venturess.

grey on grey.

2012-02-15T19:19:00.001Z

all imgs from style.com

Araks' presentation provided me with another heart-skipped-a-beat moment.

Multiple shades of grey, white and beige (all better neutrals than black, IMO) all in perfect proportions and then, suddenly, the shots of turquoise.

The long grey cocoon-y blazer (worn over the turq high-necked dress) is my favourite piece - perhaps my favourite look, actually - but everything here keeps catching my eye, over and over again, something different every time I scroll through the looks.

tetris.

2012-02-14T21:17:00.002Z

all imgs from style.com

Bold stripes and oddly shaped colour blocks are next up at NYFW.

Orange and black manage not to look hallowe'en-y at Preen, with an autumnal floral print dotted throughout the collection (looking best on a shirt paired with the perfect burnt orange trousers - weird waistbands are wonderful. I like alliteration.)

I can live without the cutesy belt bows on most of the skirts (as on the first blouse, though it works here with the clean, almost sporty look and the unusual colour combo) but I can't live without the purple-y blue/brown geometric colour blocking on the blazer and trousers.

Phillip Lim could just have sent the accessories out and I would've been considering applying for a credit card, but then he went and sent out a plethora of monochrome geo-colour blocking too and I was all *drool* and my computer was all *stop that please, I'm already working sporadically*.

Could all of the shoes, and that bag, and the dresses in pics 2 and 5, and the trousers in pics 9 and 10 (specifically the ones with the V-shaped cut out in the hem) make their way to my wardrobe in an orderly fashion, please?

All is forgiven for SS12.

Excuse me, there's now going to be a small Preen photodump, followed by a huge Phillip Lim photodump/fangirl moment.

Preen

3.1 Phillip Lim

*heart palpitations*

practical.

2012-02-13T22:17:00.000Z

And speaking of neon pops...

Weekday dress//H&M dress (underneath)+leggings+boots+necklace//New Look belt//hat bought in Oz...

(One of) My impractical and so-not-wintery Weekday dress(es). It's a bit see through and the side splits are a bit high and it just calls out for layering. So. Layered it is.

With a squinty expression.

I just can't look normal in photos.

winter pops.

2012-02-12T19:00:00.003Z

all imgs from style.com

It seems appropriate to be looking at collections full of furs and boots and outwear when it's -5 outside. Normally when the A/W shows are on it's starting to warm up a bit and everyone is looking forward to days of no tights and less than 5 layers.

Neons are essentially a spring/summer colour choice, but if the opening days of NYFW are selling us anything so far, it's the idea that neon works just as well in the colder months too. Which makes sense - I mean, to my eyes, neon works best with the common winter neutrals; the beiges and soft greys.

So far, Jenni Kayne, Juan Carlos Obando and LAMB are in on the retina-searing shades, and it's inspired one of my 'when I'm back home and probably unemployed' projects, as long as I can source some neon wool - a sort of fair isle jumper situation in beige wool with pink neon detail. Or light grey with neon yellow or lime... The combos are probably endless. We will, of course, see if this comes to fruition but I'll be damned if I end up sitting around the house watching TV all day. Again.

Anyway. The almost-neon tartan at LAMB is awesome. The Obando evening dresses aren't my style (in the i-have-no-need-for-evening-dresses sense) but certainly are neon (and would make a fantastic out-of-the-box red carpet outfit) and I'm cheating slightly on the Jenni Kayne shots with a grey coat/black trousers/brown leather top combo but it was too fantastic not to post it.

Jenni Kayne

Juan Carlos Obando

LAMB

week-end days.

2012-02-12T12:11:00.003Z

Weather report: still cold.
I shopped and saw Drive yesterday. Many layers were worn, most of which you can't see.

vintage slip dress+boots+burberry trench+fur collar//2nd hand shirt+jumper//reality studio scarf//2nd hand/ebay rings

(1 pair of leggings, 1 pair of tights, 2 pairs of socks, black tshirt. still chilly.)

I went to Weekday - for some reason I hadn't realised there was a shop here despite having walked past the one at Friedrichstraße several times, but that has now been rectified. There was a sale on.

Two dresses at 10€ a pop were purchased (Calf-length tight navy jersey number//full length rose silk dress with side seam slits to thigh height and a waist tie).

And almost these shoes, too, but they didn't have a 38, and of course the 37 was too small and the 39 too big.

But they were so affordable and so...silver.

Still in my head, and heart.

minus 6.

2012-02-10T19:22:00.003Z

It's been three times as cold as that. I've gone through the fur-coat-wearing period (that thing is falling apart, and I don't think it'll make it through another winter. Sob.) and am out the other side, to the trench-with-lots-of-layers period. Which is hard cos the sleeves are quite small, so once there are layers, there's not much room to bend and stretch. Ho hum.

reality studio scarf//vintage fur collar+burberry trench+boots//asos dress//H&M necklace//

zara jumper//belt = present//2 pairs of tights and 2 pairs of socks and still chilly toes.

Big quiff, huh?

ali.

2012-02-07T18:29:00.001Z

The video of the Reality Studio AW12/13 show is finished and online - it's a good'un.

You can see the show (and a little of the pre-show action) below.

Pass it on!

miista, miista

2012-01-28T12:14:00.002Z

Having a serious 'I have no shoes' panic right now. (Also dresses. And blouses. And knitwear. And everything.)

Of course, I do have shoes, just the majority of them are in a heap in the corner of my room at home. Which happens to be many hundreds of miles away.

I can window shop here, but anything I buy has to make its way across the continent with me. So, as you can imagine, the new miista S/S12 lookbook is making me drool - both the shoes themselves (chunky heels! bright colours! cutouts! woven panels! 'aztec' prints and embossing!) and the bright, colourful and wonderfully styled 'Day of the Dead' themed shots. Enjoy.

All imgs from Miista site (linked above)

reality.

2012-01-22T13:18:00.006Z

OK.

So.

Here ends the stream of images (ahem) from Wednesday night - the Reality Studio AW12/13 preview show during Berlin Fashion Week.

Yeah.

One image, of the Turkish band rehearsing in an empty Voo store (great shop on Oranienstraße in Kreuzberg, just FYI) before we let anyone in.

Cos I was on bar duty and the crowd was between me and the models. Basically I missed half the show, and once I realised it had started I was too busy/far away to take pics anyway.

Luckily for you guys, Stil in Berlin and DERZEIT (courtesy of Hintmag) weren't too busy handing out free beers and stopping olives from rolling everywhere to take photos.

Stil in Berlin
Hintmag/Derzeit

If I see more reviews etc I'll stick the links here...

Les Mads (auf Deutsch - note the oversized print/white blouse. EVERYONE wants one.)

...and hopefully I'll have photos from the lookbook which we'll be shooting in a couple of weeks (backstage exclusives or the finished product, yknow, something.)

i'm alive.

2012-01-08T13:53:00.005Z

I've just been lazy/haven't had much to write about/went home for Christmas/came back to Berlin for New Year/been busy again (the Reality Studio show is 10 days away), so...here are some pictures?

drunk hugs in Jukebox, back in Newcastle//

Bronze hippos (at Berlin Zoo) make excellent props//

Lions like meat//

Champagne all over the road at Rosa-Luxembourg-Platz after it went out of the window//

Attempted evidence of amazing fireworks. Fireworks don't photograph well.//

Course, you can't see the Cyndi-Lauper-esque cut of my hair in any of these pics, but it is chin length on one side and almost shoulder length on the other. And now with no obvious roots. I waited 'til I got home to re-dye my hair, knowing that I'd been sent this, the Tie Towel, to try out. It's the first time I've ever been sent something to try out, but since I've now been dyeing my hair continuously for nearly 5 years, I figured that being offered a special towel that wouldn't be patchy and horrible after a few months and would stay on my shoulders and avoid red splotches finding their way onto my clothes would be a welcome addition to my possessions.

Err, it's good? I don't know if I would have noticed it/considered buying it in a shop cos I'm loathe to buy things I don't think I need ("Pah, my old patchy towel and a hair clip will suffice! Oh, it keeps falling off."), but it's certainly a handy tool, especially if you're a serial dye-r. I don't know how necessary it is to have a towel that doesn't stain if you just dye yourself at home, but the tie mechanism/the ability to keep something around your shoulders are a help.

Probs should have done a quick review before Christmas as it would make a great stocking filler (I believe it's a tenner, avail at Boots/Superdrug/Asda)

nightwear.

2011-11-22T19:00:00.002Z

I've worn this 'dress' before but rarely do I wear it full length. Usually pinned up somehow and drape-y.

I have been wearing it for bed every night since I took these photos. I keep getting too hot though. Remember kids: 70s-tastic polyester makes you sweat, even when you're sleeping.

vintage 70s slip as dress//2nd hand boots+coat+fur//zara cardi//topshop belt+bodysuit (underneath)//h&m necklace

And I don't know why I can't look at the camera.

I didn't even wear the fur outside, I changed into the scarf from the last outfit post. I did get asked if I was cold on Sunday, wearing this (went for a mid afternoon brunch - I know, the very idea is contradictory - and coffee which turned into a beer in an interesting bar before I ran out of money), but it was an almost-summery 7 degrees so, no, I was not.

The cardi I bought with my birthday money, I suppose - it was a mere 15 euros in t'sale at Zara, and the only thing I bought despite trekking my way around two huge Humana stores and H&M as well. Must be getting more picky in my old age.

rookie hair.

2011-11-19T09:34:00.000Z

In that, this is both the first time I've tried my hair like this and it was from a tutorial on the Rookie site. I thought my hair wouldn't be long enough and I didn't have any big clips, but it turns out a shit load of bobby pins and hairspray make anything possible.

Zara jumper//2nd hand shirt, skirt, boots+bag//Primark socks+necklace//H&M coat//Reality Studio scarf

The scarf was a present from work for my birthday; I have worn it every day thus far. So snuggly. (Should've been) necessary since I went for a walk (and a little bit of shopping) in 2 degrees of heat. But no, I'm in a light jacket! Must be the northern blood. Two degrees is T Shirt weather in Newcastle. It's supposed to snow on Tuesday; maybe I'll finally need to put gloves on.

dreiundzwanzig.

2011-11-18T19:33:00.002Z

So.

I turned 23 on Tuesday.

And on Monday, I met one of my idols - Patrick Wolf - before his gig here.

Thus, it was quite the birthday.

Vidi: (Let's ignore my face.)

I even got a happy birthday. And we mutually liked each others shoes. ♥

goldkohl.

2011-11-12T11:24:00.004Z

I know. It's been nearly a month.
Not only that, I've had something to post for weeks; I am merely very lazy. Soz blog.

It was literally weeks ago (three, actually. Err. I think) that I worked all weekend at a warehouse sample sale situation - Premium - with a lot of other stores and brands. One that caught my eye (but I couldn't afford, even at sample sale prices. Not because they were particularly expensive, but because I am particularly skint.) was hosiery and jewellery brand kvast.

Their schtick is kitsch printed socks of varying length and vegetable jewellery. You heard me. Those are broccolis and cabbages rendered in silver and gold, respectively. Vidi:

All pics from kvast's site.

Their e-shop is here and they ship worldwide, which is always nice to hear.

spy.

2011-10-18T10:00:00.000+01:00

Accidental trench coat/beret combo means looking a bit like a French spy. I didn't notice until I left the house but have totally rocked the look for two days in a row now.

vintage coat+boots+fur collar+bird brooch//2nd hand skirt//h&m leopard dress//primark belt//uniqlo cardi

berliner.

2011-10-17T10:00:00.000+01:00

I think I've got this layering thing down. Check it. Two coats.

2nd hand blazer+boots//h&m tweed jacket+leggings+jewellery//topshop unique skirt//zara jumper//hat off of australia

Still crap photo quality!

paris, paris...

2011-10-16T10:00:00.004+01:00

oh, with your eyes so blue
No?
Oh, right, blogging, yeah. That thing.
I would say I've been busy, which I guess I have, but not that busy. I need to make time for things instead of wasting that time on nothing in particular.
Must focus; etc.

This is Paris: Part 1, I guess, since there are a whole bunch of collections I like enough to write about.
BEGIN.

Hermés

The scarves/flowing dresses are giving me a definite nun vibe, but I do like these monochrome looks...

Hussein Chalayan

Chalayan was much tamer this season; but the long blazers and cut away dresses - like a much more wearable version of the infamous Spring 2010 Viktor & Rolf collection - were very covetable. *ahem*

A.F. Vandervorst

Slightly military influences here - man after my own heart - with traditional frogging at an awkward angle and decorative ropes across chests and so on, but mixed with the now signature Vandevorst draping and pulling, and the tone on tone colour. Bliss.

Jean Paul Gaultier

One of the only shows I looked at, first time, the whole way through. Classic Gaultier here - what's to add? Tongue-in-cheek, pinstripes, suiting, and lingerie, and wonderful as ever.

Paco Rabanne

I'll end on another favourite. Manish Arora is in the hot seat now at Rabanne, and the boy done good. I'm not usually a big fan of Arora's own label, but within the confines of the Rabanne name, there's almost a ladylike edge. The shapes, loud fabrics and sex appeal is all Arora, but the editing and styling means everything was just right - not too much, not too tacky, not overdone; just right. And I say this about a collection with many a shiny bottom half/sparkly top half combo.

definitely autumn.

2011-10-15T20:01:00.004+01:00

Yesterday was 8 degrees (says my macbook) and sunny. My favourite weather. Wrap up; add sunglasses.

Wrapping up involves many layers and a hood to keep my ears warm, obvs.

Also: crap quality photos...

2nd hand jacket+fur collar+boots//primark cardi+necklace//asos dress//

topshop belt//hoodie off of last placement//strange looks re: fur collar courtesy of many people in the street.

apparently the british are known for 'the flamboyant way we dress'

traffic lights.

2011-10-11T18:33:00.003+01:00

Terrible picture, but I like the colours, so...

primark cardi+socks+necklace//american apparel skirt, pinned//2nd hand jumper+boots

...because, y'know, red hair, mustard cardi, green skirt, right?

Must remember to take photos/wear vaguely interesting things/write something.

Paris fashion week posts are in the offing, I promise.

mambo italiano.

2011-09-29T11:34:00.005+01:00

All imgs from style.com

Hit it, Milano.

Prada

I know. Prada, on my blog. Once we're past the round-shouldered, boxy coats, be-eyelet-ed pieces, car-seat skirts and elasticated boob tubes, though, there's a section (looks 18-23 of the 41 on style.com) of pleated leathers and sheers in block colours or abstract blobs which I really like, before falling back into the too-kitsch-for-their-own-good prints and shapes. Sigh.

Trussardi

Another 'well styled, colourful separates' situation; the Italian Paul Smith, if you will. What can I add? I love the one-shade looks and the huge leather bag/suitcase situations...

Jil Sander

Raf Simon's last show for JS was a mostly white affair, with the occasional mutli-coloured paisley and the odd 'face jumper' - see below. The first white dresses were my favourite; calf-length, faux-collars, sheer and opaque panels...

Marni

A colour palette of what-I-call neon pastels at Marni, complete with sheer sheath skirts worn underneath full skirted options - of course, those aren't the looks I've picked out, that would be too easy! Suddenly there was a 60s neon-pastel floral that came first in shirt collars and the in whole outfits. I kind of love it? Not my style at all, but utterly adorable, with the calf length socks/strappy shoes combo.

You can't put an era on this collection - the prints and colours are a bit 60s, but the silhouettes run from 40s to whenever. The middle looks; the more textural pieces are my favourites, with their waist cut outs and (still) sheer slips peeking out, before the collection delves into boxy dress and tee shapes printed with vest dress and vest shapes in the same floral patterns as before.

No. 21

Layers in similar shades but different textures; always appreciated. The bra top/long, tight, high-waisted skirt look has been around a lot in Milan but here is one of my favourite interpretations. And the checked jumper/trousers look is just the right side of pyjama-y. Do want.

Dolce & Gabbana

It makes absolutely no sense that I should love this when I hated Prada's fruit print situation last spring/summer season, but there you go. It's all in the silhouette, right? Especially the purple-y print - Grapes? Aubergines? Who cares. They're just the right amount of faded to appeal to me, and in 'retro', midriff baring shapes that I very much enjoyed in Milan (and beyond...)

and again.

2011-09-26T08:30:00.001+01:00

More LDN done good, but without (as much of) the skirt-volume-factor I was harping on about last post...

Even Alice Temperley sez London is better than NY (but then, I guess she's biased...)

All imgs from style.com

Danielle Scutt

Weird/interesting beady things, layered prints and twisted pieces here - a little reminiscent of the DIY/style bubble tie-things-round-yourself styling in places (which was interesting, rather than cringe-y). Can't help but love the yellow/black polka dot, the washed-out tartan and the pleated skirts.

Giles

Very show-y - not quite to McQueen standards but certainly flirting with the idea, non? - but the stand out pieces for me were anything involving laser-cut silver leather, especially when paired with a plain white tee or a pair of orange trousers.

Paul Smith

The yellow is lemon; it's almost neon, but it isn't. The checks and block colours are wonderful (as always). The trousers are all fantastically cut (espesh the electric blue ones.). Paul Smith just knows how to do great casual separates and how to style them, season after season.

Mulberry

I can't get behind the Barbarella hair - and I love big hair, dammit - but I can get behind everything else - the bright lemon shade (again), the khaki, the socks with sandals, the tonal looks. Everything looks insanely comfy, and either fits, ties or is belted at the waist = fash-un bliss.

london done good.

2011-09-25T13:27:00.001+01:00

I think London is starting to take the print crown - it's the city in fashion month that shows the big names in print, and the innovators - Peter Pilotto, Mary Katrantzou, et al.
I enjoyed London way more than NY this season - the same trends were there, but the neon here felt like it had moved on from when neon was big, like, 3 years ago, instead of a rehash, and the 20s flapper thing thats happening is balanced out by a...well, not a 50s silhouette, but certainly a voluminous skirt/fitted waist one, but one which feels modern, and suits me to a tee.

Grimace, groan and grumble to the flapper trend, btw. The 20s silhouette (along with the 60s) is my least favourite (read: least flattering those of us with a tiny waist/big everything else) and I hope for the sake of my body shape that the high street doesn't totally embrace it.

Hopefully they'll embrace some of these fitted waist situations. Bring on the volume, yeah, but at least but a nice waistband or an ace belt on it.

all imgs from style.com

Acne

Proportions. Silhouette. Colour palette. 'Laid back cool' factor. All the Acne hallmarks, of course, are here. Thank god. I really love the crisp white throughout the collection - especially the full skirted dress with the mustard coat, and the full skirt/fitted lime green top/long lightweight jacket combo.

I also love a bare midriff. I've been sporting that for months, so, very much embracing it for next season if they're calling it a trend.

Burberry

Colour palette. Cute hats. Calf length everything. Beaded belts.

I love Burberry's 'stick a belt on it' attitude, especially on a fitted, tucked and pleated dress. And brand who shares my 'a belt makes everything better' philosophy is a good'un, and I (pretty much) always love Burberry's collections. Things I can get behind: belted parkas with furry hoods; stripy pencil skirts; moss green and/or purple pleated calf length skirts.

Jonathan Saunders

It wouldn't be spring/summer without some pastels, right? (Sigh.) But Saunders does ombré pastels and fit-and-flare dresses and cute knits and unusual colour combos. I mean, he even manages to send out a glittery/metallic-y green pencil skirt than I don't hate - maybe it's the fact that it's a pencil skirt and not a shapeless sack; maybe it's the styling, but if it makes me enjoy metallic-y things rather than balk at the cheapening effect, then it's doing something right.

Roksanda Ilincic

LOVE IT.

Hats = great.

Skirt proportions = awesome. (Proportions on everything = also awesome.)

That shade of green = wonderful.

All pink outfit on model with pink hair: fantastic. (Really want the dress despite slightly dropped waist...)

All white outfit on model with pink hair: stunning.

awkward.

2011-09-20T20:13:00.004+01:00

You know when you think "Boy, I'm really into my outfit today", and then you finally find a good spot in your room to take pics, and then your camera runs out of battery before you manage to take a good one?

That.

A half decent one will suffice.

2nd hand dress+boots//primark cardi//H&M jacket+necklace//topshop belt, which you can't even see//olllld diy scarf

I was feeling it all day, despite this dress starting to fall apart, but it doesn't look as good in photos. Le sigh.

It's still totally not scarf weather here yet - my desktop widget says sunny and high teens/early twenties as far as the eye can see (so, until Sunday, at least) - but it often looks like there might be a chill in the air when I set off for work of an A.M.

Please be scarf weather soon.

I love scarves.

NY top five.

2011-09-20T08:15:00.000+01:00

Oh, New York.
I think I'm having an 'enh' moment with fashion; or maybe I'm just looking for something new, since the grad collections were of such interest to me in June...
Usually I look through every single look; but a combo of laziness and lack of time this year means every label got one page of style.com thumbnails to impress me. Many did not make the cut. Even my usual favourites...

Kors, you have let me down.

Lim, what happened to you, man?

I noticed far too much neon (neon is back already? oh.) - thought I'm a fan of the burnt orange/lime green/electric blue shades coming through, sort of...muted neons, if you will - and so many collections just didn't catch my eye, but there are some that did and are therefore worth posting (well done to all below.)

There ended up being five collections that peaked my interest, so this is sort of a top five but in no partics order or anything like that...

A Détacher

We all know how I feel about leather harness situations (I hope) and skinny, orange or brown, almost delicate ones are no exception. Really into the muted pinks and beiges and the big polka dot motifs, and the scratchy houndstooth print, though the patchwork denim and shapeless dresses in the middle brought it down a bit...

Band of Outsiders

Braces and collars feature heavily here, which I guess means 'menswear inspiration'... but a print which is reminiscent of my bedsheets (maybe BoO have been traipsing round Ikea lately) and some cute details - mismatched stripes; always a fan - make for a pretty cool collection. Also, the model in the second one really reminds me of Sarah Jessica Parker. Anyone else?

Jason Wu

I'm over florals. In fact, can we call a moratorium on florals please, fash-un?
EVERY.
SPRING.
SUMMER.
SEASON.
ENOUGH.
I'll give you this season, but if i see so much as a petal next S/S, I'm gonna lose it.

That said...Jason Wu did some petal-y prints - NOT YOUR AVERAGE FLORAL ALERT - so...maybe a total crackdown on the use of flowers in fashion was a little hasty. I like this print. I can even let the continuing popularity of the hotpant slide. Mostly because the colour combos here are stunning, and the look with the blue print skirt/lime green sleeveless shirt/orange lips caught my eye in thumbnail form and must be worshipped.

Victoria Beckham

You heard me. The orange/purpleyblue striped dress takes last seasons Prada and tailors it to my taste, for starters (I was not a fan of last seasons Prada, FYI), and the other dresses here have great strap details. Like sturdy bag handles, which doesn't sound like a good thing but totally is.

Yigal Azrouël

THANKYOU.

Since I looked at all the NY collections on one go, alphabetically, it was kinda depressing that I got to the second off last collection before I found the one - the I-want-everything collection. The colours, the cuts, and the styling are all so what I wanted to see right now. Seriously though, if the green jersey button up dress, calf length print situation, floor length shirt dress and entire last look could make their way to me/to a high street near me posthaste, that would be just great.

Also, the bags are wonderful. Always love a satchel style.

back on it.

2011-09-19T08:30:00.001+01:00

Since, evidently, I'm back on the rings (see last post...), it's pretty good timing for KumKum to celebrate their 15th (!) anniversary.

The Swedish label is about to become available in the UK and has been seen on various celebrities*, and though they do a bracelets, earrings and necklaces too, I am, of course, more interested in the rings. The bigger the better, obviously.

Intrigued by the stackable ones (to wear together or with other rings, that is the question...) but the big clusters in black or turquoise are my faves, all in sterling silver with precious stones and freshwater pearls and so on and so forth.

And props to Liselotte Watkins, the illustrator behind the second image down as part of the 15th anniversary promotion. Adore the doodled rings.

*You may note I don't talk about celebrities much on 'ere; not in the 'oo look who's wearing this label' etc sense. That's partly cos I don't care which person is wearing what label, and partly cos I wrote my dissertation on celebrity and fashion and have had quite enough of that subject thankyou.

ring ring.

2011-09-18T18:48:00.003+01:00

Found myself in the perfect position for Kasabian last night - behind a tall man but with a view of Serge's face over one shoulder and Tom leaping about over the other.
Gigs call for flat shoes.
In fact, for the most part, Berlin calls for flat shoes. I haven't worn a pair of heels yet. SHOCKHORRORGASP.

dress asos//jacket+necklace+socks H&M//shoes topshop//belt matalan//shorts h! by henry holland

rings clockwise from top right: vintage//H&M//ebay (f21)//H&M

Today - hungover - I met a bunch of people from Couchsurfing for kaffee und kuchen at Mein Haus Am See and which led to a huge burger at a nearby American diner some hours later.

Travellers; backpackers; people moving to new cities/countries - I cannot recommend Couchsurfing enough. You have the chance to explore new cities, or even the city you live in, in a new way and through new eyes. Everyone (so far) has been wonderful: friendly, open-minded, well-travelled and interesting. If you're in Berlin any time, these Sunday afternoon coffee meetings are probs gonna be a regular thing (I organised the whole shebang, see, cos I'm dead pro-active in the making friends department) and will be up on the events page for Couchsurfing sometime in the week beforehand.

Also, travellers, you can find places to stay for free. I'm all for hostels and that but free accomodation and with (likely) wonderful people for a day or two is too good to pass up.

I wondered about adding a sort of 'things to see and do in Berlin' info page on the blog (or maybe start compiling one and adding to it as I find new places to recommend...) and perhaps one for Newcastle too (!) since I know it pretty well. Thoughts? Seems I'm slowly becoming a travelSLASHfashionSLASHstyle blog...

amazing spaces.

2011-09-17T13:18:00.003+01:00

Got the chance to see a free gig last night (and again tonight - The Blood Arm/Art Brut/dEUS* yesterday and Kasabian...and some other bands I don't remember or care for...tonight).
The venue, Trafo, was too amazing not to share.

The last one is The Blood Arm doing a song.

Always a fan of useless facts, I greatly appreciated a guy I met sharing that this place used to be some sort of rubbish-burning factory. It's all spacious and concrete and warehouse-y and, I think, also a club; but the stage area was this little platform upstairs with 3 stages on 3 of the sides with one band to a stage (genius) - I was stood to the Art Brut side.

I already have a wall of gig tickets for the near future (Friendly Fires (next week) and The Horrors (Nov 13th) at the Lido; Patrick Wolf (Nov 14th) at the Astra... the Horrors/Patrick combo makes for an excellent birthday present to myself, on the 15th...)

I look forward to many more events/clubs/cafes/whatever being hidden inside amazing venues. Trafo looks like any old warehouse situation from the outside.

*I cared not for dEUS either. Hadn't heard any of their songs before last night...

wardrobe malfunction.

2011-09-14T20:08:00.004+01:00

Ha.
I haven't had one.
Far from it!
My second case (bigger; mostly clothes, shoes and accessories) arrived today.
I unpacked it WITH HASTE.

ikea rail//shelves + ikea fold-away boxes (bottom shelf), in lieu of drawers//coat rack//

row of shoes//washing basket//

desk...table...situation complete with two mirrors, make up, hair stuff and dvds//big bag o' accessories//

shoessssssssss//

something off of the selby - shelves of clothes, rail of clothes, necklaces sorted into silvers and golds, clutch big sitting atop the mess//

I kind of like having all my clothes on display?

Course it still looks like I don't have much with me; but there are many dresses/longer skirts/trousers hanging under the shirts/cardis/other dresses on the rail, innit. Fear not. I have plenty to work with.

Definitely wearing the green jumpsuit tomorrow; I have literally been fantasising about wearing it all week. I don't think I've ever felt that way about a piece of clothing before.

It's easy to forgot how many socks and tights one owns until one begins to empty 'the big case' in preparation for a winter abroad. My previously 1/3 filled Ikea storage boxes became full (both underwear boxes and the pyjamas/miscellaneous computer cables box are also full).

Jesus, you'd think I was sponsored by Ikea (the mirror on the table is also Ikea. As are my bed clothes and little lamp. At least you can't see those.)

...I hope this satisfies various folk on facebook who keep asking for pics of my place!

storm and stripes.

2011-09-12T18:45:00.004+01:00

I hear it's windy in the UK? See, still in the loop. Thanks, Twitter.

Berlin is a bit windy today, but last night I encountered the biggest (longest, loudest, brightest, scariest) thunderstorm ever - it went on for about an hour, the whole sky lit up and the building felt like it was shaking.

It was fun to watch from the balcony before the rain started but after an hour of booming thunder I was cowering under my duvet. And I usually love storms!

Went and wore my boots today. And a dress. Still surviving on my little case of clothes; the big one is on its way!

H&M dress//primark belt//vintage boots//cut my fringe back in, didn't i?

sunday, sunday.

2011-09-11T17:43:00.003+01:00

Busy working week = sleepy evenings.
Saturday = couch-surfing organised bike rides and amazing apple strudel.
Sunday = too hot. I'm going to go ahead and assume this is a weekly thing since I have seen no evidence to the contrary...

This week was a trip to Mauerpark. (the link will take you to google maps, incase you'll be in Berlin soon/ever and want to go.)

I went in search of a bike, but even though there was lots of choice, they were all too big for my tiny legs or too expensive, so I just bought these awesome boots (for a mere €15), and a beer (!) and sat on the grass to read for a bit in the blazing sun.

Most enjoyable. Mauerpark is a huge bustling market - especially on a day like today - and was really too busy today, when I got there around 2pm. I was advised by a girl I met yesterday that the afternoon was better - people are just setting up at 11am, which is in direct opposition to flea markets/car boots in the UK, non?

There were lots of food and drink places, and a couple of man made beaches with deck chairs AND EVERYTHING in the middle with drinks stalls (selling beer, wine, and spirits as well as coffee and soft drinks), plus stalls for everything from vintage clothes to random old crockery (I dubbed one huge stall 'where kitsch comes to die'.), but I'd definitely recommend it for leather goods. So many stalls selling gorgeous, affordable leather bags (mostly vintage) and everyone was up for haggling.

gone.

2011-09-03T16:17:00.002+01:00

I'm here; I'm moved in. See look:

3 nights of hostelling in Mitte aren't much fun when you miss home and are worrying about finding somewhere to live and such, and have already visited and seen all the big tourist sights, but now I'm out in the east ("out", Friedrichshain is like, 10 minutes from Mitte on the U-Bahn) and settled a bit it's all good.

It's odd, F'shain feels like another country, what with the super wide streets, and, today, the RED HOT WEATHER. Seriously, it's like....California, or something*
I find Berlin is all quite spread out; the roads are really long and it takes longer than you think it will to walk somewhere, but Mitte is a lot more 'city like'; tall shiny buildings and busy streets; and it seems more chilled out here (and within walking distance to work - in one direction - and Humana, in the other.)

*I have not been to California...

...going...

2011-08-28T10:53:00.002+01:00

Also on the list of things not coming with me - the collection.
But since I'd packed an awful lot of of my clothes, the blue dress was the only nice thing* I had to wear for a family meal.

things that fly dress//topshop shoes//avon lipstick in instant mocca

*that fit me. Though the waist strap only fits before I have a three course meal, evidently.

going...

2011-08-27T11:33:00.003+01:00

I still have to pack.

Packing for 7 months is still hard.

I've been wearing things I'm not taking, but that's harder than it seems, too.

I haven't got much to add...

I don't know why the pic is so blurry.

h&m crop top + blouse + necklace//topshop trousers + shoes

goodbye

sketchy.

2011-08-20T12:05:00.004+01:00

Do you remember June, when I had loads to write about? 'Tis but a distant memory now.

August is a slow month, and I've been preoccupied with moving and making as much money as possible from ebay and car boot sales to help with that (and I'm moving countries, nonetheless - I'm off to Berlin next Tuesday for seven months or more, so hopefully I'll have more to write about there... *shrug*)

Anyway.

Enough about me.

I came across illustrator Rachel Meckling on tumblr and instantly loved her sketchy illustrations - the pencil faces are adorable and the colours and patterns on the clothes are fantastic. Some of her drawings below include looks by House of Holland, Band of Outsiders and LAMB, and her blog contains lots more sketchy girls with cute faces and abstract photography.

out.

2011-08-05T12:16:00.004+01:00

As in I have left the house, and have worn something of vague interest. Vidi:

vintage dress+shirt+jacket+brooch+ring//topshop belt//

2nd hand shoes//H&M rings//primark socks//avon lipstick

Workin' a Mulberry vibe below the ankles.

The lipstick - I forget which kind, but it's the only lipstick shade Avon do that goes by Instant Mocca - is my favourite shade right now; a bright pink which clashes horrendously with the hair. The last one had been worn down 'til it was flat, after most of the stick broke off in my bag one time. Typical. At least the replacement was only £3, ey?

I noticed a thing in one of the weekend tabloid papers which was along the lines of 'do's and don'ts in fashion', in which 'socks with heels' were one of the don'ts.

'Do's and don'ts' are my ultimate pet hate in fashion - it's bad enough in actual fash mags, but when tabloids and such do such features my first reaction is usually 'who are YOU to tell people what to/what not to wear?!'

Style is an expression of individuality, yo.

uncle karl for the masses.

2011-08-04T21:23:00.003+01:00

Karl Lagerfeld for Macy's.

Chanel style for the everyday American (I assume it won't be available outside the US... does Macy's online ship oversees?)

etc

pics from tom&lorenzo

I love the first dress. The leatherette trousers/high necked top combo is awesome, if a little something-Rachel-from-Friends-would've-worn-in-the-late-90s, and that last coat seems - teehee - a little familiar (sos, but black/white/grey flecked wool coats with a military whiff are always gonna make me smirk in a knowing fashion from now on.), but everything has the kind of look and feel of Chanel on a budget. Which makes sense, since Karl is so much more known for Chanel ~~and his sunglasses~~ than he is his own label anymore...

PS, you have seen Karl-sans-sunnies by now, yes?

model's own.

2011-07-26T16:04:00.006+01:00

Not a post about nail polish.

I know, shocking.
Rather, me wearing collection clothes in real life - not for the first time, but I forgot to document the wearing of the printed bodice/chiffon skirt mini dress situation when I wore it out last week.

vintage dress+belt//h&m boots//hoodie off of placement//'things that fly' jacket

The funny thing about wearing waxed jackets in Durham* is that they - Barbour jackets, anyway - are everywhere. Not this one though.

It's the piece I most wanted back from my collection, and IT'S ALL MINE, MWAHAHAHA.

-----

*or, more accurately, in my village, where I saw three Barbour jackets in 5 minutes on my way to the bus stop. It is not a big village.

recent grads.

2011-07-21T16:22:00.001+01:00

If you haven't been around Twitter today, you'll have missed fashion156 sparking a debate into graduates and job opportunities.

They tweeted:

"Open question to graduates. Do you feel equipped to secure the kind of job in the industry you desire. If not what are your concerns?"

...which led to a post on the fashion156 blog.

Of course, this is a debate which concerns me on every level. I emailed f156 my view on education in fashion (too much for a tweet)...

"I've just graduated from Northumbria University's fashion course. I obviously can't speak for other courses but Northumbria does focus a lot on portfolio and links with industry (we have year in industry as part of the course and a placement officer who deals only with finding student placements and advertising graduate jobs.) We (generally) have quite a good rate of employment, which I think is down to experience. I've been applying for lots of jobs in the past few weeks and even entry level positions want people with experience. If you haven't come from a course with a placement scheme of some sort, you might struggle to find paid work in the industry. I chose to travel after doing 5 months with a supply company and now I'm looking into doing another unpaid placement so I have a full years experience at different places.

From seeing other unis work at Graduate Fashion Week, it seems as though lots of courses focus on a high-end market (and final collections - lots of those shown were very 'catwalk', which might be impressive but isn't what buyers/employers are looking for in order to sell!) and don't focus on portfolio skills etc as much as we do - many of the other unis didn't have full portfolios out or took up much more of the stand with garments, and I think this is a huge mistake as most graduates aren't going to find paid work in the high-end and would likely struggle to start their own business too. "

(Slightly edited...)

...but since seeing some more responses I've got more to add.

Over four years on the course I've heard a lot of my coursemates complain about our course for various reasons, but we seem to have it really good - Co-operative Designs tweeted the following to f156:

"damn straight. Most knitwear students dont even get taught how to knit a jumper. shocking!"

...and was instantly incredibly thankful for everything my course has taught me. We weren't at all taught about digital communication (another thing f156 mentioned) - but on a design course (rather than marketing/communication), I'm not surprised about that.But we are taught how to pattern cut, and sew, and use Adobe programs to professional standard. The print students know how to screen print, and the knitwear students know how to knit (even those who only take knitwear option in fourth year), and our final collections are made by us ourselves (with help from the technicians, but 99% of collections are made in the studio on campus) - which I know isn't the case for all unis.

I think people in the industry know this about Northumbria and that puts me in a good position, but even so, people want to know you have the experience.

I think the reality is, you need education AND experience in order to get anywhere. For the majority of jobs I've applied for, they look at your CV and covering letter and that's it. No work examples - no portfolio, no collection, no anything. You have to impress in text.

This might all be terrible news for new graduates, for people already enrolled on fashion courses, or for people starting a fashion course in September, but hopefully it's better to know the reality of the situation - and what you can do about it - now.

----------

I hope this doesn't sound really Northumbria-biased, but obviously, I don't know about other unis enough to talk about them. Fellow Northumbrians (on any design course), I'd love to hear your opinions; but I'd especially love to hear from students/recent grads from other places...

brown boots.

2011-07-21T14:42:00.004+01:00

I picked up my collection on Tuesday (missing a scarf and a belt but otherwise in tact...)

Positives - one shirt doesn't button over my chest and I can't sit down in the trousers, but otherwise everything fits. New wardrobe!

Negatives - ...until you come to the shoes. One pair of 6s are a bit on the small side so I'm keeping them, otherwise these lot are just taking up space.

So, in the interest of making money and space, all of the below are up for grabs.

EDIT:

i've put them on ebay, anyone still interested can find them here (and if not, that means they're no longer for sale...)

boots #1, #2 and #3

*NEW* (not vintage/2nd hand, only worn for the shows) heeled ankle boots.

2 x size 7

1 x size 8 (the 8s were never used and are brand new!)

boots #4

size 6, vintage, low ankle boots with chunky heel and what I think is a blob of chewing gum on one of the heels...

boots #5

size 7 (but a small 7 - my size 5s aren't rattling around in them too much...), 2nd hand, mid calf lace ups. These are the most worn of the boots...

boots #6

size 8s, hiking style, mid calf, 2nd hand, orig from Matalan.

Have at them (please. PLEASE.) - I'm in the midst of a space saving/money earning mission so there will be a lot more clothes and shoes (including the beloved Gucci wedges. And the Zara thigh high boots. And vintage leather shorts. and the Lagerfeld loafers) going on ebay sometime soon...

all reds.

2011-07-17T18:04:00.003+01:00

Hair blending into dress woes.

(I quite like matching and/or clashing my hair& clothes. Incase you haven't noticed. And shall be doing so again on Tuesday for graduation...)

2nd hand dress//vintage jacket//H&M shoes+necklace

hailee vs elle.

2011-07-14T19:56:00.001+01:00

imgs from Tom&Lorenzo & fashionista

That is, Hailee Steinfeld (for Miu Miu) and Elle Fanning (for Marc by Marc Jacobs), both shot by big name photogs (Bruce Weber and Juergen Teller respectively)
These have been around for a while, and I've seen a lot of opinions on the subject. Since it kind of ties into my dissertation subject*, I like to think I have something to add.

Both labels are aimed 'at the younger customer', so from that point of view it makes sense to feature teen actresses, but the main negative point I've noticed around (in comments, if not in blog posts etc) is that 'they look like little girls playing dress up' or 'do the designers think these girls can sell clothes to adult women?', which is never something I hear about 15-year-old professional models...

Anyway, I think Elle Fanning has rather an Olsen vibe, if anything. Yes the clothes are too big, but it's all down to the styling, non? That is the look? I'm sure they could've found sizes (or made them up for the campaign) which would've fit Elle better, but the look in the ads reflects the feel of the collection, and it works for this season.

Hailee, on the other hand, veers from looking far too smartly dressed, to looking younger than her age, to looking much older. That second shot, for example, makes me stop and double take. Whether the styling or her pose, it suggests a much more mature model than Hailee's years. And the third shot's pose suggests a little girl lost and crying... I wouldn't be surprised if the aim of either campaign, after having secured such stars, would want to embrace the 'little girl playing dress up' theme - if everyone knows who these girls are, then we're going to comment on their age in relation to the target market anyway...

Alright, so, I have chosen the best shots, and in some of the others both girls does look a lot younger (or, yknow, their age), but if they were models, rather than actresses, and we didn't know their ages, would we question it?

*what, I wrote about celebs and fashion and ads were part of that. Perfectly qualified; shutup.

baby love.

2011-07-13T15:11:00.003+01:00

Perfect editorial alert.

I've already spotted this on a blog or two (these imgs came from cat party - a great inspiration blog, if you don't know it) - Baby Love from V Magazine.

As the name suggest, there's a 60s girlgroup feel to the styling, and the coats in the first shot are espesh wonderful (need the houndstooth/checky number on the right, plz.)

Love the print/texture mix throughout, too.

double leopard-y.

2011-07-10T15:47:00.004+01:00

BAD PUN KLAXON.

primark cardi//2nd hand top+shoes//topshop trousers//H&M socks

Look, it's a picture of me!

I've moved home and stupidly spent my last money ebay-ing these leopard heels a la Mulberry, but they are lovely.

The trousers are new to the blog too, because I haven't done an outfit post since I bought them in March (April?).

Ho hum.

shoes, hats, etc

2011-07-07T17:17:00.004+01:00

fashion156's couture gardening issue is out - a bizarre title, but accurate with all the trees in the shoot and florals on the clothes. I'm mainly blogging this for the styling - some great pieces, some great show/sock combos and some fantastic hats/headwear.

Must take a closer look at the hats in Rokit next time I'm London-bound; as all the hats featured here are from there (apart from the Silken Flowers turban in img 7), while stand out shoes from Claire Davis (the comfy looking - probably deceptively so - shoes in img 1) and Tessa Edwards (img 2) are not helping my shoelust ONE LITTLE BIT.

Great pieces featured are from old fave Hermione de Paula (imgs 1&5) as well as Eugene Lin (img 2) and Ostwald Helgson (the gorgeous skirt and shirt in img 6).

Y'know what's hard? Looking at nice clothes and shoes and hats when you have no money and (currently) no job prospects.

all walks.

2011-07-04T16:30:00.001+01:00

All Walks Beyond The Catwalk launched almost 2 years ago - London Fashion Week, September 2009. In their own words:

"All Walks Beyond the Catwalk is an initiative founded by Caryn Franklin, Debra Bourne and Erin O’Connor working with influential Catwalk designers and top industry creatives to celebrate more diversity within the fashion industry."

I bring it up now as this year, All Walks had a stand and did some press at GFW (they did last year, too, but I wasn't there in 2010), and beforehand, Caryn Franklin made the trip up north to give a (really interesting) talk at Northumbria.

That was, of course, some months ago (April, I think? Maybe even March...) but that's when the work started to pile up and I never did get round to writing about the project.

It's an inspiring one, though - the mission is, ultimately, to change the way the fashion industry works, encouraging diversity in the industry, changing the way the media presents fashion, and showing women everywhere that the beauty standard is not the tall, thin, young and white look set by the industry (for the most part) today.

Rankin shoot//i-D shoot - from allwalks.org

In their two short years, the project has launched high profile campaigns - features in i-D, events at LFW and GFW, and at the National Portrait Gallery - and has attracted big name designers (Vivienne Westwood, Matthew Williamson, Stella McCartney etc) and other big industry names (Rankin shot the first big campaign, above) as well as new names on the scene (Mark Fast, David Koma, Hannah Marshall etc). With the big, influential names of the future now getting involved, it's easy to assume that progression has been made, but only time will tell.

At Northumbria, Caryn talked a little about All Walks, but also about women, media, fashion and beauty in general and raised some points I couldn't ignore. Trying to decipher my months-old notes is a challenge, but my scribbles include points like:

- caucasian women, on average, have lower self esteem than those of colour, and are more represented in fashion. Coincidence?

- manipulation of images damages mental health, but while it's illegal to misrepresent a fridge, for example, in advertising etc, you can change a man or woman's body beyond recognition without anyone batting an eyelid.

- the availability of catwalk images compared to 30 years ago means we are now reaching a global audience, which means model's looks are too.

Most impotantly to me, I think, she asked, do designers not have the skills to dress women of different body types?

I can assure you, we aren't taught such skills. We aren't taught to grade patterns (how hard can that be?) or what flatters someone who isn't model-sized. There isn't time, I suppose - on my course, there wouldn't be the time/money/resources to produce a collection in final year for anyone who wasn't model sized, for example, but somewhere in the 4 years (or even on a 3 year course), would there not be room for a project for a plus-sized women, or a petite women, for example? I've certainly seen a couple of jobs advertised for plus sized designers which I haven't applied for, knowing I'm not confident that I could design successfully for such a customer.

That isn't to my advantage.

In fact, it's to no one's advantage.

All Walks is doing something important and necessary; something I hope any other bloggers reading this can appreciate. The majority of bloggers are real people with real body shapes; a lot of you work in the industry, or are hoping to at some point. You can get involved and raise awareness with a quick visit to the site (linked at the top of the page). I can only encourage you to get your tutors/bosses involved too, or spread the word if you can.

In the meantime, follow All Walks and Caryn Franklin on twitter...

knit, p-urrr-l.

2011-06-30T17:10:00.003+01:00

I've officially moved home.
Goodbye Newcastle, Hello Durham.
A whole one train stop further south.

Not that I'm stuck for things to do (blogging, reading, dancing around the house while the parents are at work, applying for jobs, continuing to update portfolio, start learning Italian again, revise German (maybe), sell things on ebay until I get a job, maybe unpack even though there's nowhere for any of my stuff to go, play with cat, etc etc) but one more to add to the list is wool-based fun. I do have at least one unfinished crochet project and now a new knitting one I 'aww-ed' over too much to ignore.

Crocheting involves this: clicky click - which, as you can see by the date, has been a long time coming.

Well, I started my own version (cream, navy and pale pink) last summer, and then 4th year happened, and I have a sleeveless and VERY SHORT dress at present which hasn't grown in any sense since about October. Must at least lengthen the skirt, even if I don't add sleeves...

The knitting project involves this much more recent post (from, err, today) and involves the 'play with cat' option from my above 'things i can do while at home and unemployed' list. I give you the catnip mouse.

HOW CUTE?!

It's for a good cause too, so in case you're sat at home and looking for something to do, maybe knit a mouse and send it to Battersea Dogs and Cats Home to give the cute balls of fluff something to do, bless 'em.

And for good measure, I'll make Tinker one too (though he's definitely not bored.)

resort.

2011-06-27T11:32:00.000+01:00

all imgs from style.com

Quick resort roundup, non? I paid little to no attention to Resort this year (normally I look through every show every season but, yknow, I was busy), though I've seen a few collections on various blogs. I took some time to look through the labels I like, though, and pick out some looks I'm feeling.

3.1 Phillip Lim; ADAM

Love the shoes at ADAM more than any of the clothes (really hoping the multi buckle/pointy thing filters down to affordable level and the colour and cut of the trousers at Lim.

Band of Outsiders; Chloe

HOUNDSTOOTH JACKET. LEATHER SKIRT. That is all. Again, shoes at Chloe - the clothes were all nice enough but nothing too astounding - and thats two for two on the multi-buckle thing.

Givenchy

Great cut outs/shapes, love the colour palette and the mixed florals.

Alexander McQueen; Mulberry

Love the shapes at McQueen, and the cute pieces like this floral dress at Mulberry. Especially a fan of the leopard print shoes/ankle socks. SHOES AGAIN. QUELLE SURPRISE.

Proenza Schouler

It's really the colour palette at Proenza, which is gorgeous. I liked most of the looks and found it hard to pick one in particular, but this one's really cool.

full of Grace.

2011-06-26T16:30:00.001+01:00

Just bringing this Guardian interview with Grace Woodward to your attention - I think she makes some great and very true points about the industry, particularly this run of questions:

Fashion is often perceived as a lowbrow, fluffy subject. Does that annoy you?
Fashion is art, and there are designers who are geniuses. It's highbrow. Are you saying Hussein Chalayan isn't a genius? I have felt demeaned when saying I work in fashion but that's only because people don't understand what I do. They confuse styling and fashion with the high street.
So what is the difference?
Fashion, in its purest sense, is about breaking rules. High street is a watered-down interpretation. I am a stylist, and style is neither fashion nor high street. Stylish people tend to shop the least because they aren't swayed by what's on-trend or in-store.
You're not a fan of Primark then?
I appreciate the high street but "fashion" for the masses is everywhere, like processed white bread. Everyone eats it.
The fashion industry is often accused of being run by interns. Do you agree with this culture of unpaid work?
I blame universities. They are taking 60-plus students on their fashion courses when there just aren't enough jobs out there. It's irresponsible because they end up interning for no payback. Why is there no accredited apprenticeship scheme with fashion houses, where designers get paid to impart a trade that makes you viable? I have thought about going to David Cameron about it. It's giving fashion a bad name.
You seem passionate about the ethics of the industry – what's your take on the body image debate? Do you resent fashion getting the blame?
Fashion magazines shouldn't have to bear the weight of the responsibility. It's a lazy observation, cultivated by the media. Like I said, we are trying to create a fantasy, not tell people how to look. I know it sounds like a flimsy argument but I don't think you can nanny people. It's a psychological issue. It's not fashion's fault.

head to toe.

2011-06-26T10:10:00.000+01:00

Late to the party, but dammit, I've been blogging graduates - much more important.
The Topshop autumn lookbook came out a couple of weeks ago, and the images have been swirling around the Internet since. Topshop always do around 4 trends a season, accompanied by interesting names, and this seasons are no different - Psychobilly, Bavaria, Thrift and Glamrock.
Bavaria and Thrift are a little..."throw everything on", though there are some great pieces hidden in the melange, while Glamrock really does what it says on the tin (more glamourous than my usual style, very 'going out' and featuring very short skirts...) and Psychobilly adds an androgynous and really cool selection of pieces, which is something a bit different for the high street, and definitely my favourite of the trends.

Below are the looks I'd wear as is...

1//Psychobilly//chunky jumper (wonderful shape); shiny, skinny, cropped trousers

2//Psychobilly//leopard print boots. !!!. blues and reds and tailoring. wonderful.
3//Psychobilly//HOUNDSTOOTH TROUSERS. wahhhhhh.
4//Psychobilly//heels with socks, bodycon skirt, chunky cardi. yesyes.
5//Psychobilly//more animal print + chunky knits, plus awesome shoes
6//Psychobilly//leopard collar, leather pencil skirt. <3
7//Bavaria//the long and lean look will always be a winner with me. love the scarf under the hat.
8//Thrift//stripy calf length skirt; gorgeous colours
8//Thrift//i can live without the boots, but everything else? nipped in jacket, awesome bag, pleated shirtdress. aww yeah.

a brogue idea

2011-06-25T11:08:00.000+01:00

RE: yesterday's post, I'm into flat shoes too. Maybe I'm migrating from feet to head? Not that interested in heels right now. All flats considers, but nothing too flimsy. And, actually, preferably something with a heel, but a tiny heel. A brogue heel, yknow? You'll see.

I bought these (Topshop sale, £10) the other day - they really need to be worn in but they're rather lovely and go with everything. I need my flats to be interesting, a shoe needs something if it hasn't got a heel.

Anyway, to fuel my need for flats, I set off round the internet. Maybe these 'monk brogues' from New Look [a mere £15 in the sale, and no, I've no idea what's 'monk' about them]?

Or these two-tone numbers from River Island? [£29.99]

Not exactly brogues, but ASOS have these less-than-ankle boot things for £28

BUT THESE - again, not brogues - from ebay (where else), which i missed out on by 50p and few minutes some days ago. Dream shoes.

They're orig from Office, so, yknow, if anyones got a pair of 5s (even 6s, whatever) kicking about, err, gimme gimme gimme.

Waaaaaahhhhhhhh. Suggest me some more?

headgear.

2011-06-24T17:26:00.003+01:00

I'm pretty into hats right now, I think brought on by the hats I did for collection. Our tutors went a little headwear mental in the run up to the London show; encouraging most of the class to do some sort of head adornment. That, and the assortment of strange and/or adorable headpieces dotted about the other unis' shows... I was even watching a bunch of vintage numbers on ebay until i remembered i had no money.

Meanwhile, a new(ish) site of interest is asos marketplace, which is asos' foray into etsy-style sellers' shops. Great for little boutiques and new designers - the problem with etsy is that it's an American site, so everything's in dollars and not (I find) that non-US friendly, where asos is both British and has a lot of traffic - but not really helping the over saturation of vintage stores on the internet..

I hadn't checked out until recently when someone linked me (via Twitter) to Lizzie Lock's store there. In keeping with the first paragraph of this post, Lizzie's store, Lizzie Lock Millinery, sells (as the name might suggest) hats a-plenty, most with a vintage twist. You can find straw numbers and pins, trilbys and bowlers, wide brimmed and cloche style, and none of them are helping with my new hat fascination.

I've tried to search through asos marketplace, but it's hard to know which shops are going to be good (lots and lots of vintage stores!) and I got a bit bored easily. Any recommendations?

a very[.co.uk] angry note

2011-06-23T15:59:00.001+01:00

If you're a regular facebook user and a fashion fan - and you're here, so I would assume both these things to be true - you might've seen very.co.uk's latest promotion.

The online department store is hiring! On facebook, that is. I'll let them explain themselves:

If you know a thing or two about fashion then enter Very.co.uk’s comp to be in with a chance of winning an amazing job for a year! If you win you’ll become one of our V-Team, and that means attending fashion shows, designing a collection, rubbing shoulders with celebs and sharing your style with the world! (Tell all your friends and share the joy – you might need them when you’re canvassing for votes!).

Just when you thought this competition could not get any better, you will be paid for doing it! Do you have enough votes to get the job?

That was enough to annoy me, but I could almost let it slide given that it just appeared to be a competition.

But then, recently (as you can imagine), I've been trawling job sites trying to find a job - something, anything that is a suitable job for me, and this - THIS - has been advertised as a legit job with a "click to apply" link taking you to the facebook page.

NO, VERY. NOT COOL.

If this was a legit job, and they were just using facebook to advertise the position, well, that would be fantastic. It is difficult to find entry level jobs in fashion, and well advertised jobs would be much appreciated, but not if the successful applicant will be the one with the most likes.

There is no screening process.

Anyone can enter.

It is basically a popularity contest.

In an industry which has TENS OF THOUSANDS of QUALIFIED people - not just this years graduates, but young designers all over the country - desperately searching for a job to suit them, I find it inconceivable that Very think it's fine to offer a position which includes 'designing a collection' to whoever has the most likes. A job is not a popularity contest, and this competition seems to be playing into the (apparently) widely held opinion that 'anyone can be a designer'.

GFW: The Gala Show

2011-06-22T21:00:00.000+01:00

*drumroll*

yeah, it's the end. there are a lot of designers in this post here, so i've kept images to two per collection (unless i'm a big fan or something) - no one here has been included before. apart from Carl. obviously.

anyway.

ON WITH THE AWARDS.

International Award

called the winner here - and well chosen. Christina Economu mixed prints - really clashing prints - with gusto and pulled it off. great shapes; love the purple and white check. the other two nominees, Cindy Warsono and Wang Li Xuang, both did knitwear (womens and mens respectively).

Christina Economu - Instituto Marangoni Paris - WINNER

Cindy Warsono - La Salle Singapore

Wang Li Xuang - Instituto Marangoni Milan

Visionary Knitwear

again, called it (i should set up a side line in fashion awards prediction). i mentioned Wonjee Chung briefly in the Notts review and enjoyed her rather 3D collection a lot - some really wearable pieces (that first chain-motif dress really got me) and some really show-y pieces too. Charlotte Waters' was a really textural collection; while Genevieve Davroy (great name)'s menswear was different and had really great cuts in the non knit pieces (those trousers!)

Wonjee Chung - Nottingham Trent - WINNER

Charlotte Waters - Salford

Genevieve Davroy - Kingston

Catwalk Textiles
i was 3 for 3 at this point and feeling cocky (it was swiftly downhill from here), but Dominique Kral's collection managed to include fantastic knits and complicated pattern cutting as well as amazing prints (the triple attack was likely what clinched it) as well as working a McQueen vibe. Shirana Chavda's collection also had a McQueen feel - the really vivid animal prints in beautiful colours made it hard for me to choose a favourite in this category, actually, and the shapes and layering are fantastic, and so they get 4 photos each. Meg Cornwall, meanwhile, showed feminine shapes in icy tones with streaks of rich red - fantastic in it's own right and definitely deserving of the nomination, but with some seriously stuff competition.

Meg Cornwall - Bournemouth

Dominique Kral - Northbrook - WINNER

Shirana Chavda - De Montfort

Gold Award Nominees

i'll let you run through, and you'll find opinions near the end...

Rose Dent - Manchester

Jungo Kuroiwa - Epsom

Rachel Cogley - Birmingham

Marissa Owen - Central Lancs - WOMENSWEAR WINNER

Felix Chabluk Smith - Edinburgh - MENSWEAR WINNER

Jaskiran Hare - Kingston

Rory Longdon - Nottingham Trent - GOLD AWARD WINNER

Ume Sacraine - De Montfort

CARL! CARL! CARL! CARL! (yes, him again) - Northumbria (wooo!)

Lyudmila Lane - Rochester

i think you can tell which were my favourites - whether you were following my tweets religiously or can count the images, really...

i'd wear pretty much everything in Rory Longdon's collection. and any collections to come. in fact, if he could come and be my personal dresser, that would be just great.

in terms of interest and innovation, i think Marissa Owen was a good pick for womenswear - not the collection i would've picked (Lyudmila Lane, if you're asking - the cut on the back of the first jacket, in particular, is stunning), but i appreciate the skill and the sheer volume of pattern clashing, certainly. but for menswear, although i found Felix Smith's collection great - well made and wearable; the kind of clothes i'd like to see a man in - i'd also seen it before, whereas Rose Dent's was fun and fresh and Carl's stood out; something no one has really seen in menswear before.

i found a few collections were a little derivative, but fun - there were more than shades of Margiela and Comme des Garcons, certainly - but the show as a whole was fantastic. a huge congratulations to all who got to the gala, all who i've written about this past week, and all who showed at GFW and beyond.

if GFW taught me anything it's that i could see and report on shows all the time. SUCH FUN. and below, to prove i was there, some shots from gala show 1 - the only ones which weren't blurry and horrible....

all imgs above from catwalking.com

all imgs below my own...

Cindy Warsono//

Charlotte Waters closeup//

Rose Dent shoes//

Jungo Kuroiwa shoes//

Rory Longdon back views//

Lyudmila Lane closeups//

GFW: Manchester

2011-06-21T21:37:00.003+01:00

all imgs from catwalking.com

Manchester was the last show i saw, the last show of GFW and the last to be blogged about (other than the Gala...). they had a bit of a 'classroom' theme going on; a little gimmicky but cute, with the whole class sitting on the stage as we took our seats and then getting up at the start of the show; their first names written on the blackboard and the models posing about some desks for the line-up...

Amy Bant showed a knitwear collection with interesting details (cut outs; ruffles...) and great proportions (we all know i'm talking about look 4 in partics) in a neutral colour palette, while Maria Hawkins did the complete opposite; managing to produce one of my most coveted collections of GFW. bright pinks and oranges were colour blocked with white in shapes which brought to mind both prada/miu miu (the shirt in look 4, particularly) and my dream silhouette. every piece here is youthful and fresh and recognisably high end AND wearable, and the details are wonderful (i even included some close-ups, see?). i did honestly gasp out loud a little at the show at the last outfit; wantneedwant etc

Toni Stott's colour palette was equally as dreamy - greys, creams, browns and a beautiful dusty pink (and, err, see through plastic, which came in a collarless coat and a skirt), all in floaty, grunge-y shapes; varying degrees of sheer and wonderful layering. John Earnshaw carried on the grunge feel (love the stiff cropped shirt and calf length, straight cut skirt silhouette in look 6. again, very prada, non?) but with a large dollop of shiny, shiny metallic prints (? - most have the look of paint splatters of metallic paint; really cool.) and an interesting colour palette (black, silver, purple...).

for me, though Olivia Hewitt, who was second in the running order, really stole the show.

as much as i'd like to own Maria Hawkin's collection; Olivia's was the one that made me really sit up in my seat and take note - the prints work so well both with each other and with the sheer pieces. looks 2&5 were the real success stories - i can't resist a graphic black&white print, let alone lots of mismatched ones. (also, i can't help but notice the models are wearing the Wolford grid that i covet but can't afford cos they're 30 quid.)

Amy Bant

Maria Hawkins

Toni Stott

John Earnshaw

Olivia Hewitt

GFW: Nottingham Trent

2011-06-20T18:04:00.002+01:00

all imgs from catwalking.com

Notts is renowned for their knitwear - Wonjee Chung and Rory Longdon's knit based collections both scooped awards (the knitwear award and the coveted gold award, respectively), but I'll hold them back for the Gala post - and some knit collections i liked are here, as well as some non-knits.

Georgia Lee showed black and layering with big shoulder treatments; but of course it's look 3 and it's long sheer shirt/cropped jumper combo that got me interested. Kristabel Plummer's collection of colourful and intricate knits intrigued me - the colours are gorgeous (sheer pleated burgundy skirt, anyone?) and the shapes are lovely. Lauren Stevenson's collection was oddly proportioned (it worked) and wonderfully layered, with some really interesting pieces - whether the trousers in look one had pockets that were sleeves, or cuffs in the same fabric to create that illusion doesn't really matter; it's clever either way.

Asher Sydenham showed chunky, graphic and textural knit pieces which were really different to anything else i can remember seeing - the jumper in look 5 confuses and delights me; the kind of piece that really makes me admire what you can do with knitwear. Anneliese Hatt's girls had butterflies for mouths and cocoon shapes around them - especially a fan of the dip-dyed pencil skirt. Alexandra Gardner also showed cocoon-y shapes, but by way of pleating and draping rather than structured leather. the first two looks were especially strong (and covetable...)

finally, Alice Wedge showed a memorable all red collection, with lots of shoulder structure. the problem with all-one-colour collections is often, the looks blend into each other, but Alice's pieces each have their own voice; something that makes them unique - lots of drape from the shoulders, or the joined sleeves in look 6. plus, the ball headpieces are fun.

Georgia Lee

Asher Sydenham

Alice Wedge

GFW: UCA Rochester

2011-06-18T17:56:00.005+01:00

all imgs from catwalking.com

Rochester win best show notes, for their simple a5 booklet with the students names, plus a short description of their collection, and what their catwalk song was. really helpful; and really easy to circle the collections i liked and remember them later from the descriptions:

Nana Brew's menswear was a journey of fictional 18th century english gentlemen as they transitioned into buddhist monks - obvious to look at the bright and unconventional collection. the last look is one of the best, for the mix of the draped trousers with the asymmetric tailored jacket.

Alice Kayaga's collection, then, was almost the female version in terms of drape and colour; though her collection was based on the Masai tribe. the jewellery and bare feet really pushed her theme, but the comfortable looking cocoon shapes were great by themselves.

everyone knows i love a bit tweed-y tailoring, so Hannah Parkinson's Beatrix Potter themed collection was bound to appeal to me (in fact, as soon as i saw the words 'Beatrix Potter' in her description, i was intrigued) - love the second look in partics.

my favourite at Rochester, though, was Jacqueline Loekito, whose collection was heavily influenced by religious imagery. inspired by life after death, and the Pere Lachaise cemetry in Paris (i can relate; that place really inspired me too), Jacqueline combined digital print and cross details (the lapels! wonderful!) with grunge-y, 90s silhouettes (long and loose; cut outs; clunky boots) and had her girls carrying crosses or wearing them around their heads and wrists. one of my favourites from the whole week, actually. i'd definitely wear some (or all...) of her pieces.

GFW: Liverpool John Moores

2011-06-17T13:51:00.000+01:00

all imgs from catwalking.com

Liverpool John Moores was next up; a show i was quite looking forward to, having walked past their stand a fair few times (it wasn't too far from ours and had a lot of pieces from the collections hanging up).

Ash Kabir opened the show with a unisex collection entitled third gender:hijra according to the LJM site. embellishment and gorgeous draping/pleating mixed with more tailored pieces (the cropped, striped blazer in look 2 is a particular favourite, though the entirety of look 5 is killer, down to the barely seen sequin trousers), and finished with indian jewellery. now considering buying a big gold chain to run from my nose to my ear. i mean, make the most of this nose piercing, yknow?

i recognised Eileen Pang's work from the official GFW photogs - in which one of Julie Yeung's outfits was also shot (off of Northumbria, yknow). all structural shapes and hip flares in whites and beiges - the contrast of the structure with the woven pieces and treatments in some of the looks is wonderful.

Laura Latham joined the harness train - wheyyyy! - with drapey sequin harnessed over loose and loopy chiffon pieces, with pleats and tucks edging dresses and jackets elsewhere.

my favourite here was Yasmin Kheradmandan, whose chunky knitwear was to die for. the second look (green maxi, joined between the legs; huge orange scarf WITH POM POMS; patterned tights) i would wear as is, right now (alright, maybe later in the year. i have a feeling that scarf would be too warm even for a british summer) and the huge green floor length cardi can also get in my wardrobe asap. had to include the lineup so you can see aforementioned green dress without it swishing about - do the swirly prints remind you a little of vivienne westwood prints too?

finally, Louise Boarder's cute, fuzzy collection. i wrote on my show notes "where the wild things are" which is pretty accurate. adored the furry hats, the print, everything oversized (too long sleeves; adorable) and the entirety of looks 1 and 5; but could probably live without a furry-legged jumpsuit.

Ash Kabir

Eileen Pang

Laura Latham

Yasmin Kheradmandan

Louise Boarder

GFW: Bath/Bristol

2011-06-16T14:55:00.003+01:00

all imgs from catwalking.com

i saw, perhaps, half the shows (maybe less) during the week at gfw; none on the sunday (except ours) as i was busy moving boxes/preparing for the show/etc, so the first show i got to see other than northumbria was bath/bristol on the monday morning. for me, there were a few standouts - if you follow me on twitter you might have noticed me talking about Edward Lord, in particular, and twitpiccing during the show.

bath spa

at bath, Katie Mills showed a quirky collection with pinafores, wools and printed cottons and really cute cone shaped hats - i'd put the influence (or certainly the look) somewhere between gnomes and heidi. meanwhile, Lucy Penny pleated and manipulated her fabric into interesting but relatively wearable pieces (see: purple dress; look 4). i loved the jacket in look 3, and the bark-esque print in looks 1&5.

Katie Mills

Lucy Penny

bristol

i found Bristol to be the stronger of the two unis overall, Edward Lord really stole the show with his billowing grey pieces. the combo of texture from the furry/frilly pieces and the masses of fine fabrics in the looser pieces was really beautiful, and that last dress really was a spectacle. Leah Myers sheer, sequinned and ruched collection brought to mind armour, but the rich colour palette moved it on and made me sit up in my seat, as did Olivia Daniel's collection of sheer, voluminous dress paired with shirts. i'm sure long time readers will see why i'm a fan of this one; it's right up my alley in terms of both the pieces and the styling; even the colour palette. lovely.

Edward Lord

Leah Myers

Olivia Daniel

backstage area.

2011-06-15T20:00:00.001+01:00

felt i had to share this - fantastic backstage shots from the newcastle show courtesy of photog james cummings. last post about Northumbria 2011 (apart from Carl; he'll crop up again, no doubt); on to all the other unis!

maria choumanidis//katrina wade//eppie conrad's accessories//bryony carpenter (look at the shoulders!)//

emma gosling//clare murray//clare murray details//molly's award winning(!!) bags//

crowded backstage area!//fit model emma being dead cute in my first look//and that hat//

kate gadd//jennifer smith details//carl illingworth details

northumbrians.

2011-06-15T13:59:00.002+01:00

there were some from our class who didn't make it to London - some inexplicably - but that doesn't mean they're not getting a feature. what it does mean is much worse photos, sadly (my tipsy/blurry/questionable camera work, soz). i might go back and add my blurry newcastle photos to Eva, Marielle and Jenni but I fear it would be doing them a disservice. if only i had catwalking.com pics for everyone at Northumbria!

anyways.

on with the show.

Bryony Carpenter

i'm annoyed (this is going to be a theme with this post) that you can't see the silhouette properly, except on the first jumper, because it was fantastic. the big shoulders were in the trench coat and the blazer, and the cut of the blazer (you can't tell the shoulders are particularly interesting from the front...) is stunning.

Clare Marshall

pirate themed; clare's stand out piece for me with the floor length silk number in the middle, which moved beautifully.

Clare Murray

glastonbury/festival themed hippie stunner (appropriate if you've ever met clare, or indeed, seen her from a distance).

i'm putting in bids now for the floral blazer and the leather embossed skirt (look 3 - so sad you can't see pattern on the skirt; it's stunning) but i'll leave every other wonderfully patterened and sequinned piece for the rest of you to fight over - floppy flares, floral panelled cords, sheepskin shorts and massive floaty sleeves for all!

Elsa Bajracharya

did some fantastic knitwear - absolutely adore the skirts, and her use of the back of the knit so it's all loopy and textural.

Emma Gosling's 40s romance themed collection was vintage-y heaven - some gorgeous details (embroidered triangle situation above the pleat on the first skirt, if you can make it out), but it's the last wide leg trousers and their glorious V shaped waist which were the standout for me.

Jennifer Smith's collection was both sporty and feminine - in jerseys and denims but with 'flowers' everywhere; really making an impact. incase you can't tell, her theme was to do with matadors.

Julia Price mixed print, leather details and macrame (that first pink top was wonderful) into a really summer-y, exotic collection:

Lesley Ford

one of my favourites of all of our class for styling - so quirky, from the socks and shoes combos to the umbrella and the puppet. so sad i don't have a picture of the back of the last dress, with its line of buttons all the way down!

Laura Mees Harris, i apologise for missing an outfit (camera took it too early; and then refused to take another 'til the model had moved on..). her biker themed collection had magnificent leather details mixed with plaids throughout, and the last look was a leather jumpsuit (which model Carl rocked like his life depended on it. what a lad.)

Scott Neil's collection was like the boyfriend to mine - military, cool, bit knitwear...i could kick myself for not having a good pic of the last outfit (the astonishing hand knit - by Scott - jumper and the kilt), but 2 questionable ones, i hope, make up for it.

and finally, Yan Zhang's feathers and fringing and big floaty skirts, in which the second look really stands out to me.

GFW: Northumbria 1.3

2011-06-14T14:57:00.002+01:00

all pics from catwalking.com

the finale!

Jodie Richardson's collection was heavily menswear inspired and heavily grey, with tiny hints of colour (check the socks; the top of the lapel on look one...if you could see the linings, yknow); and very swishy. yeah, swishy. the long skirt over trousers of look one swished well - i think they'd slot right in to, say, YSL resort, or similar...

Katherine Gadd (this is what i meant, the other day, about calling people by their proper names. Kate, dammit.) did menswear knit - a very wintery (scarves!) and rather feminine (rather than butch) collection. love the coats, especially - felted wool?

Laura Jane Bailey chose fantasy realism as a starting point and looked at Pan's Labyrinth*, then done a load of crisscrossy bits that you'd never find me attempting - far too fiddly. she does like her detail, does Bailey.

*she'll probs kick me for saying that cos she keeps getting annoyed at people mentioning 'Pan's...' but dammit, it's the only concrete inspiration; everything else is conceptual.

Harriet Deva Ferris - you might see that i've left out most people's middle names, but i find Deva is far too fun to omit - joined in the harness fun (see look 4) and partook in some smocking and gathering and lots of bashing holes in leather to create 'La Belle Epoque' (one of the only other 'official' collection names I can remember) - inspired by (please correct me if I'm wrong, Harriet) 18th century french style. her collection detail shots are some of the most interesting of anyone's, so i couldn't not include some:

Emma Dobson's (much publicised) £4-cost upcycled collection was inspired by Edith Beale of Grey Gardens (Edith Beales; plural?), and she recycled fabrics - whether given, donated, or found - into gorgeous high end pieces. check the fur coat. my favourite pieces are actually the turbans; made from cardigans in true Edith style.

Charis Younger was also on the harness train; though in the leather stakes she really wins hands down (LOOK AT ALL THE LEATHURRR). 'The Human vs the Machine' made for lots of metallic/leather (often metallic leather...) details and lots of sweeping chiffon - most of which was printed and pleated. the finale dress moves so wonderfully, it's a shame i haven't got a video for you.

Carl Illingworth, as you might know from my twitter feed, is THE BOY. not only did he close our show, but he also got his badass collection into the gala show. to list my favourite things about Carl's collection would just be to list every piece, so i'll just let the pics do the talking. polka pearls are gonna be huge next season.

if you want to contact anyone from Northumbria (including me, but my

email is to hand on the sidebar there so...) I'll be able to get their contact details - do get in touch.

song selection!

laura's, harriet's, emma's and charis'.

GFW: Northumbria 1.2

2011-06-13T18:28:00.002+01:00

all pics from catwalking.com

Roll on part 2, in which everyone has photos!

Laura Cavagan did loose, wraparound printed jersey pieces (some of the tees came with instructions; true story) which went unisex for the London show...

Maria Choumanidis' bright knitwear was well received, earning her a nom for knitwear (though she missed out; shame). such a fun collection (look at the mittens!); and another that benefitted greatly from better styling at London - never underestimate styling!

Lauren Wroe did 50s inspired pieces, with no wastage - all her patterns were cut from a rectangle of fabric (faced with another in all cases, i think?) and folded and sewn into the shapes. lauren's is a collection that lots of people would want to wear, i think, but knowing the concept and how complicated each piece is really makes it even more interesting.

Katrina Wade's tailored, Bowie-inspired menswear was one of my favourites - lots of laser cutting, some fantastic knitwear, man bags, leather trousers and a tailored jumpsuit. the pics speak for themselves, non? had to include the lineup, just for the jumpsuit-wearing-model's pose.

Piyanut Tosawad's collection made me grin - one of the most fun, most feminine that we showed, certainly. very Topshop Unique in style/market (i think some of her sunglasses are indeed from there!) and really different to anything else I really saw last week...

Molly Ratcliff (Mulberry Accessories Award winner! wooooo!) was inspired by 14th century armour, if i remember the brochure correctly, and had cut outs and sticky-out hips galore. the two pairs of trousers are my favourite in Molly's collection; the silhouettes are gorgeous and they look really comfy!

Eppie Conrad is all about robots (I should know, she's been sat next to me for the last 6 months) and her prints are amazing - the jumpsuit in the 3rd look is my favourite (her 7th look; new for London) as the cogs and springs all match up to body parts; but I love the reflective sections too - the grid part at the bottom of the first poncho, especially, which looks fantastic on my photos from Newcastle when it's all reflective... booo that you can't see it in these pics! you can't see all of the snazzy accessories here, but Eppie did a clutch bag, an ipad case, necklaces and a handful of iphone/ipod cases too!

this batch of collections had a pretty great soundtrack - Lauren's, Molly's and Piyanut's were great, but I don't know what they were (!), but Laura's, Maria's, Katrina's and Eppie's are below:

if you want to contact anyone from Northumbria (including me, but my

email is to hand on the sidebar there so...) I'll be able to get their contact details - do get in touch.

GFW: Northumbria 1.1

2011-06-11T16:15:00.002+01:00

all pics from catwalking.com

in show order, by 7s (so expect 3 posts, plus a post for those who didn't show in london!) - annoyingly, the only 3 collections that won't load on catwalking are from the first 7 out! i'll update this if the pages do load, or if i can find good quality images for each look for Eva, Marielle and Jenni...

conveniently, i was 8th in the show, so if you imagine this post was before the last one then the show is in order; isn't that nice.

it's odd to refer to people by their full names.

--------------------

Julie Yeung was influenced by kimonos and did one piece cutting with colour blocked outfits...

Deborah Harkins based her collection on antarctic explorers; and her uncle is modelling her 5th outfit there; fun fact. anything involving a massive sheepskin coat and furry trousers is automatically awesome, but i loved the (lovingly dubbed) 'kenny' coat of look 4.

fun fact #2 - menswear was really strong at northumbria this year. evident just looking at the photos, really, but proven by the fact 2 of 'em (Debz, 'ere, and Carl) were put forward for the Gala shows.

Katy Jarvis

speaking of Gala shows, Katy got a nom for textiles - very much deserved given the complicated pattern cutting (she hadn't done it since first year!) and gorgeous prints in her traveller-themed collection. love the elephants and camels and the leather details...

Eva-marie Newton's pattern cutting is insane - her collection was based on conjoined twins and i actually couldn't even comprehend her convertible jumpsuit/dress which makes me all the more annoyed that i have no pictures, godammit! one of the more conceptual and daring collections i saw all week; and so clever.

Marielle Fay Renwick's knitwear was quirky and cute; based on land girls working on the farm and with a 40's edge, her rooster motifs and autumnal palette were wonderful. we all said the styling for london made it 10 times better - the wellies were cool, the scarves were cool, the seam-back tights and heels were cool...

I NEED PICTURES. argh.

Ellen Barnes' coats are to die for, true story. i've seen quite a lot of press about her floating around, completely unsurprisingly, as her collection was gorgeous, wearable and chic - i hate that word, but it's too darn approps when describing Ellen's collection. oh, and her music was awesome.

Jenni Moore's menswear was based on bodybuilders and had a distinct 80s look - my favourite look here was the pale blue eel-skin jacket, which wasn't necessarily my favourite in Newcastle, but looked so good on London model Tomo. pics to follow, hopefully...

if you want to contact anyone from Northumbria (including me, but my

email is to hand on the sidebar there so...) I'll be able to get their contact details - do get in touch.

things that fly in london.

2011-06-10T22:31:00.004+01:00

bet you guys are sick of looking at this now.

yeah it's another post about my collection, and what? free PR!
this is the last one though, promise.
i've been at GFW alllll week and gone to a good handful of shows (including both gala shows), which no doubt you'll know if you follow me on twitter - there'll be posts for the foreseeable future on my faves from every show i saw, plus the entire gala and the entire northumbria show. sufficed to say venturess is back in business....

anyway.
i did a ruddy show in london didn't i!

all pics from catwalking.com - you can see them all here

edit:

here's my catwalk song, for the full effect.

12 Questions.

2011-05-29T14:23:00.003+01:00

One of the blogs I read, Alice Vincent, posted this this week. For those too lazy to click through, 12 questions from a young journalist:

1. Will not knowing enough about the news eventually catch up with me?
2. Is it a problem if I can’t really name my ideal publication to write for, and even waver a little at the general area?
3. Will I ever meet anyone aside from my sister who agrees with me that landing a job at Heat magazine would be a bit of a dream come true for a couple years?
4. Are some people intrinsically better at freelancing than others?
5. Is it wrong that I’m quite happy working for someone else rather than striking out on an entrepreneurial mission?
6. Do I talk about journalism too much to people who are actually only pretending to care?
7. How many magazines should I be subscribed to? Which important ones am I not reading? Which are going to change my life now the same way Vice and NME did when I was 15?
8. Should I have stronger theoretical and political viewpoints? Would these make me a better journalist or blinker me further?
9. When am I going to stop caring so much about Twitter?
10. Are we going to be feeling any more secure about the industry in five years’ time? Should I just give up and become an embittered A Level Literature teacher now?
11. Are interns ever going to be paid properly?
12. Am I genuinely shortening my attention span by keeping a gazillion windows and Tweetdeck open at all times? Will this turn me into a jittery moron unable to read anything longer than 1,000 words eventually?
I found it relatable, even out of the journalism realm.

Some of these can be directly, or almost directly, applied to my situation; the soon-to-be graduate fashion designer - I'm looking at you, numbers 2 and 11.

There's a very real worry of not finding a job, and therefore the worry of having no money to relocate and being stuck in Durham until the end of eternity; wondering if I'm good enough for such a competitive industry; wondering if I should be spending less time on Twitter/Facebook/Tumblr/reading blogs/looking for the perfect grad ball dress on ebay* (the answer is always yes, I should be spending less time on those things), among other things.

Maybe I should stop worrying.

I'll worry about all that in a week and a half's time, maybe.

Northumbria's GFW show is one week and 3 hours away and I have a collection to finish. See y'all there, yes?

*I still haven't found it. I have 3 weeks. I had a nightmare that it was a week before said ball and I was still sans dress, and this is starting to look like a probable situation. Eep.

things that fly.

2011-05-20T19:22:00.004+01:00

it's done.
almost a year of work (and a lot less blogging on my part) finished yesterday with the final show at the baltic.
i'll be adding pics as people post them on facebook etc (i took a video of my collection - at the bottom of the post - but no photos)

enjoy!

ding ding

2011-05-03T21:08:00.002+01:00

fame at last

that's my online portfolio malarky

and that's where i've been for the past, err, 6 weeks,

doing that.

oh, and making a collection.

which is not yet finished.

so... back to the silence until after may 19th (when you can expect the exact opposite of silence. LOUD NOISES AND SHOUTING and lots of posts about northumbria 2k11.)

apols for lack of photos. i was going to put some "sneak preview" pics on, but... cba.

wearing some clothes.

2011-03-29T00:49:00.002+01:00

descriptive title.

in order to prove i am alive, here is me wearing some clothes last thursday and today.
it was sunny; i was not outside. damn you, uni.

vintage dress+denim jacket+fur tail thingy//ebay hat+necklace+shoes//2nd hand belt//uniqlo cardi

vintage dress+belt//2nd hand jumper//ebay shoes//primark tights//H&M ring

semi related note... i've started applying for jobs and such like and thought having a bit of an online portfolio situation would be quite the thing. so...prospective employers; direct your eyes to the sidebar. adding stuff as and when i finish it/have time.

spiky situations.

2011-03-20T13:57:00.002Z

i clearly have no time to be making random things but this appeared on tommy ton's style.com fashion week photos...

...and then this happened.

basically, i bought a hair comb from fenwicks haberdashery (i assume any haberdashery will have them...?) and some studs from ebay, cut some strips of leather i had lying about and superglued everything together.
ok... a little more to it than that, but not much.

make sure to get screw in studs.
make a hole for each stud in one piece of the leather. (i had 3 strips - you can see the pen lines from where i was trying to place them evenly on the top but, yknow, whatever.)
push the stud through; tighten the screw.
when all the studs are through, superglue the other two strips to the studded strip and then glue the whole thing to the comb.

more ways to wear:

the thing about it is, it's heavy. if you, like me, like things off centre (and don't plan on wearing it like a little tiara thing, pic #2), it's best to backcomb/hairspray the section you're putting it in to give it something to hold on to, and stick some bobby pins underneath it so it can't slide out. (that's what i've done in the first pic).

and the winner is.

2011-03-12T13:22:00.004Z

ANTM cycle 16 already started, but cycle 15 winner ann ward was finally in vogue italia (as shot by ellen von unwerth) and up on fashion gone rogue.

i can take or leave the first and fourth shots, but the last one and the two in the second row are fabulous - ann is one of the only girls to come through the ANTM mill who could actually do something in the industry, but then, they say that about someone every couple of cycles.

no one is really floating my boat so far in cycle 16; thoughts?

also: ANTM is one of those ultimate guilty pleasures. like project runway, but considerably more guilty. like, obviously it's pretty far removed from the reality of the industry and it's completely OTT and cringe-y, but it's also awesome. right? RIGHT?

anyway, ann is/was awesome and the deserved winner. i still say allison was robbed in cycle 12.

suede + snakes.

2011-03-10T10:15:00.000Z

snakes at chloe; where snakeskin prints were the focal point.; none working quite so well as the first look here. calf length collared pencil dress, plus skinny belt. i'll take 3.

the second look will be coming to a florence welch near you soon. (right? the floaty means it's right up her street; but the snake print is 'edgy' enough to take her out of her comfort zone! must stay away from celebrity style; fear i've been reading too much tom & lorenzo and they're much better at it)

suede - among many other wonderful mixed textures - at akris. love the prints, the tonal looks and the feature zips (note the last line of similar, rich toned, zippy dresses. yo akris; i'll take any of those? perfect for my grad ball...).

haiders gonna haid.

2011-03-06T22:23:00.001Z

couldn't help myself; many apologies.
haider ackermann, anyone?

back in business.

long time readers might recall my luke warm reception to s/s11, before which i was a huge fan, but when the man can make satin look so sturdy (#7 + #8; srsly), drape leather as if it weighs nothing and mash up colours that shouldn't really go (#5), as well as making shiny shiny fabrics in rich colours look really expensive and high fash-un, it's probably time to bow down to the master, amiright?

very few people could make me covet shiny trousers.

there's a lot of banter in paris about a) who's to replace galliano at dior and b) ackermann going to chanel when lagerfeld retires next year. personally - if only going by this collection - i reckon the dior job is much more suited to ackermann's style, and chanel should probably be better off in the hands of lanvin's alber elbaz, or someone to that effect. thoughts?

--------------

tale of interest: if this is true, then maybe the royal wedding is worth paying attention to after all? i'd rather have the day at uni given that it's not long before the show, but WHATEVER, ROYALS.

turning japanese.

2011-03-06T16:18:00.000Z

paris is picking up a bit, i suppose, even if it's only the japanese contingent spicing things up (and ackermann; but we'll get to him later.)

junya watanbe took the leather biker jacket and ran. BRILLIANT. i love a leather biker as much as the next person, and a collection of structured leather situations with odd proportions/flowing silk pieces with leather collar/pocket/zip details is right up my street. the effect on the brown leather is gorgeous, even if the shape is a bit boxy for my taste; and the furry circle skirt is calling out to me.

meanwhile yohji yamamoto took to the gothgrunge90s vibes with light, flowing printed dresses and big chunky boots (as always).

i'm always amused when people say "oh, the japanese designers aren't concerned with the western idea of beauty; of fashion" (or something to that effect), because they tend not to go in for any sort of tailored/bodycon situations, but it tends to be suggested that that means they don't design clothes to flatter, and i just don't see that. there's plenty a nipped in waist or bias cut piece here; all conventionally flattering from a western standpoint.

just calling you out on your bullshit, there, fashion. no need to pigeonhole anyone.

--------------------

side note. if you're a size 4, and you're as in love with the burberry shoes as i am, i suggest you go buy these:

i wept into my coffee when i saw they were a size too small for me. some serious "could i chop my toes off?" deliberation occurred. alas; it's not meant to be.

carven.

2011-03-04T23:04:00.006Z

paris, paris, paris
it says an awful lot that in the 3 days of shows i just went through, the majority bored me and the only looks to make my heart skip a beat were these three from carven. this from the city that has seen balenciaga, ann demeulemeester, dior*, dries, pugh, chalayan, lanvin and rick owens show within the past 72 hours (give or take).

awakward. turtle.**

anyways, yes, full skirts, below the knee, bold (but not too busy) prints, cute knitwear. delicious, and very much what i hope for from carven every season.

sidenote: i quite enjoyed limi feu, too.

*controversial; one of the best shows i flicked through today, and one of the best dior shows for a long time.

**i have many strange phrases. this one comes with a hand action.

mode l'italiano

2011-03-01T23:29:00.000Z

what was i saying about milan?

i know multicolour python coats lined with floral prints, as either full length coats or biker jackets, should repulse to the point where i want to gouge my eyes out with a rusty spoon, but...there's...something...about...them...? if you can tell me, more than missoni can, what that is, then have at it, please, but for now let me speak in praise of pastel shaded checks, full length situations, grunge feels and layering. business as usual then.

POW. knee length, asymmetrical, padded leather coat with fur trim. (almost) 'nuff said. marco de vincenzo has clearly been tapping my mind, or something, cos he's gone for the "aviator, but not , really - look! bird motifs!" collection theme very much in the vein of me and mine. but it's different, of course, and lovely. and leathery.

absolutely needed to include piazza sempione if only for that first coat; interesting but so simple. these are all such wearable pieces in gorgeous tones, and manage to range from clean lines (#2; #5) to prints and tucks (#6; #3).

the last came as a surprise.

just cavalli.

yeah.

the thing about italian fashion; one suggests the reason i've posted so little milan; is that it so very often straddles the tacky/fabulous line, and so often comes down on the wrong side. at least, for my taste. cavalli, of course, is the king of the other side of the line.

so.

yeah.

while the majority of the collection continues that tradition, these 5 looks (out of 43) catch my eye - whether proportion wise, print wise, ridiculously shaggy shearling wise, or makes me want to take double denim to a whole new level, also note the leopard accessories wise.

glossy.

2011-02-26T17:09:00.003Z

because milan isn't exciting me, but a smattering of recent editorials are:

if you haven't seen any of these, do click through...

frida kahlo; fantastic shots

//marie claire italia

bright colours

//elle ukraine

new season pieces; great styling

//vogue china

all from fashion gone rogue (click the links for more)

gucci.

2011-02-24T14:32:00.003Z

if there was a theme at gucci, i didn't spot it, but style.com insists on the 70s angle (via the 40s, in my opinion. see: the first coat, below. amiright? iamright.) and the influence of one florence welch of florence and the machine fame (ok, yeah, i see it).

in typical venturess style, i've gone and picked out only one of the rich colours from a collection bursting with them, but truth be told the cut of the full-length coats and the two sheer polka dot numbers below were the ones which intrigued me most of all the 51 looks.

heritage.

2011-02-22T23:20:00.001Z

the brands.

this season was a little outerwear heavy, even for burberry, no? very few looks without coats or jackets...

at uni, a bunch of us sat around my laptop to watch the show live on monday - we weren't particularly wowed.
the dog theme seems to be a(n unwanted, thanks) london trend after the dalmatian motifs at topshop unique and the spotted hats here, as well as the poodle-y fur coats, but of course there were pieces to love too.
the distinct 60s theme yielded some great skinny trousers in various shades (plum, lime, etc), and there were interesting cuts and textures on trench coats.

but let's not pretend that we're here to talk about the clothes when the shoes are this good:

meanwhile...

aquascutum were knocking it out of the park; as is the expression. the rich purple and bright orange work fantastically with neutral greys/camels/blacks and the layering is just fantastic (see #2 - skirt, jumper, long jacket, fur collared/padded gilet situation. i mean, i think that's the situation. the mark of good layering: when you can't tell where one item ends and another begins).

untitled.

2011-02-22T13:18:00.003Z

i don't wish to be one of those bloggers who just posts pictures with little description, but...

YES.

there were other looks at giles that were of note, but let's face it, look 2 blows everything else out of the water.

pops and boxes.

2011-02-20T15:55:00.000Z

colour pops and boxy shapes, duh.

london - clearly i'm not there, but let's not act like i'm not pretending.

fantastic coats and textures at charles anastase in rich autumnal shades. the inky blue coat with the big brown buttons was the first look out and the a-line cut really caught me straight away; but then he cemented that with red pony skin and fuzzy-looking sleeveless numbers. the textural skirt with little grey jumper and the red knit dress feel like pieces i should already own (the knits, anyway. maybe not the skirt. which i should acquire...), but they seem fresh at the same time. and the shoes, THE SHOES! i did look for some detail shots buy my usual haunts turned nothing up. big-ass platform boots; what's not to like?

house of holland always makes me happy, despite my love of bright colours being relatively new (currently rocking neon yellow nails; believe.)

this season henners went for a granny-flavoured collection, complete with neon tweeds and crochet-squared scarves and dresses. only HOH could send out a fuschia* tweed biker jacket and knee length shorts combo, paired with a floral shirt!, and make it seem legit, right for the label and fresh. personally, the little flared skirt in #1 (hell, the whole look) and the trench in #8, depsite my outright hatred of patent leather, are the top draws.

*told you fuschia was gonna be big.

jonathan saunders is also fond of brights this season; and colour blocking; and prints. in fact, colour blocking bright prints is very much his thing for a/w, and the colour choices are wonderful. see #5 and #6 inpartics.

finally, jaeger were showing er'rybody else how outerwear is done.

leather and wool trench coat; POW.

full length shearling with ma-hoo-sive collar; BOOM.

boxy mustard jacket with huge lapels; ZING.

etc.

the 'done to death but always awesome' venturess-endorsed* military theme is abound, and the pocket detailing is great, especially when in contrasting textures (#10). and look, more fuschia!

*you'll see; the next shows i'll be covering will be northumbria's, and GFW. and who should be taking the most military route, at least out of womenswear? this girl.

l'wren.

2011-02-18T17:25:00.003Z

colours, shoes, etc

in all honesty, the above two looks from l'wren scott are the only ones that really got my attention, and they were the first two looks. flared dusky pink coat and matching shoes; beige and turquoise print dress (gorgeous combo). lovely. but the shoes, THE SHOES:

multi-strap court shoes in blacks or dusky pinks/browns and golds. i don't actually care if they're kitten heels (no side views; it is a possibility), i think i might need them in my life.