LEATHER SKINNY'S anyone?

Its no secret that I like to dress differently from the average boy. My excuse is as follows , I dont need an excuse! I simply just enjoy expressing myself through the way I dress so If something inspires me , I'm not afraid to show it. The whole Balmain-rock-star vibe is one of my favorite looks this season and LEATHER has never looked so good. Isabel Marant showed leather skinny jeans and cropped trousers at her show to which they were soon spotted on the limbs of VB and before you know it a trend begins. Now there aren't many things I wont try , I dable across into the womens section I wont lie , for 2 reasons , on most occasions the sizing fits me better, I'm a 25inch waist and have a small torso therefore I have no choice but to buy man style jackets from the girl's section as well as most jeans (Cheap Monday are the only style I can find that will go down to a 25 as its a unisex brand) - sizing aside , girl's clothes are normally always cheaper - two points that both anger me but also work to my advantage! That said , when I spotted the below Leather-Look skinny's at H&M I just had to try them out. To funk em up and add an element of Deni I paired them with my favorite Mickey Mouse jumper & trust H&M shirt - its Rock Star - meets - Awkward Geek - a coupling I quite enjoy! x 

VINTAGE MICKEY MOUSE jumper from Rokit Vintage - www.rokit.co.uk

H&M shirt & leatherette skinny's - www.hm.com

DUNLOP VOLLEY limited edition trainers (no longer available) try www.schuh.co.uk for a selection Volley's

ALL ABOUT THE ELBOW!

I recently have fallen in love with elbow patches. There's something so old-school about them, I remember my mother buying elbow patches from the Supermarket as a kid to sew up holey jumpers I'd ruined in the play ground - and I remember begging her not to! That fact about them that part of you feels like they're so wrong that they're right - is what i'm totally loving about them! I've been lusting after the below maroon number from our french friends at APC

 However highly over my price range right now I found myself a stunner at Urban Outfitters for 30quid! In my favorite shade of grey marle with its lovely brown faux-leather patches (slightly reminiscent of a bad 80s couch) , the second I walked into the office it was landing compliments from the InStyle team! Win! x Deni

BDG jumper from URBAN OUTFITTERS - www.urbanoutfitters.co.uk

H&M tee - www.hm.com

J BRAND jeans available from net-a-porter - www.netaporter.com

TOPSHOP UNIQUE leather jacket (laying over bag) - www.topshop.com

ZARA bag - www.zara.com 

HOLE-Y INSPIRATION!

I've always been a fan of holes , I cant explain why but theres something about a peeping hole that challenges the wearer to bear something (or nothing) underneath - which for the viewer creates an interesting visual cue. I remember as a child cutting up a t-shirt and sewing colourful patches underneath - so when my laptop crashed on me a few weeks ago I got creative and decided to cut up an old black tee and layer it over a plain white for a little point of difference. I'm just obsessed with black and white but it would look quite cool over a really bright tee also or even a stripe! So go on kids , get off facebook and get creative! xo Deni 

COTTON ON black tee customised by me - www.cottonon.com.au

UNIQLO tee (worn underneath) - www.uniqlo.com

H&M beanie & wet look jeans - www.hm.com

CAT HAMILLL beaded bracelets - www.cathammill.com.au 

COCO on a BUDGET

Coco Chanel is one of my biggest fashion icons , I feel like I've said this before but will continue to say it till i'm blue in the face. Her vision of classic chic is one that still lives on today decades after her death.

I often hunt for new images of her and came across this one recently of her sketching , sat in her chair wearing the ultimate Coco ensemble. Black & White. That said - stripes are another one of my favorite things (also something I will say forever) there's just something so cool about stripes and done in black and white , well you just cant beat that combination. Lately I've really been feeling this whole buttoned up shirt vibe - a kind of geek chic character I'm enjoying but then i like to fuck it up with a beanie and add my urban element! This H&M shirt has been one of my fave purchases of the season , and at 7.99 i've worn it on many different occasions in many different ways I now have 3 in my closet on high rotation! Amazing! However I feel slightly like a H&M campaign in this shot since everything apart from the jumper is from there. Just proves however that its not about where its from , its how you wear it! So there you have it take your inspiration from our girl Coco and work it no matter what your budget! xoxo Deni

H&M Beanie, Shirt & Skinny Jeans - www.hm.com

STRIPED KNIT - made by me

TUXEDO TALES...

For my first day of interning at InStyle magazine , Inspiration came from one of my favorite looks
THE TUXEDO

Thought I'm no 007 , i've always loved this classic black and white look however I like to always add my own flavour to it. Instead of the crisp white shirt , tucked in neat , suit jacket + suit trouser combo I opted for an oversized transparent white shirt worn with black skinny's and my favorite vintage velvet blazer! Its been getting quite cold out of late so I added my favorite grey H&M scarf , that's started to getting a little bally but I love it so! Check it out! xoxo Deni

VINTAGE Blazer & bow tie - blazer purchased for a pound on Brick Lane

H&M shirt & scarf - www.hm.com 

AMERICAN APPAREL tee (worn underneath shirt) - www.americanapparel.com

CHEAP MONDAY jeans - www.urbanoutfitters.co.uk 

ZARA bag - www.zara.com 

HARAJUKU VIBES...

I've always been very fascinated and inspired by the way the boys and girls of Harajuku - Tokyo dress. Blame it on Gwen Stefani but since she put Harajuku on the mass-media-map I've been hooked. I love how they go against every fashion rule and aren't afraid to mix colours , prints, embellishment & somehow pull it off with one big dose of confidence - though not at all in a vulgar way! 

That in mind , I was pulling a selection of vintage clothing for the band I style when I came across an incredible limited edition white satin bomber jacket with embellished strawberry print detailing. The jacket dates back to the 70s and John Lennon had one exactly like it. I used it in the shoot and it was amazing - however I couldnt help but give it a whirl during my Sunday grocery shop. What was most incredible was people's reactions. Some laughed, some smiled, one woman stopped to compliment it. I didn't go down the total Harajuku path and styled it down with jeans and a tee so that it would speak for itself. I love how it matched my amazing new WESC* speakers though! At 400quid though its on its way back to Beyond Retro.

BEYOND RETRO Limited edition Bomber Jacket - www.beyondretro.com

UNIQLO Tee - www.uniqlo.com

TOPMAN rosary beads - www.topman.com 

H&M skinny jeans - www.hm.com

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

WESC* headphones - www.wesc.com