Swagga & Soul

Leather will always be rock and roll.  Just as the sun will always rise, and the tides will always turn, leather will be rock and roll.  The difference is, is that now it's isn't JUST rock and roll.  It is so much more.  It is the smart shift dress.  The flirty ruffled skirt.  The piping along the A-line mini.  It is subtle, loud, feminine, androgynous.  It is anything you want to be. 

Swagga & Soul's collections completely epitomize the versatility of this year's key fabric, as the pieces translate perfectly into both day and night wear, and cater for whatever woman you wake up wanting to be.  In their own worlds 'Swagga & Soul was launched in May, 2009 with the idea that leather be incorporated into the women’s everyday wardrobe, branching out from jackets in to skirts, capes, trouser, etc. Our intention was to bridge the gap between high end and high street leather – to prove that good quality and design need not be overly expensive'.  Sounds good enough to me.  Am head-over-heels in love with both the oversized shirt, and the fringed biker from SS10- perfect for the boho look, which is once again holding its ground this season.  Especially in this great stone grey colour. Amaze.


Make sure you check out the website here, there is a great online sale that it would be ridiculous to miss...

Runway images from top: Celine SP10, Chloe FA10, Hermes FA10, Valentino FA10, all images via Style.com 

The Great EsCAPE

It was Monday lunch and i had that sickening feeling where i just wanted to go out and buy something.  Something that i could wear the next day. Instant gratification.  Instead i went into Beyond Retro and found THIS BEAUTIFUL CAPE that, no, i'm not going to be able to wear until winter, but yes it IS reversible and DID cost £20.  The sleek lines remind me of the purist / minimalist / less is more trends that are going to be huge this Autumn, with the leather piping reminding me of my favourite Pheobe Philo show.  I'm not sure you'll find a better bargain find, well, ever...

Who is your favourite designer?

I have never been one to have favourites.  I don't have a favourite colour, favourite movie, favourite song, favourite city.  I think this is partly due to the fact that i am fickle by nature, but mostly because there are so many variables that effect one's decision of what their favourite is  (mood, age, time of year, company...) that i can never trust myself to cement something as the option that i will always prefer over everything else.

So when asked the question 'Who is your favourite designer?' i am, unsurprisingly, stumped.  I have thought about it a lot over the last couple of days, and have come to the conclusion that if i am ever going to be able to make headway with an answer to this, i am going to have to separate this into categories:

Favourite Spring 10 show:

No explanation necessary. 

Favourite Fall 10 show:

The originality and theatricality of Viktor & Rolf's 'Glamour Factory' worked a dream, as the interchangability of the outfits kept the mind boggling as to where the pair were going to take you next.  Not only was the show a spectacular piece of entertainment, the outerwear the pair created was incredible.  In-cred-ible,

Favourite vision:

No-one can clash like Consuelo Castiglioni.  Her expert eye makes teaming aqua with red, print with print seem so natural.  Brilliantly bohemian, Marni's Italian charm will have me drooling every time.

Favourite Heroine:

Galliano's heroine is so fierce i'm not even sure Beyonce would stand a chance.  The red lipstick, teemed with lingerie inspired silk and sheer ankle socks is strong, feminine, and above all SEXY.

Favourite come-back:

Okay so i kind of made this category up, but i had to put her in somewhere...Pheobe Philo's Spring and Autumn/ Winter shows are up there as close seconds to my favourites for the year.  What can i say, i'm a sucker for her clean, minimalist look.  Highlights include her use of leather, which has turned into one of the most important trends for both seasons.  Come to think of it, it seems strange that i could love her simple lines as they stand so different from the theatricality of both McQueen and V&R's shows. 

This is impossible.