Our favorite best dressed celebrities for this week are..

Alexa Chung in a floral dress 

1,2- New Look 3- SheInside

Rita Ora in tailored short suit

1,2 - SheInside 3 - Asos

Audrey Tautou in monochrome

1 - River Island 2- New Look

Common factor: simple looks yet stylish, classy and chic at the same time.

The Famous Five - Autumn/Winter 2013/14

My sister and I consider ourselves to be forward looking  fashionistas, and we are both discussing and planning our Autumn shopping, keeping in mind our available spending money.  I have come up with five must haves for Autumn Winter 2013/2014.   

As  lovers of fashion, and more so of shopping we take to organising our seasonal wardrobe additions with precision and method.  Most of us have bought things on impulse, on most of our retail therapy, and which at times are left there in our wardrobes waiting to be at least worn once.  So it is better to take stock of what we have and decide and plan ahead.  It makes sense and it is very wise.  Here are the 5 things I cannot do without, once the collections arrive in stores.

The COAT: double-breasted, small collar lapels, padded hips below the knee, warm for the first autumnal chills, this is my coat of choice for the Fall Winter 2014 season. I saw this coat at the Dolce and Gabbana runway show, and I fell in love with it.  The colour definitely has to be black.  You cannot go wrong with the colour, and I definitely would wear it with red shoes.  The coat’s  silhouette is infinitely chic and will work with both trousers and dresses.

1. Dolce & Gabbana 2. Zara Coat (lookalike) 3.Zara 4.River island 5.Topshop

DOME DRESS: I have already invested in a purple sleeveless dome dress this summer from Suite Blanco, and surely I am going to look and purchase  a winter dome dress, and if I might be lucky I will buy it red.  I have bought lots of dresses this summer but this dress is possibly my favourite best piece that I bought this summer.  I love the silhouette, the tweedy texture and the colour, as it is unusual.   I just have to have it.

1. Dolce & Gabbana 2. John Lewis 3. Oasis 4. Zara

GOLD CAT HEEL POINTED TOE COURT SHOES: This summer I was chasing shoes or sandals in silver and gold.  They were my indulgence by far this summer.  I got both, a pointed toe silver stillettoes, and flats from Aldo in gold.  They would look perfect with the clothes this coming season.  They will remain my favourites this season.  I will look for a gold cat heel pointed toe court shoes, to wear with my dome dress.  Shoes will be my biggest indulgence, as I have stocked on pairs of boots last winter season.   

MOSAIC AGATHA BAG: Bags are my passion.  Bags make my mouth water, and the Dolce&Gabbana Mosaic Agatha collection has become my infatuation.  They are beautifully sequined.  It is named after the feast of St Agatha the Patron Saint of Catania.  Incidentally I was in Catania for the feast on the 03 February 2013.  I cannot afford the Dolce and Gabbana Agatha bag, but I presume that most high street fashion stores will create look alikes and stock this traditional purse, with a Dolce&Gabbana twist. 

Mosaic print Agatha bag by Dolce & Gabbana

BIJOUX: I have to admit that I am obsessed with religious themed jewellery, so much so that when I was in Catania I did buy three and wished that I had bought more of these particular cross pendant necklace. I have two remaining one in gold encrusted in red stones and another one silver encrusted in red and light blue stones.  I gave one to my sister and if I am correct it was gold embellished with blue stones.  I try to match these crosses with earrings These necklaces and earrings will compliment most looks, I would wear them separately for work and then pile them on for the evening.  The jewellery house of Grisogono have been creating these crosses for ages, but for a more updated pieces try to view the Dolce&Gabbana creations.  They are iconic. 

Forever21

River Island

Dolce & Gabbana

River Island

Nina Ricci the embodiment of Femininity and Class

Designers love their respective women, and Peter Copping  does no less, so much so that  his aesthetic embodies the very idea of glamour, sensuality and very ladylike just as you'd imagine it.  I was enchanted yesterday as I sat there and watched the models parade his exquisite creations.  I wished that I was strutting the runway in his clothes.  The colours, the sense of demure and dainty; it's so romantic. Peter put his collection to new and innovative effect for  Nina Ricci.  It  bridged the imaginative world with the real world and took me out for a night at Theatre hall in the process, as the two pianists took to the catwalk to play live as the models took to the runway.

For me it was as brilliant collection in such a way that it brought a new dimension to any woman’s wardrobe, where the other clothes became demure, and more of the same.  The highlights were the  bustiers and bunched-bust details on prim and fitted dresses or little knitted cardigans; bra straps were made a feature of rather than hidden on one black cocktail dress; and the top of a skirt suit saw its neck slashed to reveal some shoulder.   

The collection continued with these ladylike prim little sets with knitted panels and inserts to give them movement. They were not only sophisticated but they had an easy flow and ripples of movements, just like theatre dancers, rehearsing for their upcoming ballet show.   

I was surprised and baffled, that common parkas were transformed into opera coats,  in rich red and oyster colours.  making a clothing item so common, but so new and appealing, to a Nina Ricca girl who undoubtedly did not own a parka in her wardrobe, up till this collection. 

There were belted waists too, as there were knitted leotards and coats whose sleeves bagged from the shoulder to the elbow.  The makeup was so bare in the eyes but lips were so rich red.

The show was an innovative and clever move on Copping's vision of femininity.  For me it has class, I wish I was Peter Copping’s sister, as I would definitely own all the entire collections.

XXXXXX

CA

In ♥ with Melissa

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I discovered this brand some time ago while browsing on the net for different shoe styles and ever since have not stopped dreaming about owning a pair of these shoes (Nonnon). In actual fact if l had the money I would get one of each style and colour. Apart the money, my next problem would be lack of space in my closet.   

Melissa is a brazilian brand that designs and creates its products such as shoes and bags none other from plastic jelly.  It's incredible the designs and the styles that Melissa designers have created by using such material.

Melissa creative director Edson Matsuo in fact states:

"I’m fascinated by plastic, a simple material with many possibilities of being." He believes that the only restrain of design on plastic is “the designer’s creativeness”.

Karl Lagerfield for Melissa

And you can take his word for it because Melissa products range from bags to shoes. Their women, men and kids collections include different styles and colors, in boots, loafers, sandals, flats and stilettos.  Designers icons like, Vivienne Westwood, Jason Wu and Karl Lagerfield helped to create these avant-garde shoes. Some of the most popular styles are in fact the LadyDragon, ultragirl and campana just to name a few. Feast your eyes on their shoe collection Melissa and tell us what you think about these new iconic shoes!

Vivienne Westwood for Melissa

Melissa Wedges

Melissa shoes

Some of the sites where you can see or buy their collections are ShopMelissa or Nonnon. 

I lust these shoes from Melissas collection ♥:

Vivienne Westwood + Melissa Animal Toe Tan leopard flock

Vivienne Westwood +Melissa Skyscraper red

Vivienne Westwood + Melissa Shoes Protection Navy Flock

Tell us what you think of Melissas shoes, their innovative designs and creations. Or maybe what's your favorite ones from their shoe collection?

XOXOXO

CA

The Citizens of Style

The nineties style seem to be still with us, and it is very evident and present on the high street.  Top shop, H & M and Zara, to name just a few,  have hanged on to it this season.  Like many of the collections I  have seen so far this season, the emphasis is more on texture  and lots of it. Scarlet skirts and skorts are glossy and worn with fine-knit sweaters, amazingly although opposites the mix and match worked well.  Skirts come sequined, stoles are heavily fringed, and patterns and prints are mostly ethnic, byzantine, and baroque, satisfies our tastes for the shine, the softness and the sparkle.

1,2-Zara
3,5,6-Topshop
4,7 - H&M

The colours are rich and decadent in bright reds, such as paprika, emerald greens, rich gold yellows, and orange, and the rich earth colours.  Black is also the colour that has not lost its hold.  The season’s influence is also in the oversized silhouettes, like oversized masculine cut coats.  Models walked in pointed block heeled shoes.  Patent leather is used in skirts, and most of the tops are cropped midriff revealing.   Topshop, H & M and Zara are sure to be fashion favourites.

1,3,4 - Topshop
2 - Zara

1,5 - Zara
2,3,4- Topshop

Like many of the collections we have seen so far this season it fed our appetite for texture – and lots of it. Glossy scarlet skirts were worn with fine-knit sweaters - proving opposites do attract - while all-over sequinned skirts, shear ling stoles, and harlequin-style patterns in patent leather pleased our penchant for softness, shine and sparkle along the way.

Zara has proved to be one of the cheapest and most popular fashion brands, loved by the young, adults, and by older women for its trend and elegant style, that has become characteristic in every fashion line. The new autumn winter 2013, 2014 collection is rich in prints be they floral, animal and bright colours rich.  The coats are oversized, blazers in bright colours, trench coats, safari jackets, and parkas satisfy the styles and needs of women of various ages.

Zara did not fail to provide the timeless and elegant little black dress, that could save one from every situation.  It is a must have in every wardrobe.  Zara dresses are coloured, with lots of prints and in mini length.  Most of the dress bedecked by floral prints. Zara pants are available in coloured blocks in various colours and print versions.  The shirts are floral printed and come either long sleeved or t-shirted.

Spoilt for choice - Zara LBD dresses

Zara dresses - from Lacey floral prints to Hounds tooth checked dresses

The Swedish brand H & M debuted  in Paris during Paris Fashion Week in the Rodin Museum.  In their first “French” Collection H & M showed cape, leather jackets and pants, high boots, hats and boots in the style of Louis XIV. Also they showed faux fur boas, necklaces with silver crystals and a very good bags on chains a reminiscence of a Celine Classic Box Bag. In short it was a huge success.  What I would buy is a black and white faux fur coat.  In Malta we do not have an H & M Store so I have to wait until my next holiday abroad to get one.

I hope that you would also make your judgements and tell us what you think of these collections and which of these three Top shop, Zara, H & M do you prefer to go shopping to and what piece of clothing struck you most.

XOXOXO

CA