Jeremy Opens my Ceremony

I know the whole Jeremy Scott x Adidas colab is fairly old news, esp all the overexcited blogging about the famous winged trainers. But I for one am having little adidas clad babies over the pink hoodie they've got floating about in the too cool for England, Opening Ceremony store (NYC we are jealous). Look at the rose shaped fun hanging off the sleeve of this wonderment and tell me you're water's not breaking, I simply won't believe you.

N.B. The word for trainers in Polish is Adidasy...I kid you not. Capitalism rules ok. 

If the shorts fit

Buy my wardrobe pulled a pretty random crowd, I sauntered along at around 2 reckoning I'd have quite the queueing experience ahead of me, turns out purchasing a ticket online paid off and I was in quicker than you can say Eley Kishimoto. Downstairs in the confines of an ambiguous members club was a room for vintage, where I tried on a Richard Nicoll top whose £35 price tag weirdly didn't help it fit over my head. And a room for, well, not vintage. I'm not really sure what the difference was, as they both went by the same concept, that is, fashionistas flogging their wardrobe cast-off, I guess the 'other' rooms' garbs were a little less retro and definitely featured more designer labels. As I say the crowd was quite the pick'n'mix, I suppose missing (and when I say missing I mean not paying £20 for the ticket) the VIP time slot, meant missing any of the fashion posse that may have been in attendance but there were a couple still floating about by the time I rocked up, as well as a suspicious amount of foreign folk, Americans etc, how visitors to our isles find out about these kinds of events is beyond me. But there they were, and there I was, browsing the rails of stylists and editors alike.

To be honest, it's an odd experience perusing someone else's closet contents with them right there, I mean I patronise vintage stores as much as your next um..girl, but it an entirely different experience when the owner of said vintage is like, right there, watching you. The idea of knowing, for example, who the previous owners of my latest vintage levi 501's is frankly a little unnerving. So I just kind of avoided their eye contact, and sifted through their clothes with the air of a theif at night. hmmm.

My fave wardrobe rejects came from Louika Hay's rail, hers are those Richard Nicoll shorts in which my initail elation at fitting into sample size shorts was fast extinguished by the fact that they looked like an actual nappy on me. She was also casting off a cute Comme des Garcon polka dot tee and a pretty little Mattthew Williamson dress. 

Below are a couple of bit, including Sugarlands' leather panel leggings which, at risk of sounding big-headed, wanted me badly. 

Eley Kishimoto Jacket - £can't remember

If found please return to Nahid De Belgeonner (owner of good vibes)

Richard Nicoll Shorts - £60

If found please return to Louika Hay (fashion Designer)

Isabel Marant Dress - £50

If found please return to Sophie Olliver (fashionista)

Belle Sauvage Leggings - £75

If found please return to Sugarland (boutique)

Laura Ashley red&white striped shirt - £10

My fonts change a lot. I'll work on that

I hadn't even thought about the helmet

Okay before today I wanted a scooter. Now I'm upset. Look how pretty...

These are the love child of proper bike people Les Ateliers Ruby and Maison Martin Margiela, made in an attempt, I think, to make me mentally ill with desire. Forcing me to start promising the lovely folk at French stockists Collette, ludricrous things like money and my sister's hand in marriage and my life and stuff in exchange for these love helmets (don't be filthy. I'm ashamed of you). 

Everyone wanted to be Alex Mac

I like this bottle. It's like that liquid stuff that Alex Mac used to turn into. 

A little piece of flesh

I love summer. I love not having to layer (susie bubble has a knack for it that I will never be able to master). And I love the new high-midriff. Its all thanks to the return of underwear as actual wear (bra tops etc), and the new crop tee's that are all up in my face, makin' me wanna take a pair of pinking shears to every decent length top I own and render it suddenly without it's lower half (I tried it already...with a vest...it didn't work).  Thankfully the raised top hems have not ousted the high waistlines and we are left with the inevitable and  sweet as pie, rib-exposing midriff. Hmm, I like.

The potential indecency that these fan-dangled new tops presents can be avoided by a simple matter of ratio and bellybuttons. i.e. keep the ratio small by covering up to your belly button. Done. Plus there is so much less fat on that part of the torso so the likelihood of people being offended by your bare flesh is like halved compared to the risk entailed in the midriff of old. No unattractive overhang here me thinks. And whenever I'm feeling a bit exposed I just layer a crop top over some mesh, and suddenly I'm combining two of my new favourite things in one outfit (sheer stuff is the exception to my layering phobia obvs). Some kinda genius here. 

Sophia Kokosalaki S/S '09

Alexander Wang S/S '09 - My fave. yes please. thank you.

Chloe S/S '09

Prada S/S '09 - too far, too, too far

Opening Ceremony Spring '09

Wardrobe Love

It's a magical day when twenty 'wardrobe mistresses', thats fashion folk (editors, stylists etc), come from far and wide to bring all they're unwanted garbs to one special place and flout them at us, to be exchanged for a fee. Tickets are a fiver and it's this Sat (April 18th) if you're interested. Key pieces include Manolo's, a Vivienne Westwood jacket, a Gucci coat and a pale pink Chanel Bag, and though I have no disillusions that the owner of the precious little bag of dreams is gonna hand it over to my grubby paws for a tenner and a hug, I do hope to stumble across some bargainous piece of love beneath the actual valuables...

http://www.buymywardrobe.com/

Cindy

Dahling, dahling, i've just been to the private view of Cindy Sherman's UK exhibition, her first here since 2007, and it was lovely. These three massive colour photographs are shown with great aplomb in Spruth Magers London gaff and the private view drew in all the right sorts, from trendy young arty types to proper art people, with proper money, including the lady herself, who is literally Polly pocket sized. Do you remember Polly pocket though? I bloody loved that Polly, man, she was good. Her and Cindy have that in common. 

Here, she is assuming all roles (as would be expected), making herself up as society folk, ladies to be precise, poised and preened to ooze their impressions of grandeur and self-importance and situated in front of green screens upon which imposing, over-treated, photographs make up the backdrops. So you've got these superior looking ladies caked in make-up, in various formal poses, set against over-treated scenes and the juxtaposition creates a kinda vivid, garish image which is supposed to communicate some sort of amalgamation of fakeness. Cindy herself pulls it all together with her practiced gaze, which in one little look challenges the ideas of self-identity and superiority that are so prevalent here. Yah yah. Exactly.

She is really tiny though.

(Untitled 466, 2008)

(Untitled 470, 2008)

(Untitled 475, 2008)

Getting a freak on Giles Deacon

So Giles Deacon was all: I just got a little bored of seeing the same girls in every single show. Once they have had their hair and make-up done, they all start to look the same. I really wanted a diversity of type. Seeing your collection presented on regular people, people with character, it kind of amplifies what you are trying to say. I just really like girls that have a little bit more. With character. 

in a Ponystep interview, and I was all; wow, how contemporary, how innovative, how refreshing, let me take a look see at these regular people, let me find a common ground at last with those privileged few who get to walk the fashion front-line...then I see this...

Oh no Giles, no no no no. I like you, I do. I like those Pacman hat things you enjoy so much, in fact I think your Pacman game is way strong, I also very much like the grey shiny mac of A/W '09, I love Jessica Stam in anything etc., but you seem to have confused 'regular' with 'quite masculine looking actually' and 'character' with 'um, completely covered in prison tattoos'. Plus she's like the ONLY one of these 'regulars', call me a critic, or a wannabe 'regular person' model for a day, but this does not a demographic make. So when are you free for me to do the fitting for your next show? 

LITTLE BOOTS

SIGH SIGH SIGH...NO IM NOT GOING TO ANY FESTIVALS THIS YEAR...ITS BECAUSE I AM A PAUPER, A PAUPER LIVING WITH MUM, AND IF BUYING SILLY FRIVOLOUS HOUSEHOLD TRIMMINGS LIKE, I DON'T KNOW...LOO ROLL OR COUNCIL TAX IS BEYOND ME DUE TO MY CONTINUOUS STATUS AS A LOWLY INTERN, ONE CAN'T GO GALAVANTING OFF TO FESTIVALS AND EXPECT ONES CLAIMS TO POVERTY TO HOLD UP IN THE COURT OF MUM. NO NO. BUT I DIGRESS, MY POINT WAS, THAT IF I WERE TO GO FESTIVALLING (SIGH) PACKED IN  YE OLD BACKPACK ALONG ALL THE VIM AND VIGOUR WOULD BE MY VERY OWN PAIR OF  HUNTER ORIGINAL LACE-UP WELLIES, BECAUSE THEY'RE WELLIES, BECAUSE THEY'RE HUNTER, BECAUSE THEY'RE LACE UP, BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE A PAIR OF DM'S...BUT I AM NOT GOING TO ANY FESTIVALS THIS YEAR...BECAUSE I'M A PAUPER, A PAUPER LIVING WITH MY MUM. SIGH.

 

But it's okay to show you're belly-button if its covered in mesh non?

Me: boy. I have something to tell you. You might want to sit down.

Boy [sits down]: ok. (Worried expression) What is it?

Me: I’ve been having a love affair...

Boy: (horrified expression) what the blazes?! Who is this rapscallion who’s stolen your heart from me?

Me: I’ve fallen in love with...with semi-transparent clothes...I’ve fallen in love with them and there’s little or nothing you can do about it. They’re everything you’ll never be...You’ll never be as easy to layer under strapless dresses or over bandeau bra tops. I could never wear a skirt of you over some massive knickers and somehow come off looking like a sex beast. I’m sorry. I’m sorry to have to do this to you...to us...but you must understand.

Boy: niamh, you’re an idiot. Why would you think that you can’t have both? I happen to think Charles Anastase’s S/S ’09 sheer skirts over stockings is hotter than deep heat. In fact, look what I spontaneously and coincidentally bought for you today on an eerily intuitive whim (pulls out the sheer black American Apparel tee and the new white lace body from topshop that makes me wanna bare actual nipple in public)

Me: boy, oh boy! Marriage? Yes please. Thank you.

Lace clad love-making ensues.

P.S. names have been changed to protect the privacy of those mentioned

P.P.S entire conversations have been made up to convey my love and appreciation of sheer garments as a popular trend for 2009

P.P.P.S. ‘rapscallion’, hello? Let’s bring that back non?

P.P.P.P.S Sheer fabrics are HOT. 

Charles Anastase S/S '09

Jasper Conran A/W '09 (photo catwalking)

Hannah Bannanah in AA

Me layering AA (Photo Pascale Avital)