This week’s style inspiration: grey hair on the catwalk, Oxfam at fashion week and Kristin Scott Thomas
Tome catwalk show via vogue.com
London Fashion Week has started. While I don’t do the whole shebang, I do a few bits and pieces and after being holed up for months writing a book, I’m actually looking forward to getting out there and being inspired. And it feels like there’s a whole lot of noteworthy stuff going on, right now. The photo of the gorgeous, grey-haired model (above) is from the Tome catwalk show in New York, J. Crew showed on friends and fans of the brand, as opposed to models…
J Crew photo via vogue.com
…and then London Fashion Week kicked off with a show aimed at fighting poverty. Oxfam filled the catwalk with an array of second-hand clothes, styled by Bay Garnett. ‘This show is to highlight that Oxfam really does have great things,’ Vogue’s contributing fashion editor told the Telegraph ‘The challenge for me was how to approach it – they’ve got so much stuff and of course I had to edit it down into a fashion show that was somewhat cohesive.’
‘One way to approach it would have been to really mix it up and put, say, a camouflage jacket over a wedding dress, illustrating that eclecticism and range of stock. But I’ve gone for a different tack, making the looks quite simple and very real – it’s a pair of jeans with a great shirt, a classic man’s suit with leather brogues.’ Oxfam’s clothes were modelled by Friends of Bay Garnett including Stella Tenant, Erin O’Connor and Bella Freud:
Erin O’Connor photo: Evening Standard
Bella Freud photo: Evening Standard
In other news, Kristin Scott Thomas left a comment on my Instagram feed this week. I KNOW. I bloody love her, she’s magnifique, I was beside myself with glee. The 56-year-old star appears in an ‘effortlessly elegant’ fashion shoot in this weekend’s How To Spend It Magazine (HERE); playing an artist’s muse with the portraitist Christian Hook.
Kristin Scott Thomas styled by Damian Foxe
This year, KST returns to the screen as a Shadow Health Minister in Sally Potter’s film The Party and will be directing her first film The Sea Change based on the novel by Elizabeth Jane Howard. Though I’m hoping that she’ll be treading the boards again soon; she was brilliant when I saw her in Electra and Betrayal.
Plenty to look forward to.
Discussion (22 Comments)
maudie says:
Kristin Scott Thomas is too beautiful for words – elegance, serenity, strength, intelligence all shine through in her face. As Annie G states, Ms Scott Thomas looks waaay better than anyone with all the Botox and slap, there is a wonderful honesty about it which I personally admire. ps not keen on that pastel lilac shade on the older models – translate not keen as grim!!!!!
Leslie in Oregon says:
I agree completely with Maudie’s first sentence above. I have long admired Ms. Scott Thomas for everything about her work…and her ability to speak beautiful French! Oxfam has long been one of my favorite international humanitarian organizations, and their show of secondharnd fashion really resonates with me. (The goldish-bronze dress on the left of the first photograph of the Oxfam fashions is gorgeous!)
Ms Bristol says:
Thank you – women of my age who look like me – grey haired and with expressive faces. Love the patent mac.
Heidi A. K. says:
Those photos of Kristen Scott Thomas are beautiful and she is beautiful. I wish my jaw line was as defined. I’d have to be looking at the ceiling to get a similar effect.
I also agree that that almost washed out lilac was not a good choice for the first model – not to mention the eye make-up. I’ve seen other photos of her and she looks more striking usually. Maybe it looked better in real life… with a highly reflective fabric?
Sandra Cameron says:
KST – my all-time girl crush!! She looks fabulous in the clothing she’s modelling and the minimalst make up. My goal for next week isto look strong and confident without wearing my whole makeup collection, but I won’t be giving up my dark red plum lipstck that just feels like me, i agree with maudie and anna – that lilac has got to go. Love your blog Alyson – thank you
.Lovely write up and photos supporting Oxfam at London Fashion Week! I volunteer for My Sister’s Closet, Vancouver, which supports programs and services for battered women. We have participated in Vancouver Fashion Week and Eco Fashion Week, Vancouver, and appreciate the opportunity to raise awareness about the great cause and work being done by amazing volunteers.
I bloody love KST too, so jelly!
As for London Fashion week, it appears to be such a contradiction in ethics this year. I mean Gap notoriously using sweatshops while Oxfam showcase the epitome of slow fashion!
I do hope the use of older models isn’t a fad & is indeed “the change” we all crave ;-).
Regardless of all that, have a fab time Alyson I look forward to hearing more about the shows from you xxAnn says:
Seeing what I don’t like helps me figure out what I do like and, more importantly, why I like what I like.
Yes, clothes don’t *always* have to be functional. But most of the time, yes, they do. For instance, those drag-in-the-puddles trousers and drag-in-the-gravy sleeves are so unfunctional they make me itch!
I developed a severe girl crush on KST when I saw The English Patient; her beauty is mesmerising, but her poise and intelligence is what sets her apart. (I agree that she was flawless in Betrayal!).
I’m hoping that the Iris Apfel-ification of fashion is causing this upward age bias. It is a good thing for fashion to be more inclusive of size, ethnicity, AAAAAAND age.
Enjoy Fashion Week; I’m away this week but I look forward to seeing what you see!
xx
Mrs Tonia says:
I really enjoyed the beautiful photos in this weekend’s FT magazine. Beautiful elegant older model wearing gorgeous outfits, the portrait and painter himself. I especially liked the photograph of KST wearing a loose linen off-White dress with oriental blooms by Dries Van Noten and the painted palette adjacent to her face. Gorgeous and inspirational as their fashion spreads usually are. Let’s hope the use of slender, beautiful even grey haired models continues. The Guardian magazine today showed flower sprigged clothing on various models. The long grey haired slim model they use regularly Pam made the M & S dress worn with white brogues look cool. The actual dress as seen in the shops less so.
Sweet Sue says:
I don’t think that it’s the lilac slicker that’s draining the color out of the first model’s face.
It’s that god awful beige Yeti pelt underneath.Danish Pastry says:
I do think that women of a certain age probably have more spending power, coupled with the fact we’ve finally worked out that quality over quantity is the way to go. You’d think that the fashion industry would start take a bit of notice of this. I want to see clothing on women closer to my age. Younger women can wear anything, and look good, that doesn’t always apply for the more mature woman. It’s only been in the last generation or so that more mature women have retained their sense of style, gone are the days of the blue rinse and crimpolene dresses that seemed the mainstay of mature style in my youth.
I suppose wanting to see more mature models is an extension of the idea that we want to see models who are not all super skinny, and tall. In other words models who are more representative of the female population in terms of height, shape, colour and age!Anna K says:
I’m cheered by the focus on older women too. Is it ‘old’ of me to long for a glossy magazine that relates to us – not just clothes and make up, fabulous though they are, but interests and enthusiasms too. TNMA is brilliant and I love to see it bounce into my inbox. I know print is dying – or so they tell us; but for me, a glossy, an armchair and a glass of wine are the perfect ingredients for a relaxing hour.
Jane says:
Loving this all of it but especially KST, so beautiful. Is it just me or are those lilac J C Crew trousers completely unwearable? Falling down the stairs in those is a dead cert.
Oh wow Alyson I think that I would have died from shock and excitement if KST had commented on my Insta… She’s one classy, gorgeous woman!!
I love seeing diversity on the catwalk and especially older women, but I look forward to the day when it’s just the norm and it’s not such a big deal anymore – how wonderful would that be…?! Lovely to see Stella Tenant and Erin O’Connor still modelling, along with Linda E they were some of my faves from the 90s. Have fun at LFW 🙂
Catherine x
So great to see vintage and second hand clothes in a fashion show. The Oxfam show really proves how current and stylish vintage clothes are. And what a wonderful way to contribute to a worthy cause.
http://www.beastofstyle.com
Leave a Reply
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
I know that Kristin Scott Thomas is very probably wearing make up in these shots…but it never fails to amaze me how much better looking beautiful people are without the slap on. It can be very ageing. She is a most encouraging sight.