My Fashion Life

Nicole Farhi thought she was going to die when she was mugged outside her home.

The French fashion designer - who was choked until she was unconscious during the attack in London in April last year - made the admission yesterday as she gave evidence in the trial of one of the men accused of robbing her.

She said at London’s Wood Green Crown Court: ‘I walked quickly to my front door. Then I heard some footsteps. The footsteps were very fast and then one hand came onto my eyes and the other onto my throat. He squeezed and I fainted. My last thought was, how stupid to die in front of my house.’

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This was a shockingly good show. Nicole Farhi is one of those designers who is famous for being classic. She can be relied on for the fail safe fashion, constantly churning out the same cuts, fabrics and colours. But for Autumn/Winter 09 it would seem the French-born designer has had something of an epiphany.

The photographs in all fairness do not do the collection justice. It was a strong range, with a heavy emphasis on colour and design. The pieces were right on trend, those sci-fi shoulders were even present.

The shows styling was also great, knee high socks were paired with towering almost stripper like heels. Hot pink long length gloves added a modern twist, whilst skinny snake effect belts added shape and definition.

Key items included the fabulous leather dress with bronze studs, the wetlook dresses and the fabulous giant bow dresses. The knitwear was also right on trend, for a woman who usually sends down a ton of cardigans, it was amazing to see form fitting, on trend knits with perfect embellishment.

In fact, this has been one of the strongest shows. It is a dangerous move, as she may inadvertently alienate her loyal, core customer base. But she is now more likely to attract a younger, more fashion friendly audience. I am honestly, in such shock, and exclaimed loudly as the second model appeared “oh my god, this is actually good” which did attract a few looks, but I know they were thinking the same.

Nicole Farhi is a brand that either pulls out all the stops or just flops. Last Spring/Summer was a pulls-out-all-the stops affair, chic playsuits and jumpsuits, unusual patterns and prints; there was something for everyone. This Spring/Summer sadly did not follow suit.

Whist there were some nice pieces, pretty cotton sundresses and fabulous hats, I was left feeling underwhelmed. Pieces did fall into the emerging trends such as Stepford Wives and those bra crop tops, which seem to have appeared at almost every show. But the majority of pieces were fairly non-descript.

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What: Nicole Farhi (February Sale)
Where: 45 Balfe St, London, N1 9EF
When: 23rd - 24th Feb (10am – 8pm) 25th Feb (11am – 5pm)
For more info visit Designer Warehouse Sales