Paris Fashion Week AW 2012...Hanneli

Hanneli, after Louis Vuitton, Paris, March 2012.

For me, there is a whole lotta 80's going on here with Hanneli's outfit. I think it is the wash and detailing on the jeans combined with the double-breasted jacket (with just a hint of 80's power dressing about it). But all brought firmly forward to 2012 with those Acne Alice platform pumps and the Valentino studded clutch. 

Recreate Hanneli's look (kind of):

Preen pink Navigator blazer or Stella McCartney double-breasted hemp blazer  or  ASOS premium double breasted blazer

J Brand Aidan Slouchy jeans (they haven't got the fringing down the front but still have the same-ish vaguely 80's vintage feel)

Acne Alice silk platform pump or try the Audrey platform mules in denim or hot pink silk

Valentino VaVaVoom convertible clutch/ shoulder bag in black or patent red (I love this clutch and the way you can hold it with your fingers threaded through the studded band).

Paris Fashion Week AW 2012....Natalie

Natalie Hartley, before A Show, Paris, March 2012.

These Rag & Bone pants are (one) of my favourites of the season - and Natalie rocked them in Paris. They have a serious leg-lengthening effect (clearly to do with the tuxedo stripe running down the side). And worn with a pair of platform heels? You've got Nadja Auermann in your sights. Err, sort of.

Recreate Natalie's Look (kind of):

Rag & Bone Dwight trousers or Derek Lam trousers with glossy black racing stripe (move aside Mark Webber, we're comin' at you!) or go a little wider for high summer with these M Missoni Colourblock wide leg pants.

Paris Fashion Week AW 2012...Cato

Cato Van Ee, after Andrew Gn, Paris, March 2012.

Recreate Cato's Look (kind of):

3.1 Phillip Lim two-tone leather jacket or Acne ombre leather jacket or Pencey two-tone denim motorcyle jacket (a little lighter for spring/summer)

Alexander Wang Brenda chain bag

Paris Fashion Week AW 2012.....Eleonora

Eleonora Carisi, after Stella McCartney, Paris Fashion Week, March 2012.

Love the combination that Eleonora has put together here of preppy varsity jacket and lace skirt. Plus, and it isn't obvious from my photograph, but she was wearing a neon pink bra under her white tee-shirt. A cute way (along with her mini-purse) to incorporate colour into an otherwise monochromatic look.

Recreate Eleonora's Look (kind of):

Embrace your inner college kid with Boy. by Band of Outsiders black Varsity wool and leather jacket  or Alexander Wang tracksuit bomber jacket or Junior Varsity jacket (from Nasty Gal).

ASOS full skirt with embroidered hem or ASOS crochet detail midi-skirt or Isabel Marant Delph broderie anglaise (a little shorter in length than Eleonora's skirt)

Mimi Holiday neon-pink silk chiffon bra

Rebecca Minkoff neon pink quilted flirty bag

Paris Fashion Week AW 2012...Mackenzie and Katryn

Mackenzie Drazan and Katryn Kruger, after Louis Vuitton, Paris, March 2012.

Paris Fashion Week AW 2012...Natalie

Natalie Joos, after Chanel, Paris, March 2012.

Love this outfit on Natalie - such great colours and I love the shape and structure of the skirt. It is by new London-based label Ostwald Helgason which is designed by duo Susanne Ostwald and Ingvar Helgason. They presented their collection in NYC for the first time to rave reviews.

Paris Fashion Week AW 2012...Doina

Beautiful (both inside and out), Doina Ciobanu, before Chanel, Paris, March 2012.

I love this look on Doina. She is still a teenager but wears this sophisticated, grown-up look beautifully. In fact I think clean, crisp masculine tailoring like this would work on women of almost any age.....and it is entirely suitable to wear in a more conservative workplace.

Recreate Doina's look (kind of):

Stella McCartney grey tailored blazer and grey slim fit flared trousers  or Reiss royal blue jacket and tapered slim trousers

Theory Larissa classic white shirt

Christian Louboutin Décolleté 100 glossed-leather pumps or ASOS shine patent pumps



Paris Fashion Week AW 2012...Jac

Jac, after Rochas, Paris, February 2012.

Beautiful girl, beautiful hat....le sigh

Recreate Jac's look (kind of):

Maison Michel Charlotte felt trilby or Steven Alan Janis wool-felt fedora



Paris Fashion Week AW 2012...Anna and Tommy

It is always wonderful to see what Anna Dello Russo wears - she adds a sense of theatre, drama and, most importantly, fun to the fashion weeks.

And I loved that Anna and Tommy were sporting those googly eye rings! So cute. It is the little things like this that make me smile during fashion month :)

Paris Fashion Week AW 2012...Susie

Ms Susie Lau, after the Louis Vuitton fashion train had pulled into the station, Paris, March 2012.

Rather oddly, after I decided to post these photos, I picked up the March copy of Nylon magazine (love Nylon!) and on page 138 there is a Factory Girl article by Dani Stahl about (insert excellent drum roll here) white anoraks! Dani travels to the Bebe studio in Century City and gets her very own white anorak made up by the production team. She says (page 138) "It's an excellent item, versatile, easy to pack - everyone should have an anorak. I like them so much I even love saying the word: "Anorak!" It rhymes with DJ Afrojack, which is never a bad thing (I'm really feeling house music these days)".

Hell yeah! I have no idea who DJ Afrojack is (clearly I live in a house music/dj black hole) but I am going to go right ahead and agree with everything Dani says! She ends with "The jacket is functional, but as you know, I'm more interested in the "fun" part than the, um, "-ctional" part. Like I said, fashion should be fun. And, right now, it should also be white and shaped like an anorak. Which, the way I see it, makes me right on trend" (page 140).

Recreate Susie's (and Dani's look) kind of:

Mason by Michelle Mason anorak

Topshop parachute anorak

Bebe hooded anorak

ASOS festival anorak (perfect for anyone heading to Coachella - you lucky things!It probably won't be rainy or cold, unlike festival season in the UK, but good to pack just in case)

Mulberry Alexa snake-y/scale-y bag (love this)

Paris Fashion Week AW 2012...Natalia and Charlotte

It has been such incredibly beautiful weather in the UK this past couple of weeks that I couldn't resist sharing these photographs of Natalia Alaverdian and Charlotte Dellal sporting sweet cherry looks before Sonia Rykiel.

How adorable are Natalia's cherry earrings especially with her red lips? For any of you crafty people out there, do you think you could make these out of Fimo? (the modelling clay you bake in the oven). I was big into making things out of Fimo in the 1980's*. If anyone has a go at it, let me know!

Otherwise get your Cherry Bomb on with these fun pieces inspired by Natalia and Charlotte:

Sonia Rykiel Fruits Defendus cherry print dress

ASOS bow skinny belt or Cacharel cherry red bow belt

Charlotte Olympia Masako Origami yellow and orange pumps

Johann Earl cherry and polka-dot print dress from ASOS

Miu Miu cherry glitter sandals (happy shoes...bringing the fruit bowl to your tootsies!)

Sonia by Sonia Rykiel cherry-print sweater

Carmex cherry flavoured lip balm (the cheapest way to get a little sweet cherry action ;)

*Mum, if you read this, do you still have any of my hideous extremely beautiful and creative pieces tucked away somewhere?!

New York and Paris Fashion Weeks AW 2012...Valentino Rockstud

Even though the Valentino Rockstud shoes have been around for a few seasons now, I can't get enough of them. Perhaps I like them even more now than when they first surfaced. I think it is partly because they are so versatile segueing easily from ladylike and elegant (like on Amanda Weiner, Senior Fashion Editor, Gotham magazine in the first photos) to slighty more edgy (on Ece Sukan, Editor-at-Large, Vogue Turkey). They look just as good with a pretty dress (remember when Giovanna wore that scalloped Valentino white dress?) as they do with jeans or trousers.

And I like them in every incarnation - ballerina flats, studded patent leather wedges, jelly flats or, probably my favourite, the ankle-wrap pump.

Paris Fashion Week AW 2012...Ulyana

Ulyana Sergeenko, Paris, March 2012.

Did you see the article in British Vogue (April 2012) featuring the Russian girls Elena Perminova, Miroslava Duma, Vika Gazinskaya and Ulyana? I love that they admit to sharing their clothes during PFW (kind of like a girly slumber party.....only with a lot more designer clothes and beautiful beds at The Ritz instead of sleeping bags!).

Recreate Ulyana's look (kind of):

Topshop moto fitted denim shirt or Current/Elliott The Perfect Shirt 

I really like the way Ulyana has dressed up her denim on denim look with the statement necklace. This is definitely a look you could wear in "real life".

Noir jewellery neon rope and crystal necklace or ASOS Krystal Swarovski Garden Statement necklace. Or instead of a oversized necklace, wear a pair of statement earrings. Love these Dannijo Monaco earrings (in fact anything by the Dannjio girls is pretty awesome!) 



Paris Fashion Week AW 2012...Grace

There is something about New Zealand born, Paris based Grace's style that I absolutely adore. It's...unaffected, undone, honest somehow....rather like that of another one of my girl style crushes, Ursina. It is refreshing to see at fashion week. And of course I am crazy about Grace's freckles ;)

One of my friend's said to me at Chanel, "Ness, I just photographed a girl you would love....she is SO your type". When I looked at the photograph on the back of her camera, it was Grace! It is funny that most of us photographers at the fashion weeks have a particular type of girl/style we like photographing. It is what keeps things interesting, I think.

Recreate Grace's look (kind of):

Whetherly Noam double jersey tee or ASOS double-layer tee

Max Studio dark brown leather coat or Marni caramel leather coat or Vince leather coat (a great trans seasonal piece) 

Duffy grey wool and cashmere beanie

Marc by Marc Jacobs electro blue Too Hot to Handle zip around wallet or wristlet  
Smythson orange Keep Calm and Carry On notebook (a motto I like to play on repeat in my head during the fashion weeks ;)

Essie mint candy apple nailpolish (do you see the colour of Grace's manicure...and her hand chain? So cool!)

Paris Fashion Week AW 2012...Vasilisa

Vasilisa Pavlova, after Carven (she closed the show), Paris, March 2012.

Crisp, clean, neat black and white...a touch masculine, classic and very wearable.

Recreate Vasilisa's look (kind of):

Madewell shrunken white boyshirt or create a stir with this Acne poplin shirt (sweet, demure peter pan collar at the front.....until you turn around. Hello oversized keyhole back! This would be fun to wear at work. Keep your jacket on for meetings and wear alone for after-dinner drinks - or while sitting at your desk :).

Rag&Bone/Jean The Legging Jean in black

Jil Sander Chelsea boots or ASOS Alibi Chelsea boots



Paris Fashion Week SS 2012...After Léonard

Butterflies for Spring: After Léonard, Paris, October 2011.

Paris Fashion Week SS 2012...Before Carven

Pretty, simple, fresh, wearable....hello Spring.



Recreate the Look (kind of):

Carven cotton-canvas and grosgrain skirt (it kind of reminds me of the Miu Miu skirt Tamu and Peony wore last summer but with a waistband)

Equipment Lowe washed-silk shirt

Paris Fashion Week SS 2012

Not sure of her name, or even after which show I took these photos in Paris, but I really like the man-ish striped shirt paired with the leather mini....and those kick'n lace-up boots.

Recreate the Look (kind of):
Rag and Bone Ezra pleated leather mini or Carven textured leather mini skirt
Karl textured-leather clutch

Paris Fashion Week SS 2012...Anne-Catherine

Anne-Catherine before Stella McCartney, Paris, October 2011.

Recreate the Look (kind of):
CC Skye portico bracelet or Gorjana Graham studded leather wrap bracelet

Paris Fashion Week SS 2012...Martha

Martha Streck, after Ann Demeulemeester (which I always pronounce incorrectly much to everyone's horror ;), Paris September 2011.

Recreate the Look (kind of):
MiH Jeans pistol suede biker jacket or Joseph Perfecto quilted leather jacket
See by Chloé cutout leather ankle boots