Lucy Leigh And The Valentines: Zoot Suit Riot

(In the voice of Neil Morrissey in Men Behaving Badly) SCUBA, SCUBA, SCUBA, SCUBA!
Yes like the regular Scuba Steve that I am, neoprene scuba scoundrel-wear has scampered right up to me and tickled me right under my chinny chin chin. In my COS navy neoprene Balenciaga inspired scuba top I'm ready to set off yonder with Flounder & co. Heavily influenced by my desires that were set alight by the futuristic, intergalactic Fall 2012 sweaters seen at Balenciaga & Givenchy, the voluminous sold-out scuba material was seen on such kittens as Miroslava Duma, Tiffany Hsu & Francesca Burns from British Vogue. All hail to the aquamarine space raider chic cried the fashion commentators at Paris Fashion Week & the muses of fanciers on a quest for Jaws extra resemblance.

Backstage at his Fall 2012 show Nicolas Ghesquiere said that the show was inspired by an imaginary company, "Balenciaga Inc", with "different women dressing for different business areas, So we have technicians and a legal department". My current fascination with rigid workwear, contrasting symmetrical silhouettes, spongy architecture, fifties shapes and contrasting beautiful/ugly, the take on space station chic & uniformed sci-fi, whether people identified with it or not, made people shut up and listen with waves of alien invasion. Although I have always been a fan of the work of Ghesquiere, past seasons have often shown that inspirations behind the collections aren't always easy to see and agree with but those who did & see the ever reinventing individualism lap up his offerings season after season like a lingering kitten, myself included and I was ready to join the weird trip Ghesquiere was offering the fashion world. Ever since I recall being a zesty sixteen-year-old visiting London for the first time, getting the chance to touch one of the iconic Balenciaga Spring 2008 innovative & structured dresses with snail shell like shoulder's, the hair's on my arms shuddered and it's never lost it's spellbinding allure.

I needed the sweet honey of my own martian moment and had once been in admiration for a COS navy Bill Murray Life Aquatic style oversized piece of fish catching gear of my own. COS has such an important place in the fashion market for it's affordable & classic simplicity. With minimalism playing such a key role on catwalks of late, COS is the perfect way for girls like me to access the capsule pieces similar to those in current season. I think COS is too often lost amongst the head heavy myriad of Swedish brands in the UK like H&M & Monki. It's my regular go-to for adorable pastels, geometric shapes, minimalistic, well crafted wardrobe staples & their melodic & refreshing takes on different proportions at a fraction of the prices of sought after designer RTWs. Taking inspiration from tailoring seen at Jil Sander often and being modest in colour palate, it's a clear workwear favourite of mine, especially with their simplistic dimensions of creativity with the craft of materials used, clean lines and practical colour palettes.

Teamed with monochrome houndstooth cigarette trousers, pointed ankle strap suede pumps, vintage real leather granny bag & leather military coat, I felt quite the 60's deep sea explorer. Choppy Sea's Starboard!