Wish List!

For christmas I received Topshop vouchers and money, as well as some new exciting items of clothing :)

I decided today I would go through all the sales rush to see if I could find any new exciting things. Armed with my christmas money and my mum we hit York! Not knowing what exactly I wanted I didn't think I would find anything worth while but I was wrong. Returning home with a white long sleeved lace bodice from Ark for only £11.99! A t.shirt from Topshop covered in tiny Eiffel Towers which is really cute for £20 :) (and looking around Topshop and many other high street stores I see the Paris, feminine, pearl - my favourite! lady like, glamorous, embroidered items are a new favourite trend of mine). I also purchased a cute black button up top from Topshop which is perfect to be worn with any skirt which is ONLY £7 in the sale! I will admit I am an individual who does sercetly like a few Jack Wills items and picked up some nice lounge/p.j pants in the sale for £44 which I cant wait to have a night in now and wear!

Lastly my most favourite piece, an embroidered knitwear cardigan from Topshop. It is soooooo nice and feel this will be featured in many of my outfits. I'm excited to wear it now!

Fashion is a huge weakness of mine whether I really need something or not if i like it it is bought!

x

THE HILLS!!!

Over the summer with all my spare time I got a slight addiction to the Hills!

Before I had only ever seen an odd episode here and there on MTV, however I went and purchased the box sets. I LOVED them! The Hills is a lifestyle of one of my dreams, to live, work and socialise like the girls on there is something i would anything for! As well as having a small crush on Brody!

Lauren Conrad and Whitney Ports interns at Teen Vogue working behind the scenes at catwalks etc is something i would love to be able to experience and have such a hands on job like! They lead amazing lives which every female would swap anything for! Once watching the first episode of a box set I would have soon watched them all!

Even though it a tv program the knowledge and understanding it informed me of how a fashion intern with Teen Vogue can work and experience and opportunities you can achieve from such a position is only pushing me on further. Encouraging me to make sure my CV and covering letter is amazing, hoping that one day I will be like them!

x

Miss Cheryl Cole

Due to a LARGE work load I haven't had the time to blog recently, but I am going to make up for it over this Christmas break!

Cheryl Cole, quite a new idol of mine that I look up to for her style and until the other weekend loved every weekend for the Xfactor show waiting to see what she wore next. Along with the rest of the UK a new found love for Cheryl Cole and her amazinggg style is wide spread!

Her performance on one of the first live shows was amazing! I will admit i have re-watched it numerous times she did soo well. Her military outfit was soooo nice and suited her well. Along with her second performance for it on the Children In Need show at the Royal Albert Hall and the Night in with Cheryl Cole show, all three times she was pretty amazing. Her dancing routine is also very good wish i could dance like her!

She has come every girls idol!

xx

Christmas at Tiffany's!

When in London this week I came across a fabulous christmas advertisement for Tiffanys & Co at Somerset House! The innovative visual merchandising was amazing!

With a Tiffany pop-up tuck shop, huge christmas tree decorated with large Tiffany decorations like keys, and Tiffany drink holders to warm you up in the cold winter months, as part of an anniversary with the Ice Skating Rink.

I HAD to purchase a hot chocolate just for the paper cup it came into keep!! As well as pinching one of the napkins with the Tiffany logo on :)

Inside of the giant blue present box is everything you could imagine! With such a cute layout, the Tiffany colour blue glittery butterflies, a table full of candy canes, cookie butterflies, super cute cup cakes and many more yummy treats. As well as more glitter, diamonds and jewellery. Everything a little and big girl could ever want! My first experience of a pop-up shop and I must say it will be the BEST! I especially love seeing cities decorations for Christmas time and this one was extra special!

As well as seeing a Tiffany logo covered London taxi whilst traveling through central London. Another great attempt of visual merchandising and advertising by the brand in their trademark blue colour! I now need to start saving for the dream necklace I saw in there! Defiantly go visit if your around the area!

x

Shu Uemura? Who?

As well as the Kickers project I have been given a new project brief with L'Oreal's Shu Uemura. At first when given the brief i was like who?! Having not heard of this brand before I was slightly worried as I knew nothing about them, but I have soon learnt SOOO much about the brand! Shu Uemura a skin care and make up brand primarily known for its award winning eye lash curlers throughout the world! and amaaaaazing false eye lashes!

Shu Uemura originally started by Mr Shu Uemura in the late 1950's, started the makeup trend off by the makeup artist to Hollywood movie stars like Frank Sinatra. Throughout the years the brand established, but when Mr Shu Uemura died L'Oreal took over the brand.

We are to create brand awareness, and double sales over a five year period through a short and long term recommendations. I can't wait to get underway with this project although there is a lot of work to do which I am not looking forward too!

x

Show Studio, Fashion Revolution!

Earlier this week I visited London for the day, after getting up before 7am which for a student is VERY early and a four hour bus journey we had key places to visit around Covent Garden. A friend wanted to visit an exhibition. I hadn't heard much about it before but said I would go with.. and once walking into the exhibition I realised that I had read up on and seen many advertisements for this event.

Nick Knights SHOWstudio is a major exhibition was a retrospective of nine years of online, innovation, invention and creation at Somerset House London. The exhibition was full of technology advances which you wouldn't imagine, show fashion in a whole new look.

A huge Naomi Campbell, a sculptural rendering of her body which uses 3D technology through a touch pad, where visitors of the exhibition can draw on a screen, choosing the colour and thickness of the paint brush, decorating the model in their own individual way. Myself and the rest of my group decided to have ago, and it was rather cool!

The exhibition included fashion films, and also a live model reading The Great Gatsby, where a telephone number was seen and you could ring the number to hold a conversation with him live. I had never seen anything like this before, I LOVED it!

Imaginative, bright, futuristic art work was present throughout the exhibition, one of my favourite, a whole wall display covered in glass plates with many fashion interests and models lips in various different colours

This is the closest I will probably ever get!!

Looking back at this exhibition and technology is changing the face of fashion and exhibition it makes me wonder what is going to happen to the fashion magazine in the future? I would recommend this to anyone with interest in fashion, art and technology it is something different and a MUST see, especially when I am someone where an exhibition sounds quite boring!!

x

Chanel & Lily Allen

Lily Allen now appearing in Chanel's advertisements!! When browsing through Vogue magazine I saw the ad and loved it!!!! At first I did think it was a slightly odd combination, but when looking into it more I think it's perfect. Lily Allen being one of my favourite solo artists and Chanel one of my favourite fashion brands, and looking at them closely together they are well suited. Lily Allen pictures well with the brand showing youth of the younger generation, to the brand being a successful choice, plus already being a walking advert for Chanel through owning many of the bags. The ads being shot for the new handbag range 'Chanel Coco Cocoon', were in a monochrome colour suiting Lily's look and the typical Chanel brand DNA of black and white, where Lily is clutching the Chanel Bags.

Back summer I did also notice the Chanel Spring/Summer 2010 show 'Romp in the Hay', which was held in Paris, of a barn feel with haystacks with an impressive collection of clothing of a style to suit the production of the catwalk were displayed. Where Lily Allen made a surprise performance emerging from the floor, look very happy singing one of her songs.

Both the occasions have created a true brand connection between the singer and designer brand, which perfectly fit together, and I think are aaaamazing! I love turning the pages of a magazine to see these ads on the other side.

x

Fifi Lapin

A while back I had a lecture learning to blog, and one of the exciting blogs we were told to check out was Fifi Lapin. I now regularly visit this blog, look at how such a simple idea has worked so successfully and created such a buzz.

Fifi Lapin is a hand drawn rabbit, where the individual re-creates the catwalk trends/clothes onto the rabbit! Its a very creative, innovative idea which has nothing like it on the market. A very 'stylish' bunny!

Fifi Lapin is becoming increasingly successful, having a facebook page, twitter, flickr, official website and a regular updated blog with blogspot www.fifi-lapin.blogspot.com take a look! Merchandise has also been created; paints, postcards, cards, tops at asos.com and bags. AND when in Topshop today I noticed the christmas cards by Fifi Lapin present in there by the tills, which reminded me to come check any updates on her blog. I absolutely loved the cards and actually want some for myself, and quick as this will soon sell out.

Defintaly have alook at the cards in Topshop or their blog and website, it is something of a kind. I do think you will find it pretty amazing like myself!

x

Kickers?

At Uni we have been give a live project of working with Kickers as part of our module. In a group we are on a mission to raise brand awareness for Kickers and I guess make Kickers 'cool' again!

At first when we given the project, I thought Kickers? the shoes I used to wear to school?instantly this put a negative image into my head. I would never wear these the chunky, lace up shoes now I thought to myself why are we being given a project with this brand?

After receiving a briefing from the Kickers team it instantly filled me full of information on the brands true history. Learning that the brand was established in the early 1970's by Daniel Raufast, who created a new design of shoes that could be worn with jeans for the laid back generation. The 'Kick Hi' shoe, the widely known most popular Kickers shoe and were heralded by icons on the Manchester Music scene , rave scene with acid house and trance music. With Ian Brown, Stone Roses, Jarvis Cocker, the Gallaghers, Arctic Monkeys, Kaiser Chiefs and Mike Skinner being well known for wearing them and creating them as an ultimate accessory!

Then learning they collaborated with Henry Holland.. did you know this?! I defiantly didn't, they kept these secrets hidden away, till I found their facebook page! If you all knew about these in the past I bet Kickers wouldn't be the brand they are known for now, their marketing needs a new approach.

Look at our blog www.lovethykickers.blogspot.com

x

VOGUEEE!!!

I went home last weekend to see the family and a catch up with friends, which I was pretty excited about! When going into my bedroom at home, I found waiting for me on my desk was the NEW VOGUE!! I instantly forgot about texting my friends back and sat on my bed reading and flicking through it.

I first of all noticed the beautiful from cover featuring Lara Stone, in a magnificent white netting dress and pink bodice and the word 'Wonderful' written in a handwriting font across the front.

And then opening the magazine up to find several other elegant photos of Lara Stone in many other dresses, reminding me this was the December issue, which meant christmas! Everything sequins, sparkly and exaggerated! I LOVE this issue!!!

As well as the amazing 'Glamour in Vogue' supplement which particularly interested me of the different inspirations, especially the Kate Moss photograph by Mario Testino in 2008. Showing the glamour of British, ballgown's and military combined together.

This issue of Vogue has to be for me one of the best this year!

x

Lula

After visiting Waterstones in my first year and coming across this issue of Lula (green background copy), I fell in LOVE with the magazine, its literally one of the best magazines on the market! Recently I went back and bought the new copy (issue 9). There's nothing not to love about the magazine.. thick glossy paper, beautiful drawings and photoshoots you wouldn't dream of, big fresh ideas. I am always tempted to tear the pictures out and cover my bedroom walls.. but there is always something that stops me!

This magazine IS created for people like me who love fashion and those who love art.

I put this magazine up on my blog, as it is a big inspiration to me whenever I am stuck, and is the one magazine which I can pick up again and AGAIN and never want to put down and get a lot of ideas from!

It would be impossible to pick out just a few of my favorite images as I love them all. However here a the two inparticular I came across:

The two cute pictures are something different and very much appeal to me in their unique style, mixture of colours and background scenes they are set in.

You all should purchase it, it is defiantly woth £5.99! And visit their website http://www.lulamag.com/

Sarah x

Photography!

Over my longg summer, and visiting Topshop hundreds of times!!! I picked up on many of the trends that were seen on every fashion email and shop window I looked at!

Trends being one my passions in fashion, I decided to look through my wardrobe of clothes (that I shouldn't have bought but as my excuse to my mum is... 'I'm on a fashion course mum I NEED to have new clothes!') that I have, and put together a photoshoot on what I thought was the key pieces this summer!

I focussed the photoshoot in the Arboretum in Nottingham by my university, as after looking through Vogue and Elle's photoshoots and recent advertisements they were all based on the British outdoors feel, so I thought that this would be perfect as the leaves had just started to fall! (I loveee this time of year!)

I chose lace, the duffle coat, floral, denim and sequins (my favorite!) pieces. I used the 3 girls I live with, who have a close eye and big interest in fashion too! The results are below, and this being my first attempt of a photoshoot I was very impressed!

Sarah x

Hi...

my name is Sarah and I am in my second year studying Fashion Marketing and Branding at Nottingham Trent University. I have started this after a lecture at university where we were told to just BLOG BLOG BLOG!

I love my fashion course and fashion itself, always opening a magazine at the trends pages first and ripping out anything and everything!

I feel that this blog will be the best way for me to collect all my thoughts and images that inspire me over time, and documenting them all together!

Sarah x