Michaela

He is not interested in following trends  “I never think about what’s sexy,” he has said. “I don’t agonise over whether her bum will look big in something. I focus on the silhouettes and the proportions and hope that takes care of everything.” His vision of an Erdem woman is:” She has never been concerned with being cool. She is seasonless, strong and does what she wants.

Erdem was born in Montreal to a British mother and Turkish father. He graduated from the Royal College of Art and worked with Diane von Furstenberg in New York before launching his own line in 2005.

His top three fashion influences are Yves Saint Laurent, for his sensitivity, use of colour and devotion to making women elegant. Mainbocher, who designed some of Wallis Simpson’s clothes, and did great embellished dresses; and Charles James because of the way he cut.

Michaela

Womens, who’s style personality is a “Natural” prefer casual styling and comfort and is of prime importance. Any cluttered looks and fussy styles are rejected, with Naturals opting instead for simple lines and low maintenance clothes. Easy, relaxed dressing with the minimum of fuss is their signature.

“Naturals” will fall in in love with the understated cool label Kain. Created by vintage store owner Amanda Kain, this hip LA-based label specializes in slinky soft tees with laid-back, love-worn appeal.  Choose silk seperates including t-shirts, tanks, maxi skirts and dresses which are all based on Kain’s classic designs. Work the model off-duty look with pieces featuring a slightly oversized cut and  muted colour palette of off-whites, taupes, blushes and blacks.

Click here to view more

Michaela

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

12.

13.

14

15.

16.

17.

18.

19.

20.

Michaela

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

12.

13.

14.

Michaela

The originality of the brand is tied in with its eccentricity – the height of creative hosiery – expect hand embroidery and intricately drawn designs.

My interview with Bebaroque:

1. Both of you designed leg wear separately before you started your label in 2007. Why did you both focus on leg wear?  What gave you the idea to name your label Bebarque?

WE BOTH PLAYED AROUND WITH DIFFERENT TECHNIQUES AND MATERIALS FOR OUR MASTERS COLLECTIONS AND MOVING ONTO HOSIERY WAS AN APPEALING IDEA FOR US BOTH. THEN WE DECIDED TO JOIN FORCES TO MAKE SOMETHING REALLY SPECIAL AS THEY WERE PROVING SO POPULAR. WE DECIDED ON THE NAME BEBAROQUE BECAUSE THE WORD BAROQUE IS USED FOR ART AND DECORATION THAT IS OVER THE TOP AND OVERLY ORNATE, WHICH IS THE WAY THAT WE TEND TO DESIGN. WE ALSO DONT SEE THE POINT IN BEING BORING WITH WHAT YOU WEAR SO WE WANT EVERYONE TO BEBAROQUE!

2. What made you join forces? How do you work together? How do decide what is next?

WE WORK WELL TOGETHER, WE DESIGN TOGETHER AND DO ALL THE BUSINESS SIDE TOGETHER ALSO.

3. I am a huge fan of your brand. It is fun, yet stylish and gives the wearer a unique look. Though you make use of colour and embellishments your collection has always something for any type of leg shape and size. What inspires you to create the next collection?

AT THE BEGINING OF EACH SEASON WE DECIDE WHAT WE ARE GOING TO LOOK AT, AND THEN CONCENTRATE CAREFULLY ON THE SUBJECT DRAWING AND DESIGNING FROM THE INSPIRATION WE FIND. AT THE MOMENT WE ARE DESIGNING FOR AW11, WHERE WE ARE ABOUT TO LAUNCH AT LONDON FASHION WEEK

4. What would you consider is your iconic signature style?Who brings which personality into Bebaroque?

OUR SIGNATURE STYLE ISS DEFINITELY INTRICATE DRAWINGS AND OUR USE OF BOLD EMBROIDERY AND COLOUR. WE OFTEN INVOLVE OUR SIGNATURE STYLE TATTOO PRINTS AND EMBROIDERIES INSPIRED BY VINTAGE LACE.

5. Besides legwear you started to do Bebaroque Body. What gave you the idea to move from leg to body wear?

WE HAVE ALWAYS WANTED TO DEVELOP THE COLLECTION TO BODY WEAR TO LET US DECORATE THE BODY FURTHER. WE ARE NOT TIGHTS SPECIALISTS , WE ARE TEXTILE DESIGNERS SO WE ARE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR NEW WAYS TO EXPRESS OUR DESIGNS

6. How many collections do you create for leg wear and body? Your products are available in stores such as Liberty or online like my tights. Where is your strongest customer base- online or in stores?

WE SELL WELL THROUGH BOTH WEBSITES AND IN STORES BUT MOST OF OUR BUSINESS IS THROUGH STORES. OUR PRODUCTS NEED TO BE SEEN ON THE BODY SO IT IS ALWAYS GREAT FOR THE CUSTOMER TO VIEW THEM ONLINE THROUGH PHOTOGRAPHY ALSO

7. What is next?

LONDON FASHION WEEK, THEN PARIS TO LAUNCH AW11 COLLECTION. THEN WE START TO DESIGN AGAIN FOR SS12. WE WANT TO CONCENTRATE ON THE HOSIERY, BODY WEAR AND ACCESSORIES BEFORE GROWING ANY FURTHER.

8. Who is your ideal customer and if you could pick any celebrity you like- who would you like to dress with Bebaroque and why?

WE WOULD LIKE CHLOE SEVIGNEY TO WEAR OUR CLOTHES AS WE LOVE HER UNIQUE AND STRONG LOOK.

9. Which are your favourite products on Joy of Clothes?

10. Bebaroque on Joy of Clothes:

Thank you for your time,

Michaela

• Old charm with new touch at a Royal State Banquet

• Attending a Cocktail Party
  

• Attending a Museum opening
  

• Watching a Polo Game with friends

• Out and about in London town

• Afternoon Garden Party

• Attending a Royal Open Air Concert

• Attending a friend’s wedding:

• Lady like on a state visit meeting Mrs. Michelle Obama:

Michaela

She loves  to add a modern touch to retro outfits. So, here is Kate’s new wardrobe for various occasions:

• Sunday at Church in Sandringham

• Cocktail at Downing Street with Samantha Cameron

• Charity Committee Meeting

• Visiting a Children Hospital

• Lunch with the Wedding Planer

• Out Shopping

• Interview with the Press

• On Honeymoon in Africa

• Busy planning the wedding

• Ladies Lunch in Chelsea

• Dancing away at Mahiki

• Watching Prince William at Polo Match

• Royal Variety Performance

• Attending a Soiree
  

• After Fashion Show Reception

• Chelsea Flower Show

• London Fashion Week

Michaela

This is the Joy of Clothes list of women who we think had the most impact on fashion in 2010 . Each of them added their own uniqueness and personal interpretation of fashion! (The list is no particular order- each woman is equally important)

1.  Alexa Chung: The British Style I- con inspired  designer Mulberry to name a bag after her- the Alexa Bag by Mulberry.

2.  Christina Hendricks: She put the full hourglass body shape and its curves back on to the fashion map.

3. Dannii Minogue: She was undoubtedly the fashion queen of 2010- on the X-factor and outside the x-factor show. Her style and fashion translated into sales, coverage and followers. She put Australian designers on to the fashion circus and created a hype for Annoushka jewellery. Dannii found as well the time to create and design her own fashion line Project D in collaboration with London-based designer Tabitha Somerset-Webb, which is a collection of day and evening dresses and sparked a lot of fans and celebrity followers. And she got the thumbs up in fashion style by Victoria Beckham.

4. Victoria Beckham: She has proved with her own fashion collection that she is in fashion to stay. Her dresses are based on shape and silhouettes and what she wears convert into trends and sell outs. So no surprise that her bags were sold out in matter of hours on net-a-porter.com- though they are targetted at the very high end of fashion.

5. Emma Watson: With her new found image she made the final transition from a girl to a woman and moved on from the days of ” Harry Potter”. She is more than a pretty face and it does translate into a fashion sense and style, which is modern, fresh and savvy.  She has been been fashion ambassador for Chanel, Burberry and People Tree. Emma helped to give Burberry a modern face, made Chanel desirable to young people and created an interest for Eco-fashion by creating her own line for People Tree.

6. Rihanna: She was for sure one of the main trendsetters in 2010- on and off stage. She turned red hair to a fashion trend, making floral print fashion flirty, keeping animal print at the fashion horizon and keeping the pear body shape in fashion focus.

7. Lady Gaga- Superstar. She has a love for outrageous outfits and pushes fashion boundaries. She turned fashion into entertainment. Each time she steps outs she makes an entrance, she makes every outing to her stage and turns the world around her. She can’t be missed and earned herself a huge followering including fashion fans.

8. Kate Middleton: It was the year she got engaged and from that moment the world started to watch seriously what she is wearing. In the minute she was pictured in her navy blue Issa dress it catapulted Issa to the Royal Fashion dresser and brand, saw a huge increase in traffic, interests in her collection, converted into immediate sales and the blue dress was sold within hours. Next up was the white dress by the High Street Label Reiss and her Temperley London dress that she wore to her first official outing with Prince William to a charity event was an instant hit.

9. Rebecca Ferguson: There is no doubt that is a ” Super Star in the Making”.  While her fashion fashion sense and style has been unique, timeless and classy from the start. She brought back” old Hollywood Glamour” back to the stage and made Vintage Fashion and Style to day to day and evening favourite. On the x-factor she was every designers darling, because she wore their outfit with class and her unique style personality. Her dress sense and fashion was one of the most heavily searched  for on the internet.

10. Nicole Richie: She came a long way from being a party girl, in the shadow of former best friend Paris Hilton to a style queen that makes fashion to trends and styles. She recently got married in Marchesa. Her whole look and styling illustrated how fashion forward her fashion sense is. Nicole was the first celebrity to be seen in the ” Ballerina Chic” including with the new hair hero ” the ballet bun.” At the same time she was setting a new trend: rather than having two wedding outfits one for ceremony and one for the party, she had one designed where she could take the dress off and voila a wedding dress was born. Her bodice was sporting floral lace making the ballerina chic less severe but flirty, still classy but modern.

Michaela

But this year will be different, because the key is to avoid making the mistakes that cause failure like setting the long term goal so far away that we will give up before reaching it. So, instead of making New Year’s resolutions or commandments let’s go with decisions in 2011. Decisions are final and is easier to act on what will help us to succeed.

Some women look always great no matter the size they are, they are ( almost always) happy, rarely get sick and are always fizzing with energy, they don’t gain weight or lose memory  .

So what’s their secret?

1. Like yourself: “The sooner you become your own best friend, the better live will be“- Diane von Fuerstenberg

There is no point of dwelling I wish I would be taller, younger etc and losing all the energy on the wrong factors. Accept who you are! If you don’t like your weight- this is in most cases- something you can change- then do ” walk the talk rather talk the walk”. Otherwise make the best out of your size since there are so many retailers out there who provide fashion options no matter what size you are.

2. Accept what you can’t change: “The key is being yourself. Don’t be into trends. Don’t make fashion own you, but you decide what you are, what you want to express by the way you dress and the way to live”- Gianni Versace

Once you have accepted who are you will start to find things and features you love about yourself. You will start to dress for yourself, you will find your signature look and style personality- the result is that you will feel happy in yourself and with yourself- you will be true to yourself. All this will keep you motivated, positive – and fashion forward, because you know what works on you.

3. Be true too yourself: “‘How many cares one loses when one decides not to be something but to be someone“- Coco Chanel.

Also, buy only clothes that fit you in the moment- never get trapped of buying clothes in a smaller size because you have plans to shed pounds or because you are dieting. That concept never works because firstly you tend too loose always weight in a different way and places, secondly  don’t reward yourself before you have achieved your end goal. The risk of slipping is too great and last not least once you bought the item in question most women lose their will power to lose the weight to fit into that dress. So, better reward yourself for small achievements and buy always  items that fits your current build, body shape and weight. Be someone rather trying to be someone you are not!!!

4. Stop to shop until you drop: “I am against fashion that doesn’t last. I cannot accept that you throw your clothes away just because it is spring”- Coco Chanel

Buy clothes that only work for you, your life style and budget. Meaning stop buying clothes you never wear because they are the wrong size, you don’t have an occasion for them to wear or because they are too expensive for the salary you make. Fashion is only fun when you start to build a workable wardrobe that consists of having clothes that work for your body shape, colouring, proportion, the life style you are leading and that you can afford! Make good investment buys rather than bad fashion buys.

5. Don’t get yourself in too much debt!:” Style is very different from fashion. Once you find something that works, keep it.”- Tom Ford

Fashion is just not worth it! They are just things, which are not as long lasting as it takes to pay back your credit card. We all know this feeling ” I am dying to have that dress”, ” I just needed to have this bag” or ” Every penny spent on those shoes are worth it”…unfortunately all not true. It is not that once you satisfied yourself with that purchase you stop shopping for more. No, there will be another item that you need because it will look great with what you bought before….and that is how it goes one. Break out of the devil circle by building a workable wardrobe where you only buy what you need to update or replace. You will see you have much more of your clothes because you start to work them by wearing them rather building up clutter of clothes that don’t work with each other or won’t work for most occasions.

6. Declutter your wardrobe! “When putting a wardrobe together, if your budget is limited, the most important thing is having the discipline to invest in one or two beautiful key pieces and mixing these with classic pieces. Plan your long-term wardrobe. Only buy pieces that you can’t live without; don’t be tempted by disposable”. Roland Mouret

Everyone is different in their needs, but keep in mind that changes in your lifestyle will affect your working wardrobe. So, before you start of thinking of planning your wardrobe, assess your lifestyle and what you need to wear. Start with a wardrobe audit and go through your clothes piece by piece, assessing whether they are the right colour and if they are right for your body shape, proportion and scale.Clothes that you don’t wear and which only have sentimental value should be put away out of your workable wardrobe. So, make room for clothes that complement you and the way you live. It is so therapeutic as well to get rid of “the old you” and make way for the ” new you”.

7. Be Fashion Forward- Say hello to Eco fashion and No to animal cruelty in the name of fashion!:” Now is the most exciting time in fashion. Women are controlling their destiny now, the consumer is more knowledgeable, and I have to be better every single day.”- Oscar de la Renta

It is time to be fashion savvy, knowing a little bit more about the label you buy- making a difference to our lives and how we live. Say Hello to Ethical fashion that it ethically sourced.Ethical fashion and ethical products should promote the use of environmentally-friendly materials & production processes, as well as providing good working conditions and a fair wage. As well say NO to real fur and buy faux fur instead.  It is a big revival in fashion and it has never looked more chic or real than this time around by none other than Kate Moss. Other animal advocates are Stella McCartney and Bridget Bardot. It is without doubt the only way to go for fashion!D

8. Moderation is key for a balanced you! “Fashion is all about happiness. It’s fun. It’s important. But it’s not medicine.” Donatella Versace

Unfortunately most of us lead their lives in extremes at work or in our private lives or in the way we eat and drink. Either we work or party full on or we indulge ourselves without measures in food or/and drinks or we diet in excess. Therefore it shouldn’t come to us a surprise that such a life style doesn’t leave us damaged. Our body needs time to recover from work or play. So, build in some time to give your body and mind some time to recover and to re energise. You will feel better and look better rather worse to wear – no label in the world can and will change that.

9. Sleep, keep fit and eat well: “Mens sano in corpore sano”- (a healthy mind in a healthy body) is a famous Latin quotation, often translated as “A sound mind in a sound body.

Sleep will keep you balanced and calm, give you piece of mind, energise you and will help you to stay focus for the day. Plus it does wonder to your skin and digestion. Try to keep fit and to increase your activity by incorporating exercises into your daily routine e.g. using the stairs instead the lift, walking the kids to school, take the bicycle to work instead the car or get off 1 or 2 tube stop before your final destination. Why not keeping the same standard of high quality and labels in clothes as well in food? I never understood how some have high standards in clothes labels but none in food and opt for junk food or settle for bad quality in food. Eating bad food will show! There is no way of hiding no matter how much money you spend to try to hide it. So, do a U- turn and be good to your inner self by eating well, keeping fit and sleeping enough hours to feel energised, healthy and look your best.

10. Wear the right colour: The best colour in the whole world is the one looks good on you.”- Coco Chanel

Dressing in the right colours can improve your self-esteem and confidence. It’s an easy way to look good, feel good and co-ordinate your wardrobe. Not only that but wearing the right colours can help you achieve a younger, healthier and groomed look without having to resort to drastic measures. In business first impressions count and these are often based on your outward appearance.

Colour has a definite psychological and emotional impact on us. Being aware of the emotional impact that the colours you wear will have on others is an important consideration and can affect the people with whom you are meeting

We are all leading a busy life style, where it is difficult to carve out some time for yourself. But it is important to find time to yourself and for yourself! Get some “me time”, which means to every woman something different. It will make you feel calmer, balanced and happier when interacting with family, friends and the outside world.

Click here for more info

Food of thought for 2011: :“I don’t understand how a woman can leave the house without fixing herself up a little – if only out of politeness. And then, you never know, maybe that’s the day she has a date with destiny. And it’s best to be as pretty as possible for destiny.” – Coco Chanel

Have a great 2011,

Michaela