THE BEST FEST...

I have just got back from Glastonbury Festival, covered in mud, extremely tired and most certainly in need for a nice long bath!

It was all worth it though; the line up certainly didn't dissapoint and I had a most brilliant time listening / watching / dancing to some amazing bands, singers and DJs!

(Blur: A major highlight of the whole festival, especially this emotional moment for lead singer, Damon...)

(My 2 favourite festival stage outfits: Both Natasha Khan (Bat for Lashes) and Karen O (Yeah Yeah Yeahs) wore colourful, eccentric playsuits over leggings aswell as brightly coloured eye make up & face paint...)

BACK TO THE 80's...

Last season we saw an 80’s influence on the reoccurring legging trend with the introduction of printed patterns and colourful designs, now it seems 80's style is taking over other areas of fashion...

The 'skinheads' of the 1980’s were a major sub cultural style tribe, quite obviously infamous for their skinheads but also their attire, most notably; extreme acid-wash denim, and clumpy Dr. marten boots. This look was seen on our movie screens a couple years ago with the release of Shane Meadows' ‘This is England’, but now it is too being seen on the catwalk:

For the autumn/winter season high street shops (Topshop, River Island and Schuh to name a few) have began to bring out their own version of the original 80's Dr. martens boot:

GRAPHIC GEOMETRIC...

Take a brief look around you; Shapes, lines, patterns, they are everywhere from the architectural design of a building to the structure and silhouette of a tailored suit. And now they can even be seen swanning up and down the catwalks, in the form of graphic geometric prints on a variety of dresses, t-shirts and swimwear, to name a few.

As an artistic industry, it is no wonder fashion exposes a close link with other ‘arts’ and draws inspiration from them; in this case being the postmodern art movement of ‘futurism’, where artists such as Balla and Malevich used a clever composition of repeated line and shape creating bold geometric patterns. This same stylistic approach to patterning can be detected within Alexander McQueen’s spring / summer ’09 collection, where his repetition of diamond and triangular shaped outlines and crafty placing of colour and shading created an almost three dimensional appearance, reminiscent of a dazzling gem.

(Alexander McQueen s/s '09 collection)

However this slant of kaleidoscopic, geometric patterns is nothing new to fashion house, Pucci, who is renowned for it. As his last show as creative director for the brand, Matthew Williamson certainly didn’t disappoint and delivered the classic ‘Pucci print’ in a mass of bold pinks, oranges and blues, which contrastingly sat so perfectly against the dark skin of model, Jourdan Dunn.

(Pucci s/s '09 collection - model: Jourdan Dunn)

This seasonal trend has continued to develop and has already trickled down to the shop floors of the high street. Topshop’s take is a little 80’s with a lot of colourful zig-zagging lines on leggings and daring graphics printed on over sized t-shirts in an array of psychedelic colours. Whilst, brands such as Karen Millen and Dorothy Perkins have kept things simple but sweet, adapting the geometric trend using recurring circular patterns in shades of black and white.

(Topshop's 'Geometric Print' leggings)

Pucci’s answer to Matthew Williamson’s successor, Peter Dundas, states that he will carry on this trend into next season, as it is essentially the heritage of the brand. Plus, perhaps a striking pattern and bright colour is what fashion needs right now, avoiding the ‘recession doom and gloom’ that has clouded us all for far too long now. “It isn’t right for Pucci to do a low key collection in these times” Dundas proclaims, “In fact I think we have an advantage right now, because when times are tough, you want some sunshine, no?”

CHECK IT OUT...

-Make sure you take a trip to the Tate Modern in London’s Bankside and visit the ‘futurism’ exhibition (beginning in June I believe) to familiarise yourself with the ‘original geometric trend’.
www.tate.org.uk/modern

-Graphic designer turned musician, M.I.A’s ‘Kala’ album art work (designed by herself) resembles the spring / summer trend with its bold use of colour and repetitive patterns.
Buy here: http://shop.miauk.com

-Barcelona’s most fabulous piece of modern architecture, the Flower Market’s, outer exterior is compiled of various multi coloured stripes, bearing different directions to create interesting geometric patterns, decorating the side of the building.
Antigua de Valencia, número 1, Barcelona.

FROM FASHION AND BACK...

The other day I visited the exhibition on Hussein Chalayan at the Design Museum, London. It showcased his most memorable pieces from his swarovski crystal laser dress to his most recent collection 'Inertia' inspired by the concept of speed...

MY NEW LEGGINGS...

I am becoming quite obsessed with graphic print leggings at the moment... beginning to build up quite a collection now! I recently saw these in Topshop and thought they were amazing!

But for someone who has a particular insecurity surrounding her legs, an ownership of over 20 pairs of leggings, a garment which is renowned for its body-shape-revealing-tightness, may seem slightly bizarre. My fanatical collection of the twenty-something pairs consist of both vintage and brand new as well as the weird and the wonderful. A splash of colour, a bold print or possibly an unusually shiny fabric most definitely attracts interest to an area where attention is most unwanted. Well, in my case anyway.

This rather contradictory way of dressing is reminiscent of how stereotypically some people, who expose themselves as loud, bubbly and confident are actually secretly very timid, self conscious and insecure, who are just simply trying to cover that all up and ‘act the part’. But could a fashion garment be used in the same way… as a concealed defence mechanism?

As a child, growing up in the 90’s, leggings were often a key piece in day to day wear; just as they are now. Memories of my leggings back then are rather vague, although I can vividly remember my mothers. My favourite, a nautical inspired pair; bold blue jersey with large red and gold coloured prints of anchors, ship wheels and ropes, which gradually descended down her leg, a style which I would long to own and wear during today’s fashion. Perhaps I have never fully unleashed this particular garment from what I perceive as my own personal style, in a desperate attempt to seize these treasured childhood memories. But is it really possible that someone can successfully and fashionably relive, at age twenty, their same style and fashions that they displayed between the ages of 5 and 10?