YSL unisex line

That's right Stefano Pilati is launching the first unisex line which was announced a little while ago, but now there are pictures. Perhaps it is a little less odd seeing that the collection is coming from YSL the creator of le smoking tux, the ultimate in androgyny. From today until 21st of February you can buy the line in a pop up store in New York. If like me you won't be crossing the Atlantic any time soon you'll just have to imagine how great your life could have been if you had only had that trench coat, or that suit.



Now I know this is just in time for Valentines day and if I were to see a couple wearing matching outfits I might actually throw up. I have no doubt that some horribly annoying fashiony type couple will be strutting around New York tomorrow in their matching suits generally being shit people. I have major problems with couples dressing alike ( it happens often enough unintentionally without starting lines for that specific function, just like that French line Couples don't like that at all). So hopefully if you do have the chance to snap up some of the beautiful clothes from YSL that just so happen to be unisex you'll have the good sense to make sure that your fella doesn't buy the matching blazer.

Dane to be different

Not too long ago I had my heart set on a year away in Denmark, that was until college decided that they didn't want me to have any fun and that I had to stay in dirrty Dublin. I had almost forgotten what could have been and resigned myself to this tiny tiny city when I saw the pictures from Copenhagen's  fashion week and bam the wound was like new. In particular Louise Amstrup  caught my eye. She is usually based in London and this was the first time she showed in her native country. If theres one thing I'm a sucker for it's a nice jacket and I'm loving her structural yet somewhat slouchy pieces (odd combo)

Saturdays in the snow

We don't normally do early mornings here at Offshoot but we made an exception on Saturday to make our way through the snow to The Clarence for some brekie at the 7th Fashion Bloggers' Brunch. And a delicious breakfast it was at that. Champagne and mini-pastries, oh my!

After brunch myself ad Lillian went up to Adam's on Stephens Green for the viewing of the late Anne Bullitts fabulous wardrobe. It was an amazing sight, a room filled with Lanvin, Dior, Hermès, Chloe and Ungaro. I fell in love with a beautiful black and cream silk evening dress with three quarter length sleeves and a lovely mint green bow. We didn't head down to the auction on Sunday because I think we both knew it would be far too dangerous for our purses.

It's a terrible photo but you get the idea.

It ended up going for €90 and the sale ended up making over €70,000 for Crumlin Childrens Hospital helped along by the black crocodile Hermes Birkin which sold for €7,000. Im actually seething with anger at myself for not going because some of the pieces, including Lanvin went for as little as €10 and an Ungaro silk suit for a fiver. Biggest fashion mistake of my life!

Cat

So why were you in Paris?

Actually wasn't a question we were asked too much, people seemed to be more confused about the trip to Antwerp. It was however just assumed we were heading that way for men's fashion week, unfortunately were not organised enough bloggers quite yet and didn't realise we'd been in Paris for men's fashion week till it was a little too late. Our plan of heading down to one of the shows and using our feminine charms to blag our way in remained but a plan because there was just too much shopping to be done. The closest we got to experiencing the buzz around fashion shows was to stand outside the doors of the Maison Martin Margiela office (which just so happened to be next door to our friend's apartment), while a bunch of very fashiony looking Parisians ran in and out getting ready for the show.

So instead of giving an insightful look at the new collections I've decided to be terribly broad and pretty much just say what everyone else is thinking, stop wearing skinny jeans and put on a real pair of pants. It's a return to classic sophistication(or well it seems to be after reading an article in the financial times), which I'm very happy about. It's terrible to generalise a whole city but I'll do it anyway, for me the men in Antwerp were probably the most well dressed I've ever seen. It was all so casual but so well put together, really simple things like how they wore their scarves (just thrown over their shoulder's at the bar, I almost went up to one guy to find out how he had managed to tie his scarf in such a fantastic way), it was kind of like a whole city full of designers. Again this is terribly general but I find in Paris the guys try a little too hard, if you've decided that you want to be cool and indie thats all well and good but at least try and make it look like you didn't try (that was a very poorly constructed sentence but hopefully you get the point).
So to summarise hopefully by Autumn men will be back to wearing real pants and be done with those skinny jeans.

Join the Dots

So, judging a book by its cover is generally viewed as a bad idea. However, when i picked The Accidental by Ali Smith from a pile of books my mom bought, id by lying if said i didn't just want to read it because it had a nice cover. But, turns out that she is a great writer and i absolutely adored this book.

Then, when i was doing some blog browsing on my favourite french blog, the cherry blossom girl, i happened upon some really great images from Lula magazine, and i found this picture again on a double page spread. Lula was set up by ex-Vogue writer Leith Clark and is fashion, film and art all rolled into one. It's a great place to find dreamy shoots. I have only ever accessed it online but if anyone knows where i might be able to find it in Dublin, do please let me know.

The photographer is William Eggleston. Who i now also adore. Lots of great 70's prints. Love love love. He's an American photographer who is apparently credited with securing recognition for colour photography as a legitimate artistic medium to display in art galleries.

So, always judge a book by it's cover. You'll be amazed what you might learn from it.

Cat

What Catherine bought...

Not that much unfortunately. I was restricted by my very tight budget.

Giles Deacon silk top

From New Look on Meir (the main shopping street in Antwerp), it was €50 and i got it for just €15.

Fur collar

From Sussies on Oude Koornmarkt for just €15.

Bow tie

From Episode for a mere €3.

Black playsuit

My new favourite item of clothing. It looks like a tuxedo jacket but is actually a playsuit. Just €20 from Woch Dom, 72 rue Condorcet, 75009, Paris.

Cat

Holidays

So we're back from our holliers. Four days in Antwerp followed by three in Paris. Why Antwerp? Well, it is the diamond capital of Europe and a haven for fashion royalty. So, i think why the hell not is a more appropriate question.

Lillian and I love shopping holidays. There is nothing more satisfying than returning home with an entirely new wardrobe. And so off we went to spend out four nights in a wonderful hotel that was formerly a cardinals residence. Tres posh.

The lovely dining room where we enjoyed our breakfast. I most certainly recommend this place if anyone is planning a trip to Antwerp. It is so reasonable and the owners are just lovely, even if they do think we're a bit bonkers. Rubenshof.

Shopping la la la...

Bonaventura, Aalmoezenierstraat 38

A tiny little handbag shop tucked away on a very unassuming street in the Het Zuid. This place is perfection, Salvatore Ferragamo for €8, yes please. Everything here was in great condition too.

Labels Inc, Aalmoezenierstraat 4

Marc Jacobs €80 and YSL €90

Absolutely incredible. Comme des Garcons jacket for €100, YSL shoes for €90 everything in mint condition, if you go to just one shop in Antwerp, let this be it. Lil bought a great Comme des Garcons purple sweater vest with lovely flower detailing. Website.

Sussies, Oude Koornmarkt 69

Nice pieces, but overpriced.

Episode, Steenhouwersvest 34a

Reminds me of the kind of vintage you find in Camden. Big shop, and the most amazing box of bow ties ive ever seen. Website.

Walter, St.Antoniusstraat 12

Its in an old car park. Go just to see it. And if you have loads of money, go and spend it all here. Website.

Belchique, Kloosterstraat 177

Moschino Cheap and Chic skirt €27, Pierre Hardy shoes €100, Chanel tweed jacket €300. Must i say more?

Mode Museum shop, Nationalestraat 28

Such a great space, but such boring clothes...

We also went to the Maison Martin Margiela exhibition in the Mode Museum which was brillers. And, we discovered that their offices were just two doors down from our accommodation in Paris. Seeing a Margiela clad worker emerge through the front door was quite amazing. Website.

Other treats include Bistro Theo, Nationalestraat 33, it's a cafe in the middle of a Camper shoe shop. Delicious sandwiches and cute little mini waffles with your coffee.

And the Antwerp handjes. Biscuits and chocolates in the shape of a hand. The story goes that a giant used to guard the river and would chop off the hands of those who tried to cross without paying the toll. But thankfully a Roman soldier came along and chopped off the giants hand and threw it into the river. So, according to the legend, the city was named after this, from the Dutch hand (as in English) and werpen (English: throw).

Something else that must not be overlooked food wise in Antwerp is their double fried chips. They're not for the health conscious but are quite a big deal in Belgium. We went to Haute Frituur, posh chips in Vlaamse Kaai. Yum yum.

Offshoot tip: Go in January. I don't know if it's the recession but the sales in Antwerp really were some of the best ive ever seen.

Cat