So today sees the beginning of a little side-project with POP magazine. I feel very honoured to have been asked to contribute and hope I do a good job. It’s just another place to follow my antics; so I can now be found on Twitter and POP and right here, my favourite place of all. I’m not sure what guise my links with POP will take but I’ll be making a start tomorrow. Also, don’t forget you can follow my blog with bloglovin too.

A close second behind la mode or is that joint first with la lecture?…comes la musique. Refreshingly some true fashionistas have entered the world of music, where for me their style surpasses their musicianship. A prime example is the gorgeous Florence + the Machine – her look is truly unique and uncompromising, her innate talent undeniable, her music…is not yet to my taste (although I’m only 2 listens into the album.) Sometimes the hype surrounding these artistes is overwhelming, almost as if the industry cannot contain itself at the musical enigma it is presented with. They don’t have to manufacture anything, all the elements of success are there; beauty – check, talent – check, quirky fashion-forward style, check, hoards of equally cool fans – check! The album is then released and it’s good but not the equal to the phenomenon of the artist. The N.M.E. released quite a mediocre review of Florence’s album Lungs, that sums up what I said here in a far more scathing manner (which does make me sad as Florence’s voice is a joy!) Her style is breathtaking and so uplifting in an industry of complete fashion lemmings, so now I’m going to give her music a chance. Listen to Florence here and peruse her fashion magnificence everywhere.

There is a shop in the Pompidou Centre that reminds me of a childhood obsession of mine and an odd one at that! I adored pencil easers, so named “rubbers” although that has a different connotation now. I especially loved the Japanese variety, brightly coloured and distinctly perfumed. The Cetre Pompidou shop is like stepping into a fantasy world of trinkets and fripperies – none of them needed but all desired (like the pencil eraser fantasy shop of my youth!) I was drawn to these Origami necklaces by Claire Naa and Arnaud Soulignac. They are so delicate and yet decadent, born of a love of the Japanese art. I do not NEED another necklace but my compulsion is such that I may HAVE to have one! See all the shapes and colours on offer here and step into my fantasy at the Pompidou on your next visit to Paris.

Paris était formidable…comme toujours! The city draws me in, as always. It was expensive (more so as the Euro becomes stronger than the British pound,) it was busy and hectic but still something about the city gives me an inner serenity that I don’t find elsewhere. Big cities have a very obvious appeal for the tourist but the longer I spend in Paris and the more I get to know the city, I wonder if it could ever be a “home.” Am I deluding myself? Am I seduced by the appeal of big-city life, as seen by a visitor? I used to live in London and after a year I did become disillusioned and frankly lonely in a city of millions. Would that be the case in Paris….I will keep you posted.

This is my favourite part of the style year…watching as the Spring Summer looks we were treated to last year filter down to the high street. It’s a worrying time for me, when some SERIOUS spending could occur, snapping up multiple imitation items, instead of  one luxury designer piece.  I keep reading in magazines that the current trend is extremely juxtaposed to my personal pattern – saving to buy one stand-out, authentic piece as opposed to lots of High Street equivalents.

(A tangent tale – I speak and teach French and was mildly shocked to find there is no one word or phrase that conveys the English meaning of High Street. High Street to us means affordable and on-trend clothing. “La Rue Principale” just means the main street in a town. The nearest equivalent I could think of was, “Des vêtements à bon marché et à la mode achetés des magasins d’une chaîne” cheap and fashionable clothing bought from a chain-store. Let me know if there is a better equivalent! TANGENT OVER)

Each item on my wish list is catered for best by a different High Street store. Richard Nicoll’s catwalk colour block dresses are beyond my means but a maxi-dress from his Topshop fusion range is within my reach. Chloé’s pastels are definitely 3 price brackets too far but Cheap Monday’s skinny lemon jeans are a bargain at £50. I could go on and on… So which tribe do you divide into – save for a single item splurge or multiple spend for less? Let me know. Also I had little response to my multi-lingual posting; if you’d like me to continue, drop me a line.

The ubiquitous legging. Lindsay Lohan sells them, everyone seems to own some and some have more kudos than others. Some have gained fame, namely the Black Rats legging by Sass & Bide. I now face a moral dilemma, of the spending kind – buy these almost £100 pair of leggings or ignore their existence and acknowledge the ridonculous price tag? Any thoughts? See or buy at Net-a-Porter. (I know that if I do ignore…just a little longer, they’ll be sold out and my dilemma will be solved, to be replaced by incessant yearning!) Para español, clique aqui. Pour lire en français, cliquez ici.
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Sometimes in the world of fashion I forget that fashion can be art. New York Fashion Week left me with an overall feeling of boredom. Let me elaborate, as perhaps boredom is a little harsh. To me New York style has always represented slickness, clean lines and congruity; on the whole, New York Fashion Week delivered exactly that. London Fashion Week represents English eccentricity and the eclectic nature of the city and already it holds great promise. The Central Saint Martins’ show offers a glimpse into the future of fashion and this year’s MA graduates have offered an exciting platter of styles. From bold colour choices, to innovative nude palettes, the elements of interesting form and shape ran throughout the show. See for yourself on Style.com and decide which city’s Fashion Week inspires you the most.

I felt slightly winded on seeing Christopher Kane’s new collection through the minimal display feature of Net-a-Porter. Maybe it’s because I have a frozen shoulder or perhaps it’s their overwhelming beauty (combined with an equally immense price-tag!) They dazzled on the catwalk but their singular beauty is more emphatic when framed by the stark white of Net-a-Porter. They are transformed into pieces of art as opposed to mere items of clothing (although as I cut around the scalloped detail dress, far right, it did start to shape itself like a Darlek!) So on days like this, I do wish that my bank account was an ocean and £3,000 a tiny drop within it…but as that’s not the case, I can look and drool and wish my architectural sewing skills existed! See all Christopher’s masterpieces on Net-a-Porter.

In the same way that a face can sell a cover (as mentioned in my previous post) it can sell a collection. Zara’s Spring/Summer offering is fronted by the ubiquitous model du jour, Lara Stone. The shoes and colour combinations seem more fashion-forward when presented by Miss. Stone. Zara‘s only downside for me, is their lack of online purchase feature. I often find that one elusive purchase, usually touted by EVERY fashion magazine, evades me, no matter how many branches I pop into. See the making of their campaign and the catalogue on Zara’s website.