.Clothes Show Live.

Another late post, I know... I went to the Clothes Show Live on December 8th in Birmingham. I've been in previous years so I had high expectations, and this year didn't let me down. I am always overwhelmed by the scale of it and never know where to start because there are so many great brands that you just don't want to miss any out!  The make up brands such as Fab brows and Models own particularly caught my eye this year because of the great prices. The make-up bargains were too tempting and most of the brands stock was sold by midday! Apart from the make-up deals, there were of course great clothing brands selling both on-trend clothing as well as some more interesting pieces.

Some interesting pieces at the Clothes Show.

Every year the clothes show seems to get better, but the catwalk show was particularly amazing. Presented by designer, Henry Holland, and MTV presenter, Becca Dudley. The show captured your attention from the start, and the models, dancers and visual affects all combined to showcase stunning fashion pieces.

Here are some pictures I took at the show...

The opening of the Catwalk Show.

Swimmers theme.

'A day in the countryside' theme.

Models.

The Finale.

I have enjoyed every year so far so I'd definitely recommend going, for tickets for next year or if you want to take a look and some more pictures from this year, go to:

http://www.clothesshowlive.com/

.Life of a Press Office Girl.

I’ve been lucky enough to spend the last week rushing around London and running errands for the Debenhams Press Office team once again. Leading up to the busy period of Spring/Summer Press shows and the launch of the new flagship store on Oxford Street, the Press team needed some extra help, and I’m pretty fortunate to have been top of their list.

Working with the Debenhams Press Office team is always a pleasure, and every time I learn more about the industry, the company, and PR in general.

Being an intern, I get to experience the many benefits that come from working in the Press Office and being involved in all areas of the company,  it’s always something different. I sat in on a beauty talk by a brand that will be new to the Debenhams portfolio and was sent home with a bag full of freebies- who doesn’t love a freebie! And darted across London from the head office to the flagship store, helping out with events, in-store promotions and picking up items for photoshoots and gifting.

At the end of the week, I was so glad to have even got the opportunity to go back and help, but like that wasn’t enough, I also received a pretty special thank you gift from the Press Office team…

It was good timing that the Oxford Street Christmas Lights switch on, was on at the same time so they gave me two VIP tickets to watch the lights being turned on. It topped off such a fun week, the lights were amazing and it added a touch of Christmas spirit to my mood before I had the reality of deadlines and work that hit me when I went back to uni. The event and getting to watch Jessie J, Connor Maynard and James Arthur perform ended the already amazing week on such a high.

Jessie J performing on the Selfridges stage.

The Oxford Street Christmas Lights.

Freebies, VIP tickets to events, and non-stop travelling around London… I could get used to the life of a Press Office girl.       

.Debenhams Press Office Work Experience.

I haven’t blogged for a while because I’ve been so busy with Uni work, but this last week I had to blog about!

Recently I got to opportunity to gain more experience within the industry by interning at the Debenhams Press Office for a week. I have previously interned at Debenhams, in the Marketing department, so I knew how lovely the team that work there are, and I’m so lucky I got to go back.

Debenhams had their Spring/Summer 2014 Home Press Show on Tuesday 29^th October, so I arrived at the Oui Studio, just off Oxford Street, on the Monday to assist with setting up the show. It was great to see the processes that go into setting up a Press Show, and I also got a preview of the S/S14 Home collections that were to be revealed to the Press. The day of the Press Show was so exciting and fast-paced, I got involved in all the different aspects and met journalists from a variety of Publications such as Elle, Ideal Home and The Daily Mail.

Setting up the studio.

The collections that were part of the Press Show were by designers, Julien Macdonald, Betty Jackson, Ben de Lisi, Ashely Thomas, Josh Rocha, Matthew Williamson, Jasper Conran, Abigail Ahern, and Debenhams own collection. Each collection had a different feel, with different prints, colour palettes and shapes. All of the items were beautiful and the way they were displayed within the studio made me want them all in my home.

It was strange thinking about Spring/Summer 14 so far in advanced but it also made me excited about what the season will have to offer. By the looks of the collections, it will be bold colours and busy prints contributing to an exotic theme, as well as calmer tones and nature patterns. Judging by the collections, upcoming shades that will be popular for S/S14 are blue and purple tones. These trend and colour forecasts are likely to be reflected within fashion, so I’ll be looking out for it in fashion retailers next year.

Butterfly by Matthew Williamson.

Rocha. John Rocha.

At Home by Ashley Thomas  and Jasper Conran collections.

Abigail Ahern collection.

Being involved in a press show for such an established company was great experience, I learnt a lot and put my networking skills to the test. I also got to meet some of the designers, Julien Macdonald, Ben de Lisi, Betty Jackson and Ashley Thomas, and got some great snaps of them with their collection...

Julien Macdonald and Ben de Lisi with their collections.

.LFW backstage views article.

I found this great article in the guardian by street style blogger Russ Mcclintock, with a backstage look at some areas of London Fashion Week from a street style perspective; including shows JW Anderson, Roksanda Illincic and, where I interned, Fashion Scout.

Whilst working backstage at Fashion Scout I noticed a lot of bloggers, media, and press and was always interested to know what angle and view the bloggers were going to take when writing about the shows. So, finding an article written by someone that was backstage at the same shows as me was interesting to read. Although a short article, the pictures explain a lot and make the link to street style. 

One of the shows Mcclintock mentioned was the Ones to Watch, this was probably one of the most interesting shows because it had three emerging and very different designers. In the article Russ mainly captured the designs by Helen Lawrence due to the street style link. I was a dresser for this show and loved the designs and atmosphere backstage. 

A show Mcclintock highly praised was the Pam Hogg show, stating 'This was a real fashion show'. I was also a member of the audience for this show and loved the eccentric, colourful and bold designs.    

Check out the article online at: 
http://www.theguardian.com/fashion/russ-mcclintock-s-street-views/2013/sep/20/london-fashion-week-backstage-pictures

.Vodafone London Fashion Weekend.

I was lucky enough to win tickets to London Fashion Weekend, courtesy of designer Emma Shipley. The location of Somerset house is perfect for the fashion event because it has classic décor and different rooms to accommodate the many designers. As well as being close to the centre of London it’s right on the river, making for some very scenic views. All that aside, the clothing and accessories alone is what makes the London Fashion Weekend an excellent fashion day out.

View from the Levi bar.

There is a whole spectrum of designers from different levels of the industry; you can shop high end designer collections such as Red by Valentino, and designers that have just started out in the industry such as Emma Shipley. I tried to shop mainly at the designers that have just started, but I couldn’t resist looking at the interesting Marc Jacobs shoes and variety of beautiful dresses and jackets by Vivienne Westwood. One of the benefits of this event is that you can get some great bargains, especially on high end designer items. Most of the items in the ‘Designer Studio’ room were discounted and they included clothing by Blumarine, Chloe and Roberto Cavalli; so there was lots of opportunity to get some beautiful designer buys for great prices.

Vivienne Westwood jackets, Marc Jacobs shoes.

Designer Studio.

One thing I noticed whilst walking around the many rooms was that scarves seem to be the upcoming trend, made mainly from silk, in a variety of prints and colours. Designers such as Emma J Shipley and Jane Carr sell mainly scarves and these are the two that stood out for me. Both of their prints were extremely artistic and beautiful, and the colour blending on each scarf created a stunning effect. My favourite of the day were Emma Shipley’s scarves, I was at the stand for ages looking at the different nature prints ranging from butterflies, peacock feathers, to cheetahs in many colours and sizes. These scarves go with any outfit and can add a pop of colour, which is usually needed to brighten the dark winter outfit.  

Emma J Shipley scarves, beautiful prints and colour combination.

Wearing my favourite Emma J Shipley scarf.

Scarves by Jessica Russell Flint. 

The event is not just a shopping experience but a great place to people watch, I saw some interesting outfits ranging from street style to designer glamour. I highly recommend Toms Kitchen Terrace, especially on a sunny day, which is a bar outside on the terrace overlooking the river. They sell delicious nibbles and cocktails; of course I couldn’t look at the cocktail menu without getting one and the champagne based ‘Berry Bubbly’ was definitely the best choice.

Toms Kitchen Terrace.

Me and my Mum at Toms Kitchen Terrace.

Overall, it is a great fashion event to see a variety of designers collections and buy some stunning garments and accessories, but also it’s a nice leisurely day out that I would highly recommend if you like shopping, fashion or cocktails!   

House of Holland van.

London Fashion Weekend tote bag by 'Sister by Sibling' and shopping bags.

.Ong-Oaj Pairam SS14 LFW.

I feel like the last post on my week working at London Fashion Week for Fashion Scout didn’t fully justify how much of an amazing week it was. It’s hard to succinctly say how incredible all of the designers collections were but I’ve decided that I can’t not blog about my favourite collection of the week; by Ong-oaj Pairam.  

When I first walked into the makeup and hair room I was instantly drawn to the spring colours and patterns of the Ong-Oaj Pairam collection. The variety of textures used, from leather to organza, created different drapes and silhouettes producing a variety of looks that draw the eye. The reason this collection was one of my favourites, was because I loved that the overall feel of the collection was the 1950’s era; with prints such as grey and yellow checked and the blue and red striped pattern. The 1950’s influence channelled a relaxed and pretty vibe. This inspiration was apparent through the hair and makeup; with big loose curls, volumised hair and simple, natural makeup replicating the ‘Twiggy’ look.  A sense of sports luxe fashion stood out as another inspiration with sleek silhouetted tea dresses, leather cropped jackets and high-waisted shorts.

   

The collection consisted of bold yet classic pieces; the colours and prints were bold, but classic and feminine materials such as chiffon were used. Although the colours were bold, some of the flower prints were more subtle, fitting into the Spring/Summer season.

Here are some pictures of the collection:

Above all, the main reason I loved this collection was because I felt all of the pieces were ready to wear, I could see all of them being sold to the mass market straight away and the silhouettes and colours were right on trend producing an ultra-feminine collection with stunning silhouettes.

.David Beckham the face of Belstaff.

Feel like I’ve been so busy recently that I haven’t had a chance to keep up with all the fashion news, but one story I didn’t miss was surrounding David Beckham. He never fails to attract attention, but when he’s posing with a motor bike it becomes major fashion news! Mr Beckham continues to melt the hearts of thousands at the opening of the new Belstaff’s Flagship London store on Bond Street. Beckham’s biker moment was bound to create a buzz for the store opening. David has been hired for the brand’s Spring/Summer 2014 campaign, and I think he’s a pretty good choice for the brand. I look forward to seeing more Beckham campaigns for Belstaff. 

Biker boy David Beckham at the Belstaff store opening.

.Fashion Scout London Fashion Week.

So I’ve just finished an incredible week working backstage for Fashion Scout London Fashion Week! I was so excited when I found out I’d be working backstage with the fashion scout team and with such a variety of designers, and it definitely lived up to my extremely high expectations.

  

The first day of London Fashion Week is usually the most exciting, yet chaotic day full of last minute changes, stressed designers and a lot of buzz, and it definitely was that. Working backstage at such a high profile event was new to me, so it’s pretty much all a blur of sparkly shoes, PR people, models and patterned ensembles. I spent the majority of the week dressing models for the shows; so organising their different looks and being backstage to change them (in what felt like 10 seconds!) before they had to grace the catwalk again. It was fast-paced, at some points stressful but so exciting.

I dressed for designers; Alessia Prekop, Tahir Sultan, Ong-Oaj Pairim amongst others and also got to help front of house, while sneaking a peek at shows from other incredible designers like Pam Hogg and Lulu Lui. I couldn’t criticise a single one of their collections, they all had beautiful garments, colourful patterns, stunning material and the catwalk room was full of guests every time, including some famous faces such as Poppy Delevingne.  

As a picture says a thousand words, here are some (of the 1000+) pictures I took from the week:

Lots of patterns backstage at the Heohwan Simulation show.

Backstage before the Ones To Watch Show- featuring designers Helen Lawrence, Hannah Williams and Renli Su.

Backstage before the Alessia Prekop SS14 show.

Colourful tapestry patterns at the Tahir Sultan Show.

Deep red hues at Ji Cheng SS14.

Stand-out red lips and lots of sparkle and glitter at Rohmir SS14. 

Extravagant pieces at the memorable Pam Hogg SS14 Show.

Pam Hogg takes a bow.

Beautiful pieces and bright patterns
 backstage at Ong-Oaj Pairam.

The look board for Lulu Lui SS14.

It was the most exciting week; I got to see some beautiful clothes and accessories, worked with the great Fashion Scout team and met some amazing people, from designers and models, to the hair and make-up artists from Body Shop and Toni and Guy.

.The beginning.

I've been meaning to start a blog for a while and never got round to doing it, but recently I've had a lot that's inspired me and thought I should start writing about it. So here it is, Fashion Chatter. Not the most inventive of names but pretty much sums up the main subject I'll be writing about. I'll use this blog to share my opinions but also kind of as a way of figuring out what path I want to take. Also, this summer I've been exposed a lot to different areas of the fashion industry from head offices, to catwalks, and wanted a place to write about them all. I'm not just a clothing-obsessed girl that doesn't care about anything else, so on here will be things I find intriguing and beautiful; fashion sometimes, but not always. But I can't help but be inspired by this industry; from creative designers to the changing trends and styles. 

So I hope you enjoy my blog.