Milan fashion week...Overview

Apologies for the lack of posting, even though i did promise lots of blog posts while in Milan. I have been having technical difficulties with the internet connection to my room. Dont ask. It has been extremely annoying, cutting out mid-blog... Highly frustrating. So what i have got here are highlights of the last 4 days in Milan. I am off to Paris later today and am quite excited about it all. Had a really good sleep last night and i am now re-invigourated and refreshed and ready to tackle the next 6 days of non stop fashion... The internet situation should be a whole lot better in our Parisienne apartment (finger crossed). If anyone knows a way of blogging from my iphone or an app to down load, please let me know, would make my life whole lot easier. There has been online twittering from myself and the Buckstyle team here, so keep up to date on there too. Hope you have had a look at the Buckstyle website and seen all that we have been up too. In addition to reporting, I can now add camerawoman and film editor to my CV! I now go under the name of Celia Speilberg.... Ha!

DAY 1
First day in Milan, and things are looking good! Such a brilliant show at Burberry and managed to get an interview with Christopher Bailey! Interview will be up on Buckstyle is up now, go read it here... I only had a few minutes with him, but he was so sweet. The show had a real summer feel, with pastel colours mixed with bold primary coloured sportswear. Knits were lights with straps across the torso and ruched detailing in the macs and blazers. Amazing rucksacks too, very well executed. I shot some behind the scenes videos backstage at the show also which is available here.

My day 1 outfit

The Les Hommes show was brilliant too, a very Lawrence of Arabia feel with an emphasis to detail on the trousers. Lots of sheer, ruched, drop crotch brilliance... and a fantastic black sequined trouser number. I filmed and edited a video also on Buckstyle.com, find it here.

The designers (Tom Notte and Bart Vandebosch) of Les Hommes following our interview

The night ended up with a fantastic party called "Punks Wear Prada". I tell you i have never seen so many models in one place...Model Ash at Punks Wear Prada party

DAY 2
A jam packed day of press appointments, shows and presentation. Plus more ticket arrivals... Prada the most exciting yet. Neil Barrett, Car shoe, Churches, Sergio Rossi, Diesel and the stupendous Alexander McQueen. At Sergio Rossi and Churches there was an emerging trend of using foam like material on the soles as supposed to the traditional leather or rubber soles.

McQueen showed a presentation and a short film this year(Watch a clip of the short film here on Buckstyle.com), opting out from a grand runway show, something i have grown to love and sometimes prefer. You get a really detailled look at all the garments, in a more relaxed atmosphere, with the PRs on hand to explain ideas and inspirations. The collection did not let me down... Absolutely amazing collection. Based on paint splatters and with a somewhat workwear feel. Paint splays prints, hand painted and hand-drawn patterns on blazers and shirts, frantic and kinetic splatters on jeans and hats. Bloody brilliant.
Lots of the familiar faces of the Milan fashion week crowd present at the brilliant outdoor location, McQueens Milanese showroom.
Later we went to the famous Frankie Morello fashion week party…. To much fun… Amanda Lapore, half naked Milanese models on stage, and more models. One of the best parties I have ever been too!My Day 2 outfit for MFWAmanda Lapore at Frankie Morello party

Beautiful sporty gladiator sandals at Sergio Rossi

Paint splattered shorts art McQueen
Painted seam blazer at McQueen

A burnt car at Diesel...

Prada invite

Elliott and Steve discussing the importance of fashion in our lives

The Duomo

DAY 3

The third day saw the Moschino show today and the long awaited Prada show. The Moschino show revealed newspaper prints and floral prints, the show had a nice atmosphere. The Prada show was at 7pm, and the invite that came to the Buckstyle team left all of us wandering what he theme might be. The invitation showed an enlarged script with some unknown prose on it and the walls of the show had similar text on the walls.The show was a suprise to me for a SS show. Muiccia choose sombre and dark colours as opposed to the brighter shades we had seen in other shows. Grey i feel will become a popular colour in suiting in SS. The collection showed deep Vs in shirts and raw edges on shirts. Tank tops and lots of suits. Click here for the video i filmed and edited.

After the show we were treated to drinks at the venue some perculiar black bread with cheese canapes. Me not been a fan of cheese and my wheat intolerance meant that it was not at all enjoyable. But Steve and Elliott could not get enough of it. Canape recipe to come on Buckstyle.Elliott and myself discussing the joys and woes of fashion in our lives after Prada show

My Day 3 outfit

DAY 4
The Dsquared show like last year was a fun production, this year based around the idea of camping and the great outdoors, with the set resembling a campsite with tree trunks and tents. This seemed like a transition to the mountaineering trend we saw in some of the AW09 catwalks last season. Lots of models in shorts, plaid on garments, backpacks, protective ponchos and most importantly, tight speedos. Mmmmm! The show ended with rain (part of the production)... I did film some of the show, i will try and get that edited as soon as possible and post on here. In the mean time, have a look at the show report here.

We bumped into this lovely fellow after the Dsquared show, no it is not Elliott dressed as an egyptian.Day 4 outfit

Woolrich Woolen Mills followed the Dsquared show with a chat with Daiki Sazuki, the creative director of Woolrich at the showroom presentation. He talked about his inspirations for the collection been the surf culture from the past decades in America. He himself is a keen surfer referenced 1960s surf culture and drew inspiration from outfits they wore then. A recurring pattern within the collection had this nautical image of a ship and ropes:
The clothes were very wearable, catch the show reports and Top5 on Buckstyle later today...

Trends i picked up on in Milan include:
Shorts and crop trousers are here to stay with shorts getting shorter
Bright primary colours
Rucksack and backpacks everywhere
Grey in suiting
Foam soled shoes

Will keep you updated on all the fashion week going ons... Ciao, the next time you here from me will be in Paris... Bon Voyage to me!
x

Fashion Mozzie Bait in Milan- Day 1

Greetings from Milan, or as they say in Milan: Ciao Bella's. We got of our very quick and relatively stress free flight at Malpensa Airport yesterday and were immediately hit by the wall of heat and humidity. It is so warm out here it is ridiculous, but ridiculous good... I think I packet to many jeans and not enough shorts and skirts (Not counting my 2 leather skirts I packed for obvious reasons- slight sweat + leather= sticky).
Last season the weather was the total opposite: Snow, sleet and rain everyday. Things are looking up. After a short trudge to find out hotel our Milan fashion week could truly begin. Here are a few photos from last night...

AMAZING or what? A mini triple pack of Prosecco*! Perfect for the parched and tired Buckstyke trio.
*Or as the Buckstyle team refer to it... Prosexio

The biggest pizza you have ever seen, i am not joking, Steve and Elliott ordered one each and they were approximately 50cm wide each. I settled with calamari and prawns...

The most ornate taps i have ever seen in a restaurant.

Steve, Elliott and i opening out huge stack of invites on arrival at our hotel. The hats are not a brave move in moving fashion forward (or backward), they are the personalised invites from Dsquared. Cute huh?

In the picture above you can not see the HUGE mozzie bites i have encountered on my body. I feel like mozzie bait! Fashionable and stylish mozzie bait! Great! Right i am off to the Burberry Show now, think we have an interview with Christopher Bailey.... Exciting! Watch this space...

Ps- I didnt mention the crazy monsoon style weather we experienced last night, it started raining all of a sudden and i meant really really raining! Huge droplets and the thunder and lightening and more rain. I did feel at that point, that 'that' Carolyn Massey cape would have come in more than handy...

My Milan and Paris dream wardrobe...

Arghhh! So, I woke up this morning with a smile on my face. I am off to Milan and Paris tomorrow! Whoo yay! Boo Yaw! It’s my second season flying out there and covering the menswear fashion shows for Buckstyle, and I am still as excited as I was last season (I seem to forget the trudging around, and non-stop work). It will be fun to get out of London, but don't be fooled. It will not be a holiday of drinking cocktails, rubbing shoulders with the fashion glitterati and partying till 4... Nope, we are not having a repeat of last season (or are we...)*cheeky smile*

BUT...it has now dawned on me, with less that 24 hours to go, what am I wearing? I am sitting here with dread at facing my actual wardrobe, but toying with reality. This is my fantasy Milan and Paris wardrobe...

Cotton hooded sweatshirt jacket, £75, by Adidas by Stella McCartney at www.net-a-porter.com
Strap sandal, £145, by Acne

Lulu Guinness shell stitching orange "Pollyanna" bag£250 Sophia Kokosolaki bangle, £481 ,Available from Matches,

Loewe Calle bag, £780, Available from Selfridges and Harrods

Sunglasses by RayBan, ClubMaster £108

Balenciaga sandals in black suede, £820

Loewe black open toe court shoe with gold rope heel,£665 Available from Selfridges and Harrods

Gold & crystal bracelet, £299, by Mawi at www.farfetch.com
Pink shorts, £100, by Acne (www.acnestudios.com)

D&G navy and white ‘Jackie ‘strap sandals, £480

Gucci fringed platform wedges, £440 Blue dress, £685, by Preen at www.net-a-porter.com
Oversized vest, £85, by Sass & Bide aw www.bunnyhug.co.uk

I could literally live in all of that and more....
Right, enough of the dreaming! I need to get packing! Wish me Bon Voyage readers, i will be blogging and Twittering while in Milan and Paris. Catch me here or on Twitter, i will also be tweeting on Buckstyle's Twitter

Kisses!

NEWSFLASH: Jimmy Choo for H&M Autumn 2009

Have you heard?? H&M have announced their next designer collaboration due to hit shops in November. Jimmy Choo! Tamara Mellon launched Jimmy Choo aka the red carpet shoe, in 1996 after partnering with East London shoe designer Jimmy Choo.
All very exciting, but I have questioned the integrity of some of the collaborations in the past. In the beginning the H&M collaboration was something for me to get excited about, something huge and illustrious, something I would be pandering to attend and try and stuff my shopping basket full of designer wares. I will admit that I was in-store on the first day of the Stella Mc Cartney collaboration, admittedly; I wasn't one of those die-hard maniacs queuing outside from an ungodly hour. I bought a few bits and bobs, but the experience left me feeling stressed. Seeing grown women and men fighting to get clothes of rails was almost enough to push me over the edge. The Victor and Rolf event was another one that tantilised my fashion taste buds. But I did get slightly confused at the Kylie and the Madonna additions to the collaboration history. The point I felt at the beginning was to bring designer labels to the masses and on the high street so that you could own a garment that you felt came form these prestigious names in fashion. The Kylie and Madonna ranges (as much as I love their music) left me feeling cold. It felt less designer clobber, more fan merchandise. I am not putting their designing skills to question (much), but I didn’t really see the point (without being so blunt) of it. I had no interest at all in it.



All negativity aside and out of the way, the images I got through of the upcoming collaboration yesterday has really tickled my me, I for one am intrigued and can't wait to see more of the designs. Maybe you will find me camping outside at 5am on Oxford Street after all. The shoes look brilliant, and I am guessing at the standard H&M collab price, will be a snip at under £100 hopefully! The traditionally shoe brand will be venturing out into menswear for the first time and the collection will include shoes, clothes, bags and accessories...!

Christopher Kane Resort collection

This is the most recent Christopher Kane collection that i came across last week. I was at the Christopher Kane press office and was perusing his PR agency's rails for menswear clothes that i was calling in for my recently executed video shoot (watch this space for more info), again one of the many reasons for my slack blog posting in the last week (sorry again). Kane's 2010 resort collection is a range of delicate dresses and skirts, t-shirts and soft leather jackets predominantly with the images of large colourful bomb clouds in graphic print. Now the last time that Kane did an amazing graphic print, i couldnt sleep for days and day, just thinking of cunning ways of getting hold of the t-shirts, they were to die for. Kane says about his collection:

"I wanted clean, sexy shapes that are quite easy to wear," he said.

At first you might be OK in mistaking it for a pretty floral print, like the som many that we have seen recently, but on closer inspection the graphic plume of clouds billowing against a contrasting colour sky is breathtaking. Kane said:

"I wanted something natural, but I'm so fed up with florals," he explained in his London studio. "And then I came across these images of nuclear test explosions from the fifties to the seventies on the Internet. I like the crazy-bright chemical colors. The way they're sinister—but beautiful."

These are 4 of my favourite looks that i love the most (Before salivation kicks in and you begin to admire, please be aware that the shoes are not going to go into production- I was very disappointed to find this out as they are amazing*):


What i love the most about it apart from the bold and harsh in your face print, which i love (almost as much as i love the SS09 Christopher Kane Gorilla image t-shirt and tops), is the deep mustard-y gold colour that runs through the prints. Very in your face, very "look at me" which i love! Such a harsh print but so feminine, need to add this to my list of things i need!

*On the plus side about the shoes, a little birdie tells me also that this cloud print will be the next in the new Christopher Kane T-shirt collection soon to drop in Topshop in September*

(Quotes from Sarah Mower review on Style.com)

Behind the scenes: Burberry's Emma Watson Campaign

Now i am sure this is no new news to most of you reading this and you have all seen the amazing pictures of Hermione Granger aka Emma Watson of Harry Potter fame. I think this is one of my favourite Burberry campaigns yet, followed closely by the Agyness Deyn campaign of a few seasons past. At just 18, she exudes a youthful sophistication in all the pictures and holds her own well, dominating the pictures with her beauty. I do find it a little weird been a fan of someone 5 years my junior, but i do think she is brilliant, and deserves this. Emma was joined by an all British cast for this campaign. I am sure you would have seen the pictures in several places but here are some behind the scene pictures from the shoot. Shot by Mario Testino with creative director Christopher Bailey on hand on location in Westminster, i think you will agree, thought the AW09 collection was not as exciting as past Prorsum collections, this campaign is certainly beautiful.
Click images to enlarge

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!

JEROEN VAN TUYL'S URBAN WARRIOR

My recent article in Dazed Digital about dutch designer Jeroen Van Tuyl...

In his 9th year and with an anthology of collections under his belt, Rotterdam based Jeroen Van Tuyl has blurred his usual architectural approach to menswear fashion in his SS09 and more recently AW09 collections for a more melodious and romantic course. A rookie in the ranks of designers showing at Paris fashion week, Van Tuyl has forged a steady rise to his current status, beginning at fashion fairs, then showroom appointments and finally a catwalk debut at Paris fashion week last season. Mirroring some of the unshakable big guns of the fashion industry, he has released his own sneaker collection and has furniture and shoe collaborations on the horizon.

Familiar for his use of classic fabrics mixed with modern tailoring, his more recent collections have shown a break from his usual rigid and architectural influences into a more softer and fluid style. The geometric and sharp angle style from the first collection are still somewhat recognisable in this  most recent collections showing a manly silhouette which one could describe as 'urban warrior', yet the detail and craftsmanship reveal a more sensitive side.
 
Celia Loves: What inspires your sagacious style of menswear design? 

Jeroen Van Tuyl: I like experimenting with the pattern construction, fit, fabric and making. I find my inspiration in art, for example futurism, music, architecture, people on the street.
 
CL: Your more recent collections have taken a more romantic course, what was your inspiration and ideas behind this?
Jeroen Van Tuyl: I was inspired by the Bengal poet Rabindranth Tagore (SS09); I liked his way of seeing a more harmonic connection between the west and the east in terms of cultures, religions and philosophies.
CL: What was the response to your recent show at Paris?
Jeroen Van Tuyl: It was a tough job to put the collection together in such a short time, but I enjoyed it when it was done and people liked it! I really liked the show venue, it was an old factory old fashioned elevators.
CL: How do you find designing in Rotterdam? Are you inspired by things around you or do you use other cities as inspiration?
Jeroen Van Tuyl: I like the dynamic of Rotterdam, we have about 170 nationalities, which give a lot of different influences. Besides this, the architecture is great and there are more great buildings being built all the time. This attracts a lot of creative people, which is great.
 
CL: What would be your specific kind of guy who you target to buy and wear your clothes?
Jeroen Van Tuyl: It is for a guy who has a great sense and appreciation for fabrics and a good eye for details who likes timeless garments; it is for a guy who is always ready for a new challenge.

CL: Do you have any ideas in mind for upcoming collaborations?
Jeroen Van Tuyl: I am collaborating with a Rotterdam based architect and currently we are researching to define a new kind of furniture. As well as that, I am also doing a collaboration with a Dutch shoe brand QUICK,  to be called Q by Jeroen van Tuyl.

 CL: Have you had a favourite collection to work on so far? And why?
Jeroen Van Tuyl: I really like the Tagore S/S 2009 collection because of it’s fluidness and softness which worked very well for me.
 
CL: I noticed a few jewellery pieces in the ss09. Is there a jewellery range coming up for your brand?
Jeroen Van Tuyl: We made this summer flower chain at my studio. For the A/W 09/10 I collaborated with French jewellery designer Romuald Lamy and we are going to continue working together.