UOB Graduation Ball SS13

Dress - Reiss £129

Clutch - Accessorize £25

Shoes - Dune £115

Necklace - Topshop £16.50

The first image is of my boyfriend and myself at his graduation ball, it was a special event and a beautiful venue so I thought I should share some pictures.

Blog blog

Whilst in London I did abit of shopping at the usual hotspots down Offord Street. Every time I enter that humongous Topshop something takes me by surprise; since when did they have a tattoo parlour on the ground floor?! They really have made it so you can enter yourself and leave as somebody completely different, whether it be with a new outfit, hair style or nipple ring. For me it was too overwhelming this time round and I didn't find myself rummaging around like a mad hatter as I usually would have.... Although the bank balance could have assisted with this feeling of slight depression.

Just round the corner from Oxford street's busiest store, on Regent street lies a new shop, & other Stories. Part of the H&M group this new brand offers a wide range of ready to wear clothing, accessories and beauty products presented almost blog like showing a range of styles or fashion stories.

The shop is cleverly laid out by focusing on specific looks, the designs of the products and garments are simple and clean allowing them to be easily styled along side other products throughout the store. The collections are built around creative fashion stories allowing the range to be very diverse and unique.

The prices here are very reasonable, more expensive than H&M but for the quality and style it's worth every penny!

Click here to visit the & Other Stories website.

Graduate Fashion Week 2013

This year I was lucky enough to be able to go down and see the graduate collections at Graduate Fashion Week heald at London's Earls Court. I had never been to GFW before and so was very excited about what the place would look like and what would be there. 

I arrived just before the BCU graduate design show was about to start. This catwalk show was much different to any other fashion event I have been to, the designers allowed themselves to be more creative, imaginative and above all more daring within their collections. The use of bold colours, bright lighting and energrtic music created more of a fashion carnival.

There was one collection that stood out to me as something I would love to see in shop windows this summer, it was a beautiful set of designs by Matthew Paul. The collection look like a cross between Cos and Kenzo, simple clean cut designs with striking bold print and colours, I am looking forward to seeing the next stages this graduate will carry out!

After the show I took a look around the graduate portfolio work in the main hall. Although I found looking through the work greatly intimidating it was also hugely beneficial and inspiring. 

I really wish I would have gone to Graduate Fashion Week in previous years the event is one i would recommend to anyone, it was a great day out!

Great way to start the day

From 1938 this cut out and make animal book is surly how i should be spending my mornings!

I am Dangerously in Love

One of my friends was lucky enough to see Beyonce perform at the O2 in London last week, and today, she very proudly showed off a selection of the front row videos she had taken!

 

Im not bitter, just extremely jealous, as i am having to wait till mid August for my turn.

 

Beyonce has definitely showed off some of the most gorgeous outfits i have ever seen in her Mrs. Carter World Tour, and this KENZO bustier and short outfit, designed by Humberto Leon and Carol Lim, is no exception and easily one of my favourites.

 


Those who know me, know my wardrobe gets about as colourful as a warm beige or if your lucky you might find a glimpse of navy. However, i am 'Crazy in Love', [excuse the pun] with this KENZO Spring/Summer 13 Clouded Leopard print. 

 


I can't promise i will go there, but you never know. I could be persuaded into purchasing some brights this year!

DKNY Design

Today i started designing outfits for a DKNY rebranding project i am currently taking. I have based the concept for my trend on geometry and time laps videos and images. See My DKNY Journal to see the processes i have started undertaking, some of the artists that have inspired my ideas and to see my work and collection progress.

Update on John Partridge Interning

I thought i would give you an update with what i have been doing this last month at John Partridge...

We are finally getting round to putting stock in the 'Design Emporium' at Kilver Court, everyone seems really excited as the range will be stocked along side Hunter wellys! (a personal favourite)

I have also been working on the visual merchandising of the factory shop layout. The managers, Nigel and Kim have given myself and another intern, Megan, the free run (within reason) to put our ideas down and plan the new shop layout. New brands have been coming into John Partridge such as Ashwood Leather, Zatchel and Welligogs so the idea is to have different sections of the shop for the different brands is key.

The above images are some of the designs for the new layout.

Recently I have also helped to put together a questionnaire for the Shooters Ball this Friday at Alrewas Hayes. There will be 250 guests attending who will be entering the competition to design their fantasy jacket using the questionnaire created. Part of my role within this was to select the tweed materials which would be used for the jackets.

John Partridge have also just signed a contract with a well known shop which will be socking John Partridge knitwear and bags. I have been given the opportunity to design the company a new back pack which I am extremely excited about!

When i can say more, i will!

The Kenzo Leopard

I was just looking through Kenzo's website at their SS13 Collections and Kenzine blog when i realised an hour and a half had passed... It could have been down to the bright colours and flashing images or the fact i spent a good long time debating whether my over draft could stretch a little further to fund a new item of jewellery. Either way... I was hooked.

Animal print is a key element of the Kenzo Spring Sumer 2013 look, in particular, Leopard print. Above is a video of Clouded Leopards i had to share.

Design Boom

I have recently stumbled across the website www.designboom.com. The website is a really good source of inspiration for materials, trends, colours and shape.

I currently have another blog for a uni project to rebrand design a collection for DKNY. This website has defiantly helped me to know what direction i am taking and has defined my research to tailor my concept and trend.

Harvey Nichols SS13 Fashion Show

Recently i went to the Harvey Nichols SS13 Fashion Show held in The Mail Box, Birmingham.

The show was set in an old post sorting room, where the space today looked more like an large open plan industrial wear house.

The show consisted of 6 key looks for this coming Spring Summer and included designers such as Dolce & Gabbana, Gucci, Roberto Cavalli and Christian Louboutin. 

Above are my favourite looks from the show.

A day at Kilver Court

Situated in a converted mill in Somerset lies Kilver Court. It's unconventional transformation from run down mill to fresh faced designer shopping heaven has merged into it's landscape seamlessly. Home to a growing collection of designer brands the managing director of John Partridge saw an opportunity for the brand to be introduced to Kilver Court. 

Working at John Partridge allowed me the opportunity to work with the process of putting this idea into practice. I developed and created the business presentation which would be used to demonstrate John Partridge's potential.

I was invited to Kilver Court to assist Nigel Calladine with the presentation. Our meeting was with Freddie Saul, the son of Rodger Saul, the founder of both Kilver Court and Mulberry. He loved what the brand stood for and instantly offered a space in the 'Design Emporium' with the potential for a full store to be opened in the near future.

This opportunity was one I will always value, I feel very privileged to be asked to assist this process. 

John Partridge has a new intern

I have recently started an internship for a company called John Partridge, which I am really excited about. John Partridge is a British country clothing company which was founded in 1969 and has recently been bought and is being rebuilt into the leading brand it once was.


I do not have a specific job role at John Partridge but have already been given many opportunities with this brand. I have written articles for press releases, put together business presentations, assisted with the stock and produce and am currently working on the factory shop visual merchandising.

I think this whole experience is going to be valuable and I am excited to see what opportunities will arise and where they will take me.

Visual Merchandising at John Lewis

So... i have just completed a month long work placement at John Lewis. It has definitely been a long 4 weeks, especially as i have had to keep my part time waitressing job at the same time, but the experience has been great and i would do it al over again, ten times over.

I worked with the Visual Merchandising team and they have taught me so much. The team were all great  and i will definitely keep in contact with them.