By Bethanie

Wednesday, 3 December 2014

Winter Warmth

This winter keep toasty in some on-trend warm colours. The key trend for this cold season is lots of warm and rich colours; think royal blue, pine green, deep pinks. Here are some of my favourite picks for the season; high-street and designer.

Cobalt Blues/Purples

Reiss Parlo Sharply Tailored Blazer - £189

Reiss Toluca Textured Fit & Flare Dress - £189

French Connection Daria Degrade Jumper - £65

LK Bennett Malea Crepe Vest - £115

LK Bennett Oscar Showerproof Mac - £325

Pine Greens

Lanvin One-Shoulder Crepe Dress - £2,025

L’Agence Solid Silk Shirt - £330

French Connection Whisper Ruth Structured Dress - £125

French Connection Wonky Wave Knitted Jumper - £69

Reiss Sheena Boxy Leather Biker Jacket - £350

Deep Pinks

French Connection Textured Check Silk Scarf - £45

Ralph Lauren Blue Label Crystal Big Pony Polo Shirt - £180

French Connection Autumn Vhari Jumper - £79

French Connection Hannah Crepe Flared Dress - £110

Christopher Kane Snakeskin Print Bodycon Dress - £365

So there we have it, my picks for winter. I hope they inspire you to embrace some warm and festive colours this cold season.

Tuesday, 2 December 2014

British Fashion Awards 2014...

The British Fashion Awards are held once a year in December. They are organised by the British Fashion Council:

"British designers and creatives are renowned for there ability to set the global fashion agenda. Each the British Fashion Awards celebrates their creativity and success. The British Fashion Awards has been celebrating the contributions of British designers, creatives and model sot the international fashion scene since 1989."

This year the awards were held at The London Coliseum. It is a truly amazing venue for such an awards ceremony.

This year the winners were:

Model of the Year - Cara Delevingne

Brand of the Year - Victoria Beckham

British Style Award - Emma Watson

International Designer - Nicolas Ghesquière

Womenswear Designer of the Year - Erdem

Menswear Designer of the Year - J.W. Anderson

Emerging Womenswear Designer - Marques'Almeida

Emerging Menswear Designer - Craig Green

Emerging Accessory Designer - Prism

Red Carpet Designer - Alexander McQueen

New Establishment - Simone Rocha

Establishment - Preen

Accessory Designer of the Year - Anya Hindmarch

Special Recognition - Chris Moore

Special Recognition Award - Anna Wintour OBE

Isabella Blow Award for Fashion Creator - Edward Enninful

The Daily Mail has done a lovely article on the best and worst dresses which can be found here. However, I have chosen some of my favourite outfits from the evening.

I loved Victoria Beckham's take on black tie. The maxi skirt and jumper would not work for everyone but on her it looks perfect.

I love Emma Watson's style and last night she didn't disappoint. The tuxedo jacket looks very cute with the white gown and she then took the jacket off inside to reveal a very plunging neckline.

This was one of my favourite outfits and was worn by Model of the Year - Cara Delevinge. It oozed glamour and she just looked amazing in it.

Anna Kendricks chose to wear a shorter dress, as opposed to the long gowns others favoured, but it fitted beautifully and she looked lovely. The metallic accessories worked perfectly with the dress.

On the other side of things, I always chose a couple of what, for me, were some true fashion fails.

Rita Ora's skirt was beautiful and flowing but I didn't like the top design. This could have been an amazing dress, but sadly, for me, it didn't quite work.

Lily Allen's dress didn't work for me. I didn't like the unusual bustle/train at the back of the dress. The actual body of the dress also looked like it was creased!

Rihanna forwent a dress last night and chose just a tuxedo jacket. Some people have worn a jacket as a dress and it has worked, but I didn't like this style last night.

Vogue also wrote a really good piece about the awards - no surprise. Take a look here. I loved the British Fashion Awards and definitely agreed with the winners. What did you think?

Tuesday, 21 October 2014

Oscar de la Renta...The Legacy He Has Left Behind...

The great Oscar de la Renta has died today. The designer passed away at home last night after after a long battle with cancer. He was 82.

Born in the Dominican Republic, he travelled to Madrid to study painting at the Academy of San Fernando. It was there that he was introduced to fashion when Cristobel Balenciaga hired him to sketch for him. He then went to Paris, where he worked at Lanvin, before moving to New York in the 60's to set up his own company.

Oscar de la Renta at his last show - September 2014

photo from Vogue

I have had a look back through some of his best creations, well in my opinion, although they are all pretty amazing!

Just last month Oscar de la Renta was responsible for designing Amal Clooney's wedding dress.

photo from the Daily Mail

Katy Perry in one of his dresses at the 2013 American Music Awards.

Jennifer Lawrence at the 17th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards in January 2011.

Just last night, actress Jennifer Lawrence wore one of Oscar's more casual designs to ELLE's 21st Annual Women in Hollywood Celebration at the Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills, California.

Anne Hathaway fell in love with the luxurious fabrics and delicate detail used in Oscar's dresses.

Amy Adams wore a beautiful gown by the designer to the 2013 Academy Awards

Sarah Jessica Parker wore De la Renta to the Met Gala in May. The designer showed off his diversity in a dramatic retro gown.

These are just a few of his dresses worn by people over time. The Daily Mail has done a fantastic article about lots more of his items.

If you want to invest in an Oscar de la Renta piece then you go the designer's website, Harrods or Net-a-Porter have some lovely collections.

The fashion world lost an amazing person and designer today, but his amazing creations will never be forgotten...

Wednesday, 15 October 2014

Wool Wonderful Wool...

Last week was Wool Week, so in honour of that I have found 5 different ways to wear wool...

1. Hats, Scarves and Gloves

Hats, scarves and gloves are one of the most obvious ways to wear wool, but they are also one of the most versatile. Here are some of my favourite hats, scarves and gloves...

2. Jumpers

Again, another obvious one. However, this season jumpers with embellished necklines are very popular. They are a definite wardrobe essential as they are perfect for a night out once the cold is settling in and a blouse just won't keep you warm enough!

3. Coatigans

I'm not sure that 'coatigans' is actually a real world, but they are my winter winner. A coatigan is basically a knitted coat. It might not keep you as warm as a proper coat but it looks amazing!

4. The Blanket

The blanket is one of the most unusual trends that you will see this Winter. They started last year when Burberry had all their models wearing them on the catwalk. Now then, you may not be able to afford a Burberry blanket, but there are lots of other really nice alternatives!

5. Dresses

Once again, they are not very original because every winter knitted dresses are a big hit, however this winter it is cable knit dresses which are proving a popular trend...

I hope you like my ideas of ways to make wool more fun this winter. But if you're feeling extra adventurous you could always try knitting your own winter statement pieces!

Wednesday, 8 October 2014

Sun.FM Style Awards

A few weeks ago Sun.FM, the local radio station in Sunderland, held their annual Style Awards at the Best Western Roker Hotel.

This year they were celebrating local talent, and part of this was a catwalk which showcased pieces made by fashion students of the University of Sunderland. I was a dresser backstage and got to see some of these clothes first hand. They were amazing and I decided to show some of them to you, so that you too could see how amazingly talented these girls are.

The outfit on the far right was designed by Alex Filson. It is from her collection that she named Natural Transformation as she was inspired by nature that changes overtime. This can be seen clearly in the print used for the dress. Fashion North interview Alex at the Sun.FM Style Awards and that interview can be found here.

I was in charge of dressing the models who were wearing outfits by Leanne Johnson. Her style was very flowing and modern. The outfits are from her Chameleo collection. All her outfits feature pieces of material that attach with hidden magnets to give the impression that the outfit is being held up on its own, with no visible fastening. All her outfits can be changed and style in different ways by attaching different parts of the outfit to different magnets. Leanne spoke to Fashion North at the event, and their interview can be found here.

Leanne with the models wearing her two outfits from the catwalk.

Katie Black designed the final catwalk item. It was from her collection called 'African Rose'. It was an amazing way to end the catwalk. Fashion North did a lovely interview with Katie Black before the Sun.FM Style Awards which can be found here.

Katie Black's outfit.

I had a really amazing time backstage, getting to see all the outfits being put together and seeing what all the students hard work had created.

Sunday, 28 September 2014

Victoria Beckham's UK Flagship Store

Victoria Beckham's new store has opened this week on Dover Street. The Daily Mail were lucky enough to get a private tour before the store officially opened and also had the chance to ask Ms Beckham about the store and her ideas behind it.

From the Daily Mail;
‘It’s the first time people can see the brand through my eyes,’ she said. ‘I didn’t want a traditional shop window, just a plain window, and a huge concrete sliding door.’

‘The floors weren't connected, and I said, “Wouldn’t it be incredible to drill a hole through all three floors, so you could stand on the top floor and see the ground floor,”’ she recalled. ‘ I didn’t think it would be possible, but it was.’

As you enter, there’s no avoiding the colourful handbags that line one wall - as much art installation as it is product display. Tucked away to the left are smaller leather goods such as purses and keyrings (from £150), sunglasses (we love the sky blue aviators, exclusive to the store) and the more affordable Victoria Victoria Beckham collection displayed on a zig-zag rail that echoes the designer’s initial.

‘We’re not going to have any ugly tills anywhere,’ Mrs Beckham explained. ‘Payment is with an iPad, so we can go to the customer on whatever floor she’s on.’Shoppers likely won’t recognise an American walnut bench as the ‘cash and wrap’ area though.

A wall of bottle green glass defines the changing rooms, which, unlike many we have all experienced, are decently sized with generous rail space and a bench to sit.

The lower level will be dedicated to personal shopping, while the upper level houses the main Victoria Beckham collection. Each piece hangs from the ceiling on a ‘blonde gold’ chain that is a larger version of those that feature on her handbags. A giant screen streams the autumn/winter 2014 catwalk show at one end, while a cluster of wooden benches in the centre invites partners, friends and kids to linger.

To read the whole article visit the Daily Mail or to check out Victoria Beckham's latest collection visit her website here. Personally I love the store and I can't wait to visit it, next time I am in London.

Thursday, 25 September 2014

London Fashion Week - Trend Show

This weekend I visited the London Fashion Weekend at Somerset House to watch the Trend Show, which showcased the four most popular trends from London Fashion Week. These were; One and Only, Candy Crush, Jungle Fever and Fairy Tale Ending.

One and Only
One and Only is the idea of picking your favourite colour or pattern and sticking with it. Choosing separates in the same shade or print and creating head-to-toe looks. Ideal designers for this are Roland Mouret and 3.1 Phillip Lim or for a more high-street version Oasis are offering lots of bold coloured garments that can be mixed and matched.

Candy Crush
Candy Crush is lots of pastel shades. Although most people associate pastels with Spring and Summer they are going to be a big hit this Autumn and Winter too. Lilacs, powder pinks and baby blues led the catwalks, especially Simone Rocha, Acne Studios and Helmut Lang. Whistle’s latest collection offers a nice selection of pastel and sorbet garments.

Jungle Fever
Jungle Fever was huge this season with an abundance of lush hues and exotic and tribal prints. Antonio Beradi and Alexander Wang led the way with this trend, however high-street shops such as Reiss are featuring lots of jungle prints on their dresses currently.

Fairy Tale Ending
Fairy Tale Ending was the perfect way to end the Trend Show because who doesn’t enjoy a fairy tale ending? There were lots of floaty gowns and intricate embellishments. Oscar de la Renta and Badgley Mishka featured lots of this trend in their collections. Coast are offering lots of floaty dress with plenty of embellishment.

I hope you like these trends from London Fashion Week as much as me and enjoy my trend selections from high street stores.