very vogue

Beautiful... slightly Versace, slightly Dolce, slightly wonderful

strange

The new advertisement for Lancome with Emma Watson... well i truly feel for the girl. What a strange and long winded concept.

It reminds me of a very bad 1980's music video. I can't help thinking that this could have been good... but there's something about the bloke that doesn't quite fit with Emma Watson and the creepiness of her being chased through the dark slightly puts me off.... there's romance, and then there's just plain weird. Sorry Lancome....

Fantasy vs Reality

I never grow tired of these advertisements... but lets face it, if this happened to me, the guy would definitely be a drunk and most likely homeless... and probably just trying to get me to give him '20p for the bus'. Shame really... fantasy most definitely better than reality.

Va Va Voom for sure

My favorite advert at the moment. Showing Renault understand real beauty, but also the effect of music on an audience... this mash up of tunes sucks the audience right in

A few more images from the event

Paul Costelloe and Jessica Costelloe

Calvin Klein model Chiel and Addy Van Krommenacker

After recovering

It is very true that being an intern is truly the lowest of the low, and although I think my experience was definitely worth while, there is no way I will be doing it again in a hurry.

I'm guessing right now you are thinking, "Lazy student!!" Well, I beg to differ, if anything I wish I had more to do. There was a lot of waiting around, waiting for instruction. Don't get me wrong, the 16 hour shift at the end truly made up for it.... a bit too much! Smuggling brioches and cereal bars down my neck at any given opportunity was not my finest hour, and the moment when someone used my bottle of water for the steamer.... well it truly pained me, maybe it was because I was tired and becoming over emotional, I don't know.

I will tell you now... after working pretty much none stop for that amount of time, your mind turns to scrabble and even the simplest task becomes infuriating. For example, me attempting to tape together a box?... lets just not go there.

The fashion show itself was an incredible success! I was a model dresser backstage.. sounds simple doesn't it? Well trying to undress and re-dress a model twice your size in the space of 30 seconds? Not as simple as it seems. I was thoroughly over-ecstatic at myself when nothing went wrong! It was a strange atmosphere in the back room, seeing your model for the briefest of moments, the time filled with strange, motivational and teamwork speeches on both parts. For that brief hour I was hyped up to the maximum!

Here are some pictures taken during and after the show.

My model third from the right, looking fabulous

My model far left. The finale

And my reward for my hard work????...... Buying a bloody big Burger King :)

Addy Van Den Krommenacker

About to start my internship with Jmodel Management. I have been lucky enough to get involved with the lead up and the main event of J Summer Fashion Show at The Savoy in London.

Here is one of the designers showcasing. I have taken a cheeky shine to these sensational designs, partly due to the soundtrack which seems to spark the feminist in you, but also because of the gorgeous 80's glam appeal and seductive textures. This designer has a way of showing off the female form through floating fabrics and uses the model as more than just a clothes hanger, but more as a personality.

Something to live by

"If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be 
it. The long term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by 
scientists whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable 
than my own meandering experience…I will dispense this advice now. 

Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth; oh nevermind; you will not 
understand the power and beauty of your youth until they have faded. 
But trust me, in 20 years you’ll look back at photos of yourself and 
recall in a way you can’t grasp now how much possibility lay before 
you and how fabulous you really looked….You’re not as fat as you 
imagine. 

Don’t worry about the future; or worry, but know that worrying is as 
effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing 
bubblegum. The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that 
never crossed your worried mind; the kind that blindside you at 4pm 
on some idle Tuesday. Do one thing everyday that scares you 

Sing 

Don’t be reckless with other people’s hearts, don’t put up with 
people who are reckless with yours. 

Floss 

Don’t waste your time on jealousy; sometimes you’re ahead, sometimes 
you’re behind…the race is long, and in the end, it’s only with 
yourself. Remember the compliments you receive, forget the insults; if you 
succeed in doing this, tell me how. 

Keep your old love letters, throw away your old bank statements. Stretch Don’t feel guilty if you don’t know what you want to do with your life…the most interesting people I know didn’t know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives, some of the most interesting 40 year olds I know still don’t. Get plenty of calcium. Be kind to your knees, you’ll miss them when they’re gone. 

Maybe you’ll marry, maybe you won’t, maybe you’ll have children,maybe 
you won’t, maybe you’ll divorce at 40, maybe you’ll dance the funky 
chicken on your 75th wedding anniversary…what ever you do, don’t 
congratulate yourself too much or berate yourself either – your 
choices are half chance, so are everybody else’s. Enjoy your body, 
use it every way you can…don’t be afraid of it, or what other people 
think of it, it’s the greatest instrument you’ll ever 
own.. Dance…even if you have nowhere to do it but in your own living room. Read the directions, even if you don’t follow them. Do NOT read beauty magazines, they will only make you feel ugly. 

Get to know your parents, you never know when they’ll be gone for 
good. Be nice to your siblings; they are the best link to your past and the 
people most likely to stick with you in the future. Understand that friends come and go,but for the precious few you should hold on. Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and lifestyle because the older you get, the more you need the people you knew when you were young. 

Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard; live in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft. Travel. Accept certain inalienable truths, prices will rise, politicians will philander, you too will get old, and when you do you’ll fantasize that when you were young prices were reasonable, politicians were noble and children respected their elders. Respect your elders. Don’t expect anyone else to support you. Maybe you have a trust fund, maybe you have a wealthy spouse; but you never know when either one might run out. Don’t mess too much with your hair, or by the time you're 40, it will look 85. Be careful whose advice you buy, but, be patient with those who supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia, dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it’s worth. But trust me on the sunscreen… " (Baz Luhrmann, Sunscreen)

Kurt Geiger

"Women turn into birds of paradise at night"

When reading this quote from Kurt Geiger's SS11 campaign I thought that it really reflected my own outlook on fashion within my own life.
When scrolling through my endless photos on Facebook, it would appear that my life is on pause during the day, starting up again each and every night out. Because according to my documented photographs I do not exist during the day.

The truth is, during the day I am thoroughly appalled by my attempts to be fashionable. Having not been able to afford new clothes for a good couple of seasons in fashion, it is becoming increasingly hard to reshape my wardrobe into something acceptable. For this reason I have tried to become very versatile with my hair, to attract attention away from my failed outfits. Middle-parting, side-parting, doughnut bun, casual pineapple, (which for those of you who don't know is a rather oversized, messy bun, positioned on top of your head and designed to look effortless), but this has all been to no avail, (especially the casual pineapple, very hard to pull off). My hair has become lank from lack of maintenance, not having been cut for six months.

It is for all these reasons that I live for the night-time. There is something about 7pm onwards that brings out the best in my fashionable creativity, maybe it's because in the darkness I can deceive myself? Either way, with the night brings a sudden confidence, my makeup looks better, I look slimmer and my fake tan looks streakless.

There is something about the simplicity of a night-time outfit that screams glamour. That beautiful dress, gorgeous heels, the key piece of jewellery and a sweep of lipstick. It reflects an aura of effortlessness.

I, along with many other women I'm sure, would agree that they become who they want to be at night, taking a step towards that perfect image of femininity they see in their minds. Feeling like a "bird of paradise"

Click to view the Kurt Geiger SS11 look book

Model behaviour

I just don't know how I feel about this anymore... yes she's beautiful and yes you can tell that this photo-shoot is going to look fantastic, but why do models still have to look like waifs?
I didn't realise it was possible for a woman to look the same age as she did as a child star many years before. There is something about her fragility that is intriguing, it makes me want to know more about her.

Andrej Pejic

Watch out for this model. Andrej Pejic is taking the runway by storm with his (yes, thats right, it's a guy) amazing good looks and ability to play both a man and a woman on the runway.

Andrej as the bride

I find the whole idea of cross-gender models amazing and think that it is a truly innovative idea. And I must say, hes rather intriguing to look at.

"... She made me promise that I would wear eyeliner from that moment onwards - regardless of whether i ended up in a wheelchair or not. That way, she reasoned, I was sure to distinguish between what was really worth crying about, and what was not. I made and kept that promise, and it has after affected my dealings with men from that day on. Eyeliner has made me ruthless, unbreakable; it has kept me beyond the reach of emotional hurt or humiliation." Rana Kabbani, Vogue (March 2011)


I came across this quote when shamelessly doodling in this months Vogue. This writer's friend may be one of the wisest women alive.

Vintage

Since moving away to Nottingham for University I have discovered a new found love for all things Vintage. I have always liked the idea of it but never sought to find anything for myself. This new city, however, is filled with hidden gems around every corner.

Here is an article I wrote based around Vintage and in the style of Elle magazine.

Giovanni Bedin and the House of Worth

These incredible creations are worth a look.

“The tutus – I like the idea that women in the 19th Century didn’t wear mini skirts but the basque was very important and I like the idea of wearing the volume but reducing the length,” explained Bedin of his creations.

Bedin also explains that his dresses are versatile, the tutus being removable and allowing the bodice to be worn separately, perhaps with jeans.




These cute but sexy creations are enough to make any woman melt. Looking as if they could have walked off the set of Black Swan, they show detail and quality at its best, as well as a bit of showbizz drama, allowing all us women to be transported back to our childhood days, where dressing as a ballerina was regular... and acceptable .


Click for more Bedin brilliance

PostSecret

Yesterday my friends showed me an amazing book called PostSecret. An ongoing art project that allows people to send in postcards telling their secrets in creative ways, hoping it will allow them to move on. It took me on an emotional rollercoaster in the space of 10 minutes and I thought it was something everyone should be able to experience. It really shows how people are affected by different things and was really powerful.

To see PostSecret click here

A little example and one of my favourites

I really admire the Reiss brand and think that it is really going places. It is no longer being seen as a brand for occasion wear only, but has re-branded itself as cool and trendy, especially with its new sub brand 1971. I loved the A/W 2010 'Elements' campaign because of the way it portrayed Reiss in a new light to consumers, it showed off the idea that the brand is a lot more than just expensive, pretty clothing, but that it has a personality.

This new range is portrayed as gritty, dark, sexy and oozes quality that can 'brave the elements'.

Reiss Fragrance

These are a few images from my recent University project, a 2000 word marketing report discussing a new brand extension for Reiss.