J Smith Esquire Online Shop

Like most of you out there, I love the excitement of waiting for something ordered online to arrive. The thrill of signing for an asos package or rummaging through polystyrene balls to uncover a DVD from amazon is something that brightens up five minutes in the day. But the big thrills, the really, really special ones don't come cheep. But, really, who cares?


J Smith Esquire, bespoke millinery extraordinaire, has put his beautiful creations online for us all to buy. Imagine a giant elephant trunk arriving on your doorstep! Each piece is completely individual and the hairdresser turned hat-making genius has made a great move by supplying his hats to everyone and everything.

My fave is a beautiful pheasant, curled around horse hair Swarovski crystals, glass beads and much more. £650... better start saving. Do you think the price includes postage and packaging?


http://jsmithesquireshop.com/index.php

Documentary: Vive Le Punk

'Vive Le Punk' is a 1993 documentary that has only recently been seen. It focuses on the build up of The Chamber of Pop Culture's first exhibition. It also contains the only (apprently) filmed conersation between Westwood and creative partner Malcolm McLaren, where they talk about their designs and ideas.

i-D magazine said '...the result is a remarkable, insightful, comic, uncomfortable, wonderful and charming documentation...'

Sounds rather good, doesn't it?

Conversations with Glenda Bailey, Fashion Museum, NYC

On November 19th (my birthday, in case any of you want to send me a pressie via facebook) Glenda Bailey will be talking with an audience at the Museum of Fashion, NYC. I have reserved two seats. I know I'm on holiday and it's my birthday but if you don't know who Glenda Bailey is you will soon understand why. She is the Editor in Chief of Harper's Bazaar (USA) and all round fashion journalism icon. It is also completely free (whoever said you have to spend a fortune in NYC is a bloody liar. Or they work for the tourist board and have had dollar signs for pupils ever since Sex and the City came out).

Bailey, originally from Derby, was the launch Editor of Marie Claire and became editor of US Marie Claire, in 1996. Known as the 'ultimate editor', Bailey was appointed the role of Editor in Chief for US Harper's when sales were flagging after its radical change in design and content. It was Bailey's job to bring it back to its old ways and regain the loyal readers without alienating the new ones. And boy did she do it! Sales were down 7.5% when she arrived, and the mag is now selling better than ever. She even managed to get Donatella Versace do to an interview with her immensely private daughter which no magazine was able to do before. I'm telling you, the woman is a legend!

The talk goes on for two hours and I'm already preparing my questions. She's one of those 'role model' types for me but I'm not doing her justice at all. Read this article on her, it's very interesting...

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/glenda-bailey-woman-at-work-530221.html

This is just one amazing thing I plan to do in NYC... and it's completely free. Hoorah!

BlogSpotted: Go Fug Yourself

I don't know how you feel, but I am liking Heatworld and E!Online less and less. I mean, they're not that funny and don't take the piss out of celebs enough. Which is why I adore www.gofugyourself.celebuzz.com.

'Fugly is the new pretty' is their motto and it encourages bloggers to debate over certain wardrobe malfunctions and fashion faux pas of the rich and famous. I love their section 'Random Fug' where people like Keisha from the Sugababes, Danielle Lloyd, Alice Dellal and Rebecca Ryan (you know, Debbeh from Shamelss!) get absolutely rinsed with sentences like:

This kid is going to look at this picture in five years and be like, "Seriously, you people let me wear that? Why? What is wrong with you? I WAS NOT DANCING IN THE NUTCRACKER."

http://gofugyourself.celebuzz.com/go_fug_yourself/random_fug

BlogSpotted: The Sartorialist

Without a doubt my most favourite blog. Scott Schuman's creation features every-day people out and about (mostly in New York) wearing their every-day clothes. The photography is lovely and the people...well, they're perfect. It's amazing that they're real, but also really depressing. How can they look that good on a regular day and get their picture put up on such a famous blog? It's not fair.

Big-wigs in the designer world turn to the blog for inspiration as they believe it is a good insight into what people really wear. They also like to spot up-coming trends. I like it for it's blissful escapism. Enjoy but prepare to be envious.

http://www.thesartorialist.blogspot.com/

Fernando and Humberto Campana for Lacoste

3,000 alligator logos have been sewn together to make this polo. The Campana brothers have quite a fascination with alligators (once making a chair from alligator toys) and what better way to celebrate the obsession then by creating a twelve piece line for sport reptile lovers Lacoste?

www.lacoste.com/campanas

John Galliano, Fall 2009

Fall being the operative word... They are amazing but, John, how are we supposed to walk?

The Yellow Bird Project

Muscians and charity go together like pickle and cheese. They love to give, we like to receive. But don't let the likes of holier-than-thou Bono, Sting and Chris Martin put you off . The Yellow Bird Project is a non-profit organisation, based in Montreal, that gathers together musicians such as Bon Iver, Little Boots and Broken Social Scene to design T-Shirts and give the proceeds to their chosen charites. Not only does this raise awareness for the charity but it also gives the muscians a chance to flex their creative muscles, for the good of mankind, without selling their souls to companies with fruits for logos.

My new husband, Devendra Banhart, was the first musician to contribute a design. Ah, so kind, so loving, so generous. The proceeds from his T-Shirt are going to the 'Teenage Cancer Trust'. I also really like The Shins design, as well as Clap Yours Hands and Say Yeah's interesting effort.

Check out the website, you could find something you like...

http://www.yellowbirdproject.com/products/clap-your-hands-say-yeah

Reid Peppard and Polly Morgan

What better way to start this blog then by writing about a dead hamster on a comb... Seriously though, I've found myself falling head over heels in love with Reid Peppard's more than interesting creations. Now that Autumn is approaching, I'm thinking one of his pieces would be a wonderful way to spice up an outfit. Perhaps slightly controversial, I think everything he creates is beautiful. Yes, I said beautiful. Don't you think so?

I totally have my eye on Peppard's pigeon wing headband. It's like angel-wings for the city dweller. He takes animals, usually considered vermin in the Western world, and gives them the opportunity to look glamourous and command centre stage. It's tongue in cheek with depth.

Taxidermy is all the rage right now. Polly Morgan's 'The Age of Marvelous' Exhibition starts on October 15th (One Marylebone Road), where her elegant, provocative, frightening and delicate masterpieces will be on display. In the past she has placed a stuffed crow on a telephone and a dead bunny 'sleeping' next to a magic hat. What imagination!

I'm desperate to get my hands on one of her prints and if you check out her website, I'm sure you'll be impressed as well. See you at the exhibition.

P.S. I'll be the girl in the corner with wings sprouting from her head.