Events

On Ralph Lauren’s 4D digital extravaganza and the importance of an engaging online experience




Have I mentioned my love for Ralph Lauren? In case you missed my past gushings, here’s a quick recap: the Anglo-American, preppie-ish aesthetic; the beyond beautiful Bruce Weber imagery; the ‘nothing bad could ever happen here’ lifestyle stores; oh and the quality product (i.e. my favourite, still-good-as-new boys navy blazer). (more…)



And finally: London Fashion Week ss11 – Day 6 highlights



The last day of LFW is menswear day. Some see this as not worth bothering with but I beg to differ. As much as I appreciate good design and admire the work of our young womenswear designers, most of them are far too polished and feminine to appeal to me as a consumer. Being all about the perfect jean and a well-cut sweater, when I look at the mens shows, I look at them with a female ‘what can I steal for myself?’ eye. Thankfully, some of the menswear designers also show womenswear (thank you J.W. Anderson), while others come up small enough for women to steal (Topman and Mr Hare). Sibling tell me that their imminent womens line for Topshop will still have the boyish flavour of the menswear, but to suit girls.

Another plus point of the mens shows is it’s a generally smaller, friendlier, less stressy affair. The Fashion East hut was like a full-on garden party by lunch time, with scorching sun, booze and a live jazz band in the midst of it all. My favourite bits:

*Sibling designer Sid’s Mr Hare cuban heel boots. Their knitwear wasn’t bad either, with its signature pop-art graphics and a new collab with art stars Tim Noble and Sue Webster. There was also a rather fine accompanying Alasdair McLellan video…

*Katie Eary’s riot of mohair stripes, animal-print, tartan and studs, all wrapped up in a live boxing match with Olympic gold medallist boxer James Degale. Bruce Weber shoot, anyone?

 

*J.W.Anderson’s layered, embellished, pinned-together, youth-obsessed collection

*Marc Hare’s dandyish footwear (which starts at a size five, so with the help of an insole or two I reckon I could just about pull off). SS11 is heavy on ‘replenishable skins’, including ostrich, salmonskin and eelskin

*Boyo fanzine pop-up shop. Pardon me for not being au faitwith Boyo, a fanzine created by Patrick Waugh, the very affable creative director of Pop. His vanity project resulted in a one day pop-up shop showcasing the fanzines, his T-shirt collection and some bandanas. Because, well, why on earth not?

CHECK OUT THE REST OF MY LONDON FASHION WEEK COVERAGE ON THE STYLECOMPARE BLOG



Vogue’s Fashion’s Night Out



Vogue’s Fashion’s Night Out is looking like quite the event this year judging by my near-to-exploding in-box. I’m sorely tempted by Rupert Sanderson’s dance-off (choreographed by Bugsy Malone’s ‘Snake Eyes’, no less), Sophy Robson’s demo of Chanel’s new Khaki Nail Lacquer Collection at Selfridges and Liberty’s unveiling of its ‘World of Manolo’ pop-up shop. But the highlight will be Harvey Nichols’ designer ‘Haber-DASH-ery’.

We are promised a vintage haberdashery bureau overflowing with all manner of customising materials plus Jonathan Saunders, Markus Lupfer, Marios Schwab, Martin Grant and Erdem on Valerie Singleton duties. All rather impressive, but even more thrilling is the prospect of discussing the finer points of a well-placed button with Vogue’s Emma ‘More Dash Than Cash’ Elwick-Bates herself. If anyone knows how to create something out of nothing, it is she (although the ‘nothing’ in this case is a not-to-be-sniffed-at Fashion’s Night Out tee, which Erdem et al will be refashioning with a flourish of the Fiskars and a fistful of magic from their collective sewing basket).

Vogue’s More Dash Than Cash pages are my absolute favourite – beautifully shot and styled and proof that it’s not what you wear but how you layer it, tie it and reinvent it. For further reading, hunt down the More Dash Than Cash and Even More Dash Than Cash books – mine have been well thumbed over the years.
I will make it my mission to extract some choice nuggets of fashionable info from Elwick and co but for now, over to you…what are your FNO plans?