from top left: chloe sevigny for opening ceremony, asos alesha platform boot, all saints anat boot, ralph lauren quiana boot, balenciaga grey boot, asos alfie boot, vegan boot from fashion-conscience.com, miu miu patent leather boot, opening ceremony heeled boot.

i love my trusty wee chelsea boots. they cost me a mere £10 from a little vintage shop. i could live in them, if only they weren't a size too small and the leather wasn't so stiff and unforgiving. so i'm going to invest in a new pair. i mean, not so cheap that they last a month, but not so expensive that's beyond the means of a struggling student.

in my head i envision being the kind of girl who can totally walk around in heels all day without the wincing expression sprawled across my face as is the norm. so those Anat All Saints boots are for the kind of girl i'd like to be, whereas in reality i should probably stick to safe, reliable black plimsolls. but i'm going to throw caution to the wind and go for a flat version of the most perfect boot ever created. i mean, it doesn't have the aggravatingly pointy toe of winkle-pickers that make even the most feminine foot look gargantuan. & it slips on in the most delightful fashion, so there's no inconvenience of tying laces. it is stylistically viable; pair them with skirts, jeans, dresses, leggings, whatever. but it's not a safe boot by any means, it definitely adds an edge to an otherwise mundane outfit. invest in the chelsea boot, i say!

ck.

i promised myself before i began reviewing this season, i was going to be full of positivity and optimism. i don't enjoy slating designers or their collections, however sometimes i'm just incensed. i must tell you now that i love christopher kane, unconditionally, as i once thought. this is the guy who created the most amazing debut collection of all time, for god's sake.

but what actually is this? i tried to like it, honestly. but i can't even figure out if that actually is gel pads he's used or some other insane, unnecessary gimmick. along with the sequinned...i dunno, mesh? and the mary janes, i was just astounded that such a creative mind could produce something so...amateur. i mean sure, noone's used gel pads before, right?

i did like some of the prints at the beginning of the collection, though. it's lazy to say that they are distinctly margherita missoni, but i have no other words.

vv.

vivienne westwood red label; i love vivienne, she's a true visionary and a designer who continually stays true to her concept. she never creates to sate the press, and she is by no means predictable. this new red label collection is no exception. i mean sure, you have to trawl through this to find some amazing stand alone pieces as the styling is a bouquet of mismatched prints and conflicting colors, cuts and hemlines. but the wool coats and cardigans are exquisite and there are definitely more than a few red carpet dresses in there to boot. vivienne claims not to please the public, but this collection appeases the fashion forward while satisfying those with slightly less adventurous tastes; a true genius only achieves this.

i'm often ridiculed for my awful, particularly varied taste in music by my family and friends alike. but despite this, i'm actually quite proud of the fact my shuffle can go from neil diamond to dubstep in a mere millisecond. maybe i'll make this a regular occurence, who knows. but here's one of my many daft playlists i spend a ridiculous amount of time making. this is the one i played whilst trailing and trudging hopefully through the highs and pitfalls i take pleasure in called NY fashion week. this one's for you, anna. and in case you actually wanted to listen to any of this, a little linky.

florence & the machine - heavy in your arms (i'll eat up anything new florence throws at me)
arcade fire - maps (yeah yeah yeahs cover) (just because sometimes it's better than the orginal...)
stars - your ex lover is dead (there is no subliminal message here at all, i promise...)
frou frou - the dumbing down of love (i'll love imogen heap forever but frou frou were amazing, and this little song is so ghostly)
fleet foxes - tiger mountain peasant song (loooooove fleet foxes, they just chill me out)
carla bruni - quelqu'un m'a dit (hmm, guilty pleasure. plus singing in french is just a little more chic, oui?)
devendra banhart - lover (the most beautiful man alive, period.)
simian mobile disco - audacity of huge (maybe another guilty pleasure...)
cocorosie - lemonade (i feel guilty for not having listened to their new album as thoroughly as i should have, defos a guilt pick)
elliott smith - waltz #2 (XO) (helped eased how tragic caroline herrera was)
laura marling - goodbye england (covered in snow) (hmm, cause she's just amazing.)
johnny flynn - drum (as above!)
prince - she's always in my hair (I LOVE PRINCE)

as promised, the obligatory 'Rodarte' post of the season. i know, i know. there's not much to say that i haven't already professed about my love for the mulleavy sisters. but seeing their creations they produced for the Black Swan upped it to another level.






this new fall collection is too beautiful for words, but i'll have a go anyway. it's a totally modernised version of little house on the prairie, a little more grown up which oozes pure sophistication. the maxi length coats and dresses aren't frumpy and actually add a youthful, perhaps even chaste edge to this collection. plus you know i'm a sucker for sideswept hair..

















i love how it appears that both the mulleavy sisters and rodarte as a brand are progressing and maturing in front of our eyes. gone are the days where some collection pieces resembled a pre-school collage. these have been replaced by simple, stream-lined silk gowns, tailored coats and pants and complex prints, whilst still retaining that rodarte edge that continually ensures their well-earned place at the top of fashion week's must-see shows.

a rum lot.

i truly wish i had the patience and the commitment to cover everrrry show but despite my increasing amount of spare time, all the hours in the world could not aid this. so here's some of my favourites, in one small condensed little post, produced with love & care especially for you*.


marc by marc jacobs: wow, loved the total 70's vibe, from the midi-length skirts, dresses and coats as well as the flecks of burnt orange, navy & green. another shockingly amazing collection i expected to hate. the bare, au natural make up i envy also.



donna karan: aw man, DK killed it! it was like a futuristic twist on Mad Men. i can totally see christina hendricks in most of these pieces. the only complaint however is that the swathes of fabric seemed to drown the teeny tiny models, so i definitely think this is a collection for women of real shape. about time, too!



victoria beckham: i loved the pure minimalism, perhaps borrowing slightly from jil sander. but it's more than what i expected from victoria, i automatically assumed i'd hate it but the bags, ugh to die for.



alexander wang: kinda loved it, actually. i was scared my love affair with mr wang was over for good but i think the sheer pieces, the silks, the tailored coats mixed with sportswear puts him firmly back where he belongs.



prabal gurung: aw just WOW. i mean, a few of the pieces i feel have been a little reworked, but the predominance of this collection is just fabulous. i'd love to see someone like mila kunis totally rock that leather dress.


*the mulleavy sisters will of course have their own dedicated, in depth post. NATURALLY.

PS, i love you.

i've been totally uninspired the past few months, for whatever reason. i've had major writer's block and spent most of that time in a deep, dark bubbling pit of despair. well, not quite despair but you get the point. conveniently, i'm back just in time to cover fashion week, how about that?

strangely, it was whilst browsing through today's shows that i realised how much i missed slating over-hyped designers and praising the underrated. but mostly proenza schouler, if i'm honest. so many times have i flicked through their collections filled with dismay, wondering why anna wintour was giving these guys so many Vogue inches. but this new fall 2011 collection has me convinced, finally. i always thought they were one of those brands that magazine editors jumped on the bandwagon with, no matter how truly awful their shows were. but this fall collection, well, observe:







i mean, where do i start? i LOVE the little alber elbaz influences in here, naturally. the 90's aztec prints kill me and that calvin klein-esque high neckline in the last shot, oh man. it's so rachel from friends, i can't get enough of it. you excelled yourself this time, proenza schouler.