IsabelleOC » opening ceremony

Opening Ceremony Slippers

Isabelle — Mon, 13 Sep 2010 13:05:32 +0000

There’s something irresistably fey about velvet slippers, something wonderfully Little Lord Fauntleroy. I can imagine reclining in bed with someone feeding me little dainty squares of toast that have a quartered quail’s egg as someone else turns the pages of a newspaper. Then as I get up someone else puts a pair of the ermine-ish white Opening Ceremony slippers on my feet and slips a vintage silk kimono on my shoulders.

In the real world I’d be pairing these with a Rachel Comey print dress and a pale tan bag, or cuffed drainpipe jeans and a vintage short sleeve shirt for a mannish geezerish look. Wonder if I can persuade one of my flatmates to shod me?

On holiday with Tilda Swinton in I Am Love

Isabelle — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 12:35:05 +0000

Another holiday selection of products, this time based around the TIlda Swinton film ‘I am Love’. It’s a mix of a very traditional bourgeois European style with a brilliantly fresh colour palette. The Cynthia Rowley for Roxy towel started it all off, and I can imagine that someone like Tilda Swinton’s character in the film would have an old-fashioned soap on a rope. John Lewis’ nubuck belt is the precise kind of high-quality flash of colour featured in the film, a real pastel-ly sorbet yellow that she wears with neutral tans, beiges and khakis. The Passarella death squad dress is very Swinton, with its elegantly androgynous cut and the Opening Ceremony sandals add a lovely touch of fun. A tanned leather shopper is essential, all you’d need is a big fresh bunch of Italian basil and a copy of Corriere Della Serra poking out. Tilda wears a fair amount of Hermés orange, hence the bangle, which when worn with the shorts makes for another I Am Love-esque look.

Cynthia Rowley towel for Roxy: $19.99. Musgo Real soap on a rope, Manufactum: 12E. Passarella Death Squad parachute dress, Coggles: £185. Angie Gooderham bangle: £10. Nubuck belt, John Lewis: £22.50. Opening Ceremony suede sandals, Farfetch: £102. Bark tanned leather shopping bag, Manufactum: 249E. DKNY linen shorts, my-wardrobe: £90.

Live In Your Head

Isabelle — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 10:35:02 +0000

You know that annoying voice on Spotify? “I want a holiday, I nee-eed a holiday!” That’s me except I have no intention of going to see Mamma Mia. A combination of listening to Crosby Stills & Nash, reading the Brick House blog (thanks Caroline, No!) and catching up with the antics of Cassie and Clara on the Urban Outfitters blog has got me hankering for a road trip to the Southern/Eastern edges of the US.

Seeing as I don’t even drive for starters that is about as likely as Webcameron disbanding the coalition govt. and calling an election. In the meantime I am sticking to dreaming of beers, Mexican food, and thrifting. To help the daydreaming I’ve compiled and imaginary outfit for my pretend holiday. It goes without saying that an outfit like this needs some turquoise, something chunky and antique-looking. This is my daydream, and in my daydream I’m the kind of person who says ‘Oh no-oo I find heels more comfortable than flats! Especiallement in the burning desert heat.’ Hence the Opening Ceremony wedges. A twee white camisole and the gorgeous blue-sky APC chambray skirt add some trad country vibe, and finally a floral ’70s shirt makes a good sundown cover-up. I would obviously add something fringed and suede into the mix, but I’m saving that for when I imaginarily drop into a thrift store and find a bargainous waistcoat/jacket/bag. Now if you’ll excuse me I’m going to shine a light on my face, close my eyes, & pretend it’s the Californian sun.

From left: Vintage camisole, Rusty Zipper Vintage: $24. Turquoise ring, beadycats: $56.90. ’70s shirt, Rusty Zipper Vintage: $22. APC denim skirt, Coggles: £140. Opening Ceremony wedge boots, ASOS: £275.

Isabelle’s autumn mega shoe-lust round up

Isabelle — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 22:42:52 +0000

Autumn is here and with it the panicked search for a new season’s wardrobe. Every season it’s the same: “What the hell did I used to wear?”

After a few trips to the car boot, the charity shop, a spontaneous mission to H&M in High St Ken and a planned trip to COS as soon as the sales start I think I’ve got the clothes sorted. The shoes… Well that’s a whole other matter. Having accepted that I don’t really wear heels (wore some today) and that ballet pumps are a bit dull (wearing some now) the shoe-choices are a little more limited. Especially as being a real grown up I have to look smart but without the universal domination properties of heels you have to choose your footwear carefully.

Luckily for us non heel wearers lace-ups are cool again and I even found some non lace up nice shoes

From top:
White shoes are great and white lace ups handily avoid the Peaches Geldof in her indie-going-out-with-Faris-Badwan-of-the-Horrors phase. If I’m really good this autumn (aka work hard) I might treat myself to Church’s brogues, they cost a packet but will last a good 30 years. Trufax. Net a Porter
I’m after some Chelsea boots and this is the closest I’ve come, they’re a bit indie pixie, but I’d forgive them. Pierre Hardy
Camilla Staerk’s mustard and grey pumps remind me of what Endora from Bewitched (aka the mum) would wear if she was on antidepressants. Think about it. Plus they are SO reduced. Poste Mistress
Also SO reduced (so necessary!) are these JIL SANDER shoes. They are also white which is a good thing and pretty ortho, which I also love. Fashion shoot inspired by the evil nurse from One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest? Poste Mistress
Yeah so these Opening Ceremony red shoes aren’t very wintry, but c’mon, pair of socks and it’s almost like you’re wearing boots. Right? ASOS
Grey, sweet, sweet grey. Will I ever tire of you? These brogues are some of the best on the high street, LOVE! River Island
YMC, white, cutout and lace up. Also not really practical for the winter but really, so special! ASOS
Last of all we get to the Surface to Air buckle bootees. Yes the buckle ballet pump design is nothing new and they’re more expensive than the 30 year Church’s and there’s a slight whiff of New York twee, but srsly these are flat shoe heaven. SRSLY. No but really, SRSLY. How SRSLY? This SRSLY, 3.59 in to 4.10. ASOS

I ♥ orthopaedic shoes

Isabelle — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 21:38:23 +0000

I recently spotted a woman with some amazing orthopaedic boots on Oxford Street, chunky platform creations, with a perforated leather upper. They were really rather wonderful but I thought as much as I wanted to, the woman probably wouldn’t have appreciated me taking a picture. The orthopaedic shoe above is instantly covetable with its chunky built-in wedge and looks like it could have come off the catwalk, I WANT!

An orthopaedic touch adds something a little uncanny and unexpected to a shoe. Dries Van Noten‘s 07 shoes (left and bottom) had a real orthopaedic feel which made them all the more exciting. Compare with the amazing pair of real orthopaedic shoes (right) and you can see the influence.

Two other labels who do ortho well are Acne (left) Opening Ceremony (right), both shoes are high fashion but with a slightly medical feel. The simple design and NHS factor makes these kind of shoes the perfect outfit neutraliser to anything sexy, fussy or overly girly.

Orthopaedic shoes: Cobcord, Bill Bird