I N S P I R E D B Y A C N E S T U D I O S | Tribute Review

Fourth up in the Tribute season, super excited to have Acne Studios join the brands - the first time for Acne in the Plaza in a dedicated store. It's been a while since I've thought of this brand, would have loved it years ago for Tributes and now it's here - let's get on into the release, the advertising shows quite a mix of colours and styles:

The release is fitting with the rest of the season, we have 3 full floors over a total of 17 looks with several pieces available for both male and female dolls. While I haven't kept up with runway collections over the past few years, having just had a look at some of the recent Acne collections, I'm really loving their vibes and I can see versatility in a lot of the pieces chosen for this release ... of course now I want more XD Starting with the accessories, there are 11 pairs of shoes, which include some classic designs like the Wooden Platforms which have certainly been popular. I really like the boots on offer, the Brown Tigh High Boots caught my eye immediately - these look fantastic and I love the colour, perfect for the upcoming Autumn. The Yellow Rose Boots also stand out with their unique design in grey and yellow, something quite unique for the Plaza. I also like the Pointed Red Stilletos, super sleek and stylish and will work in so many outfits, a perfect option if you don't already have a pair of red heels. There are 5 bags, in a range of colours and styles. I really like the idea of the Maroon Camera Bag, colour is beautiful and the tucked under the arm style is a nice inclusion. The Black Slouchy Bag is very tempting too, I really like the slouched style, it looks great and I think in black makes it a classic piece. There are a range of other accessories piece, I definitely like the inclusion of some different items like the Chained Scarves in Purple and Blue, these are something different for the Plaza and I think they look good. I really love the Swan Belt, this is reminiscent of an LE piece and I think it will be good with other swan-style accessories. There are some jewellery pieces as well, for me these aren't so much pieces I'd go for or have noticed so much in the store.

Onto the clothing. For me the first floor really popped, I like the orange and brown tones a lot - the Acne Orange Floral Pants sure stand out and catch the eye immediately! The Purse Mini Skirt also stands out, a unique design that's been well done and looks great on the doll too - another great Autumn piece. From here I also like the Sheer Tied Top, the flashes of orange on it look good and is a good starter into wearing orange if you're not ready to commit to a piece like the trousers. The Black Rose and Cream Embroidered Corsets are also nice pieces, contrasting colours and versatile so I think they will work in a range of outfits, I like the bow detail and the intricate pattern on these. The Buckle Leather Jacket is also a nice basic in this floor and I think it will be very popular and it works well as either a jacket or a dress. The second floor brings some brighter tones with pinks and greens. I really like the vibes and mix of styles on this floor, but for me personally there's not a lot I would choose. I do however really like the Nude Sweater, Nude Tied Sweater and Nude Tank Skirt combo, super cute and we don't have a lot of sets like this in the Plaza, plus it fits the doll very nicely. Plus these will work separately well too. The final floor has blues and neutrals with some super cute designs, albeit not so much pieces I would wear, like the Blue Ribbon Dress or the Blue Crochet Top and Skirt co-ord. I absolutely love the Stud Pants though, I purchased those as soon as I saw them and I'm really looking forward to styling them, and while the Bra Tee Shirt isn't my typical style I really like it on the mannequin with the Pants and also with pops of red, there's lots of styling options there.

F E A T U R E S

First up is Bianca.Vos in such a sweet pastel look pairing pinks and blues, it pops so well and features the Nude Sweater, Nude Tied Sweater and Nude Tank Skirt set which seem to have been so easy to style. I love the addition of the blue corset, this piece has the same vertical ribbing as the collection pieces so it's a perfect fit and I love the shapes the blue brings to the pink pieces. I also love the pink tights and shoes here, super cute and the pinks are very fitting with the clothing items. Loving the overcoat of course, but have to point out the jewellery choices, such perfection for the outfit, really love them! 

Next is harpie, style icon of course also wearing the release - opting for the Sheer Tied Top, Black Jumpsuit, Long Strap Purse and Pointed Red Stilletos all working perfectly together. The black pieces are a great base for the look, the reds pop against it and I think the sheer fabric of the top also stands out very nicely. Accessorising is great, the jewellery choices are great with the studded skirt and the ties on the necklace are a nice pair with all the ties on the top too^

Last but not least, it's Miloshki also choosing a more pastel based look but opting for yellow tones, styling up both the Yellow Rose Boots and the free top-up item, the Bow Gown - I wasn't sure about this dress when I saw it on the advertising, but styled I think it looks fabulous! The grey of the dress is a perfect pair for the boot base which really makes those flowers pop. The pastel yellow skirting is a fun addition and I think it works out great for the look, not only in colour but also the flowing draping style with the style of the bows too. Love the simple accessory additions otherwise, this bag is super cute adding in some glam pearl details =)

T R I B U T E S G A L L E R Y | Tribute Review

Third in the lineup of the Tribute season this year, it's Tributes Gallery! This is unusual because as far as I can remember Tributes Gallery has typically been the final release of the season, and usually arrives well because the other releases have maybe not had as many accessories pieces (not necessarily the case this year) - but anyway, let's get into the store and see what we have:

The release is 3 floors and really they're all completely packed with pieces, I actually found this release super overwhelming and it was really difficult to know where to start. I ended up taking several days to look through it all slowly and deciding what I wanted from there. Starting with the shoes - there are 19 pairs to choose from in all sorts of styles, there really is something for everyone. There are a number of platform-based styles, like the Snake Skin, Scaled and Green Armadillo Heels, or the McQueen Metallic, Blue or Black Alien Heels - these styles are very specific and just not me, plus not super unique as we've had variations previously. Platforms I am quite tempted by are the Chanel White Platforms, I really quite like Chanel shoes and I don't think we've had this style before. On flatter ground I really like both the H Sandals Brown and Black, super classic in design and neutral colours that will be easy to wear, plus they're affordable, can't really go too wrong! There are some very nice pairs of heels, the first ones that caught my eye were the Rattan Monolos, love the red and rattan combination a lot, and I also love the overall shoe shape of the Cherry Slingbacks, I just don't like the cherry print! The Balenciaga Monday Heels White are also very tempting, and I've seen a very cool styling of them in the features below, I'm just not sure I'll get wear out of them. Onto the bags next, where there are a whopping 36 pieces to choose from - I won't lie, I found that super overwhelming to organise and look through and decide what I wanted to get. I really like the Fendi Baguette-style bags and also the Dior Saddle bags, so for me I was happy to see lots of pieces like these, but so much choice it was hard to whittle down. Starting with Fendi, there are 5 designs to choose from and both come in a cross-body or hand-held style. The classic colouring of the Fendi Baguette Logo in brown and black stood out to me first, it's a classic and versatile and will always stand out in a look. The Handbag version is also priced in SC's, so very affordable for everyone. I like the more stand out colours as well, the Fendi Baguette Pink is super fun for Spring/Summer, as is the Fendi Baguette Blue Crystal which will also look good in both casual and dressy styles with its intricate details. And on the very dressy side is the Fendi Baguette Sequin, love these sparkling colours, I think it really pops well in the store and it caught my eye immediately. With the Dior styles, there are 5 to choose from and they're all detailed and stand out individual pieces. My eye was first drawn to the Dior Denim Saddle Bag, I love the combination of the dark denim and the beige printed details, it looks classic but with a twist. Also in the darker category is the Dior Fur and Crystal Saddle Bag which is such a cute fun piece, I love the blue and white combination, and the fur is fun for Winter stylings - I can already envisage a few stylings for this one^ The Dior Koi Fish Saddle Bag is also super unique in design, and the pink and green are cute together, I think this one will make for some super fun colourful creative stylings. There is another Dior style available, the Dior Columbus Bag in Black, Red and Brown, this is a simple shoulder bag and I do like it, but think it might be tricky to work with the short strap and shoulder design. There are a couple of other bags to mention, I really like the Cat Handle Purse, super cute handle and love the pink colour, and I also like the look of the Coperni Flower Bag however we have had a few very similar designs to this in recent-ish releases.

There are of course other accessories pieces, and a lot of them at that! Starting with sunglasses as a bit of a sunglasses-obsessed person^ There are 19 pairs of sunglasses in the release, all of which are different colours of several different styles, and all are available as both suite and beauty parlor versions. For me it's not total love with the options, I find most of them on the smaller side, while I generally prefer a larger lens size on my doll, however if you like the small option, then there's plenty for you and in a great colour choice. The MiuMiu Sunglasses in Blush, Olive and Blue do stand out, I like the delicate feeling to them and the slim gold frame. The Gucci Glasses in Red, Grey and Gold are similar but with a rectangular lens shape - but what makes the Gold pair stand out is that they have the Gucci logo printed on the lens and that really looks very nice. As a big fan of a classic black pair of sunglasses, I had to get the Butterfly Mask Glasses Black, these are fab and I love the bold shaped design to these. For something else also a little different in design, I also picked up the Loewe Aviators Toroise, love the brown shade to these and I can see they'll work very nicely for Autumnal looks. The last design to talk about is the Prada Sunglasses in Crackle and Red, I really liked these on the doll so picked up both colourways! The Red in particular looks like a standout pair from the release and will work with so many outfits. And then there are jewellery pieces as well to select from. For me, these didn't really stand out as much in the store as other pieces, but there are a few mentions to have. I really like the Bulgari Snake Bracelet, while I'm not normally a bracelet wearer, I think this one looks beautiful, I love it on my doll and both the colour and design stand out nicely. I also like the inclusion of both watches and bag charms in the release, I think these will be popular choices - they're not the sort of accessories that I'd remember to wear or include in looks, but I can see that they'll be perfect for some dolls' styles.

F E A T U R E S

First up in the features is Fergaysson who is styling the Dior Tattoo Saddle Bag - this is such a fun mix of dressed up and streetstyle and I think it's perfect for the bag. Mixing the denim shorts with the velvet of the blazer and the pompom heels is super fun and the colour combinations of the clothes are spot on for the colours in the print of the bag, really love it^

Second is harpie, who is wearing the Coperni Petal Bag in such a perfect look for it, the silver and purple together are very standout, and honestly not a combination I would have thought of at all! These trousers are fab for the bag with all those details down the sides, and the relaxed style of the blouse is fun. The rest of the silver accessories added are great finishing touches, I especially love these square earrings =)

Next is miloshki who styles the top-up gift, the Westwood Yasmine Bag, and I love this look for it, very Westwood vibes overall^ The zebra print of the skirt is a fun base for the classic art print of the bag and the jacket brings an extra element to printing as well, I really love those ideas. The rest of the accessories in a basic black are a perfect base for the rest of the pieces to pop, the scarf is particularly great here! 

And last but not least, sarah_1980 goes for the Balenciaga Monday Heels White, Emerald Earrings and Dior Columbus Black Bag - again I love the mix of street and dressy in this styling, super fun and fresh! This look could definitely sell me these shoes because they look fabulous both with the denim skirt and the oversized printed blazer. I love seeing the bag styled like this too, it shows it doesn't have to be worn over the shoulder, which brings a versatility to it that I hadn't thought about - so very tempting^