John Galliano Braces Media Coverage- First Time Since 2010!

Recently, John Galliano, the designer who was shamed by his anti-semitic rant in Paris in 2011, appeared on Charlie Rose in order to confront the demons which forced him into a downhill spiral.

The interview can be watched online here: http://www.charlierose.com/view/content/12975

In January, Oscar de la Renta announced that he would seek the help of Galliano for a Fall collection which surprised the fashion industry in its entirety. To remind yourself, have a read of this post: http://www.therebirthoffashion.net/2013/01/john-gallianos-return.html?q=galliano

Oscar de la Renta & Galliano- Fall 2013. 

Although the YouTube videos gained thousands of hits and the headlines received thousands of views, I don't believe anyone truly understood the psychological reasoning behind the comments he made. In a video recorded by a member of the public, Galliano was seen making some very offensive remarks including "I love Hitler". Following this, Galliano was practically made an outcast by anyone who was anyone. 

In this interview, I believe it took great strength and courage for Galliano to properly explain the addiction which led to the comments. It shocked the world at how a creative genius who produced exquisite designs for the House of Dior and the House of Galliano could possibly ruin a reputation so renowned. The interview gave an in-depth insight that finally revealed all.

In my opinion, Galliano appeared nervous, yet humble and calm throughout. After discussing the bullying that occurred at a boy's school he attended in South London, he mentioned his transfer to Central Saint Martins, home to many designers including Christopher Kane and Zac Posen. 

"You draw like a God", he was told. 

Then, the deeper side emerged. Charlie Rose dug into the question everyone wants to know- why? "I was a blackout drinker", explained Galliano. His excessive drinking released "paranoia" and triggered frustrations from his childhood. This may explain his aggressive nature in the Paris recording. A "self-defence mechanism", he called it. 

Galliano, bravely claimed that he was a "slave" to his addiction.

What members of the public and in fact, anybody who does not have high-end fashion designing experience, is that designing equals immense pressure:

"I was producing 32 collections a year between The House of Dior and The House of Galliano." Just looking at the number 32- I can only imagine the stress and struggles that the sheer demand must of put on him. 

From valium, to sleeping pills, to alcohol, Galliano cried "My life became unmanageable". 

One particular point of the interview struck me. "I was acting like God", he admitted. Luckily, he now understands that he is not in the driving seat of his fate and has reconnected with God, in order to seek forgiveness for his behaviour. I can only admire him for attempting to change and recognising how grateful he should be that he is alive today. 

When the suicide of Alexander McQueen was mentioned, Galliano simply exclaimed " I understood". This powerful statement made everything into a blank canvas, I believe. 

Throughout, Galliano recognised that he could not mask nor excuse his behaviour in any way, with any psychological tendencies or explanations, yet he knew that the person seen in the video was not him, in any way. In fact, he claims he has no memory of his being there as the alcohol took over his memory and his subconscious acted as reality. The triggered comments about him being "arian", by the recorders definitely provoked an uncalled-for reaction. 

By the end, I saw a changed man, despite not meeting or knowing him personally. I believe he fully grieves his actions every day and if it wasn't for Oscar de la Renta giving him that chance to shine again, his gifted ways of design may have escaped him forever. Anna Wintour has also played a vital role in helping reform his ways. "She's amazing. She inspires me", he praised as he smiled blissfully. 

Overall, I commend Galliano for opening up and perhaps shedding some hope for other addicts who are too ashamed to seek help. After rehabilitation in Arizona and many attempts to make amends with clients, friends and family, I believe Galliano can recover one step at a time. Perhaps the breakdown allowed him to finally realise that he needed to say "no" occasionally and seek the full support of his team. Health is the most important thing here and I can only hope that one day soon, Galliano will be given the forgiveness he requires and the platform to create the designs we miss so dearly. However, as long as he continues to make his years sober, a great accomplishment has stemmed from this tragedy. 

Versace Resort 2014 Collection Review

If you took a regular Resort collection out of it's stereotypical box and into the hands of a "no risk is boring" designer, you'd get Versace's 2014 collection.

Daring, powerful and somewhat summery- the Versace collection was just right. The perfect combination of riskay silhouettes with cropped hemlines and short bandage dresses.

The colour palette saw bursts of white, aqua, yellow, dusty pink, coral and black pulled together to create looks for a diverse range of buyers. You have the black looks for the formal, yet sexy looks for the modern-day empowered woman, as well as the brightly coloured, "in your face" looks for day wear in the sun.

Certainly, Donatella was not afraid to have fun with this collection, but when is she ever afraid of that? Clothing does not have to be boring at all. You can go from a slightly more demure sweetheart girl in the day to a lustrous goddess in the evening. In my opinion, this is what Versace does best... it brings together the girls who want to experiment and not confine themselves to one boring look.

Some attempts at colour-blocking were made with this collection, as yellows and pinks were paired together, for example. Expectation is in the past- clothing can be exactly what you want it to be.

Sex appeal boosted to the max- simple, yet sassy white bandage dress contrasted nicely with a black textured clutch.

A simple floral pattern can never go wrong for Summer.

Traditional? What is that. Why choose one bland swimsuit when you can make a statement with this, to say the least. Chequered on one side and floral on the other- the ultimate contrast. The one-strap and plunged neckline adds the sexiness to the look, however. For me, the bag is what I'm loving the most here, that Versace emblem looks gorgeous against the turquoise. 

Double neon yellow with a bandage dress with a slightly longer hemline but still short, nonetheless. Tight is the way with Versace. I'm all for the strappy heels in this collection too, certainly on-trend right now.  

A bit more subtle and demure with the dusty pink combination here but the cropped jacket still  adds a youthful  atmosphere. I've been missing oversized clutches so it's nice to see one here, although the structure of it seems quite unique with the satchel strap. 

Adore this look. The sheer mesh on the sleeves and bottom of the skirt is stunning together. All black is the perfect way to look sophisticated, yet sexy. Again, love the clutch and the "undefinable" look here. I presume the model is wearing a dress and a blazer but the construction adds that "all-in-one" feel. 

All coral- a very daring look to pull off but look at that slit! Midriff, cleavage and killer legs to  distort the "boring" blazer and skirt look. Who says office chic has to be for the office? 

Very Donatella with the black and gold combination. I am obsessed with this blouse with the gold pocket outlines. Unconventional but stylish with the strappy heels too. Slouchy can be uber-chic! 

Cannes Film Festival- Best Looks So Far

Can someone say Delevingne? If there was ever a perfect dress I could personally imagine, I feel like Cara wore it at Cannes this year.

A strikingly beautiful black lace dress by Burberry with a plunge neck and sheer sleeves. Covered in diamonds, Cara certainly knows how to make an entrance and the pose says it all for me. This look is flawless but what are those shoes?

Emma Watson in a Chanel Couture floor-length gown. This is gorgeous on Emma with the sequinned bodice and the smooth, white skirt.

OK, so I'm not sure if Sofia Coppola was the best dressed exactly but I had to include her as she's my favourite director. Dressed in S/S 2013 Louis Vuitton, Sofia keeps it simple with this LBD.

Everything about Frieda Pinto's look is exquisite  The dress is custom by an Indian designer, Sanchita  and her shoes and bag are by Jimmy Choo. Love the embroidery on the top, the high slit, the all-over gold and the strappiness of the heel. Perfect for Cannes.

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!