Garment Of The Week: Melissa Diamantidi

A new designer on my radar is Melissa Diamantidi whose AW11 collection is to die for. Whilst its way too early – and I really should be making this blog post under ‘Sneak Peak’ on a Monday – the collection is so stunning it had to make the cut for this week’s GOTW.

Images throughout courtesy of The Clear Agency

Taking inspiration from architectural design the inspired collection effortlessly fuses contemporary and fashion-forward silhouettes with sophistication and a beautiful line that creates a playful air of spontaneity. Brimming with leather, lace and power shoulders, this is a collection to invest in to tick all the trend boxes for next season.

Stocked at super-boutiques such as Beyond The Valley and herviabazaar.com, I’m afraid you’re going to have a little wait to get your hands on this collection. On the plus side, its ample time to start saving those pennies!

Roxy Heart by Zakee Shariff launch pop up store @ Beyond the Valley- 26th August

Yesterday I had the great pleasure of previewing the FW09 Roxy Heart ‘Fly Like an Eagle’ collection, which launched with a pop up store within hip central London boutique, Beyond the Valley. As I arrived in Newburgh Quarter (the small area of shops and bar’s hidden behind London’s infamous Carnaby Street) I could see cheeky triangular arrows leading the way to the entrance of the pop up store. Recognising these triangles from the invitation (pictured above) I eagerly followed their path (see pictures below).
Once inside Beyond the Valley I was directed into the gallery space which was covered from top to bottom in what I would later discover to be Zakee's signature Multi Tri print, which also featured heavily throughout the collection. Comprised of approximately 15 garments Zakee’s range for Roxy Heart is simply stunning with several cute separates and some iconic hero pieces, such as the ‘Cat II’ leather jacket in midnight red (pictured below).
Taking inspiration from nature, in particular the four elements; earth, water, wind and fire, I found Zakee’s collection to be really fun yet chic, playfully combining superior cuts and fabrics with illustrations of mountains and seascapes on the actual garments themselves (pictured below).
Another of Zakee’s inspirations for this collection is the Steve Miller band’s 1976 hit album ‘Fly Like an Eagle’ which inspired the designer to create an illustration of an eagle as an emblem for the collection, to be featured on several garments such as the heavily embroidered ‘Alice’ jersey top (pictured below).
Other stand out pieces were both the ‘Niel’ top and ‘Ellie’ dress (worn on the night by Zakee herself) which featured the signature Multi Tri print. Bringing a sense of luxury to the collection both garments were made using silk and were cut so beautifully that I’m confident they would flatter any figure. A personal favourite from the collection has to be the beautiful chunky knit ‘Jacko’ cardigan which featured the eagle emblem in addition to a smattering of stars down both sleeves. Available in navy blue/yellow and grey/pink colour schemes this is one item I have definitely got my eye on.
All items mentioned pictured below. With free flowing beer and champagne all night there was a really great crowd and atmosphere despite the rain. And to top it all of there were hundreds of posh cupcakes on offer which had been lovingly decorated with the Fly Like an Eagle emblem.
Additional pictures of event below.

All in all a great evening out and a great show from both Roxy Heart, Zakee and Beyond the Valley who surpassed themselves with such kitsch branding throughout! The highlight for me other than viewing the collection was meeting Zakee herself and two lovely fellow bloggers Marlboro Martini and Platform Princess who write the Cigarettes and High Heels blog.
The Roxy Heart pop up store at Beyond the Valley is open until 27th September.
Invitation and cut out/lifestyle images courtesy of Roxy Heart.