VINTAGE LEVI's...yummy!

A few months ago I was lucky to be given a scrumptous vintage Levi's Denim Jacket from one of my best friends Michelle. It got me thinking where would we be without Levi Strauss's invention of Denim. It plays such a big part of modern society , everyone , every day will more than likely put on a piece Denim!

Denim is a personal favorite of mine and I really dont know what my wardrobe would be without it! There are certain things that compliment denim the way bread compliments butter. A Black & Red check is one of those things and my G-STAR shirt is a favorite - I bought it a few years ago to wear to the races and have never looked back. Buttoned up with a skinny tie , or open with a t-shirt it is a staple. Paired together with my vintage Levi's DJ - its simply heaven!

VINTAGE LEVI's denim jacket - gift

H&M beanie - www.hm.com

G-STAR RAW check shirt - www.g-star.com

MARC JACOBS tee - www.marcjacobs.com

DIESEL jeans - www.diesel.com

DUNLOP limited edition trainers - www.dunlop.com

ZARA bag - www.zara.com 

CHECK MATE!

Coming close in at second (after stripes) I am a HUGE fan of the check! Ghingham , Tartan , Big or Small a classic red and black or a more subdued black and white - I love a good check.

For my 20th Birthday I was looking for the perfect check shirt and when I found a gorgeous LIFE with BIRD shirt with black cuffed sleeve and button tab detail it was a $150 well spent! I'm also a very big fan of a waistcoat - when Justin Timberlake sported his waistcoat in the My Love video It drove the trend into frenzy. Its been a while since I've worn mine so I decided to get it back out for Fashion Press Week Day 2. Its always best to balance a strong check with a solid - it lets the check stand out and speak for itself!

LIFE with BIRD check shirt - www.lifewithbird.com

ROGER DAVID waistcoat - www.rogerdavid.com

CHEAP MONDAY jeans - www.urbanoutfitters.co.uk

ZARA biker boots - www.zara.com

PASHMINA bought in Paris

MESSENGER BAG - made by me 

SCHOOL BOY VIBES!

Fashion events - to be honest - always make me slightly nervous , so how better than to bottle up the nervousness and let my influence stem from the playground - highschool to be more specific! After watching way too much Gossip Girl , private school uniforms were my inspiration of choice...

So for my agency's Fashion Press Week event I decided that my outfit of choice for Day 1 would be my twist on the school uniform. I chose to combine my favorite vintage velvet blazer , black skinny's , an oversized white shirt and my very school-boy esque red striped tie! Voila-School Boy meets Geek Chic!

VINTAGE velvet blazer - Brick Lane purchase

H&M shirt & jeans - www.hm.com

ROGER DAVID skinny tie - www.rogerdavid.com

ZU shoes - www.zushoes.com

MESSENGER BAG - made by me

STRIPES & SUN!

Stripes have always - and I think will always - be my favorite pattern. I can never tire of a black and white stripe something about the way it visually looks excites me! Horizontal for when I want to broaden my chest or Vertical for days I need to appear taller - I can always rely on stripes!

I've also always been a fan of layering a t-shirt with a simple white long sleeve. There's something vintage american-teenager about it that I like and I feel it also has a sporty element to it! Enough of me here's me combining my favorite pattern with some old-school layering.

OBEY striped t-shirt - www.obeyclothing.co.uk

H&M long sleeve - www.hm.com

CHEAP MONDAY skinny jeans - www.urbanoutfitters.co.uk

CAT HAMMILL beads - www.cathammill.com.au

TOPMAN rosary beads - www.topman.com

ZARA bag & boots - www.zara.com

DIOR sunglasses - www.dior.com

I THINK IM IN LOVE...

There are pieces in your wardrobe that are classic staples. A great white t-shirt (mine are from American Apparel and H&M simple, cheap, the perfect cut for me) a trusty pair of jeans (for dark denim I choose J Brand for anything Black or Distressed my choices sit with Ksubi, Cheap Monday & Diesel) an amazing scarf (a black pashmina bought in Paris and a skull scarf by McQueen , 'nuf said) - these are pieces that I can throw on any day and mix together with almost everything in my wardobe and I just know it will work! Then there are special pieces , things that may not go with everything but when you put them on your face lights up - mine vary from a $600 sequinned jumper by Ksubi to a 20quid vintage Mickey Mouse jumper that has a hole in the sleeve (which I adore) - recently I was strolling through Topshop during a manic sale. I spotted what I call a 'piece' , from the Topshop Unique range (the runway collection they do each season) the sky blue leather biker jacket echoed Balenciaga from season's past and had my name written all over it. I walked to the rack and noticed there was only one left , I peeked for the size , 'Size 6' - this could work - I slipped it on and it fit like a glove! The minute it was on I didnt want to take it off! I fear I may not want to take it off all winter!

TOPSHOP UNIQUE leather jacket - www.topshop.com

H&M long sleeve - www.hm.com

DIESEL skinny jeans - www.diesel.com

ASH studded trainers - www.ash-footwear.co.uk

ZARA bag - www.zara.com

LUSTING FOR LEATHER!

With winter comes my favorite element of fashion - texture! With this also comes black and with black comes its best friend white! When I spotted this image online a while ago I felt it perfectly defined my love of winter & texture! Soft against hard - Black teamed with white!

A week after I frequented London's trusty High Street when I came across something that made my face beam with the excitement and anticipation of the season ahead. The combination of wool & leather is a marriage of textures I love beyond belief! A classic black knit completley injected with freshness by adding leather! Immediatley I thought - Must Have! I decided to pair my new purchase with vintage leather trousers and my favorite white transparent H&M shirt! An outfit full of textures! Check it out!

H&M jumper & shirt - www.hm.com

VINTAGE leather trousers - charity shop purchase

TOPMAN earring - www.topman.com

CAMO CRUSH!

When I recently spotted these Camouflage Skinny jeans by LA denim brand Paige - they literally made my heart skip a beat! They are everything I dream of in a pair of jeans and more. Comfortable stretch denim with a wicked twist - the camo print. With Military one of the years biggest trends there's nothing I love more than heading into the world feeling like a fashion soldier - does that sound terribly ridiculous - but no seriously these jeans will be on everyone's lust list this season! They literally make me die they're that good!

H&M beanie & faux fur shruf - www.hm.com

VINTAGE LEVI's denim jacket - gift from friend

ASDA grey marle long sleeve - www.asda.com

PAIGE camouglage skinny jeans - www.paigeusa.com or at www.selfridges.com

ZARA boots - www.zara.com

MARKS & SPENCER umbrella - www.marksandspencer.com

Funnily enough when I woke up the next day I saw my darling Cheryl Cole sporting the same Paige Camo Skinny's at her book launch a week later Kylie was spotted in them - well I must have good taste then! You better get yourselves into Selfridges before they sell out!

SOME DOLCE & A BOW TIE!

Another one of my favorite style icon's is Pharrell Williams - no one can go from being sophisticated and dapper to preppy to home-boy skater like Skate Boy P himself! What I love about him is he's not afraid to take a risk and is a huge lover of fashion whether it be the perfect hoody or the best cashmere sweater!

With that in mind the day of head of me included various meetings and appointments where , though I wanted to look dapper , It needed to have my urban flavor , which is where the beanie comes to play! No matter what people say my trusty beanie never does me wrong , its the quickest solution to laidback cool! Combined with my favorite colour combo - grey white and black - and my favorite pattern - stripes - we have the below!

 DOLCE & GABBANA striped sweater - www.dolceandgabbana.com

VINTAGE bow tie

H&M shirt & beanie - www.hm.com

CHEAP MONDAY skinny jeans - www.urbanoutfitters.co.uk

ZU shoes - www.zushoes.com.au

ZARA bag - www.zara.com

LFW LAST DAY = 2 OUTFITS!

It was a bitter sweet day as the final day of LFW loomed. Bitter as I didnt want to say goodbye to Fashion World , the only word I belong in , yet sweet as it meant my life would finally be back in some kind of normal order. Close to normal sleeping and eating patterns and a room where I could actually see the floor , not all the piles of clothes scattered aimlessly across it! For the first outfit of the day I wanted to pull out all the stops. Great Vintage. Designer. Quirkiness and a combination of texture. My inspiration was Daria Werbowy an amazing urban figure of fashion. The girl can do no wrong and though yes she is styled for fashion editorials she always looks effortlessly cool in everything she wears!

I realise it may come across strange that a boy can be so inspired by women but the key here is not the sex its the confidence. Women , like never before , are taking risks with fashion and having fun with the way they dress a-la Carrie Bradshaw! I really wish more boys took risks because life's too short to dress in blue jeans and a tee every day! I'm yawning just thinking about it. See my look below - 'nuff said!

VINTAGE VERSACE jumper (from Gianni's 80s heyday) - from One of A Kind Vintage www.1kind.co.uk

H&M shirt - www.hm.com

SASS & BIDE jeans - www.sassandbide.com

ZU shoes - www.zushoes.com.au

ZARA bag - www.zara.com

After a couple of shows and some viewing of the exhibitions of up & coming designers I had to do a quick costume change before the ASHISH show. No one does sequins quite like Ashish and I had a piece that was just perfect! When I was 18 working as a waiter I would go to my favorite small trendy boutique in my home town of Geelong , that stocked a selection of cool urban labels that I loved. I was looking at the AW lookbook for ridiculously cool Australian band KSUBI (formerly Tsubi) and when I came across an image of a jet black sequinned jumper I was short of breath. The fact that it was menswear was even more of a delight - finally someone who understands that sometimes boys wanna sparkle too! I made a special order for the jumper and when it finally arrived I spent a whole month's wage on it and never looked back! It will be a piece I will forever keep and pass on to future generations! It is OUT-OF-CONTROL! Makes me die! Though it wasn't Ashish I think he would've been proud of this number sparkling from the second row! It was the perfect outfit to finish London Fashion Week with a bang!

KSUBI limited edition sequinned wool jumper - www.ksubi.com

H&M shirt & wet look skinny jeans - www.hm.com

ZU shoes & ZARA bag as before

LFW DAY 4 - CASUAL COOL!

After 3 days of non-stop madness it was nice to have a chilled out Day 4 with only one evening show to attend. Now I have a confession to make - I've always had a big love for all things Mickey Mouse. I cant see a vintage Mickey Mouse t-shirt, jumper, bag without wanting to buy it and most times I do! Its something i'd like to collect. He's the only mouse I love , there's something about childhood memories of Mickey Mouse cartoons that's always stuck with me. 

I bought this amazing vintage Mickey Mouse jumper when I just moved to London and all my friends laughed at me , 2 months later Mickey Mouse was all over the high street and then a collaboration with Uniqlo followed - one step ahead? I think so! I decided it to pair the jumper with my fab new Cheap Monday's for a flashback to the 80s! Cool Casual yet with a dollop of urban style just the way I like it!

VINTAGE Mickey Mouse Jumper - www.rokit.co.uk

CHEAP MONDAY denim & leather jeans - www.urbanoutfitters.co.uk

DUNLOP VOLLEY limited edition trainers - www.schuh.co.uk

H&M white tee - www.hm.com

ALEXANDER McQUEEN skull ring -  www.alexandermcqueen.com

CHRISTAN DIOR sunglasses - www.dior.com

LFW DAY 3 - 5 SHOWS 2 LOOKS!

My style Icon for LFW Day 3 was none other than the fashion force that is Kate Moss. Kate has that other worldly power of inspiring women , men and everyone else in between whether it be her beauty of her unique style she's never worn a thing I didnt like! One thing Kate does best is that Rock Chic look and loves to mix up a bit of fur & leather like its nobody's business!

So as I prepared myself for a fashion filled day and started off with outfit Numero Uno! Inspired by Kate I felt like doing an ode to celebrity. Combining over the top faux-fur with a leather motorcycle jacket , rockstar inspired leggings with transparent panels (couldnt you just see Bowie in these) and my couldn't give a fuck beanie & oversized shades combo (litarlly my Dior's save my day every-day) - lovin this look!

H&M beanie www.hm.com

TOPSHOP faux-fur gilet, leather jacket & armour rings www.topshop.com

AMERICAN APPAREL white tee www.americanapparel.net

EVIL TWIN leggings www.eviltwinthelabel.com

ZARA bag & boots www.zara.com

ALEXANDER McQUEEN skull ring www.alexandermcqueen.com

Following the Todd Lynn, Charlie Le Mindu & Julien McDonald shows I had Vivienne Westwood and Kinder Aggugini to attend , and as it was my first Westwood show I needed a Dame Vivienne appropriate outfit! It was time to pull out all the stops with some classic vintage and a dapper ensemble. Again I wanted to play on texture , pattern and colour. I decided to balance a velvet blazer with my trusty transparent H&M shirt (another fashion week survival piece) and some amazing striped Vintage Trousers (very westwood) and wanted to clash the stripe with a checked bow tie! I felt like a dandy Chuck-Bass type & loved every second of it! Somehow the whole ensemble made me stride with confidence!

VINTAGE blazer - brick lane markets

VINTAGE trousers from www.absolutevintage.co.uk

H&M shirt www.hm.com

PECKHAM & RYE bow tie - gift from the boys at www.peckhamryelondon.com

ZU shoes www.zushoes.com.au

ZARA bag www.zara.com

LFW DAY 2 - GLAM-GEEK!

As LFW Day 2 was ahead of me waking up with a killer hangover I immediatley knew that sunglasses would be my saviour for the morning. With a slight chill in the air today my inspiration combined Rachel Zoe & her assistant Brad Goreski. I wanted to combine Rachel's Glam and Brad's signature Geek - Chic style! I would like to state for the record that I was wearing bow-ties before I saw one episode of Rachel Zoe (hehe)

So as I peered throught the window I began to layer my look to combine the geek appeal of Brad and the full glam quality of Rachel *more so I was just dying to bust out in the new faux fur shrug-scarf-collar I purchased for 9 quid at H&M - Major bargain! I was quite pleased with the result & was papped all day! What I love most about the look is the combination of textures. Denim, Leather, Transparent Cotton & Faux Fur - I love nothing more than a look that combines hard and soft, edgy and classic!

DIOR sunglasses www.dior.com
VINTAGE LEVI's denim jacket - gift from friend
VINTAGE bow tie
H&M faux fur shrug & oversized shirt www.hm.com
VINTAGE leather trousers - 1 Pound from a charity shop
ZARA boots www.zara.com
TOPSHOP armour rings www.topshop.com
ALEXANDER McQUEEN skull ring www.alexandermcqueen.com

LFW DAY 1 - URBAN/ANIMAL

Apologies for the long delay in updates however i've been a busy boy! London Fashion Week was such a whirlwind & with Fashion Week comes many outfit opportunities! Day 1 Consisted of 3 shows and an after party. To start of my day I wanted to channel an urban city look , combining denim & leather with the right hint of cool. Inspiring me was Rihanna & Alexander Wang and I wanted to feel slightly rockstar esque!

The below was my result - sporting a super cute denim & leather jacket by aussie label GRIPP Jeans with my favorite YSL logo tee and some White Suede ripped up jeans , my trust Zara bikers and H&M beanie made the perfect addition to this urban look perfect for Day 1 of London's shows!

H&M beanie www.hm.com

YVES SAINT LAURENT tee www.ysl.com

GRIPP Jeans Denim & Leather Jacket www.grippjeans.com.au

WHITE SUEDE jeans customised by me www.whitesuede.com

ZARA bag & boots www.zara.com

DIOR aviators www.dior.com

ALEXANDER McQUEEN & TOPSHOP rings www.alexandermcqueen.com & www.topshop.com  



After a morning of shows in my urban ensemble it was time to get into something more evening appropriate. I had the PPQ show followed by their exclusive after party & I wanted to kick LFW off with a bang! Lucky for me the night before LFW kicked off I did a quick mad-dash into all my high street favorites to pick up some last minute additions to tsjuz up the week's outfits. It was while coveting a pair of leather gloves at H&M that I noticed a leopard print blazer that had my name written all over it. Leopard Print is the print of choice this AW season and something about this blazer just screamed 'wear me with black & let me do the talking' - so I did. Paired down with an all black outfit I wanted to animal inside of me to do the talking inspired by Steven Tyler I wanted to take a risk with my leopard in a cooler-yet-still-rockstar-way.

I decided to pair my leopard with my favorite black dior shirt (it just fits so well and the fabric is incredible) skinny jeans and a skinny black tie! The tie was essential as the blazer was cropped I needed a long line to draw the eye down and create an illusion of height , its all about the small details that totally change the balance of an outfit and compliment your frame. I kinda loved my look and its so weird what something so silly as an animal print can do for your confidence - all night I felt like a playful leopard prowling the floor!

H&M leopard print blazer & skinny jeans www.hm.com

DIOR HOMME shirt www.dior.com

COTTON ON skinny tie www.cottonon.com

accessories as before!

BEANIE LIKE BECKHAM!

David Beckham has always and will always be one of my favorite male style icons. The man looks good in anything (or nothing lets face it) but one thing me and david share in common is our love for Beanies!

A good slouchy beanie is the fail safe throw on piece for days you cant deal with spending 15minutes on your hair , or to simply add that element of urban edge to your outfit. Some looks just look that much better with a beanie! One thing I love to do is take a conventionally dressy look eg.shirt and tie and fuck it up slightly by added skinny jeans military boots and then topping it off with a beanie. Shirt + Tie does not always = styled hair , I think there's something extremley sexy with that juxtaposition of dressed up and dressed down combined in an urban way. I got this H&M one for 3quid in the sale last winter & havent stopped wearing it! Get your beanie on this winter boys and girls xoxo Deni

FRIENDS OF COUTURE shirt - http://www.friendsofcouture.com.au/

SUPERFINE jeans - http://www.superfinelondon.com/

ZARA boots - http://www.zara.com/

COTTON ON skinny tie - http://www.cottonon.com.au/

H&M beanie - http://www.hm.com/

DIOR sunglasses - http://www.dior.com/

CAT HAMILL beaded bracelets - http://www.cathamill.com.au/

DANA LEVY skull charm bracelet - http://www.danalevy.co.uk/

PYRUS star bracelets - http://www.anotherpyrus.com/

URBAN STATE OF MIND!

While preparing my outfit for a Sunday stroll by the river for The Thames Festival , the blue skies and sun in the air inspired my outfit. Its somewhat 90210 inspired - Infact I think its Beverly Hills 90210 Stonewash 90s Denim combined with Carrie Bradshaw's J'adore tee with a rouger edge!

Either way while stumbling through the sale rack at one my favorite London shopping spots Urban Outfitters I landed two amazing pairs of Cheap Monday jeans each on sale for a mere 9quid! What would have cost me 60GBP each cost me 19.99 for the two! Now ignore the fact that I have constantly growing jean collection who would be silly enough to pass up this bargain to add another 2 pairs to the mix! I felt that being a glorious sunny sunday it was the perfect op' to debut one the ripped up style of Cheapies! I was quite pleased with the end result - and was snapped by a photographer while walking through the crowds of The Thames Festival as he liked my style - always a compliment! Whilst at the festival I bought this really cute friendship bracelet for a pound , to sit next to my Pyrus bracelets (which i'm still obsessed with btw)

Multi-Coloured friendship bracelet - purchased at the market stall

PYRUS Rope 'Star bracelets' www.anotherpyrus.com or at the Pyrus Store

 10 Newburgh Street London W1F 7RN

Bracelets on hand here I am below showing my look off by the river! Y'all need to get into Urban asap to check out the last bits of Sale they have left - you won't regret it! xoxo Deni

J'adore Paris Tee - bought from a souvenir store in Paris. Similar styles available at http://www.topshop.com/

CHEAP MONDAY Jeans available at http://www.urbanoutfitters.com/

DUNLOP Volley Limited Edition Trainers - http://www.schuh.co.uk/

PEDRO GARCIA Studded Gem Bracelet/Cuff http://www.pedrogarcia.com/

DIOR Sunglasses http://www.dior.com/

ZARA Bag http://www.zara.com/

TIME TO ROCK'N'ROLL!

With VOGUE's fashion night out to prepare for , choosing the right outfit was difficult yet so natural. Inspired by an old Motley Crue album cover i recently saw online - I wanted to give the allure of a rock'n'roll with a touch of Glam. One of my style philisophies is , no matter what one wears , no matter what the occasion is - even if your simply going down to the shops to buy milk - if you add a touch of glam it makes you look & feel better. 80% of an outfit is the way you carry yourself in it & glamour = confidence!

The final result began with an amazing recent vintage purchase. I've been searching for the perfect black velvet blazer for almost 2 years now. 2 weeks ago upon digging through a bargain bin on every Vintage Lover's Brick Lane Markets , I found the perfect Vintage Black Velvet Blazer which cost me a ground total of 1 pound! Count it 1 - literally a quid! I've been waiting for the right occasion to pull it out and the evening to kick off pre-fashion week buzz seemed more than appropriate. Teamed with my studded 'the doors' tee compliments of Amplified via Topman and a pair of seriously skinny black Cheap Monday jeans , I fastened the laces on my worn out patent leather shoes from ZU shoes. I added my topshop armour ring and pulled out my Alexander McQueen skull ring to add a touch of high fashion. I kind of feel like I may wear this jacket all fashion week if I dont find a better alternative. I love the way it feels on & the way it makes me feel when I'm wearining. So here it is Rock'n'Roll Glam done by Deni xoxo

VINTAGE velvet blazer - purchased on Brick Lane

AMPLIFIED studded t-shirt - http://www.topman.co.uk/

CHEAP MONDAY skinny jeans - http://www.urbanoutfitters.co.uk/

ALEXANDER McQUEEN skull ring - http://www.alexandermcqueen.com/

ZU patent leather shoes - http://www.zushoe.com.au/

INDUSTRIAL MONOCHROME

Black and White has always (and probably will always) be my favorite combination. Nothing is more classic yet always remains modern. Nothing is quite as crisp as a fresh white tee and a the perfect pair of black skinny jeans can be revolutionary. Today's outfit was inspired by  the industrial area's I see on my walks to work through Kings Cross

the result was my trusty H&M skinny jeans - a mere 14 quid - they are my absolute favorite pair of black skinny's. The perfect silhouette and with just enough stretch to be comfortable. Paired with one of life's greatest basics the fresh white tee I decided it would be the perfect canvas for a bangin' neckpiece!

I am a lover of accessories and always will be. They can completely update a look and complete an outfit. This chain was giving to me by one of my best friends Cody as a leaving present and then recently one of my work mates looped it through this industrial hook type thing. It weighs a tonne but is so fly! Hiding behind my Dior aviators are a must. (I bought them in Paris 5 years ago and though I have over 6 pairs of shades I havent stopped wearing them) and the slouchy beanie paired with my 'cant live without' biker boots add the perfect street element to this outfit. I'm liking today's urban-tough warrior! xoxo Deni

 H&M tee shirt, beanie & skinny jeans - www.hm.com

ZARA biker boots & leather bag - www.zara.com

DIOR sunglasses - www.dior.com

CAT HAMILL beaded bracelets (on right hand) - www.cathammill.com.au

PEDRO GARCIA studded leather cuff (on right hand) - www.pedrogarcia.com

PYRUS rope star bracelets (both on left hand) - www.pyrus-london.com

TOPSHOP ring (on left hand) - www.topshop.com

THE DIARY OF MY WARDROBE!

Fashion is a form of expression. Getting dressed every mornng is a way of telling the world how you feel. How you want to feel. Who you want to be. What's inspiring you. What's exciting you. Most people get dressed because its a necessity , a normality , a part of every day life. To me getting dressed is so much more than that. It is my way of self expression. Life is like dress ups , the opportunity to play a different character every day and use the pavement as your own personal runway and shine! Some of you may know my blog www.theboywiththepradabackpack.blogspot.com which i've been using (and will continue to do so) to document my travels and personal journey of my life and fashion adventures in London Town - however for over a year now I've been documenting what i wear on a daily basis and have decided to start another blog to further share the diary of my wardrobe.

What I wear. How I wear it. What i'm buying, what inspires me - it is as most other things in my life - an open book. A chance for the world to have a sneak peek into this fashion obsessed boy from Melbourne making his fashion dreams come true in London - one outfit at a time! Welcome to my wardrobe, stay tuned for regular posts x hope you enjoy! xoxo Deni

p.s obviously this is a picture of my fashion icon Carrie Bradshaw's wardrobe :) you'll soon realise just how much she inspires my thoughts/feelings on fashion & how I get dressed every morning!