Sunday 4 September 2011

Call of the Jungle

Are your fall wardrobes ready? Mine neither. But at least I have already found the star piece for it: a beyond fabulous Carolina Herrera silk leopard-print trench coat. I do love leopard prints but I find it so hard to get hold of a beautiful one! Most of them are kind of trashy and vulgar, so if you're searching for a leopard dress, coat or bag, it's worth spending some time looking around for a really chic print. I happened to find the Carolina Herrera coat by chance (one of those miracle finds), but Yves Saint Laurent's permanent collection also features some satin leopard dresses, nylon raincoats and even leopard Muze bags and Tribute shoes (I know, I know, I work for YSL, but seriously, the permanent collection is so cute). Leopard print goes with almost everything! Plus I love a woman dressed in leopard: the print renders her wild, regal and empowered. Some people think it's a man repeller, but I don't agree; I just think it confuses men a bit, which is good. And the best of it? It never goes out of style. A couple of years ago, when I was in fashion school and Lanvin had just launched a collection of coloured leopard print dresses, I remember mentioning in class how I thought leopard was timeless. Immediately, about 20 students (and the teacher too) jumped at me saying it was a passing fashion just fuelled by Lanvin's collection. I wish I had had then these pictures to show them (sadly there were no iPads!). Leopard has been trendy ever since Antique Egyptians started wearing it, although I'm pretty sure prehistoric women already rocked the leopard bikini look:














One person leopard always reminds me of, and who wore it better than anybody, is Ms. Robinson. As cruel, blasé and evil as her character was, Anne Bancroft looked dashing in her leopard coat and underwear. The choice of the print wasn't casual either: it makes her look so self-assured and dangerous next to the (super cute) nervous wreck that was Dustin Hoffman.




So what do you think, is leopard print for you? Do you feel the call of the jungle?

2 comments:

  1. My fall wardrobe is nowhere near ready, but I've absolutely been planning on including some leopard print! Hopefully I'll find some fabulous pieces.

    I love your leopard print retrospective. :)

    - anikaguldstrand.wordpress.com

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  2. I wouldn't dress in leopard prints, for I'm not that much into animal prints personally. But I like inspiration from animals, that's for sure, and the post is great!

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Thanks for your lovely comments.