Warehouse Blog

Warehouse, Westfield

Thursday 30th October 2008. The long awaited Westfiled shopping centre in London's White City finally opened and with it one of our proudest Warehouse stores to date. Never ones to miss out on the action we headed down there to see how we were faring amongst the 270+ other stores. To say it was buzzing would be an understatement and recession gloom seemed all but left behind. So, to share a little of our contribution to this shopping Mecca, we've posted some snapshots along with a few not unpleasant pieces of feedback.

"Great store, really inspiring, but also warm and inviting"

"Beautiful window display and good thematic layout of clothes in store" "Stunning windows"

"Dresses, dresses, dresses I have to have now!" "Some really cool, directional pieces!"

The LBDs were rockin'...

For more details on Warehouse Westfield, other new stores and to use our store locator click the following link

http://www.warehouse.co.uk/fcp/content/store-opening/content

Halloween goes high fashion glam

Photo at Rex Features: Givenchy Haute Couture 08

Halloween is nearly upon us and with all those ghoulish festivities you’re going to need something suitable to wear! Thankfully, aw 08 is already a largely Gothic trip, so you don’t need to invest excessive time and money in costumes that get binned come November 1^st. We recommend the ‘Haut Halloween’ route with the following catwalk inspired looks of prim white blouse with a tailored black jacket and black skinny jeans or Gothic babydoll. Push it that extra mile for the night with make-up and a hollow expression. Pallid skin, death-black lips and bruised eyeshadow should suffice.

       

Too Hot to Handle: The Warehouse Tuxedo Jacket

                       

Perhaps it’s in homage to the late, great couturier, Yves Saint Laurent (he died earlier this year), who popularised the look back in the 60’s, but the tuxedo jacket is back with a vengeance.

This time around, however, the hip way to wear it is either over a vintage look day dress or with rockstar irreverence and slung over jeans and a slept-in tee – cue first lady of rock, Debbie Harry. For a modern take, pint-sized stylistas, The Olsen twins and Jaime Winstone, never fail to make a tux jacket look anything short of SMOKING!

From left to right: Liv Tyler, Ashley Olsen and Jaime Winstone rock the tux
All pictures courtesy of Rex Features*

*Please be aware that no celebrity featured on the Warehouse blog or on Warehouse.co.uk has endorsed any Warehouse product whatsoever unless stated otherwise. The copyright and other rights in the material on www.warehouse.co.uk is either owned by Warehouse or is included with permission of the owner of these rights.

Loving that lace!

                            

This has to be about the edgiest execution of lace we’ve seen like ever! The cream lace-black overlay instantly toughens things up, as does the chunky belt and braceleted heels. To steal this look layer this mink lace dress over a black pussy-bow top, cinch with a belt and don’t forget those mistress heels! 

                                                                                                      

Support Breast Cancer Awareness!

Show your support for Breast Cancer Awareness Month!

With nearly 46, 000 women being diagnosed with breast cancer each year in the UK this is a disease that affects us all. Warehouse are now in their 13th year of Supporting Breakthrough Breast Cancer and have raised over £500,000 to date.

So what are you waiting for? Show your support by snapping up this gorgeous limited edition tee. Lovingly designed by the Warehouse team – those on-trend nautical stripes and crystallised pink ribbon logo are no coincidence – and at a mere £16 a pop, it’s the perfect way to get your shopping kicks conscience free. Wear (as model Hanne does here) with some slouchy jeans for dress-down chic.

Super Model

All praise the gorgeous Hanne Gaby Odiele! She’s been the star of our campaign for the last year (we like to think we plucked her from obscurity, but actually it seems her success was pre-destined), was the face of London Fashion Week this September and is, by all accounts, part of the new league of supers-in-waiting.

Trying to pinpoint Hanne’s ‘it’ quality is like bottling cool – nigh on impossible, but you know it when you stumble across it. What we will say is that her brand of beauty balances street cred with the facial proportions beloved of the Dutch Masters; she’s both fresh and classic. As they say in the industry, WATCH THIS FACE!

Hanne’s vital Stats:

Nationality: Belgian

Birthday: October 8, 1988

Born in Kortrijk, Belgium

Lives: New York

Agencies: Storm, Supreme, Women

Campaigns: Warehouse, DKNY, Simply by Vera Wang, Lord & Taylor, Alberta Ferretti and the face of London Fashion Week September 08

Get Hanne's AW look by logging onto warehouse.co.uk

*Please be aware that no celebrity featured on the Warehouse blog or on Warehouse.co.uk has endorsed any Warehouse product whatsoever unless stated otherwise. The copyright and other rights in the material on www.warehouse.co.uk is either owned by Warehouse or is included with permission of the owner of these rights.

 

Paris Fashion Week Oct '08

It’s Paris; I have a spring in my step and I’m ready for action. Well, sort of. Had a date with a hot actor on Sunday evening and the conversation was so great, I got carried away with the old vin rouge. Feel rather weary when I wake up.  Thankfully I packed the day before in a very uncharacteristically organised fashion. It’s the dog you see, he gets traumatised at the sight of an open suitcase.

Due to the fire in the channel tunnel, the Eurostar is running on a temporary timetable and it’s chaos.  An Editor who works on a rival title shouts at me as I almost board the train to Brussels. It would have been such a faux pas to miss the first big show of the week as it’s Dior et J’adore Dior!

It’s sunny in Paris, the streets are chic and the traffic serene compared to the chaos that was Milan. Dior is at 2.30 and we just about make it on time. The vibe is Alaia meets an early George Michael video (body-con at its best). The Supers wore swingy sexy little dresses in sorbet colours with little embellished bodices.  Jessica Stam, Jourdan et al teetered along the catwalk in the highest heels Dior had made for seasons. The hair was very Naomi meets Linda in an early Gianni Versace show, all scraped back in an Egyptian topknot. I wouldn’t have been surprised if Grace Jones made an appearance on the runway such was the mood of the show. 

Speaking of being moved, I am ashamed to say I audibly yelped when I opened up the gift that was on my seat at the show. So uncool! Still, inside the little Dior bag was a tiny Dior box containing a Dior powder compact encrusted with crystals, a black nail polish, a silver one (which I’m wearing on my paws now), and a mascara that promises lashes worthy of the catwalk.

The next day at Martin Margiela the models sported long hairy coats. Wonder if I’ll get away with working that look? Maybe I’ll go for the ginger one for added drama. Might get a few looks down the local. Speaking of drama, there’s a dinner to celebrate 40 years of Sonia Rykiel so am wearing my new Stella dress, it’s navy blue and rather woo-hoo.

 

C’est fantasique!  The dinner is in the middle of a park on the outskirts of Paris.  Team Sonia have erected a marquee in the middle of the forest and set up dinner tables around a long, mirrored catwalk.  Team ELLE have one of the best tables in the house, I am sat next to Jean Paul Gaultier and Ellen Von Unwerth and I spy Emma Watson from Harry Potter across the catwalk. 

The Supers are unrecognisable with their homage to Sonia red hair, which sits on their shoulders like a huge red triangle! As if I’ve not had enough fun (this is THE only show in Paris where the models laugh and skip down the catwalk), the finale is one of the best I have ever seen in my show going life. Twenty of the world’s biggest designers from Karl Lagerfeld to Gaultier to Rodarte pay tribute to Sonia by creating an outfit in her honour.  My favourite was Gaultier, which was a black knitted dress that was still being knitted with oversized knitting needles by the model as she dragged the ball of wool alongside her on a roller-skate.  Bravo! 

Come Saturday, nerves are tense at the Chloe show as it’s designer Hannah McGibbon’s first collection for the house.  It’s a hot ticket by the look of the standing line and even those of us with seated tickets found the bench a bit of a squeeze.  That night Hannah and Co had a friends and family to a do at Castel, a fun and naughty little private club that if your name’s not down, get outta town, it’s THE place to be seen.  Time to get out that zip-me-in Dolce lace number!

 

The next day, after getting in at 4am, is a little difficult, but it was the first ‘big’ night I had had all month, I promise.  It’s Sunday and at the Louis Vuitton show.  Que La Vie En Rose is blaring out of the speakers, the supers hve the most extravagant hair I’ve seen all week – kind of poodle parlour meets Sade. Amazing.  They worked bright red lipstick and teeny tiny mini dresses with lace cut outs on the bottom.  Must get to the gym.  Later on at Lanvin it was like a scene out of Dynasty, the cocktail dresses made me want to drink a cocktail, so I did en route to the final show of the season, Miu Miu.  Not sure if it was the cocktail, the Miu Miu show or because it was finally time to go home but I felt quite overcome with a passion for fashion.  Talk about all dressed up and nowhere to go… x

Milan Fashion Week Sept '08

I’ve had 24 hours to prep my Milan wardrobe, which is simply not enough time to work out if I’ve got all the trends covered.  Goth; black lace dress by original Goth-girl Pearl Lowe, tick.  Plaid; shirt dress by London design duo Preen, present and correct.  The tricky statement shoe; gladiators by Givenchy will cover that one nicely.  Think I’ll manage.

Land in Milan and discover the weather is warmer than it has been all summer in Blighty, which isn’t exactly hard.  Decide to work all my winter dresses with bare legs and my new Jonathan Kelsely ankle boots.  Oh thank Gucci for St Tropez Everyday fake tan that’s all I can say.

Run straight from the airport to the Emporio Armani show, which is so worth it.  He shows the most exquisite little tailored jackets worn with harem pants. I pop them onto my fashion scroll immediately.  I am loving the harem pant, but be aware that heels are essential to making this look work if you don’t want to come over all backpacker in Thailand.

  The look of the week is still the chunky high heel ankle boot worn with tailored day dresses and cute boyfriend jackets. The French press are currently working a glam rock look in homage to Iggy Pop.  Super skinny jeans are a favourite.  Almost all of them seem to own a shrunken leather jacket like the ones that were in the Rick Owens show a couple of seasons ago.  The difficult-to-wear-and-impossible-to-walk-in-statement-shoe has become a global phenomenon!  Young or old, the most important editors and fashion buyers are embracing this trend!  This does mean however, that you have to cling onto your driver’s arm in order to carry out the simplest of activities (i.e cross the street) so forget carrying a handbag.  Wonder if the tricky shoe was responsible for the demise of the ‘it’ bag?

After ploughing through what feels like a thousand or so invitations every evening, I come across an invitation to attend a Tod’s event hosted by Gwyneth Paltrow and Dennis Hopper. I haven’t seen a man, at least a straight one for days and I can’t wait to put on my black lace slinky number! Sadly Dennis couldn’t make it, which was probably a good thing as I may have been arrested for getting ‘too close’… Gwynnie, however, looked fabulous in red whereas the fashion press look like they needed a good night’s sleep!

Next day, I bump into the celebrity PR outside the Dolce & Gabbana show and by the look of stress on her face I can tell it’s going to be a good celeb turnout.  I hug her and whilst she’s nestling into my bosom for comfort I grill her on the celebs that are making her day one from hell and immediately brief my photographer to be on the look out. Evil I know.

The Dolce & Gabbana show is held in the Dolce HQ. Inside it looks like a nightclub, all Studio 54 pitch black with mirrors. But damn, no alcohol, which can be very disconcerting when you arrive at 2 in the afternoon into a black cavernous space - I started taking a torch two seasons ago. As I walk in I am swept along with the crush that is J-Lo’s security. She’s looking bootilicious in hard-to-wear white. It’s hard to imagine she gave birth to twins just months ago.  She’s hugging Claudia Schiffer who in turn is having a love in with Eva Longoria.  How many celebs can you fit under one roof?  As for the clothes, I so want to be a Dolce girl next spring. The designers sent the Supermodels out in PJ’s and platforms. Finally, a legitimate reason to stay in my pyjamas all day!

For the latest catwalk coverage visit www.elle.tv

Photos: Rex Features

London Fashion Week Sept '08

London Fashion Week was a sorbet coloured, cocktail fuelled 80’s flashback for Elle’s Stacey Duguid, but boy did she embrace it. Read on to hear about the hottest looks and what it was like dancing the night away with Roisin Murphy and getting an eyeful of Pammy!

Hop off the red eye at terminal 5 at 9 am, having had a wonderful night’s sleep thanks to the lovely man sat next to me on the plane. I have never seen so much Duane Reade (big US pharmacy chain) shop stock in one little knapsack!

How many beautiful young things are there flitting around London these days? I spied Alexa Chung at Ossie Clark looking ever so cute in a vintage paisley print dress with bare legs and ankle boots (a look that yours truly has been working since early summer I might add). The next show was all about the 80’s and so were the crowd (even though few were born circa ‘85). While London designers were mad for the ‘Me’ decade, I felt like I was on the set of Dynasty for most of the week! To illustrate, it was jumpsuits galore over at Charles Anastase, statement heels at PPQ and lace was rearing its holey head again (I did actually wear lace tights the first time around).

Literally melted in the manner of the wicked witch of the west in the Moet room designed by Gareth Pugh. “I told them to use low-watt bulbs but they didn’t listen, never mind,” he whispered in my ear whilst we downed champagne to stay cool. Thankfully, I was wearing a cute little smock dress with not much else.

Still made it to the PPQ after party later on to shimmy on down with the aforementioned beautiful young things at La Vendome. I loved the light-up dance floor and cheesy 80s music. Pah! The Geldofs ducked out early leaving yours truly bopping the night away with Roisin Murphy and Henry Holland. Roisin and I are probably the two oldest swingers in town! Never mind, we’ve still got it. Speaking of old, I LOVED Luella, “it was all about a psychedelic granny,” she told me backstage. Get in line Luella - I’ve been working pensioner chic for the whole of fashion week! I loved the tangerine bubble skirt and matching knit, think I’ll pass on the funny specs and crazy hairpieces though.

On a different note, how hot are the Kings of Leon? Très hot, that’s what. When rumours started to fly around that they were due to play at the ACNE jeans party, news spread like wildfire. Absolutely unbelievable and absolutely untrue - a PR had concocted it to get everybody to the launch. Kind of genius in a way!

Not so genius was trying to get into the Westwood show. It was SUCH a scrum but my goodness it was worth it when I realised I had been seated next to Pamela Anderson. Viv had dressed her in a gold bustier dress. I tried so hard not to look down. Viv’s front row was the best in fashion week. I spied Kate Moss (looking jaw-droppingly beautiful), Dita Von Teese, Jasmine Guiness and Kimberly Stuart, who were all wearing Westwood. Definitely the party of the week!

As for the rest of London, it was all about sorbet coloured clothes and sorbet coloured cocktails and that’s almost all I can remember!

Photos: Rex Features