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| Clockwise from top left: BCBG, Alexander Wang, Lacoste, Cushnie et Ochs |
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| Clockwise from top left: Jason Wu, Ohne Titel, Peter Som, Christian Siriano |
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| Clockwise from top left: Jill Stuart, Monique Lhullier, Jill Stuart, Christian Siriano |
How great are these striking, candy-coloured chairs from designer Joongho Choi? The Bachang chair is made from aluminium and wood and conforms comfortably to the sitter. It was designed as part of iDEALGRAPHY project in 2010, the aim of which was to combine furniture and fashion. The chair is portable having been designed to be worn in a similar manner as a backpack.
See more images of the Bachang chair after the jump.
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| Image: Kicokids |
It's looking like dip-dyed furniture is becoming a bit of a trend at the moment. UM Project have added interest to the simple and iconic three-legged stool with this colourful duo-tone finish in a matte lacquer. The Milking Stool is great as occasional seating or an accent piece, the stool is made of solid wood with birch legs and a poplar top.
In my usual circuitous manner I have 'discovered' more local talent. While we had been exchanging emails on an unrelated matter, it was only some weeks later while I was killing time on Tumblr that I stumbled across one of his projects and that piqued my curiosity. It turns out that James Cooper is a photographer of some repute. I have no idea if he's related to Dana Cooper of whom I wrote about here, however on an island this size I'd say the chances are pretty good. He takes amazing underwater images which have a dreamy, surrealistic quality but I also like the helmet series of photographs (pictured after the jump) which are universally Bermudian.
His recent exhibitions include 'Forever Forged. Forever Becoming' which was presented by ARC Magazine in collaboration with the African and African Caribbean Design Diaspora and held in London from September 9 - 25 of this year and, in another strange coincidence, James was recently part of a show at Alice Yard, the studio space I had hoped to visit a few months ago and wrote about here. The show called 'Act 5: The Performative Movement' also opened earlier this month. You can read about 'Forever Forged' in more detail here and 'Act 5' in more detail here.
See more of James' portfolio after the jump.
I know it's getting a bit late in the year for this (perhaps it will come in handy for those who will be taking winter breaks somewhere warm soon), but I have been obsessed with these guys for a while and only lack of information prevented me from posting until now. I came across Bantu in a magazine a few months ago and immediately feel in love with the patterns and colours of their swimsuits. Bantu is designed by Yodit Eklund, an American-Ethiopian, who takes her inspiration from the vibrant colours and prints of Africa. See more of their designs after the jump and check out their website here.
In a first for the British retail giant, Dutch designer Marcel Wanders, co-founder of interiors brand Moooi, launched a collection for Marks & Spencer this month. The collaboration, which will be released on October 12 in time for Christmas, is made up of 150 accessories for men and women, confectionaries, cosmetics, homeware and Christmas decorations. The items will be sold at 60 stores nationwide and online.
See more of Marcel Wanders for Marks & Spencer after the jump.
Here is a great, simple idea, which is still in the prototype stage. The Orbit, a swivelling smartphone (and now camera) mount, is the brainchild of San Francisco designers Jon Norton and Joe Molinari who tout its versatility as a handsfree tool. The Orbit gives the user the ability to affix your device to almost any surface by virtue of a pair of suction cups: one which attaches to the unit and the other which attaches to the surface. The clear, repositionable polycarbonate discs can be stuck almost anywhere meaning your device can be mounted to a painted wall, wood surface or dashboard. The rotating ball-and-socket joint ensures that the perfect angle can be achieved with minimum fuss. One of the suction cups is removable and doing so reveals a threaded insert that allows it to be mounted to any tripod.
More images of the Orbit in action after the jump.
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| Image: via Victoria Beckham |
We featured the first looks here and now you can see more of Victoria Beckham's diffusion line Victoria which was presented during NYFW. With exposed zippers, patch pockets, dropped waists and an easy shape, these sweet dresses are a marked difference to her main collection.
See more Victoria by Victoria Beckham after the jump.
I'm a real accessories freak and watches are my particular weakness, the more unusual the better. I love the minimalism of the Mutewatch which is manufactured by a Swedish company based in Stockholm. The digits are illuminated only when the watch is tapped. Changing functionality from clock to alarm to timer is executed by swiping the surface and a built-in motion sensor registers the wearer's movement and automatically adjusts the strength of alarm or timer vibrations, ensuring that you'll never be late again. The watch is currently available in three colours: grey, red and white here.
See more views after the jump.
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| Image: island*atelier |
Hundreds of years ago, the suburbs of Port of Spain were peppered with homes locally referred to as "gingerbread" houses, so named because their beautiful fretwork referenced the elaborate decorations on German pastries. The houses were usually constructed with a timber frame and roof made of slate or galvanised, corrugated iron and, in addition to their intricate fretwork, had high ceilings, internal transoms, large verandahs and jalousie windows, all of which were designed to minimise the effects of the tropical heat and rain. The style proved extremely popular in the Victorian-era and in 1895 when a massive fire swept through Port of Spain, the Scottish architect George Brown was commissioned by the colonial government to rebuild many of the residences and businesses which had been destroyed in the fire in the gingerbread style.
As with all modernisation however, the trend several years ago was to pull down these beautiful structures and put up massive office blocks in their stead. I am happy to report that times are changing and, as people come to recognise the beauty and cultural significance of these buildings, there is a move to preserve some of these traditional and historic homes in areas like Woodbrook and around the Savannah. One such sympathetic conversion is this building which now houses a restaurant. I'm thrilled that they decided to maintain the look and feel of the building and although they have modernised it somewhat, I am inclined to believe that the conversion worked out quite well.
See more photos showing how modern and traditional were combined after the jump.
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| Image: Imaxtree |
I'll be honest with you, I was a little underwhelmed by Marc Jacobs' Marc by Marc Jacobs collection which is why I decided not to feature it here, but showed the accessories instead. It looks like he was reserving the best for his main collection, and while people have complained that he abandoned the 70s influences of his last highly lauded Fall collection, you can't fault him for constantly coming up with new and interesting ideas. As with many of the other collections we have seen, whether it be by way of feathers, sequins or pleats and folds on skirts, there's no denying that texture is certainly playing a huge part in the looks of Spring 2012.
Of course Marc Jacobs also plays with the idea of transparency but in this instance this takes the form of layering plasticised material over buttoned-down shirts. He also plays with proportion by sending abbreviated jackets down the runway in one instance and then exaggerating the pockets of another. Although the timing of this show was shifted due to extenuating circumstances, it was an excellent way to close out NYFW. It is another extremely influential and directional collection from Marc Jacobs which ensured that the interest in fashion week remained high to the very end.
See more of Marc Jacobs' collection after the jump.
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| Image: Imaxtree |
I really like what Vera Wang has done with her spring collection. It features peplums very heavily but instead of making them look old-fashioned, she's actually managed to modernise the look by combining them with beautiful sheer fabrics, clean lines and minimalist detailing. I particularly like the sheer fabric which is covered in a circular dot pattern which looks like a modern broderie anglaise. The colour palette is light and fresh and overall this is just an exquisite collection. Love the platform sandals.
See more Vera Wang after the jump.
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| Image: Imaxtree |
I think I love this collection more than I dislike it although there were some very dodgy floral pieces which I have not included here. His strongest looks for the most part were the slashed, minimalist ones although even some of those didn't work for me. A bit of an inconsistent collection.
See more Narciso Rodriguez after the jump.
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| Image: Imaxtree |
Well it may not necessarily be my style and while you will never catch me wearing any of these to do the supermarket run, you can't deny the beauty of the dresses and trousers Oscar de la Renta showed for spring. It looks as though he tried downplay the conservativeness of some of his suits with an injection of chartreuse. The gowns will no doubt the feature prominently in both print and on the red carpet.
See more of this beautiful collection from Oscar de la Renta after the jump.
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| Image: Imaxtree |
Now, time for a little fun. This fantastical and whimsical collection from Thom Browne plays with proportions. With a distinctly nautical theme taken to extremes, I love the way the models all have huge smiles on their faces unlike the usual stoic expressions they wear down the runway. It looks like it was really fun show and, in spite of the extreme looks, there was some exquisite detailing and tailoring and very wearable pieces. Kudos to Mr Browne for having one of the more interesting collections of the week.
See more Thom Browne after the jump.
See more Thom Browne after the jump.
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| Image: Imaxtree |
We didn't really expect anything other than elegant sophistication from Carolina Herrera and she didn't disappoint. As a red carpet favourite, it was inevitable that the collection would feature gowns very heavily but the more casual pieces didn't disappoint either. Love the whimsical bird print as well as the separates and dresses.
See more of Carolina Herrera's collection after the jump.
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| Image: Imaxtree |
This has got to be one of my favourite shows so far. I particularly like the fact that the silhouette is something we hadn't really seen coming down the runway for Spring 2012 thus far. While he plays with the idea of sheer panels and highlights the shoulders as other designers have done, the cut is very flattering on the body and the overall effect is sophisticated rather than risqué. I'm also happy that a new colour was introduced and royal purple features prominently on tops, dresses and coats. The prints are reminiscent of Rorschach patterns which I noticed are also coming up quite often in the Spring fashion shows and it's done very beautifully in this collection. This has to be one of the better collections of the week.
See more Prabal Gurung after the jump.
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| Image: Imaxtree |
Lela Rose sends sheers and shift dresses down the runway for Spring 2012. The finest dots adorn gossamer dresses and she uses the very sophisticated combination of grey and yellow to add some punch to her designs. Again, upcoming trends are represented with colour-blocking featured in the trench and lightweight spring coats and shorts. Orange is a predominant colour and graphic prints interspersed with abstract watercolours were used to great effect.
See more Lela Rose after the jump. Click on any image to enlarge.
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| Image: Imaxtree |
Featuring sleek, modern sportswear, it's another high profile collection from Mrs Beckham which will probably get a lot of editorial coverage and celebrity endorsements. Although there were some nice pieces, I would venture to say this probably wasn't the strongest collection she has ever presented. The best looks were the body-conscious sportswear which opened and closed the show (even though some of the early outfits seemed more suited for fall than spring). Mixed in with these were the most unflattering, boxy jackets and tops in shiny fabrics. Of course the bags and shoes were covetable, but I'm still scratching my head at the styling this included the unusual choice of black or pink flat caps. The strap detailing around the neck was unexpected and effective as were the exposed zippers.
See more of Victoria Beckham's S2012 collection after the jump.
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| Images: Imaxtree |
Vivienne Tam's Spring 2012 collection features several contrasting prints, trouser- and short-suits as well as beautiful dresses. Texture is introduced by way of feathered skirts and paillettes on sheer dresses. Once again the predominant colours are blues and oranges. Necklines are uniformly high, including those on the evening dresses, which ensures that emphasis is placed on the lower half of the body and the flowing fabrics in beautiful patterns.
See more Vivienne Tam after the jump.
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| Image: Imaxtree |
While I'm not overly fond of the three-quarter length pant he sent down the runway, they may have been one of the few detractions in an otherwise strong collection. Perhaps Christian Siriano's Spring 2012 collection may finally free him of the Project Runway mantle and catapult him into the relam of legitimate designer. Acid bright yellow and orange accents are just the right modern touch to liven up the nude neutrals which formed the basis of most of the looks. The gowns in the finale are spectacular but gowns have always been his strong suit.
See more of Christian Siriano's Spring 2012 collection after the jump.
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