Blog Feed: Anastasia & Duck

Crystalline

Published on 2013-01-02 10:46:00

Crystalline. Ordered perfection. An array of uniformly arranged positive ions bathed in a sea of electrons.

Twenty Twelve

Published on 2012-12-31 05:33:00

I started last year with the resolution to wind up my blog, but instead it exploded all over the place. Since then I've been to Paris fashion week twice (and become a regular at my favourite Mama Shelter), toasted the launch of Spicebomb with Viktor

Jacket required

Published on 2012-12-28 09:30:00

Don't worry, I haven't just got back from some trade fair to bore you all to death with iPhone photos of whatever high street junk will be hitting a store near you 2013.

Christmas lewk

Published on 2012-12-27 08:01:00

One of the biggest dramas of this time of year, apart from deciding who gets the last cracker and how early it's really OK to start drinking, is what the F to wear on Christmas day.

Christmas Diary

Published on 2012-12-26 11:49:00

Christmas.

Petar Petrov | AW 2012

Published on 2012-12-23 08:48:00

Dear Santa, for Christmas I'd really, really like one of these asymmetrically dip-sleeved alpaca sweaters by Petar Petrov.

How to identify a fashion blogger

Published on 2012-12-22 08:22:00

Seems this has been floating around the internet for a while now (here and here at least).

Merry Christmas!

Published on 2012-12-21 06:10:00

I was on the elliptical the other day trying to decide which of the muscle daddies I was going to show a bit of ankle in the locker room when it suddenly struck me, "GAWD, I haven't done my annual festive cheer post yet!".

Act 3, Scene 4

Published on 2012-12-20 07:36:00

I hear it by the way, but I will send.

Feathered

Published on 2012-12-18 09:08:00

Well, I've sent off a draft of my PhD thesis to my supervisor (who probably won't be able to read it until January) and got my request for another extension in, so I'm taking the afternoon off to catch up on all things non-non-collinear-magnetism (I

Decisions

Published on 2012-12-18 04:43:00

Decisions, decisions, decisions.

Man in hat

Published on 2012-12-08 13:13:00

I'm a man in a hat.

County of Milan | Marcelo Burlon

Published on 2012-12-06 03:16:00

County of Milan t-shirts by insanely hot cool-maestro, Marcelo Burlon. I want several of them. The large feather, the feathered neckline, the snakes... If you spot the similarities to the Givenchy t-shirts, that's probably because Marcelo has work

John Gabriel Harrison | Kris Van Assche

Published on 2012-12-05 05:28:00

This is how I want to be dressing right now.

Badge of honour | Walter Van Beirendonck

Published on 2012-12-04 07:18:00

When I was young and naive I wore those Westwood diamanté-encrusted brooches, the glittery orbs in the most unnatural colours known to man.

Pagan Poetry | Thom Krom

Published on 2012-12-02 07:10:00

I was never a Goth with a capital G (of the sartorial variety of course, not the Germanic peoples of the Visi- and Ostro- types) but I've always gone through phases of incorporating gothic clothing into my wardrobe.

Winter green

Published on 2012-12-01 06:40:00

Just so you know, I think green might be my colour of choice this winter.

Christmas is coming | Farfetch 'Unwrap'

Published on 2012-11-29 11:36:00

The frost has arrived, the month is turning and that can only mean one thing — Christmas is just around the corner!

Paisley

Published on 2012-11-28 09:15:00

It is FREEZING in Glasgow.

Black, white and GOLD

Published on 2012-11-26 05:52:00

It's been a morning of highs and lows.

At home with Duck | Uru

Published on 2012-11-24 10:11:00

I'm having one of those weekends.

Issey Miyake Archive | LN-CC

Published on 2012-11-23 04:48:00

The people behind LN-CC are truly evil.

Undercover | FUCK

Published on 2012-11-22 06:52:00

As you may know, I've recently started attending one of those centres of male body worship, the gym.

Sunday Best

Published on 2012-11-19 04:35:00

I have a difficult relationship with the shirt and tie.

StyleZeitgeist | MMM for H&M

Published on 2012-11-18 06:04:00

Like all things cool in life, I'm a bit late to the StyleZeitgeist party.

Hip

Published on 2012-11-14 11:18:00

For the "hint of hippie" CDWM evening this week I originally planned to wear this hemp-loving outfit before ultimately agreeing with the results of Google Image that tie-dye was the way to go.

Come Dine With Me | II

Published on 2012-11-13 07:52:00

Last night was the third instalment of our Come Dine With Me special, this time with Shona cooking up a vegan smörgåsbord in her West End castle.

Suede and metal

Published on 2012-11-12 05:07:00

Alyssa Norton's braided silk, suede and oxidised brass bracelet is a thing of beauty and natural simplicity.

Come Dine With Me

Published on 2012-11-11 05:16:00

If you follow me on Twitter you're probably aware how mad I am about television cookery shows.

Impatient

Published on 2012-11-09 06:42:00

I got bored waiting for the Margiela for H&M collection to drop in stores (Nov 15 if you're thinking of staying up all night to watch the website crash/queue in the freezing cold) so I decided to get the real thing instead.

Christopher Shannon | Opening Ceremony

Published on 2012-11-07 05:56:00

Finally, finally, finally, I got the chance to explore the new Opening Ceremony store in London.

Duck & Waffle

Published on 2012-11-06 03:00:00

Come on, I had to go for the name alone!

St Martin's Lane

Published on 2012-11-05 04:28:00

Oxford customs can be astoundingly prehistoric on occasion (particularly if you happen to attend St Edmund Hall...), so having had to travel several hundred miles at great expense just to collect a new library card that absolutely could not have been

Layered

Published on 2012-11-04 05:24:00

Yesterday I finally got the chance to début my AW 2010 knitted velcro skirt from one of my favourite Raf collections.

Stylist vs Blogger

Published on 2012-11-01 10:37:00

Woo, my Stylist vs Blogger feature is live on the Harvey Nichols website now.

Hallowe'en

Published on 2012-10-30 09:14:00

Hallowe'en chez Duck is a serious matter — we've got our decorations up, loaded the kitchen with fruit, nuts and goodies to give to the guisers, and are planning a dinner party for Wednesday night.

Harvey Nichols: Stylist vs Blogger

Published on 2012-10-26 11:43:00

A couple of weeks ago, Harvey Nichols asked me to take part in the second instalment of their Stylist vs Blogger feature (first time around it was Kit from Style Slicker) where they challenged me to style one key seasonal piece of clothing two ways.

Coming in for landing

Published on 2012-10-24 05:41:00

As seems to be the standard in my life right now, I'm completely stuck on a fairly basic calculation I need to get done to check if my own results make sense.

Joseph Larkowsky

Published on 2012-10-22 05:54:00

Joseph Larkowsky is a talented fashion illustrator studying at LCF and living the high life as a 20 year-old in central London.

Copycat

Published on 2012-10-19 09:40:00

I've yapped on about this topic before but a recent comment one of my Instagram posts got me thinking about copying, copyright and the issues surrounding it in the fashion industry and beyond:I fucking love this jumper.

Marc Quinn | Yoox.com

Published on 2012-10-18 12:14:00

So Yoox has started to sell artwork online.

Yang Li and other stuff

Published on 2012-10-17 05:01:00

So much good comes from online shopping.

Drowning

Published on 2012-10-15 04:50:00

Drowning in work right now and barely able to keep up, I'm basically running on borrowed time to try to get my thesis finished.

Sing for your tea

Published on 2012-10-08 13:55:00

I haven't been to a proper party in ages.

Paper bag

Published on 2012-10-06 07:30:00

Now I know I craved the Jil Sander leather lunch bag when it came out — it was so weird and yet so chic — but of course when I saw the price I twiddled my thumbs for a couple of days deciding whether I should really buy it or not.

Chopped

Published on 2012-10-03 06:19:00

Short is chic, right? I just can't tell any more...

The boys of fashion

Published on 2012-10-02 12:24:00

Watching the womenswear shows over fashion month, there's not a huge amount for me to pick from that I might buy next year. So, while you dream of Sander/Simons/Céline minimalism or Balenciaga/Chloe/Givenchy ruffles, I choose to dream about the men behind my favourite collections. Intellectual discussion over a candle-lit dinner with Dries van Noten. Ripping that (hideous, but Helmut) denim jacket off Raf Simon's back as I tell him it'll all be OK. Doing anything, absolutely anything, with [..]

Ann Demeulemeester

Published on 2012-09-27 12:34:00

I know it's just coincidence but I like to think a little magic was involved when the Ann Demeulemeester bag I'd been tracking down for over a year arrived the very hour of her womenswear show in Paris. Every Ann collection, every piece, has that little spark of mysticism that I've loved in fashion and in life since I was a teenager. The shopper bag, made as part of a special project for TheCorner, has two textures of leather and little bumps all over reminiscent of ostrich skin (it's really l [..]

Cocktail

Published on 2012-09-26 09:13:00

Love this photo Jesse (aka The Style Notorious) took of me with Alexxsia and Charlie at the New York, New York party at Mahiki. This was the fourth venue of the night and I think you can tell our eyes were starting to glaze over.

All blogs post the same stuff

Published on 2012-09-25 04:04:00

All blogs post the same stuff.

After show chic

Published on 2012-09-24 04:27:00

After the show comes the party. Well, yes, if you have all the staff to organise it for you. But if you're just starting out then it all works on a much more ad hoc basis. Those tend to be how the best nights ever start...After Charlie's show on Sunday, with no other plans or tickets organised, I popped into the Mercer Street Hotel for drinks with Alex. Naturally that led to cocktails at the Charlotte Street Hotel with Charlie and her intern for the week, Jessie. A few phone calls later and [..]

Winter's coming

Published on 2012-09-22 05:39:00

Winter is very much upon us. Last night it went down to 2 degrees and I could see my breath as we walked to La Lanterna for dinner. Despite being one of Glasgow's oldest restaurants, and one of my parents' old haunts, I'd never actually eaten there before. A really traditional Italian restaurant with ageing staff, signed photographs on the walls and hearty fare. My pasta e fagioli starter was rather heartier than I was expecting, making the following courses of red pepper ravioli and zabagli [..]

McQ

Published on 2012-09-21 03:24:00

When I was back in London I naturally couldn't resist taking a wander around my favourite shopping area, which seems to have shifted West from Liberty deeper into the heart of Mayfair. Dover Street is now the place to be – there's Dover Street Market, Acne, John Rocha, APC, Wolf & Badger – and right in amongst it is the brand new McQ store, the first of its kind. With the AW collection McQ has taken a step up from diffusion line to a brand in its own right and accordingly required its own [..]

Prada SS13

Published on 2012-09-20 12:48:00

Right now the Accor hotel chain is calling in lawyers to draft a suit against Miuccia Prada, accused of stealing classic floral emblems adorning the walls of Etap, Ibis and Novotel lobbies across Europe.

Black

Published on 2012-09-20 02:27:00

Sometimes you really just want to wear all black. These monochrome moods usually hit me most frequently when I've been hanging around with Charlie, probably because I don't have enough whites and nudes in my wardrobe to coordinate with her and black seems like the simplest sounding board for her chic ways. Going colour-blind also forces you to play more with shapes, drape and textures if you still want a look that will turn heads stepping out of the lift in Dover Street Market (seriously, that [..]

Short and sweet

Published on 2012-09-19 03:16:00

I used to make fun of those men who wear shorts with sweatshirts. Bare legs but double layers on the upper half? Do your body parts reside in different time zones? Are you so tall that there's a height-induced temperature difference? Those guys always look too hardy to be real. Well, I've changed my mind... Here's the shorts/covered-up look I rocked for Day 1 (and technically Day ∞) of fashion week. Thank you, Raf, for opening my mind. Thanks also go to Fashion Monitor and their #stylelou [..]

Shopbopping

Published on 2012-09-18 05:17:00

Getting hammered the night before the start of your London fashion week isn't normally a good idea, what with the standard 9am call times. But this season I was only in town to see Charlie's show on Sunday and the invitation to a party on Saturday night seemed all the more tempting. Throw in the chance to peek inside the stunning Neo Bankside apartments next to the Tate Modern and I was sold. Shopbop invited a few key influencers to design rooms in the £4m+ flats using products and clothes f [..]

Charlie May SS 2013

Published on 2012-09-17 11:35:00

There is only one word to describe Charlie May's SS 2013 collection and I think you know what it is: chic. Not the cold, barren chic of a frigid New England divorcee (although I do love a posh rich bitch), but a summery, easy-breezy kind of chic. Throw on your sunglasses and pop down the road for a seared ahi salad kind of chic. Step off your friend's yacht as your hair sweeps over your shoulder kind of chic. Discover charred lobster at The Albemarle on a Monday afternoon — why not? Girls wh [..]

LONDON

Published on 2012-09-16 03:30:00

Ah sweet, sweet London, I'm baaaack! Well, maybe just for two days but still, I need to absorb as much chicness as is physically possible to keep myself cosy and warm during the long winter months back in Glasgow. I started my fashweek minibreak last night when I popped over to the incredible Neo Bankside towers for the Shopbop party. Those apartments are simply amazing and the rooms had been styled up by Susie Bubble, Disney Roller Girl et al., using products from the Shopbop website. I was [..]

Harvey Nicks

Published on 2012-09-15 10:15:00

God the self-promotion never ends, does it? First it was my Company spread, then my feature on Nahtlos (jaja endlich 'was auf Deutsch!) and now you can check out my top three must-have items for surviving fashion week on the Harvey Nichols pinterest page. Pretty honoured to be chosen alongside Erdem, James Long and Mary Katranny. I felt I should be a grown-up and suggested a portable iPhone charger, a sturdy bag and a piece of statement jewellery for an emergency outfit upgrade. Although I d [..]

Dr Martens Competition Winner

Published on 2012-09-13 08:33:00

Wow, I was overwhelmed by the number of entries for my Dr. Martens Individual Style United Spirit competition — my instagram could hardly cope! Some people tried to win me over with their cats, holidays and even wedding photos but in the end I had to make the decision based on who I thought styled their outfit the best. My favourite, and the winner of £500 to spend on the Dr. Martens website, is @POPTUCKSHOP and his ombre/Raf Simons Dr Martens outfit. Duck

Layered

Published on 2012-09-13 04:22:00

Layers and textures in green and black.

Oak

Published on 2012-09-12 04:09:00

Probably slow on the uptake about this one but I just discovered New York store Oak, their website offering international shipping, and their own lines of clothing Oak and A.OK. I'm not quite sure what I was Googling when I came across them but they certainly stock some of my favourite brands like Wang, Margiela, Miansai, Rick and Won Hundred. The focus here is, however, on their own stuff which fulfils that niche for simple-but-quirky basics perfectly. Well-cut jackets, loose t-shirts and co [..]

Wang attack

Published on 2012-09-11 04:24:00

Not much I could choose from amongst Alexander Wang's SS13 offerings given that it was pretty much DRESSESSDRESSESDRESSES.

Quilted

Published on 2012-09-09 03:55:00

I think that's my seasonal wardrobe completely settled just in time for winter kicking in properly in Scotland — already we're reaching the heady heights of 12°C with the midday sun.

The Local Firm

Published on 2012-09-08 11:53:00

I love Pinterest, I really do.

Tim Coppens

Published on 2012-09-07 04:41:00

So the runways of New York seem totally blah thus far – seriously how much filler does their schedule have?! Obviously I'd love to go for the energy and streamlined chicness of it all but I'd probably spend most of the time Instagramming photos of myself in various Morgans Hotels lobbies, working my way through my Wallpaper guide to the city's restaurants and buying up half of Opening Ceremony. The shows... an afterthought?

Individual Style, United Spirit - Dr Martens Competition

Published on 2012-09-05 09:09:00

Finally I'm back from London having packed up all my valued belongings and shipped them to Glasgow. My bedroom has been reduced to a tiny cave hidden within a mountain of cardboard boxes... Still, I've taken a quick break from fretting over wardrobe space to announce an exciting collaboration with Dr Martens on a competition to launch their new campaign, Individual Style United Spirit. For the chance to win £500 of clothing and shoes from the Dr Martens website plus a personal tour of the Dr [..]

Two's company

Published on 2012-09-04 11:11:00

Everyone prepare for my head to get a little bigger (no sniggering) – I've been featured in my first mainstream press! Read about me, my style and who I'll be wearing for Autumn/Winter (Raf, Ann, Kris, Damir duh) in Company Magazine's Street-Style Edit, this season with a particular blogger twist. Sandra's on the cover, Charlie shows us where she works and yours truly suggests some new shopping destinations in London. It's time for the global take-over... Wearing Issey Miyake jacket, Damir [..]

Amazingreen

Published on 2012-09-02 08:55:00

You took a poison arrow and you aimed it at my heart.It's heavy and it's bitter and it's tearing me apart.If only I could set you free, you worked your way inside of me.It's amazing what a boy can do, I cannot stop myself.Wish I didn't want you like I do, want you and no one else.I can't stop singing Madonna lyrics when I smell myself wearing Comme des Garçons' new perfume, Amazingreen (I can't stop touching myself either but that's another story). It's heady and lush all at once, much like th [..]

Bag porn

Published on 2012-08-31 03:46:00

The Damir Doma AW 2011 shopper bag in black goatskin. I have wanted a new black shoulder bag for about three years. I have searched high and low (and all across the internet) for something big enough to fit all my junk (read: SLR) but still be refined enough to go with all my best outfits. I wanted it to be black, the universal colour of chicness, and leather. But every one I fell in love with was out of my price range.

Alyssa Norton

Published on 2012-08-30 05:47:00

I think the bracelet is my favourite accessory of all. I used to be into statement necklaces and I went through a ring obsession phase (always pretending they imbued me with magic powers...) but bracelets seem to be the easiest pieces to throw on to spice up an otherwise plain outfit. They aren't annoying to wear – how many times have I lost a ring after taking it off to type? – and layered up they can be quite a statement in chic. My current rotation includes a beaded thread by Edun and [..]

Whatever happened to Romain Kremer?

Published on 2012-08-27 04:46:00

Whatever happened to Romain Kremer?

Cringe

Published on 2012-08-26 05:00:00

Does anybody else just find this all rather...cringe? I know it's not copycatting or infringing on trademarks per se but it is using another person's name to make money (they cost around £50). And after Henry Holland's name-dropping tees it's not even particularly original. The epitome of that culture which worships brands or designers because of the mainstream celebrities they've become, rather than recognising what they have achieved in terms of design. I feel like some people who normally [..]

Fashion Week

Published on 2012-08-24 09:55:00

Jean-Charles de Castelbajac AW 2008 was the collection that really got me excited about the fashion industry. It wasn't the first show I attended – that was Aminaka Wilmont in London earlier that season – but it was the first when the fashion bug really took hold. We were in Paris, the show was in the Louvre, Miss J was sitting across from us and we necked miniatures of Cointreau from our handbags every time the security guard was looking the other way. The live performance by Curry + Coc [..]

Aragon

Published on 2012-08-23 05:27:00

The Acne Aragon shirt.

McQueenie

Published on 2012-08-22 02:50:00

Well, after yesterday's pity fest I thought we should start today with something a bit more joyous.

Ken Doll

Published on 2012-08-21 04:19:00

I just read this blog post by Orlando Soria on Hommemaker (p.s. my new favourite blog) and it really touched a nerve. Orlando lists ten reasons why gay men have (or strive for) perfect bodies. These are:1. We are surrounded by images of perfect bodies.2. We compare ourselves to our partners.3. Our boyfriends see hot, naked men every day in the locker room.4. We worship bartenders who are hot and topless.5. We are more successful than straight people, which makes us more competitive.6. We take [..]

Bound in white

Published on 2012-08-20 15:35:00

Blindingly white and so minimal one might even describe it barren, the Margiela L'Atelier d'Exercises 'claustrophobic' notebook is the ultimate in stationery chic. It's bound at both sides so you have to rip through to get to the good stuff. Yeah, right — there's no way I'll ever tear this beauty apart. It's going straight on the collectables shelf. I just need to acquire the ostrich feather ballpoint and the empty snow-globe to complete the set. Thanks so much to Anna for my motivational [..]

A walk in the park

Published on 2012-08-19 06:23:00

Sometimes, just sometimes, it's good to take my Mother's advice and get out of the house to clear my mind.

Verdant

Published on 2012-08-17 16:39:00

I like spending Friday nights in front of the Sky+ box with a jar of Mrs Elswood's haimisha pickled cucumbers, a fresh pea cappuccino and a bag of organic, gelatin-free cola bottles.

Warm it up

Published on 2012-08-16 05:15:00

Besides being a word-class arachnid sanctuary, my Glasgow house also seems to think we're in the middle of November.

Lust-list

Published on 2012-08-15 05:35:00

I'm one week into my DPhil lockdown and insanity is starting to set in. I haven't left the house for days except an emergency taxi ride to WholeFoods for pesto and tapenade. I'm sleep-deprived from nightly spiderwars (the perils of living in any house more than a century old); I've had to decamp to the guest bedroom and give all my best clothes over to the disgusting arachnids. I am now wearing John Rocha boiled wool shorts everyday, watching documentaries about the Amish over breakfast and s [..]

Where was the glamour?

Published on 2012-08-13 04:01:00

Let's admit it, the closing ceremony was a bit shit. I'm not denying The Spice Girls brought it and looked amazing whirling around the stadium on top of their flashing taxis – definitely the highlight of my night. I also enjoyed (recorded?) Blur, The Pet Shop Boys clad in Gareth Pugh, and Take That's ending. But the rest of it... Ed Sheeran, double doses of Jessie J and Emile Sandé, and no Kate Bush or ELO? WTF.What pissed me off most of all was the 'fashion' segment (there's a surprise). [..]

Twenty Twelve

Published on 2012-08-10 04:10:00

I'm the last person you'd expect to be interested in sport. Despite Mother's protestations I have always abhorred Wimbledon, football, the Olympics...really any kind of sport, live or on television. I've always found it pointless and boring, my body not designed for feelings like pride or patriotism. And yet something odd has happened to me. Some bizarre kind of Olympic fever has taken hold. It all started with Twenty Twelve. Knowing that Siobhan Sharp's character so closely resembled real [..]

Gradients Part II

Published on 2012-08-08 10:19:00

Gradient/ombré/dip-dye/WHATEVER! I'm such a fashion victim and I luuuurrrrveeee it. Currently enjoying this grunge flashback but I think I need to get myself a shirt and tie to wear it runway-style. And it arrived just in time for the gradients in my code to start plaguing me again.

Hometime

Published on 2012-08-07 13:27:00

My parents have gone travelling in Mitteleuropa for the summer and have left the family house in my trustworthy hands so I'm back in Glasgow for three weeks on strict thesis lock-down.

Greco-Roman

Published on 2012-08-06 05:27:00

This weekend, while also drafting the next chapter of my thesis, the flatmate and I took one final outing in London to see the Olympics. I think it's fair to say Greco-Roman wrestling wasn't a sport either of us had been particular keen to see but, apart from the unfortunate lack of togas, we were far from disappointed. Men – buff men – in skin-tight, elasticated singlets thrashing around on a giant crash mat, mounting each other and grunting whenever possible. The air in the arena was at [..]

Comment

Published on 2012-08-04 04:42:00

Thanks Ivania for reposting this The Business of Fashion article by Colin McDowelldescribing, though not really lamenting, the demise of the professional/academic fashion critic.People seem surprised by his opinion, but I would think McDowell is almost uniquely qualified to comment on this given the slew of large, academic books on the history of fashion he has published while maintaining a journalistic career writing for, e.g. 10 Magazine or The Sunday Times. And since everyone's a critic, it' [..]

Green eyes

Published on 2012-08-04 03:15:00

Raf Simons definitely has my favourite AW campaign so far. It's not just that I love the collection, although I do — the colour combinations of dark blue-green and wine are my favourites for a crisp, bright winter.

Join the weird trip

Published on 2012-08-02 06:53:00

Back in London for a few days to organise things for the move back to Scotland next month, catch a game at the Olympics (Greco-Roman wrestling for the win) and generally get myself together for the insane slog towards to the DPhil finishing line. Last night I tried the full tasting menu at Sketch's Lecture Room with Nisha and her family. So good and such luxurious surroundings – go there! That was probably my last taste of freedom (and alcohol) until October. It's not long now :-/Wearing t [..]

Camouflage

Published on 2012-07-28 05:08:00

It's safe to say I'm not a camouflage kind of boy.

Honest by.

Published on 2012-07-27 09:14:00

I'm currently enjoying these photos I found on the Honest by. website which I came across perusing chic Belgian store Haleluja's pages.

Currently contemplating...

Published on 2012-07-26 08:01:00

Last year it was the German shepherd, this season it's the band/movie t-shirt.

Still waters run deep

Published on 2012-07-24 09:03:00

Wearing waistcoat by Ring, shirt by Ann Demeulemeester, trousers by Sasquatch Fabrix, shoes by Dr Martens.

Gradients

Published on 2012-07-23 05:27:00

Top of the AW hitlist: the gradient sweatshirt. The irony that I've spent the last week debugging FORTRAN code used to calculate derivatives of energy with respect to Hamiltonian parameters, magnetic moment vectors and atomic positions is not lost on me. Finally getting everything working last night deserves a treat, no? My brain was so jammed in code-mode yesterday I couldn't even relax enough to have the glass of prosecco offered by Mother (two weeks wine-free so far). But it's not on sale y [..]

Agnès B.

Published on 2012-07-22 05:50:00

Agnès B. is one of those designers who flits in and out of my consciousness – a brand my mother used to wear when I was a child and whose pieces I've bought on occasion whenever I've happened upon one of her stores (usually France, although she did have a boutique on the High Street in Oxford which has since, unfortunately, become a Patisserie Valerie). Her collections aren't Earth-shaking nor do they spawn a multitude of high-street lookalikes, but they are generally solid, wearable clothes [..]

Bird foot

Published on 2012-07-21 08:32:00

Sales shopping is over. Finito. I closed my last browser and banned myself from looking at any more Final 70% Off! emails. I've raided LN-CC, Browns and DSM heavily and I don't need any more. There is no point looking.Then again, I already have about £60,000 worth of imaginary shopping baskets racked up across the internet filled with full-price AW pieces. It's my porn, OK? When it's late at night and I'm done with freaking out over spreadsheets and LaTeX, I like to go through my various [..]

World Traveller

Published on 2012-07-20 03:01:00

While only hopping from London back to Glasgow to get some work done I did technically cross a border, hence the post title. I often find dressing for travel a difficulty – I always want to look to smart and impossibly fresh as I step off the (Easy-) jet, but I also want to be comfortable. For the past few years I've had a tendency to wear big, baggy jumpers when flying, but I usually end up getting too hot and either have to sweat it out or risk messing up my hairdo.

Thamanyah II

Published on 2012-07-19 02:24:00

I find these first three images taken from Thamanyah's Spring/Summer 2013 lookbook incredibly striking.

DAKS

Published on 2012-07-18 05:42:00

I've written before about my fascination with the Nordic countries.

Anna Jewsbury

Published on 2012-07-17 03:06:00

I decided to continue the series of photos focusing on friends in high places I started with Alexxsia (otherwise known as ARGH Michael's been doctoring pictures of me again).

Qasimi dungaree

Published on 2012-07-16 05:00:00

A while ago I said I thought the statement graphic t-shirt was as close as menswear comes to the dress – one piece you can throw on which instantly makes an outfit.

Murano

Published on 2012-07-14 04:40:00

Whenever Moominmama comes to visit I always have to strike a balance between dressing smartly with interesting notes that she'll appreciate, while not going too far down the crazy brick road.

Sleeping Beauty - Y Project SS 2013

Published on 2012-07-13 04:03:00

Yohan Serfaty certainly knows how to put on a presentation.

D E N A from the block

Published on 2012-07-12 10:43:00

Why haven't I heard of D E N A before? Maybe it's because I never go to clubs, listen to the radio or read music magazines... Oh well.

Christopher Shannon SS 2013

Published on 2012-07-12 08:36:00

I'm sick. I've been working so hard lately, getting up at 6.30am to code, plotting graphs on trains, desperately scribbling away at my thesis, that it could be discovering my supervisors don't think I've produced a big pile of crap meant my body has relaxed and succumbed to whatever bacterium the state of constant stress was fighting off. Or it could all be down to a certain Irish plastic surgeon. In any case, I've spent most of the morning trying to catch up on sleep and vitamins, hoping tha [..]

Alexxsia Elizabeth

Published on 2012-07-11 01:37:00

I love, love, love these photos I took of Lexxi a few weeks ago when it was briefly summertime.

Paper Bag

Published on 2012-07-10 02:36:00

Need it. Want it. Have to have it. Maybe I can afford it in paper and cry when my lunch seeps through the bottom?xxxDuckProduct short from Mr Porter, runway images from Style.com.

Pride

Published on 2012-07-08 11:02:00

The ridiculous monsoon rain struck again while I was watching the pride parade yesterday*, forcing me to take shelter in some of the nearby shops.

Jean-Paul Gaultier SS 2013

Published on 2012-07-07 13:01:00

I'm really into statement necklaces, colour blocking, sheer, negative heels, big shoulders, fashion turbans – but I'm not trying to be political. Jean-Paul Gaultier showed us kilt/culotte hybrids for men, so you know I'm happy a bunny. I might not be so down with the turbans but I'm taking it they were more for styling purposes (the collection is loosely based around “India”). The belted tuxedo looks were draped beautifully and so luxurious, although they'd need a lot of altering since w [..]

In the details

Published on 2012-07-06 03:04:00

With some outfits it's all in the detail. I find myself wearing black/grey trousers day-in, day-out – I guess you could say it's my wardrobe staple – but I finally found a pair I can differentiate from the rest. Slightly looser at the ankle, they give the tiniest illusion of a flare. I know skinny trousers are meant to be ovvvvveeerrr but this is as far as I'm willing to budge right now. They also have this intricate geometric stitching over the knees that I'm enjoying rubbing my palms a [..]

New kicks

Published on 2012-07-05 03:38:00

You might think I'm saying 'kicks' here to be all American (which I get mistaken for a lot) but I'm not, I'm trying to be all Canadian (which I'm also not) like Kevin Naulls. Kicks is a word I imagine he'd say and we're internet-betrothed so I need to start acclimatising for my life in the country that gave the world such wonders as sexy Mounties, and, errr, maple trees? Anyhoo (also Canadaspeak, TV leads me to believe), these new trainers were one of the sales bargains I snapped up in a pre-fa [..]

Issey Miyake SS 2013

Published on 2012-07-04 03:46:00

Before the Issey Miyake show the London PR promised a big surprise or two and while one failed to manifest fully (Mr Miyake himself was supposed to make an appearance – instead he watched the proceedings from Skype in the corner in of the studio), the other was a success with models bursting onto the catwalk space on bikes. Many Miyake shows seem to be about symmetry. The lines of a deep V painted onto a pleated top, its folds delicate origami. The careful balance between black and white, p [..]

Baartmans and Siegel SS 2013

Published on 2012-07-03 04:17:00

Mr Baartmans and Ms Siegel were shrewd in their venue choice this season, being as it was directly opposite the Hospital Club, the main hub for the menswear shows.

Louis Vuitton SS 2013

Published on 2012-07-02 09:08:00

My attendance at Louis Vuitton's spring/summer show was rather last-minute (along with Disney Roller Girl and The Very Simon G) but certainly appreciated – it was the first time I got to see Marc Jacobs in the flesh! The experience was both interesting and sweaty; could people start air conditioning show venues, puh-lease? Aquatic scenes were projected on LED screens behind and on top of the catwalk. The collection fused old-world traveller glamour with modern sportwear (and I mean active sp [..]

Men in skirts

Published on 2012-07-01 03:47:00

Men in skirts have been around for a long time, which is funny because they're still strangely controversial. Yet, everyone likes a chunky man-thigh... Fashion skirts seem pretty much ubiquitous from a Rick Owens floor-sweeper to a Raf Simons knitted mini, Brandon in some floaty layers or Pelayo in a kilt. Then there's Marc and his lacy dresses (for the record I didn't think he looked great, but that's nothing to do with the amazing Comme dress – more the Mayflower shoes and unfortunate und [..]

Bloggers' Yard Sale

Published on 2012-06-30 07:00:00

Yup, Susie is reconvening her infamous bloggers' yard sale and yours truly will be contributing a big old pile of junk unwanted designer clothes.

Givenchy SS 2013

Published on 2012-06-30 04:49:00

Givenchy's one of those Paris shows I just can't wait to see the photos from – you can never really predict exactly where Riccardo's going to take it each season. They don't livestream so yesterday I was glued to NowFashion waiting for the images was working hard on my thesis while the attendees sweltered in the Parisian heat (Givenchy is notorious for running late).

Kolor SS 2013

Published on 2012-06-30 02:27:00

Being a serious scientist type I didn't go on a Gap Yah (Mother expressly forbade it anyway) but if I had upped sticks to travel round the world in search of myself, I would like to have been dressed in next season's Kolor collection. Loose layers for hopping on and off jets, a dark blue jacket 'dipped' in brown jersey for comfortable chic, what I like to call Austrian collars on everything. I'd wear my Hare Krishna ankle bracelet I picked up in Mumbai with my neon Birkenstocks and slip on som [..]

Parisian nights

Published on 2012-06-29 04:33:00

One night, six collections, three delicious meals, four trips to L'Eclaireur and 8 macarons. What a trip... Full posts on each of the shows I saw will manifest here as and when I find this ridiculously annoying bug in my code. Until then (and the rest of my London coverage), please enjoy this short photo diary from my one night stay in Paris. Many thanks to Mama Shelter for making me so comfortable once again, and a providing a lovely space where I could work. Not so many thanks to Eurostar [..]

Encased

Published on 2012-06-26 17:35:00

I spent weeks searching for the perfect iPhone cover. I needed one to a) protect my iPhone from drunken stumbles (I'd rather not shatter the back on a Brussels cobblestone again) and, more importantly, b) render the black phone more visible in low light conditions, such as the darkened back of a taxi cab....

Xander Zhou SS 2013

Published on 2012-06-24 08:02:00

When a new name appears on the fashion week schedule I often have no idea what to expect.

Jil Sander for Raf Simons for Jil Sander SS 2013

Published on 2012-06-23 04:13:00

What, you weren't just livestreaming the Jil Sander SS 2013 show?

Maria Francesca Pepe Man

Published on 2012-06-22 04:51:00

I've been a big fan of Maria Francesca Pepe's jewellery for a while although up until now I've been operating under the assumption the line was unisex.

Triple point

Published on 2012-06-20 05:05:00

So I'm back in Glasgow, slightly less freaked out. The September deadline is still looming and a huge chunk of my code is refusing to cooperate but I am finding it much easier to focus now that I'm at home (and being fed by Mother's trips to the deserted Giffnock Whole Foods). I even had time last night to edit a few more photos from fashion week while bemusing myself with Kristen Wiig's Bridesmaids.

Oliver Spencer SS 2013

Published on 2012-06-19 06:47:00

Oliver Spencer's show, at least the segment I was drawn to, was a festival of primary colours.

Jose Pizarro

Published on 2012-06-18 09:45:00

Photos from lunch at Pizarro on Bermondsey Street a few weeks ago with Anna, Brooke and Alexxsia.

James Long SS 2013

Published on 2012-06-17 12:29:00

I think James Long's was my favourite show during the London Collections: Men (please can we just call it Men's Week?). Unusual pleated shorts gave the illusion of a kilt with the practically of a legged-garment (no drunk English girls trying to lift your skirt up when exiting the tube...), matched with futuristic sleeveless jackets and knitwear accessorised with metallic embroidery and reflective elements.

Psychic Predictions

Published on 2012-06-15 03:20:00

Stasie's take on what some of the invitations this season might hint at...Martine Rose – orange tracing paper stitched onto black foam. Thinking neoprene, decay, loose ends. Wet-suit clad zombies climbing through the broken windows of rusted-out cars in a post-apocalyptic dystopia.

Shave me once, shave me twice

Published on 2012-06-14 14:01:00

Tomorrow begins the national holiday of men's fashion week (wait what? It's not a bank holiday? I have to *work*??) - that celebration of all things manly-man in London, and what better way to kick things off than that most traditional of masculine activities, the wet shave? I've never experienced one before so when Pankhurst offered me a trip down to their Savile Row barbers, I jumped at the chance. Plus, I'll go to any length to get an Ab Fab joke into a post!!The wet shave is essentially the [..]

Dinner for one

Published on 2012-06-13 14:44:00

I've recently decided to start working in a library during the day. Originally I moved to London so that I would be less depressed stuck inside on my own all day long, but ironically I now spend most of my time locked in my bedroom and it's beginning to get me down (sad Duck = even less productive Duck). So I've joined the British Library, staked out a good desk in the top floor Science reading room and worked out the fastest ways to get there and back while avoiding the rush hour. The only d [..]

Big Breakfast

Published on 2012-06-13 02:25:00

What could constitute a more filling breakfast than the arrival of one's first ticket for fashion week this season?

White Cube

Published on 2012-06-12 11:21:00

They don't let you take photos inside White Cube but that's kind of OK, there isn't much in there I'd want to snap at the moment given that the current exhibition is on Damien Hirst.

When life gets you down...

Published on 2012-06-11 04:07:00

...take photos of yourself in the lift.Summer's over before it began, it's raining, and I've experienced the last ever episode of Desperate Housewives (nothing has upset me more since they ended Will & Grace).

Village East

Published on 2012-06-10 10:49:00

Right now I'm lying on my sofa in American Apparel sweatpants which are too small for me, mildly hungover, drinking a pint of pomegranate juice diluted with water and ordering take-away online from my nearest Indian restaurant.

Starlight

Published on 2012-06-08 03:57:00

Sometimes I get completely obsessed about an object or a piece of clothing.

Birthday: Part II

Published on 2012-06-07 05:44:00

In my family we tend to use any minor event in our lives as an occasion for a meal out. Basically, we want to spend every evening in a fabulous restaurant but we have to come up with some sort of superficial justification so that we can pretend to ourselves it's not that ridiculous. Promotions, exam results, starting a new course, celebrating someone else's birthday... Been there, done it. I'm so glad my flatmate also likes to indulge in this pastime. When I discovered Sketch's Michelin-starr [..]

Highland

Published on 2012-06-06 03:00:00

Besides partying it up like the Queen that I am, this weekend was also a chance to escape the city and go for a good old-fasioned drive in the countryside. Not quite the Highlands really - we only drove around the Gare Loch, up Loch Long, across through Glen Douglas and back along the shores of Loch Lomond in the Trossachs National Park - but it was still nice to escape from the tyranny of my mobile phone...

A Duck Jubilee

Published on 2012-06-05 02:35:00

This weekend I escaped the madness (and shit weather) of London to celebrate the Queen's Diamond Jubilee at home in Glasgow. We watched some of the celebrations – e.g. the flotilla – on television but the main focus was my parents' 'garden party', quickly reconfigured as a house party when temperatures dropped below 15 degrees. Preparations for the big event came in two stages. Stage one, my outfit planning, was pretty easy. I committed the cardinal sin of outfit-repeating and reused my [..]

I don't think you're ready for this jelly

Published on 2012-06-01 05:00:00

It's like I always say, double the jelly, double the fun.

Graphic

Published on 2012-05-30 02:30:00

It's funny how quickly my fashion fads tend to cycle.

Dank

Published on 2012-05-28 02:40:00

Raiding the summer clothing storage has opened up my wardrobe to all sorts of forgotten delights, including pieces I have basically never worn.

Groundbreaking

Published on 2012-05-26 04:52:00

Oh crap, I've gone and done it now. After my anti-blogger-style musings I've totally just dressed H2T in 'blogger'. The graphic print, the aqua clutch – I'm one banging body (and the ultimate accessory, the designer boyfriend) away from Pelayo Diaz. When I realised what I was doing I figured “What the Hell, let's just throw in the gay porn tube socks while we're at it”.

Cut the crap

Published on 2012-05-25 14:14:00

A few things have happened recently that have made me re-evaluate what I think about blogs and blogging. Some of them personal, some of them observed from afar, some of it prompted by Fashion Editor At Large's post on “blogger style” (excuse me while I choke on my own vomit) and more importantly Jen's excellent post with the ensuing comment debate. I am a blogger and I read blogs so I guess that makes me biased, but here we go... As far as I can see, digital is the future, but that doesn' [..]

Black & White

Published on 2012-05-25 02:40:00

Sometimes summer is bright and garish, full of luscious greens and vibrant sky blues, clashing colours and melting ice lollies.

Summer snip

Published on 2012-05-24 03:28:00

Don't worry (or get excited?), I haven't opted for a summertime circumcision - I've always thought genital cosmetic surgery is more of a winter pastime - just had my locks shorn to keep it cool in the warm months week ahead.

Fashion Fringe 2012

Published on 2012-05-23 04:43:00

A couple of weeks ago I received an intriguing invitation to meet the finalists of this year's Fashion Fringe competition at a reception in Horseferry House, worldwide home of Burberry.

Solar flare

Published on 2012-05-22 07:51:00

"The sun has got his hat on, hip-hip-hip-hooray! The sun has got his hat on and he's coming out today..."

Weekend in review: 'Name That Toucan'

Published on 2012-05-21 02:42:00

We all know I'm an accessories fiend, hoovering up the ridiculous and the inappropriate in my ongoing quest to make myself look like the most fabulous bag lady in town.

What should have been

Published on 2012-05-18 03:05:00

This is the outfit I was going to wear last night to see the Luke Waller painting exhibition at Cutler and Gross but, alas, I had to be realistic and stay inside to finish up some code debugging that had run away from me.

British Designers Collective: Menswear

Published on 2012-05-17 06:12:00

It's not often Twitter spurs me to do anything other than shop or eat; rather it's much more likely to be distracting me from doing whatever it is I'm really meant to be doing.

Sunshine, lollipops...

Published on 2012-05-16 04:50:00

It's a good day to be alive! I woke up this morning to glorious sunshine streaming into my bedroom (really need to start closing those blinds properly, if only to save the neighbours' modesty), clearing back those rain clouds that have been blanketing our sceptred isle. I am fond of the winter but the monotonous downpours and dreich skies can get you down. Work is certainly ploughing ahead on the gold building next door, reflecting rather than blocking the sunlight into our courtyard. I can b [..]

Styled by Snufkin

Published on 2012-05-15 05:35:00

What with all the excitement of coding going well (yesterday I managed to get the analytic forces working and today the torques will be a success – I realise this probably means nothing to you...) I completely forgot about blogging this week. Sometimes I can only have one side of my brain firing at once, but then it gets worn out and I have to switch to something creative for a break. This morning I suddenly had that urge to get my camera out and then realised le flatmate is back in the home [..]

Win Win

Published on 2012-05-12 05:54:00

Coming home for the weekend is all about admiring Dad's orchids, taking Grandma to the supermarket, arguing about the difference between porpoises and dolphins in the back of a taxi, and the luxury of sleeping in a bed with ironed sheets. Yesterday morning, on the train up, I finally made a major breakthrough with my research which should mean I get to move onto something more interesting and productive...like actually writing my papers/thesis. We celebrated with a trip to Zaha Hadid's Riversi [..]

Burnt out

Published on 2012-05-10 09:04:00

Last night I dragged myself away from the laptop and off to Aqua London for the UK launch of Scandinavian estore, Nelly, as my one evening away from work this week.

Scandinavian give-away

Published on 2012-05-08 06:20:00

In honour of all things Scandinavian, I have teamed up with Rekorderlig cider (Sweden), Rascals' (Denmark) and Won Hundred (Sweden) to bring you an exciting give-away!

Antwerp II

Published on 2012-05-07 04:26:00

I'm at a really stressful point in my DPhil right now where I just have to get something working and it's taking much more time than I had hoped.

Instagram diary

Published on 2012-05-06 07:20:00

Last night the Amazonian Emily of Fashion Foie Gras celebrated her and her brother's birthdays with a chic party in the basement of Milk & Honey, where I was stunned to meet a woman around my own age who didn't know what a blog was.

MVIO: Han Sang Hyuk

Published on 2012-05-05 04:00:00

I love the blogosphere.

Do you like my brogue?

Published on 2012-05-03 03:30:00

[I want to predicate this post by stating that I am not being paid or gifted anything by Dr Martens, the gushing you are about to read is 100% genuine.]I bought a pair of black Dr Martens brogues on the internet last year.

Raf squared

Published on 2012-05-01 03:30:00

I've posted about quite a few events recently so it's probably time to get back to the fashion matter at hand.

Birthday boy

Published on 2012-04-30 10:18:00

I would apologise for the number of photos in this post but, you know, it's my birthday party and I'll do what I want. I feel that every good birthday, like every good meal, comes in at least five parts so I'm breaking the blog post down this way. Perhaps this will help the overindulgence go down in the most delightful way...We kicked things off with cocktails at the Sanderson's Long Bar. Famous for being a den of iniquity (i.e. where high calibre ladies-of-the-night like to congregate in sea [..]

Thamanyah

Published on 2012-04-30 05:49:00

Usually the Just in stock! type emails I wake up to every morning from the likes of Net-A-Porter, Luisa Via Roma, etc drive me round the twist. Everyone basically stocks the same designers and they try to palm off current season pieces as fresh and exciting in their editorial shots and cobbled-together moodboards when really all I can think about is next season...

So fresh and so clean clean

Published on 2012-04-27 13:43:00

The title of this post probably doesn't make a whole lot of sense considering this first set of images but hopefully it will by the end.

Modern

Published on 2012-04-26 03:00:00

My birthday party plans for Saturday are finally taking shape - I've decided on a theme of modernism/modernity/futurism.

We Are Family

Published on 2012-04-25 03:54:00

This weekend saw the entire Duck clan descend on London for a memorial dinner for my Great Aunt who passed away a year ago.

Changes

Published on 2012-04-24 16:23:00

You may have noticed that a few changes have occurred over night.

My new favourite comment

Published on 2012-04-23 18:06:00

"Yes we all know you have a rich mother. But just keep in mind that the majority of your followers on twitter do not have rich parents and find it incredibly condescending when you talk 'mother' to all of us. You might be able to drop label after label name constantly with that you are wearing, or more like who you are wearing, just remember you're followers who have less money than you find this rude. Yes your mother this and your mother that. I can come up with a nice sentence for you w [..]

Kiltin'

Published on 2012-04-23 05:02:00

When travelling with a pack of bloggers, even at 6am, it is always important that you look impossibly chic and carry as many Apple products as customs will allow. You must develop your own secret language ('J'ADORE', 'breb', '#yohji'), shriek spontaneously at any time of the day or night, and reference SH*T FASHION GIRLS SAY ad infinitum. The importance of a morning beer cannot be overemphasised.

Eatin'

Published on 2012-04-22 04:29:00

I was seriously impressed by the standard of the food and drink in Antwerp so I felt this food-porn post a necessity. Unlike my recent trip to Madrid where we really had to hunt to find something delicious to eat, every single restaurant we walked into in Antwerp had something good on offer (even a café near the train station turned out to have the best goats cheese salad rather than the Wetherspoons fare we were expecting). I think I must just be a Northern soul. Apart from Italy, I always [..]

Skirtin'

Published on 2012-04-21 02:56:00

I was led to believe that Antwerp was the chicest city in Europe – somewhat like Stockholm, but with the commercial tang of Acne replaced by severe Margiela austerity. I expected directional hair cuts, open minds and understated peplums. Strangely, Antwerp didn't quite live up to my expectations. There are some incredible shops (RA, Dries, Renaissance, Labels Inc.) and some of the best fashion labels stem from here (Ann, Dries, Raf), yet most people look decidedly ordinary. I guess I shoul [..]

Plantin' in Antwerpen

Published on 2012-04-20 04:02:00

Well, I just got back from my birthday trip to Antwerp and what an experience it was... I must thank the Hotel Sir Plantin for hosting us and Eurostar for making the journey that little bit more affordable, although my positive feelings were tempered somewhat by the ridiculous customs fiasco at the St Pancras end. I'd never been to the stock sales before but Charlie and Lexxi guided me through them like pros. We hit up Ann Demeulemeester, AF Vandervorst, Dries van Noten, RA and then, of course [..]

Fairy Queen with Maria Nilsdotter

Published on 2012-04-18 03:30:00

I'm starting to become slightly obsessed with Swedish jewellery designer, Maria Nilsdotter.

Wolf & Badger hits Dover Street

Published on 2012-04-16 04:06:00

It's true! Early tomorrow morning I'll be on the Eurostar to Antwerp for a whistlestop shopping trip round the stock sales that happen at this time every year.

Dressed for Delaunay

Published on 2012-04-14 12:09:00

Every month or so Brooke and I pick a different restaurant to go for a weekend brunch.

Misplaced apostrophe

Published on 2012-04-13 11:22:00

This week I've basically been living in this sweatshirt I was given by new(ish) Danish street wear brand Rascals'.

Better than Fashion Week

Published on 2012-04-10 04:36:00

OK, so Madrid during Easter week is waaay better than fashion week.

Madrid

Published on 2012-04-09 09:06:00

Madrid may not have the best cuisine or shopping in Europe (it's also full of people speaking Spanish, the one language I've never felt any great urge to study - did you know they even lisp Mathrith?), but it is vibrant and packed full of cultural treasures and artworks.

Going Global

Published on 2012-04-05 05:11:00

Well, Easter is almost upon us so I'll be taking a little blogging break with a trip to Spain to visit my parents (we always like to meet up in a different country every time). I haven't been to Madrid for years so it should be pretty nice to investigate the Prado with a more mature mind and explore whichever shops the hipster Madrileños are favouring this time around.

Earth God(dess)

Published on 2012-04-03 03:00:00

Last night I had dinner with the gays.

Visual Diary

Published on 2012-04-01 09:02:00

Things happen throughout the week that sometimes wouldn't make it onto the blog because I don't think I have enough to say about them or good enough photos to justify an entire post.

Swedish Hasbeens at Selfridges

Published on 2012-03-28 11:45:00

This week I was invited to breakfast for the launch of the Swedish Hasbeens pop-up shop inside Selfridges on Oxford Street.

A weekend of little things

Published on 2012-03-26 03:43:00

It's funny how illness can strike you down so quickly.

Bicester Village - British Designers Collective

Published on 2012-03-22 06:34:00

When I lived in Oxford (for seven years...) one of the few rays of fashionable light in my completely unfabulous life was designer discount heaven, Bicester Village. Nary a term would go by without a spontaneous pit-stop being made to load up on Marni, McQueen and Westwood – my designers of choice at the time. With an average of 60% off everything it's almost as good as a London studio sample sale, but with brands that would never normally drop their prices so low in the big smoke. The cut [..]

Mr Porter Party

Published on 2012-03-20 11:28:00

Last night Mr Porter held a very manly soirée for their favourite journalists and bloggers at the fabulous Mark's Bar at HIX in Soho to launch their Spring collections, and somehow my name has made it onto that list. Everything about the night was über masculine from the whiskey cocktails responsible for today's splitting headache (or was that the unofficial after party at G-A-Y?) to the impressive display of beards (the London gent's look du jour). I nibbled delicious wild mushroom canapés, [..]

Brunch at Browns with L'Wren Scott

Published on 2012-03-17 08:20:00

It's not often you get an invitation that you just can't turn down, but anything reaching my inbox from the hallowed world of Browns is always going to prompt a hasty diary clearing.

Swedish Beer Bowling

Published on 2012-03-14 09:34:00

Last night the lovely Varg ladies took a few of us out for a night of bowling and beers to celebrate the up-coming Swedish Hasbeens pop-up shop in Selfridges (27th March - be there or be square).

James Long A/W 2012

Published on 2012-03-12 07:11:00

I'm ashamed (am I?) to say that James Long was practically the only thing I liked about menswear day in London. I feel apprehensive writing this, I want to support British designers yadda yadda yadda [NB desperate attempt to avoid internet backlash], but I think going to Paris for fashion week the past few seasons has kind of spoiled me for London. While there are many world-class womenswear designers here (Christopher Kane, Peter Pilotto, Jonathan Saunders, Louise Gray, Mary Katrantzou, Erdem [..]

John Rocha A/W 2012

Published on 2012-03-09 10:55:00

I was lucky to make it to John Rocha's show. Maybe it's because I moved house between last season and this - actually I moved right in the middle of fashion week, though that's another drama - but somehow my show ticket never winged its way into my letterbox. I guess the tight security protecting our mailboxes from the violent riffraff of West London might have been the problem. In any case I had assumed I didn't have a ticket so was caught off guard when the PRs DM'ed to say my invitation wa [..]

Casual Friday

Published on 2012-03-07 13:30:00

Fashion week isn't all about prancing around in couture t-shirts and impractical chiffon palazzo pants (one of my more outré outfits), hiding your semi-professional camera inside the latest round of canvas gift bags so as not to be mistaken for a streetstyle blogger or - Heaven forbid - an actual professional. Some days it just all gets too much and you throw on the comfiest clothing you find lying on the floor next to your bed before you drag yourself down to Somerset House. This is exactly [..]

Autumnal obsession - Damir Doma

Published on 2012-03-06 06:30:00

You may have seen me wearing a few Damir Doma pieces on this here blog - just a few mind, because they tend to be pretty pricey - but it looks like my Doma coverage is about to sky-rocket if I can find some way to afford his AW collection. While he's always gone for a draped, nomadic look, next season Damir has taken it to another level. The styles I love fall into two categories; the draped, beaded and caped outfits (above) make me want to go on a road trip through a desert at night, cosseted [..]

MAN

Published on 2012-03-05 03:30:00

If the Fashion East MAN show were a competition then the clear winners would be Agi & Sam whose fusion of trad menswear suiting with modern printing techniques lit up the Royal Opera House catwalk. Maybe not everyone can pull off a Seurat painted three-piece suit but hopefully the more daring gent can work a vibrant tartan jacket into his wardrobe. Anyway, how could I not love Agi & Sam when they showed an entire DUCK PRINTED outfit?! The only downside: I'm so bored of designers using "interes [..]

New hair!

Published on 2012-03-02 03:25:00

Getting your hair cut is almost always a traumatic experience – your regular stylist is never available, the new person doesn't listen to you, the sea of inane questions (“Going anywhere nice on your holidays this year?”), the unfathomable inability of all hairdressers to style your hair the way you like it – and this time could have been even more so since I was going from super long to pretty much boy-short. But thanks to the fabulous Zara at Taylor Taylor (and my photographer for the [..]

Dressed

Published on 2012-02-29 04:00:00

It's been a while since I blogged an outfit post but I thought the time had come now that I've almost got all my LFW runway shots up (and some surprisingly controversial reviews...). I've always thought of my personal style as relatively androgynous, a term which, according to some on Twitter, is a negative when it comes to menswear. I, however, don't see that many distinctions between men's and women's clothing. Naturally a peplum isn't going to look that good on me considering my depressing [..]

Basso & Brooke A/W 2012

Published on 2012-02-28 03:30:00

Shortly after the show Alex Fury described Basso & Brooke's latest collection as mank (he was seated opposite me during the show, you may spy his face in some of the photos where he just refused to be edited out). Now, I wouldn't go quite that far. It wasn't exactly their best collection and it seems like they've been on a slight downward slope since my favourite early runs (the slick Japanese collection in particular!), but it still stood out in the better half of the shows I saw in London. [..]

Comme des Garçons Competition

Published on 2012-02-27 02:00:00

So I have a little surprise for you, dear readers. You may have noticed I've never run a competition on here before but today is your lucky day (maybe). I've been waiting until something good came along – something I'd actually want to win – and it doesn't get much better than a piece of Comme des Garçons, right? No, I'm not giving away a pleated black kilt or a transparent hoop skirt (I wish!), but if you click on the link in the sidebar and play a little game, you could find yourself th [..]

Nobody panic! Raf Simons A/W 2012

Published on 2012-02-25 12:19:00

Oh what a long day it's been. Just back from a slightly tipsy brunch with Hugh, among others, at the delicious Brunswick House Café (Go! If only for the handsome manager wearing Comme and Dries to your table) after an aborted breakfast with Anna in town. On my wanderings I finally got a hold of the L'Officiel Collections for this season so I can start planning my moodboard and post-April shopping trips for the summer. It's a bit dog-eared and 'twas the only one in the ickle kiosk opposite Li [..]

Michael van der Ham A/W 2012

Published on 2012-02-24 05:30:00

Occasionally I find myself getting carried away during fashion week and overestimating my own understanding of designers' motivations or what's going behind the scenes. I start reading too much into a collection or set myself up for a fall by expecting so much from the designer. This is exactly what happened when the first couple of looks came out at Michael van der Ham. I loved his early magpie patchwork creations and was really pleased by his last collection which translated the slightly le [..]

Ponystep x True Religion

Published on 2012-02-23 08:58:00

Just came across this photo of Alexxsia and me at the Ponystep x True Religion party on Prince Pelayo's Kate Loves Me blog. Of course while everyone else (Charlie, Louisa, Jen) was sitting down to be served tray after tray of The Diner burgers and vegetarian chilli, Lexxi and I were knocking back the vino and getting down to some Spice Girls. At this point in the night it appears I've ditched the Balenciaga dog jumper I was wearing that day and am only in a gradated black/white t-shirt by Helm [..]

Charlie May A/W 2012

Published on 2012-02-22 05:30:00

On Saturday night I had the immense pleasure of getting to see Charlie May put on her second ever RTW presentation during fashion week. You probably recognise her as the Girl A La Mode version of Charlie who crops up in my posts and can be found screaming #A2A or #hashtagtotesamaze at me on Twitter. But in the real world Charlie actually lives the sometimes less than glamorous life of an up-and-coming womenswear designer. I know how much work (and money) goes into creating a collection like t [..]

McQ A/W 2012

Published on 2012-02-20 18:19:00

OK guys, you all know I'm not exactly the must-post-this-instantly kind of blogger but I just had to get these photos edited and up here right away. If you saw my tweet delirium earlier you'll know why I am so excited – today I was invited to attend McQ's first ever runway show! Sarah Burton has recently brought the diffusion line back into the Alexander McQueen fold and taken the helm of the design team. I still can't quite believe I got to see such a beautiful spectacle; this was nothing [..]

Corrie Nielsen A/W 2012

Published on 2012-02-19 06:28:00

I'm starting my first fashion week post with the first show I attended on Friday (I guess that's the right way to do things), Corrie Nielsen. Corrie maintained her couture style - although she threw in a few more 'wearable' pieces, probably to boost sales now that she has made her name - and took her inspiration this season from 18th Century Scotland. Maybe it's because I am actually Scottish that by the end of the show I had started to find the references to the homeland bordering on the supe [..]

Björn Borg

Published on 2012-02-18 07:02:00

There is only one word capable of describing the Björn Borg 'Turn The Lights Off' party on Thursday night - INSANE. Battersea power station illuminated by a 3D laser light show. Hot tubs. A full-on buffet with oyster bar. Models prancing on a giant bed in their underwear. A live performance by Robyn and Coco Sumner. That bottle of Cointreau we 'borrowed' from behind the bar to set up our own cocktail station at the end of the runway. What else could a boy want?I'm not completely sure the [..]

Paul & Joe Menswear A/W 2012

Published on 2012-02-15 03:13:00

It's funny how things work out sometimes. When I set off for Paris last month on my whistle-stop trip to fashion week, I actually only had three shows confirmed; I was planning to spend the rest of my two days sight-seeing and visiting friends. But of course, as soon as I checked into my hotel, I discovered a pile of show tickets I hadn't requested and sadly many of them were for the days I'd be back in London beavering away. I also received a last minute email from the people at Paul & Joe w [..]

Trullo Tasting

Published on 2012-02-13 03:08:00

Warning: Before you continue reading please be aware that this post is pure, unadulterated food pornography. During the cold winter months it's very important to treat oneself and keep one's energy up... Well that's what I always tell myself, although I seem to think there are 12 months of winter in the year. Nevertheless, Charlie, Lexxi and I certainly treated ourselves a couple of weeks ago when we were invited to try out Italian restaurant Trullo. It was just a short jaunt on the Overgroun [..]

John Lawrence Sullivan

Published on 2012-02-10 03:15:00

Admittedly I didn't really know much about Japanese designer Arashi Yanagawa, or his brand John Lawrence Sullivan, before I attended his show in Paris last month, but having taken a glance at his website this makes sense - while being stocked all over Japan I couldn't trace one stockist here in Europe. There are quite a few designers like this who show in Paris for the prestige but actually only sell back in Asia. It's a funny concept but I guess there is still that cachet associated with the [..]

Snow Day

Published on 2012-02-07 10:53:00

"Snow! In the UK! Everybody freak out!" That was basically what everybody was screaming at me via the Twits on Saturday evening. You'd think we never have inclement weather here... Well we do, but I guess it is true that it doesn't snow that often and it was rather exciting to have two days of freezing-your-nips-off temperatures. However, I am not one to be put off by such slippery trifles and decided to enjoy my weekend out regardless, rather than stay inside and rant to anyone who'd listen [..]

Stella for Spring

Published on 2012-02-06 03:30:00

Lusting, wanting, needing, etc; totes amaze, so chic, blah, blah. These four tops from Stella McCartney's Resort collection have me mumbling all the fashion blog clichés to myself on the hour, every hour. I went into the West London Browns this weekend with Brooke to try and source them but I'm afraid they weren't in stock. I have, however, tracked some of them down online and may find myself in the South Molton Street store at some point this month to stroke them with requisite Oooh's and A [..]

Fashion Monitored

Published on 2012-02-03 05:59:00

It's kind of funny that just over a year ago I was "borrowing" a Fashion Monitor subscription from university to quench my thirst for industry knowledge and now not only am I a subscriber myself but I was invited to attend their first party in London ahead of the A/W shows. Not working in fashion during the day, I can still feel like quite an outsider at these kinds of things, but I could definitely get used to the lifestyle :) Oh, and the lovely Hannah White and Emily-Rose Cater made me feel [..]

Y Project

Published on 2012-02-01 04:59:00

I was planning to start my Paris fashion week by meeting up with Jess and Andrew for Yohan Serfaty's Y Project show but they never actually made it to the Maison des Métallos, being trapped in a 10 course truffle-attack at 3 Michelin-starred L'Astrance. I'd say they missed out but then I'm a total truffle fanatic so am currently experience major food envy. In any case, I certainly enjoyed Yohan's show. He had chosen only three models who proceeded to change in front of us, behind backlit scr [..]

Pizza Party

Published on 2012-01-31 05:19:00

Although I'm meant to be chained to my desk for the next six months (I'm working hard, I promise! My elastic constants are converging nicely), sometimes you get invited to an event you simply can't turn down. And when that event involves dressing up in chef's whites *and* eating then just try to stop me...Charlie, Lexxi and I (aka the #A2A team) were the only fashion bloggers invited to join a night of pizza making at Assaggetti on Haymarket. They'd both been before and gave it great reviews - [..]

Spicebomb

Published on 2012-01-27 08:52:00

The other evening I was casually sipping champagne at the Charlotte Street Hotel and catching up with other fashion bloggers I haven't seen since last year when, subito, we were kidnapped by hunky men all dressed in black, dragged across London to an abandoned parking garage, packed into an industrial lift, led into a pitch black room and then were subjected to an explosion of ridiculous proportions. No, this was not just another Wednesday night (or the Grindr-fuelled fulfilment of some bizarre [..]

Jean-Paul Gaultier menswear A/W 2012

Published on 2012-01-25 04:59:00

Being born in the 80s but a true child of the 90s I grew up with the glamorous fashion ideal of Cindy, Naomi and Linda necking a bottle of Bolli, snorting a line of coke and climbing off their Greek shipping heirs' laps long enough to swagger and pout their way down a catwalk, keeping just enough energy to shower their chosen designer with kisses and flowers at the end of the spectacle. Then I went to London Fashion Week and saw the reality of sexless twigs marching stony-faced to some avant-ga [..]

Thoughts on couture

Published on 2011-07-06 05:59:00

My idea of haute couture - a term which is misused more and more, even by those within the fashion industry - is an elaborate fantasy, a showcase for an atelier's practical skills as well as a designer's artistic vision. It isn't necessarily ab

Rules for the Modern Gentleman

Published on 2011-07-05 16:02:00

OK, so some of you might be wondering why I'm writing about Dolce and Gabbana since it isn't a name which features regularly on this old blog. Let me start by saying clearly that this post has been sponsored by the Italian mega-brand (hey, a du

A tale of two cities

Published on 2011-07-04 16:49:00

This was the first year I've ever been to a Pride event. I had this idea (probably derived from television) that Pride was all about tanned men in their underwear dancing in public, getting drunk, and then all rushing off to some gay mega-club

Papped!

Published on 2011-07-04 11:43:00

Seems like my face is cropping up all over the interwebs now, scaring little children and such-like. I found my latest portrait on fash mag website Status Magazine where I was snapped outside the Henrik Vibskov menswear show in Paris last week. 

Loser like me: Glee!

Published on 2011-07-01 04:20:00

Anna, Bianca and I have been waiting (impatiently) since December but finally Wednesday night came - and it was GLEE TIME!! It was so awesome I almost have no words; Puck, Kurt, BLAINE, The Warblers, and all the rest of the Glee cast were incre

Interview with Sibling!

Published on 2011-06-30 05:00:00

While I was in Paris I took the opportunity to visit some of the showrooms and in particular I got a preview of hot London knitwear label Sibling's collection for Spring/Summer 2012! Now containing pieces for both women and men, the S/S12 range

Paris Fashion Week: Rynshu

Published on 2011-06-29 08:36:00

What can I saw about Rynshu's Spring/Summer 2012 show in the basement of the Maison des Métallos? Well, what Jess described as 'the Japanese Balmain' lived up to its reputation for Hollywood-style bling and celebrity status with a collection t

Papped!

Published on 2011-06-29 04:54:00

Strange coming across pictures of yourself on Japanese website ChangeFashion, particularly when they were snapped at the relaunch of Guts for Garters which the site doesn't seem to mention at all! Those of you who actually read Japanese may be able t

Paris Fashion Week: Ann Demeulemeester

Published on 2011-06-28 15:42:00

Ann Demeulemeester produced the most beautiful show I saw during fashion week, which was quite a bonus given that it was the first time I was invited to attend one of her presentations! Standing ticket in hand, I patiently queued with the horde

Paris Fashion Week: Songzio

Published on 2011-06-28 05:47:00

The invitation to the Songzio S/S 2012 show came inscribed with a poem:The two clocks show different times. Both wrong. One is slow. Instead of telling the time, the other seems to point to where I stand. I relate to it as twi

Paris Fashion Week: 22/4

Published on 2011-06-27 12:00:00

Düsseldorf-based designer Stephanie Hahn is the woman behind the semi-unisex brand 22/4 (i.e. 2+2=4, get it?) who presented her collection in Paris this weekend. Represented by RelativeMO, it was a lush affair with a DJ, flowing champagne and

Paris Fashion Week: Henrik Vibskov

Published on 2011-06-27 08:00:00

Henrik Vibskov always puts on a show, and this time he didn't disappoint (in that respect), creating a rotating four-room building in the middle of the usual lycée he uses, with the models climbing through doorways to get around the catwalk. S

Paris Fashion Week: Qasimi Homme

Published on 2011-06-27 05:15:00

I'm home, I've semi recovered (aka I lay in bed for an extra two hours this morning whilst stuffing my face from my 15-piece box of Ladurée macaroons) and now it's time to upload everything from my burnt-out memory card. Doing things in a bit

JP at Henrik Vibskov

Published on 2011-06-26 04:35:00

Spotted my old fashion week buddy JP outside the Henrik Vibskov show (more on that later when I get back to my fully functioning laptop) rocking a black and white look of folds and drapery. Fabulous as ever... From the Philippines, JP has a blog, an

Can you say Gi-ven-chy?

Published on 2011-06-25 12:18:00

It had to be done. You're only in Paris once (every 6 months). Necklace by Eddie Borgo from the Colette sale, t-shirt by Givenchy from the kind-of-secret Givenchy sale. :-) XxxDuck

Paris Fashion Week: Julius

Published on 2011-06-25 11:35:00

I've never been invited to a Julius show before so I was excited to see what it was like and, in particular, how it might differ from the similar pseudogothic brands on the market. Held in the Maison des Métallos, the room was pitch black, the seati

Paris Fashion Week: Vier5 Fashion Department

Published on 2011-06-25 01:59:00

The German Vier5 collective is making a stand against mass-market clothing companies and the industrial nature of corporate fashion design by producing small, hand-made collections each season which also include unique, one-off items. Everything abou

Oh no I didn't...

Published on 2011-06-24 15:41:00

The secret upside of going to men's fashion week that nobody wants to tell you is that the Paris sales coincide with it. So everyone turns up to the shows wearing "in season" looks, but actually they rushed down to Rue Saint-Honoré that morning to p

It all looks like bollocks so it must be worth something!

Published on 2011-06-24 15:01:00

Yes, yes, I am actually in Paris right now, smack bang in the middle of Paris Fashion Week madness and my own self-induced shopping nightmare(/heaven). I probably should be posting my show photos right now but I'm sure you've all heard enough of my o

Packing, packing, packing

Published on 2011-06-22 15:37:00

Eeek I have now left Oxford and am in London staying with Anna until extremely early Friday morning (*sigh*) when I set off for Paris Fashion Week! I have lots of fun planned for the weekend, but last night was spent very stressfully arranging possib

Jil Sander up-close

Published on 2011-06-21 04:32:00

I was just watching this full-length video of the SS2012 Jil Sander show I raved about the other day and was struck by several things I hadn't gleaned from the runway photos (apart from how bad some of the guys are at walking in a straight line...).

Versace Prints!

Published on 2011-06-20 14:56:00

Just this morning TeamChutzpah and I were discussing how we'd love to see Versace return to its 80s and 90s heyday of prints when BAM! there it is, Donatella's reinterpretation of the house classics filtering through my twitterfeed.  It's not exactl

Jil Sander SS 2012

Published on 2011-06-19 16:43:00

I fear with each passing year that Vogue's Tim Blanks is becoming ever more bitter - how else could you explain his distaste for the modern celebration of youth that is Raf Simon's latest collection for Jil Sander? Admittedly it wasn't what I w

Hot picks from the Mr Porter sale

Published on 2011-06-17 06:11:00

Well, well, it's finally upon us - the first ever menswear sale by the husband site of Net-a-Porter, Mr Porter* **. And despite my previous concerns, it's actually a pretty good one; 50% off is not to be sniffed at... Except by me, of course, b

Ceci n'est pas un homme

Published on 2011-06-16 14:49:00

The latest incarnation of the Guts for Garters concept store held in the basement of the Cob Gallery, Surreal Women, takes as its muse the gender-bending French artist Claude Cahun (born Lucy Schwob). Rachel and Cassie have reworked the store into a

Summer elegance

Published on 2011-06-13 14:15:00

I've come to be quite a fan of Irish designer John Rocha, especially since I got taken on a tour of his London store and was able to get a little more intimate with the collection. His looks are never particularly trend-driven and fall into tha

DSM Bonanza

Published on 2011-06-12 11:56:00

It's mighty rainy today in Oxford which is weather perfectly conducive to blogging about the fantastical purchases I made yesterday when it was bright and sunny in London. You see, that bastion of avant-garde fashion that is Dover Street Market

Blue

Published on 2011-06-10 03:52:00

It finally happened - I took the plunge and got my hair BLEACHED! Last night Anna and I spent a good four hours (don't ask) in the Bleach London salon get bleached out and coloured in along with a sneaky little trim or too. My blue colour is a

Almost there

Published on 2011-06-08 09:07:00

Considering how much money has disappeared from my bank account over the past month thanks to all the sales going on in London and online, I'm starting to fear I may never actually get around to buying any of the AW pieces when they come into stores

Comme un garcon

Published on 2011-06-07 07:20:00

As I said yesterday, this past weekend was all about tracking down the perfect backpack. A year of lugging around heavy shoulder bags loaded with the SLR, the iPad, a massive wallet stuffed with various foreign currencies, not to mention schedu

Hold all my calls

Published on 2011-06-06 16:22:00

A lack of blogging on my part usually means one of two things - I'm either working incredibly hard, or I'm really not working at all! The past week has been a bit of both; last week I finished a draft of the first paper I'm writing based on my DPhil

Just call me "professional"

Published on 2011-06-02 03:23:00

Wooo, just got these images in from the Eva London campaign which Meera and I styled. Given it is an accessories brand it was kind of difficult to pull pieces from PRs so you might recognise a few of my own items that crept onto set. Also, many

Going native

Published on 2011-06-01 08:36:00

Leave any boy worth his salt alone in a room with Lady Gaga's Scheiße playing and he's going to start vamping. Throw in some leopard print, some bunny ears and these new black and grey tortoiseshell glasses from Japanese brands Nonnative x Kan

Black Pearl

Published on 2011-05-31 04:09:00

It often seems to me like I'm usually the last guy to jump on a fashion bandwagon, although sometimes I think I take so long to pick up on a 'trend' that I end up being the only person doing it and somehow it becomes cool again... Well, I'm hoping th

Witchy witchy

Published on 2011-05-30 04:00:00

Taking inspiration from Fashematics, Meadham Kirchhoff is my current AW obsession because it combines my loves of camp cuteness, witchcraft and comedy Alpine costumes. The witch-silhouette sweater was the first piece to make it onto my AW wishl

World Traveller

Published on 2011-05-27 03:30:00

I didn't go on a GAP year after school (mainly because I'm not a *cough* twat) so I didn't have the opportunity to tour all those God-forsaken countries people tend to visit, teaching English to kids who'll only ever use it to talk to the next wave o

ACOFI hits Oxford

Published on 2011-05-26 04:08:00

It's rare that anything happens in sleepy Oxford which drags me out of my riverside flat or the Modelling Laboratory (less fun than its name suggests) but last night Amelia Gregory of Amelia's Magazine fame dropped by as part of her Amelia's Compendi

Bleach

Published on 2011-05-25 03:10:00

You might have noticed my hair is getting longer and longer and longer... I have now surpassed the length which almost got me banned from my own school prize-giving when I was 18, and the growing process is starting to get tiresome even though I have

Disnery Roller Girl for Club Monaco for Browns

Published on 2011-05-23 04:18:00

One of my favourite stores in London, Browns, has recently become the only UK stockist of Canadian brand Club Monaco (now run as part of Ralph Lauren). It's a bit like a high-end version of Banana Republic or J Crew - that kind of classic, summ

Smells good

Published on 2011-05-20 07:27:00

I'm such a sucker for what people tell me in magazines. I was reading 10Men (buy it!) this weekend on the plane going to Düsseldorf and somebody writing there told me to buy Prada's Amber perfume. Now I'm not so easily swayed as that usu

Caveman

Published on 2011-05-19 05:45:00

I was watching a behind-the-scenes video on Attitude magazine's Youtube channel (can't find the original link now...) and I wondered why the makeup artist spent so long painting the models' faces in all sorts of garish colours when they were going to

Duck got a new look

Published on 2011-05-18 07:01:00

Guess who got photographed by Jackie Dixon for the New Look blog? Other bloggers featured include Kit Style Slicker, Amy Wolf Whistle, Alex Loves, Serena Freak Deluxe and Miggy Likes The Internet. You can find all the photos here. S

Nil points!

Published on 2011-05-18 04:29:00

Some of you may know this weekend I was in Düsseldorf for what is becoming an annual Duck family holiday - the Eurovision song contest! Oh yes, watching it on TV and singing along to the subtitles is no longer enough for us, we actually have t

Topshop/Topman Press Day

Published on 2011-05-17 13:53:00

At this year's Arcadia Group press day we were limited to 5 photos per brand, which pretty much scuppered my opportunity to summarise the looks stores like Topshop, Miss Selfridge etc have in store for us after the summer. So instead I took the

Jade Jagger launch at Milletré

Published on 2011-05-16 12:10:00

After a hard day of trudging round press events there's nothing a blogger likes more than another...err...press preview, albeit one with tasty cocktails! I finished off my day spent with Alex last week but fighting my way through the crowd at M

Pet't

Published on 2011-05-16 07:44:00

Thanks to Anna's nickname (Pet't chef aka The Little Chef) I have a soft spot for all things ickle, and that includes the cutesy and stripy offerings from Le Petit Bateau, which also makes clothes for grown-ups like us! Last week they launched their

New Looks for old bloggers

Published on 2011-05-16 07:32:00

Those of you with blogs of your own might know that Blogger decided to fail on us at the end of last week, which means I have several posts stuck in a backlog to get onto the site before I can get around to uploading my photos from Eurovision.

Sparkle!

Published on 2011-05-11 07:30:00

If you follow me on Twitter you might just have noticed that I can't stop talking about the campest queerfest ever that is the Eurovision Song Contest, and the fact that I AM GOING TO EUROVISION AGAIN!! This time I'll be hitting up Düsseldorf

Flower power

Published on 2011-05-10 05:30:00

Sooo many thanks to Anna for giving me this wonderful Jil Sander scarf for my birthday! I can't actually believe someone followed the suggestions in my summer moodboard... I'm going to have a lot of fun playing with this one, seeing which coloured c

*DIED*

Published on 2011-05-09 04:00:00

On Friday after our Shabbat dinner, I got the chance to shoot some pieces from a brand new to the UK market on my willing model Bianca. *DIED* started up in the Netherlands and is designed by Diederik Verbakel and Marieke Holthuis, both former

Sabbath Rox

Published on 2011-05-08 04:02:00

This weekend Bianca cooked me an awesome dairy-free Friday night dinner (involving chestnut and mushroom pie and berries with soya whipped cream). We went through the siddur and did everything properly (minus the necessary impromptu brit), and

Judas - Part I

Published on 2011-05-05 10:37:00

I've gotta let this digest for a while before I write another post. You can expect some more blasphemy coming your way later this evening!xxDuck

Tack så mycket!

Published on 2011-05-05 03:45:00

More scando-teutonic fashionable goodness from my trip to Berlin! Agency V covers the press for a range of Northern European brands including Henrik Vibskov (whom I blogged about earlier and who just launched his new store in New York), high st

Faux fur

Published on 2011-05-04 05:32:00

In the Anastasia & Duck office, we're lusting after a teddy-bear fur jacket in just this hue of blue. Cookies optional. Suggestions on a postcard.xxDuck

Stripes for summer

Published on 2011-05-03 15:26:00

It's another beautiful, sunny day in Oxford and Duck has put his back out. Not from a night of unbridled passion (more's the pity), but more than likely because the old spine is no longer used to the office chair after such a long spell of travellin

Celebrate good times!

Published on 2011-05-02 04:47:00

Thank you to everyone who came out with me on Saturday to celebrate the incredibly depressing achievement of reaching the age of 25 - I am almost certainly now over a quarter of the way through my life :-S But anyway, many thanks are also due t

Issey Miyake!

Published on 2011-04-30 04:45:00

Thank you so much to the lovely people at Issey Miyake who sent me over this wonderful printed shirt as a belated birthday present (I refuse to refer to this as 'gifting' *shudders*)! I actually got my hands on it at the end of last week though

Tim Soar press day

Published on 2011-04-29 04:30:00

For Autumn 2011 Tim Soar is all about outerwear, and I can't wait to get my hands on it, especially those contrast sleeves... The womenswear features androgynous or masculine looks which are a little like Alexander Wang AW 2010, and one of the

Henrik Vibskov knitwear

Published on 2011-04-28 04:09:00

When I was in Berlin for the weekend visiting David, I took the opportunity to go to Agency V's press office and have a gander at their Autumn/Winter collections. First on my list was Henrik Vibskov, whose The Eat show I caught in Paris in Janu

Eva London photoshoot

Published on 2011-04-27 03:30:00

Apologies for having neglected the blog since last week but I've been having an alternately stressful and relaxing Easter weekend, and trying to enjoy the few scraps of sunshine I'm likely to see this year. On the relaxing front I got to do a s

Blood by Boris Bidjan Saberi

Published on 2011-04-23 08:00:00

Boris Bidjan Saberi's AW lookbook just arrived at Casa di Duck and it's a stonker! You might remember my report from the show in Paris last season, held underground, in the dark, with a glaring red light illuminating skateboarding models in wha

A Prada summer lookbook

Published on 2011-04-22 04:35:00

This fabulous lookbook/manifesto for summer came with my Prada creepers and it was simply too good not to share. Kind of shows some striking similarities with my spring/summer moodboard, n'est-ce pas? This one is getting laminated and sto

Berlin

Published on 2011-04-21 05:30:00

I got back from my weekend in Berlin on Monday night and I still haven't even unpacked properly yet (I know, I know...) but at least I've managed to upload my photos to the internet :-) I didn't carry my SLR around with me all day because it st

French Fashion

Published on 2011-04-20 04:30:00

WARNING: MORE HOLIDAY PHOTOS ALERTOutside of Paris, France isn't particularly well-known for its fashions, for good reason...I did, however, happily discover that hipster brand Zadig & Voltaire is now making glasses too. Who'd've thunk it.x

Happy birthday to me, love Anastasia xx

Published on 2011-04-19 03:30:00

I saw them. I wanted them. I couldn't afford them. Anastasia called the bank manager for me. Anastasia called the Prada store in London. Anastasia called Prada in Milan. Anastasia had a conference call with Miuccia

Prom

Published on 2011-04-18 08:00:00

As per a discussion on Twitter before the weekend, I missed out on being Homecoming Queen at my school and the world missed out on seeing me in a prom dress. WTF? I look way hotter than any of these bitches...From top: Ann-Sofie Back, som

Traveller's rest

Published on 2011-04-15 04:30:00

I may have only been away for just over a week, but I've managed to fit in five countries and countless towns and villages, so I was feeling rather tired when I made it to my German destination (although I'm muchly excited about my jaunt to Berlin th

Issey Miyake Eyewear

Published on 2011-04-14 09:00:00

I like Issey Miyake, the Japanese brand now no longer headed creatively by Mr Miyake himself, or one of his protégés Dai Fujiwara, although I believe they are both still involved in the design process to some extent. It stands for thoughtful, inte

Champers

Published on 2011-04-14 04:30:00

Mother, Father and I spent one night in Epernay in the heart of the champagne region, and took the opportunity to visit a few of the famous houses whose headquarters line the Avenue de Champagne: Moët et Chandon, Perrier Jouët, Pol Roger, Boizel, D

Dining out

Published on 2011-04-13 04:30:00

One night in Montreuil-Sur-Mer, two outfits.To explore the town:Striped sweater by AcneBlack wool and (pony) leather coat by Neil BarrettNecklace by Tina LilienthalEmerald ring by Eva London To dine:Shirt by MarniSunglasses by PradaStyling by El

Matchstick Girl

Published on 2011-04-12 13:17:00

A while ago I blogged about Imagine Fashion, the new video/editorial/shopping site with cool interactive technology. Well I just got a little preview of their next short film, this time directed by Dusan and Hilde Reljin, called Matchstick Girl

France: A photo diary

Published on 2011-04-12 04:30:00

Easter Holiday Part I is over and I'm currently working for the week in Bochum (and dealing with nightmares like credit card fraud :( :( ). So now it's time for the holiday snaps! I think the title of this post rather speaks for itself...

Discovering Paul Smith for the very first time...

Published on 2011-04-11 03:30:00

For Spring/Summer 2011 it appears Paul Smith's creative team (I'm presuming here he doesn't actually design the entire collection...) tried something new, and reinvented the menswear line - read Tim Blank's analysis here. Of course, I'm only ju

Mackintosh, the remix

Published on 2011-04-09 05:00:00

Not much to write on this one, except 'did everybody know Mackintosh doesn't just make Macs now??' Oh right, it was just me then? #DeflatedFace In any case, I'm liking these cosy looking women's capes right now, although I gues

Richard Chai for Original Penguin

Published on 2011-04-08 03:30:00

One brand I was surprised by during the few London press days I made it to this season was Original Penguin, which this year collaborated with New York designer Richard Chai for their Winter 2011 offering. Richard isn't new to diffusion lines,

Owls in Fashion

Published on 2011-04-07 08:00:00

Thanks to Simon G, I have another addition to the Owls in Fashion series, this time brought to us by Alpha60. You can pick up this barn owl bedecked sweater at ASOS, although it doesn't come cheap (£100) - that's what you pay for silk!xxxDuck

Katie Eary goes green

Published on 2011-04-07 03:30:00

I didn't get a chance to go to Katie Eary's AW show this season (because of the Oxford-presentation-fiasco of which we shall not speak...) so I was more than happy to see the collection at the Exposure Edit press day. I checked out the runway s

Basso & Brooke AW 2011: The Prints

Published on 2011-04-06 15:14:00

I didn't get a chance to go to Basso and Brooke's presentation this season (downgraded from their usual showspace venue...) but I was glad to see the collection up-close at the Exposure Edit press day. Not my favourite from the design duo (the Sprin

Marc goes drag for Industrie

Published on 2011-04-05 03:30:00

Yesterday's post on Candy reminded me I never got around to uploading these images from the current edition of Industrie (ummm, when did they fuse their site with BryanBoy and Fashion Toast??), which also features transvestism heavily, this time in t

Candy Mag

Published on 2011-04-04 03:30:00

Last week after an aborted attempt at getting my own John Rocha neoprene backpack (the straps were too small and non adjustable - back to the drawing board I guess), I was tempted into the Dover Street Acne store by the drizzle, and the racket produc

Road Trip

Published on 2011-04-02 04:45:00

You might only hear from me rather irregularly over the next couple of weeks because I'm going on a short road trip around Europe. I'll be spending a week in France with my family (enjoying the special vegetarian delights of Montreuil-sur-Mer a

Woof woof!

Published on 2011-04-01 06:25:00

Just had my weekly (alright, daily...) browse on Browns website and came across this cute little mutt designed by Christopher Raeburn, who clearly has decided kitting out Londoners with the coolest rain-mates isn't quite fulfilling enough. The

Taking one step forward with Doc Martens

Published on 2011-04-01 03:30:00

Next season Dr Martens are stepping up their game by giving some classic footwear styles the Martens punk twist. Think shiny brown shoes and brogues with a chunky sole and lightly stacked heel. This sounds like a good idea to me given the

A Summer Moodboard

Published on 2011-03-31 03:30:00

I've been working on my moodboard for this summer, collating images and references for the particular trends that have caught my eye. I tried to theme it from left to right, gradually moving from bright colour blocking, though neon tweeds and l

Mr Porter - not quite what I had in mind

Published on 2011-03-30 03:30:00

I've waited a long time for it. The years of buying womenswear on Net-A-Porter and stretching it to fit, or hoping that ASOS would add more and more high-end brands to their ever expanding line-up should have been over. Just a month or so

Maria Francesca Pepe S/S

Published on 2011-03-29 03:30:00

Sometimes my life just seems strangely serendipitous, like this week when my Maria Francesca Pepe Spring/Summer order finally arrived at the studio, and Anna and I popped over to Hackney to pick it up [and to make our order for next season while we w

Vanessa G.

Published on 2011-03-28 05:58:00

Sorry it's taken me a few days to catch up on my missed blog posts from last week - I've had an action-packed weekend, but also I really wanted to give myself a chance to think about what I saw at the launch of Vanessa G last week before saying anyth

Faun bloggers preview

Published on 2011-03-28 05:27:00

Last week I got the chance to sip hot tea and cool Orangina (seriously!! how old-school. of me..) with a bunch of my fellow bloggers over at the Out Of Town café/vintage store in Clerkenwell, all organised by Freewheelin PR in aid of new womenswear

Owls In Fashion

Published on 2011-03-25 06:08:00

I have loved owls as long as I have known Anastasia (and almost just as long as she has hated me). Now, it seems, the whole world has gone owl mad. They crop up in magazines, wallpaper, book covers, crockery, jewellery, and even plastered

Without Prejudice launch

Published on 2011-03-23 04:40:00

Last Thursday saw the launch of ready-to-wear menswear brand Without Prejudice's first concession in a House of Fraser, which I'd never heard of before despite already being stocked in over 70 independent stores around the UK and Ireland. Sourc

Lewis's Fifth Floor: A Department Story

Published on 2011-03-22 04:40:00

Last week I got a chance to preview a little exhibition going on at The Orange Dot Gallery over on Tavistock Place, Lewis's Fifth Floor: A Department Story. Photographer Stephen King spent months exploring and snapping the abandoned fifth floor

Wolf and Badger Discount

Published on 2011-03-21 15:02:00

As you know, Wolf and Badger celebrated their first anniversary with a fabulously overcrowded party last week (photo of Anna and me above stolen from Livin Cool) and we all left with a cute little gift-bag filled with jewellery delights. Now W&

Bloggers for Japan: Sneak-Peek

Published on 2011-03-21 04:40:00

This Saturday (26th) afternoon the fabulous Katie Antoniou has organised a Bloggers for Japan sale at The Horatia in London. Not to be missed if you want to pick up some vintage bargains amongst other goodies, or just to support charities working in

Lacroix, sweetie, Lacroix!

Published on 2011-03-19 14:00:00

Once upon a time, Liberty had a gorgeous scarf room. Then they filled it with pretty little shoes. Now that room is stuffed with stationery, my secret vice. Yes, the moleskin notebooks and generic bric-a-brac are a touch too reminis

Happy Birthday Wolf and Badger

Published on 2011-03-18 06:00:00

I'd like to wish a great big fashiony Happy Birthday to Wolf and Badger who celebrated their first anniversary in their Westbourne Grove store last night with a seriously packed party! It was so busy I could barely see who else was there, but I

META.MORPH

Published on 2011-03-17 05:20:00

META.MORPH is the fashion film featuring Úna Burke's AW 2011 collection directed by Andreas Waldschütz, made in collaboration with his long time creative team led by Adia Trischler and collodion wetplate photographer Stefan Sappert. Many th

The best things in life are free

Published on 2011-03-16 04:30:00

I lied. It would be nice to have a gentleman friend to send me gifts, but for now I make do with my second best option - me! It's the little things that perk up your day...xxxDuck

Guts for Garters

Published on 2011-03-15 04:30:00

My coverage of the launch of new concept store Guts for Garters really shows just how bad a blogger I am. Did I go to the press preview day at the Hospital Club? No. Did I email over my interview questions like I was supposed to?&nb

John Rocha - The hidden treasure

Published on 2011-03-14 04:30:00

I don't always feel comfortable in high-end stores. As a younger person, staff often stare at you suspiciously when browsing the expensive rails despite the fact that you're already wearing half the collection. Actually, sometimes they ar

Yohji Yamamoto window

Published on 2011-03-12 08:44:00

Walking past the Yohji store on Conduit Street, I noticed they are advertising the V&A exhibition. Go, you know you want to... Also, I highly recommend popping into the store too - I love looking at all the amazing designs, even if I

Narcissism

Published on 2011-03-12 08:15:00

I love this image that Immi Abraham of Style For Guys/monsieur immi sent me, and not just because it looks like he used the same font as seen in the Io sono l'amore ads... Now, who else fancies un chinotto? I'm wearing a floral t-shirt by Jil S

Yohji Yamamoto at the V&A

Published on 2011-03-11 04:09:00

Since seeing the Future Beauty exhibition at the Barbican Centre earlier this year, I have developed somewhat of an obsession with Japanese design, rekindling some of that excitement I felt as a teenager when I discovered Japan through cartoons, book

Highlights of Autumn/Winter: London

Published on 2011-03-08 15:38:00

It's been a funny old fashion month, with several unexpected designers catching my eye, old favourites making a comeback, and some bright young things failing to achieve. Here I've collated my top looks from across all the London shows so I kno

Michael loves Alex loves Hannah Warner

Published on 2011-03-07 07:00:00

Back in December I was lucky enough to win one of Alex Love's blog-iversary competitions, and especially lucky that my prize was a newly-crafted silver lizard skull ring (complete with ruby eyes...) by up-and-coming jewellery designer Hannah Warner,

Manifest yourself

Published on 2011-03-07 03:10:00

For the first time ever I managed to get my hands on one of YSL's twice-yearly manifestos, featuring photography of Stefano Pilati's Spring/Summer collection, information about the inspiration behind it and generally related artwork. And all because

The end of an era

Published on 2011-03-06 15:22:00

It's a shame it had to come to this. I've never been a massive fan of John Galliano's designs and I will be glad to see new life brought to Christian Dior, which has been looking rather dated recently, but obviously I wouldn't want someone's ca

Conquistador

Published on 2011-03-06 09:31:00

Right in the middle of Paris womenswear week as we are, let's take a mahoosive leap back in time to the menswear shows in January when I got a chance to check in at Conquistador's studio with Jean-Luc from système-D. The Greek designer Tassos

Imagine Fashion

Published on 2011-03-03 14:46:00

During LFW I got the chance to pop into the Hospital Club in Covent Garden to check out what had been described to me as the future of online fashion, and I must say I wasn't disappointed! Imagine Fashion is like a commercial überblog, a one-stop s

AOFM at Vauxhall Fashion Scout

Published on 2011-03-03 03:41:00

During their hectic schedule of fashion week, Forward PR extended a very welcome invitation to come backstage at one of their shows to learn about the hair and makeup process. This season the London makeup academy AOFM Pro (Academy of Freelance

Úna Burke

Published on 2011-03-02 03:47:00

I came across Úna Burke's [the síneadh fada's important :) ] artistic leather creations at the Vauxhall Fashion Scout exhibition during LFW while waiting for a show to start in the halls beneath and struck up a conversation with the chatty Irish de

Jacob Kimmie AW 2011

Published on 2011-03-01 06:08:00

Here we are folks, the final review of a LFW show I attended this season! And what a way to finish, with the gorgeous model (above) who posed on a plinth for us throughout Jacob Kimmie's AW 2011 show. I'm not totally sure of his relevance

Florian Jayet - the highlight of Fashion Mode

Published on 2011-02-28 15:59:00

Fashion Mode is a brilliant initiative which supports and mentors three new designers each year, giving them access to experts in the fashion industry and a platform to showcase their work as part of Vauxhall Fashion Scout. This season they wor

The presentation that never was

Published on 2011-02-28 15:35:00

So this is a pretty confusing one! Those wily people from Orla Kiely enticed us into the Portico Rooms of Somerset House for their AW 2011 presentation like they always do, lured by the promise of champagne and the chance to view their quirky-g

Atropos by harryhalim

Published on 2011-02-28 06:26:00

A little videographic teaser of what's to come at harryhalim's first official runway show in Paris tomorrow, starring model Diwa. The sultry video compliments the nature of Atropos, the oldest of the ancient Greek fates and the harbinger of dea

Masha Ma AW 2011

Published on 2011-02-27 06:49:00

Masha Ma very kindly sent me three invitations to her AW 2011 show (actually, if we include Anna's tickets, I had SIX), so I brought along Bianca Abulafia and my cousin, Sarah Revell, recently returned to our bleak shores from (in my opinion, a bigge

Jayne Pierson AW 2011

Published on 2011-02-27 06:37:00

Jayne Pierson's show at On|Off necessitated an early morning Addison Lee (don't you just love their iPhone app? It makes taking cabs dangerously easy...), but the dark couture styling was sure to wake everyone up. Standouts were the black

Jackie JS Lee AW 2011

Published on 2011-02-27 06:28:00

Every season I end up going to shows for designers I haven't actually heard of before, either because I don't filter my ticket request mail-merge appropriately, or those sneaky PR companies slip a spare invite into their envelopes. Sometimes qu

Topman Design AW 2011

Published on 2011-02-26 10:20:00

I'd like to thank Gemma and Nicola from Topman/Arcadia for getting me to the Topman Design show this season, as I have recently been buying quite a few pieces from their collections and was looking forward to seeing what they had in store for next ye

Prophetik AW 2011

Published on 2011-02-26 10:08:00

Another Vauxhall Fashion Scout brand, Prophetik usually likes to put on a show and this season was no different. Always keen to reinforce their eco credentials, the presentation began with a video projected on the wall detailing the processes t

Jasper Garvida AW 2011

Published on 2011-02-26 09:58:00

Jasper Garvida's AW 2011 collection, presented as part of Vauxhall Fashion Scout, was a strange fusion of high fashion and high street. The former Project Catwalk winner reigned supreme with his flowing gowns and exaggerated upper bodies, bulke

Mr Start AW 2011

Published on 2011-02-25 06:45:00

Mr Start's menswear presentation was held in the basement space of One Aldwych, a rather swanky location just across the road from Somerset House. It was a classy hotel to suit a classy menswear label (despite it's East London origins, or the f

Tween AW 2011

Published on 2011-02-25 04:00:00

Not sure what to say about this one, and I want to be careful because I was in a bad mood the night I saw the Tween AW 2011 show so I mustn't be overly critical, but still... You see, I had to rush back to Oxford on Wednesday afternoon to give

PPQ AW 2011

Published on 2011-02-24 14:57:00

To a thumping soundtrack of rap music from current hip hop stars like Nicki Minaj, the PPQ girls stormed the catwalk to present the AW 2011 collection, hips swinging and pig-tails bouncing to the beat. I've never been very kind to PPQ's designe

J W Anderson AW 2011

Published on 2011-02-24 12:04:00

JW Anderson, what have you done to me?? I never thought the day would come when I'd want to use this word, but your latest menswear collection was SICK. Yes, it was very similar to the new womenswear you showed earlier in the week, but I

Bryce Aime 2011

Published on 2011-02-24 10:20:00

Bryce Aime returned to old body-conscious direction this season (which, for some reason, he had avoided last September), combining misty printed leggings and tops with highly structured, panelled dresses. The black, grey and white prints were g

Craig Lawrence AW 2011

Published on 2011-02-23 09:46:00

While yesterday I seemed to be complaining about everything I saw, it's as if I saved all the designers I loved to write about today, and Craig Lawrence is no exception. I haven't always been a fan - sometimes his modern ideas about knitwear ar

John Rocha AW 2011

Published on 2011-02-23 09:29:00

John Rocha was another show I enjoyed seeing for AW 2011, invited by the ever fabulous girls from Bryan Morel PR. Inspired by the dramatic landscapes of Iceland, he sent out a team of wool- and fur-clad male and female models headed by Wonder-W

Louise Gray AW 2011

Published on 2011-02-23 09:07:00

I love, love, loved Louise Gray's latest AW 2011 show at On|Off, even if I had to stand in a heaving mass of fashionistas, their spiked jackets digging into my flesh and their SLRs jamming into the back of my head. It seems Louise was quite the

Corrie Nielsen AW 2011

Published on 2011-02-22 04:48:00

I feel like this is turning into the Fashion Fringe official blog (although perhaps they wouldn't be quite so critical of some of their own designers...) but I promise this is my last post on a winner of Colin McDowell's design competition (who, by t

Eun Jeong AW 2011

Published on 2011-02-22 04:35:00

Eun Jeong is another former winner of Fashion Fringe who showed her collection this weekend at LFW, and another designer who clearly hasn't made as large a commercial splash as one might have hoped given her low-key location on the Covent Garden Piaz

Jena.Theo AW 2011

Published on 2011-02-22 03:58:00

Jena.Theo is the award-winning (!) brand designed by Jenny Holmes and Dimitris Theocharidis, who showed this season as part of On|Off now that their Fashion Fringe backing must have run out. I didn't actually request a ticket to this show, not

Maria Grachvogel AW 2011

Published on 2011-02-22 03:56:00

The from the very end right back to the start... The first show I saw this fashion week was Maria Grachvogel's, held in the fabulous surroundings of The Savoy hotel, just around the corner from the main Somerset House BFC venue. I didn't have a

Vivienne Westwood squared

Published on 2011-02-22 03:49:00

I've decided to start my London Fashion Week coverage from the end so to speak (excluding, of course, menswear day which I shall be attending tomorrow) because I just couldn't wait any longer to blog about my amazing Vivienne Westwood experience!&nbs

Bella Roma

Published on 2011-02-16 06:16:00

You may have noticed I wasn't Tweeting or blogging as much over this weekend (or maybe you didn't...) but I have been on holiday in Rome, ostensibly to celebrate my father's 60th birthday (I also had my 21st birthday meal in Rome a few years ago).&nb

Lady Gaga en vogue

Published on 2011-02-10 03:25:00

Editorial photos and an interview featuring Lady Gaga have been uploaded to the American Vogue website - an article I highly recommend reading if you're any kind of fan of La Gaga. She sounds just as fabulously kooky as usual, but it's nice to

Qasimi Homme video!

Published on 2011-02-08 03:21:00

I completely forgot I took a video of the final run-through at the Qasimi Homme AW 2011 show on my iPhone (Qasimi review here). I just discovered it last night while flicking through my hipstamatic photos deciding which ones are blog-suitable a

Sibling gets offensive

Published on 2011-02-07 03:44:00

I've just been taking a look at Sibling London's website and lusting after these two pieces from their Spring/Summer collection... The "Piss Off" mask has another, much more offensive name (yes, more offensive than "Piss Off" mask!), which I am

Sarf Landaaaan

Published on 2011-02-04 16:10:00

Since this party actually happened 7 days ago, it seemed like there was a nice symmetry in posting my photos from it now. Bad, bad, late blogger... Like most occasions in my life, a party at Anna Jewsbury's always turns into an impromptu

Paris Showrooms

Published on 2011-02-04 04:15:00

Although I really didn't have time to go round any showrooms on my whistle-stop tour of Paris fashion week, I did take a peek into the Paris Showrooms at at the Hôtel Salomon de Rothschild since I was there for the Bernhard Willhelm presentation.&nb

Flower Bomb

Published on 2011-02-03 03:42:00

Ever since Raf Simons introduced us to his Spring/Summer 2011 menswear collection for Jil Sander in a special presentation at the Villa Gamberaia as part of Pitti Uomo, I have been in love with this floral print t-shirt. I have studied it close

Backlash by Isamu Katayama

Published on 2011-02-02 04:31:00

Backlash is a Japanese brand founded and led by Isamu Katayama with a major focus on leather. It's not a company I have come across before in Britain or in the press, so perhaps it will be new to you too. I got the chance to check out a f

Sjaak Hullekes

Published on 2011-02-01 07:25:00

One of the first events I attended this season during men's week in Paris was Sjaak Hullekes's slightly unusual presentation in the beautiful Institut Néerlandais/Centre culturel des Pays-Bas. A new designer to me, Sjaak studied at Arnhem (al

Duck, sketched

Published on 2011-01-31 06:32:00

The very talented Jenny Robins just sent over the sketch she made of me at Amelia's launch party on Friday. I quite like the idea of becoming someone's muse... Any takers?xxDuck

Claire in Paris

Published on 2011-01-30 11:54:00

Claire is just so photogenic, I had to post some photos I took of her during Paris menswear week...xxxDuck

Amelia's Compendium of Fashion Illustration

Published on 2011-01-29 03:06:00

Last night I popped over to the 123 store on Bethnal Green Road for the UK launch of Amelia's Compendium of Fashion Illustration, the latest print publication from the lovely Amelia Gregory (above) and her website Amelia's Magazine. Honestly, I

Rynshu AW 2011

Published on 2011-01-28 05:16:00

Alright, I'll admit it - I'd never heard of Rynshu before I discovered it on the official list of brands showing at Paris Fashion Week when I was doing my ticket requests. And then, probably naively, I expected it to be a slightly quirky, avant

Arnys AW 2011: Pretty boys...

Published on 2011-01-27 11:25:00

Arnys is one of those classic French menswear brands that has decided to get with the times and start showing during fashion week - expect traditional suits and leather accessories, country sportswear in tweeds, et cetera. It's not exactly my l

Qasimi AW 2011

Published on 2011-01-27 04:50:00

Unfortunately, my second row seat (and the larger than life person sitting in front of me...) meant that not many of my photographs from the Qasimi Homme show have come out well, but I hope you can get the gist of the collection from them since I can

Petar Petrov AW 2011

Published on 2011-01-26 13:56:00

Last season, Petar Petrov's show was all about happiness and light, but for Autumn/Winter the designer has pulled back in on himself slightly, taking us somewhere darker, more protected, but retaining his typically easy-going, boyish ideal. Whe

Blackout: Boris Bidjan Saberi AW 2011

Published on 2011-01-26 06:11:00

After meeting up for lunch with my friend Claire near Parmentier station, I thought I was going to be late for my first Boris Bidjan Saberi show and I had to run up the street towards the Maison des Métallos, my cape billowing behind me. I nee

Bernhard Willhelm AW 2011

Published on 2011-01-25 11:56:00

Bernhard Willhelm's latest fashion show/presentation/installation/piece of performance art was held in the fantastic location of the Hôtel Salomon de Rothschild, a fabulous 19th Century building in the 8th. But it was the cavernous basement sp

Henrik Vibskov AW 2011 - The Eat

Published on 2011-01-25 06:31:00

Henrik Vibskov's shows are always two things: larger than life productions, and late. This season it was very, very late indeed. There were certainly some tired fashionista feet after we had to stand for 45 minutes on a flight of stairs i

Miharayasuhiro - The golden boy of 2011

Published on 2011-01-24 17:29:00

The Miharayasuhiro show was quite possibly my favourite out of all I saw in Paris this season, which is saying something given that I only discovered Mihara's brand last year (embarrassingly, he has been showing menswear in Europe since 2004). It wa

Cerruti AW 2011

Published on 2011-01-24 16:26:00

The Italian fashion house of Cerruti has a chequered past – it began life as a 19th Century woollen mill and textile firm, but under the creative direction of Nino Cerruti it grew over the course of the 20th Century into a large business producing

Off to gay Pareeee

Published on 2011-01-20 10:24:00

Well, I'm off on my way to Paris now to catch the end of menswear week, and hopefully have a little bit of a break in between too... But you haven't heard the last of me :-) Now armed with Christmas present iPad and trusty iPhone (assuming

Emporio Armani AW 2011

Published on 2011-01-18 09:31:00

I don't know what's got into Giorgio these days, but I like it! I was glad to see a bit of spice in the Emporio Armani collection for Spring, and now it seems this has filtered into the Autumn line too, albeit a touch watered down (we shall qui

Marni AW 2011

Published on 2011-01-18 05:14:00

Consuelo Castiglioni's brand Marni is one whose collections, in my opinion, almost always end up a bit of a mish-mash of ideas. It's like she can't quite bring herself to edit down all her references to one or two 'looks'. I usually find

Snufkin by Missoni

Published on 2011-01-17 16:11:00

Missoni isn't exactly my favourite brand, but this season I am COMPLETELY IN LOVE WITH THEIR STYLIST - do we think he/she deliberately styled all the models to look like Snufkin, one of Moomin's friends in Tove Jansson's novels?? It seems like

Burberry Prorsum AW 2011

Published on 2011-01-17 16:07:00

I'm afraid I'm one of those Brits who was raised to believe wearing Burberry is infra dig, given it's chavtastic associations. Even now during the reign of Christopher Bailey I feel slightly ill at ease inside a Burberry store, and I make sure

(capsule)

Published on 2011-01-17 05:00:00

(capsule) is a great multi-brand tradeshow held several times a year in France and America, and I'll definitely be dropping by this week in Paris to check out brands I like such as Filippa K, Nörsea Industries and Soulland. Hopefully I'm going

Jil Sander AW 2011

Published on 2011-01-16 15:36:00

Raf Simons continued his use of colour (see his both his last menswear and womenswear collections) at Jil Sander this weekend, shifting the palette from pulsating neons to more autumnal, yet vibrant, hues. Outfits came colour-blocked - layer up

Costume National AW 2011

Published on 2011-01-16 07:21:00

Costume National, as designed by Ennio Capasa, was an instant hit with me for two reasons - the pullovers and the jackets/coats. Those clingy-yet-still-slouchy mohair knits looked good on their own or slipped under a suit jacket and came in the

Trussardi 1911 anniversary collection

Published on 2011-01-16 06:45:00

Fashion week has officially begun with the men's shows in Milan and I am starting to get very excited about going to Paris at the end of this week :-) Usually I'm not too focused on what's happening in Milano since the brands there are quite co

Asher Levine

Published on 2011-01-14 05:10:00

So I still have a few photos left knocking around on my computer from last year's press days which I really must blog about. That's not to say these are the dregs of the bottle, but more that the excitement of Christmas and New Year took over a

A lesson in Fall dressing

Published on 2011-01-13 13:01:00

It's January. It's a new year. Spring and Summer are just around the corner and we're all desperate to get our shorts on and escape the wintry nightmare that the UK has become. So what collections are we "fashion people" getting exc

Spring/Summer menswear trends: Part II

Published on 2011-01-12 04:12:00

My previous menswear post focused on specific design trends,but here I have collated the colour ways I will be filling my wardrobe with this season. As usual, I keep the emphasis on black, but there are some surprising highlights for Spring, in

Spring/Summer menswear trends: Part I

Published on 2011-01-11 04:46:00

When it came to womenswear for Spring/Summer, I simply collated all the looks I am enjoying and ordered them roughly by colour. But for menswear, since I wear it myself, I preferred to group the outfits broadly by the styles I'm excited by - wh

Stream of consciousness

Published on 2011-01-10 15:23:00

So I haven't quite figured it all out yet, but I am now happy to announce I am the proud new owner of a Tumblr account. You can find me at Anastasia-Duck.tumblr.com where I guess you'll see whatever really pops into my mind at any time of the day or

Encens Magazine

Published on 2011-01-10 15:07:00

I love this video of Encens magazine Susie Bubble posted on her blog ages ago, but I just came across it this evening. Definitely slow Duck tonight! How 80s/90s do they manage to make current designers like Damir Doma look?! Now if only I could get m

Anna Dello Russo - The Scent

Published on 2011-01-06 17:21:00

Anna Dello Russo is many things to many people. She is the Editor-at-Large (aka the André Leon-Talley) of Japanese Vogue. She is a walking runway clotheshorse. She is a street-style blogger's icon. She is herself a prolific f

J'adr Pareee

Published on 2011-01-05 15:28:00

It's that time of year again - the fashion months are approaching and the menswear weeks are almost on top of us right now! As usual I am behind with my ticket requests (although for Paris this is more to do with their unwillingness to release the of

New Year in close-up

Published on 2011-01-05 03:30:00

I celebrated Hogmanay (look it up) at Ruth's house last week and found this another perfect opportunity to practise my black and white photography. There's something about parties and wine which really loosens people up for impromptu photoshoot

A winter's scene

Published on 2011-01-04 11:12:00

Pollok Park is right next to my house in Glasgow - the perfect place to enjoy the last of the snow before it all melted away... ...and the best place to spot Highland cattle, all of which are called "Norman" in my world. I'm heading back to Ox

Looks I Like SS2011 Part IV: Prints

Published on 2011-01-01 15:52:00

I finish my round-up of my favourite SS2011 looks with that difficult customer - the print. Prints are so individual and different ideas can lead to sartorial wonders or utter disasters depending on the designer in question, which is why I don't rea

Barn owls need friends

Published on 2011-01-01 10:54:00

This was possibly one of the sweetest Christmas presents I received this year from lovely Hugh. So when you are all spending your dosh in the January sales, maybe think about spending a little sum helping out a poor, injured owl? I know Anastasia a

Looks I Like SS2011 Part III : Colour

Published on 2010-12-31 12:04:00

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