Summertime Blues

"I'm gonna raise a fuss, I'm gonna raise a holler

About a workin' all summer just to try to earn a dollar.

Sometimes I wonder what I'm a gonna do

But there ain't no cure for the summertime blues"

~ Eddie Cochran

Have you ever seen someone wearing an outfit that absolutely captivates you? An outfit that inspires you? An outfit so beautiful you simply have to buy it and wear it too? A few years ago I saw a photograph of Kate Moss at a stylish Country Wedding (here). She was wearing a loosely tailored pair of shorts, with a matching jacket or blouse. Her outfit looked like something from the 70s, a fashion era I adore. It was boho and retro, but still beautifully contemporary, and she really stood out from all the other women who were wearing the usual wedding guest 'uniform'. I found out that her outfit was a one of a kind vintage ensemble, so I knew I would never be able to buy it in a store or online. I never forgot her outfit though. In fact I saved a picture of it to my phone; something I'd never done before.

Fast forward five years, to a lazy Sunday morning surfing the net, and imagine my complete surprise and absolute delight when I found the closest thing I'd ever seen to my dream outfit right there on my computer screen! Rixo London had been inspired by the very same Kate Moss vintage look, and the 'Pandora' top and 'Fleur' shorts are their wonderful homage to this now iconic look.

Simply pair these two gorgeous pieces together and you really do have the most perfect, Moss-worthy summer wedding look. I added a blue, embellished bag by Manley, two cute, fun necklaces by Susan Alexandra, and a great pair of Chanel shoes to complete my dream look.

Get The Look:

Top: Rixo London 'Pandora' Vintage V-neck Button Front Blouse in ditsy blue print and here

Shorts: Rixo London 'Fleur' Vintage Summer Shorts in ditsy blue print and here

Shoes: Chanel Mary-Jane Shoes in white/black (similar)

Bag: Emma Manley 'Paige' Bag in electric blue

Necklaces: Susan Alexandra 'Little Friend' and 'Best Friend' Bronze Necklaces

Photos: Jason Connery ©

Je T'aime Jane

"My look is a cocktail. I'm not as nicely turned out as the French, but I don't care like the English."

~ Jane Birkin

I love Jane Birkin. No, really. I love Jane Birkin. She is my ultimate girl crush, and if I could chose anyone to immediately morph into, it would be her, with her long, lithesome body and her big Bambi eyes framed so beautifully by that cool, instantly recognisable fringe. Singer, actress, model, muse, the woman who inspired the hugely coveted Hermes 'Birkin' bag, what's not to love about Jane?

I also love British Designer Bella Freud and am more than a bit partial to her wonderful knitwear collections (blogged here), so it was a given that I would eventually own her iconic 'Je T'aime Jane' sweater.

In the 1970s Jane and her lover Serge Gainsberg charmed and scandalised the world in equal measures with their wild love affair. 'Je T'aime... Moi Non Plus' is a very successful album featuring sensual performances by the notorious pair and it is playfully referenced here on the Bella Freud sweater. 'Je t'aime Jane' is emblazoned in white embroidery across the front, 'Gainsberg is God' is on the back, and 'Serge' is very aptly placed on the sleeve, where Jane wore her heart.

Styled very simply with a cute black suede mini skirt from online favourite ASOS and a gorgeous pair of Chanel shoes (a nod to Paris, Jane's adopted home), this is my own little homage to a true British style icon; je t'aime Jane!

Get The Look:

Jumper: Bella Freud 'Je T'aime Jane' Jumper in black

Skirt: ASOS Petite Suede Mini Skirt in black

Shoes: Chanel Mary Jane shoes in black/white (similar) 
Photos: Kate Carpenter Photography ©

Snapshot: Feeling Blue

Snapped Wearing:

Dress: Manley 'Lee' Dress in blue

Shoes: Chanel Mary-Jane Shoes in white/black

Location: Sketch London - Pod Toilets

Photographs: Kate Carpenter Photography ©

The Gallery

 

"I believe in pink"

~ Audrey Hepburn

I absolutely love Sketch London. Described as "a restaurant gamble you cannot loose", Sketch gives you a choice of four amazing rooms to eat; The Glade (check out my Glade visit here), The Parlour, The Lecture Room & the stunningly beautiful Gallery.

The Gallery is pink; it is so gorgeously pink! Created by India Mahdavi, it is the perfect backdrop for the 239 new works of art by acclaimed British artist, David Shrigley, that line the walls; this is the largest group of original drawings Shrigley has ever exhibited.

I wanted to stand out in The Gallery but still compliment the beautiful room so I chose to wear a great blue dress by Emma Manley. Pink paired with blue is such a gorgeous colour palette, striking exactly the right balance between masculine and feminine. Black & white Chanel shoes were the perfect accessory for the monochromatic surroundings.

Get The Look:

Dress: Manley 'Lee' Dress in blue

Shoes: Chanel Mary-Jane Shoes in white/black (similar)

Location: Sketch London - The Gallery

Photos: Kate Carpenter Photography ©

1970

"To me, punk rock is the freedom to create, freedom to be successful,

freedom to not be successful, freedom to be who you are. It's freedom."

~ Patti Smith

The Bella Freud 1970 logo jumper has achieved super-cult status; it is a firm favourite amongst the London style set and has been seen gracing some of the worlds most stylish women.  

Words are often the starting point for Bella Freud's designs; the iconic logo was inspired when Bella (great-granddaughter of psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud) saw the date printed in the corner of a page in a book. Messing around on a photocopier, she blew it up, cut it out and pinned it to the front of her black jumper. It's rough charm made her think of Patti Smith and the early New York punk scene in the 70s.

In gorgeous sky blue for SS15, the jumper is 100% merino wool, has a ribbed crew neck, cuffs & hem and features the signature 1970 logo to the front.

I styled it with a fantastic stripe skirt by French label Maje and my most treasured footwear, white Mary-Jane shoes with black strap and heel detail by Chanel, every girls dream brand. 

 

Get The Look:

Jumper: Bella Freud 1971 Logo Jumper in pale blue

Skirt: Maje 'Geste' Stripe Skirt

Shoes: Chanel Mary-Jane Shoes in white/black (similar)

Photos: Kate Carpenter Photography ©

Right On Target

Target is a US value superstore who are known for their amazing Designer collaborations. Stella McCartney, Missoni, Marc Jacobs, Diane Von Furstenberg, Jason Wu and Joseph Altuzarra are just some of the legendary brands that Target can list as collaborators.

Fashion brands like these create collections that mere mortals like me can only dream of wearing so designer partnerships like this, when done well, can be the fashion equivalent of the Holy Grail, inviting a much broader audience into their wonderful world and making their fabulous Designs just a little bit more attainable.

One of the Target collaborations I was most excited about was the Peter Pilotto for Target range. Peter Pilotto & Christopher De Vos launched their label in 2007 and have subsequently become one of the most successful, lust-worthy brands in the fashion industry. Known for it's colourful digital prints, the label is loved and worn by some of the biggest stars in the world.

As you might guess, most of the collection sold out within minutes of the online launch on Net-a-Porter but the fashion gods were smiling on me that day and I managed to buy one of my favourite pieces; a cotton-blend jersey mini dress, it features a pleated front, 3/4 length sleeves and a multicoloured floral-print that is typical of the colourful Peter Pilotto aesthetic.

I styled my pretty dress with an exquisite pair of Chanel shoes in a black & white colour-way & matched my scarlet lips with my favourite Nadia Minkoff clutch bag, my treasured 'Aldwych'.

Get The Look:

Dress: Peter Pilotto for Target Jersey Dress (similar)

Shoes: Chanel Shoes in black/white (similar)

Bag: Nadia Minkoff 'Aldwytch' Clutch in London Red (similar)