Designer Spotlight: Julian J Smith

Before September not many people had heard of the name Julian J Smith, however that's no longer the case after the launch of his debut SS10 collection at London Fashion Week. Since then the young designer has gone from strength to strength in the fashion world, gaining acclaim and recognition from the top moguls in the industry.

Before Smith began his solo designing career, he had perviously worked under the likes of: Jonathan Saunders, Roland Mouret and Erdem. Therefore providing him with an excellent platform to progress in his own designing campaign. Despite this solid foundation from which to build upon, Julian J Smith has surpassed the expectations of many, and excelled way beyond anyone could have envisaged at such an early stage of his career.

Back in February Smith returned for another dose of LFW, this time to showcase his Autumn/Winter 10-11 collection. Again his designs were well recieved, and his sophistated yet young and vibrant style was also noticed. His inspiration comes from the Pop Art movement which was prevalent throughout the 1960's, and is evident through Smith's mixing of acidic colours with neutral tones. I personally love the way he has no fear in experimenting with his designs, perhaps where others may shy away. For instance, his flair for clashing different fabrics and textures to create an almost abstract effect is truly refreshing. Throughout his work exquisite detailing and intricacy remains constant, making pieces expressive yet wearable.

After just two fantastic collections, Julian J Smith certainly looks set to continue making waves in the fashion industry.

SS10:













AW10/11:

Flower Power

So today is the big day... England v Germany. I'm not normally a huge football fan, but the spirit and sheer energy of the World Cup has converted me a little bit! However, the incessant drones of those awful vuvuzelas are enough to drive anyone mad! - Give me couture and catwalks any day of the week.

Anyway, back to normality and this season has seen more diverse and expressive trends than ever before, one in particular being bright floral prints. Dolce and Gabbana featured this trend back in their S/S10 show, and despite already looking ahead to A/W collections, summer is not over by any means. So make the most of the sun and try a dose of flower power!

I'm really liking pieces that mix bright shades with occasional neutral tones, creating depth and enhancing detail. Here's a few snaps of a floral collage piece I put together, showing just how influential the D&G show really was.

Clogs - A Matter of Opinion

Okay, I know I'm a little late with this, but it seems 'clog mania' has totally taken off. Designers have created more interpretations on the old-school clog than you can shake a stick at; all of which by now have been adapted further for the high street.

Though I can't help but think, are they really that nice... or will the trend pass just as quickly as a sunny spell in England? (Although saying that, there has been an unusual amount of nice weather going on lately. It won't last.) Yes, for this very reason I have resisted the temptation to purchase a single pair of clogs so far this summer. However after a little shopping spree yesterday, I am very close to breaking this vow. These are the clogs in question:



Hmm... To buy or not to buy - that is the question. What do you think; are clogs cool or do they need to be left well away in yesteryear?

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Got that festival feeling?

Lately I've been finding myself in complete and utter adoration of festival fashion. Fear not, you don't need to go plodging through muddy fields this summer, in order to give a nod to the trend. I for one am not intending on going to any music festivals, but that's not about to stop me dressing as if I am!

This season its all about mixing and matching different textures, and combining smooth edges with hard lines. For fantastic festival style, staple pieces include: denim, checks, lace and floral prints.

This morning I got a bit snap-happy, and as a result here's me in my festival outfit:







Outfit includes:
Floral top, £19.99 at River Island
Lace shorts, £19.99 at River Island
Jersey sleeved denim jacket, Tosphop
Shoes, £24 at New Look (click)

Not forgetting a loose up-do to complete the look, staying true to festival style:

I am Lusting After:

These gorgeous Alexander McQueen military shoe boots...







...But even in the sale, at £389 alas they're still over my budget. However, I happened to stumble accross these lace-up boots from Miss Selfridge, and they're quite similar to the A.M. pair (which cheered me up slightly!). Then I saw their price was £50, and it cheered me up even more!







Needless to say I will be buying a pair of these! Love.

Going mad for Maxi

From bold to nude tones, from lace to silk... yes, the Maxi dress revival is here! I must admit, prior to this 'relaunch', so to speak, I wasn't really a big fan of these summer dresses... Instead opting for something that didn't make me look like a walking pair of curtains! Suffice to say I couldn't quite carry off the look as well as, say, taller people!

However, it wasn't until recently that I realised where I had been going wrong. It wasn't my height that was the issue (I'm 5'2" btw - so not that small!), but the fact that I was buying the wrong sizes/ fits... to say I felt silly when I found out was an understatement. But nevermind, because I can now enjoy Maxis in all their summery and floaty glory at long last! whoooooop haha!

This page (click) has great tips on how to buy Maxi dresses that are a perfect fit for you, so you'll always look knock-out fantastic!

Fashion shows for SS10 collections saw designers showing off different styles in abundance, here are just a few of my favourite Maxis this summer:







The first is a beautiful multi-toned Maxi, from the Blumarine SS10 collection. Perfect for sunny holidays. The second is by Emilio Pucci, again from the summer collection.. The serene shades of blue create an almost angelic effect don't you think? Finally the third is a Stella McCartney, with ruffled texture.



This Kenzo has to be my absolute favourite designer Maxi of the season. The soft tone of the dress contrasts with the hard lines of the denim jacket, creating an 'edge' to the outfit.

Luckily you don't have to pay designer prices to get the designer look, with this edgy street-style alternative influencing the high street.



This outfit is a combination of a lace maxi dress(£45) and denim jacket(£45) both from Topshop.

Plastic is Fantastic

Think of the word plastic, and what's the first thing that normally comes to mind..? Barbie, Regina George and her Mean Girls, or perhaps throwaway cutlery. Well think again, think more along the lines of high-end fashion. Think Prada.

Yes, you're probably as surprised as I was to learn that Prada has recently launched a new vinyl collection for SS10, complete with transparent bags and purses. Made almost entirely from plastic! I must admit, when I first heard about this concept I was all set to dislike what I saw, however I was pleasantly surprised and pleased to announce... I rather love it!

The only drawback is that anyone and everyone will be able to see your possessions within the bag, but other than that I think it's a unique and interesting twist on an everyday material. And at £1,550 for the bag below, quite an expensive twist at that (On second thoughts, maybe the transparency isn't the only drawback!).





What do you think, love it or loathe it?