Dr Martens Turn 50!

There was definitely a lengthy void in my life between the time I was stomping around the playground at primary school in my DM boots, threatening to squash boys' toes for Pogs, and the last few months when i've been practically sleeping in my newly restored ones (same black 1460 8 eyelets, same size as my old ones - what a little-big-foot I was!). It was a time peppered with some fun, mostly unsuitable, often unusual footwear, but something was missing none-the-less. I literally feel like my shoes have come home.

This may sound overly nostalgic, but I just really really love DMs. The knee-length red leather Victorian-inspired boots I used to wear, obtusely, to sixth form turned heads, but you can’t stomp around in ten inches of Berlin snow in those and still have dry feet. I learned a hard lesson the day I forgot about the archeology field trip I was going on and stood tottering around the edge of the dig avoiding loose dirt, looking like a silly tart. This would have been a good time to have had on DMs.

To celebrate their half-century, Dr. Martens are releasing 1460 pairs of limited edition classic 8 eyelet boots and shoes in black and cherry red pebbled leather.

Dr.Martens have also invited 10 bands to record their version of cult classics that represent the spirit of the boot, famous for being the stomper of choice for skinheads, grungers and hipsters alike. The videos will be available from their website on their birthday on April 1^st.

· Noisettes covering Ever Fallen In Love With Someone You Shouldn’t've (The Buzzcocks)

· Dam-Funk covering The Things Dreams Are Made Of (Human League)

· The Duke Spirit covering If The Kids Are United (Sham 69)

This has just reminded me of the great album I got free with a pair I had when I was younger – shoes this time. It had some killer tracks on it, two by Pulp and Suede. If that doesn’t evoke the appeal of the boot in the ‘90s..!

Vivienne Westwood for Dr Martens

To toast the boots' enduring popularity, the Northampton Museum and Art Gallery are putting on an exhibition, Dr Martens at 50: The Making of an Icon.

Lulu Guinness for Dr Martens

And check out the corset Baby Phat have made out of DMs to celebrate:

Baby Phat

What a wickedz birthday present.

Reasons I love DMs:

1) good for climbing walls.

2) good for getting stuck in snow.

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Vanity St Cyr x

Images courtesy of Dr Martens, nylonmag.com, notcot.org and me

Dirndl Action

Fans of the Euro jollie, Style Cramp hearts a dirndl.

Marios Schwab AW 2010/11

Marios Schwab does super-wearable Bavarian chic with his AW 10/11 collection. Aah takes me back to the Hofbräuhaus.

Soft greys, deep purples, gorgeous sumptuous colours. Luxurious fabrics with loads of structure. Sehr toll!

Learning from experience means for me, next Oktoberfest will involve less camping, more washing. About the same level of drinking, possibly higher. And hopefully a Schwab-inspired dirndl dress.

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Vanity St Cyr

Images courtesy of pennysdaybook.com and isabelleoc.co.uk

McQueen's Pants

To coin a Kid Page phrase, we at Style Cramp like to think we’re BANG ON ROUTE TO TRENDSVILLE. In so much as we’ll wear the trend whilst pretending we didn’t even notice is was getting big (for the record, if you’re wearing double denim, or even noticing it more, it is solely down to me).

Anyway, I am rambling about trends to excuse the fact that I – like the rest of the fashion world – am still blogging about McQueen.

Crotch!!!

To be quite frank, I like the dude. A lot. Mostly because he was a bit loony and named his collections things like ‘Highland Rape’, but his AW2010 collection would barely have registered so much as a crackle on my radar if he hadn’t died in such peculiar circumstances. And I’m betting lots of people would be loathe to admit the same.

Announced today is the news that the Alexander McQueen brand will be launching a men’s underwear collection.

The line, to launch in June, was one of McQueen’s last design projects and will retail between £35 for a classic boxer, to £370 for a silk pyjama set. Following on from his signature skull prints, which will feature, there’s a bony theme with x-rays and collages of bones. Swimwear comes in 2011.

Nice underwear - fine. But Saville-Row inspired sleepwear? Who sleeps in anything other than holey grey pants, or if your Marilyn Monroe, Chanel No. 5? I’m largely uninspired.

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Vanity St Cyr

Image from www.telegraph.co.uk

Volcom SEED and LCF Party at The Vinyl Factory

Other projects for me, other than my challenging, exciting and glamorous job in central government (it's temporary!!) include some freelance work at Mixmag, where I did a week's interning last week. Good fun! I worked on this:

http://www.mixmagfashion.com/

and as a result, went to a fashion pr party for the boardsport brand Volcom's project with London College of Fashion SEED: Sewing Elements of Elementary Design.

Volcom SEED challenged LCF BA Fashion and Design Development students to produce unique and original designs using either a jacket or a pair of jeans from the Volcom Brand Jeans collection as a canvas. 20 of the best pieces were displayed in an exhibition on the night.

Backstage, a live fashion shoot took place, with models wearing a preview selection of Volcom’s AW2010 collection. The images were then edited in real-time and projected around the gallery.

The Volcom SEED collaboration will be exhibiting at the Volcom Flagship store in Covent Garden 19th March-19th April.

http://www.volcomseed.com

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Vanity St Cyr

Image from Volcom SEED

Ostentatious Brassy Rings FTW!

Style Cramp is all over massive, showy brass rings from a very talented vendor in Spitalfields market right now. Heavy, slightly uncomfortable, they get caught on your tights, but who cares, they’re so FLIPPIN’ AWESOME!

No more fighting, squabbling or rumbling.
No more yogurt.

I have now added a robot to my collection (thanks boyf), which currently consists of a tea set and a fox. I need more! Pendants are also available.

I might have to get the lot and start dressing like George Clinton.

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Vanity St Cyr

The Identity Crisis Shoe

Style Cramp has conducted a survey on kitten heels. Ok so it was on Facebook and therefore only has speculative merit, I suppose, but I asked real girls who gave me real answers.

This emerged from an increasing number of fashion journalists and bloggers declaring the return of the dreaded shoe for Spring 2010. To quote my teenage sister who rang me specifically to ask:

"don't the sight of kitten heels make you vomit?"

See, I am embracing a return to the '90s, but kitten heels I will not indulge. I have been very much enjoying the velvet (not quite as much as the first time around when it was the only fabric of choice for disco dresses with a two-tone skate skirt), and I am wearing DMs right now. I lament the years between the time I threw out my worn in originals and forked out for new, dorkishly shiny ones. I will even let it pass that bodies remind me of mum who wouldn't wear knickers with hers, but KITTEN HEELS? Non! Kitten heels are the crisis identity of shoes.

Stuck somewhere in the middle of platform and pump, if they had a personality (they don't!), it would be gawky and apprehensive. They want to be a heel but they also think they're a flat. They're neither! Classified as an option for women who want to wear skyscrapers but can't handle them, they have the temerity to be as uncomfortable as their lofty counterparts, while making you waddle like a constipated duck.

An overwhelming yuk from the survey takers:

"Pointless, pointless, created by heel addicts who can't admit that they'd rather have been wearing heels all along." -- Amen, sister!

"Unsightly." -- To the point.

"Horrid, horrible things that do nothing for your posture or your legs." -- Ain't that the truth!

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Vanity St Cyr

Images from Style.com

Dame Viv Says Stop the Shop!

Vivienne Westwood, Dame of British Fashion, Queen of the Campaign and donner of other noble titles, has urged shoppers to stop buying clothes for six months.

Viv, on BBC London this morning, urged fashionistas to buy only quality pieces (i.e. Westwood!) and less often to avoid waste and to promote more sustainable shopping in light of our rapidly warming little planet. This is less about economizing and more about keeping it green.

Style Cramp is ALL for going green, we’ve been doing it for years. Charity shops might be cheap, accessible and good for a one off piece that no other high street hoarder will be wearing, but they also promote recycling and ethical clothing, not to mention the money that goes to good causes. I get a lot of joy from buying a vintage piece that has possibly a hundred stories to tell, and no Primark label to send me into guilt-induced despair (albeit short-lived). While I still worry about manufacturing practices and the conditions of the workers who made it, it’s being re-worn and I’m not facilitating a new process of industrial waste by buying from the high street. That’s not to say I don’t buy new, it would be hypocritical to say that I don’t, everyone has to, but I endeavour to avoid it where possible.

So, in support of the London Climate Change Campaign, Westwood wants to keep down the volume of British landfills. Us Brits are notorious for our waste and this includes clothes.

Draper's take on the subject was this:

“We need to keep people in jobs, not threaten employment in our sector and we must ensure the survival of our colourful and creative brands and recapture the vibrancy of our high streets.

Quite frankly, not buying clothes for six months as Westwood suggests is not going to save the planet.”

Hmm, way to ignore the bigger picture, Drapers. But though Viv is a powerful woman in fashion stakes, not even her lone voice is going to do anything to stop people spending money on what they want. But it is food for thought. Perhaps rather than not buying anything for six months (except the high end stuff of course), people should endeavour in the long run to think more about the clothing they buy. The ecological impact and the ethical concerns. Because, honestly, who can say that they could stave off shopping for a whole half a year? That’s something not even the Dame can claim.

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Vanity St Cyr

Image courtesy of Photobucket

Paris Fashion Week: Day Deux

Some highlights from day two of Paris Fashion Week here:

Lie Sang Bong

I love the superhero look here by Lie Sang Bong. To coin a hideous Perez Hilton-esque phrase, she looks pretty fierce.

Manish Arora

Manish Arora has fun with wigs (channeling Baron Bomburst’s wind-up toy, are you?):

Manish Arora

In other news, the Crampettes are off to a Caribbean/beach themed party tonight. Ridiculous photos may or may not follow.

Happy weekend!

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Vanity x

Photos courtesy of Guardian.co.uk

Screen Icons: Greta Garbo

One of the most enigmatic figures to ever take Hollywood and fashion by storm is the intriguing Greta Garbo, a powerful woman who caused a sensation in tinseltown for just two decades before escaping the glitz and bitching for a life of relative reclusivity in New York before declaring "I want to be (left) alone."

Garbo may have left Hollywood in body, but never in spirit, as the effect of her sensuality, independence and that knowing look in her eye was enormous. It’s in no doubt that Garbo was an absolute stunner, but what set her apart from other dames was the allure of her desire to preserve her privacy which, of course, only served to peak interest in her even more. Greta Garbo is a particularly relevant screen icon to discuss at the moment as an exhibition dedicated to her style and enviable relationship with footwear genius Salvatore Ferragamo has recently opened in Milan, just in time for fashion week don't cha know!?

The style of Garbo is akin to Katherine Hepburn in that she favoured what was a masculine style of dress for the time, however, Greta's look was somewhat softer, which may be due to her come-to-bed eyes or the fact that movie-goers knew that she had a killer set of pins seen in films such as The Temptress, The Single Standard or Flesh and the Devil under those practical slacks! It was the trench coat and beret that really characterised the Garbo look though in the 1930s, both elegant items that hint at sexuality and attract attention whilstallowing the wearer to sultrily hide away from the world.

Garbo was blessed with some truly amazing costumes in films including Ninotchka, Mata Hari, Grand Hotel, Anna Karenina, Queen Christina, The Painted Veil and Camille, all of which saw the so called Swedish Sphinx play aloof, intense yet devastatingly attractive heroines, qualities reflected in her attire. Much like her own trademark beret, hats and even a turban were often used to frame Garbo's famous face, whilst costume designers seem to have loved dressing her in slinky fabrics such as silk and higher necklines to hint at seduction.

Some of Garbo's most dramatic costumes were on show in Mata Hari, with heavily bejwelled caps and glamorous gowns sitting alongside mere whisps of chiffon that left little to the imagination of a young man in 1931! The films Camille and Romance also proved that Garbo was more than just an adept clothes horse, the cool screen goddess wearing elaborate outfits with ease and grace, imbuing them with her own special blend of attraction and assertiveness.

Though her on screen wardobe may have been full of camera ready clothing Garbo sought out understated and classic items for everyday wear, and she found a loyal and apt collaborator in Salvatore Ferragamo . The skilled designer created his first pair of custom made shoes for Garbo in 1927 and it was a relationship that lasted throughout her life, with a succession of low heeled, closed toe designs typical of her personal taste.

A screen icon or even goddess should leave a legacy, something to be remembered by.

All that was left by Garbo, very deliberately since at the height of her fame she never signed autographs, gave interviews or answered fan mail, was a mystique carefully crafted by her intriguing face, talent and timeless style, which really is all we need.

Apollonia Gish

All photos of the legendary Garbo are from garboforever.com

Naked and Nude

John Berger; writer, critic, right-on feminist famously said “To be naked is to be oneself. To be nude is to be seen naked by others...nakedness reveals itself. Nudity is placed on display”. The nude trend is thus called because everyone is going to be looking at you. I won't be getting into the racial implications of nude being only various shades of peach, cream and apricot in this post, I’ll leave that one to Spike Lee.

Journalists seem to ubiquitously acknowledge that men “don’t get” fashion. Admittedly there are some trends that men probably don’t get; big shoulders, harem trousers and most things that Rihanna wears. The spring shows however, which had a great deal more media coverage than fabric covering the models, were all about sex appeal with sheer, short or nude features dominating. This brings us to the naked/nude conundrum.

Anyone brave enough to go out in my home-town on a Friday night would agree that the ultimate look to attract a guy is half a metre of fabric away from completely naked. We are classier than that. We don’t go out half-naked because we don’t want to accidentally attract a wayward footballer and also it’s cold. We want to look naked without actually looking naked. So rather than a short skirt and St. Tropez, layer–up with nude and flirt with the subtle language of an incomprehensible fashion trend instead. We’re all sluts really.

x KP x

Yippee for Double D

Ever since inventing my fictional blog Fashion Travels as a trade off for pictures of head-to-toe denimites while frolicking in Norway last year, there has been a place in my heart for double denim.

Not a trend I will be embarking on, i'm just not man enough, but I have big love for anyone brave enough to do it. In my opinion, matching stonewash works best teamed with a Euro 'tasche and cowboy boots, but for the more fashion forward among you, D&G are working the ripped look:

D&G S/S 2010

while Chloe opts for patchwork:

Chloe S/S 2010

And Osh Kosh B'Gosh, dungarees are back! I spent my childhood in those!

Here's an example of how not to rock the Double D:

No effort, it reeks of Braintree bus stop chavs circa 1999. McP, I expect better from a supermodel of your stature. And dark denim makes me want to vomit.

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Vanity St Cyr

Images from vogue.co.uk and heatworld.com

LABELS: DOLCE & GABBANA SPRING/SUMMER 2010 AND CHLOE SPRING/SUMMER 2010

Red Flag to a Bull

If you've ever seen 'Blair's Babes' or 'Cameron's Cuties', you will know that politics and fashion do not mix, and are possibly not even aware of each other. As a feminist I obviously care far more about what female politicians say than what they wear, but Sarah Palin brings brand new meanings to the words 'female' and 'politician' and thus she is as far game for a fashion dissection as any Alaskan critter that wanders into her path is for shootin'. The reason for this post? Sarah Palin likes to wear red, what's that about? Well, after five minutes of thoroughly unthorough internet-based research I have some pop-psychology theories that could be the answer to this conundrum.

- It is no secret that Palin likes to hunt, perhaps her clothes are a physical representation of the bloodlust that courses through her.

-The colour red helps the wearer to portray confidence or feel powerful. It can also cause others to feel intimidated and potentially less effective in negotiations and confrontations. Useful for that presidential role she's not running for in 2012.

- 'pparently, winning football teams are more likely to have red strips, not sure if that crosses over into elections though.

- The colour red makes women more attractive and sexually desirable to men. That's right Sarah, confuse them with sex and guns and BOOBS.

- The Republican Party is traditionally represented by the colour red and her campaign manager told her to do it.

See below for our Vanity rocking the Palin look. Running for President in 2012? No comment. We couldn't possibly comment....

Photo of the Palinator courtesy of photobucket.com

Kid Page x

LFW Lowlights

Apart from Apollonia, who is a bonafide fashion journo and hence invited to actual shows (Paul Costello was a highlight, she says), Kid and myself can only swoon from the other side of the computer screen or magazine page at the beautiful things that graced the catwalks at this year's London Fashion Week. We have aspirations to be seated eight rows back from Anna Wintour at some point in our fledgling careers, but will have to make do with temping and making our own clothes for the time being.

I'm sure you've heard the highlights, so here are my lowlights from our London Fashion Week:

- Not being close enough to identify the important looking people smoking outside Burberry's show at Chelsea College of Art and Design on my walk home from work. One looked like it could have been Mario Testino (too far away, can't be sure). Apparently there was a shower of sequins at the end. Fancy.

- Trying to sneak into the Matthew Williamson show without a pass. Failing. Kid and I lacked the confidence, plus we were severely ashamed of our footwear: second-hand grandad brogues and a home cut Laura Ashley dress may cut it on the mean streets of Brixton but they are laughable on the cobbles of Somerset House during LFW. To be fair, we only wanted to see some art exhibition that wasn't even on that day *stupid us*.

- Seeing a 14 year old girl photographing models at the Williamson show who was approximately 1600 times cooler and better dressed than us. Don't care who she was or why she was there, but her skeleton tights were epic and we felt a little bit like dying.

Peace out and roll on LFW 2011. Hey, Kid, maybe see you there!

Vanity St Cyr. x