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Day: 28 November 2016

Couture dreaming

Couture fashion week exists on another plain to the other fashion seasons. Couture is season-less. The clientele is a small community of the wealthiest individuals, many of whom only want bespoke pieces, so that the influence of couture does not trickle down to high street in the way ready-to-wear does. Couture is a haze of fashion that very few get to see.

Fortunately, the internet exists, and images of couture fashion week can be broadcast across the globe — so at least from afar it can be admired. As the end of year festivities arise, and with the award season lingering in the opening months of 2017, couture makes another venture into the public eye.

So it is only fair to dance through a few of the most glorious, full, sheer, metallic, embroidered, structural, or whatever else gowns of couture.

Couture. Photo: elliotjames @Flickr

Ralph & Russo epitomise all the is luxurious in the world of couture. There is no playing it safe with their designs; they are a full celebration of the spectacular beauty of fashion and the female form. The waist was a central feature in all the Autumn/Winter 2016 looks, whether it was a pencil skirt, or a form fitting dress backed with a cape — every look followed the line of the body. A feminine colour palette made up of pastels, creams and pinks added to the ethereal glamour of their show. The designs Ralph & Russo create hark back to a bygone era of glamour that probably never existed, other than on the pages of magazines, an era we all wish we could have spent at least one evening in.

Alexander McQueen may be the reigning British fashion house of couture, but Giles Deacon is next in line to the throne. His designs are full of drama and texture; renaissance designs and art influence the statuesque designs.

The big houses still hold an huge influence in the couture world. Chanel asserted Cara and Kendall as real deal super models when they were cast as couture brides; it is a couture tradition that the final look should be a wedding gown. A couture is a spectacle on a new scale — Chanel have created casinos and paper-cut gardens in recent seasons.

This winter, were I given my chose of couture, I would be wearing Elie Saab’s art deco, royal blue, velvet gown, with a its belted waist, thigh high slit and swallow-esque broaches. Truthfully, I can think of no occasion upon which such a beautiful dress could be worn, but my lord, it is divine. Pure fashion ecstasy.

For us mere mortals couture may be a ridiculous extravagance we could never dream of owning, but I would hate to see it disappear. Couture is everything fashion can be, it is ludicrously expensive but ludicrously pretty. It managed to make it through the 2008 recession, so surely couture can continue to shine its majesty on fashion lovers around the world.

The evening wear staple: The leather skirt

The leather skirt is a slick update on the classic black skirt, making it the perfect choice for all of your evening engagements.  The leather skirt has become a much sought after item on the British high- street in recent years, prior to this it was probably more likely to be at home on a throwback photo of your mum in the eighties. However, now with a number of brands jumping on board the trend, the leather skirt is an enviable and irreplaceable item in many wardrobes.

From ASOS to Oasis and Tophsop, our favourite high-street brands have created countless skirts in different styles to suit all body types. The pencil leather skirt compliments those ladies with hourglass figures whilst a mini skirt is great for flashing those pins. Whilst these brands do create good quality leather skirts at affordable prices, they also cater for those who don’t want to splash their cash on one item and design skirts made of PU which give the same effect for a fraction of the price.

oasis-stores.com

The leather skirt is my go to item for evening wear, especially when it is a last minute outing that I haven’t had time to prep for. I bought my trusty leather skirt over three years ago from ASOS and it has been my faithful companion ever since. It is good quality leather and has only got better with age and wear.

Usually I team my miniskirt with strappy black heels and a crisp white shirt for a simple and classic evening wear look that you can wear again and again. The versatility of the skirt is enough to persuade even the most frugal to invest in good quality leather.

Not only is it ideal for evening wear, it is also perfect for daywear. It looks as fabulous with a pair of heels as it does with a jumper and a pair of boots. Look at this item as an investment that you will wear for years rather than a colossal waste of money that could have been better spent on food. Believe me, the perfect leather skirt will have a firm place in your wardrobe for many years to follow.

For the more adventurous, why not try a leather skirt in a metallic PU? Most high-street stores and online shopping sites will have some variation of the leather skirt and usually in some lust-worthy metallic shades.  A metallic skirt will be the statement piece of your outfit, so keep your top plain and simple, all attention should be on your beauty of a skirt. Gold, silver and rose gold skirts are stylish updates on your classic black leather. If you love a style and know it suits you, then obviously you must buy it in every colour available. Thankfully, it seems most brands create their pieces with this philosophy in mind.

topshop.com

The leather skirt is sophisticated but also exudes sexiness and is an edgy update on your boring black mini or pencil skirt. Banish them to the back of your wardrobe and invest in what will be your new evening wear staple. Whether you opt for the classic black or brave the metallic trend, the leather skirt will be the best purchase you have made all year. It is an investment after all.

Personalised packages: the perfect Christmas gift

Many of us are left panic stricken at the thought of gift giving, not because we’re disorganised, but because we simply don’t know what to buy for people. Pinterest’s wealth of suggestions can leave us feeling like we’ve been dropped into the middle of Santa’s workshop itself, so I’ve collected a few of the best to ensure that you have your friends and family covered. Each gift is made up of a suitable ‘container’, filled with a variety of smaller presents that can be adapted to suit your budget.

The film fanatic:

A popcorn box is used for the container of this gift. These can be found online and bought in a variety of sizes. You could fill this with some flavoured popcorn kernels; pick n mix; a new DVD (or cinema tickets if there’s a film you know they’ll love); a bottle of Coke (which could be personalised); or a film strip of some photos of your favourite memories.

The beauty addict:

Can a beauty addict ever have too many make-up bags? They’re bound to love a brand new one filled with lipsticks, mini eyeshadows, nail varnishes, face masks, or mini bath bombs. Cotton wool balls are a good way to pad out the make-up bag and present the contents, as well as being useful for all things beauty.

The aspiring baker:

Depending on how many items you want to include, you could use a pretty mixing bowl or a fancy-shaped cake tin. A nice starting point would be to include a mini book of recipes, and to centre the rest on the ingredients needed. You could buy some of the icings, decorations, cookie cutters or tools so they can get started straight away. (Bonus: you’ll probably get to try some of their creations when they proudly present the product of your gift!)

The one who loves to travel:

Know someone who just can’t stay in one place? A wash bag can be the base of this gift, filled with travel essentials like a matching passport case, luggage tags, travel diary or maybe a selfie stick so they can document their journeys. If you’re a forward planner, you could even purchase train tickets for you both to visit a place you’ve never been to before.

The sentimental one:

This gift could require a little more time, but for the sentimental types, that is the greatest gift. A scrapbook filled with photos, quotes and tickets acts as a souvenir of your favourite times together. This could also be presented in a photo frame, and a nice way to complete it is to include a small note confirming a future event to look forward to: a cinema trip, an exhibition, a restaurant booking, even just a date that you’ll get together.

Assembling these gifts will really get you into the Christmas spirit, so prepare yourself a hot chocolate, put on some festive tunes, grab your cellophane, ribbons and bows — and get wrapping!

An outsider’s view of Manchester

Having first met the Aussie Ryan whilst on a semester abroad in Zürich, and having learnt that he was quite the football fan, I concluded it would be criminal if I didn’t have him over to Manchester to see his team play. Either way, I was intrigued to observe my friend and get his outsider’s view of Manchester. Would he notice that strange Manchester walk? That accent? The music: Oasis and The Smiths? The football rivalry: City v. United?

Well, his first impression was of Wythenshawe, and that the weather wasn’t much good (although in not so kind words). Living around the corner from the Curry Mile, I was proud to introduce my friend to the city by pointing down that barrage of neon lights. Yet that pride turned to embarrassment when I saw that relatively unimpressed look on his face. Clearly not living up to the atmosphere of Sydney.

The next morning, we walked up the Curry Mile. Apparently, it was ‘overhyped’. (Although he admitted the cheesy garlic naan he sampled was good). Beyond that I showed him the Ali G (“who’s ‘Ali G’?” he asked) and took an obligatory selfie in front of Whitworth Hall. His impression of Manchester was improving by the second.

“Quite the student town,” he thought. Almost everyone he saw looked like a student. Manchester wasn’t what he had expected, and Ryan thought it seemed like a smaller suburb of Sydney. Could you compare Manchester to Sydney, his university city? Surprisingly enough, the comparison was entertained, but then rejected. “Sydney is completely different, as it’s not a student town like Manchester is.” It’s funny to hear Manchester, one of the country’s biggest cities, referred to as a ‘student town’.

With this in mind, we moved away from the universities, further up Oxford Road towards Archie’s for lunch. “The best food for sure”, but only because it reminded him of Sydney’s burgers. “What’s so good about them?” I ask. They copy America. They fit into this new craze and hype around burgers. Unfortunately, I didn’t have time to show him Almost Famous — he would have loved it!

Being a History student, Ryan was treated to a lecture on Manchester’s history that lasted from the moment I saw him to the moment he left. Considering its Victorian history, Ryan thought the city itself felt very industrial, full of old decommissioned factories. He thought the Town Hall in Albert Square was very well preserved, and that it wasn’t until he saw the Memorial Hall that he knew about the amount of countries linked with Manchester thanks to its trading status.

I asked him something that provokes heated debates in my house every time it comes up — whether he had noticed a North-South divide. Ryan said that there was a difference, in the people. Manchester didn’t seem to have as much of a city culture as London or Sydney. Whereas in those cities it’s hectic, fast-paced, and moving, in Manchester, no-one seemed in a rush to go anywhere.

The Northern Quarter was Ryan’s favourite part of the city. It certainly had that Victorian vibe, yet also an alternative one. He hadn’t expected to find somewhere like that in Manchester. But when he was there, he found a little bit of expectation in regards to the music scene influence. “Everyone has the same sort of haircut because of a certain band from Manchester.” But when I mentioned the Happy Mondays and The Smiths, I was met with a “the what?” Clearly not the bands I was thinking of.

The Northern Quarter crowd was very different to what Ryan observed whilst on a classy night out in Spinningfields. It was distinctly different from the student town of Manchester that he’d come to know, classier and less student-y.

The National Football Museum was, apparently, better than the newly opened FIFA Museum in Zürich, and Ryan said that having only seen the first floor. He liked that it was free too. But what he did notice was our fixation on our 1966 World Cup victory. “You guys need to get rid of that World Cup. It was all those years ago. You need to move on.”

Ryan’s most intriguing observation though? The buses. “Why is it called Magic Bus? Is it magic or something?”

Take a break from social media over Christmas

I have been one of the worst of our generation when it comes to social media. Since my first Bebo account in 2005, I have spent over ten years far more concerned with what was going on online than what was going on in real life.

It is true that today, social media is crucial in the functioning of our world. Whether it is keeping you updated on if your next choir or lacrosse rehearsal is cancelled, or the President revealing his reaction to a recent global event — the world today would not cope without it.

So, this Christmas season I have decided to rid myself of the burden. I came to the realisation that it really doesn’t matter what other people are doing every single day. You probably haven’t seen them since Upper Sixth and you didn’t even like them that much then. It only leads to stress and worry. An old theory of mine was: “Even if you don’t look it’s still happening, so at least by checking you’re in the know” — but that is ludicrous, because as mentioned above: you know nothing.

You have seen your old boyfriend in a club photo and he has definitely kissed all seven girls surrounding him. You see those friends you really don’t speak to much anymore in a photo at the pub and they are bound to have spoken about their distaste for you. You see your best friends having a girls chill day, and you are hurt as to why you weren’t considered. But it is not real life. Those seven girls could be his sisters (unlikely, but possible), and no one at the pub even gave you a thought that day, and the girls chill day was arranged last minute when they knew you weren’t free anyway.

But it is not only about not seeing what other people are doing with their lives — it is just as much about others not seeing what you are doing with your life. Such anonymity is something alien to us, having grown up with so many having access to our every move. It is a bizarre thing when, immediately after Instagramming your presents, you sit there concerning yourself over whether others enjoyed and appreciated them, and not whether you enjoyed them yourself.

If you think about it, a lot of the time — without the internet connection so gracefully swooping round your head and sending lightsaber-ish beams through your house — I am clearly well educated on the topic — it is just you. You are sat there, there is a bunch of inanimate objects around you, and were your internet to fail whole-heartedly, you would suddenly feel very alone. And that is no way to be on Christmas.

I know there are benefits to social media, and I genuinely love the idea of people being able to share lovely, or beautiful, or life-changing moments with the world, if it makes them happy. But this Christmas, try putting your phone away. Time with your family is too precious to waste worrying about someone else’s. Your grandparents are not getting any younger and, before you know it, you may be spending Christmases with another family. Your experiences are not lessened and your presents are still as ace if they are not seen by others — if you are not comparing them to your friends’, they might even be better.