Fashion - Tokyo Girls Collection S/S12

Yesterday saw the world's of fashion and music collide at the Tokyo Girl's Collection's bi-annual show. Brands including Murua, Liz Lisa and Cecil McBee exhibited and musical entertainment was provided by girlgroup Kara. For those of you not Japan obsessed. Tokyo Girl's Collection is a fashion show for ordinary consumers. The brands that exhibit aren't super expensive designer labels they are affordable for normal people. Everything shown goes on sale on line immediately after the show. It is a well known fixture in the Japanese fashion schedule and some brilliant brands show at the exhibition. This show's theme was 'Sherbert garden' so the styling reflected that.

More than 27,000 women were at the show as TGC is so popular in Japan. Real fashion for real women. It is easy to see why I love Japanese fashion!

Which designer is your favorite?

Uniqlo & Undercover Collaboration on the Way!

I heard the most exciting news today. Uniqlo are teaming up with Jun Takahashi's label Undercover to create a collection for the whole family. The collaboration includes ranges for men, women and children. Undercover is well established in it's native Japan and has been showing for 10 years during Paris Fashion Week. Undercover fuses punk influences with a more contemporary feel and I've been a fan of Jun's for a long time. You can guarantee I'll be rushing out to buy some pieces when it launches on March 16th. Uniqlo haven't yet released any images of the collection so I'll be awaiting those with bated breath. To give you some idea of what could be expected, check out these images from Undercover's most recent collection!




Love those boots. I'm hoping footwear will be included in the collection. This may turn out to be my favourite high street collaboration of all time!

Beauty - Review - No.7 BB Cream

BB Creams are everywhere at the moment but I am so often disappointed with them. I've tried the Garnier and 17 ones but felt that the coverage provided was way below the standard I'd like. Of course I'm very fussy as I have been using the Korean version for years and western versions tend to be totally different. I see western ones more as a tinted moisturiser than a true BB cream.  i was recently gifted the No.7 BB cream from a friend so I thought i'd give it a try. I didn't hold out high expectations given that my standards are so high but I was pleasantly surprised.



[caption id="attachment_3732" align="aligncenter" width="600" caption="Straight from Tube"][/caption][caption id="attachment_3733" align="aligncenter" width="600" caption="Mixed in a Little"][/caption][caption id="attachment_3734" align="aligncenter" width="600" caption="Completely Blended"][/caption]The first thing I noticed was that the cream seemed less watery than other versions. This was a good sign. The shade was also closer to the Korean version. I was a little worried that as I'm quite dark the cream would give my skin an ashy look. But this wasn't the case. Hallelujah! At last a western bb cream that I am happy to use. The coverage is good and it lasts well. I've worn this all day long on several occasions. The packaging is a little plain but I can overlook that as the product is so good. Korean BB creams tend to have quite pretty packaging especially the Missha one. The No.7 BB Cream comes in 3 different variations dependant on your skintype. The normal/dry version was ideal for my own skin. the price is a little steep at £15 especially as I can order 3 Korean BB Creams for that price. Even in comparison to other western BB Creams it is pricey but in my opinion the quality and closeness to the ORIGINAL BB Creams makes it worth the extra cost. I would still always advise you to try the Korean versions though and I'll be reviewing some of them in the coming weeks.

No.7 BB Cream costs £15 from Boots.

Recent Purchases (Hyper Japan)

So on Friday I attended Hyper Japan as I covered here. It was so much fun and it was lovely to hang out with Florrie. But you all wanna know what I bought, right? I was actually really restrained and I didn't go overboard with the spending. Everything you see below was bought at Hyper Japan except for the shoes.

 









I of course bought some DVD's as they were on offer for £5. Kamikaze girls is my favorite film so when I saw it there I snapped it up but went to buy the other two later that day. One is Korean and one is Japanese. Those ice-cream earrings are so cute and were just a few pounds so I bought those too. apologies for the slightly blurry photo, I haven't quite got used to using the DSLR yet.

The shoes were my bargain of the week as they only cost £7! They suit me perfectly as they have a chunky heel and I don't have many light coloured shoes in my wardrobe as I usually opt for black. i bought them in a shop nearby in North London.

I have bought other things recently but I bought them online so I'm waiting for them to arrive - mostly korean/japanese beauty products. I shall be reviewing them on here when they arrive.

Did anyone else go to Hyper Japan?

Introducing..... Baby The Stars Shine Bright

BTSSB is a Japanese clothing brand specialising in the sweet lolita style. Lolita is a fashion subculture influenced by the Victorian and Rococo eras. Key elements of the brand are bows, frills & lace so it is the perfect style for the feminine lover in me.




 The brand is based in Shibuya, Tokyo but also has a store in Paris. Lolita fashion is gaining popularity in the west and BTSSB is quickly gaining a cult like status. The complete range includes dresses, skirts, blouses, headdresses, jewellery, shoes & coats.

Visit the Baby The Stars Shine Bright website for the full range.

Kawaii Goodness - Chicki.co.uk

Kawaii is a popular subculture from Japan which literally translates to 'cute'. Hello Kitty could be classed as cute but kawaii is used to describe a wide variety of items. Finding kawaii clothing, jewellery & stationery in the UK can be a bit of a challenge. But I've found the answer to mine and other kawaii lovers prayers. Chicki is a UK based online store dedicated to kawaii. It not only sells tonnes of kawaii goodness but they also sell those cultish Blythe dolls. My fave discovery on the site is the amazing clothing brand Tokidoki. I've been a massive fan of this brand for a long time but haven't seen it on sale in the UK until now. I've picked out a few of my favorite items from the site below (by the way the items that looks like Japanese momiji dolls are actually erasers
- incredible!)      

 For more kawaii goodness visit the Chicki website.

Shoes Glorious Shoes

Like a lot of women out there I'm obsessed with shoes but with a shoe size UK 8 my choices can be fairly limited. I've been hankering after a pair of wedges with a modest heel that tick my style boxes but a pair that don't kill my feet after 5 minutes wear. When online shoe superstore Zalando got in touch and asked if I'd like one of their gift vouchers so that I could choose a pair of my choice there was only one possible answer hell yes! I of course already knew and loved the store but it took me forever to choose a pair as their selection is so extensive - even for a size 8 like myself. In the end I opted for these Seven Seconds wedges as I loved the details like the wool front panel, the buckles on the side and the laces on the heels. I also loved the wedge heel in a contrasting colour to the boot. I've worn them quite a lot now and they're the comfiest wedges I've ever owned.

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Zalando may be most well known for their footwear collection with brands such as Blowfish and Birkenstock available on the site. But they also stock Butter London polishes as well as other well known beauty brands (much to my joy & surprise) and a vast selection of clothes. I'm overjoyed with my boots and if you were at the London Xmas blogger meet you'll have spotted me wearing them. Have any of you shopped from Zalando before & more importantly what do you think of my beautiful booties?

Christys Hats - English Heritage

I'm obsessed with hats. This has become especially true since cutting my hair short. A hat is a stylish finishing touch and there's a hat out there that goes with practically any outfit.

So when I discovered Christy's Hats I was overjoyed. The brand has been around since 1773 and makes the best hats in classic styles. Trilby's, pork pie, top hats - they make them all and more. They're handmade in the UK by experienced craftsmen so the quality is top rate. I love English heritage brands, it's always preferable to buy British even more so with the current economic situation.

Christy's Hats have been seen on the catwalk too for designers such as Kenzo and Paul Smith and they've been worn by the Queen so they have the royal seal of approval.

In the Uk they are available at Liberty, Harrods and Harvey Nichols. They're also available online at www.christys-hats.com

Friends of Couture - Vintage Inspired Style

Friends of Couture is an Australian based label that specialise in vintage inspired fashion. Founded in 2008 by Mark Zander who was already a keen collector of everything retro or vintage. He decided to put his vintage obsession to good use by forming Friends of Couture.

The label takes inspiration from the past to create a collection that is both classic and stylish with a vintage look. Designer Jo Matheson came on board to create looks based on Mark's vision. She takes the playfullness and cuteness from the past and transforms those elements into fun, wearable, vintage inspired pieces.

Friends of Couture has created collections that are timeless yet they give a nod to decades past. Fabrics are carefully selected to ensure the pieces last and full care and attention is given to the shape and fit of the designs. They manage to get the balance right between vintage style and modern wear.

FofC can be visited online here or if you're an Australian native you can find their stores at the following locations:

225 Chapel St, Prahran
186 Sydney St, Brunswick
311 Swanston St, Melbourne
306 - 308 Brunswick St, Fitzroy

Aftershock Autumn/Winter Collection 2011

I discovered UK brand Aftershock London when I attended Fashion Press Week earlier this month. I was immediately drawn to the stylish, high quality designs that the brand offer. Their clothes are trend influenced but not catwalk copycats.

For their A/W collection they've gone for designs that feature good tailoring, ladylike elegance and easy glamour.

The collection is split into 4 mini collections:

The new perception which updates the classics. It is a truly feminine range in designs that compliment different figures and shapes. The colour palette takes influence from the orient with hues ranging from blue to black.





Retro chic is the 2nd of their mini collections and is a nod to the 70s. Emphasis is put on clean lines, embellishment, metallic trims and satin details. The colour palette is fairly neutral with black and camel playing a key role.





The 3rd mini collection is entitled 'Winter Scarlet' and is high in the glamour stakes. Like the name suggests the key colour here is red.





Lastly comes 'Leopard and Lace' which is an Italian influenced mini collection. Partly influenced by screen sirens of decades past ala Sophia Loren. This collection has an edgy but romantic feel to it and utilises leopard print and black lace.





Aftershock's A/W collection can be found online at www.aftershockplc.com

One to Watch - Fashion Designer Ekaterina Kukhareva

Often at London Fashion Week the most beautiful original collections aren't the on schedule high profile catwalk shows but the exhibitions at Vauxhall Fashion Scout. This was certainly the case at LFW in September. Ekaterina Kukhareva showed one of my favorite collections of the past year.

Ekaterina is a Ukrainian born designer who trained at the prestigious Central St Martins College with a degree in Textiles specialising in Knitwear. Her true love is Textile Design and specifically knitting techniques and combinations. She utilises techniques such as macrame, fringing, knotting, crochet and beading in her designs. Her collections are brightly coloured, intricate, detailed masterpieces. Her attention to detail is immense and it's the care that she takes with even the tiniest details that really made her collection stand out.

Ekaterina is inspired by her Soviet roots but also by the history of other cultures. She aims to create timeless designs with an emphasis on high quality. Her designs highlight the beauty of the feminine form and create an aura of elegance and sensuality.

Ekaterina Kukhareva creations are perfect for the modern, powerful, independent female and she's definitely one to watch.

Ekaterina Kukhareva is available online at Wolf & Badger & Not Just A Label.