From the year that was so promising, playful but full of work for me came the gorgeous Prada Spring/Summer 2011 collection which caught my eye with its mesmerising stripes, gorgeous baroque sunglasses as well as wild printed patterns full of streaking water colours in vibrant colours. I loved the presentation of the models, their wavy hair slicked with hair spray as well as perfect side parts and neat little buns on the side. The colours were truly a feast for the eyes and the materials luxurious, especially those devilish fake fur stoles and the real ones too. The sunglasses were like small sculptures and the shoes which came in chunky platform brogues as well as swirly leather patterned high heels made me fall in love all over again.
The collection graced many many magazine covers, and was the toast of the town and the fashion world as far as resort collections were concerned. I myself loved walking around Chadestone shopping centre and peaking into the Prada boutique at the chance of pouring my eyes over the sensational clutches I longed to hold in my hands. A pity the collection was released at the start of Autumn in the southern hemisphere and I was busy and in the midst of my study. I had to time to work feverishly towards earning money for a chance to own a small piece of the collection.
At first it didn't appeal to me, but looking back upon it I have grown rather fond of the banana print which came as both a shirt or a skirt for the resort collection. At first it seemed odd amidst the stripes and colour blocking pieces but I now realised that the bold design and stark colours are what make it apart of the collection. There were many gorgeous as well as intriguing patterns in what seem to be painted designs which are thickly outlined with a thick black brush.
One fashion blogger was clever enough to make a paper homage to the large canvas totes of the collection using craft paper, blue, scissors and ingenuity. If I can't have something lovely from a collection, maybe I should follow in her footsteps and aspire to make tiny craft replicas of the pieces and keep them away in a hope chest or something similar. While I may hate the idea at first, who knows? The trend may grown on me. I should have joined my mother on a trip to the library when she offered to scope out craft books but I was in no mood and instead made good use of my time by cleaning my room a little. What I like is the clasp and yellow latch of the bag and the tiny fine liner detail which has cleverly etched out both the stitching as well as the engraved mark of Prada to give the final seal of approval.
I went gaga over the pink clutches and the use of stripes throughout the collection. This trio of clutches was what made me aspire towards scouring the Internet and online world for a piece of the action. Even if I had managed to scrap the money together, I dare say I wouldn't have found a use for it nor an occasion to use it. No, it's better I save myself for Deadly Ponies bags which are closer to my price range as well as necklaces in Sterling silver from some of New Zealand's finest brands in the business.
My heart is alight by seeing the pink, white and black striped fox fur stole held daintily with the striped dark green and canvas clutch. This is what suckered me into lusting after the fox stoles, the colour and the way they caught the light as well as the soft texture of the fur was to die for, but the clutches were more achievable in the way of price. Still, both pieces seem to have directed me towards canvas bags as well as fox tail charms and woolly key chains. Being eighteen years old it would be remarkable as well as foolish to spend my money on high price pieces from the finest of fashion houses. Instead, I should focus on study as well as operating blogs successfully and having them reflect my personal style.
Orange was my favourite colour when I was a little girl, not even in kindergarten and there's nothing more orange I can think of then the Prada Fur stoles of their 2011 resort collection. I longed to get my filthy hands on one of the imaginative, bright and colourful pieces that reminded me so much of the illustrations for Dr Suess' children's books but the opportunity slipped through my hands. I couldn't find them for sale online anywhere at the time though, there's very little solace found in that minute detail for me because somewhere in the closet of some luckier fashion blogger their hiding in a dry cleaners' bag and waiting to be worn by someone like me.
Orange isn't a colour I frequently wear as part of my everyday wardrobe but it is something I do enjoy looking at after enduring a rather sullen day full of proverbial pit-falls as well as unpleasant verbal exchanges.I certainly could swing for a nice floral blouse in orange, vintage and cheap found from Etsy but I have very little motivation to buy anything at the moment since I have a rather empty looking wallet- fortunately a few eBay listings are coming through and finishing on the weekend and I'll pick up about a hundred dollars in the next two days for work.
I've adored foxes for a while with their contrasting shades of grey, white and black and their orange fur but there is no way that I would wear a real fox fur stole. Online there are a few knitted creations of foxes in yarn to be worn as scarves that I certainly approve of but it is rather difficult to find vintage faux fur in fun colours and shades. I know a good website that sells great vintage pieces at massive spiked mark ups and margins but it seems their fur pieces sell out in seconds, even worse when they're in gorgeously outrageous colours such as blue and green and in faux fur too. There's a monkey fur jacket in deep green at the moment that looks beautiful but I would by wracked with guilt if I wore...
If you ever feel like you live in a dull world savaged by businessmen, grey buildings and the industrious revolution take a look at your local pet shop and try and find some cute little birds with sharp orange beaks that seem to be made of enamel and contrasting peach feathers. Birds are one of my least favourite animals, but even I am willing to acknowledge their cute and lovable nature when their large beady black eyes are shining out at you like that.
I can't imagine myself ever owning a brightly coloured Chanel handbag but I do love the contrast of a hot pink pleated skirt, tied up blouse and the bag all together. There's such a tropical nature about this photograph and the coordination is to die for- it seems that I still have a long way to go as far as styling and dress sense goes but at least I follow some of the best in order to be taught in the noble ways of the fashion blogger.
What better orange idol to follow then the lovely Florence Welch shown performing in one of her dazzling costumes the tassels of her dress thrown around as much as her lovely red hair. I only know of two women that are lovely and eccentric sporting red hair, the first being my favourite singer and the second being a dear friend of mine. Both have been blessed with the skinniest legs you have ever seen, a little unfair considering all the running about I do which has only yielded in strained muscles.
I've always wanted to get a great pair of coloured jeans or something in a bold pattern but never really though of what to style them with; the answer? Why a vintage rock shirt of course, I must be rubbing elbows with my brother a bit too much these days but the simple design of a black band shirt or a white raglan shirt is equally effective. Now if only I can afford to buy a few hundred dollar pair of jeans then we'll be in business any moment now...
There's something that always gets to me when I see a group of models dressed similarly together in the same shade, with the varying shades of lipstick. It's seems like the perfect cult phenomena with the neatly tied ribbons in their hair and the orange icy poles poised at their lips. I wished people like that existed in real life, and perhaps they do but I've just been looking in the wrong places all this time.
