Clio Peppiatt Fall 2014

As mentioned a bit earlier, I wanted to discuss Clio Peppiatt's collections starting with the most recent and then take a step back in time. It was in Fall 2014 that I recognized the brand's genius, which was largely facilitated by the over sized faux fur coats and photo editing featuring hand-drawn iconography by the founding creative director. I had always found the fusion between handmade and high fashion extremely charming, but Clio Peppiatt also proves that it can be sexy. Naturally as someone who dresses for herself and not for men (or other women), looking sexy isn't something I really care for. But the latex bustier tops in pastel colors with heavily sequinned hearts are the perfect balance between man repelling and sexy. There's something to be said for clothes which are fun and empowering for women. I think Clio Peppiatt does just that, it attracts the offbeat girls and women that march to the sound of their own drum and gives them an aesthetically super charged sanctuary. 

It's hard to ignore the backdrop to these photos which is so reminiscent of Froots (the Marine and the Diamonds album, not the food type). Florals were another strong element of the photo-editing, emphasising the blue photo-realistic roses on a few of the fur-lined jackets. As if that weren't enough, hand-drawn illustrations from none other than Clio Peppiatt's creative director are the finishing touch, and appear across the website. The website itself is a thing of beauty and features some designs which don't feature on the clothes. Although Tumblr doesn't quite have the pulling power that it once did, combining DIY with high fashion still seems to be popularized (as evidenced by Grimes playing at Dior). It's definitely an aesthetic which I very much admire because at its core it promotes creativity and individuality. Imagine if every member of the community were as obsessed with personal branding and celebrating their own uniqueness, rather than clamoring to become a member of an online following. The world would be a much more magical place, and a bit more eccentric in the way that Clio Peppiatt evokes. 

A number of pieces are the best of both worlds in my opinion: their sexy but still retain a sense of creativity. I'm specifically referring to the crocheted turtleneck bodysuit with pink flowers and latex sheer latex, bell sleeve dress with hand-painted motifs but it seems to reoccur within a number of Clio Peppiatt's collections. Yes, I've mentioned this before but it's worth pointing out a second time with two very cool examples. A lot of the clothes I wear are hard-wired as being "cute" and "fun" and I could hardly be accused as dressing sexy. However, colourful bustier and crop tops, as well as mini skirts are pieces produced universally, but typically for young girls and sometimes lucky tweens. In much the same way Courtney Love pioneered the kinderwhore aesthetic, I'd love to see more brands appropriate clothes which look like they were made for young girls but make them for women. Molly Goddard is another excellent example, coincidentally from London as well. Clearly what I need to do is accrue the skills to make my own sassy subversive clothes- but that might take too long (for now I'll stick to writing about what I know!)

Clio Peppiatt Spring 2015

Considering I’ve been stalking this designer for months on social media, it seems ludicrous that I haven’t had time to properly introduce Clio Peppiatt! I posted an outfit inspired by the British designer a while ago, but never really took the time to discuss her work??? Yeah, basically even I’m surprised by that gross oversight. Clio Peppiatt has been active since Fall 2014, but I decided to review her most recent collection first. While chronological order has its appeal (for very obvious reasons), since I have so much blogging to catch up on I’d prefer to have a holistic view on what’s coming out of London Fashion Week before rummaging through archives and focusing on each designer individually. There’s a bunch of amazing British designers with an insane online following and well-defined aesthetic who I find absolutely inspiring in terms of producing color, often hand-illustrated work. So, without further ado: Clio Peppiatt.

It’s not a collection which can be easily pigeon-holed within a certain motif or concept, which is kind of the reason why I like it so much. Each piece stands out on its own, with the commonalities being a pastel color palette and ruffles Carmen Miranda style. The lookbook itself is reminiscent of Wes Anderson's Bottle Rocket, with just a lil' bit of American Hustle through the “rose-tinted lens” of photographer Alex Prager.  The collection was in fact, shot by Nadia Lee Cohen, however, the low angle shots and heavily processed images creating distinctly surreal blue skies reminds me a lot of Prager’s narrative photo series. In much the same way, it feels like there’s a story hidden in here somewhere but we’re not seeing the full picture. The clothes however, remain the star of the show and are heavily intertwined with the creatives at Polyester Zine, particularly founding editor in chief, Ione Gamble, who owns a pair of custom knee high boots from this very collection. 

As daft as it may sound I’m always a little overwhelmed when it comes to dreaming up outfits for Summer, particularly on those 100 degree days when my entire face feels like it’s melting and my arm pits have bad breath. I had every intention of buying the ruffle shrimp top from this very collection, however, even the best laid plans can sometimes go amiss. I had hoped to buy it on sale (sometimes discount codes are announced via the ClioPeppiatt Instagram account, however, it seems like I’ve been out of luck for the last couple of months. That, and I’d also love to own that mermaid bodysuit. The colors are absolutely perfect, it looks just like something Kailey from Mermaidens would wear. I’d love to know if, like me, you have a favorite piece from this collection and how/ when you would wear it! Also since I have nothing but time on my hands and there’s a cool designer you’ve been crushing on lately I’m dying to know (hint hint, comment below!) I'd also though I'd mention that Clio Peppiatt are currently looking for interns in London between November and February. If you're interested, shoot them an email!

Shrimps Resort 2016

In an article penned for Style.com by Emily Farra she noted that 'historically' Resort was once an understated affair comprised of bikinis, dresses and other holiday essentials. However, in recent years the image of Resort has been gently remolded by London based designer and relative newcomer Hannah Weiland. (I say 'relative newcomer' as her brand Shrimps has already reached worldwide acclaim and seen on British IT girl Alexa Chung, as well as Brix Smith-Start, Aimee Phillips and Pixie Geldof JUST TO NAME A FEW). Her label Shrimps is best known for their whimsical faux fur coats, stoles and accessories and this season is familiar and yet new. For one thing her signature pieces were paired with denim-inspired pants and white linen pieces, perpetuating this idea that silk pajamas are perfectly acceptable as daywear and as a university student, can I just say this is possibly the greatest thing to have ever happened.

For one thing, if you own a nice pair of pajamas or vintage bedroom jacket you could only really wear it while on holiday. Or when trying to impress your significant other. If you were to say, go grocery shopping while wearing something ultra comfy you have either a.) lost the plot or b.) are a slob. Or perhaps your underpants radius has expanded so far you are now able to transcend all barriers as a result of a devastating breakup as demonstrated by Marshall in How I Met Your Mother. But now that is all totally OK and what's even better is we can look chic and be comfortable at the same time!! Many probably wouldn't call that progress. I say that since the 1960s there has been a distinct lack of excitement about the future or the cars of tomorrow and I will take pleasure in the little things. Something as simple as an all white outfit, which is despicably difficult to maintain in the first place, can be dressed up with a fabulous fur stole and matching clutch. For mere mortals that seems utterly impossible but I'm sure Bjork would be totally into that. 

Finally while I was pleased with the inclusion of dogs in these photographs I wonder whether the fashion world has been oblivious to their potential up until now. While many animal rights advocates are usually quick to criticise the use of animals in runway shows, as was the case with Discount Universe earlier this year it seems the overwhelming majority of cases involve an assistant's or model's own pooch worming their way into the photos. In the context of this lookbook it subtly signifies the collection's connection with nature, albeit in a very controlled environment. Whatever the true intent I hope this means that more people will dress fabulously when walking their dogs, even if they are just walking to their nearest cafe as is the case in Brunswick. Brunswick being one of the trendier suburbs outside of Melbourne and where I generally hangout whenever possible. But I digress! Knowing that I can wear fur in just about every season, (except Summer because I live in Australia) makes me a happy little pleb.

*Photos via style.com