Alexander McQueen

A spooky synopsis

Published on October 31, 2014October 31, 2014 by Alicja JasnikowskaLeave a comment

Happy Halloween all! I hope you are suitable attired for this day of fright or if not that you are planning some ghoulish outfits for later. In keeping with the idea of all things hallow I have decided to do a visual round-up of some of this week’s SS15 press days with a topical Halloween twist.

First up is yesterday’s Modus PR offerings…

The exoskeleton digital skin coat by Hemyca

If Edward got his Scissorhands on a garment – distressed Haizhen Wang jacket

Ethereal Marie Antoinette beauty from Sorapol

Next up is Blow PR who can always be relied upon for some unique & kooky treats.

A Halloween showstopper – feathered top, skirt and acrylic platforms (below) by Alex Ulichny

The white witch of Narnia – dress by newcomer Francesca Capper

Leather corset belts from Anita Nemkyova

Opt for zombie Prom Queen in a beautiful Sonas gown

Some pumpkin cake-pops and a few spooky sunnies from Safilo eyewear:

Mad Professor – Metal frame sunnies

Classic cat-eyes in metallic gold by Alexander McQueen

At Wednesday’s Spring London press day I spotted these fabulous Halloween worthy pieces:

Skeletal rings and necklaces and fierce earcuffs (below) by Annelise Michelson

If couture did costumes – Beaded dress by Nicholas Oakwell Couture

The chicest ghost on the block – shirt dress by Chalayan

Finally a few AI PR pieces:

Designer zombie – deconstructed jersey by Loewe

A polished pirate – dress by J.W Anderson

A patchwork puzzle – leather jacket by Loewe

And to finish off here are a few inspiration images for my own outfit today.

Mechanical Dolls – Tim Walker for Vogue Italia Oct 2011

Pierrot the Clown

Creepy doll

All SS15 press day images are my own. For more info on any of the featured designers please visit the links below:

http://www.hemyca.com; http://www.haizhenwang.co.uk; http://www.sorapol.co.uk; http://www.alexulichny.com; http://www.anitanemkyova.com; http://www.francescacapper.com; http://www.sonascouture.com; http://www.annelisemichelson.com; http://www.chalayan.com; http://www.loewe.com; http://www.j-w-anderson.com;

Label watch: Ruby Rocks

Published on May 2, 2014 by Alicja JasnikowskaLeave a comment

From floral to tribal and abstract to geometric, colourful prints have been making a strong summer statement for several seasons and the trend shows no sign of abating. For SS14 Alexander McQueen, Celine and Mary Kantrantzou all championed the trophy print, with many opting for the matchy-matchy approach of head-to-toe pattern.

Alexander McQueen SS14

Celine SS14

Mary Kantrantzou SS14

Valentino SS14

All above images: http://www.style.com

This is all music to my fashion ears as I have long had a predilection for bold prints (much to the dismay of previous boyfriends I might add). So I was delighted when I was recently introduced to British label Ruby Rocks. Stepping into their showroom is like walking into a vibrant fashion jungle with rails of garments featuring tropical florals, bold peacock feather prints and geometric Aztec patterns. Set up in 2006, the label has been five times nominated by fashion insider Drapers for their Young Fashion Brand of the Year award.

Head designer Izzy regularly flies to Bali to design all their unique prints and create their fabrics. Cute jumpsuits and Hawaiian print shirtdresses will satisfy vintage fans, whilst those who prefer trainers to pin curls will love their crop tops, bombers and printed trousers -which all tap into the hugely popular sports-luxe trend.

All above pieces from Ruby Rocks current collection

Price points are very accessible with jackets and sweaters retailing at under £40 and jumpsuits and maxi-dresses coming in at £55. With the May bank holiday on our doorstep and vacation season fast approaching these pieces will inject some summer vibrancy into your wardrobe whatever the weather.

Ruby Rocks showroom can be found at: 59 Great Portland St, London, W1W 7LJ. T: 020 7436 1817. www.rubyrocks.com Also available at www.debenhams.com, www.stylistpick.com and www.surfdome.com as well as independent stockists.

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.

Reclining in a dramatic Philip Treacy hat

Isabella Blow and Alexander McQueen, at the launch of her lipstick collaboration with Mac, 7th Sept 2005, London

‘ Isabella Blow: Fashion Galore!’ runs from 20 Nov 2013 – 2 Mar 2014 at Somerset House, Strand London WC2R 1LA.

http://www.somersethouse.org.uk/visual-arts/isabella-blow-fashion-galore

All I want for Christmas is…

Published on November 27, 2013November 29, 2013 by Alicja JasnikowskaLeave a comment

Ooh yay! I have finally got my hands on a copy of this month’s Harrods magazine with their annual Christmas gift guide. And no, I haven’t just won the lottery and am therefore considering my next lofty purchase, but this month is the issue that I contributed to. Back in September I did a 3 week stint at the luxury title (check out my previous blog on the unique experience – https://stylitz.com/2013/08/31/my-week-at-harrods/) and the work has now been published. My still-life styling skills can be seen on the front & back cover of the Christmas Gift Guide 2013 & one of my cashmere style-ups also made it into the supplement.

Styling: Alicja Jasnikowska Photography: Arthur Woodcroft

Styling: Alicja Jasnikowska Photography: Studio 21

With regards to the gift boxes featured on the cover – these two images were the result of a whole day of ribbon twisting, petal fluffing and handbag stuffing, but I think you’ll agree the final results look very luxe. Included was a selection of fabulous accessories from Tom Ford, Alexander McQueen, Givenchy and Smythson (among others). The boxes were 1 metre squared and the freeze-dried petals had to be pre-ordered – it took over 16 litres to fill each box. I believe they will be offering this exact gift box in store should you have a spare few thousand to spend on your loved one. They also used one of the images as the Ultimate page in the November issue of the magazine, which shows details of what is contained. I hope you like the images…

Styling: Alicja Jasnikowska Photography: Arthur Woodcroft

All images courtesy of Harrods Publishing http://www.harrodsmagazine.com featuring the Harrods Christmas 2013 supplement and also the current/November 2013 issue.

All products can be found at http://www.harrods.com

A riot of colour

Published on August 9, 2013 by Alicja Jasnikowska1 Comment

Today’s blog is about my new favourite place. No, it’s not a boutique selling aggressively reduced Acne and Stella McCartney (although if anyone knows one of those please do let me know). It is a very unassuming fabric store right on my doorstep in South London. If you are coveting all the dramatic prints that have been filling stores this summer, but don’t want to find yourself along with several others in a matching dress, then this store may be just the ticket. Stocking a huge range of gorgeously patterned 100% cotton waxed fabrics, this is a treasure trove of bold daring prints. The pictures speak for themselves. Fabrics are sold in set lengths, but if you don’t want the whole 6 yards there is a selection of 2 yard off-cuts that sell for £5. Yes, that’s £5! This is like manna to a serious bargain hunter such as myself.

I have bought 3 different short lengths over the last few months and always pop by for a quick peek or to see if one of my favourite fabrics has made it to the off-cuts rail. With my first 2 yards I made unique cushion covers as presents for my friends’ weddings. This is enough fabric for two 20x20in cushions and then some. Both couples were supremely happy with their gifts (or so I am led to believe). Another length I am hoping to make into a summer dress or top, or even perhaps a pair of harem trousers if I’m feeling brave. The final length has yet to be assigned a plan.

A home-made cushion cover I gave as a wedding gift

The fabric is very durable and so perfect for both interiors and hard-wearing clothing. The tradition of using batiq to create these wax print designs goes back over 150 years. Produced originally by the Dutch and sold to West African traders, these fabrics soon became synonymous with African culture, and prints were given unique names by the traders based on characteristics in the design.

A selection of the amazing fabrics available at Sovereign Textiles in Tooting

If you don’t have a fashion degree, or aren’t adept with a sewing machine, then take the fabric to your local tailor and get yourself an original custom-made garment. I highly recommend Andy Piccos of Stitchin Biz (find his blog at http://andypiccos.com ) who I have worked with for years and is a wiz with a pair of scissors and a measuring tape. Otherwise try your local dry-cleaners, who often have competent and reasonably priced tailors on hand. Or be daring and turn your nimble fingers to a needle and thread. At only £5 you can afford to make a couple of mistakes and you never know… you may unleash the next Alexander McQueen.

Sovereign Textiles, 113 Mitcham Road, Tooting Broadway, London, SW17 9PE. T: 020 8682 1444. www.sovereigntextiles.co.uk
Opening hours 10-5:30pm but call in advance to check as they are quite flexible

For further information about the history of West African fabrics go to http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/design/2012/03/african_fabric_where_do_tribal_prints_really_come_from_.html