Westwood S/S'12 Menswear review

Next year’s Olympics in London is estimated to attract hundreds of thousands of visitors, both from this country and abroad, who will inject several billion pounds into our economy.  The multi-nationals  realised this a long time ago, and queued up to acquire licences to print credit cards, soft drink cans, T-shirts and, yes, probably money with the London 2012 logo.  As gravy trains go, this is ALL gravy - and then some.

Wiley old Dame, Westwood, has also seen the money spinning potential of the games.  Let’s not forget that this is the lady who recently wrote off punk as “a marketing opportunity”, so her sub-Forties, sub-sporty cash-in collection for Spring/Summer 2012 should come of surprise to nobody.

Dotted with recognisable motifs, such as laurel wreaths, medals, torches, and Olympic ring primaries, this is a collection without shame and, surprisingly, without bite.  Barring some checked trousers with a bag attached, a huge bronze dressing-gown-slash-coat, and a few wonky fastenings on trousers, there is nothing here to scare the horses, or tourists on the look-out for interesting souvenirs.  Obviously the plaid has survived intact, if a little toned-down, and her footwear is as ludicrous as ever.

As if to mock her own venality we also get a few grey three-pieces chucked in, modelled in her catwalk show by some grotesquely pony-tailed Gordon Gekko-alikes.  Shimmering evening suits are a welcome distraction, if a little this Winter.  These tailored looks are the highpoint of the collection, which is either impressive or depressing depending on your opinion of Westwood.

Next July, when the hordes of spectators arrive at the Olympic Park development, the first sight that will greet them is the Westfield Stratford City retail behemoth.  The second will probably be a piece from this collection, which must be judged as a success on that score.

Only a designer as brazen as Westwood, one with a “National Treasure” status, could feasibly get away with this.  It makes you proud to be British.

Article written by Lee Clatworthy (@TeamChutzpah) for Katie Chutzpah blog.

Emporio Armani Launch Summer Garden Live with Sony Music

Last week, Emporio Armani wandered back into cool with a hot new series of Summer Garden Parties held in the back garden of the vast New Bond Street store.  

The air was more chic Eurofest than lowdown London indie as the well-heeled and designer bagged mingled with...well, each other mainly, save for a few stray social and fashion journos and faces.

Ciroc vodka cocktails were supped and smokers delighted in being able to 'keep it real' and indulge their habit in the covered outdoor area.  A trail of high heeled, lithe limbed girlies and blonde highlighted men strolled in and around and there was an air of glam insouciance.

The acts, too, seemed more folk Scandi-Euro than Burberry's infatuation with everything Brit and indie.  Danish singer songwriter, Oh Land, bravely belted it out to a wanderlust, just arrived crowd awaiting the head-liner, Aloe Blacc.  And very good she was too all things considered. Oh Land's performance was then followed by an energetic, if painfully self-absorbed, American folk artist, Lissie to a crowd growing more restless for the soul funk leanings of Mr Blacc. 

Aloe Blacc took to the stage like a young Al Green and proceeded to charm the audience hook, line and sinker.  "I Need a Dollar' was emphatically cheered (well, we were in Emporio Armani and the dollars could have come in useful especially as my friend kept dragging me away from the sumptuous leather sale rail).

Attendees included Petra Nemcova, Ellen von Unwerth, Felder & Felder (all pictured above), Luke Treadaway and Amy Molyneaux.  I even spotted legendary disco DJ genius, Arthur Baker, in the crowd and that made my night.  

Emporio Armani, Live Music, Garden Parties and cocktails.  People, what's not to like?

Emporio Armani's next Summer Garden hook-ups are with Atlantic, Polydor and Island records.

If you'd like to leave a comment for the Katie Chutzpah blog, please do so in the box below. Thank you.

Gucci S/S '12 Menswear review

This season Gucci have turn the volume down on the symphony of exotic skins and sharp tailoring which finds its way onto their catwalk, and has produced a well-mannered and relaxed collection which takes the Sixties as its jumping off point but, at the end of the day, is very much a Frida Giannini creation.

The foundation of the collection is pedestrian and strangely nondescript casual wear, mostly following Giannini’s now well-worn slim aesthetic to the letter.  Highlights include some baggy textured knits and a masterful quilted leather bomber.  But then you would expect a decent leather from a company with Gucci’s history.  Even the expected Gucci hallmarks have been downsized, with slimmer snaffles on loafers and the trademark stripes reduced to a subtle hint at the ankle.

Prince of Wales check makes an appearance again after being distressed at Emporio and dulled into submission by Versace’s brilliant brights, this time partnered with a polite eau-de-nil, whilst a plum mohair suit is a sly hint of what might’ve been.  It is with the evening wear where this collection comes alive; loud checks paired with dinner jackets, self-colour tartan Tuxedos, and dress trousers resembling jodhpurs with satin panels on the inside leg.  This is more like “it” – however this isn’t enough to save what is, essentially, a disappointment.  We’re all entitled to our off days, but these clothes have none of the youthful vigour of previous collections.

Giannini claims she was inspired by the gentleman’s club, a dinosaur of an institution which has as much place in today’s zeitgeist as the dinosaurs themselves.  Maybe it’s time for Gucci to evolve before it finds itself extinct?

Article written by Lee Clatworth (@TeamChtzpah) for Katie Chutzpah blog

The Best New Summer Eye Shadow Palettes

Summer means that you have to think about your make-up differently especially as you're probably changing your wardrobe and possibly heading to hot climates.  

Two of the best eye-shadow palettes that I've come across recently, manage to capture the first light of Summer heat while being gentle for pale or sallow skins.  What's more, they're rather elegant and simply a good excuse to indulge in a bit of pre holiday self-indulgent make-up purchasing.

Dick Page, Shiseido's Make-Up Artistic Director says that the new Shiseido Luminizing Satin Eye Colour Trio (£34).  Warm skin and cool colours such as sweet peach, pale rosy platinum and cool shimmering pink create an elegant vision of summer beauty.  Finish off with sweep of fine eyeliner (£23) that gives the ultimate 1950's sweep for more dramatic eyes. 

Over at L'Occitane, a whole new range of make-up has been released to accompany the release of Pivoine Flora fragrance, a peony filled delight that's gentle enough for day without being floral over-powering.  

The Petals Eye Quartet (£22) by L'Occitane  (pictured above) feels very Stila meets Paul & Joe in terms of brand style, colour and texture.  But that's no bad thing.  Enriched with softening Peony extract, the eye shadows are the gentlest colours in soft tones of rose, beige and wine shades.  The eye palette features a detachable mirror which simply slides out.  Clever.  Forget the Hallmark type, girly over indulgence with ballet dancers and sweetness and light that the imagery depicts and concentrate on the gorgeous subtle colours, suitable for all age ranges.

Paul and Joe's typically pretty and covetable 'Blue Horizon' collection features some great swirl eye colours sold as individuals that create a long lasting wash of colour and, as always, are bang on trend.  I'm particularly fond of the new Eye Gloss Duo called 'Depth' which is a Biba'esque '1970's melange of peach and mulberry.  Inspired by Mediterranean hues, the various duos (also including Smooth Sailing and Fathom) add shimmer and sparkle with their pearlescent gloss and metallic shine.  Pair up with a beautiful Paul and Joe nail polish in Vinyl red or Mediterranean Blue and you're all set in minutes.  I like fast beauty.

All beauty items are currently available at major department stores throughout the UK.

Alexander McQueen S/S '12 Menswear review

It’s not unusual for a designer to experience teething problems when called in to head up an existing fashion house.  Lee McQueen, famously, locked horns with the archaic atelier at Givenchy, and his successor at the late designer’s eponymous label, Sarah Burton, has spent the last couple of seasons ransacking the Alexander McQueen back-catalogue whilst simultaneously sucking the life out of it.

Burton was declared “a safe pair of hands” by the industry when she took hold of the reins following McQueen’s tragically early passing, an opinion which may have come back to bite commentators on the backside.  Maybe this is what PPR, the label’s owners, envisaged?  Whilst there is no denying that Burton has taken McQueen from cult concern to cash cow (mostly off the back of *that* dress), this success seems to be at the cost of the label’s creativity and, most importantly, the vision of its founder.  It’s difficult to imagine McQueen himself signing off the cynical entry-level products, such as towels and underwear, which now litter sales floors up and down the country.

If the inspiration for Burton’s Spring/Summer 2012 collection for McQueen is “English rock” then the result is a haphazard selection of clothing which vaguely references band costumes from the late Sixties/early Seventies.  Some striped pieces, however, bring to mind rock of the seaside variety.

The line joining these disparate dots is tailoring and a restrained use of the volume, but even this is lost in a confused and directionless mish-mash of colours and styles.

The real tragedy here is that there are very few pieces that actually shout “McQueen”.  The dramatic flaming jacket and matching open shirt which is, by now, plastered over fashion pages and the Internet is one of them.  Another which follows the twin McQueen obsessions of sex and death is a white suit with gothic black floral embroidery but, apart from the now customary frockcoats, this is in the minority.

This lack of focus could be deliberate, a commercial decision by Burton to appeal to as broad a customer base as possible. Whatever her reasons, this collection merely serves as a reminder of her former boss’s uniqueness amongst his peers.

Article written by Lee Clatworthy (@TeamChutzpah) for Katie Chutzpah blog.

Jo Malone launches Wild Bluebell - Sept 2011

Growing up in the outskirts of Glasgow, I was surrounded by wild hills and plentiful woods.  Bluebells regularly carpeted the expanses of green and, at that time, were not yet listed as under threat.  Come Springtime, little girls would fill their hands with them and present them to their mothers as floral gifts.  The flower is synonymous with fantasy and our imaginations ran wild with imagined wood sprites ringing the bluebells and playing tricks.  (At the time, we were reading E Nesbitt, Edith Blyton and watching Eastern European TV programmes tinged in magic such as The Singing Ringing Tree).


Such rich memories are embedded in one's scent history.  I can still smell the mossy damp freshness and the green, damp air tinged with blue-purple bobbing flowers and their delicate distinct scent. 

Until now, Bluebell scents while purist have languished in delicate hands and have been assigned as 'older lady scent', and, while being distinctly British, haven't attracted a younger more switched-on audience.  Penhaligons Bluebell is archetypal of such an English scent as is Floris' Hyacinth and Bluebell.

Step forward Jo Malone to take a Wild Bluebell scent into the 21st Century come September 2011. Using successful perfumeur, Christine Nagel, as the creator, Nagel was a safe hands choice as she has been core to previous Jo Malone success stories including Fresh Mint Leaf, Rosewater and Vanilla, Iris and White Musk and English Pear and Freesia.  “Wild Bluebell is very different from anything the brand has ever done before,” confirmed Jo Malone Fragrance and Lifestyle Director, Debbie Wild. 

New creative Director, James Gager, has charged the brand with life to reinvigorate it and to push the boundaries.  His vision was to interpret Nagel's Bluebell character and to give her life and a story which will stick in the consumer's visual and olfactory memory.  English Photographer, Tim Walker was then commissioned to photograph the campaign which reads as a part Miss Haversham, part Alice Through the Looking Glass, John Galliano-Dior-tinged vision of English eccentricity and ethearealness.

As no natural extract of bluebell exists, Nagel had to 'imagine' the scent, adding Jo Malone style to her interpretation of wild bluebell.  And she has done a fine job, if a little heavy on the Jo Malone clean aspect of the fragrance.

The scent opens in a lush burst of fresh floral fracard as the deep blue-ness of fresh English bluebell and clove sweeps over the skin and is followed closely by a big bunch of jasmine, lily of the valley, and eglantine at the heart that's so rounded, it practically rolls across in bouncy waves.  There's a soft fuzzy warmth emphasising those bobbing, bluebell heads like downy velvet petals brushed against baby soft skin in the white amber and musk at the base.


There's a distinct air of Jo Malone's trademark cleanness throughout with a tinge of metallic at it's heart.  It's this that gives the fragrance the modern air when juxtaposed with the rounded warmth.  While Wild bluebell may skip and saunter in a fantasy land of green woods, white rabbits and ballet tutus, the fragrance is anchored firmly in the damp green earth, so the artistic 'vision' contrasts slightly here with the olfactory experience.  It would have been a truer reflection of the fragrance had Betty Blue(bell) dropped some her English, otherworldy whimsy and took control, rather than passively tip-toeing, slightly out-of-kilter to a floral beat that has 21st Century modernity running through it's core.

Like all Jo Malone fragrances, Wild Bluebell is said to be ideal for fragrance combining. Three fragrances which work particularly well with it are Vanilla and Anise, Nectarine Blossom and Honey and White Jasmine and Mint. I can vouch for the added depth given by the Jasmine and  as I was liberally sprayed.


Jo Malone Wild Bluebell is available from 1st September as a Cologne (30ml and 100ml; £36 and £72 respectively), a Body and Hand Wash (250ml; £30), Body Creme (175ml; £48) and a Home Candle (200g; £38). 

NB: The native English bluebell is under threat.  To help England stay carpeted with this flower, Jo Malone London has made a donation to the Woodland Trust. 

What do you think of the new Jo Malone Wild Bluebell scent and visuals?  Please let me know in the comment box below.  Thank you.

Chutzpah's Weekly Barometer

A light hearted look back over the past week’s good, bad and indifferent including the “don’t even go there’s”.

LOVING

Bally - Celebrating 160 years in the business with a capsule range of ballet flats and tote bags, and a traffic-stopping Fall campaign starring Karlie Kloss.  The Bally-Rina collection is available now with prices starting at £175.

Versace - After a few lean years Versace is back, BACK, BACK!!! with a bang with this week's menswear collection and a collaboration with H and M.

Frederic Fekkai's Summer Hair collection - Girls, if you're going to do better than the ordinary hair care PLUS summer heat, opt for these babies.  Using AquaTherapy technology, Fekkai's detox shampoo, leave-in conditioner and beach waves spray (£20 each) de-frizzes while defending against humidity.  Available at SpaceNK.  Summer?  Bring it on!


Princess Eugenie - After sinking to sartorial rock bottom, Eugenie has turned it around 180 degrees after wowing at Ascot and Elton's White Tie and Tiara Ball.

Janie Bryant for Banana Republic - Are you a Joan or a Betty?  The costume designer  has teamed with Banana Republic's Creative Director, Simon Kneen, to launch a 'Mad Men' inspired, retro-fabulous, 65-piece collection for both women and men in August.  Vintage fans, this is your quick fix office wear.


Etam - Children of the 1970s and 1980s rejoice! After disappearing from our high streets, Etam returns with the newly-single Natalia Vodianova in tow.


'Bridesmaids' vs 'Bad Teacher' - 'Bridesmaids' is written by and starring Kristen Wiig and this raucous remix of the chick flick genre provides some sly knowing digs and laugh-out-loud moments alike versus "Shut the Front Door" and other bound-to-be- re-used phrases from Cameron Diaz's new chic flick, 'Bad Teacher'.  Tough Call.

Paul and Joe's Moisturising Foundation Primer (SPF12) - Not only works like a moisturising treatment, this beauty looks gorgeous, but smooths out fine lines and pores pre foundation application.  Available in three light shades, this is one for the vintage girlies.  Priced £20 and available from Paul and Joe dept store stockists (such as Fenwicks).


Lily Cole - Congratulations to Lily, who has earned a double first honours degree at Cambridge.  Model with brains.  Approved.


E4's 'Made in Chelsea' Series Two  - *Delighted, 'I know' face*  


HATING
Glastonbury - Or, the seventh circle of Hell for people like us who can't live without 8 hours sleep, showers, a hairdryer, and heels.

J+ for Uniqlo - (Pictured right).  The end of an era as Autumn/Winter promises to be the final collection by Jil Sander for Uniqlo.


Wimbledon "fashion" - With Venus Williams' outfits reaching new levels of impropriety, we want to know when tennis became all about who you wear, not how you play?


DON'T CARE
VisitBritain's 'You're Invited' campaign - Hideously misjudged tourism campaign from Thatcher favourite Saatchi & Partners to dispel our country's "starchy" image.  Starring famous-for-5-minutes-in-1966 Twiggy, flabby-tongued dinner lady-botherer, Jamie Oliver, a slumming Dame Judi Dench, and token minorities, Dev Patel and Rupert Everett, we wonder why they bothered?

Pringle S/S'12 Menswear review

We walk a precarious tightrope at Chutzpah Mansions.  Whilst endeavouring to support British fashion as much as possible, we also owe our readers the truth as we see it.  Integrity is key to maintaining the Katie Chutzpah blog and long may it continue, although, when we do finally sell-out, we promise it’ll be in a spectacularly couture-wearing, diamond-dripping, Jag-driving fashion.

I say all this as I’ve already fallen foul of Pringle of Scotland’s representation.  The PR was right to call me and my rather knee-jerk opinion out.  However, after viewing pictures of the collection in more detail I have now made a fully-formed opinion, one which may be just as controversial.

New boy Alistair Carr has an impressive pedigree, and lists high-profile European fashion houses such as Balenciaga, Chloe, and Marni on his CV.  He has obviously been selected by Pringle’s Hong Kong-based owners for his edgy credentials.  Herein lies the rub.

Pringle also has an impressive pedigree, and will be celebrating a double centenary in 2015. Whilst the brand already has a reputation for nurturing emerging design talent, through its Pringle Archive project with Central Saint Martins, this collaboration never really strays from the company’s core strength as a luxury knitwear manufacturer.  Carr’s debut collection may impress as an out-with-the-old-in-with-the-new statement of intent but what does it say about Pringle’s heritage?

Well, barring a passing nod to the company’s familiar Argyle pattern and twin-sets, not a lot. However, whilst Carr’s sporty aesthetic plays around with sleeve and leg lengths, a zeitgeisty, zesty palette, and a high slip-on trainer in cahoots with Puma, it is the knitted pieces which really stand out.  The rest of the collection reminds me a lot of Matthew Miller’s current work.  Not a bad thing in itself, but one wonders what the Pringle fan-base will make of it.

Carr is obviously a gifted designer, and will need a couple of seasons to bed in but, if this is a transitional collection, is Pringle moving too fast for its customers to catch up?

Article written by Lee Clatworthy (@TeamChutzpah) for Katie Chutzpah blog.

DSquared2 S/S '12 Menswear review

Versace aside, this week has seen the Italian fashion houses curb their excesses.  Thank God then for Dean and Dan Caten, whose signature humour and bawdy theatricality livened up the final day of Milan menswear week.

The DSquared2 Spring/Summer 2012 collection is basically a production in four acts (witness the stage door in the background), based around the European tour which is now a traditional rite of passage for most middle-class American teenagers.

Act One is the outdoorsy DSquared2 we know and love, sturdy denim, brightly-coloured nylon anoraks inspired by the functional outerwear favoured by backpackers, and those cheeky slogan jerseys and T-shirts.  The most interesting development is the footwear, which this season resembles a trainer-cum-hiking-boot hybrid.  The brilliance of DSquared2 is that all of these pieces, such as the vividly-recoloured camouflage parka, appear durable enough to actually withstand the activity which they’re aping.

Onward to Ibiza, or maybe Sitges, and the usual clutch of short-shorts and even smaller swimwear.  Then Rome, allowing the Caten Brothers to showcase their sharp tailoring skills, which have been overshadowed by the label’s contemporary casual wear of late.  The designers plan to launch a “Classic Collection” focused on this previously understated side of the brand this month, and they’re off to a great start with this Vespa-cool selection of colour-drenched separates.

The finale, based around the kind of back-alley leather bars found in most provincial mittel-European cities, and distressed denim, tiger-prints, and some bona leather drag.

This collection isn’t just a whistle-stop expedition of Europe, it’s also a whirlwind insight into the different facets of DSquared2 man – cosmopolitan, colourful, and more than a little camp.

Reader, I loved it.

Article written by Lee Clatworthy (@TeamChutzpah) for Katie Chutzpah blog.

Aldo Shoes Launch their 'Get Lucky' Campaign with a Swish Party

Tuesday night in London saw Aldo shoes show The Capital how they could get down and hip in true London style with a party attended by anyone who was anyone, and boy was it fun.  

ALDO celebrated by unveiling an array of new collections showing off their fashion forward holiday collection, their new premium menswear range Mr B’s, and brand new capsule collection by New York designer Christian Cota for AW11.

The Christian Cota collection is part of ALDO’s most exciting project yet – ALDO Rise.   This initiative sees ALDO collaborating with rising talent in the UK and US with their British members announced as Mark Fast, JW Anderson and Preen.  The UK designers were all in attendance at the event clearly enjoying the party.

Special guest supermodel Lily Donaldson and ALDO Creative Director Douglas Bensadoun kicked off the night with a quick presentation on all the ALDO news.  ALDO also announced their new UK based Design Studio and a new home in London’s Oxford Street. Celebrity attendees included: US singer Alexis Jordan, Jameela Jamil, Robyn Bright, Laura Jackson, Caroline Flack, Henry Holland, Louise Roe, Jade Parfitt, Jasmine Guniness and upcoming talent Sunday Girl who also treated guests to an hours DJ set.Check out Aldo at www.aldoshoes.com

Let me know what you think of Aldo's party and shoes in the comment box below.  Thanks.

Versace S/S '12 Menswear review

I don’t know when I fell out of love with Versace… a few years after Gianni’s death perhaps; the label lost its lustre and drifted off my radar.  Then, a couple of years ago I noticed stylists in high-end glossies such as Arena Homme Plus and Another were using vintage Versace in their stories.  

Recently, the striking prints and high-octane leatherwear favoured by the house of Versace have come back, literally, into Vogue, and it wasn’t long before fashion magpie Lady Gaga noticed too, choosing to feature the Versace archive in her ‘Edge of Glory’ video.

It’s a pity that it took Gaga and a just-announced collaboration with H and M for Versace to claw its way back into the spotlight, as the Spring/Summer 2012 collection feels more confident and current than any other produced since Gianni’s death.  The perfect remedy to our financial hand-wringing and make-do-and-mend austerity measures is a big fat dose of Eighties excess, which is what Versace provides in abundance.

The signature swirling prints and Greek key motifs are here, first rendered in raucous tones, and then picked out on trousers, jackets, and a diaphanous shirt which, at any other point in time, would scream “Guido” - as would the leather and suede jackets with matching buckled trousers.  Versace off-sets this palette with calm neutrals and some respectable grey suits, sleeves pushed up Sonny Crockett-style (ask your Mum).

Not everything works; a neon pink and scarlet section sails way over the top, and a canary yellow vest teamed with chestnut leather shorts resembles a camp gladiator costume.

With Miuccia Prada staking a claim as Milan’s Queen of Questionable Taste, it feels only right that Donatella returns now to reclaim her throne.  The exuberance of this collection is infectious, and reaffirms the Versace house’s place in popular culture.

Article  written by Lee Clatworth (@TeamChutzpah) for Katie Chutzpah blog

D and G S/S '12 Menswear review.

One of the strongest trends to emerge over the Milan menswear collections is the use of neutrals to temper strong colours or patterns - basically to divert your attention whilst the designer opens up a big can of crazy elsewhere.

At the Spring/Summer presentation for Dolce and Gabbana’s diffusion label, the crazy came in the form of hundreds of baroquely printed scarves which provide the foundation for a collection of loose, flowing silhouettes.  Distressed, sun-bleached denim and utilitarian linen and khaki are then added to the mix, giving a slightly hippy-ish festival feel.

The denim and kaleidoscopic silk have then been sliced and spliced together in a dizzying number of variations, a simple idea which, if any other designer had thought of it they would be accused of being one-trick pony. D and G climb aboard that pony and ride the Hell out of it.

Raffia hats and soft suede moccasins add to the world traveller vibe, one which Burberry has already broached this week through its slightly cynical appropriation of indigenous crafts. Here, though, the mood is relaxed, the baggy trousers and shrunken jackets comfortably crumpled and weather-beaten.

Article written by Lee Clatworthy (@TeamChutzpah) for Katie Chutzpah Blog.