drawing on inspiration from the Virgin Suicides (a big tick) and the use of cute little black pugs in their show (another big tick) puts the Mulberry show at the top of my list for favourite fashion week shows.

And my quick round up of my fashion favourites wouldn’t be complete without a shout out to one of my favourite designers Luella. I am always impressed by Luella’s amazing use of colour and want to own pretty much everything in her collection, every year. Luella seems to be nodding to the 60’s with her new collection. The peter pan collars and princess coats remind me of my granny ever so slightly but Luella will always impress me. That blue is also so very pretty.

Birthday Present

Last night I saw the Veils play. They are not my favourite band, but we have the kiwi connection and there is an unspoken rule that you support your fellow compatriots in London. So along I went and supported. Besides – my company for the night was swooning over Finn (the lead singer) and I drag her all over the place so it was time for her to drag me somewhere for a change.

I did quite a bit of thinking and daydreaming whilst I was watching them play. The Veils made me reminisce about the beginning of 2007. It was a strange point in my life. I call it the limbo period. I was packing up my Auckland life and planning for my new London one. I had let my hair down and was being quite reckless and carefree. I knew my time in Auckland was limited and it was going to be a while until I saw my friends again so we had loads of fun, drank quite a bit, and partied across town.

The reason I mention this is because I have an amazing group of friends in Auckland whom I think about everyday. On my 20th birthday they all chipped in and bought me this Karen Walker tee-shirt which has a dancing sausage and ‘Gabba Gabba Hey’ written across the top of it (I was a Ramones fanatic at the time). I haven’t worn this top for a very long time but last night I decided I would wear it out. It is probably the oldest item that remains in my wardrobe and it is definitely one of the most special pieces of clothing I own. So this blog is a shout out to all my wonderful Auckland buddies. I miss you all heaps and thanks for the rad tee-shirt on my 20th birthday!

the Lemonheads

The Lemonheads are one of my favourite bands of all time. Their fun and poppy beats always put me in a great mood. Evan Dando is also a total babe. What girl can resist a band fronted by a totally gorgeous man? What a drool fest...

So when I discovered that the Lemonheads were playing a London show, I pencilled the 19th of September in my calendar and waited eagerly. It was a pretty fun gig. They whizzed through their poppy tunes and then Mr. Dando did a solo act for a few songs. Everyone was dancing and singing away and having an awesome time.

At the moment my wardrobe has taken a bit of a grungy turn. Every time I head out I always seem to don a plaid shirt in some colour. How boring of me. I think it is because I am obsessed with the 90’s at the moment. Most of my favourite bands are from the 90’s and I have always found that music and fashion go hand in hand when influencing what I put on my back.

Over the weekend I bought some new Doc Boots. They make me feel like a teenager again. In winter I tend to walk around in flat black boots and I had decided that Doc’s were definitely the way to go this winter. They are so comfortable and I feel like I am walking on marshmallows. I am looking forward to slipping into them tonight to watch the Veils play. However there will be more on that tomorrow!

Show me your wardrobe!

Every issue of Elle, I head straight to the ‘show me your wardrobe’ section. I am totally fascinated by what other people wear and how they describe their style. Is it the voyeuristic stalker that lurks deep in me? Probably. I also that think people are naturally interested in what other people wear and how they present themselves to the world. I mean isn’t that what the world of fashion is all about? Borrowing and re-hashing styles?

I really wanted to share my favourite pictures by Jackie Dixon (the brains behind show me your wardrobe). All of these people look so amazing and gorgeous and I love the outfits they have put together.

Tavi Love

Most of my Saturday was spent indoors reading Pop magazine (I am such a party animal). I wanted to pick up the latest issue because it featured Brodie Dalle, Ed Ruscha, Damien Hirst (who is the guest editor) and most importantly I wanted to read about this month’s cover star - the infamous Tavi Williams.

Things were getting a bit strange when I started idolising Mary Kate Olsen. I thought – Jeez Emma, she is so much younger then you. Aren’t you supposed to idolise people around your age or a bit older? Not too sure what explanation I can offer for idolising a 13 year old blogger. But the truth is that Tavi deserves all the credit she can get. She is a 13 year old girl who has one of the most important and renowned fashion blogs in the world. She possesses such talent and skill. I have been a fan of her blog Style Rookie for a while now and her posts are always intelligent and unique and most importantly, she is an insanely creative individual. She is definitely someone worth admiring and has a very bright future ahead of her.

Space Cadet

This morning I stared into my wardrobe and felt glum. It is starting to get cold and all I seem to own are floral dresses. I prefer to wear flowers when the sun is shining. However, when Mr Frost is freezing my little fingers off I want to wear something a bit harder and darker. Floaty dresses do not keep me warm and end up making me feel miserable.

I really like Topshop unique’s outer space inspired collection. In winter I tend to pile on the black clothes so I figure dressing like the solar system might make a nice change? I am going gaga over this flying saucer skirt. Move over Barbarella!

Punky Brewster

Studded clothing and accessories are popping up all over the place this autumn. Studs transform me into a fierce punk babe. They also make me feel like I am wearing the night sky. It is such a dreamy feeling.

When I saw these black studded heels I knew we were destined to be together this autumn / winter. They look incredible with black skinny jeans or a black mini skirt with thick black tights. Dear I say it – but bring on the cold weather?

The Dark Crystal

When I saw this Roberto Cavalli ring I started to go a little crazy. My inner pirate princess really wants that big shiny rock sitting on her finger. Isn’t it the most beautiful ring you have ever seen? However I am not minted so my inner pirate princess either needs to kidnap the ring (and probably escape very quickly on her sailing ship) or simply just get over it (I guess there is no harm in coo-ing though right?)
However when I set eyes on this ring, I was reminded of the film the Dark Crystal (which is fuelling my desire for it even more). Does anyone else think of the Dark Crystal when they look at this ring? Will us Jim Henson fanatics ever look at crystals in any other way?