SAYONARA FROM FASHION JUNIOR AT LARGE!

Posted by Fashion Junior at Large

And so, the time is near... no don't worry, I'm not going to get that dramatic, but I am posting here to let you know that I am riding off into the sunset, and this is my last missive as the Fashion Junior at Large.

I have been working with the Fash Ed since May last year and boy, what a lot has happened in that time. Much more than I could ever fit in to one solitary post. We have been through three fashion seasons together, two rounds of shows, and had adventures I could never have imagined before I joined the weird and wonderful world of fashion.

Highlights have included whizzing around London Fashion Week in a Mercedes, day trips to Paris, and all number of crazy fashion events. Not to mention the Grazia stories, and reams and reams of blog posts that we have filled this website with; who will ever forget the Big Heads? (I have a funny feeling you'll be seeing them again soon.)

 George and Mel, Mel and George, at our big head best!

But anyway. I am spreading my writing wings and from next week you'll be able to find me posting over at Handbag.com, as well as the usual Glitterbird randomness. But don't worry, I won't be leaving the Fash Ed to roll solo; I have met the future Fashion Junior, and you know what? You're gonna love her.

So that's all folks.

THE WEEK IN FASHION 27TH JUNE-1ST JULY

Ladies and gentlemen, here is the weeks' fashion news in brief.

 The US hair craze that is rubbing fishermen up the wrong way.

1. One of the most random stories we have ever come across: Over in the US, a hair accessorizing trend is stripping fisherman supply shops of their fly-fishing stock! A craze for attaching skinny, coloured feathers to your 'do means that hairstylists are buying up hoardes of the 'hackles' to attach to their hair, which is causing a shortage for the fishermen. The men are a tad peeved that fashion fans are interfering with their hobby, although, according to the New York Times, some of them think the look is " kind of sexy, to be honest."

2. Victoria Beckham - whose baby egg timer is due to go off next Tuesday - has given a sneak peak at her new younger, less expensive line, called Victoria by Victoria Beckham (not the most original title, but we'll let her off). Apparently it's inspired by cartoon character Emily the Strange, which is strange in itself because we never had VB down as a graphic novel fan. However the dresses themselves are cute, colourful, and most importantly, cheaper than her usual styles! Look out for the big unveil around Fashion Week.

Victoria by Victoria Beckham: due out Spring 2012. We are calling this one 'pea chic'. LOVE the colour! 

3. Rosie Huntington Whiteley has been on form this week, rocking various stellar dresses at the multitude of Transformers 3 'Dark of the Moon' premieres. Seriously, the girl has been wearing the cream of the fashion crop on a different red carpet every night, and while the reviews indicate that Julia Roberts won't we threatened by Rosie's acting skills any time soon, the girl does look seriously hot.

In Antonio Berardi AW11

In Gucci AW11

In custom Burberry

In Michael Kors.

She's so flawless, it's like having a life size Barbie to look at. Still not sure we'll go to the movie though...

4. There is a minor event going on this afternoon, that involves possibly the biggest superstar of British fashion, her rock n' roll friends, and about 17 marquees by the looks of the paparazzi pictures. Yes indeed, everyone's favourite model/hot mess Kate Moss is finally becoming Mrs Jamie Hince, and has confirmed she will be wearing a Galliano gown. Last night, however, she was a vision in blue at her rehearsal dinner (how very American!). This is Kate at her 70s hippie rock groupie best, and what's ever better, she looks happier than we have ever seen her. Bless!

Kate Moss and her (probably now) husband, Jamie Hince.

5. Lastly, there was possibly only one woman to have a bigger impact than Miss Moss on British fashion, and that was the late Princess Diana, who would have turned 50 today. Weirdly photoshopped magazine covers aside, there has been a flurry of nostalgia for Diana's inimitable style, elegance and grace. And rightly so; she was definitely one of a kind!

THE SHAPE OF BAGS TO COME

Posted by Fashion Junior at Large

In the words of the Black Eyed Peas, "we got a feeling" that bags are going to take on a whole new shape come AW11. The massive, slouchy carry-alls we have grown used to over previous seasons are starting to look a little tired, and our backs have suffered serious damage from swinging these sacks from the crook of our arms.

The time is most definitely right for change, and our fashion instincts tell us that the medium sized, hard frame, top handle bag is about to have a resurgence. These ladylike numbers cropped up on various catwalks:

 Louis Vuitton AW11 (above and below)

 Marni AW11 (above and below)

 Prada AW11 (still ladylike, just held in an abnormal way. Only at Prada)

Of course, this style has been around for an awful lot longer than last season's shows, with famous handbag icons the Queen Mother, The Queen and of course Margaret Thatcher (whose man-beater Asprey bag sold for a measly £20,000, rather than the expected £100,000) all big fans of the box bag look. The hard frame hand bag is a key element in the power play of these strong women; it is a style synonymous with English heritage, quality and tradition.

HRH at some minor event on 29th April, with her Launer bag

It's not surprising, then, that our boredom with big bags is driving us to rediscover our roots. Along with Vuitton, Marni and Prada, there is one brand leading the way for ladylike, and that in Launer. We were not really aware of this company until it was brought to our attention that they make the Queen's iconic handbags, according to the email recieved by Fash Ed sales of the above bag shot up 55% following the Royal nuptials, and that many of the buyers are women much younger than HRH. I always wonder what on earth she keeps in her bag (the keys to Buckingham Palace? though the Fashion Editor at Large hears she keeps a golden gun and lipstick in there) but nevertheless, she is rarely seen without a Launer design.

 The classic Launer 'Adagio' £770 from http://www.launer.com/

We've now swotted up, so here's the brief Launer 101:
Founded in 1941, the company quickly became a favourite of The Queen Mother, and later on, her daughter.Margaret Thatcher was often seen with her Launer handbag during her rise to the political top. In 1983 they were granted the Royal W arrant, only a short time after the business had been saved by Gerald Bodmer, who recognised the importance of British heritage manufacturing and preserved it doing the Eighties move towards all that was cheap, fast and mass produced.

The Lydia bag is £615 and comes in pink..

At the moment, there is another move towards the preservation of heritage techniques, and all of Launer's production still happens in Walsall, near Birmingham, England. It's always good to discover that there are small British companies still producing beautiful fashion pieces in their homeland; long may this continue!

So there you have it, a tip for AW11: carry whatever bag you want, as long as it is ladylike.

Images: Style.com, Daily Mail, Launer.com

IN THS WEEK'S GRAZIA...

Posted by Fashion Junior at Large

...we wax lyrical about the brilliant idea of using your iPad case, make up bag or any other cool pouch-type-accessory as an alternative to your standard It bag. With the fantastic array of coloured zip-ups currently on offer, it's easy to switch from your standard shoulder bag to something a little more sleek. They also offer a sneakily lower cost option from a full on designer bag; one friend of the Fash Ed uses her £200 Mulberry cosmetic pouch instead of a £700+ Alexa, and the beautiful patterned Marc by Marc iPad case comes in at - you might want to sit down - £35.

This is one trend everyone can invest in - and one that was inspired by the super success of the Celine pouch, which kicked everything off. Available in lots of zingy colours, these colour-pop zip-ups were seen under many fashionable arms at the shows; as captured by Tommy Ton in the way only he knows how.

Images: Tommy Ton for Style.com

DUCHESS KATE AND THE ART OF DRESSING FOR THE OCCASION

Posted by Fashion Junior at Large

You'd think that the craziness surrounding Kate Middleton might have calmed down after she became the Duchess of Cambridge, but it seems the K-Mid fashion frenzy is continuing full speed ahead. That's a lot of pressure on the stylish shoulders of the newest Royal, so it is admirable that she has so far failed to put a foot wrong in the fashion stakes.

So how is she managing to pull it off? According to Clarence House, Catherine does not have a stylist (although she has enlisted the help of a 'personal shopper' for her upcoming tour of America). She still pops to the shops by herself, and is not afraid to recycle successful outfits. Not that there is anything wrong with that, it is a tactic that works for Michelle Obama, and gives a public-pleasing appearance of austerity for someone whose engagement ring costs more than Joe Blogg's yearly salary.

However, we think that we have uncovered the secret to K-Mid's success in the style stakes, and it has nothing to do with crafty shopping or expert advice. Instead, the new Duchess has turned protocol and tradition into a template for her outfit inspiration. It's dressing for the occasion, except the occasion takes on a more thematic role. Catherine thinks about what the occasion she is attending is all about, and picks out an outfit that reflects the activity. We present to you the photographic evidence:

Atttttteeeeeennnntion!

When Prince William has to don full military regalia, the Duchess of Cambridge follows suit. This navy double- breasted coat with gold accents complemented her husband's uniform to perfection, while also creating the illusion that she herself was in uniform, making her seem more involved in the event (the couple presented the Operational medals to the Irish Guards at Victoria Barracks in Windsor.)

Kate's Temperley 'Moriah' dress: perfect for Murray watching

Whilst cheering on Mr Murray at Wimbledon, Kate rocks up in a white pleated 'Moriah' dress by Temperley. Not only had the (now half price) dress sold out within 30 MINUTES of her taking her place in the Royal Box, it also looked like she had come prepared for her own game on Centre Court. The Fash Ed and I are divided on this look; on the one hand, she looks elegant, tanned and chic, but on the other, I do believe she might have taken dressing for the the occasion too far on this, er, occasion.

It's pretty likely that Catherine is going to continue with this plan of action, so in the spirit of helpfulness, we thought we'd offer up some suggestions for some of K-Mid's future fashion dilemmas from the resort collections.

A Royal Garden Party

Obviously, if we are sticking with the theme, Catherine is going to need something featuring a bloom or two for this traditional summer occasion. This watercolour floral Valentino frock would be perfect for the job.

 Valentino Resort 2012

Theatre Trip

No doubt their Royal Highnesses will be popping up at an opening night over the course of coming months, so Duchess Catherine will need a suitably dramatic gown for such an evening. This Erdem number is slightly different from Kate's usual pastel-toned style, but teamed with a subtle smokey eye and discreet jewels, it should look spectacular for a night at the theatre.

Erdem Resort 2012

Hollywood Charity Gala

While they are over in the USA, William and Kate may be required to attend a swanky Hollywood black tie event; it's a hard life. In order to maintain her style icon status, it's only right that Kate would look for inspiration from the Hollywood greats, and it doesn't get more Monroe than this showstopper of a Zac Posen gown.

Zac Posen Resort 2012

Opening of London Fashion Week

It's only fair that SamCam, in her role as ambassador for British fashion, would rope in our current greatest export to help launch LFW in Spetember. The Duchess will therefore need something seriously 'fashion' yet still befitting an HRH, so step up to the plate, Peter Pilotto.

Peter Pilotto Resort 2012

So there you have it: outfits for every occasion, fit for a future Queen. If the job of Royal Stylist does come up, one will know who to call, won't one?

Images: PA, Style.com

HAILEE SEINFIELD 4 MIU MIU

Posted by Fashion Editor at Large

Lots of hoo-ha about the fact Miuccia Prada hired 14 year old Hailee Steinfeld to be the face of her younger line Miu Miu. Makes perfect sense to me. Steinfeld is astoundingly good in True Grit, and Prada is as highly attuned to new talent as it is to projects that will garner maximum attention in every media stream available to them. For her part Steinfeld clearly has management leading her down the high fashion road to a A-list longevity. Thankfully Hailee is no Lindsay Lohan, (who starred in a Miu Miu campiagn shot by Mert & Marcus back  in 2007), as evidenced by the fact, for the first time, Prada hired Bruce Weber to shoot their campaign images. Weber is famously "wholesome" in his photography of women, and his usual territotry is cute homoerotic young men and labradors. So just in case there was a shout of "child exploitation!", playing the Weber card is a master stroke. Of course the styling by Joe mcKenna is as genius as usual. Now onto my favourite bit, the wonderfully written, fashion-intellectual press release.

Hailee Steinfeld poses pensively on a lush lawn, and makes us all want those shoes

"It seems particularly apposite that Hailee wears a highly structured silhouette reminiscent of that from the forties. Here, the below-the-knee modesty is countered by the toughness and strength of the shoulder and each is balanced by the playful sprays of blossoms and daisies, shining swallows and glittering heels – with all of their ‘ruby slipper’ connotations. It is a magical time that is captured in the campaign and it was an event not lost on the young actress. “I had such an amazing experience working with the Miu Miu team on this new campaign,” said Hailee. “It's so much fun to have the chance to work with such a gifted designer and wear these incredible clothes. I feel so lucky to be a part of it.”

"The multiplicities and dichotomies of Miuccia Prada’s Miu Miu woman are further explored this season through the advertising campaign for Autumn/Winter 2011. Making his photographic debut for the label is Bruce Weber and this, together with the casting of the gifted actress Hailee Steinfeld as the ‘Miu Miu girl’, brings with it yet another layer of meaning to an already complex view of femininity contained within this sophisticated and elegant collection. Both ‘contemporary’ and ‘discerning’ glamour are the touchstones for this season’s viewpoint. In today’s world they are often seen at odds, but in Miu Miu for Autumn-Winter they are united in purpose. The idea of ‘discretion’ functions in both senses of the word and is personified by a woman confident in her individuality, someone who is not conditioned by the dictates of design. Her elegance is fresh and feminine and far from conventional.


In Bruce Weber’s photographs Hailee is the conveyer of this message. She is a girl who has the stature – in both senses – to carry these mature and elegant silhouettes whilst still remaining true to her youthful spirit. It is this timeless exuberance in attitude and strength of character that is sort in all Miu Miu women, both surpassing and diminishing years."

Marvellous.