MUGLER..!

     

I wish I have had something to say about choosing my first communion outfit when was eight years old.

My mum knew from the beginning I would wear a sailor's outfit. The thing is I really thought it

was kind of a brilliant look until sixteen years later, when I saw this one at the

Mugler show... Well done Nicola Formichetti and Romain Kremer,

maybe I can get this one for my wedding...

 read more http://www.katelovesme.net/

Marvellous Marwood

Marvellous Marwood

I'll officially own up to it.  Style Salvage Steve and I are in fact sad acts who sit at home getting excited about PDF lookbooks, designer blogs and pictures of factories at work.  Our blogs don't work in tandem but there can be a crossover and in this instance, I couldn't help but follow up on his post about accessories label Marwood - actually, accessories is too broad a description - specifically Marwood is all about neckwear.
In menswear I feel like a jaunty skinny tie or a dicky bow tie has become rather hackneyed and pushed into a style cliche but designer Becky French, who began Marwood after stints at Aquascutum and Ralph Lauren, sheds these associations by creating her bow ties and ties by turning to supremely well crafted materials such as woven silk, wool and traditional English spun lace.  Furthermore, it specifically the English lace that also means Marwood's neckwear has an appeal to women that French herself emphasises through her lookbook as well as her very inspiring inspiration blog.




It was this lace that also got me intrigued by its craft and inception and why French decided to use it so heavily for her first collection for Marwood.  This isn't just a British made product for the sake of stamping 'Made in Britain' on the box and by utilising a dying trade, French is in fact upholding a tradition that is worth preserving if the lace used in the ties above is anything to go by.    
How did you first hap upon English lace makers and what is it particularly about English lace that makes it so special?
A friend had visited an English lace manufacturer and thought it would be of interest to me. Since starting the Marwood blog I have loved the behind the scenes process and found it integral to designing the product... knowing how things are done and why; the amount you learn from the manufacturers is invaluable. Also, I had just picked up a vintage English lace collar piece as inspiration and so the timing was perfect.
I visited the family-run lace manufacturer and found that they've been making specialist spun lace using Leavers machines since 1845, creating their own unique patterns along the way. John Leavers developed a machine in 1813 that produced patterns and backgrounds at the same time. The Leavers machine introduced the production of intricate lace patterns similar to those created by hand - these patterns are created by trained draughtsmen. Leavers lace can be cut and it won't fray due to its construction of loops and twisted cotton. The recognisable feature of this factory's lace is small cotton nodules that are raised off the surface.
Is it a dying craft?
Definitely. When I went to the factory I was shown around every part of the process by Kate who works there. The fascinating machinery and process is so specific and requires constant man power and attention to draught the patterns, set up the machines, fix them, understand them and maintain the standards. It is this man power and expertise that is a rarity now as people aren't training to do the jobs and many of the last ones in the know are reaching retirement.



Through her blog, you get the feeling that French is determined to explore the full extent of possibilities and nuances of the necktie communicated through her research imagery and daily snaps that she takes herself.  She may even move onto another product with the same level of dedication once neckties are exhausted but for now, her quest to revive this sartorial tradition in a way that doesn't feel cheap or cliched (see the piles of elastic bow ties at any random high street store) is in full swing with this first collection dropping into shops like bStore in June.  She's also fuelling the bow tie/neck tie cause for girls and though I've never quite pulled it off with finesse, her words and imagery present a compelling case...
What are your favourite instances of women in ties/bowties and do you think that it's quite difficult for women today to incorporate it into daily wear?
I love Patti Smith's iconic look - the tie is not too precious on her; done up or undone it looks effortlessly cool. Having said that, the YSL tuxedo look is always fixed to perfection and that is one of the most provocative looks created for a woman. It can be tricky for women to incorporate a tie in to daily dress without it looking forced but I know friends who wouldn't think twice about it and they would rock it in their own way - it just depends on someone's personal style. It can definitely work though!

Tie Chair by Moises Hernandez

              

The Tie Chair by Moises Hernandez is a project developed for Bauhaus Möbel® in Mexico City and finished at the end of 2010.
Made of maple, walnut, plywood, and leather, the chair is inspired by the tie and suspenders that have been important symbols in fashion history. Merging fashion with furniture and function, the tie in the back offers support and security.


                 

                  
                 
                  

Read more at Design Milk: http://design-milk.com/

So chic , So simple !!!

fresh finds for hip spaces


The home of designer Kim Samson from a recent issue. Samson graduated from the Danish Design School in 1991 and went on to work for IKEA and to form the design firm Harrit-Sørensen + Samson and now she designs lighting as a freelancer for Le Klint in Copenhagen.Anyway, these photos below are from her gorgeous home.
When it comes to lousy weather, I adore this attitude of, “Let’s make this work!” as so many “hate winter”, “wish it would end” and “dread this time of year”. I understand why, and I complain like everyone else, but let’s try to be more positive about it and create our own winter mood at home, in our yards, with our families that is filled with twinkle lights, comfort food, mugs of hot cocoa and really cute mittens and hats to keep us warm.   


                  
Maybe you can try to create a welcoming winter vibe in your home by bringing in more tactile objects — knitted pillows, leather, wool throws, velvet drapes, a handsome throw rug to add texture, a branch collected from a walk that you’ve placed in your favorite vase — decorate it with small artwork from your children or something you make by hand — your jolly old tree may have been taken away after xmas but that doesn’t mean you can’t decorate a branch to give you good cheer. I’m in the mood for this kind of thinking… Why be miserable until March? It’s been so dark for the past few days and after a dose of warm weather and sunshine last week I feel a bit fooled by mother nature! Instead of feeling annoyed and down, I’ve decided to embrace these dreary days and enjoy the pause that a gray day can bring. Looking at gorgeous rooms from homeowners who embrace winter give us clues as how they’re using winter as inspiration in their decor.


                  


Now back to beautiful things that make gray days good. Sometimes all you need is great lighting, a little warmth, and a cozy spot to curl up with your favorite book, person, pet – or all three if you are lucky!


                  

                   

Francisco Lachowski - John Galliano ss 2011

Francisco Lachowski, born in 1992, in Curitiba, Brazil, is a Brazilian model.

Lachowski made his modeling debut in 2008, strutting the runway in Milan for top designers like "Gucci", "Gianfranco Ferré" and was booked exclusively for "Dior Homme" in Paris.

In 2009, Lachowski quickly rose to fame when he won Ford Models’ prestigious "Supermodel of the World" contest, Brazilian edition. Ford Models Brazil is the largest, leading Brazilian agency. Francisco won — among other goodies — a $60,000 modeling contract with the agency.

Lachowski's hobbies include going to the beach, hanging out with friends and meeting girls.

francisco in new the john galliano look book SS11

http://francisco-lachowski.tumblr.com/

Warby Parker Eyewear

 “After repeatedly losing my glasses and being forced to pay astronomical prices for uninspired frames, I decided to do something about it,” said Andy Hunt. When Hunt arrived at the Wharton School of Business campus in Philadelphia, he quickly met three similarly minded, equally entrepreneurial classmates—Neil Blumenthal, David Gilboa, and Jeff Raider, all of whom who had suffered the same frustrations. The four decided to remedy this nearsighted conundrum by founding Warby Parker, a line of boutique vintage-inspired frames and lenses for savvy urbanites at a revolutionary (read: low) price point. Their debut collection comprises 27 styles (available in ten different colors like tortoise and amber), handcrafted from cellulose acetate and christened with WASP/collegiate monikers like Huxley, Fillmore, and Wiloughby. One particularly handsome whiskey-tortoise monocle—cheekily named the Colonel—is also in the mix. The founders didn’t enter into the eyewear business blindly. Blumenthal had spent the previous five years with the non-profit foundation VisionSpring, which provided low-cost eyeglasses in developing countries and won him the distinction of developing the first line of reading glasses for populations living on less than $4 a day. Relying on Blumenthal’s insight, the founders discovered they could dramatically lower prices by cutting out cost-inflating middlemen like optical shops and licensing companies and selling the glasses exclusively online, where you can upload your photo and virtually try on different pairs before committing to a style. As a result, all Warby Parker eyeglasses, which include anti-reflective prescription lenses, are available for less than $100, and better yet, these frames have a social conscience. For every pair bought, one pair will be donated to one of the world’s 500 million visually impaired, impoverished people through nonprofits such as restoringvision.org. The Warby Parker mission is crystal clear: Look sharp, pay less, do good. In this cultural moment of muddled messages, we can’t lose sight of the importance of clarity of vision. warbyparker.com —Genevieve Bahrenburg (http://www.vogue.com/)

http://www.warbyparker.com/