Concrete Playground Fashion News | July 3 2014

Social media has been fashion focussed lately. Between North West's Kidchella style, to Cara’s Delivigne kicking it in the nude and Kim’s new Kardashian fashion game, the world is discussing the most recent fashion trends through tweets, statuses and grams.

Rewardstyle

It cannot be denied that social media has instigated a fashion evolution and made an unprecedented impact upon the way we shop. And now that impact has been magnified further, with fashion blogger Amber Venz’s affiliate marketing network, RewardStyle. The network allows every member of the public to benefit from professional personal styling, and additionally gives stylists the opportunity to profit from their Instagram style posts. By posting rStyle.me links to their fashion blogs or photos that have been styled by professionals from RewardStyle, the blogger can directly track each sale made, and the stylist of the shot receives a commission from this sale. Fashion conglomerates such as Asos, Topshop, Nike and Alexander Wang have adopted this latest trend by signing up to RewardStyle, and top bloggers all over the globe are embracing the ability to use the professionally styled photos.

The best part of Rewardstyle, though? The Like to Know It tool is a godsend for those Insta-fashion-fiends who trawl through their newsfeed, falling in love with styled posts, and can never find where to shop their favourite Insta-looks. Like to Know It ensures that this problem is no more. After liking a photo, the liker receives an email containing the specific details of the styled post and links to purchase the products online. Ideal.

Free the Nipple

Speaking of Instagram, the platform seems to have been hijacked by naked women lately. And I’m not just talking your average Miley side-boob shots. Instagram’s new no-nudity policy has outrages Hollywood’s divas (mostly those who are notorious nudists) and other feminists worldwide.

The latest addition to the ‘free the nipple’ campaign is top model Cara Delavigne, who has joined her scantily-clad sisters Rihanna, Rita Ora, Scout Willis and Lady Gaga in petitioning to bring back boobs to Instagram newsfeeds. You go girls.

Look Good Feel Better

Another feminist celebration is happening closer to home, with the Look Good Feel Better charity putting on the Feel Better this July campaign. The New Zealand cancer shirty is encouraging Kiwis to look and feel better about themselves whilst supporting a good cause. There are 196 workshops running nationwide, which aim to help New Zealander’s feel good about their appearance as they raise money to support those Kiwi’s battling cancer.

Handbag royalty, Saben have jumped onboard with their newest ‘Power of Red’ range, where the profit from each sale will be directly donated to the charity. Farmers and Elizabeth Arden have also both joined the cause, by donating $2 from every lipstick sold during the month.

MAC x Lorde

Keeping on that lipstick trend, check out Lorde’s brand new collab with MAC. If you’re into the star’s signature beauty style, but end up looking like a member of the Addam’s family when you try to imitate, your struggle is over. MAC’s makeup game is consistently strong, (New York fashion week, anyone?) and so the collaboration between the songstress and MAC senior makeup artist Amber Dreadon, who is responsible for THIS, is way on point with some rich vampy shades.

A personal favourite is the fierce plum Pure Heroine, which promises to give you a mysterious vibe without that nasty just-ate-too-many-black-jellybeans tinge.

Foxy Love from I AM by Andrea Moore

Sorry for going on about girly things, but I just want to mention local fashion superstar’s latest collection Foxy Love, from I AM by Andrea Moore. The new range is all about contemporary prints and timeless silhouettes. After a pretty toned down winter, the collection packs a colour punch that will liven things up in time for summer.

But for those who are enjoying the more kicked back fashion trend, never fear, the range includes a heap of easy-to-style basics that can be dressed up with a pair of killer heels, or downplayed with some Nike’s. Get amongst it.

Topshop Rumours

Okay, girl-talk is over. This is the exciting part. By now, we have all heard the exciting news of Auckland’s very own Top Shop, coming soon to a Queen Street near you. The brainchild of fashion mogul Karen Walker and Barkers menswear, the global phenomenon is finally growing some New Zealand roots in an old bank building on lower Queen. Whilst the whole thing is being kept very hush hush, there have been a few juicy rumours dropped lately, and I’m choosing to believe them because they’re pretty exciting.

Firstly, they’ve refused to set a certain store opening date, but have been heavily hinting at mid-November. Secondly, Top Shop is said to be taking the second and third floors of the bank building, with the old bank vaults being used as a storeroom. Thirdly, they are throwing around ideas about a VIP shopping space, and whilst most of us may never experience this elite area, I am picking it will be a prime celeb spotting location. And for the last piece of Top Shop scandal, the company has just named Cara Delivigne as the very first solo face of their brand in their autumn/winter ’14/’15 campaign. The model has been Instagramming (aside from her nude-pics,) a number of teasers leading up to the upcoming Top Shop collection.

Titanium Timepieces

Back to the social media trend, let’s talk watches. Football king Thierry Henry blew up Facebook with his snaps of the launch of 'The Game Before the Game', in which he wore Audemars Piguet’s Royal Oak concept GMT Tourbillion. I know, I know, the name sounds annoying and pretentious, but take a look at the thing. It has every right to a pompous title. It is an absolute beauty.

The watch was unveiled at this years SIHH watch fair but is yet to be released in stores. Sculpted from titanium, with a white ceramin bezel and open worked dial, the watch is a serious knockout.

Baby G's Summer Collection

And for ladies who are also in the watch market, look no further than Baby G’s latest drop. The new summer collection promises to be really fun and bright in celebration of the brand’s 20th anniversary. They are the polar opposite of the Tourbillion, but they are certainly in keeping with what is looking to be a considerably more colourful summer fashionscape.

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