Do you know who I miss… Luella.

Remember what it felt like when a new Luella collection came out? I imagine it’s what it was like shopping at Biba in the 1960s – zeitgeisty, uniquely personal in its relationship between designer and audience and encapsulating London. Perhaps it was too personal and culty; it was certainly too easily copied. If anyone knows what Luella Bartley is doing professionally these days, I would love to know, and I hope that one day she creates something new for me to consume. I suppose the closest thing is to keep reading Lula.

S

Please be amazing, Luella’s stylebook

So October will mark the release of Luella’s style book, of which we can now see a cover so I don’t have to style one up in Paint.

I’ve been looking forward to this for a while as a I love a book about fashion and I’m quite intrigued to see what the layout is like, particularly how close to a magazine it is. I recently got hold of a copy of Victoria Beckham’s style BIBLE That Extra Half an Inch. I love VB for being the Jackie Collins of the noughties and although I wouldn’t say I love her style personally you cn’t deny the woman has standards, hence why she can feature in a gossip magazine just for wearing flat shoes.

OMG, it’s WAG VB. Don’t get me wrong, this is a pretty terrible book. It reads fine – VB is quite funny I understand and it comes across here in jolly, I’m-normal-me writing. But it’s just incredibly boring to look at. It’s neither magazine-like enough or straight book-like enough.

Snooze.

Hilarious.

I have a few other fashion books, a “streetstyle” book from Nylon magazine and a book about fashion bloggers, which I think A gave me a while ago. Look who it is on the very first page. This bodes not well.

I think everyone misses the Jak and Jil blog. It did this better but is now defunct. The theme of this Nylon book is that it literally doesn’t matter what you wear as long as you are good-looking and refuse to smile when someone points a camera at you. Oh, look who it is:

The other book, “What I Wore Today” is more forgiving as to model good looks and is very vintage-themed and cuter.

This was a noble project and it’s interesting to look back at the Wild West of fashion blogging, which is what this feels like. Not that DiscoNap has a clue how to use a camera timer or rig lights but in the age of blogs like Sea of Shoes and  Cherry Blossom Girl, whose outfit posts could be in a magazine, it’s asking a lot to charge for a book like this anymore. When you find a blog like those sampled below, you end up going through dozens of pages of posts and, now, videos, and you get to know the girl. I’m not sure a book of blogs can work.

Cherry Blossom Girl:

Yay, hydrangeas!

Sea of Shoes:

I’m sure Luella’s book is going to be beautifully designed and picture-heavy, plus as a professional designer (soz VB), her insights might actually be worth reading. I don’t want to see any pictures of her past collections though - it’s still too soon!

S

Luella Bartley to write style book

 

Most excited.

S, who actually owns a Trinny and Susannah book.

The Round Up

Hello new year, hello new decade. I saw in the new year with good friends and fun times. I may have enjoyed the whole thing a bit too much and so, will be bringing you the blog’s 2009 round up in pictures.

A inside a pumpkin at Hurwundeki, Cambridge Heath

S lusted after this YSL bag

Beth Ditto got LOVEd up

Those Chloe boots which were copied a hundred times over

We were sad to hear of Luella's demise

We were excited to interview Brooke Roberts and see her SS10 collection

Erdem. 'Nuff said.

We were lucky enough to have tea with Lulu Guinness

A in Borough Market

S looking excellent as a Lego girl

We held a Come Dine with Me contest with our pals

S went to Helsinki as a blonde

S wrote an apology to Emma Watson after she wore this Christopher Kane dress.

Christian Lacroix's swansong was an apt, if sad, end to his business.

Speaking of Parisian chic, A got to go to Paris courtesy of Eurostar. This was meant to be the year of the blogger after all.

Speaking of bloggers, A particularly enjoyed What Katie Wore. Katie is also very nice in person.

We spent a lot of time thinking about home and soft furnishings

Our love for Rachel Bilson continued unabated

And we continued to love Michelle Obama when she appeared on the cover of American Vogue in Jason Wu

A went to Cologne and sat in a nice botanical garden

A lovely outfit featuring pistachio dress from S

We celebrated the blog's first birthday with cupcakes and goodie bags. Many thanks to everyone who came along and made it a special night.

Beauty correspondent V brightened up our Mondays with brilliant beauty tips.

And finally, the best picture of the year. A & S accidentally wear identical outfits. Lame ass bloggers.

Goodbye 2009, thanks for everything. Hello 2010, please be nice.

A

Luella shuts down!

What a terrible week so far. First Lucie went home on the X Factor (TRAVESTY) and now Luella has shut down. The whole thing, shop and all.

No heart-neckline dresses. My hairbows now feel like bad luck. Get all the details from Liberty London Girl because I am too lamed out to copy them.

I’m going to go and look at some bluebirds or something to stem the bad thoughts.

S

LFW – Luella takes girliness up to 11

I’ve liked Luella for many a season now and although this collection isn’t as good as her previous ones, by popular communion, it’s still pretty brimming with things I would like to own. I’m crazy for Mad Men-type waisted dresses with girlish details and this heart cut-out is the perfect example of it. Yes, it would date like wildfire but it’s covetable.

The separates have more wear in them and overall this is a really commercial collection. Being commercial can be praise or insult depending on who you talk to but personally I love clothes that summon up that feeling you had as a kid and all you wanted was a glitter nailpolish but your mum was a feminist and wanted you to learn that beauty comes from within. Admittedly it was a good life lesson and that wanting was almost certainly better than the having.

But that’s what Luella does to me. Pure, animal, tweenage desire for stuff. The accessories are the essence of this: pretty little things you want to save your pennies for, buy and treasure, possibly in a display cabinet. On the other hand, Luella is bucking the trend for stripper heels and making demure little shoes with bouquets, and frilly chiffon clutches instead of spiked and studded ones.

One of my favourite parts is the hair, because I have been doing the topknot look anyway and now I have designer justification to add massive bows to it. It will look like I follow trends, which I am ambivalent about. Or maybe I should wear it with denim cutoffs, massive platform heels, holey tights, a drapey vest that shows my bra and something studded and just embrace the whole look of 2009.

S

Return of the chill

After a few pleasantly spring-like days, the rain and cold returns to London, rather predictably. I now have to go work and look acceptable to other human beings so a natty new coat will soon be in order to protect my delicate frame.

Although the collection was rather dull in comparison to S/S’s lovely lilacs and neon pinks, this Luella coat with its pretty details and drab colour would suit the current climes, both meteorological and economic, quite nicely.

S

Luella a/w 09

Net a Porter sale

Or “Ae Fonde Dreame”. Guys, there is a severely amazing sale over at Net-a-Porter, which is great for those with some spending money because just look at this selection of now-discounted to a reasonable price zone stuff:

Funny T-shirts

Sonia Rykiel £51.38

Luella, £44.80

Bags of great awesomeness

Marc Jacobs, £126.70

Miu Miu, £364.20

But wait! Let’s hope Net-a-Porter isn’t going to become part of my new favourite game “Which well-known high street chain will bite the dust next”. All this sale-watching is fun but I can’t wait for the new trends to start seeping through.  I think in line with recession economics and Luella’s S/S 09 look, we should all wear neon pink frilled minis next year. Or else just bag a t-shirt – last year’s Luella fox print t-shirt is one of my most-worn items.

S

British Fashion Awards

Luella, yay! In her own jaunty Spring 2009 collection.

I am very busy today so instead of extolling at length on the BFAs, I will leave you with a list of the winners and direct you to a photo gallery of the night at Fashionologie.

Designer of the Year: Luella

Designer Brand: Jimmy Choo

BFC Award for outstanding achievement in Fashion Design: Stephen Jones

Isabella Blow Award for Fashion Creator: Tim Walker

Swarovski Emerging Talent Award – Accessories: Nicholas Kirkwood

Swarovski Emerging Talent Award – Ready to Wear: Louise Goldin

Menswear Designer: Christopher Bailey for Burberry

Accessory Designer: Rupert Sanderson

Red Carpet Designer: Matthew Williamson

Model: Jourdan Dunn

Bespoke Award: Richard James

I highly approve of Luella, Jourdan Dunn and Rupert Sanderson being winners.

S