Building a Gold Mine

For decades the double cuff trend has been popular, Chanel in the 1930s, Diane Vreeland in the 1960s, in Spring 2011: Celine. The Céline Gold Metal Cuff Bracelets were simple but exemplified Céline's minimalist chic. Teamed with a ready to wear collection with simple lines and neutral colours, they gave a glamorous colour pop. I'm convinced Phoebe Philo believes that lifes too short to go completely minimalistic. Fans included Victoria Beckham who wore one against a classic black & white ensemble. 

Celine

Celine

                

The cuff was one of the prominent jewellery pieces on the Spring 2011 runway. Chanel showed jewelled double cuffs for both cruise and spring whilst Stella McCartney created tuxedo-like cuffs. Yet at the four fashion weeks the cuffs were mostly embellished. The look has arrived again at several Resort 2012 collections. This time around, the cuffs are a simplistic silver or gold.

On the high street, H&M and ASOS have many cuffs that are right on trend for spring. Both have the smooth metal "Celine" look that I appreciate more. The bolder the better. I bought double cuffs for Hong Kong. Wahoo!! They will complicate some of the pastel colours that are popular this spring and I plan to wear them to death with every black piece going. On my wrists and even on my ankles. Very Wonderwoman. They can update the most basic heel to look even more expensive. Jewellery around my ankles is a new one for me. I found a hippy twist with strings of beads on the Burberry Prorsum SS12 London catwalk show. I like the idea of wearing cuffs with a vintage cable knit jumper or a casual white tee. It's even an ideal counterpart to lingerie or a bodycon Herve Leger swimsuit. Or simply copy Gucci and pair with a suit. Or how about gold cuffs a la Kate Moss.

Michael Kors 

Gucci

Burberry Prorsum 

Any gold accessory is timeless investment and will lift any overly worn outfit. Whilst fashion this summer seems a little busy...paisley, graphic, baroque and  botanical prints from the likes of Versace, Mccartney and Katrantzou. The jewellery trends show simpler designs and clean modern finishes. Metal chokers, cuffs, big brass collars were big in fall 2011 (Michael Kors and Elie Saab runways) and it will continue in 2012. 

Metal Chokers are the perfect power accessory. My favourite was Versace for H&M. The flower choker-not for me but the diamond encrusted panther and plate versions were incredible.

H&M's version of the Dries Van Noten Fall 2011 hair cuffs also caught my eye. The practical polished look adds a bit of luxe to a ponytail. It looks far more rich than the price tag suggests. ASOS have their own take with gold sleek cones and ponytailers. This is hands down my favourite accessory trend for spring/summer.

Drawing inspiration from the Cookie Monster, Chewbacca and Yaks

Vogue December 2011

The awkward moment when your sister counts your coats in disgust and another fur one is delivered through the post at that precise moment. I admit I probably have too many coats. But its not the quantity that bothers me. It's the diversity. I have fifteen in total (blazers, coats, leathers, capes, sheepskin, faux fur, vintage real fur, chiffon, yeti, denim, tribal, fringe)and I still have a trench, feather, cocoon, tweed and a tuxedo coat on my hit list this year. Plus I saw a gorgeous flannel jacket in Rokit, Covent Garden on Friday. Sigh.


Anyway, my attention is on faux fur today, fur without the guilt as I call it. More importantly: The shaggy yeti coat. I wish I was an eskimo...so I could wear it all day long. I love them. The Yeti had inspired the Sixties and Seventies and was seen recently in December's UK Vogue. Whilst I have a Kate Moss Topshop shaggy number in grey, I love the white monster look. Very reminiscent of Isabel Marant so I bought the Romwe version. Teamed with mahoosive lennon round sunglasses I was channelling daily my inner Janis Joplin.

Romwe Faux Fur Coat

Giles Yeti Coat

Fur and animal skins have dominated the runways season upon season. Just Cavalli's long camel flavoured yeti piece and Chanel  looks, F/W 2010-2011. Models rocked huge beehives with yeti trousers and the classic tweed jacket was coupled with shaggy rims. Whilst I was loving the iceberg purses and shaggy rucksacks, copying this look precisely would make me look like a huge yak. In the Fall/Winter 2011 season,  I adored Gucci, Furstenburg and Prada's vibrant of emerald, ruby and sapphire toned furs teamed with 1970's dresses and blouses. Frida Gianni, Gucci's creative director displayed hairy fur stoles, thigh slit chiffon dresses and a strong lip. It epitomised the Gucci woman: dramatic, powerful and sexy. Gucci continued its love affair with fur with Mary J Blige in November's Elle. The jewelled toned furs of Marios Schwab and Dolce & Gabbana's was to some too much Elmo and Bigfoot. For me, the yeti pinks of D&G and Topshop are too much but I adore other rich colours such as the below mustard.

The Fall 2011/2012 season focused on ingraining fur into pieces: fur collars both lapel and peter pan to fur cuffs. Total fur took a bit of a backseat. But fear not, 2012 Spring trends include pastels, candy cane colours and whites.  So why not add a bit of texture and luxury and incorporate a shaggy coat into that look.

Carine Roitfeld a connoisseur of effortless chic, shows just how to do it. She reminds us that shaggy yeti fur coats are a voluminous key piece and needs only to be accessorized with a heel and black tights. Teaming boxy faux fur with sleek skinny leather trousers/cigarette pants and sunglasses like Mossy and Erin Wasson gives a simple contrast. I wear my white version with just a House of Harlow Necklace or fedora hat. As a sufferer from chunky thigh syndrome....im a firm beliver that the bigger the jacket the thinner the thigh.

 

I'm pretty sure investing in a shaggy can add to any look. Glam rock: team with metallic or white tees, thigh highs and boots. Bohemian Chic: vintage fringed kimonos,velvet leggings, turban headbands and wine stained lips. Very early 80's Vivienne Westwood. Luxurious: rich reds mixed with brocades,embellishments and floaty midis. Day time: acid wash jeggings, brogues or cream converse. Anyone can look shaggalicious.

Fifty percent of magazine readers thought Kelis's mongolian yeti coat was a huge fashion mistake. Whilst seventy percent thought Beyonce's deep red Cavalli yeti was a fashion faux paux. Bleeergh what the hell do they know?!

Attack of the Green Eyed Monster

Sequins.....a little played out sometimes, especially at Christmas. We've seen it all before....silver, gold, reds. First came the dress, headbands, then the harems, bralets, high waisted shorts, jackets. Incorporated as a daily staple on The Only Way is Essex and copied by every girl on a Saturday night proved that high street imitations can create a fine line between looking expensive and cheap.

But the emerald greens sequin trend in 2011 was a twist. Sheer genius in my opinion. Maybe its the inner child in me, recalling the days of wanting be a like Ariel in the Little Mermaid. Glimpses had been seen previously in 2009 Balmain, Ready to Wear Collection 2009.  Jennifer Connelly rocked a Balmain version and I'm pretty sure Topshop Premium had an embellished version last year.

                                       

Cue Elie Saab Spring/Summer 2012 at Fall's New York Fashion Week. Zoe Saldana and Gwyneth Paltrow  both looked outstanding in Elie Saab. However, I did wish that Gwyneth sported an updo and left that choker at home. I can't help feeling that a pear shaped figure would look dazzling in this number. Maybe J-lo should have worn this, to recreate an updated version of that striking Versace jungle dress for another history making moment.

Remember Angelina Jolie at last years Golden Globes in Atelier Versace (one to watch in 2012) and Dolce and Gabbana F/W 2011? D&G's interpretation was a firm favourite, from Anna Panquin on V magazine, Beyonce and Vogue's September issue.

               

French designer BCBG Max Azria.

My mind was set. I trawled online and vintage stores in London for a few weeks to see what I could find.I fell in love with the two ASOS versions.

Stunning. I'm mad about ASOS but I decided on a vintage piece from.... shop.thecobrasnake.com. (As Seen Below) Could I pull this off? I didn't even think about it and clicked the buy button. I this will look perfect with a dark wine lip and my hair in a high pony or messy bun. Cobrashop is in LA and only took about a week to arrive to London.  

I've noticed a few blog favourites of mine (Anna dello Russo and Chicmuse) leading the way. And I will join them. Yes, sequin season is probably over but other greens have been all over the catwalk. Emilio Pucci cut out dresses as seen on Jennifer Lopez and  Marc Jacobs velvet pieces. Also Lara Stone for Tom Ford Beauty , Kurt Geiger and even Versace for H&M. Whether you invest in a sequin piece or not, intense greens will be huge. 

So....I dare you.

*elie saab runway photos via style.com