marchesas spring gypsy princess.

Georgina Chapman and Keren Craig began their label Marchesa a decade ago on a little street in London, and what a long way they've come : from donning red-carpet A-listers with their ethereal gowns, to being in the wardrobes of many a princess around the world, they've become synonymous with their brand of exquisite and otherworldly glamour, and they have their well-heeled clientele to prove it. They've always been a fixture in the New York fashion scene, but this season the designers decided to celebrate their 10th anniversary homecoming in the banquet halls of Whitehall, a majestic location set none other than in the centre of all things British, London.

If you come to Britain, do it like the Brits. And so for Spring 2015 they did, taking however a different take on British royalty less modern and more '70s, less gilded and more Woodstock. A "rock-'n'-roll fantasia" as Tim Blanks called it, the collection was opened by Georgia May Jagger, looking every inch the flower-child as she sauntered down the runway in a flowy V-shaped tiered white tulle and lace number.  “She really embodies the spirit of the new collection,” said Chapman. “It’s a little bit gypsy, a little bit Woodstock and a little bit rock ’n’ roll.” As the show went on, it looked as if all the pieces were made for goddesses : there was the gypsy-hippie lass in her bohemian guipere gowns, the rock-chick in her lace trousers and crop top with hair tousled and eyes smoked to perfection, as well as the cultured romantic adorned with polished silhouettes of billowing organza sleeves and gold flower embroideries. 

Though different, the muses all had this innate sense of wonder and femininity {as like their clients}, and the designers celebrated this with the finale looks : a fête of frocks dotted with dainty flowers and trailing vines, fringed with gold and black silk tiers, dipped in bright magenta details, and a grand climatic look of an ethereal flower queen : a picture of cascading powder blue tulle, bodice strewn with life-sized flowers and topped off with a lush pastel flower crown. 

“This was always very much the dream.” —Georgina Chapman

Marchesa's whimsical approach to spring couture truly indulged every girl's inner Cinderella {tomboy or not}, and while it'd be snapped up fast by silver screen starlets for awards season, we can at least dream, even for a moment, of being Marchesa's muse and wearing those gorgeous dresses, transported into a fantasia where fashion fairy tales really do come true.

Images from one, two

alexander wang spring 2014.

Come to think of it, the Alexander Wang Spring 2014 collection was one of my favourite collections in a long time, because even now it still gives me bouts of wonder and awe whenever I chance upon a piece from the collection. Sure, it wasn't exactly ground-breaking, but it was so fresh, unique and unconventional that I had to feature it even one season after the show. The Alexander Wang girl has always been the epitome of street-cool, and for Spring she becomes a spunky high school girl, possessing a fierce type of beauty and confidence, and just too cool for school.

Inspired by the '90s, the collection was full of contrasts : feminine slip dresses juxtaposed with masculine boxer shorts, as well as "perversity against innocence", unabashly displayed in the iconic Parental Advisory blouse, arguably the most talked about piece that has quickly achieved cult status in fashion circles. And being ever the purveyor of all things cool, he did away with the norm of monograms and printed logos, and instead chose to put his name on his pieces in the form of cut-outs and weavings {which turned out to be very clever because the logos were obvious yet inconspicuous at the same time}.

As for the clothes, describing them as fresh and modern would be a major understatement. Although they were essentially street wear, their sophisticated cut and construction reminds us why Alexander Wang has always been a favourite at NYFW. Featured in a muted colour palette of pale pink, faded blue and grey, the clothes were the perfection concoction of minimalistim meets provocateur : oversized coats, mini strap-dresses, mid-thigh grazing cotton skirts, boxer shorts, crop as well as logo tops, offering fans a huge variety of crisp spring pieces. And who could forget those gorgeous shoes? Call them pretty call them ugly, the white-out Mary Jane-esque chunky platforms were a new addition to the Alexander Wang runway, but being ever the trendsetter, it became one of the must-have shoes for spring.

Honestly, this has always been one of the only collections that truly spoke to me, and I think it's obvious why. With all these unique, modern, youthful clothes, and with a edgy attitude to go with, it's no wonder that It girls from all around the world turn to Alexander Wang to fill their wardrobes with fresh new pieces every season. And with another magnificent collection from his label, it's bound to draw more fans into the Alexander Wang cult.

Images from Style

pfw : chanel spring 2014

Karl Lagerfeld seems to have an eternal love for the oversized. From his famous attention-grabbing hula hoop bag to his larger-than-life Chanel globe, his obsession with huge things was definitely felt throughout the fashion world for the past few seasons. For Spring 2014, Chanel's runway show was yet another grand one filled with supersized objects, the objet de grandissement this time however were artistic objects and iconic Chanel pieces. (That's like so Karl! Who else is able to come up with a runway show as unexpected, amazing and unique as Chanel?) Think the interlocking-Cs entirely made out of luscious pearls, a Chanel No.5 bottle concocted into a robot, oversized Chanel (classic, I might add) tweed two-piece suits and a supersized take on the signature quilted bag, all in one place at the Grand Palais turned Chanel art museum.

Supermodels were also a big draw of the show with every one of them being either world-famous or an up-and-coming face. From Cara Delevingne (who opened), Joan Smalls and Ondria Hardin; to Sasha Luss, Liu Wen, Edie Campbell and Lindsey Wixson (who closed); the show was practically an ode to the most famous models in the world. Walking with them in doll-like black and platinum blunt bobs were Miranda Kerr and Alexa Chung, both who returned to the runway only this season.


The visual feast did not stop there. This season, the clothes were fresh, whimsical and extremely wearable. Completely devoid of any gowns (surprisingly!), the collection showcased a variety of 50s as well as 60s silhouettes in the form of several house icons (yes, tweed, pearls and oh-so-coveted It-bags) and statement pieces. The array of colours were so wide that it could even make the team at Pantone envious, with pieces coming up in every colour imaginable, instantaneously injecting life and fun into the collection. Infusing art with ready-to-wear in true Kaiser fashion, low-waisted dresses, tweed skirt suits and Chanel jackets were given a mod makeover in psychedelic candy hues. Looks that rounded up the collection looked similar to a painter's swatch, instantly turning couture into wearable art.

The most favourite part of the show for me however were the simple, yet uber statement accessoires. The Chanel logo was of course on almost every bag and shoe, but the how artful the accessories were really caught my attention. Yet again playing out his love for larger-than-lifeness, Karl sent out the models not wearing miles of pearls, but instead an oversized choker or cuff with large pearls attached to them. Large bags that looked exactly like a painter's folio as well as a series of lust-worthy backpacks and iconic crossbodies made Chanel a hands-down favourite for the most number of covetable bags for Spring 2014. The most art-tastic collection of Spring 2014, acceptez-vous pas?

Images from Style and The Sartorialist

marchesa spring 2014 | nyfw

Marchesa's Spring 2014 collection in three words? To-die-for. And even that could be an understatement. Marchesa has always been to me the epitome of feminine and classy and its spot as a constant favourite among editors and style mavens alike just proves how covetable their pieces are. Many of us fantasize about owning about owning a Marchesa creation and would die if we actually did! This season, designers Georgina Chapman and Keren Craig served up yet again a beautiful collection of effortlessly elegant and sexy gowns. Fairytale and princess-like, the collection featured ethereal, delicate frocks with unique pearl and butterfly appliques, each floating down the runway as gracefully as the last. 

 Inspired by the romantic vibe of the Victorian-era quirks, this collection was decidedly more relaxed than their previous ones, more of a day out in the picnic rather than a serious night at the opera. As trend-setting as always, Marchesa put a totally unexpected girly twist on the bralette, one of Spring's major styles, and turned it into a soft lace top with a light pink organza tee on top, as well as two other powder blue peekaboo pieces. Utter red-carpet majesty, don't you think?