Inspiration for Eclectic, Fashion Lovers

Tags

Hair Extension Styles, Maluca Mala, Muslim Turban Style, Natalia Kills, Terry Lovette, Yuna

I go through moments in time when I really have to search and fight to be inspired.  Due to my current workload, I feel I don’t have the time to do nearly as much research and reading as I would like to. And as for traveling, my wallet chirps to me daily- Forget It Baby.

This is where, Stylelikeu comes in, I really don’t know what I would have done without this site, which does all the above work for me.

Although the below ladies hail from all parts of the globe- North England, New York and Malaysia, I feel what ties them all together is their dedication to their mish-mash, melting pot style-

Yuna

I love the way Yuna represents her Muslim culture and tradition by owning a rainbow assortment of turbans which reaffirmed my decision to check out my local fabric store to buy some more turban fabrics.  I told you I was going through a turban phase didn’t I?

Maluca Mala

I find this New York lady very funny and charismatic; and I’d love to party with her.  How amazing are those culottes?

Terry Lovette

I relate so much to this woman, its redunkulous.  From her comment about family, mastering emotional detachment to the reason why she uses hair extensions, its not because she loves hair extensions, but because she must have ‘change’.

http://stylelikeu.com/closets/terry-lovette/#ad-image-0

Natalia Kills

I love her sculptured, textured black pieces, her statement gold jewellery and her modern interpretation of Cleopatra’s makeup. And those curved, vertiginous heels, W.O.W:

How Berlin Female Models Wear The A/W Trends

Tags

Berlin Models in A/W 13 Trends, Berlin Models in H&M, Berlin Models' Off- Duty Style

Last week I had the pleasure of working with two Berlin-based models for a German print magazine.  I love to soak up what models are wearing before I put them in press clothes, because I find it interesting to see what impact the seasonal trends have on them and to see how good they are in putting bits and bobs together.

On this occasion, I was impressed by the natural style of both girls who came from Seeds Management.

Natalia Izaio

Trend- Statment Knitwear Accessories and Retro 60s Style

Here Natalia illustrates how to do the Perfect Winter Body Proportion Balancing Act. She balances her puffy puffer jacket by wearing opaque tights to allow for a slimmer silhouette. By doing this, her slender frame is not lost:

I adored her embellished woolen hat (in the 90s this would have been referred to as, Bling, Bling knitwear), its detailing like this that can add pizzazz to essential winter layering:

When she took her jacket of, she revealed a very cute 60s inspired, timeless A-line dress which she purchased from H & M:

Josefin Herrmann

Trend- Leather and ‘My Boyfriend’s in a Band’ style

Here Josefin is modelling the go-to colour in winter- Black:

These H & M leather shorts are to die for, and I love the way Joanna artfully matched them with a non-fussy shirt and tights which brings down their raunch factor whilst still showing a good dosage of Rock n Roll sex appeal-

I also liked the carefree way she tucked her shirt- little details like this can make a big difference to one’s overall look and the message they send to others.  I like to think this particular detail tells the world, ‘I like to Rock n roll with the flow…’

Brava Ladies!

Statement Knitwear, Metallics and Pleather Rock My World

Tags

Bargain Knitwear, Bargain Statement Jumpers, Black and Gold Knitwear

Although I am not so crazy about the chilling weather and how I keep falling in and out of Bad Cold Hell, one thing I love about this weather is that it allows me to play with textures.

During my last December trip to Portobello Market, I pounced on this statement slouchy jumper, which I later wore to an exhibition in Berlin last week-

I just adore the detailing on this jumper, the star cut-out pleather shapes and the Alphabet design.

The lighting isn’t great but I’m sure you can get the basic gist of things.  I’m going through a ‘I hate my hair’ phase so headscarves are my BF’s for now.

I don’t know why but when I tie my headscarf like this, I want to talk in a silly, ‘put on’ Parisian accent, non?

I got this jumper for £20- Bargain!! If you are in London and into statement  knitwear, I urge you to try the Portobello Market stalls. If you read my blog regularly, you’ll know I am a big fan of Topshop but when I last went there, I saw the same statement jumpers I saw in Portobello had been upped by a good £40- £50, so you do the Maths.

Knitwear jumper, Belt and Chains- Portobello Market, London

Gloves- Ad Hoc

Pleather skirt- Topshop

Africa Fashion Day Berlin, A/W 13- Model Castings & Model ‘Off Duty Style’

Tags

Africa Fashion Day Berlin, Africa Fashion Day Berlin A/W 13, East/west Models Frankfurt, High Fashion Catwalk Models, High Fashion Runway Models, M4 Models Berlin, Model Off Duty Style Trends

At last I can finally tell you all about this event!  For those of you who read my blog regularly, you will know I have been talking about how busy I was due to the project I was involved with during Berlin Fashion Week, A/W 13.

On Tuesday, 15th January, Berlin saw its first Africa and Africa-inspired fashion show- Africa Fashion Day Berlin, and I was the Head Stylist of the  Runway event. The event was in partnership with the official sponsors of Berlin Fashion Week- Mercedes Benz.

This position came with a lot of responsibilities, some of which were sourcing accessories for each of the 3 Runway designers, attending castings and fittings, assembling my team of assistants and dressers, deciding which model walked for each designer and much more.

At the moment, though I am experiencing pure, sheer and utter E-X-H-U-A-S-T-I-O-N, and wasn’t able to capture all my personal highlights of working for such a historical, landmark event; I can share one of my highlights from the show which was the-

Model Castings

So many great girls came for our castings, and here are just a handful of my favourites, I don’t remember all of their names but sometimes an image is more than enough-

Melanie W.-East/West Agency

She was by far, my favourite, with a smile that could put a sunny day to shame and an attitude to match.  I remember in one of my more stressful moments when I was chatting to her backstage she wisely told me, ‘At the end of the day this is all for something…’

Pepa- M4 Models

I adored this red head as did all of the designers-

Dominika, M4 Models

Justine, East/West Models

Roberta, M4 Models

Johanna, M4 Models

And the rest are some of the nameless beauties who walked for our show-

On a side note this lady is a shoe-in for a 90s slacker movie- you know Dazed & Confused, Empire Records…her bee stung lips, her wide- apart, doe eyes- Liz Tyler- hellooooo, I see it…

And now we move on to-

Model Off-Duty Style

The below models didn’t walk for AFDB, but I was pretty impressed by their  individual natural style.

As you will see from the below images- the Model Trend went Back to Black-

I’d like to give a big thank you to Jeffrey Santiaga aka Jeffrey My Love, who was our Model Coordinator- no easy feat, and he did a great job!

Dalia Günther, My Favourite German, ‘New Model’

Tags

Dalia Günther, Hamburg, Model, Model Management Hamburg, New Model Faces of 2013

Due to the back to back fashion shoots and fashion shows I have been preparing for, I have met so many talented creatives recently and each time I do, I think- I must do a write-up of them on my blog, but then I have to do more work, and I just don’t find the time.  Well, it seems like my body clock has found the solution for me because it woke me up at 4am today; so here I am introducing a great model I met recently, The Divine Dalia Günther, from Model Management, Hamburg.

Courtesy of Model Management

I worked with the 5ft 9, Hamburg Beauty on an editorial for Kaltblut magazine and the shoot demanded a model with a lot of natural pizzazz and sensuality and boy did she bring it!  I’d love to give you a sneaky peak of some of the pictures I took of her in her Press clothes, but you will have to wait till the editorial is published.

I can however, show you what she was wearing before the shoot, her ‘off-duty’ look if you will-

We had a nine-hour plus shoot, and she remained a delight to work with from beginning to end.  In between the hustle and bustle of the shoot, I managed to find out that she got into modelling via a friend submitting her images to an agency, pretending she was her!  Now that is one Discovery Story that’s new to me.

Courtesy of Models.com

Courtesy of Allaboutmodel.tv

When I asked her how she managed to keep her dainty feet on the ground in the Beast of the Model World, she said her family helped her to see through the fashion haze, which I really admired.

For a new model Dalia’s versatility is something that has to be seen to be believed-

Courtesy of Productionparadise.com

And when I asked the eighteen year old, self-confessed, ‘baby food’ lover what her hopes were for her modelling career, without missing a beat she replied, ‘Success and Fun’.  Indeed, what more can one ask for?

How I Channel The Olsen Twins, ‘Vamp/Gothic/Dramatic’ Style

Tags

Becks Buki HairStyles, Olsen Twins Gothic Style, Olsen Twins Vamp Style

Happy New Year Everyone, I hope everyone had a good break!  I had a very busy Christmas holidays and accumulated a lot of air miles travelling to America, London and back to Berlin to see various members of my family.  I even ended up working on Christmas day, because of the Berlin Fashion Show I am Head Stylist of, that is taking place this month.  More details of that later…

However through all the hustle and bustle, you best believe I found the time to fix a new hair style as well as buy some clothes in London.

Before I list where my clothes are from, I have to mention how much I loved taking these pictures in this London flat which belongs to a friend of mine.  Her mother is a Columbian artist, and I adore the vibrant, colourful paintings and colour schemes used to decorate the flat.  It’s how I would like my home to be.  How can I possibly come home after a bad day at work and remain miserable if I had these welcoming, canary yellow walls to greet me?

And back to the clothes.  The mesh polka dot skirt is from ASOS.

My embellished body is from H&M, and my black cardigan is from Topshop.

The snake belt and snake bracelet are vintage.

This season, or at least for the next 2 months, I intend to channel the Olsen twins circa their, ‘Luxury Gothic’ phase.  This means lots of black in different textures- lace, leather, chiffon…And let’s not forget, strategic peekaboo transparency.

If the outfit is not trailing on the floor behind me, or billowing in the wind when it blows- I am not wearing it!!

Olsen Twins- Courtesy of Styleguru.com

(Cobweb cloak, belt and lace gloves are vintage)

The Olsen Twins-Courtesy of Tartinis.com

The fact I plan on wearing  a lot of black, layered textures is why I added a lot of blonde highlights to my hair, so that my skin would not lose its glow.  I have to give a massive shout out, to my ‘Go To’, London Hair Stylist, Becks Buki, as this particular hair style has given me a lot of positive feedback.

6 Tips On How To Source & Create ‘Budget Party Outfits’ This Festive Season

Tags

Budget Dress Ideas, Christmas Budget Party Dresses, Christmas Party Looks, Peekaboo Vintage Party Dresses, Tips on Festive Budget Party Dresses

Tis’ the season to party, tra la la LA LA LA LAAAAA!!  This festive season, fashion magazines have gone into Product Placement overdrive and we are being shown all sorts of Glittery, Sparkly wonders to purchase for the Party Season.  However, if you find your purses a tad pinched for size due to all your spending during the course of the year; here are my 6 tips on how to source and create your festive party looks on a budget and still have that W-O-W factor:

1. Flirting With The Sixties

Nothing beats a trailing, eye-catching retro dress, so why don’t you head to your local vintage shop to see what they have.  With a retro dress like this, you are bound to not bump into anyone in the room sporting a similar style. The dress was £80, and due to its timeless print and design I can wear it to the end of time.  So this is very much a- Budget!

Dress- Peekaboo, Vintage, Belt- Portobello Market, Face sticker- Claire’s Accessories, Headbands- Claire’s Accessories.

2. Lace et Chiffon

Mixing High Street pieces with pieces from the market helps to keep your ensemble more personalised, as well as on the lower end of the scale.  Also a cheaper way to put some festive sparkle into your ensemble is through your accessories, I have done so with my belt and hairband (gift).

Lace body, bolero and belt- Portobello Market, Skirt- Topshop.  The lace body was £10, bolero- £10, the belt-£10 and the skirt- £40 which comes to £70 for the ensemble- Budget!

3. Stripes and Tings

Break the rules- find pieces and turn them on their heads.  Case in point, the ‘top’ I’m wearing is actually a swimming costume.  As such bandeau style dresses can be folded into skirts and so on.

Swimming costume worn as top- Beyond Retro, London, Pleather skirt- Topshop, Belt- Portobello Market.  The swimming costume was £8- Budget!

4. Carmen meets West Side Story in Harlem

If you look at the picture above, you will see that I’m wearing the same belt; wearing your accessories in different ways instead of buying an entirely new one can help ‘renew’ an existing piece, whilst taking the strain of your finances.

Dress and belt- Portobello Market.  I got the dress for £50 and the belt for £10- Budget!

5. Batik Prints for Him and Her

DIY- as I have done above, find a piece of material and turn it into a top with the help of strategic knots and a belt.

Print material worn as top- Lagos, Nigeria market, Belt- Portobello market, Skirt- Topshop.  The material I turned into a top, when converted to pounds would be about £15- Budget!

6. Florals, Lace and Pearls

Accessories have the power.  Use that power for good by co-ordinating the colour palette of your outfit with your accessories.  For e.g. for the event I went to above, instead of buying another outfit; I went to my local market and bought some faux pearls which I thought would offset the black lace to perfection.

Dress- Peekaboo Vintage, Belt- Portobello Market, Sandals- Topshop.  The dress cost £85, and due to the high end, luxury detailing, it’s very much a- Budget!

From the credits you will see I love Topshop (Peekaboo Vintage) and Portobello market.  A lot. This is because it is these two hotspots that tend to provide me with fabulous pieces I can buy on a budget and which I can wear time and time again.

Which is your favourite look? What are your dream festive buys for the Party Season?

Rihanna and Kate Moss Go Fetish For V Magazine

Tags

Fetish Fashion, Kate Moss, Lace Underwear, Rihanna, Underwear Trends, V Magazine Kate Moss Rihanna

What happens when a global fashion icon meets the 21st Century, ‘Princess of Pop’?  Well, Kate Moss and Rihanna would agree that they take most of their clothes off and unleash their fetish side.  For creative purposes, of course.

Rihanna and Kate Moss lately posed for some decidedly seductive images for V magazine which were shot by the legendary, Mario Testino.

When I look at the images, my eyes are drawn more to Rihanna than Kate.  I think they executed the brief well and managed to keep the shots ‘fashion’ through out, which is no easy feat when one is near naked and put in such alluring poses.

However, I can’t help but think that I expect ‘more’ when Mario, Kate and Rihanna get in a room.  I wish the shoot was more out of the box, and something more imaginative had been done.

Here are some of the images-

What do you think of the images?  Do you wish something more ‘spectacular, spectacular’ had been done?  Where do you find your eyes been drawn to- in the direction of Kate or Rihanna?

’80s Glamour’ meets ’90s-Revamped’ Style

Tags

80s Glamour Style, 90s Grunge Style, 90s Updated Style, Alexis Carrington Style, Beverly Hills 90210 Style, High Waisted Denim Jeans, Lamé Top, Pleather Skirt

Last Friday was one of those great Berlin nights.  I started things of by heading down to the launch party of a new Berlin online magazine called, WOW, where I befriended this Brazilian-born cutey cute who goes by the name, Joe-

That night, I had the classic, ‘Wardrobe full but nothing to wear’ palaba, and when I’m faced with this ‘crisis’, I turn a piece of fabric into a top with the help of a vintage belt et voila-

I love gold lamé, how it moves, falls, it‘s such a sensuous fabric and whenever I use this fabric, I always feel like the 80s Queen B (Bee and Bitch)- Alexis Carrington-

Courtesy of Thejumpingfrog.com

As Joe and I had meaningful conversations that bounced from, ‘who was sexier the Brazilian or the German girl’ and what WOW was actually about, the DJ spun great classic Michael Jackson and Goldfrapp tracks.  So it was with a heavy heart I pulled myself from the dance floor to go to another party at Schlesische Str. 38.  Now this was a typical Berlin venue, hard to find, cheap as chips and crammed with intriguing decor, nooks and crannies and a bed.  Erm.

It was the perfect venue for a photo shoot, and so without further ado, Domino and I got to wErk-

Domino’s 90s esque stonewashed high-waisted denims (with cute turn-ups) and statement black boots reminded me of the cast members of the 90s films I was weaned on- Reality Bites, With Honours, Singles…

Singles Courtesy of Theuncool.com

And let’s not forget the iconic 90s show-Beverly Hills 90210- whose cast members (Bad Boy Dillon especially!!) modelled hight waisted denims and black belts on a daily basis-

Courtesy of Misskellyjane.wordpress.com

In contrast to Domino’s 90s-esque look, I decided to give a nod to eighties glamour in this ensemble-

Outfit- Print headscarf (Market), Gold lamé material worn as top, earring and belt (Portobello Market, London), Pleather Skirt- (Topshop), Boots and Bracelet (Gift) and Glove (Ad Hoc, London)

Another highlight of the night was having chats with Frank, founder of the monster blog, I Heart Berlin.  It was actually because of his blog I found out about the first event I went to and I have to say that his blog has been my survival guide in Berlin.  Anyhoo, I often see Frank out and about and assumed he was your typical Berlin Party Monster but turns out that he is mainly a techy boy.  And that’s another great thing about Berlin (despite its reputation), it is perfectly possible for you to be in the scene without living the scene, if you know what I mean…

He is the dude on the far right-

Finally, I’ll end with something that happened that shook me to lamé core.  In Hysterics.  See the guy on the far left?  Well he turned some blonde damsel, literally crazy with lust.  All through the right she kept on charging into him like a drunken bull, slurring the subtle words, ‘I reEEEally like you’.  Finally on her 4th charge, when she couldn’t stand me ‘standing in the way’ of her future husband, Ladies and Gentleladies, she pushed me out of the way.  As in I actually travelled across the floor! And I can swear I saw thick puffs of steam pumping out of her nostrils as she did so. It’s official- Single Ladies ain’t playn’ no mo’!

Berlin Dumplings, Domino and First Date Style

Tags

Berlin Dumplings, Domino Davis, First Date Style, Yumcha Heroes Berlin

Last weekend I took my friend, Domino, for a Farewell Dinner and we dined at Yumcha Heroes, Berlin. Anyone who loves dumplings and is in Berlin, I suggest you pop in ASAP.  Here are some of the dishes we ordered, Domino had these yummy chicken meat ball wraps, which I secretly wish I had ordered-

I decided to stray away from my chicken obsession and ordered these meat dumplings.  Big mistake, Sorry Chicken, I will never doubt you again-

Luckily, I finished things of with these scrumptious pork dumplings-

It was great to dine with Domino because I find I laugh a lot when we are together.  However I couldn’t help but notice that he had a penchant for reaching out for his phone, and so when he did so for the upteenth time (just kidding Domino!), I told him that he was one of those people who if they were climbing the Himalyas, would spend their time Facebook blasting and Tweeting the experience via their phone, instead of just enjoying the moment- and then Domino jokingly replied, ‘The phone is the moment!’, which really made me laugh as it sums up social media today.  P.s that would make a great tag line for a phone service provider.  You heard it here first peeps.

After we finished dinner, I dragged Domino to the woods to take some pictures.  Of course-

Random Fact- Domino’s jazzy shirt, actually used to be a dress.  He cut it up et voila!

How Rick Ross is his beard?! Ps I totally want a boyfriend with a beard which I can nuzzle in all Winter long.  I’m not talking of a manicured Mama’s Boy Beard I mean a full on Seven Brides for the Seven Brothers before their makeover beard.

I decided to wear my new First Date Outfit, which Domino complimented (phew!!)-

This is my favourite blouse, I love the multi coloured butterfly print and the fact that it oozes primness with the pussy bow detailing but gives out subtle Bad Girl messages as it’s sheer.  Keep ‘em guessing which way the tide will turn innit-

Mama gave me the necklace and earrings, and when she did she said, ‘Biki wear these on dates, a guy will be really attracted to their sparkle’.  Bless.

Blouse and Skirt- Topshop.  I love Topshop. The End.

So are you a beard lover or do you prefer the clean-shaven look?  What’s your First Date Outfit?  Enquiring minds would love to know…