Primped and Primed: August 2012

Friday, 24 August 2012

MBFFS Day 4: CO. by Cotton On S/S 2012

Listen up all you youngsters!! Cotton on and CO. by Cotton On has really upped the ante in their Spring/Summer 2012 collection. To be honest, I was never a screaming fan of Cotton On; just something about the design and the fabrics screamed 'been done before... unoriginal'. However after what I saw today, I think my mindset has done a complete 360. The brand has taken some major trend cues and have been inspired by some of the most iconic brands in fashion.

Personally, the style of this collection is totally up my alley. I think the general success is in the details. Somewhere along Cotton Ons' design process, some genius decided to add in really chic touches which definitely grabbed my attention.

C.O by Cotton On

Mercedes-Benz, Fashion, Festival, Sydney, Cotton On, Model, teenage, clothing, chic, stylish

Fast cars... sugary pastels... an optical illusion bodysuit. As soon as the first model walked out, I was sure that Cotton On might have... maybe taken some inspiration from Prada S/S 2012. Look at the Prada picture below and compare with this collection.
Still can't see it? Take the Printed Pleat Dress (1) for example. That butterfly ripple of colours (which always seem to make me scream for neapolitan ice cream) and those box pleats; doesn't it look like the first Prada dress in the picture below?
I would definitely not call this plagarism... merely perhaps a tribute and I love it. I may be bias now to how much I like Cotton On just because they were possibly inspired by that Prada collection. My favourite were the beautiful details like those lace or pearl collars, the feminine pleats and the candy stripe pants. I'm such a fan of these dreamy textures and colours toughened up by the occasional biker or bomber jacket.

Prada S/S 2012
Source: http://theperoxideblonde.blogspot.com.au/

The second half of their collection was sort of a baroque meets religious mexican fiesta. Possibly taking inspiration from Balmain S/S 2012 and their trademark of tough-chic consisting of strong shoulders, heavy embellishment and luxurious detailing. Love the use of metallic gold and my favourite piece is the jacket with the intricately decorated shoulders.

Balmain S/S 2012
Source: http://www.style.com/

Stay tuned for backstage ...

Wednesday, 22 August 2012

MBFFS: Day 2 Swim

Day 2 showcased the best of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Swim held in Miami recently. A mash up of iconic Australian brands Lisa Blue, Kooey, White Sands and Suboo.

Lisa Blue

Lisa Blue's collection 'Call of the Whale' opened the show with their aquatic themed swimsuits featuring shades of blue, white and gold. Designer Lisa Burke's passion for saving the endangered species offered the perfect inspiration for the beginning pieces and this notion translated into the styling reminiscent of a grecian mermaid. However, this tranquil atmosphere was interupted by an unexpected Chinese dragon performance.

How random...

Turns out it was a 'transition' into a more oriental and American Indian theme with Japanese dragon prints and massive feather mohawks. The headresses were amazingly extravagant but I don't think I'll chill at the beach with one of those.

Kooey

Mercedes Benz Fashion Festival Sydney, models, runway, fashion, show, swimwear, bikini

White Sands

A predominantly soft and feminine collection featuring floral prints, subtle ruffle details and sorbet shades. Very quite wearable swimwear and flowy beach coverups and maxis.

Suboo

A very colorful and somewhat graphical collection of swimwear. Those fragmented prints which always seem to remind me of the beautiful broken shards of glass when looking through a kaleidoscope was heavily featured. A key piece I was drawn to was that watercolour jumpsuit which takes me back to my childhood hobby of 'balloon painting' (a messy form of 'art': popping balloons filled with paint on a canvas, basically paint goes everywhere but that's the point). I'm probably getting too psychological about this collection...

Stay tuned for Day 4...

Thursday, 16 August 2012

Obsession: Denim Shirt

Spring is so soon, I can feel my hayfever acting up by the pollen particles carried in the air. Flowers are blossoming, the sun has decided to show it's face and I no longer find myself crouching in front of the heater every morning. That means it's probably time to think about some transition pieces as there's still a cold chill in the air (yes... i said spring is coming but it hasn't arrived just yet).

I'm thinking the effortless denim shirt would be a perfect addition to anyones wardrobe. It's easy and casual with that hint of a laidback vibe ... open to so many interpretations.
Pair it with black leather shorts and tan brogues? Slip it over a white lace dress? Layer it under a structured blazer? Of course, a dark denim shirt definitely calls for some DIY studding and that denim blue shade looks amazing with tan, mustard, gold and leopard print. Also, not bothered to buy the women's version? Borrow your boyfriends and say it's oversized... GENIUS!

My Picks

1. Sheinside Light Blue Floral Lining Denim Shirt
2. American Apparel Unisex Denim Short Sleeve Button Up Shirt
3. Denim and Supply by Ralph Lauren Denim Shirt with Beading
4. Topshop MOTO Collar Tip Denim Shirt
5. River Island Denim Shirt with Studded Collar

Inspiration

Picture Source

http://monalisaspier.com/

http://aviewfromtheshade.blogspot.com.au/

http://www.fashion.ie/

http://jakandjil.com/

http://vigossbackstage.com/

Wednesday, 1 August 2012

TRENDING: Sportswear

With the London Olympics 2012 officially off and running, I think that's enough encouragement to the category of sportswear. Although, those of us who are reading this are obviously not fit enough to be in the Olympics (or else we would be hardcore training right now), there's still the option of PRETENDING that we possess just a sliver of athleticism through our careful selection of what to wear.

Runway

Sportswear was a huge trend seen on the Spring/Summer 2012 runways making a return of lightweight clothing, laser cut mesh and zipped bomber jackets. Of course, clean lines and body conscious forms were used throughout as essentially, sportswear were made for fit athletes with the most lean and toned bodies.
Vera Wang opted for simple shades of grey and white for that fuss free effect. Bill Blass decided to inject some high fashion into the varsity crew and Alexander Wang leaned on the rebel side of 'athletic chic' with his collection inspired by motorsports. Throw in some utilitarian elements such as oversized zippers and pockets and you're basically half way there to winning a gold medal. (well... don't we all dream?)

My Picks