#019: Metropolitan Museum of Art Gala: Red Carpet Review...

It is undoubtably one of the most glamorous event of the year; yes, that includes the Oscars. Each year, most of the well-established artists from fashion designers to actors all gather in one place: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. The benefit is held each year in honour of the Anna Wintour Costume Centre. This year, the exhibition is solely dedicated to 'China: Through the Looking Glass'. It is essentially an exhibition demonstrating the influence China has on Western fashion today. This year it will not only feature fashion, but paintings, porcelains, among many other art forms. More than one hundred of examples of haute couture and advant-garde, ready-to-wear and Chinese Art will be included.

(Before I crack on, who thought it would be a good idea to host the live stream through Periscope? Honestly, it was terrible. The image wasn't clear, and don't get me started on the comments on the left side that didn't seem to go away despite disabling them)

While myself and the rest of the world watched on, last night was the Annual Met Gala, and boy, did the guests bring it. So, firstly, I will begin with my worst dressed list and concluding with my best dressed list, capish?

Unlike previous years, we were blessed with a little list of, in my opinion, badly dressed guests.

Hahaha. Every time I see both Katy Perry and Moschino creative director, Jeremy Scott, I can't help but cringe. It's so f----ing tacky. Perry wore a sweetheart neckline Moschino gown printed in Moschino graffiti. Allow me to begin from the head down. Personally, I'm not a fan of her pixie-cut. I believe it ages her drastically. I know its a comparison we're all used to hearing, but doesn't she look like Kris Jenner? with a more relaxed face, of course. I'm not feeling the dress too, but that's not surprising. What's surprising is how quickly Scott cheapened the iconic Moschino brand. Katy can do much better. She can have any dress, yet she opts for this...very disappointing. Call me ignorant, but I'm struggling to find the Chinese aspect of this look too.

Another look I thought looked...interesting was Jennifer Lopez in custom Atelier Versace, whom was accompanied by Donatella Versace herself. Some may find it challenging to wear red on the red carpet, but I love it especially this look. I have trouble liking this dress. I like the idea behind it and shade of red, but the execution wasn't well executed. Without knowing the theme of the night, you'd be mistaken in thinking the Chinese dragon was her intestines wrapped around her torso with comically shaped blood staines seeping from her nether regions. Needless to say, I had very questionable thoughts about this piece.

No one is as excited as I am for Season 5 of American Horror Story: Hotel, where it was recently confirmed that Chloe Sevigny who wore J.W. Anderson is set to make a return to the show. When I first glanced at this look, I thought it was majestic af, well, that was before I took a look at the styling. All of the components were nice; did some go with others? hell no. Lets begin with the vocal point, the dress, skirt blouse, whatever it is! It doesn't necessarily scream "CHINA". More like Gypsy. Thats good though, right? Anyways, look much closer, its evident it's seeping in intricate Chinese embroidery. The length is perfect, but it would be interesting to see how it would look if it was a few inches longer. The thing, well, several thing[s] that landed Sevigny on my worst dressed list was the styling. I get it's probably personal style, so my opinion is invalid. Having said that, I personally sound it train wreck. From the black ribbon chocker to those ovally hooped earrings to the wrists covered in diamonds, it was all too much. I'm still indecisive on whether or not I like the shoes. The general styling reminded me of 90s fashion not in a good way. I'd rather not get into the hair and makeup.

Other's I thought didn't hit the mark!

Now, on to the good stuff. This year, it was a huge step up from last year in terms of attendee's actually sticking with the theme of the night, China: Through the Looking Glass. I know I'll most likely be burnt at the steak with my three best dressed celebrities. It's worth it though! lol

There is no denying that Beyonce was one of the most 'talked-about' celebrity at the event. Having arrived late to the red-carpet, she did not disappoint. Wearing a custom Givenchy by Riccardo Tisci Haute-Couture gown, she find-of looked beautiful. While some criticised every inch of her look, I failed to understand why? Yes, it is rather revealing, in fact, it would have been both easier and cost efficient if she went in her bra & knickers. It would be easily forgiven if it was remotely related to China, so... It looks more Indian to me if I'm honest. Clearly, you can see I like this, though I must admit she does look like a supper-slutty garden gnome with the green accents on the dress; the hair in a huge ponytail cracks me up. It's funny. It's such a huge departure to what we typically see B in. If I'm ever sad, I can always look back to this comment and smile. Oh, I should add that I can't help look at the train of the dress, especially when she was the steps. Magical.

I knew Kim would bring it! When it was revealed that Kim would be wearing Peter Dundas for Roberto Cavalli, I was concerned, because Dundas is known for his prints from Emilio Pucci. We all remember Kim's Givenchy gown two years ago, don't we? I do see the resemblance to Beyonce's 2012 Givenchy gown only with the placement of the feathers at the hem. What struck me was the colour. Looks like a 'Gypsy Bride'[s] wedding dress. Another thing that bothered me was the shoulders. WHY ARE THEY SO BIG AND HEAVY. The shoulders really bothered me to a point where I used the tip of my fingers to over them and it instantly looks better. I thought they felt unnecessary. Other than that, both her hair and makeup was on point as per usual.

Rihanna was undoubtably the talk of the show. Wearing a HUGE Guo Pei gown which was recently revealed took 2 whole years to create by hand. About 90% of the people I asked whether they liked it or not, most unsurprisingly they said no. That's understandable considering the colour, size and the general look of the garment. What I love most about Rihanna is that she likes to make an entrance; all eyes on her and only her. The colour is quick bland. Not many can pull off mustard. If Rihanna asked for it in another colour, she'd be laughed at considering the length of time it took to create such an exaggerated piece. Never the less, I believed she looked incredible and kept in touch with the theme of the night.

Honourable Mentions! 

Good bye for another year, Met Gala! Two new posts will follow this pretty soon. A review of Chanel & Louis Vuitton's Cruise 2015 collections! 

#017: Kim Kardashian's Fashion Week Style File...

Some may find her an intolerable human being, but frankly most of them are jealous. Lets be real. Yes, she has a sex tap, who wasn't? but there is no denying her savvy business mind. She managed to build a kingdom out of it. Anyways, I love Kim, because there is no reason for me to dislike the girl. Has she done something bad to me? no, to you? most likely not. People are just too sensitive and insecure about themselves when it comes to a woman who is confident in her own body and who is willing to 'Break The Internet'.

There is no order in which I'm going to present each look, because who cares; she changes her look quite a lot. Anyways, all I know is that she had her first Fashion Week appearance at Kanye's Adidas ready-to-wear presentation where she wore head-to-toe Kanye West X Adidas Yeezy. Yes, this look is questionable from the sheer, well everything. Though, I'm sure she is the muse of West, so there is wiggle room. This look would be completely different if she wore it out on the streets, but as it's a fashion show appearance it's acceptable to wear such a controversial look. As for my opinion, I quite like this look. It's strange because it's one of the few looks I actually liked from Kanye's collection.

So remember when Kim dyed her hair yellow? Hahaha! It was strange at first, wasn't it? Though, if I'm honest, I have to admit that I loved it from the start. I got an unhealthy amount of strange looks when I confessed my love for it. Looking back to it now it was horrid now that it's a frosty blonde. Anyways, Kim wore this interesting Balmain golden fringe dress at the Balmain afterparty. If I'm honest, I'm still not sure whether I like this or not. One can only imagine how heavy it is. Although, carrying the weight from her ass around everyday, this shouldn't be a problem. We should all give her around of applause for the strength of her back.

One wouldn't necessarily link Kim Kardashian & Givenchy together besides the obvious. They seem to go hand in hand which is great. As I was saying, Kim K+Givenchy=Perfection. Some may disagree, but I don't care about their opinions. The look to the right Kim wore to Givenchy's stunning Autumn/Winter 2015 collection. A laced up bodysuit with the Kardashian signature; thigh high boots. This look as a whole is great. Her hair is lighter, thank god, her makeup with quite natural with a coloured lip. I really like this look, though, seeing as her butt keeps enlarging, I think it's time she retires the thigh highs as they can look rather unflattering with wider thighs. Other than that, it's a great look.

This next Givenchy look gave me life not to be dramatic or nothing. This is probably my favourite Kim Kardashian look of all time!!! It's perfect. Yes, the coat is overkill, quite literally because I highly doubt its faux fur. She just looks the bomb in this  look from the oversized sunglasses, her signature figure hugging pencil skirt and the sheer turtle neck; who knew they made them. Anyways, yes, its incredible - need I go on...?

And finally, the Balenciaga number. Attending Balenciaga's Autumn/Winter 2015 collection, wearing one of the looks from their SS'15 collection, Kim looked surprisingly elegant despite the transparent mesh top and skirt. Like the Balmain golden dress, I'm still unsure wether I like this look. Whether it's the horribly coloured hair or the hem of the skirt. I'm unsure. For those who don't know what Kanye West is, and there are a few, you'd think he was her body guard, because he is always lurks in the background. It's both sweet and creepy in one. 

To conclude, there is no denying Kim's influence on the fashion industry and unfortunately for some she isn't going anywhere do you might as well get used to it. She certainly outdone herself this season which I'm delighted about. Once again, I applaud her styling team from hair and makeup to wardrobe.

#012: Trends, they're not always good...

neglect

nɪˈɡlɛkt/

verb

1. 1.

   fail to care for properly.

   "the old churchyard has been sadly neglected"

   synonyms:

   fail to look after, fail to care for, fail to provide for, leave alone, abandon;

_______________________________________________________

There is no denying that I have neglected this blog over the past few weeks, if not months. I guess starting collage was a more demanding responsibility that I was not prepared for. Thankfully, I've fashioned myself a timetable where once a week I'll create a blog post. Who knows what the subject will be. Only time will tell. 

Some of you may not know the struggle for a boy who's friends drag him into high-street shops (like River Island & Topshop); the activity itself, I love, but being an active fashion follower, the ability to reference basically 80% of the stores items to designers is irritating both for me, and I'm sure them. I don't know, I guess it has become an unhealthy habit that I can't seem to shake. I guess it could be worse, I could be an active cocaine abuser, right?While the four fashion weeks progress from day to day, one can see a handful of trends developing. Once the images hit the internet, the design teams from the major fashion highstreet chains are on the ball before the runway garments even hit production. 

#1: Thigh-highs

Olivia Palermo wearing 

Stuart Weitzmen thigh-highs

Anyways, enough of my life anecdotes of my daily struggles. I've created this post to express both my concern and sheer delight of the trends that have grown over the past month or two. Let's begin with the good then the bad & ugly. Firstly, thigh-highs...need I go on? As you know, they've been around for decades, but it was only been a few seasons where I've seen them raise again. One would naturally associate thigh-highs with Kat Slater, the street's hoe (for you known UK/IRL folk, she is a character from the soup-oprah, Eastenders).

The likes of Rihanna, Beyoncé and Olivia Palermo are notorious for wearing the "trendy" staple. Clearly they've made a huge comeback, but will they survive several years, who knows? They're clearly not functional for the summer seasons so it's a guessing game. We'll just enjoy them now that we have them. In spite of being the shoe of the season, it's essential that they're worn in a heel or wedge; we don't need a baggy flat situation like the early 2000's, kay? Also, the tighter the better.

#2: Ripped Jeans

Rosie Huntington-Whiteley styling
the jeans more casually.

Kim Kardashian taking a more
aggressive approach to the trend.

Now onto the next one. I'm a bit indecisive about this trend. It has been around for many years, like the thigh-highs but recently hit the fashion-lot's radar again. Ripped Jeans. More specifically, black skinny jeans with a rip in both of the knees. At first, I was against the entire concept, lets be honest, some take took it to a whole new level. It would be safer if I didn't get too much into it. There was a brief stage where I actually quite liked the trend but as people took notice, you couldn't turn a corner without seeing a poor teenage girl trying to pull the look off. Frankly, it was a despite attempt. Sadly. All I can say is that I wish it doesn't follow into the Spring/Summer months. We don't need to see them in pretty pastel colours. Let's just keep them for the autumn/winter months. Chewing on the idea, don't they defeat the purpose? Jeans are warm, multiple holes will surely send a breeze up your, you know what...?

#3: Juju Shoes

A caption isn't necessary... 

There isn't many things that I HATE, but my God. Even though it's Winter where the temperature is in it's low-teens, people still find it socially acceptable to wear these horrid shoes. My personal opinion, I find them uglier than Crocs, yes, Crocs. I never thought it could be possible, but there you go. They come in an assortment of colours from the brightest pinks to the darkest blacks. They're typically a shinny and sometimes transparent rubbery material. They are indeed very 90's early 2000's. They don't seem to be slowing down anytime soon. I guess when the summer months hit, I can only make eye contact with the wearer (I should be doing that anyways, oops).

#4: The Blanket Cape

Olivia Palermo one of the first to wear

the stylish Autumn/Winter staple

On to a much lighter trend: The Blanket Cape. From the moment Cara Delevingne set her foot on the Burberry Spring/Summer 2015 runway, I knew we were onto a winner. Despite the practical aspect of the blanket cape, it's also very stylish. If you're not prepared to settle with the est. £1,000 price tag, the highstreet have rinsed the trend by recreating the cape with many prints and patterns. There isn't must more what I can say about the blanket cape without pouring my heart out. I lurrrve it. You should get on. 

If you think I'm missing out any other trends that are equally brilliant and horrifying, make sure to leave a little comment. Please follow this blog too to say up to date.

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#007: VMA's Red Carpet Review...

Hm, that was quite an eventful show, Ladies and Gentleman, don't you agree?

The likes of Nicki Minaj & Katy Perry to Jennifer Lopez & Jessie J all strolled their way down the ever-so-famose MTV Video Music Awards red carpet. Some hit the mark while others fell short. There were a few common trends that stars decided to op for; Animal print, EXTREME high slits, oh, and a lot of boobies just to name a few. 

Balmain's Angels: Kim Kardashian, Joan Smalls, Jourdan Dunn & Chanel Iman...

Balmain's creative director, Oliver Rousteing dressed the likes of Kim Kardashian & Joan Smalls in the houses' latest Resort collection; while Chanel Iman and Jourdan Dunn wore Spring/Summer 2015.

Joan Smalls
8/10

Chanel Iman
9/10

Jourdan Smalls
7/10

Allow me to begin with the three Youncé girls, Chanel, Jourdan & Joan. Okay, think of an Asian Bond Girl; Tall, sexy, and incredibly seductive - I can't be the only one who thinks Iman meets all the requirements, right? Rapped in Balmain Spring/Summer rope, she looks incredible. As for Jourdan, another bombshell, looking incredible. Despite not being as curvy as Chanel or Joan, she looks stunning in this Balmain two piece. The only think that really distracted me is the hair, why oh why? It's so ageing...not liking it. At all. Joan is literally my woman. Miss Smalls looks ready to attend a festival, viewing from the sky. From the Resort images, and the red carpet, I still think the dress looks like a pterodactyl, no? just me...? The minimal make-up is so refreshing. Although, I personally would rather if her hair was scrapped back or a straight center-part behind her shoulders.

Kim Kardashian
9/10

'Mexican Rug' one of the many descriptive words that I read after Kim Kardashian hit the red carpet at the Video Music Awards in LA last night. To be completely honest, I'm not too sure why A LOT of people dislike this look. Yeah, her nipples could easily jump out and walk the red carpet judging by how deep that neckline is. It's not something every woman can wear, clearly. But it's editorial and high fashion. Oh, just let me cut to the chase, I loved this look despite what everyone else thinks...kay? 

"Kim definitely makes a statement in this outfit. I love the fact she has taken a summer approach to the winter cape trend - incorporation of the beading gets her a 10/10 from me. However, I wonder how she felt bumping into Joan Smalls wearing a similar dress from the same collection?"

- Deirbhile

The Zoo: Cynthia Watros, Charlie XCX, Michelle Williams & Nicki Minaj...

One of the more noticeable trends from last night's red carpet was animal print from Charlie's Moschino jumpsuit to Nicki Minaj's snakeskin mini dress.

Michelle Williams
8/10

Cynthia Watros
4/10

Charlie XCX
7/10

Cynthia Watros is 45 years old, yeah, not in her teens. I understand the VMA's is fun and quirky, etc etc, but that's no excuse. You're no Dallas from Suburgatory. I personally thought it was a bit inappropriate. Not only that, but those shoes, c'mon...they're so heavy and cut your legs to make them look shorter. Not impressed. Charlie XCX is becoming one of my favorite artists at the moment; "Bomb clap, the sound of my..." HEART when I saw Charlie wearing this crazy fun Moschino jumpsuit. I would rather her pair a much simpler clutch rather than the long clutch. Unlike Beyoncé and Kelly, you don't really see much of Michelle Williams. She always dressed so appropriately to the occasion and last night was no exception. I was floored at how beutiful she looked. 

Nicki Minaj
10/10

The Minajisty was just a dream in Saint Laurent. Watching the red carpet from my iPad, I seen a glittering ball from afar, until 'Nicki Minaj' flashed at the bottom of my screen. Recently Nicki has completely changed her game and transformed herself from a wacky China doll to the bell of the ball. This look from Nicki is by far her BEST. No joke. From the old Hollywood Grace Kelly hair to the minimalism of the eyes. She looked great. On pretty much most people, platformed heels are a no-no, but the nude complements both her skin tone and the tone of the over all look. 

"Obviously Miss Minaj's theme for the night was anaconda in prep for her performance in the ladder part of the night. This outfit, hair & makeup combo is a definite opposite from her usual attire - which is a good thing. Im not so keen on this style, but for Nicki she has done good. 7/10"

- Deirbhile

Jessie J
7/10

Jessie J, one of last night's incredible performers wore this, um, saggy vintage Halston creamy, yellowy, greeny toned dress. It took me a while to find a decent picture without the wind blowing. In theory, I understand this look. It's beautiful. It's clean. It's Jessie J, but I just can't phase the fact the draping from the waist looks as though she has sagging boobies and decided to put them in her pocket. I expected something more, you know? sexy...non of the less, her hair and make up looked great.

"Loves jesse j since her hair had grown, the colour is certainly her colour however I cant help but think of a hangy bag on her. The shape is so unflattering 7/10"

- Deirbhile

Taylor Swift
6/10

Shake it off, Taylor, Shake it off. This bodysuit is so, is so, so "ew", not flattering on your fall slinky frame. It's Mary Katrantzou for crying out loud. You could have had anything from her collection. You would have looked looked extraodinary in one of her Autumn/Winter 2014 dresses yet you decided to go with this unflattering, camels toeing alphabet bodysuit. It's a more performance look rather than a red carpet look. Despite the flat choice of a garment, both your hair and make-up looked great. Still in your comfort zone though.

"I'm currently having a love hate relationship with Taylor's outfit. Love the actual outfit. Hate that she wore it to an awards ceremony - its more of a clubbing outfit 7/10"

- Deirbhile

Some more great looks from last night...

Kesha
8/10 

Iggy Azalea
7/10 

Solange Knowles
8/10

Jennifer Lopez
9/10 

Chloe Moretz
9/10

Miley Cyrus
9/10

Some of last night's "Ew" moments...

Lucy Hale
4/10

Katie Stevens
5/10

Amber Rose
2/10