Hot Topic Clothing

Roger Vivier is the new partner with Fashion Fringe at Covent Garden Accessories 2011.  Contestants in the showing will be vying for the prize of a six-month apprenticeship with Vivier’s French fashion house.

Fashion Fringe is a platform designed to encourage new talent in the industry, and in the past its competition has showcased many of London’s most innovative designers, giving them a head start on succeeding acknowledgement and success.  Past winners include Liam Fahy and Helen Robotham, who won apprenticeships at Rupert Sanderson and Jimmy Choo, respectively.  Fahy now has his own designer label, and Robotham is designing accessories for Burberry.

Roger Vivier’s background includes the study of sculpture at Beaux Art before turning to the design of shoes.  His fascination with the theatre and music halls influenced his creations, which have been worn by such icons as Elizabeth Taylor and Brigitte Bardot, not to mention Queen Elizabeth II and the Beatles.

Vivier’s artistic director, Bruno Frisoni, was appointed in 2003 and has been instrumental in rejuvenating the label and bringing in accessories such as sunglasses, handbags and jewellery.    The Fashion Fringe award of an apprenticeship is meant to provide the winner with support, encouragement and the confidence to create their own unique new vision in the fashion industry.

These hand-crocheted dress guards for bike wheels from Simeli in the Netherlands are amazing, ok perhaps not amazingly practical for the UK climate but we think in the summer months we would definitely give them a go!

Exciting news from ELLE towers this morning – we have more than 200,000 followers on Twitter, making us the biggest women’s magazine account in the UK by at least 80,000.

It’s only six months since we passed the 100,000 mark and we’re thrilled that so many of you have joined us in such a short space of time. And, if you’re not following us, then it’s about time that you did – you’ll get all the latest updates from the front row at fashion week, behind the scenes at shoots, inside the hottest parties and the first look at all our news stories.

You can follow us at @elleuk.

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A new season is upon us and it with it come the latest trends for spring. However, while there are some new and interesting trends to look out for there are a few firm favourites that come back year after year.

There are a number of new contenders striving to take the spotlight when it comes to then latest fashion trends but the latest casual collection from Franklin and Marshall cannot be ignored. This label is the ultimate fashion brand when it comes to cool casual clothing for men. From preppy polo’s to fashionable t-shirts, Franklin and Marshall is for those who want to look effortless stylish.

The latest collection consists of affordable wardrobe staples that will compliment almost everything in your closet. F Read more…

Viva La Velvet-olution!

The evolution and revival of velvet comes to full maturity in 2011, at least according to Bottega Veneta.

By dragging (and updating) that so-could-be-70s shaggy pile and velvet carpet cliche into 2011, Bottega are expressing some major confidence; encouraging assertive elegance and rebel flair in men.

At the runway show, you couldn’t help but gawk at the lobster reds, electric blues, plum purples and acid yellows stalking down the catwalk, whilst sharing the limelight with staple black and brown for boiled wool jackets with slim lapels over super-soft leather pants.

A veritable mish-mash that somehow … works.

“… We wanted to address the different ways men visualize themselves,” says Creative Director Tomas Maier. “Bottega Read more…