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It's an art form where anything that's not essential is unequivocally eliminated, the 90s response to the lavish excess of the 80s minimalism. We moved away from the big hair, bright colours and shoulder pads to the clean lines and neutral colour palettes, gone were the glamazon supermodels of the 80s, in came the waifs such as Kate Moss, spear heading the movement of designers such as Calvin Klein and Martin Margiela.

 I guess with minimalism you could say less is more, it's all about making a statement without being superfluous, in other words simplicity is key!

From that white button down shirt hanging in the back of your closet, to that sharply tailored suit, minimalism is stripped down, emphasising restraint.

I've been watching Law & Order reruns lately (don't ask) and I love the way powerful women dressed in the 90s, clean simple shift dresses, not a hair out of place. They looked polished.

I've put together two outfits, an evening look and a day look. 

Messenger Bag - Zara, £29.99

Leather Dress - Topshop, £120.00

Heels - Zara, £29.99

Bracelet - Miss Selfridges, £10.00

Lipstick - Barry M, £4.00

For the day outfit I've taken inspiration from the infamous Kathryn Merteuil from Cruel Intentions. Kathryn was ambitious, cold, calculating and downright wicked...she also dressed to kill. She knew how to work a power suit, looking clean and polished despite her dirty secrets. 

Okay, here it goes!

Leather Trousers - River Island, £25.00

White Shirt - Mango, £34.99

Suede Court Shoes - Topshop, £35.00

Chiffon Contrast Blazer - Topshop, £65.00

Mulberry Lipstick - Sleek, £4.00

90s Sunglasses - Topshop, £16.00

Thanks for reading!

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I have what you can call a mild "obsession" with all things East Asian! I love the fashion, the tv shows (especially Kdrama), the food, the culture and of course, the people! So I'm feeling a bit Japanese today and I thought I'd put together a geisha girl inspired outfit for your viewing pleasure, have a look!

I've paired a River Island oriental biker jacket with a turquoise textured skirt from Topshop (as soon as I I get paid, I'm going to buy this!), I love how the colours from the jacket and the skirt complement each other, it's got a vibrancy to it (obviously not as nice as an actual yukata or kimono, but hey! I tried). Let us not forget the shoes in the corner! Urban Outfitters have outdone themselves on this one, these are a more Western version of traditional Japanese Okobo shoes worn by geishas (check out http://hatterscoattails.blogspot.co.uk/2011/05/flatforms-why-wedge-it.html for images). The Wilbur & Gussie clutch bag is definitely my second favourite piece of the outfit, after the shoes of course. It's made out of woven silk, which would definitely give a more oriental twist to this outfit. I feel like the tiger motif on the front is definitely the highlight of the clutch. 

And as for the makeup, what respectable geisha would leave the Okiya (geisha house) without her red lipstick and a lick of eyeliner? 

I hope you guys enjoyed this post! Check below for the price list :)

Oriental Biker Jacket - River Island, £25 

Turquoise Textured Skirt - Topshop, £22

Soft V-Neck Cami - Topshop, £18

Charlie Raw Silk Clutch Bag - Wilbur & Gussie, £75

Deena & Ozzy Transparent Flatform Sandal - Urban Outfitters - £38