Balmain sequinned dress A/W 10-11 - rock chic or just clever marketing?

Balmain has perfected the rockstar + glam in their Fall 2010 collection. From Blake Lively to Rihanna, and even 90's goddess Cindy Crawford on the cover of Vogue India, everyone's rocking a Balmain. But, like everything else, sometimes too much of a good thing can turn bad. And going by the number of sightings of the Balmain collection in the last three months, something similar might be happening here.

Topshop Match : McQueen & Westwood

There’s something about Brit designers that you got to love. Whether it’s their flamboyance or sheer eccentricity, there’s something in their creations which is a perfect fit for the neo wildchild of the 21st century. And for me the best of the Brit Brat pack would be Alexander McQueen and Vivienne Westwood. Of course owing a bit of both these designers would require the budgeting patience of a saint, unless of course you have been spared the egalitarian brush of the financial recession. Counting your pennies will take on a new dimension indeed unless, there is some collaboration with a high street fashion chain. And of course Topshop fits into this plan perfectly. Which begs this question to be asked: would Alexander McQueen, God rest his soul, ever have deigned to design a line for Topshop?

In my happy dream world, I would like to believe that this would have been a possibility. Imagine a skull clutch or a knuckle box clutch without having to shed more than 1,000 big ones? Or a military jacket with all its flamboyant trimmings? I can just imagine Vivienne Westwood’s punk eccentricities working on the Topshop brand. A full tulle skirt with a brocade jacket paired with a quirky pair of Mary Jane’s. Wonderful, wonderful! Will it ever come true? I think not. But one can still dream eh?



And to be fair, the 90’s shoddiness of Topshop is very much left behind. Just take a look at the Topshop Unique show in London Fashion Week. For me, the exaggerated sense of drama with the fake animal heads, the fuzzy eyebrow was almost like an illustration of Russian Peter and the wolf tale.

Get Carrie's Necklace

In the August edition of the Indian Grazia, there was an article about three ordinary women who have gone out of their way to own a piece of Carrie’s wardrobe. From the cult store Ina in New York to memorabilia stores in LA to SATC designer Patricia Field’s websites or auction sites like eBay, nothing is too small when it comes to Carrie’s closet. For fashionistas around the world, having a bit of Carrie’s closet is more than just picking up pieces of “fashion history”, it’s more a projection of a persona. For what is Carrie’s wardrobe if not a single girl’s armor for survival in this cruel cruel world?

And if you’re feeling a bit Carrieish today, a customized nametag necklace might just be the thing you are looking for.