En vogue environment

With nature and sustainability hot topics right now, I was excited to see the V&A’s new exhibition, ‘Fashioned from Nature’. The exhibition is set over two floors and take visitors on a journey through fashion’s relationship with nature.

On entry, visitors are greeted with a room filled with antique treasures. Some garments are undeniably beautiful. Others, like furs, a controversial talking point. There are some beautiful printed dresses, made from fibres such as silk and cotton. The prints are often inspired by flowers and plants. The ground floor also documents the industrial revolution, and how the mass production of clothes was both helpful in bringing reasonably priced garments to the lower classes, and also a hindrance to the environment.

Moving up a floor, the tone of the exhibition changes. This floor explores sustainably and the steps that designers and manufacturers are taking to be kind to our planet. The pieces include both vintage and current pieces. Designers such as Stella McCartney, a pioneer in sustainable fashion, and Vivienne Westwood, climate revolutionary, are prominent. I found an interesting ensemble designed by one of my favourite actors, John Malkovich. I was unaware that Mr Malkovich launched his first menswear collection in 2017 and that he favours traditional fabrics such as linen. Another favourite piece from this floor was a pair of trainers by Veja, who work directly with co-operatives to produce sustainably grown organic cotton. Finally, I enjoyed learning about new and innovative techniques such as that by company Colorifix, who are aiming to create a low-water, pollution free method of clothes dyeing.

It was so inspiring to see so many brands and designers making great progress in the way of sustainability, climate change and animal rights. The exhibition also had a little gift shop where I was very naughty and splashed out on the accompanying book, and a couple of badges. Here’s some photo from my fun and informative visit 🙂

Colorifix’s innovative dyeing processes

John Malkovich’s linen and cotton suit

Stella McCartney

Revolutionary Vivienne Westwood

‘Fashioned from Nature’ is on at the V&A museum, London, until the 27th of January 2019. Head over…you’ll love it!

Fair is fair

We had a great day on Sunday at Judy’s Affordable Vintage Fair in Chester! The weather was perfect (although a tad chilly!) and brought some wonderful people from far and wide. We had a steady stream of customers at The Stellar Boutique stall. We had a great array of vintage clothing on offer and some of our favourite garments were sold to special homes, which made us super happy!

We got to meet some fellow vintage stall holders, and the atmosphere at the fair was so friendly and fun. Stella was in her stall holder element, whilst Hannah was able to hone her barrow girl skills. We were able to spread The Stellar Boutique word with some great flyers, and we can’t wait to welcome some new faces to the website.

We met some lovely people and had fun handing out flyers. Here’s some photos of just a few of the many great moments from our day:


 

Just my cup of tee

I recently had the exciting opportunity to visit the Fashion and Textile Museum‘s exhibition, ‘T-shirt: cult – culture – subversion‘. As an avid wearer of this versatile garment, I was looking forward to exploring the history behind the tee.

The Fashion and Textile Museum, founded by iconic fashion designer Zandra Rhodes, has been on my must-see list for a good while now, and I was not disappointed by my visit. The cosy and inviting building, with its bright orange exterior, is down a funky fashionable street in Bermondsey Village. The staff are friendly and helpful, and the inside of the museum has a really industrial and spacious feel.

The t-shirt exhibition was set over two floors and was categorised into area such as ‘t-shirt typologies’ and ‘ethics and ecology’. My t-shirt journey began at the very beginning, and I learned that examples of decorated T-shaped tunics excist from as early as the fifth century AD. Who knew! Also highlighted was the fact that the first promotional t-shirt was produced to advertise the Wizard of Oz film in 1939. Aside from the flurry of facts, here are my highlights from the exhibition:

Beautiful BIBA t-shirts with the iconic black and gold colour scheme

Vivienne Westwood collection, 2013

Malcolm McLaren and Vivienne Westwood’s infamous naked cowboys t-shirt, as worn by the Sex Pistols

My dream come true – a wall of band t-shirts!

Guerrilla Girls/ Barbara Kruger t-shirts – swoon!

Maria Grazia Chiuri’s Dior t-shirt, stating that “we should all be feminists”. I agree, Maria!

Now don’t mind me, I’m off to buy some vintage t-shirts 😉

Coach-hella-yeah!

It was that time of the year again when festival-goers came together in the California desert to enjoy the atmosphere, see some bands, and show off their individual, and often far out, style.

Coachella saw more than 100,000 people attend the 2-week celebration and was commended this year for its diversity. Queen Bey spoke to the crowd at the end of her set; “thank you Coachella for allowing me to be the first black woman to headline”. Her virtual crown stayed put even after a fall whilst performing with her sister, Solange.

In other news Ariana Grande made a surprise appearance at the festival, singing her new powerful song, ‘No Tears Left to Cry’. Marilyn Manson joined rock band X Japan to perform an Eurythmics cover. Other artists performing included Dreams, a band featuring Silverchair singer Daniel Johns, melodic rockstar St Vincent, ethereal folk band First Aid Kit, Californian sisters Haim, funk-pop comeback kid Jamiroquai, electronic rock band Pvris, and indie folksters Fleet Foxes.

Here’s our edit of some of the amazing celebrity and boho street style looks that have inspired us at The Stellar Boutique:

Model Winnie Harlow

A festival goer

Actress and activist Emma Watson

A festival goer

‘Stranger Things’ actress, Natalia Dyer

A festival goer

Actress and record label owner, Bella Thorne

A festival goer

Lifestyle blogger Xenia van der Wooden

A festival goer

Singer Charli XCX

A festival goer

Model Alessandra Ambrosio

What a stylish bunch!

Cardi-can!

Yes, cardigans can conjure up the image of sweet grannies knitting in a rocking chair but we at The Stellar Boutique are here to tell you that cardigans are rock n roll, people! For 2018, trend forecasters have told us that cardigans have a laidback mood, with slouchy silhouettes and rustic texture. You only need to look at some of the icons below who have rocked a cardigan to know it should be a staple part of your wardrobe. We have a great selection of vintage cardigans in the shop, so have a peek at these versatile vintage gems.

 

Bjork

Icelandic queen of the quirky, Bjork, often sported a cool mohair cardigan or jumper during the 90s. Her style was feminine with an edge; a cardigan layered with a silky slip dress and chunky boots was one trademark style. Bjork embraced an unusual style and took inspiration from all corners of the globe, a practice she continues to this day.

Channel your inner Bjork with our 70s vintage loop knit cardigan (£39)

 

 Kurt Cobain

As an intern at The Stellar Boutique, I couldn’t write a cardigan blog without including one of my grunge gods. Kurt Cobain is arguably the most iconic rock and roll idol ever to wear a cardigan and is a style inspiration to both women and men. Kurt’s casual thrift store style saw him cross gender boundaries, throwing together dresses, cardigans, ripped jeans and Converse.

Rock the casual look with our 70s vintage chunky cable knit cardigan (£43)

 

Drew Barrymore

Scream sister, Drew Barrymore, is one of our ultimate icons of cool. One of her best friend was Hole singer Courtney Love, and she once dated guitarist Eric Erlandson – true rock connections. We love Drew’s ability to go from sweet to sassy, embracing lace, denim and leather to name a few. She has the layered look down to a T.

 

Layer our 80s vintage mint green cardigan (£25) over a slip dress or distressed jeans for a versatile look.

 

 Gwen Stefani

A true chameleon, No Doubt singer Gwen’s style has evolved through the years, bringing inspiration from punk-inspired edginess, designer wear and Japan’s Harajuku district. Never one to shy away from the bold look, we think Gwen is a true style icon.

Embrace your inner Gwen with our 80s vintage cardigan in jade green (£40)