Style+beauty

rebel rebel

From highway to runway: biker style is big this autumn

words by Josh Sims

Womenswear has long borrowed from the male wardrobe, which in turn has always toyed with archetypes: soldier, sailor and cowboy among them. But perhaps none more represents the rock ’n’ roll spirit – that freedom from expectations, the nomad existence, bucking social norms and escape on the open road – than the biker.

Biker style – think close-fitting zip-up and popper down jackets and leather trousers – has appealed to fashion ever since it could temper the genuine air of menace it had during the 1950s, the era when Marlon Brando’s The Wild One responded to the question “What are you rebelling against?” with “What have you got?”. Put biker style on a woman, however, and, worn the right way, its echoes of overt manliness only serve to stress the feminine.

“The masculinity of the biker trend is about being powerful but sexy with it,” suggests Hani Rahman, womenswear designer for Full Circle. “Getting the balance right is key. You use the cut, the shape and more gentle lines to emphasise the female form while also playing with more macho references.”

Certainly that’s the thinking behind the many variations of the biker theme in the autumn/winter 2007 designer collections. Hermès and Louis Vuitton provide the ultimate luxury version of the Schott Perfecto biker jacket – the benchmark in biker kit – while Burberry’s take comes in high-shine patent leather. Jenny Packham’s and Celine’s are cropped and fitted, Colette Dinnigan’s comes fitted with a short leather cape and John Richmond’s has been elongated into a mid-thigh-length coat.

Although Ralph Lauren’s jacket is in gold and Gaultier’s in cream, most designers are on the dark side. Ferragamo, Costume National and Roberto Cavalli are among the many also seeing black leather trousers as a key trend for the new season.

Indeed, such is the fashionability of the biker look that even brands with real heritage in functional biking gear have given it a makeover: BSA has launched its first clothing collection for men, with women’s in the pipeline, while Belstaff offers the ultimate in super-sassy style for would-be lady riders of the steel.

mineral magic

Make-up was once considered bad for your face, but now you can powder your way to a clear complexion. Let the great skin begin

words by Sophy Grimshaw

For make-up that not only gives a radiant, flattering finish but also improves the skin, look out for mineral ingredients. Unlike traditional cosmetics, mineral-based products allow the skin to breathe, so it’s usually okay to hit the sack without washing them off your face. No wonder every brand is rushing to add minerals to its range.

Cosmetics from US brand Bare Escentuals are made from only a handful of natural ingredients, including zinc and iron oxides. Scandinavia’s Glominerals, meanwhile, has the widest selection of skin shades in mineral make-up. France’s make-up maven Laura Mercier is in on the action, with a mineral face powder that you can build-up for foundation-style coverage and which has 15 active amino acids to clear the skin of toxins. And to really get back to basics, try a homemade, mail-order brand like the UK’s Comfort and Joy.

Laura Mercier Mineral Powder in Pure Honey €24 www.lauramercier.com
Laura Mercier Mineral Eye Powder in Smolder Bronze €24 www.lauramercier.com
Face The Day Loose Change Face Powder €25 www.comfortandjoy.co.uk
Glee All-Over Face Color €15 www.bareescentuals.com
gloGloss in Peony €23 www.glominerals.com