White is the best colour to show off your tan. I don't tan very well so white is actually the only colour which shows I have changed colour, mainly a reddish pink. The weather sucks here in London, but there are ways of working around this. I am not a huge fan of distinguishing between different seasons and what and what not to wear, if a dress suits you, there is always a way to make sure you can wear it the day you want to wear it, even if it is white. I really really like what Simone Rocha came out with at Autumn/Winter London Fashion week, a mixture of bold colours, focusing on white above all, and an eclectic mix of shapes with a lace finish, which can suit any season. Coupled with bulky lace-ups and long eye-covering fringes (this is not a must, I do like to see), she has ticked the right box for getitng through the end of this beautiful London summer. Wandering Minds designer Beny & Hizzin offer a Simone Rocha-esque capsule collection with whiter than white lace dresses and shorts to tickle your fancy.
Like every Londoner, I am not a huge fan of pigeons. It's nice that, the magazine that champions creativity, have just brought to my attention the work of two Photographers, Julian Charrierre and Julius Von Bismarcke, who have managed to give them a new lease of life, and colour. The piece is called Some Pigeons Are More Equal Than Others (note: they have actually been painted, it's not photoshop, and they were not harmed during the process.
The best thing about
social media is the chance it offers brands to connect with their fans and
consumers in an honest, direct way. Traditional marketing is stripped away and engagement is achieved without losing respect or
custom in a way you just can’t get with ATL advertising.
Here, McDonald’s Canada respond to a question from one of their fans on Twitter which asks: Why do the burgers in their pictures always look
better than the burgers you get in your box? A lot of Managers would have
a heart attack at the thought of showing consumers an honest, behind-the-scenes
look at the way things work like this, but McDonald's have risked all by going for the blunt and honest route, and good on them. And the video has gone viral, received a huge amount of PR, and also, personally, makes me believe in the product more than ever.
Soko has finally released her debut-album I Thought I Was An Alien. Before this, she was well known for her hit single – I’ll Kill Her – released back in 2007. Her new album is really inspiring, a beautiful piece of music, mature and french and fun and cute.
On the opening track of the new album, Sokoinforms us that we will discover her through her songs, and surely enough, this is exactly what she does, all the way through, with explicit and vivid videos to fit.
There was much anticipation in the room for the Alexandra Shulman interview with Tom at the ToMax talks: a room of 500 young women (and a few mums) eagerly awaiting to hear about the inspiring career of the British Vogue Editor of the last 20 years.
Firstly though, we were introduced to Jas MB, a luxury handbag designer who told us his life story which started off in quite an unglamorous way; selling bags on the streets of India. Out of sheer determination, love for handbag design and an eye for a niche gap in the market, Jas MB propelled himself into the heart of Paris Fashion week. Jas MB is not inspiring for his fashion sense, but for his savviness. In 1993, Jas established himself as a pioneering accessories
designer, creating the first DJ bag. They are now sold at Liberty in London.
Then Alexandra came up on stage. A woman of glamour and grace, Alexandra knows how to hold a crowd's attention. This is less for her fashion sense and more for her natural journalistic ease and approach to answering sometimes tricky questions from the crowd. One of these came from an older member of the crowd who asked Alexandra why the young generation of today do not have the same individualism and extroversion when it comes to fashion and style. This question, in a crowd of mainly 20-something very fashion-conscious women, could be tricky to answer, but Alexandra dealt with it in a very mature way. She reminded the woman that whilst it is perhaps true that fashion in the 70s might have been more daring, it is also important to remember that her memory of this period could also be somewhat skewed. Indeed what she thought was a London full of eccentric and creative fashion savvy kids, could also have seemed to the older generation like a room full of clones in flares. Alexandra also pointed out that by not being of the younger generation, they both would not necessarily be aware of what defined individualism.
On this note, I took a moment to look around the room. Yes, it seemed there was some truth in this statement. I could point out a lot of hair tied up in high buns, with died tips, skull earrings and black lace, black fur, black leather, black everything. However, the intricacies in how these were worn, the accessories these were paired with and a certain je ne sais quoi was still there. Recently, someone close to me pointed out that I am very quick to judge an outfit by whether it is vintage or high-street and that I don't even noticing I am doing it. I think this is the most important statement of all, rather than care what is in and what is not, what is outrageous and what is boring, what is Middleton and what is Moss, we should think what looks and feels good, what makes people happy and what works.
Alexandra continued by embracing the individualism of today which is coming out through new mediums, from fashion blogs to street style photography and the rise of the high-street trends. We are no longer in a high-end fashion world only open to very few. This can be transferred to her point on what sells. With the end of the supermodel era in the late 90s, magazines reverted to using Celebrities on their front covers. However, even this is proving to be increasingly difficult, with higher demand for money and more restrictions on who to use and how. This does not always transpire in the same way when it is used in a fashion context. A famous popstar, such as Adele, who may be the best selling artist of the last few years, does not necessarily sell Vogue copies (turns out these were the worst ever selling Vogue Magazine). Is this surprising? No, Vogue remains a fashion magazine selling fashion, not faces, and Adele remains a voice.
Interestingly, the Daily Mail were quick to pick on Alexandra's statement, and dramatize this in a Daily-mail esque way. Sadly, Alexandra was not trying to cause controversy, but only pointing out that Fashion is a business, and the reason she is so successful is because she treats it as one. Still, we can be 99 percent sure that she is probably receiving hate mail from Adele's fans out there right now. Oh dear.
From the woman herself: "Fashion should not be elitist in any way, and every one should be part of it. Ultimately the fashion industry sells FANTASY, which remains an important motivator to move out of your comfort zone. DREAMS are more important, FANTASY is a niche, most fashion is about a version of yourself you wish to project". Alexandre is revolutionizing in her attitude and determined to change the industry for the better. Under her influence, Vogue has started a Health Initiative. This includes never using models under the age of 16 (thankfully), and trying as best they can to make sure all models are healthy and happy. As they only have their eyes as proof of this, it remains a hard task to achieve and a wider change in society would be needed to get it actually kicking off in any impact-full way. Vogue are however proud to announce that they have never published diet tips, or talked about being "too fat", and thus it is actually up to the press to change their ways.
And a final question from the audience; "Do you see Brands from Asia becoming more renowned in the future?" Alexandra responds saying "Asia has become the biggest consumer of designer clothes. There are already many high-end Asian designers out there, who are yet to get the same attention as their European counterparts. These things take time, years even, to develop trust on design and quality with consumers". One thing not mentioned at the talk is the rise of many young Asian designers such as Grace Raiment as mentioned in my post below, who are really making an impact and creating beautiful capsule collections with class and a certain edge that give their collections a real awe inspiring appeal. Grace raiment's clothes can be bought online at British online store Wandering Minds, which specializes in getting these young International designers noticed.
Alexandra Shulman and Max
View of Room in Battersea
Roxane Haydon (me!), Harriet Kay and Olivia Floyer at ToMax Talks
Finally, we were treated to a very interesting video by Artist Tessa Edwards, covering the topics of fashion an fantasy. She also sells beautiful jewelry which you can buy on here website.
Lady Lace! Where to start with this one, internationally educated creative art student turned burlesque dancer turned vintage shop owner, Lady Lace is the master of all alternative trades, and has the most brilliant humour, enthusiasm and go-getter attitude, you can't not love her.
I eagerly asked if I could interview the lovely Lady, as part of my first of many interviews following the 22 year old recession stressed "what are you up to now" generation. Let's be honest, we are all secretly stalking one another to find out what everyone is up to now... and there has been many interesting "ous and ahhs and wows" when talking about this Missy. So here it goes:
1: Who are you? My name is Willow Hilson, but I usually go under my previous stage name of Lady Lace around here.
2: Where
do you call home and what makes it special? For the longest time I
could not answer that question. I grew up in South East Asia between
Singapore and Indonesia. So home was wherever my parents decided it to
be. Now that I am older, I just associate home with where the sweetest
cup of tea is, and right now that's Exeter.
3: What do you do? I am currently working on a new project, I have just
recently hung my stockings up and decided that it was time to run my
own Vintage shop in Exeter. So here I am! There is a great gap in the
market for affordable vintage and I think I have really got a good thing
going on ! Relevant (on Twitter too!) is like the new step in my life. Having been a Burlesque Dancer for so long,
Its definelty a change from the hot spotlight of the stage. I like to
Think Relevant offers a small city like Exeter the opportunity to
broaden it's horizons and discover new things. Much like Exeter has done
for me. From Vintage to Modern Fashion we cater for everything and
everyone. The best part of Relevant is the pricing, you won't find more
affordable when it comes to vintage !
4:
Whats the best part of your day? I don't have a best part, I usually
tend to just love everyday, the whole way through? From the moment the
shop doors open till the moment they close. Every customer always comes
in with a smile and the shop is always full of giggling ladies trying on
outrageous outfits or perfect dress. Do
you remember than scene from Narnia where they walk into the wardrobe?
that is my average day with added coffee obviously !. You open the door,
battled through clothes, and then find the most amazing coat ! It's
like a giant dress up box and everyone get's to join in !
5:
Who are your role models? This is a hard question, I don't think you
really need role models. Why
be a cheap imitation when you can be a perfect original?
6: Where are your favorite hang out places? This is also a very hard
question, it varies in my moods and my outfits. If I am going for more
of a retro vintage inspired look I tend to lurk around dark couches in
the Bikeshed, it's the perfect bar for cocktails and interesting
conversations.
Right so I have decided to take my blog into a new angle, and as you may remember I used to do Street Style fashion way back when I was still at Uni. This was extremely fun and very exciting, getting friends of friends starting to dress up just in case they bumped into me in the Library (I'm thinking of you Alice...), but it lacked a little depth ( a lot of depth, it was, purely, about the clothes). I have decided to go back to this idea, making the most of my London Town, and start Blogging about the lovely people I see and meet every day. My first post will be interviewing Burlesque Star turned Alternative Clothes shop owner Lady Lace. Watch this space.
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