2015 VMA'S Red Carpet Review

The 2015 MTV Video Music Awards took place last night at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles. On the red carpet we saw a mix of Fall 15 and Resort 16 looks, as well as a  number of Couture gowns. Here is my red carpet review...

Kim Kardashian - Balmain Resort 16 / Taylor Swift - Ashish / Gigi Hadid - Emilia Wickstead 

Karlie Kloss - Louis Vuitton Resort16 / Vanessa Hudgens - Naeem Khan / Nicki Minaj - Labourjoisie

 Kylie Jenner - Balmain Resort 16 / Holland Roden - Vivienne Tam Spring 15 

Demi Lovato - Nicholas Jebran Spring 15 Couture

Selena Gomez - Calvin Klein Fall 15 / Lily Aldridge - Alexandre Vauthier Fall 15 Couture

Emily Ratajkowski - Altuzarra Fall 15

Ciara - Alexandre Vauthier Fall 15 Couture / Chrissy Teigen - Marchesa Fall 15

FKA Twigs - Atelier Versace Fall 15 Couture / Rita Ora - Vera Wang Spring 16 Bridal

 Cara Delevingne - Saint Laurent / Serayah - Herve Leger

Hailee Steinfeld - Stella McCartney / Bella Thorne - Maria Lucia Hohan

Miley Cyrus - House of Holland /  Stella Maxwell - Moschino Fall 15 

 Kourtney Kardashian - Balmain Resort 15

My Best Dressed -  Lily Aldridge and Hailee Steinfeld - Lily Aldridge looked truly flawless wearing her Alexandre Vauthier gown. With a plunging neckline and side cut-outs the outfit still looked sophisticated. Hailee Steinfeld also looked incredible wearing a Stella McCartney jumpsuit. The gold jewellery added further WOW factor to this look.

Most True To Style - Vanessa Hudgens, Rita Ora and Kylie Jenner - Vanessa Hudgens displayed her signature bohemian style wearing a floor length Naeem Khan gown.  Rita Ora always pulls out all the stops to make sure all eyes are on her, and whilst I am not a massive fan of her revesaling Vera Wang gown there is no denying that it really suits her. She does daring very well. I know Kylie Jenner's style divides opinion, but she certainly has a very glamorous signature style and this look represented that perfectly.

Most Unexpected - Taylor Swift - We usually see Taylor wearing Elie Saab or Jenny Packham gowns to these events, so I was surprised to see her wearing a 2-piece from Ashish. I actually found this look rather refreshing, it made a change from all the other looks we saw. It also fit the theme of Taylor's 1989 tour wardrobe.

Most Dissapointed - Karlie Kloss and Selena Gomez - Karlie opted to wear a Resort 16 Louis Vuitton dress, and whilst there was nothing wrong with the dress itself I just don't know why she chose to wear flat gladiator sandals. I was expecting to see Karlie bring her supermodel A-game to the red carpet. Selena Gomez wore a rather ageing Calvin Klein dress with a pair of heavy heels. For the after party Selena wore cut-out Gabriela Cadena gown, had she have worn this to the main event she could have easily made the best dressed list.

Who was your best dressed at the 2015 VMAs?

For more celebrity red carpet pictures follow my 'Celebrity Red Carpet' board on Pinterest (details below). I post pictures from all the major award shows.

Phillippa x

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Jewellery Trend - Drop Tassel Earring

Hitting the red carpet dripping in diamonds, think Cartier and David Webb, celebrities love to wear exquisite statement earrings. Accentuating their Couture gowns, a standout pair of earrings brings an additional WOW factor to any Hollywood A-Listers red carpet look. A favourite style is the drop tassel earring. Why wear one diamond when you can wear a pair dripping in hundreds?

One of the things I love the most about this trend is that colour is key. Don't just think silver and gold. A colourful pair will liven up your outfit and become a real conversation starter. Not all these earrings need to cost thousands. You can shop this style on a varied budget. I have put together a board featuring some of the best drop tassel earrings currently available.

If you love indulgent jewellery, then be sure to follow my 'Jewels and Diamonds' board on Pinterest (details below)

Phillippa x

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One To Watch - Joanna Pybus

London based designer Joanna Pybus creates collections fusing popular culture with 1960's aesthetics. The super fun collections have a strong grain of humour running through them, with eye-catching prints and cute monster motifs. Already making waves in the fashion world, Joanna Pybus bags were recently livening up the shelves of Liberty. This is one designer to keep firmly on your fashion radar so watch this space…oh and Miley Cyrus is a huge fan!

The SS15 collection is available now from Etsy. Price range: £90-£170 for a clutch bag,  £90-£250 for shorts, skirts, dresses and jackets. Here are some of my favourite pieces from the collection.

Miley Cyrus pictured wearing the Tutti Frutti monster jumper!

For more information, you can visit http://www.joannapybus.com or check out the designers Facebook and Twitter pages.

Phillippa x

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Instagram - My Favourites

Recently I have become more in love with Instagram, both my own and others. I adore seeing how people interpret trends, document their idea's and show what they are interested in.  I use my own Instagram as a visual mood board for fashion and design inspiration.

If you are new to Instagram or looking for some exciting new fashion/interior pages to follow, then here are my favourite Instagrammers.

Fashion

Matthew Williamson

Fashion, print, embroidery, travel, interiors, lookbooks and street style - all in the most incredible colours. This is my number one go to Instagram page for brightening up my day. I would honestly like every single picture…if it didn't make me look super annoying!

The Row

The New York based fashion brand has one of the most incredibly well thought out Instagram pages. The carefully selected imagery perfectly links the brands beautiful tailored clothing with architecture and art. Such a wonderfully sophisticated and insightful page.

Paul Smith

Sir Paul Smith famously said "You can find inspiration in everything(and if you can't, look again)" Known for his love of collecting antiques whilst travelling the world, this Instagram page documents the designers travels and design inspiration.

Clare Waight Keller

Chloe's Creative Director captures stunning moments on her Instagram page. A real mix of personal inspiration and Chloe fashion. I love the consistent use of the same filters and soft colours.

Interiors

Sibella Court

Sibella Court is one of my favourite interior stylists. She has such an exceptional eye for interiors and putting unusual objects together. If you love industrial chic interiors you will love this page! Sibella Court has also released a handful of interior books which I own and can definitely recommend.

I Have This Thing With Floors

Just when I thought I was the only person who had an obsession with flooring, I discovered this page. If, like me, you walk along the street and stop to admire the floor then this is the page for you. So many inspiring patterns found in the most normal of places.

Street Style

Chiara Ferragni

Superstar blogger Chiara probably has the most jet-set Instagram page of anyone I follow. Everyday a different Country or City. Pretty much all the images are fashion related with travel/holiday pictures as well. As Chiara is one of the most prominent street style stars at fashion week, you can expect to see plenty of catwalk pictures during September and February.

Style Du Monde

Capturing street style pictures from around the globe, the style on this page is an eclectic mix of designer, high street and vintage. A great page for styling inspiration and ideas.

My Instagram

My page is a mix of fashion, interiors, art, nature and colour inspiration. I aim to post one picture a day on my Instagram, carefully selecting the images I use. I want all the pictures to represent what I love the most about the creative world and reflect my favourite aspects of design. I take all the images myself, usually in galleries or department stores. I also upload images of my own personal design work, including my textile prints and drawings.

I hope this blog post has given you some food for thought and maybe you might have just found some new industry professionals to follow!

Phillippa x

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On Trend Now - Over-The-Knee Boots

This fall the biggest footwear trend is the Over-the-Knee boot. It's a hard look to pull off, you definitely need to think more runway than Pretty Woman. There is no denying that this is a statement street style look with plenty of sex appeal. The sidewalk has been awash with celebrities rocking this trend. Style icons including: Olivia Palermo, Lily Collins, Kendall Jenner, Miroslava Duma, Christine Centenera and Lena Perminova have all showcased their killer pins wearing these boots. Taking a leaf out of these celebrities books, style your boots with super short skirts or an oversized sweater dress. If baring your legs is not your thing, then opt to wear your boots with a pair of black tights for a more understated daytime look.

I have selected some of the hottest over-the-knee boots currently available. Take a look and see if any of these styles take your fancy. Whilst most boots are black leather or suede, why not mix it up and go for a pair that have a hint of folk about them? A patchwork pair can be a great way to get on-board with this trend without feeling too self-conscious of the overtly sexy style.

1. Tom Ford $2890 / 2. Tom Ford $2950 / 3. Stuart Weitzman £545 / 4. Christian Louboutin £795

5. McQueen £1195 / 6. Nicholas Kirkwood £840 / 7. Saint Laurent £1185 / 8. Givenchy £2125

9. Gianvito Rossi £1445 / 10. Burberry £1450 / 11. Brian Atwood £3050 / 12. Gianvito Rossi $1565

 

So do you dare to wear this seasons biggest shoe trend?

 

If you lust after shoes then be sure to follow my 'Shoes/Boots' board on Pinterest (details below)

 

Phillippa x

 

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End of Season - SS15 Most Loved

Can you believe that the Spring/Summer 16 runway shows will begin in less than a months time? Working in fashion, the seasons seem to come around so quickly always staying one step ahead of the game. As trend direction is one of my specialisms I adore seeing what the designers will showcase each season, so I am very much looking forward to fashion month. However, for now I am looking back at SS15 and seeing which were some of the most worn collections. Earlier in the year I posted on my blog that Louis Vuitton and Balenciaga SS15 made the most red carpet and editorial appearances, but here is a look at some of the other collections which proved to be very popular.

Michael Kors

Ellie Kemper / Allison Williams / Kate Hudson / Juana Acosta

Peter Pilotto

Anna Camp / Elizabeth Banks / Naomie Harris / Bella Thorne

Tanya Taylor

Lady Gaga / Kerry Washington / Taylor Swift / Reese Witherspoon

Marc Jacobs

Emily Ratajkowski / Claire Danes / Gwyneth Paltrow

Valentino

Fan Bingbing / Shailene Woodley / Olivia Palermo

Elie Saab

Toni Garrn / Nieves Alvarez / Frieda Pinto

Preen

Lea Michele / Scarlett Johanasson / January Jones

Christopher Kane
Busy Phillips / Laura Carmichael / Felicity Jones

Which designers SS16 collection are you most looking forward to seeing? Will you be taking part in any fashion week events or festivities?

Phillippa x

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Teen Choice Awards - Red Carpet Review

It has been a few weeks since I posted a red carpet review on my blog, but last night the Teen Choice Awards took place in LA providing me with the perfect opportunity to post a review. This is such a young/fun event so the majority of the dresses we saw were short and sweet, with just a few exceptions. I have put together a overview of who wore what.

Zendaya Coleman - Ashi Studio Fall 15 / Emma Roberts - Peter Pilotto Resort 16
Willow Shields - Marni Pre Fall 15 / Chloe Moretz - Gucci Resort 16

Gina Rodriguez - Alberta Ferretti / Nina Dobrev - Zuhair Murad Resort 16
Victoria Justice - Herve Leger Resort 16 / Lucy Hale - Julien Macdonald Fall 15

Keke Palmer - Giulietta Resort 16 / Jordana Brewster - Ulyana Sergeenko Demi-Couture

Lea Michele - Monique Lhuillier Resort 16 / Rowan Blanchard - Giamba Resort 16

Peyton List - DVF / Portia de Rossi - Naeem Khan Resort 16

Shay Mitchell - Versus Versace / Rita Ora - Max Mara

Cat Deeley / Bella Thorne - Balmain 

Italia Ricci - Alice and Olivia / Sarah Hyland - Christian Siriano Resort 16

Little Mix

Whilst I am not sure who designed all the girls outfits, I do know that Perrie Edwards wore a Milly striped bustier top. I like that the girls remained true to their style and had fun on the red carpet with a hint of attitude.

We mainly saw Resort 16 collections on the red carpet, with a few A/W15 looks thrown into the mix.

My Best Dressed

1. Chloe Moretz - Gucci Resort 16 - A mature runway way, but the snake embroidery and chiffon skirt kept the look fun.

2. Emma Roberts - Peter Pilotto Resort 16 - The colour was perfect for the LA weather and made a refreshing change against the deeper colour palettes that we also saw.

3. Lucy Hale - Julien Macdonald Fall 15 - The plunging neckline looked sultry but the styling and make-up ensured the look did not look over the top. I also adore the ink-blue colour.

Loved The Look...But Not For This Event

1. Willow Shields - Marni PreFall15 - The contrast of blue and red is so intense that the outfit has a great visual impact. However, the long sleeved top and ankle grazing leather skirt were far to heavy for this summertime event.

Who was your best dressed at this event?

Phillippa x

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Get Sporty...

Do you get major body envy scrolling though the Instagram pages of Gisele, Gigi and Karlie? All those incredible yoga poses and workout pics are enough to make anyone feel inspired to hit the gym and get in shape. Get yourself kitted out with some seriously cool workout clothes and give yourself that extra motivation. Who said sportswear had to be dull? These days there are so many niche brands specialising in high-performance sportswear in vibrant colours with energetic prints. Take a look at some of the best activewear currently available…now all you need is that Barrecore membership!  

1. Cynthia Rowley £115 / 2. Mara Hoffman £155 / 3. Live The Process / 4. Lucas Hugh £280

5.  Adidas Originals £55 / 6. The Upside £185 / 7. Adidas by Stella McCartney

8. Adidas Original + Pharell Williams £30 / 9. Monreal London £195 / 10. Monreal London £125

11. Monreal London £230 / 12. Cynthia Rowley £85 / 13. Monreal London £250

14. Monreal London £495

Phillippa x

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RA Summer Exhibition…Through My Eyes

I recently visited the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition. Here is a snapshot of all it had to offer, seen from my perspective.

Phillippa x

If you are always on the look out for new artists to inspire you, then take a look at my 'Artists' board on Pinterest. I have posted lots more inspirational work, you might even discover a new favourite! See the details below for all my professional design social media accounts.

Twitter - @Phillippa22

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Wednesday Wishlist

Phillippa x

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Print Trend Report - Resort 16

Now that the Resort 16 collections have wrapped up, I have put together a trend report detailing 8 key emerging trends from the season. These trends will be making their way into stores next year, so this report will give you an idea of what you may be wearing in 2016 whether you like to shop luxury or high-street. The 'Pre' trends mark a transition between seasons, but often the main themes continue to develop with the designers mainline Spring/Summer collections. If you are a regular reader of my blog, then you may know that I work in a design studio. As most brands work 6 months ahead of what we see in the shops, I have already seen an influx of retailers buying into the trends shown in this report in preparation for next year.

Teal Ferns

Emerging as one of the main trends this season, oversized teal fern prints are set to be huge. Teal is a great transitional colour, perfectly bridging the gap between wintery hues and bright high summer palettes. Despite being large scale, these fern prints are subtle due to their lack of detail making them easy to wear. Key Designers: Elie Saab and Marc Jacobs

Sketchy Florals

Delicate and feminine are how I would describe this emerging print trend. This trend will be great for those who like wearing print but nothing too overpowering. These sketchy abstract florals may look simplistic but their execution is on point. A very sophisticated print trend for Resort offering something a little different to obvious summery patterns. Key Designers: Mulberry and Jason Wu

Medallion

This new trend picks up on the 70's theme from last season. Tapestry prints were popular a couple of seasons ago and this is also a follow on from that. These medallion prints, with acute symmetry, will work well on transitional garments. These tile-like prints always evoke feelings of exotic travel locations and summer holidays, with a hint of bohemianism. Key Designers: Gucci and Zimmermann

Space-Dyed

Strictly speaking this is a knitwear trend, however I am certain these woven patterns will translate well into print. Retailers often look for 'non-prints'  to fill their collections, prints that are nondescript which are easy wear for customers of any age. Due to the lack of detail, they are easy to manufacture and are well suited to different styles of garments. Key Designers: Dior and Missoni

New Folk

There is always an element of 'folk' each summer season. This kind of print is perfect for holiday clothing. With inspiration taken from Polish art, amongst other references, think bold symmetry and culture. Key Designers: Andrew GN and Valentino

Seafarer

A rather matter of fact print trend for summer, beach and sea prints in typically seafaring colours. I like the mix we see here, yes all the prints are very similar but I like the contrast of the graphic motifs against softer hand-drawn prints. Key Designers: Karen Walker and Prabal Gurung.

Big Cut Paper

Matisse inspired art prints in bold colours. Even though the prints themselves are not complex, they are not necessarily easy to wear. These are still attention-grabbing prints and due to their scale work best on over-sized garments. Key Designers: Milly and Roksanda

Tropical Palms

Tropical's in vibrant colours are nothing new for summer, but this season the prints are large scale. More Matisse references, these prints are very graphic and bold. Another key element is the pleating detail on the garments, making the prints harder to define. Key Designers: Dior and Cedric Charlier

Which of these 8 key trends will you be keeping your eye on for Resort?

Last month I also posted a 3 part Resort 16 review on my blog, whereby I selected my top 30 collections. Take a little scroll back through my blog to see which collections were my favourites and explanation of why I liked them. 

If you want to take an extensive look at the Resort 16 collections then follow my 'Fashion Lookbooks' boards on Pinterest (details below).

Phillippa x

Twitter - @Phillippa22

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