The Pamella Roland Fall 2020 ready-to-wear collection oozed the cheer of party season combined with the ambience of modern femininity. The Palace of Versailles was the inspiration for this collection which is a great stimulus for Roland’s designs but to be frank, some pieces of this collection lacked the lavish aura of Versailles. The outfits pursued red-carpet ready-to-wear and not royalty. The first look was not enticing and some of the looks which followed seemed a bit too commercial and not runaway.
However, there were some looks which captured a contemporary sense of femininity. In particular is look seven which was an off-the-shoulder black tulle dress which has white beaded detailing in its layers. The dress was stylishly simplistic yet impactful. Another dress which captured a refined and feminine style and more importantly captured the Palace of Versailles charm was look twelve. This look featured a strapless, floor-length royal blue dress with mirror detailing.
Furthermore, look twenty-three was another dress which caught my eye but did not wholeheartedly please my vision. This jade-green, off-the-shoulder, floor-length dress which featured a lovely V-neck cut and embellishment at the top. I would love to have seen the embellishment carried further down the dress and the dress to have a fitted finish rather than a mermaid’s tail design. The light ruched detailing in the mid-section was unflattering and the dress could do without it.
Ultimately, the show was good but not great. Roland’s signature style which is the usual shiny and dazzling formula could have been elevated to exude extravagance, which would have evoked Versailles succinctly.
The only thing fashionably forward about the Jacquemus Fall Winter 2020/21 show was the casting.
I loved the scene of realism. Where the everyday gorgeous pedestrian you see on your way to work and you solemnly swear would be a model if not for certain aesthetic restrictions such as being almost skeletal-like. Well, on the catwalk, no such ridiculous requirements was present. The models were of all races, sizes and ages. And the cherry on top? The silhouettes of each clothing draped beautifully on all the models.
However, a confession I should make is the clothes were not as ground-breaking. Mediocre, is how I would describe the Jacquemus Fall Winter 2020/21 show. It wasn’t boring to observe. Nor were the clothes. It was the magnanimity of being in the middle of creativity and confidence.
It became repetitive. There weren’t any dazzling moments just the same expression of ‘oh that’s nice’. Amongst the endless blazers, pencil skirts, shirts and cropped tops, what stood out to me were the bandana-style headscarves. I thought it added a contemporary touch.
The colour palette was complimentary to one another which made the collection very aesthetically pleasing. I loved the pop of mustard yellow and fluorescent pink in the midst of the nude hues. Sage green, navy and lilac hues were also present. Furthermore, the bags were alright, that is if you are into the ridiculous trend of micro-bags. Nonetheless, here are a few looks which I thought were quite pleasantly easy to incorporate into your wardrobe or draw inspiration from :
Sunday, January 12th, brought the legendary red carpet for the 25th annual Critics’ Choice Awards. While stars celebrated the biggest names in films and television, the outfits of some ruled the crimson trail. Traditionally, this less formal event in comparison to the Golden Globes or the Oscars results in boundary-pushing outfits but this award show celebrated the remarkable thing which is both quintessential and chic: the elegance of edgy fashion.
These celebrities’ minimal yet influential style showcased the aesthetics of subdued tastefulness:
The talented Zendaya Coleman wore a Tom Ford hot-pink ‘breastplate’ top and floor-length jersey skirt. Though, it can be argued the metallic cut-out top is fashionably boundary-pushing, the matching hot-pink jersey skirt places the outfit on the gentle equilibrium. Nonetheless, the star deserves all of fashion’s brownie points as Coleman looked effortlessly stylish whilst wearing a ‘breastplate’ which many of us could only dream of doing.
Renée Zellweger took a chic approach in a wholehearted way. She wore a plain black strapless Dior Haute Couture dress and black stilettos accessorised with a thick gold bangle. The dress had a bandeau top which gave the outfit an edgy feel and delicate ruching which exhibited a refined approach to the classy dress.
It would be near impossible to divert your eyes to the glitz of Florence Pugh’s Prada column gown. From top to bottom, the dress was covered in white-silver embellishment. To be frank, I thought the silver diamante straps were uncomplimentary to the bejewelled dress. Especially since the outfit was accessorised with white Jimmy Choo court shoes and silver dangly earrings. It was all a bit too much. The dress however (minus the straps) was beautiful which is why I included it in this list. It is the visual design of classy yet cutting-edge fashion.
A nude floor-length gown by Georges Hobeika featuring embellishment round the collar area, waistline and cut-out details. I first was not mesmerised by Jennifer Lopez’s sleek dress but as she turned around, the backless cut-out won me over. It provided an edge to what would have been a very simplistic outfit. Lopez accessorised the outfit with some Harry Winston diamonds which only increased the attractiveness of the luxurious outfit.
Alison Brie wore a tangerine dream. A fitted floor-length gown by Brandon Maxwell which had a square-neck design and thick straps added a sense of structure. Brie kept the accessories simple which allowed her dress to capture the spotlight or in this case be the light.
Nothing short of stunning is how I would describe Lupita Nyong’O. Her chocolate brown halter-style dress which was designed by Michael Kors featured a leather racerback. Sophisticated yet daring, the dress’s contrasting crepe-jersey skirt had a slim silhouette but gentle volume. Nyong’O glamourized the outfit with a contrasting vintage, polished-gold belt and gold box clutch.
Yes, the air is cold, my fingers are numb but there is nothing I loathe more than dry skin (and dry eyes too). To redeem the moisture in our face and also ensure the style apparatus we put together for work is seen by every bystander, the balaclava trend this winter was reborn.
But, where did this head accessory derive from? Originating in 1854, British women knitted head coverings for soldiers in the Crimean war which posted them to the coldness in Balaclava, Ukraine. (Not to be mistaken with Baklava, the mouth-watering Middle Eastern and Mediterranean pastry desert.)
The 2018 Autumn/Winter runaways is where the balaclava staple for our winter wardrobes was first showcased in a contemporary way. The delinquent designs of Gucci, Thornton Bregazzi and Calvin Klein deemed this head accessory the pinnacle of fun fashion. The sector of style where mundane outfits can be transformed to be entertaining to the eyes. Yet, if we delve deeper into the fashion archives, we find that the head accessory was also stylishly presented in British Vogue, 1965.
Model Sue Murray styles a snow-white mink hood accessorised with a border of rhinestones by Otto Lucas.
And so as fashion heroically came to comfort our faces in the chilling climate, the balaclava continues to be seen everywhere this winter. Here are some of my favourites of the bunch:
This stunning knitted Calvin Klein balaclava.This gorgeous graphic print balaclava by Marine Serre is easy to style.Or if you prefer the minimal look, this Preen by Thornton Bregazzi balaclava is perfect. To beat the winter blues, this striped wool balaclava by Calvin Klein subtly adds colour to any outfit. This chic Wira balaclava is perfect to add to your winter weather elegance.
In a “op-doc” for The New York Times, ex-member of The Black Eyed Peas Kim Hill ever so gracefully explains her journey in the epic music group. Not to mention stylishly too. Hill takes us on a path of her experiences in The Black Eyed Peas, how the underground Los Angeles hip-hop crew rose to stardom. As Hill finds her own voice, she shares pictures of a young Hill and the outfits she wore subliminally present the world of stories behind clothes.
As the mini documentary begins, it is hard to miss Hill as the camera is zoomed in onto her face. Fluttery eyelashes and a bright purple pout, Hill exudes confidence. And I cannot forget her gold bohemian earrings which only implied a story of a cheerful spirit is being spoken.
Hill begins with telling us about her travelling to the deep (note she places an emphasis on ‘deep’) valley of Los Angeles to take headshots. She takes a bus at four o’clock in the morning for these pictures and I must say they are worth it. Glossy yet simplistic, the headshots revealed raw emotions of a young woman reaching for the stars. Rather than the usual over-forced picturesque image we see today. It is important to note of the three headshots shown, in all of them Hill wore minimal makeup. We could see her features and expressions clearly. In one of the pictures, she wears a black fishnet top, an oversized leather jacket and what looks like sliver spiral-shaped earrings. Truly the epitome of 90s cool.
Along comes the picture of Hill performing at a BMI showcase, she wears a Gucci bucket hat paired with a retro t-shirt and a heavy wrist watch. What I love about this outfit is how the bucket hat symbolises Hill’s cool and carefree style. Today, the brand Gucci is imprinted everywhere but out of conformity rather than clarity. This image of Hill singing into the microphone as her curls rested under her hat which happens to be a high-street brand delicately narrates the art of style. How it is personal (something which today has been lost to the subjectivity of social media, but this is another story in itself).
A mocha-brown knit jumper with a fur colour, dark blue slim-fit jeans which were cuffed at the bottom, leather-maroon square-toe boots and endless sliver rings. The outfit worn for the Soul Train performance was incredibly chic to say the least. Yet, Hill’s hair which was in two pony tails with a few strands left framing her face added a casual undertone to the stylish outfit.
The story becomes quite dark as Hill reveals the sinister side of the music industry. We learn what you wear narrates a story, whether you are conscious of the plotline or not. Hill explains how her sexuality was beginning to be objectified at an executive level. She was asked to “grind on will.i.am in a bathing suit” and also with the many pressures placed on the freedom of her voice, Hill questioned her place in the group. She wrote a letter to management stating “nope” to the burdens of their expectations. Though Hill quit and became independent, she makes it clear she withholds no grudges against the successful group as she believes “they deserve it”.
In the sweet moments of the story’s ending, Hill gladly explains she was there for the non-commercialised side of hip-hop. And as she goes through her memory machine of tapes, Hill wears fiery-red skinny jeans and a dark-grey t-shirt. Her hair is sleeked back into a bun. This last outfit is a crossroad between relaxed yet refined, just like Hill’s music career. She remains herself which has been and continues to be projected through her choices of clothes.
As Hill declaratively states “I have my happy”, she graciously voices an important lesson for us all. Success is self-preservation. It is the art of expressing ourselves in the honesty of our choices.
To hear Miuccia Prada, known for being a powerhouse who produces cutting-edge style and Adidas, an athletic shoes and apparel brand would be uniting together, I was surprised to say the least. A collaboration unspoken of until now, the union would need have been creatively spectacular to prove its stunned customers. Did it live up to its expectations? I believe the answer is no.
After weeks of teasing and increasing the eagerness of the public, the unveiling of the two-piece collection is worth a two-second glare (since it is painstakingly white). The Prada Superstar trainers which are white and Prada for Adidas Bowling bag which again, is also white are sold as a set. The Adidas Superstar which is a cult classic has not been redesigned innovatively in any way, shape or form. Prada has simply slapped their logo on the fifty-year-old silhouette. Of course, the Prada for Adidas Bowling bag has been designed in the same exact way. A vastly white bowling bag which features both the labels’ logo. Does this make the collaboration the revolutionary hybrid of luxury and leisure? Of course not.
In reflection of Adidas’s previous partnerships with high fashion houses, the brand has always delivered. An example would include the ‘Y-3’ collaboration with Japanese designer Yohji Yamamoto where the blend between classic and current style could be clearly observed. Or the Adidas and Raf Simons union which birthed the innovative Ozweego trainer (which speaks for itself in terms of design and creative flair).
Perhaps, it is because Prada and Adidas have stated the trainer and bag are made from premium Italian leather which ostensibly elevates the design of the set. Apparently it makes it worth your coins too, £2,345 to be exact.
Style Species 