Warehouse's Arty Prints: David Hockney and Ansel Adams Would Approve

After spotting an amazing canyon-print dress from Warehouse in one of the Saturday papers, I couldn't resist making comparisons between its design and that of David Hockney's Grand Canyon photo collage, and even his paintings of the landmark. Logging onto the website, I then tracked down another art-inspired dress that reminded me of legendary photographer Ansel Adams. As an art graduate I'm always chuffed to find major high street brands taking their cues from artists, and I thought I'd show you just how I made those connections.

 [Images via Warehouse and Lalouver].

 The Canyon Print Dress (£70) is sure to make an impact.

I like that Warehouse has put such a bold print on the entirety of the fabric, not cutting into it with plain sections but allowing it to dominate. The horizontal bands are much like Hockney's intense collage, following the form of the wearer like his photos follow the canyon's shape.

[Images via Warehouse, Artnet (photo of the artist) and the National Gallery of Australia].

I'm guessing a little bit of Hockney inspired the designer.

What strikes me is how the multi-layered rock formations  and colour bands sit on one piece of chiffon but give the illusion of several pieces sewn together. You can see in Hockney's painting, A Bigger Grand Canyon (1999), that colour divides work well and help to illustrate the way that the canyon has different facets. There's also a warmth to the painting that translates to the dress - that fiery vermillion against a snippet of cool blue. Already I have a few locations in mind for creating an outfit post with this - either a dry river bed or an abandoned building - if only I can get saving up that £70...

[Images via Warehouse and Tumblr].

Poetic and with the lightness of a Polaroid.

A different cut to this Landscape Print Dress (£55) but still a big link to artistry, with this china blue and white print that reminded me of a teal Ansel Adams Polaroid photo of Yosemite Falls (1979). If you changed Adams' work to that same royal blue, I think the comparison would be even closer. I also love the pin-tuck in the waist band that makes the fabric kick out, like a waterfall.

 There's also an element of Japanese artist Hokusai, but I'm more drawn to the photographic elements of the print.

The slight mullet hem brings this bang up-to-date and also helps to emphasise curves. The whole piece is lined to the hem, so don't worry about revealing your modesty.

 [Image via Weston Gallery, and close-up Warehouse].

This is an example of Adams' straight photography and how it complements the print of the fabric.

My final comparison shows how the delicate foliage and waterfall shot by Adams in Yosemite seems similar to the print on the dress. I don't know for sure whether the designer had referenced him directly, or even looked at his work, but I feel that there is a natural link there, and it's great to see that fashion is continually looking to the art world for its eye-catching prints.

The Look Show : your high street loves you

I was very lucky to win tickets to the Look Show, held at the new Westfield Shopping Centre in Stratford, last week. My tickets, courtesy of Warehouse, meant that I was also able to treat my sister to a peek of the high street's current and future offerings. The show opened with Sarah Harding, of Girls Aloud, modelling the Shivani Chavda collection for Warehouse, which uses gorgeous prints and vibrant colours.

It wouldn't be Autumn/Winter without a glimmer of gold, and this dress - also from Warehouse - adds a classy edge. The slit sleeves are modern but the shift shape is timeless. I always think it's much easier to wear gold than silver in dresses, because too much silver can lead to the inevitable 'she's wrapped herself in tin foil' comments.

Keeping warm doesn't have to mean cutting out style, as Warehouse proves with this pink double-breasted coat on one model and faux fur stole against an inky blue maxi skirt on another. It's about adding a shot of pure colour to keep things fresh. Alongside the hot coat, this model's neon pink lipstick looks great - Barry M and Sleek do some brilliant shades if you want to recreate it.

As you can see, the models' hair was suitably autumnal, with a lot of backcombing and texturising spray making up the final look.

Forever 21 gave us a zig-zag maxi in scarlet, with a bright red hat to top things off.

This corset top is made into a fashion item, rather than something for the lingerie drawer, with the addition of a tan blazer and a white skirt. Very creative styling - love it.

Another example of inventive styling was at New Look, where this slinky yellow shirt-dress was given an under-layer in cream and a pencil-thin red scarf to accessorize. It's a much more interesting take on day wear than the dress alone, because it becomes part of a layered blend of autumnal colours.

Dionne Bromfield was an excellent choice for the guest singer. Not only was she flawless, but she seemed genuinely lovely and had been styled appropriately for her age in a petal-cut silver top and skinny trousers with heels.

The dark denim shirt has been everywhere in the past few seasons of menswear, but it is refreshed next to this tomato red cardigan and slicked back matinee idol hair.

I love the silhouette made by this model as she stopped for the cameras. Her teal jumpsuit ticks several trends: Studio 54 glam, new season colours and sharp tailoring.

Dorothy Perkins has often disappointed me in recent years for its uninspiring stock, but this model's outfit was a pleasant surprise. Pairing mustard shorts with a pale coral top and vermillion jacket with gold buttons is a winning combination.

I not only love this dress because it's burgundy, but also because it feels like something from a Romantic-era painting. The corsages and the pleats bring it more towards modern dressing, but it would work just as well with bare feet and a touch of fairy dust at the bottom of the garden.

Marks and Spencers opens with a strong red coat - its 3/4 sleeves mean that there's a fashion edge over function, but the forgiving shape will prove popular.

I am badly lusting after this M&S dress (£39.50), which uses ecru panels on a black tube structure. One of the biggest motivators for me to get fit and tone up my stomach - it's good for being flirty, with contouring detail, but not slutty.

M&S Menswear takes on the log cabin look with check shirts, plain chinos and outdoorsy imitation Barbour jackets - more quilted padding than you can shake a stick at.

Kimberley Wyatt (formerly of the Pussycat Dolls) was in closest celeb proximity to me, just across the aisle and down a few rows. I loved her burgundy shorts and boxy jacket.

Kelis was another celeb at the event, and she seemed to be going for a Vivienne Westwood feel with a corset-style red top and tartan trousers. I also love her friend's hair, which has been ombre-dyed purple at the ends.

All the leaves are brown, and the sky is grey...

[Image above and below taken from River Island online]. Here's something to whet your appetite for autumn - the perfect cropped leather jacket, courtesy of River Island. Its boxy shape means that it adds bulk to boyish figures, but it's less easy to pull off if you're big in the chest department (that includes me, but I can dream of owning this all the same). The fringing detail is cool without being too in-your-face, and you could cut off those bits if they annoyed you and still have a decent, genuine leather jacket.

I love the back view - it's the kind of jacket you can imagine picking up in a flea market and wearing to death. It's also very celluloid bad boy, as if it could be worn by a bloke with no morals and a devilish grin (you know the type). At £150 it's not a cheap investment, but you get what you pay for and this should last ages.

I wanted to show you the back view of this gorgeous Warehouse dress first [taken from Warehouse online], because it has one of those vintage twists with the peephole neckline. The print is also lovely - it's traditional without being too prim and proper. Bird motifs always seem to do well on the high street, and this will be no exception.

From the front, you really see the silk fabric at its best. The cut means that it's flattering to a larger stomach because there's a band to nip in your waist and draw attention to that instead. I also like the petal-shaped sleeves, which are a simple but effective addition to this design. It's £65, which nicely fits into that 'special occasion' price range for weddings/corporate events/regular office wear if your dress code goes beyond suits.

[Image taken from Topshop online]. These boots have sold out, which made me incredibly sad, but also determined to track them down in store (please have a size 7, local Topshop!). Ticking dual trend boxes of Chelsea boots and 80s glitterati, they are a bargain at £36 and they might well be a great icebreaker. Yes, they're very 'fashion student', but also quite playful; the wearer probably doesn't take themselves too seriously. What to team them with, if you can find a pair? Definitely not blue denim - you'd look like a member of B*Witched. I'd advise black skinny jeans and an oversized t-shirt, or a long shirt with leggings and minimal make-up, with just one element of the face looking 'done' (eyes, lips or brows). Then sprinkle some stardust and get ready to rock.