the ravonettes, I adore you

To mark the 50th Anniversary of Dr. Martens, the brand have collaborated with musicians since April and have simultaneously released a glut of tracks.

Their latest song features the rather whimsical The Ravonettes.

The Danish duo have re-recorded the Stone Roses's 'I Wanna Be Adored' and gosh does it sound as majestic as the original.

 drmartens.com to download the exclusive track

B is for...

Bora Aksu

Turkish designer Bora Aksu's creations have emblazoned the main window of Selfridges a ground-shattering total of 7 times.

His smoky 60's inspired pastel colours make for a coveted and ass-kicking collection for Autumn/Winter 10'. Marking the turn of the decade, his designs have morphed into more personal and refined marvelling masterpieces. Drawing inspiration from the Wonderland exhibition at the Museum of Childhood, the line is a barrage of sheer satisfactory dress-up alternatives.

Catwalk show: 17 September 2010
13:30

a-z london fashion week 2010:

Fashion Week is nigh, and with only 18 sleeps left until the models take to the catwalk, I thought to divulge the shows which stir me with excitement. 

A: AminakaWilmont

Autumn/Winter 2010

With “Sleep, psyche and surrealism” influencing Maki Aminaka Löfvander and Marcus Wilmont, the minds behind Aminaka Wilmont, it is no surprise that their ground-breaking collections in the past two years were instant sell outs. 

Their sensual flowing and innovative silhouettes embrace soft and voluminous draping, creating effortless complexity. This season the avant-garde duo promise intricate fabric manipulations and an added emphasis on couture hand-embroidery.

Catwalk show: 17 September 2010 at 19:00 

travels

I've been away these few days house hunting in Sheffield. For the journey home I succumbed and bought Love issue #4, opting for the Rosie Huntington Whiteley siren cover. A very Jessica Rabbit-esque Miss Whiteley, along with 8 additional cover stars, were beautifully shot by Mert Alas. My red-headed friend Martha, who's wonderful house I was staying at in Leeds, was the inspiration for my choice of cover. The read softened the ball-ache-blow that was my 4 hour bus journey and -what should have been 40 minute train but was actually a- 3 hour tube journey home. 

wish list

Wearing this will be like hugging a polar bear all day. It reminds me of the copious amounts of perfect knitwear emblazoned on our screens during The Edge of Love.

This Topshop dress sold out months ago so I have been searching ebay for my size. The skewed polkadot swirls are distractingly rad. 

I don't own a single pair of comfortable shoes and with Bestival  growing more imminent, I need to get my hands on some Superga's in Ecru.

bestival

As a prerequisite, I unearthed this from stalking the line-up of Field Day. I have since been undesirably obsessed and will most likely be dragging my fellow bestivalers to see him again.

forever may AA reign

Our beloved high street favourite American Apparel may cease to exist a year from today.

The hip U.S retailer faces financial meltdown after revealing a staggering $120.3million (£77.2million) debt.

The future of the eccentric fashion empire, which has 15 UK stores, looks uncertain.

A spokesman for American Apparel told fashion trade title WWD that the firm may not survive the next 12 months, threatening the jobs of over 10,000 employees throughout 20 countries.

There are fears that unless sales across the retailer's 279 worldwide stores instantly improve, the company will breach the conditions of an $80m loan from Lion Capital which resuced the store from another financial crisis last year.

 American Apparel's brazen Canadian founder Dov Charney, 41, recently told Business Week: "A lot of assumptions that I grew up with are no longer reality.

"Those were things that we could rely on: that lenders will always be there, that they'll behave ethnically and they'll always have money, that you can trust that as the sun comes up the consumer will be healthy, that we'll always be close to full employment in developed nations. Now there are no certainties."

In a bid to redeem its financial calamity, the retailer is migrating from the popular 'Hipster' style, in favour for a more "timeless", preppy aesthetic.

"The stereotype of a hipster is not something people aspire to anymore. Do you want to be a hipster? Nobody wants to be a hipster", Charney told the Village Voice. 

He added that the revived look is "hard to put into words- it's about emphasising products that we have. Our pieces are timeless."

LONG LIVE AA

A rare wonderful

The visual compendium LOVE is as rare as dental check-ups, it only happens twice a year. This fierce clip for Love magazine's first advert was shot in New York and features some familiar faces...

 Music by Sleigh Bells, titled "A/B Machines", check them out on hype machine.

home to home shopping

With the overriding convenience of internet shopping taking its toll on traditional malleable stores, Bicester Village is a stimulating reminder of why traditional shopping, away from cyberspace is a more pleasurable alternative.

Located in the county of Oxfordshire, Bicester Village Shopping Centre is a discounted outlet for high-end designer fashion. It offers up to a staggering 80% off items' r.r.p. 

The shopping centre is like no other I have visited. Instead of banal, cramped, sweaty and artificially lit clothing holes-all valid reasons to opt for internet shopping, Bicester Village is the Wysteria Lane of shopping. 

Bicester Village. Picture taken using a Canon EOS 1000D. Credit: Chic Outlet Shopping

Its stores are individually and attentively decorated spacious homes, adorned with decadent rugs, chandeliers and glittery tiger monuments. Long gone are the days of feeling inclined to ring the neck of the 6 dawdlers nesting around the sale racks. 

The village houses approximately 130 stores, encompassing a vast range of designers including Dior, Luella, Dolce and Gabbana, Roberto Cavalli, Ralph Lauren and Vivienne Westwood. More affordable brands such as All Saints, Cath Kidston and Superdry are situated there too. 

I splurged £8,000 on two MIU MIU dresses, a Luella checked shirt, Cavalli embroidered shorts, Burberry sequin jacket, Gucci patent ankle boots, a tan Mulberry bag and Vivienne Westwood jewellery...all imaginary speaking of course. 

Bicester has established itself as a major international tourist attraction and is one of the leading designer shopping destinations in Europe. Coach loads of more than 3 million customers hailing from all over the globe visit annually, so make sure you do too. 

You can witness shopping experiences akin to Bicester Village in the following regions: 

•  Fidenza Village, Milan, Italy
• Wertheim Village, Frankfurt, Germany
• Las Rozas Village, Madrid, Spain
• La Vallee Village, Paris, France

melodic pleasantries

My mum is sick of this being blared but this mix has been my most played on itunes for the past month and thus merits being shared with all. The psychedelic synths will resonate with you for the rest of the week, guaranteed.

fruition

Hi, my name is Caroline and I like dressing up.

Christopher Kane for Topshop -Autumn 2009

My 20th birthday marked a newfangled era in which I would have sufficient funds to splurge frivolously. I have longed for this garishly wonderful dress since it was released almost a year ago, so was excitable when i found it on ebay for £5 under it's £60 r.r.p.