Time To Shine

For my latest project at university it was all about the shopping page.  We had to choose a trend, a publication and what type of shopping page we wanted to do.  I decided to do a beauty page for Harper's Bazaar on the Metallic trend.  It was a lot of work to say the least but I'm glad it's done and I'm pleased with the outcome, so I thought I'd share it with you!  

Words:

TIME TO SHINE

It’s time to embrace the new metallic party favours and put down the Kohl, says Nicola Shepherd.

Flecks of gold and silver shone out across the AW11 runways.  Dolce & Gabbana showed us that fashion has never had so much fun with their golden, sequined star embellished shift dress.   The party season has never had so much fun.  Metallic eyes stole the spotlight over the fall collections, dominating the catwalks and introducing the new party season look.  From creamy liquid gold at D&G to a soft and subtle shimmer at Roberto Cavalli.  Alexander McQueen styled up their models with metal skullcaps whilst Versace opted for smoked out eyes with a bronze modern day twist.

Top dogs MAC got rid of their matte black packaging in favour of foil and sequins for the Glitter and Ice collection, whilst Bobbi Brown created their Party collection featuring a silver leaf clutch bag with brushes to match.  Indulge in Shu Uemura’s 24K gold eyelash curlers for the ultimate indulgent accessory.  We’ve all heard about make up primers, but how about prepping your skin with Guerlain L'or Radiance Concentrate.  With particles of 24K gold you can be sure that your skin will look radiant and less tired in no time.  Chanel released three new sparklers in their most coveted line of nail lacquers, Quartz, Graphite and the infamous Peridot. 

For the perfect Cleopatra look, invest in some of the Nars Night Life eye shadows, to create a heavy metal look.  Each colour has flecks of gold pearl or silver, illuminating the eye rather than becoming dull.  “Make up should always be decadent,” says Francois Nars, key make up designer for Nars Cosmetics – so if you prefer a more muted look, try accessorising your LBD with a coat of Chanel’s Graphite on your fingertips, for a pop of sparkle.  The finely milled glitter particles create a less arts and crafts look and a more sophisticated appeal.

And finally, team up your favourite black chiffon shirt with a statement piece, like the eye catching ‘Jagged’ necklace by Gala Curios, sure to add a luxurious touch to any outfit.   When it comes to metallic’s, the party never ends.

It's the end of a busy week and I am lucky enough to have tomorrow off work, so I feel a lie in is only appropriate.  Today marks the beginning of London Fashion Week, so to all of my fellow Brits - happy fashion week! 

We began our Interviewing unit today at university and I learnt a number of valuable lessons:  

1. Do not piss off the interviewee - they may well just walk on you.

2. As crazy as this sounds, according to my lecturer, no fashion journalist wants to interview Vivienne Westwood.  She rants for 20 minutes about something completely irrelevant to the question.  

In other events, Vogue.com put up their best dressed for NYFW, including Marc Jacobs.  I have a huge crush on that man, I wish he were straight.

How are you spending the weekend?  

DVF: Diane Von Fabulous.

I don't want to be one of those fashion bloggers that regurgitates catwalk report after catwalk report over the various Fashion Weeks, but there will be two designers i'll always blog about, David Koma and Diane Von Furstenburg.  

Unfortunately I have a whole week to wait to see what Koma's got in store for us, but Diane wowed the catwalk crowd last night in New York.  Advocate for femininity, Diane showed New York that women who are sexy and powerful will always be in fashion.  The collection featured décolleté necklines, sheer chiffon, an array of different prints and  of course, variations on the famous DVF wrap around dresses. 

Once quoted saying, "I design for the woman who loves being a woman", Diane showed this concept in this outfit.  A sheer chiffon shirt with fringed waistcoat and a pencil skirt featuring a high slit.  This look fits in with the erogenous zones trend that is being seen this season, showing that our pins may have to get used to the cold.  

Winter wouldn't be right without layering, this look is perfect for everyday, popping to the shops or running errands.  I'm loving designers use of raspberry for fall, it's a really gorgeous colour.  

I love the use of two different contrasting prints in this playsuit with skirt.  I had to watch the video to make sure it wasn't just a playsuit.  Again, it features a decollete, plunging towards her navel.  

Lastly, my favourite dress.  The wrap around.  I love the colour, the way the fabric drapes over her body and the sleeves are gorgeous too.  

In my opinion she's done it again.  If you're all for minimalism then this collection was never designed for you.  In the words of Diane Von Furstenburg, "attitude is everything."