Archive for the ‘Ibiza Style’ Category

Trend watch: Spring Summer 2010

Wednesday, November 4th, 2009

Finally! After all the closing parties here in Ibiza, the past few weeks have been relatively quiet with most of the dancers, bar staff, boat workers et al leaving in droves, leaving the locals, out of season travellers and the stragglers who aren’t quite sure what their next move is. It’s been nice to wake up without a hangover, and now that the clocks have changed, to a bit of light!  All good news considering it’s time for me review the Spring/Summer 2010 preview for women.

Whilst many cities hold their own Fashion Weeks, there are only four that really count (to us!): New York, London, Milan and Paris.  They are held in that order over September/October. Continue reading Trend watch: Spring Summer 2010

See By Chloé – the spirit of boho

Tuesday, October 6th, 2009
Photography by Ana Lui

Photography by Ana Lui

Ibiza and bohemianism go hand in hand. There are many artists, musicians and writers who have moved to the island because of its acceptance of all things different, yet in many ways the modern use of the word bohemian has become exactly what it is not supposed to be – a description of a certain ‘look’ rather than an unconventional way of living. In other words, people these days want to look bohemian but not act it. It’s not a criticism – let’s face it, there would be nothing fun about living with no air con or eating lentils all day – but what is important is not to forget the bohemian spirit.

One person who had such a spirit, was Gaby Aghion, the founder of French fashion label Chloé. Before Chloé was launched in 1952, luxury fashion houses had only ever produced Haute Couture (made-to-measure) clothing. This meant that anyone who wanted to look different (and like most regular folk, couldn’t afford Haute Couture) went to the local dressmaker with a drawing or idea and got something made up. Fast-forward to today and it’s the kind of thing we might try on a holiday to Thailand… but they never quite get it right do they? Continue reading See By Chloé – the spirit of boho

2010 heat alert!

Tuesday, September 8th, 2009

Paris in 30-degree heat is not nearly as enjoyable as Ibiza… the hot, sweaty Metro vs an icy cold mojito on the beach is no competition at all! However it’s during the hottest part of the year that fashion buying for the following summer takes place, and so it’s around now that fashion buyers from around the world – including those hailing from certain boutiques in Ibiza - descend on some of Europe’s greatest cities with a camera in one hand and a calculator in the other, ready to view the latest (and still top secret) ready-to-wear collections almost a year before they’ll arrive in store.

I make it out to sound terrible, being forced to spend (quite literally, from a buyer’s perspective) a few days away from the island in a bustling metropolis, but there’s a reason that city-folk come to Ibiza at this time of year, and it’s not just to spend a fortune at Pacha. Of course I can’t really complain – these buying trips are one of the best parts about having a boutique – going to various Fashion Weeks, to beautiful showrooms in stately buildings and being presented with a room full of clothes and a rail to put your selected things on… it’s certainly more fun than your average office job! It is slightly inconvenient that it occurs during the busiest part of the season in Ibiza, but hey, that goes with the territory.
Continue reading 2010 heat alert!

Vivienne Westwood – Grande Dame

Tuesday, August 11th, 2009

Ibiza has long been a draw card for eccentric characters… a quick vuelta around Plaza del Parque and you’ll see exactly what I’m talking about (and not just at 7am on a Tuesday morning). Along with the Ibicencan tolerance for people who are a bit ‘different’ it’s definitely one of the things that makes the island special.

Vivienne Westwood once famously said she has an ‘in-built clock that reacts against anything orthodox.’ So if she were looking for a new home (ignoring the fact that she has pale skin and probably detests the sun), she would be welcomed here in Ibiza with open arms. If you don’t know who Westwood is, it’s fair to say you are unlikely to be reading a style blog in the first place, so I’m only going to say that the grande dame (and she really is a dame too) of British fashion, and the woman who practically invented punk, is showing no signs of slowing down or acting anything like most 60-somethings from Cheshire. And hoorah for that!
Continue reading Vivienne Westwood – Grande Dame

Daniele Alessandrini – Made in Italy

Monday, July 13th, 2009

If you think the name Daniele Alessandrini sounds familiar, then chances are you’ve spent more than one lazy Sunday afternoon at Cala Jondal beach bar Blue Marlin. Alessandrini have designed the fashion-forward bar’s staff uniforms, so either you’ve been checking out the cute barmen under the guise of listening to Paco Fernandez, or waiting in the bar queue a long time (surely not the latter since table and sunbed service is totally du jour). Then again, it could just be that you know your fashion – the designer menswear label has a well-deserved cult following, not only in its native Italy but also around the world.

Continue reading Daniele Alessandrini – Made in Italy

The best legs in Ibiza town by sass + bide

Tuesday, June 16th, 2009

fashion clothes

Sydney is a long way from Ibiza no matter how you travel (I Dream of Jeannie excepted), but since both have sunny weather and a life revolving around the beach it’s no surprise the fashions hailing from Down Under suit the white isle so well.

Continue reading The best legs in Ibiza town by sass + bide

Linda Farrow – A shady lady

Monday, May 25th, 2009

So all of a sudden we’ve reached the end of May (where did the time go?) and our thoughts are turning to the opening parties – and particularly the grande dame of them all, Space. It’s the daytime outdoor car park arena that makes the Space Opening so special (Ibiza authorities, please take note!), so in our books, equally as important as what to wear to the event is which A-list sunglasses to accessorise with. An essential ingredient for an afternoon of dancing beneath the bright blue sky, and as the sun is rising so early at this time of year you’ll also be grateful for them at the other end of the proceedings too. You can guarantee the White-ettes will be dancing until the end…
Continue reading Linda Farrow – A shady lady

Saints Resurrected

Monday, May 11th, 2009

Bolongaro Trevor is one of THE hottest labels around at the moment – it’s just a shame the name doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue now does it? In fact it sounds more like a Spanish dance than a fashion label. ‘Let’s do the Bolangaro everyone… anyone? OK maybe not.’ Rest assured however, these designs will be taking shape on Ibiza’s dance floors during the 2009 season.

Brought to us by designers Kait Bolongaro and Stuart Trevor, the founders of rock’n’roll UK store All Saints, the brand is a slightly more high-end offering than their previous incarnation, using more luxe materials with more tailoring, but all of the best design bits in tact. The couple – who are married in real life as well as being a design duo – sold All Saints in 2005, and even flirted with the idea of moving to Ibiza as they are regular visitors and their three young kids love it here. Ultimately their loss is our gain – they decided to stay put in London and launch their new range Bolongaro Trevor.

For women, think vintage meets glamour, with fitted femme-fatale dresses and high collared jackets nipped at the waist to make them supremely flattering. And for men – hurrah, yes there’s menswear too – there are military style coats, sharply tailored shirts and slim-fit tees emblazoned with images of Victorian London. Many garments have been cut so they can be worn in more than one way – so you get two, three or even four outfits for the price of one. Even those worried about la crisis (certainly not us!) can’t complain about that.

‘Proper British Clobber’ is how Stuart Trevor describes the label – and we think it’s no surprise it’s been a hit with models Agyness Deyn and Daisy Lowe, wild-child Peaches Geldof, plus seasoned rockers Liam Gallagher and Pete Doherty. The good news is that you too can get your stylish little mitts on it in Ibiza – it’s available exclusively at reVOLVER.

The must-have pieces? For the chicas, a divine fire-engine red fitted chiffon cocktail dress with a bodice of tiny rosettes. Sleeveless and above-the-knee, so it shows off those gorgeous bronzed limbs you acquired on the beach at Las Salinas that day (go on, you’re dying to show them off!) it’s casual enough to team with sandals for early-evening drinks in the port and yet also guaranteed to shoe you past the velvet rope at Pacha later on. For the blokes, it’s a red-hot number as well – a graphic ‘Kitchener’ print red t-shirt adorned with a panel of rhinestone studs. Only the most daring of couples would wear them together – great if you’re meeting the couple in question for drinks at a busy bar but otherwise perhaps a tad OTT… on the other hand this is Ibiza!

Beware Bolongaro Trevor – coming soon to a dance floor near you.

By boho-babes, for boho-babes

Tuesday, April 14th, 2009

TWeNTY8TWeLVE by s.miller in store at reVOLVER

Ibiza and his style has been the heart of the boho-luxe fashion scene for over 30 years now, however it was in the mid-naughties that the look really became synonymous with the white isle – just about the same time a young British starlet was starting to catch our eye as much for her quirky-yet-chic style as her edgy film roles.

The actress in question? Sienna Miller of course. Ever since she first appeared in pap snaps on the arm of Jude Law, we couldn’t get enough of her free spirited fashion sense and while Sienna may have moved on since her crush on Jude, she remains at the top of our list of ones to admire.

Fortunately for us, Sienna’s not selfish when it comes to sharing her style – in fact (very conveniently we might add) she’s teamed up with her design guru sister Savannah to create TWeNTY8TWeLVE by s.miller. Dubbed a designer diffusion level brand – meaning accessible, edgy and cool, fitting somewhere between high street and high end to us regular folk – the label launched to much hype in 2007 and made its debut at last month’s prestigious Autumn/Winter 09/10 London Fashion Week.

Cue cheering and flashing cameras everywhere! This was one of the most eagerly awaited shows of the entire week – would Sienna make it back from the pre-Oscar’s parties in LA? Would the stylish sisters make an appearance together on the catwalk? Would the collection live up to the hype?

But of course, considering Sienna’s flair for fashion and Savannah’s training at the prestigious Central St Martin’s College in London, and experience working for Alexander McQueen and Matthew Williamson (on hand to lend support) amongst other big industry names, from the moment the first model strutted her stuff down the catwalk it was clear the show would not disappoint, right down to the standing ovation as both Miss Millers took to the runway for a finale.

Showcasing an eclectic range bearing all the hallmarks of a Miller sister – that is, flirty liberty print frocks, rock-chick leather jackets, uber-cool leggings and figure hugging disco dresses that wouldn’t be out of place in Studio 54 – or Pacha, Space or Amnesia. In other words, oh-so-Ibiza…

Though this particular range isn’t due to hit the stores for ohhhhh…. many more months to come, the Spring/Summer 09 ranges have just arrived at reVOLVER and are just perfect for the sweltering Ibiza fashion summer days and long hedonistic nights. Our picks? The thigh-skimming floaty dresses, long rock-chick t-shirts, and the shortest of mini-shorts.

Legs like Sienna’s sold separately.