Just as I thought the fashion world had completely adopted grunge inspired themes from the 1990s and hair trends were finally returning to normalcy- I'm presented with such creative evidence and my jaw hits the floor. Introducing the collaboration between Nasty Gal and Minkpink. I had been familiar with the latter just as a familiar name to create clothing and, being a bit of a snob, had even dared to turn my nose up at the name Nasty Gal. Cruising across my magazine sources on Facebook I was lucky enough to come across this collection full of all the colours of the rainbow and mixing the best of the collection with retro pieces. It makes me want to buy my unicorn inspired hair extensions more than over to finally have coloured hair. I've been wanting to colour for a while but there hasn't been any recent trends to avoid colouring my entire head of hair and I was intending to rule out streaks. The collection has opened my eyes to an entire new venture and all avenues seem possible. It's a wonderful feeling having stared tediously at Biology textbooks and Science diagrams for the past five weeks.
As much as I do love grunge, leather studded jackets and the notion of black lipstick, the colourful clashes between orange pink and blue does strike me a bit more. The shorts are vintage, the blouse a part of the current collaboration collection and the dyed pink hair enough to make any Plain Jane green with envy and ravenous lust. As well as being a stunning Asian girl with long black hair I felt inspired and proud of my own heritage from seeing the long eyeliner wisps used to accentuate stereotypical points on the model's face. It's always nice when a campaign makes you feel good to be in your own skin- rather than punishing ones self for not being as skinny and elegant as the models. There's such a fun atmosphere and energy to this one image from the cherry eyes and casual body posture- one can't help but feel relaxed too.
There are many wonderful photographs from this campaign and my favourites include those with dark sea green hair. There's so many punk and hippy elements to this photograph but they all meld together to create something greater than its constitutional parts. The denim overalls and crochet bag in the style of Missoni has such strong radiation of good vibes but the mean side profile of the black platform boots, leopard print shirt and extensions scream rave/ punk party. It's certainly a look I would be keen to try on for size myself- if only I knew of a magical place that made wonderful clashing hemp bags....
Jouetie put on a mammoth runway show in the style of British punk rebellion but there was also sweet knitted cardigans with spiteful slang and models adorned in colourful bob wigs. The drug-fuelled state of the dreamy model shown here as well as the mean mood of another fashion show seems blended into this photograph so well. The graphic contrast of black and white, as well as colourful vintage prints alike and neon fluorescent shades and cotton candy pink hair... a unicorn wouldn't even look as good as this. The appeal about this collection is that it's something old but reworked and made new again and it breaths life into punk and grunge for a younger generation to enjoy. Also it makes my obsession with My Little Pony and brightly coloured hair satisfied and dormant yet again.
The leopard has finally been restored to its primal place of birth although no actual animals were harmed in the production of this campaign. I love the barren wasteland/ neutral backdrop of this shoot- a very clever way to make the bright colours seem even more loud and bold. As well as a great variety of styles and colours from the collection itself I feel that the model has a great range of facial expressions for this campaign. The brooding dark eyes and slightly turned corners of her luscious pink lips goes well with the acid green hues of her hair. It makes me want to break out my hair straightener for the first time and add many wildly coloured extensions just for the fun of experimentation.
The true mark of a good fashion blogger is the ability to throw on a mess of clothes in drapery style and create inventive and innocently sweet outfits. Neon shades have been on the cards for the last few months but they seem to be hitting harder in more and more fashion shows and collections. Jeffrey Campbell is a brand I've been meaning to get my filthy mitts on for a while- could this pair of fluorescent yellow wooden heeled boots be my first true love? I certainly love the incorporation of colours yellow, green and blue from the same spectrum into one outfit and there is again that zeal for life and happiness about it. I wish I had a abominably large green taffeta skirt to flounce around in and wear to tango lessons. The shoes are something just a little more attainable at the moment.
To quote my Senior Year Literature teacher, at the end of the party one person is fed up looking after the kids, with no slice of cake and having to pay for the stripper. The long teal strands of hair and slightly fed up expression really balances the bright, lime green skirt. If Cinderella was alive in the 1990s and attended the best party of the year, this would be her pictured above without her pumpkin coach and only half of a wonderful outfit.
With the decline of dip dye hair in popular culture I had all been ready to accept a bleak and boring outlook on hair and make up in fashion runway presentation. However, it seems that greater forces are at work and neon colours of the 1980s and 1990s have again inspired designers and been readily incorporated into collections- much to my amusement. Within the next week I hope to buy my first pair of creepers or some more 'jelly shoe' in clear and pink. Purple lipstick may not be on my agenda but black has certainly been playing on my mind and I also spotted a wonderful German camouflage jacket online the other night. It's not going to be an overnight transformation but I can predict punk elements squeezing themselves into the everyday fashion realms as well.
Model Charlotte Free still manages to shoot a smouldering stare down the catwalk dresses as a 1950s pin-up girl for the Jeremy Scott 2012 collection. Some people may argue that with pink hair costs a model their versatility across different looks but I quite like the contrast of black and white shoes and dress and the curling plumes of pink piggy tails. The daring display of skin across the stomach would only be shown on a stick-thin model but it's daring and imaginative- a trademark of Jeremy Scott's design. It's not a look I'm eager to adopt myself (...as much as I do love pink hair) but it feeds the soul with creativity. 
Once again, images have been sourced from Oyster Magazine, repackaged by me, and sent out to you my lovely community of readers. While the sullen expression of the models in contrast to the sticky and graffiti like purple hair would mainly be viewed as disconcerting I think there's a cute, painterly appeal about it. It's surreal but it doesn't aim to imitate real life and also breathes new life into the old classic: a denim shirt. While I know my own mother would be appalled by such a notion I must express kudos to the styling team for this collection and avoiding any signs of hair dye on the foreheads of a model. Believe me, it's no mean feat to spread out hair dye from a spray can is such an even and measured way.
The following backstage photographs were taken at the Meadham Kirchoff runway show in London and I have to say, I do admire the fast and modern new direction of the brand. I had been trying to score some second hand jeans and blouses from the collection when they went through a long fad of lace inserts and patterns but the neon hair in chameleon tones and fluorescent tones really is visually powerful. There was a great variety of coloured hair combinations including splits down the middle of the hairline and shaft to bring out the best and boldest styles of the clothes. This Egyptian motif jacket with split-holographic attempted triangles is something that could be easily DIYed, providing you have a neon yellow jacket hanging about. I love the intensity and the hype about the presentation of this collection and I don't think it's the last we'll see of 1990s grunge aesthetic as far as high brand fashion labels are concerned.
No detail was spared in the presentations backstage and I love the jeweled crowns as well as floral crowns adorned by the stick-thin models. Even the unseen forces working behind the scenes have glorious tattoos of filled in stars and wild and wonderful piercings- it all seems to fitting and atmospherically correct in a punk sense. The models themselves though are quite sweet and dainty so the combination of these two binary elements is somewhat satisfying- it makes you wonder why no one had ever thought to put on such a bombastic runway show before.
One of the more wild trends of the late 1980s and 1990s involved chunky heeled shoes and platform boots in all manner of sparkly jeweled combinations. While Etsy does deliver on some great styles and designs within this specific genre of footwear, for truly outrageous neon colours and shamelessly clashing patterns I think Meadham Kirchoff easily takes the cake. Now if only I could find their wares cheap and online, then I would be well and truly set.
Just as a wacky side project, I can't help but think that recreating the neon looks and colours of this collection would look good on a generic and plain Barbie doll. It must be the cocked head of the girl on the left in the picture above as well as their dainty frames- were it not for the fact I am eagerly saving for fluorescent accessories sized for actual people I might be keen to try it all for myself.
I love the different tones and colour displayed in this photograph, but I'm not sure how highly I commend the use of collar. I myself like to have my long hair out and over my shoulders a little and was a little affronted by the bob like silhouettes of the model's hair from the back. The shot shown below works well with the estranged doll motif and it doesn't interrupt the flow and design of the clothes- perhaps I want to see the hair have it's own editorial shoot in a hairdresser's magazine. It was certainly a highlight from this collection for me and made me recognise the wonderful brand once again. I have a good feeling about the standard of 2012 fashion seasons.
