Sunday 14 November 2010

A wee jaunt to the North

Linda Evangelista, an Arthur Elgort shoot, 1991.

I am heading up to the frozen wastes for a few days for work come Sunday so may fall off the fashion radar ever so slightly. I am journeying to Edinburgh, the Scottish capital and it is a city I have an immense fondness for having lived in Scotland for five years during my university days.

As well as the general bother of packing for a week away, having to factor in the cold (apparently it's snowing up there!), damp and having to attend some rather smart dinners of an evening, it also gave me pause for thought on a bit of fashion inspiration. TARTAN.
Particularly loving Aggy for House of Holland in the antlers!
 Now the kilt has been popular this season, I got a beautiful grey pleated number from Zara with black leather buckles that I have been wearing with black Yarra wedge desert boots from Clarks and a simple black v-neck cashmere sweater, topped off with my cape for when the days get chilly but I also LOVE the drama of a proper full on tartan number that has been favoured by that fashion Grand Dame Vivienne Westwood. Slightly more high maintenance to pull off maybe, but what an impact! And let us not forget the wonderful Alexander McQueen.  A man who could pull off a kilt himself and raised temperatures in the industry with the infamous1995 Highland Rape show that featured torn bodices and tampon strings hanging from the skirts. At the time, McQueen said that he had been misunderstood; he was trying, he said, to make a point about how 18th century Scotland has been romanticised, and it wasn't all about "beautiful women drifting across the moors in unmanageable chiffon".  Well, whatever you imagine when you think of Bonny Scotland, here is some of my tartan inspiration, let me know your thoughts!x
Marc Jacobs, NYC Fashion Week 2009


selection from McQueen's Highland Rape collection
And finally, a selection of images from British Vogue 2008...


And relax....what I shall look like in my off duty moments!x

8 comments:

  1. Gorgeous editorial pics - I think that tartan can look super cute (as it does in the ed) but sometimes it can go sooo wrong :S

    http://pagesixxx.blogspot.com/

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  2. Jamie-Lee you are soooo right. Am currently in Edinburgh sitting in the cafe where JK Rowling wrote Harry Potter and there are some comedy examples of tartan about!x

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  3. thank you for featuring mcQueen. gorgeous pictures, and linda evangelista looks amazing with that kick;)

    p.s. glad to know that someone fancies anna karenina too. that book's awesome:)

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  4. I'm going to be going to Edinburgh for 2 weeks in february (brrrr) and i'd love to hear your picks for things to do! I've been before, but I was a mere 15 year old thing and all I wanted to do was go to topshop and the castle haha.. i'd love to get off the beaten track. i love scotland so much, i'm so excited!

    X

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  5. Hey Vinda, Thank you so much for your comment, Anna Karenina is INCREDIBLE, strugging with War and Peace at the moment! And Hannah Rose, drop me an email a little nearer February (emilybasuray@gmail.com) and I'll send you all my top places in the Burgh!xx

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  6. I love tartan and this is a beautiful post!!! I think my favorite tartan dress is the McQueen dress that SJP wore a long while back. I hope your trip was wonderful.

    http://ilikeherclass.blogspot.com/

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  7. that isn't alexander mcqueen's 'highland rape' collection, they are from his much later 'widows of culloden' collection.
    both had considerable use of tartan, so the mistake is understandable, the earlier collection was much more raw though, while the one pictured has more of a victorian feel.

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  8. Dear Anon, Thank you for correcting me, an easy mistake to make as I know you agree. Milly

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Thank you so much for taking the time to read my waffle. Every single comment is appreciated x