UNIVERSITY: TAILORING TECHNIQUES "CO-HABITATION"

For the final module of my second year on a BA (Hons) Fashion Design degree I was set two separate briefs. The first part involved producing half a tailored jacket and to understand the multiple processes of its creation.

Now, I know what you’re thinking ‘half’ a jacket? And yes… half! My lectures included how to craft a particular sleeve cuff or collar stand and at the end of demonstrations I was almost always told, “Oh, only you wouldn’t really be doing this if you were to make a full jacket”.

So to me the torture of making this pristine tailored half jacket was, to be honest, pretty pointless. Never the less, I remain super duper proud of my efforts and so chuffed with the end result. What do you reckon? Think half jackets will catch on? 
The second brief was focused around styling and trend forecast, we were asked to develop a package that would be suitable for trend forecasting site WGSN. Within this package we needed to include a trend book, a forecast in the form of a photo shoot or series of illustrations and also a journal to support the research.

RESEARCH

I decided to look into global population growth and also into contain-ability, this lead to co-habitation and the utilising of space. The development of this concept was mainly down to a trip to The Design Museum, London. Such an inspiring and innovative exhibition that I couldn’t help but look further into practicality; how we present, store and utilise space. 

I wanted to look at clothing and fashion in the same way, so I stripped down garments to the bare essentials and used whimsical graphic tee’s to say the rest. A lot of photography and other fashion editorial imagery lent themselves to these ideas and with those I came up with visuals for my own shoot, altering clothes so that they became transparent in places. Mirroring what it is to live with someone and having to share space and an existence. I made clothing appear vulnerable by cutting away the main body of tailored jackets, leaving behind the framework, letting the mind fill in the blanks. I made sure that the concept ran through the photographic style, creating compositions that seemed to encourage empty space, but not comfortable room for it occupants. Arched backs, tilted heads and braided hairstyles between two models creating that sense of adaptation.

RESEARCH IMAGES SOURCES

NEWS WORLD

2011 Annual Underwater Photography Contest: Winner- Tobias Friedrich of Germany.

The National Geographic

Disney Tron Legacy

SHOOT

So here's my finished photo shoot, as usual concept, styling and post production by me; set out in a WONDERLAND magazine layout. Hope you like it!?   

CREDIT:

Photographer: Talia White
Models: Ashleigh Holder & Eliza Jade
MuA: Alexandra Dyson
Hair: Josie Scott

NOTD: GOSH (60) LAMBADA

I was feeling pretty sassy today wearing my new favourite red nail polish by GOSH cosmetics. I think this is the perfect Dita Von Teese red, and to me she embodies everything it is to be a woman. Beautiful. Oh and is it just me or does red nail polish make you feel like the sexiest vixen around, no matter what your hair, makeup or outfit look like? 

GOSH Nail Lacquer in 'LAMBADA' (60) £4.75

I got mine in a 'Buy any 2 GOSH products & get a FREE Nail Lacquer' offer, so always keep a look out for nifty deals!

GOSH UK

What's your favourite red nail polish shade?

L x

DESIGNER OF THE DAY: MAWI

Designer of the day is MAWI, a London based company owned by jewellery designer Mawi Keivom, it’s known for its elaborate statement pieces with collections such as CANDY LUXE, DECO ROCKS, also PRETTY TOUGH and FEMME FATAL personal favourites and the newest collections for A/W 2011.

PRETTY TOUGH is a collection that is centred on the unconventional   lady. The collection gives women the tools to present the other facets of her personality and throw away or mix up outdated rules of decorum.

To me, jewellery is the ultimate accessory; forget handbags and even shoes, they just help you cart your meat sack and baggage around all day. Jewellery on the other hand, can make so many statements, evoke memory, emotion and history. What you decide to drape around your neck or circle your finger should display some sort of unspoken truth about yourself, but nobody can begrudge a little superficial decoration when the designs are this good!?
I just think of jewellery as the tattoo you can take off and change with your mood. The perfect accessory.

All my jewellery, even the inexpensive stuff has a story behind them and I’d be devastated if I ever lost any of it!

The MAWI brand speaks to all sides of my personality, from the little girl to the goth and back again while never failing to impress each season. The designs are ultra contemporary, mixing in a whole host of worldwide cultural inspiration that manages to have a vintage, futuristic and a playful flare all at the same time. No wonder there's such a huge celebrity fan base but there really is something to suit everyone's taste. 

I’m definitely a jewellery girl. In love! 

L x

SLEEK MAKEUP REVIEW

Blush in ‘Santorini-889’ £4.50 (ABOVE) & ‘Flamingo-937’ £4.50 ★★★★★

I’d heard a lot of good things about the Sleek blushers and all the hype was much deserved. This blusher is a great value for money product; that is super pigmented and on trend, while buffing into the skin effortlessly. I recommend these 100% and I’ll definitely be buying more shades in the future!

Kajal Eyeliner in ‘Nocturnal’ (Black) £4.30 ★★★★★

This is my all time favourite Sleek product, the ‘Kajal Eyeliner’ is so perfect for lining your waterline, tightline and even using it as smudged winged liner. It’s super cheap and because of its creamy crayon-like format, it will last you just as long as a regular kohl eyeliner pencil except you get tons more versatility with the 'Kajal'. It gives you such pigmented colour, the blackest of the black and defines the eyes with a super crisp line. It’s ideal for a nighttime smoky eye or just to make your lashes look thicker in the day! Such a brilliant product that everyone should own! 

True Colour Lipstick in ‘O.M.G-784’ (Red) £4.00 & ‘Peaches & Cream-774’ (Coral) £4.00 ★★★

These two shades are ‘sheen’ finishes and they can be a little patchy if applied straight onto the lip, but with lip balm underneath the colours are very pigmented.  I've worn them out and about and touch ups at work were needed, however I would say you get a good 3 hours out of them, before you need to apply more to maintain that intense colour. However, if your looking for something less high maintenance, I'd recommend the 'Pout Polishes' as they last all day with varying amount of colour while also giving your lips a hit of moisture.

Overall Sleek do offer a very fashionable and on trend colour range which is hard to find at a drugstore/high street level. Also, as trends come and go paying a fraction of the MAC or Nars price for a particular seasons colour is very appealing, don’t you think?    

Pout Polish in ‘Scandal-960’ £4.30 ★★★★★

This product is a lazy day lifesaver, it’s so simple to use and I’d say you don’t even need a mirror to apply it in confidence, it’s just perfect for on the go. It smells divine and goes on super smooth, it also doesn’t leave your lips with that tacky or greasy feel, they just feel moisturised. The 'Pout Polishes' give you a kick-ass pop of colour that’s easy to reapply. A massive hit with me.

I hope that this truthful review of my personal Sleek makeup collection is helpful when deciding what you want to try first, all I can say, is the buzz around this company is well deserved and that they have got some brilliant products. 

I haven't ever tried any of the eye shadow palettes. Have you? Let me know what you think!   

Let me know your favourites! 

Take care. L xx

HOW TO: A SIMPLE AT HOME MANICURE

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UNIVERSITY: STYLING FOR EDITORIAL "IMPOSTOR"

This was a second year BA (Hons) Fashion Design module called 'Styling for Editorial' in which we had to develop a concept to communication trends for S/S 2011, for a particular editorial publication. I focused my photo shoot towards the fashion, beauty and art editorial WOUND magazine.

My initial concepts revolved around the film Wicker Park and numerous piece of photography and art. Looking at how light and dark could create illusion and how people can transform themselves.

As the project began to develop, I started to look into more impostor type angles, looking into real life con artists and impostors. Trying to figure out how they could get away with so much and for a time, without any suspicion. 

I also explored multiple personality disorder and in particular the book A Fractured Mind, by Robert B. Oxnam. This honest account of a life with MPD is an eye opening account of the minds ability to protect itself and how one human body can be inhabited by several levels of consciousness. It is honestly one of the most intriguing stories I have ever read!

I used all of this information to comprise what type of fabric textures to include, what sort of shadows to cast and overall encourage the feeling of more than one presence. 
So these are my final pages for WOUND magazine, concept, styling and post production all by yours truly, spilt into two individual shoots featuring models Ali Lomas & Joanna Young.

SHOOT ONE

SHOOT TWO
 

 
CREDIT:
Photographers: Abigail Morris & Hannah Beth.
Models: Ali Lomas & Joanna Young

TOPSHOP MAKEUP REVIEW

Ok. So I finally caved and brought myself some of the Tophop makeup line, I’ve been tempted for so long but as with most clothing store makeup lines the products never seem to make it into your favourite's list or last the distance. 

At the moment, Topshop stock three collections: CORE, Sandstorm and Heavy Duty. 

The CORE collection is their permanent range that only changes or adds colours with the seasons and is ultimately Topshop's take on the basics needed in every girls makeup bag, including makeup brushes and tools. This is the collection I will be reviewing. 

'Sandstorm' is a limited addition collection that will only be available through the summer season; this contains more trend lead products, with more daring colours and textures. I did have a quick look at this collection and it did look very impressive, the colour range looked perfect for creating more trend based looks to suit S/S 2011, especially the 70's and colour blocking trends. 

'Heavy Duty' is a much smaller collection and is a collection for more evening/night time or event makeup, the name implies that the lasting power of these products would be longer than other items; it also implies that a heavier and more dramatic look can be achieved with this collection. 

HIGHLIGHT OF MY LIFE.

Highlighter in 'Sunbeam': £12. ★★★★★

This is such a beautiful summer highlighter and I will be using it all summer! I have to admit I am a little bit in love with it, so much so that sometimes I'm a tad too highlighted! 

And ok, you could go and pay the extra £8 for a MAC highlighter and you would get 3.5g more product, so bare this in mind. BUT, I personally haven't seen a highlighter like this before, and the quality is just lovely, it’s well milled and doesn't leave your skin powdery. It buffs into the skin and reflects the light perfectly, to give you that summery, fresh and glowing complexion. 

Its not the best compact for your handbag, the packaging is pretty and sturdy but a little too bulky for travel or on-the-go purposes but if you end up falling for it like I did, you'll happily chose this product over some others to make room. 

I apply mine with the Number 42, Flat Blush brush from Sephora, it gets in under your brow and catches your cheekbones perfectly.   

CREAMY CHEEKS.

Cream Blusher in 'Flush': £6. ★★★★

This was a new thing for me altogether, I wanted to start using more cream based products for over the summer months. I was excited to try this product but the consistency of the blush was just a little bit bitty. The colours they offer are very pretty and the pigmentation is so good for the price, it blends into your skin smoothly even though the texture feels slightly grainy but it sit well on your skin and the colour lasts all day! 

I would definitely recommend this product for anyone looking to try cream blushes for the first time, as the colours are so fashionable and they are very affordable. 
I will be trying a more high end cream blush soon, the Bobbi Brown: 'Pot Rouge for Lips and Cheeks' £17, so hopefully this will give me a better idea of how creamy a cream blush should be.
The application of this product was much much smoother when applied with the Sephora Professionnel: 'Mineral Powder Brush (45)' £15.87, which is a bargain because its such a brilliant brush!  

OUTLINE.

Eye Kohl Pencils in 'Frost' & 'Petrol': £4. ★★★★★

Without a doubt these eye kohl pencils will be permanent items in my makeup bag, they are such good quality and value for money that I have completely ditch my Rimmel eye kohl and there's no looking back! I had wanted to try a white eyeliner for the summer season, to give my eyes that brighter and healthier look and I’m so glad that I tried it first with the Topshop kohl pencil. 

The white is so pigmented and brightens your eye immediately; the lasting power is brilliant especially for the price. The application is so smooth it literally glides onto your water line and with one sweep of the pencil, your done. I couldn't recommend this product any more; it’s just the perfect eye kohl pencil!   

NEAT NAILS.

Nail Varnish in 'World's End' & 'Green Room' £5. ★★★

I really liked the nail varnishes although they weren't my favourite product, for £5 they have a very good application and consistency comparable to the Barry M nail varnishes, however the Topshop varnishes go on a little thicker. I would definately say they were worth the money but I will only be looking to repurchase the more trend lead and unique colours in the collection. 

I would like to point out that the prices throughout all three collections are very similar if not the same. Lipsticks from both collections are priced at £8, all nail varnish is priced at £5 and the large highlighter compacts are all priced at £12. The similar pricing makes me believe that the quality I experienced with the CORE collection will be the same across all other collections. I will definately be purchasing from the Topshop makeup line again and trying out their limited edition collections. 

Future Topshop buys?

Thanks for reading.L x