Wednesday 31 July 2013

CAUTION - Slippery When Wet

FIRST OF THE AUTUMN/WINTER 2013 FASHION FORECASTS....




Prada 


What to wear: 

-Man-made material
- High gloss and vinyl
-Fitted and flare, body skimming, elegant frocks cocktail wear, modern macs- TOUGHT WOMANLY GLAMOUR

Calvin Klein Collection



How to wear it: 

During the day...combine with the unexpected - e.g. chunky knit or wide leg trouser

Topshop Unique


At night...go all out with a gown


Versace





Monday 29 July 2013

Rapunzel Rapunzel

As part of XPOSE's summer fairytale theme, last week we did the Rosie Rapunzel shoot. Despite the rain we were very pleased with how it went!  Rosie's beautiful long hair worked well with the skirt train to produce the mystical continuum we had hoped for!  This has to be my favourite photo from the shoot so far ! 
With the Wild animal dinner-party photo-shoot today and an event at the end of the summer, I can guarantee there will certainly be more exciting news to tell ...So keep your eyes peeled!

Check out XPOSE'S facebook page for all the most recent updates, shoot results and lots more!  https://www.facebook.com/xposecollaboration

Sunday 28 July 2013

Essentials can be Elaborate

The beautiful package I received yesterday - 
Not only pretty, the perfect present for going to Uni, this hamper is full of sweet little essentials that will help me survive! 
Thank you very much to the giver of this great gift! 
Wanting to be a bit more creative, thoughtful and meaningful with a particular present? Why not create a casket of important items?! 

Saturday 27 July 2013

Fashion Forecast: Egg-cellent Weather Subject to Change

 Today's forecast:

 Sunny with cloud moving in from the East... Perfect time to crack open the eggs, get some brunch on and contemplate the slight change of clothing to work with the weather!     [http://bit.ly/143Sfgl]

Friday 26 July 2013

You Can Care in Fashion

Ok, so this post isn't particularly fashion related, but it is something very important to me which I'd like to share...

[http://www.guardian.co.uk]

Today is my last shift at the local care home. I only make the suppers and could never be a carer myself, but my gosh I have so much respect for those that are! These girls (, in my shifts case.. but there are guys too!) are all gorgeously glamorous, yet absolutely lovely. Many could have any job they wanted to pursue, but they have chosen to go into the caring profession... because... well, because they care! The media, and thus society always comment on how those that are entering such occupations are all in for the money, but if you spent one hour at my work you'd know that is not the case there! Ok, so arguably they do not have quite as much responsibility of life and death as perhaps nurses do, but trust me when I say they certainly have enough! 

[http://www.bitrebels.com/design/book-of-life-beautiful-butterflies-burst-from-this-stunning-book/]


These are not the only lovely people at my work; of course there are the residents too!  Working at a care home, can be incredibly rewarding. The residents are amazing people, who've lead amazing lives which I often find myself in awe of! I am not being soppy when I say they truly do deserve the best care available! They have taught me so much throughout my two years at the home, which has changed my perception of, and attitude towards life. Life really is too short, so enjoy it whilst you can! 


 [www.simplythankyou.com]

I am so grateful to all that have made my first job such a joy. Thank you! I will certainly miss everyone!   I am (, secretly or not so you decide,) a soft person, and did, if I'm honest find myself quite emotional after my first few shifts. Seeing such spectacular people medically suffer and no one being able to resolve it completely, however much they want and try to is heartbreaking.  I am sure I will most probably be emotional again this evening ... perhaps for different reasons though!

 It may not be directly fashion related, and may still shock some to know what I do/ did, but this little evening job has made me who I am today! 


Thursday 25 July 2013

Can't settle on where to eat?

Well... I'd highly recommend The Settlement, in Caistor if you are around North Lincolnshire! 
My friends and I visited there the other day for one's birthday lunch. Although the fabulous company helped of course, the entire meal was fabulous from taste to presentation, from service to ambiance. 


This is the fabulous birthday surprise one of us asked the chef to create specially for the birthday girl! 
Lusciously light strawberry ice-cream; terrifically tart strawberries; the most exquisite brownie I have ever tasted in my life; homemade raspberry marshmallows  and a variety of delectable, accompanying sauces and trimmings! It tasted as beautiful as it looked... yes we did all have to help her eat it of course haha! 


Tuesday is Tapas night.. that is my next trip!... who doesn't love tapas?! 


The Settlement is also known for its classy, yet homely fabulous bar. They hold regular quiz and Live Lounge events which everyone always has positive things to say about them! 



(Images from The Settlement Caistor Facebook page)
 All information about events and special evenings as well as contact details and opening times are accessible through the link above! 

Wednesday 24 July 2013

Fuel for Future

In the modern world, particularly the modern creative world support is what causes success. It is not only the whole who you know thing, but also the creatives or any hopefuls in question's knowledge that people believe in them that spurs them on to great things. 
For the last week myself and Zoe from XPOSE have plagued all forms of social media to encourage people to vote for our Billabong Girls Dream in Colour competition entries.
Voting closes today at around 6pm GMT. Please if you have not already, take the time out of your schedules to vote, it would mean a lot! 


Thank you very much to those who have voted so far! Your support in what we do is the best present anyone could give us! 
               

Tuesday 23 July 2013

Surf style

The most obvious garment that fits into this style of dress is the Bordies..The popularity of this is described through the variety of colours this one design adopts.

Surf style cannot be discussed without including the brand Surf-Style itself.
Surf-Stlye originated from South Florida, with its first megastore being situated in Clearwater beach. 
They claim to be a 'brand rooted in family, loyalty, legacy and good waves.'








I am embarrassingly excited to finally find out where these particular tropical floral printed esplanades are from - O'neill!
Surf fashion couldn't be so without flip-flops! There are plenty of different designs by each well know surfing labels. http://www.oneill.com/#/women/europe/home/
As with most brands the sales for the summer season are significant for the surf wear too! 
Still hoping for a holiday this year? Get your holdalls, made to the best quality by these outdoor style specialists.

Its not just the typical, relaxed, possibly slightly hippy stereotypical clothing which is sold from these surfing shops! 

Pink pink pink is available for the girly girls for example! http://www.roxy-uk.co.ukArguably whatever the style is more about the way of life of the wearer. To some its all about the surf! 
Most websites and blogs of the brands give inside information about super surfing sites and exciting events! 
Advertising remains to be significant for the surf. I love this British heritage take on the tide with bottles/ boyes and the  brilliant belts by Billabong.


Some of the most beautiful images come from the sea. The fashion brands built on this also know how to capture these captivating images!

This has inspired my brand partner  of XPOSE, Zoe East and I to enter the Billabong Girls Dream in Colour fashion photography competition, please, take a look, vote and support our work and dreams :


Monday 22 July 2013

What Would We Do Without Hue?

The fun of XPOSE's most recent photo-shoot made me realise just how crucial colour is to creation...

 
Adding the extra coloured embroidery to my final major project jacket is what revitalised it, making it suitable for my target market and also more attention grabbing.

Without colour there would be no Rubik's cube! 

(My Dad will hate me for using a charity calendar photo of him...but...) The use of the dominant colour red being the only colour, and it being positioned in the golden third brings the attention of the eye to the photograph and directs it across the full area.

[Photograph taken by Chris for Help the Heroes calendar]


Skies wouldn't be half as beautiful without their magical tones! 
 The L'Été Papillon de Chanel collection would not exist! 
'The Parisian fashion house has launched a waterproof version of its Inimitable mascara in an array of the very boldest hues....summery yellow Zest, minty Lime Light, electric Blue Note and the pretty Aqua Blue.' 
The vibrant shades in this picture make it most amusing, tropical and identifiable!



Without colour we would have not had the Dream in Colour photo-shoot, and lets face it, the world would be a far more duller place (, in more ways than one)!

If you appreciate colour, and like our entries for the Billabong Girls Dream in Colour competition, please follow the links below to support us, we'd appreciate it profusely! 




Sunday 21 July 2013

The 'H' in fashion

 Vogue's 'Today I'm wearing' posts are currently being  by the super stylish Henry Holland. The past few days alone have highlighted to me just how superb his fashion is so much so I felt he deserved a post ( not that Vogue's  aren't kudos enough! )



It is not just his own individual dress sense that is to be commended, in fact perhaps more so, because of his extreme talent is his design work.
This is a couple of outfits from the Resort 2014 collection, entitled BABY LOVE, shown on the House of Holland website. Perfectly, peculiar patterns are prominent in this. Influences of previous decades such as the shoulder pads of the eighties are identifiable, yet the modern edge is as evident. 

Pattern is something that Holland specialises in. Each season tremendous pallets of repeated decoration cover the creative collection of clothes in a new revitalising way. 

Further more the brand website is fun, fresh and fantastically fashionable.  

I cannot fault the terrific, talented fashion guru that is Henry Holland. Henry Holland and his House could definitely be what the H in fashion represents! 


I highly recommend you check out his website in more detail and follow his fashions throughout the month with Vogue! 



Thursday 18 July 2013

An Iced Pallet

When the weather is hot hot hot ice cream vans appear to be on every street corner.


Not that I've heard anyone complain! 

There is something incredibly sweet about the image of ice cream in more ways than one!



Perhaps it is due to the childhood memories of them... Appleby's is perhaps one of Lincolnshire's most famous ice-cream parlours - which I definitely recommend a visit to! 


Or maybe it's the garments it often appears on? 
The soft  candy colours? 

Whatever it is, it always seems to look cool!
 However, whether it makes you feel any cooler temperature wise, I would doubt it! 
To pull the pattern off I do think there needs to be a slight edge to your style if you are over 13! 
But if you feel comfortable in it then what's stopping you I'm sure you can pull it off! 


This brand 'ICE CREAM' definitely has that opinion and it makes ice cream more wearable! 









Men's ice lollie t-shirt - deerbrains.com
Child's clothing - www.aliexpress.com
 ICE CREAM Brand clothing - http://www.size.co.uk/brand/icecream
Ice cream van - http://www.flat4ever.com  

Wednesday 17 July 2013

Our Future is in Your Hands

We are absolutely over the moon that so many people have viewed and expressed their liking for XPOSE's Billabong Girls dream in Colour photo-shoot. Thank you very much! 
If you haven't seen it yet here's the link to all the images from the shoot: 



And the video of production ( I guarantee it will probably make you smile!):

The two images above our both Zoe ( the other half of XPOSE) and my entries in the Billabong Girls Dream in Colour competition [http://www.talenthouse.com/photograph-for-billabong]. This would really help aid us with our future ambitions. So please, if you could just take the time to vote for us via this link we'd be very grateful! 



Tuesday 16 July 2013

Silver spoon used for style

My last trip to Leeds was a very productive shopping trip. A lovely crafts market lined a city street. A friend and I discovered a stall which sold handmade jewellery crafted from vintage cutlery. 
Different, distinctive and individual, they are three qualities which I admire greatly! Therefore it is not surprising that I ordered and purchased my own vintage fork ring.  It was amazing to watch the artist create my ring from what used to be an item used for eating! 

Here are some examples of fabulous artists which create these beautiful, precious pieces:





http://pinterest.com/pin/155303887122813225/


The reason I write this now is not only to celebrate, acknowledge and promote this innovative idea/ work but also to help my friend find out the contacts for this particular artist! Its horrible to loose your items especially if it is significant to you! On our holiday her special sugar spoon, silver ring was lost in the sand. Safe to say she was gutted! 
So radiant readers if you were in Leeds for the market and know please contact me!
 (We think the company is initially from London, possibly Covent Gardens! )
 Thank- you !