Fashion Marmite

Last night i watched this video about 40 plus style - now i have to add at this juncture that most of my friends are younger than me and the last thing we discuss is 40 plus style - as they wouldnt have a clue as to what i was going on about and i quite like to delude myself that i am all down with the kids ???  inwardly cringing ....   Having said that, just recently i am feeling the passing of time in oh so many ways.  Now i truly do  think there are things to celebrate when you get older, the ability to revel in ladylike tailoring - which i so love -  and it really isn't a young woman's game particularly - having said that - my god what a dirth there is - soooo boringly cut - hence the soon to be launched Sadie Harris.

Watching the video - and like most things i wasnt there with all of it - at present my figure hasnt changed much - it only ever changes according to what i eat or hormonal bloating and that hasnt changed for the last 30 years!  Hence if i want to feel good and for me that equates slim - i pretty much remain hungry with indulgent weekend breaks.  My choice and actually not one i strongly recommend.  I dont necessarily want to emulate a celebrity, i am not all about a heel, but i really do relate to the questioning that comes with age - should i wear it - am i too old - and the age old am i that mad old woman in the hat???

Last September we were showing at 100% design in Earls Court and i needed to pick up some shoes from Chloe - having bought a very yummy new blouse from them a week before i decided to honour my visit with wearing said yummy green blouse, camel trousers, a fab nude hat with rather dayglo orange and green band - knee high boots and chanel dark bag - well it felt good, somewhat elegant and off i trotted.  Chloe loved it, I was asked for a pic by a trendy young blogger, approached by older, extremely well preserved Chelsea gent and declared "stunning, such colour".  Well my sartorial head had swelled, not to mention my literal one and it was off to earls court to more compliments from a Made in Chelsea Jamie lookylikey, and a pretty young Swede, i mean this outfit was rocking - out i trot to wait for mr and waft off home on a sartorially successful cloud when i turn around and see 2, 30-something ladies from the cake and bake show, pulling the most disgusted amused faces in my direction - well at that moment i realised - i truly was fashion marmite and they were not liking it!!

So what do you do - become invisible, follow your own style, mix the two or just dress how you feel on the day?  How hard is it getting older as a woman - and is it all about just still feeling attractive and is that all about the other sex or not?  i dont have the answers but i know i ask the questions xx

And with a hat........

Detail shot - i dont think there is anything more " i am so pleased i am 40 plus plus than an hermes shawl" - how gorgeous - my new fave thing 

Sleeveless coat and trousers - a cornerstone in my spring/autumn Sadie Harris designs,

Chloe Blouse, Chanel Bag, Hermes Shawl and bangle, Hat Stetston, Shoes Miu Miu, New Ring - McQueen - thanks Mr xx

Sadie Harris

Sadie Harris is such a beautiful british name and it was the name of my maternal Grandmother.  The brand i am launching is one of tradition and heritage,  all British, made in England.  It speaks of stealth style with an edge.  My grandmother sums up these things for me - she was beautiful, strong, elegant and so very british from a bygone era - an era where womens lives where hard, especially in the North of England, but she lead hers with elegance and above all she loved life, playing the ukelele and starring in local productions.  She married in her early 40's and i think my mother was somewhat of a surprise, sadly she lost her husband when my mother was just 7.  She spent the last twenty years of her life in a mental home the only place for her with early onset alzheimers - i did not know her - i want to dedicate something to her so in some small way her life will live on.

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The first collection i am working on is entitled "A very British Summer".  I will be using traditional saville row fabrics,  they will meet feminine form, with 70's referencing.  They will be wearable, easy pieces that cater for our very own brand of weather - light weight tailoring, beautiful lace dresses with lightweight menswear inspired 3/4 coats,  pieces that interchange in soft muted colours with flashes of brights.  It is a collection that will be wearable across age groups with old fashioned couture detailing, and stealth sex appeal.  There will be an element of that old fashioned British 'boys love the girls, girls love the boys' ethos we do so very well.   For this first collection i am very much my own muse.

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In the meantime Frank and I are showcasing a design i worked on this winter.  I was definitely having an elegant turn and although i always love texture in my fabrics the colours were more muted and i used a lot of rich deep colours.   In this instance a teal blue alpaca wool for the jacket with a navy lace layered over teal cashmere for the skirt.  Playing with proportion the sleeves were shortened and a dramatic back cut was added to the jacket.  I am pleased with it - it was easy to wear and dress up or down.

Although the sun was shining, the colours were distorting as well as the texture so we moved to the shade

The back is really lovely and although the fabric is soft it is holding the shape well,  i always add a handy pocket!

The collar can be worn turned down but i like the shaping on the neck when up 

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And finally for all you Franky fans - he wasnt having much of it - but his bum was ..

In the beginning 

In the end

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Skirt and Jacket my own design, shoes YSL, bag Bottega Venneta, jumper Eric bompard, Bracelet Hermes (thanks again to Mr), Sunglasses Gucci - navy leather - loving the texture again xxx

Vogue.co.uk, street chic

Hello all from a freezing cold Sussex, snow falling, April!  Seriously - i would add to the snow falling, my nose dripping! Tooo much .......

I have a whole post prepared about my new brand which i will post next week when the man, frank and I have had time for some piccies.

In the meantime, on Tuesday on my way to Saville Row to see the most amazing fabrics, Holland and Sherry (but that is another whole new post), i bumped into the wonderful Dvora at Fashionistable who shoots for vogue, street chic amongst others and always gets my heart beating faster come fashion weeks, not to mention her blog posts.

Dvora has taken my pic before for vogue, during my blogging hiatus so i thought i would share both pics with you, wish you a very good weekend, its nearly here, and some warmer weather to those of us suffering freezing temps in the northern hemisphere xxx

I have to say i love this shot - thank you Dvora - for a better looky - you can see all the details really clearly - here's the link vogue.co.uk

and again, for the above shot the link is, vogue.co.uk, october 12

The outfits are both designed by me, and the first is very typical of what i am working at the moment - a lot of checks, british heritage fabrics, feminine with strong traditional tailoring influences.  

In both shots the shoes are Miu Miu, and the bags are respectively Miu Miu and Chanel, the hat is Borsolino and the shawl is MaxMara xx