LFF TRENDS: CUTE CHIC

The trend for all-things cute looks set to continue to be big news for SS13, with high street brands and designer labels alike getting in on the act. In the designer world, Marc by Marc Jacobs, Lanvin and Markus Lupfer are undoubtedly the labels to go to for your cute fix, with Marc by Marc Jacobs' bunny iPhone covers proving a massive street-style hit.  The trend has filtered through into the fine jewellery market too; over at jewellery e-commerce site Astley Clarke, Katie Hillier's playful gold rabbit rings are best-sellers.

On the high-street, my favourite buy has to be ASOS' adorable bunny slippers, that have all the charm of Charlotte Olympia's kitty flats with out the £££ pricetag. That's not to forget Whistles super-cute collaboration with Markus Lupfer, with all lines now in sale- bonus!

1. Chinti & Parker big heart sweater, Matches, £350. 

2. Premium embellished cat eye sunglasses, ASOS, £20. 

3. Hello torque bracelet, ASOS, £6. 

4. Selena heart-print tee, Jaeger Boutique, £15. 

5. Markus Lupfer Fleur tote, Whistles, £50. 

6. Marc by Marc Jacobs Katie bunny iPhone cover, Net-a-porter.com, £40. 

7. Hillier small Bunny Love ring, Astley Clarke, £395. 

8. Little Miss ballet flats, ASOS, £25. 

LFF OUTFIT POSTS: PINK LADY

One of my new year's resolutions was to bring more personal content to La Fashion Folie and to kick that off for 2013, here’s my first ever outfit post. 

I like to practise what I preach, so following Sunday’s pink colour trend post, I wanted to share my brand new rose-colour coat with you. This was a purchase in the Topshop January sale for the bargain price of £40; for 80% wool I wasn’t going to argue with that (I’m big on my fabric mixes!) I like the way masculine and clean cut of the coat keeps what is a very feminine colour fuss-free. 

I’ve teamed the coat with the structured felt Augusta bag from Stylistpick’s SS13 collection. I really love this style- there’s nothing like a structured bag to say ‘I mean business’ and I like the contrast between the soft grey felt and faux-leather materials. I also happen to be involved in an exciting project with Stylistpick this week, as they become the first retailer to integrate social media imagery into their website with the launch of 'Stylistpicklive'. From today,  customers can share images of their looks (featuring branded product) on the company homepage, simply by hashtagging their Instagram or Twitter pictures with #stylistpick. 

The gallery is also fully ‘clickable’- allowing you to shop street style looks in one simple step. Head over to the Stylistpick homepage (keep your eyes peeled for LFF!) to check out the fab new gallery & start uploading your pictures! 

Photos by Susi Smither

Shop the look: 

1. (Similar) Philosophy di Alberta Ferrarti pink peacoat, The Outnet, £198.18.

2. Indigo skinnies, Dorothy Perkins, £15. 
3. (Similar) Checked scarf, Coach, £100. 
4. Black leather brogues, New Look, £22.99. 
5. Augusta felt holdall, Stylistpick, £40. 

SS13 COLOUR TREND: PRETTY PINKS

I did something out of character during the January sales, and purchased a rose pink coat from Topshop. (outfit post to come soon). I say out of character, because bar the odd splash of neon, this is the first splash of pink I have had in my wardrobe since I committed crimes against fashion in hideous fuschia pedal pushers aged 14. But after trying on the Topshop coat on a whim, I discovered that the rose petal shade of pink warmed up my porcelain skintone a treat.

And I am happy to report that a couple of weeks on and a co-ordinating scarf later, I am really enjoying wearing such an unashamedly feminine colour. When I have my coat on, not only do I feel princess-like, but I have also found that the opposite sex are holding opening a fair few more doors for me, which, for a single girl in the city, is rather nice.

So the message is: don’t knock the power of pink until you have tried it ladies! Here’s my pick of the best pieces available online now.

1. Newbury round neck tee, Stylistpick, £10.
2. Pink bird door knocker earrings, ASOS, £25.
3. J Brand denim 811 skinny jeans, Matches Fashion, £205.
4. Marni printed woven wool skirt, The Outnet,  £248.50.
5. Rhodonite pom-pom necklace, Cinderela B, £45.
6. New Look Phoebe Wing tote, ASOS, £14.99.
7. Silver stone & pink bracelet, Dorothy Perkins, £10.
8. Smythson leather iPhone case, Net-a-porter.com, £110.

5 WAYS TO UPDATE YOUR LOOK FOR SS13 ON A BUDGET

Just because you're feeling the pinch this month doesn't mean you can't start to try some of the new-season trends. If (like me) you're on a self-imposed shopping ban until payday, then console yourself with these 5 cheap and cheerful SS13 outfit updates:

1. Co-ordinate your Jewellery

Statement necklaces and oversized jewelled earrings have been big trends for quite a few seasons now, but for SS13 the new way to wear your jewels is to co-ordinate them. Take inspiration from the Gucci catwalk and match your oversized earrings to a statement necklace for an instant update.


Gucci SS13 Catwalks
Image source: style.com



 2. Mix it up

The artfully mismatched look has been a growing trend for a few seasons now. The real selling point of this playful style is that you can update your look on cheap by simply by finding new outfit combinations in your existing wardrobe. For the ultimate inspiration on how to style this trend, look to US brand J.Crew for a masterclass in inventive fabric, texture and pattern combinations. Take your first baby steps into this trend by pairing a breton stripe t-shirt with floral pants or skirt.



J.Crew SS13 Collection. Image source style.com.

3. Get lippy

Bold lips in juicy shades of fuschia and tangerine were allover the SS13 catwalks, I especially loved the orange/pink smudged lips at the Holly Fulton London Fashion Week show. Don't disregard a dark claret lip either, the gothic trend is still going strong.

1. Topshop lips in Tease, £8.
2. Topshop lips in Infrared, £8.
3. Topshop lips in Brighton Rock, £8.
4. Topshop lips in Hazard, £8.

4. Tie-dye nails

Created by nail guru Sophy Robson and debuted on House of Holland SS13 catwalk, this technicolor trend can be achieved by mixing up any colourful nail polishes you have to hand. Look for Youtube tutorials to nail (excuse the pun) what will be the perfect manicure to debut at your summer festivals. 

House of Holland SS13 nails. Image source: kissandmakeup.tv

5. High Brow

Take your style cues from supermodel cutie Cara Delevingne and trial the bold brow trend in your new-season beauty look. I've spent the last few months forgoing plucking my eyebrows and  pencilling them in to achieve thick face-framing brows. I have to say I'm really pleased with the difference a strong eye brow can make to your whole face, it has the power to make the eyes look wide eyed and awake, even after a heavy night out!

Cara Delevingne at the Missoni SS13 show.
Image source: Style.com

6 OF THE BEST: SS13 NEON EARRINGS

A neon pair of earrings is an affordable and easy way to add a pop of colour to your January wardrobe. The fluro look will continue to be a big trend for SS13, so now is the perfect time to invest in eye-poppingly bright costume jewels. To style this look I'd wear my neon earrings with neutral classic pieces, say a beige trench coat or a grey marl sweater, for an unexpected twist on the trend. Here are six of my favourite styles available online now:

1. Beaded jewel swing earrings, ASOS, £15.
2. Shourouk Mia earrings, Matches Fashion, £338.
3. Tom Binns Riri earrings, Net-a-porter.com, £440.
4. Curb chain & gem drop earrings, ASOS, £10.
5. Premium neon deco earrings, Topshop, £30.
6. Neon green chandelier earrings, New Look, £6.99.

LFF REVIEWS: ACHICA.COM

I was recently offered the opportunity to trial members-only luxury lifestyle store,  Achica. I have to admit that I hadn’t thought to visit the website prior to the trial, having always associated Achica with expensive home wares which, when you live in a teeny-tiny bedsit like myself, are a no-go (I break just about every ornament I acquire!)

So I was pleasantly surprised to find that Achica stock a wide range of reduced-price luxury goods, including fashion accessories, beauty products and gifts alongside Achica homeware. Since signing up to the site I’ve drooled over sales of Marc by Marc Jacobs, Bottega Veneta and Burberry to name just a few luxe brands. After a lot of deliberation, I decided to order a HUGE 3-wick Neom organics candle fragranced with cloves, which arrived packaged in a beautiful box.

If I were to have one criticism of the Achica shopping experience, it’s that goods can take 3-4 weeks to arrive, so if you are looking to purchase gifts on there, a little advance planning is necessary. Don’t be put off by the ‘members-only’ part either; this simply means you need to sign up to an account before you can browse products which takes about a minute to do!

However, if you do love your luxury goods (and who doesn’t?!) then Achica is a must-visit site. I’ll definitely be visiting for reduced-price branded sunglasses and luxury candles in future. Here’s my favourite products available on the site right now:

1. Tescoma Delicia 6 heart-shaped cookie cutters, RRP £5, Achica price £2.50.
2. Bottega Veneta Vista optical glasses in ink, RRP £205, Achica price £120.
3. Bottega Veneta sole sunglasses in blue, RRP £230, Achica price £135.
4. Rob Ryan bells plate, RRP £20.99, Achica price £13.
5. Rob Ryan bells cushion, RRP £35.99, Achica price £23.
6. Jonathan Ward Josephine's rose candle, RRP £21, Achica price £13.
7. Liberty transport Pride & Predjudice mug, RRP £8.99, Achica price £5.50.

SS13 TREND ALERT: HOLOGRAPHIC CHIC

Hi everyone! To explain my blogging hiatus, I've been busy with a freelance project over the Christmas holidays, but I'm back and so so excited for all the fashions SS13 has in store for us.

I hope you all had peaceful and special Christmas holidays by the way and I'd like to say a HUGE thank you to all of you that visited La Fashion Folie in 2012; all of what I do on here wouldn't be possible without all the fabulous LFF readers out there and I'm extremely grateful that you keep returning!

But now on to SS13 and a huge trend for the season that I'm supremely excited about: all things holographic. As seen in the SS13 Hugo Boss, Christopher Kane and Stella McCartney SS13 Resort collections, my favourite interpretation of this trend was at the Jonathan Saunders show where models walked the catwalk in gorgeously glossy pencil skirts teamed with nude t-shirts and a dark lip. Super cool stuff!

Here's my pick of the best iridescent / holographic pieces that will shimmer and shine in your new-season wardrobe:

Catwalk image: Style.com 

1. Marc by Marc metallic sweater, Farfetch.com, £226.12.
2. 'Prior' metallic high heels, ASOS, £45.
3. Metallic shopper, Topshop, £45.
4. Metallic green belt, ASOS, £3.
5. Lollidrop mini bag, Kurt Geiger, £29.