Erdem's Gift Shop Delight

I have always been able to spend money in any shop. It's a gift I am not particularly proud of, but take me to just about any shop and I am sure I can find something to buy. On school trips I always looked forward to the end of the day when we could finally visit the museum or galleries gift shop.
It comes as no surprise then that I adore the gift shop at the V&A museum. The Victoria and Albert Museum has always been my favourite museum in London and if you haven't visited their gift shop you are really missing a trick. To celebrate the upcoming exhibition Diaghilev and the Golden Age of the Ballets Russes (opening on September 25th) fashion designer Erdem has designed a silk scarf to be sold exclusively at the V&A gift shop. Click to see full-size.

Erdem is one of my favourite designers working in the UK at the moment, his use of print and colour in unbeatable and his designs always look fantastic on the red carpet. The Narcisse scarf he's designed actually features original costume designs by Léon Bakst for the ballet Narcisse in 1911 which is a beautiful touch. "It’s wonderful to work with Bakst’s illustrations," Erdem explains. "I thought they were such a wonderfully inspiring starting point for the scarf. The Ballets Russes are so inspiring and colourful."

Thandie Newton wears an Erdem Fall 2008 dress to the 2008 GQ Men of the Year Awards

The Narcisse Scarf won't be available until September, however you can pre-order it online now HERE. I have a feeling this will piece will sell out super-fast as Erdem's fanbase continues to grow. The 90 x 90cm scarf is on the pricey end at £185, but you'll definitely stand out from all the McQueen sculls and Vuitton leopard print numbers out there.

What do you think of Erdem's creation?

image courtesy of the V&A - Thandie image Getty/Picapp.com

For the Love of Seams

Today I made a quick stop at the V&A to check out the Future Fashion Now exhibition. It features pieces from the Royal College of Art fashion MA graduates' final collections. It wasn't the best exhibition ever but there were some interesting pieces, so it's worth visiting if you're in the area - it runs until January 31st 2010.

There was one dress, designed by Abbie Shaw that caught my eye. I love the shape of it, and actually I was more interested in the paper pattern than the finished product.





The seams are much more noticeable when it's just made out of paper, and at the moment I'm a little obsessed with seams. Blame Azzedine Alaïa.

I went to Dover Street Market earlier in the week and spent a little too long stroking the seams on an Alaïa dress. He cuts so beautifully it could bring me to tears. I've been eating up the images from his Fashion Spot thread [you can view it HERE] so I thought it was only right to post some of his F/W 07/08 collection. I love all the pleating; I need to get some pleats into my wardrobe.









In the words of Rachel Zoe, I die!

Abbie Shaw images my own, Alaïa images from thefashionspot.com