News From NYFW: Polo Necks, Prince of Wales Checks and Big Grins

February 11, 2013

Nothing can bring New York Fashion Week down, we discovered this weekend. Especially not a blizzard named after an animated fish! The Autumn/Winter 2013 shows continued despite the sub-zero conditions, with editors wearing wellies on the front row and ‘It’ girls doubling-up on coats. The collections were worth suffering numb toes for, luckily, with Tommy Hilfiger, Victoria Beckham and Diane von Furstenberg amongst the highlights. Here are the key trends to note, so far…

Tommy Hilfiger Fall 2013 Prince of Wales checks

Prince of Wales Checks at Tommy Hilfiger: The Tommy Hilfiger show opened with eight menswear-inspired outfits in Prince of Wales checks. The mixture of boyish tailoring and heritage prints was sassy and cool, reminding me a little of Diane Keaton in Annie Hall. I hope Tommy has started a big trend here, as it’s a look I’d like to see more of!

Victoria Beckham Fall 2013 polo neck purple detachable

Polo Necks Make a Comeback at Victoria Beckham: This season Victoria Beckham is also feeling the menswear influence, sending oversized coats, boxy silhouettes and elements of suiting down her AW13 runway. But the polo necks somehow made the biggest impact. For such a small detail they certainly transform a look, and rumour has it Victoria’s polo necks are all detachable. I do love a garment that can be worn in more than one way…

Diane Von Furstenberg Fall 2013 smiles

Models Smile at Diane von Furstenberg: Here’s a fashion week shocker, if ever there was one… At the DVF show the models actually smiled as they walked down the runway. After years of expressionless faces this felt groundbreaking! Here’s hoping Diane’s influence will inspire a change in the industry, and we’ll see big, cheesy grins at every major show.

Are you enjoying New York Fashion Week, so far? Which collections have you liked best? Let me know…

Images style.com

Hide & Chic: The October 2012 Edition

October 1, 2012
It’s the first day of October, which means we’ve got a whole host of new exhibitions, product launches, trends and must-watch TV shows coming our way. Keep up-to-date with everything that’s going on this month with October’s Hide & Chic edit. You’ll be pleased to know it doesn’t feature anything Halloween related, which is quite an achievement…
Chanel’s Little Black Jacket: The Little Black Jacket exhibition arrives in London on October 12th. A selection of Karl Lagerfeld’s favourite ladies (including Carine, SJP, Elle Fanning and Alexa Chung) posed for exhibition, so hurry down to the Saatchi gallery fast. It’s only in town for three weeks!
The “Style to Savour” Campaign at Harrods: Today Harrods launch their exciting new online campaign, Style to Savour. Famed for their food halls, the iconic department store has fused fashion and food together for the month of October. Check out their stunning fashion images, photographed in Ladurée and their other world-class eateries, at harrods.com from today. 
The Baroque Trend: The look started on the runways at Balmain and Dolce & Gabbana, and now the great British high street is getting in on the baroque trend. Topshop is currently leading the way, with their body-con printed dress, which gives you the Balmain look for under £40!

Tommy Hilfiger for Breast Health International: Tommy Hilfiger is offering his support to Breast Health International (BHI), with a limited-edition charity tote bag. The navy blue and red handbag goes on sale this month, and £100 from each purchase (the bag retails at £225) will be donated to BHI’s Fund for Living. Look out for the accompanying campaign, which stars Charlotte Gainsbourg and was photographed by Drew Barrymore.
Monica Vinader’s Scarves: You won’t struggle to spot Monica Vinader‘s designs on the front row at fashion week, and October sees the launch of jewellery designer’s scarf collection. The cotton and silk printed scarves will be available to buy in the Scarf Room at Liberty, and in Monica’s South Molton street store, later this month. Prices start at £80. 
Hide… Sex and the City: Yep, it’s time to ditch those DVD boxsets, ladies. It’s all about Lena Dunham’s Girls now, which makes it’s UK debut on Sky Atlantic, in mid-October. There’s less Manolo Blahnik (in fact, there aren’t any Manolos) but it’s refreshingly real and will win you over in no time at all.

Are you excited about all of the upcoming October 2012 launches? Do you plan to watch Girls? And will you visit the Chanel Little Black Jacket exhibition?

What’s Happened at New York Fashion Week So Far?

September 10, 2012
We’re already onto day five of New York Fashion Week (seriously, how did that happen so quickly?) and while there haven’t been any heart-stoppingly-fabulous moments yet I’ve noticed a few trends brewing. It looks like gladiator sandals are poised to make a comeback, and bra tops have so far appeared in at least two major Spring/Summer 2013 collections. Uh oh…
I’ve also spotted some fabulous accessories and finishing touches, which I hope will spiral out into mini trends. Here’s a quick run-down of the New York Fashion Week highlights so far:


Headphones at W118 By Walter Baker: Models zoned out at the W118 presentation. Each girl stood in the lineup wearing her own pair of colourful headphones. Some girls stood totally still, others couldn’t stop bopping their heads, tapping their feet and wiggling their hips…

Cage shoes at Alexander Wang and Altuzarra: It was only a matter of time before gladiator sandals and cage shoes made a return to the runway. Alexander Wang went for minimalist white styles and Joseph Altuzarra’s heels brought back fond memories of Balenciaga’s iconic gladiators. Expect to see Rihanna and Beyonce wearing these styles soon…

Dresses worn over trousers at Prabal Gurung: Designers are still channeling the 1990′s. The latest case point? Ruffled chiffon dresses worn over tailored trousers at Prabal Gurung. Approach this look carefully though, as I’m not even sure Prabal managed to rock it…

Bra tops at Jason Wu and Victoria Beckham: As if crop tops weren’t scary enough, VB and Jason Wu have gone one better, sending their models out in skimpy bra tops. High-waisted shorts and trousers toned down the nakedness, and seeing as Victoria Beckham never bares her torso in public I think it’s fair to assume this is a runway/editorial only trend.

Mirrored sunglasses at Rebecca Taylor: This isn’t a style I’d usually go for, but somehow Rebecca Taylor’s feminine designs make mirrored sunglasses look pretty cool. The key to rocking these shades clearly lies in your other accessories – or, should I say, your lack of them. Keep your style fuss-free and mirrored sunglasses aren’t so bad. Who’d have thought?

Cricket jumpers at Tommy Hilfiger: It’s hard to find a preppier knit than the cricket jumper, and Tommy Hilfiger’s Spring 2013 designs are absolute must-haves. Worn oversized, as dresses, they were paired with sporty raincoats, chunky white heels and perfectly tanned legs.

Which collections have you liked so far at New York Fashion Week? And which shows are you still looking forward to? Remember you can watch the NYFW livestream HERE.

Images style.com and Mike Coppola/Getty Images for Mercedes-Benz

Trend Driven: Military Coats for Fall 2012

August 13, 2012
In fashion you’re never more than 18 months away from a military revival. It’s the trend that never grows old; a look designers adore. Especially in London, where Christopher Bailey never fails to put a fresh spin on the Burberry trench. This Autumn/Winter Burberry’s military coats were quilted, with dramatic wide hips and nipped-in waists. The military look continued at McQ, and over in New York with Tommy Hilfiger, where army-inspired outerwear was accessorised with leather belts and knee-high boots. A lesson in flawless winter dressing…
From top left: Altuzarra // Victoria Beckham // Burberry Prorsum // McQ //Moschino // Tommy Hilfiger

My two favourite military coats appeared at Altuzarra and Victoria Beckham. Posh Spice sure knows a thing or two about the military trend (remember those airport outfits?), and her soft wool trench coat with leather detailing was exquisite. Definitely a runway look to dream about…

Were you pleased to see a military revival on the Fall 2012 runways? Will you wear this trend?

Images style.com

The Top 10 Sportswear Inspired Spring 2012 Collections

January 2, 2012
Hands up who’s on a diet for the New Year? If you’re seeking some motivation to get down to the gym then look no further than the Spring Summer 2012 trend for sportswear inspired pieces. New York fashion week always provides plenty of sports-chic looks but the British designers were all at it this season too – must the excitement surrounding the London Olympics. Even Victoria Beckham swapped her posh image for a bit of Sporty Spice’s charm. 
Here’s the Coco’s Tea Party selection of the top ten sportswear inspired S/S 2012 collections:
Alexander Wang & Marc by Marc Jacobs
Isabel Marant
Helmut Lang & Versus

Theyskens’ Theory & Tommy Hilfiger
Victoria Beckham
Rag & Bone & Peter Pilotto

Will you be wearing the sportswear trend this spring? Which collections were your favourites?

images vogue.it, style.com

July 29, 2009

“You Bought This From Ralph Lauren?”

Yesterday while out shopping I walked past a Tommy Hilfiger store. Tommy clothes aren’t really my style, so my first thought is not “ooh lets go in” it’s “remember Ally Hilfiger on Rich Girls?”
Rich Girls was the first reality TV show I ever loved, and I still think it is amazing – they should think about bringing it out on DVD, I would be lame enough to buy it.
Rumour has it Ally is embarrassed by the way she came across, but I liked her. My memories are of her wearing aviator sunglasses better than Jennifer Aniston does, struggling to make Mexican food and coming up with the hilarious analogy that designing a collection for her Dad is like stripping away all her makeup and re-applying it.
And she has turned out brilliantly, she looked amazing at the Charlotte Ronson show last Feb. How does she make those classes look so cool?

ahilfiger0204081371oe0

Anyway, I managed to find the best clip from the show, where Ally is cleaning out her wardrobe and Tommy butts in and starts insulting all her clothes (especially those by Ralph Lauren). To me this is genius – I could watch it all day.

“You bought this from Ralph Lauren? How much did you pay for this?”

“I got it at a discount price”

“Was it on sale or something? It looks like it would be on sale, I don’t think anyone would really wanna buy this”

See – genius!
I you haven’t seen it you must watch it, and if you have watch it again anyway. Link is here – clip is one minute in.

image from the fashion spot

Posted by Filed Under: Ally Hilfiger, Tommy Hilfiger