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.

Japanese Streestyle Fashion

Anyone who knows me knows that I'm a huge fan of Japanese fashion and of streetwear in particular. The streets of Harajuku and Shibuya in Tokyo are full of girls with a totally creative outlook to fashion. Nowhere in the world will you find people with such differing styles. Now unfortunately I'm not in Japan so I can't hunt down and photograph this eclectic mix of style but luckily the internet is a wealth of information so I've gathered together some of my favorite streetstyle looks. Enjoy!

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Who's That Girl? - My Interview with Charlie May

I recently stumbled on to the blog Girl a la Mode via Twitter and I'm surprised I never discovered it before. I instantly fell in love the writers flawless sense of style. She exudes an aura of understated elegance and sophistication. So when I discovered that her talents extended to Fashion Designer I had to take a peek.

The Charlie May S/S12 Ladieswear collection is a sight to behold. It is a collection full of wonderful contradictions. Androgynous but feminine, edgy but also extremely wearable, pretty but tough. It is the perfect collection for the 21st century female who is empowered and confident and doesn't care who knows it. Full of clean lines and neutral hues, sleek looking but also fun. The detailing is immaculate and the tailloring demonstrates the skill of the designer. Her choice of fabrics is unique and the perfect partner to the silhouettes of the pieces. The sheer fabrics and pony hair add to the feminine feeling that the pieces exude. She constructs garments in a way that is both unique and stunning.

Her work fascinates and leaves me spellbound so of course I was interested to discover what inspires her, so I posed her some questions:

Q1 - what or who inspires your designs?
I'm very inspired my nature and strong graphic imagery, I'll research by flipping through random books or looking through tumblrs, anything that catches my eye and inspires me; I'm currently obsessed with the sea, crashing waves against the rocks or ice.; it's a lot about putting myself in a certain mood I think.

Q2 - how long does each piece take from design to the end product?
It depends what it is but most garments have to be toiled about 10 times before they are perfect, that's the longest process. I would say a couple of solid weeks from design to finished product, I start work about 3 months before fashion week starts.

Q3 - who are your favourite designers?Ann Demeulemeester, Haider Ackermann, and Celine - Beautiful, minimal, and romantic.

Q4 - does being a blogger influence how you promote your collection?Definitely, it's a great way of showing my readers all the behind the scenes, which you never really see in the industry; I really like being so open with it.

Q5 - what are your fave blogs?My top faves are: Fashion Sphere, Stop it right now, Love Aesthetics, 5 inch and up and Park n Cube; but there are too many to choose from!

Q6 - what are your favorite London shopping haunts?
Strutt on Broadway Market is pretty good for vintage designer finds, Liberty for all the besties and Layers from some avant garde hard to find labels.

Q7 - what advice would you give to aspiring fashion designers thinking about showing their first collection?Work hard and be prepared for a lot of hurdles, I'm still learning so much every day, I think your brand is something that grows with you, it's a real evolution of ideas every season.

Visit Charlie's blog here
View her full collection here

Loving.......Aspinal Handbags

 















I'm a sucker for a high quality handbag (as you know). So i instantly fell in love when I clapped eyes on these beautiful Aspinal handbags. These aren't some mass produced handbag that will fall apart in a second. These are handmade by talented craftsmen, using the finest quality leather. They actually have a handbag for pretty much every occasion and in a wide variety of styles. Pretty much a bag for everyone occasion. Unsurprisingly these bags have also been featured in Tatler, Harpers Bazaar and Hello magazine. My favorites are the leopard print ones. Which is your favorite?

Aspinal handbags are available online here

H&M to Collaborate with...Marni

Hot on the heels of the Versace collaboration H&M have announced yet another designer collaboration.

This time it is with Marni. The Italian brand is famed for it's original print based designs. The collection has been created by Marni Creative Director Consuelo Castiglioni and will hit stores in March next year. The collection is aimed at both men and women and will include clothing and accessories.

“I wanted to create a true Marni wardrobe by revisiting all our favorite pieces in signature fabrics and prints. As always, I love juxtaposing prints and colours, mixing modern tribal with Bauhaus graphic adding sporty utilitarian elements”. Consuelo Castiglioni, Founder and Creative Director.

“We all love the collection here at H&M and we believe that our customers will do the same. Marni has such a modern touch with everything they do, mixing prints and accessories in a playful but chic way. It’s fantastic to see how Consuelo Castiglioni coordinates her designs, matching new combinations of print and colour, with such incredible craftsmanship behind every piece. The collection will arrive in stores at just the perfect time, as a lovely statement for spring“. Margareta van den Bosch, Creative Advisor H&M.