Luxx simple silhouette

As mentioned at the weekend i read lots and lots of newspapers, making sure i didn't miss anything from london fashion week and The Times on saturday had a great fashion supplement, Luxx magazine which shot images of all the new silhouettes for the season.
The main fashion story Back to the future i loved. The shoot was styled by Clare Lazaro and shot by Luis Montiero, the way the photographer and stylist worked together really shone through, the images are beautiful: the lighting really enhances the silhouettes and almost makes the model plus her outfit look like negative structures. For those of you that didn't see the shoot...

The clothes used ranged from Burberry to Shaun Leane at selfridges, my favourite shot included a 'cage belt over a streamlined godet skirt' and a lace shift, peplum included, from Prada. The styling was very simple but very beautiful, the lighting was a stunning mix of mauve, berry pink and green. One thing that i don't really notice (which is really bad of me!) when looking at a shoot are the actual models themselves and how they pose- the silhouettes they created were stunning.

The Shooting Party, another fashion shoot, styled by Amanda Bellan and shot by Jonathan Glynn Smith gave a whole new meaning to eccentric layering!

I also read an article discussing places of exclusivity, by this i mean those places that you never hear anything of and yet they seem to be very successful. It's this marketing deal with 'playing hard to get' which i just love-yeh, why is it things we can't have we try so very hard, no matter what we have to do to get it? And how insane is it that places like Bistrotheque, a small building tucked away in east end ldn a bar/restaurant/club keeps on going?! In some respects though i do agree with the co-owner David Waddington that,
"If you go for the big splash opening, you'll get lots of people that really like it, but also lots that don't"- yes, with this i can understand David not wanting a bad word of mouth, but without any mouths being their to talk, hows the word gonna get spread?! By inviting customers you know will like your product/place etc you will get some good clients but without even giving other people the chance to check it out themsleves, you may loose another market.

And very quickly there was this great little article showing a variety of creative people discussing how they decide what clothes to wear, and Lulu Guiness' statement of not owning a pair of jeans! Shocking! Well...definatly for a student.

London baby??

London is like marmite- questionable.

I’m as far from an original London girl! i moved down here last September to go to uni to study fashion for 4 years, well 1 yr studying fashion foundation and then 3 yrs studying fashion promotion and imaging and being me i get homesick a lot! So i do go home quite a bit on the trusty old megabus-this is my time to think, seriously. I have so much time on the bus to schedule my week, look at my timetable for the following week, catch up on the weeks news (as i did at the weekend with the huge Sunday times newspaper and the independent for this weeks round up of London fashion week!-blog later, promise..) and coming through London is always interesting. Even though i have lived 30 mins outside of london for a year i still feel like that virginal tourist that’s constantly checking out all the window displays, the very geometric concrete buildings, Selfridges ever changing windows, (which i always hope no London red bus will pull up to the side of my megabus, blocking my view!) the bustle of baker street near the huge blocked Primark store. I’m trying to get to love London because due to the sheer size it annoys me and sometimes terrifies me! Im hear for another 3 yrs, i have to learn! Not only does the size aggravate me; there is a lot of pompous people about too, however weighing interesting people to the pompous, i think 2:1 to the former.

I feel as though every megabus trip helps in some way to enhance my feeling for the city. I love people watching and ldn has a hell of a lot of people to watch, including lots of up and coming students, (the futures work force!) elder women and gentlemen just leaving small, quaint galleries, backpacks and beige sandals included, W.A.G. wannabes, London ‘in it’ girls, cockney geezers, fashion trend setters and followers: i could go on but i will be here for ever and my coffee’s getting cold. Not only are the people interesting, the city itself has lots to offer-lots of exhibitions, The House of Viktor and Rolf at the barbican centre i saw last weekend which was amazing; recently, London fashion week, that is a must for every year (and still will be even though the fashion week has been shook a little this week with the bigger cities trying to kick us out of the fashion circle, have these people ever met the fashionistas of ldn?!) the business guys and gals doing their thing, in monochromatic attire, all the valuable newsagents! Etc.....

well looking at what i have just wrote maybe ldn is a good city to live in, or near to. Maybe i should try and read the Evening Standard every day to really get to know the city, or will this just scare me and make me wanna run away, who knows?!

Topshop Lookbook a/w 08

Check out Topshop.com for help in styling ideas and some amazing garments for a/w 08. Topshop, aided with Katie Shillingfords stylish eye, put together this essential stylising lookbook to help anyone who's somewhat confused as to what to wear for a/w, especially with your minds being beautifully boggled with this weeks amazing fashion week! (which by the way i havent forgotten, i will be blogging a huge blog report on my take of the fashion week soon- i just gotta gather all the bits of newspaper all over my desk and mag tear outs to help me!). The Bandstand Lookbook has some of my favourite looks, with lots of slouchy layering and subtle colours i'm in heaven....masculine style. My only complaint about the images is that the models are used throughout for each collection and the strong featured, large eye browed women do look a little odd with the boudoir collections including fine fabrics and baby pink mongolian fur (i'm guessing).

London fashion week? couple of days? weekend?..

Yesterday i bought myself a couple of papers to catch up on London fashion week (which i need to do this morning) as i am no longer on this universe as i dont have the internet still! And i read that this maybe the last official London Fashion Week. Apparently New York and Milan want to put their dates further back meaning we only get maybe 4 days at a push next year!

So, i have the week off to try and blag my way into fashion week (before it will no longer be called London fashion Week) and i'm unsure as to how to do this. I have a friend that last year made some fake business cards and in a very hair stylist way asked to be let through as her model was about to be on the catwalk..and she got through, if its this easy surely i will be able to do it! There isnt just this worry nithier-what will i wear?! Should i wear clothes that are on trend now, should i wear something that i just like for liking sake or should i look at the last couple of days to check out Londons spring/summer 09 trends. Anyway whatever i wear i have to be there so, i have scheduled wednesday in my diary to be the day i go for it. I've decided too that if i don't get in (which is highly likely) i am gonna try and take some photos of cool street style.

I will keep you posted, wish me luck..

Well hello..

I really, really love this, anyone else?...

Vivienne Westwood album.

Is there anything that this woman hasn't done....Vivienne Westwood is launching Catwalk Breakdown on the 15th september exclusively launched at Selfridges, in the Wonder Room which will be almost a gallery exhibition showing pieces from her collections, so if your a huge fan of her work definately go to the launch which has ever so cleverly been launched along side fashion week-think of all those fans! Basically the album is a huge mixtape of Viv's favourite tracks including many that have been heard during her crazy catwalk shows. The album is very eclectic with every thing from contemporary up beats to classical pieces. Westwoods explanation as to how the mixtape came about included..

'My clothes always tell a story... And I choose the music accordingly. Sometimes the music can just be sexy, it can let you relax, look at the clothes, put people into a fantastic mood. Then it might just have to swing back and lift you up to the final triumph of the fashion show. These are some of the pieces that I’ve relied on over all these years –my classics. They’ve never failed me.'

Distill magazine.

I came across this magazine around 2 weeks ago and i should have blogged about it sooner but with packing, moving journal etc..i had no time (altough i did have time to read it!) Anyway, ye, 2 weeks ago was the launch of Distill magazine. When i first picked it up off the shelf my immediate thought was that from the front cover, which shows you 10 differnt covers of mags around the world, i thought the mag would be an international mag for people already in the fashion industry and maybe the mag would be full of numbers and facts, blah blah blah...so when i opened it i was really pleasantly surprised.

If your a fashion student then this is serously like a bible for you (it saves you tones of money too!). The concept of the mag is basically pulled from mags all around the world. The editors and amazing guest writers help in deciding what is picked to put in the magazine. They choose different things from magazines, such as photo shoots, illustrations, styling ideas: their choice is based on what inspires themselves in the hope that it will inspire you. And it really does!

The magazine is divided into sections so its easily readable.

I especially loved the material girl shoot Distill picked from a magazine.

As im in the libary now and i don't have the mag with me- i will blog later about my thoughts on the mag but for now you can read this review of the mag from the independent website and also just buy it you wont be dissapointed.

Uni...

Hey ho so im back at uni, and i don't have the internet but should be getting it soon so there will be a little loss of blogging..as you can see sorry!

Lets get to the fab stuff...

My last blog i posted was about the autumn/winter trend-tartan, and like i said if you want some tartan get yourself off to primark, some of the tartan lovelies they have there are amazing. I bought Look mag yesterday and there was this really cool quirky shoot from Primark (not a huge shoot but a shot of some of the goodies they have in their a/w collection!) and the dresses there are amazing! They are so on trend! With their peplum esque dresses and huge bows on just about everything. If you have bought yourself any high end fashion mag you will have definately have seen the old english, D&G advertisements with every model wearing tartan! They are fabulous!

Whilst being at uni too i have noticed nearly everyone wearing the stuff, this gives me a rebelious attitude but the stuff is so cool and easily worn with anything i find. (Make note to self-Ashleigh take your camera around with you!!) Next week i am gonna try and blag my way into fashion week and if not take some little street style shots of the people trying to get in!

Check your Tartan.

I've already got myself some Autumn tartan (will post photos later); 2 shirts (that are stupidly similar-well i just wanted them in 2 colours!) in red and blue check. The material is so comfortable, you can dress the shirts up with a patent waist belt or dress them down and clash with the red tartan belt i got from Primark for £2. If you love the trend and don't know how to put or what to put together take a look at D&G's catwalk show.
Domenico and Stefano certainly know how to set a trend- their A/W 08 collection was dripping with the stuff! When you have checked out their collection take a look at the NOTW site to see where to get your pretty plaid pieces.