THERES SOMETHING ABOUT 1962

Posted by Fashion Editor at Large

Jean Shrimpton in an Italian Vogue edition from 1962

At the end of the shows I was busy compiling my trend report as usual when the 60's trend came up on my radar. It was done best at the Parisian House of Rochas, designed by Marco Zanini, but  Balenciaga, Prada and Giles had a go too. It got me to wondering what exact moment of the 1960's had inspired the look, and mulled over who the muse might be. Jean Shrimpton? Jackie Kennedy? Brigitte Bardot? None of them felt right and I couldn't pin it down. It's here I have to hand it to the British High Street design teams and buyers. They know how to spin a trend and give it the shape they want for their customer base. On the way they sometimes manage make a trend ten times better than it seemed on the catwalk.

The 60's trend is a case in point. My Eureka moment hit at Urban Outfitters when I became enthralled by their Cambridge Satchel link-up (below), the shearling lined hiking bootees, the Harris tweed satchel collaboration, and the cute way they paired flecky grandad cardigans, plaid shirts, kilts, and yet more satchels. It was then I knew who the muse was for this whole darn trend... here she is...

Carey Mulligan just before she meets her man in An Education, set in 1962 

Cambridge Satchel

 

 

Urban Outfitters gets inspiration from Carey Mulligan in An Education and the English university style of the early 60's

New Look AW10

TopShop AW10

Lynn Barber: the real thing. I LOVE this book.

Of course, the film is set in 1962. Turns out this is the same year Tom Ford's film A Single Man is set. This put me on a trail for other significant cultural events from 1962 and following a a sixty minute journey through the Web I feel totally inspired.

Don't so many guys have this look today? Julieanne Moore could make each Rochas AW10 look her own.

A FEW THINGS OTHER THINGS ABOUT 1962:

YSL launches

The beautiful Yves Saint Laurent in 1962

Bob Dylan first album

 Francoise Hardy is (in my opinion) the sexiest woman in the world in 1962

These photgraphs are taken:

Photo credits: FEAL, Photobucket

IN LOVING MEMORY: KATY BAGGOTT

Posted by Fashion Editor at Large

British Fashion lost a heartland member of its ranks on Wednesday night. Katy Baggott, 39, the agent to Phoebe Philo, Juergen Teller and Katie Hillier among others over the years, has left us. Tonight I am attending the 40th birthday party of her best friend since the age of 14, Sammi, who has told me the party will be bringing all of her friends together, and that the evening is dedicated to celebrating her life.

Katy Baggott with Juergen Teller at Marc Jacobs SS10 show last September in NYC.

"Katy Baggott, agent extraordinaire, tragically and unexpectedly passed away yesterday, Wednesday 28 April, in her sleep. Baggot was one of those hugely influential and yet oft-unsung heroes of the fashion industry, a force of nature and enthusiasm. She was an agent who chose to work very closely with a small and hugely talented roster, her directness and honesty helping her to skilfully negotiate commercial contracts for her clients that gave them enough room to maintain their own character and style. She was unstinting in her loyalty, generosity and kindness to her friends as well as randomly helping anyone she was impressed by along the way with a simple introduction or recommendation. All that aside, Katy was great fun to be with and will be horribly missed by so many."

from http://www.showstudio.com
photo: Retna Pictures

WHAT WE ARE NOT WEARING FOR OUR WEDDING DAY

Posted by Fashion Editor at Large

This image is the copyright of Melanie Rickey and The Fashion Editor at Large blog. Not to be used without permission.

From a purely fashion/clothing/style based perspective, it is a most fascinating thing to be getting married to another woman in a Civil Partnership Ceremony, as the proper jargon dictates we call it. As two women with long-standing fashion-related careers it is a given that we are expected to pull something totes fabulous out of the bag. But what?

From the off I knew the consideration for how our two looks would work together had to be paramount. None of that "keeping it secret" from your partner business. What we wear has to work together. The outfits have to complement without being too similar, bring out the best in each individual, and pull us together visually as a couple too. And they MUST BE UTTERLY FABULOUS. Must must must...

Another thing that we keep being asked is "which one of you will wear the trouser suit."  I'm not stupid, I do know there is an element of humour to this question. However, I think the hint of mirth added to the timbre of the voice of the questioner is there because they want it to SOUND like they are joking, but meanwhile they are serious. They think that in girl-girl couples there is always one who wears the trousers. Well FYI: we are both partial to a jazzy new-look Balenciaga bootcut, but not on our wedding day, thanks.

The precedence of Ellen Degeneres in a white trouser suit and Portia di Rossi in a beautiful meringue wedding dress on their big day has been set, more's the pity. I'm convinced the union of Ellen and Portia gave rise to the above snapshot of us which was taken by the wonderful Caroline Burstein of Browns Bride on our first day of "what are we going to wear to get married" shopping.

Full of naive hope that the whole process would be easy, I booked us an appointment for an hour long trying on session at Browns Bride, thinking we would find roomfuls of cocktail wedding dresses that would look amazing on us. What planet was I on? Wedding dresses are SOOO not us. When we got there and saw the wonderful weddingy drama of the exquisite but very trad frocks the reality that we needed a whole other approach to to this thing clunked on our heads like a barrier in a car-park.

Don't get me wrong. If I was a bride in the traditional sense and marrying a man, I would have fallen at the feet of Caroline B and let her guide me to the nearest Oscar de la Renta, Marchesa, Akira or Galliano for Christian Dior masterpiece. However, we are about as untrad as it is possible to be on the wedding front. So it was with unbridled camp glee that we slung on the beautiful bias cut bridal sheaths suggested by Caroline, "just so you have a memory of the visit". I am eternally grateful for that. Everytime I see the snapshot, I laugh at how wrongheaded we were on the start of our wedding dress journey.

Things are looking much better now. I STILL have not totally got my dress sorted, but lets say I have a world class designer on the case and Yasmin Sewell on hand to keep me sane.

Now that I've broken the ice on discussing my CPC with you, I feel so much better. Might as well let you in on a few other secrets as I go along.

I will introduce you to my personal trainer this week. She is hardcore.  

With thanks to Browns Bride. http://www.brownsbride.com/ 

The Browns Bride dresses are by Elizabeth Fillmore.

Thanks to http://www.tengossip.com/ for the Ellen and Portia shot.