About Me

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Hi! I'm Fiona, an Irish girl living in the UK. Lead singer in rock/pop band Alter Ego, I have a passion for fashion and great music! I own far too many clothes and some very cool photographers take photos of me wearing them all! I hope my blog reaches people who share my obsession with fashion, style and beautiful things! Thanks for stopping by! Fx

Saturday, 19 March 2016

Love Wins












"Keep on dreaming of the day when it all will change
Believe in the end, love wins
If you're waiting for the time when your sun will shine
Oh, look above 'cause love wins"
~ Robbie Seay Band

Dawn O'Porters' BOBbyDOP brand is a wonderful collection of cool designs & amazing vintage finds. It is fast becoming my go-to place for vintage and vintage inspired clothing (blogged here).

BOB's gorgeous new 'Equality Collection', consists of four limited edition pieces, featuring three prints by artist Karen Mabon. All three prints are beautiful and funny, but they also carry a serious message. As Dawn herself says, "Vintage fashion history is all about revolutions, and clothes representing what was going on for women at the time. Our prints look fantastic, but they also have a lot to say".

The print on the 'Women are Boss' 80s inspired dress, is an ode to women at the top, and hard working mums everywhere. The 70s inspired 'Boys Toys' circle skirt playfully raises two fingers to the gender specific toy industry, and the 'Love Wins' shirt and leggings print is a celebration of love; all kinds of love, between all kinds of people, and pays homage to the wonderful progression of marriage equality.

My favourite piece from the collection is the 'Love Wins' Shirt. A gorgeous 60s inspired design, it has a cute Peter Pan collar, quirky love heart buttons, and is made (in England) from Cupro, an eco friendly fabric that mimics silk but is machine washable. The vibrant Karen Mabon print, set against a cream background, features couples of all shapes, sizes, creeds, colour, sexes and even species. It is a true celebration of love in its many different forms.

As the lovely folk at BOB say, "fashion is politics, wear how you feel".

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Friday, 4 March 2016

Tuxedo Dress











"One amazing hanger holds my tuxedo.
One clever little 5 ounce piece of plastic and metal conformed into the shape of a bony set of shoulders carries the slim weight of my most formal outfit. It hangs proudly draped in shiny black, pretending to be me when I myself don't don the suit"
~ Ryan Bates

Anyone I've ever had a conversation with about fashion knows that my dream outfit is a tuxedo trouser suit. I mean the whole androgynous thing; trousers, tailored jacket, crisp white evening shirt, black bow tie, the lot! Alas, it is a look that has always alluded me. Partly because, being rather busty, trouser suits look absolutely ridiculous on me, and partly because the Dior one I especially love costs many thousands of pounds! A short tuxedo dress however, is a damn fine and very flattering alternative.

This DKNY Tuxedo dress simply oozes sophistication, and chic sharp style. Polished yet effortless to wear, the dress has a sleek tuxedo jacket bodice and a simple, straight, short skirt. It has sharp, padded 80s style shoulders, sleek satin lapels, buttoned cuffs, and a deep v-neckline that shows a sexy flash of bra. Unfortunately I absentmindedly threw on a rather tragic bra the day we photographed it, so I had to pin the front of the dress right up so as not to inflict it on you (you're welcome). Bra-gate aside, the dress is a great, rock chick alternative to the usual black tie, or red carpet look.

The dress is from DKNY's Resort 2016 collection which was inspired by US Vogue's 1991 'Wild at Heart' editorial, shot by Peter Lindbergh. That's where Kate and I took some of our inspiration for our dramatically dark and beautiful photoshoot.

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Sunday, 21 February 2016

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!

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Friday, 5 February 2016

The Fabric On My Skin













"A thousand eyes are fixed on your glory.
The fabric on your skin narrates your story.
The metal on your hands is a tribute to friends and freaks,
And to those who analyse the colour on your cheeks.
The height on your feet are an excuse to ignore.
The gloss in your hair is consolation for your ache and sore.
You are sheltered in the aura of grace and class,
As you admire yourself in the looking glass"
~ Tokoni O. Uti

From my very first glance at Emma Manley's gorgeous AW15 Lookbook, this was one of the standout outfits for me. A chic, edgy two-piece that had my name written all over it.

The sleek pencil skirt is cut from the softest metallic leather. Two slits on the side add a touch of sexiness to its lady-like length. The matching top strikes the perfect balance between feminine and sporty. Front and back panels are cut from soft leather, and framed with textured silk.

The styling potential for these pieces is vast; imagine the top with a pair of skinny jeans, the skirt with a crisp white shirt or a cool, slouchy rock n roll tee. My favourite thing about this cool two-piece though, is the colour; described on the website as 'petrol', it falls somewhere between navy, dark blue and grey. A metallic sheen gives it a very glamorous feel, and makes it the perfect choice for any party.

I finished my look off with the most fabulous pair of Christian Louboutin studded boots. I bought these boots years ago, and they still cause such a stir whenever they make an appearance. The studs are the perfect match for this rock chick twin-set.

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Poem: Tokoni O. Uti ©
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Friday, 22 January 2016

Exotic Bird










"Like one of those birds with their long beaks,
their vivid colours and beautiful wings.
Just like a numerous amount of things,
everything, even this, has its own peaks"
~ The Edge

Throughout my recent delightful delve into the wonderful world of vintage clothing, I have always had my beady little fashion eye on one particular website, BOBbyDOP.

BOB was launched in 2014 by the impossibly cool Dawn O'Porter (girl crush!). It was Dawn & her amazing vintage style that actually inspired me to take that first tentative step into a whole new world of fashion. Already a best selling Author, Broadcaster, Wife (to the equally cool Chris O'Dowd), Mother, Muse, and rocker of the most magnificent retro bobbed hair in Christendom, Dawn is now also a very successful Fashion Designer. Her terrific collection features 17 designs (1960s mini dresses, 1950s circle skirts, and 1970s shirt dresses) that have been inspired by Dawn's own wardrobe and her love of vintage clothing. They are available to buy on the website, and in fabulous pop-up shops in London, alongside some of the most beautiful vintage pieces I've ever seen, all sourced largely by Dawn herself.

'The Kristen', an exotically patterned dream of a dress, is the piece I especially fell in love with. A 1970s-style shirt dress, it is brightly coloured, vintage inspired, and features a lively Karen Mabon print of toucans, parrots, flowers and bright green leaves set against a contrasting background of dusty pink. Brass metal buttons, a big 70s collar, short sleeves and a deep v-neck all add up to one very cool, funky dress.

I styled my exotic dress with a pair of multi-strap, patent leather Marc by Marc Jacobs shoes. I love how the contemporary shoes work with the classic vintage shape of the dress so beautifully.

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Friday, 8 January 2016

Thoroughly Modern Milly








"Good-bye, good-goody girl,
I'm changing and how!
So beat the drums cos here comes thoroughly modern Milly now!"
~ Dick Scanlan

This seems to be how it generally goes for me with the more expensive Isabel Marant clothes; I fall in love with a pretty dress I can't afford, I wait (im)patiently for the sale, if I'm very lucky I get a phenomenal sale bargain for a gorgeous piece that is (alas) always at least three sizes too big for me, and my poor tailor then has to remake the entire dress to fit me. That's exactly what happened with this Marant dress.

I first saw the gorgeous Milly dress when I was shopping with a friend in Richmond. I knew from the very first glance that the long, impatient wait for the sales had just begun. Again. I waited and waited, and eventually my patience paid off; I got it online from Barney's, New York (one of my best sale bargains ever!) but oh my word, my poor Tailor then had a mammoth job to shrink it down to Hobbit size! 

It was so worth the long wait & all the effort, I absolutely adore it. In a delicate, silk chiffon material, Milly features an all-over red, blue and cream ikat print. It has gathered flutter sleeves, a round neck with pleat-trim on the front keyhole slit, and is cut for a very relaxed, floaty silhouette. A belt gives the voluminous dress a bit more structure.

I styled it here in the true Marant way, with bare legs and the most fabulous pair of boots. The hugely coveted 'Andrew' boots (also by Isabel Marant and currently on sale!) are made from a cool suede-leather combination; they have a pointed toe and a very unusual pyramid shaped heel. The slouchy design and cuffed top make them the perfect off-duty addition to any look.

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