Rita & Zia Geneva

Rita & Zia Geneva 

My Trip to Geneva revealed:

Last weekend on my visit to Geneva, I was able to explore the town where I came across a local brand Rita & Zia. After seeing the brand previously being featured on many Swiss based bloggers, I was pleased to come across the store on my travels. Located in the small and narrow bricked streets of Geneva's Old Town, the natural environment surrounding the store fits perfectly with what Rita & Zia offers to its customers. 

The collection offers the world exotic, luxurious and spiritual symbols all at the same time in every piece of jewellery. Creator Sandrine Barabinot's launched the brand in 2006, after previously having a background and knowledge of the fashion world. 

Sandrine Barabinot's luxurious bohemian pieces are each crafted to bring luck, happiness and protection, they are more than just a piece of jewellery. With various recognizable symbols charmed around a set of precious beads and stones, in deep and rich colours adding a earthy and ethnic feel to the bracelets and necklaces. 

I truly loved the affect that one beaded bracelet can bring any day or evening out. With the bohemian style there is also an essence of edgy rock'n'roll style with black matt beads, skulls and cut out rose gold cuffs and armer rings. 

Sandrine's idea was to design a bracelet or necklace which featured a very special symbol, which inspired her idea of free spirt and a state of mind. 

Throughout her collection you would be able to find Buddha faces, Cloves, Peace sign, Hasma hand, Om symbol and many others which remind us of freedom, peace and adventure. 

Immediately I had fallen in love with the concept and style of Rita & Zia, and as in all my travels I always love to collect a memorable bracelet from any country that I visit. Rita & Zia Geneva had me spoilt for choice. Its always good to go somewhere new and discover a whole new and local brand, Rita & Zia will definitely be on the top of my list when I am next in Geneva. With its international success and over 11 stores worldwide from Lebanon to the Netherlands, its without a doubt a brand to  keep your eyes out for.-★

SKarman was wearing:

-Fendi Beanie hat

-Zara leather and zip detail coat

-Prada red bag

-Zara velvet skull leggings

-Ugg brown leather boots

 Visit: www.rita-zia.com

LIKE ME ON FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/skarmanspassion 

Chloe Jade Green

Chloe Jade Green

British business man's daughter makes her own mark:

Chloe Green is the daughter of successful business man Sir Philip Green, the man behind the empire of fashion company Arcadia Group. Her father hold the key to many of our fashionable highstreet favoruite store including Topshop, Miss Selfridge, Topman, Dorothy Perkins and many more. Constantly growing up surrounded by the fashion world, it was only a matter of time before his daughter Chloe made her mark on the industry. 

May 2012 set the launch of her brand 'CJG' and debuted her footwear collection. CJG has now extended its winter collection, with added accessories from silk scarves to jewellery. 

Much of her collection is based around Chloe Green's personal style which is sexy with an edge of Rock'n'Roll, perfectly balanced up with detailed studding and luxurious fabrics. The shoe collection features a personal CJG trade mark on every shoe which is a green sole... so the world can always understand who you are wearing!

The collection was previously exclusive to Topshop, but is now available in Selfridges and Online. -★

The British Fashion Awards 2012

The British Fashion Awards 2012 

Manolo Blahnik- Winner of this years Outstanding Achievement Award

The British Grammys of fashion. A night where the best of luxury fashion, come together in celebrating the achievement of their fellow competitors of the industry, from supermodels to designers... its a star-studded extravaganza. Set in the lavish London hotel The Savoy, the British fashion industry gather for one night of excitement, honor and dressed in their most stylish attire.

The designer of the year, is one of the biggest awards of the night, being a various amount of different award categories as well, which help to recognizes the brave new designers to the industry. Below is a full list of the winners of tonight's spectacular awards, lets just say Stella McCartney dominated!

BFA 2012 - The Winners

  

-Best Style Award : Alexa Chung

-Emerging Talent R-T-W : JW Anderson 

-Emerging Talent Accessories : Sophie Hulme

-Emerging Talent Menswear : Jonathan Saunders

-Red Carpet Award : Roksanda Ilinic 

-Accessory Designer : Nicholas Kirkwood 

-Designer Brand : Stella McCartney

-Isabella Blow award for Fashion Creator : Louis Wilson OBE 

-Britain's Model of the Year : Cara Delevingne 

-New Establishment Award : Erdem 

-Menswear Designer : Louis Vuitton's Kim Jones

-Designer of the Year : Stella McCartney

-BFC Outstanding Achievement in Fashion : Manolo Blahnik

Another award that is truly anticipated for the world to find out, and is usually released a couple of days before the evening affair, is the BFC Outstanding Achievement in Fashion award. Awarded to someone who has created a major impact of the industry and has continued to inspire the world of fashion. This years 2012 winner is the one and only king of footwear Manolo Blahnik. 

Manolo Blahnik is known to be 'holy man of heels', with every shoe he has created to represent an authentic hand-made artistic masterpiece of one of a kind perfection. Born on the Canary Island to a Spanish mother and a Czech father in 1943, he grew up on a banana plantation, he later moved to Paris to pursue his career of becoming a designer in 1968. 

After opening his first store in London in 1973, his shoes become the definition of luxury craftsmanship, which displayed innovative design. Manolo has previously won Accessory Designer of the Year by the BFA Council in 1990 and in 1999. Manolo Blahnik is known to giving the word such a creative and artistic approach to footwear, with his iconic and passionate sketches, it is really hard to miss a Manolo Blahnik masterpiece. 

"To be reconigsed for doing something I love is really wonderful" Manolo Blahnik.

SOPHIE HULME

Sophie Hulme

London based designer makes her mark:

I have been meaning, to blog about the newest British designer that has stormed the fashionable streets worldwide. Sophie Hulme is best known for her amazing A/W 2012 handbag collection, that took an ordinary tote to a whole new level of chic. After graduating from Kingston University in 2007 and selling her 1st graduate collection to luxury department store Selfridges, within two months she set up her own brand 'Sophie Hulme'. 

She has described her brands signature to be "Clean, tailored silhouettes with masculine and feminine influences. There is an emphasis on hardware and detailing.”
Hulmes love for hardware detailing has definitely been marked as her signature, with her remarkable success of  'Armour Tote Handbag' becoming the 'IT' bag of every fashionable junkie.

Every girl needs the perfectly sized, fashionable tote... finally the search is over! The Sophie Hulme tote is perfect for anyones needs, from the ideal size, to the rich colours and outstanding detailing of Sophie Hulme signature hardware, that really gives the tote that extra dash of flare.

The elite of Fashion bloggers and stylist simple can not get enough of this seasons most wanted bag, easily worked into any day-to-day outfit, there will never be a day that you won't take you Sophie Hulme tote out.-★





View full collection now:

Michael Agwunobi

Michael Agwunobi

The man behind the 'TRILL' T-shirt:

Exclusive Interview

Michael Agwunobi a 21 year old London born Nigerian boy that is making his mark on the urban fashion scene with his garish and outspoken t-shirts... he is bringing a whole new language to fashion. This exclusive interview with the man himself, will invite you to discover the journey behind his street-style creations that have gone global. 

I first saw Michael Agwunobi's distinctive 'Trill' T-shirt online being worn by Billboards number one pop artist, Barbadian singer Rihanna, while photographed in New York City on an airport dash. Rihanna, paired her white 'Trill' T-shirt (£39.99) with Bape Camo pants and her  Isabel Marant cotton and linen coat, and finished  her outfit off with a black Alexander Wang Rocco Duffle bag and Super Ilaria Gold sunglasses.

From that moment I was intrigued to find out the story behind the t-shirt.

(*)- How did it all begin? 

'I do photography as a hobby, in order to bring out the best in your picture you needed to have an editing software in my case it was photoshop. I love doing anything creative so after my photoshopping skills developed, sometimes when I was bored I would randomly design something on photoshop being a quote, symbol or image. Prior to starting my brand I had been using Tumblr for a while. I followed new up and coming brands watching them start from the start and slowly progressed it inspired me. So one day I thought let me give it a try and see how it goes. I wanted to start with something special, so I went with black tees with faux fur leopard pockets. It started off slow but with a bit of promoting it started to pick up. Thankfully its still going today.'

(*)-How did the idea behind the design's & logo's come about?

'What inspired me to start making these t-shirt designs, was actually a brand called SSUR they are the people behind the *Comme des Fuckdown* beanie. I thought it was quite cool how they made play of logos or brand names. What I do is make play of brands that are in trend but mix it with a popular saying or word, for example the 'Trill' tee which has  stars on the shoulders similar to Givenchy and the word "trill" which is coming out of everyones mouth these days.'

(*)-Who is your Dream Customer?

'In the future i'll be making cut & sew clothing. So a dream customer would have to be Kanye West as he is known for being a very stylish man, so for him to buy something from me would be a massive sign.'

(*)-What other products are you looking to create for Michael Agwunobi? 

'Hats, watches, bags, jackets, shirts, sweaters and pants.'

(*)- Who is Michael Agwunobi's style icon?

'Theophilus London. We both share a slim physique so anything that looks good on him may also suit me.' 

(*)-What does the future hold for Michael Agwunobi?

'That the name "Michael Agwunobi" comes first ahead of Michael Jackson, Michael Jordan, Michael Phelps and any other famous Michael's when searched on Google (laughs). Also to be known globally, having stores in Milan, Paris, New York, Los Angeles and of course London.'

Raw fashion garments like these are becoming immensely popular, with their expressive logo's and powerful messages. I really appreciate the authenticity of street style with an urban spin, its relaxed yet with a major impact, effortlessly. Fashions main outcome to the world is to create a statement, get noticed and be heard, I feel that many contemporary undiscovered designers like, Michael Agwunobi are willing to take it to a whole new level.-★

To purchase your very own Michael Agwunobi t-shirt go online: 

www.michaelagwunobi.co.uk

Vogue Cafe in DUBAI

(Image: Taken from a  Vogue Korea shoot) 

Vogue Cafe to open in Dubai 

From Fashion to Food:

Conde nast publication the provider for all top luxury fashion, lifestyle and home magazines, is set to branch out into the UAE in a way new element. Vogue magazine, recognized world wide as a brand for fashion lovers, providing the world with the latest in stylish and current news on fashion. Vogue has since grown to many countries around the world, being defined for its classic glamour in the world of print media.

The Vogue Cafe will be located in the new worlds largest Shoe store, that is being build inside The Dubai Mall. The Dubai Mall is noted to be the worlds largest shopping mall in the world, catering from Middle Eastern traditional fashion, to European designers and exclusive restaurants. Dubai is known for its glamour, glitz and over the top lifestyle, fitting in perfectly with everything that Vogue represents.

Alongside the Vogue Cafe, Conde Nast restaurants will also be opening a GQ Bar in a five star hotel in the United Arab of Emirates. Branching into the Middle East is many of the ways that Conde Nast is trying to expand its market onto other elements and not just through publication.

(Image: Vogue Cafe to open in The Dubai Mall 2013)


 Sister establishments of Conde Nast Restaurants such as  Vogue Café, GQ Bar and Tatler Club are already in operation in Moscow, where they cater to a high-end clientele. New openings include the GQ Bar in Istanbul and Vogue Cafe Kiev, all set to open in 2013. I am pretty sure that soon enough there will be a London based Vogue Cafe... I can imagine the finest couture coffee beans, serving up a perfect blended beverage. I guess we will just have to hold tight up till then!-★

(Image: Vogue Cafe in Moscow, Russia)

CLUTCHES

CLUTCHES

The Top 10 guide:

No evening outfit is complete without the right type of accessories and that all starts from the right pair of shoes to the perfect clutch. I have selected some of the luxurious evening clutches, from small to big and yet so stylish. Small bags have been storming runways of the streets, from miniature satchels to small Celine style totes. 

When shopping for a clutch there are a few rules to always consider: 

• You want to by something that is CLASSIC or yet so UNIQUE, it easily works with your wardrobe choices.
• Never BUY a clutch just for one outfit, its crucial to INVEST in items that can make more appearance in your life than in your closet. 
• Never question the SIZE of your clutch, be ready to break the fear of  wearing an oversized clutch. 

GIVENCHY

PRADA

CHANEL

JIMMY CHOO

DIANE VON FURSTENBERG

YSL

Balenciaga 

VALENTINO

Alexander McQueen 

DIOR  

No matter what event your ready to dazzle at, be sure to have paired the correct clutch to add to the finishing touches of your outfit.-★

Vogue's FNO is BACK!

(FNO T-shirt 2012)

Vogue's Fashions Night Out is Back!

The biggest night of Fashion:

Its that time of year again, where the whole month of September is buzzing with fashion events, and to kick of the fabulous hectic month can only be christened by the ultimate fashion magazines, Vogue's Fashion Night Out worldwide event. 

Every year Vogue host FNO in over 10 countries from Japan to Turkey, from New York to India, every fashion capital has its FNO evening. The evening is dedicating to late night shopping and special treat and guest appearances from the designers themselves, its a time, where everyone who loves fashion can join in and celebrate!

(Editors: In Japan for Vogues FNO 2011) 

For London Vogue's FNO is taking place on the 6th September (just one day to go). There can defiantly be promised an evening of fashion spectacular. Everyone in fashion loves Vogue's FNO, and many designer brands create exclusive items that can only be purchased on the night, this helps add to the unique event. 

The brand of ultimate Chic, Chanel will be launching an exclusive new beauty collection, just for the one night. At last years London FNO, Chanel's exclusive collection for the Vogue event, sold out, with great success and amazing momentous of the evening, who wouldn't want to have a limited edition Chanel nail polish or lipstick! This year Chanel is also celebrating their beauty pop-up store in Covent Garden, the new shades are perfect for your autumn / winter looks, with deep luscious tones of Vamp purple and dusty beige, its the perfect treat!

(Above: Chanel's Vogue's FNO Collection)

So don't forget stylish lovers, that tomorrow night is VOGUES FNO... have your wardrobe ready and get ready to mingle with the fashion industry's finest!-★

P.S Don't forget to pick up your FNO T-Shirt, designed by Jonathan Sanders, all proceeds go to support Refugee charities.

( In the Boodles Photo Booth for Vogue's FNO 2011)

Jil Sander's Paper Bag

Jil Sander's Paper Bag

Worlds most expensive Paper bag:

Jil Sander's latest creation is environmental friendly, and possibly the most unconventional accessory to be reinvented. . The Vasari design, from Autumn/Winters 2012-13 menswear collection, features the classic crafted coated paper bag, available now to buy on line for £185.  

Based on the ever classic design of a paper bag, that is usual known to traditional carry grocery's and other items, its hard to tell the differences between an ordinary paper bag and a Jil Sander's paper bag. 

The simple rectangle Jil Sander paper bag shows visble brown stitching seams on either side and two metal eyelets at the bottom. The design also features a small 'Jil Sander' logo stamped on the front, making sure you know which one cost you more than just 10p at the supermarket. 

Also seen walking down the catwalk for the menswear collection was also a contemporary style paper bag, in a soft black leather, also embossed with 'Jil Sander' logo at the front. 

Jil Sander's has always known to push the boundaries of the ordinary, this latest take on an ordinary paper bag has proven successful with the piece selling out online. 

I guess we are fashion oblivious, when it comes to quirky and unique designs... we can ultimately wear anything as long as the most stylish people are creating it. I defiantly think this idea is genius, perfectly practical yet chic, the balance that we all need.

Many other designers have been seen transforming ordinary paper bags into designer bags, just by their icon logo's, take a look at what I found online. 

I guess there ideal for pack lunches or to carry bits and bobs, because ordinary carrier bags are just not dapper.-★