'INVESTMENT' - FASHION SPEAK FOR GUILT-FREE SHOPPING! YESSS!

Posted by Fashion Junior at Large

I love this time of year. Not just because of the milder weather and longer lighter days but because it's one of those rare periods when you don't have to feel guilty about shopping. A complete wardrobe overhaul can be justified as an 'investment' for the season ahead. I've got my eye on these little 'investments' this spring:

(From top left)

1. Laser cut waterfall fronted leather jacket, ASOS, £120. I got this last week and I can't tell you how zzzexy and expensive it looks. Leather is sticking around as a major trend for AW as well, which makes it an even better investment.
2. Floral print leggings by Hermione De Paula, Browns, £120. Since seeing her first stand alone show this season and meeting Hermione herself backstage I've become a big fan. The girl knows how to make a great print.
3. Lace up suede ankle boot, Urban Outfitters, £55. Urban is one of the first places I head to for shoes. These navy booties with cream laces are high on my wish list.
4. 'Bad Bunny' jumper, French Connection, £45. 'Bad Bunny' must be the best garment name ever! Why is the bunny bad I wonder? This looks like a nice low-key Sunday afternoon in the pub jumper to me.
5. Jersey maxi dress, Full Circle, £50. Forget floaty bohemian long-length dresses, it's all about the jersey maxi this season.
6. Blush summer dress, Hoss Intropia, £171. Gorgeous on-trend colour and a shape that works whatever the occasion. I intend to picnic in this little dress come summer. Check out the new Hoss Intropia store in Covent Garden for impeccable service and lots more demure dress options.
7. Backless mule, River Island, £44.99. I never thought I'd see the day I wanted another clog (the last time I wore one I was 9. It was patent lime green. Hot huh?) but lo, that day is here. I love this clog's Fashion Junior friendly price as well.
8. Cats eye sunglasses by Luella, ASOS, £68. Not quite as amazing as the Alexander Wang ones, but a pretty close second. Cats eye is obviously the shape of choice for the season. A good 'investment' wouldn't you agree?

CAN A CHRISTIAN LOUBOUTIN FLAT BE AS DESIRABLE AS A 9 INCH HEEL?

Posted by Fashion Junior at Large

Inside an unremarkable building in east London resides the Christian Louboutin press office. But as soon as you step through the door you notice red carpeted stairs. It's all looking a bit plusher. More like what you might expect from Louboutin.

It's the foot-wear label of most people's dreams, and when you picture a Louboutin shoe you probably picture a spindly sky-scraper heel don't you? I do. Or at least I did until I set eyes on the designer's AW10 collection and realised how much more he has to offer. 

The new look Louboutin heel

My favourite - thicker heel in electric blue

The Strictly Come Dancing shoe...Or is it Dancing On Ice? I don't know but you get the idea.

The unfathomably expensive shoe (each crystal / stud is attached by hand. Does that justify a price tag which is pushing £2000?)

 The trainers I might actually be able to work. (FYI they have the Louboutin trademark red sole)

The velvet lace-up - proving Christian Louboutin can make a flat as desirable as a 9 inch heel.

Right now on Fashionair.com you can watch a video of the man himself tap dancing. We LOVE Fashionair, and 'Dancer in a Daydream' might just be their best video yet. Click through for 5 minutes of pure joy!

BARBIE MANIA!

Posted by Fashion Junior at Large

This morning was one of those mornings where everything just comes together really neatly. I popped into the Mandi Lennard PR press day to have a ganders at AW10 Gareth Pugh and Roksanda Ilincic (both gorgeous up close) and emerged with a pair of Vivienne Westwood for Melissa shoes and a Barbie doll.

There are 12 dolls in the Barbie Basics range, and four different accessories packs to choose from. Meet Fashion Junior Barbie...

Long dark hair. Thick fringe...

Magazines, and (most importantly) a laptop. Make your own now on ASOS.

Next stop was the Christian Louboutin press day (more of which later) where I spied the Louboutin Barbie collection (complete with skinny ankles. In a recent interview the designer was quoted as saying 'I said to them that the one thing that could really give her perfection is to give a curve to her ankle. It's not like she's going to suffer for it'). The new red carpet Louboutin Barbie (in the booklet below) goes on sale soon.

Finally, on Mandi's recommendation, I headed to Selfridges to check out the Barbie pop-up store in the Wonder Room. Curator Sharmadean Reid (of WAH Nails), has assembled a cultural retrospective of black Barbie dolls. As a child of the 90s this was my favourite:

'Barbie and The Beat: In the wake of the 90s revival, this Barbie is very much a cultural icon of history in a time when black clothing and music started to become mainstream in America. The 1990s was a time for De La Soul, Fresh Prince of Bel Air, the movies of Spike Lee and Yo MTV Raps! and Barbie and the Beat reflects the adoption of black music and language into the homes of little girls everywhere. This Barbie looks very much like a Californian girl who could have had a cameo in Saved By The Bell' - Sharmadean Ried

There's also an entire wall of Barbies playing house:

(Check out Beyonce dancing up a storm on the telly)

These So In Style dolls (which are dressed in Rocawear by the way) were created by Stacey McBride-Irby - an African-American mother who wanted to make a collection of Barbie dolls that her daughters and community could relate to.

The dolls retail for £25 each and will hopefully be sold on Selfridges' new website at some point soon.

GRAZIA LEADS THE WAY WITH 'AUGMENTED REALITY' 3D ISSUE

Posted by Fashion Junior at Large

Doesn't it feel as if we’re living in a world which bares more than a passing resemblance to Blade Runner / Minority Report / one of those other sci-fi films in which technology is disarmingly advanced? 2010 is apparently the future - even our magazines are coming to life for goodness’ sake!

Last summer Dazed and Confused stuck a pair of cardboard glasses to the cover (you know the kind - one red lens, one green lens. Seriously retro 3D eyewear) and proclaimed that inside lay ‘Fashion That Touches You!’

Nicola Formichetti styled Marios Schwab’s AW09 3D inspired collection, and the shoot jumped right off the page. But even that seems old hat compared to this week’s pioneering issue of Grazia - the 'walk-in talking' issue.

Hot on the heels of trendsetting POP Magazine, team Grazia wanted to be the first women's glossy to employ Augmented Reality - technology that allows the consumer to interact with virtual content. Readers can use their web-cam (or iPhone) to scan the black and white icons and bring the features to life.

Florence Welch serenades us, the Fashion Chart rotates, and the fashion editors give us the low down on their picks for the season ahead. We can even switch them and twirl them to our hearts delight with a mere movement of our hand - as I am with the lovely Charlie Miller below.

Very fun and original. Bravo Grazia, bravo!

The incredible Augmented Reality issue of POP is also out now.

 It's bound to be a collector's item in a few years time!

BRYANBOY BLOGS HIS WAY INTO US VOGUE?

Posted by Fashion Junior at Large

If ever there was a fashion blogger living the dream it's Bryan Boy. He's friends with Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana, Marc Jacobs named a bag after him, and now the twittersphere is alight with speculation that the boy wonder might be joining team (US) Vogue. Possibly as part of the soon to be re-launched Vogue.com.

Whilst I was trying to get to the bottom of all the gossip following his visit to Conde Nast last week I came across BB's CV circa 2007:

Bryan, who was 25 at the time, explained that this was the first resume he had ever written: 'I've never submitted a resume to anyone, never been on a job interview, never had a company ID, and never dealt with an icky department called human resources'. Well what a first attempt!

Career Objective: I want a job where I'm surrounded by lots of clothes, accessories and cute guys. Also, I want a fantastic blonde female co-worker who will be my ultimate fag hag and we'll play dress-up and drink champagne whenever our boss is gone. (Ya gotta admire his honesty!)

Work Experience: N/A (Love it! - Work experience? Pa! Who the hell needs it)

Hobbies and Interests: Fashion, travel, entertainment, celebrities, models, weight-loss (I like the last two best)

Please tell me this is the resume you sent to Anna Wintour Bryan!

Seriously though, he's come a hell of a long way and we have our fingers crossed for him. It would be a victory for bloggers everywhere.

Images: Bryanboy.com