Anyway, back to the point of this post, the Margiela exhibition…

Obviously, like anyone else who cares about fashion, I know Maison Martin Margiela as the hugely successful, slightly unattainable and incredibly avant-guard fashion house that it is. However, to be completely (and slightly embarassingly) honest, theirs have never been the pieces I find myself lusting after on the pages of Vogue or adding to the top of my wish list. Sure I’ve always accepted that Margiela’s designs are pioneering, iconic and nothing short of fashion genius without really knowing much about them, but it’s only really after going to their exhibition that I really ‘got’ what all the fuss was about.

Maison Martin Margiela F/W 2010 Couture collection

Some people see fashion as an art form through which designers, like painters or poets, can express themselves. Obviously it’s not really that pure and simple. Everyone knows that the collections we see during fashion week and the millions of high-street versions that follow are not entirely motivated by the designers yearnings to share their feelings and philosophies through their work. It would be overly cynical and completely unfair to claim that artistic expression doesn’t play a role in the modern fashion world, but let’s be honest it’s also a huge commercial industry where groups such as LMVH, Gucci Group and Arcadia call the shots and make the big bucks.

Maison Martin Margiela 2010 couture collection

The reason I find Maison Martin Margiela so interesting is that you really can call their designs ‘works of art’ without sounding overly pretentious or just plain foolish. Looking at their past and current collections it really is believable that every piece has been inspired by a desire for self-expression or to make some kind of statement, be it political, social or fashion related, while any commercial gain is merely incidental. I wont say much more to share the entire contents of the exhibition (and the extremely useful leaflet you get with your ticket!) with you, but Margiela is a truly unique and inspirational fashion house that has stayed true to it’s ethos throughout it’s 20 years of success and you would be mad not to fork out the £6 for this one!

Maison Martin Margiela Fall 2007

Now obviously all that culture had to be balanced out with a bit of retail therapy (equally intellectually stimulating in my opinion) so I paid a visit to the new Acne Dover St flagship store. Like virtually every one else in the world, I am mildly obsessed with the hotter-than-hot Swedish brand. I have spent many, many hours oogling their concessions in Selfridges, Harvey Nicks etc and have always found myself just wanting to see MORE of their beautiful clothes… So unsurprisingly the idea of an entire shop devoted to Acne got me almost ridiculously excited. Needless to say their brand, spanking new, 3 floor emporium did not disappoint. If you haven’t been yet do not waste any more time. Cancel whatever it is you have planned for tomorrow morning (call in sick to work, claim to have been burgled, whatever it takes!) and get down to Mayfair asap!

I finally invested in a pair of Acne’s super skinny jeans as I have been lusting after them for SUCH a long time (that’s one item ticked off my fall/winter wish list, and yes I am sad enough to have one). But the piece I would really sell my soul to own has to be their ‘Velocite’ oversized shearling aviator jacket.

Ok so the price is a little steep at a casual £1420, but isn’t it to-die-for!? Very similar to the Burberry Prorsum beauties that I originally fell head-over-heels in love with, but Acne’s take on the aviator trend is just that little bit edgier… That said, if anyone feels like sending either version my way I would hardly be picky!

Burberry Prorsum F/W 2010

I have been trying unsuccessfully to give my increasingly empty bank account a well-earned break since Paris. But seriously, my plan to exercise extreme self-restraint never had a chance… when shops insist on getting their winter collections in this early it is impossible not to make a few new season purchases! However, I don’t think that buying a wardrobe that you either have to wait a few months to wear, or wear now at the risk of chronic over-heating is necessarily such a bad idea. I’m sure some irritating person has told you at least once in your lifetime that ‘the early bird catches the worm’… With that in mind, it is perhaps far wiser to bankrupt yourself investing in an aviator jacket now than to regret not buying one come winter.

Love Ella. X