AW10 Wool coat with chain attachment that pulls pocket area into a handbag-like draping

Photos in above collage from Masha Ma’s blog – CSM MA 2008 Graduate collection

There is nothing more exciting than to visit the very room where something fascinating was conceived. I don’t mean to sound perverse, but I believe Masha Ma is knocked up with a kick-ass collection for SS11, no pun intended! The studio was thick with the smell of steampress and the sound of sewing machines thumping when I arrived, and I couldn’t help but think of all the blogger events PR companies keep churning out, when a simple studio visit as such can instantly inspire. The pieces in this post are from AW10, but it should serve as a worthwhile preview to the upcoming collection. Masha Ma, a CSM MA Womenswear graduate, seems to be particularly adept at tailoring and fabric manipulation, note the origamiesque fold of the black wool coat I squeezed into. Shucks, if Mariano hadn’t wrangled it off of me I’d have come home with it, I think.

This btw is the day of the Seven Sisters incident. I figured if a day is made by a fruitful excursion something has to rain on my parade, this is Londontown afterall.

Masha Ma official website; Blog; Twitter for more info

Jacket – Kappahl, Waistcoat – Courtesy of Dorothy Perkins for Take 10 Project, Dress – Gmarket, Knit Dress & Bag – Market in Vilnius, Shoes – Zara, Belt – Vintage
Thank you brother for the photos!

9 other interpretations: clockwise Sabine (Psynopsis), moi, Adele (Molto Curiosa), Vicki (Magpie Girl), Sherin (Hi Fashion), Leia (Leia’s Delights), Saskia (Not Just Medical), Jen (A Little Bird Told Me), Sarah (We Shop Therefore We Are), MJ (Dreaming Spires & Old Car Tyres)

When we decided to call it a ‘Challenge’ I don’t think any of us actually thought it would be a literal challenge, a style trial – you’ll see in every one of our Take 10 posts we’re expressing some kind of ‘how the helsinki does one style this garment’ remark or another. A lace waistcoat, is this something you’d picture in my wardrobe? Well it’s hanging there now, limp, distressed I’m sure, in the thought that it’ll never again see the light of bulb after this shoot – but fear you not waistcoat, I have seen much potential in you. Dorothy Perkins have sent you along the river on a wicker basket and I will raise you. (Into a DIY victim MUHAHA)

Anyway, do take on a fun challenge by picking out a completely not-you from the sales rack, and have a good old brain rattle that’s usually only necessary during calculus… see how it hurts. Oh, I just compared calculus with styling a waistcoat, shoot me.

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Bra set courtesy of B by Ted Baker for Debenhams

Can the boys go out and play with lawn sprinkler while the women talk about body lumps? Thanks!

Ladies, I’ve had a life-changing experience today. No, I didn’t go to Seven Sisters again with rotten eggs; I was invited to view the B by Ted Baker lingerie range in Debenhams and to have a bra fitting. My history of ‘bra fitting’ had been allowing shop assistants eyeball my chest and be given a bra that mysteriously didn’t fit so well. Naturally I thought it was the bra, because eyeballing is such a scientifically-proven effective way of measurement, no? Turns out that all my bras were two sizes bigger and one cup smaller than my actual size. So basically my entire adult life (avec boobs) I’ve had some cotton/polyester contraption around the chest that was sort of relevant to its function. But now my lumps have a home.

The collection ranges from traditional bra sets to silk cotton loungewear, great quality for pricetags that range from £10.50 to £49.50. I personally preferred the simpler ones with no pattern, because no matter how and where, butterflies will always always remain the symbol of tackiness for me. Also I strongly recommend the free bra fitting service in Debenhams for anyone wondering why you can tie a knot with your bra over your chest.

Photos taken during LFW AW’10 Ashish show, Hair strips from shop in Seven Sisters

I remember coming out of the Ashish show in February wondering how the hair was done like that, and 6 months later on Monday I ran into the answer in Seven Sisters. Now, Seven Sisters is not a boutique or an edgy hair salon, it’s a neighbourhood in zone 3 of London, an area I swear never to set foot in again.
Never have I been insulted like that in the space of 10 minutes – threatened to call the police, and literally shoved away from a storefront. What did I do? I took a photo of the shopfront, with my LOMO camera no less, because I thought it was interesting – rows and rows of old wigs. This man stormed out, fuming at the nose and foaming at the mouth, snatched away my camera and demanded me to delete the photo. Not sure what part of This is a toy-like film camera that I use for FUN he didn’t understand, or why he even has a public window display, but he went on to threaten to call the police. So I told him to go ahead call the police, I could do with a second pair of furrowed brows. SERIOUSLY? This guy thinks I took a spy pic to of his wig display? Funniest direct quote ever: “These people are so tricky, she shut the damn camera so the photo can’t be deleted.” Facepalm.

Anyway, sorry for the ramble. The hair strips (real hair!) were a steal for £2.50 each, all it needs is to be sewn into a tiny poppy hair clip for use!

Waistcoat – Uniqlo, Jeans – H! By Henry Holland, Shirt – Vintage, Shoes – Zara.

Pity. I was truly contemplating on starting an YOUR HAIR!!? era but the minute I sat in that chair and felt the interrogating glare of the woman in the mirror, I chickened out. Not even a need for a good cop/bad cop routine… actually this happens so regularly I’d chicken out at a traffic warden. (I don’t know how that translates in my allegory…) I love a trip to the hairdresser’s, the simple fact that drastic change only costs an hour in a chair, but annoyingly the length of my hair is just too endearing to part with. Beats me why I even come in the fist place. Thankfully Mr Lee (director/stylist) got the jist and performed a flurry of snips and shuffles as I counted each falling hair, and by the time I looked up a leaf of a fringe had descended on my forehead. Neat!

You must check out the Hurwendeki hair salon in Brick lane, the owner is super friendly (and knows when to stop cutting, evidently) and as you can see, the salon looks amazeballs.

Thank you again Kit for the photos of moi!