SS10 PRESS DAYS: Part Nine

Earlier today I attended the New Look press day and am rather glad to say that this is the last one I’ll be attending this year! As with the ASOS press day there was a lot of colour on show and lots of embellishment everywhere I looked. Funnily enough the majority of the embellishments appeared to heavily feature on racer-back vests, waistcoats and tops, which to date I haven’t seen so strong anywhere else on the high street. Could New Look be starting a little micro trend I wonder...?

My favourite embellished piece was this cotton waistcoat embellished with several dozen plain cream buttons. Whilst it looks great, this is something that strikes a chord with me personally as I’m a sad fucker who collects buttons – so was overjoyed to discover a way I could put them to good use and be on trend next summer at the same time. I liked the pattern they’ve gone for here, simple yet chic, but think I’d mix it up a bit with mismatching buttons....

There were also lots of tops with slashed and cut backs...

Not too much that really stood out other than the accessories. More of the same (in terms of what we’re used to seeing everywhere that we already love) just tweaked a little and brought up to date for next season. I guess my favourite piece was the ‘lovely’ necklace which is quite a bargain at £25.

Something I did love (similar to that which I brought to your attention from the Miss Selfridge range, and also similar to the Agnes B locket pendant) was this beautiful heart shaped floral printed silk purse. Loved the florals and colours and just love this spin on the chain link bag. What I like is that these cute heart shaped bags are fun, sexy and are very summer-drinks-at- a-swanky-bar type bags. The only realistic reservation I have is that as a keen hoarder I like my handbags a bit bigger, but this beauty is well worth the squeeze.

Frivolity aside this is a stunning bag which I think could truly be worn with most outfits in any wardrobe unless you’re a Juicy Couture tracksuit type, and in that case I’m not sure why you would be enjoying this blog as if I could I would ban them being worn within a one mile radius of one’s house. Meaning the corner shop is okay, the school run is just about acceptable, but for anything more than defrosting the freezer wear some less chavvy clothes! Wanting to be fair and give credit where its due the two ladies that founded Juicy Couture have built up a huge empire and are minted beyond my wildest dreams, so they obviously know what they’re doing and are catering to a market who can’t seem to get enough of their LA Wag style.

Obviously on a bit of a ramble today so much so that I’ve almost forgotten to mention the Gold label collection by Giles. Shock Horror it was very, very nice. Really liked the embellished illustration T-shirt dress, only trouble is if you’re a bit booby it looks really shit and spoils the image so regretfully that won’t be making its way into my wardrobe. Really like the black and white striped mack which looked quite silky, and alos like the monochrome sequined dress which was tres chic.

SS10 PRESS DAYS: Part Two

Earlier in the week I attended the Replay press day held on the 31st floor of Centre Point. Not really a brand I like or have ever bought product from but there were a couple of things I liked including the view, which was mega. First off I loved this simple and classic black leather jacket with stud detailing on the shoulders.

Whilst quite hideous in its cut I also really liked the ‘idea’ behind the denim jacket pictured below. It had lots of great detailing and embellishment which I think is a great hint to how we can update and embellish our existing wardrobe staples for SS10.

Rather sadly I actually really enjoyed looking at all the racks of jeans and the lovely lady who gave me a tour explained that each pair have a different label to give them all a super-visible uniqueness as no pairs are the same. Thought this was quite interesting as everyone in the western world (at least) lives in and relies upon at least one pair of great jeans and as much as it pains me to say it, pretty much all of the Replay jeans looked really well cut and comfortable, so if you can afford/justify the cost I say go for it!

Check out the views from the top...

On the same day I popped into Dust PR’s press day and saw a few cool clients. One of their best in terms of commercial appeal is Eastpak who seemingly update their ranges every season to great effect. I actually learnt something- which was very interesting- all Eastpak mainline products automatically come with a 35 year guarantee so if you ever have any problems you can bring it into a store and if it can’t be repaired you’ll get a brand new one, for free. I think this is a great service and will definitely inspire me to buy an Eastpak when it comes to getting a new rucksack as it means I’ll only ever need to buy two in my lifetime– what more could you want?!

I quite liked the new leather bags they’ve made but was more interested in their collaboration with London based designer Christopher Shannon. This range of luggage, rucksacks and bum bags (or as the American’s would say fanny packs) are made from PVC and feature grey, turquoise and white colourways.

Barbour was another brand that caught my eye. Long have I been a fan of their traditional waxed jackets worn by everyone from The Queen to Guy Richie to farmers across the land. I thoroughly enjoyed meeting the brand manager and being talked through the collection, and discovering that they also made clothes.

Loved the Union Jack jacket, which has been made so beautifully, designed to be low-key and understated in order to fit with the traditional English Barbour ethos.

Another item that I loved was the brown leather weekend bag. Absolutely beautiful.

Last week I popped down to the Agnes B press day and found a few pieces that were worth mentioning for their beautifulness. First off there was an adorable necklace which had a pendant in the shape of a purse, which upon closer inspection actually opens so you can put something special inside. I think it’s absolutely gorgeous and think it’ll be on my birthday list next spring.

Other great items were these chic and classic knickers which I loved and a gorgeous lilac tiered suede skirt which I think will look great next summer as its so versatile and can be worn virtually anywhere.

Lastly I found some great looking bras in orange and blue colourways which featured the same paisley/floral print as matching blouses and shorts, hopefully not to be worn altogether.

Last but by no means least I ventured East and attended the Tea and Cake press day. Whilst there were many great brands on display (too many to mention here) I completely fell in love with one in particular. Next year sees yet another iconic brand celebrate their anniversary, with French brand Lacoste Eyewear turning 30. To mark this achievement they are reissuing their first ever pair of original sunglasses.

What I love about these glasses is their retro aviator frames that were so popular in the eighties and have seen a huge comeback in recent years. I like that rather than having to buy vintage inspired glasses the 101's go one step further to recapture the essence of the real thing. I think it’s a really great thing for brands to do seeing as the past is where everyone is looking for fashion inspiration nowadays, therefore it makes sense to reissue the best iconic pieces rather than trying to redesign them altogether.

The ‘Lacoste 101’ will be extremely limited edition with only 1,000 pairs being produced and astonishingly only 20 pairs will be available in the UK, so you’d better get in there fast. If you’d like to get your hands on a pair head to Dover Street Market or the Lacoste boutiques in Regent Street and Westfield nearer the time.