**EDIT** Having seen that other picture-heavy ASOS S/S 11 posts have gone up around the blogosphere, I have decided to revive this post that originally went up in November… apologies if you've got post deja vu from this…
I feel like there were so many strands to talk up about ASOS that I almost need a drop down menu on this post. Instead, I'll draw lines with — instead to make things slightly clearer and to give me the opportunity to process it all in my head…
No need to bang on about how ASOS have upped their game in the past few years to really take advantage of the internet domain that they corner (and it's a huge corner at that… ). No point in really comparing to anything existing in the physical sense what with its gathering of brands that go beyond high street in addition to the diversification they have done within their own label ASOS. The press day today proved all of that and yet there'll be more to talk up pretty soon when their latest behometh venture ASOS Marketplace launches…but let's get onto the dashed lines, follow them carefully and see if you can navigate your way around them…
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ASOS Black – The more expensive, dressy, more 'deets' orientated part of ASOS.
There's sort of so much to love here that it almost doesn't warrant explanation. A quick scroll through the pictures and it's screaming for me to wear them and I'm sure a show of hands will go up too from the more complex pleated, embellished and jingly jangly dresses to the simple structures such as a simple pale blue leather tank that have all been dipped in an icy palette that ranges from white through to a vibrant limey yellow. "So fresh n' so clean" zings through the brain and I'll look forward to getting
Again, as per previous ASOS Black collections, I'll acknowledge there are some *ahem* borrowings that I doubt the ASOS design team would deny themselves… a bit of Preen, a touch of Eun Kyung Kim's pleating from his CSM BA 2009 collection, a bit of Celine, a bit of Phillip Lim… but proffer things like acrylic domino-esque embellishment, a structured lime yellow neoprene dress or some interlocked pleats – i.e. things that you never thought would make it onto ASOS' design agenda and for me that gets the thumbs up.
There's just not enough plastic lovin' around… the subtle, less shiny sister of the sequin…
Pleats locked down that do very much remind me of Eun Kyung Kim's structured pleat concoctions from his Central Saint Martins BA collection except muted and slightly loosened up here…
Those not into frou will fall for the pale blue leather tank with an organza undervest…
Or these ice-cream jackets that veer from coconut to slightly shiny cinnamon…
Then there's the Preen S/S 11-esque neoprene making its way into the collection…
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ASOS Salon – Vintage-inspired pieces that are fluttering with embroidery and have a bit of fabric weight ooomph to them
New for the season, I suppose this would be for the gal who likes the look of vintage 50s-60s pieces but fears the smell or the hunt. Not really one for me then seeing as I revel in the hunt but I love the care they've taken with the sheer amount of embellishment…
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ASOS White – Pieces that work hard and aren't supposed to be screaming with any bells and whistles.
It spans the colour gauntlet from crispy white (emphasised by the pleats) to shots of neon best seen in the orange/pink shorts, however the real star were the leather bags…
… that also go back and forth between muted and clean to bright pops of colour…
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ASOS Main – The stuff that makes up the bulk of ASOS' own range… and is obviously slightly less expensive.
I normally go through spurts of manically raiding the ASOS site to see if I've missed any gems in the big black hole known as ASOS' mainline collection. Thankfully at press days, it's all selected, whittled down and split up into stories. They didn't give me a press release where they give their trend stories fancy names. So I call this rack the "Slumming at home in pretty, floaty and sheer things with light knits for when you need to dash out to get something from the DHL man." Well, that's my story anyway…
Layering opps a-plenty as you can see…
Then there's the "Getting lost in a Moroccan souk and then realising you're actually only reading about a souk in a Time Out travel guide…". I loved all of the cinnamon/cinnabun tones that came through the S/S 11 shows and here they turn up in holey/decorative knits (as opposed to ones that actually keep you warm).
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ASOS Shoes, Bags and Jewellery – Err, does this need an explanation?
Chunky, boxy and defiant lines are the buzz words attached to all accessories categories. The jewellery especially sets a slick tone, emphasised by the choice of materials like clear perspex, rose gold and wood-effect plastic, which only work together when the shapes are clearly defined. Bags and heels are also equally boxy and in some cases, see-through. There's something sensible there combined with something an 'off' note that seems to be the case for a lot of things for S/S 11.
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ASOS x It's Nice That- Who doesn't get sucked into It's Nice That? I go on it to make me feel all small and little about my own lack of creativity and instead absorb other people's talents. They've come together with ASOS to reproduce illustrators found supported by the It's Nice That site on tees…
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ASOS Brands – The roster of brands on ASOS grows in quantity, range and depth with collaborations a-plenty.
Dorchester Prize ¬£25k winner Thomas Tait has done a leather accessories range that I think ASOS has helped in producing…
Wheeeeeee…. ASOS finally will be stocking Louise Gray's mainline after collaborating with her PLUS the shoes she did with Pollini for S/S 11…no more emails asking "Where do I get Louise Gray?" whenever I do a post related to her…
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ASOS Africa – Gonna delve into this closer to the time it drops in Feb and March. Produced in the same Soko factory that does the Africa range, ASOS have also collaborated with Jessica Ogden (love any instance where Ogden is still able to work in fashion… boo to her not having her own line anymore…)…
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ASOS Marketplace – It's too huge and immense to talk about it in this already-crammed post. Plus, it's right up my street and I think requires more dedication to it. The holding page is up and you can learn a little about it there but needless to say, there's definitely scope for this to be HUUUUGE.
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THE END
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P.S. I really love the way a dashed line looks. So much friendlier than a solid one don't you think?