Mastering the art of the self portrait

It has been so hot down on the Island lately. Well, hot for England's standards. My days have consisted of going to the beach, walking home when I get too hot, then heading back out for a late night swim. This is what happened in the too-hot-gonna-go-home portion of the day today.

Mabel's got this selfie thing down, don't ya think?

P.S Mabel is my dog.

P.P.S my mirror is grubby. Sorry.

;)

Let's talk couture: an overview of Paris Haute Couture Fashion Week

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If your instagram hasn't been blowing up with snapshots of Paris Haute Couture Fashion Week then really, you are following the wrong people. As envy-inducing the pictures of people attending these events are, I also rather love looking at all the gorgeous new styles and colours that will be trending in the following seasons. I also like fantasying of wearing dresses like this number by Elie Saab on a daily basis. If only it were socially acceptable to wear such clothes to Tesco!

So, here are a few of my favorite looks from Paris Couture Fashion week. 

Dior

A focus on full skirts, soft ice-cream colours created a feminine foundation for the show, yet the harsh structured lines, jumpsuits and two-piece outfits with zipped bodices and pops of colour provided a modern twist. I mean, Dior deserves to be featured for the wall covered in thousands of orchids alone! Definitely my favorite backdrop of the week.

Giorgio Armarni Privé

The entire collection was built on three basic colours; red, black and white. To me, this is what made the collection really stand out. A focus on tailoring created clean lines, a contrast to the pompom-esque, fluffy features seen later in the collection.

Giambattitta Valli

Feminine colours and hemlines meets masculine shirts. I'm loving the mix of embroidered flowers and embellishments with clean stripes. The head scarfs, sunglasses and full skirts gave it a very 'Roman Holiday' feel to me. This is perhaps my favorite collection, ever.

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Bouchra Jarrar

Casual in comparison to other shows, but still one of my favorites. Muted colours, animal print and the outdoor setting gives off a relaxed feel, but the tailoring is excuisite enough for the pieces to still be dressy, creating unusual silhouettes.

Chanel

You can't have a Chanel collection without a tweed suit, and of course, they did not disappoint. Embelishments and mixing textures were also given a spotlight, with multiple colours running throughout.

Valentino

A mix of monochrome and earthy tones with a forest-like backdrop stirs images of simplicity. Models wore their hair simple and flowing, with makeup to a minimum, and gladiator style sandals adding to the breezy, old world feel. Many of the dresses after the first half featured sheer, barely there fabric; a very ethereal collection.Oh how I love Valentino.

Viktor & Rolf

23 ways to style a towel. An all red collection, it is so odd it deserves a spot here. Viktor & Rolf always bring the unexpected, and for that I love them.

Elie Saab

An array of colours and bridal like styles graced the catwalks, as intricate and beautiful as ever. Elie Saab has been a favorite of mine for years and every year I become excited to see what they've done next. This year the hem lines were kept long with only a few short dresses, and sleeves are remaining popular with his designs, something I'm so happy about.

To view all the collections head over to here

Unfortunately, none of these photos are mine- all belong to owners listed below, where you can take a closer look at the collections:

http://www.dior.com/couture/en_gb/womens-fashion/haute-couture/autumn-winter-haute-couture2#/the-silhouettes

http://www.vogue.it/en/shows/show/armani-prive

http://www.vogue.co.uk/fashion/autumn-winter-2014/couture/giambattista-valli

http://www.vogue.co.uk/fashion/autumn-winter-2014/couture/bouchra-jarrar

http://www.vogue.co.uk/fashion/autumn-winter-2014/couture/chanel

http://www.vogue.co.uk/fashion/autumn-winter-2014/couture/valentino

http://www.vogue.co.uk/fashion/autumn-winter-2014/couture/viktor-and-rolf

http://www.eliesaab.com/en/ready-to-wear/fw-2014-2015#/en/haute-couture/fw-2014-2015/1/1

Welcome!

How does one start their very first blog entry? I think I'll start by telling you a little about myself.

My name is Abi, (apparently not an acceptable name as the red line appears under it.. thanks Google ;)) 

I live on an island off the British coast and have a little dog that I love very much.

As you have probably figured, this blog will feature a lot of fashion, my biggest love! 

It's also likely to include ramblings of my muddled thoughts, recipe ideas and things I've been doing lately.

I'd like it to be a place that I can keep my thoughts together, so I can look back and see what was going on in my mind and the styles that I was loving or hating at that time.

I hope you join along!

Abi 

xx