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

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....

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.

Today

I am craving for yellows.

In a desperate search of a neon or a bright yellow cardi.

Anyone can knit?

Riding the trend

Cycling has always been around but somewhat "nerdy" and shunned vehicle, often perceived as a chunky, causing sweat and "what if it rains" hassle. But as we already know  fashion-mob has a tendency of picking up any refuse dropped by the general public just to turn it into the most sought after thing. A year down the road and the biggest designers would represent the item in their newest collections topped up with variations of additional gear, special wear and all things cool and wicked. 
Notwithstanding, the hipster-cycling has immersed from after WWII ages for more obvious reason: economical austerity, environmental concerns, and fitness obsession all this has radically shifted the outlook on lifestyle, resulting in cycling's massive come-back in cosmopolitan cities. In addition, the heyday of vintage and all things eclectic  made millions of fashionistas (who are often young and students) to take up cycling. However this time instead of flashing a the newest multi-gear bikes they drug the old grandads' bikes from their sheds to give it some good polish.  And that is the very same piece of junk you used to ride to the school until you would get laughed at by a peer group just to dump it in a shed to have a good matter of oxidation of a rust on it. At last you can cross it out from the 'shame list' and proudly ride your most sought after fashion attribute.

Not only it is an alternative mean of transport, it is also a tremendous money saver, fat burner, health booster and traffic jams' cutter which can also massively add to your look or even increase your outlook on lifestyle as it did in my case.

Many riders will agree that the best thing about urban cycling is that you have an advantage of discovering the face of your city, the back streets, buildings, peer citizens; and get to know your city as you have never seen it before. A bicycle liberates you from the 'moles' prison'- the underground, giving you the total control of time, location and route. You can even have your own personal seat for free! Imagine! 

__

Jibba jabba

Just don't start with..."Yeah, typical Baranovska" ...

I've been looking at a different type of spiky and dangly ear pieces since the last year when they just began to appear on American websites at the price of 70 bucks each; which was a rip off for somebody like me- collecting chests of bling-bling treasures and wearing nothing but a couple of little pearl ear studds on a daily basis. 

Hence I am so delighted I got this for some 6 pounds from H&M... 

The problem is that it is designed for the left ear but I definitely get extremely disconcerted once some extra accessories go on the left side of my body. You know...if you need to make a bow, a knot or a side-pony-tail most of the people would prefer one or the other side of their body. So I am one of that cast who wears everything on the right side.

When the ear cuff is worn on its correct side there are some tacky crystals which make the cuff look cheep and preposterous beyond the exuberance of the idea already...just reduces it to a completely daft look, so  definitely better with the backside.

Graduate Fashion Week 2012

No excuse for not publishing this on time but feeling there is what to say and what to look at I eventually got myself together just to spit it out on you.
This year's London's annual GFW left me astounded  with the students' endless imagination, innovation and  energy to churn out so many new ideas and designs. Never tired to implement the latest technologies, daring to concoct clashing fabrics as well as to challenge the dogmas of the past. 
Just look at these prints and knits and you'll see what I mean...

The mackintosh in the middle, I've been contemplating it for a while, wondering if I've seen it last year at the same event. But once I got closer and looked- it was a print of mackintosh on a mackintosh- and how clever. So all the gizmo bits on the collar and sleeves are just prints and the mack itself is much more humble than it looks. But guess what a tiny and slim little bird you'd look in it if the silhouette is a print too! Disguise, disguise!

I admit, that it wasn't the best of the outfits making me think the top looked more like a little vest in a third generation of some poor Eskimos in Siberia, I still liked the skirt very much. 

Many collections contained elements of very fine prints in very clever applications, which seems to be appropriate since digital prints are getting more and more popular.

On one of the rival blogs I saw some supper leggings with a digital print of a meadow in dawn...unusual, and bewildering..but haven't yet made up my mind about them-prints.

Here I guess we get an impressionists skirt in style of Mary Katrantzou. Lovely :)

One for myself too.

Lauren Moore had some awesome rock chick accessories, despite looking very modest and demure herself;  she showed me to her stand, and, believe me, this bag is the least scandalous of them all. I thought the next thing she would get a whip out and would chastise me right there.
But it is an awesomely daring bag as well as all the others and I've got Lauren's email, so for those who's interested feel free to enquire me for the one - I am sure she would be delighted to cast a couple of hardcore punishments.

Boys- one of them just had some shit happened. Eat more rice darling. 
Do you also think the author is  from Brazil? What's that thing about the yellow and green ? no wonder he's got problems with stool.

Interesting print but I'am cringing with blasphemy. Must be personal.

I'am not a huge fan of trinkets and all things beads but this is a decent peace of work that for a student couldn't have been overlooked. So much respect (see all the neatly done seems ). More so, I took the picture for my dearest friend who's crazily into beads and hand-crafting, and who, besides all, is incredibly talented . Hopefully will be linking this picture to her latest piece of art for you too see the relation. So watch this space.

I loved the sketch. She reminded of myself so I decided to marry her and to take her with me. 

 Men's apparel is always great. Sometimes I think it is hard to cook it bad. 

 And some smack-my-bitch-up feckin shoes - so wet your whip ready.

  

A bit of medieval fluff. Loved the immaculate details and colour palette and the use of metallic on the skirt.

There was also a photoshoot too but I don't know what all the fuss was about. 


May be one model was saying to another:
"Oh I spent last night with Mr X.....his X is this big "
"Oh..hehehe"