Louis Vuitton 'Resort 2017' Show in Rio

With Chanel flying their brand out to Cuba to debut their recent collection, it was obvious that fellow high end brands were going to have to up their game in terms of what and where they could also show off their exclusive collections this year for Resort 2017. Therefore, we were not surprised to hear that Louis Vuitton, Chanel's ongoing competitor, travelled all the way to the exotic origin of Rio in Brazil to offer an afternoon filled with modernism, culture and rich artistic influences from the destination itself.

The show was staged at the Niterói Contemporary Art Museum which was designed by the  acclaimed Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer and is one of Rio's most credited and iconic landscapes. It is also the same place where the 2016 Olympics will be held in two months time. Therefore, as you can imagine it is quite a memorable and exclusive destination for Louis Vuitton to have taken over for the day to translate their dramatic and very contemporary collection.

Whether this was a coincidence or not, Vuitton's collection also communicated a strong vision of sports lux and edge. Therefore, arguably, the brand may have been preparing the city for the summer games with their sports references throughout to fuel the anticipation before the big event.

2The idea for this collection was a fusion of this tropical, natural quality that is all around us in Rio and the urban element,” said Nicolas Ghesquière, Louis Vuitton’s artistic director.

In terms of the collection, Nicolas Ghesquière had also taken inspiration from Oscar Niemeyer's magnificent architectural structure. The artistic director did this by creating garments that reflected the swirling, geometric patterns and the complex colours of the Brazilian’s architecture. There were also pieces which were adorned with statement ruffles that seemed to reflected his futuristic constructions.

To further play on this sports lux theme, the brand had models wearing colour block dresses which appeared to look similar to scuba suits and windbreaker parkas which had been designed to replicate the structure and design of a flag. Needless to say, the brand had also created basketball shorts which had bold stripes down the sides in blazing reds that probably reflected the current heat in Brazil.

Here are a few looks from the show which I thought stood out the most, see what you think and let me know!

Start of a new adventure: My Summer Internship

Hello everyone! So today's post is a little different to the others I have been previously writing which have either concerned the latest news within media and fashion or tributes to some of the best creatives that have ever contributed to the industry. As for this post, it is a short one about something that will be going on in my life over the next few months which I am extremely excited to share with you all!!

As of Monday 13th June I will be starting my very first fashion internship in the industry which will last for just over three months. As you may have read throughout my blog, I have taken on various other work experience roles such as showroom assisting, styling and interning for London Fashion Week over the past year, which have all given me a first hand experience of what it is really like to work within the creative industry. However, this time, I will actually be taking on the role of 'Editorial Intern' and working 'e-commercially' for a brand called Jules B which was founded and is ran in the North East of England in Newcastle Upon Tyne by husband and wife, Julian and Rhona Blades. Anyone who knows me will know that this is possibly my dream internship to do because not only do I get to do it locally and close to my hometown but also I have always been extremely interested in working on the online E-Commerce side of fashion and within areas concerning journalism, blogging (obviously), buying and product merchandising. I would say that creative writing and fashion marketing are something I take very seriously and I am always looking to expand my skills within these areas. Therefore, hopefully this internship will allow me to do so!

Furthermore, excitingly my internship lasts for a whole three months therefore, I look forward to learning a great deal of knowledge and understanding which will give me a stronger basis of skills for working with the fashion industry. All in all I am just super grateful to have been selected to take part in such an amazing opportunity and I can't wait to start the new adventure!! I will keep you all posted about how I am getting on along the way and a clear outline of what I will be doing once I start the internship!

Thanks for reading!

Kate x


Just a quick little bit about Jules B as a brand before you go...

Jules B have been dressing stylish men and women for over 30 years. Julian and Rhona Blades opened their first Jules B store in Jesmond just outside the city centre of Newcastle-upon-Tyne in the North-east of England in 1984. Along with their own clothing range, the brand also stocks world renowned fashion houses and designers for men and women including Vivienne Westwood, McQ Alexander McQueen, Hugo Boss, Paul Smith, Barbour, Canada Goose, Alexander Wang and Armani Jeans to name only a few!

Furthermore, the brand has also won the Drapers Magazine coveted title of ‘Best Independent Fashion Store’ an impressive four times. Therefore, this makes me even more excited to be interning for such a successful and credited brand within the industry!

Kenzo x H&M

So just after the fashion world are eventually getting over the Balmain x H&M craze of 2015, the Swedish multi national brand have done it again by rewarding it's consumers with another exciting collaboration that has already got the industry and media talking.

This year, H&M have another extraordinary collection lined up with none other than the Japanese- French brand, Kenzo. As a huge fan of the brand myself and of course it's daughter brand, Opening Ceremony, finding out this news was music to my ears.

The Kenzo x H&M collection will go on sale globally on 3 November and is set to include womenswear, menswear and accessories. A spokesperson from the brand also suggested that the aesthetic of the collection is set to be “creativity, fun and love of fashion”. Therefore, we can only imagine so far that this means Kenzo will be promoting colour, boldness and fresh new prints to juxtapose with the preconceptions of an Autumn season debut. The creative director's behind the brand and Opening Ceremony, Lim and Humberto Leon also supported this statement by suggesting that they wanted to 'think big, push the boundaries and bring the new energy of Kenzo to everyone around the world.' Therefore, in terms of the collection catering for many different consumers around the world, this also suggests that arguably, the collaborative collection may actually be quite affordable. Obviously this is in comparison to Olivier Rousteing's collection, which was a little out of the typical H&M consumer's price range. (AKA I was just not willing to pay that much money for a sequined and rhinestoned till there was no fabric left LBD).


The news was revealed via the brand's Twitter and Instagram feeds. You can follow this link to view the video which accompanied the anticipated revelation.
https://twitter.com/hm/status/735410075167117312



Kenzo are following in the footsteps of fellow prestigious fashion houses such as Isabel Marant, Karl Lagerfeld, Alexander Wang, Matthew Williamson and of course, Balmain, so they definitely have a lot to live up to. Let's see if this collection causes as much of an explosion on the high street as Balmain did with it's result of endless queues overnight and dresses being resold on the black market at 10 times the original price. Something tells me due to the styling of Kenzo it may cater to a different type of consumer to those who took interest in Balmain's collaboration
but only time will tell!

Kenzo A/W 16/17

Although I discussed it not too long ago briefly in my post all about the evolution and identity of Kenzo itself, lets remind ourselves of their recent Autumn/Winter 16/17 collection that they showcased at Paris Fashion Week earlier this year. Maybe this will give us a stronger feel for what we are to expect from the brand in the upcoming Autumn when they translate their fashion identity onto the high street market.

Exotic tiger prints, complex textures and ruthless tailoring. What more could we expect from Kenzo?!

 

 

Nike Lab x Olivier Rousteing (First Look)

If there's one fashion icon that has weaved themselves throughout the high street market over the past year, it is definitely the current director behind Balmain, Olivier Rousteing. However, this time, he is temporarily going solo and leaving his Balmain army behind to step into the active and sportswear market with his new collaboration with Nike.

Over the past couples of days via social media, Nike has unveiled a few new images shot by the legendary innovative photographer, Nick Knight, showcasing the soccer-inspired collection in true Balmain style. This is the second collaboration in NikeLab’s Summer of Sport series which has taken on the challenge of blending its innovative identity with another creative vision to mix high fashion and leisurewear together.

“Fashion is usually about the catwalk and the glamour, but with Nike it was about performance and the athletes. What I love about this collection is that we are integrating the iconic style of football into sport style.”- Olivier Rousteing

Coloured in Rounsteing's distinctive and extremely recognisable black and gold colour palette and of course, the colour of champions, the designer has implemented his own aesthetic identity onto the silhouettes of the NikeLab N98 Jacket x OR with styles for men and women, a NikeLab reinvention of the N98 Football Jacket with gold framing, and an embroidered woven crest placed over the heart, the NikeLab Top x OR and four pairs of sneakers. The sneakers Rousteing has designed have been spread across four different and very authentic football silhouettes such as the Footscape Magista, the Free Mercurial Flyknit, the Roshe Tiempo VI and the Free Hypervenom 2.

The collaboration was made even more special because this was actually the first time that Nike as a brand had incorporated and embroidered patterns onto the Flyknit shoe in order to create a new expression of technology and let Rousteing visualise a fresh new look for the signature shoe.

"Olivier is meticulous about the details, with a passion for finding clever ways to embellish existing structures,” says NikeLab Senior Footwear Innovation Design Director Nate Jobe.

The NikeLab x Olivier Rousteing: Football Nouveau collection which can only be described as the ultimate sports lux attire, drops on June 2nd in NikeLab retailers and its online stores so if you love anything Nike and of course, Balmain, make sure you get yourself to your nearest Nike retailer on this day!

Let's have a first look at what Rousteing is bringing to the active-wear market for this summer:

Exploring Fred Perry as a fashion brand

So for our next university project, we have been divided into two groups to start to look into the creative concept of either 'Subcultures' or 'Dance'. Since I already have a pretty solid knowledge on what subcultures are since I studied Sociology at A Level, I thought it would be really interesting to look at the fashion aspect of them and really understand further the dress codes of individual groups and the culture that subcultures form from. I chose the 'Subculture' brief which was actually in line with the English brand 'Fred Perry' who have developed their own research and project surrounding the concept of subcultures.

Therefore, in relation to the summer project which you will probably see me blogging about more as I begin to start my research and collect images surrounding the brand and the subcultures which fit its specific target consumer, I thought I would put together a little post about the history and context behind the brand and it's identity.


Fred Perry 1952- Present day

Founded in 1952, by the legendary triple Wimbledon champion and tennis player, Frederick John Perry, Fred Perry has since become one of the most iconic and utterly British fashion brands to enter the middle market scene.



The Mods

Obviously the logo is remarkably recognisable to anyone who is interested in sports fashion wear these days. However, although it was founded in the 1950's and devoted entirely to the wardrobe of fellow sports fanatics, Fred Perry gear didn't really take off as fashion wear until the 1960s when it was absorbed by the Mod culture aficionados who put their own twist on the styling of Fred Perry. Mod's in the 60's were known to have worn the iconic Fred Perry white tennis polo t-shirt (which was the only colour the signature polo came in during this time) with a sharp Italian suit to communicate an informal yet slightly dressed up and sophisticated male styling and arguably represent a cultural hybridity of two different style influences from Italy and Britain. This was also obviously a time when multi-culture and cultural diversity were being highly embraced within society due to the beginning of a youth culture, baby boom and new female expectations post war. Therefore, the arrival of the Mod's and their approach to the Fred Perry attire was not seen as negatively as you would think and if anything was welcomed with open arms due to its challenging and experimental exploration of fashion. Due to its popularity among this specific subculture, prior to the 50's the brand started to create their iconic white tennis polo in a range of different colours to meet the demands of the Mod's aka 'The Scooterists'.





The Skinheads

Although arguably the mod subculture was formed from the influence of American soul music, other subcultures who were recognised for wearing Fred Perry during the 1960's and 70's were the Northern Soul scene (which was formed from a passion for American soul music, therefore, there styling was rather similar to Mods) and the Skinheads, who were arguably one of the most out of control, daring subcultures to ever enter British society.

The Skinhead's wore Fred Perry in a very distinctive way to reflect their ruthless attitudes. However, it did not give the brand as greater coverage as hoped because their identification with the label was seen in the eyes of the media and the public as negative due to the idea that everyone who wore a Fred Perry shirt was a fascist or remotely racist in some way.

So as society entered the 70's the tailored formal trousers and loafers worn by the mods were replaced with Levi washed out skinny jeans, heavy cherry red Doc Martins, Fred Perry polos, braces and khaki bomber jackets to convey a militant look which was fuelled by many of the Skinheads nationalist mentality.



Therefore, aware of its skinhead heritage, Fred Perry had to innovatively broaden its appeal. That is why it signed Andy Murray in order to take the brand back to its heavily influenced sporting routes. The brand also had an endorsement with late Amy Winehouse who was asked to model its products and attract a wider audience who associated themselves with soul, jazz and indie music.



Tying sports and the mod look together

Now that I have briefly spoke about three iconic ways the brand was represented throughout the 20th century, I thought I would discuss something it is doing now to resurrect it's mod subculture days and bring the sporting heritage of Fred Perry back to life once again. The brand collaborated with sportsman Bradley Wiggins who is known for his full on Mod haircuts, tattoos, edgy attitude and of course, his cycling career. Therefore, the athlete was the perfect icon for Fred Perry to use as a representative of the brand to reimburse the idea of translating sports wear onto the fashion market whilst also using an individual who shares and understands the importance of the brands cultural roots.

Fendi's Pop Up Stall at Selfridges, London

Following on from their floral Spring/Summer 2016 collection, Fendi are now celebrating the collection even further by creating a Flowerland pop up stall in their London Oxford Street Selfridges store.

In order to create the perfect botanical experiences, the high end fashion house has paired up with the artist, Azuma Makoto who has designed a fantasying display which was inspired by the flower theme. The artists signature flower design has even been applied to the silhouette of each bag on offer to represent both Makoto's work and give Fendi a Japanese oriental feel. 

Makoto has collaborated twice before with Fendi and it is obvious that he knows how to perfectly bring together the power and femininity of the brands aesthetic. His previous installations included a fur tree that descended magically from the ceiling of a Fendi pop-up boutique in Tokyo.

Fendi have celebrated this third collaboration by giving their bags three different unique names to enhance the exclusivity of the experience. The bags are named Peekaboo, 2Jours and 3Jours and are made out of Plexiglas and leather.


"We’re thrilled to be working with the brand on this project, a one-of-a-kind flower shop where customers can step into Fendi’s world of accessories and customise their bags with a flower stamp, interchangeable leather straps to match their bag to the rest of the outfit or shop for real flowers in beautiful jars."- Eleanor Robinson, accessories buyer at Selfridges







Whilst visiting the pop up stall at Selfridges, consumers can also purchase miniature hand filled flower bottles featuring intricate seal ties crafted by Fendi’s own leather artisans.


Fendi's Spring/Summer 2016 collection

The collection that inspired the Pop Up Stall in Selfridges

Entering the Spring/Summer in style with coral, leather and blooming textures.

The Forgotten designer responsible for some of fashion's biggest trends: Claire McCardell

Ever since I started my university course back in September I have become so much more aware of the many designers who have paved the fashion landscape within the industry for us, dating back to the beginning of the 1900's. One designer who I have recently came across whilst reading the book, 'Icons of Fashion' was the 1930's American fashion designer, Claire McCardell who was one of the front runners in introducing the female gender to the modern bodysuit and bathing suit.


Time Magazine in 1955

McCardell's inspiration stemmed from the works of Vionnet and Chanel which was influenced whilst she was studying in Paris in 1926. One aim that McCardell had during her time as a fashion designer was to create clothing that would match her own lifestyle, much as Chanel did in order to represent the new woman of the century.

“I’ve always designed things I needed myself. It just turns out that other people need them too.”  Quote taken from McCardell in an interview with Time magazine.

Alongside her creations which redefined women's holiday fashion, McCardell also dabbled in the area of Ready to Wear where she was known to have designed garments such as the 'Monastic' dress which helped establish her as one of the initiators of the 'American' look. Her materials of choice were provided by the mills associated with Galey and Lord and consisted of wool jersey and cotton calico which offered simplicity to her direct designs. Therefore, this specific Monastic dress that McCardell created in 1938 consisted of a design which was far from traditional, unlined and a straight cut silhouette to reflect the ever changing attitudes of women in the mid 20th century. The Monastic dress took on its complete silhouette when it was simply belted at the waist to emphasise the wearer's hips and body shape.


"Claire could take five dollars' worth of common cotton calico and turn out a dress that a smart woman could wear anywhere"- Norman Norell
 

Since it was a key aesthetic of McCardell to emphasise the female figure, it is no surprise that in 1943 she created the 'Diaper' bathing and beach suit. This creation was a forerunner of the modern bodysuit which then spiralled off into the introduction of leotards as fashion garments instead of their usual wear which was primarily for dance and sport. McCardell made leotards in the form of skin tight, full-length, jersey bodysuits and to be worn under long skirts for any type of occasion.



Adding onto the theme of holiday clothing, McCardell also made a 'Popover' dress in 1942 which became a basic in all of her design collections. The Popover dress consisted of a design which was a beach playsuit with bloomer legs. Although the dress was designed for casual daywear, the style of the garment still appears quite smart and sophisticated for a feminine woman.

Calvin Klein Spring 2016 Campaign debut. Misogynistic or innovative?

So recently the new Calvin Klein advert campaign was released for the Spring 2016 lingerie collection and it seems that as per usual, the high end self-assured brand are causing a stir yet again within the media and this time, they may have taken the whole concept of sexual exposure a little too far.



The new campaign which was revealed over Instagram the other day and which was shot by the photographer, Harley Weir, whose visual aesthetic seems to cross between sexuality and enigmatic youth culture, portrays an image of a young women posing with her underwear on show and the camera angle facing upwards from underneath her dress. As if the photo wasn't already unexpectedly revealing, the slogan of  "I flash in #mycalvins" has been plastered across the image to further communicate an essence of sexualisation and exposure of the female body.

However, although the image has received so much backlash from the media, that has not stopped Calvin Klein from pulling in 46,000 likes and keeping the image on it's Instagram account for anyone to see.

Furthermore, in support of the photograph, the model featured in the image, which was 22 year old Klara Kristen from Denmark, made a statement on Instagram about the controversy which had occurred over the photo.

"I love this photo @harleyweir took of me. All this discussion about it makes me think about how alienated and scared some people are to the female human body. Be and love yourself and your sexuality #girlpower." Klara Kristen via instagram

Although Kristen is in her twenties, followers of the Instagram account have suggested that the advert makes Kristen appear a lot younger which arguably makes the advert seem a lot worse than what the brand intended to do.

Another misinterpretation of the advert is the fact that the image conveys the idea that it is being seen from the gaze of a predator looking up the models skirt. However, the real intention of the image was to put the model in control, making it her choice to flash her underwear to the viewers.

As part of the collection of advertisements, Kendall Jenner also featured in a few of the images which saw the model seductively squeeze a grapefruit behind the slogan of "I eat in #mycalvins" and arguably make an innocent fruit look erotic.




Here is such a few examples of what kind of comments the brand received on Instagram just after it was posted onto the social medium.

The redesign of Gucci's Logo

Ever since Alessandro Michelle's arrived on the high end scene for Gucci, the designer has changed the whole landscape of the brand and possibly made it one of the most in demand fashion houses in the industry.

Through his bid to introduce a maximalist approach consisting of ruffles, prints, layers and a mixture of colour into the aesthetic of the brand, Michele has also re-embraced the logo, resurrecting the forgotten double G motif of Gucci’s 1980s look and reinterpreting it for today's 21st century audience. Furthermore, through this revamp of the old logo, it also allowed Gucci to become an iconic fashion house again which is extremely recognisable and just as desirable as one of their exclusive leather handbags.



The logo, which was implemented into the design of the brand back in AW15, was definitely a risk but one that has only had benefits for the brand with its sharp luxury structure and as the double G monogram design. The new reformed logo made an appearance in belt buckles in the show that debuted the Fall 2015 collection and since then Michele has run with the theme, featuring it on accessories and clothing alongside other Gucci house codes.

“I couldn’t wait to get my hands on the logo. It’s like drawing on the Mona Lisa. The double G is like a hieroglyph that everyone knows and I use it as the cherry on top of my designs.”- Alessandro Michelle

The Never Ending Story by Louis Vuitton (short film by Wes Anderson)

It is a continuously trending thing in the industry for many designers to release their own short fashion films near the time of their collections debuts and the competition is getting tougher for brands to create the best digital video around. Out of the fashion films which have debuted In the past season, my favourite is 'The Never Ending Story' by Louis Vuitton.

During this minute and a half creation, the CEO of Louis Vuitton, Michael Burke has come up with a imaginative film that zooms through five generations of the brand’s history titled “The Never Ending Story from Louis Vuitton,” which has racked up over 10 million views since its debut back in December of 2015. With creative direction reminiscent of the legendary filmmaker Wes Anderson, the film brings a sense of fun and millennial-friendliness to its educational and contextual narrative surrounding the brand which was founded all the way back in 1854.

To watch the video follow this link to the Louis Vuitton website.....

http://uk.louisvuitton.com/eng-gb/articles/never-ending-story-the-film





The story of Louis Vuitton....

Louis Vuitton was just fourteen when he left the Jura on a journey
A journey to Paris, where he learned to master Carpentry

Carpentry which he used to engineer crinoline petticoats
For Empress Eugenie – Louis became a man of note

Noted by the world of fashion, his fame was gracious
And still dominates fashion today – always creative, always audacious

Audacious synonymous with his name
Where art and craftsmanship soon became
From Capucines to Asnieres
Sources of innovation beyond compare

Comparing his customers’ needs, his intuition
Of an age of greater travel than any before
He invented the flat trunk, the first modern luggage
The famous S-lock – an unpickable thief block –
The mini-trunk, and so much more

More cases, accessories, and custom luggage
Visionary in all type of voyage
Savorgnan de Brazza's camp-bed trunk for explorer
Caused a sensation amongst the influencers

Influencing the Thirties, as women found a voice
Louis Vuitton’s new Keepall gave them a choice
Of purses to carry that are now fashion icons

Iconic as the monogram, LV
Standing for true artistry
Art nourished by travel, then further enhanced
By Sprouse, Murakami, evolving in a dance

Dance of creative genius soaring onward and up
Like the wind-blown sails of the America’s Cup

Cupped sails that echo the avant-garde lines
Of the Foundation, a symbol that defines
The courage beloved of… Louis Vuitton"

The Duchess of Cambridge in Vogue

Last week the centenary issue of Vogue went on sale including one of their most iconic front covers to ever grace the cover of the English version of the publication. With the arrival of the magazine, there was also 460 pages of inspiration, a reflection of some of the most ground-breaking fashion shoots and a look back at the trends of the last 10 decades with the intention of predicting what the future of fashion holds. This special edition also celebrates friends and photographers of the magazine from the past and the present who have all had some influence over the aesthetic of the magazine and who have contributed to its rich and long-lasting legacy.

The magazine has recognised the likes of Brian Ferry, Georgia May Jagger, Kate Moss, Lily Donaldson, David Hockney, Tilda Swinton, Naomi Campbell, FKA Twigs, Grayson Perry, Steve McQueen, Stella Tennant and Keira Knightley who have all proudly represented Vogue over the past decades.

Although I encourage you all to definitely go out and buy this limited edition magazine that celebrates the past 100 years of Vogue, here is a quick look at what to expect from the issue.

The Duchess of Cambridge in the 100 Years of Vogue

The Duchess appears in a 10-page shoot within the June 2016 issue, the first magazine shoot that she has ever consented to.

"Josh has captured the Duchess exactly as she is - full of life, with a great sense of humour, thoughtful and intelligent, and in fact, very beautiful," Nicholas Cullinan, director of the NPG

                              

"It's a huge honour and incredibly exciting for us to have HRH The Duchess of Cambridge featuring on the cover of British Vogue and as part of our centenary issue," Vogue editor-in-chief Alexandra Shulman

During the creation of the June Issue, editor in chief of the magazine, Alexandra Shulman met up with the Duchess of Cambridge to create one of the most memorable shoots of the century which mixes English heritage with class, royalty and style.

As a patron of the National Portrait Gallery, and with a keen personal interest in photography and portraiture, the Duchess has also allowed two images from the shoot to be installed within the Vogue 100 exhibition at the gallery.

Not only do they reflect her love of the countryside, interest in photography and championing of the National Portrait Gallery as a committed patron, the images also encapsulate what Vogue has always done so brilliantly - to pair the best photographers with the great personalities of the day, in order to reflect broader shifts in culture and society.

"It's a privilege to have been chosen to photograph the Duchess of Cambridge for the centenary issue of British Vogue and an honour that two of those portraits will hang in the National Portrait Gallery," photographer, Josh Olins.

Whilst on the topic of the Duchess of Cambridge, lets have a look at some of Kate Middleton's best fashion moments.

                                


                             

What to expect from the rest of the magazine

Alongside the celebration of those who proudly represent England, the magazine has also added a section to enjoy the work of the stylish Peruvian portrait photographer, Mario Testino who has contributed some of the best images to the publication since his fashion debut in the late 20th century. The magazine recaps ten different images of models who have been privileged to have been in front of the lens of Testino's camera and who also epitomize true British fashion.

                             

As well as celebrating the magazines favourite photographers, Vogue has also devoted a section of the magazine to it's favourite fashion illustrators in the business.

I have also previously created a post concerning current fashion illustrators who have burst onto the scene via social media which you can check out by following this link:

http://katefergvson.blogspot.co.uk/2016/03/top-fashion-illustrators-in-social.html

Something quite unexpected but equally as fabulous, the magazine has allowed the main cast members of the hit tv series Absolutely Fabulous, Edina Monsoon and Patsy Stone, to gate crash one of their magazine shoots with Georgia May Jagger to bring playfulness and a twist of popular culture to the edition. Furthermore, inside this section, the comedy duo discuss what they have in store for all AbFab viewers when their upcoming blockbuster film hits the cinema.

                              
Finally for all you beauty product lovers, the magazine has also included a guide to the 100 best health and beauty buys on the market on a global perspective.

Fashion Designers expanding into different markets: The Hotel business

It seems that over the past five years, some of the best fashion designers in the world have expanded their creative flare and delved into the art of interior design for many hotels in some of the most exotic, luxury destinations across the world. To name just a few, Diana von Furstenberg, Dior, Vera Wang and Ralph Lauren have been known to have designed rooms for exquisite hotels in the likes of Jamaica, Milan, Paris, Australia and Hawaii to widen their global audience and offer aspects of their brand identity across all continents. However, these rooms are not just any typical interior designed hotel suite because many of these luxury designers have intended to allow their guests to really wear a room for the full experience by trading in the generic white and beige room design, which seems to be the standard hotel room setting and replacing it with beautiful colours, desirable textiles and sumptuous furnishings.

So let's have a look at some of the best hotel suites designed by our favourite fashion houses...


Ralph Lauren
Ralph Lauren's Round Hill Hotel and Villas in Jamaica

All of the rooms at the exclusive Round Hill Hotel and Villas in Jamaica have been designed entirely through the eyes of Ralph Lauren himself. The designer has maintained a colour palette of primarily cool blue and whites to communicate a relaxed ambience among his guests and achieve a real nautical feeling whilst people stay at the resort. Not only is this hotel known for its sophisticated and chilled vibe but it is also the destination where JFK Kennedy and Jackie Kennedy went on their honeymoon and also the place where Rodgers and Hammersmith wrote the musical 'The Sound of Music'.


Vera Wang
Vera Wang's Halekulani Suite at the Halekulani Hotel in Hawaii

Enriched in a colour palette of exotic purples, Vera Wang's décor for the Halekulani Suite in Hawaii, a place which the designer holds closely to her heart, offers an oriental escape mixed with true elite glamour for those looking for a stylish getaway with a tropical landscape.

To fit with her style aesthetic, the suite is adorned with elements from Vera Wang’s specialty home, gift, bath and accessories collections as well as unique and rare furnishings from Hawaii, the Pacific and Asia to create a cultural flare of influences on a global perspective.




Diana von Furstenberg
Diane von Furstenberg's Claridge's Suite in London

As for Diana von Furstenberg's suit in Claridge in London, every aspect of the interior from the rugs to the wallpaper, is a personal representation of Furstenberg's legendary, on trend style. Covered in outlandish prints and bold coloured animalistic fabrics, the designer has opted for a very modern way of translating her brands aesthetic into furnishings. Whilst the bedroom offers quite a nude, muted colour pallet, the main living area makes up for this lack of colour by incorporating splashes of fuchsia, lime green and purple against a monochrome setting to give the high end room a sense of visual contrast, life and boldness.




Christian Lacroix
Christian Lacroix's Hotel le Bellechasse in Paris

Christian Lacroix's Hotel Le Bellechasse in Paris translates his passion for historical and cultural influences upon fashion. Furthermore, his interest in detailed sumptuous patterns and materials within the design of the interior expresses the designers acquired taste for luxury, rich distinctive colours and a retrospective journey back in time to the Elizabethan age and even further historical periods. The 34 bedroom hotel is located in the fashionable and cultured district of Faubourg Saint Germain and is grouped into three different categories which go under the names of Discovery, Original and Privilege.



 Alice Temperley
Alice Temperley's Tipi at the One&Only in Le Saint Geran

Unlike the rest of the designers who I have mentioned already, Alice Temperley opted for an alternative response to the interior of places to stay during a holiday. Instead, Temperley designed this one of a kind tepee on the beach of the One&Only resort in Le Saint Geran, Mauritius. The tepee is adorned with hand sewn, encrusted jewels and an antique chandelier which is hidden inside to symbolise the exclusivity and fortune of the designer. Furthermore, if that was not enough, within the tepee is a treasure chest full of champagne for the guests to relax and enjoy themselves in tranquillity whilst watching the stars in the sky on this remarkable and picturesque beach setting.


Dior
The Dior Suite at the St Regis Hotel in New York

In 2011 it was revealed that the St Regis Hotel in New York had plans to collaborate with the brand Dior in terms of the interior décor of one of the hotel's 1700 square foot rooms which is located on the 12th floor. The room is a direct replication of the Dior fashion atelier which was founded in Paris and similarly to the houses décor, the hotel suite wears a 'whispering grey' colour adorned onto the walls of the room and certain stylish furnishings which also have a Parisian twist. The room offers a glimpse of fashion royalty, chic styling and French glamour to reflect Dior's brand identity and incorporate it into an American destination and allow the visions of Dior to cross the seas and have its influence on another fashion conscious origin.