a few more names to remember

some other gems from the show for central saint martins 2009

Jamie cockerill

ara jo

Rita Graves

salivating over philip preiswerk

I just wrote the below blog on some of the graduates from the central saint martins show. i wrote it then browsed the internet for a bit. then i found a PHILIP PREISWERK dress that i hadn't seen when writing my previous blog which caused me to gasp.... it's....it's perfect.
although, does the model's posture remind anyone of a meerkat?

central saint martins graduate week report

graduate fashion weeks are always a hot bed of young fresh designer talent. while some of the designs are highly conceptual and interesting at best. a lot more are an fresh and new take on classics which really work. I had a quick glance at a few new designers hot off the degree catwalks.....

the above and below dress is PHILIP PREISWERK for central saint martin's graduate show. loving the color and the fabric. however not so sure on the what looks like patches on the bodice. but love the stripes across the face....
Mr Prieswerk seemed to be a rave with the reviewers who all included his work across a series of blogs, newspaper articles and in deed the mothership...vogue.com. his mad sculptural ball gowns did seem to lift the spirits and blow away the competition. eye catching, a little bit crazy but very very stylish...i like! i do have to ask, though. the last dress with the puff shape...where would you wear it????!!!!

phoebe English was another designer to watch with her interesting head pieces such as the one above. quirky. I like the gold detail on the skirt too.

young designer of the year went to Marie Hill for her fluoro cocktail dresses, I do like a bit of neon every now and again. sorry, better use the fashion friendly term of fluoro. but, note : the turban has returned. I predict there being a rush on turban for next season. see an earlier blog on turban's by Joanne Hynes.

Luke Brooks was on my best in show list. I loved his knitwear. I really do love the knit cacoon dress above. not too sure where he was going with the wellies but i do like the detail and design in the dress above, the layers work perfectly and the cut is perfect.
this was the only thing i was not sure about. I dislike the string vest and feel it let the interesting shape of the skirt down. the string vest is a bit Gwen Stefani in her hollaback days....

so all in all the show seems to have been a success and i am quite impressed with what I saw. the independant has this to say on the show :

"The last recession brought a burst of creativity," says Willie Walters, course director of the BA fashion degree at London's Central St. Martin's. "Young designers understood there were no jobs out there, but they soldiered on with a hope and a prayer. It takes hard times for creativity to really be appreciated."

"It should be clear then, that fashion's class of 2009 are ready to face whatever the industry and the economy may throw at them. "In times like this, our students get more and more creative," asserts Lucinda Chambers, fashion director of British Vogue. "After all, in this country, we're used to doing things on no money."

Coco before chanel. the wardrobe

OOOOOHHHHH the happiness and the anticipation is overwhelming.....the new coco before chanel film is nearly here. there have been a few leaked images from the wardrobe department. I am so excited.......... check out the above images and let us know what you think

rihanna and her nipples take a walk.

another day, another stripper outfit. I do like rihanna's new style. but is this not a bit.....erm, cheap as chips? now, if i had paid that much for a set of boobs...i mean nipple tassels....as nice as these I would get them out too. but the truth is I do not have either, so I shall sit firmly on my judging fence and judge accordingly.
check out an earlier blog on her thigh high laser cut boots......erm, has she been raiding stringfellows for style tips. note to RiRi, those ladies are paid to wear that garb (and paid for some other nasty stuff too) so, maybe, we should leave the professionals to it?
give your mate Kanye a bell, i'm sure with his new job at GAP he could sort you right out with a nice blouse or some capri pants (thats what I imagine GAP sell because i would never shop there- please)
oh rihanna, do go back to your stylish roots and prove me wrong. we have all had our moments of style vomit enducing outfits (cheryl cole's pathetic birthday dancing on ice disaster anyone?)
please say this is a once off.

COME BACK TO THE LIGHT RIHANNA!!!!!

lady gaga does malta

nuttier then squirrel shit. lady gaga in Malta wearing what she described as a 'contemporary art' piece. having studied art in college I can honestly say.....bollocks!
anyway, i do love her. she has the balls to be different and a bit mad and more a bit of a weirdo. so, why not! lets all do it!

kelly osbourne and luke worrell feel the recession burn

Now this is recession couples for you. sharing the same box of bleach....aw..... seriously. these are hard times. and as tesco says, 'every penny helps...'

beth ditto for evans

looks like the fashion elite were mixing it up again at the launch of Beth Ditto for Evans. I posted on this collection before but I think the time has come to show off some of the pieces. By the way, can I just say? how boring does Kate (yawn) Moss look standing next to the wonderfully colorful Miss Ditto!!!!! careful mossy, Miss Ditto has eaten squirrels before and lets face it, there is proberely more meat on one of them then you........


the collection is highly wearable. were as (I'll be honest ) i've never been into Evans (the clothes are horrible) this would change my mind. the clothes are in a range of 14 - 32. and decently priced. so for those of us who are a bit bigger and still like a sequin, it's perfect. the right mix of beth ditto and evans.

I nabbed a quote from the guardian about it : (sorry lads)

First we talked about Beth's frustrations in never being able to find fun must-haves," says Lisa Marie Peacock, head designer for Evans, whose team apparently spent weeks last summer tailing Ditto on the festival circuit and talking to her fans about their clothes and where they shopped. "Beth arrived with loads of cute little sketches and a suitcase full of amazing vintage clothes that she'd begged, borrowed and stolen over the years. She was even involved choosing fabrics and prints."
There are cunning little tricks in the collection to ensure a good fit. The high-waisted leggings have reinforced waist panels, so won't have to be yanked up every five minutes, and the stretchy domino dress is made of double fabric. "We tried every piece on a size-16 model and a size-22 model, then Beth would try them on too and jump around a lot."

stella mcartney skinnies. why dear lord why?

forgive me a moment please......
right, erm, how to start with these. right, these look like something you would find on the sale rails at topshop. ( with three quarters of the price slashed off, in every size and lots of them) they are manky. While I am not the biggest fan of the dip dye trend. (because it was last summer and everyone from river island to primark ripped it off and did it badly)
I have to say, shocked. these are stella mcartney. dear lord...is this what it has come to?
it looks a little bit like a fifteen year old was let loose with a tin of bleach and an afternoon off from school with the promise of a school disco to go to and no new clothes. seriously??? your telling she made these? with what, a smirk on her face? a giggle? a pint of gin in her hand????
i'm really sorry that this site can sometimes be a big annoying that it has to be opinion but i refuse to lick a designers arse if i don't like bits of a collection....

hey, I may be a bitch, but at least i'm an honest bitch................

Joanne Hynes.....

I recently came across a familiar face on facebook. Joann Hynes. Joanne used to teach fashion in my college when I was but a young impressionable 18 year old with bad hair and even worse dress sense. While my main memory of her is her constant asking us to keep the door open incase of fire (my flatmate at the time preferred it shut) I do remember her sense of style and i've been curious about her collections. the above picture is the woman herself. and the below photos are her collection. (thanks to Joanne Hynes facebook for the robbed photos) but, I am LOVING the turbans. the last time I saw turbans on the catwalk I liked and the inevitable high street copies I was too slow off the mark to nab myself one. so I am enjoying the return of the turban, better then that. the return of the shiny turbans!!!

most of this collection seems to heavily black with gold.

and for some reason, makes me think of russia for some reason....

the below photo is what i feel the piece i like the best from the collection. I love the cut of the dress and the decorative neckline. I like the turban (of course) the dress is quite simple in design but i think it works really really well for it.

So....while I only have a few images, you can check out the rest on facebook (and in a better size too). her collection does seem to be well worth a glance. I was not so much of a fan of her spring summer stuff but this, i like.

sequinned jackets

oooohhhh topshop, you dirty mare.......i love it!!!! as you well know by reading this blog i am a fan of the sequin....but this, this is more then a bit of alright.....i see this with black pants and a rock t-shirt (i'm thinking a nice led zeppelin one??) I'm in love..... the cropped jacket is a life saver. got a boring outfit? throw this on. need to dress up a understated outfit? throw this on. got nothing to wear and wearing the same old same old? throw this on (you get the idea) but, i still have a sadly non sequinned cropped jacket from topshop i bought going on 6 years ago and i still wear it.
the curious thing about topshop jackets (no other jacket mind) is that they tend to go walk abouts. i don't mean a fashion mugging or a simple desk theft (R.I.P. my beloved duffle coat) but, they tend to move of their own accord.
that aforementioned jacket and my duffle coat used to disapear for months on end and would reappear as if nothing was wrong. my duffle once went to galway without me. stayed for a week and then came home (a friends car) and it also went to germany once with me but stayed in another hotel. the cropped jacket went to a house party, liked it so much it didn't come home for a year. it got back finally a bit worse for wear in june.
(party was in september) the jacket looked half shagged out!!!!

does anyone else have these issues with their topshop (only topshop) jackets?

two days left!

two days left to vote for either me or adam to win the style off competition. we are currently drawn. which is lousy. so one more vote will swing it. but i have to ask people to vote fairely and not for the person (aka - vote for the clothes not the person!)

reporting live from dublin!!!!!

WOOO! this blog is moving! well, i am. a few days ago got me a job and now moving myself . but even better. into a beautiful georgian flat in the middle of town. it is the best looking flat ive ever moved to! so so happy. could not be more happy. So in future will be reporting from the wonderful world of dublin!!!!

although i will be sad to leave all my friends and what feels like my limerick family behind. I have been so lucky to have such a wonderful support network of friends backing me this year. its made me so happy. i will be happy to welcome anyone to Dublin to come visit us and we will do our best to make everyone feel welcome (and drunk) in our home!

however as we get set up and organise broadband, it may mean that the blog might suffer a few technical problems but i am sure we will have everything set up asap. just bear with us!

here's to my new slightly scary grown up world!!!!

shoe cheating

well, it's happened. i'm having an affair...an illicit affair behind my boyfriends back. with these shoes. well, sorry adam. it had to happen sometime.... there is something about these shoes that just screams 'TAKE ME!'

I confessed my sins on saturday night.....

Apologies to Madonna Lucia for robbing the pic above but, when I go to an event I like to cover it for the blog. So off I went to the new Confessions night in Scotts bar last saturday. With my best Miss Penny dreadful attire on ( which is backcombed hair and some glitter) and I have to say I was tired, i was sore (from my new past time of jogging) and i was in a bad mood ( too many mojitos the night before) i was in no humour. HOWEVER, upon arriving my bad mood was lifted, the music was good, the layout and decor of the pub was brilliant - they had a fecking pole - and the crowd was amazing! I had an amazing night. the only small problem was the over 21's door policy (the boyfriend is under 21 - i however am old) but they still let him in which helped us avoid a scene.

I got a go or six on the pole and am happy to report i am still HANGING! from it!!! the poor boyfriend had to put me to bed early sunday and give me a massage to stop me from moaning. (which I do all too well) but all in all. I do reccommened this club to anyone which I think is running every second week, because its a great laugh!!! prepare to be dying the next day though....... and don't drinking mojitos the night before....just a tip.....

Kanye west....a rant.

here's one for you. Kanye west (superstar rapper - possibly the best in the world according to himself) is working behind the scenes at GAP. (why?) he is taking time out (from being up his own arse) to learn the fashion industry from the inside before launching his own collection. He is apparently doing really well working there. (WTF???) and wants to know the industry quietly rather then collaborating with the label.

While i (shock horror) almost agree with the idea of working for head office before launching your own line, lets face it, there are enough half assed celeb ranges out there ( nicole richie anyone???? house of (horrors) harlow???)  and some good ones ( beth ditto for evans - she knows like!) but there are still too many. its not speacil anymore to get a celeb piece designed for some random high street company. its just something you do.

so I salute the decision. still though as someone who can't get into a high street store to work at head office as it's all she wants to do....i can't help feeling a bit annoyed that i can't get a helping hand (leg up) into fashion......... because I am sure Kanye West got in there based on his years of working full and part time for different retail companies like all of us.

can you just see him having a fag break with the rest of the shop floor workers moaning about payday and planning a total, i mean total staff discount binge when that day comes????

besides, i thought D&G would be more his thing then....GAP??????

the luella headband

adding a touch of luella glam to your summer outfits. this is so luella. from topshop so you know its going to reasonably cheap and cheerful. Wear with clashing brights and a smile. accessorize with pimms - lots of!

pimp my partner

A while ago I raved about the start of something new : PIMP MY PARTNER.

the idea is that the other person styles their partner and then the winner (as voted by you guys on the top right hand corner of the blog) has to take the other out dinner and dancing.

So here we go :

Starting with my look for my boyfriend Adam.

What he normally wears : I find his look normally a cross bet

ween grunge and emo and goth. He likes a lot of black, blazers and jeans. 

Why I put him in this : I selected a t-shirt from topman with 'Where the wild things are' on it. I like men in interesting t-shirts, a loose checkered shirt with black skinny jeans. he has an amazing figure so, can get away with the skinniest of jeans. I would have liked  abetter selection of footwear as I would have put him in black patient pointy shoes. The hat and scarf were nice add ons. I love a slouchy hat on a man. I also added a bright yellow belt to add a bit of color to the outfit as i find mens clothing can be  a bit dull sometimes. in short this was my idea of styling up my boyfriend in a casual but alternative get up.

end result : he bought the shirt and the hat!

styling miss penny

What I normally wear : I like anything with a sequin and pvc. I love offensive bright clothing and nothing is too outrageous. So Adam really had a challenge in that I can literally wear anything. I don't rule out anything.

Why He chose this : He chose a long black top with a lot of sequinned detail. this over a body con skirt and black leather look leggings. To accessorise he chose a feathered headband and chunky bracelet. There were time problems for Adam as Topshop Dublin is twice the size of Topman Dublin. but still a good effort. the shoes were the only thing not changed and are my own. SO don't judge the shoes

end result : I bought the skirt! and it fits perfectly.

So how can you help?

after examining the above photos. vote for whose style effort you like the most above and the winner will be taken out for dinner and wineing and dancing! so vote carefully and keep your eyes peeled for the next challenge.

TREND REPORTING FROM DUBLIN

me. on the way to dublin. rocking a topshop leather/pvc mix jacket and a vintage looking scarf. Totally caught off guard with the camera. but you can also see my chain necklace and black dress. Dublin was amazing as always. I have to report on the top five trends I observed while there :

1- head bands. are everywhere. scarfs knotted, lace, thick bands, 

2- fake plaits. MAC in Brown Thomas were rocking these as a trend while i was there. looked good. worn across the forehead, as a headband and plaited into the girls own hair. plaits however you wear them, were everywhere.

3 - bubble skirts worn with skinny belts. in fact saw very few thick belts while there.

4 - blazers were EVERYWHERE. worn longer then the last time they were around. they are mid thigh if nothing.

5 - harem pants. but not cropped pants. longer ones to the ankle. tapered. wonderful fitting and slimming.

6- emo hair. the new hair style of choice (namely on younger people) was backcombed and sprayed into place. Miss Winehouse has a lot to answer for. 

so there you have it. trends from the front line.

SALE REPORTING FROM THE FRONT LINE. sale reporting with the sale ninja

necklace nabbed from topshop in the sale - 30 euro down to three euro. take lessons from the sale ninja. nab yourself a bargain.

Bloody topshop sale has hit. and i am totally broke. here are my tip offs for a top sale shop.

1 - tee and cake -tshirts are reduced to half priced. My money is on the tshirts i don't have, which include, grace jones, kurt cobain and the john and yoko one. also included are the prince t-shirts and sex pistols one. but good luck with finding a sex pistols one.

2 - Kate moss apparel  - nab the long silk maxi dress. its the best thing in the sale. also the poppy dress which was everywhere is there too. well worth nabbing. although i think the poppy thing looks a bit....something....a sale is a sale...

3 -  Tis the season to be merry, the fluoro platforms are in the sale. the ones i have been lusting over all year. it is also a good season to be in the mood to buy flats. most of the sale is flatforms. canvas shoes, etc. buy now. look smug later.

4 -  belts are in the sale this season. but are all chunky with detail. a waistbelt is always a solid investment as they are always handy - this season is all about the skinny belt - but don't be afraid to buy chunky. they will return. plus some dresses demand a chunky belt.

5 -  handbags are thin on the ground this sale. your better off looking elsewhere. not the season to be handbag shopping unless your paying full price

6 - this is the sale to get involve in topshop's many brands. the brand seem to be off loading the best gear. dresses galore. so if your looking for something different a trip to .com or dublin will steer you right. work it!

things to buy :

1 - good jeans. straight legged of course or skinny which will always serve you

2 - a good belt. as mentioned above

3 - topshop reduce their t-shirt and vest prices dramatically. take advantage

4 - any accessories, my advice is unless they are running low on the item you like, stall the ball. freedom jewelry always price everything half price then reduce them to 3 euro after a while. you would not believe the bargains i have nabbed playing that game.

things to avoid :

1- anything neon - the time has come people to hand over yer neons and hang up your whistles, nu rave has passed over (thanks primark) to the realm of the unfashionable thanks to cheap neons from pennys and river island. 

2 - anything non accessory with fringing. bags will still rock with fringing but this is a trend which will end in the summer.

3 - anything which involves the words 'lace 'and 'body'. lace is a tricky trend at the best of times but this is something i can't even fathom how to wear...

best sales of the summer

1- office - nab new platforms and new shoes from the masters of sexy shoes

2 - urban outfitters - have some good t-shirts and home ware. avoid the accessories. not a great selection.

3 - topshop - good this season.

4 - schuh - good selection of irregular choice shoes for sale but limited sizing.

ray ban clubmasters

finally got me some clubmasters. what do people think? are we feeling them for this season? is the color right? do i look like a twat? answers on a postcard........

(for anyone thinking they look cool - you can find them in the market in Dublin city center for 12 euro in a variety of colors)