RUBBER DUCK IT

Call me quackers, but I can't think of a better way to spend Good Friday than watching a load of rubber ducks race along the River Irwell. Spinningfields took to hosting the event like a duck to water, and it was so busy I couldn't see the race well, but I took that like water off a duck's back.

Hohoho, I do like to begin a blog post with a handful of puns, maybe I should write headlines for The Sun or something. But anyway, today was Manchester's annual duck race and I went along for a punt and a pint. I think the ducks had a pretty heavy night as some were disqualified for turning upside down, and one poor guy had to be rescued by a canoeist. They really ducked that up, huh? (Sorry. Last one)





The sun did actually come out for a little while today but my gosh was it cold. I'm sorry to go on about the weather but it is not only getting me down in the dumps, it has totally messed up my style mojo. I know what I want to wear though I have to make it work with my leopard coat - which in previous years I've only worn on the very coldest of winter days, but I've literally worn it for five months straight this time. I'm sick of the sight of it but there is no way I am buying a new winter coat this late in the game! I'd be much happier if it was even warm enough to wear a faux fur jacket, at least they show a bit of your outfit and I could change things up a little. But despite the sun I was still freezing in my thick coat.

I tried to cheer myself up by giving my wardrobe a spring audit, which did give me some new ideas and also reminded me of this dress which I picked up for a whole £2 at the Clothes Show. I liked its daisy embroidery and kinderwhore vibe, though I think it could really benefit from a sawn-off raw hem to add to its riot grrl disposition. That, and bare legs, pastel ankle socks, flatforms, and no jacket... that'll be spring, then.

I'm wearing:

Vintage dress

H&M coat (similar)

Topshop boots (similar)

Wildfox sunglasses

Forever 21 bag

A not-at-all awkward photo of me with a giant duck and a weirdo lurking in the background. Standard.

D.K.N.Y..? WE WANT TO!

Menswear is the hot topic on everyone's lips at the moment - what with the first menswear-dedicated London Collections showing some truly innovative collections, and the ever fabulous Pitti Uomo currently running in Florence. I can appreciate a well-cut suit and will happily steal one of Chris's t-shirts if the outfit calls for it, but my knowledge goes no further: subsequently I take every opportunity to expand my awareness.

Of course, if this involves looking at male models for an extended period of time, it's something I just have to suck up and get on with. This was the case at the DKNY store on The Avenue on Thursday - part of Spinningfields' /Series of events. Funnily enough it was mainly ladies in attendance - young ones at that - and I am sure they were going through the same anguish of beholding the models filling the clothes at DKNY's fashion show.

If I were a male discussing female models I would surely be accused of being sexist, so perhaps it's time to move onto scrutinising the clothes. The Avenue's DKNY is solely a menswear store (womenswear is available in the standalone store on King Street or in Harvey Nichols), specialising in smart-casual and business attire. Considering the label's prestige the prices are reasonable: you can expect to pay in the region of £300 for a suit. An excellent suit is the antithesis of women's fast fashion turnover. They are worn on many occasions for many years, so it really is worth investing a few pennies. The recent womenswear trend for mismatching seems to have extended onto men's suiting (see above), which is an interesting and low-cost way of updating the look.

The smart-casual attire is fashionable without being vulgar, with even Manchester's very own Fashion Boy buying into the brand with a cobalt blue pair of chinos, as seen in the fashion show.

I love an androgynous look and enjoy mixing a button-up shirt with a floral skirt, but I do think DKNY is definitely one for the boys. Could you see yourself mixing these pieces into your wardrobe - or would you keep them for your boyfriend?

Still Life Interrupted: Elliott Landy

Today we have a special guest post from Mr Dotty - that is, my boyfriend Chris. For his first instalment he checks out the Emporio Armani/Elliott Landy exhibition...

He left the house and anxiously checked the time again. As usual, he was running late after a conundrum rendered him paralysed in his underwear.

What should he wear for this thing?

Now that he'd sorted that issue out, the next, and completely beyond his control; a dog, wet after bathing in the canal, operating like a punctured fire hydrant with brownish spurts flying into the chilly air, launching itself towards him. Were chinos ever a good call with waterways and dogs in the world?

Then he was at Emporio Armani and the Elliott Landy collection, the rest of the journey competely uneventful and thus unworthy of comment. An extremely friendly woman greeted him at the door, opened by two pleasant and smartly dressed chaps, and asked his name.

'I don't think I'm on the list,' he said, too quietly. Fortunately greeters are used to people less confident than themselves (because by definition EVERYONE is less confident than them - that's their job) and said 'I'm sure you are (winning smile)'. A quick indicative glance at the invite list -

'Chris Green'
'Yes, here you are.'
As if it were the most natural conversation in the world (which it was).

He walked around the gallery in a striped t-shirt, chinos and brown boots (don't worry, I know where I am) supping from a complimentary Peroni, marvelling at the photography on offer. If I get the chance to tell people about this, particularly a large audience, I'm going to recommend everyone come and see it, he thought to himself.


Janis Joplin
A man in a suit walked over and asked if they were his pictures. He played along and said they were, and an amusing moment ensued where he adopted the persona of another man for his audience and tried to mimic his behaviours based on what sort of guy he thought Elliott Landy was. They grinned and went their separate ways, the set piece (and alcohol) having settled his nerves somewhat.

He spent the next hour or so checking out the remarkable images on offer. He scribbled down a particular irony in Landy using infrared, a photographic technique perfected by the CIA for tracing heat residues, in capturing some of the central figures in western counterculture, like Dylan, Joplin and Hendrix. He loved the effect the technique had in reducing physical movement to etheral streaks and curved flashes oflight, creating impressions of sonic physicality and in some cases removing the creator from the act. There was something weirdly profound in that, he felt.

 
Ornette Coleman & son
As he stared at a picture of Bob Dylan surrounded by warm hazy pink blossom, he realised how influential Landy had been in creating this artwork. It was as though as Landy were umbilically attached to the Summer of Love and now its ideas and philosophies were his lfeblood. He couldn't imagine the era of these legends being captured in any other way and that, surely, was the mark of genius that only a few possessed. 

Mostly, however, he noticed he was really prone to monologues. He put it down to the influence of weblog culture.

 
John Lee Hooker
Elliott Lady's collection is available to view at Emporio Armani, Spinningfields until Monday 7th May. These JPEGs will be disappearing then so view the exhibition while you can!

A Trip To The Seaside With Mulberry

We may be a fair few miles from sun, sea, and sandcastles, but last night Mulberry brought the shores to Manchester with a seaside-themed celebration of their spring/summer collection.

The first delight was a Mulberry ice cream van, serving up yummy raspberry ripple ice cream with sprinkles.









Rebecca of Vintage Romance enjoying her icey

The store's interior was not short of sweet treats, either..









Notice how the waiters' aprons were co-ordinated with the key spring/summer piece. That's dedication for you!

The Spinningfields store was previously accessory-centric, however the party served to highlight that the store now carries more of the pret-a-porter range. On the left of the store is the perky Resort 2012 collection, featuring fun fruit prints with googly eyes, and this quite special tea dress.





Take a closer look at its print and you will find more cute characters.

On the right of the store you will find the spring/summer 2012 collection, inspired by the Great British seaside. Pieces currently on sale include the pivotal yellow, pink and green striped Lollipop dress (the maxi version of which is featured in the Frida & Lindsey ad campaign), a black tunic with sewn-on plastic stars, reminiscent of my fourteen-year-old self's dream - which is in no way a bad thing! - and an adorable yellow dog mac (I'd be all over this but I doubt Henning would be very impressed. Yellow is not his colour).

The ladies from Grazia were on hand to talk us through Mulberry's key trends; candy shades, teamed with buttery leather separates and studded chambray dresses are set to be cool as ice-cream for summer.

Two ladies whose attire caught my eye were a doctor, left, and a solicitor (remember Lisa from my Stylist street style piece?), proving you can have fun with what you wear, whatever industry you work in.

Realising I may have consumed too many alcoholic beverages when I started to think buying the Bayswater in bright yellow made good financial sense (it's an investment, darling!), I knew it was time to go home. But not before Rebecca and I had a go on the ubiquitous seaside game, The Grabby Machine.. (not official name)

I won a teddy! I've named him Cuthbert.
The team who masterminded yesterday evening deserve a huge pat on the back - I am grateful that such a huge brand will open the doors of its boutique and risk the spilling of free Prosecco onto £500 plus handbags. It's a risk that pays off, however; the brand are expecting 2012 to exceed forecast, after a cracking Christmas and New Year period (Business of Fashion/Reuters). Brands retailing in Manchester and beyond would do well to follow the example of the British super-brand.



They do give out a cracking goodie bag... I can't bring myself to eat the rock.

Catwalk images from style.com, all other images my own

A Fashion Dotty Guide to Manchester

I was recently emailed by one of my followers, who was visiting Manchester, asking for a guide to the city. As I was typing a reply, I realised I knew more about my city than I thought! I've been a visitor for the past ten years, and lived here since May, so I thought I'd share my knowledge with you all. Hopefully you'll discover something new, whether you've lived here your whole life or are a visitor.

Manchester is a vibrant, exciting city, and you will find it is very different to London. It's a lot smaller and the city centre is over a condensed area. If you're coming in by train, you'll most likely pull into Piccadilly Station. From here, it's most logical to hit the Northern Quarter first. Here, you'll find many independent shops, many with vintage or handmade goods. Spend an afternoon wandering around Tib Street, Thomas Street, and Oldham Street.

Curiouser & Curiouser is an absolute beauty of a shop, along Tib Street. The store houses many unique pieces, some quite dramatic, but all can easily be dressed up or down, with the addition of a vertiginous heel, or a denim jacket. A lot of work has been put into the visuals of this place, with inspiration being taken from Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland.

My friend Jenna's favourite piece was this leopard bustier with attached pleated maxi skirt. I preferred the leather bustier and nude skirt option.

Downstairs is its sister shop, The Shoe Box. Here, hand-picked exclusive labels are displayed in gorgeous surroundings. After I'd been in, Corrie's Michelle Keegan bought the nude heels from the photo, and earlier in the week, Chloe Sevigny paid a visit..!

A little further along Tib Street, there's Kiku, a bespoke corset maker. Definitely useful to know this one, whether you're a budding fashion designer, or buying your wedding dress.

Ready for a brew already?! Take a breather at Home Sweet Home, on Edge Street. The ginger cake there is something else.

Okay, once your tea and cake has digested, it's time to tackle the city centre. Manchester has amazing high-street shopping, and although most of these shops you will find in your local town centre or online, I would say that the Topshop in the Arndale centre is definitely worth a visit. It's big, but not as big as the Oxford Street store, and has a varied selection of items, including things that are only available in flagship stores or online.



There are three main department stores - Harvey Nichols, Selfridges, and House of Fraser - and they are all worth a look in even if it's just to see the different brands and price points they carry. My personal favourite is Harvey Nichols. Their window displays are by far the best in Manchester (the biggest budget, perhaps?) and the average price-per-item in store is the highest, too! Go up to the second floor for fantastic in-store displays and amazingly beautiful clothing and accessories by Alexander McQueen, Gucci, Diane von Furstenberg, and many more.

Harvey Nichols is situated on New Cathedral Street, which houses some high-end flagship stores, such as Reiss, Ted Baker, and Burberry.

At the end of the street is Zara, which is my favourite high-street store in Manchester. The window displays are always interesting, and I love to wander around in my lunch hour, making a wish list in my head. So chic.

One of Manchester's best-kept secrets is Elite Dress Agency, down King Street West (next to House of Fraser). Unfortunately they had put their shutters down when I went to snap a picture, but rest assured they have an amazing selection of everything from Topshop to top names like Prada, all gently worn. There's a pair of Rodarte X Nicholas Kirkwood shoes in there right now that are breaking my heart - if they weren't three sizes too small I would've nabbed them long ago!

In the last stretch of our shopping trip, we head down to Manchester's new financial quarter, Spinningfields. The Avenue North has only opened this week, and has really cute illustrations, advertising it to prospective retailers. I'm excited to see who opens there! (I'd love it if someone could enlighten me as to who these illustrations are by)

In The Avenue, which is quite an established area now, you have more high-end flagships, like Flannels, Calvin Klein, Mulberry, and Kurt Geiger. Take a look at the awesome glass outer of the Armani shop.

And there we have it! You've pretty much toured all of the stores worth a look in Manchester. Do you have any favoured haunts of your own? Disagree with anything I've written? Write me a comment! Although fashion retail is my forté, I can also advise on eating & going-out, or know someone who can help. Enjoy your time in Manchester, and I hope you love the city as much as I do.