Lego Editorial Shoot

One whole month has already gone since I started my course at London College of Style. It has been a very busy period in my life with other personal things going on in the background, causing me to stretch my time and  abilities to the maximum. In spite of this I delivered assignment after assignment with great enthusiasm and eagerness: the weekly blog, different customized items for the History of Art class i.e.  1920’s inspired shoes, 1940’s inspired hat, several different mood boards and last but not least my  first editorial styling. 

These are my 1920’s customised shoes: a Cuban heel pair from a charity shop which I revived by spraying on some black swede spray to bring back the colour. You can find swede spray for about £5 £ in any shoe repair shops or specialised  shoe shops ie. Russell & Bromley.

The theme for the shoot- Urban Decay- was given to all the students three weeks in advance to allow sufficient time to put together a strong, original look.  Everyone envisioned the theme in their individual way so it wasn't a surprise when, on the day of the shoot, the final product was extremely different from one student to another. Among the looks that I admired the most was the ‘fallen angel’ look- think biker boots and black studded leather jacket teamed with ivory lacy dress and silver make-up and the 90’s street style look, beautifully accessorized  with customized  trainers (they had cassette tapes for laces) and an oversized ‘necklace’ ( messy tape hanging down from an old tire which was spray-painted in neon colours). Well done girls!

Students at work :)

As weeks went by, everyone become more and more competitive. There was more at stake and somehow we all felt more pressure after our tutor informed us that Time and Leisure magazine was to select their favourite look and print it on the cover of their November Issue. I was quite relaxed about it all as I knew straight away that my look will be about colour and, with my tutor’s help, I  fine-tuned the details in the weeks prior to the big day. Having a team of experienced professionals to support us in the process made things less stressful and, of course, more manageable. Our teachers’ invaluable advice was vital for the smooth  running of this project.  

After picking up pair of white shoes from a charity shop  and a  black, shiny PVC pair of trousers from Rihanna’s new collection for River Island (which I felt were my strongest item) I had to find a way to bring some colour in and apply it to my look without blurring the urban decay accents. I knew my quirky designer friend, Anne- Sophie had amazing, eccentric pieces and accessories that she customized herself and they were just the thing I needed . Sophie graduated last year from Central St Martins and she has a very creative mind, using toys as her main customizing elements. Think  car embellished jumpers and jackets, lego coated dresses, doll legs earings and all sorts of other unthinkable toy-garment combinations. If you want to check Anne- Sophie’ s ‘toy  shop’- and I strongly recommend you do for some original fashion at its best-  have a look at her blog and be ready to be dazzled. http://cycleinheels.blogspot.co.uk/search?updated-min=2013-01-01T00:00:00-08:00&updated-max=2014-01-01T00:00:00-08:00&max-results=28.

After selecting some of Sophie’s Lego jewelry: two  bangles, a necklace  and some earrings and trying everything on  I realized the splash of colour was only concentrated on the top half  somehow clashing with the rest of the outfit.  So thinking on my feet and not wanting to ruin a pristine white pair of wedges, I decided to stick some of Anne- Sophie’s Legos onto the wedge with double sided tape. And this is the result:  

Although the legos aren’t glued onto the shoes permanently, they still look the part. The only downfall was that on the day of the shoot I was running around collecting the Legos that kept coming off  as my model  was moving  J.

The Legos were spot on for my 'urban decay' theme considering they are building blocks, which  represent the basic element of the city, but in a decayed way, as they are nothing more but toys.

In fashion, legos have been around  for a while. We saw the LEGO trend emerge in 2007 with pops of primary color block-like footwear on the Balenciaga runway, which kicked off the inspiration for designers like Marc Jacobs, Joy Han, Brian Reyes and Jean-Charles de Castelbajac who showed LEGO-inspired collections in 2008 and 2009. 

                     Balenciaga heels from an Elle editorial (left), cover of Vogue Russia June 2008

And it didn't stop there. In 2008, artist Jum Naoko created angular hairstyles reminiscent of the ones on the little plastic LEGO figures for a paper fashion exhibit in Antwerp,

and Fergie took the trend viral when she donned a LEGO-made dress by Michael Schmidt at the Kids' Choice Awards in 2011.

 I wanted a bit more of my own input into the look since the Lego jewelry was borrowed from Sophie, so I  set out to make a head piece which also served to complete and balance out the look. I already had a comb and a tiny black fascinator base and I sew the two together, adding some garden mesh  which I crumpled and stitched on top,  turning it into a modern ‘40’s hat. Some more tiny legos went onto the mesh randomly just to finish it all off  and add extra colour and dimension.  You can find garden mesh in garden and tools stores, I got mine in Homebase , 2x4 meters for £5. I even inspired Anne-Sophie to make her own mesh hat with the pieces I had left over and she, of course,  added her twist to it, by sticking a baby doll on top.

So, on Wednesday morning, teachers, students, stylists and models all met up at the location set for the shoot, the lovely  restaurant, Beach Blanket Babylon in Shoredich. This is an amazing place, with great design and detail, therefore some of the shots were taken inside, in the restaurant/bar area, for a more glamorous effect and some were taken outside, to maximize the street style accent of the outfits.

Although we initially had a slight set back with one model cancelling at the last minute and one turning up late, it all soon went back to normal as the make-up and hair team as well as  the photographer were very professional and knew exactly what to do in order to get the most of the look that each student was trying to achieve.   I was very pleased that I got the model that I wanted, Ava from Nevs Models, as my head piece stood out brilliantly  against her short hair.

I am really grateful for the tremendous amount of feed-back I got from my co-coordinators while preparing for the  shoot; their guidance made all the difference.I am now looking forward to receiving the photographs and sharing them with you. In the mean time you can check out the pictures I took on the day with my phone. They aren't very good but at least you will get an idea of what my look was all about. 

Rita Ora - Fashion icon or fashion disaster?

Rita Ora has been on everyone’s lips since her booming debut last year and has impressed us with her music and her fashion choices.  I personally don’t like her music much but I must say the artist has caught my attention with the shocking wardrobe statements she has been making. She has a very eclectic dressing style, with street, tom-boyish influences and streaks of grunge and punk and it is clear she’s embracing a 1990's East 17 movement when it comes to her wardrobe. That means tie-waist flannel shirts, precariously placed beanie hats, sneakers and baggy layers. Mr. Kyle De’volle who is behind the image that we are all so familiar with is a Brit stylist and image consultant, who has been friends with Rita for the past seven years.  

Rita and Kyle on a shoot

In an interview Kyle gave recently for a famous magazine he characterized her style as original, quirky and refreshing and admitted to drawing his inspiration from the classic Gwen Stefani style to which he added a mix of street.

Rita is definitely working a really interesting mix, bringing out a lot of street essentials - hoodies, trackies, beanies but turning them into something really glamorous. And somehow they all just seem to work in perfect harmony to give her the edgy- glam, street look. Could it be the fact that she still keeps strong feminine accents, like glamorous make up, hair and nails that gives her that finishing touch and helps her pull it all off? Perhaps..

Personally I feel some of her looks are taken to extreme. The fine line between quirky, original and complete fashion disaster is blurred and we are left with yet another fashion faux-pas. They weren't few the times when we all felt that Rita’s wardrobe choices made her look clownish or did not suit her body shape (OR SIZE!!!) or  that the make-up that she was wearing made her look ten years older than she was.  The following outfits are an explicit reason why Rita triggered so much attention from the  Fashion Police.

This ensemble does nothing for petite Rita who looks like she has been swallowed by her leather trousers. The length and shape of the trousers are completely wrong for Rita s tiny figure. This look could have been saved by a pair of more fitted, skinny leather trousers which would have showed  off Rita s toned legs and balanced her  great figure. I love the heels J ….although the ankle strap is not a great choice if you want to create length.

One doesn't even know where to start to describe the image above. I’ll just call it the ‘how to look like a Christmas Tree’ outfit and I will let the image speak for itself.

OMG! Here Rita looks like she wanted to go skiing …but then changed her mind and grabbed her Birkin  to go out for a walk. We all like to keep cozy and warm when the temperature outside drops…but those tracksuit bottoms are definitely not the way! A pair of jeans could have been a happier choice. This outfit makes Rita look at least 2 sizes bigger!

We could probably forgive Rita for her fashion sins if it wasn't for those ‘special occasions’: red carpet events, galas or dinner dates where Rita proves how classy and elegant she can be – all groomed and effortless chic.

Rita Ora looks fab out in New York Summer 2013 in a Versace gown. Her staple red lips have been finally teamed up with something as worthy as this dress. I love this ensemble, especially the red Leboutins but the hair is what actually does it for me. I think this  sleek bob cut  is the hairstyle that suits her the best! Don't wear you hair messy, Rita, ever again! ;)

Rita wore this casual  Stella McCartney  ensemble in 2012 for the  British Fashion Awards which were held at the luxurious Savoy Hotel  in London. She added a rainbow envelope for utter perfection. I love the way her bag matches the reflections of the crystal encrusted collar. (I can't help it - I love bling :)           

Rita Ora sizzled at the Mobo awards last year, looking fierce in a white bodycon peplum dress from Mugler's autumn 2012 collection. The singer showed off her tiny waist in the sleek dress and accessorised with gold bangles and Dsquared2 gold strappy heels. On this occasion she ditched her usual red lipstick and went a few shades darker, surprising us all with this lovely mocha pout which she matched with her clutch bag. I  love the way her lips stand out against the white dress. Well done, Rita! 

Another event where Rita shone was her appearance at the London Fashion Week for the Burberry Porsum Show on Monday the 16^th of September. Rita wore a Vivienne Westwood two piece suit in grey teamed with a Queen Delavigne white T-shirt and a pair of white peep-toe wedges. Although her accessories were very 90’s street: chunky gold chain and watch – Rita’s obsession with watches is evident -the songstress looked stylish and grown up due to the classic cut of the suit. The clean, discreet make-up: light smoky eye and muted lips enhanced Rita’s great complexion and she looked young and fresh faced. The swept back bob hairstyle only came to complete the look. Rita looked effortlessly elegant – simply amazing!

You can steal Rita’s style for a fraction of the price. Buy these amazing white shoes for only £14 from Littlewoods:

http://www.littlewoods.com/definitions-rose-peep-toe-concealed-wedge-shoes/12689 31709. prd?browseToken=/b /1669/o/2&aff=awin&affsrc=79682&cm_mmc=awin-_- 79682- _-Editorial%20Content-_-0_0

Asos do a similar suit for only £70:

http://www.asos.com/ASOS/ASOS-Trousers-in-Crepe/Prod/pgeproduct.aspx?iid=3198409&sgid=6764& cid=13632&sh=0&pge=0&pgesize= 36&sort=-1&clr=Grey

the necklace- you will find in Top Shop – unfortunately this particular one is not available online but you can find it the big  Oxford Street store.

Queen Delavigne T- Shirt available at Asos:

http://www.asos.com/Black-Score/Black-Score-by-Simeon-Farrar-Queen-Delevingne-Tee/Prod  /pgeproduct. aspx ?iid=2978242

Club to Catwalk - London fashion in the 80's

Club to Catwalk exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum in South Kensington opened on the 10th of  July this year and represents an accurate reflection of the 1980’s avant-garde fashions and trends. Whether you are looking for inspiration, you love the old trends and fashions or you just want to have a relaxing day at the museum, this is the place to go. You will be transported through the eras  by  a succession of original and outrageous outfits, some very much ahead of their time.
During the 1980's  London became the centre of the club scene and youth style, with feisty designers creating amusing and challenging lines for a clientelle unhampered by sartorial convention, and new style magazines The Face, Blitz and i-D blurring the boundaries between club culture, street fashion and designer fashion. The exhibition features these magazines of the time that propagated the club and street wear but also the high-end production, like Vogue.

Just as important in the ‘marketing’ of the new trends were the very popular clubs like Heaven or Taboo, where parodying the everyday life was the norm and where people  had the feeling that ‘there is nothing you can’t do'. A small club-like area on the ground floor shows films footage of clubs from the 1980's and stream music compiled by Jeffrey Hinton. I couldn't get myself to leave the  mini club, I spent about half an hour there just listening to the music- the 80's music has always been at the top of my list- and enjoying the mood the videos projected. The clubs were a place to perform and shine and the clothes, worn by men and women, were extreme and made a statement. Watching the short concomitant videos unfold you will be taken back in time to an era of the new and the eccentric, where all barriers were dropped, making room for the experimental.

The exhibition features the most important names on the 80’s fashion scene in Britain : Galliano, Westwood, McQueen, Paul Smith, Stephen Jones, Patrick Cox - to name a few- and it brings to life an entire decade with  all its staples: glitter, biker jackets, huge slogans, nylon, rubber, lycra stretch.

The ground floor gallery focuses on the young fashion designers who found themselves on the world stage for creating bold, exciting looks. The mezzanine gallery- which I much prefer due to the eccentricity and novelty of the clothes- concentrates on club wear, grouping garments in categories, such as Fetish, Goth, Rave, High Camp and New Romantics. This includes clothes of the type worn by Boy George and Adam Ant, as well as more extreme designs worn by Leigh Bowery. You shouldn't be surprised if you find some outfits quite wearable or less extreme. Most of the fashions found here have, since, entered the main stream fashion trends and have been incorporated into our wardrobes with the help of designers that very often choose the 80's as their inspiration for new collections. But I assure you,  in those days they were as edgy as it could get.

Many of the London collections of the time were textiles-led, and print and knitwear were especially strong. Scott Crolla used ornate floral and multipatterned prints in his foppish menswear, while Vivienne Westwood incorporated graphic designs into her ‘Witches’ collection for Autumn/Winter 1983-84. Timney Fowler and Brian Bolger of The Cloth were creating bold, modern prints for Betty Jackson’s relaxed, stylish clothes, and English Eccentrics established reputation for eclectic, extrovert prints. I especially like Body Map for their comfortable, easy to wear clothes. They were catering for the most adventurous youth market, with ruffled, tubular garments that were made both in monochrome and in lurid coloured knits. Found on the upper level of the exhibition, Body Map stands out due to the novelty of the materials that give the body new dimensions. The label was  among the first to exploit London's thriving clubland culture and design specifically for young people.

Edina Ronay and Marion Foale knitted nostalgic retro-designs and Martin Kidman at Joseph Tricot, created influential ranges, including chunky sweaters featuring cherubs and swags. You can find a colourful selection of knitted sweaters on the ground floor , not far from the entrance. 

While many British designers were drawn to fantasy and escapism, others actively confronted contemporary issues. Katherine Hammett brought world peace and environmental issues into the fashion arena with her Autumn/Winter 83-84 ‘Choose life’ collection, which featured T-shirts emblazoned with slogans such as ‘Stay alive in 85’ or ‘58% Don’t Want Pershing’- a design she famously wore to meet Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher in 1984. I personally think that was a very cheeky thing to do but then again that was what the  80's were all about.

Paul Smith’s menswear designs and Galliano’s ‘Fallen angel’ exhibits are a must see.

John Galliano- 'Fallen Angel' suit

Probably my favourite section in the whole exhibition, the customized Levi Strauss denim jackets on the ground floor have been beautifully put together in 1986 for the Blitz magazine and represent a symbol of the 80’s in themselves. The collection provides a unique snap shot of the most fashionable and creative designers working in London that year, like John Galliano, Zandra Rhodes, Paul Smith, Body Map and Leigh Bowery. Embellishments on the jackets reflect the D.I.Y. attitude of the era with details like LED lights, hip flasks, encrusted gold hairpins, chains. Look out for the cutlery embellished jacket- pots and spoons are probably the last thing that one would have in mind when customising a garment. It must have been a really fascinating event at that time, as even in today's terms the collection is truly extraordinary, representing fearless design and  exuberance.

By far the most exciting piece of this collection - for me - is Vivienne Westwood's  denim  jacket which bears the designer's well known signature logo –the orb, inspired by the Crown Jewells ( see back view above and front view below). Also on display at V&A you can find samples from her previous collections like ‘Buffalo’ and ‘Mini Crini’, which went to define her as a strong and talented designer.

Although I find some of Vivienne Westwoods designs very daring and edgy  to suit my taste, I generally admire her work,  perseverance and continuity in the world of fashion. She started small with a shop  that she ran with her partner and she worked her way up to  what she has become now- a great brand known world wide and an invaluable source of inspiration for  aspiring designers.

In 1981 Vivienne Westwood and her partner, Malcolm McLaren renamed their shop ‘World’s End’ and in the same year Westwood showed her first, highly influential collection, ‘’Pirate’’, consisting of asymmetrical T-shirts, pirate shirts, breeches and baggy, flat-heeled boots.

It was shown at Olympia in spring 1981, to a blast of cannon fire and rap music by McLaren. The clothes evoke the golden age of piracy, an age of highwaymen, dandies and buccaneers. The collection immediately entered the mainstream. This attracted fashion buyers as well as sub-cultural fans and fuelled the New Romantic identity of pop stars like Adam Ant, David Bowie and Boy George. 

Westwood’s ‘Buffalo’ collection for Autumn/Winter 1982-83 featured large satin bras worn over sweatshirts- an early example of the trend for underwear as outwear which would have a huge impact on international fashion. In 1982 Westwood and McLaren opened a second shop, ‘Nostalgia of Mud’, whose closure the following year coincided with the end of their collaboration. Buffalo Girls (Autumn–Winter 1982–83) was inspired by Peruvian women in bowler hats and full skirts as seen by her in National geographic magazine. You can actually see in these two collections the incipient forms of the unconventional, body-shape changing garments that are now staples of Vivienne Westwood's designs.

Westwood's other theme titles in the early years included Savage (1982) and Clint Eastwood, (Autumn–Winter 1984–85) under the Worlds Ends label; she stopped producing the line in 1985 to concentrate on her Vivienne Westwood lines. Vivienne Westwood says “Sometimes you need to transport your idea to an empty landscape and then populate it with fantastic looking people.”

And so she did and Mini Crini was born in 1985 with more feminine, curvaceous lines. The mini crinoline was inspired by the “Petrushka ballet”, a story of a traditional Russian puppet called Petrushka. It is a very girly collection  with lots of  trimmings and accessories : lace, ribbons, satin gloves, strings of pearls and compared to Vivienne's previous collections, a much more wearable one.

You can admire invaluable pieces from the above mentioned collections, alongside amazing accessories and footage shots in the exhibition for as little as £5 until February 2014, when Club to Catwalk: London Fashion in the 1980's will be shown in gallery 40, the V&A’s fashion gallery.

London Fashion Week September 2013

As a student at London College of Style, one of my many assignments was to attend the Fashion Week. Wow! Who wouldn't want that for a chore?!! So, a little overwhelmed and as excited as a puppy dog getting a treat, I turned up at Somerset House nice and early, on Friday the 13^th  in order to soak up the atmosphere.

I had invitations for three evening shows and as it turned out they were all at the Freemasons Hall, which is just around the corner from Somerset House and the Strand.

I was buzzing with a great feeling that I was, at last, part of this amazing event that takes by storm people all over the world – albeit as a mere rookie. If you have never been around the main venues during the Fashion week, you should! With or without an invitation. Everybody who’s anybody attends the Fashion Week  and you may even spot some well-known celebrities. Failing that, you will still get a great display of outfits that will feed your fashion inspiration for months.  

Among the brave fashion week aficionados  that put up with the wet, cold  weather( in outfits more or less practical)  there were a few that caught my eye: a journalist

Jacket by Mary Benson, Skirt- Miss Selfridges, Shoes- New Look, Bag- Radley

 a Fashion student

cape- own design, dress- River Island, Shoes- Top Shop, bag- Chanel

 and a young designer, Anne-Sophie Cochevelou who designed a Lego dress for the fashion week 
her blog: http://cycleinheels.blogspot.co.uk/

Dress- self customised Vintage, Accessories -self customised

Rushing through the crowds I managed to make my way towards the Freemasons Hall where my evening debuted with ApuJan’ s new spring- summer collection. The 20-outfit Signals collection was the second time the up-and-coming designer has shown his personal ApuJan brand at LFW, following his successful debut in February. The current collection is characterized by  fine tailoring and light feel of the black and white knitwear with touches of peach. 

ApuJan used silk in order to create thin, lightweight knitting for spring and summer fashions.  The look was a relaxed, casual one but nonetheless very feminine.

The hair was sleek scraped back leaving no strand out of place and had a shinny and tight look but flowed freely at the tips. In terms of make-up, the  focus  was on the lips, which were orange red.The large cloche hats, covering most part of the models faces reinforced the focal point even more. 

All in all a stylish collection with comfortable, easy to wear fabrics that I wouldn't mind having in my own wardrobe J During the show I managed to spot a few famous faces,  including  representatives of Vogue Japan and 10 magazine as well as British stylist Beth Buxton. 

           I, then, moved to the other side of the building to see the collection that would impress me the most: Yulia Kondranina,  who won the  Fashion Scout's spring/summer 2014 Fashion Merit award and who definitely made an impression  on me. I watched her show unfold, mesmerized by the simplicity of the garments and the intricacy of the design. A collection of beautifully coordinated crocheted dresses, graphic and geometrical in their design, featuring revealing cut outs and semi-sheer paneling, showcasing her signature.

             Kondranina’s minimal and  highly wearable designs look effortless,  styled with a simple slip on sandal. 

             Make –up was kept minimal, the “no make- up “ look  was matched with the loose, pushed  back hair and the straight , waist less dresses.

 Ping HE was my third and last show at the London Fashion Week. What  was striking about her  collection was a streak of goth skillfully merged with romantic influences . Black lips, leather jackets and dresses, skull details were all happily married with peplums, frills, white strip eyes, clear vinyl footwear, white  dresses  and - my personal  favourite- laser cut broderie anglaise.

The the lines were kept clean and tailored on a monochrome base.

 Tony & Guy didn't disappoint and they created a fabulous beehive to complete the look.  Strategically applied black and white streaks of spray added a twist to the well-known classic.

I greatly enjoyed all the shows; my only regret is that I was too tired to attend the after party for Pinghe but i'm sure, given the chance, I wont miss an opportunity like that again. 

Fashion week is a great experience and if Vogue magazine was Carrie Bradshaw’s dinner ("When I first moved to New York and was totally broke, sometimes I’d buy Vogue instead of dinner. I just felt it fed me more." , an afternoon at the London Fashion Week was definitely my banquet.