--IS THIS SOME KIND OF JOKE--

I was sorely tempted to post this photo alone, as a lone example of human stupidity. No, sorry, I mean INSANITY.

Seriously, what?! Just look! They're Uggs...but all pimped out with studs and fringing (urgh, I'm close to retching. Studs and fringing should be reserved for cowboy boots ONLY), and not in a good way. I agree that, sometimes, discovering that something is designer can alter your perception slightly. Maybe because of snobbery-we all know that anything by Jimmy Choo is automatically superior to, say, New Look. Or Ugg. (But apparently not any more). Maybe because, like me, you can't admit anything high-fashion is bad, anything at all, because your sceptical family will immediately start ripping you to shreds, while ranting about about how hypocritical and ridiculous the fashion industry is. Maybe because you defer to the high minds of fashion genii, thinking Well, if x made it then there must be some redeeming quality I just don't get.

But it would be humanly impossible to see any redeeming qualities in these shoes. Just look at them.

I mean, the fashion industry is always going to be slightly contradictory, by default. If opinions were always the same, there would be no change and therefore no basis for the shows and for designers and for 'fashion' at all. So occasional glitches in consistency are acceptable. Suddenly declaring sparkly shoulders and neon colours as inconsiderate to the current global situation, when the previous season they were heralded as a daring defiance of economic depression, can be excused. That, after all, is what fashion is about-mercurial swings of preference in order to add drive to the consumers' actions.

Printing in a magazine that clogs are suddenly acceptable-forget anything we've said before about them-is a bit more dodgy, but still passable. Clogs have been on the catwalk. They can, in a few situations, look fairly cool. Your average prole nods and makes a mental note to hit Clarkes, not Topshop, next time they want a new pair of shoes.

But a collaboration between a vastly successful, highly revered shoe brand which has entered pop culture (that's Jimmy Choo, just in case you were unsure) and a company so controversial that some magazines ban staff from wearing their products (true fact-I read it in Elle) is just so bizarre that, frankly, I'm baffled. Does net-a-porter seriously think that fashionistas from across the globe are suddenly going to be rushing to buy a pair of shoes which are practically fashion suicide to wear, just because they're associated with Jimmy Choo?

I think, if this crazy collaboration is a success, something inside me will die forever.

(net-a-porter.com)

--STEP UP--

Yay times for you, it's half term and I'm ill so it's a return to themed photo posts!

!!!

Yeah, not that exciting really, but I thought I'd at least try. It's not even as if the so-called 'theme' is relevant at all, but it causes me almost physical pain to post tumblr-esque random photos, going against my slightly OCD nature as it does. SO. Photos of people on steps. Enjoy!

(I promise, promisepromisepromise, that there will be something which resembles a mildly intellectual, intelligent post coming soon. I remember the time when I intended this blog to be about writing. Ha! The eternal hope of the innocent.)

(fashiongonerogue.com; tobaccoandleather.blogspot.com; fashiongonerogue.com; models.com; studdedhearts.blogspot.com; linadimoda.freshnet.se; fashiongonerogue.com; studdedhearts.blogspot.com; fashiongonerogue.com; ilovewildfox.com)

--LIVING IN HISTORY--

So peeps, last weekend I stayed in a temple. Caj.

No, but actually. Last weekend I stayed here.

HOW COOL? There's a company in the UK called the Landmark Trust which restores historic buildings and rents them out to people in order to pay for their upkeep. This particular gem is part of Stowe Landscape Gardens, also home to Stowe School (so yes, I did get to do a bit of public-school-boy-spotting while I was there. Little pleasures, as they say). An amazing building, and the only downsides of staying there were the fairly nippy temperatures at night, and the attempts by members of the public to storm the place after seeing me sitting inside. (Joke, I think they were probably just after the architechture...although who knows with pensioners).

The weather was pretty amazing almost throughout, and the trees were just turning from green to gold-best part of autumn, I think. The colours at this time of year always make me want to go to New England.

You can look it up elsewhere, but in short, the gardens (which we were allowed to wander through freely after hours) were Capability Brown's first venture and are full of all these Classical temples and follies etc. (The Gothic Temple, where we stayed, is the only anomaly in an otherwise Arcadia-like eden). Every time you turned a corner there would be something else to catch your eye. English gardens at their finest; I was so lucky to be there and have the chance to 'recharge my batteries' (as my mother always puts it, subsequently making me cringe at her ad exec-style turn of phrase) in such amazing surroundings.

(own photos-please credit)

--BACK IN THE SADDLE--

Sorry for the unexplained absence-went away with the fam for a few well-needed days in the country, which luckily were blessed by beautiful weather. Photos up later, but here is a sneaky peek of where we were lucky enough to stay!

I think there was something in the water there, because I had crazy dreams-one of which was that I, along with some people from school, was invited to sit front-row at Chanel's next pre-collection show. After being mortified by the misbehaviour of my fellow classmates, who clearly didn't understand the gravity-nay, holiness-of such a situation, everyone was shocked to see that the bowing designer at the end of the show was not Karl, but his surprise successor! (Sadly, the water was not prophetic, and I don't think this usurper was actually a bona fide fashion face). I then got into chats with Michael Kors about Karl's unexpected departure, and the merits of this new collection in spite of it.

Weird.

These photos are dredged from my computer at the back end of last week, when I was lacking in any inspiration and decided to lump a few unusual photos together and call it a themed photo post. (Blogger then decided to malfunction, so I went and watched tv instead and never came back to post them!).  

(be-aoi.blogspot.com; fashiongonerogue.com)

--A FRIEND IN NEED--

I'm well aware that my posts haven't been particularly inspired or fascinating of late, but it's just everything catching up with me towards the end of half term! And not even in a bad way, I just find that there's so much more I want to do outside the bare bones of homework now that I'm not forced to study boring and pointless subjects which sap me of all enthusiasm. (*cough* PHYSICS *cough*-sorry, say what?). Did consider not posting at all, but it's nice to keep the good old photos flowing...

My love for all things behind-the-scenes has already been well documented on this here blog. Elaborating on that well-worn theme, I'd say it's nice to see some camraderie in an industry which is notorious for its bitchiness. Plus, always seeing models in isolation on the runway or in editorials makes you forget that some of them are actually friends in real life...And it's nice to see them smile occasionally, too.

 This photo makes me lol so much. Can you say scrape?! I'm intrigued as to why he's randomly holding a broken umbrella over their heads when it doesn't even seem to be raining...Who is this guy? He made my fashion month.

(alltheprettybirds.blogspot.com; altamiranyc.blogspot.com; gobackstage.blogspot.com; hanneli.com; jakandjil.com; stockholmstreetstyle.feber.se; streetfsn.blogspot.com; vogue.co.uk)

--WORKING IT--

Only a few more days till half term...I'm so ready for sleeping in, catching up on my 1000+ Bloglovin posts (which I've managed to keep from deleting, touch wood!), watching loads of random tv online and indulging in a bid of cultcha. Nice.

(In passing: glute bridges-2nd, 3rd and 4th photos-actually work. Fashion editorials and work out tips in one! Bingo).

(fashiongonerogue.com; inafractionofasecond.blogspot.com)