Ss13 trends: Trainers. With everything.

It seems like Olympics fever is still upon the fashion world, even come Spring Summer 2012.

Trainers made a big appearance at two big names - Moschino and Ashish, although they were both done in completely different ways.

The Ashish collection was a crazy nineties, sequinned, mash up of bleach blondes in glasses and reebok classics. The reeboks were topped off with shimmering glittering socks, in black, white, silver and gold. Topknots and scrunchies were worn ironically with billowing ball gowns, the white kicks poking out playfully. 

Ashish Spring Summer 2012 runway collection

On the other hand, Moschino played it differently - pretty dresses, skater skirts and prim (but shockingly transparent) shirts in pastels and black were contrasted against the bright, bold trainers, reminiscent of classic Nikes. The models looked ladylike, from 

head to.. Well, ankle, when the shoes became a surprising addition to such a girly pallet. 

Ellie Ellie Wears...

Trainers. As you will see (very soon!) are going to be big. Really big. Like, wear with everything anytime kind of big. But more on that later..
Anyway, this weeks Ellie Ellie Wears is for a romantic date, a chilled out Sunday or just because it looks good. Featuring Ellie Ellie's Stamp Heart Pendant, the pink and reds cheer up this miserable weather. And let's face it, Breton stripes are never going away, ever!

Top - h&m
Skirt - Topshop
Kicks - Nike
Necklace - Ellie Ellie

SS13 trends: Are you a minimalist or a maximalist?

Spring Summer '13 was divided right across the board in terms of cut and texture.

The minimalism movement of the last few years has very much been fronted by big names such as Jil Sander, APC and Celine.

This summer, Jil Sander's cocoon coat of Autumn Winter '12/13 instantly became a cult classic - the minimal approach makes it a bold statement, and painfully chic. This theme continued into the Jil Sanders SS collection - the burgundy, white and black pieces in a classic cut and simple texture a prime example of timeless style.

Above: Jil Sander AW12/13 cocoon coat

Above: Jil Sander SS13 runway collection - burgundy, white and black cotton

Celine in particular has always been known for minimalism - not just texture but also with colour palettes. This is offset by cut - usually big, bold and modern, but still very sleek. The Celine SS collection was no different, with smooth silk and supple leather, it was very much leading the way for the minimalist texture trend. The beautiful grab bags are undoubtedly going to be the next 'it' bag.

Above: Celine SS13 runway collection - silk and leather

Above: Celine SS13 simplistic leather grab bags

In the opposing team (for maximalist shapes and textures) was Chanel, Alexander McQueen and Givenchy.

Alexander McQueen took texture to the extreme. McQueen has always been a fan of shock tactics, and this collection displayed that.  Big texture was so prominent, it almost felt the whole collection was based around it. Huge 3D florals and ruffles engulfed the models, and harsh beekeeper-esque visors toughened up the cascades of chiffon.

Above: McQueen SS13 runway collection - 3D florals and beekeeper masks

Chanel's take on texture was more wearable - dainty beading, pearls, glitter and chiffon petals took the trend into super-girly territory. Delicate yet bold, Chanel's looks varied from tough and gothic, to sweet and pastels, making the collection a beautiful, eclectic mix of genres. However, the maximalist texture remained throughout, keeping a sense of fluidity with each new piece.

Above: Chanel SS13 runway collection - mesh, pearl polka dots, floral embellishment, glitter & chiffon petals

Article by Mary Platts

Ellie Ellie Wears.. For Him!

Calling all male Ellie Ellie fans! We are proud to present your brand spanking, new, ultra-manly, super-masculine outfit inspiration! Can you tell we're excited?? Here at HQ we thought it was oh so cruel of us to be flaunting all our fab cufflinks at you without giving you a bit of help with what to wear with them.. so here you go. This week featuring Ellie Ellie's super spectacular Spiderman Cufflinks

Suit - River Island

Shirt - Our Legacy

Shoes - East Land (via Peggs and Son)

Cufflinks - Ellie Ellie

JAYNE PIERSON INSPIRED NAIL ART!

Hello everybody!


As we promised here is our JP inspired nail art. Jayne's Spring/Summer '13 collection was both modern and tribal, with blues, beiges and whites, so we've tried to incorporate that as much as possible!

The 'feature' nail (The black and white striped one) was based on the nail art used on the models showcasing the collection.

(Above JP's nail art)

 We used blue and gold to do the middle of the leopard print on the other nails, as we felt those colours complimented Jayne's clothes, which you can see here.

Above is the selection of nail varnishes we used (along with an Ellie Ellie Vintage Letter Tile Ring!)

The leopard print effect was done using a curby grip, pulled open so the rounded end can be used as a dotting tool. 

After applying the base colour, do random multi sized dots (with your blue, gold, or colour of choice) over the nail leaving plenty of space in between. 

You then use the other rounded end of your  hair grip to do black 'c' or full circle shapes around the dots. Don't worry if the 'c's or circles don't look perfect - a leopards spots are far from it!

After letting it dry, apply a top coat.. and voila! Leopard nails!

The stripes were achieved by using good old fashioned masking tape.

First, wait until your base coat is dry. Then cut thin strips from the masking tape, making sure they are long enough to go over the entire nail and onto your skin (you will need these excess 'tabs' to pull the tape when finished).

Place the masking tape strips onto the nail in the pattern you desire. Paint over the masking tape (we have used black, but any colour will work!), making sure the gaps between each strip are fully covered.

Once this layer of varnish is dry, pull the strips away slowly. Use a curby grip to fill any gaps, or remove any smudges (you can do this by dipping the rounded head of the curby grip in nail varnish remover and wiping over the smudge).

Paint over with a clear topcoat, and you're done!

Hope you liked are first nail art post - there will be more to come! 

Spring Summer 2013 trends

Here at Ellie Ellie HQ, Christmas has been on our minds since June (what with preparing for orders, shows, new products..), so can we be blamed for looking forward to next seasons trends already? Over the next couple of months we will be bringing you a trend-by-trend guide to planning your spring summer wardrobe - but for now, here's a quick lineup of what to expect..

- Print (yes, still!), but this time in the form on gingham, dogtooth, stripes and digital patterns.

- Sporty. The Olympics have left their mark!

- Texture.. Extreme (including 3D flowers!) vs minimalism.

- Bomber jackets x pencil skirts (an odd combo, but we promise, it works!)

- Oriental. The trend continues from Autumn/Winter 12

- Pastels are still huge (including hair!)

- Cropped. Trousers, jackets, tops, you name it, it's cropped.

- Trainers. With everything. Really. We mean EVERYTHING.

- Punk/ goth/ grunge, mainly in the form of mesh. Sounds scary, but is actually pretty beautiful.

We will be bringing you guys outfit posts, what to buy and inspiration posts on all of this and more. Keep your eyes peeled!

Ellie Ellie sponsors Jayne Pierson at LFW!

This year at London Fashion Week, Ellie Ellie had the honour of sponsoring the talented Welsh designer Jayne Pierson.

 Pierson's 7th collection was showcased at an invite-only film for the Spring Summer '13 season. The collection, inspired by Huxley's iconic novel 'A Brave New World', was an eclectic mix of primal details presented within her futuristic designs. The strong silhouettes and varied textures made this collection one of the most striking at LFW, in our humble opinion..

 The Ellie Ellie team especially loved the futuristic nail art that accompanied the clothes - definitely a look we will be DIY-ing!

Ellie Ellie's Up-cycled Notebook and pencil was included in Jayne's gorgeous goodie bag, below. 

We are proud to be part of something so fab!