Looks I Like SS2011 Part III : Colour

Continuing with my favourite picks for 2011 I have moved past the blacks and whites which make up my wardrobe staples and hit the colour palettes hard.  Spring/Summer is, I guess, the obvious season to be indulging in bright colours but it's not just that - somehow I feel my inner Anna dello Russo is slowly being released after seasons of black imprisonment.  So, bring on the colour!, I say...

Regal purple has always been one of my favourite hues and looks brilliant  for eveningwear paired with black, such as at Haider Ackermann.  Bright blues are my daytime pick, and are great fun teamed with other vibrants for a splash of sunshine.  Minimal shapes and sharp tailoring really make the colours pop at Costume National.  Left to right: Haider Ackermann, Costume National, Prabal Gurung. 

Grey may have much in common with my black/white basics, but in this season's icy or metallic tones it really counts as a colour-way of its own.  I like the loose, floaty shapes at Richard Chai, but I am particularly in love with the hard-edged cuts coming from Gareth Pugh.  Of course it's great (financially) that he's doing more wearable pieces now but my eye will always drift towards the more extreme Pugh outfits...  I would kill to have one of those tin-foil spacesuits.  Left to right: Philip Lim, Sacai, Richard Chai, Gareth Pugh.

I'm not a massive fan of pink, it's often too girly-girly for me.  However, in this almost-white baby pink shade I find it particularly appealing, especially when contrasted with navy or black.  It might be a tiny bit too Alexa Chung but I just can't stop looking at these prim little Carven numbers.  Left to right: Haider Ackermann, Carven.

Fiery reds always make me think of hot summer holidays in Italy and the tight-on-the-top, miniskirted dresses from the likes of Cacharel and Erdem would be so chic for your own Roman Holiday.  There is also something comforting about an oversized red sweater from Acne - loungewear for those days when you still want to make a sartorial impression.  Left to right: Cacharel, Erdem, Meadham Kirchhoff, Acne.

Orange used to be one of Anna's favourite colours, and this season I think it might be one of mine too.  The tangerine shade was almost ubiquitous on the catwalks, and I think it worked best either head-to-toe at Max Mara, or left as a miniskirt-esque band on an excellently draped dress at Giambattista Valli.  I just had to get in a photo of Sarah Burton's first full collection for Alexander McQueen too - the closest to couture RTW almost ever gets.  Left to right: Max Mara, Haider Ackermann, Max Mara, Giambattista Valli, Alexander McQueen by Sarah Burton.

For me, the mustards have been relegated to Autumn/Winter; for Spring, the only yellows I want to see are super-brights styled in a bumblebee fashion like at Moschino, or richly textured golds from Rodarte.  Left to right: Moschino, Rodarte.

xxx
Duck

A very elegant party

This week I went to a miniature school reunion at Nisha's new west Glasgow apartment and decided to set the camera to black-and-white mode. Aren't we such a grown-up and elegant set?  And diverse too...  Nisha - the aspiring poet, moving back to London next year to start her PhD; David - an architect heading to Berlin (jealous); Claire - living the good life in Paris (jealous); Fiona - a real, live teacher; Alison - a medic who also lives in Oxford; and me - the soon-to-be qualified scientist itching to get out of that city...

Where will we all be next year?

xxx
Duck

Christmas chez Duck

I've been away for a while, resting my tired feathers. but I'm back and ready to get this blog going into 2011 now.  I also come with an SLR fully-loaded on holiday snaps which I thought some of you might enjoy.  Here we have those from Christmas day - the candles lit, the Venetian glassware out, the trifle decorated with sparkles and Grandma Duck watching over the proceedings...

xxx
Duck

Merry Christmas

 

See you all in a couple of days!  Auguri! as ADR would say.

Duck

xxx

Looks I Like SS2011 Part II

Continuing with my favourite womenswear looks for SS2011, the focus is now firmly on black - my couleur du jour.  Black is one of those go-to styles for constant chic, wealth and glamour.  But right now it comes with a grungy, gothic tinge and instant sex-appeal...

Longer lengths are on the cards for 2011, and statement all-in-one black is a good way to go.  I do love the relaxed sexuality of a slouchy Haider Ackermann pant-suit, but for a 90s The Craft revival I would opt for a velvet Prabal Gurung number instead.  Left to right: Theory by Olivier Theyskens, Haider Ackermann, Prabal Gurung, Y-3.

Skin can form a perfect contrast to the darkest black, be it legs, arms, or really the whole bloody body.  Y-3 has definitely given us the coolest take on 80s/90s sportswear (crop-tops!!) whereas David Koma provided the best LBD for the London (and Russian...) party set.  Left to right: Y-3, Damir Doma, Ann Demeulemeester, Preen, Max Mara, David Koma. 

Transparency is one of my favourite 'trends' for this season, conveyed best (in my mind, at least) by Ricardo Tisci at Givenchy - I just need to prance around in front of a wind machine in those capes and trousers.  The combination of transparency, rigid pleating and hardcore leather was also divine at Richard Nicoll.  Left to right: Hannah Marshall, Givenchy, Rochas, Richard Nicoll.

Gothic is good, and although Marioc Schwab's latest collection was generally a great big wah-waaaahhh, I can't resist a dusty black cut-out and pentacle.  Light as a feather, stiff as a board, light as a feather, stiff as a board... Left to right: Comme des Garcons, Valentino, Marios Schwab, Proenza Schouler.

If skin isn't your contrast of choice, what about panelled whites and transparency (by Pringle, although rather Christopher Kane...) or a shock of Versace italo-glam?  Right to left: Pringle of Scotland, Moschino, Versace.

xx
Duck

Photos by Style.com

Looks I Like SS2011 Part I

In preparation for picking up my issues of mags like Elle Collections, hitting the winter sales hard and clearing out my closet for the new year, now is the perfect time for compiling my fashion mood board for SS2011.  I've slowly been collecting photos of the looks I like as I trawl through Style.com's archive and I've categorised them by colour trends, starting here with the whiter than whites we saw in September, particularly in New York, but also over the board.  So off we go with my top picks for womenswear, if any of you out there are listening...   

My favourite of the bright whites come in exaggerated, sculptural shapes, decorated with the finest lace or feathery fluff.  V&R made possibly my favourite wedding dresses of all time (just gotta find that Mr [W]Right). Left to right: Erdem, Alexander McQueen, Viktor & Rolf. 

Naturally, a clean slate also lends itself to minimalist designs and a novel take on 90s grunge.  Layering white on white is key.  I'm glad Neil Barrett has extended his rock'n'roll take on clothing to womenswear (although I could do without the wrinkled tights), and a sleek Preen mini would be perfect for lunch in the city on a summer's day.  Left to right: Alexander Wang, Neil Barrett, Preen, Prabal Gurung. 

Different pale colours also mix well together, especially with icy greys or cooled-down khakis.  I didn't love Acne's latest show, but I do like some loose, floaty layering... Left to right: Max Mara, Acne, Hannah Marshall.

And black makes the perfect contrast colour for a chic and professional look, or Italian glamour.  Textured whites stop the dark from dominating.  Usually I'm not keen on twee details like lace, but by sexing it up with skin-tight fabric, no sleeves and a Peter Pan collar, Cushnie et Ochs have hit the right note.  Left to right: Cushnie et Ochs, Moschino, Theory by Olivier Theyskens. 

xxx
Duck

Alpine bunny

T-shirt, Comme des Garcons

Traditional Lederhosen, Wies'n Tracht & mehr

Studded denim sleeveless jacket, Ring

Tortoiseshell glasses, Topman

Tafetta rabbit ears, Liberty  

Duck

xx

Christmas Accessories

I may usually be prattling on about Givenchy handbags and Rodarte heels but at this time of the year the most important accessories to be blogging about are the ones decorating my Christmas tree. We collect these decorations everywhere we go on holiday, so our pine is quite literally dripping in trinkets and tat...  What do you think?

Merry Christmas :-)

Duck
xx