Jerome C. Rousseau AW14 First Look

Last year one of my most popular posts was the sneak peek at the current Jerome C. Rousseau collection for SS14, which tells me that you really, really like what this man can do with shoes! 

To whet your appetite for the forthcoming Autumn/Winter 2014 collection, here's a sneaky peek below at my new favourites. 

Overall the collection is inspired by Victorian costume and rich ornate details from the rococo period, which lends to some unexpected volume reinterpreted through the use of ribbon, zip trims and unique hardware. Dror Benshetrit's "Peacock Chair" inspires the intricately ruffled patterns and architectural nature of several styles, including the label's new signature ornate heel. Jerome C. Rousseau also creates playful pieces borrowing from pop music and 1980's icons, with lyrical content featured as tongue-in-cheek sentences laser-cut onto peep toe pumps and booties. Punk is another key theme thanks to tartan-printed suede found on pointy courts and peep-toe ankle boots. 

Colour-wise watch out for a saturated ultraviolet, red, grey and nude shades used across soft suede and metallic leathers. An antique gold is perfect for party season, whilst classic black patent will never go out of fashion. Stamped velvet, navy and red hounds tooth, and lizard-embossed leathers also feature heavily for AW14 - just like in my favourite style, the Armian. 

Jerome C. Rousseau is stocked at avenue32.com and www.jeromecrousseau.com

Met Ball 2014: What They Should Have Worn

After last year's Golden Globes ceremony I did a blog post where basically I very badly photo-shopped actresses heads onto models heads to show the designer looks I thought they should have worn instead. You seemed to like this sticker book dress-up-barbie approach so low and behold I've done it again - this time with looks from the Met Gala which left me underwhelmed. 

Though you can see my photo shopped skills have not improved much (you can see the original post here) hopefully you can still see where I was going with this. As always comments below please if you agree or disagree. 

First up, lets tackle Naomi Watts who chose to wear Givenchy Haute Couture and proved that old adage (the one I just made up) that just because its haute doesn't mean you look hot. As previously commentated I feel like there is WAY to much going on in this strange mix of black swan, scales and shower curtain so I've tried to strip that all back for our first look and decided plain black was the way forward. This strapless number is from Ralph & Russo and I think its clever simplicity is due to the yards of fabric that scream luxury, and the shape which is very much Dior New Look. The second number is very classic Watts, in the form of pale pink beaded Chanel. She could have just added a clutch to to either of these and looked effortless instead of awkward.

Next up I've taken on serial fashion offender Rita Ora, who was widely criticised as worst dressed of the night in her Donna Karan Atelier gown. Here I felt like the issue was two fold, that dress is so classically girly, almost bridal. Second was the shoes  - dear god the shoes. To make this all look a little bit more polished and classier without loosing her edge, I'd have chosen the pink Versace number below which has a little bit of reveal in equal measures of conceal. Failing that I think Chanel's rather fancy pantsuit from the Couture SS14 show (or similar) would have been a refreshing look. Maybe so people were just not meant to wear ballgowns and i just have to accept this, sigh. PS. I can't believe I used Versace and classy in the same sentence either, I apologise. 

Shailene Woodley is a tricky customer for me because I feel like she wants to be more directional in the way she dresses but she's just not quite there yet. In my last post I mentioned having a presence that maybe peers like Kristen Stewart and Hailee Steinfeld have already perfected and I'm sure in time it will come. In the meantime I've gone for a great British label Erdem, as an alternative to the Rodarte dress she wore. This shorter dress from the AW14 collection has the same neckline but there's much less going on which I think we can all appreciate. My second choice is something classically beautiful from Ralph & Russo. I'm obsessed with this up and coming design duo at the moment and expect them to make big waves on the red carpet shortly. 

Katie Holmes was another celebrity who made this year's worst dressed list with her yellow dress from Marchesa. The only excuse I can think of here is that she let Suri pick it out. Whilst most agreed anything would have looked better, I think she would have benefited from some Elie Saab. Keeping with the same shape I'd loose the voluminous off the shoulder straps, define the waist even further and find a smoother line through the skirt - less room for crinkle error. Katie has some great choices from the couture SS14 collection, including classic black or this coral pink which I think would suit her complexion. Also can we talk about how Pacey, Joey and Jen were all at the Met Ball but no Dawson? We need a full Creek reunion like NOW! 

I had to find a picture of Lupita Nyong’o sans headband for this to work properly, and again apologies for the hideous use of photo shop. Though typically she prefers strong block colours, I'd have loved to have seen Lupita in some prints this year, maybe an abstract romantic floral from Elie Saab, or the equally dramatic Ombre number next door from the same collection. 

This is how you Give Good Cape Gyllenhaal! Either stark white, tailored to within an inch of its life (Ralph & Russo) or all romantic dreamy lace and animal print fairy-esque in Valentino Couture from SS14. Though this brown is not the best colour on her, there's something about Valentino's animal and opera inspired couture collection that is infinitely more suited to her than the latest AW14 line which she wore which is such a shame because, I'm just going to come out and say it, her breasts look sad in this dress and there's too much TAUPE. Taupe is a shade I never want to see on the red carpet again. 

I didn't mention this look from Amy Adams in my previous post as I don't think its bad, however this feels a LOT like a return to the Amy Adams of the past (I've discussed this before here) where she used to wear nudes or metallics and you always had that sensation of deja vu. Remember that phase? I'll say it once more with feeling I think she needs bolder colours and stronger shapes, especially to balance her shoulders. Elie Saab sent two dresses down the runway for AW14 I think would be perfect for her. The green is particularly lovely with red hair don't you think. 

Again, I didn't include this in my original post as I don't think its a bad look, just very repetitive from Anne Hathaway. If I see her in one more Calvin Klein column black-colour tube dress I think I may scream. My problem with this particular style however is the midriff, do we really need the gap right over her ab muscles or is this not ruining the lines of the dress? To ease her out of this funk gently I'd suggest she get on board with Christian Dior SS14 Couture. However no one wore one of my favourite dresses from the Givenchy AW14 show - see below - and I think Anne may be one of the few who could pull it off. Its a shame she doesn't have a film to promote right now or else I think she'd be a bit more fearless and willing to go for it fashion wise! I never in a million years think she would flirt with the idea, but I'd also love her to try the John Galliano AW14 collection. There's so much she would nail but this cream dress with gold detailing stands out as my favourite and probably the most 'her' thanks to its simplistic elegance. 

Atterley Road Accessories Blogger Edit

One of my favourite online shopping destinations, Atterley Road are offering 20% OFF all accessories until midnight on Monday 12th May. Just use the code ACCESS20 to treat yourself and instantly update any outfit with Atterley Road's gorgeous designer bags, graphic printed scarves and contemporary jewellery. 

I've created my ultimate edit below from the site's current SS14 offerings taking into account my recent workwear purchases and the updates I will need to make to my existing festival wardrobe ahead of Latitude in July. 

Though I promised to break out and wear more bright colour recently, I can't help but be swayed by Atterley Roads monochrome offerings, in particular this tile print cross body bag and the dotted clutch have caught my attention - from By Malene Birger and 1951 Maison Francaise respectively. A sucker for snake print at the best of times, I don't think I can resist adding these cute loafers and sandals to my collection either as they are smart enough for work but can also be used to dress up jeans at weekends. 

Shop Atterley Road Designer Accessories with 20% off this weekend.  

From top left to bottom right: Atterley Road spotted star scarf Seven Boot Lane brandy sandy suede boots, Pochette Clutch Bag in Pois Black and White by 1951 Maison Francaise, Atterley Road carmona bracelet, Second Female midi necklace, Soaked In Luxury cheetah scarf, Style Snob vaile grey loafers, Maison Scotch signature maison scotch bag, French Connection harley snake print sandal, By Malene Birger sohna bag. 

The Return Of Rock Vault

The British Fashion Council (BFC) has announced that Rock Vault will mreturn to showcase at trade show Couture Las Vegas from May 29^th – June 2^nd 2014. British jewellers Fernando Jorge, Imogen Belfield, Jo Hayes Ward, Melanie Georgacopoulos, Tomasz Donocik and Yunus & Eliza will present their AW14 collections within the Stephen Webster ball room to top US and international press and buyers during the five day showcase.

Rock Vault designers making their Couture debut are Jacqueline Cullen, who specializes in contemporary Whitby jet jewellery; Ornella Iannuzzi, whose work is "characterised by harmonious composition of colours and textures" and Alice Cicolini who creates pieces inspired by sacred architecture and the patterns of the Silk Route.

Following the successful first showing at Couture last year, which saw Tomasz Donocik walk away with two awards, for “Best New Designer” and “Diamonds over $20,000”, it's hoped that Couture 2014 will see further recognition of British jewellery design talent in the US market and beyond.

Designs by Alice Cicolini 

Caroline Rush, Chief Executive, British Fashion Council comments, “Couture showcases established brands alongside the industry’s future stars; Rock Vault, thanks to the unparalleled support from Stephen Webster, is a testament to the incredible talent that London has to offer. There is great potential for growth in this sector; Couture is a unique platform for our designers, and an incredible opportunity for them that will help elevate their profile in a dramatic way.”

For more information please visit www.britishfashioncouncil.com/rockvault

The Met Gala 2014 Fashion Round Up

I haven't done a fashion industry event round up in a long time but since this post was requested, and I happened to have a lot of opinions bubbling up inside me with no means of release, here is a round up from last nights Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute Gala. 

Last year the theme was “PUNK: Chaos to Couture”, and this turned out to be a hard act to follow for 2014, with the aesthetic of the Met’s new exhibit on couturier Charles James seemingly confused and/or ignored left, right and centre. 

The result last night should have been a sea of elegant ballgowns, and yes there were a few of these, but instead some celebrities ran amok with crop tops, plunging necklines and thigh high slits. Nothing took my breath away with that 'wow' factor you look for in a met ball dress, but the were a few 'wtf's' thrown about over the Daily Mail this morning. 

Case in point: Katie Holmes in Marchesa. Girl looks like a souffle gone wrong. Also, I'm starting a collection now so we can all club together and buy her an iron for her next red carpet appearance. There is no redeeming feature to this mustard monstrosity. 

Alexa Chung 'style guru' also failed to hot the right notes in her Nina Ricci dress. I immediately think bad 80's prom dress but on closer inspection it actually reminds me of one of those barbies with the adjustable dresses "just rewind the button at the small of her back to change the length". The Alexa doll comes with her own accessories, but tragically no hairbrush.  

However when discussing dresses today one kept standing out as the worst of the worst. My colleague called this look "a hot tranny mess express". Harsh but true. Rita Ora wore a gown by Donna Karan Atelier with Casadei gladiator boots. It was the flashing of the boot that signed the death knell of her relationship with Wintour and Vogue I'm sure. That and the bizarre mummy hand bandage wrap-thingy. I feel Rita has rare shining moments of brilliance (where I imagine a stylist has been employed) followed by epic fails into said hot mess territory. 

Shailene Woodley in Rodarte was another bad moment for me. Since she made great fashion choices for her Divergent press tour, and having never seen her in Rodarte before I am a little stumped (if not horrified) by this pairing. Shailene needs to run away now before she gets tied into any exclusivity contract because she is not pulling this off. Its honestly not her fault - this whole collection was a bit ghastly in my opinion - but she has no confidence wearing it as you can see in her awkward pose and this kind of look needs BRAVADO and SWAGGER. A few more years she may have developed a Kristen Stewart like PRESENCE needed to pull this off. Until then she just looks awkward. Lupita Nyong’o in brown and bright green jewelled and feathered Prada was another fashion fail for me. Though a bold choice, those who choose to wear Prada have never faired well with critics at the Met Gala so again I'm a bit baffled. If this was a Gatsby goes Mermaid fancy dress party I'd give her first place. If this is the Met Gala I'd politely shuffle her out the back door and suggest Muiccia owes her one hell of an apology fruit basket.  Make that two large fruit baskets. Margot Robbie also wore a bespoke dress by Prada which also failed to make an impact (another polite way of saying hot mess) which is a shame as I feel both girls deserved better, having been the break-out actresses of 2013. 

Givenchy - another label that strikes fear into the hearts of Met ball attendees, because remember THAT floral dress Kim Kardashian wore last year? Yeah that was Givenchy. Now I love Naomi Watts so it pains me to say this is not doing anything for her. I hate the scales and I hate the way they turn at that awkward crotch / mid thigh point into the sheer shower curtain fabric. I feel like maybe Rooney Mara (where the hell is that girl?) could totally pull this off if given an extreme haircut and dark lip. Watts looks uncomfortable and dare I say it, too mumsy to wear this. Givenchy also dressed Beyonce in a Haute Couture by Riccardo Tisci creation. I really liked the little hair net and that's about it.  It reminded me of the brown dress that she wore in 2012 which I was also not a fan of. There's also a lot of but hugging going on in this dress from the back. Maybe Givenchy and the red carpet should part ways. Just Sayin. 

I don't think I can speak about Maggie Gyllenhaal in Valentino. If she could erase that dress from our minds and eyeballs everywhere I bet she would. With the cape it was like she was wearing a shower curtain over more curtain. I like to think someone (probably Bradley Cooper) threw it to the floor after dinner and they all played twister on it. That would have been an awesome selfie.

Lastly I want to talk about Stella-Gate. Cara Delevingne, Rihanna, Stella McCartney, Kate Bosworth and Reese Witherspoon all posed together, all wearing Stella McCartney. I’m pretty sure Stella never googled “Charles James” before selecting the outfits and for that reason I felt let down. This is not met dress attire, it's entirely too much midriff to be considered chic. Rhi Rhi probably pulled it off best, Cara I felt left a lot to be desired after her Burberry ensemble was such a hit last year, Kate Bosworth is 100% skinnier than any other human being and could someone please feed her. Meanwhile, Reese is holding all this shit together despite looking a bit uncomfortable in hot pink in her usual classy way...until someone gets her drunk and then its game over! 

I think the conclusion we are coming to here is don't let brands you don't normally work with dress you for the biggest event on the fashion calendar. I really could harp on about my hatred for certain looks all day (Kate Upton as a D&G Italian Widow in black lace for example) but lets get to the good stuff. 

Blake Lively wore a custom-made Gucci Première gown and looked like a goddess. This is an excellent example of a brand and a long-time brand ambassador working together to create a memorable dress for all the right reasons and works for both of them. 

Emma Stone wore a custom-made top and skirt by Thakoon which I feel I shouldn't have liked because again with the MIDRIFF. However having said that the whole thing looked beautifully styled right down to the hair and make-up. 

Controversially I rather liked Diane Kruger's BOSS creation even if it did ere on the side of caution and was not as experimental as her usual looks. The pale lilac look was classy and elegant, just what the occasion called for. My weakness for Kruger is well known, especially when Joshua Jackson is stood next to her, because hey he makes everything look better right. What do you think? Do you love this or am I just blinded by my love? 

Kirsten Dunst in Rodarte is another look I feel I should hate in so many ways but I actually love it. She's been a "Rodarte til I die" devotee for so many years now that I don't think the brand would consider letting anyone else wear any of the Star Wars dresses from that collection first. Also, wearing the Death Star the day after May The Fourth Be With You? I so hope she did this ironically. She's having fun wear it and that is EVERYTHING to me.  

One of my favourite looks of the night was Sarah Jessica Parker in custom Oscar De La Renta. Yes the hair was all rather beehive-ish and yes there was far too much make up on those peepers, but the dress itself? rather divine. Especially the back. What did ruin it for me was the styling - maybe just let the dress speak for itself, do you really need those flowers in your hair or those bangles on your arm Bradshaw. 

Young actresses really impressed me this year and did a much better job representing than some of their older counterparts who should know better. Though Rooney Mara's presence was missed, sister Kate did an upstanding job or keeping the family fashion flag flying wearing a Valentino Couture spring/summer 2014 gown. Hailee Steinfeld wore a gown by Prabal Gurung which was a fantastic shape for her and similar in style worn by Charlize Theron. Chloe Moretz’s Chanel dress was from the fashion house’s pre-autumn/winter 2014 Paris-Dallas collection and was the cutest thing I've ever seen at the Met Gala. Meanwhile, Elizabeth Olsen wore top-to-toe Miu Miu, the colour of which I loved, I just wish this had been longer. The mini dress would have been perfect for her upcoming Godzilla press tour, not so much for a white tie event. 

Anyone else feel like a trap door at the end of the red carpet would be a marvellous addition to the Met Ball? Anna Wintour controls the lever and decides whether you get to come in or not. I'd so pay the $25,000 ticket fee to see that. 

One To Watch: Julia Korol

Ukraine-born and London based designer Julia Korol is one to add to your fashion radar for Spring Summer 2014. The Central Saint Martins graduate is wowing fashion insiders with her debut collection of fresh kaleidoscope prints. 

Julia's first collection debuted at Paris Fashion Week and mixed both fine art and eye-catching prints across a range of feminine day-to-evening dresses and skirts. Her philosophy is based on clean lines, perfect tailoring and structured designs made to flatter the female form. Cut out detailing is high on the agenda for SS14 with bare midriff panels hitting on-trend notes for the customers already obsessed with the crop top. Meanwhile there are plenty of fit-and-flare and body-con options available for fashion purists. 

The designer collaborated on her first collection with fashion exec Q Ladraa who will now head the brand's marketing and promotional activities. Price points currently range from £240 - £450 and the SS14 collection is available at juliakorol.co.uk with Harvey Nichols confirmed as a stockist for the AW14 line. 

Read my Q&A with Julia below: 

Q. The prints in the collection are really vivid and eye-catching - can you tell us a bit about where your inspiration comes from and how the process you go through from drawing board to getting them on to the garments?

A. My inspiration differs greatly from season to season. I look at every print as an art piece and I put a lot of thought into it. It’s a very personal process. I use a number of techniques and different materials including acrylic, ink, oil paints and so on. After I’ve completed a print, I transfer it digitally. The final step of the process is placing the print, ensuring that it connects and flows perfectly with the garment.

Q. Do you design with a particular woman or style icon in mind or is there anything you take into consideration when planning the fit and structure of each garment?

There are various muses old and new that constantly inspire me. Our shapes change seasonally, taking inspiration from the images. We have a few classic shapes that are our JK staples, that you’ll want to wear daily.

Q. Can you define the brand aesthetic in just a few words?

The SS14 dresses are edgy and feel great on the body. They can be worn day with Chelsea boots or night with a pair of chic high heals. The pieces are designed to make you feel confident and elegant.

Q. What's your favourite piece from the SS14 collection?

I’d have to say the V Neck Full Dress. Both that and the Leaves Scuba Dress, they really show the contours of your body and hold you in well.

Q. Lastly, what can customers expect from the AW14 collection?

 Autumn/Winter 2014 will have a great selection of new prints, however, we will introduce some plain styles as well. We have started to experiment with different elements, fabrics and components,  which is something we will continue to do for future seasons.