David Downton, Capturing Couture

You don't hear a lot about fashion illustrations theses days. In fact, they are part of a dying bread of artists who during the 20s and 30s had their work plastered on everything from magazine covers to cigarette packets. Recently, there has been a bit of a frenzy over illustrators depicting various outfits on Instagram, with Rihanna and Kim Kardashian frequently posting images of themselves as portrayed by budding young artists. Yet, these images are almost all done digitally or with modern drawing techniques to achieve a bright, colourful look loved by the younger generation of today. There are not many illustrators out there who still practice their skill with the old fashioned finesse and precision we have grown to love, except maybe for David Downton.

I actually discovered David Downton a few months ago while reading British Vogue and fell in love with his work. Born in Kent 1959 and educated at Canterbury, Downton had a passion for art from a young age, later moving to Brighton to forge his illustrating career. But it was not until the late 90s, when Downton was asked to sit front row at couture shows, sketching the models and the clothes with a sense of grace and elegance that his fashion career really took off.

Since then, his work has been featured in most fashion publications, including Vogue, Harpers Bazaar, The Times, Telegraph Magazine and has worked for iconic brands such as Chanel, Dior, Tiffanys, Top Shop and luxury department store Harrods. Now, Downton has a brand new book out, 'Masters of Fashion Illustration,' which is packed full of his wonderful drawings over his 10 years spent at Haute Couture fashion week. As well as runway pictures, Downton has also drawn a number of portraits of models Twiggy, Kate Moss and Linda Evangelista as well as actresses Cate Blanchett, Dita von Teese and Elizabeth Taylor which are all worth a look at.

Take a look at some of David Downton's amazing pieces below...
Masters of Fashion Illustration by David Downton and Carmen Dell'Orefice, £19.95 is available at all book stores and online.

Va Va Versace

It's hard to imagine that only a couple of weeks ago, the international catwalks were showing off their latest collections for Autumn/Winter 2015. After New York and London, I don't know about you, but my head just seemed to want to explode with all the different shows merging into one. That's why a couple of weeks later it's nice to sit back and take a look at some of the best moments from the catwalk collections. 

Donatella Versace is perhaps one of the most talented designers out there and is a firm favourite of mine. The Versace fall 2016 show was glamorous and sexy, with plenty of mini dresses and bright pops of colour. Yellows and reds looked radiant on the runway as did those subtle references to social media and the hashtag symbol. And who could forget the alphabet dresses at the end of the show, which were fabulous and different from other Italian designers. But the real talking point on a fashion trend point of view, were the silk trousers which flared out at the knee. It looked good on supermodels but for anyone shorter than 5ft10, it would be a struggle! Take a look back at some of best pieces at Versace and drool over the amazing red carpet ready dresses.

A Fashion Moment: Sophia Loren

I found these really stylish and beautiful photos of Sophia Loren and her mother attending a Christian Dior show in 1974. I love the all black outfit Sophia is wearing and her amazing net hat which sweeps over her eyes. I'm not too sure the photographer is of these lovely monochrome photos, but the lighting and pose of the actress is perfection. This is how fashion should be now: tasteful and elegant.

Welcome to the Chanel Brasserie

You can always rely on Karl Lagerfeld to put on a real show. Fashion should be about the clothes, and a catwalk collection should obviously have a firm emphasis on garments. Yet, we all know that in this day and age people want a show, people want to be surprised and delighted and most importantly people want to share what they see on Twitter! Lagerfeld certainly got everyone talking before the Chanel show even started this morning, as fashion press were treated to tea and coffee at the Chanel Brasserie. Real waiters served drinks and snacks behind elegant gold table tops, complete with everything you would expect in a real life restaurant.

Then Cara Delevingne opened proceedings and the real show began. Classic tweed coats, lots of monochrome and of course, the classic Chanel suit. In navy and check, the suit was brought into the 21st century with precision and ease with skirts falling to the knee. It was lady like and extremely 1940's Parisian aristocrat, who was just doing her normal breakfast routine, complete with her gloves and handbag. There was a hint of the fashions houses' history with Scotland, with tartan dresses, scarves and skirts providing a little colour here and there. Puffa jackets were also evident, as were long wool coats perfect for keeping out the cold winter chill.

Towards the end of the show (there were a jaw-dropping 98 looks in total) lovely sheer black dresses were shown off by the likes of Sam Rollinson, Kendall Jenner and Delevingne. With a little sports prowess, theses dresses were very simple with some silver brooches adding a touch of glam. As for the hair and make up, it was sublime. Models all wore black bands across their heads, scrapping hair into an iconic Bardot hairdo. While others had their hair severely slicked to the side and pushed behind ears. Black cats eye flicks also looked good with the minimal make up on faces, as well as the dramatic eye shadow.

While the show was happening, models who had finished taking their turn on the circular runway sat down at tables and at the bar, waiting for their order to be taken. It was a great bit of play acting that really added character to the show and a sense of realism. If Chanel did decide to open a restaurant, it would clearly be a hit! When Karl Lagerfeld gave his final bow, he could definitely do so with pride as this show was absolutely fantastic. Vive Chanel!

#PFW - Valentino, Saint Laurent, Louis Vuitton and more...

Miu Miu
Checks, tartan, stripes and colour. These were the main ingreidents of the Miu Miu show today. It was preppy and cute, complete with peter pan collars over long sleeved jumpers and large dangly earrings with matching flowery necklaces. I loved the  pops of animal print colour, from leopard, snake and tiger all making an appearence. Knee length skirts added a touch of 50's glam as did the cinched in waists. Very Miuccia Prada, if you know what I mean?

 
Louis Vuitton
At first I was sceptical of Nicholas Ghesquiere and his appointment as creaitve director at Louis Vuitton. But a couple of seasons in and he is really starting to blossum into the amazing designer he was at Balenciaga. This season, with the help of Freja Beha-Ericson who opened the show, there were plenty of luxe fur coats, stylish black and white suits, leather coats with a hint of 60's and tweed suits. It was elegant and crisp, with a youthfull touch. A great way to end PFW.

Alexander McQueen
There was a lot of hype surrounding this collection, and it was clear to see why. Sarah Burton played with historical references to French queen Marie Antoinette (check out the amazing hair!) mixed with a modern cool. I thought the frilly lace dresses were pretty and feminine with obvious similarities to the McQueen of old. Very romantic and soft with a touch of tough girl chic. 

Valentino
The big news of this show was Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson taking to the runway as their characters from cult comedy 'Zoolander.' Even Anna Wintour got in on the fun, posing with the two actors after the show. Now in regards to the actual Valentino collection, it was monochromatic, elegant and beautiful. It was angelic with high necklines and intricate lace patterns on white skirts while the transparent squares of material flashed just enough of skin to remain classy and sophisticated. Amazing.

Saint Laurent
I decided to include this collection not because I particularly liked it, but because it is Saint Laurent and I feel a moral duty to the brand to honour it. For the past couple of season, womenswear designer Hedi Slimane has brought his rock chick to life on the YSL catwalk, with ripped tights, daring mini dresses, smudged make up and leather biker jackets. For fall, it was this same theme again but with a few different twists, such as the multi-coloured fur coats. It would be nice to see Slimane dip into Laurents' rich history and explore a different dynamic of the house.

Stella McCartney
With a proud Sir Paul McCartney sitting on the front row (along with rapper Kanye West) the fall 2015 Stella McCartney collection was classic and structured. The designer explored a lot with knitwear, tying it in loops, a-symmetric styles, around the head like a hood... etc. While her limited use of white, grey and beige were wintery and very cool. There were some pretty heavy fur coats, yeti style but overall a lot of clean lines and sweetheart necklines - very Stella McCartney.

Giambattista Valli
You can always rely on this fashion house to provide a sense of wonder and beauty, similar to Elie Saab did last week. Giambattista Valli delivered a retro, 60's inspired show with a lot of geometric prints and colourful stripes. There were lace mini skirts paired with knee high boots and long sleeve blouses and a lot of layers piled on top of each other such as roll necks, dresses and tops. There was a lot of clashing patterns, yet Valli pulled this rather messy technique off effortlessly with their straight, minimal lines and simple tailoring.

#PFW - Best in Show

Givenchy 

You can always rely on Ricardo Tisci to put on a proper show. And for his fall collection for Givenchy, he did exactly that. The extravaganza was extremely dark and mysterious with a lot of black coats, tight corseted blazers and skinny trousers. Models looked ferocious with decorated faces and slicked back hair, which looked as though it took hours to apply. Yet as always, there was a sense of wonder at Givenchy - another show stopping collection. 

Chloe 

It was like stepping back into the 70's with this beautiful Chloe collection. Blouses were loose and billowing, key hole dresses were reminiscent of hippy chic all those years ago and the soft colour palette was just right with lots of pastel and white. If anything this was more of a summer collection - perhaps Chloe are expecting a warm winter... 

Celine 

Whatever creative director Phoebe Philo does the fashion press seem to bow down to. With an emphasis on over sized lines and deconstructed garments, this Celine collection was intriguing and minimal. The huge (and I mean seriously HUGE) shopper bags looked perfect for tb beach while the graphic floral prints were given an autumnal twist with dark crimson and black. Puffs jackets were cool and collected while I loved the furry ball accessories dropping onto the floor. 

Mugler
Clean lines, smart tailoring and lots of monochrome - the Thierry Mugler show was elegant and refined. The navy punches and button details nodded neatly to the nautical side of things while the cut out sweeping dresses at the end of the collection were sharp and sexy. As always with Mugler, there was an element of sci-fi about some of the skirts which looked like melted metal scraps. Very chic.

Elie Saab
I absolutely love anything this label does. The dresses are always drop dead gorgeous, the colours always romantic while the sweeping silk creations are red carpet ready. For fall, Saab presented lots of khaki and military themes with a hint of turquoise blue thrown in. Belts helped define slender waists beneath billowing yards of chiffon and the sophisticated leather gloves were very Parisian lady. Another fantastic show which didn't disappoint in beauty and elegance.

Balenciaga 
Prim and proper, structuered and easy. Alexander Wang gave us a wonderful collection for Balenciaga which had a hint of school girl preppines about it as well as practical work wear pieces. An elaborate 'B' was stitched onto boxy tops like a school emblem while stripy scarfs and grey skirts nodded to the school run. Hair was severely scraped back into a tight bun with lots of decadent earrings beautifully glistening on models ears. There's no doubt this collection will be a hit with the fashion press.

Isabel Marant
Russian supermodel Natasha Poly opened this fab Isabel Marant show wearing a cream poncho, printed with an Aztec pattern and a pair of black biker boots. Nobody does classic French fashion like Marant - the woman who brought us the heeled trainer. Aztec prints were a sure hit in this show as well as stripes, romantic white mini dresses and skinny tight, high waisted trousers. The buttons and the signature black belts were stand out pieces in this collection. 

Christian Dior
I was pleasantly surprised with this colourful, bright and inspiring Dior collection. Usually I tend not to be a fan of Raf Simmon's work, yet this show was 60's inspired with some great pieces. The fur mini dress was new and different, the animal prints were outragously bold for such a classic house as Dior and the thigh high patent leather boots were fantastically cool. There were pops of colour everywhere and plenty of lovely winter man coats to cuddle up in - if you can afford Dior! And those round mirror sunglasses were just amazing! A really great show.

Paris Fashion Week - Day 3 Highlights

Balmain
Alessandra Ambrosio, Joan Smalls, Adriana Lima, Costance Jablonski, Kendall Jenner, Gigi Hadid, Karlie Kloss...the list of supermodels who walked in the Balmain fall 2016 show was literally endless. And as for the clothes, they were as boxy and as stylish as ever. There were pops of colour everywhere in metallic shimmers and bold stripe prints. Flared trousers and chunky belts gave a samurai feel to the collection while the graphic black lines and frilled peplum skirts are sure to be a hit on every celeb out there. Congrats to Olivier Rousteing for another great show!

Lanvin 
Kim Kardashian proudly showed off her new platinum blonde locks on the front row at Lanvin, while designer Albert Elbaz presented another classic rtw collection. The leather harnesses around dresses were something new and interesting, the loose trousers with a sporty stripe down the side were very chic and I loved the blingy, encrusted shift dresses. Accessories were a big part of this show - there were a lot of hats, fedora and baseball cap alike as well as leather gloves, heavy earrings tasseled necklaces. Yet I loved the simplicity of the first couple of looks which defined Parisian cool perfectly.

Vionnet
Seeing as Madeline Vionnet invented the ground breaking bias cut almost 100 years ago, this fashion house is somewhat overlooked on the international catwalks. Yet Vionnet is beautiful, timeless and classic with lots of wonderful draping and material technique on show for fall 2016. This show was pure and effortless with long, lean lines similar to Haider Ackermann and pretty pastel colours. I loved the neutral tones which gave way to monochrome and the strong sweeping lines of the dresses and trousers. Tres chic.

Dries Van Noten
One of the famous Antwerp 6, Dries Van Noten paid homage to the great world traveller today, with a collection which referenced many different cultures. The khaki was safari-esque, the prints more of a Shanghai lady, the navy dresses were quintessentially French and the fur was old American Hollywood glamour. I loved the use of long skirts tied at the waist over trousers and taffeta ball gowns and the huge statement necklaces, decorated with exotic flowers and furs.

  Anthony Vaccarello
Mini skirts, tight dresses, layered cross designs and lots of attitude. That is what makes a Vaccarello show. It's no wonder this man is the current designer for Versace diffusion line Versus, as his use of sex-appeal and high glamour are extremely similar to the Italian fashion house. This show was fab with a lot of black and a strong star motif - models had half a star drawn below their eye. And the closing look worn by Anja Rubik was just gorgeous.

 

Presenting Dolce and Gabbana's 'Viva la Mamma'...

No other fashion company is more centred around family than the Italian Giants, Dolce and Gabbana. From the elderly grandparents to the tiny babies (who stole the show today) family is vital for life, more importantly love. Nobody can survive without love which plays a huge part in Italian culture in particularly. Family life is everything whether it be bonding over the dinner table while eating delicious delicacies or spending a day at the sandy beach along the Amalfi coast.

For fall 2016, Dolce and Gabbana made it quite clear that family is the most important aspect of life. For some time now, the #dgfamily project has been up and running on Twitter with much success, and now that theme was carried through for the winter collection. Titled 'Mamma' in the Italian sense, this show featured not only a pregnant Bianca Balti strolling down the catwalk but actual babies and children - imagine the chaos backstage! From the beautiful red roses embellished onto dresses and skirts, to the lace jackets which looked like they had been hand made by an old Italian Grandmother, this show was all in the detail. It was very pretty, with pastel colours like blue and pink really popping on the runway and cute head pieces glittering in models' hair. Earrings were delicate while shoes had intricate cage heels with ivy and flowers running along the heel and back of the shoe. I also loved the Renaissance style paintings printed onto tunics with even more embellishment as well as the loving words sewn onto garments, similar to what Angelina Jolie's wedding dress consisted of.

I especially loved the funky headphones. They came fuzzy, furry, embellished and decadent in sumptuous colours such as gold and silver. Connected to swinging handbags, these headphones will no doubt be on every fashion feature page come the fall and will surely be a hit amongst bloggers and the more extreme fashion press, eg. Anna de la Russo - a loyal and eccentric D&G advocate. If anything, it was nice to see a difference from a fashion house which has shown us the same shapes and ideas for a number of years now. This season however, I'm happy to say that Dolce and Gabbana have really switched things up and decided on a very light collection for winter, compared to the dark fairytale kingdom they presented last year.

And as for the finale. It really was a family affair. Babies and children strolled down the runway with smiles all around. Everyone was wearing black outfits with plenty of simple lace and lovely details. A D&G finale is always a show stopping moment, and this one was no different. From the family love to the amazing clothes, Dolce and Gabbana will always be my favourite designers and this show makes me feel like a proud mother - excuse the pun!