All That's Left Behind

I have just returned from London. My six month experience was one of the greatest of my life. I stopped blogging in the middle of my travels, because I wanted to just live and not worry about typing it out. I have a written journal that I will use now to share the best of London and Europe that I have seen and experienced. It will pick up where I left off in March.

Burberry in Piccadilly Circus

Last week I was lucky enough to catch the live streaming of Burberry Prorsum's Autumn Winter 2011 collection in Piccadilly Circus. I snapped photos of Anna Wintour and Alexa Chung walking into the venue. As for the collection, it was a colourful dream so perfect for the grey sky of winter. Here are some of my own photos and favourites from the runway and press.

Alexa Chung walking in

Snogging is Good For You

One of my favourite stops in Soho is the wonderfully delicious Snog Frozen Yogurt. Not only is the yogurt tasty and healthy, but the place is nothing shabby either. Sit on toadstools as the ceiling lights move as a rainbow above. As for the yogurt, top your natural, chocolate, green tea, or even apple cider flavours with fresh fruit and other yummy toppings! My favourite combo is the natural with blackberries and white chocolate stars (perfectly crunchy). It is a great snack or meal that is as irresistible as a good snog itself.

Color Me Beautiful

As glossy images cover the majority of fashion in today’s society, it is rare to come across a designer sketch or illustration that conveys the emotion of fashion. Joelle Chariau’s has collected one of the most historical fashion illustration archives in the world, and is showcasing it for the first time to the public at the Design Museum London. Drawing Fashion is the enchanting look into the world of fashion illustration over the past 100 years. It showcases the famous works of the most creative illustrators at their career heights, alongside film clips of the artists at work.  

In the beginning of the 20th century, George Lepape took fashion illustration to a new level with the rising demand for magazine illustrations. His illustrations for Vogue covers and designers not only showcase the fashion of the times, but give personality to the settings in which it was worn. These drawings evoke the high spirit of the roaring 20s through the lighter and more embellished fashions of the period.

The artistic New Look, created by René Gruau for Dior in the 1950s, followed as the vision for modern magazines and advertisement. Gruau’s illustrations convey facial expressions and exemplify specific parts of the body, particular garments, and detailed fabric patterns.

As the exhibit moves into the late 20^th century, Antonio’s dynamic Pop Art images are impossible to miss. His illustrations for design houses and portraits of celebrities convey the influence of Andy Warhol’s lead in the 1960s and 1970s, and the cultural highs of the 1980s, with a cartoonish style.

Turning down the last corridor of the exhibition, today’s fashion illustrators give sight and hope to the future of fashion illustration. Current illustrators, including Mats Gustafson, François Berthoud and Aurore de la Morinerie, continue to capture the movement and light of fashion through different personal styles. 

The illustrations intertwine the beauty of fashion with cultural changes throughout the 20^th and 21^st centuries. Drawing Fashion is a visit into the past and a fashionable view of the future.

Design Museum London

28 Shad Thames

London SE1 2YD

Drawing Fashion

3 November, 2010- March 6, 2011

Opening Hours: Daily 10am-5.45pm, last admission at 5.15pm.

Office 020 7403 6933

Info@designmuseum.org

meeting the king of modern sportswear chic

tonight i was honored and completely blown away to meet the young and extremely talented Alexander Wang at Liberty's exclusive get together with Love Magazine. Alexander Wang's SS11 collection was at the fore front, turquoise metallic and all. my favorite looks, of course, were white from head to toe, perfect for spring and summer. 

it has been just a week since debuting his AW11 collection in new york and opening his first flagship store in the city and he is still on a global roll. his AW11 collection was a sportswear masterpiece of layering. a neutral collection playfully broken up by some pink and blue metallic skinny trousers. texture was key in the flow of the collection from nylon to leather to chunky knits and fur. structure and freedom  intertwined in a sea of chic.

shopping magnificence

harrods is the largest, most decadent department store in the world. it encompasses over one million square feet in retail space, with over 330 departments. founded in 1834, harrods has become the one stop shopping destination in the world.

from the many rooms of treats, oysters to desserts, to the floors of designer collections from all over the world, it is the place of luxury. profound designers have designated floor shops for their collections and accessories. it allows the five acre space to seem cozy and personal for shoppers.

 

the ground floor is home to cosmetics, beauty, accessories, and the world famous eateries and food departments. each room is themed from floor to ceiling in fruit, candy, seafood, etc. according to its shops.

the home decor departments are themed according to style and gorgeously arranged on display.

you can take the famous egyptian staircase, built in the 1960s to the very top and to the basement floor where the princess diana and dodi fayed memorial is set.

harrods is also owner over harrods bank, harrods estates, and harrods air. the bank is located on the basement floor for the rich and famous to spend, spend, spend.

happy shopping!