minty fressssh

Acne menswear

Minty Hair

Gaga in Simone Rocha

Versace SS12

amazing vintage Hermes type writer (Miami)

ASOS patent mint loafers

Parisian Street Style in mint python

Spearmint pout - lippy by Lime Crime

the life aquatic

Darryl Hannah as Madison in the 1984 film Splash

It appears that next spring there is noticeably something in the water, as fashion goes under the sea. Perennial fashion favourite Florence Welch was the latest brit girl to be noticed by Karl Lagerfeld as his muse du jour. The ethereal songbird emerged from a giant clam shell at Paris fashion week earlier this year and belted out 'What the water gave me' for a well-heeled crowd. Chanel's subaquatic fantasy collection set the tone for many other designers.

Chanel's whimsical sea shell clutch SS12

Charlotte Dellal screams Hollywood siren, with her tongue-in-cheek approach to dressing in this clam shell fascinator

Gaga as a Mermaid on a magazine cover

Underwater life prints at Mary Katrantzou

Surfer clutch by Jimmy Choo

Disney's Ariel - the original Mermaid

Florence and the Machine performing at the magical Chanel show

Hermes fishtail braid

McQueen SS12

Versace SS12

Miami, D.C. prefer Versace

I always think of 90s fashion as subdued, the oversized and loose fitting Armani look for men and grungey heroin chic for women all tartan, fishnets and Doc Martin boots. However my generalisations of a decade are clearly flawed. I managed to forget the Versace affect! Gianni Versace was the purvayor of excess, he was to the 90s what Gaga is to today, which is why it is so apt that she has recently been bringing back his 90s designs with gusto. His outlandishly bright, baroque inspired prints are back in a big way. Everything about Versace was lavish from his creations to his Miami home and the way he eventually was tragically killed. Hip Hop stars of the era were nuts about Versace - I associate Biggie with his Versace shirts and shades as well as then Puffy and Lil' Kim in his bodycon numbers. In typical materialistic rap-style Biggie references 'My Mo-sci-no hoe, my Ver-sa-ce hottie' in 'Get Money'. Donatella has done a great job of continuing the flavour of excess whilst still moving with the cuts and materials of the time and focussing on the woman's body. However Gianni's regency inspired prints, in the words of Missy Elliot "cannot be duplicated or recycled."

3 supers repping Versace - then

Gaga, no words - now

Biggie Smalls - then

Gaga looking inspired in head to toe Versace - now

Helena Christensen - then

Donatella Versace with M.I.A - W magazing - now

J-j-j Jessie J now

gaga green hair

*Gaga for Gaga*

This is the most lavishly creatively inspired slice of genius I have seen in a while. It has heightened my love for Gaga (and Beyonce) to it's absolute pinnacle. And all thanks to a gratuitously sexual and ridiculously self indulgent music video. It more than makes up for the lacklustre but insanely catchy tune which is by no means up to the Lady or Mistress B's habitual hit making ability. I will also forgive them both for the shameless promotion of Virgin as Mr Branson probably paid for the Lady's creative genius to flourish. I am super excited as this morning I bought myself and a friend a ticket to Gaga's sell-out show at London's O2 arena. I then watched this lengthy Taratino-esque music video and it left me with little doubt that her concert is going to be one hell of a show. Die Hard little Monster 4Ever!

WONDERLAND MANIA

I'm toying with the idea of throwing a mad-hatter's tea party in time for the release of 'Alice in Wonderland.' I am already salivating at the thought of the costumes, make-up and set. Those crafty kingpins of consumerism never miss a trick and many designers have caught onto the 'Alice' craze in time to launch limited edition ranges of their products. The Alice inspired products below are making me smile like a cheshire cat (sorry - couldn't resist!)











1. spectacular Alice pumps by Nicholas Kirkwood
2. limited edition Alice collection of O.P.I. nail polish
3. Gaga with her favourite accessory - her trusty china teacup

Hair Raising Creations

Public attention has been grabbed lately by increasingly avant-garde hair styling, endorsed particularly by the pantless wonder Lady Gaga. Gaga's ever changing hair length, colour and elaborate hair pieces have been as much cause for specualtion as her theatrically provocative clothing and the mystery surrounding her gender. The recent comeback of wigs got me thinking about a press day I visited last Spring for Blow PR's designers for Autumn/Winter 09. It was there that I first became aquainted with the spooky and inspired designs of hair-master Charlie Le Mindu, particularly memorable and disturbing was a kind of balaclava fashioned out of dead rats whose fur he had dyed white. And yes a model had to wear that on her face! Here is a picture I took of it:

Check out some of the more recent pictures of his other worldy designs at Fashion Week, the fantastic photographs are courtesy of The Guardian.

In the PINK

Observing the recent penchant for a 'Smells like Teen Spirit' attitude and indulging my current fondness for the punkier side of style, I found myself looking through the celeb back catalogue of rose tints and full on fuschia dye jobs. Here we have Miss Moss going pink on more than one occasion as well as ever avant garde Gaga, Aggy and Lily. So take a look and see for yourself the good, the bad and the plain dodgy. Makes me kinda wish I had the bottle to reach for the pink dye and go candy floss myself!

Frosted Kisses

Personally I think that there is none more flattering to every skin tone than a chalky matte pastel pout as above; Gaga rocking a lilac lip and Rihanna looking flawless in Italian Vogue.