Rebel Rebel: The Students of Burgess Hill

The Daily Mail posted some cool archival footage of Burgess Hill, an experimental 1960s British boarding school that let students do whatever they wanted.

What I was most struck by, however, was the pupils' killer style. Motorcycle leather, black sweaters, and brightly-coloured skirts make for a mod look soaked in teen rebellion.

Can't you see some indie fashion mag using this as fashion-spread fodder?

Come Fly(away) With Me

Of all the beauty trends popping up on the fall runways, my favourite favourite favourite is messy hair. Not faux-messy "beachy waves" but hair with real flyaways. As a girl who can never manage to keep her hair salon-perfect for more than about 20 seconds, I fully support this.

Pictured above (left to right): Burberry Prorsum, Derek Lam, Rag and Bone)

Pictured below: Guess whose disgusting hair is suddenly trendy?

After all, who can manage to keep their hair pristine when there's dancing to do?

Fall Trend Alert: Black and White

The little black-and-white dress just might be a staple in your wardrobe come fall.

Super-Belated NYFW Trend Roundup!

So New York KILLED IT this season. Here are the trends that I can't wait to try:

Tiered/Layered Skirts:

Eye-catching but super versatile. Tadashi Shoji showed a romantic take on the look with light-weight tiers, while others, like Thom Browne, took the trend to an edgier place. The best part of this trend is that you can recreate it with the clothes you already have (read: I'm excited about this because I'm a poor student between semi-paying internships). Just throw on a mini dress over a maxi skirt and you have a Tse-inspired ensemble.

Leather:

From the looks of things, leather is going to be EVERYWHERE this fall. Go hardcore in head-to-toe leather like Cushnie et Ochs' maxi dress or try a basic piece with leather trim, like Charlotte Ronson's sporty jacket.

Full Skirts:

More "Sandy at the beginning of Grease" than "Sandy in the final scene of Grease?" Full, below-the-knee skirts were all over the runways. Pair a full-skirted dress with grungey combat boots as seen at Marc by Marc Jacobs or eschew the man-repelling aesthetic in favour of Naeem-Khanish voluminous dress, statement earrings and heels combo.

FW12: The Best of the First

Chadwick Bell:

Semi-wearable and super-fun. I'm seriously in love with the long-sleeved feather-bottomed maxi dress. Chadwick Bell's girl this season isn't screaming "look at me," but somehow you can't help but stare.

BLK DNM:

This collection was full of great basic-but-still-fashiony pieces, and the overall aesthetic was totally badass.

10 Derek Crosby:
Manic pixie dream girl meets Rachel Zoe. Playful but not over the top.

Which shows have been your favourite so far?

Inspiration: Soft and Romantic

Maybe it's the fact that Valentine's is getting closer (the perfect excuse to watch cheesy romantic movies and binge on candy) (I didn't mean for that to sound so "tragic but plucky single girl in a romantic comedy") (I sure use a lot of parentheses) or maybe I've been spending too much time staring at spring's floaty couture confections on Style.com, but I've been craving over-the-top purely pretty fashion and beauty lately.

Couture Cheat Sheet: Armani Prive

In five words: Sleek, reptilian, vaguely late 90's?

Highlights: That one AMAZING sparkly green gown, slick skirts cut above the knee

Who'll wear it: Cooler-than-thou socialites, maybe show attendee Jessica Chastain

Inspiration: Reppin' the Great North

One of my favourite Canadian models (Coco Rocha, duh) in one of my favourite Canadian magazines (Flare).

Doesn't this image make you want to break out all of your white clothes? Very mod meets mad scientist.

Alexis Mabille's Spring/Summer 2012 Couture Will Make You Want to Sprout a Flower from Your Head

At least if you're me, that is.

Can I just say how glad I am that the couture shows are here? Time to kick off the fun fashion weeks! Men's fashion is so not as exciting.

As done to death as the whole solid-colour-face-painting thing is (see: fall's Viktor and Rolf), I like the makeup and gigantic floral head puffs in this collection. Maybe they detract from the clothes a bit, but the entire effect is dreamy and gorgeous so it's so worth it.

Anyway, once I stopped FREAKING OUT about the amazing hats, I noticed the cool cut of the blazer/dress thing on the left. It's sort of like the laid-back cousin of an eighties power suit?

Other notable looks were that killer yellow suit (I love the colour), a Glinda the good witch dress and the bold metallic frock that I really hope someone, somewhere wears to an awards show so US Weekly can hate it and I can love it.

There were a few misses in the collection, though:

It's not that these dresses are bad, but they just don't look as luxurious as couture should be. Plus, the pink dress is just a little too Legally Blonde for me to take it seriously,

The Prints and Me

Fact: January is the gloomiest month EVER. Why not spice up the long cold days by breaking out the bold prints?

Head-to-toe prints are decidedly not for wallflowers, but you can tone the craziness and Man Repeller factor of the look down a bit by sticking to neutral accessories and simple cuts. A single printed piece, like a maxi dress, is also easier to pull off than a blazer and pants combo.

Would you dare to wear an all-over print?

Crazy Charm Bracelets? Treat Yo Self

Growing up, I was the girliest girl in the world. Barbies, tea sets, and baby dolls were my favourite toys. So while I'm a total feminist and way supportive of gender role bending, I never really got the appeal of "boy" toys like race cars. I remember trying to play Hot Wheels with these kids I baby-sat and the kids yelling at me because apparently giving the cars unique personality traits and making them talk to each other is not actually how you play with toy cars.

But this crazy charm bracelet from PoniesofDooom (Is that a bronies thing? I don't understand bronies.) on Etsy has helped me to see matchbox cars' appeal.

(Okay, you can't even see the matchbox car in this picture, making the intro of this post seem really random)

I'd be tempted to try and DIY my own, but I'm a procrastinator when it comes to crafting, so I'd probably end up accumulating a pile of small toys and just letting it sit there. And then one day someone would find my weirdo stack of matchbox cars and be freaked out.

The good news is it's only $27, which is really not that much considering it GLOWS IN THE DARK.

Oh, there's the car.

Do you think this bracelet's cool? Would you make your own instead? And if you do, can you send me one?

Teenage Dirtbag

Channel your inner angsty teen in graphic tees, random layers, and the occasional vintage wedding gown.

Spring Trend Report: Gold Digger

Designers made like Midas on the spring runways, turning everything they touched into gold. Elie Tahari (far left) and Loewe (right) showed the metallic hue on sexed-up dresses, while Paul & Joe (left) went playful with a pair of blinged-out shorts. Perhaps the biggest gold showstoppers of the season (the gold medalists, if you will) were an it-girl-worthy Ungaro (center) dress with patches of gold sequins and a ladylike Alexander McQueen (far right) suit.

Also seen at: Hakaan, Azzaro, Viktor & Rolf

Kick Ass Shoes for Rich People

You guys, the shoe world is absolutely KILLING it this fall. Platforms, big buckles, and sparkles? I'm so in.

Unfortunately, as a student and magazine intern, I am not exactly raking in the big bucks. But I can dream, right? Here's what I would buy if I had Paris Hilton's budget. #outdatedpopculturalreference #annoyinguseofhashtagsoutsideoftwitterPedro Garcia wedges ($450): These shoes give off the coolest Lux-Lindstrom-shabby-elegant-hippy vibe.

Miu Miu heels ($630): I'm pretty sure half my tweets from the Miu Miu show (and by "from the Miu Miu show" I mean "from my early morning sociology lecture where I was watching the Miu Miu livestream and ignoring the glares of those around me") are along the lines of "GLITTER! On SHOES! SOMEONE GET ME SOME GLITTERY SHOES, STAT! THEY ARE KIND OF THE BEST THINGS EVER IN LIFE EVER!"

So, you know. Suffice to say I like these. Chloe ankle boots ($795): Shoes fit for some sort of elfin woodland creature. This is a compliment, I promise. Burberry Prorsum platforms ($950): Do you guys remember how in 10 Things I Hate About You, Julia Stiles was like this total angsty late-90s riot grrl who read The Bell Jar and drove a beat-up old car and won Heath Ledger's heart? These shoes are that girl, distilled in shoe form.

Which fall shoes are you guys obsessing over?

Current Obsession: Jen Kao Wedges

How sick are these wedges by Jen Kao? (The correct answer is "so sick.") It's the perfect Frankenstein's monster of a shoe, simultaneously calling to mind ski boots, patchwork, and that Christopher Kane collection with all the galaxy prints.

Jen Kao? More like Jen Wow! (Sorry. Bad puns are sort of my thing.)

Office Space: Some Inspiration for Your Work Week

Let's face it, Mondays can be rough, even for those of us who've been blessed with jobs we love. (Okay, it's probably Tuesday by now in some time zones).

How about injecting a little fun into your workweek? Fifties style glasses or bold coral lips can shake up even the most staid office-appropriate ensemble.

And who needs a shirt? Bust out your favourite bra instead! (Just kidding. That one's best left for the pages of Vogue Italia. Unless you're a stripper, I guess.)

(Also, nix the napping.)

Top to bottom: October 2010 Vogue Italia beauty supplement, Elle Poland, Elle Singapore July 2011. All images from Fashion Gone Rogue.

Blast From the Past: Vogue Does Disney

The one and only time I went to Disneyland was around 2001. I was 10 years old and wore shorts, T-shirts, and Mickey Mouse ears the entire time. It was not a great moment in fashion.

Ten years earlier, however, Vogue UK took a much more fashion-forward trip to the land of roller coasters and screaming children.

Doesn't it sort of make you want to roll up to the nearest amusement park in a vintage skirt suit?

(Scans courtesy of The Fashion Spot)

Adventures in Etsy: Of Hogs and Hedges

You guys, I'm babysitting a hedgehog(!!!) this weekend. His name is John-John, he hates me (I tried singing The Cardigans' "Lovefool" to him, but this only served to annoy him) and he is actually the cutest thing ever!

The new love of my life. (Please ignore the camera phone picture quality and how weirdly disgusting my carpet looks).

In honour of my temporary foray into hedgehog-parenting, here are some painfully adorable hedgehog-themed accessories I found on Etsy.

Hedgehog flats by emandsprout ($24):

I feel like it would be impossible to have a bad day with these on your feet. How much do you love the fact that the hedgehogs have little flowers in their hair (or in their spikes, I guess)?

Hedgehog hair clips by CuckooBoo ($5):

I'm pretty sure that these are actually intended for small children, but I'm also pretty sure that the world would be a way better place if we all wore adorable animal-themed hair bows all the time.

Hedgehog necklace by Piggy ($18):

For the sophisticated hedgehog-wearer. (As if there's any other kind).

Raquel Zimmerman by Steven Meisel for Vogue Italia

As I was scrolling through Fashion Gone Rogue, this spread stopped me in my tracks. I guess that in a sea of crazy fashion spreads, it's raw, simple images like the first picture in this spread that are truly shocking.

I'm not even sure that I totally get grasp Meisel was going for here, but I like it. The juxtaposition of the wig-wearing, overly made up, pose-y Raquel and the wet-haired, grinning Raquel is really cool.

The deliberate fakeness of the black wig photos feels very Cindy Sherman to me.

What do you think?

Christian Dior Couture Fall 2011: Barbie, Time Travel, and Outer Space

When I was a kid, my favourite movie wasn’t Sleeping Beauty or Home Alone but the little-known cartoon flick Barbie and the Rockers: Out of This World. When my parents would take me to the video rental place, I’d gravitate to this out-dated 1980s TV special (which I referred to as “Barbie in Space”) like a bee to honey, or Tommy Ton to Anna Dello Russo.

Guys, this movie was CRACKED. OUT. After discovering last year that the cinematic light of my preschool life had been uploaded to YouTube, I decided to re-watch it. The plot, which had seemed totally logical when I was three, goes a little something like this:

Barbie and her rock band go to space, and when they arrive back on earth, they somehow end up back in the 1950s. Luckily, the first person they meet is some sort of time travel specialist who helps them get back to the eighties. Interspersed throughout are shopping montages and dance sequences.

So it makes sense that while many members of the fashion press panned Dior’s first couture collection sans Galliano for lacking focus, I saw a clear unifying theme.

Think about it: The bold makeup. The celestial elements. The eighties meets fifties silhouettes.

You guys, this collection is totally Barbie in Space!

On a non-Barbie-related note, I love the scalloping detail on some of the pieces in the collection, like the Nemo-coloured skirt above. It reminds me of Christopher Kane's Planet of the Apes-inspired season (S/S 2009), one of my favourite collections of ALL TIME.

What did you guys think of the new Dior? Am I seriously the only one who liked it? And am I the only one who remembers Barbie and the Rockers?