Paris Fashion Week: Haute Couture SS16 Faves

Bonjour! Paris Fashion Week Haute Couture has literally just finished and I have been following the  reveal of each new SS16 collection re-li-gious-ly. So without further ado, let's have a look at my favourite collections and chat about my reflections for the upcoming season. 

ALBERTA FERRETTI

‘Seductively gorgeous’ is the best way of describing Alberta Ferretti’s Haute Couture collection and I fell instantly in love with it. Venetian legend Marchesa Luisa Casati was the inspiration for this powerful collection that combines strong structures, hourglass shapes and the softness of sheer and lace. The rich colours and varied textures give the collection a baroque feel while the animal prints and curling snake accessories add an element of danger. I particularly love the 1920s-esque beaded tassels on some of the dresses and the super flapper girl hair style.

ELIE SAAB

Elie Saab’s Haute Couture collection is a fairytale dream, with silhouettes that would not look out of place in a high end version of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. It is dead romantic – mega keyword for SS16 - with lots of pretty lace, mesh and jewels. The colours are mainly neutrals – burnt nudes, silver and white – but with the occasional pop of gorgeous blue hues. I have some serious envy for those amazing silver military boots with jewels entwined in the laces – gimme!

VALENTINO

Valentino’s SS16 Haute Couture collection has to be my favourite collection of the season so far – it is just quite simply breathtaking. The combination of rich colours like deep reds and mossy greens with pale creams and gold is not something that we would normally associate with Spring/Summer but it works so well. Especially because the pieces themselves are lovely, long flowing dresses with Grecian-style plunging necklines worn by barefoot models – boho yet sexy.  What I absolutely LOVE is the velvet. It’s pleated, it’s embossed, it’s patterned and it comes in the form of full length dresses, cute jackets and decorations.

DIOR

Operating without a Creative Director has certainly not affected the beauty of what the young Dior design team has created for this season’s Haute Couture collection. The show opened with straight necklines and lots of bare shoulders, which is going to be a huge trend this SS16 and I am a massive fan. There are also lots of interesting layers combining different colours and clashing prints to create quite unique looks. This season, designers are showing us that embellishments and sparkle are certainly not just for Christmas and Dior are leading the revolution. 

DICE KAYEK

And finally, for me, Dice Kayek’s Haute Couture collection sums up perfectly the key trends that you need to know about for SS16. It is all about shapes - think A-line silhouettes, enormous bishop sleeves and a hella lot of pleats and ruffles.

So those were my favourite Haute Couture collection from Paris Fashion Week - which were yours?

Izzie x

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Image source: VOGUE

Dressing In My Boyfriend's Clothes

Jacket - H&M, Shirt - H&M, Jeans - MONKI, Boots - ASOS

Location: Plaça de Joan Fiveller, Parc de la Ciutadella, Barcelona

You know how there are some days when you look in your wardrobe and think - 'I have nothing to wear'? Well this was one of those days and in this situation I always delve into my boyfriend's wardrobe. His white shirt is one of my favourite things and paired with his baseball style jacket, simple black skinnies and black boots, I am the master of smart casual dressing. 

What is your solution to such wardrobe dramas?

Vous savez quand vous regardez votre placard et vous pensez - 'j'ai rien à porter'? Ce jour-ci, je me suis sentie exactement comme ça et dans ce type de situation, je fouille dans le placard de mon copain. Sa chemise blanche est une de mes pièces préférées et je l'ai mis avec son blouson style baseball, un jean skinny et des bottes noires pour maitriser un look élégant/détendu. 

Que faites-vous dans une crise de placard comme ceci?

Izzie x

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My Clinique 3 Step Skincare Routine

I have never done a beauty post before. I really admire all the beauty bloggers and vloggers out who really know their shit, can create the most flawless make up looks and have tried more beauty products than I have chocolate products so they are serious experts. I, however, am not a beauty blogger and I do not plan to become one. I am a creature of habit and when I find a product I like - usually just through pure luck or good friendly advice - I stick to it. I have been doing the same make up routine (more or less) ever since I was was in my mid teens - albeit with the odd tweak as I realised that severely dark eye make-up is actually a bit scary. So today I want to share with my CLINIQUE skincare routine that, quite frankly, is not broken, so why fix it eh?

 My love for Clinique started a few ago when I was suffering from extremely dry skin, especially around my nose because I blow my nose a lot due to allergies (gross? no - honest). I was at my wits end so I thought I would invest in Clinique as recommended by a friend. I was advised to start with CLINIQUE MOISTURE SERGE (not pictured here), which comes in a gel and got my nose feeling silky soft in about a week. Soon afterwards my grandma bought me the CLINIQUE 3 STEP set for Christmas and I have never looked back. 

First I wash my face with CLINIQUE LIQUID FACIAL SOAP MILD whilst showering. It is a lovely gel texture and makes your skin feel instantly super soft. Straight out of the shower I pop a couple of drops of CLINIQUE CLARIFYING LOTION on a cotton wool bud and wipe it over my  face, avoiding my eyes. Finally, I moisturise using CLINIQUE DRAMATICALLY DIFFERENT MOISTURIZING LOTION. I also moisturise at night using the same product, just before bed after having taken off my make up with BIODERMA.

Luckily I have never suffered from "bad skin" such as acne or many spots at all really but the fact that I have dry and greasy skin has caused a problem. I use Clinique Dry Combination skin type and it is perfect for me but they have products for all skin types, from very very dry to oily.

Are you a Clinique fan or do you have another skincare routine that you can recommend?

Izzie x

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Pinstripes & Baker Boy

Dungarees - MISSGUIDED (old), Top - H&M, Trainers - CONVERSE via ASOS, Baker boy hat - KILO SHOP (similar via ASOS)

Location: Estacio de França, Barcelona

Today's outfit is one that is long overdue. I bought these gorgeous dungarees back in May last year from MISSGUIDED after searching for ages for some that had skinny straps like braces down the back. For some reason, I never got around to shooting them. Quel horreur! 

This is one of my go-to looks. These dungarees are very versatile with their pinstripe pattern and material meaning they are ultimate smart casual piece. I usually pair them with a simple turtleneck crop and either my CONVERSE, VANS or DR MARTENS. Topped off with my baker boy hat and a pop of red lipstick, I am ready to go.

I shot these photos with my increasingly talented boyfriend in a nearby train station in Barcelona. There is something about the structure of train stations that I love and this is super quiet on weekends so it was a joy to shoot in. I think the setting goes quite well with the look as well - the cap especially.

What are your ultimate versatile pieces?

Aujourd'hui je vous présente un look qui n'a que trop tardé. J'ai acheté cette salopette en mai l'année dernière de MISSGUIDED après avoir cherché très longtemps pour une salopette de ce genre. Je ne sais pas pourquoi mais j'ai oublié de la vous montrer. Quel horreur!

Ce look est un de mes favoris en ce moment. Cette salopette est facile à porter dans plusieurs manières - avec son motif à rayures fines et sa matière, elle est la pièce parfaite pour un look détendu ou élégant. Normalement je la porte avec un crop simple et soit mes CONVERSE, VANS ou DR MARTENS. Je finis le look avec ma casquette militaire et un rouge à lèvres rouge vif, et voilà!

Mon copain (qui devient de plus en plus fort en photographe) a pris ces photos de moi dans une gare près de chez nous à Barcelone. J'aime bien la forme des gares - surtout des plafonds - et c'est super que cela était super tranquille quand nous avons pris ces photos. Je pense que le fond va très bien avec ce look - surtout avec la casquette.

Vous avez des pièces flexibles à me conseiller?

Izzie x

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Waking Up In ASOS

Pyjamas - ASOS

Location: Mi casa ;)

Happy Sunday huns! This is a slightly different post today to show my loverly new ASOS LACE TRIM JAMMIES! Normally I'm the kinda gal who wears a mishmash of an old band tee and not matching pj bottoms and while this is fine, I thought it was about time to get a matching set of pyjamas. I looked straight on ASOS (of course) and I was seriously spoilt for choice! I got these in my stocking at Christmas and I am so pleased with them.

The cotton they are made of is super soft and I love the simplicity of the design - all grey with black lace trimmings on the bottom of the top and bottom of the trousers. These babies have definitely improved my lounge wear game and are lovely and comfy in bed. Next I want to get some fun pjs like these ROBOT ones or FRIED EGG ones.



Bon dimanche mes poules! Aujourd'hui, je vous présente un post un peu différent pour vous montrer mon nouveau PYJAMA D'ASOS AVEC DE LA DENTELLE! Normalement je porte un vieux tee-shirt d'un groupe avec des pantalons pyjama qui ne vont pas avec du coup je me suis dit que c'est le moment d'avoir un pyjama correspondant. J'ai regardé toute de suite sur ASOS (bien-sûr) et c'était vraiment difficile à décider! Du coup j'ai demandé à ma mère de décider et de m'en acheter un pour Noël. Je suis vraiment contente avec celui qu'elle a choisi.

Il est fait du coton super doux et j'aime bien la simplicité du design - tout en gris avec de la dentelle sur le bas du haut et le bas du pantalon. De plus, il est super confortable à porter chez soi et aussi pour dormir, bien-sûr. La prochaine fois, je vais m'en acheter un pyjama fun, genre celui avec un motif ROBOT ou celui avec un motif ŒUF AU PLAT.

Izzie x

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Flax & Kale Restaurant Review

Flax & Kale - Carrer Tallers 74B, Plaça Castella, Barcelona

When walking into super cool restaurant FLAX & KALE in Barcelona's edgy Raval area, you are greeted by an entire wall filled with colourful juices and a fridge containing lots of veggies, you know that you are going to eat well and healthily here. And that we did. For Barcelona, Flax & Kale is quite pricey but you are getting good and well prepared food and, if i couldn't treat myself on my birthday, when the hell could I?!

Flax & Kale is a healthy flexitarian restaurant developed by chef TERESA CARLES in addition to the vegetarian restaurant named after her (where we have also been) and TERESA'S JUICERY. 'What does flexitarian mean?' I hear you ask. Well it is flexible vegetarianism - following a vegetarian diet most of the time but occasionally eating some ethically sourced meat or fish. In fact, Flax & Kale does not serve meat but the menu does let you know with a handy icon which dishes contain oily fish and which are plant based, raw and gluten free. 

We started with a nibble on some of their kale chips - we thought it would be rude not to seeing as the restaurant is partly named after this vegetable, which claims to be perhaps the healthiest thing you can eat. They were completely not what I expected when we ordered them, they were so much better. The leaves of kale seemed to have been covered in garlic and some kind of cheese and then baked or fried. They were delicious, crispy and not like anything I have had before - in a good way of course!

For my main course, I chose Salmon Fishing In Algerri because living with a strict veggie, I rarely eat fish. The salmon was perfectly cooked with rosemary and was served on a bed of quinoa salad, which was quite sweet. Normally, I do not like mixing sweet with savoury but this quinoa dish went amazingly with the salmon. 

Lewis chose Green Power Ravioli, which is like a fancy take on the classic spinach and ricotta ravioli but this also contained tofu and cashews and came with amazing chunks of baked aubergine and a lovely green sauce. Of course I tried some and it was delicious. I was almost tempted by their other ravioli dish (Orange Is The New Healthy Cuore) which is spelt and tumeric ravioli stuffed with sweet potato, carrots and other yummy goodness. Next time eh?

We ummed and arred about having dessert and, well, unfortunately it was a bit disappointing. I think we just made the wrong choice with the Two Textures Choco Cake whose description on the menu was slightly confusing. It says the cake comes with Teresa's juicery miss avena avellana merengada cream, which we thought meant a thick cream with the taste of a Teresa juice but in fact the cake was swimming in a creamy juice. That aside, the brownie and mousse combo was lovely and the strawberry sorbet was exquisite.

I would highly recommend Flax & Kale to everyone - whether you are vegetarian or a full blown meat eater, I am sure you will love it. Next time I want to take myself out of my comfort zone and try one of the raw dishes, such as the Raw Vegan Lasagna, because they sound really interesting! Also, whilst writing this post and browsing their other menus, I got myself all excited about going for brunch there soon - their brunch menu looks insane!

Izzie x

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Chokers and Open Collars

Gingham shirt - second hand, Choker - ASOS (sold out), Jeans - MONKI, Boots - DUNE, Watch - DANIEL WELLINGTON

Location: Moll de Bosch I Alsina, Barcelona

Hello huns! So usually I am without question a "button up your shirt right to the top" kinda gal. However, recently I am really loving wearing shirts unbuttoned just enough to be still decent and adding choker to balance out the open collar. Similar story to my revived love of V NECKS with CHOKERS so sarry to bore you but I just like this outfit ok?

This choker from ASOS is lovely and seventies and is more casual than the one I was rocking in my last post. Also lucky for you that even though these boots are super old, DUNE still do pretty much the exact same ones.

What unusual fashion tactics have you been doing recently?



Coucou! Alors normalement je porte des chemises avec les boutons fermés jusqu'au col. Mais, récemment j'aime bien ouvrir le col et ajouter un ras-de-cou avec pour équilibrer le col ouvert. C'est une histoire similaire à celle que j'en vous ai parlé de mon amour avivé des COLS EN V portés avec des ras-de-cou. Du coup, désolée pour vous ennuyer mais je kiffe ce look, ok?

Ce ras-de-cou qui vient d'ASOS est super années 70s et il est plus décontracté que l'autre que j'ai. De plus, c'est bien pour vous que même si mes bottes de DUNE sont super anciens, il fabrique toujours une paire presque pareille.

Quelles approches de mode faites vous récemment?

Izzie x

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