The most fabulous issue of Elle Collections

Every season I wait for Elle to release their Elle Collections magazine. Tonight my mum treated me to it! I absolutely love these magazines. They are a portfolio of all the designer collections, the invitations to the shows and articles on emerging designers. In this issue (AW12) it features an article on Phillip Lim who has become one of my favourite designers after researching him for a university project. If you don't already buy these magazines I would recommend that you do. They are full of the worlds best collections, incredible images and lots of extras.

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Jeffrey Campbells

The studded slipper is an essential this season (I have three pairs myself). I absolutely love studded accessories but these shoes go with almost anything. These beautiful silver, heavily studded slippers are by Jeffrey Campbell and cost £125. If you have the money to purchase these, I would recommend it. They are a stunning pair of shoes, however, Topshop offer cheaper alternatives in a mixture of pastels and brights at about £28.

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Topshop Chelsea Boots

These boots are from Topshop and retail at £75. The heel is the perfect height for casual daytime wear around the city, or nighttime wear. They are 100% leather so you know you're getting good quality. I absolutely love these boots. They can be worn casually with leggings and a jacket or with a dress for a chic biker look. If you can't afford this price, there are cheaper options by Missguided and Asos. 

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Olympics London 2012

Everyone's talking about the Olympics... And I am pleased to say it is happening in my very own capital city. Not only are people talking about the events, main focus has been placed on the Olympic outfits designed by the likes of Stella McCartney, Ralph Lauren & Giorgio Armani. The image above is Stella McCartney with two of our very own athletes (Jessica Ennis & Phillips Idowu). The whole country has been raving about this incredible design, however I disagree. I think that without the words 'Great Britain' written across the chest, this could be representing any other country with similar colours. I think McCartney could have been a tad more creative.

Also, I don't know how true this is, but apparently the tracksuits they wore in the opening ceremony (gold and white ones) were from Next. 

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Louis Vuitton

Whilst I was on holiday, I visited the Louis Vuitton store in Palma. I thought the visual merchandising in this store was particularly interesting. From a distance it looks like white boxes creating a bit of texture, however when I got closer to the window, I noticed it was plain white cotton shirts creating the two squares in which the suitcases were placed. The overall look of the store window was extremely classic and sophisticated. Hats off to LV.

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Ted Baker

I recently realised what a talented designer Ted Baker is after visiting Edinburgh and seeing his clothes in Jenner's Department store. I have always loved his accessories and I own a few of his accessories, however, his clothes are beautiful. His prices are not extortionate but being a student they are a little out of my price range, however I will continue to indulge in his handbags!

My favourite Ted Baker bag at the moment is a shopper which he has created for different countries including Britain, Australia, France, Spain, Dubai, Greece, USA & Japan. My favourite one is obviously the traditional red British bag, featuring the Union Jack. At only £35, I will definitely be purchasing this!

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Mallorca

I have just got home from a lovely holiday in Port Andraxt, Mallorca. Whilst I was over there we visited Palma where there are amazing designer and high street shops including Louis Vuitton, Zara & H&M. I came across a man selling Louis Vuitton handbags on the street (obviously fake!), and I asked him how much they were. He told me they were 140 euros! I thought Louis Vuitton will be turning in his grave.

One of the greatest and most classic designers of all time is being ripped off by people who think its acceptable to make cheap, unbelievably fake copies. I will just wait until I have graduated, earned enough and I will go and buy an authentic Louis Vuitton thank you very much!

Palma is amazing for cheap little shops. They have bags for 10-15 euros, which on our high street would be atleast £40-50. I went into one of these shoe shops to find one of the latest style of shoes for only 23 euros.

This pair are from Missguided and are only £35.99 which isn't expensive for on trend heels, and they are practically identical to the pair I bought on holiday.

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Vintage

I buy many vintage pieces & I receive a lot of vintage accessories from my family. I love vintage fur stoles, designer jackets and knitwear. In Nottingham, there is a store called 'COW' which is a vintage retailer which is where I like to shop. Online they sell beautiful silk shirts at affordable prices and they also have stores in Sheffield, Manchester & Birmingham as well as Nottingham.

I also own a few by garments by Marc Cain, Dolce & Gabbana, Helen Anderson and other designers. This is my favourite vintage piece. It is a vintage Burberry jacket, which I think is a classic piece. It is a navy, almost black jacket. It is slightly oversized which is a particular trend I love. 

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Mary Katrantzou...

Because in this economy we can't all afford to splash out on designer pieces, Mary Katrantzou has collaborated with Topshop to give us elegant, one off unique pieces. She knows how to use digital prints, and she has created affordable, could-be-designer dresses. Mary has to be admired for not being scared of using colour. The clashing colours and graphic prints look incredible!

The image below is an image of behind the scenes at one of Katrantzou's latest collections. 

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Alexander McQueen - The Genius of a Generation

After reading 'A Genius of a Generation', and from looking at Alexander McQueens final collections, I have to agree that he was something special. He is one of the only designers who can be truly described as 'unique'. The word is thrown around in fashion and almost every designer at one time is called 'unique' when really what they are creating is just a copy of a copy of a copy.

Sarah Burton stepped up and took on the role as designer of this famous fashion label when Alexander McQueen tragically passed and she has continuously created outstanding collections. My favourite ever fashion piece was one from Alexander McQueen.

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