Plans

Starting next month (or whenever I get my camera back from the fixers) I will be doing a series of pieces about people and their closets. I'll be featuring friends and people I know in Belfast, going to their homes to take pictures of them, their wardrobes and favourite pieces and also doing short interviews about their personal style and influences.

WATCH THIS SPACE!

Can we please talk about

AIDA BERGSEN?

Her jewellery is out of this world. Rings made of metal that look heavy enough to knock someone out crafted into shiny gold skulls, gold claws holding giant quartz crystals in place, and a collection of snake inspired rings called Medusa. She is originally from Turkey but trained in Central St Martin's in London so you can imagine the kind of influences such varied cultures have had on her work. She may come from Turkey, but in my mind she's kind of like McQueen's secret love child.

Roseark are selling a selection of Bergsen pieces in both their West Hollywood and Santa Monica stores, and a full collection is available at www.aidabergsen.com

Jeffrey Campbell

If you know me in regards to fashion, you'll know I have a slight Jeffrey Campbell problem. Ok, addiction.

I love his shoes. I LOVE THEM. They're quirky but not too quirky, always classy, always awesome. They run from the glittered to the golden, the studded to the spiked. You can never get bored of looking at them, or buying them.

Unfortunately stockists of JC's here in the UK are few and far between, in fact the only two I know of are Office and ASOS, and they have such a small collection you'd be forgiven for not even having heard of Jeffrey. Look further afield however, and you'll find the mecca of all things shoe - www.solestruck.com - whose motto is 'To rid the world of ugly shoes one shoe at a time.' And that is what they do, with not just ten or twenty pairs of JC's, but HUNDREDS. I took the plunge and splurged on two pairs of them. Well, solestruck was offering free international shipping if you spent over $200 so I felt it would be rude not to. One of which I loved, the other I didn't and as a result this $250 pair of shoes is gathering dust in my closet because of an expensive international returns policy. Oops!

The pair I am in love with are these, Clinic.

They are the perfect addition to any outfit lacking a little...kazam. I wear them with jeans and a worn out tee and I'm instantly transported into well dressed land. A leather jacket and black tights is just ridiculously rock and roll. They were my shoe of choice for my Birthday, where I paired them with a white lace dress, black leather jacket, black tights and big silver jewellery. It was a hit.

In fact, every time I've worn them to an event I've always been style spotted or papped for some kind of fashion publication. The last of which was at Belfast Fashion Week, which you can see below.

Don't they look good?

Other Jeffrey's that have got my attention include:

MODEL SPOTLIGHT - KARLIE KLOSS

Discovered at just 13 years old at a charity fashion show in St. Louis, Missouri, 18 year old Karlie Kloss has been wowing the fashion world ever since. 

Heading up campaigns at Pringle, Hermes, Chloe, Yves Saint Laurent and a firm favourite at Dior, Karlie shows no signs of slowing down. Marc Jacobs hand picked Kloss to be the face of his fragrance, Lola, in 2010. But none of this phases the young model, who when asked about the campaign by W Magazine responded "I didn't believe it, to be honest. I was shocked. I was like, "No, you're kidding me. Me? Marc Jacobs knows my name?!" I was convinced that they accidentally drew my name out of hat or something."

Karlie for Lola by Marc Jacobs

A ballet dancer, she began studying intensively at Caston's Ballet Academy in 2002 until she was signed with Elite Model Management in 2007, aged just 15. Within a matter of months, she landed a Teen Vogue editorial, and was subsequently featured in four consecutive issues of Teen Vogue. Her runway debut was with Calvin Klein at New York Fashion Week for S/S 2008, and she has since appeared on the catwalks of Rodarte, Dior, Valentino, Givenchy, Alexander McQueen, & Chanel to name but a few.

Karlie's reputation as fashion's 'good girl' has only been tarnished once, with her controversial move from to Elite to Next, causing Elite to sue the new agency. This has had absolutely no effect on Kloss's career, as she continues to grace the pages of American, British & Italian Vogues & walks numerous runways each season.

Alexander McQueen SS 2011

Marc Jacobs SS 2011

Backstage at Lanvin SS 2011

Held in high regard by designers, editors and photographers alike, it seems the fashion world doesn't have enough good things to say about her! "She's a chameleon," says Dior designer John Galliano. "She becomes this other creature in front of the lens. She thinks about her role, her pose, her part. She's able to step in front of Steven Meisel and all of us and be totally in control and self-assured, delivering pose after perfect pose."

Watch her deliver her signature "Death Walk" on the runway, and an interview which made me fall in love with her!

"She's my lucky closer," says Jason Wu, who has assigned her the coveted finale spot at his show for the past four seasons straight. "She has such presence. You see so many girls who are so young; it's not very often that you find one with Karlie's poise. I don't think we've seen that since the supermodel days."

Judging but what we see here, Kloss is clearly not going anywhere but up.

Quotes from TeenVogue.com, pictures have sources in clickthrough link or they are from Style.com

Leighton Meester.

B

Marchesa SS11

Marchesa is a relatively new brand, beginning in 2004 when designers Georgina Chapman and Keren Craig combined their talents to create the company, but that doesn't make them any less worthy of note than the icons. They are most renowned for their stunning red carpet and wedding gowns, but this collection proves they are just as apt at putting out looks for less formal occasions as they are the landmark events in your life.

The lace playsuits took my breath away, can you imagine these roughened up with a leather jacket and some crazy Jeffrey Campbell heels? Personally I don't think I'll ever have an occasion so big I could excuse wearing one a Marchesa gown, but hey, a girl can dream right?

Gunmetal Glory

Another party look.

Gunmetal by debutantedebut featuring slip shoes

Cilla Sweat in Powder, $39

Balmain Black Leather Shorts from Mrs H, 19 600 SEK

LEATHER PLATFORM SANDAL 130, 475 GBP

Hybria Suede Cut In Wedge Ankle Boot by Acne, 410 GBP

Mulberry / The Alexa, $875

Stella McCartney Studded Falabella Wallet Clutch, 725 GBP

J Dauphin 'Baby Please Don't Go' Cuff, $278

CARPENTER CROSS NECKLACE, $170

Shop Stop

Just bought this beautiful animal print silk oversized dress, and the beautiful chunky knit "smoking jacket" with grandpa style elbow patches from Zara. Yum.

Bad Girl

Some of my current obsessions:

Velvet. Blake Lively. Studs. Givenchy. Wedge boots. And the latest addition? Red lipstick.

A perfect bad girl party look.

 

 

Bad Girl by debutantedebut featuring a lace stocking

Velvet Dress By Boutique, $260
Clothing at Tesco | F&F Lace tights > hosiery > womenswear > women, 3 GBP
Black Verity Lace Tights, 9 GBP
GARETH PUGH - 140MM NAPPA PANNELS AND SUEDE WEDGES, 676 EUR
Shearling Suede Military Boot, $280
Gold stud clutch, 750 GBP
3.1 Phillip Lim Cameron Spike Clutch, $425
Karlie's Gold Spiked Stretch Bracelet, $35
Yves Saint Laurent Rouge Pur Couture Lipstick - 13, $30
Nicolina Royale Spiked and Hinged Cuff : Star Style
(1) blake lively | Tumblr
PSD Detail | juicy Lips | Official PSDs
MTV | Photo | marlboro-red
Butterfly edited by Pearland16-- USE!! :]

Lipstick 'em up.

Just bought this. Can't wait to wear it with messy hair and lots of mascara. Plus ALL of the money from each lipstick sold (minus vat) will be used to help people living with HIV & Aids, so dig deep ladies, it's a great cause and buying make-up never felt so selfless.

Eye Candy

Inspiration and pretty pictures.