Monday 26 October 2015

Motivational Monday- The world needs a little more individuality

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Now this may be a blog that a lot of you think ‘oh i know this’ but the truth is we may know it but we don’t always have the courage or self-confidence to show it. With there being over 7 billion of us in the world, not one person is you.




I feel over the last year or so I’ve learnt who i am and become happy expressing who that is. I no longer am concerned on how people view me, as long as I’m happy within myself and the people i love around me are happy thats what matters most, Im not afraid to say what i believe in, i show how i feel and i have learnt to trust my feelings and go with what i feel is right. I was always told growing up to believe in myself and be confident which i struggled with outside of my life as a gymnast. Gymnastics was my life for over 10 years, i trained 30 hours a week and knew very little other than school, train, eat, sleep x 100000, my method of expressing who i was in an environment that i was 100% comfortable. Yet outside of that i used to be the quite shy one who worried what others thought. Being a gymnast has made me who i am today as an individual, I’ve learnt hard work, motivation and sacrifice. Ive come out of the sport with a group of friends who are my family, i trained with them 6 days a week and we become the building blocks for each other, the courage to be who we are and what we wanted to succeed in.




When we wake up every morning, we are a blank canvas. We have a choice on how we wish to look, what sort of person we want to be, how we speak and the way we think. We are a blank page with a hidden history but we are the artist who can paint an image of what we want others to see. Our past makes us who we are. We all have a story that makes us strong and gives us lessons to learn from. These are the things that make us unique. Our inspirations, our mind, our soul and our desires…this exact combination is only held by us. Just us out of the other 7 billion people on the earth. You can’t get more unique than this, and thats what we need to keep hold of and embrace.




We need to ensure we do not get wrapped up on what society thinks and whats cool and whats not. Negative people with negative thoughts need to be kept out. We need to get out of the box that society, media and people try their best to keep us in. The world needs uniqueness and individuality, without it new ideas, inventions, designs and art would never occur. The world needs YOU, not who you try to be.


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Friday 23 October 2015

Raf Simons - Dior

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 It was yesterday morning, when i had my daily email notification regarding the daily digest page of ‘Business of Fashion’ when i saw that Raf Simon was parting ways with Christian Dior after a three and a half year collaboration.

Strangely enough, Monday afternoon as part of my course at uni, we watched the documentary ‘Dior and I’, a film that gave huge inspiration and insight into the pressure of the fashion industry with no where to hide and the need to achieve, along with the heart warming feeling and proudness when the job is done.

The documentary shows the behind the scenes footage of Raf Simons’ first haute couture collection as the new artistic director in Fall 2012, along with his right hand man Pieter Mulier. A collection and a show that screamed beauty, elegance and class. The collection was shown in Pairs, of course and Raf’s goals were to “recapture the feminine glamour of his mother’s Belle Époque ensembles, and to transform his mannequins and clients into blooming and blossoming and extravagantly womanly archetypes”.

It was not only the clothes that captivated everyone, but the fairytale setting that demonstrated Christian Dior’s passion for flowers, 5 rooms with walls and walls of roses, orchids and dahlia blossoms- basically every girls dream for a wedding setting, well mine anyway!

Whilst reading upon Raf Simons’ choice to step down i came across some text on vogue.co.uk which i couldn't agree with more.

“It's all too easy to think that a fashion show and the clothes just happen when it comes to Fashion Week. Amid a social and style circus; a pit of flashbulbs, stars; celebrity and front row gossip; a collection struts out down a catwalk. We want to be that girl; we want that hair and make-up; and we want those clothes. It's a grand feat of production. And it happens twice a year. But behind it, there are the designers: terrific geniuses but humans also. They have feelings, are scared and feel the pressure too. We forget that. Until you see it up close, which is exactly what Dior And I does”

So in appreciation of Raf Simon and his ground breaking creations over the past 3 and half years i have selected some of my favourites.

“I am usually very attracted to things that i can’t define. If something’s too clear, its very often not inspiring to me anymore” - Raf Simons




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Raf Simons Wants Women to Have a “Sense of Freedom” in His Dior Designs_3

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Wednesday 21 October 2015

Fashion is not something that exists in dresses only.

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If you were to look in the mirror at an outfit, you are not just looking at the garment and how it fits, or what colour it is, you are looking at a reflection of society and culture from a decade ago to as little as a year ago.

With the gym being the ‘new’ place to be seen and the obsession on eating clean and working hard, this alone has impacted the fashion industry hugely. It has spread to Instagram pages, blogs and columns purely focusing on eing fit/healthy and what green shake people are drinking that morning. The ‘it’ girls of London heading to the SBC (Skinny B*tch society) being one of the most talked about fitness groups around, this has spread across the pond over to LA having morning runs consisting of 100’s people before work, morning smoothie/shake raves…of course they beat us on the craziness scale! This has led to new fitness lines and a need to have a sense of athleticism for designers to work with. The need to own a pair of nike running shoes, or high tech fabrics and sports mesh clothing. New collaborations have been the result, for example Stella McCartney X Adidas or Topshop X Adidas.

A macro-trend such as increasing technology. The social need for information at our fingertips across all sectors such as art, architecture, film and fashion has lead to apps such as Instagram, Tumblr and Pintrest. The power of technology has gone off the scale. Pages of creative ideas leading to a new trend.

For example, having bright coloured dip dyed hair, to nail art designs and sneak peaks of upcoming collaborations within fashion and beauty. The power of Snapchat, footage for all the big runways and fashion weeks giving the audience a faster insight of designs before they have even had a change to hit the magazines. We as consumers have become so obsessed with receiving information faster than before and needing to be part of the industry from the comfort of our own homes. With us becoming, i guess in a way ‘greedy’ for information, fashion has to change at a faster rate…’Fashion can be seen as irrational in the sense that it seeks change for the sake of change’ ( Fashion a Philosophy-Lars Svenden)

Everything within culture such as artists, films, theatre, dance, music,sport or global news etc, all have the power to influence new trends within fashion. We see Fashion collaborations with all of the above giving a new sense of life. By joining these sectors to become one, the ability to tell newnarratives and be unique in such a demanding industry becomes more accessible. It allows the consumer to be a part of that world and little do they know, they have the power to change future trends with them being a member of society and their involvement within global cultures.












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Friday 16 October 2015

Fashion X History

If history did not go the way it has, what would fashion be?
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Fashion for me is the way someone can present themselves, identify themselves and be the unique individual we are all meant to be. Many people may not be interested in fashion or think it's worth learning much about but the fact of the matter is everyone is involved.

There is a small individual book store in Nottingham called “Ideas on Paper” which specialise in individual books, magazines and journals…if you are ever in Nottingham be sure to go and check it out, there's something for everyone guaranteed!

I bought a book called ‘100 ideas that changed fashion’, and since reading it I've begun to think about the huge impact history has had on fashion.
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From the beginning of couture, which would not have started if it was not for Charles Frederick Worth and his fashion house that he set up at the age of 20 in 1858. Pastel colours to bold prints, as a method for women to show self expression. Global influences made a big impact on fashion and broadened people horizons on the possibilities that garments could hold. With affordable airline flights in the 70s becoming more accessible, world travel led to fashion influences and cultures to flourish in fashion around the world. Ideas such as layering clothes, embroidered waistcoats led to the luxury hippie aesthetic. Now this one surprised me the most, it was a scandal and shocking for women to wear trousers in the 30s and 40s. (Girls imagine no jeans, leggings or work trousers….what would we wear!!) During world war two it was acceptable for women to wear trousers for work in the fields and factories but after that, no trousers for women-it was unnatural and unattractive. It was not until Yves Saint Laurent came to the rescue in 1966 and came out with Le Smoking ( sleek tailored trouser suit), which was controversial at first but with the elegant style it became acceptable for women to embrace the comfort clothes could bring. 
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Wars lead to changes in trends, as citizens became more exposed to images of the military, of course the influence trickled into catwalk shows… we all are guilty of owning a military style item of clothing! it was not just design and pattern, but also practicality of clothing. More pockets for storage, belts and zip jumpsuits for quick access to put on over nightwear in the event of an air raid.

So its now hard to tell if fashion is ‘new’ anymore or just a simple act of recycling the old and adjusting to become an adaption of the past. The clothes we wear today are a consequence and inspiration of the culture, events, music and people of the past. Trends have become smaller over the last decade in comparison to the ground breaking fashion trends of the past. I’d say without history and those involved, where would we be now. So next time you buy a new top, jacket or pair of shoes, think were they would have been inspired from or who inspired them!

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Wednesday 14 October 2015

We all love a little Fairytale enchantment..

We all love to escape the tough parts of day to day life. We all love to let our minds run for a while. We all love fairytales and be engrossed into a higher power and magic. So what better way to advertise a brand than sending a message to your consumer that your brand will take you to a new world and take you to a place of enchantment and magic.

Narratives are a key aspect to communication and without them an advert, photo or show will not draw an audience in. A story needs to be told. Whether that is 50s American fashion ( we all love a bit of 'Grease' style) or 80s fashion...don't get me wrong, i love a bit of the bright colours occasionally that were on trend back in the day but those bright leg warmers will never be acceptable.

I have focused on a narrative with more mystery and magic, from Vogue to photographers such as Tim Walker, this method of fairytale enchantment has been a popular back story to their work.

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You can see a Alice in Wonderland theme in a lot of these images along with common motif trends such as frames, mirrors, big hair and creative make up along with the clothes being promoted being edger than your normal designer or high street dresses. I love these editorial photos as it shows a sense of uniqueness and bravery for the brand, a sign of not being afraid to go too far with a photo, i mean a rabbit head on top of someones head or sitting on a horse coming through a door.. its mad yet it works.

For those who are a fan of the Alice In Wonderand inspiration to these work of arts, its always import to remember if you think your bonkers that "all the best people are". Remember to stay unique and try new ideas as crazy ideas are better than having no ideas.

c708d504599a0c868adb431952126dff-2We all love some fairytale enchantment...
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Monday 12 October 2015

Nottingham appreciation post..

Since being here in Nottingham i have slowly began to discover what all the fuss is about over the city sites. From a quick glance it seems like the normal old town city you'd expect but when you actually take the time to explore, you find the coolest little cafes, hidden hideaways, vintage stores and restaurants.

This weekend though my friends and I found ourselves in the hustle and bustle of the Nottingham Market Square where there were loads of little stands, majority food (I'm a food addict just so you are all aware for the many future food blogs to follow), from cheese stands, pastry spreads, Chinese foods in a box, crepes and the amazing chocolate and sweet tooth stands (camera's and screws made out of chocolate was a first for me to see!)  So as we went round pretending to be very interested in buying all of these to eat, when really you just want to get as many free tasters as possible, we discovered why there was such a buzz for the area. You saw people buying favourite foods and sitting on the steps of the Market Square looking at the incredible architecture and buildings surrounding you.

I learnt some  facts about the Market Square that day...

  • It is the largest surviving square in the UK

  • The area is used for events, exhibitions and concerts along with their amazing food markets, of course!!

  • Market sqaure was the original home to the famous Goose fair of Nottingham, streets used to be closed down for a huge fair to take place. I went to the Goose fair this year and wow, the rides and food were incredible!! Theres such an essence of community feel and buzz in the air. Of course we had to embrace the  experience by getting ourselves candy floss, doughnuts, the usual fair foods and then feel sick hanging upside down on a  ride, all part of the fun if you ask me.


I would say Nottingham is starting to feel like my new home...

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Saturday 10 October 2015

Window shopping saturdays..

We all love the weekends, but going into town and being chained to window shopping is always a challenge. Being a student now has made me ALOT more aware of where i am spending my money. So going into a shop and thinking "oo why not, buy it" and "yes its only a tenner", these excuses are no longer valid. Its become more of a process of mixing and matching my outfits until its no longer possible!!

So i thought if i can't buy the clothes that caught my eye i can at least find them online and share them with you (technically the same thing and my bank account hasn't been damaged!)

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Zara has to be one of my favourite shops, from the design of the store outside all the way to the layout inside. They have a sophisticated style yet edgy. This black dress is definitely going on my christmas list ( its under 11 weeks, so don't judge me). I love the leather material and the mesh pattern at the top, and a dress that pinches you in at the waist is always a benefit to your wardrobe.

I thought these shoes from Public Desire would be a good match for the dress on a night out, maybe a little painful but beauty is pain people! We all know and love the lace up at the front and the edgy look it can give an outfit, so the pain of the thin heal is just part of the process.

Last but not least, the clutch. Wow. Zara have a way with bags that are unique and just stunning. I love the box style of the bag and that hint of gold just brings the outfit together in my opinion.

This look will dip into your bank account and take just under £80..so either when payday comes around or when i come into some luck with a scratch card or two.

What do you think of this look? Anyone unable to resist from window shopping and dip into your overdraft instead?

one day this won't be an issue, one day..
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Friday 9 October 2015

anyone there?

Well hello to anyone out there reading my blog, anyone there? nope, ok.

Im excited to start this blog and hope to share most things from unexpected adventures, restaurants, fashion trends/favourites, beauty, wish lists if i was ever to become a millionaire and then of course the odd moan about things i believe need improving in the world or are just generally a pet peeve of mine.

Blogging slightly scares me if i am honest, as much as i love writing and being creative its still a little intimidating. However, I'm going to let my imagination go a little for my posts and see where it takes me. Our ideas would stay locked up in our head forever if we didn't let our inspirations and creativity go for a run every so often...and what a boring life that would be right?

Im keeping this post short and simple so here are a few things about me for you all to know...

  • I am a fashion communication and promotion student

  • I love the bags of cookies that Tesco sell...£1 for 5 of the best tasting cookies in the world, i struggle to think of anyone who has the willpower to resist such a thing!

  • I used to be in the England team for gymnastics

  • I hope to work in events and journalism when i am older


First post down, phew!

I will return soon with hopefully a slightly more interesting post, i promise.

xx
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