Beautiful New Clothes

As you guys all probably know, I'm a sucker for internet shopping. It's amazing. Buying clothes at 3am because I can't sleep or not having to face the rainy English weather to buy pretty things. The only downsides that I find to this are that you cant try things on, and you can't tell what the quality is going to be like.
That's why I was so happy to find Bliss.com http://www.blissclothing.co.uk/ There were so many nice things to choose from, and at very reasonable prices. The first thing that I got was the Zane Blue Floral print playsuit. http://www.blissclothing.co.uk/we-love/zane-blue-floral-print-playsuit.html This was very risky as I hate buying playsuits. I have a really long body and short legs (I sound so attractive!!) so its always really hard to find playsuits that fit and are comfortable. But this playsuit is beautiful.



You know what I'm like about fabric, as a Fashion student I have to feel everything before I buy it. I cant stand fabric that's so cheap that it makes your hair go static and its horrible to wear. This playsuit is made from a beautifully soft and comfortable stretch jersey fabric, which from a distance looks like denim (without the horrible creases and un-comfortableness) It buttons all the way up the front and has a cute little peter pan collar, which again isn't uncomfortable and tight even though the playsuit is only a size 8! The waistband is elasticated meaning that it doesn't need a belt, but still looks really good with one and it has little pockets on the side. (I can't stand playsuits without pockets!!) and at only £7.99 I cant believe how lovely it is. A perfect summer staple :)
This outfit is really sweet, and is incredibly versatile; it can be dressed right down with flip-flops, beach hair and probably a bikini underneath for walking to and from the beach on holiday or can be teamed with killer heels and a leather jacket for a night out. There are so many occasions that this playsuit can be worn for; in fact I'm going to wear it for my two hour train journey to London tomorrow so that not only will I be comfortable and not too hot, but I know I'll look fabulous when I step off the train and head to Graduate Fashion Week.

The next thing that I got was the Carmen Pink Tie-Dye and Aztec Print Body Con Dress. http://www.blissclothing.co.uk/clothing/dresses/carmen-pink-tie-dye-aztec-print-bodycon-dress.html I love Midi dresses and I believe that they can be worn at any time or place or social situation, in fact, I defy you to find a time that a Midi Dress is not appropriate. I've worn them on nights out, trips to the park, job interviews, uni and on Shopping trips. Just the right amount of leg out I believe. I was very impressed with this Midi dress, mainly because it was Aztec print (which I love) and Tie Dyed (which I also love) but it also has Cap sleeves, a flattering neckline and is just the right length (even on someone teeny tiny like me)



The fabric again was a really good quality jersey, which clung to the right places without looking too skin tight and the bottom was wide enough that it hugged my knees without restricted walking (trust me I have has this problem in the past) and again it was £7.99 which is an absolute bargain.
An entire outfit for £7.99. It can be teamed with sunglasses, a massive hat and a cocktail for a early evening beach outfit on holiday, or again with ankle boots, socks and some statement jewellery for dinner with friends or the cinema or possibly catching a show whilst in in London. Another good thing about it is I can screw it up in my rucksack on the train journey there and because of the fabric, I know that when I take it out it will still look amazing, which is very important to think about when packing for holidays and weekends away and such.
This website is an absolute gem, its not very often I stumble across one that I will purchase from again and again but I can see this one will be, with their crazy prices and superfast delivery, I think I might just get all my holiday clothes from here, its far easier than actual shopping and you can see exactly what your getting.

I can almost see the end... except that I can't really :/

Third Year is going way too fast, its really scary to think that just on friday, we handed in our dissertations. It was 'only' a draft, but it still came to 6000 words, not including the MASSIVE bibliography, list of images and abstract. The time is literally rushing by, and yet there is still so much to do.
My Dissertation topic was something that I am very interested in, it is a comparison of the Blog and the written form of Fashion Writing. I looked particularly at the Vogue Blog and the Vogue Magazine. Found out many many things i didn't know about the Vogue magazine, like for instance that it was first published in 1916.
I am now juggling 'only' about 5 or 6 projects, which is soo much easier, and yet I feel that I am not as stressed as i should be. I keep having a cup of tea and ignoring the problem, hoping it will go away, its only when I really think about it does it make me nauseus.
Our assessments are on the 5th and 6th of December which is not far away at all. Oh sleep i will miss you, I think I have taken it for granted all of these years and now I will have to do without.
At least i will get a break for Christmas... or not. Have to go to actual work, and still carry on with my uni work... Dissertation Deadline is the 25th January, which is still really early.
I'd like to say I'm going now to do some work, but I think I am just going to go for a nap, so I can get lots done later

Stressed is not the word :/

We joked about being stressed and sleep deprived when we were second years. We toyed with the possibilities of spending all day drinking tea and chain smoking. We all said that we would have no time to go out, no time to spend on ourselves, but we didn't really believe it.
And now... three weeks in, this has all come true. I never ever thought that I would live in a world where I didn't have time to dye my hair, pluck my eyebrows and, heaven forbid... Shop.
I am sure that all third years can relate to this post, all of my friends are stressing about their workload and I'm sure we can all play the 'Who's course is worse' game, but I can obviously only relate to Fashion.
I know for a fact that in an Art-based course, inspiration is key. We can stare at a blank piece of paper for hours, but without the motivation we can do nothing. Some days I would quite happily trade drawing, moodboards, patternmaking and toiling for reading a book, or doing an essay. I'm not saying that this is easier, of course, there are days when I am glad for my creative work, glad that drawing, doodling and colouring is actually classed as work.
The sheer quantity of work required for third year is also a shock. We are supposed to do 8 hours of University work per subject every week. We have 5 subjects so 8x5=40 hours.
Count in the weekends, I have to make sure I do 5hours and 42minutes of work every day. I have a job and a work placement, as a lot of students do, meaning that this isn't always possible.
Count in the fact that our dissertation is due in on the 19th November as a first draft and (not that I'm counting obviously) but thats exactly 5 weeks from today. And i haven't started. Stressed is not the word. I also have two other deadlines before this day stressing about whether or not we are going to have a Fashion Show or not. Sometimes I feel like I am drowning, and I'm sure I'm not the only one.
I knew that Third year would be difficult, stressful and sometimes downright scary but I still feel that it will be worth it. I hope. I'm sure we will see.

London fashion Week - Peter Pilotto

As I eagerly anticipated the live launch of the Alexander McQueen collection at London Fashion Week (Only four and a half hours to go... eeeek) I decided to check out the other designers that had already shown their Autumn/Winter 2012 collection.
One of the designers I was particularly intertested in was Peter Pilotto. Their Spring Summer collection this year was amazing and Elle Collections named them as someone to watch in the upcoming season.
Peter Pilotto comprises of Peter Pilotto, the brands namesake and Christopher De Vos. They won the Best emerging talent award at the British fashion Awards in 2009.
So I decided to check out their new collection and let me just say... I was NOT disappointed!

Puffa Jackets with optical illusion stripes, and metallic fabrics opened the show. Beautiful, realistic floral prints in a multitude of blue shapes mirrored their obsession with prints last season, except this time they really did steal the show. Some of the jewel patterns were so detailed it was difficult to see that was flat and what was 3-Dimensional. Peter Pilotto continies to blur these lines for the audience. Amazing technicolour stoles were worn to create a clash of colour texture and prints. Everything screamed hi-tech futurism, some pieces almost bordering on sportswear.

A lot of the pieces created a hint back at the bondage trend we saw quite a lot of and is starting to creep back at Mulberry this season. Thick black straps make simple outfits look complicated, contrasting with the rainbow prints and sequins.
And how could I forget the super-embellished dresses towards the end? With cut out mesh pieces and cute keyhole necklines, these dresses are a huge contrast the the beginning of the collection, and yet it moulds together seamlessly. Theres not one thing I dislike. I like the different panels that make up each outfit, the different fabrics used for each, the exaggerated cap sleeves, the disconnected raglan sleeve, the almost-but not quite-peplum and most of all the SHOES!! Gorgeous Pointy, heavily embellished stilettos were worn with each outfit, perfectly made to match and tipping this collection from good to great.

All images courtesy of vogue.com

My New T-Shirt!!

Well I was sitting in the most boring lecture ever again, thinking about designer clothes and doing a presentation about how much designer clothes cost to manufacture and the amount of mark- up the retailers put on when I realised I needed a break.
Going on the topshop website, I have been dreaming about the Mary Katrantzou collection ever since it was released.

She is a designer I really admire at the moment, clashing a multitude of prints that are both incredibly colourful and amazingly realistic at the same time. Think under the sea, rainbow colours and beautiful scenes.

So I bought a t-shirt :) in my defense, the delivery was half price so it was practically a bargain. I blame my friend Aimee Watt for disappearing for about 30 seconds and not stopping me. But here it is:

Isn't it beautiful :)

Shoes, Shoes, Shoes!!

For some its handbags, others jewels and for the majority of womankind; it’s shoes; An obsession… And Spring/Summer 2012 is no exception. Can a woman ever really have too many shoes?

I feel that this question is something that is very close to my heart, and my purse, having recently (last week) gone out and bought myself two new pairs, whilst at the same time asking myself and my flatmate “Why can’t I have both?”

Both pairs are beautiful and totally impractical; The perfect combination? And I always tell myself that because my feet are such an odd size (size 3?) That I really must buy them when I find a pair that fits. Two pairs is just a bonus.

When leaving the shop I thought to myself, “I don’t feel guilty at all.” Just happy: unlike with handbags and clothes and jewellery. A beautiful pair of shoes can put a smile on a girls face quicker then pretty much anything.

I’m talking about shoes not only because of my newly re-surfaced obsession, but also because of the amount of shoes on the catwalk at the moment. The huge variation between the shoes, no two designers shoes collections are the same. There seems to be more emphasis on shoes this season. The shoes make the outfit, not the other way around and plain black stilettos are a rarity; A thing of the past.

Take for example Prada. A collection that is typically summery with pastel colours, prints and tube tops and lead your eyes down to the models footwear. Beautiful, bespoke creations adorn their feet and it is plain to see that the shoes have been made for this outfit. They have flames and thin metal heels. Anything plainer would have been an abomination; a crime against fashion. Each time I see the ‘Prada’ shoes I fall in love over and over again.

The exaggerated pointy toe made a comeback at Louis Vuitton, this time in metallic fabric. Chunky straps across the foot were fastened with delicate little buttons and they were almost mule like with their lack of ankle support.

Gone were stilettos as the theme of thicker heels spread across the catwalk like wildfire, Chloe introduced a metallic, snakeskin sling-back and yet something which concept seems so wrong has never been so right. The heel (slightly thicker than a stiletto but not quite the clumpy heel of past trends) was outdone only by the front (loafer crossed with delicate evening shoe) and the Perspex used on some of them immediately stole the show.

The runway at Alexander McQueen was as beautiful and shocking as only McQueen can be. Gorgeous snake skin strappy sandals dominated the footwear of the models. Seemingly quite ordinary, one glimpse of the side of these extravagant sandals revealed a wedge heel that curved inwards, making them look impossible to walk in. These heels were covered in curved ridges and were sumptuous colours, making them appear almost shell-like.

And of course how can we have a post about shoes without mentioning the infamous ‘flatforms.’ Will they catch on? As seen on the catwalk at Nicholas Kirkwood among others, I for one am dubious about this painful looking fad. I am however excited at any prospect of looking taller without the pain of 5 inch heels.

Another chance to buy shoes you say?

Designer of the Month

I have decided that from now on I will do a little 'Designer of the Month' piece every month, picking out a designer that has probably been overlooked by Vogue, but I feel deserves some recognition.
This month I have decided that Mulberry will be my designer of the month. This is mainly because the s/s collection recently was really exciting and innovative. Some other reasons for this are who else could team up chiffon and pvc and get away with it. I doubt even Vivienne Westwood would dare do that. Sportswear made from tweed fabrics; hoodies with sheer, floor length skirts and lemon yellow?
Any yet the models with their voluminous hair and dogs on leashes pull this off. I particularly  like the lace maxi dresses combined with waterproof macs and ribbed leggings.
Anoth thing that seperates the Mulberry collection from all of the other collections of this season is the prints. I know that this season is all about prints, yet Mulberry take the classic 'zebra print' and totally turn it on its head. Here, zebra print meant a print made entirely out of tiny little zebras, meaning that they have the upper hand in the print wars commencing on the catwalk.
Its very fresh, very summery and just what the fashion industry needs.

Images from Vogue.com