Company Style Blogger Awards 2012 with New Look

I was invited to the Company Style Awards Party just off Scrutton Street, Shoreditch, a great gallery space (often used by Vice) and close to home. The event had a tropical backdrop upstairs with ginger inspired gin cocktails, but downstairs was where the excitement began.

Handpicked clothes from New Look filled the rails, like a sea of a pastel hues all desperate to be tried on - at this point the NL daily team were on our case to film a video of "Dancing Party feet"? Sounds mad but with dj working his magic in the background, we were game. There was a great assortment of on trend designs from New Look,  they've really upped their game on the high street.

Congratulations Company on a fun-filled fashiontastic event and an even more fabulous goodie bag featuring  Bastiste, a gorgeous multi-print scarf, floral sunnies, Kinder Bueno and much more!

My friend Alice and I (right to left)

LFW Lowdown (Autumn Winter 2012)

So with Milan Fashion Week past us and Paris Fashion Week in full swing, London Fashion Week seems a while ago. However I haven't been able to write my summary until now so here we go.
As LFW drew to an end, I headed to bed, not moving for a day after running, snapping, posing  and reporting for five days (I don't cover menswear so not six days for me).
Here is my lowdown on what and whose hot for Autumn / Winter 2012. Enjoy!
Christopher Kane
Top of the list, for current, modern style. The collection was prim with a punk edge - I loved it. He took sinister colours, violet, crimson red similar to that of blood (Kane's own words), deep blues and black, and used fabrics such as moire as he said it resembled "the inside of coffins". If I could quote movies the collection would be a combination of nineties cult classics 'Beetle juice' and 'Batman Returns' - now you get the picture. Even the animal print was used in a foreboding way. Kane's intricate details still prevailed through the collection; where last season he gave us flowers in delicate, soft pastel shades, here we saw the opposing beauty of cashmere threaded with wire. An inspiring collection for the darkest of Winter days.

Louise Gray
Wow, pattern personified! The collection threw up prints and pattern galore in the most intricate and beautifully designed form. As the Chicago House music blared out as the soundtrack to the show, models wore Nasir Mazhar's beautiful stand-out head pieces whilst being adorned in striking prints that referenced cubism and artists such as David Hockney's eighties era sets. Debbie Harry, a great female idol was also a reference for the show. The excessive prints emphasized her idea for the collection to be about "Everything, all the time", this was definitely certain.  Amazingly intricate and bold prints complimented by the striking make-up, made this an exciting show for London.

Meadham Kirchoff
A definite change to their image a few seasons back, Meadham Kirchoff remains, as per S/S 2012, fun, playful and bright. From the determined struts of the models, it was a disco circus of delights with a nineties soundtrack featuring Mariah Carey (?!) Excellent and fun filled. I for one, definitely want one of their multi-coloured furs next season); who said Winter was all doom and gloom?

 

For an exclusive backstage look at the incredible make-up from the show, read here; an As You Are Magazine exclusive.

As much as there was a sure trend thoughout the season, these I found being the Ladylike trend - sharp tailoring seen at Marios Schwab and Vivienne Westwood, as well as black lace and leather appliqued onto outfits at Christopher Kane; there was definitely a fair few who didn't stick to this with Summer pastel trends still peaking through at Fred Butler and Meadham Kirchoff.

To read my full reports on some of the shows and more pictures, click any of the designers' names below:
Vivienne Westwood
Christopher Kane
Fred Butler Presentation
Fashion East
Bernard Chagrin
Ashley Isham

And for more great fashion underground news head to www.asyouaremagazine.com

LFW A/W 2012 Strong looks and spot the celeb photos

Between the to-ing and fro-ing of the shows I did manage to catch a few snapshots. Take a look below:

Me, day 1

                                                    Henry Holland, Louise Gray et al

                                                           Molly from The Saturdays

                                                                 Pandemonia

Style queen Alexa

Journalistic legend Hilary Alexander

Vivienne Westwood FROW

Olivia Palermo

 Nicola Roberts

Lazy Oaf S/S '12 Collection Preview at Shoreditch House

I took a trip to Shoreditch House the other week for the exclusive Lazy Oaf S/S 2012 collection preview. There in one of the rooms off the games area was a selection of Fall 2011 and Spring/Summer 2012 pieces as well as the accessories, tattoo transfers (you're never too old for these are you?). You could even create your own photographic cartoon by shooting a multiple of stills whilst holding the giant lazy oaf items - be it a hotdog cushion, tall pencils or eyeball pillow.

Below are a few pictures of the current A/W 2011 collection that I love from the event, but to view the S/S 2012 lookbook click here

I'll definitely be getting my hands on the 'Handful slob' & Spots and stripes monochrome skirt for Summer!