Noritaka Tatehana Online Boutique (now open)

When it comes to women's shoes I believe the higher the better! Carrie Bradshaws of the world prepare to pick your jaws off the floor...for the likes of fashion crazy stars such as Lady Gaga, Noritaka Tatehana is the new "go-to man" for your heels or your no-heels if your tough enough!?

The Japanese based designer believes in making "wearable art" which I simply adore!

He has just launched his brand new online boutique, but don't think these hand crafted sculptural pieces of footwear come cheap, his shoes can range from £2,658 to £6,874.

The shoes above that Gaga has been spotted wearing numerous times come from the "artisan" collection, each shoe is made by hand using the skills he learnt after he graduated Tokyo University of the Arts, specializing in Japanese dyeing called Yuzen and Katazome.

His work was showcased at the Tokyo University of the Arts on the 29th of January to the 3rd of February 2010. He has been nick named the "Japanese McQueen" after the late Alexander Mcqueen's choice of bizarre footwear has had some form of resonance when looking back on past works of McQueen.

As a final note I would suggest keeping an eye on this guy! I have a feeling he's going to get much bigger!

Wake me up for Amanda Wakeley.

Exciting news I will be doing a photo shoot with the Amanda Wakeley people, using their NEWEST collection on the 28th of August! ! !

Models - Julia Bell, Amanda Robertson & Stevi Crawford

Photographer - Tommy Ga Ken Wan

Behind the scenes photography/filming - Levi Macdonald

Art director and Stylist - Calum Caldwell

Location - House of Frasers

Clothing supplier - Amanda Wakeley & others

Hair - Aveda

Make up - Benefit

Don't shove the glove.

The elbow glove is hitting the A/W 10-11 runways with a bang this season! almost everyone is doing a take on the new glove, forget your boring old woolen gloves to the wrist were talking GLAM GLOVES!

How to work the look:

When rocking this trend you want to go for luxury invest in leather and suede they might be a little higher priced to a set of cotton ones BUT they will last and last! Your best buy is a pair of black as its on trend this season but also they go with everything! (except brown!) if you feel like being naughty buy a set of brown too! Wear these gloves with your on trend cape to keep your arms warm, also it looks so chic (very Parisian) also work it with your 50's look to accentuate the look further. Don't be scared to bulk on some big statement cuffs over your gloves to add to your look too A La Lanvin, or go for eccentric details like Yves Saint Laurents ruffles or look for buttons and cut outs.

The colour palette:

Black and brown leather and suede. Or also try the colours of the season too if you feel like splashing out! Purple and camel? but again if your even going to rock coloured gloves still stick to luxurious fabrics even try velvet or lace they can also be very chic.

Don't fur-get your handbag.

Fur not only hit the runway big this coming season in the form of coats and capes but also in beautiful bags. Designers like D&G and Chanel sent out fur bags on the arms of their models adding a sense of quirky glamour to the shows.

How to work the look:
When it comes to this accessory trend I think its going to be a little hard to find a real fur bag unless you have the cash to splash on a real designer piece or if your an avid shopper you might have to hunt high and low in vintage shops to spot one. BUT this trend can be worn with a really good faux fur alternative. This look can lend its self to all spectrum's of the seasons biggest clothing trends a great big fur tote will look fantastic worn with the "girly grunge" trend or a cute little boxy bag in fur will work with the "5o's" trend. This look has a downside be cautious that some fur bags on the high street might look cheap! This is a big NO NO! This trend is to look expensive and luxurious, so look for metal hardware like chunky buckles, chain details real leather straps and handles.

The colour palette:
Natural colours, browns and blacks. Be careful if your looking for whites or creams especially white in faux furs they risk looking cheap, only buy it if it looks almost real and that it could last a lifetime.

Waist time.

Not that the waist belt has ever really gone out of fashion but I thought I would do a little post on them to give you the update on the new way to wear it more so than anything. Almost every designer worked thin waist belts into their collections this year, ranging from french leather goods company and fashion house Hermes to Fendi and Dries Van Noten. The belts were thin, leather with metal buckles and knotted after being fastened .

How to work the look:

You probably have been working the waist belt for quite some time now and know what works for you, but why not try updating your look with a few new additions to your collection? Leather is the material of choice this season so, don't go for elastics or patents etc. The style is vintage looking so, why not pop into charity shops and vintage stores to look for an original piece. Also as I stated earlier they have to be thin, there are no big statement belts this season so keep them simple let the textures and the prints of winter tell your fashion story. Create some more texture within your outfit by knotting the belt after fastening. Wear over jackets, sweaters, cardigans and dresses.

Colour palette:

Stick to natural colours this season with blacks, browns, tans and colour of the season camel. Try to avoid colours, if your outfit needs a burst of colour why not try incorporating it with jewellery, shoes or bags.

Fashion disater tips. The hair issue.

I know it comes in and out of fashion to have pieces or a full head of crimped hair, so sometimes you may not see the point in investing in a pair of crimping irons. There is a solution, lightly spray your hair with hairspray, then take strips of tin foil an place your hair on top of the strip fold it at both sides inwards to in case the hair inside then fold the foil in a concertina towards the roots then place it between the plates of your straighting irons and hold for about 30 seconds then allow to cool then unfold and your hair should be crimped.


when dying your hair, take a tub of Vaseline and rub it round your hairline. This acts as a barrier to the dye and repels it. Wash it off when rinsing the dye out and be amazed that you've avoided those annoying hairline stains.



Do you have a cows lick? Hate it?! I have one and I know I do! a trick I learnt from my mum from her hairdressing days is to take a brush and when drying your hair with a hair dryer brush your cows lick one way then the other and keep repeating and it should straighten it out a bit, looking less detectable, it won't be completely gone but it really helps!

Look out! and get ready to FREAC out!

For I AM A FREAC's first online article in brand new men's fashion magazine BrighterMan tm. coming soon! Only at http://www.latestmensfashiontrends.com/

Here's a taster of what's to come!

Letters To A Young Poet.
This coming autumn/winter think bohemian poet, travelling the world in search of inspiration and true love. A mix of casual and formal wear meet in the middle. Blend textured fabrics and prints, wear hiking inspired boots with a suit and a bowler hat, be adventurous and playful with this look. The key is layering. Layer soft woollen knits with plaid shirts, silk scarves and invest in a great pea coat.

Keep checking the blog for updates on when the full article will be out! x

Jump in to jumpsuits.

Jumpsuits are on fire this season, speaking figuratively of course but they are in beautiful shades of burnt orange and amber to softer tones of camel and browns. Most designers have cinched the waists of they're models petite frames, drawing in the pleats of the trousers with thin leather belts or Incorporated matching belts within the garment itself A La Armani Prive, others have gone for a sleek streamlined approach using glossy satins like Ungaro in a slim fit trouser and fitted waist silhouette.

How to work the look:
A lot of girls and women approach this trend with a pre-conceived idea that they wont look right wearing one, that there only for "tall and skinny" girls, But they couldn't be further from the truth. Finding the right jumpsuit could lengthen your body and legs, girls you have a choice between two styles, look in the petite departments of certain stores and look for high waisted and cropped (ankle grazer) trouser style this will give the illusion that you have longer legs, wear with a low cut shoe in order to show off more skin to add length. Or alternatively choose straight legged trouser with pleating. BUT!! I can't stress this enough as it is a real pet peeve of mine, buy the correct trouser length! The hem of the trouser should just skim the floor but not touch. Otherwise you'll ruin the hem, and when trying it on in store grab a pair of heels to try with it, because you can always turn up the hem when wearing with flats but you can add length after. Dress up a jumpsuit by wearing with a great statement necklace and a waist belt, and why not try mixing your jumpsuit with another trend and wear a cape or fur as a cover up. To dress down why not buy a really thin jersey tee and wear underneath to add depth to the outfit and throw on the new aviator coats over the top with a fantastically high pair of platform boots.

The colour palette:
You can be as free with this trend as you like, try prints and soft warm fabrics like wools jersey and satin and colours go for autumnal colours like oranges, reds browns and creams and why not try purple and combine two major trends.

Camel crush.

Camel another colour of the season hit the ground running (or hit the runway strutting), designers at Chloe conceived almost an entire collection of camel coats, smart trousers, dresses and bags. Other designers such as Valentino showcased a spectacular amount of soft camel. A great camel coat is another key piece to have as a staple garment in your wardrobe as the colour trend repeats itself often.

How to work the look:
This colour trend is fantastic in the sense that you can go as dramatic or as tame as you like with it, it can also translate into many different style genres. It can lend itself to the working woman or the "gothy" bitch who struts the streets in her leather skinny fit trousers, the highest of heels and acid blonde hair. Dress it up with smart wool trousers in a high waisted option or a cigarette style, paired with a chic blouse, pussy bows made a return at Chloe and Balmain try this or a fitted high collared shirt and statement necklace or bow tie. Finish off this look with a great to the knee camel coat, if your comfortable enough to wear an A-line style A La Ungaro and Chloe go for it! if not wrap a cute little leather belt round it knotting it after buckling it or buy an already belted option. For the opposite, street style option try a camel parka over a denim shirt and those black leather skinny fit trousers, Chloe sent a few models down the runway in great leather trousers.

The colour palette:
it's pretty apparent camel is your go to colour of focus for this look, but how to pair it? camel goes great with similar colours like beige, amber and brown, but also go bright try pairing to colour trends of the season together and try purple and camel. Denim goes great with camel too so don't be afraid to wear your jeans with a smart coat.

Lovely lace.

Lace has transitioned from Spring/Summer's small and intricate to Autumn/Winter's big and beautiful, and this season see's lace being layered and used to create texture over other fabrics at Miu Miu we seen girl after girl strut her stuff in floral inspired skirts and dresses in muted shades of mustard yellow and lilac lace. Other designers used lace in many more ways than one in just one garment a la Burberry using it as a translucent fabric and a layered one.

How to work the look:
As lace has repeated its self this season you will know what works for you, but here are some ways to update lace garments you might already own. Take a lace body for example and invest in a plain jersey one instead and layer the lace one over the top to add interest, the key is layer previous existing lace over other fabrics to make the lace a textural detail rather than the focus of your look. And if your a creative and adventurous type why not take it upon yourself to drop into a fabric store and pick up some lace and revamp a previous dress or top by carefully sewing it round the hems and necklines etc.

The colour palette:
This season lace is more sexy siren than glamorous gothic stick to muted tones of red, mustard, navy and purples but you can never go wrong with simple black and white. just remember LAYER IT WHEN YOU WEAR IT!