Author: Alicja Jasnikowska

London based Fashion Stylist & Writer with over 10 years experience working in TV, editorial & advertising. TV credits include: Ashley Banjo's Secret Street Crew (Sky 1), Gok's Fashion Fix (Channel 4), The 21st Question (ITV), Pop Goes the Band (Living). Published editorial work: Harrods magazine, JFW magazine, The Sunday Times Style, The Guardian, Country & Townhouse magazine, Exalt Magazine, Drafted, The Sun 'Buzz' magazine, She, Velvet (Dubai), Spoil Me (Greece). Advertising: Aspinal of London, Barbour, Burton, Gap, Gok for Tu at Sainsbury's, Interflora, Marks and Spencer, People Tree, Puma, Sleek Make-up, Timberland, Tusting Luggage, Weight Watchers, White Stuff. Celebs: Danny Dyer, Gethin Jones, Sarah Beeny, Gok Wan, 911, Joe Hart.

Put your back into it

Published on February 8, 2014March 1, 2015 by Alicja Jasnikowska4 Comments

It’s official, the backpack is definitely BACK! Having bubbled as a trend on catwalks and in streetstyle snaps for a few seasons, the Hoxton hipsters carryall of choice for has now hit the mainstream. Whilst perusing yesterdays hot-off-the-press New York Fashion Week AW14 pics, I spotted too many backpacks to count. Forget nylon rucksacks full of gym kit and leave the kitsch cartoony versions for the kids, the modern backpack is chic, clean and comes in luxurious leather.

New York Fashion Week AW14 (Image: Phil Oh for http://www.vogue.co.uk)

New York Fashion Week AW14 (Image: Tommy Ton for http://www.style.com)

Rag & Bone AW14 catwalk show (Image: http://www.style.com)

Here is a selection of my favourites available now – I particularly love the Grafea ones, which come in a wide selection of colours. I predict we’ll see many more of these across the coming fashion weeks and this trend will run and run (as will you with your new hands-free bag). Invest early and team with miminal oversized tailoring to avoid being mistaken for a schoolgirl.

Grafea ‘Piano’ White and black leather backpack, £165. http://www.grafea.co.uk

River Island white quilted rucksack, £30. http://www.riverisland.com

Topshop perforated monochrome backpack, £36. http://www.topshop.com

Alexander Wang Prisma Skeletal backpack £915. http://www.alexanderwang.com/

Marks & Spencer Autograph Leather Rucksack, £89. http://www.marksandspencer.com

Proenza Schouler black python PS large backpack, $3,050. http://www.barneys.com

3.1 Phillip Lim Orange Pashli Leather Backpack, £745. http://www.liberty.co.uk

ASOS leather luxe backpack, £75. http://www.asos.com

Topshop mock-snake zip front backpack, £36. http://www.topshop.com

Grafea ‘Smurf’ blue leather backpack, £180. http://www.grafea.co.uk

Holding image: Rucksacks £198, Chris Van Veghel at http://www.etsy.com/

Petal perfection

Published on February 7, 2014 by Alicja JasnikowskaLeave a comment

In the interest of defying this miserable weather I am posting all things summery on my blog this week – witness Sunday’s feature about the gorgeously bright Peter Pilotto for Target collection. Today’s piece is a feast of flowery loveliness, featuring the latest manicure offering from innovative nail polish experts Ciaté.

Ciaté Flower Manicure in Strike-A-Posy, £18

Ciaté Flower Manicure in Bada Bloom, £18

Available exclusively from Selfridges & Sephora this month, the adorable Flower Manicure comes in two options – the bold Strike-a-Posy in pink or the pastel Bada Bloom in blue (such great names!). Each pack comes with a 5ml polish and top coat, along with a nail file, tweezers and a selection of natural dried pressed flowers to add to your nails. Yes that’s real flowers, so there’s no need to pick up a paintbrush and channel your inner Van Gogh, although you may need a steady hand and some skills with a pair of tweezers. So be inspired by this Spring’s bold floral trend and adorn your nails with a plethora of petals. And just in time for a weeks practice before London Fashion Week. Fabulous!

Dried pressed flowers (Bottom image: http://www.pixiwoo.com)

Ciaté Flower Manicure kits retail for £18, available exclusively from Selfridges www.selfridges.com and Sephora www.sephora.com

Printastic Peter Pilotto creates collection for Target

Published on February 2, 2014March 17, 2015 by Alicja JasnikowskaLeave a comment

Those who know me will attest that I am rather partial to a print (I’d say love wouldn’t be too strong a word) and the more abstract and bold the print the harder I fall. From painterly patterns to African batik, I have always been a champion of colour and pattern. Therefore you can imagine how excited I am about the Peter Pilotto for Target collaboration, which launches exactly one week today. Designer garments at rock bottom prices are my kryptonite and what’s more, for the first time ever, this Target collection will be available beyond the US shores as Net-A-Porter is stocking an edited selection. And they have promised international delivery. Perfect!

US discount store Target has long been an advocate of designer collaborations, with a huge list of notable cut-price ranges dating back to the 90s – the likes of Mulberry, Philip Lim, Alexander McQueen and Marc Jacobs have all designed pieces for the store. Add to this Net-A-Porter’s international reach, and this month’s collection looks set to be their most successful yet.

Ever since its first on-schedule catwalk show at LFW back in 2009, Peter Pilotto has been the go-to label for punchy printed statement pieces, beloved by the likes of Cate Blanchett, Emma Watson, Miranda Kerr and Kristen Stewart.

Cate Blanchett in Peter Pilotto

Miranda Kerr in Peter Pilotto

Kristen Stewart in Peter Pilotto

Emma Watson in Peter Pilotto

A firm favourite with fashionistas and bloggers alike, the Target collection will allow those with a more modest budget to sample a piece of the Pilotto pie.

Dress £45

Top £25, skirt £35, trainers £30

Dress, £80

Tee £20, bikini bottoms £15, towel £25, trainers £30

Shirtdress £35, bikini top £23 and bottoms £17, trainers £30

Sunglasses £17, playsuit £55, trainers £30

As well as signature clashing-print fit-and-flare dresses, assymetric minis and neoprene tops, the 57-piece collection also includes swimwear, bags and some fabulous sunglasses. And all at purse-friendly prices. The only downside is that half the world will be purchasing these pieces online, so you may have some hefty competition. Best set the alarm early next Sunday and have your best trigger finger ready for some serious statement shopping.

Jacket £60

Cardigan £35

Skirt £35

All clothing: Peter Pilotto for Target, which launches in-store on 9^th Feb. For more information go to: http://www.target.com/c/peter-pilotto-for-target-brand-shop/-/N-55hsm.

Net-a-Porter will be selling an edited 38-piece collection on the same day at www.net-a-porter.com

Becks’ pecs make headlines

Published on January 24, 2014 by Alicja JasnikowskaLeave a comment

Ah David Beckham! How do I love thee? Let me count the ways… Yesterday saw the announcement of the new David Beckham Bodywear at H&M advert, which brightened up my dull January afternoon no end.

This year’s TV campaign sees David sharing his toned torso with the world as he jumps across the rooftops of East London’s Truman Brewery, having been locked out a photoshoot in only his undies (as you do – thanks to H&M). What’s more David insisted on doing all the stunts himself including zip wiring across buildings and jumping over walls barefoot. Filmed by acclaimed director Nicolas Winding Refn – he of Drive and Only God Forgives fame (which both feature another undeniable hottie Ryan Gosling) – the new advert will premiere at the US Super Bowl on 2nd February 2014. In an added twist there have been two alternative versions filmed, titled #Covered and #Uncovered, and from 27th January the public can head to hm.com to vote on which ending they would prefer to see.

Although the full adverts are yet to be shown, H&M have released this teaser video and I think the titles are self-explanatory. So which would you prefer – to see Beckham covered or uncovered? Hmm…

All images – David Beckham Bodywear at H&M. The new collection will be available in-store and online from 30th January 2014 http://www.hm.com

Isabella Blow: Fashion Galore!

Published on January 11, 2014 by Alicja JasnikowskaLeave a comment

So it’s been a sluggish start to the New Year blogging-wise, but after a busy week of working and prepping shoots I realised that I best put pen to paper and create some copy. And no, today’s blog is not going to be a belated synopsis of fashion in 2013 or a preview of the trends to come, but a piece about the amazing Isabella Blow exhibition at Somerset House, which I finally went to see with my friend Fi over the holidays.

The ‘Isabella Blow: Fashion Galore!’ exhibition (Image: Peter Macdiarmid/Getty)

Isabella wearing the Lobster outfit as seen on display above

Whilst both Fi and I are huge fashion lovers, I really didn’t expect the viewing to take more than an hour – as per a previous trip to the Paul Klee show at Tate Modern. How wrong could I be? This exhibition (curated by Alistair O’Neill with set design by Shona Heath) is so dramatic, rich and breathtakingly beautiful that even when rushing at the end (we were over an hour late to meet another friend-apologies again Bappa) it still took 2 hours to view everything. Room after room of Isabella’s exquisite clothes, all displayed on mannequins based on the late style icon herself, allowed me to closely peruse and truly appreciate the work of the genius designers she both discovered and mentored – chiefly Alexander McQueen and Philip Treacy, but also Julien Macdonald and Hussein Chalayan.

A selection of stunning Philip Treacy hats (Image 2: Peter Macdiarmid/Getty)

Alongside the stunning clothing, there is memorabilia that belonged to Isabella, including comic faxes sent at Sunday Times Style, Rolodex entries written in pink ink and a stub of her favourite Chanel Rouge lipstick. Also supplementing the garments are videos of McQueen and Treacy’s graduate collections, their first London Fashion Week shows and the piece de resistance, the McQueen tribute show to Isabella Blow shown at Paris Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2008. With a symbolic bird theme, and entitled ‘La Dame Bleue’, the catwalk is flanked by a huge pair of illuminated wings (angel wings?), a thank-you to the person who helped him become one of the most revered designers of the 20^th/21^st Century.

A selection of looks taken from Alexander McQueen SS08 show ‘La Dame Bleue’ (Images:style.com)

I recommend anyone with even an iota of interest in fashion to visit this exhibition. It is stimulating, breathtaking and also hugely tragic. The late Isabella, with her dramatic hats and wonky lipstick, was a fabulous fashion director and a true eccentric style icon, without whom British fashion would be infinitely poorer. This is a stunning tribute to her work. Get down there pronto and be inspired.