December | 2011 | artlovefashion

marios schwab: dresses with a shapely silhouette

December 8, 2011 2 Comments

Design crush and collection obsession of the moment- check out the latest from the relatively new, London-based designer, Marios Schwab. His style is uber frame-hugging, body-con chic and I’m loving his overly constructed designs reflecting the inner structure of a garment on the outside. From hardware embellishments to sleek leather bodices, the details and mix of feminine hardness Marios puts into each piece really make each garment stand out. I’m dying to get my hands on several of these items -but not at full price, these dresses to not come cheap! More information is available here.

xo,

Lauren

Filed under artLOVEfashion, Fashion Tagged with edgy feminine dresses, leather bustier dresses, london based fashion, marios schwab, marios schwab opening ceremony, new london designers, shapely overconstructed dresses

lovesit or leave it: style trends

December 2, 2011 1 Comment

Some of the trending late fall/ early winter styles I’m loving and loathing – and my pics to recreate the looks:

1. Emerald clutch- Loving

Try: Harper Ostrich Evening Bag by DVF (splurge) or Zara’s Basic Leather Messenger Bag for under $50

2. Leopard Loafer- Love

Try: Zara’s Flat Furry Court Shoe (under $75)

3. Leather Mini Dress- Love

Try: Vince Leambskin Leather Mini Dress (splurge) or Zara’s metallic offering for under $200

4. Lacy Red Mini-Dresses- Not Loving (sorry Kate!) My alternate pick- this gorgeous black asymmetric lace dress. Zara ($99.90)

5. Sheer Corset Mid-Sections – Not Loving. My alternate pick- a sleek and sophisticate v-back black shift with a small sheer panel in the front. Zara ($79.90)

6. Double buckle belt- Loving

Try: Double Buckle Stretch Belt from WetSeal (under $10.00!)

xo,

Lauren

Filed under artLOVEfashion, Fashion Tagged with double buckle belt dupes, dvf clutch, emerald clutch as seen on, kate middleton red lace dress, leather shift dresses, loefflar randall flat dupes, perfect black holiday dresses, star looks for less, star winter styles for less, vince leather dress dupes, winter fashion trends, zara leopard flats, zara winter fashion

spotlight on my favorite up & coming british starlett

December 1, 2011 Leave a comment

Ever since being sucked into the British version of Skins (which involved a lot of re-watching and obsessing over each episode like a 13 year old) I totally fell in love with my favorite character Effy, played by the uber-talented and stunning Kaya Scodelario. Her dark & edgy style on and off-screen is so inspiring – I love the way she pairs tomboy items like clunky boots, moto jackets or a baggy tee with really fitted and girly pieces. While this combination is is nothing new, it really works for her and she’s able to pull it off in a way that makes it look fresh and new- and she can rock messy bed-head hair (one of my all-time favorite looks) like none other. I don’t care how young she is, I would love to rain this girl’s closet- but it’s not just her style that’s made me such a fan.

Why hadn’t I seen or heard of this fresh-faced, talented actress before stumbling across Skins thanks to a suggestion from Netflix? At 14, she was cast as Effy with no prior acting experience whatsoever, but was nominted twice for the British TV Quick Award in the category for Best Actress for her stint in Skins. This show helped her fine-tune her acting chops and has lead to bigger and better roles, modeling gigs and magazine features. Recently, I read an article on her in British Vogue and wasn’t at all surprised to learn that she had landed the role of Cathy is in the latest film adaptation of Wuthering Heights (after Natalie Portman gave up the role.) Her charatcter on Skins was so gritty, damaged but beautiful (much like her personal style), I cannot wait to see her in her role as Cathy, which was hailed as a ‘heart-wrenching revelation’ at the Venice Film Festival. Wuthering Heights was released mid-November in the U.K. but it’s U.S. release date has yet to be announced. Regardess, I’ve already checked out the trailer which is available online and I can’t wait to see it once it finally does hit theaters. Here’s a spectrum of her style below- from 19th century classic beauty to hard as nails Effy to sultry and sophisticated editorials, she can do no wrong.

Stills from Wuthering Heights: