I'm all about the unexpected shopping destinations this week, and my latest secret is Principles. No longer just a shopping destination for middle class mums, their two colour dress looks like it could have come straight from the Jonathan Saunders catwalk (but at £59 it's much more affordable). The frill-edged purple silk top has a hint of the Phillip Lim about it and would look great with a slinky high-waisted skirt and heels. It also comes in acid green for £29. The black bag reminds me of the designs by Anya Hindmarch for Target (which are sold out in the UK).
Comme Des Garcons for H&M and Christopher Kane for Topshop might get heaps of publicity, and ranges like Giles Gold for New Look might be well-known to most of us, but what about all the designer diffusion lines that easily lie forgotten? I'm first to admit I'm easily swayed by the hype, but the truth is there are far more interesting pieces from designer diffusion ranges if you know where to look, and you won't need to queue to get them. For example, did you know you can get an amazing pillarbox red frill-edged Christian Lacroix trench coat for less than £100 at La Redoute?
I must confess it's been a long time since I've looked at any catalogue besides the Ikea one, but a quick browse of the Additions Direct website (like Littlewoods but inexplicably cheaper) bought up a fair few clever takes on Autumn / Winter trends. Love Label is the brand to look out for, and they've approached everything from folk gypsy to wet-look with their current offerings. L-R we have a sheer oversize shirt £35 and PU 'treggings' £29, a puff-sleeve leather jacket (£75), and my fave, a blue vintage inspired dress (£45).
Only a few years ago, street style photographers were few and far between. You'd find the odd person snapping the looks outside the tents, but most people were concerned with what was going on the catwalk. Fast forward a few years, and now the street style often does better than the runway reports and there are dozens of them snapping away at every show. This is what the most stylish attendees have to contend with when they run the gauntlet in Paris...
It was only a matter of time before someone wrote a Kate Moss style biography, wasn't it? The good news with this one is that it's actually good, and written by someone who has access to all the right people.
'Kate Moss Style' is a glossy, photo-filled hardback book penned by stylist, journalist, author and all-round fashionista Angela Buttolph. It's released today, but I was lucky enough to get hold of a preview copy, which means I've had plenty of time to delve into the stylish world of Mossy. It tells her life story through her clothes and haircuts, which is surprisingly compelling...
I'm not usually one to fall for blatant, invasive viral campaigns, but when I was added on Twitter by SexySerena and NatashaFun in quick succession, I had to see what the hell was going on. Turns out it's all part of a campaign by celeb favourite denim brand Rich and Skinny*, who've obviously put a lot of time and effort into their online faux reality show 'Lifestyles of the Rich & Skinny'. The actors might be even less convincing than the cast of The Hills, but the little video clips and fake blogs are still hilarious, and it's a nice change from your usual boring press release. If you've got nothing better to do, I suggest having a look at the clips and enjoying a good giggle.
*despite the name, they actually do up to a 32" waist
WARNING! NOT FOR THE SQUEAMISH OR EASILY OFFENDED!
We've touched on the fur / leather / animal skin debate many times on Catwalk Queen and I always do so with trepidation because people feel very strongly about this issue one way or another. Still, the latest video to go online from the controversial PETA organisation, asking 'What Skin Are You In', is definitely worth a watch no matter what side you're on.
I'll warn you one more time though, do not click 'play' if you're squeamish!
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