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NEUROTICA FOR TOPSHOP

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Oh my my. Never have I ever been so excited about a Topshop collaboration in my little life of 21 years. The British indie label, Neurotica, has teamed up with the highstreet mega store and created a gothic Kate-Bush-at-Studio-54 inspired collection. My favourite peices are the hotpanted bodysuit and the floor lenght dress both in a monochrome spiderweb/firework esq print. Only 8 sleeps till launch time....

Return to the Motherland

Firstly apologies for the absence from my little blog but you know how it is; Chinese media crackdown and that. But after a month of travelling around Malaysia I am back in good Old Blighty, re-united with my Nylon, my Vintage and of course my little Blog.

Coming back has taken a little adjusting. It has felt like being taken out of a fashion jail and allowed to roam amongst the fashion forward again. Though, in saying that, I don't think the trends have changed all that much, the whole rock-chick and body-con is still around, much to my delight. Someone who I have been tracking on the blogs and fashions hit and miss sites has been Taylor Momsen. Although it disturbs me somewhat that she is only 16, her style has propelled her into the heights of a bon-a-fidé style icon. She has quite a one dimensional look but one that is bang on trend and pretty easy to mimic. Topshop's new line "Horror Girl" looks like it could have been ripped straight out of Miss Momsen’s wardrobe. So which came first the Momsen or the look?




To be honest the whole Disturbed Teen Grunge Goth look has been done a million times over but TM - being the stratospheric Gossip Girl star she is - has made it cool again. Maybe I’m just jealous I didn't do it first, and that I can't find a shade of purple lipstick quite as fitting as hers. Jealousy aside here is my take on the Momsen Look, enjoy.

The Taylor Look by estefyQ featuring Balmain

What a Week

Well this week has been a rather tumultuous one in the life of Miss Q. So let us start at the beginning, which I have to say is a very good place to start. It began with a rather unnerving shopping trip to the Nanjing mecca of ‘Fashion Lady’. Shopping in China is very different to any other shopping experience I have ever had; there is no such thing as a ‘high street’ and the shopping centres are quite expensive, even for us bourgeoisie foreigners. The majority of shopping takes place in underground markets, often spread over a couple of floors, where ‘shops’ consist of square booths with which to sell their wares. Now these ‘booths’ are the majority of the time not particularly big so changing rooms are something of a pleasant surprise. Generally if you wish to change then the shop assistant will pull a curtain across a corner of the booth giving you a bit of privacy to change. As expected there is also a lot of haggling. Obviously being Western they automatically place a money sign above my head and add a few zeros to their asking price. They expect naïve foreigners who are not wise to their games but oh no not me, bargaining produces my best Chinese language and a fiery side of my character that is rarely ever unleashed! They are generally shocked by the fact that we speak Chinese and sigh inside that their scamming ways are scuppered. The lack of belief in our Chinese abilities produces some strange situations. For example this week as I emerge from a changing room/curtain corner sporting (what I believed to be) some rather brilliant shorts the shop assistant remarked to her friend in Chinese that I had a rather big bottom or more accurately “goodness what a big arse”. It is fair to say I was rather taken aback but she was even more taken aback when I and my 2 shopping compatriots stared at her aghast! She then proceeded to laugh the standard very-embarrassed-but-if-I apologise-then-I-will-lose-face Chinese laugh that is dealt out at any situation where they are at fault but too proud to admit. Enraged I left, sulked for 40minutes and then bought the very same shorts at a different booth. Luckily with these underground malls they generally have the same stock repeated somewhere else, or at least a common trend or theme can be found dotted around. The underground shopping experience is not one for the faint hearted and requires a ‘ Jumble Sale’ like mind set in order to hunt and rummage around, traipsing from booth to booth try to uncover the gems in amongst the poorly made knock offs. But persevere good people because the rewards are sweet.

After this shopping fiasco I then spent a large proportion of the rest of my week trawling hospitals and clinics; firstly to find somewhere to give me inoculations for my South East Asia trip (which was unfortunately to no avail), and secondly in support of my poor friend who was very sick. Even though Chinese hospitals are a lot of hassle and leg work (literally-I ran up and down stairs from one department to another for a total of 10hours) there is one saving grace; the In-patients sport blue and white striped cotton PJs which is a far cry from the ill fitting robes in the UK which in my opinion do not leave nearly enough to the imagination. Well done China if there is fashion in the hospital wear then there is hope for you yet!

Dear God of Fashion.....

 

Being in China one develops a habit of shopping voyerism. I scan the pages of ASOS, American Apparel, Topshop and Net-a-Porter knowing that these beautiful items before me will never be mine (delivery to China is something of a rare and expensive treat). So here is xiao collage of the items I am pining after at present.

Dear God of Fashion, please bestow upon me; a Paul & Joe floral jumpsuit, a pair of KG shoe boots, a 3.1 Phillip Lim oversized sequin waistcoat, a ONE vintage lace dress, an American Apparel lycra dress in peach (or aqua if it isn't too much bother), a black Mullberry Roxanne bag, a pair of Citizens of Humanity ripped jeans, a Balmain studded waistcoat (because one is never enough), a pair of starched Chloe high waisted shorts, a stretch tribal print American Apparel dress, last but not least, and only if you don't mind to greatly, I would love a black lace ONE jacket.

Hmmmmm....a girl can dream.

The Land of The Snow White Sun.

I am an unabashed sun seeker, and feel I look my healthiest and prettiest when I have a bit of colour on my cheeks. I luckily have quite sallow skin, but this does mean that I look a bit peaky without a bit of bronze on. Nevertheless, I have never succumbed to the allure of the tanning booth. Tanning has become a major beauty trend (verging on obsession) in the West with many people ‘investing’ in their own personal tanning booths in search of a year round glow. The money spent on 'inside tanning' is quite alarming. A home tanning bed could set you back around $1,000 to $5,000. More significantly, an approximated 10% of Americas spend on average $300 each year to achieve that 'healthy glow', with increasing technological advancements and consumer demand we are set to see this statistic rise.

Asia women have a very different perception of beauty and they actively avoid the sun. Pale Asian models peer at you for editorials and adverts, there beauty found in their flawlessly white skin and achingly thin frames. In traditional culture those with dark sallow skin were seen as a lower rung of society; their complexion due to having to work the land, facing the elements all year round. Pale Skin has become associated with a higher social status and wealth, the privilege of not having to work outside.

The spring sun has been shining in all its glory here in Nanjing and Nanjing ladies would not consider leaving there homes without the protective shade of a parasol. But this is just one of the many steps they take to maintain their creamy complexion. There has become an increasing trade in skin-whitening products with reportedly 45% of Hong Kong women spending at least 10% of their monthly wage on skin whitening products. These products come in a multitude of forms, the most obvious example of sunscreens starts at around SPF19 commonly featuring an ‘active’ skin whitening ingredient. This may sound like responsible sun safety; however as with most beauty trends there are extreme fanatics that are willing to try the most dangerous products to achieve the Snow White complexion. Many of the most dangerous products contain strong acids, mercury and bleach; unnervingly these products are often the cheapest. Continuous use of these products can have lasting damage on your skin, including discolouration: mercury can give the skin a blue grey tint; hydroquinone can break up connective tissue making the skin red and blotchy, which really defeats the whole purpose of the exercise. On a more serious note it can potentially lead to organ failure of the kidneys and liver through mercury poisoning, and by altering the skins make up can break you natural defences against skin cancer.

These measures seem extreme and unhealthy to many but consider the dangers of tanning. Even though we are now more than ever aware of the potential dangers of UV light (both through natural exposure and tanning booths), skin cancer has raised 5 fold from 1975 to 2005 in Great Britain. And this dangerous rate is set to rise. The beauty mania for the perfect complexion has vast differences from West to East, but one common thread is that the dangers it can induce are not to be taken lightly. I’d take a St Tropez self-tanning mousse or Geisha inspired foundation over kidney failure or melanomas any day thank you very much!

Arm Candy With A Bite

And i can't have this because....? Angel Jackson's pure British rock sensibility at its finest, and sure to be on the arm of every waif London trendee in no time at all.

A word from the wise...

As per the ancient Chinese saying: "the first bird who stands out will get shot!", and this explains a multitude of their fashion sins! In the 60’s everyone followed the standard dress in a Zhongshan suit (or a Mao suit as it is better known in the West) in blue, grey or black. Post Mao and The Gang of Four there was a relaxation in dress; people had the freedom to wear colour, pattern, to copy movie stars and to dress however they pleased. For many, clothing has become a subconscious form of expressing their freedom away from harsh party lines; an explanation of the appliqué pearls and multicoloured lamé that I am quite satisfied with.