Elizaveta's Headbands

My friend Elizaveta or just 'Liza', arrives at our long awaited catch up drinks at the Charlotte Street Hotel with her waist length hair in a braid and her face framed by a rose and crystal encrusted halo. When we sat down on the plush sofas she opened a pink satin case and showed me her little collection of uniquely beautiful ornamental headbands. 'I started making them over the summer in Moscow when I saw that the Dolce and Gabbana ones [headbands] from the A/W show had hit the stores'. When she heard that they were retailing for 600-2000 USD it just made sense to create her own in colours she wanted that suited her clothes. 'My mother's friends saw them and really liked them so when they went shopping, the designer Valentin Yudashkin noticed them and asked if I could make a few for his store'. Sipping on her raspberry and guava cooler she recalls the past month where back in London, she was asked to showcase some samples at London Fashion Week. She highlighted her brief but one of those fashionable- life- historic moments when Carine Roitfeld complimented her on her headband at the Stella McCartney show.

The Prada-esque headband

They are so versatile yet bold they are like tiaras for the everyday kind of princess. Taking inspiration from the Dolce show, Liza styles hers with great swinging antique earrings from the 1920's. Yet she adds her own twist with a fitted leather jacket, creating the most dreamy romantic yet cosmopolitan look. This kind of eclectic style of the past and the city is also echoed in the making her accessories. She collects the beads and the plain bands from pre-existing jewelry and beads that have caught her eye when shopping. It makes such a refreshingly personal approach to the creative process where many designers these days are bulk buying everything.
The key to harmonizing the many elements of the headbands is continuous refinement; Liza says she can finish a single piece in an hour only to take it apart and start again, making the whole process a five hour one.
'At the showcase I got requests for ones with skulls like quite punky ones and I can do that, but that's not me, that's not what I wanted to do'. Although she believes in crafting them as individual pieces that others can wear, they are true to her vision of creating until they are perfect in her eyes.
There is nothing more genuine than a designer that would wear her own designs everyday as if they were a part of her.





This one reminds me of a Pre- Raphaelite garland

Plaid for Fall

I had been looking for a knitted skirt and a new plaid shirt for the longest time and finally being able to wear both together made me feel completely ready for Fall with its uncompromising wintry weather. My favourite part of this shirt is the suede shoulder patch that gives it a sporty, masculine edge which is offset by the ruffles. It is such a quirky shirt that layers so well with a fitted turtle-neck, both of which are from Rugby Ralph Lauren. I am holding my sequin clutch yet again because I just haven't thought to transfer my essentials into anything else, it seems to brighten up any casual outfit. My best friend took these photos for me at the Chelsea art college that was right beside the Tate Britain. We spent the day having lunch in Pimlico before going to the Pre- Raphaelite exhibition just before it started to drizzle which saved my shoes! I am finding Chanel ballet flats really difficult to maintain as the leather is so soft, if you know how to save them please let me know.

Crystallized

I bought this playsuit back in the summer when I could wear it with sandals and simple jewelry. I have found that it is actually quite transferable to fall, the print is so versatile and works with so many colours. To keep warm whilst strolling in the parks and squares in my area, I layered it with my cashmere Rugby RL cardigan and my teal feather gilet from last winter.

My Wardrobe Classics

For this look that I wore to class today, I used all my favourite staple pieces such as the 'tuxedo' style leggings, a striped and fitted tshirt, my camel cape and one of the most iconic monograms- my vintage Louis Vuitton bag. I always read articles or hear people talk about how important it is to incorporate simple classic pieces into your wardrobe but rarely do I see this self consciously executed as an outfit. I think what is really important about these items is the way it fits and how this lends to the ease of wearing them. At the same time they should somewhat challenge the 'pedestrian' way it is styled, for example the tshirt is cropped and the leggings are high waisted which balances out proportions. It transcends a normal house- bound look to something that can be worn outside and accessorised. I am loving the gold bracelet with the perforated metal plate which is the constellation of Aquarius. I like the idea of a common identity such as a star sign that is not easily recognisable just by looking at it.






TOP-AMERICAN APPAREL
LEGGINGS-ZARA
CAPE-MASSIMO DUTTI
BRACELETS-HERMES, VINTAGE, + CONSTELLATION BRACELET BY JULIE NOLAN (ANTHROPOLOGIE)
BOOTS-ZARA