Lucky for them, unfortunate for us...British fashion's best kept secret Topshop has finally opened its first flagship US store in the Soho district of New York City.
Sir Phillip Green joined by Kate Moss (with her 9th collection for the brand) and a delighted host of US celebrity types and Fashion PR girls flocked to the opening on the 1st April (this was no April fools!) to attend the three parties being hosted to celebrate the US finally getting a touch of british high street style and eccentricity (biased I know!).
The four floor, 25,000 sq ft emporium will play host to Kate Moss's new liberty print collection, along with capsule collections by Jonathan Saunders, Richard Nicoll, Preen and the always fantastic Unique Boutique.
So now our secret is out and even American Vogue Editors are snapping up a Topshop bargain - i'm just hoping Green'll still give us the best of Topshop's offerings first!
Pictured: Kate Moss, Lenny Kravitz's daughter Zoe looking every inch the rock star offspring in acid wash jeans, Taylor Momsen - Gossip Girl actress and NY's latest trend adopter, British actress Emily Mortimer working the 80's Spandau blazer.
If you didn't think the world (art more specifically) could get any more far-fetched then this is certainly something to satisfy these beliefs.
The girls and I were discussing the 'perfect' engagement ring yesterday. No, we aren't in a rush to get hitched anytime soon but when the words 'Tiffany' and 'Legacy' are thrust into the context of such a conversation then a girl can dream can't she? But far beyond the £8,000 price tag of the Tiffany sparkler, it got me thinking about rings and what they symbolise. Of course the wedding band is an unbroken, infinite symbol of everlasting love (I'm not soppy honest) but what happens, god forbid, if everlasting love isn't...well...everlasting?
Gisele Ganne's Divorce ring. Thats what.
No... she's not a pesimist, nor a man hating singleton, but a Royal college of Art graduate whos jewellery collection nods to Victorian Mourning Jewellery and the Macabre Motif of the time. However, Ganne's designs (skulls, forget-me-nots and ivy) are a modern commentary on today's divorce rates (although to look at them you really wouldn't know!)
Beautifully ornate and perfectly classic (with what could be described as a gothic twist) divorcees should stick two fingers up to the wedding ring (or perhaps 4 in this case...this ring goes over all four fingers!) and embrace Ganne's divorce rings.
Gwyneth. Designer? Two words not often affiliated with one another (especially after the frock horror of the 2002 Oscars...well I actually loved the dress, just not on her and most definitely NOT for the oscars!)
But yes, Gwyn it has been revealed has teamed up with Zoe Tee's to become the next celeb to launch her own capsule designer range. Apparently there are going to be 7 pieces in the collection inspired by 70's glamour and inspiration from a rock music. (Can't imagine it being quite to her personal taste but then she is married to a 'rock' star..cough cough)
However credit where credits due as apparently her design skills and taste are perfectly suited to the brand according to their creative director. And whats more she's not cashing in like the rest of them and is charitably giving all the proceeds to Kids Company. Aww Gwynnie - Apple will be pleased....
For her latest collaboration with Topshop for SS'09,Moss along with fellow Croydonian Green have teamed up with Liberty Art Fabrics to create a classic and credible collection of garments made using new and archive Liberty prints for the high street this summer. Prints and fabric design are to new element to Moss's nineth collection with Topshop and I have to say I think this extra attention to detail really shows
The three classic prints designed exclusively by Liberty and Moss have been titled 'Lillabell' (after Moss's Daughter) 'Kate Nouveau' (presumeably after Kate?!) and 'Poppy' (you guessed it...after the flower).
I've had a little look at the collection so far and here are a few that I'd like to get my hands on....
The black Ladder beaded mini dress...
Cream Diamante Mini dress...
The showstopper dress named after her daughter - lilabell Maxi dress...
Lilac Embroidery Fringe Jacket...
All in all i'm liking this seasons offering. I can actually picture Kate in all the garments (I suppose that's because the collections are supposed to be a refection of her own personal style rather than her Fashion design innovation!)But none the less, I'll be heading to Topshop to cop a feel of these lovelies (yes I can only afford to feel...this stuff is pricey!)
It certainly has been a while. No venting of my fashion perspective for your entertaining pleasure in almost two months. Surely my commitment isn't waning?
Of course it isn't. What i'm just getting to grips with now is what is know as the 'life/work balance' or 'bleisure' if I want to be smart about it. But there's nothing smart or indeed fun about trying to juggle a pro-active approach to my future career plans(you know work experience, making contacts, trying to find suitable outfits that progress me from student to creative marketeer...), as well as uni work/life, planning a LIVE event hosted in Nottingham, shopping (optional extra I've heard), making time for the folks and the old boy at home, and a whole host of other activities and pursuits that it would seem I am less than capable of maintaining all at the same time.
(The old adage 'there aren't enough hours in the day' is NOT a saying, but FACT.)
This sort of thing was never a problem back at school was it? 25 hours of lessons a week, 10 subjects and revision for all of them which culminated in exams that all seemed to happen on the same day. But now, for some reason being in uni for a seemingly stressful THREE hours a week seems more than an effort. But that’s not the half of it...
Introducing the implementation of my final year work....
The last three months have been a barrage of emails, constant flyering, badgering of companies for sponsorship and endless late nights updating social networking profiles, recuiting exhibitors and generally perspiring quite abit with Liz about our Event 'Slash/Slash Notts.
‘Slash/Slash’ is a term which describes how today youth (15-25) no longer see themselves doing or being just one thing. Instead it is important that they must be ‘good at everything – do all, have multiple roles, be your own brand’. This is done by promoting their talents and building micro communities around their personalities. No longer does a person just have a name, but instead a list of subsequent ‘slashed’ titles that display these multiple roles. “Why just be a DJ when you can be a DJ with your own fashion line, DJ school, agency and styling career?” says The Future Laboratory who coined the term ‘Slash/Slash generation’ in 2008.
Thanks to our event , the youth of Nottingham can now become a part of one the most exciting, innovative and supportive business environment for young aspiring and creative entrepreneurs at ‘Slash/Slash’ Notts at The Rescue Rooms, Saturday 2nd May 2009.
Today’s youth are fast becoming a generation of on and offline business entrepreneurs, making vast sums of cash before they even hit 25. These fledgling brands need exposure from their peers to survive and a platform to showcase their talents. The ‘Slash/Slash’ generation are the “stars of tomorrow. They are the new generation of do-it-allers and excel in a multitude of disciplines woven together by their instinctive adoption of the ‘brand-me’ phenomenon”
With this in mind, ‘Slash/Slash Notts’ (based in the heart of Nottingham’s city centre) brings the very best of young creative talent in the region together to display their multi-faceted business ventures from Fashion design, t-shirt printing , works of art , canvases to illustration, graphic design, accessories and music and have the opportunity to advertise and sell themselves and their product to like-minded young people, creating genuine peer endorsement. The event highlights the talents of those between the ages of 15 – 25, an age group often forgotten by the fashion (events) industry. Those selected represent the cream of the crop of talent in the East Midlands.
Our vision is that the event will eventually become a road-show; travelling the UK to promote young creative talent in several major cities and regions without it being restricted to London (as many events of this type are). By keeping the events regional it will allow cities and communities to nurture and acknowledge local talents. The event will also support and run alongside the Department for Culture Media and Sports guidelines to drive and promote Britain’s creative industries and show its importance for the future of the economy.
Phew. Hopefully that offers some sort of explanation as to my recent business. However there is still much more to come. But we are ever the optimists and are enjoying the visual aspect of promoting our event.
Take a sneaky peak at some promo posters I whipped up today.
