Oscar de la Renta's Spring 12 Campaign

Oscar de la Renta has offered yet another fantastic campaign for SS12, featuring Karlie Kloss shot by Craig McDean. Chic, simple and to the point, sometimes less is more.

I need dollar

Anyone got a spare $4,281 they can lend me for this perfect pearlised knit dress with fluted skirt from Azzedine Alaïa's spring 12 collection? It's pretty much love with this one, I keep imagining it with a tan leather wedge and a slick of red lipstick for the summer. Oh well, I can but dream.

          

Givenchy AW12 Menswear Show

Menswear fashion week has shown some sheer brilliance. Friday saw the Givenchy show take place and while I might have something nice to say about the collection, I have to be brutally honest about those nose rings.

Riccardo Tisci's collection for the Parisian fashion house was inspired by his childhood obsessions; the American flag and the Minotaur. It's really unfortunate to the collection that the Minotaur was an obsession of his, as I'm really not digging these nose rings. I am usually someone who enjoys a bit of oddity, a grungy element and I LOVE a touch of statement jewellery but the only thing I think of when viewing these nose rings is WTF?!

Image via bloggar.afton

Harsh I know, but if you can't be honest on your blog, where can you be honest hey?

Moving on to the collection. Minus the nose rings, I enjoyed Givenchy's AW12 offerings. Sharp and contemporary tailoring, leather panelling and elements of stars and stripes in red, blue and white all featured. Embellishment in the same and contrasting colours to the fabrics added an interesting element, the dress coats were my favourite pieces and I do love a bit of head-to-toe black. WIN.

What did you think of the collection and the nose rings?

Longchamp's Spring 12 Campaign

Following on from my post about the Mulberry campaign for SS12 it seems that fashion is getting a little more light-hearted for spring this year. It appears that moody-models staring down the lens of the camera are being replaced with facial expression (heaven forbid), oversized props, interesting poses and silhouettes and even dogs!

On this note, it's only right that I share my love for Coco Rocha and Liisa Winkler skipping around Manhattan for Longchamp's spring campaign. In reality there's nothing in this campaign that we haven't seen before, it's not pushing the boundaries or being all that inventive but that doesn't mean it's not frightfully enjoyable to view great models running around a great city in aid of handbags, right?

Mid-week Moodboard

I have a menswear shoot coming up for a musician, I LOVE stepping out of fashion once in a while, the music projects I have done in the past have always been so much fun. Don't get me wrong, fashion is my main game but I love the way you really get into the brief with music, you have to really 'get' what the artist is all about. I have been given some room to push the boundaries a bit whilst maintaining true to the artist, here's my first bit of inspiration for you...

Images taken from various sources including my favourite menswear blog: Individualism. If I have used one of your images on here please let me know and I will credit you.

Fashion Film: Anna Selezneva in Santa Sangre

I found this whilst browsing NOWNESS.com, and I love it. Super-sexy, super model, Anna Selezneva stars in this short film by Swedish director Axel Lindahl. The piece is inspired by Spanish matadors which is reflected in the styling by Kate Sebbah.

          
Pieces featured: Vintage velvet tasseled collar by Amarcord; encrusted tight trousers by Manish Arora; gloves by La Crasia; and boots by J. Mendel

The Kills 10 year anniversary: The Last Goodbye

You may remember from numerous posts like this one and this one, that I have a slight girl crush on Alison Mosshart of The Kills and after seeing this, it's only further confirmed. Their recent single from album, Blood Pressures; The Last Goodbye is a far cry from their regular sound but I like it. The nostalgic piano and haunting tones of Mosshart's voice on the track are simple and evoke emotion.

On to the video. Actress Samantha Morton directed the piece set in an old photobooth and filmed to the style of an old 35mm in black and white. The slightly innocent, uncomplicated track is echoed in the video and it captures the duo's ten year collabouration and friendship.

                

Mulberry SS12 Campaign

Following yesterday's candy coloured post, here are some more cutesy pastels for you (can you tell I'm yearning for summer yet?).

Mulberry's SS12 offerings in the campaign stakes are magic. Nostalgia and the Great British seaside combined with high fashion, what's not to like?

It'll be no surprise to read that these were shot by Tim Walker, he's well and truly put his signature stamp on this one.

Vogue Japan: Keeping the faith

WOW.

This soot for Vogue Japan 2012 shot by Carlyne Cere De Dudzeele and styled by Sissy Vian is incredible. I love the styling, the hair, the lighting, the make-up...ok I basically love the lot. As anyone with a fashion eye can tell, about three tonnes of Versace has been used here whether it's current, vintage or their collection for H&M. Emilio Pucci and Balmain also feature amongst others. It's rather reminiscent of the PPQ SS12 show which I also fell in love with back in September.

I'm off to buy some ridiculous hair dye...

I'm also rather fond of the name of the story because it reminds me of the Jovi, who after 16 years, I'm still obsessed with.

                                 

The January 2012 wish list

A few things I'm dreaming about this week. It's a darn shame I don't have bags of cash sitting around really.

1. Oscar De La Renta / Beats by Dr Dre headphones

2. Nicolas Kirkwood for Rodarte light up heels (amaze) circa AW11

3. Stella McCartney Winter 2011
4. Jil Sander Spring 2012
5. Costume National SS12
6. Maria Black jewellery

Bang Bang

Another obscure internet find...gun fingernails.

To note, these have been added in Photoshop by artist Laurent Theophane Bertrand for Super Super magazine, but for the sake of the post let's pretend they're real shall we?

These look pretty cool although I'm not sure how easy the regular gal would be able to find her Oyster Card/lace her shoes/carry her Tesco shop home with these babies.

I wonder what other items one could glue to one's fingernails...Snacks? Cigarettes? Miniature bottles of gin?

Coming to a Lady Gaga near you soon.

                             

Visuals

I stumbled across this clip the other day (ah the joys of browsing the web during the weekend), it's the opening titles of the Girl With The Dragon Tattoo and it's pretty schweeet.

           

The track is pretty good too. Karen O of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails and composer/musician Atticus Ross' cover of Led Zeppelin's Immigrant Song is pretty great but here's the original for those that prefer the old school...

                               

2012

Hello dear readers, how are we all?

So as regulars may have realised it has been forever since my last post. I apologise for this but I was a little light on inspiration and I detest publishing 'filler posts' about garbage just to keep with regularity. So there it is, my apology.

I will move on to say Happy New Year! I hope you all had a wonderful and relaxing festive period and partied it up appropriately to see in 2012. I'd like to thank you all for your support and for stopping by over 2011, it was a great year. As I am slightly too late for my usual yearly round-up I am just going to move back into regular posts as I am rested, relaxed and full of fresh inspiration for the year. I have also decided to post a lot more about things I love. There will of course be the obligatory blogger outfit posts but I will also be posting more loves, likes and all in between.

First up, Prada SS12 shoes.

I simply have no words, they are borderline mental which is exactly why I love them. I think this year should be about more mental shoes.

Images via style.com