A Cape is regarded as any sleeveless outer garment. Almost like a poncho but it is usually a long piece of material covering the back and fastening around the neck. Historically, the Cape is remembered as the piece of clothing thrown over shoulders of boisterous midwives, men at war and part of a Scot’s Highland dress. However thanks to our favourite fashion designers, the Cape has been redefined and now being worn by all the cool girls! Think Little Red Riding Hood meets the uber-chic fashionista facing the chill of shady faces whilst sat on front row (not second, obviously…).
There is a lot to love about the Cape. You can use it to shield an evening dress where a coat with sleeves would crease, or to throw on with a shirt and ripped jeans (very this season). Whatever the outfit; you NEED one. The Cape is effortlessly stylish and so versatile.
Being the must have garment of the season, the Cape is one of the most talked about trends. You’ve probably heard or seen
Oscar Artides Renta Fiallo known professionally as Oscar de la Renta was born in the Dominican Republic on 22nd July 1932 and sadly passed away four days ago on 20th October 2014.
Mr. de la Renta blessed the world with creativity and timeless beauty, leaving a legacy behind him. Though most people, when they think of Oscar de la Renta, think of the couturier who dressed the first ladies (Jackie Kennedy, Nancy Reagan, Laura Bush, Hillary Clinton)
or the celebrities he clothed for the red carpet (Sarah Jessica Parker who famously played Carrie Bradshaw in SATC, Amy Adams or Taylor Swift)
or the wedding gowns he designed (for Huma Abedi, Kate Bosworth or his last famous work before his passing; Amal Clooney); we think of
Brocade is a class of richly decorative shuttle-woven fabrics that are typically woven on a draw loom with a weft and warp technique. It gives the appearance that the weave was actually embroidered on and creates an amazing 3D effect. Brocade is often used for evening wear and formal clothing.
Dating back to the Middle Ages, Brocade was one of the few luxury fabrics worn by nobility. Throughout the ages Brocade has remained a highly desirable fabric and is constantly in demand due to its versatility. Some of the more luxury fashion houses frequently use this fabric particularly for evening coats and dresses.
Please see this beautiful piece from Dolce and Gabbana below as an example:
Known for their simplistic and romantic designs, Valentino pleasantly surprised the audience when ‘pop art’ inspired looks were paraded down the runway. Inspired by female artists Gioretta Fioroni, Carol Rama and Carla Accardi; the fashion house’s designers Maria Chiuri and Pier Paolo have expressed that “…they were rule breakers. Nobody believed that women could be artists”. With this in mind, the themes throughout this collection had depth and meaning.
The 60’s references throughout included sheer embroidered gowns, mini skirts, shift dresses, thick knits, diamond cuts, fringing and capes in a wide variety of fabrics. Regardless of the designs being poles apart from previous collections the clothes are still recognizably Valentino.
This easy to wear shift dress is the epitome of 60’s fashion. Made from crepe and embellished with a 3D floral collar, this ga
Charging through the entrance of the Grand Palais to get a better look of Karl Lagerfeld’s magical transformation, never have a group of women been so delighted to walk into a supermarket! Guests walked up and down the aisles shrieking with excitement at everyday items that had been given the Chanel treatment. Coco Chanel Coco Pops, Jambon Cambon (the address of Chanel’ first boutique in Paris) and Confiture de Gabrielle (a tribute to the house’s founder). “The whole thing is related to pop art…because art has become a product, no?” said Karl; explaining his vision that there is no better way to showcase the Chanel product than in a supermarket. Karl has a unique grasp of how fashion is evolving. Some may say the clothes were lost in the theatrics but this was not a multi million-dollar tactic to disguise some below par designs. On the contrary, this was one of Lagerfeld’s most memorable collections yet…
Bubble gum pink moth eaten joggers made of woven knit jersey and a ma
Our hearts skipped a beat when we saw Giambattista Valli’s AW2014/15 collection. ‘La vie en Rose’ is the prettiest, most feminine and romantic message of the season. Consisting of five looks only, ‘La vie en Rose’ stays true to its romantic and intimate meaning. Set to a powdery pastel colour palette, Valli's exquisite creations were paraded down the runway whilst onlookers swooned.
Opening the show was a stunning rose printed, silk satin coat that falls just above the knee. Satin is a material that is associated to elegance and when used appropriately it oozes luxury.
Following this piece, in the same silk satin. Look two was formed into a long sleeved mini dress with gathering and ruffles at each side of the hem; keeping up with Valli’s signature ruffle details. Please find some of our satins below and note that we have a larger selection in store, w
Crispy leaves crunching under our Jimmy Choo stilettos and guilty mouthfuls of mince pie, the winter season is upon us. Cold temperatures perhaps… but miserable we are not! Even if our favourite fashion designers have to force it upon us, tis the season to be jolly and this is exactly what is all over the AW14/15 runways.
Dior’s creative director, Raf Simons, has us head over heels for rainbow brights! With a strong focus on evening wear, Simons has made these garments fall effortlessly from the female frame. Silk and duchess satin, waterfall cuts and draping; floated down the runway. Comfortable, flattering and anything but tailored around the waist (fitting perfectly with our mince pie ideology of winter) is what his vision portrayed. There are colours to suit any complexion this season and here at Joel and Son we have an extensive selection of satins for you to recreate these easy to wear dresses.
Diamonds are a girl’s best friend but attaching a VS1 from Graff to your cable knit sweater may not be as cost-effective as you had hoped. Therefore, anything of resemblance works for me! Lucky a key trend for this season is embellishment and here at Joel and Son Fabrics, we have the most fabulous selection of trimmings.
First, let's talk about what was on the Balenciaga runway. Black, black, black, grey, navy, burgundy, black and EVERYTHING has HEAVY spiked embellishment. Think biker edge turned ultra chic. It’s the new way to wear your jewellery. The best thing about trimmings is that you can more or less attach them to anything and everything. Turn a cosy sweater into your must-have piece for this season.
On ‘Boulevard Chanel’ this season for PFW, Karl Lagerfeld embodied feminism and the woman for all that she is. Shouting through quilted megaphones “tweed is better than tweet!” models strutted in clothes that looked as if they were their own.
Wearing classic boucle tweeds cut into loose fitting suits or micro mini skirts, to girly frilly shirts and masculine pin striped box cut suiting; these women were all about “ladies first” running down the street to grab their grocery shopping whilst looking chic.
“What do we want? When do we want it?”
Join the revolution at here Joel and Son and chose your very own fabrics here…
As the long hot summer days start to become a distant memory to us all, the shorter – and definitely chillier – days of Autumn are inescapably upon us. But whether you find yourself already counting down until Spring, or if you welcome the cold weather with open arms, one thing you will be thinking about is Autumn fashion.
One of the most obvious running trends for Autumn/Winter ’14 is the colour grey. From Ralph Lauren to Armani, all the important and most influential designers brought us grey ensembles for this season. Displayed in an array of classic tailored suits at Christian Dior, or the feminine feline look at Armani, there was no escaping the grey.
Here, we bring you some of the highlights along with some inspiration for creating your own.
One of the most talked events of the past week has undoubtedly been the wedding celebrations of George Clooney and his new wife Amal Alamuddin in Venice.
As usual all eyes were on the bride and her exquisite Oscar de la Renta couture gown. The new Mrs Clooney chose ivory tulle appliquéd with almost 14 metres of Chantilly Lace, completed with a bodice hand embroidered with beads and crystals with a demure off-the-shoulder neckline. Absolutely stunning!
