MILAN FASHION WEEK FAVES

DISCLAIMER: Once again, none of these photos belong to me, if they do belong to you or someone you know, please alert me and I will provide credit immediately.

On to the second one, Milan Fashion Week! There was a point in time when I was completely and totally obsessed with Italy and everything Italian, especially the fashion, so MFW holds a special place in my heart. The collections I'll be reviewing are the ones that I liked and caught my eye as usual. So first up: 

BLUMARINE

I love the sheer dresses with the floral patterns on them, so summery and pretty, just PRETTY in every aspect of the word.  The second gown being worn by one of my models of the moment, Cindy Bruna is my favourite, definitely gonna take some guts and a super rocking body like hers to pull that one off, nevertheless, it is beautiful. My obsession with leather is never-ending hence, that striped/seethrough/floral piece caught my eye immediately. It's the perfect combination of tough girl meets dainty floral lover.

BOTTEGA VENETA

I've never been a big Bottega Veneta fan but this collection was so lovely I couldn't help it. It's an "Ode to the Dancer," and I think they captured the essence perfectly. It's super chic and simplistic and the muted colours aided in it's execution. Personally I think darker colours would not have done this collection justice as the lighter tones have. These are clothes I can easily picture myself wearing, dressed up or down and that does it in for me, when clothing is that versatile.

THAT BOW.

ROBERTO CAVALLI

Cavalli, Cavalli Cavalli, need I say more? Perfect. Black and Leather, instant love. Not so much a fan of the shoes in this collection but the fantastic clothing makes up for it, and the diversity of the models as well, seeing as that is such a big issue these days in the fashion world (no really, it is). I love the exotic leathers and the black in general but can we talk about that gorgeous, embroidered, cut-out dress on Malaika Firth please? Absolute genius, you can see the art meets fashion on the piece and I think that was what made it my favourite piece from this collection.

DOLCE AND GABBANA

This Spanish influenced Dolce & Gabbana collection as usual, came out swinging with gorgeous patterned fabrics, signature shorts, embroidered and crocheted to perfection. Domenico and Stefano just know how to do it right. But let's talk about hair and makeup, absolutely F L A W L E S S. Deep burgundy/berry lips, muted eyeshadow, and fierce winged liner, ahh! Yes! And the hair, weaved in with roses and D&G's signature statement necklaces, earrings and headpieces made for a show to remember, especially the anticipated finale. Zhenya Katava aka the model in the upclose photo was EVERYTHING. I love her face, I love her everything, can we give her some credit please? Cause Kendall Jenner doesn't deserve half of what she's getting but Zhenya certainly does.

FENDI

Fendi's shoe game was on point, so were their feathers, that gorgeous cutout piece worn by Joan Smalls was my absolute favourite. Beautiful and elegant as always, Karl Lagerfeld did not fall short with this collection, especially the shoes, did I mention the shoes? Yeah, the accessories did more for me with this line than the actual clothing, alas, I do love the feathers.

EMILIO PUCCI

Pucci, always a classic. Those flowy gowns looked very resort-ish but I loved them nonetheless, hey I am from the Caribbean after all. I'm usually not a fan of the tie-dye looking fabrics but these were tastefully done and did you guys see that show? Did you see the fierceness of Empress Naomi Campbell and Queen Natasha Poly stomping down that runway? Natasha was fabulous and fierce and everything she ever was and she's back, I almost squealed. Almost. I was too busy staring with my jaw on the floor. My favourite from the collection though was this perfectly tailored, uniquely coloured tangerine/pumpkin suit. Ondria Hardin, my love, did it justice, how perfect is it though? And I love those oversized sunglasses. If only I could afford this level of fabulousness. One day, one day...

PHILIPP PLEIN

The dresses, oh, the dresses, I loved them so much, the corset top and flared dresses were so very Dior-esque, but with a Plein touch. I really liked this collection I think my affection is self-explanatory when you look at the photos. And wow, Izabel Goulart was totally slaying on the runways this season. My favourite from this collection is the striped, flared dress, that's why it's there twice, because I can ;)

GIAMBA

I think this is one of the collections that I've anticipated the most, the sister line to the almighty couture powerhouse, Giambattista Valli. I was not disappointed and I am so happy I could shed a tear. The collection encompassed many of Valli's main features, whimsical florals, light colours, bold patterning (mainly floral), gorgeous crocheting and oh my gosh those cute tights! Ahh! I loved it all, so sophisticated and everything I would expect from the sister line of one of my favourite haute couture houses. 

Stay tuned for the big guns up next...PARIS FASHION WEEK!

xoxo, Shantilly.

LONDON FASHION WEEK!

Disclaimer: None of these photos belong to me, I got them from all over tumblr, if they do belong to you or anyone you know, please let me know and I will provide the necessary credit. 

Now, on to the post. Fashion weeks are always so hectic, just trying to keep up online is a task, I could only imagine being there and attending the shows (one day hopefully). I chose to cover London instead of New York, mainly because New York is timeless, it's stuff you see all the time, from the gorgeous silhouettes at Zac Posen to the florals of Oscar de la Renta and classic gowns at Ralph Lauren. But of course, that's my personal opinion. Said opinion also favours London Fashion Week for its ingenuity and and unique designs, everything is fresh and new in London (I'm also a bit biased since I've got a heavy dose of wanderlust for Europe, London being the first stop). There are things I see being worn in London that I don't think could be worn anywhere else and come off so absolutely...ordinary, despite there being nothing ordinary at all about it. I didn't actually look at all the shows but from the ones I did look at I'm reviewing and highlighting my favourites.

My absolute favourite collection from LFW has got to be J.W. Anderson. Yes, that caught even me off guard. I adored this collection, ESPECIALLY the giant, leather, floppy hats and gathered leather gloves. His looks were wearable and put together just fabulously, I would literally spend all the money I own on that entire look with the cream or navy dress, I would also live in that leather hat and gloves forever if I could. I also love that he didn't do super high ankle-breaking heels, a lot of the shows at London did flats this season, guess we're swapping out the heels. However that doesn't mean you can't actually wear heels with any of these looks, you certainly can. Here come the winners:

THIS navy dress, this whole damn outfit. WIN.

For some more sophisticated glam...Matthew Williamson ladies and gentlemen. I want it all. Those jewel tones, the flowy mix of patterns, and the ease with which he manages to produce another excellent collection. Destination travel meets high street, I am blown away. The colours in this collection happen to be some of my favourites all year round, which I guess is a bit odd considering  that I'm from the Caribbean. All of my favourite colours are dark ones, BLACK, burgundy, wine, eggplant, oxblood, emerald, Williamson paired these dark solid colours with gorgeous brighter patterned pieces and they worked so so well. 

 I would wear this in an instant.

YES. That is all.

 Holiday party in the tropics anyone? 

The ruffles are to die for...this outfit...get in my closet please.

Christopher Kane, one of the most well known London based designers around, hey, he did win the Women's Wear Designer of the Year in 2013, and with good reason, check out these beauties. The power suit is back, in full force. Well done Christopher Kane, well done.

The leather again. Love. 

That skirt though.

This was so reminiscent of a Zac Posen structure, I couldn't help it but fall in love.

Looks like cutouts are here to stay, and no one's complaining ;)

This next designer needs no introduction, with one look at her pieces and everyone knows who it is...

MARY KATRANTZOU

Who the hell else could make stuff that looks like this? It's no wonder the Greek designer earned herself varying monikers along the lines of the "Princess of the Prints." She has certainly lived up to the nicknames. This collection has a lot of under the sea influence and that doesn't mean it's fishy at all, it is pure artistic brilliance.

 I think this one's quickly become my favourite.

Beautiful, no?

Julien Macdonald is another designer that had quite a fantastic offering this season with his signature silhouettes and figure flattering designs, not to mention the patterns, oh God, the patterns! 

I can almost picture a Kardashian wearing this dress and it makes me cringe because it deserves to be worn by someone better. Don't kill me Kardashian lovers!

Can I get married now? Yes? To myself? Yes. No problem. 

Hey there gorgeous...I'd get married in this too.

Love love love that high middle slit!

For the finale now, Marchesa. I have been a fan of Marchesa since I laid eyes on it years and years ago even though I was quite young at the time. I had no idea about fashion (I still don't but you know...I try, it is something I'm passionate about) but I was completely enamoured by their princess-like gowns, beautiful draping and gorgeous gorgeous designs, it was and still is a dream of mine to own a Marchesa gown. To be very honest, this collection was not my favourite but there were still some achingly beautiful pieces that blew me away and deserve the recognition. I have a weakness for florals and there was an abundance of them in this whimsical, airy collection.

 Fairy Princess Perfection.

Something about this dress gave me that Frida Kahlo vibe. Lovely.

ohmygodohmygodohmygod GET ON ME NOW. ABSOLUTE FAVOURITE.

Last but certainly not least, special shoutout to ASHISH for this particular item of clothing that is sure to turn heads everywhere...

I present to you...the Kimye jumper/sweater. LOL

And that concludes my review on London Fashion Week, hope you guys enjoy. Pretty sure I have no readers but hey, here's hoping! Till next time!

xoxo, Shantilly.

Read A Damn Book! // Blog Series by Avonell Rose

My latest piece of writing is actually over at my friend Avonell's blog here. She asked me to write a book review/ book recommendation for her new blog series and instantly one of my favourites came to mind, Stolen by Lucy Christopher. I absolutely adore that piece of literature, I could go on and on about it, it completely absorbed me from the moment I picked it up, so go check it out over at http://www.msavonelljrose.tk/ and give her a follow while you're there :D

xoxo, Shantilly.

Back to Basics

Firstly, I'd like to say that this is a new start to this blog once again (or so I hope).

I don't exactly consider myself a "blogger" mainly because I'm too inconsistent for that title. I follow many bloggers and I'm always in awe at how much and how consistently they're able to update and produce on their blogs. I'm such a confusing person in general that my biggest concern is a blog name, and I feel like I need to have a blog name that I can readily identify with. Before I came up with this url I tried a ton of others, all of which were taken and were already, established, fantastic blogs so I didn't want to be unoriginal. Fashion is a passion of mine, and it has been for much of my teen years until now (I'm 21) and it doesn't seem to be going anywhere any time soon so I decided that of course it had to play a part in choosing my blog name hence, "haute." Of course if you didn't know yet, I'm pretty much a walking disaster, my life is always coming apart at the seams and I'm forever trying to hold on to my wits. My best friend fondly refers to me quite regularly as a "hot mess" so I thought what better than that? And so... The Haute Mess was born...(like two days ago)

I might as well give a basic outline of who I am as a person. I'm a 21 year old law student from the tiny Caribbean island of Trinidad. I have a Bachelor's degree in Literature and History from the University of the West Indies (UWI) I absolutely love to read and write however I frequently suffer from writer's block (and chronic laziness). The past couple years of my life have been an utter mess that left my creativity suffering and my entire being in a total disarray. I'm not one to just give up, no matter how many times I say I give up so this is why I've decided to try my hand at this once more. This blog will encompass everything that interests me, ranging from fashion, travel, books, current events, history, art, movies/film, music and whatever I deem fit to be here so I hope you enjoy a little insight into the mind of a total haute mess ;)

Also, I refuse to censor myself when it comes to certain things so my content may sometimes be a bit on the raw side. (Follow my tumblr for more regular updates)

xoxo, Shantilly.

Life as an Intern

This past week has changed my life so much, I'm not sure I've really grasped it all yet, it's still sinking in. Rewind to the week before, I got an email back from one of the magazines I emailed about an internship, asking me to come in for an interview. In that moment, I couldn't even believe it, the opportunity was too good to pass up, especially after being shut down by everyone after hearing my ambition to be a journalist, furthermore, a fashion journalist. After a series of dramatic events, and a lot of begging, I finally got to go to the interview. Of course on the morning itself, the nerves kicked in, but I refused to let that make me lose this chance, so I sucked it up and did the best I could...and got the job :D

My first job ever, at a fashion magazine, it doesn't matter to me that the publication is still fairly small and trying to fight its way up, I think it's better that way, to start small, gaining experience in all the basics. That's just the thing about being an intern, I'm exposed to every aspect of producing the magazine and I couldn't be more thankful. Of course, the first week was a bit rough, but by yesterday, I was thanking my lucky stars for this opportunity. In this short time, I've met so many amazing, hard-working people, and I'm more motivated and inspired than ever to shoot for the dream that I almost gave up on.

I wrote a review on CAFD's Fashion Show held at Hilton on Sunday 30th June and brought it in on Monday, it definitely wasn't my best work, but I gave it to my editor and CEO anyway and they actually liked it. I couldn't have been more shocked and ecstatic, I asked for another day to tweak it and bring it back and they agreed, so now it's going to be published in this issue of the magazine. I don't think that fact has fully set in with me yet, I think it might after it ctually materializes. I still think it isn't my best work but it is definitely something I'm incredibly proud of achieving. All of it in fact, writing up my resume, deciding to enquire about an internship, getting the job, it's a very liberating feeling, knowing I did all of this on my own, even after having little to no support, and after a very rough start to the year. It's rewarding, and I'm so SO thankful for this once in a lifetime chance for me, it could kickstart my career and change my life more than anything, so even if it might get tough at times, I'm just keeping that in mind at all times.

xoxo...Shantilly

Spiralling and Rekindling

Spiralling. 

I've heard the term used far too often as of late. I've felt it before. This time was different, I knew it deep in my bones from the moment it began. It was more destructive, consuming, vicious, it brought out a side of me that even I was afraid of. I tried to tame it, mastering the art of self-counselling, trying to convince myself that everything would be okay. It wasn't. I knew it wouldn't be but I tried, out of fear, fear of my own mind. The bitterness was tainting whatever good was left within me. It disgusted me, and I fought, building up my resolve to wage in a war against myself. It was the hardest thing I've had to do, personally, thus far. The matter is still very delicate, however I think I've got some control over the reigns of my poisonous mind as of the moment. 

Whenever I hear the time "spiralling", it seems like a gradual process. It was at first. I've been through a similar situation before so I was well aware. This time it was much different, the moment it blew up, I knew. Spiralling was not what you would call this, it was more like a dismal fall from grace. Like a meaningless one night stand, hard, fast, explosive, sometimes toxic and destructive. There was no euphoria, not even a moment of it. Throughout this entire disaster, all I've been saying to myself is:

I will survive. I will endure. 

Endure I did. Survive, physically yes, but mentally, it's left a generous scar. Then came the climax, that pivotal point where it all surfaced at once. It was terrifying. I was convinced that I was going to lose it. I was horrified at the viciousness of my own mind. It wasn't a spiral, it was an ungraceful fall, everything came apart at the seams, crumbling all around me until I couldn't take it anymore. An emotional breakdown is what it felt like, the problem is, I wasn't mad at the situation anymore. I was mad at myself. Mad for being so weak, for trusting too much, caring too much, loving TOO much. Only to have it blow right back up in my face, for what? WHAT? Now I can't even get a reason. Never again. NEVER. 

Once I am breathing, I will strive to never let myself down like this again. If that makes me cynical and pessimistic, so be it. It is better than feeling like this. I've heard it before, that the mind is a tricky weapon, I'm aware. My mind, seems to take on a much darker tone in times of despair though, channelling all the pain, sadness, betrayal etc. into pure, unadulterated anger.  Vicious, unrelenting, anger and loathing. This darkness that chose to surface this time was consuming, it took me down with it and stripped me of some of the human qualities I used to hold near and dear. I hear the people that actually care say, don't let them taint your soul, you know the person you are, you're kind and loving and happy. But was I ever really? Happiness was the goal this year, but I guess that has been shot to hell. Everything that could possibly go wrong in an entire year, took place in less than a month. If someone I knew was to drop dead tomorrow, I would not even be surprised. 

That night all I wanted was the ability to shut it off, to make it stop, to end it all. Just to make it all go away. Of course being the cruel entity my mind is, this was not allowed, so I suffered. I crumbled, then after some gruelling hours of battling with myself, I stopped. I hardened. I felt it leave, just evaporate right out of my system (of course it's not completely gone but I think I made my peace). I woke with a new outlook, void of emotion. It's scary, but it's still here, I still feel this way. Emotionless. I'm not sorry though, I do believe it was more than necessary, all of it. Life is about learning and growing and I've done a lot of both through this ordeal. Maybe my mind isn't such a bad guy after all. 

There are so many songs that pertain to the situation but one that stood out in particular is that Dixie Chicks song "Not Ready to Make Nice". It sums up just about all my feelings. And though I might not be ready to make nice, I'm over it. I refuse to be weak anymore. 

And with that comes,

Rekindling.

I don't think I've gotten to that stage yet. I'm still riding out this emotionless tidal wave I caught on my way to redemption. I know though, that this is only a stepping stone to get there. First things first, I intend to make it up to myself. Get back in touch with me, the inner me, placate those treacherous thoughts that pry at my sanity. I'm trying and I won't stop until I fix myself. No one else can do it for me. This new, slightly jaded outlook I have on life right now might not go away anytime soon but I'm starting to realize that it is more than essential to survival and so, must continue to exist. The only task will be to tame it, to a more tolerable level and incorporate it into my life somehow or the other. 

The road to recovery is hard, but I'm working on it.

xoxo...Shantilly