HOW TO DRESS IN BLACK HEAD TO TOE

When I was younger I'd watch my mum getting ready to go out for the evening, and find baffling how she always wore black dresses. I remember silently promising to myself that I wouldn't end up like this. I didn't understand why anyone lucky enough to be adult and out in the evening would choose the dull and dim over the playful and bright....fuschias, scarletts and even whites seemed a hundred times more appealing. Fast forward to nearly two years ago, and my New Year's Resolution was to buy less black. That one was outlived even by the yearly 'Eat Less'. As dear old Yohji famously said 'Black is modest and arrogant at the same time. Black is lazy and easy - but mysterious. But above all black says this - 'I don't bother you, you don't bother me'. Today, I have truly succumbed to the seduction of Black; my ankle length duster and cigarette pants are favourites.

SONG OF THE DAY: ARCADE FIRE - PORNO

WHY BLOGGING IS ARSEY

This page is not a blog. Well it's technically a blog, but I am NOT a blogger. And more so, I am NOT  a fashion blogger. The phrase 'fashion blogger' or even worse the hashtag '#fbloggers' raises metaphorical bile in my throat. This kind of thing turns me into a sarcastic, skeptical, bitchy loser/ misanthropist, which is probably just as cliched as the idea of a self-made, money earning blogger in the first place. However I AM a fashion journalism student. How, and Why you may ask can I hate this revolutionary medium of fashion reportage in this internet driven era? Well, first I will express great appreciation for the pioneers of fashion blogging; Susie Lau and Bryan Yambao (yes, they have real surnames) two of my favourites, the former for her truly solidified writing skills, and the latter for his wit and irony and well, his tweets. Then there is fashion know-all Derek Blasberg of course, Mallory Llewellyn and Tallulah Willis' 'Brain Babies' at The Clothing Coven and furthermore Tavi Gevinson, who is obviously an example of intelligent, well-thought out and socially political blogging. I also love Bip Ling's blog, but in a rather more aesthetic sense. I'm sure there are plenty more 'bloggers' who write really well, however I don't often find these as I have to wade through tons of narcissism, self indulgence and outright stupidity before I find these gems. Yes, Narcissism exists predominantly in #fashionblogging. Having your mum take photographs of your  daily outfits and posting them to your blog, with a little paragraph about why you're wearing this particular pastel pink concoction doesn't require any research, particularly eloquent or sophisticated text, or much intelligence for that matter. Worse off, are those 'shopping haul' youtube videos, where you will proceed to reel off every item you bought on your last visit to Topshop. Unless you're Miroslova Duma, Olivia Palermo, Alexa Chung or someone to that nature, no body is likely to be very interested in your latest 'outfit du jour', except perhaps your nan. Do you even speak French anyhow? As for self indulgence; if you feel the need to document those particularly 'slaying' outfits (yes, I'm sure most of us do) there are Polaroid cameras and crafty instagram shots a plenty.

LIKE WHAT YOU LIKE BECAUSE YOU LIKE IT

I’ve been stewing over writing about people’s ideas about conformism, convention and the mainstream, but I couldn’t find a starting point. For years, my take on being cool was to like the things others didn’t. Or rather, dislike the things most people liked. Anything remotely popular in my eyes was to be avoided. Unfortunately, this mentality was employed by masses of teens and young adults and regurgitated by (shock horror) the media, record companies and high street  brands to produce a tie-dye-wearing, Morrissey- listening, Stephen Chbosky-reading, tumblr-tapping yout, perhaps a girl with half a head of roots, or a boy with a haircut resembling an iced gem. For most of us, in the ‘Y Generation’, it’s excruciatingly and crushingly hard to present ourselves as individuals, to be original, and unfortunately for plenty; to be authentic. We see the teens of the sixties pioneering rock and roll tailoring, feminist silhouettes and smashing up cinema chairs down Brighton. We see outrageous punk dressing in the seventies, and mass experimentation drug use in the eighties and nineties. But where’s our 21^st century revolution? Aside from the high-speed, sharp-incline, tyrannical surge that is the internet age, there is none. Yet those movements, colonized by our predecessors (anyone from gramps to mum) in actuality became mainstream. Because we view them as crazy, exotic, experimental we associate them with alternative. Perhaps in years to come, youngsters will think of excessive Instagram spamming and dressing like a knob head as an ironic take on originality.

SONG OF THE DAY: LONG HAIR - DROWNERS

GIRL CRUSH: EVANGELINE LING

Sister of my fave blogger Bip Ling, and daughter of fashion illustrator Tanya Ling, Evangeline isn't just a budding model signed to Storm but a fantastic singer also.

listen to her band The Linedots' single Sentimental 

BEST DRESSED: CANNES 2014 UPDATE

Through honesty or rather laziness, rather than amend my previous list here's my latest cannes-crushes.

Lara Stone in hot pink bespoke Calvin Klein 

BEST DRESSED : CANNES 2014

Of all the high profile events, for me, the Met Gala and Cannes film festival reap the highest sartorial awards. This year, amongst many a disappointment; the absence of Diane Kruger - my total style queen (insert praying emoji here), Sharon Stone's poor attempt after her triumph last year, Eva Longoria's total flop which is that Vionnet dress; there were plenty of stunning gowns. The supermodel's were out in full force with Adriana Lima, in the wake of her recent divorce, in a leg exhibiting sateen Alexander Vauthier dress, Rosie Huntington Whitely with polished pins in a lavender Victoria Beckham mini dress, and eve Cara who managed to jet over amongst her sister Poppy's wedding celebrations. Here's my favourite looks, topped off with the two best dressed ladies (blondes) of Cannes 2014. And best dressed man? 

Who else

MET GALA 2014 BEST DRESSED

Alexa Chung in Nina Ricci

FASHION DOWN UNDER - A GUIDE TO AUSTRALIAN FASHION

For one month, twice a year, the fash pack are in full force. The editors, photographers, paps, models and PRs are pushed to their max, travelling night and day from show to show from New York, to London, followed by Milan, and finally Paris. Where fashion is concerned, these are the leading cities. Paris home to legendaries such as Karl Lagerfeld, Milan with iconic italian houses Prada and Dolce & Gabbanna, New York with the CFDA and Anna Wintour, and London the birthplace of countless british supermodels like Kate or Cara. Once these cities have showcased their goods, the editors return to their offices, the photographers touch up their work, and models proceed with editorial/commercial work. But elsewhere in the world, things are still moving. There's Stockholm, Sao Paulo and Dubai fashion weeks to name a few. Whatever the time of year, it's always fashion week. 

In the past year or so, Australian brands, publications and the general oz lifestyle have taken my interest. I wasn't aware of MSFW (Melbourne Spring Fashion Week) before this spring, and am disapointed with how little coverage it receives in Britain. It seems isolated, further from us than the other side of the world. What is interesting, and perhaps why MSFW is left out of the fashion week roundups, is that collections are an entire year ahead, rather than just six months. So this MSFWshowcased next year's S/S, and this year's S/S would have been shown last S/S.

Obviously, I don't know much as I've never been to Australia, but I've compiled a few lists to serve as a basic guide to Australian fashion, before I write up the best of MSFW S/S 15.