My Latest Purchases ... Fashion Books

Books are an old fashioned form of education and absolutely not a norm for our generation with our many new technologies and the introduction of EBooks ... we have replaced our bookshelves with Tablets, IPads, Laptops, Smartphones and the list goes on and on.

Fashion books ... more of a source of inspiration from fashion's greatest actors. Fashion books will always be history because fashion is an ever changing story, day after day. A new designer emerges, new trends take over the stores and new supermodels make their way onto the catwalks and magazine covers. 

But a fashion book will always be a reminder of the good old days when you were a little, when we were growing up flipping through magazines, looking at the beautiful designer creations or it can be simply a book we open just to see beautiful imagery. 

Recently I purchased two fashion books and the last one was a birthday gift from a friend. They are all different in nature, have a look.

                                 

The Fashion Book by Phaidon Editors

This is a book which all fashion lovers must have on their book shelf. 

It spans over 150 years and covers the entire industry, from Dolce & Gabbana, Chanel, Elsa Schiarapelli, Emilio Pucci, Helmut Lang and many more.  An A-Z guide to fashion ... fashion designers, models, photographers, iconic figures, cosmetic companies, jewellers and clothes that changed fashion. 

Its filled with beautiful imagery with magazine editorials, portraits and advertising campaigns. This a must read/purchase! 

I will be reading this book over and over again, especially if I pass my Masters application with ESMOD and Polimoda and will be sitting for an entrance exam.

Unseen Vogue by Robin Derrick and Robin Muir - The Secret History of Fashion Photography 

                              

The photographs in this book take us back in time, about 80 years. The book is a collection of 'rejected', yes rejected pictures by Vogue. Whilst flipping through you wonder, why? Why did they reject these beautiful iconic images? Your answer ... Its Vogue! Each photograph has a brief description and some have stories too about the model, about the photographer and the photo shoot. 

                                                                            

                        One of my favourite photographs in this book,  is by Irving Penn 'Dorian Leigh in Black Dress' - 1950

One of Vogue's favourites is on the cover and inside you will find photos from fashion industries' greats like Herb Ritts, David Bailey, Irving Penn,  Mario Testino and many more. 

The Observer said 'A lavish and beautiful celebration, UNSEEN VOGUE is testimony to the truth that unofficial history is often more intriguing' 

If you're an aspiring photographer this is a book that you must buy!

100 Years of Fashion Illustration by Carry Blackman

                   This book was a gift from my friend Petal, and she found the right gift! 

This books is a guide of how fashion evolved ... the trends, shapes, colours in illustration drawings. You'll see how the way of communication changed over time and how fashion information was distributed to everyone. 

It's a must read for those who are studying fashion because it gives a very good insight to the industries history and opens up a whole new world of colourful pictures where to find inspiration. 

My latest purchases will last forever and will never go out of style, something classical and investsment worthy.

Ultimately, looking at fashion books will be a reminder of when we were young and of the intriguing world of the past, something that is unknown to us and for us to discover. 

Till my next book purchases ...

xoxo

Laura

My latest purchases from London ... story telling

My latest purchases ... something classic, something new, something old and something for you


Usually shopping in London is a must. Every time I travel to this city, I always allocate some quality time for some precious purchasing time, but my schedule unfortunately did not allow me to hunt for some good bargains or find some kind of unique item. 


In fact I wondered around Camden Town through the market and some vintage stores, but my venture proved unsuccessful when thunder, lightning and rain decided to show up and ruin my lovely 2 hour endeavour. 

So whilst I was running around London town from one area to the other, in between Vogue workshops and Masters interviews, I managed to buy some new accessories, and found some interesting pieces which all have an interesting story. 

Peacocks blouse - I bought this from Malta ... no story here, I simply fell in love with it

Very classical, it's pretty and I love it on

This Stunning Blouse Features Luxuriously Smooth Textures And A Beautiful Pussy Bow Front. Featuring Through Button Fastening, Oversized Sleeves And A Classic Contrast Design. 

 I paired it up with a long black asymmetrical skirt (Zara), black court shoes (Ms Selfridge), a leather clutch bag (Zara) and electric blue blazer (H&M) 


I wore this outfit for the first day of Vogue Festival and my Masters interview. Upon arrival at Vogue, someone actually took my picture in this outfit, only God knows who that might be!

I needed a black belt with the outfit above, before day 1 of Vogue Festival because my skirt was falling and this was the only belt that looked good on and which had the simplest shape, in fact I turned the buckle behind. 

Vintage looking black leather belt from Mango

Whilst looking hopelessly for a black bag in Covent Garden, my eyes set their sights on I these beautiful beige textured platform court shoes with a pale golden heel from Zara ... when I saw the heel I went crazy, tried them on and they fit perfectly, little damage was done to my credit card. 

This is how I intend to wear them, with similar items to the ones below ...  in the picture - a peplum white blazer (Alexander McQueen), a yellow lace sleeveless dress (Warehouse) and a lovely pink bag (Dolce & Gabbana) - perfect for Summer!

After Vogue Festival I went to Oxford Street to look for a lovely red Aldo handbag which I had seen in Camden but couldn't find it there, with only 1 hour available to buy something, I went running around the shops in my towering heels to find a bag for the next day. The only bag that caught my eye was this pretty suede bag with gold chain from Topshop. It was a good purchase because I carried my large camera in it around London and Vogue Festival, my camera had a stylish pocket and it is actually a nice bag. 

After all my commitments in London were over, I decided to go for a walk in Kensington with a friend and ended up at Harrods in Knightsbridge for lunch. Not thinking of how my feet would feel  after 9 hours in the lovely Zara court shoes I purchased the day before.  At 4pm my feet decided to shout out for help and asked me desperately to change my shoes. So I crossed the road from Harrods and found Topshop. My quest was a comfy shoe which matched my stylish/ smart outfit. The only pair of shoes that seemed to match were these Jaded Camel Suede leather shoe boots with contrast black toecap from Topshop which were on sale, when I saw them I had to get them.

And thats my London shopping adventure, where behind every purchase there is a little story. 

Laura
xoxo