The Stylist's Rail: Bargain Hunting and Cocktail Sipping Galore

A shiny new fashion event hit the Hoxton Hotel in East London this weekend; The Stylist's Rail was a vintage-meets-new-designers shopping experience, complete with cocktails and goodie bags for the crowds of attendees. I went along to sip and shop (sometimes simultaneously) and report back for you.

 Guests were greeted by quirky displays set against rails of pre-loved or brand new clothing and accessories.

 I couldn't resist snapping these passport covers by Elsie & Fred, made by customising brightly coloured pieces of leather. In fact, I ended up buying the top one.

 A trader showed off her amazingly versatile silk scarves, made in batches of 180.

There was a real mixture of styles available, meaning that you were in no danger of leaving the event empty-handed. From rock chick fringed black leathers to 60s PVC and suede skirts, there was something to appeal to even the pickiest vintage shopper, whilst the new brands on show offered really interesting accessories and outfits, including delicate gold bespoke jewellery and grungy sheer dresses.

 These vintage knitwear pieces caught my roving eye.

 Cocktails were kindly provided by Bloom.

 As you can see, we had rather generous glasses. Chin chin!

The cocktail element of the event was a real bonus. Whilst I'm not normally a fan of gin, I can definitely recommend a G&T made with Bloom, a dry London variety, and served with a strawberry. However, juggling shopping purchases and a glass became something of a balancing act for most of us!

 There was even a DJ to get the party started.

 My +1 was one of my best friends, Katherine, who enjoyed her G&T as well.

 This retro shoe line-up shows just how diverse the stock was at the vintage stalls.

 One of the key considerations when buying vintage at events like The Stylist's Rail is to really go through the rails with a fine tooth comb, so you don't miss anything. We found it helped to do a circuit of all the stalls a few times, just to make sure we saw everything available, and we looked out for eye-catching patterns and textures.

 Jewellery on sale was affordable, blinged up and trendy.

 Some of the pricier pieces were worth splashing out on. I would definitely have taken the plunge and bought these unusual brogue-style trainers (£68) if they'd been in my size.

 Incredibly, this Dolce & Gabbana coat was only £235.

 When checking out designer bargains, it's worth remembering that these items are going to generally be of better quality than your average high street vintage pick, so you won't really be able to haggle as much, because the price will be reflecting the brand name. Also, there will probably be someone willing to give the stallholder the offer they're looking for, so if you really want it then just go ahead and make that designer piece yours.

 A Prada denim twill handbag hung from the rails.

 These colourful bomber jackets were a photo opportunity waiting to happen.

If you wanted something more futuristic and less vintage, this stallholder was happy to oblige.

Having seen the success of this event, I'm sure The Stylist's Rail will be delivering more fashion injections to the people of East London, and I'm looking forward to a similarly eclectic mix of brands and retro bargains.

Fashion Raindrops: The Virgin Suicides

 On the Stairs.

"We felt the imprisonment of being a girl, the way it made your mind active and dreamy, and how you ended up knowing which colors went together. We knew that the girls were our twins, that we all existed in space like animals with identical skins, and that they knew everything about us though we
couldn't fathom them at all." (Jeffrey Eugenides, The Virgin Suicides). 

Every summer I find myself turning to The Virgin Suicides, one of my favourite books, and also the film adaptation by Sofia Coppola. It creates this beautiful hazy American vintage atmosphere, the kind of thing that designers would kill to evoke for a Spring/Summer collection, where people run barefoot and everything's a bit more innocent. I certainly feel like this year is full of yet another evocation of whiter-than-white dresses with lace, of floral headbands and knee-high socks, worn Lolita-style. It always makes me turn back to that book, for a more authentic and beautifully worded slant on sun-drenched afternoons and a little bit of heartache.

The other week I came across this amazing vintage dress at Brighton's Vintage Nation, featuring a gorgeous floral 1970s print and bell sleeves. I was hooked. £25 and a little restoration with some Vanish and I had myself a look that was almost worthy of the Lisbon sisters in the novel. 

So much of the text is about the local boys' perceptions of the girls and their appearance or behaviour, through the briefest of glimpses or through anecdotal evidence from their school-friends who have managed to get inside the sisters' world. When they try to liberate themselves at the school prom, with their sack-like dresses as imposed by the domineering Mrs. Lisbon, we see how they can go beyond the superficial, with conservative clothes unable to provide a barrier to their freedom.

 

Glowing White.

 “It didn't matter in the end how old they had been, or that they were girls, but only that we had loved them, and that they hadn't heard us calling, still do not hear us, up here in the tree house with our thinning hair and soft bellies, calling them out of those rooms where they went to be alone," (Jeffrey Eugenides).

If you get the chance to read The Virgin Suicides, then do. It's one of my favourite summer reads and it stays with you long after the last page is turned. Whether you're a fashion lover or you just like a good book, I can thoroughly recommend it.

[All photographs my own. Please ask before reproducing].

Vintage Nation, Brighton: Photo Essay

 Things kicked off nicely with some white floral lace that channeled Louis Vuitton and D&G.

 I couldn't resist grabbing a photo of these stallholders in period dress. Also her hair is to die for.

 A suitcase full of glasses waiting to be rummaged through...

 When polystyrene heads say it all.

 The furniture bazaar was set to the sound of Motown.

 A vintage Chevy kicked off the car displays.

 As a Ramones fan, I was drawn to the car with 'Hey Ho Let's Go' emblazoned on the number plate.

 I'm no car fanatic, but I think the vehicles really added something to the event.

 What you might call a dapper snapper...

 This fruity handbag also caught my eye.

They're a hot accessory at the moment, but authentic collar tips could be picked up from Vintage Nation for just £12.

 Taken at Vintage Nation, Brighton Racecourse - hosted by Judy's Vintage Fashion Fair.

[All photos my own. Please ask before reproducing].

Brighton Vintage Fair Photo Essay, Part II

 A flash of this season's lilac, but vintage style.

 1950s Riviera chic - this is how summer should be.

 The scarab beetle design of this clutch bag caught my eye.

 The view from the glove section...

 More sunglasses than you can shake a stick at.

 Nice bit of Coronation kitsch, in time for the Jubilee celebrations.

 A very quick snap of a stallholder (her very sweet child is just out of shot).

 A flamingo would set you back just a few quid here. Brilliantly quirky.

 Another very quick snap, this time of a dapper bloke who went for a flat cap and waistcoat look.

These playing cards formed the perfect backdrop to some paste jewellery.

Brighton Vintage Fair Photo Essay, Part I

 The entrance to Brighton's Vintage Fair today, featuring a period car.

 

 A visitor gazes at the costume jewellery on offer.

 These stallholders were brilliantly dressed and coiffed. I'm in love with the grey hat!

 Rock around the clock... 1950s chic on a mannequin.

 Trinkets caught the light at this stall.

 My best photo of the day: vintage shoes lined up for prospective buyers.

 The bargain of the fair: round tortoiseshell sunglasses for £5.

Dress: COS.

Lipstick: Accessorize.

I couldn't resist the print of this 1970s dress - Jazz Age flapper with a Clarice Cliff edge.

[All photos my own. Please ask before reproducing].

Aquascutum: No Return of the Mac

 An early example of Aquascutum's classic trench coat in action.

[Image via the Financial Times].

The Autumn/Winter 2012 collection from Aquascutum.

This week we've lost one of Britain's most recognised heritage brands, as Aquascutum collapsed after a rich history of trading to the public since 1851. The company was known for its trench coat, which was actually worn in wartime trenches (yep, unsurprisingly that's how the name was developed), but soon the rich and famous were known for wrapping up in the same style, albeit with less mortal peril involved in a trip to the shops. 

After years of being known as a staple wardrobe choice but without the edge of new and contemporary fashion that major rival Burberry had, it's now been revealed that 115 people are to lose their jobs in the Corby factory which lovingly produced Aquascutum stock. The brand prided itself on being made in Britain, which is why it's particularly sad that its future looks so bleak, as it just emphasises why so many retailers end up outsourcing their production to a far-flung country in order to stay afloat. Whereas Aquascutum refused to fall in line with the trend, the cost of keeping everything authentically British will have made it an uphill struggle. In recent years we've also seen the resurgence of fellow UK brand Barbour, now the obvious outerwear choice for both the landed gentry and the average celebrity It-girl at a festival, but this success (or frightening ubiquity) hasn't spread to poor old Aquascutum, despite being run by Harold Tillman - a.k.a. the Chairman of the British Fashion Council,and later a head honcho of Jaeger, Belinda Earl. 

It's funny how the decline of the company also seems so typically British in its own way, as if it was a pensioner stoically refusing to change and adapt to modern life or to go into a self-promotional overdrive in order to survive. "Oh, I'm alright, don't worry about me, I'll muddle along," it would say as it secretly wondered how on earth it would get out of this mess, but being too proud and polite to ask for help. I do think that, given enough time and a group of enthusiasts, Aquascutum could have had its own gentle revival, without the unsubtle youth modelling a la Burberry, but with a campaign that did for the English chap what Tommy Hilfiger did for American preppy clans, or what Alexander McQueen did for wonderfully Scottish tartan. 

It is disappointing that Tillman and his team, followed by Belinda Earl of the Jaeger Group, could not rescue the company, but I can fully understand that it is tricky to devise a strategy that keeps such a traditional brand's bare values in sight without destroying them in order to create something new. Perhaps Aquascutum just didn't want a Madonna-style reinvention, complete with leotards and stupid buzzwords. But, putting pride aside, it is incredibly disappointing that we'll be unlikely to see this iconic name still afloat when trench warfare is poignantly remembered in 2014 to mark a century since the outbreak of WWI. It seems that this company will be staying firmly in the past.

Top Spring/Summer 2012 Trends

As we're mid-way through the season, it seems fitting to look at the trends that have really made an impact in fashion and beauty. Here are seven of the best, giving you a week's worth of looks to road test:

 [Images via Style.com - please click to enlarge. 

L-R: Viktor & Rolf, Comme des Garcons, Meadham Kirchhoff].

1. Living Doll

On the Catwalk: Viktor & Rolf, Comme des Garcons and Meadham Kirchhoff all went for the doll aesthetic, fuelled by satin ruffles, frou frou skirts and very high necklines. Accessories included knee high socks, liberal amounts of glitter and incredibly long eyelashes, with Red Riding Hood-style capes seen at Vivienne Westwood to cover up. 

Wear with: tons of feline eyeliner, a sweet shop necklace and a quirky handbag, taking your cue from Olympia Le Tan's book clutch bags as seen on A-listers including Michelle Williams, who went for JD Salinger's Catcher in the Rye as her arm candy.

2. Cut and Paste

On the Catwalk: paste jewellery was seen at Miu Miu (in the form of cameo necklaces) and Dolce & Gabbana (used to embellish bodysuits and dresses), whilst Christian Dior's Spring Couture collection included jackets and skirts with exaggerated and obvious stitching lines. Meanwhile, laser-cut fabric turned heads at Louis Vuitton, Oscar de la Renta and Valentino, among others. The rule of thumb: either less is more, or more is more, with intricate layers of jewels or stripped back cluster sections of lace-like fabric holes doing the talking. Either way it's a feminine trump card that is more ladylike than the doll look.

Wear with: white tights and a beehive hairdo, applying as much Ellnett hairspray as possible - it's used by countless hair stylists and models.

[L-R: Stella McCartney, Lanvin, Balenciaga].

3. Olympic Arms

On the Catwalk: the shoulder was a key focus at Stella McCartney and Lanvin, where athletic arms really shone and you could forget about digging out your sports bra. The sports luxe trend relies on lashings of satin, halternecks, the occasional basketball vest shape and plenty of baseball jackets. Balenciaga provided padded shoulders that American jocks could almost carry off with aplomb. 

Wear with: a hint of body shimmer and bronzer (not too much or you'll give it an Essex feel), alongside a neoprene rucksack, fluoro eyeliner and Topshop hi-tops if you're going down the casual vest route.

4. Serious Talons

On the Celebrities: Both Adele and Lady Gaga have, ahem, spiked interest with their pointed manicures. If you're looking to really go for something different in beauty then this is definitely a style worth considering, as you'll never be able to stand a boring squared-off row of false nails again. Grab a rounded set and file them to an inverted 'V' shape if you can't find cool enough options on the high street.

Wear with: a pair of killer heels and some chandelier earrings. This look is versatile enough to work with several different styles, from leather jacket and hot-pants to the little black dress.

 [L-R: Charlotte Ronson, Prada, Louis Vuitton].

5. The Life Aquatic

On the Catwalk: it didn't have to be sea-themed, but aqua was everywhere during the S/S 2012 fashion weeks, from Charlotte Ronson's cool USA chiffon vibe to the elegant lace-clad Rodarte girl and the city-dwelling Prada woman with her long coat hiding a sneaky crop top. Marc Jacobs at Louis Vuitton brought us aqua tweed and gorgeous triple-strap kitten heels, House of Holland introduced cloudy aqua denim amidst sugared almond shades, and we all suddenly felt the need for an injection of that pale greenish-blue. This may have been the tip of the iceberg as far as pastels go right now, but it was a bloody big iceberg; aqua is the colour du jour.

Wear with: take a tip from Prada and go for bright red, making the blue tones really pop in comparison. Don't forget an aqua manicure or pedicure (try Barry M's Blue Moon) and a slick of pale lip gloss.

6. Deco Decade

On the Catwalk: Whether you blame the recession's glance back to the Great Depression, the Great Gatsby remake or the fact that Downton Abbey will be placing its third series in this decade, there was no denying the historical link between Dolce & Gabbana, Alberta Ferretti and Etro was firmly set to Art Deco. Milan Fashion Week, in particular, went crazy for the 1920s, but many other designers payed heed to all things Jazz Age, including Ralph Lauren. Key quirks included geometric lines, burnished gold accents on dresses, thin headbands and t-bar or Mary Jane shoes. Even at Victoria Beckham, the drop waist dress could be seen to have a 20s origin if you looked hard enough.

Wear with: the Marcel wave. A notoriously fiddly hair do, this is one of the most iconic things about the 1920s. Curl your hair and set the kinks with curling tongs and metal hairdressing clips, ideally following some of the brilliant step-by-step guides on Youtube.

 [L-R: Mary Katrantzou, Rodarte, Erdem].

7. Heavy Petal

On the Catwalk: the queen of intense floral prints is Mary Katrantzou, who continued to use them in her work but also added newer influences like underwater and animal forms which sat well with the flowers that made her famous. Meanwhile Erdem, another London print king, looked to chintzy blooms that stood out thanks to vintage-style hats, giving everything an air of cool granny chic. Lastly, those California Dreamers at Rodarte - sisters Kate and Laura Mulleavy - made us look afresh at Van Gogh's sunflowers for our floral cues.

Wear with: all black or white creates a blank canvas from which the prints can almost blossom. Try a black pencil skirt with a simple black beret, a plain white t-shirt and studded kitten heels, or black leather trousers and minimalist boots.

Of course, this is by no means a comprehensive list, as there's still half a season for micro trends to emerge and expected trends to sell pitifully (yep, it can happen). Just bear in mind that these seven are going to be sticking around for a while yet, so you'd better get used to it!