Fashion is a funny thing. It may be sweltering outside in the UK, but in the fashion world it’s officially ‘Christmas’ (!). Not that I am complaining: as a perennial fan of the festive season it was with great excitement that I made my way to Victoria House in Bloomsbury for the Next Christmas catwalk last week. Next are known in the fashion world for hosting fantastic events and for Christmas 2013 they pulled out all the stops; booking supermodels including Jourdan Dunn, Suki Waterhouse (aka. Bradley Cooper’s new squeeze) and Jacquetta Wheeler to model the collection.
After the show I was lucky enough to bump into Jourdan Dunn at the backstage exit and couldn’t resist asking for a quick photograph. To her credit, Jourdan was the sweetest and most obliging celebrity I have met to-date and even found time for a quick chat with me about her about life as a tall girl (Jourdan is a couple of inches taller than me). Her tip for finding tall men? ‘Go for basket ball players’!
Continue reading after the jump to see LFF's collection highlights
A perennial favourite, the floral print is one of those trends
that blooms summer after summer. From oriental
blossoms through to ditsy meadow flowers and vibrant tropical botanicals there
are a plethora of prints to choose from for SS13. This season the fashion-lust
for florals will continue well into autumn/winter with Erdem, Clements Ribeiro
and Mulberry planting the print in their collections.
To wear the trend now, a print jean (no.5 and no.3) will add femininity to to your everyday wardrobe. A pretty floral dress (no.1 and no.2) is a versatile piece that works just as well for summer weddings as it does lazy days spent in the park. And don't forgot the accessories too- Ted Baker's exquisite Ipad case (no.6) will add whimsy to your gadgets. Will you be doing the floral trend this summer?
Shop my floral edit here with Box Clothing.
1. Vero Moda Jacquard strom blue and lime dress, £42.
2. Darling Mikayla floral dress, £41.
3. Vero Moda Gambler floral jeans, £18.
4. Chinese Laundry Lucky Charm sandals, £65.
5. Ted Baker Summer Blossom jeans, £70.
6. Ted Baker Isadora Treasured Orchid iPad case, £29.
*Sponsored post*
Those of you that follow me on Instagram will know I am pretty addicted to the App. I have connected and virtually 'befriended' fashion lovers in destinations as far-flung as Australia through Instagram- technology can be a wonderful thing. If you don't follow me yet my handle is @lafashionfolie - come join me if you want to the latest updates and fashion finds that don't always reach the blog.
It's been quite a busy and exciting past few weeks in LFF world, so I thought I'd share a few instagrams on here:
1. My friend Natalie of This Little Girl is Lost blog tried out the much-hyped London eaterie Bubbledogs. The concept is simple: champagne and hotdogs with various toppings. I went for the vegetarian 'Jose' with Mexican toppings. It was tasty, but pretty underwhelming given that it cost £8!
2. Last Thursday Natalie and I headed to the La Redoute AW13 press day, where we were treated to champagne, canapes and sweet treats. Look out for great outerwear and shift dresses from La Redoute for the new season- I loved this monochrome drop waist shift dress priced at an affordable £39.
3. One of my favourite ways to relax is by indulging my love of history. This weekend my parents and I headed to the National Trust-owned Packwood House. The floral borders were in full bloom so I couldn't resist taking a picture.
4. One of my resolutions for 2013 was see as much live music as possible. On Friday my big sister (pictured) and I plus some friends headed to Lovebox festival in Victoria Park. Rudimental were brilliant!
5. My first festival of the Summer was Wireless. My friends and I had a lot of (sweaty!) fun bouncing along to Calvin Harris.
6. Yummy cupcakes at the La Redoute press day. I consumed mine in 3 bites!
7. Last Thursday I attended the Next Christmas Catwalk show (blog post to come). I fell in love with this red lace full-skirted dress, it will definitely make an appearance in my AW wardrobe.
8. The accessories offering was particularly strong at the Next Christmas press day. I loved these art-deco inspired costume earrings that also come set with green gems.
9. When I head home my mum and I love to blitz the charity shops. I picked up this 'Where the Wild things are' tee for a bargain £4!
Until my next Insta diary! Sophie x
I recently re-pierced my ears (just by shoving a sterile stud through the channels- probably best not to try that at home) and now I'm excited to build up a new collection of statement earrings. One costume jewellery trend I am happy to find has lingered past my piercing drought is the demand for all things fluoro. I love adding pops of neon to my looks through accessories and keep a pair colourful earrings in my work bag to take an outfit from business to play. Acid-hue adornments also look extremely effective with a simple jean/t-shirt look (think slouchy boyfriend jeans and a grey marl tee) for the ultimate high/lo contrast. Here's my edit of the best styles available online now:
1. Crystal and neon leaf earrings, Mawi, £265.
2. Neon jewel earrings, New Look, £7.99.
3. Tom Binns Soft powder flower stud earrings, Matchesfashion, £144.
4. Joanna diamante earrings, Kurt Geiger, £40.
5. J.Crew Collage crystal drop earrings, Net-a-porter.com, £80.
6. Joanna diamante earrings in yellow, Kurt Geiger, £40.
There's nothing like a fierce bit of psychedelic leopard print to work LFF into a fashion frenzy. If you too love this trend, then we are in luck because AW13 will bring a ferocious appetite for animal prints in all guises, from the classic leopard through to chic croc and dotty dalmatian. But how to wear the trend now? Heritage high-street brand Jaeger have the answer in the form of these super-cool trophy trousers in intensely-hued leopard print. I am head over heels in love with them, so I've styled a couple of looks to demonstrate how I'd wear the trews. With a statement piece like this, I think the key is to have fun; continue the playful mood with a slogan t-shirt and introduce even more colour with bold costume jewels. In the footwear department, a snazzy sneaker makes the perfect pairing for a relaxed weekend look, whilst a metallic flat will add formality and glamour for work. Will you be wearing leopard print this season or next?
1. Leopard print trousers, Jaeger, £99.
2. Cheap Monday pink point flats, ASOS, £60.
3. Magic spike stone drop earrings, ASOS, £18.
4. Brian Lichtenberg Feline Meow sweater, Net-a-porter.com, £100.
5. Lulu & Co Wild at heart t-shirt, Matchesfashion.com, £34.
6. Nuwa bracelet, Claire Hynes, £55.
7. New Balance 420 trainers, ASOS, £38.
8. Jaeger trousers, as before.
If you like your fashion cute and bordering on the right side of kitsch, then you should check out upcoming brand Aspire Style. Founded in 2005, the boutique store and e-commerce site stocks a curated collection of charming styles from brands including Closet, Orla Kiely, Yumi and Fever London. If (like LFF) you love a cute print, then Aspire have kindly offered La Fashion Folie readers 10% discount on online orders using the code FOLIE13. The code expires Sunday 14th July so get shopping! To give you some inspiration, here's my edit of the site:
1. Fox print dress, £39.
2. Louche hazy bunny jumper, £24.50.
3. Louche Mary Kate bag, £35.
4. Estella Bartlett bright star necklace, £12.99.
5. Hola Bird print satchel, £49.
6. Kinky Knickers lace hipster knickers, £14.99.
7. Chinese Laundry Area shoes, £55.
At the beginning of June, LFF attended Graduate Fashion Week at Earl's Court. I try to make a trip to the show each June to see the latest talent coming out of the UK's universities and I'm happy to report that there's a wealth of beautiful designs for 2013. My only complaint about the show is that the fluorescent lighting in Earl's Court makes it difficult to take decent photographs. Next year GFW will be in a new location as the venue is set to close- fingers crossed for Olympia which offers the holy grail of natural light. Yellow-hued exposures aside, continue reading to see what I spotted and liked
