The first images for the new autumn/winter collection dropped for Primark and by God, they’re good! Though there’s no clear cohesion in the collection, they instead take their influence from many different trends and the focus is on key pieces that would work as statement items in your wardrobe.

The colours are a lot more muted than their spring/summer collection and the emphasis seems to lie on printed cropped trousers, chunky knits and casual overcoats.

The collection will start filtering into the shops from mid June, with the majority of it hitting it around mid August. Have a look through the lookbook below and see what you think.

Here are some of my favourite pieces from the collection that weren’t in the lookbook images.

Images courtesy of prshots.com/Look/Primark

So what do you guys think of the new collection? Are you excited about it? There’s a lot of great pieces in this collection, that have the potential to be brilliant statement pieces, provided that they’re not the usual Primark quality. I guess we’ll see when it starts hitting shops in around July.

Until then,

Franzi

xoxo

Here are some pictures that were snapped while walking in London during those glorious two weeks when we had brilliant sunshine and actual hot weather.

I got to wear my new lovely yellow tweed jacket from Zara that everyone seems to have. I’ve seen it on three different girls from that E4 reality show, ‘Made in Chelsea’, but I don’t care as I still love it. It was a bit hot to wear it that day, but I love it too much, even if I was sweating like a horse.

Those gorgeous brown wedges I’m wearing are actually Forever 21. Is it just me or do they look a whole lot more expensive than they actually are? I love it when I find such great finds in places that I’d never shop. I love Forever 21, but I wouldn’t go shoe-shopping there so I got a really nice surprise when I saw them on Oxford St. a couple of weeks ago.

The bag is my old and beloved Louis Vuitton Mahina. I really don’t put it into my blog often enough, considering for like two years I couldn’t be parted from the thing. It’s so massive and roomy I’d use it as a weekender bag for trips abroad and it was so helpful back in college as it could take everything from my laptop to notebooks and library books. What’s more fabulous than that?

And finally you get to see my new modified H&M necklace that I made by combining two into one as you can see here. This baby you’ll be seeing in a lot of posts, just you wait.

So what do you think of this outfit? It’s just a casual outfit for a lovely summer’s day in London, even if wedges that high for trekking all over the city aren’t very smart.

Jacket: Zara
Top: H&M
Shorts: River Island (old)
Wedges: Forever 21
Necklace: DIY from H&M
Bag: Louis Vuitton Mahina
Sunnies: Ray Bans

Until then,

Franzi

xoxo

P.S. Come on Germany in the Euros 2012. I am half-German after all!

Well it’s been confirmed. A day after WWD first reported the rumoured collaboration between Swedish high street giant and the avant garde French fashion house, the confirmation is in. And it’s certainly got the fashion world buzzing and simultaneously scratching their heads at the same time.

The collection will drop in over 230 H&M stores on the 15th November and will also be available online. The collection comprises of menswear and womenswear and accesories, and will surely make a splash.

This is definitely one of the more interesting designer collaborations to follow. Maison Martin Margiela was set up by Belgium Martin Margiela, who worked with the Antwerp Six and is as famous for his avant garde designs and deconstruction as Commes des Garçons. A fiercely private man, who has never consented to an interview or a photograph taken of him, he left his eponymous company in 2009 without announcing a successor. It is instead now run by a team, believing in creativity and a democratic approach to fashion.

This will be interesting to see how they promote the collaboration, with no clear head of the design team. This is in stark contrast to last year’s collaboration with Versace, where Donatella was seen everywhere and was a very visible face for the collection.

The other question it raises, is how can such an unconventional fashion house create a successful collection for such a mainstream fashion retailer without losing its ethos and looking like they’re selling out? Plenty of people have already objected to it on twitter because of this very reason. Margiela is for the arty, fashiony people. If the general public had access to its designs, would that not dilute the concept of the brand?

It remains to be seen whether this will happen or not. Though I’ve never been a fan of the brand, this is one collaboration that has certainly got me thinking more than all their previous works.

H&M, you’ve outdone yourself with pushing boundaries. But then again, after the global phenomenon that was Versace, how could you outdo yourself? It’s highly unlikely they would get a bigger brand to join forces with, so this seems like a better step. With this move it would certainly give them style credits for such a coup.

Well here’s what Maison Martin Margiela had to say about the collaboration;

We are very happy to present MAISON MARTIN MARGIELA pieces with H&M, offering a new interpretation of our vision. The democracy of our fashion has always been at the centre of our creativity, and the collaboration with H&M allows us to push this instinct further. We will bring together the contrasting universes of the two houses in ways that will surprise all.

I for one can’t wait for the 15th November and to see how this collaboration will shape out to be.

Until then,

Franzi

xoxo

Images and video courtesy of H&M

Today’s ‘Look of the Day’ is a simple two shot shoot done in the back garden while trying to imitate those lovely Elle UK accessories shoots they always do.

With the exception of Dubh the dog deciding he wanted to be in all the shots, I really love the end result. It also made for a great change to be the one lying down and barely doing any work and not having to constantly worry that the location and background was working in the shot.

Okay so I’m kinda loving these floral printed pants. They’re H&M and they’re slightly cropped so they end up going with EVERYTHING!!! I missed having trousers like that. The sheer panelled t-shirt is another favourite, but I’ve had to find a cropped tee for underneath because I’m just not bold enough to wear it with just a bra underneath. It’s a bit of a shame as part of the coolness of the side panels is lost, but I was never that girl that could just walk around in her bra.

So what do you guys think of the images? I love them in their simplicity and it’s a nice change from my usual elaborate shots I create.

The last image is of the Versace for H&M choker necklace I bought when the collection came out, and somehow always forgot to post an image of it. I love it to death, but it’s never cropped up in any of my shoots. Rather odd, but I’m determined to change that.

Print trousers: H&M
T-shirt: H&M Trend
Heels: Zara
Bracelets: Forever 21
Leather cuff: Hermes
Floral headband: DIY

Until then,

Franzi

xoxo

You guys are probably already aware of my love of H&M and statement jewellery pieces. Anything shiny and sparkly and I turn into a magpie for them! Well I came across this gorgeous H&M necklace a few weeks ago and absolutely loved it!

Image courtesy of connectedtofashion.creatorsofdesire.com

But while it has great potential, the part I loved about the necklace, the three rows of coloured stones was far too short for my liking and the necklace did hang a little too low to sit comfortably on your collarbone. In short it had potential, but just wasn’t enough. So it was time to go a little DIY on the baby and turn it into what I really wanted. I ended up buying two of the same necklace and I spent a very finnicky lunch hour with a  pair of tweezers, joining both necklaces to create a longer row of the yellow stones.

And this is the result!

As you can see I also shortened the end pieces so it sits on your collarbone, as opposed to hanging down and I think it’s so much nicer this way. Considering I only spent £20 in total, I think it’s a great piece. It’s also very Erickson Beamon, in that it really reminds me of costume jewellery, which has got to be my favourite kind.

DIY Necklace: H&M

The one annoying thing about this gorgeous necklace is that EVERYBODY asks me where I got it from. I get stopped on the street by people! I love it to bits and I’m usually wearing it into work almost every day, but it gets a bit tiring telling people ‘it’s from H&M and no, I don’t know where they’re still selling them’.

But it’s a small price to pay. So what do you guys think of the DIY. Do you prefer the original or is this one your favourite?

Until then,

Franzi

xoxo

Here’s another ‘Look of the Day’ done a couple of weeks back in Ireland while visiting home and Mum. You’ll laugh at me when I tell you I’ve been wanting to do at least one shoot in a graveyard for donkey’s years and I’ve always been put off by other people and photographers telling me it’s cliche and been done to death (pun intended!). But I was determined and we came across this really lovely country graveyard with an old ruin outside Galway, so I finally got my graveyard shoot.

To be perfectly honest it’s not the most comfortable shoot I’ve ever done. I was raised in rural, Catholic Ireland and the one thing that was always impressed on me was the respect towards religion and religious sites. So it was quite amusing, me constantly worrying if my hem length was too short and fretting if I was stepping on some grown-over graves. I was quite relieved when we were finally done, in case some neighbours came out to yell at me for showing disrespect or that I would end up burning in hell for my actions. And yes, I know I’m being melodramatic!

Stress aside, I actually really love the images in themselves. It’s nothing too fancy and I barely touched them up on Photoshop, but they just look great. I am in love with my make-up and hair in this shoot and ever since I came back from Ireland I’ve been wearing the same heavy brows and eye-liner for weeks!

The dress is, you guessed it, H&M Trend, but this time it was one I actually bought and wore at London Fashion Week back in February before I got too ill to attend the rest. It’s been idly sitting in my closet for months, just waiting to be shot. Hilariously though, it seems to be back in shops as I spotted it there on one of my weekly dashes through the store.

You also get to see my beloved high tops in action. I know it’s a very strange combination to combine such a smart office-type dress with something so casual, but I think it really works! Plus they’re a thousand times more comfy than a pair of heels!

So what do you think of this unusual outfit? Let me know.

Until then,

Franzi

xoxo

Here’s a few Diamond Jubilee themed editorial shoots from some of the best fashion magazines around, just to celebrate a rather fun and very long bank holiday weekend.

Enjoy!

Kate Moss as fashion royalty for British Vogue, December 2000.

Tatler’s June 2012 issue cover with a corgi. You can’t get more royal than that!

Tatler’s ‘Queens of the Scene’ shoot from the June issue.

Tatler’s June Jubilee issue shoot

Kate Moss for British Vogue’s October 2008 issue.

Look magazine’s Jubilee beauty shoot

Look’s Jubilee beauty shoot

Until then,

Franzi

xoxo

The story behind the dress in today’s outfit post is actually quite a nice one. My Mum bought it for me many years ago during one of her trips to London, way before I ever heard of the vintage store Beyond Retro and even longer before I had any clue about what London was like. I loved the piece, but never knew what to do with it and I think she despaired that I’d ever wear the dress because it always didn’t seem the right time. So it sat in my closet and as I grew older I grew more and more into the dress, so that now at 26 I can fully appreciate how beautiful it is and the intricate beadwork done to create it.

Sometimes you just have to age yourself a bit until you can appreciate something so beautiful. It seems to be a theme for the week, because ever since I had my birthday, which ironically is when these photos were taken, I’ve been considering the evolution of my personal style.

Anyway, these photos were done when I went home to the west of Ireland for my birthday. There’s this very touristy part just outside Galway city called Salthill with the iconic diving board. It’s been somewhere I’ve wanted to do a shoot since I saw the Irish film ‘The Guard’, which by the way is one of the funniest films out of Ireland since probably ‘Intermission’ or ‘The Van’.

So these photos are the result of my Mum waking me up on the morning of my birthday and asking me what I wanted to do today. I don’t know whether it’s a good or a bad thing that my answer was to do a shoot for the blog, but it goes to show that even when I go home or on holiday my blog is always with me.

Let me know what you think of these images. I’m really happy with them, but then they were shot by my Mum and she’s a really good photographer anyway. Though her fear of heights did make it a bit awkward towards the top of the diving board. Poor Mum.

Dress: Vintage from Beyond Retro
Shoes: Zara
Sunnies: Ray Ban Blue Aviators

Until then,

Franzi

xoxo

Did everybody a while back remember hearing that Richard Nicoll was doing an affordable bridal range for Topshop? Good, because the first images have just been released and they don’t disappoint!

This isn’t the first time Nicoll has collaborated with the Topshop brand, as this is now his sixth collaboration with the retail giant. Thankfully his signature style is present throughout the collection from his contrasting sheer and matte fabrics to tailored and floaty shapes, the wedding dress-inspired collection includes four beautiful designs in pure white and pale pink that would be ideal for a beach wedding or something much more relaxed than a stuffy church ceremony.

‘I loved the idea of doing wedding dresses with Topshop because I wanted to offer a younger, cooler alternative to meringue culture, something special, but not precious, like my friends, something they would wear if they were getting married,’ Nicoll says of the collection. ‘These pieces are perfect as party dresses too if you’re not the marrying kind’.

The collection is aptly called ‘Tie The Knot’ and will be available online and in selected stores from the end of June.

What do you think of this latest collaboration with Topshop. Does it get you excited, or will you let this one pass you by? I for one, am quietly confident it’ll be a good one and I’ve already decided to try on the long white dress once it’s released. I may not be getting married but that baby has my name all over it!

Until then,

Franzi

xoxo

Images courtesy of Topshop’s Inside-Out blog and Grazia Daily.

I’m lamenting the loss of our great summer weather as the usual clouds and low temperatures have returned today, and will no doubt remain for the rest of the summer. So here’s my little ode to the best summery editorials that I found to help brighten my mood, and maybe entice the summer weather to come back.

Failing that I’ll just book a summer holiday somewhere very far away and very, very sunny! Enjoy!

Bambi Northwood-Blyth by Tim Barber for Muse Summer 2011

Ali Stephens by Thomas Schenk for Vogue Germany, January 2010

Anja Rubik by Carter Smith for British Vogue, June 2005

More Anja Rubik from the same issue of British Vogue

Catherine McNeil by Patrick Demarchelier for British Vogue, January 2010

Christy Turlington and Linda Evangelista by Patrick Demarchelier for American Vogue, April 1991

Erin Heatherton by Enrique Badulescu for Vogue Russia, July 2011

Gemma Ward by Corinne Day for British Vogue, October 2005

Abbey Lee Kershaw by Max Doyle for Vogue Australia, March 2010

One more Abbey Lee for Vogue Australia

Which one is your favourite? Let me know.

Until then,

Franzi

xoxo

Images courtesy of fashionista.com, fashion-spreads.com and their respective titles.