Wednesday 21 October 2009

"I just love that I don't give a f*** fashion"


Wednesday 14 October 2009

She's with us!

It's fashion week, the next big show is Elie Saab of red carpet fame.
CRISIS
The junior fashion editor has forgotten her invites, cue a moment of panic and then a solution - I am asked to go down to Le carousel du Louvre, find the Vogue team and give them their invites. Hell yes I can do that.
A glorious day, I decide to walk down la rue saint honoré and then I catch a glimpse of my reflection in Fendi's shop window - oh no this just will not do. I look... so... BRITISH! why oh why did I decide to wear a Jack Daniel's t-shirt today of all days, this is fashion week not Beerfest!
 Now I wish I could say that I took myself in to Lanvin to make myself look more Fashion Week-esque but I think we all know that didn't happen - I could barely afford food (well that's not a bad thing in fashion - skinny?!) let alone a £1000 dress. So I would have to embrace the fact that I was a Londoner, embracing London style and ignore the voice inside me that was howling at the fact that I was not wearing my most amazing outfit.
I arrive at Le carousel - people are already queueing in a desperate bid to be allowed in without an invite, bless. No sign of the Vogue team yet, so I wait... and wait, and wait. Omg have I missed them? please don't let this be A Devil Wears Prada moment, my heart feels like it's going to explode out of my Jack Daniels printed chest. I run over to the people at the door...
"Bonjour je suis avec le magazine Vogue (God i LOVE saying that) est-ce que l'equipe est déjà entrée?"
"Non. Pas encore"
Phew. Ok time to breathe.
And then they appear, my god they are just so cool. A uniform of black, beauty and effortless style.
"Charlène!"
My street-cred has just risen by 100%, the Vogue team are calling my name!
"Tu viens avec nous"
... wait did I hear that right?
They take me over to the door and lead me in...
"Where is your invite Miss?" but before I can even muster up a response someone grabs me by the hand and says,
"She's with us".
Wow did that really just happen?
I am in awe.
We sit in the second row (erm... guys I had the front row at the Atsuro Tayama show - you're slacking) and then the music starts and fashion comes to life.
God I love you Vogue.







Coco Rocha, Jessica Stam, Sasha Pivovarova, Carmen Kass - you name it they walked.



And can I just say, Coco absolutely KILLS the runway - I ♥ her.

The designs were breathtaking, of all the shows that I could have seen this would definitely have been up there on my list. I love old school glamour, the Hollywoodesque, red carpet couture - and if anyone can achieve that to perfection it's Elie Saab.



And yes, I got backstage.
Now this was unintentional. The show ends, the Vogue team get up and automatically start walking in a different direction to the crowd. Oh god, what do I do? should I follow them? should I just go back to work?
I follow them... well I would have been stupid not to. And boy oh boy, was it worth it!
Oh hi Jessica Stam, great show! Tania Dziahileva, gosh how nice to see you! Vlada, loving the red hair!
I join the paparazzi crowd, get a sneaky shot and decide it's time to return to the office.
But wait, there is an extremely beautiful and tall goddess standing right in front of me on the escalator, still wearing her look from the show - I've never felt more inferior, short and normal in my life.
"Anna, Anna can we take your photo!!?"
What you don't want mine?


Anna Selezneva, I would kill to look like you. 

Tuesday 13 October 2009

Well hello November issue... I believe we have met before...

I am SO excited!

Forget The September Issue, The November issue is out!

 This is the issue I worked on in the summer at British Vogue - I like to think of it as my baby!
I assisted 4 of the shoots that are printed in the magazine but my favourite and the one that I had the most involvement with was Bay Garnett's story on Fashion's Greatest Hits - and boy oh boy does it look good!

Greatest Hits

Get your inspiration from your dad, if it looks this good you know you're on to a winner.

So Brigitte Bardot...

Now don't say I didn't give you the heads up on the monogrammed white shirt trend!

Ahoy Sailor!

Caroline Trentini - legs for miles...
I was hesitant about this look - the idea of layering print upon print... i just didn't expect it to look THIS GOOD.

This is perfection. And I want a daisy chain headband! Peace.

Oh those DVF trousers, what a love-hate relationship we have.
I fought and fought for the PR company to let us have them, we got them and I thought, are you serious? They are hideous!!! but clearly Bay's styling and Trentini's legs work magic together because it's so wrong that it's right.


Leather trousers, a yellow silk shirt, red accessories - it just shouldn't work, but my God it does.

Bay I salute you - you are a genius!

Friday 9 October 2009

This girl is just so cool it hurts.


And if that's not enough she has the fashion world eating out of the palm of her hand, no wonder she's laughing.
Why have Burberry not designed a bag especially for me?
Forget the Alexa, the Charlene has a much better ring to it...



I. WANT. THAT. BAG.

To be or not to be...


I don't know why but I have always had an obsession with the character of Ophelia in Hamlet. Maybe because I saw Kate Winslet play the role on screen and hey I'm not going to lie... I ♥ Kate Winslet - mainly because she made having red hair look AMAZING in Titanic.
But that is by the by, this dress from Chloe's 2010 Spring/Summer collection is divine and for some reason it screams Ophelia to me -
beautiful, hopelessly romantic and so simple that it is an absolute work of Art. 

Fashion Week...

As I sit here typing in my student accommodation (not even an en-suite - mon dieu!) I can't help but notice that my life seems to have taken an unglamourous turn from the glory days that were French and British Vogue. James Joyce's Ulysses now sits on my desk, replacing my diary-esque Chanel lookbook and the closest thing I have to couture is my sewing kit. 
Oh the joys of being a finalist...

So I have decided to take this opportunity to reminisce about my experience at Paris Fashion Week earlier this year, it seems somewhat appropriate as the Spring/Summer Collections have just drawn to a close.

Where to begin?
The front row of course!
Now there was obviously some confusion that glorious day back in March when I, a humble intern turned up to the Atsuro Tayama show clutching my hand-me down invitation - you see, editors decide what shows they want to attend and any left over invitations are then left for little people like me.
"Wait here please Mademoiselle".
Oh gosh, ok...but why can't I just go in? I bet Carine doesn't get this sort of treatment!
So I stood waiting, eyeing up every passer by with thoughts of god help you, did you get dressed in the dark? or o.m.g i want your bag! I hoped that I was giving off some sort of effortless allure, you know - clearly this girl has been asked to wait behind because she is so blatantly a Voguette and not because someone is playing a cruel joke and given her a fake invitation. But then more people were asked to wait. Relax Charlene.
Finally, we get the go ahead and are asked to follow a man upstairs to the venue. This is when I was shown to a seat in the front row.
O.M.G.
I couldn't help but smile to myself, the wait was so worth it. Yes you may have the latest Chloé bag on your arm darling but enjoy the show from the third row won't you?
Cue the music, SKINNY models (these girls definitely lived up to the stereotype) and ACTION.








The pictures speak for themselves. The designs didn't blow me away but are extremely wearable.

Coming soon: Elie Saab show with the Vogue team...