Some weeks, Fashion Watch has seemingly nothing to talk about. Vainly sitting in front of the computer, waiting for a juicy morsel of fashionable gossip to pop up, and yet nothing does. But some weeks (thank God!) Fashion Watch gets quite excited or least a little bit warm inside, at the news on offer. This week we have commendations for the woman behind the legendary Choo shoe, and some sartorial help for the men in our lives from a very fashionable source indeed.
First up, it’s the Queen’s Birthday Honours time, and the list of those receiving the royal nod of approval this time around includes some fashionable faces. Tamara Mellon, she who gave ‘It’ status to shoes when we were all ditzy about bags, is to receive an OBE for her success with the Jimmy Choo label. Harold Tillman, the tour de force behind Jaeger and Aquascutum, and also the head of the British Fashion Council (style credentials indeed) is to get a CBE.
Fashion Watch is so glad that it was not going crazy after seeing the Cadbury’s Flake advert and mistaking it for some sort of Alexander McQueen tribute. Watching the beautiful model twirl suspended in the air, in a pale yellow flowing dress, was reminiscent (spookily so) of the Kate Moss hologram that McQueen used for a catwalk show in 2006. The ghostly image set to music was stunning, and remains one of most iconic memories of any fashion week, so it is no surprise that others would want to find inspiration in it as well. But the McQueen camp don’t seem too happy, with rumours circulating that they are considering suing Cadburys over the idea. However, the man behind the ad, Baillie Walsh, was the very one that worked with McQueen on that infamous show, and so Cadbury’s are maintaining that it is merely his ‘house style’ and they have done nothing wrong. We’ll have to wait for the drama to unfold further. (For those who haven’t seen the Kate Moss hologram, YouTube it, it’s spectacular even on small screen).
There is hope for the, shall we say, slightly less than stylish amongst the men around us, with the news that the whizz-kids behind the luxury online retailer Net-a-Porter is to launch a dedicated menswear site, called Mr Porter. It is due to launch in January next year, and will feature all the design giants and bijou labels that we now expect from Net-a-Porter, but completely turned over to the male POV. Burberry, YSL and Ralph Lauren are already reported to be featured, so there will really be no excuse for poorly dressed dates from now on.
Speaking of luxury retailers, the stalwart of the Oxford Street shopping scene, Selfridges, was voted number one in a list compiled by the members of the International Group of Department Stores. Our very own yellow-bagged haven beat off stiff competition from department stores around the world, including New York’s famous Bloomingdales, and Lane Crawford in Hong Kong. Selfridges is famous around the world for its avant garde fashion windows and themed rooms, including an Alice in Wonderland room dedicated to the release of the film, and plenty of fantastically fashionable promotions throughout the year. And with the summer sale starting today, London’s most stylish feet will be once again stampeding to the end of Oxford Street and through those famous doors. Race you there.
