Gap's Rock Royalty #BacktoBlue Campaign

Amy Winehouse advised us to go ‘Back to Black,’ but in their first television advert in four years GAP are urging us to go ‘Back to Blue.'  This autumn campaign celebrates the brand’s heritage by redesigning and updating its 1969 denim collection and featuring sons and daughters of rock’n’roll royalty covering their parent’s well loved hits. 

Musician Dhani Harrison (above), a great buddy of mine,  sings a stripped down version of his guitar legend father George Harrison’s ‘For You Blue,’ from The Beatles album, 'Let It Be,’ whilst wearing a GAP trucker jacket.  LA-based Dhani is the frontman for band Thenewno2, and is also a member of band Fistful of Mercy alongside Ben Harper and Joseph Arthur.  I am a BIG (super)fan of both groups. #Groupie. 

All the proceeds for the entire  ‘For You Blue’ track (already available to download from iTunes here) by Dhani Harrison will go to the George Harrison Material World Foundation, in support of their current goal of raising funds for the amazing  Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation, dedicated to curing spinal cord injuries. 

27 year old classically trained musician Alexa Ray Joel (above), wearing a GAP chambray shirt, wistfully sings her father Billy Joel’s multiple-Grammy-winning 1977 song ‘Just The Way You Are’ seated at her keyboard in the new campaign.  

Apples do not, it seems, fall far from their trees.  The campaign will include new digital content every day across its social media platforms (#backtoblue) and the adverts will be accompanied by in-depth films, interviews, quotes, images and facts about Dhani and Alexa that will be available across the brands digital platforms.  Very cool Gap.

LFW Burberry Prorsum SS'14

Burberry Prorsum welcomed their beautiful FROW (Alexa Chung, Sienna Miller, Poppy Delevigne, Suki Waterhouse, HARRY STYLES) and a host of lucky fashionistas to Kensington Gardens to enjoy their SS’14 pastel coloured collection.  Filled with heavily embellished and translucent lace pencil skirts, worn with delicate sheer shirts and delicious, oversized cashmere, it was clear to see that polka dots had replaced this season’s hearts. 

Striking white sunglasses and folded sheepskin clutches were the perfect accessories to the Ladurée coloured designs and the finale saw Cara Delevigne in a see-through trench (revealing her latest bicep tattoo honouring her mother Pandora) whilst rose petals fell onto the runway.  Burberry girls are so damn cool.  I wanna be in their gang. 

 Although the six new SS’14 shades will only be available to buy from January, you can purchase the entire set (featuring Rose Pink, Dusky Mauve, Pale Grape, Pale Yellow, Sage Green and Mink) for the next two weeks exclusively from Burberry.

LFW: Matthew Williamson SS'14

Just like his AW/13 collection, Matthew Williamson’s SS’14 collection showed his designs evolving steadily from the bohemian holiday wear he had long been associated with, to a more sleek, simple and mature aesthetic. “My girl is growing up, she is the same free spirit inside but, like the rest of us, maturing – and I have to respond to that,”  Matthew explained.  Hand-drawn and painted daisy and dragonfly prints were displayed on belted dresses, tailored silk trousers and feminine, yet sophisticated, dresses.  I particularly liked the yellow organza based shift dress with ornate white appliqué flowers.  

LFW: Orla Kiely SS'14

I love Wes Anderson's 'Moonrise Kingdom' (see trailer below) and being that I am from Kenya, I couldn’t help but instantly love Orla Kiely’s SS’14 campsite presentation which adorably combined both these two themes.  Beautiful wild animal prints, knitted tops, berets and drop down waist dresses were worn alongside life size wildlife models and orienteering maps, with guests drinking champagne from flutes with giraffe cocktail sticks!  All my kitschy Safari Camp dreams come true.  A-Weema-Weh, A-Weema-Weh…

LFW: Mulberry SS'14

After having sent out THE most adorable London Fashion Week tea cup invitations made by Wedgewood, Claridges was transformed into an English country garden, complete with fresh flowers, astro turf floors and a stuffed peacock, forEmma Hill to say “over and out” with her final collection as creative director for Mulberry.  Well known for bringin’ the brand’s sexy back, Hill emotionally commenced the show with an echoing voiceover from Sir Winston Churchill, ‘this House we have built together, brick by brick, stone by stone, this house we call home’ before blaring out ‘Our House’ by Madness as the models cue to strut.  Showcasing typically cheery designs inspired by the Sixties London, the models (including Cara Delevigne) wore wide-leg trousers, over-sized silhouettes and enlarged floral prints.  Turbo the British Bulldog wore a floral overcoat – expect one to adorn all the hottest dawgs next spring.

Above:  I am naturally always most interested in the new collection of bags swung on the catwalk, and alongside stripey Bayswaters and a midnight blue Willow, the Kensal, named after the brand’s London roots, was presented. The firey orange Kensal (below) instantly grabbed my attention (after my flame Bryn having being my constant companion for the last few months, I can’t recommend a mood lifting, bright bag for the summer more!) Emma Hill is leaving some very big shoes (and bags) to fill.

Below:  Alexa Chung with her pal Cara Delevigne at the Mulberry after-party.

LFW: Temperley London SS'14

Along with the Duchess of Cambridge, I have always been a big fan of Temperely London and am lucky enough to own a couple of their beautifully ethereal and embellished dresses. 
Inspired by a Sicillian holiday, the Temperley London SS’14 collection, shown at The Savoy, was irresistibly lovely.  Dresses with embroidered flowers, crystal detailing, cherry-blossom prints and flowing fuchsia (clearly THE colour next spring) had a tangible romance to them.  The big surprise for me were the soft floral patterns transcending into leopard print (much like a chocolate pretzel, you wrongly assume this shouldn’t work!)  An elegant collection fit for a modern-day glamourous Princess… Now, if only they knew one…!

LFW: House of Holland SS'14

With a catwalk covered in fluffy purple clouds and a FROW filled with the coolest cats in town (including Alexa Chung, Pixie Geldof and HARRY STYLES – a name I can’t even read without hearing 100,000 girls hysterically screaming it!) this could only be the setting forHenry Holland’s forthcoming House of Holland SS’14 collection.

I once worked under Henry’s instruction at a teen fashion magazine and still remember how fun he was even all those years ago, with such real creative vision, once hand decorating, sequin by sequin, a pair of heels he had found in a vintage shop for a photo shoot we worked on with a teenage Poppy Delevigne.  I am always excited to see what tricks Henry will pull out of his hat and this show did not disappoint.  In the an ode to Baz Luhrmann’s 1996 ‘Romeo and Juliet’ the collection merged the idea of the chola girl gangs of the nineties with the Mexican Tybalt-style feuding boys in the film. With brilliant bright colours, fun flowery designs, kitsch sunglasses and religious tattoo designs, the designer explained the designs were "really a love letter to that film."  I really loved the orange floral sleeved white trench coat! Oh… did I mention HARRY STYLES was there?!!

HAWT: Jessica Alba in Ralph Lauren

Hawt = A late 1940's and early 1950's acronym for "Having A Wonderful Time."
Now the word is used on the internet as slang for something reeeeally hot.

Jessica Alba looked utterly chic whilst en route to the Ralph Lauren SS14 during  New York Fashion Week.  Wearing a long baby-pink Ralph Lauren chiffon ballet skirt paired with a simple black cropped jumper, accessorised with a patent black bag and a classic chignon hairstyle, the actress looked part Audrey Hepburn, part Carrie Bradshaw – the perfect combination of elegant and quirky cute.  So hawt. 

NYFW: Oscar de la Renta SS'14

The Oscar de la Renta SS’14 show at New York Fashion Week was, as we've come to always expect from the patriarch of American fashion, utterly breathtaking.  Filled with show stopping princess gowns and striking statement shades (supermodel Joan Small in that yellow dress – totally knockout!) had the audience of this ultra feminine collection apparently gasping with delight.