Blazing Summer

One of the most useful pieces I’ve come across this season for adding impact to an outfit is the blazer. Not the humble blazer, I am definitely not talking about navy or black but coloured or patterned.  Wear them over anything; they work with jeans, shorts, even dresses (see left). When rocking a blazer, there are many directions for this season. Some of the best pastel ones can be found at Top Shop, such as their Oversized Panelled Blazer. Colour block your pastels as seen at Louis Vuitton and work them with tan accessories. Or, if you are pale-skinned you might prefer something gutsier. I am a big fan of Whistles this season and love their Wren Tailored Jcket. There are even a few left in the winning Wisteria Print. Monsoon has a fabulously relaxed Wilson Jacket and in their Fusion range there is a slightly longer version, the Anastasie Blazer.

The Little Book of Prada

My favourite part in this small but beautiful book by Laia Farran Graves was the review of the collections since 2010, which have radiated with a fresh energy. I adored the sections about Mad Men’s women and also the use of the famous banana print – a joke shared by many, including the Vogue Editor-In-Chief, Anna Wintour. The Spring/Summer 2012 show was a 1950’s-inspired collection “Women and Car Engines.”

I also enjoyed learning about Prada’s heritage as a leather goods shop in Milan and about Miuccia Prada herself. Having gained a doctorate in political science from the University of Milan, Miuccia studied mime in preparation for a career in acting, a calling she reluctantly gave up to join the family business in 1978. In 1985, the iconic nylon Prada tote bag was created and the world of accessories and luxury goods was revolutionised forever. 1993 was the next landmark, when Prada’s little sister, Miu Miu was launched, Miu Miu being Miuccia’s nickname from childhood.

The stunning fashion photography and insightful chapters on the evolution and innovations of the brand make The Little Book of Prada a gem.

The Little Book of Schiaparelli

“The Little Book of Schiaparelli” by Emma Baxter-Wright traces the sparkling career of the Italian couturier, Elsa Schiaparelli, (1890 – 1973) in Planet Fashion. The book is timely because Schiaparelli is about to have a major renaissance. She was honoured at last week’s Met Ball and her label is to be resurrected.

Sartorially, Schiaparelli was the Lady Gaga of her time, often shocking with playful, witty and truly eccentric designs, such as the ‘Skeleton’, ‘Tear dress’ and ’Lobster dress’, which she developed with the Spanish surrealist, Salvador Dalí. The Lobster dress shot to fame when it was photographed in Vogue, modelled by Wallis Simpson. Her fashion firsts include the fashion show, culottes, wrap-around dress (later popularised by Diane von Furstenberg) and the colour “shocking pink”. She is also famous for the trompe-l’oeil effects and colour blocking.

 Elsa insisted on only two rules in her workroom: that the words ‘impossible’ and ‘creation’ be banned (she thought the latter was completely pretentious). She felt that clothes should be made architecturally and that the body should be treated as a frame and that her clothes should transform plain women into exquisite creatures.

The launch of the Schiaparelli Boutique in 1935 was revolutionary at its time. It was Schiaparelli who first recognised the potential of having a shop where clients could simply walk in and buy off the peg. This prêt-à-porter concept was unique to Schiap. The designer also offered a wide range of accessories. Today we take this for granted but in 1935 the idea was totally innovative.

I learnt a lot from “The Little Book of Schiaparelli” and was inspired by the many photos and illustrations by Marcel Vertès and Christian Bérard, all of which showcase Elsa Schiaparelli’s work at her incandescent best.

Vidal Sassoon: A Fashion Visionary

I have recently had my hair cut into an asymmetric crop/bob, thinking myself very 2012 but I was surprised yesterday to find out that this was one of Vidal Sasson’s creations. It came about when his model, Danae Brook, changed her mind half way through a cut.  I should not have been surprised to find I was channelling the 60s because Vidal Sassoon was a visionary whose influence lasts to this day. Luckily for me, his famous geometric cuts still look modern.

Vidal Sassoon was a tough East End Jew who lived out a remarkable rags to riches story. Born in 1928, he spent much of his childhood precariously close to the poverty line. His father was an absent figure. He was close to his mother, but she was so poor she had to give him up for to an orphanage for 7 years. His love for his mother is clear from his autobiography, Vidal: The Autobiography , and he attributes much of his success to her, describing how she introduced him to hairdressing after having a premonition.

In the 1950s, hair was about height, curls and hairspray. Women often visited their hairdressers two or three times a week to have their hair elaborately teased and "set". Then along came Vidal Sassoon's with his "wash and wear" cuts, which meant that women were free to spend less time on their appearance.

Sassoon explained: "Women were going back to work, they were assuming their own power. They didn't have time to sit under the dryer anymore."

He will perhaps be perhaps best remembered for his "Mary Quant" cut, a geometric five-point bob worn by the fashion designer but he shaped hairdressing in so many other ways. His cuts also introduced the androgynous look, for example, the "pixie crop" worn by Mia Farrow in Rosemary's Baby

He was one of the first stylists to create a popular line of products under his name. His two-in-one combined shampoo and conditioner Wash and Go was the biggest selling hair product of the 80s. Vidal Sasson was also among the first of the world’s celebrity hairdressers with a stellar client list that included names like Twiggy and Jane Fonda.

On 9 May, Vidal Sassoon died at the age of 84 after a long and courageous battle with leukemia.

Disco Pants – Not Just for Music Videos!

“Disco pants? What are they? Pants that flash in the dark?” my husband asked when I told him about this trend. Disco pants, I explained, are tight, short shorts, preferably high-waisted with sparkle or a metallic sheen. Implausible though it sounds, you may see these on a Saturday night soon because all our favourite fashion icons – Jessie J, Rihanna, Nicki Minaj, have donned a pair, Jason Wu and Peter Som showed them on their S/S ’12 catwalks and Topshop, ASOS and Miss Selfridge are selling out of them on a weekly basis. Yes really!

In a season where the trends have tended to be grown up and wearable, peplums, pephems, drop hems, and fifties silhouettes, to name a few, it is particularly startling to see a fashion that can only be worn by those with young, lithe bodies. But you can’t deny disco pants are rather fabulous! I explained all this to my husband. “They won’t keep the cold out,” he commented.

Take no notice of him. The disco pant of the season is the longer and (slightly!) more wearable pair by American Apparel. Or for the fully daring version, see their Red Disco Shorts.