Bags I Want: Céline Tote Bags

If there's one bag right now that I keep seeing in and around the fashion sphere, it's these gorgeous totes from Céline.

I believe they come in mini, micro and macro sizes to fit the buyer's needs.

I think the structure of these is absolutely gorgeous and how chic they do they look?

Available in 5 different variations, the tan, patent black and cream/black are my favourites.

To get a closer look, check out missglamorazzi's "What's In My Purse?" video on YouTube. Fell in love with the handbag from heaven afterwards.

Christian Dior Resort 2014

Raf Simons is continually proving to the world that he is going to lead Dior into a sanctuary of timeless, yet modern clothing which clientèle won't be able to resist.

The show was held in Monaco, where Grace Kelly celebrated her engagement in a Dior gown. I suppose Simons wanted to pay homage to the brand.

The Resort collection for 2014 felt unrestricted from previous collections at Dior. It was fragmented and unclear at times. Simons certainly took a risk using lace, a material he does not usually work with.

It seems that there's a sort of distorted romance amongst this collection, one of which screams happily married with a white picket fence and the other is undefinable or certainly more "realistic", if you will.

As you browse the collection, pops of colours flash before your eyes, almost as if Simons is tempting us with bursts of neons until we get the full colour maintained on one piece.

For a resort collection, it really works with the summery vibe and light materials.

An indigo suit with a rounded sillouhete for the blazer. Nicely shaped with the lace underlay. 

Something vibrant and bright. A rippled, fuchsia jacket which doubles as a dress.  The tidy hair and  bright lip do this look wonders.

A hard-hitting neon yellow in a small quantity works wonderfully with otherwise elegant materials of silver and white. The gold cuff compliments the shade of yellow.

Simons taking monochrome with a twist here. It's almost as if the look is disrupted with the pink  section. You can certainly imagine a "normal" Dior dress in a shade of that dusty pink trailing down, yet we are only given a snippet. A metaphoric look, perhaps? 

One of my favourite looks of the collection. The rounded sunglasses are stunning and compliment the "suave and sophisticated  look of this outfit well. I adore the tightness of the waist and then the free flowing material at the bottom. The zip is perfect and adds a slight sense of sportiness to an otherwise simple look.

Pretty and delicate in white. A look to be expected on the likes of Kate Middleton.  The bubble skirt  adds a nice contrast to the expected torso. 

Beachy and mermaid-like. Shades of aqua and mint green compliment each other with this shiny material.  The luminescent dress is stunning and daring at the same time. 

The staple dress of the collection, I'd say. No two sides are the same. Simons goes for daring, sheer lace with a romantic edge on the right along with an edgy, colourful and striped look on the left. Definitely out of the ordinary but perfect for portraying what Simons stands for.

Vogue Festival 2013- Donatella Versace (Pictures/Videos)

Today, I had the privilege of sitting in the centre front stalls in front of one of the most iconic women in fashion  history. I was aware of her past and the tragic death of her brother, Gianni, but I was unaware of how moved I would be by her words. It was clear that Donatella is not just a designer but a lady of inspiration and encouragement.

At the Queen Elizabeth Hall of the Southbank Centre, Donatella kindly gave an hour-long interview session for the people who most want to hear her words of wisdom. She was the last talk of the two-day festival. What a perfect way to end.

As I entered the Southbank Centre, my eyes were looking everywhere! Women were beautifully dressed in head-to-toe Chanel, whilst Japanese teenagers wandered round in spikes and graphic prints. 

It was amazing to see so many fashion-oriented people come together in one place, all so similar yet so different. 

It was fair to say that I heard the most fascinating conversations and saw the most exquisite clothing and handbags. 

I loved this wall with the Vogue covers:

She came out in an outfit you'd only expect to see on Donatella. A sparkly black jacket, patent leather pants with patent killer heeled boots and the usual peroxide hair and heavy black makeup. 

With her strong accent, it was sometimes hard to understand her but one thing's for sure... she was hilarious!

She said she blamed Christopher Kane for making her wear flats for the first time (I had no idea he was in the first row of the auditorium... my heart quivered when she pointed him out). She spoke of her unwillingness to cook or do any DIY, including fitting things (sounds a bit like me) and she spoke of wearing PVC miniskirts and sneaking off to discos aged 12... as you do. 

Here's a video of the Q&A section:

Donatella said despite her conservative background and her happy childhood, the reason she rebelled is because she wanted more. She wanted more than what she had. I found this fascinating. She clearly had a driven sense from a young age that she wanted to exceed society's expectations of her and she certainly did that. 

She spoke of the pain and heartache that she faced when her brother died. This was what made me listen and see her for the painting of success that she is. She embodies a woman of power and she says she reflects that in her clothes. The clothes aren't for her, the clothes are for the powerful women out there.

When asked about her favourite collection, she said "The next one, I never look back."

Surprisingly to me, she admitted that she was insecure and that it was the H&M collection which gave her confidence. I was honestly shocked as ever. She claimed that the success of it was unprecedented in her eyes and that she never expected so many young people in the UK to go crazy for it. It made her "secure". 

The best part of the night was when she was asked about her legacy. She simply said "I would like my legacy to be 'fight for your ideas'". 

At the end, a random "upcoming boyband" with brightly coloured hair decided to perform their song for Versace. Love it. 

Vogue Festival 2013

If you're a fashion fanatic, you need to be at Vogue Festival at the Southbank Centre next month! I know I'm going to be! 

Seriously, I cannot wait. Front stalls to hear Donatella Versace speak words of wisdom... me thinks yes! 

There are still some tickets available for various events available here: http://www.southbankcentre.co.uk/whatson?filter[series]=2134

Victoria Beckham, Michael Kors, Christopher Kane, Cara Delevingne, Anna Dello Russo are just a few of the big names that are participating in the festival.

Buy, buy, buy!

Vera Wang's Outrageous New Try-On Fee

Our beloved Vera Wang has designed bridal gowns for some pretty elite clientele but she may have taken a step too far.

Currently, the newly opened Vera Wang bridal store in Shanghai is charging customers a £317.70 equivalent to try on any bridal gowns. Whether or not this try-on fee will expand to her other worldwide stores is unknown but I personally think it's ridiculous.

Clearly, copyright is a huge issue and protection of your brand and items that are worth thousands upon thousands is necessary. Photos are already forbidden in her stores which is vital. Why the fee?

If clients decide to purchase a gown, the fee is wavered but if not, they'll have to pay up. Now some might say £317 is nothing to someone who can afford a £317,000 Vera Wang gown but there are many that are a lot more simple and range in the £3,000-£4,000 region too. Surely, most soon-to-be brides aspire to wear Vera Wang but choice is still out there and this fee could certainly detract potential clients from even bothering entering the bridal store.

Bad move Vera!

G-Shock x Margiela

Ahh G-Shock has combined with none other than... Maison Martin Margiela and I'm dead excited. The watch is looking so entirely sexy in the newly released advert.

Only 3000 of these watches will be released in celebration of G-Shock's 30 year anniversary.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=WJIBEyZ7qEk

Alexander Wang x Balenciaga Fall 2013 RTW

So I've been meaning to do a post about Wang's debut at Balenciaga for a while now. It's been a long time coming and everyone's been dying to see the first pieces from this unexpected, yet potentially genius collaboration. Scrap "potentially". It was unconquerable.

Some may critique Wang for not flourishing in the personality department when it came to this RTW collection, yet this is understandable as he really tried to incorporate the brand's ethic in order to stick to the roots of Balenciaga. I believe he did this incredibly well. Nothing was too boring or too extreme.

From what I've read, Wang started working on this collection since Janurary which means this overlapped with his Fall 2013 RTW collection time frame  Wow. Wang has clearly gone out of his way to prove that he can deliver pieces which will not be unrecognisable to the Balenciaga label.

I got vibes from Céline during this collection... perhaps it was the flashes of fur and the long black dresses.

The collection was certainly modest but in no ways bland.

Wang is a versatile designer. He can go from the sportswear aesthetic with boxy jumpers and sweatshirts to elegance and sophistication within a matter of a few months. What better colour palette to choose here too? Monochrome- black, white. Brownie points for that!

Pristine and wearable. Love the simple white blouse with no embellishments. The boots act as trousers due to their high-leg. The chain details add a bit of a specialty to this look. 

This is what Wang is brilliant at. He can use shapes and fabrics like no other sometimes. Love the cutout details, they look gorgeous from the back. Original, yet a pump might have been better than the boots. 

A transformed peplum with simple black trousers. The top reminds me of Charlize's Oscar look...

Shimmery jumper with high-waisted trousers. Like the cute, thin bow belt but I don't care for the shoes at all.  Too open. 

Rouching at its best. Wang has gathered the fabric on this dress so well that nothing else needs to be added to this piece.

The collection starts to take a nice twist with the metallics and sparkles. I like the  neck on this jacket with the open-ended sleeves. The t-bar heels are also a win for me. 

Wow. This cracked paint-speckled knitted jumper is too good to be true. What a twist to knitwear this is. Truly out of the ordinary and I love, love, love it. 

Black fur peplum for warmth and elegance teamed with metallic print trousers. Like the bronze and black combination.