Severely stylish men

With his movie debut A Single Man, Tom Ford shows he's just as much of a stylist in the director's chair as he was at the helm of Gucci. Based on Christopher Isherwood's 1964 novel of the same name, Ford’s screenplay for A Single Man is an ambitious literary adaptation which uses the backdrop of L.A. during the Cuban missile crisis to tell a tale of a melancholic British professor trying to come to terms with the death of his lover. Ford lavishes his camera over every stylistic nuance and  detail: sharp black suit, white shirt (only white shirts) and  black tie, immaculate silver tie clip, high shine black loafers. Mad Men, A Serious Man and now a Single Man: 60’s inspired menswear wardrobes hasn’t looked so good in decades.

As Copenhagen climate summit draws to an end, those attending:delegates and protestors

Pictures: Joa Paglione/Demotix,Olivier Morin/Reuters, Christian Charisius/Reuters, Anja Niedringhaus/AP, Scanpix Sweden

Tis the season to keep the tills a ringing

Primark A/W09

Arthur Ryan, Chair of Primark has been voted the 5th most influential person in British fashion in the industry trade magazine Drapers. The company continues to thrive on the Uk high street, showing a 20% increase in total sales for the year to Sept.12th. After negative press and store protests over ethical trading issues Ryan appointed an ethical trade director and almost doubled the audits on its supply factories to 1,000 in 2009.  Though if sales are any indicator it seems in the recession the price at the till remains the predominant cost on a high street fashionista's mind.

Seeing spots for spring

That  perrenial favourite the polka dot is back for 2010, so even though we're in the midst of Christmas preparations, we're looking forward to seeing spots before our eyes as we warm up for spring. Michael Kors was one amongst many designers plumping for dots for next season, offering them in modernist splashes of monochrome with more than a nod to animal prints. We're not suggesting head-to-toe dottiness however, so spotty accessories are on hand to add a graphic statement to spring's primary palettes. Marimeko and Commes at Dover Street Market have bags and wallets that tick all the round boxes.

photos: Style.com

Catfunt: art n culture east style

The catfunt website is great if you're interested in art and culture in Hackney and East London: Made in China '69 -art in East London. For fans, there's a post about Viggo Mortensen on Made in China '69.

It's tweed. All tweed.

We love the 60's edge to this tweed jumpsuit from autumn '95. Feels perfect for next winter. Let's see if something like it shows up on the autumn/winter catwalks in February

photo: Satoshi

Not the first denim debacle.

     Nothing comes between Brooke and her Calvins. Not even Kim Jong-il

Swedish department store bans North Korea's first designer denim

Kara slim fit                                             Oke loose fit

PUB, a long-established department store in Stokholm has removed Noko jeans from its shelves  one day after launching the North Korean designer denim following widespread media coverage over the brand. Is this the first time a jeans brand has become a political hot potato? In Korea it would be ironically, as jeans are banned as a symbol of American imperialism.  That's why Noko (NOrthKOrea) are only available in black and not indigo.

Photos Erik Wahlstrom

M.A.O. womenswear designs A/W10/11

A model artist

Christina Kruse in Anna Molinari brocade micro minidress. Photo: Mark Borthwick  
Italian Vogue November 1996. 

Still a Passion For Audrey and Givenchy

A Givenchy haute couture black chantilly lace cocktail gown, worn by Audrey Hepburn in the 1966 film ‘How to Steal a Million' achieved £60,000 at the Kerry Taylor Passion For Fashion Auction in London yesterday, far surpassing its guide price of £20,000. The gown with wrap-over back, high neck and full skirt edged in a horsehair stiffened flounce is finished with a narrow black patent belt and matching crop jacket. Givenchy created a very similar cocktail gown as part of the house’s haute couture collection for A/W 1966. Even in recession there is clearly still a huge appetite in the market for clothing worn by iconic stars of style and screen such as Audrey Hepburn. A couture garment worn by a bona fide star might appear to be the epitome of designer and celebrity collaboration if market value is any indicator. 


photos Kerry Taylor Auctions

Fashion is a verb:to form; to give shape or figure to; to mold.

Fashion is also a noun: the prevailing mode or style, custom or conventional usage. 

By definition this dress has been fashioned, but is it fashionable?

Do Commes des Garcons fashion collections, anti-fashion collections, or make fashion?

It has been constructed.  

But is also de-constructed.  

It is a dress

But also a coat. 

It is black and white. 

And a litttle grey.

Audrey Hepburn Collection: Every dress tells a story

An ivory wedding gown, made for Hepburn by the Rome-based Fontana sisters, is expected to fetch £10,000 to £15,000 — though Audrey Hepburn didn't wear it down the aisle herself. After her scheduled marriage to James Hanson in 1952 was called off, Hepburn asked that the Fontana sisters give it "to someone who could never afford a dress like mine, the most beautiful, poor Italian girl you can find," the catalogue quotes Hepburn as saying. It was given to Amabile Altobella who went on to have a happy and long marriage. A poignant moment of celebrity, generosity and romance embedded in a stunning 1950s gown of elegant understatement. The little black dress from Breakfast at Tiffany's, designed by Givenchy, sold at Christie’s auction on 5 December 2006, for £467,200, almost seven times its £70,000 pre-sale estimate. This is the highest price paid for a dress from a film. Half the proceeds from the current sale will go to the Audrey Hepburn Children's Fund and UNICEF.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=urQVzgEO_w8

photos:Kerry Taylor auctions

Audrey Hepburn Collection: Kerry Taylor Auctions, 8th December, La Galleria London

Audrey Hepburn’s wardrobe was typified by simplicity and seemingly effortless elegance. Working with the couturier Hubert de Givenchy she became the personification of elegance in the 1950s and 60s. Givenchy said of her “All the responsibility for the way Audrey looked is hers. She made the selections.” Audrey Hepburn had her own personal style,preferring to wear pastel colours, black and ivory with the occasional hot-pink statement. If she liked a particular gown she would often order it in both black and white. This auction includes evening-wear and a range of little black dresses by Valentino, Elizabeth Arden and of course her favourite designer of all – Hubert de Givenchy. He created a black cloqué silk gown for Audrey to wear for the film “Paris When it Sizzles” in 1962, a stunning Chantilly lace cocktail gown which she wore in the film "How To Steal a Million” in 1966 and several stylish little day dresses and suits.

photos: Kerry Taylor Auctions