Jacket therapy...only males' allowed!

I have bargained two absolutely wicked male jackets at a Designer sale in BrickLane.

To my utter horror this happened when I didn't plan to splash any more d'argent on clothes and when my garderobe [as in wardrobe]  told me enough is enough and started bursting at its seams.

Khm...but that day at BrickLane....oh what a day it was....some urgent shopping therapy was a must.

So it was the day of the African Fashion Week London, which I decided to attend with my dear friend.

Woke up early to get my bits ready, somehow the time flew and the next thing I knew  was that the 3 hours to do my hair turned into 15 minutes before my train (which I decided to cycle to). Oh MAMA, I was packing fast! Also the same day  I was meeting a male friend in the evening;) so had to look presentable, and not too much ninja-gangsta-hippy was permitted. But since I had my famous camera backpack I shoved as much stuff as I could, dunned my new jeans (boyfriend cut = low rise), flats (to save my feet), hills (for the evening), cap (to look ninja @AFWL), make-up (NO TIME!), perfume? psh psh psh ......more? psh psh psh psh ...now RUN!

Head over heels and I am on the groundfloor. Bike. Can't mount! The boyfriend jeans restrict the leg movement so I can't send my leg over the seat. Moreover, the cut is so badly done that the trousers are holding onto my  calfs and the backside pops out like one massive pocket (I am sure you have experienced that before. ZARA is notorious for having their models all deck-flat with no transition from your rear to your back)  Didn't take my belt, so would have needed to hold my trousers with my hands! HA! 

Scrap the bike, grab a boos! RUN!

In da boos!  Make-up! Choose a sit where no one can stare at your masochistic bouts of applying mascara whilst on a moving transport. Besides, I think this is rather personal business that should not involve any strangers' observations from a seat opposite. Lo siento, but turn away byatch.

An elderly man next to me suffocated from my excessive psh psh psh , chocked for a bit and then moved the seat, preliminary opening all the windows on the coach. I had to look away in objection...and  more in embarrassment.

Stampeded onto my train. The bugger was cancelled. Embarked on the other one (after stressing for a good 15 minutes searching for alternative routes). My friend, meanwhile, set out from her house towards the same destination and managed to loose some buttons from her blouse, had to return back home, to discover a broken zip on her skirt. Uh-la-la!

So when I eventually sat down on the train, all pampered up and with my cup a coffee! Opened my bag and saw an extra pair of flats (but I was wearing one already), no battery in my camera (and it's a flipping heavy beast).... can't use my phone to read as I would obviously need camera on it and the battery is notorious for being unreliable. Saturday- no free papers on the train. Some funky looking dude opposite me, gulping down Coke non-stop. Turned out it had a good half of Hennessy in it. No wander he's so plastered at 11 AM.

And finally...our show didnt start until 3 hours later. 

Nevertheless had a wonderful brunch with my friend which we wrapped up by checking out the Designer sale ...and I wondered into a male section and never came back....

 Now the magic: so with the bags full of jackets and AFWL freebies, absolutely knackered after the evening date I am chasing trains in the killer hills and run into my old school classmate at the platform. Haven't spoken for the odd 7 years, but turned out she is such a talented and beautiful person (always was, no doubts there).

Thank you Anna Shen  for the lovely pictures and a great day together! So much fun.

Guys please check out her FB page: https://www.facebook.com/annashenphotography

Well, you can also check out mine since you are on there...and LIKE THEM! 

 https://www.facebook.com/garderobeme

AFWL? No, no pictures from there. But all models looked exceptionaly hot! Period.  

Brick Lane

Custom built

To majority's relief I have decided to change the stance of Garderobe and introduce some framework to the endless styles that are represented in this blog (regardless of my love for random analysis of all things "nice") 

So the plan is to go urban, city, funky and with bicycles. I have developed this fascination with fixies and single-speed two-wheelers. And despite having my baby-blue cruiser  I still starvingly gawk at all girls and boys (obviously) whizzing through the streets of London or patiently bouncing on the junctions before charging into the space again.

I do commute on my baby-blue and constantly have to compromise with what to wear, so always good to see how others deal about it and what their carriage is like.

Whilst on my quest, have met some lovely outfits there.

Custom built

Raleigh

Check out Deigh Smith page, he's got some serious looks there, cutting edge, sharp, sleek ,very chic. We don't get much of that on Garderobe. Bring it on Deigh!

A dreamer

The cap, the Vans, the fringe. Very nice. Cheer up buddy.

There is also something generic about Brick Lane even though you would think that it is so alternative. Noticed the same Vans him and "Marilyn Monroe" above is wearing?... nice though

Spanish folk. I love the fact that she is holding a spliff in her hand. Noticed only during the post production.

Afternoon siesta @BrickLane

Wear green and stay in peace! xx

Something amazing about mixing all shades of green.
It's never too much. You can't make it bad by mixing different shades, textures and variations of green: emerald, lime, mustard, turquoise... More so, add some naughty red lipstick and make it all work for you.
Easy and fresh.
Besides you won't find that with other colours...just imagine how wrong could yellow go!

Crocheted in my brain...

As my parents were visiting me in London I have decided to pull of a bit of "sweet girl" and dunned my new crocheted blouse from Sheinside store (favoured for their bargain offers).

We were heading off to see Michael Jackson musical "Thriller" which unprecedentedly made me sweat and blush and salivate as the dancers where freezing, locking, popping and shaking only three rows in front of me. My ears went so hot that I thought my Primark earrings were going to melt and the crocheted blouse to disintegrated from the heat I was generating! What astonishingly athletic bodies the dancers had and how agile they looked in sequinned costumes... I fell in love instantaneously...and with the whole troop of a dozen men!

Back to the topic- the "sweet girl" look just doesn't go with me...you can wrap me in a grannan's tablecloth, I still look stung on my ass ....

Here is the shot my fashion designer mum took as we were leaving the flat

And mama always told me
Be careful who you love
Be careful what you do
Because a lie becomes the truth

Billie Jean is not my lover....

...to be foretold the [British] weather?!

“But who wants to be foretold the weather? It is bad enough when it comes, without our having the misery of knowing about it beforehand.” 

― Jerome K. Jerome, Three Men in a Boat

As I was pondering on how to mould my excuses on delaying with this Tweedrun post since April, as we are just tiptoeing at the threshold of the summer;  the sudden spell of "lovely" British weather has spared me the hassle.

My repetitive tweed-blab is the most sensible thing to write about these days.
Welcome the sartorialists:

Swagger!

The only serious vehicle that we had on the ground was from The Chap magazine journalists! 

Here they come the trendy gang.

The Tweedrun took place in April, at a very moderate speed cruising through Marylebone, Regent Street, Picadilly and Trafalgar. Strictly tweed and vintage bikes only.

The convoy of dapperly dressed chaps and ladies arrived to their tea party.
Myself and a couple more volunteers were  in charge of brewing loose Earl Grey tea in hundreds of teapots for the riders. At some point a cake was served but we missed this bit amidst all the heebiejeebies of serving tea.

Hello you two!

mmm, nothing offensive but you seriously look like a Russian man, dude! Levin may be?

He never photographed me back! This is just rude :)

A couple of volunteers that were helping to run the event made a hell of an effort, not only making the party great and filling everyone with litres of aromatic tea, but also turning up in such spruce outfits!

These gloves make me think of Madonna! 

Blatant daylight robbery!

And I still hate yellow socks

Anna Akhmatova's flipping ghost! 

Guten tag herr Furrer!

Teaser, taster, tweed & jaeger

 Just as you are about to maroon my overactive blog, I am going to throw at you this vampish look. Yes, I have more of that to come which will sweep you off your stilettos {or your vintage bike perhaps?}

So grip onto your handlebars and get ready to storm London, as we are heading into what it looks like a traditionally British summer. Thence I suggest you rethink your bikinis and get some serious layers out...and a pump....just in case...

Peculiarme designs, collection launch

Last weekend, a self-taught and aspiring fashion designer -Alaina Thomas-has hit East London showcasing her debut collection in a bid to "bridge the gap between being Christian & a fashionista" .
I caught up with Alaina a couple of days after the show and she kindly agreed to give me an interview. See the showreel for the collection and scroll down for more after-party photos.

Most of the items presented have been tailored by Alaina herself. 

"You can love fashion & God be peculiar, be passionate & love your life!"

"As a Christian designer I surround my collections with a sense of pride where sexy is also classy & modest & daring is bold not exposing.

My collection is focused around the realistic shape. It is far from commercial & it uses culture including daring tribalism with the need to feel feminine & confident whether size 6 or 16" 

"My inspiration always comes again from my faith love of new wacky things. How can I make something so flat like a panel of fabric sculpt itself around the female form - is something I always ask myself emotively."

J: Was there any preliminary research made or you founded your collection entirely on your own intuition?

"I founded it [collection] on my own intuition. Although I love pattern & shape- and the African culture has a lot of both. Being a big fan of Art I became intrigued with African pattern when I discovered Yinka shonibares work; then I watched first hand with my friends parents at Nigerian weddings & was gob-smacked at their creativity with fabrics or colours & needed to be a part of the action"

 J: How Do you identify yourself as a versatile designer?Can you pin down your style?

"I try to keep myself open to new styles, I tend to switch a lot between soft goth with the flatforms dark lipstick & biker jackets, to the vintage working woman with the dolly dresses & smart jackets. It's like dress up I never know what I'm going to get day to day."

J: When did you realise that fashion was your call?

"When I realised I had a talent for it at 16-years old after making my first dress. I went through a stage of trying everything out but God kept bringing me back to fashion. Then the sense of accomplishment & pride that came after was incredible. I would make mistakes & be happy because I was learning, even if I was tired I'd still find energy to sew."

J: How difficult it is for you to come up with several pieces don the same topic, do you seek for assistance/advice from colleagues/relatives?

"Strangely enough I find it quite easy, its not making too much is the problem. May sound cliche but I pray before designing & who better to give me advice or designs than the one who gave me my talent. Its taking the stress away from a beautiful moment taking nothing & making something admirable & attractive from it. The collections fall in to place, I can always tell when I'm off track when I need to think too hard about it."

Yellow Bluezzz

Click on the images to see me featuring the yellow double-breasted coat with epauletes on Sheinside!

Also purchased this lovely jumper. 

I feel in love with the colour. Electric blue? Lapisa Lazuli? You name it.

I found a dealer on ebay which sells gorgeous bags at a reasonable price: of different style, colour and shape. Most probably fake leather and cheapest fabrics but looking very stylish and presentable.

The delivery took  a bit too long but I need to admit that they despatched from Korea and during the Christmas time. The bag, when it arrived , reeked of donkey wee which has evaporated after a couple of days of wear.

Drop me a line (in my new contact me section) if you want to enquire about the ebay shop. I will be ordering some more stuff soon, once  I hit the Spring mood.