Dior’s new accessories line, in collaboration with one of the world’s big artists, is to die for. Will you be taking a piece?
At Rescu. we love it when high fashion goes high art. The latest collaboration is already making critics both kick up their heels and scratch their heads.
The House Of Christian Dior, who have no creative director since John Galliano was fired, are back in the spotlight with an accessories collaboration with the artist Anselm Reyle.
Reyle is one of the world’s foremost abstract artists. He’s famous for colour, huge crushed-metal sculptures and wit, and is a ‘transformer’ – he finds objects and produces art.
So what did this dream-team produce? Camoflauge-print accessories criss-crossed with neon thread, that’s what.
The reviews are heavily mixed – camoflauge has been out of fashion since the 1990s and neon’s Renaissance was brief, but the overall look is pretty Berlin killer-cool.
So what do you think – would this be an addition to your It-Bag wardrobe? Image: Anselm Reyle for Dior, courtesy Dior.
Too hot to arrange yourself in fashionable layers? Too summer-time lazy to shop for The Next Big Piece?
The latest accessory trend is making life easier for everybody. It’s simple – take every bracelet you own and wear it at once.
Seems over-the-top, but the multi-bracelet approach, combining heavy bangles, simple chains, charm bracelets and leather straps, was seen all over the fashion world during the last set of Fashion Weeks, and now it’s trickling down.
It’s new for normally sleek fashionistas to be celebrating disorder and chunkiness, so get in on the action!
How to make it work: put on high-quality pieces, but that doesn’t necessarily mean expensive. Vintage finds, market stuff – mix it all up.
Have at least two big showstoppers, and consider wearing the mix on both wrists to balance you out.
And don’t be afraid of a big, chunky watch amid the melee! Our favourites for wrist candy: Dinosaur Designs, Rotary men’s watches and Galibardy UK.
The embroidery trend reached fever pitch with Christopher Kane’s embroidered leather dresses, which were worn by the two big-fashion Emmas: Watson and Stone.
Altering your own clothing and customising it beautifully is an increasingly big trend. Fashionistas are tiring of a single “it” look, and are learning how to cut, drape, alter and embellish themselves, to have a truly unique piece.
Add the increasing turn to 1950s-style domesticity, with a punk twist, and you have RESCU’s top tips for embroidering your own clothing.
If you’re inexperienced, pick a light piece which is inexpensive and can take a bit of unpicking/mending. T-shirts are always good (not your super-expensive Isabel Marant one, thank you).
Unless you’re working with a sewing machine or a coterie of couture embroiderers, stick to light, thin materials like linen and cotton.Work on denim if you’re REALLY ambitious.
Get yourself an embroidery hoop, some proper thread, a book on simple stitches (yes, Virginia, you do have to do it properly) and sketch onto the fabric with pencil or light chalk.
A big trend is personal monogramming. Sketch out a little signature with simple lines, so that any piece is uniquely yours.
Work carefully and don’t be upset if you botch it – the execution will show you troubled to do it yourself. Don’t fill in spaces unless you REALLY know what you’re doing.
Ideas: Lightning bolts, birds, stars, letters, simple cross-hatching.
Dig out your grandmother’s design book and have a go – it’s the way to make your mark in 2012. Image: Christopher Kane leather embroidered dress.
If you’ve been watching the BBC 1900s extravaganza, chances are you’re there for the romance, Maggie Smith – and the clothes.
Downton Abbey is being cited as bringing early 20th century fashion back. For those of us who don’t want to wear head-to-toe prints a la Versace, the subtlety of the dresses and hats is a welcome relief.
Above-the-ankle modest skirts, echoing the 1910s, have been all over the runways the past season. Miniskirts? Not for this lot – it’s Edwardian-era modesty all the way.
And that’s just the start. Fashion commentators have had a lovely time spotting-the-influence at 2012 shows, pointing out Downton’s impact on everything from prim pastel prints to headbands.
The headpiece worn by Michelle Williams at the Golden Globes could have come straight from the Downton set.
How to translate this into your wardrobe? Think vintage – and don’t be afraid to put on hats and gloves.
Look for empire waists, impeccable beading and dress-for-dinner boleros or delicate shawls. However, you don’t need to be a period piece. Lighten it up with modern clothing – even (gasp!) pants.
Image: Downton Abbey.
