Press Showstoppers.

 

Dolce and Gabbana, Press Show, fish print transparent dress, SS17
Alice Archer, British Designer, Navy Blue Evening Dress with Pink-White-Coral embroidery, Mrs V, Vanessa Voegele-Downing, www.themodeledit.com, @themodeledit, London Fashion Week, LFW SS17, Press Show
Dolce and Gabbana SS17, Press Show, fish print pencil skirt, off the shoulder blouse

Left to right; D&G Alice Archer  D&G

Mrs V observed London Fashion Week (ringside) and via assiduous research has tabulated the rest of the best Spring Summer 2017 Collections. The thematic  coordination of  style by designers who probably wouldn’t recognise each other stretching simultaneously for the last  Crayfish/Rocket ( super trendy sea/fish themes this season, clever old Pret! ) sandwich on the shelf, yet share pretty much the same vision for our raiments each season always makes me stop and wonder how? As always The Model Edit’s focus is on what you can access, what you can buy to look pretty, sexy, successful or just comfortable in, and what you may already have lingering in your wardrobes that can underpin the looks streamlining the catwalk and the pages of Vogue. In a Manolo shoebox, here is my recipe for supreme summer loveliness via a pic’n mix of fashion houses. Firstly it was glaringly obvious that the Sea and it’s fruits are a massive theme.  Dolce and Gabbana  somehow make us look sexy in Sea Bass, whereas Alice Archer’s exquisitely executed capsule collection froths with it’s embroidered fronds, foam and coral embellishments, as though Daisy Buchanan swam to Gatsby’s parties and emerged as haute couture sea goddess. Get in the swim. This delicate theme leads to me to the next standout trend…

Continue Reading…

Marks (and Spencer), Get Set, Go.

 

M&S A/W 2016/17, LONG WOOL COAT, TWEED COAT, BOHO DRESS, MIDID DRESS, FLORAL MIDI DRESS, LARGE DECONSTRUCTED HANDBAG, LARGE DECONSTRUCTED SHOULDER BAG, LEATHER WOMEN'S HANDBAG, LEATHER SHOULDER BAG, OPAQUE TIGHTS
M&S A/W 2016/17, ecru cable knit sweater, cut out shoulder chunky sweater, big drawstring shoulder bag, big leather bag, brown leather bag

This is a bit of a ‘deja vu’ post. It has been on your screens before but it was pointed out to me that some of you need a nudge at the appropriate times for designer diary dates. Here is my official metaphorical starter gun going off and now it’s up to you to sprint down the high street and through the M&S checkout line. Warning; some of this is new content!!!

M&S, M&S A/W 2016, silk bomber jacket, asymmetric midi skirt, roll neck jumper, Mrs V, www.themodeledit.com, Vanessa Voegele-Downing , LEATHER HANDBAG
M&S A/W 2016, marled wool tunic and trousers, trouser suit, Down jacket, Puffa jacket, trainers

I’m in love with the M&S design studio who have truly, tremendously styled their A/W 2016/17 collection. The clothes are fabulously presented, lip smackingly approachable and owe much of their purchase appeal to the bang-on-trend way in which they’re presented. Consider the above suggestion of wool coat, floral boho midi dress and peep toe high heeled shoes that normally wouldn’t be seen anywhere without a cocktail. A mix of opposing fabrics, time slots and tones.Thanks are due to ‘outside the box’ thinking by the M&S style Sherpas.  All of us here at The Model Edit(presently me and Blog Dog Hippolyta Beryl ) love this anachronistic style shove. Not just that, but how about the brown tones featured on the seriously usefully sized  brown leather bag mingled with the colour black appearing elsewhere on the outfit ? Dating back to biblical times, is  black with navy or black with brown a fashion faux pas? It is allowed, always has been and is now positively encouraged. Go there

M&S A/W 2016/17, long black sleeveless evening dress, roll neck jumper, polo neck black jumper, evening shoulder bag
M&S A/W 2016/17, evening gown, women's black roll neck jumper, shoulder bag, black evening bag

This particularly pretty sleeveless long black evening dress with it’s gentle layering, gathering and lace inserts appeal goes to places that on it’s job description, it normally wouldn’t. Sling a roll neck jumper underneath and you’re there, naughty as anything wearing evening clothes in the stark staring daylight. How nice is that? This is not is not going to nudge the EU Referendum off the headline slot, but it may stop you retiring last year’s evening dresses for the sake of a black roll neck jumper. I love this juxtaposition. You save money, you recycle and you receive rave reviews because you are riding the trend.

Kettlewell, black silky roll neck jumper, black roll neck jumperSilky Roll Neck £39

If you’d like a slightly subtle roll neck, I suggest one of my wardrobe wonders, the saviour Silky Roll Neck from my lovely friend Melissa Nicholson’s company of go-to basics Kettlewell. I’ve got a white as well, which I think would look good worn for the same reason.

M&S, A/W 2016, Mrs V, www.themodeledit.com, Vanessa Voegele-Downing,Boho midi dress, floral dress, leather shoulder bag, handbag
M&S, A/W 2016, short shift dress, floral dress, pussy bow blouse, handbag, leather clutch bag

Every outfit has it’s handbag friend. Choice a go go. You won’t be in free fall or missing that one last accessory that cinches the deal. It’s all appearing in a store near you in September. Thing is, we have all the components of a complete wardrobe refit here, and no flags flying to denote it’s provenance. Which after all is a good thing. I don’t want my clothes to advertise the store where I bought them. I want them to advertise me. M&S are showing real verve and bravery, as it taps into who they know is out there but still leaves a changing cubicle aside for their residual inhabitants. Every woman that will shop a style from here will be taking this brand to it’s next base. We’ve been wondering how long it would be. Wait over.

Here then is the prospect of a self styling reappraisal of fashion preconceptions and permitted behaviour. Your old, can become your new, after a trolley dash around M&S . Round of applause for the M&S styling visionaries and their one-stop-shop suggestions.

 

Walking The Catwalk

Press Show, Paris Collections, Pret a Porter, Chantal Thomas, womenswear, Mrs V , The Model edit, www.themodeledit.com, Vanessa Voegele-Downing, modelling, catwalk, french designer fashion, redhead, model

 

Countdown to London Fashion Week S/S,17 so I give you old style me, Mrs V, wearing Chantal Thomas in both shots and feeling solid about it. Chantal Thomass made really feminine  clothes and sensational lingerie, not that I was need to model that… Apart from the very dated shoes I think that no-one would throw stones at me if I stood waiting for the 137 anywhere along it’s route. It does look a bit like I couldn’t decide which scarf and where, thought sod it I’ve got this, and self confidence is a marvellous thing.

 

chantal Thomas, Mrs V, www.themodeledit.com, Vanessa voegele-Downing, model, french fashion, catwalk, press show, Paris, redhead, supermodel

 

Again Chantal Thomass Press Show, Carree du Louvre.  All the model edit is saying is that the collections are really fun to watch but unforgettable to walk.

 Am I moonlighting in a Pantomime  as principal boy?