Vogue Festival 2014: Street Style + Naomi Campbell on Africa & Diversity

I had the pleasure of attending this year's Vogue Festival and for the second year in a row too!

As I walked to the Southbank Centre, I was in awe of the beautiful women wearing such stunning clothes. For me, I'm drawn to unconventional looks, rather than the expected quilted Chanel messenger and shift dress. No offence intended.

I definitely loved seeing such a diverse bunch of people coming together because of their love of fashion. For me, Vogue Festival is unique because of its mix of the elite, who clearly have striving careers in the industry, and the younger crowd of students, interns, photographers and bloggers. The younger crowd are all completely giddy with excitement but choose to overshadow it with that indifference that we all know so well.

Street Style: Simplicity x2 

This was one of my favourite street style looks from the event. Personally, I don't particularly like this new monochrome, flatform trend but on this model, I think it works with her outfit. Streetwise all over, but you can tell that this is effortless.

Now this is a completely different look altogether but I adore it for many reasons. Three words: this is risky!  Having an all-white palette is definitely hard to pull off but when I saw this outfit, Naya Rivera's jumpsuit for the Elle Awards came to mind:

Although this clearly a more sexy oufit with the holed sleeves, both ladies do a great job at pulling off a tailored, loose trouser. Breaking up the all-white with coloured accessories, like black or purple court shoes is an excellent way to add colour without losing edginess.

What About Me?

In all honesty, I wasn't too sure on what to wear to this event but I decided to go for a floral skater dress and a structured bag with gold detailing. Initially, I was going to go for black loafers but I opted for lace-up, heeled boots to contrast with the 'girliness'. (P.S. Yes, I know. This is a terrible picture.)

Africa, Diversity and Nudity?!

As Naomi and Franca Sozzani walked on stage, the atmosphere surrounding the auditorium was buzzing. Everyone in the audience knew that these ladies were indeed fashion legends.

I loved the pairing of Franca and Naomi together as they did an excellent job talking about several issues in the fashion industry today. One being the stigma attached to Africa and why many of  fashion's elite are holding back Africa's growth. Both women fearlessly spoke of their experiences with people who refused to support their travels to Africa because they believed it was full of AIDS and malaria. I still find it disappointing to hear that people are so caught up in the negatives. Every single country in the world has its problems, and every single one also has its qualities which make it beautiful too. As a person who has travelled to South Africa, I can see why Naomi is so adamant in deconstructing the generalisations people make about the continent. 

Naomi also spoke of the changes in the modelling industry: 1) Models are no longer seen as the subaltern of fashion as they CAN 'speak', 2) Models of colour are now becoming prominent in both high-fashion and commercial advertising. 

'We have never seen so many women of colour in advertising. We didn't start this to blame or complain, just build awareness. Keeping it fresh in people's minds. It's not a trend', said Naomi. 

A highlight of mine was when Naomi picked up the March issue of British Vogue and pointed out all the non-white models. It was a real statement move and I think it foregrounded the progress that the industry is making, especially when you can see a huge visual of Sozzani's famous 'Black Issue' of Italian Vogue, where Naomi features on the cover. 

In terms of Naomi's goals, she spoke of her successful TV show, The Face which has been sold in over 60 countries. Despite the hard work, the supermodel stressed that she loved being a mentor to young women and guiding them through the challenges of modelling. She did say that she would eventually pass on that role, so I'm sure talks of the future guiding mentor will arise soon. 

Here's something nobody saw coming though... Naomi is planning on releasing an archive book which will feature nude shots in her early days. She giggled as she mentioned this future venture but if Naomi can pick up herself up from falling off a runway in Paris and carry on so gracefully, I'm sure a few nude shots will be a breeze!

Queen Bee

People often see Naomi as a bitch who throws far too many tantrums, especially with the previous allegations of assault. However, I think there's a very soft-centred side to her character and she allows this to be displayed when she is most relaxed. Surprisingly, Naomi came across as a very humble woman who wishes to uplift and empower others. 

'To be sitting here 28 years later (after I got discovered), I feel so grateful and blessed. I wouldn't have imagined that I'd still be working with the same photographers that I worked with when I was sixteen.' 

Even when talking of the recent Kim Kardashian and Kanye West cover of American Vogue, she was very compassionate. She did not regard Anna Wintour's decision as a failure, but rather a 'stepping stone' for the magazine. Now, arguably she had to say something of this nature because it'd cause controversy otherwise but I got the impression that she was genuinely thinking about the bigger picture. 

Naomi fully let down her guard and proved to us that there is an intelligent mind behind the sex-appeal and that the future of fashion lies in diversity, empowerment and fearlessness. 

Photo credits: Darren Gerrish and Dvora

MM6 Maison Martin Margiela RTW Fall/Winter 2014

At first, I was set on reviewing the Michael Kors collection, but in all honesty I'm not so sure I'd have a lot to say about it. The collection was appealing in that it was very accessible but I thought I'd talk about a collection that I can never skip each year: Margiela's. 

The collection had a very clean and minimalist colour palette at first, with lots of white and black, as expected.  Staple items were everywhere, and I mean everywhere. Out of nowhere, a fiery red cable knit appeared with paper-thin white shorts. There literally are no conventions with Margiela. 

Visually, the splashes of burnt orange are just perfect, even when you only see a hint from the model's shorts underneath her oversized jacket. 

Now, the fabrics used were undoubtedly the most mind-blowing feature of the whole collection. We're talking bubble wrap. Yes, bubble wrap calmly used as a top and even understated in the sleeve details of a dress. Denim was also laminated and appeared very glossy, to give some of the looks an incredibly futuristic vibe. 

This is definitely a collection for risk-takers and people with a whole lot of confidence. 

Boxy shorts paired with a pristine white jacket. Such an effortless look, and I love the knee-length boots to match.

Here's what I was talking about... fiery red out of nowhere! Warm and stylish at the same time, especially with the unconventional paper-thin shorts.

This may not visually look too pleasing, but I do admire the innovative use of bubble wrap... you have to! The laminated, denim shorts are also great. I'm not sure of the black bandeau underneath but I guess there aren't too many options when you're working with translucent material. 

I really loved this outfit. One, because the fit of the jeans is so unusual... not skinny or flared. Two, I love the metallic effect that the fabric gives off. That structured, zipped top is so bad-ass, especially paired with those edgy jeans. 

Christian Siriano Fall/Winter 2014 + Personal Update

The Abandoned Blog 

Seeing F/W 2014 catwalks on social media sites has really made me nostalgic over blogging. Circumstances in the last few months have definitely stopped me from posting content because I hate delivering mediocre reviews that I myself aren't proud of. I honestly appreciate all the views I've accumulated over the year and I thank you all for continuing to support and read my articles. I can't abandon this platform I created for myself in 2012. I had no idea what I was doing. All I knew was that I wanted to get on here and share my opinions on fashion. To this day, I have barely made use of analytics or marketing tools. Having said that, I would love for this blog to grow in size and to develop as much as possible. Having personally encountered people that seem to have negative things to say about this platform is only a driving factor for me to continue to post content. I believe ambition is key in life and you will constantly have people that divert their insecurities in order to put down your work. It doesn't matter what you're doing, just make sure you continue to do what makes you happy and let nobody tell you that something is too big for you to achieve.

Back to Business: Christian Siriano

Now, back to the fun part. I decided to review Christian Siriano's collection as I love exploring designers that are new to me. Instead of going for Wang or Marc Jacobs first, I decided to take a look at this seriously talented designer as a few images of his collection caught my eye on Facebook.

The collection takes elegant to a whole new level. It celebrates the female body in such a demure, ladylike way. The transitioning between fabrics and colour is also a true work of art for such a young designer. 

By far, this is my favourite piece in the collection. The gold details are very unexpected but the rich pine green  certainly isn't. This is definitely red-carpet worthy as the lycra-like fabric will undoubtedly accentuate a small figure. 

A simple alpacca coat for the winter season. Oversized has definitely been on-trend in high fashion, as well as high street recently. It makes a change from the more fitted pea coats and peplum jackets.

This is a look I decided to pick because of its clean cut and simplicity. Monochrome will never go out of style, especially with the effortless, slouch trousers and the structured bag. 

This is definitely a visual manifestation of Siriano's talents. Clearly this is no average dress. I love the fitted bodice and the flared skirt, as well as the gothic-like blackness to this dress. 

This look definitely has a 60s feel to it, especially with the mid-length pleated skirt.  I adore the combination of olive green with black- two perfectly coordinated colours for fall. The skirt itself is very flattering and the sheen to the fabric easily makes this a transitional piece from day to night. This look is all about taking historical fashion and making it appealing to the women of today. Props to Siriano.

Photo credits: Jay Marroquin www.jaymarroquin.com

Kanye West Admits $13 Million Loss on Fashion Industry

Kanye West's recent radio interview on 'Sway in the Morning' sparked some controversy regarding his aggressiveness on the topic of fashion. 

When asked, "Why don't you do it yourself?" (regarding the self-production of a clothing line), Kanye repeatedly yelled "You ain't got the answers Sway!". Clearly, frustration built up and I believe it was quite ignorant of Sway to ask Kanye why he couldn't just start from scratch and build a whole empire in fashion by himself. The whole interview was a little bit too ignorant for my liking. Kanye is a talented and knowledgeable rapper, but even his knowledge wouldn't be sufficient enough to run a whole brand. Think about the aspects behind it all. Design, production, finances, marketing. The list goes on.

When I look at Kanye, I see somebody who doesn't want to restrict themselves to one career. He wants to be wholly involved in any aspect of the arts that allows him to express his creativity. As a rapper, Kanye is going to be looked at as a monetary idol in the fashion industry. His "relevancy", as he puts it, can sell millions. However, Kanye is not a full-time designer. He simply cannot put in all his energy into a fashion line. $13 million is what it took for Kanye to invest in his designs and try to conquer the industry.

I believe Kanye has the creative mindset to produce a killer line. I really do. I admire the passion he brings to the table when discussing fashion. He knows what he's talking about and I can see him going far, bringing uniqueness and originality to the forefront of his designs. I think he does need to understand that as a musician, the larger corporations are always going to "marginalise" him. Any brand within LVMH that works with him will probably not meet his expectations. Kanye wants to be the supreme ruler and have the utmost control over decisions but that's simply not going to happen.

What I'd like to see is a Kanye x Margiela collaboration. Now that would make fashion history.

Consistency is needed for Kanye to become a well-established name in fashion. When he debuted his Spring 2012 RTW collection, I was actually rather impressed. I loved the combination of the rough beats on the catwalk combined with a raw, powerful aesthetic. The clothes were heavy. Leather, fur and lots of glamour.

Daring cuts and random splashes of colour. Did some of the looks look too unpolished? Yes. He wasn't going to get it all right in the first go but if he finds a way to balance his ego with the industry, we could potentially be looking at some genius pieces in the future.

Styled to Rock US: Rihanna Goes Stateside!

When the news broke that Rihanna was launching a reality TV show for upcoming designers, I almost wanted to slap myself to make sure I was reading correctly.

I was an avid fan of the Sky One series, featuring the beloved Henry Holland. What I admired most about the show was the feeling of authenticity displayed throughout the storyline of pressured designers struggling to beat the clock and conquer their inner fears.

There's definitely something special about Styled to Rock... it doesn't rely on heavily-scripted dialogue and focuses more on the natural occurrence of events in the design room. My initial reaction to hearing that a US version of Styled to Rock was in production? I thought it was going to be fake, fake and more fake. I don't know about you but in my opinion, US-produced reality shows have never given me a particularly "real" vibe and I know a lot about reality television. Thankfully, I was proved wrong. Yes, the budget for this series definitely seems to be (cough) a lot higher than the UK series, yet the overall structure and feel of the show is almost the same, if not a lot more realistic.

Pharrell Williams, Erin Wasson and Mel Ottenberg are the main panelists. What a genius collaboration. With Pharrell's down-to-Earth personality and compassionate advice, the dynamic between the contestants and panelists is definitely more positive. Mel and Erin believe in tough love. Understandable considering these contestants entered the competition to grasp the cut-throat nature of the industry.

With the prize of $100,000 and a contract to be part of Rihanna's style team at stake, seeing these ordinary people compete to fulfil their dream is heartening. To see raw talent manifest itself into beautiful designs worn by upscale celebrity clients is 100% worth watching.

One of my favourites is Sergio. A contestant who was actually entered late in the competition but proved his unbeatable skill by winning two challenges in a row. In the latest episode, his design for Miley Cyrus was absolutely gorgeous. The combination of a floaty, white blouse compared with a rough, biker-chic patent leather skirt fit the brief incredibly well. You could see where Hollywood met downtown club.

Another talented favourite of mine is Autumn. Her motif whilst designing is her unconventional use of zippers. I wish I could have included images of her work but surprisingly, they don't seem to be posted anywhere! She hasn't won a challenge yet but her vision is so inspiring to me. The way she takes a minor detail such as a zip and uses it to replace hemlines or normal forms of stitching creates a beautiful aesthetic.

Styled to Rock US airs on Bravo TV at 8/7c on Fridays. If you're not in the US, I'd suggest watching the episodes on www.delishows.com.

Rihanna for River Island: A/W 2013 Review

Naturally, after the first Rihanna for River Island collection, I was definitely hesitant to purchase anything from this one. I still can't believe how terrible the first one was, if I'm honest.

Well, this collection definitely isn't amazing and it's not worth obsessing over, in my opinion. I can see Rihanna's fan base buying a lot of the items for the sake of buying them, however. I suppose celebrity status will always conquer merchandise, no matter what it looks like.

Personally, I've bought 2 items from the collection and I'm questioning one of them now...

G4Life Sweat Dress- £50.00

I'm pretty content with my sweat dress purchase. It seems like that incredibly warm jumper that'll always get worn on blustery Winter days. Paired with cable knit tights and heeled ankle boots, I don't think this is a bad item from the collection. It makes a statement without being too loud.

G4Life Cropped Sweatshirt- £35.00

Although I bought this, the sweatshirt is definitely nothing special. Maybe if paired with high-waisted acid wash jeans, I'll change my mind.

Aside from these items, there was quite a few items that just weren't realistically wearable to the average British girl or woman. Somehow, I just can't see myself walking around the streets of London in these glossy trousers, can you? Now, if Rihanna walked around in these... she'd somehow make it onto a "best dressed" list. Why? She's Rihanna. Rihanna can pull off anything, quite literally.

High-shine coated trousers- £50.00

One item I will give Rihanna props for is the tan stiletto boots in her range. They're so tough and rebel-chic. Rather on the expensive side, but I suppose you wouldn't expect anything less.

Suede stiletto boots- £120.00

Overall, Rihanna's new collection is definitely better, but still doesn't have enough appeal to me. The items still all seem like things Rihanna would wear. Although that's the idea, successful celebrity collections have always intertwined personal style with subtleness. The neon yellows, PVC and the lack of pretty much anything that isn't cropped can definitely be off-putting for your average shopper in River Island. Definitely a hit and miss collection.

NY Fashion Week: T by Alexander Wang S/S 2014 Review + Personal Update!

Where on Earth have I been?

New York Fashion Week has officially come to an end and I feel like I've completely missed all of it. I've been away for a while on internships and preparing for life at university but I can assure my readers that I am doing everything in my power to stay motivated to blog. I'm not exactly sure which direction to take with blogging but for now, it'll still remain a big interest of mine as there's nothing I love more than to review collections. My experience working for www.styleclone.com has also confirmed that this is one of many passions and I will continue to invest in it until I don't feel satisfied anymore. What I will say is this- seeing the views on this blog continually increase so rapidly is definitely the most motivating factor for me. Whoever you are, I genuinely appreciate you as I have a lot to learn in this sphere and it's going to take a hell of a lot to become a noted blogger.

Wang's Modern Wardrobe Staples  

As you may know, Alexander Wang will forever be one of my favourite designers. His unique mindset enables him to create the most statement pieces that don't even scream "statement". With this collection, I was pleasantly satisfied to see Wang stick to his simple and minimalist stance on clothing. As per usual, no print and no embellishment. It really is all about silhouette and fabric in Wang's collections.

The choice of rich red separates in a ribbed knit material is definitely shows Wang's ability to create wardrobe staples. Comfortability with edge, as the zips that aren't fully done almost personifies the average Wang girl... a bit mysterious but definitely not reserved. 

A boxy shirt with an unusual fabric that's almost similar to latex. Wang definitely loves to play around with dimensions as he creates this street-luxe ensemble. 

"Fetishism" and "Wang" are words often used interchangeably and now I understand why. The tightness of this dress on the model's figure is seductive. 

A utility jumpsuit that goes perfectly against the construction background. With Wang, there's no clear line to mark what is feminine or masculine.