Cheap and Chic - 'Pierre Hardy at Gap'

We've had Kate Moss's Christmas collection at Topshop, and Roberto Cavalli's new line at H&M; now French footwear designer Pierre Hardy is introducing a capsule shoe collection for Gap this winter, consisting of three designs, ranging from £55 to £70.
Pierre Hardy's line of shoes and bags are a firm favourite with fashionistas everywhere, featuring chic peep toes, ultra-hip crayola-coloured trainers, patterned wedges and patent-heeled ankle boots this season.


Along with his own line of alluring creations, Pierre Hardy also designs shoes for Balenciaga and Hermés. Contrasting fashion labels, the Balenciaga range features multi-coloured plastic platforms, whilst his Hermés designs are inspired by luxury and elegance. It is not only top designers however that Pierre Hardy lends his talents to; this Thursday his capsule collection for Gap will make its début, featuring three styles: red patent mary-janes, pointed flats in either black patent, gold metallic or a combination of gold and plum; and finally, a black high heel platform sandal - similar to the Burberry Prorsum studded platform sandal, a favourite with style icons Sienna Miller, Mischa Barton and Agyness Deyn this winter.

Burberry Prorsum studded platform sandals - £495
Following in the footsteps of Roland Mouret who designed for Gap last year, Pierre Hardy's collection is set to fly out the store, giving a taster for what is to come in his larger Spring collection, available at the end of February next year.

Pierre's designs for Gap this Winter:

Red patent mary-janes with gold buckle - £55


Evening flats - £55


Black platform sandals - £70


Get the Look:

Red patent mary-jane with buckle - £25, Office


Pointed black flats - £25, Faith


Premium strapped leather platform sandal - £40, ASOS


Strappy platform sandal - £55, KG


Burberry Look-a-like:


Studded cross-over platform - £65, Topshop

Cheap and Chic - 'To dye for'

Ombré, a French word translating to 'shaded' and referring to the graduation of colour woven into fabric, is on the lips of every fashionista this Winter, whilst set to be a huge trend for Spring/Summer 2008 also.
Prada's Autumn/Winter collection, featuring the ombré trend includes dresses, scarves, handbags and shoes. Their new line of bags focuses on the graduation of grey, black and red; whilst their clothes line takes dyeing to the extreme, featuring crinkled dip-dyed skirts and dresses in an array of red, gold, blue and green.
As Prada's ombré bags are set to be 'must-haves' this Winter, proving highly popular with celebrities such as Madonna, Jennifer Garner and Eva Mendez; other designers offer dyed garments in their collections for this season and the next. Alexander Mcqueen's Elvie bag has been dubbed the 'it-bag' for Winter and comes in an ombré-esque black and plum option, whilst Louis Vuitton, John Galliano and Marc Jacobs are fans of the dyeing technique, Alberta Ferretti also features it quite heavily in her A/W collection this year.
I recently visited the Matthew Williamson exhibition at the Design Museum, sneaking a peak at his Spring/Summer collection for 2008. Inspired by 'travel', the line is full of bright colours, linen and beading; with ombré featuring also:

As a big trend this Winter, it is no surprise there are high-street versions popping up all over the place - Monsoon, in particular, offers a great range of dip-dyed garments.

On the Runway:

Alberta Ferretti


Louis Vuitton


Valentino



Feeling Flash?:
Alberta Ferretti ombré chiffon dress - £1,861


Marc Jacobs two-tone shoe boots - £356


Miu Miu patent leather sandals - £315


Michael Kors ombré sweater dress - £1,045


Strapped for Cash?

Ombré clutch - £30, Accessorize


Dip-dye pleated tunic - £19.50, Marks & Spencer


Dip-dye dress - £135, Monsoon


Dip-dye wrap - £18, Monsoon


Folk embroidered dip-dye dress - £35, Monsoon

Cheap and Chic - 'Animal Instincts'

Leopard print is huge this season with Dolce and Gabbana featuring animal inspired hot pants, dresses and tops in their winter collection; along with Anya Hindmarch clutch bags, a Blumarine bikini and Anna Sui fur coat, every designer from Matthew Williamson to Marc Jacobs features animal print in their designs this winter. As the the key inspiration for Roberto Cavalli's new collection at H&M, it is also featured heavily in his own line.
Famous for his extravagant gowns and glamorous designs, Roberto Cavalli is the A-list diva's best friend. His high-street designs made their début last Thursday and were sold out within a matter of hours; the range consists of animal printed dresses, lingerie, trousers, tops, scarves, tights...you name it, it has an animal print; even the lining of the black coats and blazers are adorned with the must-have winter print.
Another fashion 'must-have' this season is the new Louis Vuitton scarf; leopard-printed and embellished with the label's name in hot pink on brown, the designs by the late Stephen Sprouse come in a range of colours including blue, brown and red, and are hot favourites with celebrities such as Sophie Dahl, Kate Moss and Sienna Miller.
Top right: Roberto Cavalli collection in H&M shop window

Splash out:

Louis Vuitton leopard print scarf - 70% cashmere, 30% silk - £295


Anya Hindmarch clutch - 265


D&G leopard print babydoll top - £225


Anna Sui faux fur leopard print coat - £350


Roberto Cavalli pailette embellished dress - £1,980


D&G animal print dress - £780


High-street alternatives:

Animal print clutch - £5, George at Asda


Animal print scarf - £35, John Lewis


Animal print halter - £14, Peacocks


Animal print cropped jacket - £28,Peacocks


Animal print dress - £69, Trinny & Susannah collection at Littlewoods


Leopard print eveningwear bag - £18, Per Una


Animal print dress - £55, Lipsy


Animal print dress - £99, Roberto Cavalli collection at H&M

Media Analysis - 'E-zines: the traditional vs. the unconventional'

As my internet loads up the homepage of 'Marmalademag.com', I contemplate what my choice will be today – work or play? Play. Immediately I am transfixed in another game of highly addictive 'Pacman' – a multitude of flashing colours and an electronic soundtrack. Is this what online fashion magazines have come to? Adults logging onto a website associated with one of the most influential and expensive industries in the world in order to play a game intended for a five-year-old ? As web-zines such as 'Marmalade', 'Pop' and 'WAD' grow in number, it becomes clear that the traditional idea of a fashion magazine has certainly come a long way. These websites focus on the untraditional, unconventional and creative; it is all about freedom of speech and the opportunity to be different. Drugs, sex and non-conforming behaviour are key promoters of the fashion world; with e-zines such as 'fuk.uk' and 'The Flavour Pill' offering illusive names to support this idea, their websites actually provide their audiences with the latest in fashion, style and culture.
The idea of childish games seems ironic therefore, with this 'grown-up' lifestyle being promoted (the Pacman game is subtitled 'play with yourself'), but this is what truly captures their view-point – why not play Pacman at twenty-five years of age? Why conform? These types of web-zines are the new 'Beat Generation', with unconventional art, music and lifestyles being promoted, whilst excellent writing conveys the latest in fashion and trends.


Artwork from a blogger on the Popmagazine e-zine: www.myspace.com/popsuperglossy

Media Analysis - 'The Beat Generation'

A group of writers, a cultural phenomenon or an era in time, 'The Beat Generation' is famous for celebrating non-conformity and spontaneous creativity; pushing the boundaries in 1950s America. Coined by Jack Kerouac in 1948, the 'Beat Generation' labelled a group of writers, including Allen Ginsberg, Neal Cassady, William Burroughs and later, Gregory Corso and Herbert Huncke. Their lifestyles and perspectives on society inspired a carefree, reckless approach to literature; acting as bohemian hedonists, defining both their philosophy of hedonism - 'pleasure is the most important pursuit of mankind' - and untraditional bohemian lifestyle, seen at the time as unorthodox.
The members of the beat generation yearned for worldly experiences and a deeper spiritual understanding; their experimentation with drugs, sexuality and criminal activities were conveyed in their writing and was seen as either an act of obscenity or heroism. The writers were admired by many and frowned upon by others but by the early '60s, this generation of youngsters had pushed the boundaries of acceptability.
The most iconic and inspirational works of the beats include Allen Ginsburg's 'Hawl', William Burroughs's 'Naked Lunch' and Jack Kerouac's 'On the Road'.


'The Beat Generation' - back row: Kerouac, Ginsberg and Orlovsky; in front: Corso and Orlovsky's brother Lafcadio - travelling in Mexico

Cheap and Chic - 'The Tux'

Forget Luella's frilly dresses and Swarovski encrusted flapper dresses, this season is all about masculine tailoring, as the tux makes its return. The evening classic, typically black with a satin lapel, has been transformed into a 'must-have' this winter, with designers from Hermes to Dolce & Gabbana adding their spin on the classic dinner suit.
Previously a formal necessity for balls and weddings, the tux was teamed with a white shirt and bow-tie; however this season we will be pairing it with glamorous dresses, high-waisted trousers and chiffon blouses. The tux is a 'myriad of possibilities', as described by Vogue, dressed up or down it is a 'must-have' in your winter wardrobe.
Whether in the form of a jacket, coat or dress; the tux features in almost every designer's A/W 07/08 collection, including a £2,450 tailcoat from Hermes, as well as velvet, satin and wool versions from the likes of Matthew Williamson, Roberto Cavalli and Marc Jacobs. As a huge trend this winter, the high-street have a range of jackets on offer also - from a Karen Millen tuxedo jacket, priced at £199, to a M&S cropped version, priced at only £39.50. In between the price range, Armani's urban-youth spin-off brand Armani A/X features a black tux jacket costing only £169; and with Armani's Exchange brand opening its largest store on Regent Street this month, it is the hot pick of the season.

Designer:

YSL tux jacket - £1,080


Luella tuxedo jacket - £225


Marc by Marc Jacobs cropped tuxedo jacket with contrast colour neck-tie - £300


Matthew Williamson wool tuxedo jacket - £500


Roberto Cavalli velvet tuxedo jacket - £1,025


Twenty8Twelve single breasted tuxedo jacket - £295


Highstreet:

Tuxedo jacket - £45, Love Label at Littlewoods


Cropped mini tux - £39.50, M&S


Tuxedo coat - £99, Trinny and Susannah at Littlewoods


Lux pinstripe tux jacket - £55, Urban Outfitters


Satin tuxedo jacket - £65, Warehouse