When Art meets Fashion

When I heard that Uniqlo were doing a collaboration with the Louvre, I had a moment. Like I am obsessed with Art, especially the whole renaissance and baroque era, I just love it.

Somewhere in Italy in 2013. It’s hot and I’m looking up at the creation of man in a room packed to the brim, over an audio system a man says “Silenzio” intermittently in a monotone voice. I feel a rush of awe as I stare at one of the greatest artistic achievements in the history of man.

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But is appreciating Nessus Abducting Deianeira problematic in itself, a painting in the male gaze depicting and romanticising male on female violence. Am I perpetuating the patriarchy by buying a T-shirt that portrays a woman in flight fearing for her life? Perhaps. That’s the problem with art, it’s open to interpretation and what once was normal and beautiful may no longer be.

But I can’t help but feel drawn to these paintings, I adore the craftmanship and the ethereal quality to them. And I must say the well-placed peach and roses in the T-shirt design give Deianeira back a bit of privacy and the omission of the centaur has to mean something. Am I looking into this a bit too much, maybe but when did I not overthink everything? It’s just a part of me, the constant questioning and analysis of thing can quite easily transfer the simple purchase of a T-shirt into a debate on morality….

Luckily in the myth that the painting is based on Heracles saves Deianeira from Nessus the centaur before he can have his way with her. What would a damsel do without her hero, aye? Fun fact for all the Disney Hercules fans out there, Nessus is the centaur that Hercules rescues Megara (aka the best Disney character ever!) from.

Either way, whatever the side of the argument that’s not really an argument your on, you can get the Uniqlo X Louvre T-Shirt here.

New Trainers

I have been umming and ahhing about buying a new pair of trainers for quite some time. My last pair were a nice set of ‘Dad Sneakers’ from Zara but they managed to get stained by some rather pretty lilies.

Alas, they have never looked presentable since, so I thought it was about time that I replaced them with some shiny new ones.

I decided to go for the New Balance 452’s in Black & White. They look really cool and totally 90’s and while I feel like they might be a bit of a hassle to keep them looking clean it will be 100% worth it as they pretty much can go with everything.

Thrifting in Brighton

Come join me and my sister Charlotte as we thrift shop in Brighton! We had so much fun sifting through all the weird and wonderful clothes from years gone by and the immense challenge of trying to find treasures and not trash!

Also, check out my dancing...girls got moves...questionable moves but moves nonetheless!

Where we went:

Beyond Retro: Well curated, a little pricey and is basically Urban Outfitters just with Vintage wears. BR is hidden a few streets away from the heart of Brighton's North Laine (which is the Bohemian & Cultural Quarter, so expect cool little indie shops galore). Oh, and the soundtrack in-store is eclectic and amazing.

To Be Worn Again: Smaller than BR but cheaper, however as it is right in the heart of North Laine it gets a little cramped.

Why go Vintage?

Fashion trends don’t last very long but they have a habit of repeating themselves. Right now it’s all about the 90’s aesthetic. So rather than buying something new and cheap that is of rather poor quality, shopping vintage allows you to access trends for less and all the pieces have proved just by their continued existence that they can stand the test of time (and your washing machine). It’s a win for your wallet and a win for the world!

Finding the Right Pair

So I went to the Opticians recently…and well it had been a while, the last time I remember going was when I was a child hahaha. And guess what? I apparently have an astigmatism (one eye is the shape of a rugby ball or something like that) and one eye is higher than the other (ooh what a catch). And what does all this mean? Yes, I need glasses.

I then made it my mission to go glasses shopping, of course, Charlotte and I had to call in on all our usual shops like Topshop, Waterstones et cetera, so the actual amount of glasses shopping we actually did was quite minimal. But I quickly came to 2 conclusions, 1 I look really nerdy in glasses and 2 why are they all so freaking expensive? (I naturally gravitate towards luxury aka designer brands, Hello Chanel and Gucci!).

Enter Ace & Tate, I found this brand while scrolling through Instagram, and given my current predicament, I was rather curious. Ace & Tate are based in the Netherlands and have a range of cool modern glasses (and sunglasses) that are a fraction of the price of most glasses you can get from your local opticians! And what is also fantastic is that you can pick 4 frames to try on at home free of charge. Here are my picks…

1 Neil in Satin Gold

2 Pierce in Fizz

3 Morris in Fizz

4 Jay in Satin Gold

And here is how they look on…

I think the whole idea of a at-home-try-on is such a good idea as you can ask friends and family for their opinions, you don’t feel as self-conscious as you would in a shop trying them on and the lighting isn’t as harsh either! Also, you can bust out a few selfies for good measure!

After some deliberating, I think the pair I’m going to order is no.1 Neil in Satin Gold. So the next step is to send back these try-on frames and place my order 

Thanks Ace & Tate for making this process a little easier (and for not breaking the bank either!)

Chanel Haute Couture AW17/18 Show Review

This year the Chanel Haute Couture AW17/18 show took place at the Grand Palais in Paris and the set design was utterly gorgeous and whimsical! The Eiffel Tower took centre stage as models adorned in Lagerfeld’s bold designs weaved intricately through the crossroad stage.

Famous faces filled the front rows from Chanel regulars such as Kristen Stewart, Caroline de Maigret and Julianne Moore to Pop stars Katy Perry and Pharrel Williams, filmmaker Sofia Coppola also attended as did style icon and actress Tilda Swinton (Who recently wore a custom-designed Chanel gown in Bong Joon Ho’s film Okja). International faces included Japanese Actress Nana Komatsu (Silence) and Chinese Model Liu Wen.

As always with Chanel Tweed made an appearance on much of the collection, it is the Chanel signature after all. And despite the fashion house being over 100 years old, Chanel is still managing to make Tweed fresh and different with each season and show. In the Chanel Haute Couture AW17/18 show it was all about the silhouettes, dramatic yet wearable shapes dominated the catwalk and the mixture of tweed and leather made for an interesting combination.

My Favourite Looks:

• Outfit 5 – The romantic sleeves and the flecks of different colours that were weaved into the tweed.

• Outfit 18 – It feels quite 60’s mod

• Outfit 27 – The terracotta coloured skirt again adds to that romantic vibe the collection was giving off in both the clothes and the charming Parisian Garden setting. I love how the cropped tweed jacket also complements the skirt.

• Outfit 40 – Dramatic and classic, it’s one of the classiest dresses that still has a daring side with the ruffles on the sleeves that harmonises with the busily decorated top half and the plain yet classic black bottom half.

• Outfit 51 – Another dramatic all black look, I love the ruffled black dress and how the sparkly netting glistens underneath and on the arms with movement.

Let me know in the comments section what your favourite outfit from the collection is!!