moschino cheese and chic

What is it that I love about Moschino Cheap & Chic? The playful styles? The bright, uplifting colours? Well, yes. But there's more to it than that - it's the fact that the models look like they're actually having fun. After weeks of shows from one side of the globe to the other, the Moschino girls are still loving it. How better to sell your clothes than to show how happy they'll make you? Despite numerous collections being dominated by black this season, perhaps it won't be all doom and gloom this winter after all. Flash those pearly whites with a cheeky grin and those winter blues will be banished in no time.

Moschino Cheap & Chic Ready-To-Wear, Autumn/Winter 2011-12

Moschino Cheap & Chic Ready-To-Wear, Spring/Summer 2011

Moschino Cheap & Chic Ready-To-Wear, Autumn/Winter 2010-11

flashy flashy bright lights aaaaaah

Today's D&G offering had a strong resemblance to the bright, flashy, multicoloured video for Kanye West's 'All of the Lights'.
WARNING: probably not the best idea to watch this if flashing lights don't agree with you - your eyes may take quite a few minutes to recover...

under the sea

From canine chic to mermaid magnificence, this season's collections are definitely reminding me of Disney films. Marc Jacobs' Ready-to-Wear show took place in an ocean-blue environment (we got no troubles; life is da bubbles!) and models glided down the catwalk in mermaid-style iridiscent, scaly skirts. Even a hint of Sebastian-style lobster red made an appearance.

Marc Jacobs Ready-to-Wear, Autumn/Winter 2011/12

On the other side of the pond, if you'll excuse the pun, Christopher Kane was devotin' full time to floatin' with his shimmery styles complemented with fresh faces and sleek, wet-look hair, whilst Prada went for scaly sequins that would suit any mermaid's tail. The message is clear: this season, it's time to start making waves - under da sea is where it's at.

 

Christopher Kane, Autumn/Winter 2011/12

Prada Ready-to-Wear, Autumn/Winter 2011-12

gossip girls grown up

So, here's the second of my slightly belated but better late than never posts from New York Fashion Week! I LOVED Jason Wu's collection. Everything about it oozed sophistication: sleek hair, crisp shirts, grown-up lace, sexy stilettos, and seriously sultry smoky eyes. (Why is it that my smoky eye attempts inevitably look like someone has haphazardly smeared charcoal over my lids???)

Anyway, in the spirit of New York and all things glam, the collection reminded me of my guilty TV pleasure, Gossip Girl - only more grown up, with more attention to detail (exquisite embellishment and delicate lace made for more adult chic than schoolgirl wannabe). Still, I'd happily take a lesson from Wu and look class-y in my class-es. Unfortunately, however, I might stand out slightly on campus amidst the standard undergrad uniform of slobby chic. This one's probably a look best kept for more sophisticated occasions.

who let the dogs out?

Fashion is definitely reliving the glory of 101 Dalmations this season, and I'm having a Cruella De Vil moment too - THIS COAT which I bought shortly after Christmas (i.e. before the trend even hit the Autumn/Winter catwalks, YES I am sooo fashion-forward) will most definitely be enjoying plenty of outings, complete with furry mittens, black boots and puppy-ear hair buns.

Top: Topshop Unique, Autumn/Winter 2011-12
Middle: MaxMara Ready-To-Wear, Autumn/Winter 2011-12

Bottom: Marc Jacobs Ready-To-Wear, Autumn/Winter 2011-12, Burberry Prorsum Ready-To-Wear, Autumn/Winter 2011-12

 

Don't think I'm quite brave enough to attempt to pull off Cruella's monochrome hair though - that's probably best left to Daphne Guinness and the other more adventurous pros. Meadham Kirchhoff's models looked fierce enough to have taken a leaf out of Cruella's book - those eyes certainly do look like they're watching you from underneath a rock. Yikes.

Meadham Kirchhoff Ready-to-Wear, Autumn/Winter 2011-12

gastronomic glee

As a belated birthday present, mama and I went for lunch at a fantastical/incredible/fairy-tale/stunning/gorgeous (delete as appropriate) restaurant called Sketch last week. The decor of the building is sensational (it used to be a Christian Dior showroom) and we ate in the sumptuous Lecture Room and Library, which was like a dream.

This was just the starters. For two of us. Woah.

There were so many quirky details, like the amazing toilets (above), sharon fruit sushi, cardamom marshmallows, olive oil jelly...it was a food snob's paradise. When we left, we passed the Parlour (where I am most definitely returning for afternoon tea when I'm next in that neck of the woods) and were given some free macarons to take away with us (in case the 5-course lunch hadn't fully satisfied us, I suppose).

Also, what is it about foreign waiters that makes them just so irresistibly charming?!

eat this at your peril

My sister, her boyfriend and I are quite possibly the world's largest peanut butter fans. Our average weekly consumption of Reese's Cups is probably a rather galling statistic. And so, as a birthday present, I set myself the challenge of making the WORLD'S LARGEST REESE'S CUP.

A 500g roll of digestives, large jar of peanut butter, 7 bars of dark chocolate and copious amounts of butter and icing sugar went into that baby (recipe adapted from here). It was a labour of love...and a heart attack waiting to happen. Still, we managed to struggle through it (just about).

I may need my arteries de-clogging soon.