Hello Spring! Ah, Double-Denim, We Meet Again

The were a few telltale signs. My dog had ceased to be is winter-lethargic self, to now bounce around the flat, on edge every time a new bird sings. Additionally, my walks home after work had began to occur during decent daylight. Sun glasses have become a must in our handbags. And finally, we see Fearne Cotton dressing up to meet the UK Prime Minister in a pretty flower-print dress, some sexy heels and a tailored jacket, and we know it. Spring is (finally, thank you Mother Nature) here!

Then again, one also knows warmer months are right ahead when certain dreaded trends are seen everywhere, such as the double-denim look, which began emerging last year worn by celebrities such as Kanye West (though his approach is more of a triple dare).

I could go into a lengthy description of how to style this look, avoiding belts, cowboy boots (and especially hats), keeping the lower part of your body in the darker shade of blue (for slimming purposes)... however I just can't bring myself to accept this as one of this year's hottest trends. Then again, I could be wrong.

Pictures: PA Photos via GlamourUK, Jean-O-Type

I Took My Sexy Boots Out - Zaragoza Fashion Soirée at Gent

A weekend off work is a blessing. I decided to make the most of mine and travel to Gent (Northern Belgium) to attend the Zaragoza Fashion Soirée @ Culture Club . Zaragoza Fashion (Lochristi) is a boutique owned by fashionista Sarah Gosse who presented a collection of light dresses, easy to wear top and trouser combos, bright bikinis and some cheeky underwear by Bar d'Oh.

As I wanted to enjoy the bubbles promised on the invite, I had my plus-one come along as my chauffeur! God bless Tom Tom and it's providence guiding us, as there was no clear indication of the location of the venue which ended up being in a rather run-down area of town, quite industrial in nature. Champagne on the docks, a rather original juxtaposition we thought as we finally arrived.

After we were given our bracelets at the door we entered the VIP section and began soaking up the atmosphere.  The colourful lighting was vibrant and reflective of the clubbing scene, mostly red tones which I felt unfortunately did not highlight the great make up and styling done on the girls in all its glory.

There were a couple of dresses that stood out from the rest, particularly attracting our attention with their colourful designs. The lingerie by Bar d'Oh was extremely feminine with a burlesque feeling. Quite unsurprisingly, the audience - a mix of club goers and Zaragoza Fashion fans - seemed especially excited about this part of the show.

Dance troupe Les Mademoiselles provided entertainment during a break in the catwalk show. Brands present at the store in Lochristi are French Connection, Supertrash, Kontatto amongst others. 

Picture: Fashion Limbo

Bringing Back the Jumpsuit

A true fashion icon, Alison Goldfrapp, is back. The album Head First will hit stores in a week and promotional pictures show Goldfrapp's lead singer rocking a jumpsuit. Playsuits (the shorter versions) and the above mentioned attire are becoming key elements for spring/summer ... but I simply don't know whether to laugh or cry at this latest 80s revival.

I just don't see one on me. On the other hand, playsuits are becoming hard to resist, like the one below by British brand Dorothy Perkins. So loud, so vibrant, I can imagine how to dress the look with a bold belt, or some colourful long beaded necklaces.

I tend to tolerate seeing jumpsuits with high-heels, whereas I would personally team the girlier playsuits with some sandals.

French Connection are also using jumpsuits to head their campaigns. I can see a lot of girls falling for this easy-to-wear number pictured below. However, I won't be one of them.

Then again,  Nolita offer a jumpsuit I could well consider wearing, very boho, sexy and quite stylish I am practically converted... but only to this one, ok? let's not push it.

Pictures: Goldfrapp, Dorothy Perkins, French Connection, Nolita

Street Style by Japanese Guys

A friend of mine recently introduced me to Fashionsnap.com, a Japanese site with Tokyo trend news, style features and a fantastic section called Street Snap. Just for you guys, we have picked out some of our favourite looks and we hope you feel inspired.

The first ensemble below is quite simple, yet slightly layered and vibrant. One of those looks that make us lust for a bit of cold wind (however we have now had enough!) and a chance to wear a comfy scarf. Boys take note as you should have scarves in several colours, textures and styles.

We liked this look because of the military-styled coat. Underneath we find the geek trend with a fitted and colourful cardigan. The coat is left open and loose for effect.

This is one of our favourites, with a fantastic vintage leather jacket. Inside, thin layers in contrasting prints and shapes. We absolutely love this one.

And we end with what makes Japanese style unique. Courageous, futuristic and so cool. A tad scary as well, but life would certainly be less boring if more people dressed like this guy.

Pictures: Fashionsnap.com

Looks Can Be Musically Convincing

It's funny how we get to like things. The way in which we acquire a taste or an interest for something, sometimes is through our mouth, as in a preference for hot flavours. In other occassions it's a song that becomes your latest favourite when heard through the radio a few times. In this particular case, it was a video that resulted in my liking of a certain song and become, as the tune says, "obsessed with the mess that's America"

I came accross Marina and The Diamonds (sort of like Florence here, not an actual band behind her, just the girl) through YouTube. What caught my attention was the imagery used in the video: the american colours, white, red and blue, the sequins, the glittery pom-poms, etc. The video is a visual fest and Marina sort of reminds us of our childhood hero Wonder Woman.

In fashion there is more than the visual side - music in fashion shows, fragances used in shops, flavours in cakes for press events.

Music is relying on fashion more and more, as we already mentioned a while back, there is a need for more in this troubled industry, both musically and visually. MTV is not keeping the video star alive, the Internet is. It is great to hear new music when it comes in such a stunning visual wrapper. Now I just want to curl my hair a little, wear some red lipstick and sing about the American dream. I leave you with Marina and The Diamonds.

Shopping for the Sun

 Finally sunny today!! Yet, still a bit cold, so let's be realistic, we are not talking bikinis today. However, we are starting to count the days to warmer vibes, browsing through some Spring collections, and we now want to show you their takes on some upcoming trends. The first picture is by Coast. Lots of colour, vibrant tones and designs following the print trend down to a T.

H&M is teasing us with a campaing focused on what they call Bleu/The Blues, denim extravaganza in the shape of mini shorts, boyfriend jeans (also very favoured by Zara by the way) etc. Their jeans may not last forever but they are really kind to our pocket in these troubled times, and fashion at a budget is only fair, right?

Zara is the place to head if you want cool shoes. Not that they will be the most comfortable, or made in the best quality, but the designs are fabulous, and sooo covetable. Platforms, medium height heels, clogs, soft colours, and some really gorgeous gladiator sandals. Walking into Zara definitively makes us want to scream for summer.

                                                  
Pastels are also very big in all the other brands already mentioned. Topshop does a good adaption of this trend with it's usual rebel strokes and some floral girlieness.

Pictures: Coast, H&M, Zara, Topshop

Dying to Be in Wonderland

If there is a story that has fascinated me since childhood, that is Alice in Wonderland. There is so much hype about Tim Burton's version of the story and suddenly the media is flooded with images of the new flick, fashion shoots are inspired by it, and more interpretations of the Lewis Carroll original appear each day.

One version of Wonderland I particularly loved was by Gwen Stefani in her first solo single, What You Waiting For. I loved the concept, the different characters she includes, and the dreamy atmosphere of the video.  Galliano was responsible for the stunning clothes. The idea behind the video was to portray Stefani's lack of inspiration and how she finds her muses in the Harajuku Girls living in Wonderland. The video is a mini-movie in itself and worth re-watching over and over again. To see it click here.

Tim Burton's movie has already been premiered and can be watched in 3D. I just cannot wait to see it. Pictured below is Anne Hathaway as the White Queen.

And pictured below, her arrival at the London premiere wearing Vivienne Westwood. 

UPDATE: fellow blogger Retro Chick attended a special screening of the film and has written a very complete and interesting review that we simply must share with all of you. To read her post click here.

Pictures: Vevo via YouTube, wired.com, Trendencias