Miu Miu of 2010

It seems almost pointless to covet a collection two years after it's release and when all skerricks of pieces online have long since gone, but Miu Miu and Prada have been releasing some of the best collections within the last few seasons and my favourite needs to be recognised. Fabulous fashion blogger, American teenager Tavi Gevinson has sported a few of their pieces, especially the Miu Miu silk shoes with sweet girly intuitive style such as the above photograph. Above is one of the sweeter combinations of vintage printed skirts and American Apparel lace socks worn with the iconic shoes. I myself had a lovely pair of cat silk shoes in a similar fashion, but alas they were too small and instead I sent them back to the online market to be re homed and find someone to wear them more than I did.

I adore seeing the candid photographs of fashion-hangers-on and models walking glamorous streets in amazing clothing such as these daisy Miu Miu silk pumps in tandem. While my legs may not be as glamorous and stick thin as a models, I would still love to see what they look like while wearing a good pair of Miu Miu shoes. It's sort of rare to see a pair of shoes that looks as good on their own as this collection did, but I think the little wall chart above of all the shoe designs proves my point rather nicely. I never imagined that something with such distinct structural shape and chunky heel would appeal to me in such a manner but the combination of 1960s flowers and Mary Jane shoes just seems so right.

Two years ago there was a wonderful array of knock-offs and copies abound in stores across all the common shopping centres. While I turned my nose up at them then and there was also a shortage of shoes in my size I wish I had been a little more persistent in my pursuits. The usual pallet of colours included variations among black, gold and baby pink but it's the wonderful and simplistic patterns that really impressed upon me the importance of design and simplistic collars and satin pumps.

I've managed to track down some leftover copy-cat Miu Miu shoes, including the high zipper boots pictured on the left in a glorious dark blue satin material and white daisy pattern. I'd prefer a size 40 to choose from and some of the reviews state the the sizes run small so I am a little skeptical, but at just $30 a pair plus postage I wonder if the gamble would be worth it. I had a precarious pair in size 36, a far stretch for my long feet but alas, they've run out of the favourable feline pumps. To further channel a hippie, moon-child vibe I can imagine them being brought to their full fashionable potential with a flowing, but sheer maxi skirt and a casual singlet top with a nonchalant and offensive slogan. That's one of my favourite combinations of clothes at the moment, it's a little hard to feel like you're working it going in to university everyday, the days splatter together and it all feels like a blur.

I have reserved opinions at best about wearing gold and yellow- it needs a certain skin colour to be able to pull it off as well as confidence but with this golden pair of swallow covered pumps I dare say a pale complexion would give them a heavenly glow. As well as the use of floral headbands and garlands amongst ghostly looking girls, I've seen a stunning semi-precious stone crown slung around the forehead from Opening Ceremony. Pair that with a translucent sheer white dress and some definitive pale pink undergarments and you have the making of a god walking amongst mere-mortals and forever trapped in a photograph.

There hasn't been as many mass-produced copies of detachable shirt collars in the stlye of Miu Miu butan armada of crafty and resourceful fashion bloggers at the height of the trend were determined to join the action and contribute their own styles and interpretation. I think my favourite of the collars is the naked lady, and yes, the original collar did have celebrated and pointed nipples on supple curves and marble-like complexion. With Winter fast encroaching on the Southern hemisphere realms of the world, I think detachable collars are a great piece to wear with a casual jumper for extra class and something provocative can give people something to talk about wherever you are.

Aqua and Purple

 

This second hand Gucci dress has been hanging around in the Sosew online store for months now and although I wasn't initially attracted the sharp contrasting purple and blue stripes, I recently saw the perfect shoes to match them although ironically the shoes have sold out and the dress is still there. I'm unsure about the collection and season for this vibrant dress but I don't think it would suit me very much- you have to be careful when wearing a something as bold and exuberant as a dress like this and having it overshadow you and the way you look.

 

If you're keen to claim this second hand Gucci dress in excellent condition for your own collection and wardrobe, head on over to Sosew and explore their dresses section for more gorgeous fashion house clothes. Although the model's nails match the blue pinstripes of the dress I am very concerned about her her colour and lipstick shade clashing with the dress on an uncomfortable level of colours mashed together. Although I'm not willing to shell out nearly $700 for a single dress I have no occasion to dress for, I do have the confidence that my hair won't clash with the colours of this dress.

The shoes from a completely different brand and era that match the dress are from Acne and are made of silk, named the Acne Alice heels in silk. They cost $530 on Solestruck and have already sold out within a few days of being available online but I am keen to see the real things in store and fly under the radar of the snooty sales assitant at Acnie in Melbourne to see how the colour matches up. Can you imagine if the dress and shoes were eventually brought together in a beautiful marriage? I can't imagine any two dresses and shoes more perfectly combined together.

Prada S/S12

Just when I thought all was lost and the best of Prada, the 2011 Autumn/ Winter collection had slipped through my fingers my breath is taken away by the tantalizing temptation that is the new Resort collection of 2012 full of 50s inspiration. As well as patterns, bold and iconic sunglasses there's a lot of influence of hot rod cars and flames as well as tatoo prints. I can't wait to take strolls around Chadstone shopping centre again holding the hand of my beau once more and slowing down my pace and craning my head to look at the likes of Prada and Miu Miu as well.

The collection is about with pastel tones as well as striking and sharp designs such as the soon-to-be-coveted flame heels with flashing backing lights. Each collection seems to get bigger and better and there's also these small recognisable elements which is leading to a fashion identity for Prada- something I'm absolutely in love with.

My breath has been taken away by these gorgeous embellished jackets which seem to have a Chanel kitsch material about them but also in 40s colours that remind me a lot of fancy garden parties. This notion is further emphasised by the sweet garlands of pink flowers as well as roses in green and black- and the belt of crystal design and floral motifs is absolutely wonderful. Makes me want to pick up my novel of Alice and Wonderland as well as throw a splendid tea party and dress rather dapper. I can already feel my wallet crying out in pain...

Although the resort collection from Prada will be released when Autumn and Winter rears their ugly heads in the Southern Hemisphere, I can't wait to wear some chic boob tubes for myself as well as matching patterned skirts and antique looking jewellery. The earrings, necklaces and belts all remind me of the antique and vintage jewellery available from up-market store Barneys in New York.

As well as wildly designed heels, there's clutches featuring hot rods that are more shaped like sharks in contrast to the feminine floral prints in three-dimensional arrangements. This contrast between the masculine and feminine is also evident in the Men's runway show which is interesting in a design point of view but both of the shows are very rooted in the design of the clothing; it's the patterns and colours that are ambiguous.

The nude coloured make up as well as familiar side fringe high one the forehead echo the model presentation of my much beloved A/W11 collection but there's more pastel and stark shades about the models faces. I wouldn't be so keen to try it myself for everyday but I do quite like the soft ringlets over the shoulder. Depending on the materials and gems used for the earrings you see above I might be keen to get some for myself- it's all in relation to the price of real antique diamonds and similar designs. If not, I'll just opt for flat diamonds in cardboard from Alice Euphemia.

You can expect to see a lot of great Resort collections for big names such as Prada, Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Gucci and Miu Miu. I'm delighted to see a hard copy of this very advertisement above in my March copy of Australia Vogue and I'm sure there will be many more great leads as far as collections, clothing and accessories goes and there will be plenty more pieces of gold to comment on for this blog.

I hate feeling conflicted about my own gender as far as clothing is concerned but I am rather envious of the Men's runway show for their great pastel coloured brogues full of tasseled detail and studded loafers as well. Then their dress pants are more like prints from the 60s and 70s; two eras I've been scouring high and low for on Etsy. Maybe if I could be bothered I could buy the largest sized pants available in the store and give them to be altered to fit the shape of a woman instead? I now, I'm absolutely hair-brained sometimes but it hasn't pushed away any one of importance yet.

The stiletto heels for these gorgeous heels are even made to mimic the antennae of a car! It seems no small detail has been spared in the design of these gorgeous and imaginative beauties, I can't wait to see them in store for myself and maybe even be daring enough to play around with them. There's thin spaghetti straps around the backs of the heels hidden by the flames in the side profile of this stunning runway shot. I can't imagine styling these with an outfit though; now that would be a rather promising challenge!

For those mushy hearted romantics there's sweetly coloured dresses in a lemon colour with high-necked structure and edgy car prints. Now this is something that seems quite versatile for someone of my dress sense as well as affordable without the added cost of embellishment. I can see around the waist a sort of elasticised ruching all the way around the front which insures a flattering fit and comfort when eating meals. I can't wait to see how Prada's craftsmen and sewing machines stitch what is traditionally perceived as a garish way of fitting a garment, along with just about everything else in between for this gorgeous and colourful collection.

The Hermes Kelly Bag

I'm not a large fan of fashion house labels and expensive handbags, but that doesn't mean I can't appreciate the Kelly bag from Hermes- especially this blue bag with bubble gum punk handles and detail.In terms of the fiddly details I do have a certain fondness for the little gold plaque as well as the lock and key and alternative strap. In the last month I've really been lusting after things that are pink and girly and while this bag is still predominantly blue in colour, I do like the small pink details and tags.

If you're not so adventurous in terms of clashing colours there's also this lovely burn orange/ tan coloured bag with deep magenta tags and straps which would look great when worn with a stunning tropical printed dress. Be warned though because the price tag for these gorgeous bags aren't generous by any means and can cost some hundred dollars for a second hand bag. I guess I'll be saving my pennies for quite some time if I'm ever going to get my hands on a blue and pink Hermes Kelly bag!

I'm not a large fan of the structure of a bad like this, I had spend a lot of time as a kid getting dragged around the shopping centre with my mother and getting whacked hap-hazardly with the corners of her bag. If I had the money, I would probably favour a Mulberry bag over Hermes but I tend to lean towards colour more than structure. I love the strong colours of this collection as well as many more bags by Hermes but if you prefer something that's more versatile of course there's black and brown in a range of textures and materials too.

Kenzo Pre-Fall 2012

I've never been much of a fan of Summer, and seeing pre-fall collections from the likes of Chloe and Kenzo is driving me nuts! I love the chameleon coordination of dress and shoes- it's a very polished vintage style incorporating a dress with sharp collar as well as matching coat and even hat under one arm and gorgeous silk printed boots. Of everything from this first outfit, I love the boots the most. They'd look great with a plain wool cape and add colour and whimsy to any neutral outfit. A leather skirt with pleats would also be a winning combination in my book.

In the real world, yellow never looks as good as this but I suppose if you have the money to splash around, why not buy an entire wardrobe from Kenzo in canary yellow? I love printed and unique looking pants, while the shirt and pants are in the exact same print, the bomber jacket made to look like shaggy mohair has contrasting brown suede sleeves as well as dark brown/ black cuffs. I'm absolutely craving a bomber jacket right now, just to insure against the cold coming up and I wouldn't mind grabbing a pair of those chunky brogues with mustard yellow suede. The dark mustard yellow of the accessories such as the bag chain and shoes surprisingly matches the entire ensemble and quite well.
 

The dark blue and white pattern of the pants and matching reminds me a lot of Ming dynasty vases- it seems fitting I discover this mock oriental design on Chinese New Year, the year of the Dragon! Although the top and pants are made of the same material and pattern, the pants are tight fitting whereas the top is loose at the back and has chic elbow patches made in the opposite colours. I love elbow patches, it's very hard to see them done properly on garments on vintage and modern clothes alike.

The casual and cosy looking hooded jumper with loose hanging sleeves as well as thick colours reminds me a lot of a similar pattern from the New Zealand label Twenty Seven Names collection. There's definitely more diamonds and shapes incorporated into this pattern though and when comparing the two brands, Kenzo wins out every time for its longevity and prestige in the fashion world.

I can't wait till Winter when I'll splash out on a big woolen cape of a loose fitting coat. Currently I'm searching like a woman possessed for those types of clothes on Etsy at vintage prices and with feminine charm but if I had the money I wouldn't mind getting my hands on this Emerald green coat with contrasting dark blue buttons and colour blocking inserts. This would look great with a flannelet shirt underneath of maybe a tartan printed blouse or skirt. Ah, Winter and layering clothes. How I miss it so sorely.

Pink Yves Saint Laurent Ring

For Valentine's Day, even though I sort of already bought myself a ring for it I would love to be able to wear a pink Yves Saint Laurent ring. I don't expect my beau to get me it and I really don't want to receive anything other than his time and attention but this pink ring has been on my mind lately as I've been tossing up between getting one in either black or pink and still haven't properly reached a deicision on which colour I prefer. The choice would be made so much more easily if I could compare them, wear one ring on each hand and have a good long think about it.

I could have bought a black one from Germany on eBay this morning but was outbid in the last 10 seconds and the strangest thing was that I was glad I didn't win it- I could buy a pink one for cheaper in a larger size as well. The nerve-wracking thing about eBay is that sometimes the photographs don't do the item justice and you're not getting what you payed for. 

I've currently got two in my sights that I would like to buy, but one if from a place that may or may not ship it to me safely and the other has a weird lined and segmented effect about the pink stone. The problem with both the pink YSL arty ovale rings I can find is that they don't look anything like the rings shown pictured in this post and I wonder what the stone will look like without the harsh and bright professional photographer lights and whether there are two mateials for the same shade of pink. In the end I'm sure I'll end up gambling over which one I want as well as how it will get over here but let's all hope things turn out in the end and I eventually get my hands on at least one of these fantastically designed rings!

Vintage Chanel from Amélie Boutique

Amélie Boutique is a great online shop that offers a variety of clothing, jewellery bags and shoes and even three gorgeous vintage Chanel bags in pristine condition. I've seen some great Chanel bags from the online store Claire Inc., but never have I seen such quality in the leather. The bags they're selling certainly don't come with a second hand price tag, costing some thousand and a half British pounds each- it's not really what you expect from seeing the words 'vintage' and 'heriloom' but then again the condition is as new, the leather not cracked and the metal plated chain is still completely intact and not showing any signs of wear at all.

 

Beggars can't be choosers when it comes to the vintage market unless you have a lot of cash to mindlessly throw around, in which case you'll have your pick of the litter and get to afford the cream of the crop. There are quite a few lovely Chanel pieces that come online on eBay as well but nothing to this quality and standard.

 

I don't know who in their right mind wouldn't love to flash around a Chanel handbag and keep them cooped up in a wardrobe all day- bags this lovely were made to see the light of day and enjoy the sun! Still, for the person who did choose to hoard away their Chanel treasures, it leaves the people of the present to enjoy the lovely colour of this brilliant Chanel quilted hand bag and the plated gold metal chains without any wear at the corners. When I search around for vintage pieces from high end fashion houses such as Chanel, I'm usually trying to find bags and accessories that are more within my price range as opposed to browsing around their stores in person. You'd have no such luck with the same philosophical approach if you bought a vintage Chanel bag from Amélie Boutique.

 

One of the most gorgeous and my favourite structured bags from Chanel for its vintage design is the bucket bag you see before you with drawstring cord, a leather strap threaded with a gold chain and rich black tassels. This photograph shows off the texture of the leather and how it's survived the test of time with tender love and care and those gorgeous tassels. I think I'm a sucker for just about any vintage Chanel bag as long as it has some tassels attached to it. As well as the tassels of this bag sitting at the top are thick gold charms too with a quilted effect and the iconic double C logo of Chanel.

 

It's sort of been my dream bag hiding in the back of my subconscious for a number of years now but I'll probably never be one of those girls who walks around and everyone is dying to find out who she is. No- I'll be the girl sitting behind her computer screen feeling content for the next number of years as she passes her way through university and trying to transfer into Melbourne University and realise her childhood dreams which now seem impossible. At least for the time being I can go to the library and read copies of Vogue, books of cheesy romances as well as enjoy free wi-fi and indulge in glorious things I'll never be able to buy. If I were a Buddhist I would be the worst example and leading a life heavily influenced by objects and possession but fortunately I'm not that way religiously inclined.