PEOPLE | Alice Dellal

It’s refreshing to see a model who challenges the conventional guidelines of being a monotonous, childlike blank canvas. Now and again there’s someone who is as interesting as the clothes they’re wearing.

Adopted as Karl Lagerfeld’s muse for the new ‘Boy’ Chanel bag, Alice Dellal is a fitting face. Lagerfeld’s reported ‘crush’ on the 24-year-old Brazilian has brought her to the attention of many, including Marc by Marc Jacobs who has also made her the face of its SS12 campaign.

That’s not to say she’s new to the world of fashion. She has an impressive background dominating the covers of worldwide glossies and catwalks of iconic designers since she began to model in 2003.

Sure, being the heiress to the fortune of a property tycoon will have helped to propel her name but there’s something about Alice Dellal which screams now.

Her androgynous image is in sync with the continuous trend, which has been present for several seasons. Dellal, with her half-shaven head and petite yet masculine frame, is a punk embodiment not seen since the likes of Agyness Deyn.

Rock and Roll go skull-ringed hand in skull-ringed hand with fashion and Dellal, as drummer of the band Thrush Metal, pours her metal core into her look. Her musical soul and presence certainly has an air of Moss about it and she even followed in her footsteps as her replacement as the face of Agent Provocateur in 2008.

Although being ironically feminised in the first glimpses of Lagerfeld’s latest production, Dellal oozes feminine power and uniqueness, a face which won’t fade away for a while.

 

WATCH | Life in a Day (2011)

 A product and testament to the power and benefits of technology, and the modern world. Life in a Day brings together intimate YouTube snapshots of the lives of strangers from different countries and cultures, all on July 24th 2010.

An inspiring visual compilation of both the unbelievably beautiful and cruel realities of our world whilst putting life into real perspective. No more words are necessary, just absorb.

WATCH LIFE IN A DAY HERE

FASHION | Sugar and Spice...

SS12 is taking us to the candy shop with acidic PASTELS at the forefront of most collections.  It’s time to taste the tones. Think sherbet lemons, spearmint greens, icy blues and parma violets. Worn in loose flowing chiffons, satins and broderie anglaise, it’s a lighter transition from heavy laces of previous seasons.

Mulberry launched their sugar coated, nostalgic Brighton Rock campaign. Models of the moment Lindsey Wixon and Frida Gustavvson frolicked amongst rivers of ice-cream and pillars of seaside confectionary. A trip down memory lane to a sentimental seaside scene, Mulberry keeps to its British heritage with injections of vibrant pastels amongst their traditional tans and neutrals. My favourite pieces are the refresher patterned maxi and the romantic chiffon skirt teamed delightfully with bold yellow statement pieces. The iconic handbags look good enough to eat in juicy green and fruity yellow.

Louis Vuitton’s SS12 Catwalk took us to a fifties summer fayre, with Kate Moss riding the giant carousel, and their campaign to retro diners complete with ice cream sundaes. Crisp whites and icy pastels accentuated with darker undertones dominated the 3D florals, feathers and fifties feminine cuts. The youthful alice-bands and collaring detail were contrasted against modern clear handbags and sensual under-outerwear.

   

www.louisvuitton.co.uk

www.mulberry.com



LIFE | The joys of the countryside...

I’ve always considered myself a city girl at heart. I get a buzz from the hustle, the bustle, the highly pumped atmosphere but today I remember why I also love my country bumpkin roots.

This morning, I walked to the shop, a ten minute walk, and every person I passed said ‘Good Morning’. It is such a little thing, a few seconds of verbal contact, yet it was enough to light up that little warm area inside me reserved for feeling happy at the world and random acts of kindness. The same place lights up when someone carries your suitcase up the stairs for you or holds open a door. It’s funny how much these seemingly insignificant actions can impact on you.

Those brief moments also clicked with me why I miss this hidden little Oxfordshire town, the overwhelming sense of community. Although this has its downsides, you can’t sneeze without someone noticing, it’s like a safety net which I certainly didn’t appreciate until I moved away.

As a young adult in these sleepy little country villages, at the time you should be spreading your wings as wide as you can, there is still a cage-like restriction. You’re stuck with at least half an hour from the nearest city of opportunity, home is full of the same faces you journeyed through school with and you start to resent and get angry. It’s hard to start a new chapter of life with so much of the old ones surrounding and moulding you.

Now living in Southampton, there’s still a sense of community in being a student, yet there’s also that head-down anonymity which comes with being absorbed into a city population statistic. You get lost in the blank faces in cities like London and with that rush to A to B you lose sight of the people and place around you.

I remember in New York compliments were thrown left right and centre about my clothing and hair colour. Although this was usually a façade to encourage me to buy something, the random kindness from a stranger made me feel great. Maybe this is a attitude trend we should bring to all cities.

A little bit of friendliness in this hostile and scary world can really make someone’s day and this new year i resolve to do just that.