TWIT TWOOO, Burberry Prorsum have I got a crush on you!!!

Firstly, my most humble apologies for this post being so so late! I started writing this on the day of Burberry's show during London Fashion Week and then the worst thing you can possible imagine happened.... My computer crashed! It's safe to say that on that day I vexed technology, however luckily I managed to stream all the catwalk shows via my mobile so I wasn't tearing my hair out to much!

If you haven't seen any of Fashion Week yet, get on it because it was a real treat, I had so many favourites it was hard to chose my top 5, so I bent the rules a little and chose my top 10! And they were;

Ashish,

Burberry Prorsum,

Giles,

Issa London,

Louise Gray,

PPQ,

J.JS Lee,

Mark Fast,

Kinder Aggurjini

and last but certainly not least Mary Katrantzou.

All of the above were absolutely fabulous, however I must admit, I think I watched Burberry, Mary K and Giles about four times each as they just had me totally captivated!

However, as the title above you has stated it was Burberry that cast a spell over me this season, not because they were wildly different that usual or stood out from the rest or anything like that. It was more to do with the show itself.

It was held in the glass summer house and was just a plain white catwalk surrounded inch to inch by fashion faces and style junkies! And I don't blame them the show was a real treat, I think what completed the show itself for me wasn't even the clothes, it was the fact that toward the end artificial rain fell gracefully down and around the building while in doors sweet confetti fell from the ceiling covering the catwalk where you saw all the models glide out with umbrellas open and in hand!!! It was definitely something stunning. I read an interview with Christopher Bailey in the Daily Telegraph that my adorable Granny had saved for me stating that he, ironically was most inspired when it rained than in the sunshine as the surroundings became more peaceful and gloomy to look at which gave him greater and more unique ideas. Some would disagree and find this a depressing way of looking at fashion, but I personally agree, there's nothing more relaxing and thought provoking than listening to the rain against the window or walking threw the country side alone in your wellies, and dark colours are always most flattering on the body remember!  

The collection itself was lovely too, really wearable and subtle yet still had burberry's chic edge to it. A/W 2012 was what grabbed me most though. The Trench coats had me riddled with envy as usual as once again this year I still can not afford to buy one, the A-Line skirts and comfy knits looked so adorable, not so much geek-chic as it sounds, but more country-casual cool meets VOGUE buying assistant kind of look. And as for the owl motifs and designs, they had me in fits of giggles, so unexpected yet worked so well!

If I'd been able to get inside I would have taken so many photographs and done so many doodles, but for now, here's a couple I've borrowed from the London Fashion Week website.

Enjoy...

I'd like to steel a moment of your time if I may, to introduce the stunning talents of Corrine Day...

Corrine Day has possibly become one of my favourite fashion photographers over night, I've chosen one of her photo's for my new brief. It's from a VOGUE spread in 2002 she did, it's a very slender blond model wearing an Emanuel Ungaro couture dress. It's one of the most beautiful photographs I personally have ever seen, I'm not sure whether it's the contrasts between the dress, the girl's figure and the rough surroundings or whether it's just the tones I find so captivating. I find it really romantic to look at.

The dress looks like its been torn to shreds, but in a tragic way, like love has been lost instead of in a brutal bodily harming way, it's almost like the picture is telling a story about the relationship between the girl in the dress and what the dress has lead too - which is basically her back turned against the rest of the world. That could just be my inner romantic and over active imagination talking though! I find it so moving and delicate to look at, it genuinely is something beautiful.

ANYWAY! Moving swiftly on before I get carried away with my emotions, after choosing this very photograph I decided it made sense to not only look into the designer who is the fabulous Emanuel Ungaro, but also the photographer herself, anyone who can produce work as stunning as this deserves a few moments of your day in my opinion. And I have to say, after looking her up, she has not surprisingly become a real interest of mine. Her work is really dynamic and fresh to look at. Her muse has to have been Kate Moss for a considerable amount of time during her career though as some of Moss's most famous prints seem to have been shot by Day.

Unfortunately, while researching I learnt that Corrine Day died in 2010 after battling a really tragic case of brain cancer. Safe to say though, while on the planet her talents were definitely not wasted and I shall appreciate them for probably the rest of my life, and intend to use her as inspiration threw my entire career. I'm quite a geek, in a chic way of course, but never the less a geek in general, I really adore looking at fashion photography and the masters behind it because I envy their talents more than anything, how anyone can take such beautiful snap-shots of a moment or of a place and people really fascinates me, probably because behind a camera I am terrible! I don't even take the photographs on a night out because I don't want to be the one to blame when there is no evidence to go with our memories, just pictures of empty glasses and most likely our feet!

That's something I really admire about Corrine Day's pictures though, my favourites of hers are all so fun and quite cheeky, yes as always you need quite an open mind with some more than others but then it's my blog you're reading so if you don't have an open mind already you certainly will once you've read a few posts of mine! You certainly can't be naive when it comes to fashion I think anyway.

I've left a few pieces of Corrine Day's work that I personally liked the most, there are small little explanations to the sides of them for you. It would be nice to think that you'll look at this post and perhaps do a little research of your own on the late Ms.Day or at least look at fashion photography in a different way. It's quite often a very romantic subject, and that's something people seem to forget in this day and age, is that romance isn't always about champagne and flowers, sometimes it really can be as simple and as unexpected as a photograph.

 This photo is another with the beautiful Kate Moss, what I love about it is the Androgynous feel it gives, she's so beautiful and yet her harshly angular figure and manly outfit gives her this unflattering edge that shouldn't work but it really does! (I mean WHO would wear such big nickers if you were planning on showing them off...)

 This photograph made me giggle, it reminded me of when I posted 'S.E.X' if any of you can remember?! It recieved a fair amount of attention anyway. This one isn't quite a provocative as those spreads were but still has a sexual meaning to it, her body language, the setting, clothing etc all indicates sex, however when you look at her facial expression, I couldn't help but smile because you really shouldn't be laughing in such a nonchalant way if you were in that position really should you!

This one is just lovely, I love the colour tones, Kate's face, the body language. Everything. It just works for me. I always think of my own youth when I see this photo as well, Kate Moss was a massive part of my young teen years, everything about her I wanted to be and this was one of the first pictures I saw of hers. She's fresh looking, slim and has attitude in the way she's holding herself. The confidence she clearly has, even though she was critisized for looking unusual and against the ordinary really inspires me. She is everything I've always wanted in myself basically. (Plus, she's got slightly nicer nickers on in this picture!)

It's a good Day all round really.

A February Issue EVERY Girl Thinks About, The BIG V DAY!

It sounds a lot scarier than it actually is, when I say 'BIG V DAY' I'm not referring to war or anything haunting like that, I'm talking about Valentines day. Personally, I hate Valentines day, it's a commercial fad and causes more trouble than it's worth. A lot of my friends find my opinion on Valentines day hypocritical because, ironically, I am single and have been for a long time. I'm not complaining, there are no complications, I can do what I like and get to spread out like a starfish in bed at night!

The thing I hate about Valentines day the most is the pressure people automatically put on themselves to make that one day so special for their loved one! WHY!!!! Has no one ever realised that there are 365 days in one year, you can treat the person you love most to a bunch of flowers or a nice meal any day you like! Personally, I'd find that more admirable than doing it on the same day as everyone else. 

You're probably reading this and wondering, what on earth does Valentines day have to do with Fashion? The answer, not a lot really! But, there is a connection a long the way to how women feel about how they look, dress etc that relates to Valentines day. Any guesses as to what that connection might be?! Here's a clue, you should feel at your sexiest when you wear it! 

UNDERWEAR! I've never known anything to cause such fear amongst the female race than underwear. And it's so wrong! And I guarantee boys, hardly any of you have the back bone to go out and buy your woman something sexy just because you can, I know none of my dating history ever has! The problem is, if you were to ask someone, especially a guy, what makes a woman in underwear sexy?! They'd pretty much all say, the colour red or a thong... The really predictable answers! It's so un-original!!! I am a huge fan of anything lacy and sexy. I feel sexiest for example when wearing black, it's flattering, its demure and looks really hot on against my skin. However, the moment I put say anything red on I genuinely look like a Harlot and my confidence plummets! Valentines day, everyone seems to think red is the only colour you can wear to look sexy, WRONG! I always think that if you feel good semi-naked you'll feel great completely naked and that's the most important thing of all! 

I've always liked the idea of being a model, an underwear model to be exact, but that's mainly because I feel most confident in my underwear and I wish more women in the world would too! Everyone is so scared of themselves and it's wrong, you don't need to be skinny or particularly curvy to look sexy, it's all about natural body confidence!   

If I could demand anything about Valentines day it would be that instead of flowers and chocolates, men should buy their woman underwear, it would be so much more exciting than just the usual, and lets face it boys, her increased confidence and libido would only do favours for your sex life! Plus, girls think about it, if you've got great underwear on when you're going out on a date and feeling confident about it, surely you'll feel more confident about putting on that new dress you've been avoiding because it holds onto your figure just that little bit titter than usual. (This doesn't mean your first date has to end with him seeing you in just your underwear at the end of the night, leave that for at least date 3!) All I'm saying is, whether you're single, dating, married or just playing the field don't just focus on what you look like on the outside, focus on the little secrets on the inside too! Especially us single girls, just because it was Valentines day yesterday doesn't mean you should now be feeling miserable, you should be bouncing over to La Senza or Marks & Spencers to buy yourself something gorgeous, just for you! Not drowning your sorrows in Ben&Jerry's! The biggest compliment you could ever receive is from yourself ladies, if you think you look gorgeous so will everyone else! (And you don't need to wait until the 14th February to pass compliments people, that's a 24/7 business!)

Victoria's Secret Valentines Ad. Super Gorgeous!

Just got a picture from Jimmy... Jimmy who?.... Jimmy CHOO!!!

Possibly the most beautiful pair of Jimmy Choo's I've seen so far this year, if I could I would as they say!

Please excuse my lack of manicure, funds have been pretty tight since Christmas so it was my nails or my eye-brows. Hopefully you can all understand the urgency of facial care! But enough about cosmetic habits, just enjoy the beautiful choo's. I just adore the vibrant heel and exotic floral embellishments that contrast correctly with the cute animal print peeped toe!

Stunning.

(Photograph taken on my mobile from an ad in VOGUE March issue 2012.)

"Sick of the sight of skirts..."

The title you see before you are the exact words that were rolling around my head last Thursday! Don't get me wrong clothes and fashion is my oxygen in life, I genuinely couldn't live without it! HOWEVER, learning to sew, however necessary it is; is something I just can not seem to get my head round at all! I think what hasn't helped for me personally is that to be perfectly honest skirts are the bane of my life anyway, I don't mind them maxi and I don't mind them black... Anything else, no thank you! I'm a tailored trousers girl and always will be, skirts were something I didn't grow into until I was at least 16! 

I think the problem with my in-ability to enjoy sewing is that I can't already do it, I don't like not being able to do everything. It sounds silly, but I have to be busy all of the time and more importantly I need to do whatever I am doing right all the time. I don't like making mistakes and being a stubborn perfectionist is something I was born with! (College have probably noticed this and equally don't appreciate it, not many do so I can hardly blame them really!)

Unfortunately, because I couldn't sew perfectly, independently and efficiently from the word go, I felt intimidated and uncomfortable so there for my natural instinct was to hide from it, now like most things in life there is something I should have realised months ago would occur from doing this. If you avoid it, it only gets worse. AND BY JOVE HAS IT! I was, and to an extent still am, depressingly behind with my practical classes. I'm embarrassed in a way because I feel like its really let people down as well as myself all from hiding away, if I had just grown a pair and asked for help instead of being pig-headed and arrogant I would have probably escaped the mess!

Luckily for me my tutors are like little guardian angels and spotted what I was doing before I headed into crashing and burning status. I am very grateful it is safe to say and not ashamed of admitting that they probably did me a huge favour clamping down! Since discussing my issue with sewing and my slight dislike for practical fashion (literally) suddenly, it's all become more enjoyable and much easier to cope with. My confidence on machines and even just with a pair of scissors has improved immensely.

So, my February resolution: To be where I need to be at the time that I need to be there! Attendance and punctuality truly are key elements to a successful life as well as career. It's amazing what asking for a little help when you need it most can actually achieve.

New's just in.... Actually, I've known since midnight! However!

The clue is in the title! I have exciting news... British Vogue has been holding the BFC Vogue Designer Fashion Fund competition for years, American Vogue also take part every year with their own adaptation. It's more of an award than a competition but either way, the concept is that a board of editors look at the new and exciting talent that they've noticed over the previous year and place them into a voting pole after a good handful of weeks of public and professional voting a winner is chosen.

The prize is an amazing £200,000.00 toward the winning designers next collection manufacturing etc as well as exclusive Vogue mentoring scheme.

The competition this year was serious, I would have found it so hard to chose my favourite because they are all so talented and have such unique and beautiful design ethics. The Designers included Jonathan Saunders, Peter Pilotto, Marios Schwab, Zoe Jordan , Richard Nicoll, Mary Katrantzou, Meadham Kirchhoff and Roksanda llincic. An intense list of talent I think.... My personal top three were Jonathan Saudners, Mary Katrantzou and Marios Schwab! All three are so vibrant and fresh it's hard not to love them.

The winner was released threw Vogue online last night (I stayed up till midnight to find out!!!) and I am soooo excited to say that the winner was Jonathan Saunders himself! If you haven't seen any of his shows or collections, shame on you! I've left a link attached to his name for you to all gander at and have a look at his S/S'12 collection.

A few little facts about Jonathan for you: Saunders is a Scottish born British designer, he studied at the Glasgow School of Art and then went on to Central St Martins London, he won Elle Young Designer of the Year award in 2008 and in 2003 he was commissioned by Alexander McQueen to design the birds-of-paradise prints that were seen on McQueens S/S'03 collections.

I think he is a well deserved winner and I can not wait to see him progress. It's inspiring when you see someone quite small achieve big things, especially from a fashion students point of view. Food for thought!