You know the holiday season has arrived once the store windows are dressed up for Christmas. Earlier this month, Harrods London unveiled their ‘Disney Princesses’ – easily one of the most spectacular set of installations I’ve seen.
Snow White
Rapunzel
Jasmine from Aladdin
Ariel from Little Mermaid
Tiana from The Princess and the Frog
Cinderella
Belle from Beauty and the Beast
Mulan
Aurora from Sleeping Beauty
Pocahontas
Taking its place as a bonafide fashion capital of the world, London chose to close the Olympics with some of its more glamorous representatives – Kate Moss, Naomi Campbell, Stella Tennant, Georgia May Jagger, Lily Donaldson, Lily Cole, David Gandy, Jourdan Dunn, and Karen Elson all stepped out wearing the best of British design.
I queued yesterday for an hour to see the Degas exhibition at the Royal Academy and it was well worth the wait.
While the exhibition was centered mostly around his Ballet works, there were early sketches of laundresses and milliners - women at work, in motion – which were precursors to the dancers.
It also discussed the artist’s relationship with the advent of camera and even film. While he was said to have initially belittled it, he found it extremely beneficial and put it to effective use when sculpting The Little Fourteen Year Old Dancer – an example of of the new movement at the time: Photosculpture.
Among the works I saw, the ones I liked best were his pastels, some of which have elements of finger painting. I also liked the charcoal sketches of the dancers at rehearsal.
The exhibition is on at the Royal Academy of Arts till the 11th of December, 2011
The famous London store known for its prints has drawn upon retro-themes, traditional floral motifs, and the ever-popular Japanese feline in creating this limited-edition collection. What is great about this line is that it’s playful without being childish – and retains the Liberty identity.
Some of our favorites
Image sources:
Wonderfully styled – love the flapper dress from the roaring 20s and the Mod 60s Go-go boots
In our new ‘Blogs we ♥’ series, this week’s feature is Paris versus New York Why? We love the sometimes irreverent, always humorous take on the two cities, told through art.
Designers and the London riots – do you agree? {via Design Observer}
Is this the end of the red soles? The fashion and trademark debate is back {via The Cut}
We love these sketchbooks from Fashionary
The week @CondeElevator came and went {via The Daily Beast}
The top global fashion capitals see London claiming the top spot. Closer home, Bombay comes in at #24 and Delhi at #39 {via The Global Language Monitor}
“Can I tell you how grateful I am to Kate Middleton? Because she is such an advocate for dressing like a lady.” – Anne Hathaway
Enjoy your weekend reading and we’ll see you on Monday!
The Berkeley in London is serving ‘Pret-a-Portea’ with almost-too-pretty-to-eat cakes and pastries inspired by fashion labels.
One of my first stops in London this time were the spanking new Shoe Galleries at Selfridges. I was expected to be blown away by the sheer variety, but choosing the best of every designer is what Selfridges does best – and they didn’t disappoint.
The space has been created by architect Jamie Fobert – no less than eleven distinct galleries circled by six boutiques complete with a soothing hanging garden which Selfridges’ Director of Accessories Sebastian Manes calls “a vision of Eden.”Here are the incredibly imaginative store windows created especially for the launch of the world’s largest shoe department:
The Shoemaker’s Elves
The 12 Dancing Princesses
There was an Old Woman who Lived in a Shoe
A window installation designed by Dries Van Noten. Note the apple and the tree, as well as the red of the apple mirrored in the one pair of debaucherous stilettos surrounded by functional black brogues.
A large trainer covered with lightbulbs
The Art of the Shoebox – Designers had used shoeboxes to express their creative thought.
A sandal covered with lightbulbs
Step on my Blue Suede Shoes
The Ruby Slippers – No shoe story is complete without a mention of Dorothy’s ruby slippers. And in true subversive style, the house has landed on many Dorothys.
Kinky Boots – A nod to London’s unpredictable weather
Back from a wonderful holiday refreshed and inspired. London is that sort of city. I know it had a lot to do with the fact that it’s summer – the sun was out making the city look beautiful and people happy; the World Cup added a certain zing to the air; the economy’s picked up a bit with bars and restaurants packed by 6pm and summer sales making Oxford Street impossible to navigate at anything less than a frantic pace; and I was lucky enough to see some excellent exhibitions on fashion and design.
The permanent Textiles and Fashion Collection at the Victoria and Albert Museum is a fantastic example of this city’s love for fashion. Although I’ve spent many hours here before, what struck me this time was how carefully each piece was chosen to represent the identity of the designer/fashion house. The collection spans dresses from the early 20s with the most recent addition being Alexander McQueen’s reptile-print dress from his last collection (the V&A purchased this on the day his death was announced). And in the spirit of British humor, the collection also includes a pink velour tracksuit by Juicy Couture.
Luxurious fabrics and heavy embellishments that Christian Lacroix became known for.
The Piano Dress – Karl Lagerfeld marries his avant garde aesthetic with a classic cut for Chanel.
Catherine Walker employs the use of pearls and diamante to create an Art Deco style collar reminiscent of 1930s glamor.
Best known for bridal wear, this ensemble designed by Catherine Walker for Princess Diana has the elements of a bride’s outfit with the white silk and pearl beading. It was for an official visit to Hong Kong which is what inspired Walker to use pearls. Diana called it the ‘Elvis Dress’.
The moody colors, geometric striping, and youthful appeal are the reason Biba was an iconic brand.
Vivienne Westwood’s sense for drama and theatricality comes through in this piece. The design was inspired by dresses seen in Antoine Watteau’s paintings but subversions such as the off shoulder and one-sided pouf makes the dress edgy and of the moment.
Blurring the line between gender differences has always been of interest to Dolce & Gabbana, but more so in their 2004 collection which was a tribute to photographer Helmut Newton. The tailoring is always sharp and sometimes severe. And even the accessories chosen to lend femininity have a hard quality – a slim chain belt, a diamante brooch, and a black tube bra.
The preppy look is clear in this ensemble. The plaid wool skirt, cable knit turtleneck sweater – Ralph Lauren was here.
Rei Kawakubo’s dress is asymetrical with frayed ends and is made to look like it has fallen off the hips to reveal the petticoat underneath. Challenging the idea of a ‘finished’ dress and always using a restrained color pallette have been Comme des Garcon trademarks.
Moschino, known for his playful and irreverent designs, had a new take on the LBD – the skirt is made up of black bras. The museum also houses the cheeky chocolate covered bag as well as tshirts with the smiley face – a popular motif used by Moschino.