Anyone for Fancy Dress?

The invite flies through the letter box, all excited we open to see what the date is and whether we can attend to find out it’s a ‘FANCY DRESS’….aaarrrgggghhhhhhhhh!!!!

You will either love or loathe. Having to put something together that looks half-hearted because you could not find the pieces to fill in the missing gaps. Then there is dealing with the other half, ‘I am not going to a fancy dress’. How many times has this happened to you?

It makes it worse when you see the stars looking ultra-glam and nothing more than amazing when they have a fancy dress. Elton John’s or Jonathan Ross’s Halloween party each year is nothing short of amazing. Where or where do they get there great costumes from?

Last week at College we were introduced to the most amazing place, ‘The National Theatre Costume Hire’. Take a look at my pictures. You can hire anything from any era and I mean any era. It is phenomenal what they have on offer. As I walked up and down the many aisles of clothes, that are all in chronological order to help you, I could not help but think these clothes were the fashion of their day. They maybe costumes to us now but were once very fashionable or practical pieces of clothing…..felt very strange. How fashion can change so dramatically.

I had to pop on eof the costumes on.

One of the many aisles.

Masks on offer.

So whether, you have a themed wedding or a big birthday bash. You can call make an appointment and have the help of an assistant during your pre booked visit to help. With their historical knowledge you will knock your friends bandy. From 50 years of productions you can hire virtually anything from costumes to props.

There are other places of course that you can hire from. I am sure your local market has a stall with the cheaper versions that you obviously purchase and keep. If you have a local theatre company (Am Dram) with a wardrobe department then they will hire no doubt. I started off in theatre when I was 6 years old and I still hire from there if I need anything for a performance. These sailor outfits I hired for a big out door performance. So do check your local theatre.


2008 Manchester Mardi Gras.

‘Angels’ is also very famous in London. They have a Costumiers which in the 80s Alexander McQueen worked for and they have their cheaper fancy dress hire on ‘Shaftsbury Avenue’. The Royal Family are regular uses of Angels, Elton John and Sir Mick Jagger have been known to hire from them.

They have recieved 26 Best Costume Oscars for work that Angels has done on major international films, including Star Wars, Titanic, Lawrence Of Arabia, The Great Gatsby (the remake of this will be out later 2012 and is a big fashion look for this year calling it ‘Gatsby Glamour’), The Aviator and Memoirs of a Geisha. Also, two movies - The Queen and Marie Antoinette – featured costumes supplied by Angels these two received 2007 Oscar nominations for Achievement in Costume Design. How cool is that!

So next time that invite arrives their is no reason to dread 'You will be the bell of the ball'.

Photo's are here at last!!!!

Third week into College was our first shoot. As I have mentioned in previous blogs it was to be a piece on 1920s ‘The Gatsby Look’ that is very big in the fashion world for 2012.
These are my finished photos.

Kimono - I borrowed from a brilliant shop www.preciousatwhalley.com if you ever get the chance you have to visit. It is like an Aladdin’s cave. It is owned by Marianne and she just has the best eye for fashion and accessories……….I LOVE IT. I buy an awful lot from her and I get sooooo many comments. I have even had people buying accessories from me that I have been wearing…MAD!!!!

The head dress and ring is from ‘Joolz’ you can view her on facebook.com/just joolz - Very talented with jewellery. I have also worn a pieces of hers out and been commented on a lot to.

The Kimono was because of the texture (velvet), the design which looks like Art Deco (from the 20’s). Also they wore a lot of head pieces and I wanted this to be striking…….. so voila!!

I have spotted another beautiful kimono in either black or cream for the summer from River Island for you. Remember to wear with slimmer fitting items on your bottom half. If you go baggy both top and bottom it can make you look bigger. You don’t have to be skin tight just skim the body.

http://www.riverisland.com/Online/women/tops/smart-tops/cream-tassel-hem-kaftan-607602

London Fashion week has been this week. I bet you have had a look on line or at the hairdressers through the magazines? Yes! So have I - I had been invited to ‘Rohmer’ collection for Autumn/Winter 2012/2013 but could’t make it due to me having gastroenteritis. I know tell me about it…..I AM GUTTED!!!!!

I absolutely adore Alexander McQueen and his McQ range was beautiful well cut, great tailoring and especially the men they looked exquisite - a lot of tartan and tweed.
There is ‘NEWGEN’ sponsored by TOPSHOP that showcases new up and coming designers. I loved one particular dress from David Koma it has a 1960’s space age feel to it.

David Koma

Over all though it was Bora Aksu because of his girly look with a twist. His tights are amazing and the colours teamed with frills and bow ties. Well I have completely fallen in love, fashion is personal opinion and I think this guy is a genius.

Bora Asku

Meadham Kirchoff - Edward Meadham and Benjamin Kirchoff, I thought there collections where brilliant. I could see elements and I really mean elements of this in River Island, Topshop, Dorothy Perkins, Next. It is very very very OTT but then that is what fashion is on the Catwalk. It looked to me as though it had been inspired by the two ugly sisters in Cinderella…….Ha ha. Have a look and you will know what I mean, but I absolutely adore it.

Meadham Kirchoff

Overall though, you and I as the consumer/shopper are not ready for Autumn/Winter 2012. The summer stuff is just coming in and we are booking our holidays…YEH!!!!!

Where are the PR girls darling....Sweety sweety sweety. xxx

At College this week we were taken to ‘EXPOSURE PR’ just off Oxford Street in London.

PUBLIC RELATIONS.  A massive part of any products as this helps with Marketing and having your product either worn by a Celebrity in a Magazine or placed in an area where fingers crossed it’s going to generate sales.

We met a brilliant woman called Ceri Morris who is Showroom Manager. Boy does this company work with some amazing brands. I took some pics on my phone so I could show you.

This is Ceri Morris and I. With' Levis' behind us.

'Toy Watches'- Huge Brand.

Part of 'Claires Accessories'.

'Hunter Wellies'.

As we are learning about a stylist’s life this is one huge part of it. They must build up Relationships to be able to borrow from PR agencies. Things like clothes, shoes, accessories. This helps Stylists dress models in fantastic clothes for Photo Shoots and also helps the Companies that the PR agency are looking after appear in great Magazines. But….you have to build a relationship and be a great freelance stylist and styling for well-known magazines this takes time.

Ceri was so interesting I could have spoken to her for ages but as we were on a schedule I could only ask a few questions.

They have been the PR Company that relaunched ‘BIBA’.  They have just taken on Sainsbury’s ‘TU’ brand and GOK WAN. In fact Gok Wan’s new collection is just weeks away from going into store. He always does an amazing job. Really thinks about real women and our lumps and bumps. You really must go and check it out.

Ceri had had Matt Cardle in the showroom and The Saturdays lending or sometimes giving them brands to wear. It is called Product Placement. It hopefully means that they will then wear the items and the Paparazzi will picture them and it will appear in the papers. How many times have you seen a celeb wearing something, googled it and then if it fits in your price range bought it? I know I have. The richer and more famous you are the more free stuff you get……..ITS JUST NOT FAIR!!!!!!!!!!!

A big look this summer is Pencil skirts and River Island has some brilliant ones at the moment. One in particular I have actually bought this week, I wore it out last night and had loads of comments on it. They are very flattering, wear with your Bridget Jones Knickers (support underwear) and your laughing.

http://www.riverisland.com/Online/women/skirts/tube--pencil-skirts/black-stripe-tube-skirt-615330

Only £22. Team this with a plan blouse, Camisole or T-shirt and pair of heels and it’s a winner. I wore mine with a Black T-shirt some Black heels and some little Black lace socks. You could also go for a bold block colour like Red with your shoes. Neckerchiefs are also very on trend and that would just finish the look off. Very sexy and very 1940/50s.

Pictures coming very soon from photo shoot a couple of weeks ago.

Lots of Love xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

KILLER HEELS

Week 3 was the BIG day for the first Photo shoot. I had put an awful lot of time and effort into this and not really had exactly what I had wanted which was still niggling me…..yeh yeh yeh!! I can hear you. Leave it behind and move on but I am and have always been like this.

Blog 2 (5 hours around Manchester states what I wanted).

I called in at a friends Boutique and there in the window was a beautiful Kimono which is very Oriental. Paul Poiret brought this from his travels in the 20s. You will see them in the shops now as the 1920s is big this year.

If you want one I have just found this beauty at ASOS in the SALE…YIPPEEE for just £16. Follow the Link below.

http://www.asos.com/ASOS/ASOS-Floral-Print-Fringe-Kimono/Prod/pgeproduct.aspx?iid=1702736&SearchQuery=kimono&sh=0&pge=1&pgesize=20&sort=-1&clr=Multi

Anyway it was a long day. Been on loads of photo shoots over the years with working with’BucksFizz’ and as a Solo artist. In fact been in the very same building for some of our shoots. The weird thing is when speaking to my Mum I realised that I had styled those shoots all those years ago and hadn’t really realised it. You may remember the Black PVC and the tops coming off instead of the Skirts for’ Making Your Mind UP’. That was my idea!!!! I thought it was great at the time but sometimes we all look back in horror at our ideas…Yikes!

Anyway I digress. My teachers and I had decided on Palazzo pants and no shoes with the Kimono. When I got to the shoot, the model….very beautiful….was a little smaller than I had expected and so I decided to loose the pants, (they would completely drown her) go with Black underwear and grabbed my shoes that I carry for work from my car. Good job she was my size feet hey!!

I was the last up and Natalia (Model) was very tired (which is understandable) and someone has to go last…so hey ho. I will show you the shoot when we have the finished article. I am sooooo picky and too hard on myself. I still think it could have been better.

Customising shoes- I am a rock chick at heart and have opted for something with lace and chains

‘KILLER SHOES’ a play on words. It’s what us girls call heels when they are high and these have a spider and a scorpion on them…..Love it!!

Oh by the way for the top I customised in the last blog I got an ‘A’. Well chuffed!!

COMPLETE CHANGE!!!

Well what a week!!!!

For some reason technology and I do not get on. I find it frustrating and slow.

I apologise for taking so long to write this but it is because I wanted to include pictures in this week’s blog and I could not get my NEW laptop to recognise my phone.  Anyway after 5 hours it’s working…..HOORAY!!!!

My blogs will be posted every Thursday and Monday from now on.  If there not, you know I have had a problem with the LAPTOP…LOL.

After week 2 at college we were each given a top which had been purchased from a charity shop to customize. Now……my friends always used to laugh at me when we went out as I was always sticking things to shoes, handbags, dresses, in fact if it had room on it I would stick something to it.

This was all purely for fun though, but getting a top in class is serious. When I do something I always want to do it to the best of my ability and I am terrible for putting pressure on myself and this case it was no exception……..OMG. What am I going to do?

You can see before and after shots just below. I started off wanting to do something with this season colours….pastels….hhmmmmmm. So I thought about something to do with Ice-cream, Cakes etc. But when I got to the superb ‘ABAKHAN’ in Manchester on ‘Oldham RD’ (it’s amazing) I changed my mind completely and went with ‘AFRICAN QUEEN’.

Very difficult as I am not a seamstress…you would not want me to turn up your trousers believe me. My sewing is like a three year olds.

I changed the colour to dark brown through a dye in the washing machine whilst I went to Body Combat. Came home and worked on it till 3 in the morning. I was knackered and still asking myself if it was good enough.

I made it halter neck with Feathers from PRIMARK…in the sale…how cheap!!!! Bought Earrings and used BIG CUFF bangles of my own to finish the look. Cut out the back. Which I am afraid you can’t see from the back as the dummy is too skinny and placed a chain with leather.

This idea came to me because of Leather, Cuffs, and Tribal still being very much on the shelves in the shops and so I wanted to do a slightly different spin on this.

I hope you like…although neither of us would wear out. But Fashion is all about the’ Theatre’ and that is what I wanted to create. We now have shoes to customise…more pressure.

3^rd week and it was the shoot. Very Long day and shots I have not seen properly yet so will tell you all in around 48 hours.

Thanks for reading and looking forward to showing you the pictures from the 1920s shoot.

Lots of Love Sally XXXXX

5 hours around the shops in Manchester!!

Loving my time at ‘London College of Style’ sooo interesting what goes on with in the Fashion world.

My first week I have spent a lot of time scurrying around the shops and stalls in Manchester and trawling the net. I have my very first shoot at College on putting together a 1920’s outfit for the 28th of Jan.

The Brief for this is as follows....the clothing has not to be costume and it is to be brought up to date with today’s fashion and look like it could be used in a magazine today. Gosh!.........Will I be able to do this!! I will only know once the shoot is over.

I thought my first idea was good.  Picture this. Pinstripe Suit, hair slicked back with lace covering the eyes with the model smoking. I thought this brought in the element of how the women were having more say and CoCo Channel brought in trousers for the women back in the 1920’s. Women had started smoking and having a say in life. I was well chuffed with myself, until!!!!!!!

OMG...No trouser suits on the high street fitting this description at all.......ARRRRGGGGHHHHH!! 5 hours in Manchester and NOTHING!

Although, while sifting through the magazines I came across one with no name attached so no idea where it had come from. This is proving to be difficult so back to the drawing board.

Afflecks Palace however, had an amazing new Jewellery Designer on the top floor called ‘Just Joolz’ and she is a genius. Found a brilliant necklace that could be changed into a head dress but didn’t know what clothes my model was wearing yet so just took her number. My feet, body and brain at this point are in a mush. What am I going to do?

I happened to visit a friends shop after Step Aerobics on Tuesday morning, bearing in mind college is the next day, (check it out www.preciousatwhalley.co.uk) and there in the window was a Fabulous KIMONO. That’s It!!

Orientalism started in the 1920’s by a designer called Paul Poiret. The pattern looks like Art Deco taken from the buildings of that era. A sigh of relief as I was at college the next day and had only got new versions of Flapper dresses from the net and both had not arrived as yet (I also thought this was a little obvious). I am probably teaching you how to suck eggs but just in case you didn’t know Flapper dresses were the dresses with Fringing that they wore at night dancing the Charleston.

Off to college for my second day with my Kimono...oh and one of the dresses was at the neighbours when I got home.

How did I get on this week?
xxxxxxx

FIRST DAY AT SCHOOL.... NERVOUS.

So my first day at ‘London College of Style’ was fab…I Loved It. Slightly worried with the amount of work but it is only for 12 weeks.

We go back to the day when women were coming out of their shells. Women were working, voting, smoking and even starting to be educated like the men.

After the Great War Fashion changed for women and how they were thought of dramatically. The huge designers of that time were Paul Poiret, Jean Patou and the well-known CoCo Channel. Ooohh an interesting fact is that CoCo Channel No 5 was launched in 1921. And this is when our all time favourite ‘Little Black Dress’ was launched.

Before the 1920’s women were squeezed into very tight corsets, huge bustles, heavy materials. Looked great, but would you have wanted to be so uncomfortable everyday? Me….no thanks.

Having said that I would not have enjoyed the 1920’s in the way of Fashion because it swayed itself to small hips and small busts the ‘Garconne’ look, French for Boyish. Out the window for me then….I would have been joining those who had to tape there chests down. The first time women started to wear trousers as well. Without trousers I would be completely stuck my wardrobe is full of them.

This look with a modern day twist is going to be one of the huge looks for Spring Summer 2012 and also Autumn Winter with the release of ‘The Greta Gatsby’ on the way.

It doesn’t have to be solely 1920’s you can mix and match with the other looks that are about as well.

Sooo Interesting.

Second day today. I will hopefully have an update of today by the weekend.

xxxxxxx