Gwyneth Harrison models for Simply Be
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You saw her in Mark Fast’s famed London Fashion Week catwalk show and now you can see her in your Simple Be collection! Yes, Gwyneth Harrison is the latest big name celebrity to model for Simply Be. She follows in the footsteps of Mica Paris, the famed soul singer and TV fashion stylist currently modelling her own collection in your Simply Be book.
From the catwalk to the studio
Gwyneth is one of the UK’s top plus-size models and her gorgeous curvy figure recently bagged her a place in one of the most talked about fashion shows this year – Mark Fast’s London Fashion Week show. Gwyneth strutted down the catwalk in his skimpy peek-a-boo knits – and she was in good company, with a group of plus-size models walking the catwalk with her.
Now Mark Fast is definitely the man when it comes to plus-size catwalk fashion – and his latest range ‘faster’ is just as focused on the plus-size woman… but you know what? We think Gwyneth looks much better in the Simply Be collection!
She looked gorgeous in everything – from that pretty-as-you-like Frock and Frill dress to the 80’s retro Ruby Rock Jumpsuit (on sale from 29th March), she just blew us away. Clearly, this girl is a natural when it comes to modelling!
Cosmo loves the look too!
Gwyneth’s Simply Be look has already hit the headlines! Cosmopolitan have done an online feature on it – and naturally we’re frilled to bits about that. It’s live on the Cosmo website, so take a look for yourself!
What do you think?
So ladies, it’s time to spill the beans! What do you think of our latest shoot? Would you like us to do more of the same or is there something else you want to see? Perhaps you’ve got a celebrity in mind for our next feature or maybe you’ve got a particular look you want to see. Whatever you’re thinking, tell us in the comments!
Behind the Scenes at the Simply Be TV Shoot: Part 4
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We’ve got good news and we’ve got bad news. The good news is – we’ve got another fantastic behind the scenes video for you, compete with wobbly bike rides, the secret to our dusty desert shots and a couple of laugh-out-loud moments. But the bad news? This is the last of our behind the scenes videos!
Take a look for yourself and when you’re done, click here for more!
London Fashion Week: The End
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It’s all over! London Fashion Week Autumn/Winter 2010 had ended and so has our blog review… but you know what? This is where the fun starts – because all those gorgeous trends we saw strutting their way down the catwalks will start making their way into the real world… and for us that means turning these fashion-fireworks into a gorgeous plus-size collection that works for real women!
Going plus-size
Now, you might have noticed that most of the London Fashion Week catwalks featured slim models… size 8… maybe size 10… but actually, they did look a bit bigger than usual. Size zero definitely isn’t the priority any more.
And Marc Fast, the designer who hit the headlines last year for using plus-size models, did it again this year. His designs invite you to appreciate the female figure, whatever shape or size – and we applaud him for that! The thing is, would we want to wear them in the real world? Hmm…
You see his designs show every lump and bump, they’re about what’s underneath… but does any woman (you know, the one’s not strutting down the catwalks) have the confidence to show that much? We’d love to know what you think!
Simply Be confident
We have a different take on plus-size fashion. We see a trend, love it, then make it work for the fuller figure. From the design to the cut, the material to the detail, we looks for those flattering fashion-features that will give you easy curve confidence. So look back over our London Fashion Week blogs… the trends… the colours… the textures… and work out which ones you love, because come the Autumn, we’ll be making them work on your figure!
Behind the Scenes at the Simply Be TV Shoot: Part 3
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Roll up, roll up, because we’ve got our third fabulous behind the scenes video from the Simply Be TV ad shoot. This week we’ve got our gorgeous plus-size models striking a pose for the camera… with a very entertained audience! A spot of shopping, a very cute cat and… um… a whole lot of spinning!
Take a look for yourself and when you’re done, click here for more!
London Fashion Week: The Textures
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The world’s designers out-did themselves this season. It wasn’t just the new trends and colours that caught our attention, oh no, this year they introduced a a whole new set of textures for us to play with…
Lovely Leather
From the real thing to its PVC sister, it was all there on the Autumn/Winter catwalks. Nicole Farhi sliced it into skirts and trousers, Felder Felder made it a focal point and Christopher Kane took it from subtle touches to head-to-toe looks. Naturally, there were lots of gorgeous leather jackets, but actually the real trend here was detailing. Snippets of jet-black leather woven into a top or skirt… a tough touch with leather gloves… or a cut-off top on an otherwise feminine dress… so as the Summer starts to fade – look to leather for an instant fashion hit!
Vivacious Velvet
Soft, luxurious and gorgeous when it catches the light – it’s easy to see why LFW’s designers are bringing back velvet for the Autumn/Winter season. We saw stunning dresses from Hannah Marshall, breath-taking separates from Richard Nicoll and sophisticated detailing from Antonio Berardi… so there really is no limit to what you can do with velvet in the coming season.
Cheeky Chiffon
Last season saw the rise of peek-a-boo and Autumn/Winter 2010 sees its evolution. Now don’t get us wrong, there were still plenty of cheeky skin-revealing looks, but they were accompanied by the ‘thought of skin’ – see-through-chiffon that hints at what lies beneath but doesn’t show too much. And surprisingly, these silky smooth fabrics did all-out-glamour – but also played-down casual. So we’re expecting cheeky chiffon to play a big role in your Autumn/Winter wardrobes. For inspiration, turn to Christopher Kane and Bora Aksu!
Cords
Quintessentially English but just as happy fitting in with the new nordic trend, cords are making a comeback… or at least, we hope so. They weren’t everywhere on the catwalks but we caught a hint of them here and there… a cute pair of trousers, the odd jacket, even skirts. Betty Jackson was the designer ringleader and it’s her collection that’s made us so keen on the potential comeback.
Next week on the Simply Be Blog…
London Fashion Week: The End
Behind the Scenes at the Simply Be TV Shoot : Part 2
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Ready for another sneaky peak at what went on behind the scenes at our TV ad shoot? Great, because we’ve got it right here. The make up and the dancing, the shades and the cocktails – you saw it here first ladies!
Take a look for yourself and when you’re done, click here for more!
London Fashion Week: The Colours
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So you know about the trends, but what did the London Fashion Show tell us about next season’s colour palette? Well quite a lot actually – and we’re in the mood for sharing!
Deep Autumnal Reds and Oranges
It’s no surprise that the start of Autumn has brought a flurry of seasonal colours. Reds, oranges, browns – all vibrant and attention grabbing. And the list of designers who’ve used them… Betty Jackson… Richard Nicoll… Jasper Conran… Nicole Farhi… Petter Pilotto… well, it just confirms what we first thought – Autumnal oranges and reds and going to be bigger than big next season!
Navy is the New Black
It’s fair to say that navy has been fighting its way into our fashion colour palettes for a while. Spring saw it rising in nautical style, but in Autumn, it’ll come into its own. Louise Goldin gave it centre stage with head-to-toe navy outfits, while Nicole Farhi and Peter Pilotto mixed it with Autumnal shades for gorgeous contrast style.
And yet black will never go out of fashion. As always, it played a big part in London Fashion Week’s shows, with entire collections devoted to the darkest end of our colour palette. So don’t worry, you’re still safe enough with those classic pieces, they’ll fit right into Autumn/Winter 2010!
Colour on mute
Muted shades – your lilacs, your blues, your pasty pinks – make up another big colour trend. Jonathan Saunders mixed muted blues with deep oranges, Amanda Wakeley chose almost-gold beige and Paul Smith mixed up his collection with muted pastel looks and deeper shades. Beige is a colour we’ll be seeing a lot of, both in coats, and everything that sits beneath them. It’s nude neutrals all over again, but in Autumn/Winter 2010 you’ll have a lot more choice!
Multi-coloured prints
And finally we have a colour trend that says ‘anything goes’. Our prints have evolved into a mish-mash of colour combinations – either clashing or working in perfect harmony. So when looking for prints, the colour rules don’t apply. Be as bright and bold as you like, the more adventurous, the more on trend!
Next week on the Simply Be Blog…
London Fashion Week: The Textures
London Fashion Week: The Trends
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Wow! London Fashion Week, it was one hell of an exciting week! Show after show, trend after trend, fashion celebrity after fashion celebrity. And now that it’s finished, we’ve had a chance to look back and pull out our top trends for Autumn/Winter 2010!
Sherlock Chic
The 2009 Hollywood blockbuster must have inspired the fashion masses, because it exploded onto the LFW catwalks! Mini-caped coats in beige and camel hues were absolutely everywhere – and even when they weren’t ‘exactly’ the style of the famed detectives, they still harked back to his age-old look. So we say, if you’re buying a coat next season, make it Sherlock chic!
Billowing fabrics
Autumn/Winter isn’t really the season you’d expect to see light, floaty fabrics but that’s exactly what’s been dominating the catwalks. From down-to-the-floor dresses to voluptuous trousers, the designers have surprised us all! Maria Grachvogel started it on Day One, but the trend continued with so many other designers that we simply lost count. And what was even more interesting, was they way they dressed these gorgeous, floaty looks – with Winter warmers, heavy coats and long leather gloves.
Heavy draping
A much more Wintery version of Autumn/Winter’s billowing fabrics. Here we see thick cloth draped to make gorgeous shapes. Again, Maria Grachvogel plays her part, but we’ve also seen stunning, floor skimming options from Jena.Theo and Erdem. And the theme that runs through them all? Good old-fashioned sophistication – smart tailoring, elegant dresses and stand-out coats. We think this will be a real winner for plus-size women. Giving you stylish warmth with slimming under-layers instead of bulky over-layers.
Grecian dresses
Another trend often associated with Summer has been turned around to make a gorgeous Autumn/Winter option – the greek toga dress! Grecian influences were all over the London Fashion Week catwalks, with everything from all-out, gladiator-inspired togas… like the BODYAMR look pictured… to modern dress designs that just nod their head to Grecian origins… like Amanda Wakeley’s knotted necklines. So this is definitely a trend you can do your way!
The New Harem
Last Summer saw the rise of the harem pant but this season will see them becoming much more wearable! The catwalks showcased an evolution of the trend that we’re going to call the skinny-hareem. They’re voluptuous at the top, with hints of billowing fabrics and heavy draping, but pulled in around the ankles. This gives us a much more subtle style, one that would work day or night, work or weekend. It’s not so different from traditional trousers styles, but it certainly gives us a gorgeous new take on trousers that we can’t wait to experiment with! Look to Betty Jackson, BODYAMR and Jaeger London for inspiration!
Nordic Inspiration
With the cold weather hampering our fashion choices (even as we move into Spring) it’s no wonder that some designers have taken to wrapped up nordic styles. The likes of Margaret Howell and Ashish have all taken inspiration from traditional Northern European fashion to create a snug little look we’ll all enjoy wearing next winter. From the latest knitted styles to lazy layers worn over bold prints, you’ll be surprised just how fashionable everyday casual is going to be next season!
Fastforward Florals
Now on our second Summer of florals, we thought they might be on their way out in Autumn – but that’s definitely not the case. Prints have gone feminine in the latest muted hues or bold in Autumnal colours. And we might be wrong, but it looks like floral style might be inching towards embroidery. Just take a look at Christopher Kane’s collection, can you see where we’re coming from? Those intricate patterns and the floral lace – it’s not such a far-fetched idea, is it?
Next week on the Simply Be Blog…
London Fashion Week: The Colours
Behind the Scenes at the Simply Be TV Shoot: Part 1
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As promised, here’s the first of our behind the scenes videos. First meet our gorgeous plus-size models, then see just what goes on at a Simply Be TV shoot! From the jokes and the giggles to the serious work, shooting the adverts with all sorts of weird and wonderful props… including a cheek-chewing camel!
Take a look for yourself!