True Colours

 

"On the sixth day, God created the artist, 

realising without doubt that he had far from exhausted the uses of colour"

~ Unknown 

I've never met a colour I didn't like and today's post is all about colour. I'm wearing lots of it and the photos are shot against the most colourful, picturesque background. Colour is powerful; it can brighten up a dull day, lighten a dark mood, it can calm us down and it can stimulate our senses.

My fabulous skirt is by cool French brand Maje. A perfect mini length, it features a cute rouche detail to the front and comes in the most dramatic shade of red. Red is the most intense of all colours. It is the colour of love. Hot and passionate, red gets your blood pumping and will always get you noticed.

I clashed the red skirt to great effect by pairing it with the most delicious hot pink silk tee by lush Irish brand Lennon Courtney. Pink is the sweet side of the color red. It represents romance, tenderness and all things cute and girlie. The deeper the pink, the more passion and energy it exudes.

I kept accessories quite simple in terms of colour for this outfit; neutral shades of tan or camel add warmth without overpowering the bold colour palette. Leopard print Alexander Wang shoes (I'm living in these beauties at the moment!) and a gorgeous oversized, lazer-cut leather clutch by Nadia Minkoff give this look a cool, edgy vibe.

Get The Look:

Top: Lennon Courtney Silk Tee in hot pink (similar)

Skirt: Maje 'Glaise' Mini Skirt in red

Bag: Nadia Minkoff 'The Cut/E1' Oversized Clutch in nude

Shoes: Alexander Wang 'Natasha' Shoes in leopard print (similar)

Photos: Kate Carpenter Photography ©

Location: The Old House, Dorking

Orange Crush

 

The hardest line you'll ever write

One to keep you up all night

So please tell if you might

What the hell rhymes with ORANGE?

~ Jeff Opperman

I got another one. Another one of those perfect, easy to wear dresses that Emma Manley does so brilliantly. This one is orange. Yes, it's an orange dress and it is magnificent!

Manley's newest 'Rylie' dress made me go a bit giddy when I first saw it in their A/W14 Lookbook. Made from a mid-weight wool, it is the Winter version of it's stylish predecessors. Featuring Manley's signature leather collar (orange leather!) and bodice with a scalloped edge, it has a fitted waist, a gathered skirt and hidden pockets to the side. The orange and gold button detail down the front add a luxurious touch to an already stunning design.

I paired the dress with my current favourite shoes; the fabulously fierce 'Natasha' pumps by lush US Designer Alexander Wang.

Get The Look:

Dress: Manley 'Rylie' Dress in orange

Shoes: Alexander Wang 'Natasha' Shoes (similar)
Photos: Kate Carpenter Photography ©

Black & Navy

 

So, is it really true that you can't wear black and navy together? Well of course it isn't true! It is merely an antiquated, ye olde worlde fashion "rule" that is complete nonsense.

Black and navy, so similar yet so different, are two dark neutral colours that compliment rather than compete with one another. Neutrals almost always work together, particularly if you combine different textures as I have done here with the leather skirt and the silk shirt.

The skirt and shirt are two more glorious pieces from Ireland's Emma Manley. The bright navy of the silk shirt works perfectly with the black patent leather skirt (it's important to point out that when mixing black and navy, there should be an obvious difference between the two colours. Don't choose a very dark navy or you might look like you've paired them by mistake or dressed yourself in the dark!).

To compliment the gold leather collar of the gorgeous shirt I added a third colour to my outfit with funky leopard print shoes by Alexander Wang and a gorgeous, oversized clutch bag by my favourite accessories/handbag Designer, the wonderfully talented Nadia Minkoff. Tan/nude, call it what you will, the colour offsets an otherwise dark vibe and it all adds up to one very chic, elegant look.

Get The Look:

Shirt: Emma Manley 'Elsie' Metallic Shirt in navy/pewter

Skirt: Emma Manley 'Abbie' Patent Midi-Skirt in black

Bag: Nadia Minkoff 'The Cut/SE1' Clutch in nude

Shoes: Alexander Wang 'Natasha' Booties in leopard print (similar)

Mermaids Are Real

 

 “I would be a mermaid fair

I would sing to myself the whole of the day;

With a comb of pearl I would comb my hair;

And still as I comb'd I would sing and say,

Who is it loves me? who loves not me?

I would comb my hair till my ringlets would fall

Low adown, low adown”

- Alfred Lord Tennyson

This stunning dress from Antipodium's S/S14 collection has already achieved iconic status. It has been THE dress of the season, featuring in pretty much every fashion magazine you can think of.

In an iridescent nude organza, the 'Hot Knife' dress features short sleeves, a round neckline and a hidden zip to the back. It has a flattering fit and sits elegantly just below the knee. The skirt has razor sharp pleats called 'knife pleats' where the fabric is folded back and forth continuously so that the pleat creases all appear to point in one direction. It comes with a seductive matching under-slip that sits shorter than the pleated skirt and gives a flirty glimpse of leg with every step.

It is a glorious dress, a shimmering, translucent, dreamy Mermaid-esque vision. Mermaids are real. True story.

Get The Look:

Dress: Antipodium 'Hot Knife' Dress in pink sand (skirt version available here)

Shoes: Christian Louboutin 'Pigalle 120' Shoes in nude
Photos: Kate Carpenter Photography ©

The Writing's On The Wall

 

“What is love,

But a form of,

Physical graffiti”

~ Johnnie Rae

When I love something, I really love it and I really reeeeally love the gorgeous 'Rylie' dress by Emma Manley. So far I have three versions of Manley's signature dress, in a Bellini-esque peach & champagne colour (blogged here), in cool silver (blogged here) and now in chic, classic black.

A simple, easy to wear shape, 'Rylie' is the perfect day to night piece that can be worn pretty much anywhere, for any occasion. The dress has 3/4 length sleeves, a cute button detail to the front, pockets on the hips and ties on the side seams to give the dress a more structured shape. The most wow detail is the stunning patent leather collar and bodice; it toughens the dress up and immediately takes it from girly cute to impossibly cool.

I styled my dress with the most ah-may-zing shoes; the 'Natasha' pumps by Alexander Wang. These leopard print hair-calf heels feature a pointed toe, an angular 4.5inch heel with a mirrored panel & a flattering low V-front that makes legs look like they go on forever. Half shoe, half bootie, 'Natasha' is a fabulously fierce addition to any girls shoe collection!

Get The Look:

Dress: Emma Manley 'Rylie' Patent Dress in black

Shoes: Alexander Wang 'Natasha' Pumps in Leopard print (similar)

Photos: Kate Carpenter Photography ©