19/02/2013

Busy Blogging...

I have recently been blogging for online magazine Fussed! Showcasing a diverse selection of artists, fashion designers, illustrators, architects, film makers and all round arty folk!



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18/02/2013

Designer of the Week - Sophia Webster


Sophia Webster studied footwear design at London college of Fashion and the Royal College of Art. After graduating she then went on to work for Nicholas Kirkwood as a design assistant.

Her recent collection for SS/13 takes inspiration from Marie Antoinette and Jackson Pollock.
Her signature style is feminine, playful with strong shapes and bold colours. When looking at her designs I am reminded of my childhood, back in the day when I used to play with Barbies: Especially her colour palette which is sharp yet girly and her use of bows and glitter. 












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17/02/2013

D.I.Y. Studded Chelsea boots

If I could give anyone good life advice, it would be to look past the high street and designer shops when buying Chelsea boots, but to find your local country store and buy them there! Seriously, every time I have wanted to buy boots like that, I have nipped in to my local country store and amongst the hay and horse food, there has always been the perfect pair of leather boots, for under £30!

In my mind Riding boots = Chelsea boots! They look the same, no?

Anyway, as mine were so cheap I though I could experiment with them, without worrying too much if I ruined them.

For this little D.I.Y. venture, all you will need is a pair of boots, spikes and a craft knife... And maybe some blu-tack.

Boots - Bought from Scats Country stores. £25 - Real Leather.



Spikes from ebay - You will need the spikes which screw on from the back.

Start by blu-tacking the spikes on, just so you can play around with the layout and design.



When you are happy with the placement, 
take the spikes off one by one and mark each one with a metallic pen.


Cut small holes with your craft knife, whilst twisting the knife to make sure the holes are circle shape. One of my most useful tools was a long spike from a broken earring I had. 
It was useful to push in and make the holes wider.


One by one cut the holes and screw in the spikes. Pushing in the screws from inside of the boot. It is easiest to start with the holes at the end of the toe, as they are most difficult to reach from the inside, so it is best to get the worst done first.


Finished! 

I am really annoyed because I forgot to take a photo of the finished product before I wore them in Paris, so now they look all muddy and beaten up.


But you get the idea.
I must admit I got a lot of strange looks from the Parisians! 
Surely they are accustomed to studded boots? I was a bit worried at first that I wouldn't be let through security at the Eurostar station, because trust me they are sharp! A kick to the face with these bad boys and one would surely be scarred for life!


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What i'm listening to...


My Paris song.

16/02/2013

Cliché Paris Blog Post


This week I visited Paris for 3 days with Uni. It was a highly amusing and interesting trip, including a lot of walking and over-use of the fish eye camera app on my phone. As i'm sure many of you have been to Paris, i'm not going to bore your socks off with a lot of tedious information about the place, however I will let my photos tell the story.

Arrival day

Walking from Musée des Arts Décoratifs to the Eiffel Tower, via one of the lock bridges...








Day 2

Walking from the Notre Dame to the Arc de Triomphe, via lots of boutique/designer/vintage shops, the Palais Royale and the Champ-Élysées...








Our hotel was based in Pigalle, on a road full of ummm..."interesting" shops and cinemas. A bit of a questionable area, but we were only five minutes from the Moulin Rouge, which reassured us that the area was not as "back alley" as we originally thought.





Day 3

Not such a busy day, as we planned to go up the Eiffel Tower, but it was too foggy and rainy. We chose to mooch around the Louvre area and then walk to Gallerie Lafayette, which is a department store with an incredible glass ceiling...



The main part of the department store. Photographed by my friend Amy...


In the evening we planned to go out clubbing as a large group, however a few malfunctions along the way and my friend Laura and I ended up in Paris Social Club alone. Nouveau Yorican were dj-ing there: a duo comprising of Gina Turner and Laidback Luke. The music was incredible and I even bagged myself a conversation with old Luke himself.


We were totally standing opposite them in this video!




Leaving Day

Before jumping on the EuroStar I had a wander around Pigalle and I came across this at the end of the road we were staying on.


I must say it was an awesome trip and despite the slightly dodgy areas and pick-pockets, I am slightly in love with Paris now. I even tried my dab-hand at speaking to some locals in French. I may have accidentally told a woman I loved her and that she was dead; all in the same sentence, but I am inspired to eventually be fluent in French someday.

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Designer of the Week - Simone Rocha


I truly believe that Simone Rocha's footwear should be raved about so much more. The Simone Rocha fashion label is great and all, but her shoes are what makes the brand strive, in my opinion of course. Her PVC and acrylic brogues have become iconic to her brand and even when googling her brand, the shoes are what show up first. I love the contrast between the traditional brogues and the contemporary materials; a literal and metaphorical contrast.








Images from: http://simonerocha.com

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Case & Key Clothing Co.


A friend at University has recently started up his own clothing brand; Case & Key Clothing Co.
On purchasing one of his t-shirts I noticed his lovely attention to detail: Including printed and sewn on tags, hand tie-dye and printing on the front. I even got a lovely little tag with a "thank you for purchasing" note on it. Looking forward to seeing what he does next!




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04/02/2013

Ahhh Un-real!

I know I start most of my posts with "I literally love..." but i'm sorry I just love a lot of things! I literally LOVE Emma Mulholland's designs and collections! All of them! The bright, busy, sea-punk, spaced out style of her work is something that really grabs me! There are so many simple and sensible fashion brands about, that it is nice to see something different every season. I mean don't get me wrong, the industry is built around the classy, chic, luxury brands and without them life would be much different, I just prefer Emma Mulholland's more playful and experimental style of work.

A/W 2013/14...





I would definitely say that "Extra-terrestrials and Tutankhamen collide with Desperately Seeking Susan" sums up her work perfectly!


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What i'm listening to...