Whatever Alexa Wants: April 2016

Tuesday, 26 April 2016

It-Shoes : Spring 2016 - Miu Miu

Miu Miu ballet flats are now the most wanted (and sold out) shoes for spring !

WhoWhatWear wrote an article (read here) about flats, and how flats prove that powerful women Don't need heels. The wardrobe essential comes in a range of cool shapes and styles. It exists different gang for flats : Repetto Addict, French Sole Addict, Pretty Ballerinas addict... (that is for the classic type).

But this spring a new type just enter in the game : The Miu Miu ballet flats are the most wanted !

Easy to conclude when they are already sold out on the shop online. It exists different colors and two materials (nappa leather and satin) and the only way to get them is to sign up on waiting lists !

Already wearing by Chiara Ferragni

MiuMiu Fashion Show

" The classic ballet flats style with a punk-chic soul "

This is how Miu Miu describe these lovely shoes.

During Miu Miu Spring 2016 Ready To Wear Fashion Show

Miu Miu flats 2016 black, nude leather (price 550€).

Miu Miu flats 2016 red satin (price 430€), white (price 550€)

I definitely love this style, I spotted them on Alexa Chung for Glamour Shooting in the April 2016 issue. It is the perfect match of punk buckle and vichy lacet.

Glamour UK - April 2016 Issue

Love,

xxx

French Style Secrets

French Style is for most of the woman in the world a real enigma, besides the french girl of course !

Vogue UK enter in some of the wardrobes of famous french girls : Camille Rowe, Caroline de Maigret and also Joséphine de la Baume ; trying to understand their habits, trends and favorite outfits.

Below some of the best wardrobes :

Thank you Vogue !

To resume French Girls : classic pieces, denim & blouses, denim & t-shirt, vintage, 501, army jacket, bags, boots, bandana, coats, jackets...

How to look effortlessly cool ? Knowing you, knowing what fits you, and then to stick to it.

Actually, I don't really think there is a french girl style, the important thing about french girl is mostly The Attitude. We don't really care about fashion and "IT"clothes or shoes to have. We do care about our own style. How to wake up, and how to look effortlessly chic and cool.

But, for the others who continued to be sold on the idea that French women do hold the secrets to life somewhere in their charmingly unkempt hair or Chanel flats. Some nice books, wrote by Perfect French Girl, will be you main guide to look like One of Us.

15,00€ on Amazon

23,00€ on Amazon

21,00€ on Amazon

Love,
xxx

Sunday, 24 April 2016

It-Shoes : Spring 2016 - Gucci

Sienna Miller just step out again wearing the last It Shoes for Spring 2016.

She was spotted in New York on April 20th, wearing the mid heel loafer, and punctuating her monochromatic marine look with this " je ne sais quoi" that makes her very italian chic. She was wearing this slim fit cropped trousers from Trademark that helped to highlights her gilded studded slippers.

Crédit Photo : Splash

Leather mid-heel Loafer

Description : the double g antique gold toned hardware is set on a blue/red/blue web of these leather mid-heel loafers. The stacked heel has a row of GG pearls and studs and the back is designed to be worn with the heel folded down or up.

- Square toe
- 35mm heel

Gucci Mid-heel Loafer, 1100€

Some similar less expensive style are available. Like Massimo Dutti for example that developed Black Babouches with a plain upper, made from sheep leather with leather piping. They can be worn as babouches or loafers.

Garance Doré already loves them !

89,95€

Love,

xxx

COLOUR UP THE SEASON

Every season, I try to select with Polyvore some of the best pieces for the arrival season.
Please find below the best finds or Summer 2016, I organized the sets by theme.
Hope you like it.

Love,
xxx

COLOUR UP THE SEASON by alexam on polyvore.com

Thursday, 21 April 2016

Purple Mood - Prince Tribute

"Hello, how are you?I'm fine 'cause I know that the Lord is coming soonComing, coming soon."

(vocals at the end of ‘Darling Nikki’ during the sound of rain storm are an extra verse played backwards ("back masked") through a vinyl player)

"Prince" - Prince Rogers Nelson, born June 7, 1958 was a US (Minneapolis- Minnesota) singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He has sold over 100 million records worldwide.

Prince died on April 21 at age 57 at his Paisley Park home and studio in Minneapolis.

Prince grew up in a musical family - his father was a pianist and his mother a jazz singer - and he quickly developed an interest in becoming a musician himself: he wrote his first song, 'Funk Machine', when he was only seven-years-old.

"Purple Rain" released in 1984, is still considered one of the greatest albums of all time and has sold over 20 million copies. The album, which featured the singles 'When Doves Cry' and 'Let's Go Crazy', also served as the soundtrack to the film 'Purple Rain', in which Prince played the main role.

Interviewing Prince was rare, but in 1996, he invited several publications, including NME, to his home in Minnesota as he geared up to release his monstrous triple album 'Emancipation'.

The result was a revealing, funny and frankly bizarre interview with journalist Sylvia Patterson.

Here are some of the best and wisest quotes from Prince's fourth and final NME cover feature.

On his youthful ego
“I had a massive ego. Massive. But that’s not such a bad thing. Because at least you’re aspiring to be something, you consider yourself great because you want to be great.”

On religion
“I do feel like a punk, because no-one believes in God anymore”

On nature
“If you put a loaf of bread on the table, it turns into medicine and to me that is incredible. The bread will eventually take care of itself. That’s nature, that’s the Truth.”

On the rock and roll lifestyle
“I know those paths of excess, drugs, sex and alcohol - all those experiences can be funky, they can be very funky, but they’re just paths, a diversion, not the answer…”

On freedom
“I find freedom sexy. I find freedom so sexy I can’t even explain it to you. You wake up every day and feel like you can do anything.”

On life
“Everyone has their own experience. That’s why we are here, to go through our experience, to learn, to go down those paths and eventually you may have gone down so many paths and learned so much that you don’t have to come back again.”

On his talent
“I’m no different to anyone. Yes, I have fame and wealth and talent, but I certainly don’t consider myself any better than anyone who has no fame, wealth or talent. People fascinate me. They’re amazing! Life fascinates me! And I’m no more fascinated by my own life than by anyone else’s.

His Purple Reign Will Endure Forever : Prince as Fashion Icon.

Find here Prince best look and his fantastical and gender-bending onstage costumes, all selected by Vogue.

R.I.P Prince.

Love

Tuesday, 19 April 2016

M&S - Archive by Alexa Chung

When it comes to designing new collection and introduce her It-girl touch into English heritage brands, Alexa Chung is impressive. Mulberry, Barbour and Hunter have all enjoyed it ! Next up, it hopes : Marks and Sparks.

Archive by Alexa went on sale nationwide in stores and online on Wednesday 13th April. The collection comprises reissued classics from M&S archive, reworked for Chung with an It-girl twist. The collection comprises 31 ready-to-wear items. Alexa Chung explained the process, for which she worked with the M&S design team to recreate items in new color ways and modern fabrications.

"It was so fun to be given the keys to the M&S archive and such a treat to get to cherry pick the very best of their vast collection of pieces. I pulled from stored garments, in-house magazines and TV adverts from various points in the history of Marks & Spencer to create the collection that I believe looks every bit as relevant today as it did then." Alexa Chung

Alexa Chung going through the M&S archives

The collection is accompanying by a campaign creatively directed by Alexa Chung. This project is the first in Mark & Spencer's collaboration, the brand assured that they will invite a range of designers and trend setters to create capsule collections in the future.

Glamour Magazine interviewed her, giving us an exclusive look at her collaboration with Marks & Spencer, 'Archive by Alexa Chung', have a look :

Noticeable, there is no denim whatsoever in the collection! It seems like a missed opportunity when you know that Alexa Chung is the biggest fan of denims jeans, shorts and button up denim skirt. This certainly has to do with the fact that Alexa Chung also has a long-standing relationship with AG Jeans.
Anyway as Vogue's shopping editor pointed out, with Alexa Chung leading the capsule collection, M&S is back on track !

What of the reaction?

Several pieces are sold out online, including the black ankle boots and Yes/No white trainers, including the classic khaki trench, are nearly out of stock.

Shop here !

Find below my favorite pieces !

Alexa Mixing at the Archive - M&S Launch Party

Monday, 18 April 2016

Classic Tod's

Founded in 1900 by Filippo Della Valle, TOD's represents perfectly the Italian handmade tradition, selecting the best quality of leathers. Products are unique due to their perfection. And it is a closet basic, we all have a pair of this " mocassin à picot" !

Why is this cult?
The Italian brand has developed a wonderful way to treat leather. From bags to shoes through belts and bracelets, resulting pieces of exceptional quality and sleek design.

Details of hand made.

You won't believe it !
Home designs its models and develops them by hand, they call it "contemporary luxury". No relocation here so we are in the respect for tradition and quality suffers: the creations remain immaculate for years.

Dress code advise ?
Tod's is very chic, very classy, a real preppy style. So with the classic Tod's one be careful, not too much destroy-rock elements. Therefore prefer sober colors (marine, camel, beige..), neutral, and basic with impeccable cuts.

Your must have ?
Gommino moccasin leather, always chic worn next to the skin.

The addicts ?
Inès de la Fressange, Catherine Deneuve, Olivia Palermo, Clara Ferragni, Gala Gonzalez..

Gala Gonzalez, with classic white Gommino

To reverse the brand's image and hit the fashion must have shoes, Tod's decide to develop a special collection for Summer 2016, with new details : studs, rhinestones and craft cutting games with contrasting colors for theTod's Gommino. Matte leather remixed into a rock spirit, the Gommino is now a unique accessory that combines a young and dynamic spirit and a great refinement !

Tod's, 715 euros

Monday, 11 April 2016

Designer of the Week : Carolina Herrera

Designer of the Week Carolina Herrera is a Venezuelan-American fashion designer known for "exceptional personal style", and for dressing First Ladies from Jacqueline Onassis to Michelle Obama. The New York Times cited her designs as "elegant and worldly without ever being fussy".

1965 : Herrera began her career working as a publicist for Emilio Pucci.

1980 : She moved to New-York. Frequently associating with Mick and Bianca Jagger and Andy Warhol, at Studio 54, she became well known for her dramatic style. She first appeared on the International Best Dressed List in 1972, then was elected to its Hall of Fame in 1980.

1981 : Diana Vreeland, then Editor-in-Chief of Vogue suggested that Carolina design a clothing line. Her first runway show in 1981 included future supermodel Iman. Carolina Herrera presents her Ready-to-Wear Collection semiannually at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in New York. The company has been based in New York City since 1980, few of her most notable clients have included Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, ( CH designed the dress for her daughter Caroline's wedding), Diana, Duchess of Cadaval (CH designed the dress for her marriage).

2008 : They launched a ready-to-wear brand called CH Carolina Herrera.

2012 : There are 18 Carolina Herrera and CH Carolina Herrera boutiques in the world, and her lines are carried in 280 stores in 104 countries.

For Resort 2016 Collection, the Herrera silhouettes are as tried-and-true as the details. What did get the designer excited were the more adventurous shapes: A cropped organza T-shirt looked modern and fresh with that tea-length skirt, and the culottes she cut in jacquard patterns tapped into the current trends. CH included some fur separates because the clothes deliver in late fall, and more and more, she thinks, women are shopping with a buy now/wear now mentality. A coral-colored curly lamb skirt suit, she said, "is the perfect outfit for November." Or a rainy day in early June.

Please find below some of the 2016 Resort Collection looks :

Tuesday, 5 April 2016

Patch..working on it

Often thought of as a DIY project, patchwork denim is not a new concept at all !

Patchwork or "pieced work" is a form of needlework that involves sewing together pieces of fabric into a larger design.

But for spring 2016 this recycled trend arrived on the runway, and shown the many different ways it can be done.

What are the trends ?

Denim Prismick Small Shoulder Bag , $2,950

Photo : Rogier Vivier

Denim Prismack Plateau Sandals, $925 Denim Prismack Trompette Booties, $1,325

Photo : Roger Vivier Photo : Roger Vivier

Alessandra Ambrosio wearing denim with denim

Photo crédit : AKM - GSI

Spotted on Chanel Officiel Presentation, Timeless Bag in washed out Jean <3 font="">

Lovin it.

Gigi Hadid, long Denim washed jacket.

Patchwork jeans, wear with leopard stilettos.

Inspiration Look.

Shoes Addict

Autumn/Winter 2016-17 shows may not be finished yet, but I have already started compiling a wish list for the season ahead.

What's new? Heels are back, buckles are proliferating, platforms are prospering everywhere, and long boots show no signs of going "has been".

Step into the new season with the footwear news from the new collections: click HERE to see all the trends and styles straight from the catwalks, selected by VOGUE only for you.