Lola By Marc Jacobs

Casually strolling through Selfridges I noticed a bizzare looking perfume bottle with an oversized, swirly top and a simplistic bottle. I was then attacked by a spritzer girl that insisted that I try this potion of floral notes. The perfume in question is of course the amazing Lola by Marc Jacobs that grips you with it's bottle before winning you over with the delicate scent. That's what I like about Marc's perfumes: they're very clean. No matter what combination of ingredients go into making the scent they always come out delicate and sophisticated, never over-powering. That was certnly the case with Daisy and now Lola is proving to be a brilliant follow up from the brand.

The outfit here was inspired by the quirky design of the bottle and also the beautiful floral nature of the perfume. The image is taken from the advertising campaign featuring Karlie Kloss.

Lola By Marc Jacobs by Z♥LDN (Read.My.Blog.) featuring Halston

Booties!

With Autumn loudly knocking at our doors and every glossy magazine flooding us with the latest fall trends I decided that it was a good time to go shopping. The shop of choice? Suprisingly, River Island. I was never really a fan but lately they ditched the UV vests and embraces ripped denim, studs and chunky knits.
I came across two pairs of boots that I fell in love with. This first pair is rather practical with it's colour and the buckles. I like it's industrial look and I will be able to pair them with 85% of my current clothes.

A lot of people remember these Chloe boots that emerged last year and even after all this time fashionistas are chasing these elusive shoes. Now I am not going to chase them because I can't afford them but I did find an alternative.

What a fabulous coicidence! I'm sure River Island came up with this totally original design by themselves and only then realised the similarities these boots share with the Chloe pair. Either way, I love them.

Now, my question: which pair do I choose?

My Look Book

This was a quick outfit I threw together for a family gathring. The dress is a vintage ebay find as is the locket that can't be seen that well and the second necklace is from a market in Camden.

www.fashionflesh.blogspot.com by Z♥LDN (Read.My.Blog.) featuring Jeffrey Campbell shoes

Top To Kane

Ladies...Christopher Kane is designing a collection for Topshop! When I say collection I don't mean a few pieces that vaguely resemble famous looks from past seasons but an actual collection consisting of 39 pieces including shoes and bags. Yes, some do vaguely resemble past looks but over all it feels very relevant and fresh. The colour pallete isn't too varied but I guess he's trying to inject that 'collection' feel and we also see recurring themes with the eyelet studs. From the lookbook I can see a few dresses that will prove to be a sell out but will I rush to the Oxford Street Topshop the night before 18th September with a tent? That remains to be seen as the prices are £40-160! How about you? Do you like what you see and do you want some Kane action in your wardrobe?

Leathered Limbs

Continuing on my previous post I decided to declare my further love of leather this season. We've been sporting leather jackets for years now, trying to bring out the rebel side and it seems that leather is now accepted by the masses as fashion forward and is no longer reserved for ladies of the night and biker chicks. Designers such as YSL and Bottega Veneta are responsible for the sophisticated outlook on leather we now possess.

Anything goes: from dresses to jackets to shorts and skirts. Designers strayed from black but I think that black is most flattering and has longevity in terms of fashion as opposed to the electric blue jacket at Stella McCartney.

The question of leather on leather has the same answer as denim on denim: NO! What I mean is mix textures, if you're wearing a suede skirt don't wear suede boots or if you're wearing a leather dress don't pair it with leather knee-boots of the same texture. This is explored at Pucci where a model wears leather shorts with suede over the knee boots and it looks amazing.

Pucci

Balmain Jean Paul Gaultier

DSquared

Preen

Stella McCartney

Phi

Yves Saint Laurent

Back In Black

I was in Regent Street's H&M a few days back and I picked up their magazine to see if there's anything eye catching so to my delight there was an editorial of Angela Lindvall titled 'Back In Black'. As the name suggests the photoshoot is black and white and only using a monochrome pallete for the clothing. The styling was impeccable and it was a nice feeling to look at the prices and know I can afford it!

This is inspired by THAT look of the season and the clash of the glam jewel top (customised) and biker jeans looks very urban.

The sexy trousers are given a casual edge with a men's look shirt. The accessories are minimal, just a pair of earrings to keep things feminine. This is my personal favourite look. The dress channels YSL in it's structure with leather being a material of the moment. At £25 it will also be making an appearance in my wardrobe and for once I am temted to completely copy a look.

The combination of glamourous/conservative/provocative is a strong one. It works since the single elements create counter-balance. Underwear as outwear is an idea I would like to flirt and this particular look is done in a very classy way which can be hard to achieve.

Inspirations

This collage was made by me on the numerous occassions of rainy days in London. Now, I would never take my scissors to Vogue or Elle but I will happily cut up the fabulous inserts that come with them like the ones that came with this month's style bibles. All my favourite looks and trends from the shows feature on this collage that has now found it's home on the inside door of my wardrobe therefore whenever I open looking for an outfit I can draw inspiration from it. Colourfull hoisery, sequins for daytime, over sized necklaces, big knits and THOSE shoulders - it just gives me something new to think about when I am getting dressed.

London's Gem

Nestled in the heart of London's posh area, Notting Hill, is a magical place by the name of Portobello Market. This place completely surreal due to numerous market stalls lining the streets as well as many little shops comfortably sitting on it's high street. Portobello is mainly a plave for independant boutiques and vintage stores but if you're after something more expensive, not that the vintage here is cheap, you can find Preen and What Katie Did alongside other designer gems.

This is a great shop for all your vintage jewellery needs: Dior, Lacroix and many other popular brands with afforadle prices.

My other reason to freaquently visit Portobello is it's Hummingbird Bakery, London's answer to Magnolia in Manhattan. The cafe is an amazing place to make a stop for coffee and sample the imaginative freshly baked cupcakes amongst other baked goodness. The bakery became famous for it's cupcakes and it's easy to see why. This particular specimen is 'Red Velvet' cupcake named after the vivid colour. Now, the simple outfit I wore when I went there. Cut off denim shorts paired with a floral cami, layered necklaces, a blazer and completed with a pair of gladiators.

My Scents

Scents play an important part in getting dressed and creating a look since scents have the ability to set the tone: a spritz of something rosy may inspire you to be romantic with your outfit or an edgy scent can add a different dimension to a simlistic look. It comes across as strange to talk about a scent as part of an outfit because it is not visible but it can make you feel good when you don't think you look it. Scents also have the ability to take you back to a particular place in your memory be it a holiday or a great party, it can remind you of people, places and emotion therefore to me perfume will always play a big part in my wardrobe.

'Scents On Shelf'

My Scents:

• Philosophy 'Falling in Love'
• Gucci 'Flora'
• DKNY 'Be Delicious'
• Kate Moss 'Velvet Hour'
• Calvin Klein 'Euphoria'
• Clarins 'Par Amour Toujour'
• Valentino 'V'
• Christian Lacroix 'C'est La Fete'
• Kate Moss 'Kate'
• Moschino 'Funny'
• Estee Lauder 'Sensuous'

I Am Body Conscious

Body-con dresses are no longer hot property when it comes to catwalks, or at least not as much as last season, but for those leading a more normanl life body-con dresses have become a real wardrobe staple. They are easy to wear and look great dressed up and down so you definately get your money's worth.
Looking through Brown's fashion website I found this majestic Alexander Wang dress and the price is quite enticing, £85. It also comes in black but to me grey is just more of an urban colour and makes a nice change from LBDs.

Model Moments: Snejana and Sasha by Z♥LDN (Read.My.Blog.) featuring Alexander Wang

Slavic Storm In A Teacup: Part 3

This is part 3 of my rather extensive post dedivated to Easter European models.

Sasha Pivovarova-Russia

It would be difficult to talk about Slavic models woithout mentioning Sasha. She is in a completely different legue compared to a lot of models as she is an all rounder: catwalk, cover girl, editorial. Her look serves as an inspiration for Miucca Prada who now always books her for the shows and campaign. Sasha is an artist, a vegeterian and is married to a photographer.

Natasha Poly-Russia

I probably shouldn't say this but Natasha is my favourite from the crop of Slavic girls. To me her cheekbones are a subject of comlete fascination and her walk is simply mesmerising. She marries elegance and sex-appeal to create a look that is so in demand right now.

Daria Werbowy-Ukraine

Many people think that Daria is Canadian but in fact she was born in Ukraine making her one of the top girls on my list. Daria has a classicly great model look: almond eyes, defined cheekbones and long legs. She has been the face of Lancome for a few years now revealing her softer side while also rocking the catwalk.

Anja Rubik-Poland

Anja is somewhat of a veteran when it comes to modelling because she has been at it for 10 years. Her lean, slender frame is what gets her repeat booking for shows like Stella McCartney and Chloe. She's a great editorial girl as well as the face of many brands.

Maryna Linchuck-Belarus

Maryna's look is strong and destinctive making her an irreplacable face for designers who use her for the catwalk as well as print ads. She is the current face of Miss Dior Cherie whilst also being busy ranking up numerous editorials.