Lang...the new Wang...?

So I've spoken before about my love of basic t-shirts (T By Alexander Wang).
I really do LOVE a simple, beautiful, plain t-shirt. This was confirmed recently when I was sorting out my wardrobe to find I own a ridiculous amount of white t-shirts!! Oops! Slight obsession me thinks...

A new diffusion line has recently landed in UK stores and I am really eager to go and check it out.
Helmut Lang's new line, simply labelled 'Helmut', is a cheaper range of his beautiful mainline staples.
Helmut Lang's mainline collection not only consists of stunning draped silk dresses but also of asymmetric t-shirts. These being repeated in various colours every season, without fail. Some may argue this is a lack of creativity, however I see it as intelligent branding and part of the identity of the label.
The superb quality and beautiful cut of the t-shirts is what draws loyal customers back each season to top up their wardrobes.
They may not provide the clean cut look of a classic Jil Sander however they give a perfect relaxed, comfortable feel which looks amazing with boyfriend jeans and Comme Play Converse, or with skinny leather trousers/jeans and a killer pair of Kirkwoods. It is exactly the sort of t-shirt you want in your wardrobe, that you can grab on an indecisive moment/in promptu night out, with the knowledge you will look half decent without much effort! You know we love the quick and easy look ladies!

I haven't purchased said simple t-shirts as they are preeetty pricey (looking at £100+)...gulp...but you can still catch some in the sales. This dilemma has also been made easier with this new diffusion line.
Although not a lot cheaper...they are worth it if you fancy a bit of a splurge on a decent piece of clothing.
There isn't a huge amount of Helmut in the UK stores at the moment (only seen it in Feathers and Start) however I had a notification today that it is heading to Matches very soon.

This is going to be a new competitor for some other diffusion lines and it definitely has potential to become my new...dare I say it.... T By Wang (sorry!) Really glad to see Helmut sticking to what they know best with this line and hopefully they will be adding to the collection with some classic Helmut Lang knits for Autumn Winter!

Keep your eyes peeled! Some examples below.

(photos courtesy of feathersfashion.com)

PLEASE PRESS PLAY!

I've been looking for some new music recently and I always think it pretty rare when you find a new album that you can listen to all the way through and really enjoy at least 90% of it. Normally I just pick and choose a few singles from different albums but I have to say I am LOVING Alt-J's debut album.
I downloaded this Cambridge crew's new sound, yesterday, and I found it extremely difficult to press pause when I reached my front door at work this morning! It definitely calmed my rage about the bus strikes....!
I think I will let you make your own minds up about this new album. I don't want to tell you what I think it sounds like or what it reminds me of or even what sort of genre it fits into. I want it to be a surprise!
All I can say is that if you don't give the album a listen, you are missing out.

(If you really want to read a bit more about them before you listen, give this Guardian review a browse.)

Below is one of my favourite tracks, Taro. Not the official video obviously but I loved the track too much not to share it.

P.S Please play loud!!!

Check it out, Check it out!!

I AM EXCITED!!

I know I am a bit behind with this, but after just catching up with my favourite fashion blogs, I came across something raaaather exciting on Disneyrollergirls page.

MARGIELA FOR H&M!!

H&M have done it AGAIN with collaborating with one of the top 10 (well in my eyes) fashion houses. And what a fashion house it is.
This will undoubtedly be another huge success for H&M and I am so pleased they have spread their wings to an 'edgy'(don't really like to use the word but my brain is limited this morning!) designer.
The collection will comprise of Men's and Women's clothing, as well as accessories (fingers crossed for bags and jewellery!)
I cannot claim to own a lot of Margiela clothing, one because I would need to win the lottery for some of it and two I admit some of it just doesn't suit me. This however is definitely NOT to say that I don't constantly swoon over their collections, and I am pretty sure I will be purchasing at least one item when it arrives in store in the Winter.
Margiela knows how to break boundaries and not just with their clothing, but also with their homeware designs and advertising campaigns.
Check out the video and image below for an example of their genius branding.
Whether you like their designs or not, Margiela will remain as one of the 'greats'.

Never thought I would be saying this in June but....BRING ON NOVEMBER!!

(courtesy of vogue.co.uk)

Sooooo......

......it has been a while!!!

I have realised that when things get a bit manic, it is rather difficult to keep up with important things like blogging!!
I am still here and I have a lot to talk about so be prepared over the next few weeks to be bombarded with information....oops! I've seen a lot of cool stuff over the last few months (I am waaaay behind!) and I can't help but share it with you.
One key topic to be featured will be my fantastic trip to Ibiza. This was a bit of a detox trip for me and I could not be more thankful to my very generous Aunt for letting me stay with her. It is VERY fortunate to know someone who has experienced ALL aspects of the island, for quite some years, and I was so grateful to be able to go and experience a lot of what the tourists don't!
As soon as I sort out my computer there will be pictures galore!

So give me a few days and it will all begin again :)

Can't wait!!

(P.S Kind of enjoying wearing some of my winter jumpers AGAIN! "In June??" you ask....YES!! Ah well hopefully the knitwear will be replaced with cotton t-shirts and sunglasses again soon!
Enjoy the windy weekend!)

SPRING HAS SPRUNG!

...And I will be back shortly! Had a bit of a health blip but it's over and the sun is shining!!!!
 It's time to get excited :)

Mellow Yellow - Quite Rightly!!

Today is Marie Curie Cancer Care day.

This means it is time to dig out the yellow people!
I am sporting my VERY vibrant Cos jumper at work today. It is sooooo yellow that apparently it makes up for the other people in the office who failed the challenge this morning!!

According to the majority of people at my work, they don't own a single item of yellow clothing in their wardrobe...shocking!! Ok so I can understand it doesn't suit eeeveryone, but why not give it a go! Yellow was a pretty predominant colour for last season and a more pastel tone will be seen in stores for Spring/Summer. So step away from the black and bring out the brights!

Aaaanyway enough about the clothing, what's more important is that we are wearing it for a good cause. If you haven't got your yellow on, at least donate some money to the charity and sport a little yellow daffodil.

Don't be afraid of the yellow, wear it with pride!!

A Fond Farewell with a Warm Welcome Back!

So as you might have heard, there was a pretty huge announcement from the catwalk in Milan.
By far and away one of my favourite designers is leaving one of my favourite fashion labels.
Talk about double whammy!
The sad, although expected, news comes from Jil Sander as it was confirmed that Raf Simons is leaving. However don't join in me in my wallowing for too long, as he will be joining either Dior (most likely) or YSL. PLUS.....Jil Sander is coming back!!! Amazing news and I think incredibly wise.

I am really hoping there isn't a serious switch around in the designs of their clothing. I am sure the quality will remain but it is only in the recent few years that I have become a huge admirer of Jil Sander as a brand, and this has been down to the genius that is Raf Simons. Not only have I admired his work at Jil Sander but also his menswear collections. From selling the clothing at the Bluebird, I have witnessed his attention to detail and impeccable quality and cut of his clothing. He uses extremely clean and minimal lines when it comes to key pieces. Think back to his sell-out, over-sized, structured, silk skirts from Spring/Summer 11.
Simple but breath-taking. I can only hope he takes this quality with him onto his next venture, it makes him the stand-out designer he is today.

It is very sad to see him go, and by the incredibly rare standing ovation he received in his final show, it is clear to see this feeling is widespread. Saying this, it is also very exciting to hear the return of the woman herself. The german designer has been away from her fashion home for a while now, and I think it is a great decision that she has not been replaced with someone else and is coming back. Taken from a quote from a recent article in the Telegraph: "At the moment, there seems to be a craving for authenticity and clear visions. I am confident that this is the time for modern sophistication, for attractive, wearable fashion which is true to the new century." I really hope she comes back with a bang and sticks by her word on this.

Out with the old and in with the new, as they say. Or maybe it should be "out with old and back in with the old"...?! Ah well whatever it is, it's exciting!!!