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Guest post: Hannah Copeland on the BT2 S/S 2012 show
Yesterday was the BT2 spring/summer 2012 show. It was the first one that they have had in five years so there was a lot of excitement about it. There were a lot of neon colours and quite a few summer tweeds which were seen throughout the show. There were lots of dresses and tops paired with trousers, but there weren’t many shorts as I would have expected for spring/summer.
I really liked this look by Acne. The colour of the shirt is really bright and summery and it could be very versatile.
I loved the movement of this dress and the swinging of the fabric at the end. The colours are really strong and it’s a classic type of dress that would never go out of fashion.
One of the main attractions of the event was the launch of Karl Lagerfeld’s new label ‘KARL’, as BT2 is the exclusive retailer in Ireland. There were four looks featured which ended the show. There were a lot of sequins and I really liked the attention to detail; on the collars there was a faded slogan printed.
Rosemary’s note: The show was a really great, wearable and playful take on S/S trends as evidenced by the labels available at BT2. I was a particular fan of the DKNY offerings, as well as IRO’s gorgeous red leather bomber (swoon!) and Selected Femme’s great casual-cool prints. My picks below!
Clockwise from below left: DKNY, Lyle & Scott menswear, DKNY, Selected Femme and Iro.
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Diary of an intern – day two
Transition-year student Hannah Copeland is with me for a week. Check out day one here!
Well, day two. Today we did a lot of press and attended a few events. I thought it was really interesting learning about PR because I never really knew about that side of things in the fashion industry.
First of all was Lifestyle Sports. We went to the offices beside their shop in Henry Street. They showed us the new collection of men and women’s sportswear; the main brands were Nike and Adidas. They really had thought of everything when designing – in some of the tops there were holes in the hood so you can still wear a ponytail while going running!
Next it was on to the BT2 S/S 2012 show. This was the first fashion show I’ve ever been to so I was really excited. One of the main attractions was the launch of Karl Lagerfeld’s new label ‘KARL’. Other big designers that featured in the show included DKNY, Diane Von Furstenberg, Marc by Marc Jacobs and COS.
After that, we went to Avoca. Here we were shown the new pieces coming into the stores soon. There were some really nice pieces, and in particular a lot of colourful prints for summer.
Lastly it was the Diet Coke / Benefit event. These two companies are collaborating so when you buy Diet Coke, you could win make up products from Benefit. Basically what will happen is – there will be a code on the top of every can and when you go onto the website and type it in, you will see if you’ve won or not. A really good idea I think!
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Lifestyle Sports S/S 2012
I know, I know – it’s not necessarily something you’d think would sit alongside my usual “ohmygod I want to spend an obscene amount of money on a functionless leather jacket“* – but yesterday morning I headed along to the Lifestyle Sports S/S 2012 press preview in their Henry Street offices (honestly, you learn something new every day) and found myself lusting after not one but several of their offered wares.
Fun fact! Did you know that Lifestyle Sports is an Irish-owned company? I’ll admit that I didn’t, nor did I know that the brand partners with brands such as Nike, Adidas and Under Armour to sell items that are not available anywhere else, which is, if you ask me, fairly impressive. Another fun fact is that Lifestyle Sports has just teamed up with Bootcamp Ireland in one of the cleverest partnerships since Wallace and Gromit to offer all Bootcamp members 15% off their workout gear, as well as doing a lot of clever cross-sponsorship – something worth keeping an eye on if you like, y’know, exercising. Anyway – to the clothes!
There were three main brands on show, the first of which is US-based Under Armour, a very technical sports brand that prides itself on producing items with a high level of technology – meaning what, exactly? Well, their clothing is very climate-specific, so there are items that will keep you cool in the heat (I know, I know, we wish!) and others that will keep you warm, as well as compression gear which will help keep your muscles warm and reduce chances of injury. The stuff is huge in its home country, as well as specifically with the Irish rugby crowd, but this season sees a slight departure from the basic mocks to more fashion-focused stuff, as well as the very 1990s ladies’ shorts and men’s hoodies with the big Under Armour logos!
It wouldn’t necessarily be my bag, but I do love those little shorts and the pop up green on the blue tee – and I appreciate that, for some, Under Armour is a brand that does what it’s meant to and has a deservedly loyal following!
Adidas is a brand we all know so well – and some of us really love – and it’s never going to stray too far from its three-stripe heritage, but if you ask me that’s no bad thing! I love the nostalgia of the triple stripe and think that this season’s colour stories are gorgeous; I’m particularly enthusiastic about how it does this huge line in pants, all of which have a colour pop – so even if you’re wearing a really basic black capri, there’s something that stands out, some tiny “wow” factor.
The zipped jacket on the top right was super cool; really fitted and with an almost pleather appearance – it would look great just thrown over a pair of jeans and a tee on a casual Sunday. (Not, crucially, on casual Friday; that would be a casual step too far!) As with Under Armour, Adidas’s technology crew is very concerned with moderating your body heat so all of the items are really lightweight and wick the sweat away from your body so you won’t get cold from the moisture on your skin. Smart!
Finally, Nike! This was definitely my favourite collection of the day; I love the purple and tangerine combos and there’s something so cute about Nike’s slogans, from Just Do It! (which always used to impress my trainer when, woe!, I had one) to the latest, Make Your Self. I love that – it’s really empowering! I don’t have a pic of it but Nike had a really gorgeous tangerine orange zip-up jacket that reminded me simultaneously of Step Up and of that Kate Moss sportswear story I posted a few weeks back. I want everything – and perusing the collection made me really determined to get out of the house and back in the gym!
The most exciting thing about Nike was its Free technology runners – which, unfortunately, I don’t have a pic of, but you can see them here – which basically mimic the feel of a bare foot and allow you maximum movement while in the gym. I really think I’m going to invest in a pair; I’ve had loads of problems with my feet, shins, knees, and I feel like giving my feet a break and allowing them maximum support and movement could only be a good thing!
Finally, I got a little goodie bag that I’m going to share with you – because, like everything else, I have enough sportswear – so I’m offering one lucky winner a canvas Nike bag with the Make Your Self slogan on it, a bra top in a size M (I’d say a size 10-12 with, you’ve guessed it, a medium size bust) and a Make Your Self vest. You can see a pic of the goodies here. Just leave a comment! (Lines close Friday, February 10th, at midnight.)
Now, after that epic post, I’m going for a lie-down! More later on the BT2 fashion show, new goodies from Avoca and a great new Diet Coke / Benefit mash-up!
* Is anyone else insanely impressed that I managed to get the word “hookers” into what is, essentially, a headline, and I haven’t yet been fired? No? Just me?
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Diary of an intern – day one
This week, I have the lovely Hannah Copeland helping me out while on work experience from transition year. Because I’m freelance, we’ve been doing a lot of running around – on Monday she helped me out on an Xposé shoot. Although I somehow don’t think she understood just how stressful it was! She makes my life sound all quite rosy …
Today was my first day of work experience, working in styling and journalism. I didn’t really know what to expect, but I knew I would like it because I’m interest in both of these areas.
I had an early start at 7am, which I’m not very used to! Then I was off to the bus stop to make my way into town. I met Rosemary (who I’m working with) on Henry street and we went and collected clothes from New Look.
We walked to the Foam Café which is nearby. I had never been there before but it’s a place I would definitely go again- it was really mad and colourful but it kind of made me feel like I was just in somebody’s living room. We did the shoot for Xposé there. There were three different segments – one on Kelly Brook underwear , one on French Connection dresses and the last on Mischa Barton handbags.
During the morning, I went to French Connection in the Powerscourt Centre to collect the dresses. Lisa Cannon talked to Rosemary about all of the pieces.
We finished shooting and went to Arnotts to return the bags that were used in Xposé. Then we went for lunch in a little café in Temple Bar. We also met up with one of Rosemary’s friends there. After that, we went back to French Connection to return the dresses.
Then, after a long and hard day at work, it was time to go home!
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In fantasy birthday land – my My-Wardrobe.com wish list
So this weekend, while I thought about what I wanted for my birthday / creeped on that Acne jacket again, I compiled a wee lust list so you can see where my sartorial leanings are. And despite my desires to clean up my act, replace patterns with straight lines and Swedish silhouettes and, in short, become a slicker, more “together” version of myself, well. I once again fall short and end up resorting to the loose tunic / skinny jeans combo that has served me so well (thus far).
I’ve been wanting a pair of leather skinnies for ages, and these Helmut Lang lovelies totally fit the bill … but what surprised me most was just how much I was digging DKNY’s collections. It’s never been a brand that has particularly stood out to me as it’s always seemed a little too NY classic … but the current selection is gorgeous!
Is there anything in the above selection or otherwise that tickles your fancy?
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River Island S/S 2012 ad campaign by Ellen von Unwerth
IT’S MY BIRTHDAY! And now that I’ve got that out of the way …
River Island has really brought out the big guns with its S/S ad campaign images, shot by world-renowned photographer (yes, I sound like Tyra Banks), Ellen von Unwerth. The shots are super glossy and stylised, reminiscent of campaigns of the 1980s, Versace, Miami beach parties and neon, neon, neon – and so arresting, to boot. This shot especially is one of my favourites; it caught my eye in a glossy magazine the other day and I literally sat looking at it for a good 10 minutes wondering on whose lips the lipstick had started off.
The rest of the images are no less mesmerising – and, as Disneyrollergirl pointed out, high-street brands are using high-impact (and high-budget) advertising campaigns to prove their fashion heft in an unsure market.
What’s also brilliant about these shots is that, despite the very visible River Island branding, the items on display look much more expensive than the brand itself – which is a sign that somebody (or everybody?) is doing something right.
Lush, don’t you think? (And no: the socks-with-heels look is not for everyone. I must have tried it now approximately 10 million times, and to less than no avail.)
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Valentine’s gifts from Red Dog / The Store – and a dog in a jumper!
Every blog headline should have a dog in a jumper in it. Now that we’ve got that out of the way, check this out! It says “God loves a dryer” on it! God loves a dryer! Geddit? The person who dries up!
These are all available from Red Dog / The Store. Aprons are €22 and tea towels are €12 or three for €30. The press release I got that suggested these as Valentine’s gifts was, honestly, my favourite press release of the last three weeks. Let me tell you, there are a whole lot of crazy, heart-shaped Valentine’s gifts going on out there. A whole lot!
Don’t act like you care how much that jumper costs. That jumper is priceless.
Tell me, kittens: what’s the best Valentine’s gift you ever got? (I once got a teddy with a recorded message from my boyfriend in its belly … I still have that teddy, and sometimes it makes me feel warm inside just imagining him, in the Teddy Bear Factory, recording that really, really embarrassing message.)
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The most coveted bags of the new season
There’s a reason I love shoes and bags so much and it’s a simple one: no matter how much I eat or how bloated I feel or how much I want to hide or expose my neckline, a bag will always fit. Get it in the right colourway, and it’ll go with almost everything, too.
The gorgeous Annmarie O’Connor put together a video for Brown Thomas on the bags of the season, so I put together my own little collage with my personal faves. A sartorial head to head, if you will, except I don’t need to talk or, y’know, be seen. Hurrah!
Do you have any bags on your hit-list? (Or shoes, for that matter?) I just read over on Beaut.ie that I get extra points on my Brown Thomas card for shopping for the three days before and after my birthday, as if I needed an excuse …
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Have you tried Cowshed products?
This week, I took a trip to Bath with Procter & Gamble for a look at their new offerings – more on which later, I swear – and, while there, stayed in Babington House, the sister hotel to Soho House with a Cowshed spa on site. Serious luxury! Along with everything else, I fell in love with the Cowshed products that were everywhere in the hotel.
Wild Cow is the invigorating arm of the range – a range that concentrates on natural, honest and therapeutic products – containing lemongrass, ginger and rosemary. You can grab a bath & shower gel (which, I’ll tell you from experience, creates a glorious bubble bath that relaxes into an almost bath oil texture), bath and massage oil, body lotion, soap and travel candles.
Cowshed products are available from pharmacies and health food stores nationwide. Are you a fan?
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