Mumbling Elf

Sophie Theallet wins CDFA/Vogue Fashion Fund Award

With fashion's constant thirst for the Next Big Thing, it is always exciting when an emerging designer achieves some major recognition. The CDFA/Vogue Fashion Fund award has previously helped to put designers such as Proenza Schouler and Alexander Wang on the map, and with a $200,000 prize fund to boot, it looks like winner Sophie Theallet has a bright future ahead of her. 

Not that she's some young upstart fresh out of fashion school - french-born Theallet has previously worked for Jean Paul Gaultier and has over ten years experience as Azzedine Aleia's right-hand woman. She's also made headlines by dressing Michelle Obama, and by casting only black models for her debut show in 2008 (although she insists this was not to make any kind of political statement). 

With a style she describes as 'bohemian luxe seen through the eyes of a sophisticated couturier', Theallet's skill and experience within the world of couture shines through in her Spring/Summer 2010 collection - and with plans to collaborate on a shoe line with Manolo Blahnik, doubtless we can expect more headlines in future.

  

  

Photos: Sophie Theallet S/S 10 from style.com

 

 

Future fashion - 30s style!

Had a good old chuckle at this clip from the 1930's - but they were pretty spot on in many cases don't you think? 

How about Sebastian Errazuriz's zipper dress? Or Louise Goldin's S/S 10 dresses? Marc Jacob's backwards heel? Mobile phones? Ipods?

I wonder what they would make of the new Alexander McQueen shoes... Ooh, swish!

Sebastian Errazuriz

Louise Goldin

Marc Jacobs

Style blogger article in Financial Times

Congrats to Bryanboy,Scott Schuman (The Sartorialist), Tavi (Style Rookie), Susie Lau (Style Bubble), Disneyrollergirl and Garance Dore amongst others for making the front page of today's Financial Times Life & Arts supplement. It's great to see these bloggers being given recognition, and to read an article that identifies the considerable impact that blogging is having on the fashion industry. It also raises some interesting questions about brand strategies and the future credibility of blogger opinions - to which Disneyrollergirl has written a great response. I'd be interested to know if the new Federal Trade Commission guidelines also apply to other forms of online and print media? 

Its a shame the online article doesn't have comments enabled - I would love to know what FT readers make of this. I know the FT has a wide ranging readership but I wonder what they will think of 13-year-old Tavi in particular?

Bryanboy in front row at Milan shows, photo from FT.com

Computer says No

Friday 13th? Damn right. My computer hard drive has suddenly and inexplicably died, and being the kind of person that puts off everything until the very last moment, or in this case, completely, I hadn't backed up in months. Remember that episode of SATC? That was me this morning, except with bed hair and slightly more colourful language. All Saturday afternoon plans cancelled in order to make trip to PC World **GROAN**

Oh. Dear. God.

Am having footwear-related panic.

My lovely vintage front bowed shoes appear to have suddenly become miles too big for me. This is I know because this morning as I was trying to cross a VERY busy road, one of said shoes came flying off my foot in an almost olympic manner, nearly hitting a rather attractive man who was waiting on the opposite side and resulting in my near death from an oncoming taxi. (Mortal embarrassment does not even begin to cover it).

Am now shuffling about precariously until I can get home, kind of like a kid who's raided the dressing-up box for grown-up shoes.  Although I doubt this is scientifically possible (must google) I'm picturing my feet shrinking - this being a reversal of a few years ago when they grew a whole extra size and I rather upsettingly had to replace all of my shoes. (This is the absolute truth, apparently adult growth spurts are completely normal - who knew? In fact am slightly miffed I havent got any taller.)

UPDATE

Panic over, relieved to say feet are still the same size after having tried on entire shoe collection. Going to put it down to low quality vintage brand, cold weather and slippery tights.

Louise Goldin S/S 2010 shoes

There are shoes you wear for work. There are you shoes you wear for a night out. There are high heeled shoes for when you want to walk tall, comfy shoes for travelling, open-toe shoes for balmy summer evenings, and snug, cosy shoes for walking the dog on freezing winter mornings.

And then there are shoes for pretending to be a kick-ass, punk-loving, bad-guy flooring modern day wonderwoman.

A mini mini-break

Ah, Paris.. I once harboured a very strong desire to move to Paris, a dream which very nearly became a reality many years ago, when a friend and I hopped on the Eurostar, each with nothing but a suitcase and a headful of romantic ideals. However, I soon realised that spontaneity isn't always such a great idea, especially when the only french you can remember is 'un verre de vin blanc s'il vous plaît' (although arguably the most useful phrase to know).

I keep meaning to book a long weekend break, but with work deadlines looming, a non-existant budget and Christmas rapidly approaching, I guess my Parisian rendezvous will have to wait until next year. 

So, in the meantime, I propose to order some Postcards from Paris - this vintage-inspired brass photoframe necklace, with a set of interchangeable Parisian scenes from the 1920s, part of a range of quirky contemporary and reworked vintage pieces by Rock 'n Rose. Available to buy online here.

   

Why I should probably stick to shopping

For the past few months I've been looking for the perfect pair of Brogues, but being completely flat broke as usual, I've had no luck. Fed up of browsing through pictures of incredibly cool-looking women in great shoes, I decided to approach the problem like a man. That's right - weekend DIY.

With Primark as my fashion B&Q, I snapped up some rather hideous but cheap black and white brogues and picked up some black dye on my way home. In order to make this post really effective I guess I should have done some before, during and after shots in a kind of homage to Neil Buchanan of Art Attack, but in all my excitement I got way too caught up in the task at hand. So, after a few coats, here is the final result:

Not too bad, huh? Not entirely sure what will happen if I get caught in a downpour, but I guess I'll find out soon enough.

Still, I was pretty pleased with my efforts.

And then I discovered that Primark already sell them in black.

Chanel S/S 2010 press day

 

D&G - S/S 2010 Press Day