Alexa Chung resort collection

Personally I love adding a pop of colour to a look, and Alexa Chung gives food for thought on this idea in her new Resort Collection. Alexa gives us strappy checked dresses, a gorgeous layered tulle skirt and mixed prints, but the standout trend of the collection? The splashes of red in the footwear (and this emoji inspired dress )! Now, all those of us that follow fashion probably had an inkling that red boots were here to stay throughout SS18, but with it cropping up in resort collections, I’d imagine we can now expect to see them following through into AW19 as well!

How to wear: The Safari Inspired Trend

Usually my trend reports are inspired by high end designer collections that I have spied in catwalk shows, but this blog post has actually been inspired by the SS15 collection I have been eyeing at Warehouse!

So, what can you exactly expect to see from this trend?

Colours to look out for:
Ranging from beige and khaki green  for that traditional safari vibe to vibrant oranges and greens in the form of bold prints, this trend really does have a colour spectrum for everyone!

It’s all in the details:

Fringing and tassels are seen adorning sandals, handbags and even dresses and kimonos whilst even loose cotton shorts are seen with cute little pom poms attached to the hem!
Even the fabrics echo cool safari vibes- thick fabric shopper bags are embroidered with bright ethnic prints, and as part of their holiday shop collection Warehouse have an amazing range of loose fitting cotton dresses, shorts and even wide leg trousers!

Styles to grab now:

A part from a few mentioned above, I am absolutely loving the gypsy dress- off the shoulder, with an air of both cool and casual in light cotton materials screams safari, or at least for most of us a nice sunny holiday abroad. But let’s be honest, I’ll be wearing mine everywhere- I love dresses that can double as day and night attire.. (I will just have to wait until pay day). If you don’t fancy a dress though, why not get yourself an off the shoulder, boho style tee instead? And not forgetting the fringed kimono and poncho that have returned for another season!

The prints:

We’ve seen how amazing just the plain brights and neutrals can look, but if you aren’t afraid of a little print then this trend is the perfect way to update your wardrobe. Think oversized African Florals for the more bold efforts, or for a more subtle approach why not try paisley or Aztec?

Don’t forget to accessorize: 

I’ve mentioned the beautifully embroidered selection of fabric handbags, but what about jewellery? I accept that maybe it isn’t the most practical for a real safari trek- but we are probably just playing pretend when we try out this trend. So when on the hunt for some new jewellery this Summer, why not think about layering a few necklaces together? Or if you want something a bit louder, why not try something new with chunkier ethnic bracelets, even fabric bracelets are a great alternative!

Alice & Olivia at NYFW

Why do I love this collection so much..?

Well, let’s think about this for a moment…

[Hint: it ticks all my fashion boxes]

❤

Luxuriously embellished jacket  ✓

Even more embellishment ✓

Big, bold florals ✓

Full, floor length skirts ✓

and..

A little Charles James inspiration – ✓

❤

What’s not to love?

Charles James: Beyond Fashion

As the latest inspiration for the Met Gala I thought it would be appropriate to take a look at the designs of Charles James, the ‘First American Couturier’. Known for his somewhat hefty dresses (his heaviest dress was 18 pounds) that emphasised a women’s figure, the designer favoured the use of silk, organza and velvet and championed many newer styles, like the strapless dress, Pavlovian Waistband and the Figure Eight skirt, as well as inspiring the New Look that is most often associated with Christian Dior. The designer reworked all of his original designs and is most known for his ball gowns, quilted jackets and fur/embroidery trimmed capes and coats.

So,with all of this said it is pretty clear what kinds of designs we can expect the fashion elite to be wearing at tonight’s Gala- I’m thinking lots of Old Hollywood Glamour, from full skirts to figure hugging dresses!

Here’s a look at some of James’ designs: