Resort 19 Trend - Block Colour

It was only last week that I was showing you the 'ice-cream colours' trend for Resort 19, and this week it's a whole different story. The bolder, and brighter, the better! Colour-blocking is never for the faint hearted - it's an unashamedly bold sartorial statement. Ok so who was championing the trend this season? You can always rely on Versace for pulling a showstopping bold collection out of the bag, and even for resort that was no different. Ribbed knitted dresses, in block panels of: blue, orange and pink made a real statement. Intersected with slashes of black for the ultimate eye-catching assertion of vibrant colour for the win! More of the same was seen over at Victor Glemaud, who delivered acidic orange vests layered over cornflower blue polo necks...not to mention being teamed with pink kick flares with yellow piping. It was a bold move that paid off, thanks in part to the overall relaxed feel of the collection. Elsewhere, Calvin Klein and Vionnet opted for a sporty take on eveningwear. Klein showcased floor length dresses with polo necks, whilst Vionnet added a dose of the 90's trend to the mix with classic waist bags. These bold colour combo's also strongly reminded me of the work of Mowgli Omari, one of my favourite artists whose work is created using coloured paper. 

Phillippa x

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Resort 19 Trend - Ice Cream Colours

Ice-cream colours for spring...what's new? Ok so we've definitely seen ice-cream pastels for spring for several seasons now, but its a winning colour palette. In previous seasons we have seen block colour pastels, but for Resort 19 things are a little different. Sorbet shades were combined into single garments, creating dreamy pastel rainbows.  Many garments were tiered, or ruffled, meaning these icy blush colours sat harmoniously next to each other. Preen took the trend one step further, and placed pastel coloured ditsy floral prints, on top of the already pastel backdrop. Many designers also focused on occasion wear dressing with his trend. We don't often see pastel shades on the red carpet gowns, so this new take on eveningwear will make a refreshing updated take on dressing for the red carpet.  If you, like me, like to have transseasonal pieces in your wardrobe, then i'd advise against investing too greatly in this trend. Whilst these ice-cream colours will look suitably fresh in Spring, teamed with sandals and white accessories, they will be somewhat harder to style for the autumnal months.  Overall though, just because a colour palette is ultra feminine and delicate doesn't mean it can't still make an impact. 

Key Designers: Preen, Dennis Basso, CF Goldman

Phillippa x

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A/W 18 Trend - Tapestry

So we are currently experiencing a heatwave in the UK, and here's me sat inside writing a blog post about autumnal trends...and when it comes to fabric does it really get more autumnal than tapestry textiles in a leafy colour palette? Seen at both Mary Katrantzou and Off-White, tapestry textiles were revived for the runway and constructed into edgy silhouettes with modern styling. Tapestry, given the nature of the fabric,  is always going to look fairly traditional. If you stay true to the heritage of the fabric, then most likely the colour palette will be beautiful earthy shades of blue and green - both designers in question here did just that. Gorgeous autumnal teals were offset with rustic browns, creating a harmonious colour scheme. Katrantzou, whose work is always ornate and highly decorated, used tapestry from the famed Parisian manufacturer 'Gobelins'.  She interpreted the fabric for the runway by showcasing quilted jackets, with patent trims, as well as off-the-shoulder dresses with corset waists. Over at Off-White, Vigil Abloh took tapestry down an equestrian route. Tapestries adorned with horses, were fashioned into tailored jackets, dresses, corsets and high-waisted shorts - the later two of which are set to be amongst the most coveted pieces of the season. For me, the key to nailing this trend is all in the styling. It needs to be edgy, else it could look dated. Opt for a cinched in waist or tubular bodice. Layer with a crisp white shirt and team with a statement heel or cool trainer for a sporty vibe. 

Phillippa x

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Taylor Swift - Reputation Stadium Tour

So after a decade in the making, I finally got to see Taylor Swift at Wembley last month! Having been a fan of Taylor for a full 10 years, first listening to her music whilst I was at college, I have never had the chance to see her perform live before. When she toured with her last album '1989' in 2015, she performed at British Summer Time festival in Hyde Park, but I missed the chance to get tickets. At this show, she was joined on stage by: Karlie Kloss, Gigi Hadid, Kendall Jenner, Cara Delevingne, Martha Hunt and Serena Williams during a performance of her hit song 'Style'....I was gutted to have missed it. I knew in this moment that the next time she toured the UK, I would go to see her. Fast-forward to the present day and Taylor is currently touring with her latest record 'Reputation'. The album was released in fall 2017, and it's pretty much all I've been listening to since it's release. The record is inspired, in part, but a certain American rapper and his reality tv star wife who seemed to take it upon themselves to bring about the demise of Swift by using dirty tactics on social media. Unfortunately for them, Taylor was not prepared to let her this incident end her career. Showing a high level of integrity, she took back ownership of her reputation and even started using the snake emoji as branding for her record. A genius move! The rest of the record is inspired by personal narratives about love and life. 

I got tickets to see her at Wembley, and what a show it was! Yes I was so far back that I could barely see Taylor herself on stage, but honestly that didn't matter one bit. The second the intro of the opening song 'Ready For It' started playing, the entire stadium was on their feet...and it stayed this way for the entire show. It was an atmosphere like I have never experienced before at a concert, and i've been to many gigs and even Glastonbury on a few occasions. The fans were truly all in, no matter their age or gender. Taylor excited the crowd by playing on 3 separate stages, 2 of which were located on the pitch itself, meaning fans in this area had the chance to get super close to the popstar herself. The show really came alive as the sky darkened and the wristbands, which we received upon entry, all lit up in sync to the music. In regards to the setlist, I love that Taylor performed several tracks from her previous records, mixing them in with newer material to create a medley of archive hits. A personal highlight for me, was when Swift performed a surprise acoustic version of 'Fifteen', which was the first Taylor song I ever heard way back when. I also loved the fun performance of Shake It Off with Charli XCX and Camila Cabello, as well as 'Getaway Car' which had incredible visuals. The show ended, with huge applause, to 'This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things'

(above, Taylor performing 'Shake It Off' with support acts Charli XCX and Camila Cabello)

At a recent show at the rose Bowl in California, Taylor surprised fans by performing duets with: Selena Gomez, Shawn Mendes and Troye Sivan. With her London date being at such a legendary venue like Wembley, I was fully expecting a special guest appearance...and my goodness Taylor did not disappoint. Cue Robbie Williams taking to the stage with Taylor to sing 'Angels'. I have NEVER heard a crowd cheer so loud, it was unbelievable. Angels in undoubtedly one of the most iconic British songs of all time so to hear that performed at Wembley, during the Rep tour, was totally unexpected and magical. 

(above, Taylor performing 'Angels' with Robbie Williams)

What I love about Taylor, aside from her music of course, is that she carries herself with such a high level of grace and elegance. In a world where girls are constantly striving to look a certain way, post seductive selfies and dress provocatively - especially in the entertainment industry, it is a breath of fresh air to see such a successful young woman rise to the top of her game without compromising herself to conform to 'industry ideals'. When you watch Taylor perform, you can see that she is whole-heartedly in this industry for all the right reasons - she loves writing, recording and performing. There is no hidden agenda or deep desire for fame. I think we can all learn a lot form Taylor - she's smart, respectful and hardworking.

My Top 10 Taylor Tracks

1. Wildest Dreams

2. So It Goes

3. Enchanted

4. Red

5. Style

6. Delicate

7. Bad Blood

8. Getaway Car

9. Out Of The Woods

10. Call It What You Want

Phillippa x

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Outfit of The Month - July

It's that time of the month again...OOTM time that is! So if you are familiar with my OOTM posts, then you'll know for sure by now that mini skirts are my thing... I'm literally obsessed with them. This camo skirt from Nila Lotan really caught my eye. It gave me serious 00's vibes (Destiny's Child 'Survivor' music video much!). Whilst I love a good throwback, for me I like to keep styling modern. I've teamed the skirt with the coveted 'marching' tee from Re/Done. I've seen so many celebs wearing this t-shirt, including Jennifer Lawrence and Emma Roberts - and I'm all about a good slogan tee. As this one has a block colour print, it's still a super wearable style and a cool update on a basic white t-shirt. As you might be able to tell with the styling of this outfit, i've gone for quite an edgy look. The super casual skirt/tee combo is made more 'put together' with the inclusion of a blush pink tailored blazer from Elizabeth and James. I'm a huge advocate of a tailored blazer, but I usually opt for black. This ice-cream pink number adds a hint of femininity to the overall look and works perfectly for the summer months. For footwear I had to go for a 90's style trainer. These are literally everywhere atm (I even wrote a blog post on the so called 'ugly trainer' trend). Whilst trainers were once considered 'sporty or casual' this new wave of sneakers are a very desired high fashion look. It's not a style that I would usually go for, but i'm loving this high top pair from Chloe. The red and green splashes of colour perfectly pick up on the colours in the skirt/tee. The cute bucket bags comes courtesy of Nico Giani and can we please just talk about those shades? Yellow zebra print, slim cat-eye sunglasses - yes please! I adore the contrast of the zebra print with the camo. Whilst on paper you may not think these two prints would work together, the reality is the clashing print combo totally works and i'm living for this look right now. What do you think of this outfit?

Phillippa x

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