The Fashion Service | Personal Shopping London

Fall 2014: Street Style

fashionservice — Sat, 08 Mar 2014 22:47:53 +0000

Some of my favourite street style looks from New York, London, Paris and Milan 2014 autumn winter season.

TRENDS REPORT: Spring/Summer 2014

fashionservice — Mon, 03 Feb 2014 22:33:02 +0000

COLOUR was all over the catwalk this season. Bright vibrant head to toe hues, colour blocking in bold primary colours and painted prints in a rainbow of technicolor most memorable at Chanel.

Chanel

Fendi

Prada

SHEER fabrics dominated the shows. Featherlight fabrics were used to conceal and reveal in all colours of the spectrum; at Burberry Prorsum in candy cane lace, at Giambattista black tulle and Christopher Kane neon and lace.

Christopher Kane

Giambattista Valli

Burberry Prorsum

The METALLIC trend stays with us from fall. But not just the classic silver and gold as seen at Altuzarra and Saint Laurent but Quality Street colours of purple, green and pink, see Lanvin for Alber Elbaz’s molten moment.

Lanvin

Saint Laurent

Altuzarra

FLORAL was ever present for the summer season. Not just the pretty florals which were very pretty at Nina Ricci and Alberta Ferretti but the embroidered florals at Dolce & Gabbana, the techno florals at Mark Katrantzou and the photosynthesis florals at Christopher Kane.

Alberta Ferretti

Dolce & Gabbana

Nina Ricci

The GLOBAL TRAVELLER was a big trend for this season. Think tribal not boho, heavy textures and a lot of fringing. See Valentino for the collection that did it best.

Valentino

Celine

Emilio Pucci

EMBELLISHMENT was all over the catwalk for both day and night. Casual sporty separates were heavily embellished at Marni, at Miu Miu and Marc Jacobs sequins were the choice for evening wear.

Marni

Miu Miu

Marc Jacobs

MINI TRENDS

SPORTY

Prada

THE TRENCH

Michael Kors

BLUE DENIM

Balmain

CHECK

Carven

THE MIDRIFF

Giambattista Valli

SLOGANS

Christopher Kane

Store News: J Crew

fashionservice — Mon, 18 Nov 2013 18:56:22 +0000

J Crew has crossed the pond and opened not one but three stores here in London, finally! Always top of my list when visiting the States, we can now shop the preppy American brand at the flagship store on Regent Street, the menswear store in Mayfair and the Collection in Brompton Cross. The label is loved for it’s crew neck cashmere sweaters (available in every shade), it’s capri pants, statement necklaces and multicoloured layering. Jenna Lyons the creative director has really put J Crew on the fashion map over the past few years with her fabulous no rules styling; the J Crew girl wears classic pieces but breaks the fashion rules, she’ll mix up her prints, wear tweed with a sports sweater or heels with track pants.

Winter 2013

J Crew 165 Regent Street, W1
Menswear 38 Lambs Conduit Street, W1
The Collection 117 Draycott Avenue, SW1

Store News: On Motcomb

fashionservice — Mon, 11 Nov 2013 18:30:31 +0000

On Motcomb is a really exciting new store that opened a couple of months ago in London, situated on the very chic and fashionable Motcomb Street they specialises in cocktail and evening wear. There really is very limited retail establishments that stock a good wide range apart from department stores so this is a great concept and i will definitely be taking my clients when they are looking for something special. Stockists include some serious red carpet connoisseurs like Giambattista Valli, Marchesa and Carolina Herrera; they also stock exclusives and have recently opened a space in near by Fenwicks.

On Motcomb, 11 Motcomb Street SW1

My London Address Book

fashionservice — Sun, 27 Oct 2013 10:50:36 +0000

BOUTIQUES: Browns Focus & Dover Street Market for high end fashion pieces or maxing out your credit card; Joseph Brompton Cross has a great selection of designer labels and really helpful staff; Aime stocks pretty, wearable separates by French favourites like Isabel Marant & APC; Trilogy for jeans and my weekend wardrobe; Heidi Klein & Liza Bruce for swim and beachwear.

VINTAGE: London Vintage Fair at Hammersmith Town Hall hosts the best vintage fair once a month on a Sunday; Rellik for vintage designers brands, lots of Westwood, YSL and Dior; Mairead Lewin is London’s best kept secret for really dreamy vintage finds (by appointment only +447968 940 293).

ACCESSORIES: Charlotte Olympia for my shoe fix; for jewellery Harrods has a really good selection of both fine and costume, for vintage try the shops in the Burlington Arcade or Grey’s Antique’s market; Liberties for everything else.

LINGERIE: Agent Provocateur for fun and sexy, Carine Gilson for classic and the highest quality silk and lace, otherwise Selfridges has a great variety of brands and they also stock a good selection of shape wear. For fittings i would take clients to Harrods.

HIGHSTREET: Zara…if you have the opportunity to shop it abroad the price, quality and fabrics are much better.

DRY CLEANERS: Jeeves of Belgravia, they have lots of services, including leather, fur and suede; they also are the best at getting out the trickiest of stains.

SPECIALIST DRY CLEANERS: Blossom & Browne for vintage and couture.

COBBLER: KG Shoes, are my favourite, they even re paint my red Louboutin soles!

ALTERATIONS: Alina, I haven’t found anyone better.

DIRECTORY:
Agent Provocateur: Pont Street, SW1
Aime: Ledbury Rd, W11
Alina: +44 7515 148 928
Blossom & Browne: Regents Park Rd, NW1
Browns Focus: South Molton St, W1
Burlington Arcade: Mayfair, W1
Dover Street Market: Dover Street, W1
Carine Gilson: Pont Street, SW1
Charlotte Olympia: Maddox St, W1
Harrods: Knightsbridge, SW3
Heidi Klein: Westbourne Grove, W11
Jeeves of Belgravia: Pont St, SW1
Joseph: Brompton Cross, SW1
KG Shoes: Eversholt St, NW1
Liberty’s: Great Malborough St, W1
Liza Bruce: Pont St, SW1
London Vintage Fair: http://www.pa-antiques.co.uk/londonvintagefashionfair.html
Mairead Lewin Vintage: Latimer Rd, w10
Rellik: Golborne Road, W10
Rigby & Peller: Hans Rd, SW3
Selfridges: Oxford Street, W1
Trilogy: Duke of York Sq, SW3
Zara: every good high street!

NEW DESIGNERS: Isa Arfen

fashionservice — Wed, 23 Oct 2013 21:56:45 +0000

Founded by Central St Martins graduate Serafina Sama in 2011, the London-based womenswear designer is an exciting new label to watch. Growing up in Italy has been a huge influence, as is her day to day life in London where she now calls home. Sama also had stints at Lanvin, Marni, Marc Jacobs and was a design assistant at Chloe before launching her own label through private orders to friends two years ago. Her dreamy designs are wonderfully feminine and elegant with a quirky twist.

“To me fashion is about desire, beauty and fun. It’s not about dressing up in a costume. Isa Arfen is about a real woman dressing for her real life and really enjoying it.” Sama

Her focus is all about the silhouette, high waists, culotte trousers and trench coat style coats; her styling is all about layering, a jewelled crop top worn over a white shirt, with a cropped pant and a trench coat.

For next season white bias cut dresses, culottes in striped cotton and pops of colour in the illustrations by Marcela Gutierrez painted on full skirts and cropped tops.

www.isaarfen.com

SS13

Isa Arfen SS13

AW13

Isa Arfen AW13

SS14

Isa Arfen SS14

Spring 2014: Street Style

fashionservice — Tue, 15 Oct 2013 13:46:06 +0000

Some of my favourite Street Style looks from New York, London, Milan and Paris Spring/Summer 2014 show season.

TRENDS REPORT: Autumn/Winter 2013

fashionservice — Thu, 10 Oct 2013 19:13:59 +0000

PUNK: All the big names were pushing the trend for this winter; at Saint Laurent it was all about the Kurt Cobain grunge look, at Versace it was sexed up and at Chanel thigh high boots with chains and punk embellishment gave a ladylike nod to the theme.

Saint Laurent

Versace

Chanel

OVERSIZED TAILORING: seen on the catwalk at Max Mara, Stella McCartney and Theysken Theory. Double breasted jackets, pinstripe pants and very oversized overcoats are a big trend for this season.

Max Mara

Stella McCartney

Theyskens’ Theory

PASTELS & CANDY COLOURS: usually associated with spring summer they were all over the catwalks for this coming winter; from palest pastels to cotton candy hues, invest in a statement coat to brighten up any winters day.

Carven

Giambattista Valli

Simone Rocha

SKIRTS: a new skirt shape is being pioneered for this season and leader of the pack was Phoebe Philo’s offerings at Celine; a slightly longer mid calf length, with a flared hem. Also seen at Jil Sander and Prada.

Celine

Jil Sander

Prada

THE FEMININE SILHOUETTE: nipped in waists and midi skirts were all over the catwalks for winter, with coat dresses at Christian Dior, skirt suits at Prada and belted styling at Rochas; very reminiscent of the Hitchcock heroine.

Christian Dior

Rochas

Prada

RELIGION: many of the top designers took their inspiration from the church this season; at Dolce & Gabbana intricate jewel encrusted designs of Saints dominated the show, at Valentino and JW Anderson dresses were fit for cardinals.

Dolce & Gabbana

J.W. Anderson

Valentino

MAXIMALISM: prints, colours, textures, sparkle, embellishment, the more the merrier and all at once was the order of the day at Tom Ford, Fendi and Roberto Cavalli.

Fendi

Tom Ford

CHECKS: houndstooth, tartan, pinstripe, Price of Wales and herringbone were all over the catwalk for fall. Lanvin draped it into an elegant skirt suit, Ungaro tailored it into a cute mini dress and Phoebe Philo reinvented the Chinese laundry bag into the must have coat of the season.

Celine

Emanuel Ungaro

Lanvin

MINI TRENDS:

FEATHERS

Louis Vuitton

VINYL

Burberry Prorsum

FLORAL

Erdem

CAMO

Christopher Kane