My Style Icons - Part 4 - Annabella Lwin

At a time when I should probably be sorting out the pile of baby clothes and parafernalia that has accummulated in my house, to be ready for the new little baby  - who shall be arriving in approximately 5 weeks -  I have decided to blog about another of My Style Icons instead. I've not blogged for over a week and I'm missing it and this is my first Tuesday off work in ages AND my last week at work before I head off on maternity leave.....very excited!! More Babies and more blogging!!

So, Annabella Lwin........not only is she the front woman to one of my most favourite new wave 80s bands Bow Wow Wow, she looks amazing, she was a complete individual and she was also total Jailbait. I love her for all of this. I WANT CANDY!!!!

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Firstly, let's talk about the hair, even with the sides shaved down to a number one, a backcombed mohican and a harsh glare, Annabella manages to look beautiful. She inspired me to shave off my hair but to leave some long layers in to curl or backcomb for a soft and harsh look. I really do have quite a harsh look, without trying, so the soft girliness is needed.

I love the mix of the harsh styling with the girlie 1950s dress & gloves. I have copied this look many a time (I will blog the Emma's fashion back catalogue of images at some point!) The 1950's styling was big in the 80s and with Punk before that.

Annabella was spotted by Malcolm Maclaren (Godfather of Punk) in 1980 working in a laundrette, you know usual story, happens to us all, doesn't it.... he instantly auditioned her to become the lead singer of a new band he was putting together who became Bow Wow Wow. Apparently Mclaren had her transferred from her comprehensive school to Sylvia Young's Theatre School. This is all sounding a bit Brit School isn't it? Oh well we'll ignore that detail for now, there's more controversial stuff to come.

 The controversy linked to the band Bow Wow Wow reveals that the musicians were originally Adam Ant's  - Ants, stolen from Adam Ant by Malcolm Mclaren on a promise to make them famous, with Adam out of the picture Mclaren recruited Annabella alongside a London club kid (soon to be known as Boy George) to join the band. A few gigs and photoshoots later the rest of the band decided to get rid of Boy George and Bow Wow Wow was born. We could feel sorry for Adam Ant and Boy George here (I really must blog them on here at some point too, I feel a New Romantics blog coming on) but they both went on to individually become two of the biggest Pop and style icons of the 80s. So we won't worry about them at all.

Look how beautiful (and young) Annabella looks in the above image, if I spotted her in the laundrette I'd fall in love with her too! I'm sure she wasn't wearing this though, I would, any opportunity to dress up.

 Annabella did like to pose nude and half naked it has to be said. Whether this was her choice or Malcolm's is another matter, I guess the harsh image took the Lolita edge off of it. At this point fashion had gone a bit tribal which fitted perfectly with Bow Wow Wow's drumbeats which can also be heard in many Adam and the Ant records and post punk around the time.  I Love Annabella's hair in the below image, I can never get to the point where my hair is long enough to be able to plait it, the scissors are always calling me! Like they did the other day, more on that another time.

 Another little story for you here which I picked up from a great post punk book ' Rip it up and start again' by Simon Reynolds- which I leant to a work colleague and haven't seen it since, I think he may of lost it.  So, the story goes that Malcolm Maclaren had tried to get the other (slightly older) members of Bow Wow Wow to de-virginate Annabella, who was probably still jailbait at this point. Mclaren thought it might Sex her up a bit and make her less innocent!!! I'm not sure Annabella needed to be sexed up anymore, it seemed to ooze from her as it was. The good news is the very strong willed teenager refused them all, now that's a lesson for all girls who are thinking they might need de-virginating before they are ready! You have the rest of your life to be slutty!

 Oh look a bit of tribal aztec style, you know I like a bit of aztec at the moment, I actually want this jumper, it's baggier than the one's that are in the shops at the moment. Looks really comfy, why have Chavs ruined jersey wear for everyone? There was a time when you could wear jersey and be glamourous! Is it a Vivienne Westwood? Probably, I also forgot to mention Vivienne styled the band, the lucky buggers! Vivienne's Tribal collection, I think it was named The Pirate Collection without cheating and looking online, was massive during the early 80s, even Lady Di owned some of the pieces. There's another blog idea........Vivienne's Pirate collection not Lady Di....well, who knows, maybe both.

Aaaah! The Face, one of my favourite magazines.....I miss you!

Another Annabella Lwin fact is that her real name is Myint Myint Aye , Annabella is half Bermese and this name was given to her by Bermese Priests and means, get this, 'High High Cool'!!! Love it. Maybe a name for this baby then eh?

My mother has been completely over guessing this babies name. She thinks its going to be wierd and wonderful and has totally gone down the wrong track with Pop Stars names (My two sons middle names are Hendrix and Floyd so I can see how she got to this conclusion) she came up with...... Blondie or ........Madonna...........I don't need to say anymore, these names speak for themselves....she also had a dream I had another son and named him Jesus.

This look is very New Romantic Pirate, totally ripped off from Adam Ant, or was it the other way round? Vivienne Westwood V's Adam and the Ants. Annabella looks about 13 years old here.

Annabella with the de-virginating, ex Adam Ants -Ants, Bow Wow Wow boys. Going Wild in the Country! Where snakes in the grass are absolutely free!

Again, I seem to have ripped off this face paint, unknowingly this time, for once, at one of the Hoochie Coochie kaberet's that I have Dj'd at. The inspiration was Wild Animals, I'll blog the image one day. I remember on the night people thought I had leopard print tattoos, one bloke, who was very tattoeed up himself, suggested I should definately get it tattoed, I thought he was referring to the ones on my arms, he actaully, seriously, meant, the ones on my face!! He said I could carry it off. Thanks for the compliment mate, I think? The arms maybe, but on my face??? I have to pick my kids up from school and that!

It used to break my heart when I went into your shop

And you said my records were out of stock

So I don't buy records in your shop

Now I tape them all 'cause I'm 'Top of the Pops'

C30, C60,C90 Go! - Bow Wow Wow

Punk, Rockabily and the Tartan Army

Leading nicely on from Poly Styrene's punk pop style to the reappearance of punk and tartan this year. Following a punk inspired issue of ID Magazine that I had picked up early on this year, I have been very excited to see the return of punk styling, not that it ever really left me in the first place. This time around tartan features heavily rather than the ripped, customised punk cliches of the last decade (I'm no innocent in this, I started my label Phlem in the early 2000's based upon this customised, do-it-yourself ethos.) alongside tartan, is the rockabily or  50s influence which was one of the original inspirations for punk from the lovely Vivienne Westwood and Malcolm Maclaren. They pioneered the punk style mixing tailored 50s items with bondage gear and customisation, the bondage look is also strong this season.

I have been inspired by the off the wall, playful punk style autumn / winter 2011 Ashish Collection (available at Asos) the A/W 2011 catwalks, and I have sourced a few images from the high street so you can see the type of thing that is out there to buy now, I have also added images from Vivien of Holloway (one of my favourite shops - even got my wedding dress there) who use original 1950s patterns to create their wonderful creations, the cut, shape and quality is fantastic and better than you would get on the high street for similar prices.

 The first of the Ashish pieces that I like (there were so may to chooses from!!!) They are a lot

 out of my budget at £900 for the trousers, but I can admire them, just the same. I love the styling, it's very similar to the styling from my earlier androgynous style post back in August with the denim shirt, 50s ribbon tie,  ankle grazer trousers and the gorgeous brothel creepers (which I now have a pair of and will be appearing on this blog very soon!).

 I always love a bit of Union Jack, there is always such a stigma to wearing it though, is it seen as patriotic? Brit Chic? Or just full on rascist? I always see it as brit chic, inspired by punk and mod styling, I love the skinhead look too always have, this does not make me (or skinheads for that matter) right wing! To be honest, you see the Union Jack (or Union Flag as they like to call it these days) everywhere now from the twee Cath Kidson inspired homewear shops to Asda, despite this there will always be someone who IS offended by the Union Jack. I say if you like it wear it! Politics aside, look at this Ashish jumper? Its so cuddly and warm, who could resist it?

 Loving this little sequin tartan skirt, waist is a bit small for me at the mo and it doesnt contain lycra, I shall admire it from afar, Oh, yes that's right, I couldnt afford it anyway it's £470.....

 It's those lovely sequin tartan trousers again complete with bondage zips and paired with the sequinned skeleton print top. This is the sort of top my son's would choose for me if they got to buy my clothes (I'd clearly be in fancy dress everyday) Well good luck boys this lovely Ashish number will set you back £440. I do love Ashish's tounge in cheek pieces though and can only dream of owning them, I think my favourites here are the Sequin tartan mini skirt and the cuddly right wing jumper!

 This tartan coat from Asos looks cute, I couldn't find a full length version of it but that doesn't matter look at the cute black shorts, black spotty tights and desert shoe boots combo? Love it!

 A bit of eye candy for the girls (who like boys)  here, once you look past the boy check out his Donkey jacket with tartan sleeves, also from Asos. I'd like to see my husband in this, I'm not sure he'd be too willing.....at first...

 This tartan jacket from Asos i like but I'm not too happy with the styling here, it's not how I'd do it, it's a bit twee, It needs roughing up at the edges ( I don't mean ripping up the jacket) I'd wear it undone with some kind of brooch attached, a punk tee underneath, with my ankle grazers (or jeans) and Brothel creepers......sorted!

 There are many versions of this Tartan print midi pencil skirt available on the high street but if you wanna look the part in the best cut skirts make sure you get your's from Vivien of Holloway (mine's gonna arrive in my Xmas stocking this year following the birth of my baby- I'm positive i'll get in it!) How cool is this Pinafore skirt? You can get it in plain colours too for those who can't bring themselves to go for tartan. It's only £49, I love you Vivienne!

 Here it again on the lovely Anna Fur Laxis, I want her tattoos too!

 Another version of the Vivienne of Holloway Pinafore skirt of the gorgeous, Burlesque star Missy Malone ( I had the pleasure of seeing Missy perform at Hoochie Coochie Kaberet, Bristol, where I have been resident DJ for a few years now). Missy rocks the skirt!

Here's Anna rocking a high waister pencil skirt also from Vivienne of Holloway. It's only £35 and has been replicated, in some cases, quite badly, on the high street for the same or even a more expensive price! Get Vivienne, I promise,  you'll feel great and won't regret it!