agent amandine magazine

London’sHottest

Bachelorstyleon

trialFASHION FAUX PAS

espionage hot spots

EXCLUSIVEINTERVIEW

AGENT AMANDINE

andsubterfuge

SWISHING

September 2010 £5.00www.loveamandine.wordpress.com

THESPY

ISSUE

| SEPTEMBER 2010 | Agent Amandine 2

A/W ‘10 Collection

3Agent Amandine | SEPTEMBER 2010 |

Swishing & SubterfugeWho’d have thought that clothes swapping could have such intriguing consequences?OLondon’s Hottest BachelorWe take five minutes to catch up with Matt Di’Armo. Deep...breaths...Girls

44 A Day in the LifeExposing the biggest fashion boo-booson the streets of our fair Capital

Style on TrialThis month we put questionable street style in the spotlight

46

Espionage HotspotsThought Selfridges was all about Jimmy Choos? Think again...we go covert in London’s secret underworld

36

Interview with the artist: Gemma MillyWe catch up with the creator of Agent Amandine

14

On the cover

41

48

Style on trial, p46

Directory,p56


CO

NT

EN

TS

37 Real LifeWhy do us girls always fall for the bad boys? Four friends take a scalpel to Amandine’s love life.

54 LettersLet Amandine soothe your sartorial sufferings

Amandine Loves...Amandine shares her guilty pleasures

58

48 Fakin’ ItA very useful little beginner’s guide to spotting fake Burberry

49LookbookWe take a look at quirky street style

35 Style GuideHot trends, cool labels and jaunty must-haves

Undercover AmandineAmandine takes a trip to a chic London nightspot and the plot thickens...

33

36 Cold as IceMeet the lady behind possibly THE most exclusive Private Investigation Agency

48 DestinyYour forcast for the month ahead

Fashion with a conscience, p24

The perfect manicure, p32

Exclusive interview wtih Gemma Milly, p49

Every Month Fashion

Features



eo. It’s finally here - the brand new hot-off-the-press first ever issue of Agent Amandine. A magazine all about me and I ’m very excited about it! Nestled between the next 64 fabulous pages (even if I do say so myself) is

a whole plethora of style advice, this season’s most ‘eye-catching’ fashion spotted out and about on the streets of London, reviews of the coolest happenings in our fair city and most importantly, a particularly intriguing tale of a misplaced Burberry trench. All will become clear I assure you.

First off though, a few things you need to know about me. For starters, I hate my job. Well, ‘hate’ is perhaps too strong a word, so the way I like to describe my feelings towards the daily grind (in fact that in itself is a pretty accurate description) is that if I carry on working in Advertising until I retire, I will look back on my life with a sigh and say ‘oh’. Luckily though, I have some fabulous friends who make it »

S

ditorLetter

s‘


all OK - V, Queenie and Cherie. Mostly we like to hang out together in Glow - possibly the cutest café South of the river - drinking skinny lattes and eating homemade white chocolate & raspberry muffins. Bliss! The topic of conversation, when it’s not revolving around whether I should buy the wedges or the peep toes in that cool Carnaby boutique (or just get both and be done with it) generally turns to men, and a few in particular, but I’m not giving anything away yet.

Now, the big story is that one evening Cherie and I met up for some last minute after-work drinks in Soho, and let’s just say the plot thickened like Crème de la Mer. We were involved in a fashion based scandal, in fact very nearly a fate worse than Double Denim. Oh la la!

But as I got more and more wrapped up in this tangled web, a few unexpected things happened and it’s too early to say yet whether or not it was for the best. I guess I’m going to have to let fate run its course. “Que sera que sera” as they say.

So now it’s over to you. Grab yourself a little glass of something, make sure you’re sitting comfortably and I hope you enjoy the story.


is a 26 year old Account Manager for an Ad agency. She lives in Clapham with her best friend Cherie – so called after spending a year together in PARIS. Together they are known as the ‘CAVENDISH DARLINGS’, due to their exclusive address on the Cavendish Road in Clapham South. She spends most of her time ‘out of the off ice ’ under the guise of client meetings, but mainly popping into TED BAKER on the way to see a client for a *ahem* ‘working lunch’. She’s partial to going out for steak & Malbec with a ‘we’re just friends’ friend and pouring over glossy magazines.

Although she hates her job, she is doing quite well so isn’t sure she’s ready to give up agency life and cabs on account yet.

contributors AMAN dine


contributors

AMAN dine


QUEENIEis 27 years old and lives in Vauxhall. She’s a wannabe INTERIOR DESIGNER currently masquerading as

an Accountant. She met Amandine at a work drinks do and complained all the way home on the train about being made to do

the ‘blaaaaady p u r c h a s e ledger’ when she is far too qualified to do such a

thing. Fiery and RUSSIAN, she is perpetually studying for her accountancy exams and being “done” with men messing her about. She is

always a VISION of sartorial elegance – sharp tailored shirt, LK Bennett flats, and her red BIR-KIN. She loves Act iv ia vanilla yogurt and coffee for breakfast and

taking baths surrounded by JO MALONE CANDLES to chill her out after studying.

contributors


CHERIEis 26 and an Account Manager, one of Aman-dine’s best friends from Uni who lives with her, and forms the other half of the

Cavendish D a r l i n g s .

Always on the lookout for her NIGHT IN SHINING ARMOUR to whisk her away on his horse, but in the meantime has to content herself with a string of amorous but u n s u i t a b l e C R E A T I V E DIRECTORS. Well at least she goes for the guys with money. Loves her VINO and has the amazing ability to consume a bottle of wine without even a trace of a hangover the next day. Always eats Bran-flakes for breakfast and goes for a run every evening

around CLAPHAM COMMON without fail.

contributors


i s s h o r t f o r ‘VERA’ . Which is

the nickname of Amandine’s other best friend. She’s a frustrated yet

uber-successful BRAND M A NA G E R a t a MULTINATIONAL DRINKS CORPORATION. When she’s not making presentations about ‘the next big thing’ in organic sugar-free vitamin drinks, she can be found on nights out being unwittingly SEDUCED by a friend of a friend, and de-briefing the girls about it the next

morning ‘over eggs’ . She Also has a s tr ing of past BOYFRIENDS with names such as ‘Jacobs Cracker Man’, ‘The Greek’, ‘ZIPPY’ and ‘The Saffer’ . She goes on annual FANCY DRESS PUB CRAWLS, and this year it was LAS VEGAS . She has the dangerous habit of boiling eggs for a snack when she gets in late from the pub a bit tipsy. V is the

EPITOME OF CYNICISM

Vcontributors

bora aksuLONDON


WISHINGSs ANDUBTERFUGE

What do you get when you mix one disillusioned Advertising Executive with an impromptu trip to a clothes swapping party? An unexpected turn of events, that’s what. Who’d have thought that Burberry could be life changing...

cover story


‘ve just come out of a hideous meeting with my boss, who I mas-sively clash with, mainly because she has no soul and doesn’t like me actually being happy at work. Her nickname is Bitch Boss from Hell, which doesn’t really need any explaining. She once told me off for skipping around the office instead of walking. I mean, seriously? What is

her problem with her staff enjoying their job and having a spring in their step? Anyway, she just blamed me for a cli-ent email mix up which was totally not my fault. Basically, I sent a confidential email to the wrong client, who just happened to be a direct competitor of the client I should have emailed. OK I admit it was slightly cringe-inducing and probably not my hottest career move to date, but what does she expect if they put the same Account Manager, i.e. moi, on rival accounts which, can I just add, is technically a breach of contract on their part? I would so quit this job if I had some-thing to fall back on. To be honest I think I would be really quite good at being a lady of leisure. But there are only so many times one can have one’s nails done in a week.

No, what I’d really love is to be a fashion journalist. All those swanky do’s and catwalk shows.

But this is the reality.

iI WOULD SO

QUIT THIS JOB IF I HAD SOMETHING TO FALL

BACK ON{ {


OPPOSITE PAGE: Amandine at work

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP RIGHT: Bitch Boss from Hell. I wish I was a fashion designer. Daydreaming. One day I’ll be in Vogue.

cover story

Just then, an email pings into my inbox.

Ooh what’s Cherie doing emailing me? Cherie is my flat mate. I’ve known her since Uni and she’s like a sister to me. Her real name is Lottie but she’s been called ‘Cherie’ ever since we spent a

year together in Paris. She works in Advertising too so she doesn’t usually

email me as she’s too busy trying to get clients to approve artwork that’s

about to miss the print deadline.

Let me just have a quick read, this contact report can wait...Fabulous! A

swishing party tonight? Swishing, for the uninitiated, is the act of swapping

one’s old, unwanted clothes for someone else’s old and unwanted

clothes. This means I can finally get rid of my old H&M handbag and procure myself something cute and baguette-

like. Mmm Fendi…AND, no shopping guilt. What, I ask you, is not to love?

I’m outta here!

AND NO SHOPPING GUILT.

WHAT, I ASK YOU, IS NOT TO LOVE?

cover story

{{ | SEPTEMBER 2010 | Agent Amandine 18

date: September 17th 2010place: Sketch Parlour, Sohotime: 7pm

BIGswishthe

| SEPTEMBER 2010 | Agent Amandine 20 | SEPTEMBER 2010 | Agent Amandine 20

W ow I actually managed to leave on time. No doubt I’ll get it in the neck tomorrow morning, but I don’t care

because a whole plethora of clothes, bags, shoes and accessories await me! Lucky I had a spare heel stash under my desk to swap, and I could do with a new emergency date/posh meeting/awards-do capsule wardrobe at work anyway.

cover story

21

cover story

WAgent Amandine | SEPTEMBER 2010 |

THIS PLACE WAS MADE FOR

ME TO HAVE BREAKFAST IN


ust arrived at Sketch Parlour, Soho. Ooh this is so cool, I’ve always wanted to come here. With the price tag though I need to make Account

Director first. Or arrange a *ahem* ‘lunch meeting’ with clients. It’s so uber cute and you can have (and I quote directly from the website) “a bijou breakfast” here. A jewel breakfast! This place was made for me to have breakfast in.

“ Hey Cher ie ! How cool i s th i s swishing thing? It’s like fashion with a conscience!”

“Except it’s all free so you don’t need a conscience.” replies Cherie.

Cherie dangles her bag of old and unloved (yet

uber expensive) clothes in front of me. Luckily I had

been on a quick spree to H&M on the way so I have

a few cute little numbers to swap myself. Not

technically the point of swishing, but I

could hardly arrive empty handed and

proceed to snaffle myself

everyone else’s castoffs.

“Well I need something to cheer me up

after today” I say.

“Oh no, what happened?” asks Cherie.

J{ {

SHE WOULDN’T KNOW STYLE IF A CROCODILE SKIN

KELLY BAG BIT HER IN THE DERRIÈRE

So I tell Cherie about the run in with Bitch Boss from Hell.

Our general consensus about Bitch Boss is that she has

a bad case of inferiority complex. She doesn’t feel

comfortable that I always look fabulous and stylish and

people actually like me, including clients, despite what

she thinks. She wouldn’t know style if a crocodile skin

Kelly bag came and bit her in the derrière.

{ {Agent Amandine | SEPTEMBER 2010 | 23

cover story

OOOOH LOOK AT THESE

BANGLES!

Apart from maybe in my wardrobe. We need a serious strategy to work this room to maximum effect.

“Uh, Cherie...have you seen who’s here?” I say. “It’s that girl from Accounts and er, what exactly are those lycra shorts doing on her legs? Do you think I should tell her that unfortunately she has been vomited on by a kaleidoscope?”

“Oh Am! Zip the lip!” Cherie shoots me down as usual.

“I’m just saying, multicoloured lycra on some people is defo a crime against fashion.”

WAP ‘TIL YOU DROPs

So we walk into the party and Lord! I have never seen so many free clothes all in one place!

{{24 | SEPTEMBER 2010 | Agent Amandine

swap ‘til you drop

HOW DOES THIS MAC LOOK?

NOT TOO FLASHER-ESQUE?

CHERIE, THIS IS

VERY YOU!Agent Amandine | SEPTEMBER 2010 | 25

{ {

{ {


fter a good few hours of champagne quaffing, schmoozing with very minor celebs, trying on a zillion pairs of gorgeous heels and snapping up a last season DVF wrap

dress (ha! What are the chances?!), we finally tumbled out of Sketch and onto the Northern Line.

Nothing like a bit of ‘retail’ to lift the spirits eh? I can confidently say that my first ‘swishing’ experience was a roaring success. I FINALLY managed to get rid of that old

H&M handbag and swap it for a flippin’’ Mulberry! Talk about making possibly the greatest arm candy profit in the history of swishing parties. Oh I’m good! Cherie also managed to bag herself a Pucci dress in exchange for her pretty but tired French Connection shift, which is doubly fabulous, because as Best Friend and Flatmate, I do believe I’m entitled to ‘first refusal’ on borrowage.

Right girls, since I am now a fully-fledged member of the magic circle of clothes swapping, I feel that I should share a few tips that I

have gleaned from tonight’s escapades. First up, when trying on a pair of heels, maintain an eagle-like stare in the general direction of your old shoes. If you end up looking like a clown in the new ones and decide to revert back to your old faithfuls, make sure they haven’t gone walk about whilst you weren’t looking.

Secondly, a tug-of-war with the woman next to you over a handbag is NOT classy and will only end in tears. Note: if we’re talking about a Birkin here, then this rule does not apply. In that case it’s every fashionista for herself.

Finally, if in doubt, don’t trade. There’s nothing worse than thinking you’ve got a good deal only to discover that you’re now the proud owner of some market-stall knock-off. Oh la la the horror! Luckily I was super stealthy tonight and succeeded in purely upgrading my garments. It’s tough being so stylish sometimes.....

Ah, back to the flat. Home sweet home.

A


Argh!!! Panic alert!

“Cherie! I’ve flippin’ picked up someone else’s coat.”

This day just gets worse and worse. Hang on....what’s this?

“Hey, Cherie! There’s a note in the pocket and a really cute necklace!”

“What does it say Ammie?” calls Cherie....

OHLALA!

shine your secret egent UV torch

here to read

swap ‘til you drop

FAKIN’ ITIt’s every fashionista’s worst nightmare - being caught out with a fake Burberry. So this month we share our insider’s tips on how to avoid falling victim to a fate worse than double denim.

The Burberry Nova check is always symmetrical. If the pattern doesn’t

match up, it’s bad news girls.

The Nova check on the inside of a trench should ALWAYS

run horizontally.

The check has three faint navy stripes crosshatching each other, with a

smaller red stripe crossing exactly in the middle of the blue.

Check the hand tag, the buttons and tag in the lining for

the logo.

The capital ‘R’ of the Burberry logo has a serif on the

left-hand side. The Burberry logo font is the same, whether it

is on a button or a tag.

Look at and touch the lining, fabric and buttons - Burberry uses only top

quality materials. The quality of the finishing on belt loops and button holes should be so good you just

want to sit and stare lovingly at it.

If it costs £50 on eBay, chances are it’s fake. Sorry ladies, they don’t come cheap, but the shame of being looked up and down by a real Burberry owner surely justifies the price tag.

12

3

4

5

1

Final Word

2

3

4

5

6

6


Exclusive


THEMISTAKENMAC

AMANDINE LANSLEY LOTTIE CARTER

LIESDECEPTION

andCLASSICTAILORING

SEPTEMBER 24th


“Am, what are you talking about?!” Cherie replies, “If it’s that top secret I really don’t think its owner would leave it lying around at a party. It’s probably just some boring business meeting, or a press conference or something. I’m exhausted Ammie and I’ve got clients in early tomorrow so I better head off to bed. I’ll see you in the morning. Nighty night.”

I can’t believe I’ve lost my trench and the one hanging in my hallway isn’t even real Burberry! I mean honestly, doesn’t everyone know that the pattern always runs horizontally and this most definitely is on the slant. Or maybe that’s just me being a trench geek again. I wonder what that note is all about though,

whoever gets to have meetings in Selfridges is a lucky girl. Hey...maybe I could go to this rendezvous, then I can return the necklace and get my coat back. And if it is some kind of undercover secret mission then I might get on TV and the girls would think it was so cool. I could wear my new black Louboutins and stick a pistol in my suspenders like Mata Hari…

NO FLIPPIN’ WAY! DO YOU RECKON I’VE INTERCEPTED SECRET INTELLIGENCE?{ {

Exclusive

32

HENEXTDAYt Just got to work with my

Bircher muesli and skinny latte. Ah bliss, what could be better?

31CAFFEINEFIX

KNOCK-OUTNAILS

RETAILTHERAPY

Afterwards, I might do my nails surreptitiously while my boss is on that conference call. I always like to have a perfect manicure to look at while I write creative briefs.

2If I don’t make a trip to Starbucks for my latte fix in the morning I’m not worth knowing! Once the caffeine is surging around my bloodstream though I’m putty in your hands! I could just pop over to Cheapside

at lunch to buy some new sunnies. I want to look like a well-dressed spy tonight incase I get captured! Oooh the Cocoon website looks nice. After I do my good deed and return the necklace, I think I’ll see if V wants to meet me for a cocktail.

AMANDINE!! HAVE YOU WRITTEN UP THAT CONTACT

REPORT YET? { }

| SEPTEMBER 2010 | Agent Amandine


45

INSTANTGLAMOUR

SHAKENNOTSTIRRED

6 MISTAKENIDENTITY

So, about this rendezvous tonight, what to wear? The Louboutins I think and my Gucci LBD. But maybe an eye patch is taking it too far? In any case I’ll still look very Secret Agent Chic.

So, Cocoon is totally all it’s cracked up to be, this is nice! Just time for a sneaky martini whilst I wait for this Chloe person. The note says 8pm, so she should be here soon.

Just my flippin’’ luck! I appear to have been kidnapped! Some guy (in a Hugo Boss suit I noticed) just bundled me out of the bar and into the back of blacked-out car. These shoes are not made to be bundled in!

YEP ALMOST DONE!(A ‘PLEASE’ WOULD BE NICE. MAN I HATE

THIS JOB SOMETIMES){ }

the next day

What are we doing here? I mean it’s not a massive problem, I’m one of Selfridges’ most valued customers (or at least I should be considering I’ve probably single-handedly kept Womenswear in business over the last five years, but that’s by the by). “Maybe you could just drop me off here, there’s a waiting list for the Birkin and….”

But the Chauffeur cuts me dead, “This way Ma’am.” How rude.

WE JUST PULLED UP

OUTSIDE SELFRIDGES.

{ {


the next day


So it now appears they’re just going to tease me by leading me past all the lovely, pretty, shiny things and straight to the….basement? Why are we taking the lift to the basement? Oooh maybe there’s a top secret personal shopping service down here and I’m going to go into Marc Jacobs related-shock?

the next day

adame Zelle: You’re not Chloe! What are you doing here?

Amandine: No, I’m Amandine. And what happened was I went to this swishing event and I accidentally picked up the wrong coat, and there was this necklace, and I was just...

Madame Zelle: Swishing? As in clothes swapping? Well, now that you’re in possession of top secret information, there are obviously severe consequences…

(Amandine thinks: Oh Lord! How do I get myself into these situations? I’ll probably be made to drink poison as I know too much about something that I’m obviously not meant to know about.)

Madame Zelle: Wait…are those Louboutins?

Amandine: Yes…

Madame Zelle: and that’s a Gucci shift dress. I’ve seen it at Browns…

Amandine: Actually it’s SS ’11, I got it at a new season preview sale on the Kings Road.

Madame Zelle: You know your fashion. Hmm. I’ve got a proposition for you.

Amandine: Really?

Madame Zelle: I think you’d be perfect for the job. Amandine, do you realise where you are? You’re at the HQ of a very special Private Investigation agency. We investigate Crimes against Fashion.

Amandine: No way! As in drop-crotch shorts and ass-shields? (Amandine thinks: This is so exciting! Wait til I tell the girls…)

Madame Zelle smiles wryly: Gluteal Cleft Patches darling. You’re a natural! Obviously, if you accept, you

will be sworn to secrecy. You must under no circumstances tell anyone about your role as a P.I. or our cover will be blown.

(Amandine thinks: Private Investigator?! Eeek! Oh but bugger. The girls would have soooo loved to hear

about this. And I’m rubbish at keeping secrets…But this is definitely more exciting than Account Management!)

Madame Zelle: OK so here’s what we do. We track down the perpetrators of fashion crimes, infiltrate the most followed fashion blogs, then expose their faux pas together with a simple solution to avoid them in future. I like to think of us as a public service agency, educating those less fortunate than ourselves in the art of styling.

Amandine: OMG this is my absolute dream job! There are far too many poor souls walking around in ill-fitting jeggings! I’m totally in!

Madame Zelle: Splendid. We’re briefing our new recruits tomorrow at 7pm. Come along and we’ll get you up and running.

As Amandine leaves the basement and wanders back through Selfridges towards the street she thinks: I can’t quite believe what just happened…ooh look! Pucci mini dresses!

M


the next day


AGENT AMANDINE PROMOTION

GLOW LOUNGEt’s a Wednesday after work at Glow and Amandine, Cherie, Queenie and V are all having drinks together.

Cherie: So did you go to Cocoon last night with that necklace?

Amandine: Um...you know what, I had to work late, then went for drinks with JB.

V: So what’s the deal then with JB? Have you two got it together yet?

Amandine: Oh there’s SO nothing going on. It’s never going to happen, have you seen his shoes?

V: You’re so mean Ammie! He’s totally in love with you, and there are more important things than shoes.

Amandine: Yeah, but I just can’t get past those chav trainers. Urrgh they make me shiver!

Cherie: Does his fat salary not even make up for it?

Amandine: You’d think with his fat salary he could afford some decent shoes!

V: I can’t quite believe you just said that Ammie! Another round?

Amandine: Uh, you know what les filles, I should probs make a move in a while.

Cherie: Oh really? What is more important than another G&T with your best mates?

Amandine: Um, I’ve signed up for Bikram yoga and I wanna go buy a fluoro pink crop top before the shops shut.

Cherie: OK well see you back at the flat later. Ciao ciao Ammie x

Another G&T?

The infamous JB

Les filles in Glow

Inside Glow

JB’s chav trainers

I

Cherie

Eeek this is so goddamn exciting! It’s too bad I can’t tell les filles about this. OM flippin’’ G check out that guy over there. Must be gay, he’s far too well dressed.

Just then a painfully stylish vision in Lanvin sashays into the room. It’s Madame Zelle.

“Ladies and gentlemen. You all know why you are here so I won’t waste time with small talk. You should consider yourselves the cream of the fashion crop – selected due to your enviable sense of style and ability to spot an imitation Chloé belt from ten paces. You will shortly be given your first assignment. The deadline is 9am on Friday, as we need articles posted over the weekend when most bloggers are not so active.”

As usual, instead of listening in case I miss a vital piece of information, I was just thinking that the guy standing next to me is super hot. And if I’m not mistaken I do believe he just checked me out! Oh he’s looking again, avert eyes.

Hang on if I just muzz my fringe up over my eyes I can peep out from behind it. See, I’m getting the hand of this spy malarky already.

Madame Zelle is walking around the room distributing packs. I take mine and open it. Inside is what appears to be a stack of paper work and a piece of paper entitled Mission no.1 “Summer Fashion Crimes.”

Easy peasy. Male crop tops for starters!

S ELFRIDGES, OXFORD STREETAmandine arrives with the rest of the new recruits to be briefed on their first mission as style spies.



Selfridges HQ breifing


Ha! I don’t waste any time. On the way out of the briefing I bumped into the hot guy and he just bought me a latte in the Food Hall.

Hot guy: Oh I’m sorry. Hey, I was checking out your dress earlier, YSL right?

Definitely gay. “Yes! It’s last summer.”

Hot guy holds out his hand to shake: “I’m Matt.”

Amandine: Amandine. Pleased to meet you.

Matt: Well maybe I’ll see you around.

Amandine: Sure.

Amandine walks off thinking, “HOT HOT HOT!”

AFTER THEBRIEFING...

dress, £3,220, YSL

Alice band £20, Johnny loves Rosie

Shoe boots, £555, Stella McCartney

cuff, £130, Biba

Selfridges HQ breifing


FASHIONILEMatt Di’Armo

We quiz London’s hottest bachelor and fashion darling on working with Paul Smith, hanging out with Yves Saint Laurent and his phobia of polyester.

Full name? Matthew Francesco Di’Armo

How old are you? 28

Where are you from? Belsize Park

Where do you live now? I’ve been living in East London for 4 years now.

How long have you been a fashion journalist? Since I graduated from the London College of Fashion six years ago. I was snapped up at my final Show by Anna Wintour!

You’ve famously worked with Paul Smith, favourite designer to work with? I’d have a lot of time for Paul. He’s an inspirational designer, I love the way he uses colour and how you can see his sense of humour in his designs.

How would you describe your personal style? I like sharp tailored suits and am partial to a cardigan. No man-made fibres though, I have an irrational fear of polyester. I have nightmares about being suffocated by the hideous scratchy static fabric!

What’s the worst fashion faux pas you’ve ever witnessed? Oh dear, there have been too many to mention, but I think it might have to be a girl I saw in Glow last week actually, wearing a pair of Birkenstocks WITH socks! I wanted to grab those hippie sandals and

tie a rock around their soles, throw them in the Thames and put the poor girl out of her misery. Er, you obviously feel strongly about footwear. Do you have any other styling tips? Yes, invest in a classic Yves Saint Laurent LBD. Team with flats for the office and then throw on a pair of Louboutins and you’ll be cocktail-ready in an instant.

Your thoughts on Primark? Frankly, the less said about Primark the better.

Finally, the question we all want answered. Any ladies on the scene? Well I may have my eye on someone at the moment, but there’s no special ‘somebody’. I prefer not to be tied down you know?

Check out Matt Di’Armo’s styling tips at www.ban-birkenstocks-.com

aDAY IN THE LIFE


South London’s most stylish undercover agent exposes the most heinous of fashion

crimes.

It’s 9am on Saturday 10th September

and Amandine is sitting in Paul

with a café crème and a pain

aux raisins. She’s writing in

her notebook.

9:00 amSo here I am on Day One of my f irst mission! Eek! I

was so excited that I got here before the place even

opened! I decided that I needed to look the part of

a super undercover sleuth so I have gone for the old

faithful Louboutins, black cigarette pants and a

safari jacket. Topped of with unnecessarily

oversized sunnies, so I can peak out from behind

them as I stalk my victims.

9:30 amDid I leave my straighteners on? Oh god,

I can’t remember, I’ll just give Cherie a

little ring...

9:10 amHmm this coffee is nice. I’m going to have to order

another, and it’s only just gone 9am! Ah well,

there can’t be much caffeine in it the cup is so small.

9:35 amIt’s all good, they were off. OK concentrate

Amandine! Oh.My.Actual.Lord. You

have got to be joking...First outfit of the

day on Day One as a fashion spy, and

you will not BELIEVE what has just

walked past the window. I can’t quite

say the words...OK I will.

Crochet. Maxi. Dress.

There. I said it. My eyes are now

bleeding uncontrollably.

10:00 amPhew! I was so overcome with horror at my first spy

of the day, that I just had to recover with an iced

mocha and a pistachio macaroon. That makes three

coffees in 45 minutes. Is that bad?

10:17 amJust spotted my second fashion crime of the

morning; not double demin, but TRIPLE denim! I

know this particular combo is right on trend at

the mo, but this was top-to-toe death by denim. A

slow and painful demise where the poor victim is

literally consumed by her own weight in the stuff.

And there were slogans involved. The poor woman

looked like a Salt n Pepa reject.

11:00 amEek! What is this? Sheer Lace Shorts? Like lace

boxer shorts. Oh la la.


a day in the life

12:00 pmFeel a bit sick from all the pastries I’ve eaten

this morning so sushi for lunch it is. I’m supposed to

be meeting Matt this afternoon for a spot of one

on one. Can’t be doing with bloated tummy when

there’s totty involved. Speak of the devil...Hellooo!

1:00 pmJust had lunch by the river with Matt but I

couldn’t really eat much as was too busy checking

him out from behind my sunnies and making

cringe-worthy jokes. Note to self: the phrase

“you’re not just a pretty face”” does make you

sound like a builder and most definitely counts as

shameless flirting.

1:47 pm

Ha! Matt just spotted a classic fashion faux

pas. Yes it was a leopard-print trouser. And no it

was not attractive. Now I’m not adverse to a little

animal print, but not when it’s a cross between an

MC Hammer trouser and an 80’s market stall

legging. I did a bit of a snorty laugh when Matt

spotted it, and sprayed my coffee through my nose.

Nice. He gave me a little smile and wiped the coffee

off my chin though, so I’m guessing he wasn’t too

appalled...

2:47 pm

OK in the last hour I have seen the following:

1. Leopard trousers. (see above.)

2. A black bra under white t-shirt.

3. Crochet jelly sandals (on a woman over

the age of 5.

4. A man sporting a cowboy hat, Uggs and weight

lifting gloves. I’m not even lying!

5. Enough muffin tops to put Hummingbird out

of business.

6. Crocs. Enough said.

3:00 pmEek! Just had to escape to the ladies because a)there is a woman out there who’s dress looks like

it’s been attacked by a kaleidoscope and b) Matt

has just asked me out for a drink tonight! Need

to sort my face out.

3:59 pm

Can’t remember if I’m matching underwear or not.

Not that it matters...…

5:12 pmOk I’m done. I declare today a roaring success! I have loads of material to write up later when I get home from drinks with Matt.

Mission no.1 accomplished.

undercover inPaul, London


Charcoal maxi dress, £7,600, Marni. Sunglasses, £179, Chanel.

S TYLE ON TRIAL

For her very first assignment, code name ‘Operation A-Line’, Amandine took to the streets of London to bring you some the most heinous fashion crimes our capital has to offer.

In the process, she has drunk

approximately 80 cups of coffee,

eaten her body weight in pista-

chio macaroons, and read her way

through at least 20 copies of Marie

Claire. This, dear readers, is simply

the lot of a fashion spy. Those of a

fragile disposition, be warned that

these pages contain graphic exam-

ples of when maxi dresses go wrong,

and a particularly horrific case of

triple (yes triple!) denim.


Denim alice band, £50, from a selection at Browns. Denim shirt, £100, Hermès. Jeans, £120, 7 for All Mankind.

Cowboy hat, model’s own. Hoodie, £80, Jack Wills. Jeans, £145, Diesel. UGGs, £190, UGG Australia.

style on trial

This month we go behind the scenes ofAgent Amandine to bring you an exclusive peek into the mind of

Illustrator and magazine creator

Gemma Milly.

SuperSleuth

g emma Milly may be a new name to some, but those in the know have her blog ‘love, amandine x ’ firmly saved at the top of their favour-ites. She’s the alter ego of Amandine, London’s ‘most stylish Mademoiselle about town’,

whose escapades and musings are documented in a daily style blog. Now Amandine has sashayed in her Lanvins onto the pages of a magazine for our reading pleasure.

The Story of Agent Amandine is one of a typical twenty-something girl, living the high life in the Big City. But deep down she’s bored with the rat race and craves something more fulfilling in life.

We caught up with Gemma Milly to talk all things Amandine.

You’re best known for your blog ‘Love, Amandine x’. What made you decide to move into print?I really enjoyed writing Love, Amandine x and wanted an opportunity to develop Amandine’s back-story in a lot more detai l and give myself a nice substantial narrative to work with. As the main theme of the blog is fashion, I thought a book or magazine would be the per fect direction in which to take Amandine and would also give me the vehicle I needed to carr y a stor yl ine. Towards the end of the blog I also int roduced a couple of new characters, whom I wanted to get to know and develop through narrative too.

Even though all my characters are based on people I know, I love the idea of getting to know their alter egos and the excitement of not knowing how their personalities will develop on paper. I’m not the sort of illustrator who sits down and

writes a story from start to finish and then constructs the images around this framework afterwards; I like an idea to take me on a journey and see where I end up. It’s much more spontaneous and unpredictable like that, which I think makes for a much more engaging story as I’m not having to retrofit the visuals to a predetermined structure.

What was the inspiration for Agent Amandine?I’ve never been hugely into comics or graphic novels. There are certain exceptions of course, such as Persepolis, Maus and pretty much any of Posy Simmonds’ graphic novels, but in general I’ve just never been enamoured by the format.

After researching the graphic novel market in some detail, I was struck by two things.

Firstly, most graphic novels do seem to be aimed at men (or at least women that don’t mind read-ing about superheros or science fiction). There are very few graphic

novels containing themes that are relevant or important to the type of modern woman who reads humorous and lighthearted novels as a form of escapism.

Secondly, aside from graphic novels by female author-illustrators such as Posy Simmonds and Lucy Kinsley, I found the subject matter of many graphic novels to be very serious and often quite dark, although this is beginning to change as the sector evolves. That said, the top 3 graphic novels currently on Amazon are Maus, Maus II and Watchmen, followed closely by V for Vendetta and Batman (source: www.amazon.com). Both Simmonds and Knisley have produced graphic novels with more of an autobiographical slant (‘Mrs Weber’s Diary’ and ‘French Milk’), but they don’t follow the typical plot found in most women’s literature or ‘chick lit’; that is to say hip, stylish, career-driven female protagonists, usually in their twenties and thirties, trying to make it in the modern world dealing with issues that women face1 . This seems to be a theme which is prevalent in TV, film and novels, but not graphic novels.

Now that I am about to enter my third decade and reflecting back on my own twenties, I realise that they’ve been very eventful and there are lots of stories that would make interesting reading to say the least. I want to communicate without being constrained by the traditional format of a graphic novel. So I de-cided to create a magazine.

Tell us a bit about Amandine.You could say the magazine is slightly autobiographical and that Amandine is really my alter ego. I started my career working as an Account Manager in London when I was 22 and after five years of late nights and one horrible boss, I decided to leave it all behind and follow my dream of becoming an Illustrator. »

I’M NOT THE SORT OF ILLUSTRATOR WHO

SITS DOWN AND WRITES A STORY FROM START TO

FINISH

Agent Amandine:Interview

page from ‘French Milk’ by Lucy Knisley

}{



I consider myself lucky though to have worked in the industry, as along with the hard work and stress of agency life, came a fabulous social circle and too many comedy stories and situations to mention, all making for perfect magazine mate-rial. Amandine’s character pretty much embodies this work hard/play hard existence. She is a 26 year old Account Manager working for a top Advertising Agency in London. She has three best friends whom she hangs out with and together they lead typical lives of free, single twenty-somethings having a great time. But despite her fantastic social whirl, she’s bored with her job and craves some excitement beyond her escapades with the girls. It’s a character that I think a lot of women who work in media will relate to, and will bring a wry smile to their face.

Espionage is a theme that is inher-ently intriguing, and the ‘presence of seduction, romance and narrative within it still seduces us2.’ Given that Amandine’s character has a sexy, flirty side, it seemed a very natural direction in which to take her. It also allowed me to take a theme which appears again and again in plot lines and to give it a tongue-in-cheek twist – Amandine being a

style spy - which is directly related to my love, Amandine x blog and is a subject that I feel passionately about.

I like to inject wit and comedy into my narratives and ‘crimes against fashion’ is quite a light-hearted subject matter; something that I hope will make people laugh. At the same time though, given the explosion of fashion blogs in recent years (the Telegraph recently described fashion bloggers as ‘so influential…they get to sit on the front row at Catwalk shows’3) it is also something that has enormous mileage.

Did you have to do a lot of research before writing the storyline?The overall structure of the story came pretty naturally to me, as it’s loose l y based on my own experiences, although I did do a lot of ‘field research’, which mainly involved talking to friends to pull together material and writing down conversations I remember. Once I’d decided on the four characters I wanted to base the story around, I started a scrapbook where I wrote down al l sor ts of t idbits of information that I thought would be useful in constructing character p ro f i l e s , s u c h a s n i c k name s , personality traits, people I’ve worked with, ex-boyfriends, quirks and habits. From this I then created the profiles for the four main characters – Amandine, V, Queenie and Cherie - so each of them would have their own distinct personality throughout the stor y. In order to make the characters -believable, I created a backstory for each of them and made their profiles as detailed and ‘real’ as possible, right down to their eye colour, what they eat for breakfast, the things that annoy them and their bad habits. I believe that a character needs to actually ‘live’ for him/her to be convincing.

Once I had a rough idea of plot and a story I liked I conducted an online poll to see whether people would be interested in a chick-lit style

graphic novel and also surveyed fellow bloggers on www.heartifb.com (Independent Fashion Bloggers), Twitter and my own Illustration blogs. The response was overwhelmingly positive.

In terms of other artists, designers and illustrators whose work inspired me during the research phase, I would say that they fall into three areas.

Firstly, there are artists whose style and innovative approach to fashion illustration had a direct influence on my work, such as Kat McLeod, Celia Carlstedt and Tina Bering.

Secondly, there are design-ers whom I admire for their ability

to create fabulously experimental page layouts and playful typogra-phy, like David Carson and Neville Brody.

Finally, I fuelled my glossy maga-zine addiction and pawed over the pages of Elle, Vogue, Nylon, Wallpa-per, InStyle, Harpers Bazaar, Grazia and Stylist to name just a few, to make sure Agent Amandine was as true to the format of a real maga-zine as possible.

How did this research shape the narrative?

I

realised that my journey through my twenties has been about discover-ing myself and so the plot for the magazine evolved from being an observation on the lives of four »

‘Coathanger’ by Kat McLeod

I LIKE TO INJECT WIT AND COMEDY INTO

MY NARRATIVES }{

‘Like Kafka, But With Better Clothes’, Nylon Magazine



young London girls, to be more about a journey of self-discovery. Initial ideas that I considered were a diary of Amandine’s life in London and a ‘look book’ in comic strip format, similar to the feature ‘Like Kafka but with Better Clothes’ which appeared in Nylon4. But in order to create a more meaty, engaging storyline, I wanted to give Amand-ine a moral dilemma to solve and I thought the spy theme would be an ideal vehicle to carry this. By giving Amandine a double life and putting her day job on the line, I created an imbalance for her to resolve. I then began to build my ‘narrative arc5’ around this theme, and flesh out what Jessica Abel and Matt Madden describe as “the five es-sential ingredients: the protagonist, the spark, the escalation, the climax and the denouement6”. Without these key elements the story would not be compelling and the reader wouldn’t care about the protagonist, so I paid close attention to writing these key elements into the story.

Fashion is often seen as some-thing frivolous and superficial. What is your take on this?I agree that there is still a school of thought that says the fashion industry is superficial – but I think a more appropriate word to use is ‘transitory’; in the sense that it is an industry that sits alongside time-based arts such as photography, dance, scenography and cinema7. The industry relies largely on the fact that fashion is in a state of constant flux and thrives on there always being a ‘next season’ which people will buy into.

My personal opinion though, is that fashion is closely aligned to art and enriches our lives through its diversity. Historically there has always been a love affair between art and fashion, from the Renaissance, when painters first sought to accurately capture the form, colour, and texture of clothing, to today, when models strut down

the runway in virtual works of art8. You only have to look at designers like Schiaparelli with her monkey fur shoes or black suede gloves with red appliqué snakeskin nails, and Alexander McQueen with his infamous ‘Armadillo’ shoes to see this. Without fashion, our lives wouldn’t be nearly so colourful; we use it as a form of self-expression, it can alter our mood and shape our identity. It runs a lot deeper than just buying into the next trend.

In the magazine, Amandine starts out investigating crimes against fashion, but in the end realises that one woman’s fashion faux pas is another’s fabulous, so the message is that style is an individual thing and not about following the pack.

What problems or cross-roads did you encounter along the way?When I began the project, my original intention was for the story to take the format of a traditional graphic novel.

So in the early stages, I worked very much in a sequential way and sketched out thumbnails in a comic book style. But the more I worked on storyboards the more I realized I didn’t want to be constrained by this format and wanted to tell the story in a more imaginative way, where the reader can pick up the magazine at any point and piece together the story themselves rather than being led along a particular path. This then gave me the chal-lenge of making every page visually interest ing and taking into consideration all elements of the design and content - writing, page layout, pacing and overall graphic design -not just the illustrations. This was the most challenging aspect of

the creative process, and it forced me to think of new ways to solve design problems.

Have you encountered any negative feedback to the magazine?On the whole the response has been very positive, and I would say that the comments I have received have actually been quite constructive and have made me think more critically about my work. The feedback that I received in the initial writing stages related to the storyline and the common misconception about the ‘chick lit’ genre, which I would say my magazine fits into, that it is often frivolous and lacking in substance. I therefore did a lot research into the genre in order to prove that the magazine had a solid, rational basis and wasn’t just something that I created to indulge myself. As with anything there are good and bad storylines. I think if you can deal with a subject that is intellectually stimulating, but still provide an element of escapism then you’ve got a recipe for a good story. I agree with Amy Sohn when she says that the genre is less about shoes, clothes and men but rather ‘woman who can stand on their own two feet9’.

How do you like to work?I used to have a bright sunny conservatory to work in, but now my kitchen is my studio. And an absolute must is a constant supply of strong coffee, good music and a stack of magazines at all times. Aside from my own life experience, I do draw a lot of inspiration from magazines, not only in terms of con-tent, but also page design, styling and art direction. »

initial rough sketches for ‘Agent Amandine’

{ }A STORY IS LIKE A JIGSAW YOU HAVE TO

PIECE TOGETHER



During the writing process for Agent Amandine I found that it was all too easy to become bogged down in a storyline and focus too much on the small detail instead of think-ing about the bigger picture and where the plot was going. It can very quickly become laborious and complicated. I needed to talk a step back every so often and simplify the plot, remind myself of my target audience and put myself in the shoes of someone reading the magazine.

Through my research into magazines, I have found that stories need to be succinct and get to the point quickly in order to maintain the reader’s interest. Taking this on board, I decided that rather than telling the story using purely sequential images, I wanted to use other means such as features, letters, problem pages and horo-scopes. I like the idea of the story being a jigsaw that you have to piece together through various dif-ferent elements; it stops it becoming stale and repetitive. This also tied in nicely with the spy theme and the idea of piecing together clues to solve a mystery.

There are hundreds of magazines out there. How is yours different? I like to think of my magazine as a piece of art in its own right, which straddles the boundaries of a magazine and illustration compen-dium. You might pick it up because you are interested in fashion illustra-tion or the story itself or, but ideally the concept will be intriguingenough that you want to read it for both these reasons.

I also really liked the idea of remaining true to the format of a mainstream fashion magazine, in terms of layout and content, but then subverting that form subtly by making every single element of the magazine, from the part of the nar-rative. A theme that always seems to crop up in my illustration work

is ‘identity’; I like to play with the DNA of something and give it a new character by changing its purpose in a very subtle way. With Agent Amandine, I wanted to take a

subject which could be seen as quite superficial - fashion - and twist it to almost become a parody of itself, whilst still remaining true to the form of a glossy magazine.

From research I also found that there aren’t really many fashion-specific graphic novels, and what I have come across is very much the traditional comic strip format rather than magazine. The closest thing to Agent Amandine that I’ve managed to find is Fashion Beast, the Malcolm McLaren graphic novel which is essentially an updating of the Beauty and the Beast fable set in the fashion world. Even so, the format is still very much traditional text and image.

Another narrative format I found interesting is Mixed Emotions, the monthly comic strip in the New York Times by Ruth Modan10, which tells the story of family life and the intricate relationship between a daughter, mother and grandmother. It’s written like a column with more emphasis on text than illustration, but the two elements work very effectively together.

There are other unusual maga-zine formats, for example Ammo magazine, which is a postcard sized publication with the aim of finding and exposing new illustra-tion talent, and The Illustrated Ape, which is a cross between a comic

and Illustration magazine. However the difference between all of the publications listed above and Agent Amandine is that, apart from Fashion Beast, none take fashion as their subject matter.

What makes Agent Amandine unique, is that as far as I can tell, there are no entirely illustrated fashion magazines on the market, which tell the story through traditional magazine content rather than sequential image.

You’re going to be exhibiting at Brick Lane in September. Can you give us a sneak preview of what to expect?I have been very specific about the atmosphere I want to create at the exhibition. I thought about the par-ticular way that women ‘consume’ magazines and wanted to recre-ate that ‘moment of self-indulgence’ that we allow ourselves when we sit down with a copy of Vogue or Elle. I want it to be about immersing your-self in the world of Agent Amandine and something that the audience can participate in rather than just picking up the magazine and flick-ing through. So at the exhibition you will have the opportunity to take a seat, relax and have a good read. I am collaborating with Tom Gyr, a talented product and fur-niture designer to create a space where you can take time out from the rest of the exhibition to relax in. That’s all I’m giving away for now!

What’s next for Agent Amandine?My vision for Agent Amandine is for it to become a regular publica-tion – maybe biannual. I want to develop the story and characters and see what direction it takes me and them in. I like to think that it’s a work in progress without a specific end point, so the story is free to grow and develop

Catch Gemma Milly at the Truman Brew-ery from September 24th – 26th and pick up a copy of Agent Amandine.

‘Mixed Emotions’ by Ruth Modan



Horoscopes


OROSCOPESH What does the next month have in store for our four friends?

Virgo24 August to 23 SeptemberPrepare to bowl everyone over. Saturn will be a steadyinginfluence on your love life and put an end to you being taken advantage of. No more random encounters. Lucky dress: Biba silk maxi

Libra24 September to 22 OctoberPlantetary patterns suggest a new romantic endeavor, and someone you may have previously dismissed. Work will become less secure but more exciting.Lucky dress: Peter Pilotto silk

Sagittarius23 November to 21 DecemberAt the end of the month Pluto highlights your need for a change in career. A short course in interior design may spell a fresh start.Lucky dress: Massimo Dutti shirt dress

Scorpio23 October to 22 NovemberLove planet Jupiter warns against affairs with members of senior management, especially of the Creative kind.Lucky dress: French Conection shift

Find out next month if the girls’ forcasts are right

Capricorn22 December to 20 JanuaryWith luck, the New Moon mid-month may shed some light on fashion conundrums. Should your birkenstocks stay or go? All will become clear. Lucky dress: Stella McCarntey wool-mix

Pisces20 February to 20 MarchMany planets are in water signs now, so you should be in your element. Make sure though that you dont become overly obsessed with healthy eating.Lucky dress: DVF wrap dress

Aries21 March to 20 AprilA move to another country will re-awaken dormant feelings from a close friend. Tread cafefully but be flattered that someone close holds you in such high esteem. This could be the start of something beautiful. Lucky suit: Reiss

Aquarius21 January to 19 FebruaryA special party looms, and planetary patterns signal a sailor dress is on the cards. Wear with confidence and you never know where it may lead you.Lucky dress: Cacharel

Taurus21 April to 21 May Love planet Mars warns against messing a colleague about. If you want to play the field, you would be wise to do so with someone less connected to you work-wise.Lucky suit: Hugo Boss Orange

Gemini22 May to 21 JuneAlthough you can make money through family connections this month, you could easily spend it quickly on those who also live at home. Confused? You will be. Lucky dress: Pucci maxi dress

Cancer22 June to 23 JulyThis month you will walk into some-one’s life, and stay put. This may be an unexpected turn of events, but will all work out for the best.Lucky suit: Paul Smith

Leo24 July to 23 AugustSupport from loved ones is vital if you want to go ahead with a daring plan. Just remember to pack the shin pads and helmet.Lucky dress: Matthew WIlliamson

Ask AmandineBIRKINSTOCK BOO-BOO

Dear Amandine,I recently logged on to a well-known style blog and almost choked on my mocha. As I scrolled down, there staring out at me from the screen were MY FEET, clad in a pair of Birkenstocks with socks, with the headline “An unforgiveable crime against fashion”. Morbid curiosity got the better of me and I read on, to my horror I might add, only to discover that some so-called fashion editor has written a whole piece on how terrible my style is and that I should be arrested on the grounds of wearing ‘comfortable shoes under retirement age’. Are Birkenstocks really that great a crime against fashion? Even when teemed with a twenty8twelve T-shirt dress and mint Chanel toenails?

Comfortable yet Confused Mimi, West London

Dear Mimi,There’s no need to worry, it seems very clear to me what has happened. I will admit the very same thing almost happened to me once. It seems you must have wandered into Selfridges, perhaps with the intention of purchasing a pair of Pied a Terre gladiators, and been momentarily distracted by a pair of gorgeous Chloe jelly sandals. When you asked the Shop assistant to take your glossy jelly delights to the till she accidentally picked up a box containing Birkinstocks. Et voila! How exactly they then ended up on your feet in public though, is a different and, quite frankly, unfathomable conundrum.

HOSIERY HORROR

Dear Amandine,Last weekend I took a stroll to my lo-cal deli to pick up some quinoa, when something in a little boutique caught my attention. There in the window was a model wearing a pair of flesh-coloured fringed socks. Now, I know that they have been seen on the legs of many an A-lister recently, but given that I am not blessed with perfect pins

I couldn’t help but wonder whether I could possibly pull off a look like this? Amandine, will I be blowing people’s socks off with my fringed tights or will every beauty therapist across the land be beating down my door brandishing pots of hot wax and muslin cloths? Quinoa Queen, Clapham

Dear Quinoa Queen,You need to go ‘chausette’ cold turkey , check yourself into sock rehab and ride it out. You’ll come out the other side a changed person and all the better for it. No longer will you have to battle with your inner hosiery demons, and will discover a new found love for your Louboutins and DVF wrap dress.

MAYDAY MAYDAYDear Amandine,I have been invited to a ‘Sailor chic’ charity dinner and am all at sea over what to wear. Do I go for a cute little striped number with maybe a dainty cap? Or should I go all out and dress as a jellyfish?

Fed up of Fancy Dress, Richmond

Dear Fed up,I have never been a fan of fancy dress, ever since I was given the part of nanny (the dog) in a school production of Peter Pan. However Sailor Chic is totally something you can work and I have the perfect solution to you malaise. Christopher Raeburn. He has a to-die-for collection of parachute silk dresses, which will give you the impression of an ethereal ‘under the sea’ creature, without having to go near a tentacle. And you’ll be flying the flag for ethical fashion too.

OUR RESIDENT FASHIONISTA, AMANDINE, IS ON HAND TO HELP SOOTHE YOUR SARTORIAL SUFFERINGS

star letter

TO HAVE YOUR SAY, EMAIL AMANDINE AT [email protected]

Every month the star letter wins £150 worth of Barefoot Botanicals organic skincare products, including Foot Soldier foot balm, Supernatural youth serum and Perfect Peach massage cream. For more details, take a peak at www.barefoot-botanicals.com


style advice

NEXT MONTH

NOVEMBER ISSUE ON SALE 10 OCTOBER

EXCLUSIVEWill Amandine fall

for the bad boy?

PLUS Amandine vs.

Bitch Boss. whowill come out

on top?

NEXT MONTH 1In the Classroom or In the Bed-room Chick Lit: The New Woman’s Fiction. Edited by Suzanne Fer-riss and Mallory Young. New York, Routledge Publishing, 2005.

2Lea Carpenter. The Sex Appeal of Spies. http://bigthink.com/ide-as/20854 18.08.10 21:31

320 Best Fashion Blogs http://www.telegraph.co.uk/fashion/6271935/20-best-fashion-blogs.html 25.08.10 08.48

4Jim Rugg, Brian Maruca. Like Kaf-ka, but with Better Clothes. http://nymag.com/fashion/08/fall/49264/ 19/08.10, 20:28

5Jessica Abel and Matt Madden. Drawing Words and Writing Pic-tures. New York, First Second, 2008.

6Jessica Abel and Matt Madden. Drawing Words and Writing Pic-tures. New York, First Second, 2008.

7Wicked in pink: an exhibition on one of the greatest of all couturiers, Elsa Schiaparelli, helps to answer the old question about fashion: art or craft? http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0PAL/is_510_159/ai_n6165586/21.08.10 11:59

8Alice Mackrell. Art and fashion. UK, Batsford Ltd, 2005.

9Women’s lit:Chick Lit Gets An Up-date http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/new-titles/adult-announcements/article/14247-wom-en-s-lit-chick-lit-gets-an-update.html

19/08/10 20:23

10Mixed Emotions http://modan.blogs.nytimes.com/ 23.08.10 12:13

Other resourceBooksMichi Girl. Like I give a frock. UK, Apple Press, 2009.

Kelk, Lindsay. I Heart New York. London, Harper Collins, 2009.

Blackwell, Lewis, and David Car-son. The End of Print: The Grafik Design of David Carson. San Fran-cisco: Chronicle Books, 2000

Simmonds, Posy. Mrs Weber’s Diary. UK, Fotana Press, 1982.

Knisley, Lucy. French Milk. UK, Touchstone, 2008.

Simmonds, Posy. Gemma Bovery. London, Jonathan Cape, 2001.

Tamaki, Mariko, Tamaki, Jillian. Skim. Canada, Groundwood Boks, 2008.

Owen, William. Modern Magazine Design. Iowa, Wm. C Brown Pub-lishers, 1992.

Harris, Ambrose. Grids. Switzerland, AVA Publishing SA, 2008.

Dabner, David, Calvert, Sheena and Casey, Anoki. Graphic Design School. UK, Thames and Hudson, 2010.

Websites/Blogshttp://jackywinter.com/artists/kat-macleod

http://www.amazon.com/Graph-ic-Novels-thick-comic books/lm/3RVHVUQTG3UZJ 25.08.10 8:22

Katie Loud.The Growing Merits of Chick Lit. http://ogzmc.th8.us24.05.10 10:44

http://www.davidcarsondesign.com/

http://www.thefashionpolice.net/

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeand-style/series/face-hunter

http://www.vogue.co.uk/

http://www.buzzle.com/articles/famous-spies.html

http://www.monsieurqui.com

http://goshlondon.blogspot.com/

http://drawnandquarterly.blogspot.com/

http://www.ameliasmagazine.com

http://magculture.com/blog/

http://www.iconeye.com/

http://bestdesignoptions.com/

http://inkandthunder.blogspot.com/

http://www.i-donline.com/

http://www.nylonmag.com

MagazinesVogue, Instyle, Elle, Marie Claire, Harpers Bazaar, Whitelines, Stylist,Biba, Glamour, Style, Nylon, Wallpaper, Grazia, Lula, Amelia’s Magazine

Fashion blogshttp://showmeyourwardrobe.comhttp://bryanboy.typepad.comhttp://gofugyourself.celebuzz.comhttp://heartifb.comhttp://www.thestylerookie.comhttp://www.thesartorialist.comhttp://www.garancedore.frhttp://www.stylebubble.typepad.comhttp://www.michigirl.com

B Agent Amandine:InterviewIBLIOGRAPHY


amandine

Sugar and spice and all things nice. Here’s what makes London’s most stylish spy tick...

....being the life and soul of the party. Many a time has the cry “first tube home” been heard emanating from a party somewhere in West London.

...always being right. Although there were two occasions when Amandine’s judgement was called into question, one involving clogs and the other a lime green wrap skirt. We all make mistakes...

...being there for her friends, especially when there is a shoe-related dilemma to solve or emergency dress borrowage required.

...good coffee. Three words: Tall. Skinny. Latte.

...cancelling nights out in favour of spinning at the gym. This is not strictly socially advisable, but until muffin tops become the norm, she has a date with a Stella McCartney crop top and the running machine.

...sitting in Glow sipping coffee (see above) and spying on the style choices of unsuspecting Clapamites from behind a copy of Marie Claire.

...obsessing about unsuitable men and being oblivious to the ones that are actually nice to her and happen to be UNDER HER NOSE...

...baking, eating and dreaming about pretty little iced cupcakes with silver balls and sprinkles and polka dot cases. And. Breathe. Out.

...Blogging blogging blogging...

...drooling over Mulberry handbags, Chloé belts and Louboutin heels. In that order.

...passing social comment ‘internally’ on those who are not blessed with natural sartorial elegance. It’s a shame we can’t all be fabulous.

...painting her nails at her desk. It is a widely recognised fact that a well-manicured hand shows pride in one’s appearance. It is therefore in an employer’s interest for an employee to get a mini-mani during the team meeting. Besides if you do it before bed your nails will be covered in sheet marks by morning

Loves...


inspiration

JACOB KIMMIEPERFECT AND ETERNAL BEAUTY

agent amandine magazine

Documents

letterslet amandine

collection3agent amandine

sditorletters7agent

questionable street

fair capital style

creator of agent amandine14on

trialthis month

month aheadfashion