Runway favourites!

As many of you will know, over the past few weeks it has been the New York and London fashion weeks and Milan fashion week is currently well under way. 

I always do a series of runway trend boards during/after fashion weeks to document the trends for the new season. For AW14 I intend to wait until all of the fashion weeks have taken place before doing these trend boards, instead of doing a different set of trend boards for location. Hopefully this will help me give an overall trend report documenting the bigger trends!

Until then, here are a few of my favourites from New York and London.

New York

In all honesty I don't usually rate New York fashion week as much as the others. I'm not sure if this is because I'm a print designer and New York tends not to be as print orientated as London or whether it is because the designers in New York aren't as experimental. Despite this, as with all of the fashion weeks, I have a few favourites that never seem to disappoint. Anna Sui(above) is one of these!

Sui's current collection of opulent oriental florals and intricate Indian paisley combined with polished 1920's gatsby-esque styling is definitely a hit. 

 The collection oozes glamour and decadence and contains looks that fit into several of the key trends for this season which I will be posting about over the next few weeks.

Hoffman is another of my 'go-to' New York fashion week designers. As has come to be expected, Mara Hoffman delivered a colourful array of geometric patterns and quirky novelty pieces. With an Egyptian/Arabian theme to this collection, Hoffmans' pieces took obvious inspiration from Islamic geometry and pyramidic shapes. My favourite piece in this collection has to be the knitted jumper with the camel head intarsia design, an excellent novelty piece.

I was pleasantly surprised by Proenza Schoulers' collection and now I'm borderline obsessed. Two of the trends I will be posting about shortly are fingerprint inspired lines and abstract prints and this collection is the perfect embodiment of both of these. I am probably partially swayed by the fact that the majority of this collection is in shades of blue and turquoise, which are two of my favourite colours. 

London

I have noticed, along with the rest of the fashion industry, that the Burberry collections seem to be becoming increasingly experimental- which I absolutely LOVE!!!Finally an established British fashion house that doesn't shy away from  playing with new ideas and creating new trends. The AW14 Burberry collection embraces the recently introduced painterly trend. Abstract shapes and loosely painted natural forms with obvious brushstrokes. Burberry has amalgamated art with fashion, just as I was beginning to fear that we were about to see a return to minimalism(my reaction to the collections at New York fashion week), Burberry injected a naive, fun approach to fashion.

It will definitely be interesting to see how this trend filters down to the high street, and, for that matter, how I can make it applicable to knitwear in my day job!!!

I am unsure why I liked the Giles collection so much, I think I am very easily swayed by colour and I really love the orange and blue combination presented in his show. I also am completely fascinated by the usage of 3D texture in his beetle dresses, extremely different to the other collections I have seen so far!

It's quite difficult to talk about the Giles collection without giving away all of the trends I intend to post about so, for now, I will keep schtum!

 KTZs' collections always tend to be a little dark and mysterious and once again the usage of indecipherable symbols is strong throughout all the looks. With hints at an Eqyptian theme(like Mara Hoffman) through the gold striped garments, reminiscent of an Egyptian sarcophagus, and a strong sense of Islamic geometry and Moroccan tiles, this collection manages to show overseas and ethnic inspirations while retaining a graphic and fresh overall look. 

Aside from the prints I absolutely LOVE the statement jewellery KTZ collections always include. Unfortunately it is inspiring me to go shopping for costume jewellery, and it's nearly payday!

Veering away from her trademark digital prints, Mary Katrantzou has built up a collection using applique and embellishment with a very modern day mechanical inspiration.

. Although I love her prints, I think it is great that Katrantzou has decided to experiment with different techniques- this gamble definitely paid off! I particularly love how the embellishments create a trompe l'oeil effect by resembling characters/almost human figures.

Peter Pilotto, a master of digital printing, has created an amazing digital collection once again. Combining bright florals and imagery with dark canvasses, Pilotto has given a nod to the colour scheme used in the folk arts paintings that have been becoming so popular recently. My favourite thing about this collection, however, is the usage of Oriental figures in uniformed poses to create interesting linear structures in the prints.It would be interesting to see what their inspiration was for this collection.

So...last of my London favourites is Temperley. Temperley can always be relied upon to provide a beautiful and feminine collection and this season proved to be no exception. Drawing on inspiration from Islamic tiles(anyone see a theme coming along here... :P)and brightly coloured folkloric florals, Temperleys' collection is an interesting combination of the artwork of two different cultures. 

Well, that's all for now! I will upload more of my favourites from Milan and Paris when they have finished, and then come then the trend boards!

Journalling intentions and featured artist Anahata Katkin!

Recently I've been struggling with working a 9-5(well 9-6 most days) job!Although I am aware of how fortunate I am to have secured a job in the fashion industry, I'm just not 'feeling it'. The whole point of being creative is to have freedom and room for expression, I'm currently working in an environment of controlled creativity which is the complete antithesis of that! I long for the day when I can work for myself and have the freedom, and time, to create works of art that say something about who I am and what I believe in. I'm feeling extremely separate from the fashion industry at the moment, and am finding it empty and lacking in depth.
I feel as though I am pining for a creative outlet that doesn't involve me designing animal prints and polka dots for knitted jumpers and I'm eager to get back into being creative in my own time creating art for myself and no-one else!

I guess I just want time to explore what I'm capable of creating artistically, instead of having this constant  feeling of trapped creativity. 

Way back in art a-level I used to do a lot of journalling and I really enjoyed it, it was a great way to get out my thoughts, collect my inspiration in one place, and let our some creative energy...so I've decided to try and pick it up again. To 'get me in the mood' for art journalling I've been doing some research and thought I'd share it with you on here...

This weekend I have every intention of buying myself a beautiful new sketchbook to use for this and when I finally get around to starting a journal I will upload a few photos so you can all see what I'm working on and what bits and pieces are inspiring me. 

Speaking of inspiration, I came across an amazing illustrator/mixed media artist called Anahata Katkin and I just had to feature her on this blog because her work is so beautiful.

I first came across her around 5 years ago, when I was living back 'up north'. I had found a card she designed(above), which I have held onto until now not knowing who the designer was and I'm
so happy to be able to accredit her for her amazing work.

Katkin is the co-founder of card and interiors boutique 'Papaya' (http;//www.papaya-store.com), what started as a collection of 20 greeting card designs has now expanded into an established business branching out into stationary and soft accessories. This gives me so much motivation as one day I would like to do something similar and start my own brand!

Katkin's mixed media wall art pieces.

I love how Katkin combines painting, graphic illustration and collaging to create these breathtaking works of art and also how she adds typography to the prints adding more depth and meaning.

 Plan of attack for this weekend: make an inspiration book, get some design ideas, get journalling!!!

My week in colour- Day 4: Green

So I realised that I've actually pinned this dress on my Pinterest board 3 times- that's how much i want and need to own this dress!I love anything tie dye and it's quite uncommon to find a green tie dye dress.

This is quite a short post as I'm feeling pretty tired today and not in a particularly blogging-y mood!

As with all of my "What I would wear if I could" style posts, I would love to own this outfit. It's so casual and comfortable but could really easily be dressed up for post-work drinks etc. I want to own everything in this post, even down to the glittery tights. 

Dress £34.00 (Love at Topshop), Glitter tights £19.31 (http://www.shopstyle.com/p/scoop-prfct-pair-mtlc-tights-blk-slvrblk-gld/439918622), Oversized crackle clutch bag £39.99 (Zara), Gladiator sandals £40.00(River Island), tear drop ring £12.50 (Topshop), Turkish coin necklace £47.08 (http://www.saintevejewelry.bigcartel.com/product).

My week in colour day 3: Yellow!

Yet again I missed a blogging day BUT had a lovely trip to deepest, darkest Oxfordshire- the land of the Barbour and flooded fjords. A much needed rejuvinating getaway from London, but I'm back and so SO motivated!

So here is what should have been yesterday's yellow theme colour style post:

Patterned jumper £24.50 (ASOS), Midi-rings £12.50 (Topshop), Jeffrey Campbell 'Myles' boots £121.01 (Nastygal.com), Leather skirt £25.99 (Zara), Wire necklace $110/£66.39 (Jamie Spinello design at http://supermarkethq.com/product/geometric-necklace-pharaoh-revival-necklace-inspired-by-armatures-of-bridge-structures-and-danish-half-timbering), bag £62.59 (American Apparel).

I have a lot of love for this outfit! It reminds me of the architectural art deco inspired Holly Fulton prints where yellow dominates her colour palette!

I feel like this outfit is quite tough so I thought I'd keep some consistency by adding some of my favourite Jeffrey Campbell chunky boots. These ones are around £120 which, let's be honest, we can't all afford so I have picked out a selection of high street look-a-likes which are more affordable, you can see these by following this link to my Pinterest board on current style trends: http://www.pinterest.com/beckyloisburns/trends

This skirt is pretty amazing too- it's in a style that seems to be taking over the high street, it's a bit like a mock short wraparound skirt with an asymmetric front!I actually bought myself a skirt similar to this from H&M but couldn't find it online to use in this post but if you're looking for this style skirt most of the high street stores have them in stock (follow this link to see my Pinterest board of high street skorts: http://www.pinterest.com/beckyloisburns/trends/) I opted for the black leather version because of its versatility but there are some great printed options in Topshop!


Skorts seem to be becoming increasingly popular with fashion bloggers and are the current skirt silhouette of choice. After browsing through hundreds of style blogs on Lookbook,nu I have chosen 3 fashion bloggers who I think have styled the skort in the most interesting ways:

Toshiko is a Californian based, Hong-Kong raised Stylist/Visual Merchandiser who blogs at itsnotheritsme.com. Growing up around the experimental street style in Hong-Kong  has obviously had a lasting impression on Toshikos' style. 

I am a huge fan of the way she has combined this fresh looking white skort with a basic grey tee and a beautiful floral kimono. The black cutout heels toughen up this outfitto give a perfect balance of masculine and feminine. As can be expected,my favourite thing about this outfit is the necklace, another beautiful piece of jewellery from Holst&Lee(http://www.holstandlee.com/shop/necklaces/fume-rose-necklace/) this necklace doesn't come cheap at £179.98, a girl can dream though right?

To see more of Toshikos' style posts visit her website: itsnotheritsme.com or check out her looks at:http://lookbook.nu/itsnotheritsme.

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Another great example of skort styling is from the lookbook of Mint Boutique: http://lookbook.nu/mintboutique

Another kimono/skort combo which works amazingly, seems like I might be getting a little bit latched onto this idea! 

I love how casual this outfit is, the kimono looks loose and comfortable and the echoing of the sharp lines in the crop top and skort works so well!

                                                                  ----------

Chloe Ting is the last of the 3 skort style posts I have found and has styled the skort in a completely different way to the previous examples.

Chloe is a Melbourne based fashion blogger who posts at www.chloeting.com. You can see ore of her lookbook styles at: http://lookbook.nu/chloe_t

I think one of the things I like about her take on the skort is how the styling is much more translatable to the UK climate, this could quite easily be worn as a wintery outift with a pair of tights. The grungey tartan/leather combination from Missguided added to the oversized varsity jumper creates a great slouchy 'style without strain' look. 

 

My week in colour- Day two: Orange!

Last week I had a monochromatic blog theme, I found it extremely entertaining that today, while researching for more style posts, the theme on the websites of two leading British retailers (Topshop and River Island) were also monochrome. Apparently that's the direction the high street is headed for in the coming season...

Enough about that though, this week is all about colour!Today is the second day of the week and orange is the next colour down in the rainbow. Despite it not being a particularly orange day, drizzle and not even the tiniest patch of blue sky to be seen, I have managed to pull together an outfit where the key piece is orange.

Orange is one of the trickiest colours to wear so I have tried to use it fairly minimally by combining it with darker shades.

Kimono £40.00(ASOS), slip dress £65.00(Topshop boutique), Fringed rucksack £65.00 (Topshop), Make your own necklace £12.00(ASOS), Elephant necklace £7.99 (New Look), Chunky boots £42.00 (River Island).

This outfit is quite summery with the coral orange slip dress and the floral satin kimono! I do absolutely love kimono jackets and frequently float around my house in them pretending I'm in 'The Great Gatsby'-I have such normal pastimes!

I think my favourite pieces in this style post are the necklaces! The new look elephant necklace is so cute and I'm definitely going to be buying one when I get paid! I think the ASOS 'make your own' necklace is a great idea too- a necklace that can say whatever you want, what's not to love!!!

To make up for my pathetic blogging attempt this last week here is a second orange themed style post for today. For this outfit I have moved way from the coral orange to a bright, bold orange.

Boxy top £36.00 (Topshop), Pencil skirt £38.00 (Topshop),necklace £14.09 (HappyHandMaker at etsy.com), Boots £40.00(River Island), Backpack £17.73 (yesstyle.com).

I'n not normally a fan of orange but I do love this orange/blue floral colour combo!The oversized print work really well as a two piece as well, the only problem with this outfit is the length of the skirt. As a fairly short person(5ft 0inches) Any skirt that stops at my knee is a pretty bad decision so with this skirt I'd probably have to tuck it into my bra to be able to wear it as a mini!Fortunately the boxy shape of the top means that if I did have to do this, no-one would notice :) 



Artist review: Hundertwasser


Friedensreich Hundertwasser(1928-2000) was an Austrian artist who seemed to reject the accepted use of colour and straight lines. Inspired by figures,natural forms and spirals, Hundertwassers' work is curvilinear,decorative and extremely colourful!

Although I have been trying to blog about upcoming artists that aren't very well known, I think in a week of colour posts Hundertwasser definitely deserves a mention!I think the thing I love most about his work is how linear his paintings are, a particular favourite of mine is the face(above left)that melts into the landscape behind it.

Back on the blogging scene ..."My week in colour take 2"- RED

Once again I forgot to follow through on my over-enthusiastic blogging plans... so much for my week in colour!It has been my birthday though so I feel I can use that excuse for at least two days of this last week!

I still really want to do my "week in colour" so I'm going to start again.....mid-week(well, late week!)at Red the first colour of the rainbow.

Red is possibly the hardest colour theme for an outfit post for me because I just never wear anything red. I definitely will not be wearing red in the near future either seeing as my hairdresser decided a ginger ombre look would be fitting for my birthday hairdo...she was wrong...so so VERY wrong. Fortunately it has faded a little bit and is now gingery brown....but back to RED...

Black jeans £24.99 (Bershka), Coca cola baseball tee £32.00 (Urban Outfitters), Cutout boots £45.00 (next2nowt.com- the name says it all really!), sheer lips socks £4.91 (nastygal), leather bag £19.99 (Zara).

So there's my red look....pretty simple, nothing to write home about- just a casual daytime look. I do love the sheer lips socks though!

As many of you in the fashion industry will know, New York fashion week startstoday, which means I actually have to go into blogging overdrive! Although looking at the catwalks seems like a 'fun' thing to do, I have to do it all day at work then turn them into 'artsy' moodboards all evening(the 'artsy' part is mainly to stop me getting bored) so it loses its appeal quite quickly!

But along with the colour style posts this week you can expect some fashion week posts too, provided I get my blogging bum into gear!