Erdem Awarded BFC/ Vogue Designer Fashion Fund

It has recently been announced that Erdem Moralioglu has won the British Fashion Council and Vogue sponsored Designer Fashion Fund. The award which includes £200,000 and access to director level mentors within the fashion industry, is aimed at helping rising stars with this highly competitive industry and assisting them in developing their business.

Erdem has already established a name for himself with his rich and colourful designs and prints. He was selected for the fund because of his label's strong design signature and clear vision for the immediate development and growth of his business. He will now recieve a bespoke mentoring programme tailored specifically to assist him in achieving his business goals for the next twelve months and provide a network taht will remain throughout his career as he makes the transition from a developing creative business into a global fashion brand.


Other shortlisted candidates for the prize included Christopher Kane, Marios Schwab, Clements Ribeiro and Richard Nicoll. The judging panel comprised of Alexandra Shulman of British Vogue and representatives from many UK Fashion Retailers including Topshop, Debenhams and Marks and Spencers.
Picture credit
Backstage at Erdem AW10, SS10, AW09 & AW08 at London Fashion Week from Britishfashioncouncil.com

Florence and Fred Couture at Tesco

If you thought that shopping for clothes at supermarkets was just about mass produced low end fashion, then you might just be wrong. Tesco has just launched it Florence and Fred couture range which should banish all your pre conceptions about supermarket fashion. The collection will include 16 high quality pieces with design features including bespoke fabrics, intricate detail and embellishment. The collection mixes acid brights with charcoal grey colour schemes. Prices range from £40 for a printed vest to £200 for a dress. What are paying for is the superior quality and attention to detail.

Some of the most interesting pieces from the collection include the sequin jackets, the sculpted denim jacket and the hour glass shaped pagoda dress. But is it really couture and is it worth the money? We have yet to see this collection up close so it is hard to tell, but you can see some of the details such as the ruffled collar and the exposed zip of the Pagoda dress, it looks quite good. Maybe it is just me though, but am I not sure if I would want to pay that sort of money for a piece of clothing made from 100% polyester. I would prefer natural fabrics. There is  however a very lovely silk acid print dress which may well be more my cup of tea and for me this would represent better value for money.

With the From Some Where recycled range also launching last month Tesco defnitely seems to be upping its game with its clothes offering. The new ranges are however only available online, so you won't be able to pop your couture in the trolley with your Coco Pops - shame really!

picture credits:
Pagoda dress
silk acid print dress
both from http://www.clothingattesco.com

The new utility or combat trousers

For those that loved the combat trousers the first time around (as worn by the All Saints - remember them), you will be delighted to know that utility look is high up the list of hot items for spring and summer 2010.

This trend is the perfect casual summer look. The combat or utility trousers have multiple pockets for storing stuff in, so you can dump your oversized IT bag in favour of this seasons satchel or bumbag to give your arm a rest. The khaki colour is reportedly a great colour for almost any colouring or skin tone to wear. The wide waist band is great for elimination of muffin top, a common symptom of skinny jeans.

The new utility or combat trousers are definitely going to be one of the most wearable trends of the summer. For those on a budget, you can't go wrong with this pair from New Look for just £15.

Poltock and Walsh designer collaboration at Oli

Designer collaborations are just about every where lately. They are great for giving us normal folk the chance to get our hands on some designer pieces at a fraction of their usual price. As you would expect some of the collaborations are much better than others, some are just overpriced and overhyped. We have just discovered Poltock and Walsh as part of the Oli Fusion collection and definitely think it is one of the better ones.

The design duo, Flamma Poltock and Katie Walsh, who met at Londons Kingston University having been making a name for themselves since their graduation in 2004 for designing edgy clothes with a feminine twist. Their Oli collection is small but perfectly formed containing a few dresses, a very reasonably priced leather biker jacket and a jersey jumpsuit. The collection is limited so has the exclusivity of a proper designer collection. 

Some other great designer collaborations at Oli are Sinha Stanic and PPQ

Free Delivery at My Wardrobe

We are delighted to announce that readers of The Fashion Buzz can enjoy free standard delivery on all purchases from My Wardrobe until the end of March, when entering the code MYEASTER at checkout. This offer applies to all womens wear and mens wear.

Here are some of our favourites from My Wardrobe

For Women

Helmut Lang Aura Print Silk Dress

Steve Madden Blush Suede Shoes

For Men

Farah Navy Herringbone Polo Shirt

Burberry Beige Relaxed Fit Chino

Fine and Dandy

This season fashion has turned his head back a generation. In a move away from the 20th century trends which have dominated the catwalk for years, fashion is looking back to the quintessentially British 19th century male – the dandy.

A dandy was a self made man who would pride himself on his appearance, extensive vocabulary and his love for leisurely hobbies. One of the first forms of aspirational dressing, the style of a dandy imitated the aristocratic fashion of his generation and brought an air of elegance to the middle class wardrobe.

Today, fashion has turned the original dandy appearance on its head and given it a fresh vibe for the modern lady. The updated dandy is female and can be seen donning pastel coloured brogues, floral blazers and skinny jeans. She is smart, sophisticated, chic and she draws her inspiration directly from the 18th century man.

After consulting a few fellowfashionistas we decicided this was one of the more difficult looks for the season, as the key factors are the smaller touches and the attention to detail. So below, the team at the fashion buzz have been brainstorming to come up with a comprehensive guide to the 2010 dandy.

Altogether more androgynous, the 2010 dandy would favour a short up do ala Agyness Deyn (the slick side do is also all over the catwalk) reminiscent of the 1940’s man.

Secondly the dandy would always have 2 key pieces to her outfit. These piece will often form the basis of your 2010 dandy outfit. This shirt is one item (available out urbanoutfitters.com)

And this shirt is the second piece - also available at urbanoutfitters.com. (also top tip - tie some ribbon around the shirts neckline for a parisian feel)

The key to rocking this trend is to mix strong masculine pieces with feminine trends (think flowery blazers or pastel coloured brogues.)

So combine these Office flowery brogues with the outfit to bring some feminity to the outift.

For more inspiration we have listed some key pieces below that a 2010 Dandy will also be including her wardrobe.

· Waistcoats
· Bow blouses
· Floral elements
· Pastel shade brogues
· High waisted jodhpurs

Finally, to complete the look, bold make up is key. Think stark red lipstick with pale skin for minimalist perfection.

Below we have also chosen some pieces which are perfect for putting a finishing touch to your outfit.
· Large Brooches
· Bow detailing
· Band hats
· Pocket watch

Perfectly professional, the SS10 dandy look displays feminity, whilst also depicting an image of power (a great look for work!). Here at the-fashion-buzz, we want want want.


Images

1- http://www.audreyhepburn.com/

2 - http://fashion-allure.com/style/wp-content/gallery/hair_styles_2008/agyness_deyn.jp

3 - http://www.urbanoutfitters.co.uk/

4 - http://www.urbanoutiftters.co.uk/

5 - http://www.office.co.uk/

March Madness - Some great fashion offers and discounts

Just thought I would share some amazing offers that are going on at the moment. Perfect for updating your wardobe and getting some great spring style on a budget.

£10 off your first £50 order when you join Cocosa! Invite Code: Newmember Offer valid until 1st April 2010

Check out the sassy, new SpringSummer '10 Collection at Fashion Union. New customers get 15% off first orders plus free delivery plus free returns! Discount will be automatically added to your basket.

Get 25% off everything during the Mega Event at Laura Ashley! - until 21/03/10

Free delivery on orders over £75 at Sweaty Betty!

Free delivery on orders over £100 at OASIS

Offers and promotions at houseoffraser.co.uk

Peacocks version of the Chloe Louise vintage style satchel

High Street retailer Peacocks have sold out of their highly popular vintage style handbag that is a dead ringer for the Chloe Louise bag. The mock alligator skin bag with a gold clasp and edging is priced at just £10 a big saving on the original Chloe bag which retails at about £9000. The first 5000 bags sold out within an amazing 48 hours but if you are desparate to get hold of one, don't despair, more are on their way. If you really can't wait Peacocks sell a whole range of designer inspired handbags at very affordable prices.

The vintage style satchel is a huge trend this year with Mulberry also having their own designer version 'the Alexa' named after the uber trendy TV presenter Alexa Cheung. Debenhams also have a very lovely small tan leather satchel in the H! by Henry Holland range. At £40, slightly more expensive than the Peacocks version but really versatile and likely to last for many seasons to come.

Are they fur real?

Please excuse the play on words in the title but I just couldn't resist. I am talking about the designers who don't seem to be buying the whole global warming thing. Instead they are predicting an ice age or some very cold winters, certainly a lot colder than we usually experience in the UK. A number of collections for autumn winter 2010, featured the most amazing thick fur coats and outfits that could be likened to a yeti or abominable snowman.

Of course the most noteable of the fur suits was Karl Lagerfeld's for Chanel. Reportedly, it is fake fur not real fur, but is an over exageration of Coco Chanel's love of fur. The back drop for the show was equally as dramtic with melted icebergs and which had actually been transported from Scandinavia.

At Nathan Jenden this fur (or fake fur) coat looks so cosy and warm, perfect for cocooning yourself in on a cold winters day. The neon bright shapes add a bit of fun and stop the whole look from moving into teddy bear territory.

Louise Grey's colourtastic collection included the biggest of fur coats with flashes or orange. This is definitely one for the more eccentric amongst us.

I just can't wait to see how this trend will translate to the high street for the winter.

Picture credits
All from http://www.style.com/

Sketched monkey - men's t shirt

If you spend most of your non working life in t shirts, which lets face it many of us do, you might just sometimes want something a bit different that catches peoples eye (in a good way), makes you stand out from the crowd of other t shirt wearers and is a bit of a conversation starter.

There has definitely been a bit of interest in animals and particularly monkeys amongst the fashion world lately. Why monkeys? There is something slightly comical about monkeys. Perhaps it is there close relationship evolution wise to humans. Perhaps, they just remind you of someone you know. I love this artistic pencil sketched monkey t shirt with added headphones just to remind us how similar they are to us, or us to them. With its understated grey colour scheme it strikes just the right balance of individual and trendy but not too in your face.

This pencil monkey Tshirt is available from http://www.blueinc.co.uk/

Highlights from Milan Fashion Week

I am really loving this years fashion weeks, with live streaming and videos,it feels like you are actually there. Milan now almost feels like distant memory, but the looks and trends won't fully emerge until next season. Where London is all about innovation and Paris undertated quality, Milan is about luxury.

With some of the worlds most sought after super labels showing at Milan Fashion Week including Prada and Gucci, it is definitely one of the most important fashion week in terms of luxury fashion mega brands.

D and G collections almost always grab attention and that is what their clothes fully intend to do. For Autumn wimter 2010, their alpine and ski inspired clothing is sure to be a huge trend with the knitted snowflake bodysuit being a big favourite.

Prada showed a refreshing collection of classics, modelled by curvacious women (unusually for Prada) with Bee hive hair. These clothes are the sort of clothes normal women want to wear and signal a revision by Miucca to the nineties styles that she did so well. The interesting thing about these clothes is that womanly curves were very much a focal point.

At Gianfranco Ferre, again curves were a big focus with pieces such as coats with wide belts and pencil skirts with suggestive slits highlighting curvature to the maximum.

pictures from http://www.style.com/

Summer Dresses by Rise Clothing

OK so spring hasn't even arrived yet, but summer isn't that far away. With the last few days being filled with glorious sunshine, surely we are starting to feel just a teensy weensy bit summery or at least starting to put a little thought into our spring and summer wardrobes. These lovely dresses by Rise Clothing are just too good  to wait until summer for. In some of the seasons key trends including multi colour prints, tie dye and lace, these dresses the perfect wardrobe updates. Wear with tights until the weather gets better or socks and heels for the hottest Spring look around.

Rise Multi Coloured One Shoulder Dress

Rise Midnight Blue Dress

Rise Multi Shift Dress

 

Rise Cream Lace Dress

Rise Tie Dye Black Dress

Jungle Fever

Think a Spike Lee epic set in the big apple. Think a safari you’ve always wanted to go on, and throw a bit of carnival into the mix and you might begin to picture a vivid description of the tribal/carnival/ street style feel to this spring summer trend. Mixing all kinds of trends together, jungle fever is a mix of all the above trends. New York street style meets African Safari, the colours are bold and the vibe is bursting with flavour. Mix your trends and pair a colourful dress with a pair of chunky bright heels to bring your look bang up to date.

If you’re not a naturally colourful soul, this look may not be for you. But if you’re not afraid to mix your hot pinks with mint green heels look no further, as we have picked out some of our favourite pieces to help you fly through this trend with ease.

This ASOS dress should bring a suitable about of flavour into your wardrobe. Team with these shoes 

(Boohoo.com) to achieve the flavela chic look which everyone will be donning this summer. 

For a Brazilian touch try this one shoulder dress from ASOS also, perfect in colour and shape, it’s sure to turn a few heads this summer.

For the final touch to this look make sure your accessories are bold beautiful and totally OTT. Team either of these pieces with a statement necklace 

(miss selfridge) and a bold ring    

 (like this asos piece) for a winning look. 

So that’s that look ready for the summer. All we now need is some sunshine....

Matthew Williamson jewellery at Debenhams

If you are a fan of Debenhams designer collections and Matthew Williamsons colourful ethnic signature style, you will love the new Butterfly by Matthew Williamson jewellery at Debenhams. The jewellery is perfect for accessorising summer outfits from maxi dresses to this season washed out and bleached denim. The collection features bright bangles, long layered necklaces and chandelier earrings in shades of pink, purples and turquoise as well as metallic gold and silvers. All very affordable and perfect for working boho, global, festival and ethnic looks for summer.

Alice in Wonderland Mania- Curiouser and Curiouser

With the launch of the new Tim Burton film of Alice in Wonderland, it seems that everyone has gone Alice in Wonderland mad . And why not with such cute dresses, a world of complete fantasy and funny friends there really isn't much to dislike about Alice. For those of us that just can't get enough of Alice in Wonderland, there are plenty of Alice options when it comes to fashion.

Alice Queen Vest

I'm Late Vest

Curiouser and Curiouser Vest

Alice Teacups frill tee

The Denim Dress

Denim was all over the shop at the SS10 catwalk shows. I think a denim dress is the perfect alternative to jeans for those summer months. A bit cooler and can be dressed up or down in so many different ways. There are lots of different styles of denim dress around, just take your pick.

Denim Shirt Dress

Bleached denim is a key trend for the spring and summer. This denim shirt dress by Blue Inc is a great casual piece. Would look great with boots or even layered over leggings with a belt.

Belted Denim Dress

The dark coloured denim and mesh panel on this dress make it a smart option for when you want to get a bit dressed up. Would look amazing with a pair of red shoes or a bright red clutch.

Denim Dress

This denim dress by Blue Inc definitely has a touch of the wild west about it. Team it with cowboy boots if you want to be a cowgirl or a cute floral cardigan if you want a casual but feminine look.