Stylish Living

Back in my seaside hometown for summer I have come to accept that the fashion buzz is not going to be quite as loud as it is in London.  So whilst working in my local cafe, I was pleasantly surprised when a group of six friends, probably in their sixties graced us with their ultra stylish presence.  In their thirties wear they caught everyone's eyes including mine.  They were all fully made up, with the correct clothes, make up, hair and accessories.  These ladies and gentlemen looked amazing!  

Women - full make up, curled hair, long skirts, pearls, scarves, the lot.  Men - suits, hats, tie, brogues, one even carrying a long umbrella.  They looked like a great bunch of people having a lot of fun and regardless of their age, I would happily have joined in their group antics!  When talking to them, they said that every year they all get together for one week, rent out an art deco house and live as if they are in the thirties - no tv, music from that era, food from that time, lots of dancing and playing games and, of course, dressing from that period.  What a brilliant idea!  Such a simple concept that looked such fun - definitely something I would love to do... now I just have to decide which era I would like to visit.

Take 5, Weekly Inspirations.

Like most people, my favourite colours change weekly if not daily.  However, I have always been one for bright colours and, with summer just around the corner, bringing out the brights is even more important!  Here's a few images pulled from the internet to show my favourite shade of pink this week (likely to change next week). 

Return of Luxury

It seems Britain is seeing a return to luxury shopping. 

The new denim studio at Selfridges is selling J Brand jeans for £525.  So what’s special about these?  Well the rivets are 24 carat gold!  Glad as I am to think that people are stepping away from badly fitting Primark bargains, this seems a bit excessive to me.  I’m not sure why golden rivets are necessary- they certainly won’t add anything to the fit, which I would have thought more of a priority.

And if you want to fly away from the horrors of Primark jeans (or golden rivets, depending on your personal view) then why not use your private jet?  It appears that Britain has recently taken delivery of more private jets than anywhere else in Europe.  In fact at the moment we are making and buying more luxury goods than anywhere else in the world. 

So what’s all this about a recession, are we at last seeing light at the end of the tunnel?  I like the idea of Britain being seen as a great place for luxury rather than cheap and shoddy goods.  I like to think this will boost the economy and improve life for lots of people working to make them. 

But golden rivets and private jets are a bit much for me.  I’m quite prepared to settle for a Chanel jacket…

Regent Tweet

On 22nd June over 100 of the best bloggers in Europe are invited to join together for the annual event "Regent Tweet".  This event is hosted on Regent Street, London, and kicks off with bloggers collecting treat bags containing special discounts from participating stores. From here the bloggers enjoy a complimentary breakfast and a day filled with talks from guest speakers, shopping - and of course blogging and tweeting!  This social networking event sounds great fun as well as a clever promotion tool, when brands will be able to connect and engage with their audience. 

You can connect to the Regent Street social media hub through Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to join the latest social networking conversations.  Fingers crossed for an invite next year! 

Menswear in London

London Collections: Men is being held from Sunday 16 June – Tuesday 18 June when over 60 designers will participate in events, presentations and, of course, the catwalk shows!  These three exciting days will feature a variety of well known international names alongside Britain’s renowned heritage designers and up and coming stars. 

Mens fashion is proving to be really interesting and exciting at the.  Iconic brands such as Burberry, Prorsum, Rag & Bone, Gieves & Hawkes, Jimmy Choo and Pringle will all be showing their mainline menswear collections this year in London.  And more new brands will be joining the London catwalks for spring/summer 2014.

 

Dylan Jones, Chair of London Collections: Men, says “I am particularly pleased that Burberry have decided to move to London from Milan, a move which shows their dedication to London as the home of menswear.  This season is even busier than last, with appearances from Jimmy Choo, Paul Smith and Rag & Bone, proving that London Collections: Men is not just a showcase for great British designers but a platform for international designers and brands, too.”

As well as welcoming these iconic brands are to Londons stage, the British Fashion Council has also elected to support some up-and-coming talents to showcase there work in the London Collections: Men.  This years winners are Christopher Raeburn and Sibling join Lou Dalton, all of whom have received business and financial support to showcase their collections.  It will be interesting to compare their talent against some of the more established brands.

All the shows and participating designers can be seen at www.londoncollections.co.uk/men

Design Extra - Pre-fall Collections

Six months between the main fashion shows is just too long a time for the way we shop today.  To satisfy the need to get ahead of the crowd, pre-fall collections started to hit our shops in May to bridge the gap between spring/summer and autumn/winter.

Whilst serious followers of fashion have been aware of pre-fall and cruise collections for some time (cruise arriving in September and originally designed for those jetting away to hotter climates), for many of us this is something relatively new.  It seems these inter-seasonal collections are picking up speed and becoming more and more important to the shopper and the fashion industry.  No doubt the attention they receive from fashion blogs and magazines is contributing to their success and encouraging more designers to get involved.

Browns, one of London’s main fashion destinations, is spending a whopping 70% of their budget on pre-fall, rather than waiting for the full collections.  This shows just how significant pre-fall has become. 

These collections are far more commercial and give a taster of what is to come.  For those customers who are lucky enough to buy into designer collections they offer an early opportunity to access the latest look or start to move into the next season’s clothes ahead of everyone else.

Clearly this is a good moneymaker! Michael Kors told US Vogue that ‘It has become the season you sell the most clothes’ saying these clothes ‘can be whatever season you want them to be.  Often it just depends on what’s on your feet.’

Even if I cant afford to buy these designer collections, to see designers ideas change and evolve is great inspiration for the rest of us and is something we can copy on the highstreet.  

Rave Degree Show.

Special guests, leading industry figures and members of the public are all invited to view the spectacular achievements of this year’s Ravensbourne graduates on Wednesday 12^th and Thursday 13^th June.

This important two day event will show case new and innovative designs from all 23 undergraduate courses and further education diplomas.  Fashion, architecture, digital film – all design courses will show exciting exhibitions, screenings and performances.  The theme this year is all about colour and everyone has worked hard to create an exciting exhibition with a fun atmosphere.  This is one occasion not to miss.

This is an exciting and important event for students and staff, allowing industry a first view of work and potential for the future.  It might mean jobs!  So, get down there if you can!  And if you really can’t, this year’s degree show will be broadcast on digital terrestrial television, so there are no excuses to miss out.