Back 2 School Essentials

As Style.com’s Candy Pratts Price puts it, “September is the January in fashion” and we are well and truly into the month of September. The weather is changing, it is definitely time to change the wardrobes- out with the old in with the new. Yes we will recycle and reuse the old favourites but surely this is the perfect excuse to purge and spend...? And with London Fashion Week a mere days away, here are my new term essentials...

Balenciaga belt £265 from Matches

Burberry Prorsum sweater, £695 from Matches

Lanvin feather necklace, £505 from Matches

Acne dress, £190 from Acne Studios

Diane Von Furstenberg "Celia" dress, £318 from Matches

Alexander McQueen ring, £228 from Matches

Givenchy swing coat, £1460 from Feathers

Givenchy leather shorts, £505 from Feathers

Splendid cuff trouser, £79 from My-wardrobe

Acne Boots (both above), £590 from Acne

See by Chloe cape, £475 from My-Wardrobe

Acne jeans, £180 from My-wardrobe

Michael by Michael Kors bag, £360 from My-Wardrobe

House of Harlow ring, £65 from My-wardrobe

Givenchy Top, £195 from Feathers

Mawi ring, £190 from Feathers

Phi Platforms, £222 from The Outnet

Dresses (above £837 and below£783) by Mary Katrantzou from Matches

Christopher Kane Tee, £185 from Matches

Yves Saint Laurent wedges, £550 from Matches

Acne Trousers from My-Wardrobe

Churches brouges, £260 from Matches

All shoes below from Asos.com

Lace boot, £110

Ankle boot, £60

Platform sandal, £75

Loafers, £30

Lace boot, £110

This all will be possible with a budget of around £15,000. One can nly dream...

My First: Video shoot- "Brave New World"

So i arrived back from Paris and Milan a week ago, tired and a bit dazed, but had no choice and was plunged straight back into the thick of it. While in Paris and Milan, as well as all the shows and reports and filming and editing, there was also the premiere of my first video shoot to organise. I began working with film maker James Yeoman over a month ago after i had seen his behind the scene video he had produced for the Dazed Digital website. After looking at his other videos, i tracked him down via the interweb, i was totally blown over by his work. We began working on an idea and theme for one of Buckstyle's AW09 major trend. I did the creative direction working on getting the right models, the perfect location, writing the script alongside Jim, and of course all the styling. The shoot had to reflect the AW09 trend that YSL, Prada, Hugo by Hugo Boss, Raf Simons showed on the catwalk, the mood of security and protection, a futuristic matrix style ambience. Alongside those brands, i also called in high street and vintage brands like Topman, H&M and The East End Thrift Store. Colours and shades are dark, footwear is high topped and hard wearing, details include straps, studs and exposed zips . A post apocalyptic feeling was portrayed with models Alex Jermy and Holly Dormon, seemingly trapped in a decaying deserted world exploring survival.

This video is going to be a first of many video shoots to come out of myself and also Buckstyle. As the title suggests, it is a new medium which is relatively new. But i am so excited to begin working on it.... Hope you like the film.

Styled and Creative Direction Ceila-Jane Ukwenya
Filmed and Edited by James Yeomans
Hair and Make up by Sarah Barrow
Stylist Assistant: Jack Cassidy
Many thanks to The Pidgeon Wing studio

Paree Paree Jour 1

So Day one in Paris has been more action packed than a smack in the face from the Hulk. Yesterday began relatively early with the Issey Miyake show in the morning. This was their first catwalk show in a while and was presented in the Issey Miyake shop. This was very intimate with only 7 UK press attending. The show saw a turkish influence running throughout it, with brigh clashing colours and those backless pointy shoes you find in the east Mediterranean . I would really love to see a trend with those shoes really shine through, i think they are so perculiar. Next show was my favourite of the whole day, the Hugo Boss show. The collection was so perfect with white, navy and blue being the key colours. Hints and pops of red and gold appeared now and again, spelling the most prefect nautical inspired collection. Lines were so clean, and details were bang on the money, and the shoes were gladiator sandles. Bruno Pieters the designer for Hugo really did a fantastic job, living up to the high expectations he had left me with after last years show.Elliott and Steve looking dapper on the second row.Elauen and Chris from Atttitude magazine saying "hullo".

Shorts and cable knit look, look at the shoes!

One of my favourite looks, but there were so many and such little blog space.
(I did film a video for Buckstyle, so look out for it on the site, i'll let you know once i have edited it and its ready, the show is so impressive).

So we left the show all in high spirits and with a unison agreement that we all loved the show and are met with this fellow on the train. I always find the buskers in Paris on a different level to London. They normally get onto the actual train and typically play the accordion, violin or in this case, a saxophone. I felt like i was in Amelie or any other French film. Tres bon.

The next show was Juun J which showed a continued collaboration with bag makers Chris and Tibor. The collection showed lots of sheer garments: gauze organza layered over shorter length shorts was a typical look, as well as sheer fabric over or under shorts, trenchcoats and blazers. I am really loving the sheer trend emerging, i have almost exhausted it already in my American Apparel sheer black top i am pictured in below. This show also presented a more sporty gladiator style sandal, or a cut out high-top if you will. These are absolutely everywhere, one to watch.

Look at the shoes

Next stop was an appointment at Yves Saint Laurent to see the collection and a short film by Samuel Benchetrit. Stefano's starting point for the show was exploring shape and line. Jackets were cropped and in some places deconstructed, t-shirts and cardigans were long coming up to the mid-thigh to the knee. Show report to come up later today with images of the full collection and the short film on Buckstyle plus a video filmed and edited by yours truely. I found these marvellous pretties at YSL, they look like the menswear answer to 'those' cage shoes i love!

Amazing right?

Next stop was Gaspard Yurkevich and after been shown to our seat on the front row, i spotted this other front row beauty directly opposite me.

Amazing fashion accessory, i should have brought Bernie with me...

The show was really fresh, with crop cuts and fresh navy, and beige colours with the odd reflector fabric. Gaspard also showed a perculiar t-shirt with an American football style shoulders, really exagerrated and oversized. Elliott manages to get a backstage interview with Gaspard after the show, look out for it on Buckstyle...

The deep V trend and sleeveless jacket trend continues...

Next stop, Jean Paul Gaultier. The show is set in the JPG HQ in Paris. The huge venue was packed out with people but surprisingly the front and second row were not oversubscribed with bums on seats. Seated directly opposite me: Carine Roitfeld and Tim Blanks...! Joined later (half way throught the show) by newly brunnette Fergie and Apl.de.ap of Black Eye Pea fame... The show was what you would expect from JPG, as always with the sailor influences, male models walking down the runway in tube tops aka boob tubes, Skorts (a shorts and skirt hybrid) and full on skirts. Apart from some of the shocking show pieces, there were some good pieces; I loved the wide leg loose fitting trousers he showed and the full dipped in colour look with a model wearing head to toe bright orange-y red (that red glow below).

Video of Jean Paul Gaultier to come on Buckstyle

My Day 1 outfit in Paris...Photographed by Facehunter outside the Hugo Boss show

The day ended with a party at the Ritz in Paris celebrating the new menswear brands at Harrods, a lovely party and a nice opportunity to catch up with some of the other fashion journalists in Paris although the night was slightly tainted by the news of Michael Jacksons death. Upon leaving the Ritz and en-route to the Henrik Vibskov after party, it was hyper-real having Parisienes stopping you in the street and franticly asking: 'ave you "erd, Michael Jackson es ded...!" Surreal. Its Day 2 now, and will post on todays happenings later...

More trends to write home about:
Deep V
The loss of the shirt
Red
One colour form top to toe- 'dipped in colour'
Sporty gladiator sandals/Cut out hi-tops everywhere
More back packs
Pattern- especially Batik and Ikat patter
Sheer fabrics

x

Crap blogger

I am so so so sorry! Talk about crap blogger! Sorry for the lame blog posting, it has been 10 days since my last blog post. I am so sorry. But i have been so goddam busy. I finished my first Video shoot for Buckstyle yesterday. It went amazingly, watch this space for snippets from the shoot. I shot with brilliant film maker James Yeoman and shot YSL, Prada, Hugo by Hugo boss and Aexander Mc Queen to name a few! It is terribly exciting!
Right i have got so much to Post on so here goes!

Trend premonition at Arcadia

To be honest most of us can only dream about owning all our designer fancies. Myself included. So last week was a great opportunity and privilege to see more of the styles that most of us will be able to afford and be sporting by way of the Acadia press day (this included Miss Selfridge, Topshop, Topman, Dorothy Perkins, and so on. So here is a look at the treats we have in store for AW09 on the high street. I feel like i have seen the future and it is good! So damn good!

Miss Selfridge are continuing and sticking with the rocker look. Mainly blacks and metallic shades continuing the "I'm with the band" theme. Think oversized tees, black oversized blazers tight black leather or leather look mini's and trousers, metallic finishes, sequins, rivets and studs. All sounding very very familiar, in fact sounds very much like my current and growing SS09 wardrobe. Lovely now, but to think that in 6 months we will still be expected to stick to the looks we are already perfecting now. To be honest i was more impressed by the visual merchandising and set up they had in the Miss Selfridge area. The mannequins were made to look like they were performing in bands either propped up against a mike; with a bass precariously wedged in their arms, and sat at a drum kit. Bring on the festival me thinks!

I moved on from Miss Selfridge to Topshop with the wide-eyed delight of a 5 year old entering a sweet shop. On my gasp-filled travels around the Topshop area, i came across some a few pieces that stuck in my mind "I am sure i have seen these somewhere else before..."*
*Without using the word copy, i will tend to say "In the style of..."

In the style of those controversial Peter Jensen bootsIn the style of Christopher Kane's recent AW09 collection. Absolutely loving the cage skirt and the see-through top combo!

In the style of Prada recent AW09 shoes (see my recent post)

In the style of "Those" YSL cage shoesI noticed a gorgeous trend of the caged stuctured skirt running throug a few stories in Topshop and also on Asos (press day news and pics to come)

Celia Blue Watch: More thigh high and cage shoes!

In the style of the Kenzo AW09 boots! I love the retro rubber heels and the clean space and barely any detail except the small buckle and minimalist lace up detail.

Topshop design boots, i predict these will be the boot of AWo9 from Topshop, they came in varying styles and colours.90s...? So Spice Girls circa 1998!!

90s.......

Yes! The good old 90s are definitely in, and if you are not ready just yet worry not, take this as a trend alert, trend forecast...no trend premonition. Worry not for now, lets make the most of our belly tops, denim shirts, play suits and mid-rifts, they will be around in about 6 months. No your eyes do not deceive you, below and above you do see shell suits! I am so looking forward to it!

Ive seen the future! And it is rocks!