McQUEEN Kate

Now what kind of fashion lover would I be if I didn’t dedicate the time towards discussing the breathtaking dress donned by Kate/Catherine on her wedding day?

For starters, it was MCQUEEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I was beyond excited when it was revealed Sara Burton had designed the masterpiece, such an achievement for her and the label (which as you may have guessed, is my fave!). And what an achievement it was, the dress was absolutely stunning. Such a timeless style that will not be looked back upon in the years to come with horror, as I do with Princess Diana’s dress.... (Sorry, Elizabeth Emanuel, it just doesn’t do anything for me!)

But the best part was that she wore the dress, the dress didn’t wear her. An extremely important point to consider. It enhanced her beauty, it did not steal it. She was the perfect blushing bride, so composed and elegant. Everything a royal should be.

But back to the dress....the detail was absolutely exquisite. I had to rewind and see it several times before allowing myself to take the whole design in. For that wonderful craftsmanship was so intricate and beautiful that it deserved several viewings, as well as prime place on my fashion collage that sprawls over my entire wardrobe. I especially loved the thought that had gone into the lace detail; roses, daffodils, thistles and shamrocks were worked into that gorgeous ivory silk tulle to insure no corner of the United Kingdom was left out in the cold. How nice! And the ‘Sweet William’ flowers that were included in her bouquet were indeed, just too sweet for words! Someone find me a William pronto.

All in all, Kate hit the nail on the head. And this isn’t just my opinion, it is a view shared by the entire fashion industry. Burton’s design has sent an outcry of praise rippling through the creative world, and rightly so. It is a dress that will define a generation of fashion (I sincerely hope anyway).  The demure, yet captivating elegance of the dress will hopefully steer this decade towards a more classical look, drawing on the inspiration of fashionistas such as Grace Kelly. Of whom reference had to have been drawn on for this occasion, the similarities can’t just be coincidence right!? Even so, Kate certainly held her own in that to die for dress. I’m sure it wasn’t just me who gasped in awe as she stepped out the car, surely the whole world shared a collective swoon?

In the words of Julien McDonald, ‘A style icon is born!’

Ps. Apparently because of the success of the Burton/McQueen design, all products stemming from the collection are to go up in price, dresses, shoes, SCARVES. Better get a move on if I want to buy that one I’ve been pining for eh? The bank balance will only stretch so far...

King Kanye....

'In order to be irreplaceable, one must always be different.' Coco Chanel

Is this the start of a new trend, men rocking out in women’s clothing? If anyone can launch it, it’s Mr West.

I’ll admit, when I first heard about him appearing at Coachella in a Celine silk shirt from the Spring/Summer 11 collection, I was dubious. But I was AMAZED at how fierce he looked in it, he totally owned it, and I have a feeling this isn’t going to be the last we see of this womenswear as menswear trend.

To be fair, us females have already made the clothes of the opposite sex look fabulous on us, (think boyfriend jeans, oversized shirts and girl boxers) so it’s about time men took the initiative to mix things up a bit. And mix it up Kanye did. His appearance at the California based music and arts festival has been the talk of the town, with it appearing to be a love it or hate it situation when it comes to his chosen attire.

Not one to play it safe, he is certainly no stranger to having his fashion sense closely followed by the public, and I commend him for stepping outside the box with this one. I can safely say that I LOVED loved loved it, despite having read some critics say otherwise (pffffft, obviously they don't know good style when they see it!).

But seriously, I think Kanye's outfit is a step in the right direction when it comes to fashion. It's preaching tolerance, and acceptance of styles that may seem alien to you. Perhaps his appearance in Katy Perry's E.T had a resounding effect on him? Ha!

Or maybe he just liked the shirt? Who knows. Ross Gellar couldn't pull it off, but Mr West you can! I am all for the idea of fashion shedding its labels and venturing into this new area.  If women can make the men's collection look good, why can't it work the other way round? It's definitely one to watch...