S/S12 - MOSCHINO

Moschino is an Italian fashion house and was established in 1983 by Franco Moschino. In recent years the label have designed the outfits for the opening ceremony of the 2006 Winter Olympics along with outfits for Kylie's Showgirl - The Greatest Hits Tour and Madonna's Sticky & Sweet Tour.

Their S/S12 collection uses Elvis as it's inspiration. Skinny trousers, pastel coloured varsity styled jackets, a sixties colour palette of red, black and white and not to mention the styling of the model's hair! 

 

MARK THOMAS TAYLOR

MTT is a new menswear label coming soon from British born designer Mark Taylor. 

" MTT is about effortlessly cool menswear styling with an Asian colourful flare. Our mission is to bring colour to menswear regardless of the season".

The range promises super soft washed t-shirts, traditional Thai fabric shirts, premium and understated, classic detailing.

The campaign shots on the website look amazing and I am really excited to see what comes from the label.

Also on the website you can check out the look book which gives you an insight into the collection. No price points as yet though.

You can follow MTT on Twitter @MTTLDN

MARK THOMAS TAYLOR

S/S12 - VIVIENNE WESTWOOD

Dame Vivienne Westwood is an iconic British designer. She is well known for being influential in bringing punk fashion into the mainstream.


Her S/S12 collection is dedicated to the Olympics! As I mentioned a couple of weeks ago, there is a big trend for tourist prints at the moment and this is going to evolve into references to the Olympics come S/S12. 


Every look on the catwalk reflected the Olympics in some way, the prints on the t-shirts (torches, medals etc), the laurel wreaths worn by the models and the sports/formal wear crossover.

PICKS OF THE WEEK

Christmas is almost here! Hasn't it come around quick? And don't we say that EVERY year?!

Thankfully I have completed my Christmas shopping which means I can now focus on shopping for ME! However, if you are still unsure what to buy me then please take a look 3 favourite items from the high st this week. 

This week it's a bit of a berry theme...

RIVER ISLAND £16

Pocket detail shirts, jumpers, vests and t-shirts are still a big look on the high st. Most are contrasting colours but many have been styled up with mixed fabrics and prints. I like the simplicity of this dip dyed t-shirt from River Island and loved the colours.

TOPMAN LIMITED EDITION £80

I LOVE this vintage look blazer from Topman's Limited Edition line. I think the colour is so different from your standard brown and grey tweeds and it looks like a blazer that has been passed down through generations. The black velvet back neck collar also gives it a luxury feel.

BURTON £32

This A/W I have lived in my coloured hoody! I like this update on the trend from Burton. The quilted hoody is a great piece now that the weather has gone colder.

THE PORTAS REVIEW

Earlier this year, Mary Portas was commissioned by David Cameron to lead an independent review into the future of the high st. 

The full report is available here at www.maryportas.com 

It is clear that town centre trade has been on the decline for quite some time and Mary's report looks in detail at the many challenges retailers face and also the change in customers shopping preferences (out of town and online).

Here is a summary of her 28 recommendations:

1. Put in place a “Town Team”: a visionary, strategic and strong operational management team for high streets

2. Empower successful Business Improvement Districts to take on more responsibilities and powers and become “Super-BIDs”

3. Legislate to allow landlords to become high street investors by contributing to their Business Improvement District

4. Establish a new “National Market Day” where budding shopkeepers can try their hand at operating a low-cost retail business

5. Make it easier for people to become market traders by removing unnecessary regulations so that anyone can trade on the high street unless there is a valid reason why not

6. Government should consider whether business rates can better support small businesses and independent retailers

7. Local authorities should use their new discretionary powers to give business rate concessions to new local businesses

8. Make business rates work for business by reviewing the use of the RPI with a view to changing the calculation to CPI

9. Local areas should implement free controlled parking schemes that work for their town centres and we should have a new parking league table

10. Town Teams should focus on making high streets accessible, attractive and safe

11. Government should include high street deregulation as part of their ongoing work on freeing up red tape

12. Address the restrictive aspects of the ‘Use Class’ system to make it easier to change the uses of key properties on the high street

13. Put betting shops into a separate ‘Use Class’ of their own

14. Make explicit a presumption in favour of town centre development in the wording of the National Planning Policy Framework

15. Introduce Secretary of State “exceptional sign off ” for all new out-of-town developments and require all large new developments to have an “affordable shops” quota

16. Large retailers should support and mentor local businesses and independent retailers

17. Retailers should report on their support of local high streets in their annual report

18. Encourage a contract of care between landlords and their commercial tenants by promoting the leasing code and supporting the use of lease structures other than upward only rent reviews, especially for small businesses

19. Explore further disincentives to prevent landlords from leaving units vacant

20. Banks who own empty property on the high street should either administer these assets well or be required to sell them

21. Local authorities should make more proactive use of Compulsory Purchase Order powers to encourage the redevelopment of key high street retail space

22. Empower local authorities to step in when landlords are negligent with new “Empty Shop Management Orders”

23. Introduce a public register of high street landlords

24. Run a high profile campaign to get people involved in Neighbourhood Plans

25. Promote the inclusion of the High Street in Neighbourhood Plans

26. Developers should make a financial contribution to ensure that the local community has a strong voice in the planning system

27. Support imaginative community use of empty properties through Community Right to Buy, Meanwhile Use and a new “Community Right to Try”

28. Run a number of High Street Pilots to test proof of concept

BIKER JACKETS

I know that winter has finally arrived and most of you are wrapping up in full length wool coats rather than short jackets but I'm still loving my biker jacket. 

I love mixing formal wear with my biker jacket to give it an edge. DSquared2 did a great job mixing formal with denim and biker jackets in their A/W11 show.

DSquared2 A/W11

Personally, I'm not bothered about my biker jacket being leather/pleather/jersey or suede, it's all about the detail. Silver buttons/studs and exposed zips are key. 

Get your hands on one of these biker jackets, on the high st now!

ASOS £125

LOT 78 @ASOS £144

VERSACE FOR H&M £199 (SOLD OUT ONLINE)

ZARA £59.99

ZARA £79.99

ALL SAINTS £350

ALL SAINTS £450