around town

So you might've noticed the Vice badge over to the right there, and I believe I mentioned in passing that I was now a Vice magazine Student Ambassador...as that goes, I get a ton of information for the promoting from Vice.

I'm not gonna write about everything, obvs - as I always do, I'll write what I damn want, it's my blog. But as it goes, I was gonna write about this anyway cos it's all relatable.

So, long-ish time readers and friends will know about my travelling adventures in October, all over Europe (newer readers, archives - Oct last year - gogogo) and also about my shiny iPhone times (as a christmas present...). I went a bit app mad upon getting said iPhone, as I'm sure most do, but both that and this app would've been mucho useful in October. Gah.

Nike True City (download it here!) is a guide to 6 European cities (ones I went to and everything!), as added too by people in the know - clubs, bars, food places, shops...it's like google maps + wikipedia + "i heard from a friend of a friend of a friend that there's this cool place down here.." all rolled into one.

I heartily enjoy that the above screenshot is of Berlin.

I guess they also point out where Nike stores are...?

I downloaded it a few days ago, but since I am in none of the cities currently it's a bit wasted on me right now. I shall certainly be using it next time I'm in London, or if we do indeed traverse to Berlin at Easter as planned.

Some of us were gonna go over this weekend just gone, for fashion week, but it never materialised.

*sniff*.

I love Berlin...

Hey, if they need a Newcastle one I am available for pointing out excellent places.

snow day

Good god, an outfit post??

thrifted/DIYed cropped jumper, ebay leopard dress, vintage sheer dress, vintage belt, new look boots, ebay parka

Still having epic love for the parka.

Note, it snowed like mad yesterday (although we only have about an inch today, but it's still falling realllly softly. It's a white fake christmas! It's our houses christmas dinner tonight. I'm cooking the meat. ARGH.) and this is not a suitable outfit for such weather. Although they are the only shoes suitable for such weather; they're the only ones with grips.

And I did also have a scarf and gloves on.

But I was carrying the last of my christmas shopping + a massive chicken + a pork joint.

There will be pics from tonight, I hope.

So this grey dress is the one I bought in Amsterdam and raved about, but I haven't found the right thing to wear it with yet...I think it works here. The only problem I have with it is the neckline, cos it has wide shoulder straps (vest like shape, see) and a v-neck, and it's just not very flattering, but it's so delicate that I daren't DIY it....hmm.

Shall be wearing it over more printed dresses though, I think. I'll have a play around with the straps; if it had thin straps it'd be AWESOME.

pleats of perfection

Iris van Herpen is an Arnhem (Netherlands!) based designer with a number of highly conceptual, structural collections behind her. She showed at Amsterdam Fashion Week since graduating Arnhem Arts Academy in 2006, but her S/S10 collection, 'Radiation Invation' which is all pleats and curves, was shown at London Fashion Week last season and it's pretty stunning (and a little more wearable than previous collections. A little. Only a little.)

I want me that structured mini-dress. Yum. Ooh, and that last one with the zip down it, nomnomnom.

Some of those previous collections?

Well, here's a selection of looks from the previous 4 years of crazy fabulousness.

Ahhh sculpture ♥

PS
you on bloglovin'? Me too! Jus' sayin'.

individuality

So now I'm home and settled down a bit from the last week of visits and partying I can get round to the massive pile of links I have bookmarked and photos I have to post up, maybe? Exciting!

I say this, I'm off up to Dundee on Thursday (WOOO!) and then I get back and it's my birthday, so, I hardly have time, per se, but I will do as much as possible, cos I'll probably have some time when I'm there...

SO YEAH

In Amsterdam, I found a shop....

This is individuals at AMFI, which has its statement store here on Spui in Amsterdam, and is compromised of a fashion student collaborative from AMFI (Amsterdam Fashion Institute), who design, produce and market everything under the label. They're also sold elsewhere in the Netherlands, but I cant find anywhere that sells online, which is making me sad cos there was loads I would've bought in here if I'd thought I could've afforded it...and I could've, as t'were the end of season sale at the time!

Here, I tried on some shorts and a slouchy long sleeved tee, and a jersey dress:

As the name might suggest, there were some wonderfully individual and uniquely cut pieces, the emphasis here being not on prints (although a cute tiny floral was scattered about in linings as well as in a cotton shirt and a slouchy bag which I considered). Of course this was the end of the S/S 09 collection, so below you can find a few pics from the A/W09 show, which will be in store now if you're dropping by Amsterdam any time soon!

I do apologise for the tiny pics....

'dam, day three

I only have a couple of pics... one of my totally hawt outfit, and one of a cat in the window of a "coffee shop". I went on a walking tour yesterday, which was nice, but meant I didn't take many pics cos I was listening and walking an' ting...

So outfit?

And cat?

Yeah.

Apologies for the blurrrrrrr. The outfit pic was in my new favourite shop which I am actually KICKING MYSELF for not buying stuff from cos you can't buy outside of The Netherlands ;_;. Gutted. But it was lush and shall be getting it's own post.

I also gave in to the "don't buy stuff" policy (and nearly missed the start of the tour) after finding a GREY ORGANZA DRESS in a vintage shop. Totally sheer. SO HOT. You have no idea.

My conversation with the guy in the shop went a bit like this:

"This please"

"..did it have a tag?"

"No.."

"hmmm...*wanders off, then comes back* that'll be 8 euros please."

"*dances on the inside* OK. Oh, you have a pic of Lady GaGa on your til! Me and my friend love her. I didn't used to, he brought me round."

"ohhh! She's awesome!"

"Yeah I know! She's mental, good to have mental people."

Cue laughing and mutual appreciation and such.

I also managed to steal a coffee...? In my favourite cafe! Cos it's like...tiny, and I forgot you had to pay on the way out, and the guy wandered off for a second, and it wasn't till about 2 hours later I realised.....hmm.

Oops!

So I'm in Berlin now (there probs won't be a post for today, cos yknow, I was on a train for most of it...) and it is already awesome. I was becoming a little bored of 'dam - I think it's nice for a weekend or such but it's pretty expensive and you can see most of it in a couple of days... Berlin on the other hand, is MASSIVE. Even the train station. Seriously. And it seems cheaper too so, WIN.

'dam, day two

This reminds me of, like, on Fringe when the name of the place comes up at the start of the ep? Like text on TV shows, I dunno. I hope you know what I mean....

So I hired a bike yesterday. I tried out a few before I found one that was small enough for me; pretty sure it was a kids bike? I mean; it's pink and flowery, look at it!

Pink and flowery and AWESOME. Pretty sure people thought I was an actual Amsterdam-er cos I didn't have one of the labelled hire bikes...teeheeeee.

I rode EVERYWHERE.

The park at the museumplein, which has a bunch of elephants all around it (there are indeed elephants all over the city), which are part of a travelling art exhibition which are being individually auctioned off to help save Indian Elephants...yeah. So some of them were super awesome.

There's a bit more sign in there too.

Had an amazing sandwich - shall recommend food places in a kind of "guide to the city" deal; which I am trying to write as I go...

Biked to this second hand book market, and found a really good old postcard for ¢50 which I can see going on a moddboard at some point....deffo photocopying for my sketchbook, which I'm gonna start on when I get back, so I have 2 months to do it...

Biked up to this gate type deely, which is right in the north west of the city (I may have gotten a bit lost at this point...found my way back, don't worry.)

So yeah; needless to say I was in uber pain at the end of the say (seized up a bit and everything) - but I lovelovelove bikes. I debated getting one at home but there is no city like Amsterdam for biking; it'd be pointless in Newcastle.
If you come here, get a bike. There's nothing like speeding down Spuistraat with Sugar, We're Going Down blasting.

Emo is excellent as a peddling accompaniment.
As is hip-hop, the Knife, and the Virgins. Just, FYI.

'dam day one

In which I wandered a lot. And then came back to the hostel to see the Paris collections. LEAVE ME ALONE; I DON'T CARE THAT I'M TRAVELLING, I'M A FASHION NERD, KAY?

Yeah.

So I found some seeeeriously awesome shops.

VIDI THIS!

Laura Dols, in which I almost passed out about 10 times within 2 minutes of stepping inside due to ALL THE SQUEEING. (Look! It's like something off of Strictly Come Dancing up in there!)

2 words. Brocade. Jodphurs. LIKE, SERIOUSLY. As well as sheer, and lace tees (!), longline bras (which were all too big. sadface.), lots of sparkles (I believe there were lurex harems. YEAH.), tons of prom dresses, and sheer skirts.

I tried this on (changing room photos; win!), and seriously considered buying it, before realising I have very little room in my case and it was far too poofy to fit.

I mean, look at it! want;love.
The merits of packing a full case = no room for purchases = less money spent. It's a good thing, honest. Especially when you pass this store:

THAT'S RIGHT; ACNE.

And they have those wedges. Damn you Atacoma wedges, damn you and your £335/€339 price tag. Damn you to a fiery hell. The ones they had out were my size too. I picked them up, and swiftly put 'em back down and ran away before I even contemplated it.

Oh, and I wore this (ta, Laura Dols mirrors. Again.). Feeling the spots. This is the blouse I couldn't resist, a couple of days before I left. It's just too good.

Amsterdam Bound

Ferries are really boring when there's no Internet, FYI. Lucky I found Gilmore Girls episodes on my laptop that I forgot I had.

I'm herrrreeeee! And I have 17% battery. And this cafe doesn't have plugs. Shall have to recharge back at the hostel. Hmm.

Here's some photos what I've done already: leaving Newcastle (wellll North Shields, what's yer point), view from hostel (AWESOME), some bikes an' ting.

The other side of Tynemouth...err...castle? I don't even know. But yeah, off of the beach pics? The other side!

And for good measure; my almost packed case. Very heavy. I love/pity the guy who carried it up the 5 flights of extremely narrow stairs in the Hostel.

Attempting to do a blog a day but so far so few places with wifi! Cept said hostel, so maybe I'll do some there? IDK.

I am a world of eating here tomorrow.

10% battery....