THE STYLISH STUFF: PAST, PRESENT & FUTURE

22nd February 2016

Good things come in threes and today’s post brings them in the form of ‘past, present and future.’ For Past, we dive into the current Vogue 100 exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery featuring an incredible archive and narrative on the history of fashion and celebrity over the last century. It’s definitely worth a visit. Present sees us window shopping at Oasis where this Fashion Director found some buy-me-now-beauties. Future is dedicated to the hot new collection from Mulberry as shown on Sunday. Eagerly anticipated, this was the outing for new creative director Johnny Coca and quite frankly the weekend’s ‘Golden Ticket’.

FUTURE PERFECT;

Aaaah Mulberry. It feels like it’s been a long wait for the first collection from Johnny Coca and Sunday’s show at a newly scheduled time and venue did not disappoint. His influences came from the works of Shakespeare and the playwright’s fascination with characterisation from the “noble to the nobody, the royal to the rebel.” This, and the observation of the diversity and contrast on the streets of London, make for a very British collection featuring sharply tailored, traditional cuts updated with statement stitching, cuff, pleat and studding detailing. It’s a thoroughly contemporary offering and as the show notes state – “Modernity always needs roots in the past”. Welcome to your new lust haves.

*Cue fanfare* here come the bags you’ll be saving for next season. Be still my beating heart.

Tan optional.

Chains, ribbon ties, pretty Victoriana-style frayed cuffs, braces, beaded string shopping bags (yes really), platforms and the gigantic totes that we’ll all be coveting. Thanks Mulberry.

PAST:

Showing now at London’s National Portrait Gallery is Vogue 100 – A Century of Style. Marking the magazine’s centenary, this is an exhibition featuring over 280 images from the extensive archive at Condé Nast. For any budding fashion writer, it’s a trip through the history of costume and the cult of supermodel and celebritydom. The extent of imagery on show is breathtaking. Vogue editor-in-chief Alexandra Shulman feels; “Anybody interested in photography, fashion, fame and magazines will find this an unmissable experience.”

Running till May 22.

All images courtesy of Vogue. From Top left; Kate Moss in Oct 2008 by Mario Testino; From Feb 1946, Cecil Beaton’s ‘The Second Age of Beauty’; Linda Evangelista by Patrick Demarchelier from Oct 1991; From Dec 1968, David Hockney, Peter Schleisnger and Maudie James by Cecil Beaton; Oct 1973, Limelight Nights by Helmut Newton; Norman Parkinson’s Anne Gunning in Jaipur from Nov 1956 and finally from Oct 1989, Claudia Schiffer in Paris by Herb Ritts.

PRESENT;

This week’s high street #windowshop took place at the shiny, new Oasis store on London’s Tottenham Court Road. Always a favourite for a good print and on-trend workwear, Oasis have come up trumps this season with girlish dresses, over-blown floral skirts and some boho take-me-travelling must haves. Here are a few of my favourites as modelled by shop assistant Linda Lielbriede. Go to http://www.oasis-stores.com