Jacqueline Clarke's Concave Caviar Ring

Statement jewellery. Now what’s that all about eh? Does one really have to choose between jewellery that makes a bold, brash statement or that whispers quietly? Jewellery is very personal and we think that as long as you love a piece, it shouldn’t matter when you wear it – and whether you’re choosing to make a statement or not! In the bath, to the park, heading to the supermarket, at the office – you get the idea.

And so we’d advise you to wear Jacqueline Clarke’s rather lovely Concave Caviar Ring anywhere, and everywhere. The oversized ring certainly falls into statement jewellery territory, with miniscule glass beads in a vivid sapphire shade sparkling from a soft, burnished gold setting. The intriguing form is somehow reminiscent of the spirit of Zaha Hadid’s flowing designs, resulting in a very modern shape which is both unusual and unique. It’s one of those rings which is bound to elicit both remarks and covetous looks from anyone with excellent taste. The Concave Caviar Ring makes a subtle statement. The best kind to make really.

What to wear with? Well we could advise you to dress up a simple black cocktail ensemble, but if you know anything at all about fashion and vaguely appropriate dress, you probably already mentally working through outfits that would show off Jacqueline Clarke’s ring to its best advantage. Crisp summer whites could be another perceptive choice. But honestly, if you love this ring as much as we do, you’ll want to wear it with everything, all the time. And why not?

The Jacqueline Clarke Concave Caviar Ring is available to buy online at Wolf & Badger.

P.S. There are also some matching Caviar Earrings if you’re feeling particularly flush…

A feathered Alexander McQueen creation

Sashaying into the beautifully redesigned Fashion Gallery at the Victoria and Albert Museum, one may feel distinctly underdressed. The London museum’s latest exhibition, Ballgowns – British Glamour Since 1950 celebrates over sixty years of British fashion, with more than sixty ballgowns from the 1950s to the present day on display for visitors to gaze at longingly. Visiting the show is an occasion when wearing elbow-length gloves certainly wouldn’t be a faux pas.

Set over two floors, the ground floor charters the opulent garment’s journey from country house to red carpet, with over thirty ballgowns displayed, mainly from the Museum’s permanent collection, including designs from household names such as Julien MacDonald, Belville Sassoon and Bruce Oldfield. The exhibition houses pieces created for celebrities and royalty alike, and many of the gowns on show are as famous as their wearers; think Princess Diana’s intricate, pearl-encrusted ‘Elvis’ dress designed by Catherine Walker, or a fabulous Elizabeth Emanuel pink taffeta number worn by Joan Collins.

One should never underestimate the value of accessories, and alongside the gowns are displayed a selection of decadent eveningwear essentials, from sumptuous suede evening gloves and luxurious velvet shoes to statement evening bags, such as Lulu Guinness’ eye-catching Florist Basket.

Designed to look like a ballroom, the newly reopened mezzanine level of the gallery provides an effective showcase for contemporary evening gowns – all from British designers, of course. You can expect to see pieces from the crème de la crème of the fashion world, including Erdem, Giles Deacon, Jonathan Saunders and Christopher Kane. As the function of the ballgown has evolved, designers have pushed the boundaries with their extravagant creations; one such example is visionary designer Gareth Pugh’s incredible metallic leather chain mail dress, which was made especially for the exhibition. Another unusual material choice is that of Atsuko Kudo, whose gown initially seems to be made of lace; on further inspection, the figure-hugging frock is actually fashioned from latex, serving to demonstrate the versatility and innovation of today’s designers. And don’t miss the show-stopping, floor length feathered Alexander McQueen gown, which was worn by eccentric fashionista and muse Daphne Guinness to the Met Ball in 2011.

Other dresses created for familiar names include an asymmetrical, coral silk Roland Mouret gown for Maggie Gyllenhaal, and a recreation of the glamorous sparkling Swarovski crystal and silk piece that Beyoncé donned for a performance at the White House. Interestingly, this is one of the only modern gowns that looks as though it would comfortably fit a normal-sized, healthy woman.

Projections of the gowns are also displayed within four alcoves of the gallery’s magnificent domed interior. Showcasing images of the collection’s catalogue captured by fashion snapper David Hughes, the photographs display the range of surreal yet beautiful headdresses created to accompany each piece by prop designer Vincent Olivieri. Rather than utilising traditional materials, Olivieri has hand-crafted each piece with books, a nod to the Victoria & Albert Museum as a place of learning. If only school had involved sumptuous ballgowns and opulent accessories…

Ballgowns: British Glamour Since 1950 is showing at the Victoria & Albert Museum until January 6th 2013. For more information and to book tickets, see the V&A website.

The reopened mezzanine level provides an effective showcase for contemporary evening gowns - all from British designers, of course

Studio Nicholson's simple separates

Who is she?

Former menswear designer Nick Wakeman launched her brand Studio Nicholson in 2010 to fill the niche in the womenswear market for classic clothes, inspired by the core values of beautiful tailored modern menswear. The Studio Nicholson girl? Wakeman’s muses are contemporary and historic style icons such as Gaia Repossi and Katherine Hepburn.

The Look?

Subtlety at its absolute finest. Studio Nicholson use exquisite fabrics in all of their garments, letting them shine through without being overshadowed by complicated design. As with the very best menswear, Wakeman’s garments are all about the details; hidden inside her understated, luxurious pieces are meticulously bound seams, which add to the high level of quality maintained throughout each Studio Nicholson collection.

The design process behind each piece has its roots in the principles of menswear, but that doesn’t result in an androgynous silhouette. Ideas are adapted so that the fit is tailored the female form, and each collection nods to the trends of that season to ensure it stays up-to-date. The Spring/Summer 2012 offering is awash with subtle tones, from soft grey and beige shades to a palette of warm blues from navy to chambray. Each and every piece in the collection feels like a future classic – and an integral part of the perfect capusule wardrobe; there’s an air of effortless practicality about Studio Nicholson that ensures that these are items that can be dressed up or down with ease.

The Buzz?

Studio Nicholson’s affordable designs regularly feature in get-the-look pieces in the Sunday style supplements of major newspapers including The Times, The Observer and The Independent. Their garments have also appeared in fashion bibles such as Vogue, Elle and Harpers Bazaar.

Where to Buy?

Studio Nicholson is stocked in a whole host of global locations. Here in Europe you can shop their considered garments in locations including London, Bristol and Amsterdam. Check out the full stockist list to find a store near you. The brand is also available to buy online on Young British Designers.

For more information, see the Studio Nicholson website, you can also like the brand on Facebook or follow on Twitter @StudioNicholson.

There's an air of effortless practicality about Studio Nicholson that ensures that any of the pieces can be dressed up or down with ease...

Are you crazy for fruit prints this season?

Every time London Fashion Week approaches, an army of (even more than usual) gazelle like women, clad head to toe in designer garb and wielding super skinny lattes parade across the city and I inwardly groan. Another chance to dictate what’s hot and what’s not this season – peasants, take note!

I love clothes just as much as the next woman, I have enough of them to wear in rotation to last me for three months without doing any laundry for goodness sake, but so many people take it too far. The whole notion of ‘trends’, in my opinion, is ridiculous. So what, every few months the chosen ones at various designer houses create new collections, proffer these to Anna Wintour and depending on whether she approves, share them with the rest of the world? Well, at least that’s what I could gather from The September Issue, a horrifying and bland, yet strangely compulsive film if ever I’ve seen one.

People are then expected to buy this advice and go and purchase these ‘must have’ items…right, because your life is really going to be so much more fulfilled for buying that super ethnic boho dress – OMG what, that’s totally Sienna Miller right? Um no, like three years ago…

Yet this is merely one part of the cycle, one which is ongoing and relentless, apparently dictating what’s acceptable to wear and what is not. To be seen in last season’s shoes is a heinous crime, apparently, but where is this really applicable apart from in The Devil Wears Prada or perhaps at the London College of Fashion?

There is nothing wrong with taking inspiration from the latest trends, but to be dictated by them is plain sad, and an example of a whole bunch of insecurity and conformity. Not wearing something because it’s not in the latest magazines is ridiculous, but perhaps true of many people lacking the confidence to branch out.

If by this point you’re turning up your nose in disdain and shaking your head in disagreement, let me just assure you (hopefully without sounding like Samantha Brick) that I am not some Croc-sporting, three quarter length combat strutting, neon body warmer wearing fashion disaster. I wear what I want, taking inspiration from the things and styles which interest me, and by using my common sense – for example Uggs are slippers, white trousers are never a good idea and three quarter length leggings are never flattering.

Fashion should be fun and not taken so seriously. Yes, expert craftsmanship and tailoring should always be appreciated, but being able to afford designer clothing does not make you stylish by default; some of the wealthiest people are often the most sartorially-challenged

Sure, flick through the latest clothes catalogues, I mean women’s magazines, if your heart desires; just don’t feel the need to spend your last few pounds on your ‘fashion bible’ as opposed to a good meal. Painfully thin is not cool, despite what we’ve been told, and neither is mindless obedience.

Anna Wintour knows colour blocking. Or does she? Does anyone? Does it matter?!

Liberty & b store: the perfect sundress?

Longer days and the hint of warmth in the air can mean only one thing; summer’s just around the corner. Before you consider those endless hours spent lazing in the park, dancing around the best of Europe’s festivals and chilling out at the beach, there’s one essential seasonal item you need to lock down; the perfect sundress. Yes, all of the glossy magazines are covered with shouty headlines about bikinis, but really your first priority in buying clothes to fill a summer wardrobe should be choosing a relaxed, pretty sundress. Waking up to the sunlight streaming through your windows, there’s not a moment to be lost – picnics are to be organised, garden parties attended and hours spent doing nothing much other than chatting with friends and drinking chilled fizz.

We think we may just have found that elusive frock; taken from the too-cool-for-school collaboration between two London institutions, b store and Liberty, the Kim dress ticks all the boxes. The lightweight cotton is oh-so-easy to wear, while the delicate paisley pattern is what the fashionistas might describe as on-trend. A softly scooped neckline and full pleated skirt make this flattering whether you’re a beanpole or someone celebrating womanly curves.

And did we mention the pockets? Often overlooked in womenswear, the fantastically practical addition of pockets takes this dress from an A- to a definite A+. It’s the killer detail, ladies. Obviously you’ll probably still need a handbag, but if you’re just heading to the park to read the papers and enjoy the sunshine, you can pop keys, phone, lip balm and all of those other essentials in these handy draped pockets. Start planning parties, picnics and lots of doing absolutely nothing at all…

The B Store Loves Liberty Kim Dress is available to buy online on ASOS and b store.

Atalanta's Weller's chic, feminine designs

Who is she?

Atalanta Weller is a woman who knows what other women want; beautiful, conceptual shoes. Inspired by the fashionable likes of Prada and the design talents of architects such as Pier Luigi Nervi, Atalanta Weller’s style destiny became clear as soon as she immersed herself in the world of shoes.

Following her studies at the prestigious Cordwainers College in London, the young designer put her best foot forward with her feminine and innovative shoe designs. Atalanta Weller the brand took shape in 2009 making its mark on the fashion industry by winning the covetable NEWGEN award for three consecutive seasons.

Equipped with incredible vision and futuristic flair, Weller went on to break the rules of fashion convention with her shoe designs, collaborating with fellow avant-garde designers Henry Holland and Gareth Pugh along the way. A wealth of experience combined with natural instinct has enabled her to create collection after collection that shoe lovers around the world inevitably fell head over heels for.

The Look?

Inspired by iconic femme fatale costumes, Weller’s designs allow the wearer to exude sexuality and power. Tapping into the intersection between fashion and design, femininity remains at the forefront of all of Atalanta Weller’s concepts, with comfort refusing to take a back seat thanks to her proficient technical knowledge.

Designing for the independent and fashion-forward woman, sculptural shoes based on avant-garde ideas, sit alongside playful twists on the more conventional styles of wedges and stilettos in her collections. Her ‘Woven Wonders’, ‘Poodle Shoes’ and ‘Cubes’ display the designer’s courage, creativity and faith in her own designs, while her SS12 collection takes inspiration from fishing boats and ocean liners by exploring a fresh colour palette of crisp marine blues and naturally warm orangey-reds.

The Buzz?

Owning a pair of Atalanta Weller shoes, ensures that you’ll be following in the fashionable footsteps of Sienna Miller and Nicola Roberts. Plus it’s an investment in fashion history too; the Victoria and Albert has purchased two of her designs to be held in their permanent fashion collection. In March 2012, ATALANTA by Atalanta Weller was launched at Urban Outfitters, offering a more affordable way to get your hands on the designer’s covetable shoes.

Where to Buy?

Atalanta Weller is sold on the shelves of  directional fashion boutiques, including The Convenience Store in London and Fashion Mixology in Oslo, as well as online on Young British Designers and Coggles.

Atalanta's SS12 collection takes inspiration from fishing boats with a fresh colour palette of crisp marine blues warm orangey-reds

Karl Lagerfeld: the busiest man in fashion?

He’s easily the busiest man in fashion. Karl Otto Lagerfeldt, to call him by his full name, has been designing for nearly 60 years, and still creates more than a dozen collections a year across his Chanel, Fendi and eponymous fashion line jobs. He’s also a photographer, owns a publishing house and bookshop, and has designed stage costumes, houses, teddy bears (little Karl bears of course) and numerous high street collaborations.

A loquacious and forthright interviewee, Lagerfeld expertly dissects the fashion industry – and his own life – spitting out acerbic sound bites and deadpan aphorisms with ease. He even interviewed himself this year, with the help of a little camera trickery, for the launch of his Karl line for Net-a-Porter (yep, adding another collection to that CV). Yet he still maintains an air of mystery – no one knows his exact birth date, for instance. Here, we read between the lines of a dozen quotes from the prolific designer.

He was a precocious child:

“My problem as a child was that I was bored to death, because I wanted to be a grown-up person. My childhood was endless – from eight to 18 felt like hundreds of years.”

Born in Hamburg to a German mother and Swedish father, Paris-dwelling Karl is a citizen of the world:

“I’m not a French designer… I’m from nowhere. I’m a European, old European is all I am.”

Beauty isn’t everything to Karl:

“Life is not a beauty contest, some [ugly people] are great. What I hate is nasty, ugly people… the worst is ugly, short men. Women can be short, but for men it is impossible. It is something that they will not forgive in life… they are mean and they want to kill you.”

He thinks that youth should be left to the young though:

“What I hate most in life are people who are not really the peach of the day but who want to be young and sexy. You can fool nobody. There is a moment when you have to accept that somebody else is younger and fresher and hotter.”

He keeps those sunglasses on at all times for a reason:

“They’re my burka…I’m a little shortsighted, and people, when they’re shortsighted, they remove their glasses and then they look like cute little dogs who want to be adopted.”

He can’t avoid recognition, even on the phone:

“Even my voice is easy to recognise. When someone calls and they’ve made a wrong number they recognise the voice. This happens very often. They say: ‘You have a voice like Mr Lagerfeld’.”

In 2001 he lost a lot of weight, but not for health reasons. It was far more important than that:

“Well, there came this new line from Hedi Slimane at Dior that you needed to be slim to wear. It said, ‘You want this? Go back to your bones.’ And so I lost it all. I lost 88 pounds and never got them back.”

Karl’s maintains an excellent work/life balance thanks to his living arrangements:

“I actually have two houses. This house here, it’s only for sleeping and sketching, and I have another house two and a half metres away for lunch and dinner and to see people and where the cook is and all that.”

But he’s not a good traveller:

“I am not a traveller. I hate it. I never look at my watch. The good thing about private jets is that you go whenever you’re ready. That’s the real luxury of today. In all my contracts it says, if you want me, send a private jet.”

Karl is a multi-tasker and no mistake:

“I do everything. I do the collections, I do the advertising, I do the windows, the concepts. I do the sets of the show – if not, I’m not interested.”

When it comes to the collections, he considers himself the conductor of the Chanel orchestra:

“For me, Chanel is like music. There are certain notes and you have to make another tune with them.”

But don’t bother asking him for fashion advice:

“If you come and ask me ‘I want to be chic,’ there’s little hope to become chic, because there are peasants in the country who are beyond chic in their poor rags and very rich women who are not chic in the most expensive dresses. So the minute you ask the question, in fact [I can] only answer to be polite, but the real problem is somewhere else.”

Watch Karl interviewing himself…

Alexander McQueen's "Savage Beauty"

These days fashion houses are all about creating a buzz via social media, inspired short films and the perenially-cool pop-up shop right? Wrong. So what’s the new black in 2012? The brains behind the brands have taken things to the next level, embedding style in the consumer’s cultural consciousness with a much more long-lasting marketing tool; the fashion exhibition.

In just four months, New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art saw over 650,000 visitors flock to “Savage Beauty,” a presentation of Alexander McQueen’s design highlights on display from May 2011. McQueen’s show proved so popular that the Met extended the exhibition’s run by an extra week. In an unprecedented move, the museum even remained open until midnight on the final two days to cater to demand; “Savage Beauty” was one of the Met’s most visited shows ever, pitting iconic fashion against popular exhibitions such as Tutankhamun’s Treasures and the Mona Lisa.

With his unique, cerebral approach to style and unbridled eccentric creativity, some might claim that McQueen was an artist in his own right, with his inspired, extreme pieces lending themselves well to the gallery space. However, the British designer’s show is just one of the many fashion-themed exhibitions that have been a big hit. This past year has seen designers turning away from the traditional arena of the catwalk, with presentations featuring the works of Hussein Chalayan, Yves Saint Laurent, Yohji Yamamoto and Jean-Paul Gaultier, to mention just a few of the blockbuster names.

And shows aren’t restricted to the world’s major fashion capitals; the National Museum of China re-opened with Louis Vuitton’s “Voyages”exhibition in May 2011, while Moscow’s Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts hosted “Inspiration Dior” in April of the same year, showing the key pieces from the French fashion house’s historic collection alongside artworks from Renoir, Picasso and Cezanne. Meanwhile, in Shanghai, fashionistas were treated to a vast retrospective of Coco Chanel’s designs in “Culture Chanel”at the Museum of Contemporary Art. Consumers in emerging markets might not be able to commit to purchasing a luxury It-bag, so the price of an exhibition ticket provides entry-level access to a high-end label, and, more crucially, educates new and aspirational customers.

In essence, the fashion exhibition gives brands a chance to tell their story and provides consumers with a 360-degree view of a fashion house or designer, from inception through creative and manufacturing processes to current projects, with actual garments, films, photographs and text on display. The result is an in-depth overview of a brand’s DNA that forges a deeper connection and more long-lasting relationship with individuals than any two-dimensional advertising campaign. A potential customer is much more likely to make a purchase if they truly understand what a brand’s all about. Art gives fashion a sense of cultural gravitas; an intellectual credibility that extends beyond the simple attraction of seasonal collections.

While temporary exhibitions promise instant press coverage and a frenzy of excitement among industry insiders and across social media, creating a permanent museum really cements a brand’s heritage, longevity and status. Though just 90 years young, when Gucci opened its own museum in Florence during September 2011, the Italian label established the institution as a fashion destination with a past, present and future in the city.

Though bricks and mortar promise permanence, the digital sphere also offers an enduring space for fashion presentations; Valentino Garavani’s Virtual Museum is a prime example of a brand using a successful offline strategy online. Launched in December 2011, the virtual exhibition has none of the space limitations of an actual museum. After downloading an application, visitors can access an archive of more than 5,000 images, 180 videos and themed galleries of the couturier’s work, dating back as far as the 1960′s.

So the pop-up’s passé? Not necessarily. Launched in January 2012 through collaboration with Milanese artist Francesco Vezzoli and Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas’ think tank AMO, the Prada 24-hour Museum in Paris was a creative, visionary event that fused the fashion exhibition and the pop-up event. For those who couldn’t visit the temporary show, an online platform transformed the museum into a digital experience, maximising consumer engagement.

The trend looks set to continue. The hottest ticket in Paris isn’t to a runway show these days; it’s for the Marc Jacobs exhibition at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs.

A tour of Valentino Garavani’s Virtual Museum

A version of this feature originally appeared on Fashion’s Collective; a new-age marketing resource for fashion and luxury brands.

Meet the Michael By Michael Kors Jalita. In a flattering café au lait shade, these sandals will match anything and everything you could ever wish to frolic in from now until September, whether you’re sporting a floral frock at a summer wedding or offsetting the acid-bright neon tones of a body-conscious sports chic look. And with a midi wedge heel, comfort is assured whether you’re wandering around hot, dusty cities on a long weekend away or negotiating public transport in sultry August heat.

Shoe. Concerns. Solved. Let the summer begin.

Get ready to hop, skip and dance into the summer with Michael Kors' Jalita sandals. We're fairly sure they go with everything!

Zalando offers shoes, accessories and fashion from over 1,000 brands including By Marlene Birger, Paul & Joe and Alice By Temperley, with free shipping and returns available.

Sarah Burton's debut McQueen collection

Hailing from Cheshire in North England, Sarah Burton took an art foundation course at Manchester Polytechnic before moving to London to study print design at the prestigious Central St Martin’s, the college Alexander ‘Lee’ McQueen himself attended. Burton’s tutor was a friend of Lee’s and suggested she was interviewed for a placement year interning at McQueen. She scored the job, and returned to work at the label again after graduation in 1997; just three years later she was appointed head of womenswear, a post she would hold for the next decade.

When Lee committed suicide in 2010, the fashion world was in shock and the brand’s future looked in jeopardy. How could it survive without the wildly creative mind behind those incredible designs? So it came as a surprise to many when the then relatively unknown Burton was appointed Creative Director shortly after Lee’s death – not least to Burton herself, who admitted it was a daunting prospect. ‘In the end I just decided to get on with it: do my best,’ she said.

The pressure was on, but Burton’s collections at McQueen were well-received from the off, praised as staying true to Lee’s vision. ‘I’ve worked here for so long, there’s been a big part of me in those collections all along the way,’ a quietly confident Burton said at the presentation of her first collection for McQueen, which had to be completed just four weeks after his death.

Any doubts about Burton’s capabilities were quickly assuaged amongst fashion industry insiders (‘She did an excellent job,’ Cathy Horyn, the hard-to-please New York Times critic, said of her first collection sans Lee), but almost immediately Burton took on a project that would attract worldwide attention. Spotted on the morning of 29^th April 2011 at the hotel of Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge, Burton was finally revealed as the designer of the Royal Wedding dress, ending a year of fevered press speculation and intense secrecy. The dramatic yet elegant ivory silk gown was hailed as a triumph of British craftsmanship, but to this day Burton has to keep quiet about the whole thing. She told Sarah Jessica Parker in Interview magazine this month: ‘I’m not actually allowed to talk much about it at all. It was a precious, magical time that I’ll always treasure.’

International acclaim achieved, it was no surprise, then, that Burton garnered the Designer of the Year title at the 2011 British Fashion Awards. Add to that continued rave reviews for her McQueen collections – the Observer’s Jess Cartner-Morley felt that the Autumn/Winter 2012 show was the best yet – and it’s clear that Burton has cemented her role at the label in a way many previously thought impossible, imprinting her own influence while honouring the legacy of the house. ‘Lee was such a genius that I can never pretend to be him, but I am very aware that I’m designing for a house that he created, and I try to keep it as true to that as possible’ Burton has said, and she attributes that partly to her loyal customer: ‘There’ll always be a McQueen woman. She is a strong woman and she is a powerful woman.’ Not unlike Burton herself, you might say.

Alexander McQueen Womenswear Autum/Winter 2012