Reading Festival

Woo, just got my Reading tickets and the process was a lot less stressful than I had imagined. Very pleased with the line-up, especially after I went to V last year and despite Arctic Monkeys, the line-up was pretty awful. Crazily excited about The Cure as they are one of favourite bands but at the same time, absolutely gutted that they are playing at the same as The Maccabees. Whoever decided that clash is an idiot. I've seen Kasabian twice already and they're brilliant live so was very pleased with that, as was I with the news that Foo Fighters are headlining - only have a few albums of theirs so will definitely dip into their back catalogue more before August. So thrilled about The Black Keys, particularly because I missed out on their UK tour and after watching their set at Coachella last year, looks like they'll be fantastic live. By the end of the year, I'm going to be able to tick off most of my "Bands I must see live" list, I've starred the ones I'm scheduled to see.

Seeing The Horrors with Florence tomorrow so will post about that gig - very excited as my last gig, Kasabian in December, feels like ages ago.

Got my Radiohead tickets last week (Ahhhhhh) and the huge dent they left in my bank account will be very much worth it. I'd much rather spend my money on amazing concerts than on club entry/wasting money on alcohol, where The Smiths "How Soon Is Now?" lyrics are usually pertinent.

The Cure - Cut Here

Paris, je t'aime

Paris Fashion Week puts the other ones to shame really, doesn't it? Don't get me wrong, I love LFW, but PFW is just an array of the best fashion the world has to offer. Huge name after huge name, and even though most of them always deliver, this is definitely one of the best fashion weeks I've seen for a while. Here's why:




Chanel - After being slightly disappointed by the couture show (see post below), I was blown away by this A/W 2012-13 Chanel collection. The exquisite crystallised set corresponded perfectly with the abundance of jewels; be it on statement necklaces and cuffs, buttons, broaches, as embellishment on the tweed layers, to add detail to a sheer skirt, encrusted epaulettes, gems on heels and of course those glittering eyebrows - beaucoup de beaux bijoux. There was such a vast range of ideas and looks, from layers of masterful tailoring to flowing multi-coloured dresses over bright trousers, yet the collection remained so cohesive.  Every look that walked down the catwalk was brilliant on its own but evolved on from the previous look. This is fashion at its finest.

                          

Most stylish kid ever?

Alexander McQueen - Sarah Burton has to be the current hero of fashion. She's done such a brilliant job at keeping the McQueen legacy alive and this collection was just genius; making us all remember that fashion really is an art form...

 

A stupidly adventurous celebrity,  e.g. Nicki Minaj,
 better not try to wear this on the red carpet

The best dress of the season?

Stella McCartney - 2012 is Stella's year. She's designing the kit for the biggest sporting event in years and she's just shown a fantastic show in Paris. Combining elegance, power, sexiness and sportiness into  one collection isn't the easiest thing, but she does it with precision; creating a tightly focused and cohesive collection in the process.

Cline - The epitome of modern Parisian chic. This collection also conveyed the maxim of quality not quantity. Not that the Chanel show lapsed on quality, but a 20 piece show rather than a 60 piece one was rather enjoyable. 

Chloé - Vogue wasn't overly favourable to this collection on their online review, mentioning how it didn't "make all that much of an impact". Personally, I really liked it; perhaps it wasn't as innovative as some of the others, but for me, it was refreshing to see a simple display of luxurious, chic French fashion. 

               

All images from Vogue.com