Forever Crazy Flaunts

Forever Crazy is London's latest answer to glitzy and oh so glam. Crazy Horse Paris have pitched up along South Bank with a ten strong Caberet of show gals, it’s decadent it's fabulous! These ladies certainly have the mooooves, zowie! Toned to within an inch of g-string each with a, slightly given, on stage persona that make every act more artistic performance and less seedy strip tease. 

Strip though they certainly did, to an audience of bedazzled couples, lovely lady groups and then, unfortunately, one rowdy horde of STALE mates. Men well past their prime and well without manners or I'd bet: morals. Think gaunt ex-rock star types mixed in with senior city bankers- total booze hounds quite literally hounding the stage. Oh and by the way when did it become ok to roar lines like 'chocolate sandwich twice!' Ah that's right it didn't. Epic fail you dirty old perve!

Such calls to mind the matter of men's degradation of women and nudity, both those women who choose to bare themselves publically/ professionally and those who do so in the privacy of their own environment. Is it sexual female empowerment and assertiveness that some find so threatening? Is the female body threat enough to reduce women to sexual objects using insulting language rather than considering any intelligent, worldly capacity that we have?

Don't even go there, Kate Middleton scandal, I have no comment just utter admiration for our Duchess and disdain for tabloid tossers cashing in. Grace Dent knows the tune, and I'm singing it too! Now at the risk of going all out Ferminist on you, it's worth mentioning Naomi Wolf right about NOW. In her new book Vagina she discusses language about the vagina and how it has been sexually insulting and abusive through time. I have not read it yet, but I have an inkling that she may just be onto some new gender theories. We all know that, as women WE ARE the whole package, and do in fact run the world. Viva La Vagina!

The above (rage) may be contradiction to the fact that I did willing waltz, along with my gal pals, into the boudoir-themed erotica of Forever Crazy. A risqué show that says in diamante 'God bless bare skin', a show that applauds female sexuality and nakedness but for me and most: the artistic, performative talents of women. Shimmying their way through to December the Forever Crazy show is a sparkly spectacle that is definitely worth seeing, plus it makes you wanna pout and flirt out with a little Peggy Lee.

More Than Moranthology

Caitlin live at the Bloomsbury Theater has been my September highlight and we're not even fully through LFW yet! Muma, sister and I laughed, welled up, lapped up and sat up in awe of this charismatic woman whose new book Moranthology is blatantly my new manual for life. I kid you not, she has confidently become my go-to for general answers and outrageous commentary on anything from humanitarianism, the pay wall debate and sweat pads.

 On stage with interviewer and friend (there were many a PJ (private joke) derived from boozy dinner parties: JEALOUS) Alex Heminsley, Caitlin is a little nervous. This is notable after she gazes across a full house of Moran groupies. Perhaps it was nerves that drove her initial urgency to be funny and foolish and fabulous at every gasp of breath, but very quickly Caitlin had us all (her knowing girls as she calls us adorers of How To Be A Woman) hanging on every line. 

What is it about this actually very normal, very intelligent woman? Well for starters exactly that, she writes insightful, beautiful, accessible columns that 'point things out'. She has an opinion and a voice that is both engaging and compelling. When we weren't transfixed by her storytelling (embellished with a lotta hilarious) we were wowed by the profound sentiment of her own beliefs and values.

Feminism, twitter, masturbation, success, family, Melody Maker and cheese were all touched upon. Then during a Smash Hits skewed Q+A session (nifty use of biscuit tin) we got to ask the ol gal herself about matters like the Olympic and Paralympic games, sex, celebrity goss to which she championed us with whirl wind answers. All of which have confirmed the fact that I must befriend her IMMEDIATELY, so that I can smuggly cross off 'dinner with Caitlin, Grace Dent and Co.' from my 'Things To Do Before I Am Thirty' list. 

If I wasn't schmoozed before hand (totally was, she had me at hello) I then picked up my Stylist copy this week and squealed at first sight of her moosh plastered all over the cover. Flicking greedily to her article feature I swooned over her wonderful words:

''We have to start feeding the trolls (The Daily Mail): feeding them with achingly polite emails and comments, reminding them of how billions of people prefer to communicate with each other, every day, in the most unregulated arena of all: courteously.''

If you have not already got your Moranthology fix, do so immediately! I have my own signed copy propped lovingly on my bedside table...ahhhhh girl crush.

Mixing In Mulberry

Caramel, cappuccino, apricot, peppermint and cream...uh oh gelato! Not quite NO, this was the mouth watering palette of choice for Emma Hill's S/S 2013 Mulberry collection. Take me to the Mulberry garden! Themed to a tee as the quintessential English garden, Tuesday's catwalk show was fresh, lush and left us longing for next summer.
 

Block colour, bold statement pieces: coats, jackets, trews were all flaunted alongside fabulous floral print dresses, shorts and shirts. And let's not go forgetting the luxe leather bags that were TOTE-ally stunning. Mulberry: a trade mark, household name that we all chant adoringly. What I wouldn't give to be clutching, truly, madly, deeply onto one (or all) of those beauties.

I'd walk beyond the garden path in these textured pieces: the oversized coats, the metallic print jackets, soft pleated skirts, pajama pants. All of which wowed with sun-kissed, nude complexions and loosely pinned back locks. Sweet, soft buns (that is hair do's not derrières or pastries) sweeping fringes and soft tousled ponies. While we're on fro's, it'd be rude not to mention the FROW celebs that perched eagerly catwalk side: Lana Del Rey, Kate Moss and Alexa Chung.

This collection was a fabulous way to round up the shows this LFW and Mulberry did not fail to make fabulous. I'm not partial to poodle but the rest was pure pastel pleasure, take a look: garlands a gooden...

 

Whatta Lotta Pilotto

Christopher De Vos and Peter Pilotto HAVE texture and it's out of this world. Tailored, stunning pieces revealed sharp sophisticated looks that cut on the knee and off the shoulder. This is elegance, this is Pilotto s/s 2013! The dynamic collection is jaw dropping, a feast for the eyes- I am literally blinkered by the array of lace, embellishment, bodices, Eastern prints and sexy shirts that say... ‘HAVE ME, HAVE ME NOW’!

There's ruffle, there's layers, there's peplum, there's poufs and whistles. OH MY...GOD!! *Heart palpitations. I cannot take it all in. I have watched and re-watched, drooled and whooped Pilotto's catwalk show. Encore indeed! There is no limit to the digital pattern and print that has been designed for ladies what like it LOUD. I am literally salivating (style slobber over this clobber) over every piece, shove the colour swatch and mix in it all. All panels, prints, pleats, it's a blooming montage of three-dimensional FABULOUS-ness. And I am watching again...