Chanel SS14 Haute-Couture: Would you trade in your Manolo's for trainers on your wedding day?

There is no denying that we have all dreamt about who will design our wedding dress one day, be it Marchesa, Vera Wang, Alice Temperley, or one of my favourites, Elie Saab; but when it comes down to the shoes, I am sure most of us would opt for a pair of Manolo Blahnik 'Manolo's', glitzy Jimmy Choo's or even a cheeky pair of Louboutin's. So what happened when Cara Delevigne took to the Catwalk in Chanel's Spring 2014 Haute Couture show wearing a wedding dress and....well.....TRAINERS?!



 

Karl Lagerfeld taking to the catwalk with his Grandson and Cara Delevigne in one of Chanel's Haute Couture Bridal dresses

Aside to the artful, couturier strength shown throughout the show, I can't help but wonder whether I would be willing to trade in my Manolo's for a pair of trainers on my wedding day, Chanel or not. Unfortunately Karl, the answer is no...However when I did a bit of soul-searching on the matter, I discovered that it is in fact popular for some people to wear trainers under their wedding dress whilst actually discovering that one lady wore UGGS! Is this what the future holds for our younger generations to come?

 

Cara Delevigne with Karl Lagerfeld's Grandson



The concept showcased within the colossal interior of Paris's Grand Palais by Chanel suggests that urban, fashion-forward model, Cara Delevigne is influencing fashion mastermind, Karl Lagerfeld to start entertaining a much younger audience, such as the 21 year old herself. As Karl lures to turn around Chanel's image, in some light it portrays a fanciful yet absurd future where the 'Chanel Woman' is more youthful and whilst I don't think we will be seeing Trucker/Flat caps take to the Catwalk any time soon, we can see that as times are changing, the younger generation are becoming a huge part in boosting the sales of the most non-chalant and timeless Parisian brand in the world. Chanel is renowned for upholding its status of being the greatest couturier in the world.

Karl Lagerfeld left us unaware of what is to come in the future for Chanel, but as always Karl ensured that the iconic Chanel suit made its righteous appearance in cool pastel colours with metallic threads. Colours such as blush pink, subtle violet and pale green complemented white and ivory with black peeping out here and there. Is white the new black..I believe so!

Whilst Dior have also interpreted the two-piece look with their Haute-Couture SS14 dresses by creating a cropped layer of identical material over their high necked dresses to fake a top/skirt combo; Chanel have 'faked' the midriff by showing there is no need to bare one, by using delicate lace and mesh cut on the bias to divide A-Line skirts from cropped jackets as this season's 'Iconic Suit'. Other looks included bedazzled knee and elbow protectors of which would be sought after by the roller-blading elite, if you're going to opt for a pair of these you clearly don't shop in Lilliwhites!!

 

 



Bea {x}

 

Couture Fashion Week 2014: CHANEL Colour Splash!

Fashion fiends take to Couture Fashion Week in Paris as the looks for Spring 2014 are unveiled on the catwalk. As this season unfolds we can expect to see a variation of colours with Christian Dior and Chanel showcasing soft and neutral pastel colours, with bright white and dusty pink sweeping the catwalk.

 

 

 

 

However, Karl Lagerfeld, yet again surprised us all with a unique look, one to stand out from the classic tweeds and dense block colours. This time a splash watercolours. The print consists of what appears to the eye as a colour testing palette; full of bright and vibrant colours of the rainbow, all blending in to change colour. Forest green blends into lime green with shades of purple creeping into browns. Catching to the eye; Lagerfeld has created accessories to match with another creation of the Chanel classic - the quilted fold over bag. Chanel's nonchalant and timeless design for a handbag never ceases to amaze, with it being showcased and sold in hundreds of different varieties over the years, and yet still, it remains the most popular and yearned-for accessory, no matter the season.

 

 

The 'Lego' bag has evolved over time with its angular shape and eye catching style. This season we see bold colour, again with the repetition of the colour blending mechanism used to blend all sorts of eye-catching colour. Whilst arguably the Lego bag above clashes, the burst of endless colour all blends well in an unusual style. Whilst these looks are 'Couture' I could actually see myself parading around Tokyo in one of these looks...

 

Bea {x}

Trend Alert: Starry Eyed

Givenchy seems to be entering Galactica this season, whilst Giles sends smooches all around the world with his up and coming lip print; but one brand that is particularly renowned for its prints is Wildfox. The Star print is becoming some what of a signature look for american vintage-inspired womans knitwear brand, Wildfox. Over the past few months countless celebrities and fashion icons have been embracing the LA based brand with their 'Story Telling' tees and sweaters.

Wildfox Lennon Knitwear Sweater - £205

Wildfox Lennon Cropped Sweater in Navy

The starry sweater has been a particular favourite and has been pictured in the press a hell of a lot recently with celebrities such as Taylor swift, Miley Cyrus, Bridget Mendler and Ashley Tisdale sporting the piece of knitwear. Now whilst Wildfox can be bought in the UK it isn't the cheapest of brands on the highstreet, set in London's luxury department stores such as Harvey Nicks and Selfridges, you may find that getting your hands of one of these sweaters will come at a cost of around £200..eek. Then again..Whoever said money doesn't buy happiness clearly doesn't know where to shop!

Bridgit Mendler wearing Navy Lennon Cropped Sweater in recent music video

From left to right: Miley Cyrus, Ashley Tisdale, Alessandra Ambrosio, Ellie Goulding

Taylor swift rocking the Wildfox Lennon Red Sweater in LA

Bea {x}

A New Hue

HELLO 2014! With 2014 in good stead, I decided a change was in order..new year, new me all that jazz! Due to being a complete spontaneous Sally, I went for a hair colour change. I have said goodbye to my strawberry blonde locks and hello to a wintery shade of copper. With bright colours rolling in this season, I thought that a more neutral hair colour would be a better fit. Maybe now I can actually wear red...due to the orange in my hair being a total CLASH! Thanks to Rush London Piccadilly for my new hue!

Bea {x} 

Beauty Edit: MAGNETIC NUDE for M.A.C

 

As all of you know I have a slight obsession with MAC cosmetics, however I have chosen to spread my wings in the beauty world by recently branching off to Chanel, Nars and Bobbi Brown. In hindsight, I have to say that MAC's eyeshadows are my all time faves; beholding an extremely vast collection with all the colours of the rainbow and more.

So yet again, whilst raiding the January sales I was drawn in by all the bright lights and pretty colours and of course their latest 'Magnetic Nude' collection. Within a matter of minutes I spent more than I budgeted for by indulging in a selection of eye shadows, their latest 'In Extreme Dimension 3D Lash' mascara, 'Zoom Fast Black Lash' mascara and a lipgloss...Shopaholic..check ✔️

 





 

RRP £17 - MAGNETIC NUDE COLLECTION



 

This metallic mineralize eyeshadow was a great find..due to pretty much everything being SOLD OUT as usual. It is a recurring heartbreak when you reach the new collection and pretty much everything par the one thing you hate is smothered in a small white sticker stating: 'SOLD OUT'. But not this time...! This shimmering, yellowy gold hue is perfect for accentuating blue eyes and is perfectly complemented by the more subdued pale 'cream' colour that is ideal for highlighting under the brows or even on the cheekbones.

RRP £30 - MAGNETIC NUDE COLLECTION

The impulse buy. M.A.C had conveniently placed this by the till-point which in my case is dangerous...because as usual...I BOUGHT IT. This is my chance to use the selection of yellow, gold, browns and shimmers to create the eagerly anticipated smokey-eye look. One look I am yet to accomplish. The yelllow looks rather outrageous from the photo, however when used lightly in the creases and outer corners of the eye can create shading and density and can also be used highlight a smokey eye.

With the art of the smokey-eye remaining an imperfection I will have to get back to you all, to spare myself the despair of looking like a drag-queen I believe some practice is in order!

Bea {x}

Bleu Ciel!

Well I bet you didn't know that Blue Ciel meant Sky Blue in Francais? As the sun peeps out and the rain temporarily draws to a close I opted to store away my puffa jacket for the day and showcase my new baby..my sky blue 'monsters inc' inspired jacket from Zara. I love the collarless neckline and lack of shape that the jacket beholds, it is reminiscent of those in the 60's. Whilst the 60's style slips from beneath our fingers whilst moulding into the 80s scene this season, we can still hold onto mint greens edging into sky blues along with shapeless fits (aka the Shift) and my favourite...the headband. Poppy delevigne is a popular supporter of the 60s chic look along with designers such as Victoria Beckham and Marni continuing A-line skirts, shift dresses and jackets.

Bea {x}

Coat - Zara £129.99/ Skirt - L.O.V.E/ Shirt - Zara/ Headband - American Apparel

No detailing or collar just plain and simple...

Bea the Marathon Runner

A non-fashion related post for y'all slash don't care i'll share! Yarrrr..that's right I am running a marathon (god help me)..! 71 days to go until my father and I embark off to Israel to run the Jerusalem marathon. Made up of seven hills, my usual hatrid for running and of course HEAT I have definitely picked a challenge, but with my positive attitude and sheer determination to raise as much money as possible for mentally and physically challenged children in Israel..I KNOW I CAN DO IT! 

 

I have been undergoing weekly personal training sessions with my PT Natalia who is part of the Vevo Barefoot Team in Covent Garden, I have undertaken classes by which I have changed my way of running using the barefoot technique, one that was not easy to accomplish at first! Not only because of my lack of coordination at times but also because I am used to running like everyone else! In one of my earlier sessions Natalia instructed me to 'trot' on the running machine AKA jog...but of course I started trotting like an actual horse leaving both my father and Natalia in hysterics. Naive.

In early December my father and I both ran our first race in the lead up to the marathon, an 11.7k uphill road race set in the depths of the Surrey Hills in Guildford. I was able to push through that so called 'barrier' at 5k allowing me to complete the race in 1hour 20 minutes. On Sunday we recruited my fellow best friend george to join us on yet another race, this time we ran the Mornington Chasers Winter Grand-Prix 10k in Regents park, consisting of 3 laps of the park. Clearly I had also recruited a few too many potatoes and mince pies over the holidays meaning shifting the christmas belly was harder than I thought! I managed to complete the 10k race in 1Hour 7Minutes (longer than I hoped but still :) ). With intense training and more races scheduled in for the run up to the big race of 26.2 Miles I hope you can all join in supporting us both!! The actual race is 42.195km!!!!

 

If you do wish to support Team Shalva and help make a difference for disadvantaged children then we would appreciate your support!! If you wish to make a donation please follow the link below. Shalva is built upon a foundation of love, hope, faith and respect for all human beings and is dedicated to bettering the lives of children with special needs and their families. I will be visiting the children in Israel in the days running up to the race which I am looking forward to :)

http://www.run4shalva.org/view_profile.php?id=927

I will keep you updated here and there with my progress. Love you all!

Bea {x}