Selfridges: Museum of Everything and The Shoe Galleries

The Museum of Everything forces you to confront questions that History of Art students have been pondering for a 100s of years: ‘What is art and who decides? And, Who is qualified to make art and what is it for?’  The space is laid out like a dilapidated old house, with peeling wallpaper and the walls crowded with work, the exact opposite of the open white gallery walls we usually view art on and the opposite of the shiny retail heaven that it sits within.

Many of the ‘outsider’ artists work is often (not here) displayed next to contemporary artists, this blurs the line between ‘outsider’ artists and regular artists challenges the viewer to make a distinction when both are displayed as equals, in the same context, the same space.

Entrance to the Museum of Everything at Selfridges

Ruby Bradford Print, £80, Selfridges

Tom Wagener Print, £80, Selfridges

Jean-Jacques Oost Print, £80, Selfridges

The same could be said of shoes (stay with me here) I left the Museum of Everything in a thoughtful mood, which invaded my shopping orientated brain. I started thinking about setting, how the context of objects affects how we judge them, the value we assign to them. The revamped Selfridges shoe galleries, which celebrates it 1^st birthday this week, brings all its shoes, high street and designer, together in one fabulous place and in so doing makes it difficult to tell one from the other.

The biggest shock was River Island shoes- normally the reserve of 17 year old party girls- every pair in Selfridges seemed grown up, chic and very desirable. If it wasn’t for the neon sign, I would have put a 4 in front of the number on the price tag and might have mistaken some for Rupert Sanderson or Charlotte Olympia.  It was amazing- I wanted almost every pair and I don’t think I would if I’d seen them in a River Island store. My picks are shown below…but they might have lost some of their Selfridges magic online. 

Black Glitter Peep Toe Wedges, £70 River Island

Colour Block Sling Backs, £60, River Island

Dark Red Patent Brogues, £25, River Island

Dolly Platform Shoes, £590, Charlotte Olympia at Selfridges

Diana Patent Brogues, £430, Viktor and Rolf at Selfridges

And finally...CAT FACE WEDGES, £625, Charlotte Olympia at Selfridges 

If you would like to know more about outsider art or shoes you can visit the Museum of Everything Website or the Selfridges website 

In Love With Leopard

What is the first thing you think of when you think of leopard print? It could be punk girls in Camden, an over-the-hill perma tanned bar maid, a Russian millionaires on holiday, or a Saturday night girl wearing it skin tight. No other print straddles fashion genres so comfortably and can look mainstream, alternative or just plain wrong depending on who, when and where its worn. It can look expensive or cheap regardless of how much the item cost, or how rich or poor the person wearing it is.

Kat Slater to Catwalk (Dior Couture)

I have always loved it and worn it even when its not having a fashion moment (which, lets face it, is not very often). It is the LBD of the print world.  

This season the leopard madness has moved to accessories, last season it was all about the coats.  There has been a strong challenge to leopard's print crown by snake, zebra and dalmation prints but they will never have the versitily or durability of the humble leopard.  Here’s my pick of high street and designer items you'll wear over and over:

J Crew Edie Calf Hair Tote, £375, Net-A-Porter

Christian Louboutin Leopard Brogues, £653, Net-a-Porter

Adina Leopard Ankle Boots, £80, Topshop

Leopard Print Tote, £149, John Lewis Collection

I own (drum roll please) 2 pairs of leopard shoes (brogues and pumps), leopard print scarf, leopard print headscarf, leopard print boxy jacket, leopard print tights, leopard print dress, leopard print t-shirt x2, leopard print vest, leopard print mini bag, leopard body suit, leopard print umbrella…I think that’s it, I’m obsessed but insatiable I NEED more leopard in my life- on my wish list are leopard wedge boots, leopard leggings and another dress.  

I leave you with a small sample of my leopard collection.

Fashion’s Night Out

After much deliberating and not so meticulous planning I headed to Bond Street for one of my favourite nights of the year, Fashion’s Night Out.

I visited (deep breath) Browns, Whistles, Mulberry, Smythson, Miu Miu, Matthew Williamson, DVF, Nicole Farhi, Tory Birch, Vivienne Westwood, Alexander McQueen, DKNY, Burberry, Salvatore Ferragamo and Moschino. The stores had gone all out with free drinks, canapés, DJs and a total party atmosphere. It was like being at a festival- the shops were the stages and the clothes were the stars. Everyone was treated like a VIP and there was so much going on that I wished I could split myself in two.

Highlights included Drinking gin punch from a teacup at Moschino, seeing Nicole Farhi chatting to Bill Nighy outside Nicole Farhi, the canapés at Tory Birch (best of the evening), nearly getting in the way of the band’s grand entrance at Burberry and seeing Matthew Williamson in Matthew Williamson happily chatting and posing for photos with customers. It was great to see the designers out supporting the event made it feel really special.

However, this year I was disappointed to see that some of the stores- Coach, Stella McCartney, Juicy Couture and Dior to name a few were operating a guest list only policy with clipboards and velvet ropes. These brands can have exclusive ‘fashion people’ parties for the next month in New York, London, Milan and Paris. Fashions Night Out is supposed to be for everyone, for regular people who love fashion and don’t get invited to those parties all the time. There were so many great parties at all the other shops along Bond Street that it didn’t matter to me, in fact, they made it easier for me to plan my route! It’s the principal really, I don’t want to see my favourite night turn into another industry only party.

Cupcakes at Smythson

                           

Boots of my dreams at Miu Miu

Me admiring a Matthew Williamson Gown

The man himself

Gin in a teacup

The belt I have wanted since I saw it in The Face magazine aged 17

Dior taxi

Window at Alexander McQueen

Object of Desire

I need this bag. 

They sell it at House of Fraser if you want one too.

Trend: Trousers

Jeans are over, you hear me, over.  For once the boys are leading the way with this trend. These days you are more likely to see boys wandering around in sand coloured chinos than you are jeans, and be prepared for more of the same, cordaroy skinny trousers have just hit down in Topman and River Island- men in cords are marching on the horizon.

But I digress, all summer long coloured skinny jean-trousers have been popping up all over the high street slowly weaning us off the same old boring blue denim. For AW11 there is a plethora of trousers, proper trousers, to choose from in gorgeous deep colours. I like them tight, skinny and rolled up 7/8s then worn with brogues or creepers, but you can style yours however you want.

I have some black ones from M&S I’ve been living in for the past two weeks. They make me feel like Audrey Hepburn or Coco Chanel, sporty and effortlessly chic.

There is also a shape to suit everyone- Capri, Cigarette, Peg-Leg, Chino and Pleat Fronts all offer variation on the skinny coloured trouser theme.

90s Films for Style Inspiration

If you follow me on twitter you’ll know all about my current 90s obsession, I recently watched Cruel Intentions again and couldn’t believe how much I wanted Sarah Michelle Geller’s wardrobe, the make up looks are equally covetable. Here’s a list of must watch films for style tips and entertainment, the films that seemed so cool when I was 12.

Technically Erin Brockovich is from 2000 but its set in the 90s and her outfits are too good not to make it on my list. I sincerely hope those short tartan kilts in the Clueless, The Craft and Empire Records posters do not make a comeback. Those I can live without. 

Dior vs. Lanvin

The major couture houses are at war with their new AW11 TV adverts or ‘Fashion Films’ if you’re in the know, dahling. Chanel started this trend with their mini film featuring Nicole Kidman and continued it with Keria Knightly. Lanvin’s AW11 campaign features (highly comical) dancing to Pitbull’s ‘I know you want me’ by Karen Elson and Raquel Zimmermann, and is well worth a watch.

Debuting on ITV tonight is Dior’s offering in the form of Charlize Theron, ‘Marilyn Monroe’, ‘Marlene Dietrich’ and ‘Grace Kelly’.  It’s a clever ruse to show us that the fragrance is at once timeless and modern. The ad is, of course, beautifully shot with The Gossip providing a punchy soundtrack. It makes me really want to buy J’Adore for myself, my mum wears it and I steal some every time I go home but can’t get away from it feeling a bit ‘old’ for me to wear everyday.

Which is best?

Love them both. 

5 Minutes of Fame

Front cover of this weeks Grazia

Comment section on the Grazia website

The printed page

Picture taken before leaving the house

This week I was so excited to grace Grazia’s weekly Style Hunter page. When the image was selected for the website I was super pleased- so imagine my surprise when a friend emailed saying I was going in the actual magazine!

The photo was taken on the South Bank as I was on my way to Vintage Festival in late July.  The dress is vintage (of course) from one of the small independent vintage stores in The Laines in Brighton.  It was bought on a work ‘vintage scavenger hunt’ in December, I think it might be home made, if not, it has clearly been altered a few times. The dress was always a little big so my talented friend took it in for me just before we left the house.

The ‘doorknocker’ earrings were a gift from a friend, I suspect from a charity shop in Worcester. Some of my all time favourite items have come from Worcester’s Charity Shops- Age Concern is one of the best.

The shoes are hand me downs from Hannah Lou Rowe, author of the brilliant Wherefore Art Thou blog and owner of the most expansive wardrobe of vintage I have ever seen. The sunglasses were bought on holiday in Croatia after I dropped my other pair into the sea diving off a rock.  The lipstick is cheap and cheerful Barry M, it gives an authentic vintage look because it’s quite dry with a matte finish.

The handbag was 50p at a jumble sale, (at the Worcester Guildhall one Christmas) It’s apt that people commented on the 80s details of my outfit because I’ve christened that handbag ‘Thatcher Bag’ or ‘Thatch’ for short. Everything I wear always ends up looking a bit 80s, but I felt that dressing entirely in one decade would feel too much like costume. I’m a total fashion magpie always mixing my references to create a look.

The best comment on the website was that I looked like a cross between  Joan from Mad-Men and Margaret Thatcher, which I loved because they really are two of my style icons.