Monday 30 May 2011

ECA SHOW REVIEW... AGAIN

Evening all! Just a quick, photoless post to pimp out my Edinburgh College of Art fashion show review article which has now been published online at The List website HERE!

Gie it a gander if you have a spare 5 mins and comment if you're that way inclined. I'm super excited to see the fruits of some of my unpaid work-experience labour finally beginning to pay off!

I'm currently looking into trying to get some more experience sorted in London for a few weeks over summer - so I ken it's a SUPERMASSIVE LONG SHOT (now humming Muse in my head) and a mega competitive industry, but if anyone has any amazing contacts or knows of anyone I should harass get in touch with in LDN who could help, hit me up at k-mclaren@hotmail.com. I firmly believe in good karma and helping folk out, and I'm always happy to return any similar favours. It's bitch-eat-bitch out there...

Oh aye, and 'like' my Facebook page if you want...

OH MY GOD I might actually vom after so much shameless self-promotion! Normal service will resume later, I promise!

(by the way, at the risk of sounding like a pure ginormous loser, I just want to say thanks so much to everyone who reads the blog, comments on my posts, Tweets me or whatever else! It makes me really embarrassingly happy to know folk are into all the mince I chat, so cheers y'all. *sniff* I promised myself I wouldn't cry.......)

Saturday 28 May 2011

RECENT PURCHASES AND WHISTLES WISHLIST

So, I've been at it again - spending money like there's no tomorrow y'all!

I don't feel too bad though, as most of the clothes currently residing in the worlds largest ironing pile in my front room, or bursting out my drawers (always enjoy writing 'bursting out ma drawers!') are totally autumnal yo, and really unsuitable for the season ahead.

 - I say AHEAD because regardless of the fact it's allegedly almost June, summer has yet to arrive here in sodden, windy and decidedly chilly Glesga.

Anyway, hopefully the weather will gie itsel' a shake sometime soon, so with that in mind here's a wee peek at a couple of new summery purchases:


 Urban Outfitters t-shirt
Just cos I DO enjoy a slouchy t-shirt with a random word in French emblazoned on the front - and who doesn't! Seriously though -  a recent reccy of my tops situation showed I have vastly more shirts and blouses than I do casual t-shirts and the like so REALLY, if you think about it, I kind of HAD to get it didn't I...? 

Urban Outfitters striped maxi skirt
Still loving and living in stripes at the moment. I've been looking for a stripey maxi skirt for ages but can never seem to find one that fits just right. I bought this and the top online so haven't tried them on but fingers crossed this one does the job - really hoping the waistband is tight enough to sit right on my waist as I'm such a short arse it'll no-doubt drown me otherwise.
I'm imagining wearing both this and the t-shirt together, with some oversized black sunglasses, the Alexander Wang Rocco bag and some chunky black sandals like those in the pic. Summer perfection, no?

Zara floral kimono
OK, OK, last thing I really need is yet another blouse, but this is such a vibrant shade of yellow in real life I couldn't really resist. I wore it to the GCU fashion show which I was filming on Thursday night and it was so comfy and pretty, and went perfectly with my coral Rimmel lippy. I'm going to Venice for a holiday in September and can't wait to wear this wafting around on a gondola sipping prosecco and stuff, pure classy like...


Whistles Wishlist

I was Tweeting recently about how I never usually tend to shop in Whistles or Cos or Reiss, but actually the calibre of clothing - both in terms of quality and fashion-forwardness -  going on is super high, perhaps expectedly so considering these stores fall under the higher end of the highstreet. In other words they are EXPENSIVE!

I was doing some more assisting for the Sunday Herald fashion department last week, and we went to pick up a few items from Whistles in Princes Square - which is where I fell in love with the following:



Turquoise lace dress
Rather hilariously I have been invited to attend the Royal Garden Party at Holyrood Palace in July, as my Dad is a Justice of the Peace and was selected to bring an unmarried daughter aged 17-25, and BINGO that's me! An absolute lolocaust, right? I mean, I can only presume it's so as to try and match me up with some kind of Duke or Lord or summat! SCORE! Anyhoo, obviously this means SWANKY NEW DRESS, and this would be perfection!
Nowhere else have I seen Christopher Kane's fluorescent lace of SS11 translated so well. I love the length, colour, belt and panelling neck detail in particular, and yet again keep imagining it with that coral lipstick. Sigh. Shame it's £275 odd quid.

Coral knitted cropped sweater
I'm really in need of some summer knitwear, as ridiculous as that sounds! Like I mentioned, it's still cold enough to feel a chill without a jacket, but I don't always want to wear a jacket if the sun's shining so this would be perfect. AND it's cropped so would work with my high-waisted leather shorts or even the stripey UO maxi skirt. Plus it's coral and I'm definitely more than a little obsessed with coral at the moment, in case you haven't noticed!

Striped jersey maxi dress
Another one for Venice I reckon. Very Jill Sander esq, it's voluminous without being overwhelming and all I'd need with this would be some big sunnies, a wide-brimmed hat and sandals. Chic to the max.

Orange loveheart bikini
Love this orange heart print to death - Whistles do it in a more traditional bikini and swimsuit, but I'd definitely opt for this high-waisted retro version. I much prefer a bikini with an underwired cup as I just don't trust those stringy buggers not to ping off at any moment...


So there you have it, whaddya reckon bloggies? Seen any must-have summer buys in the shops recently?
Let me know!


Thursday 26 May 2011

MULBERRY: 40TH BIRTHDAY BOOK


Beloved British brand Mulberry is celebrating that much-bemoaned milestone feared by glamorous middle-aged women everywhere... it's 40th birthday y'all! 

Once heralded by many as the signal to start bulk-buying anti wrinkle cream direct from the wholesalers, give up on mini skirts and consider a steamy affair with a much younger man, nowadays the fashion glamazon's 40th is a much classier affair altogether. 40 is the NEW new 25, darling, and you've never looked better.

To mark the seminal occasion, Mulberry is launching its 40th Anniversary Book tomorrow, with a small but perfectly formed party taking place in (amongst others) the Glasgow Ingram Street store, offering a glass of fizz and goody bags for guests who pop in - head along from 2 pm bloggies!






Pretty, huh?

The 480-page coffee table book is  bound in linen and boasts an embossed front cover and two silk book markers.

It tells the story, through gorgeous candid and behind-the-scenes photographs, of the brands development since its conception in 1971 by Roger Saul.

But my favourites are WITHOUT A DOUBT the drool-worthy factory shots of the bags. Something about sumptuous swathes of supple leather and tools, oh god the tools... What's with that? Sends me into bag-lust overload every time. *AHEM*

So much craftsmanship and trade skill goes into the creation of a Mulberry bag - part of the reason I think it gets away with playing itself up as a heritage brand when in reality it's only 40 years old. Despite it's relative youth, the incredibly high quality and finish of their bags in particular means Mulberry are more than able to compete with other British institutions like Burberry and Barbour etc.

I was in the Mulberry shop last Monday and whilst waiting on Carrie (acting fashion editor at the Sunday Herald) to pick a few bags for an upcoming shoot, I found myself wandering round the store picking them all up and stroking them like a total bag pervert. Creep! Anyway, I literally fell in love with my next future big bag purchase:

Oh, hello, Bayswater in black silky snake print. Probably take me about a year to save for at the rate I blow cash, but trust me it will be WELL WORTH IT. I could hardly part with it when it was time to leave, and I even dreamed about it last night... Obsessed much? Yup! Classic style with an edgy twist. Perfect!

Anyhoo, head down if you can to the Ingram St shop from 2pm. I'll be there with bells on!

Sunday 22 May 2011

INSPIRATION: HAIR

I. AM. BORED

..with my hair y'all. Observe:


Blahhhh

I'm happy(ish) with the short cut, but super tired of the colour. I've been dying my hair using Loreal Castings for YEARS - usually a mixture between Chocolate and Amber as they both give a really nice shine... But now I feel like the time is right for something a little PUNCHIER. In yo face, so to speak.

I stumbled across the perfect hair inspiration (hairspiration?) blog, Scalpture today and these are my favourite looks. Whaddya reckon?










 Oh, Charlotte Free, how I love thee...




I'm thinking I want a mix between a really vibrant orangey ginger and pale pastel pink. Is that mental? I mean, I kind of know it IS mental, but stuff it man! My hair grows crazy fast (it's already shoulder-length and I only got it cut 2 months ago!) so if it turns out to be a disaster I can bung some black over the top and wait till it grows out!

Can anyone recommend a good colourist in Glasgow for this kinda thing? I usually dye it myself as I said, but for something like this I think I'd rather trust a profesh!

......................................................

In other news I'm somewhat bummed to be back in Glasgow after my awesome time at The List in Edinburgh :( BUUUUT I got to do loads of writing and am hoping to have a few reviews/features online next week as well as my name on a couple of things in the mag come Wednesday (pay particular attention to the large RockNess feature!) - BUY IT Y'ALL!

Tomorrow I'm assisting with another Sunday Herald shoot and getting paid this time - yelt! I also have one more exciting project up my sleeve for summer but don't really wanna jinx it...

But APART from all that, things are actually pretty quiet, and I hate that feeling - getting restless!

Saturday 21 May 2011

A FAN OF FAN

Fan Bingbing to be exact!


29-year-old Chinese actress Fan Bingbing wowed everyone with her unique style at Paris Fashion week last season, but more recently she's been setting the Cannes Film Festival alight with her gorgeous Oriental take on red carpet glamour.

And I for one seriously can't get enough of her insane style. This is how I imagine myself to look in an ideal world - polished, pristine, but still individual and quirky. In reality I seem to be a never-ending mix of Topshop, UO and random vintage cardis/bags.

FBB makes me want to seriously switch it up, ditch the grunge, channel Dita Von Teese and crack out the pencil skirts and red lippy...


Rocking Paris Fashion Week. Loving the details in particular like the shoes, gloves and earrings.

Purple lippy? Aye, go on then. I die! Plus, those shoes again...

Eastern Princess at Cannes... Just perfection.

50s Glam at PFW again. Something very Dita Von Teese/gothic about this. Needless to say I love that!

At Cannes again in Lawrence Hsu’s dragon robe dress. Possibly runner up fav look of hers EVER!

Mint green Oscar de la Renta gown plus coral lips and braided hair? Shouldn't work but it SO does.

The right side of goth - gaga please take note. Especially loving the headpiece and rubber-band arm detailing on the top/dress.


Favourite Look:




Miss Bingbing at the Elie Saab show at PFW wearing a dusky pink, bejeweled wonder by the designer himself.

Every single thing about this is right. The colour is perfect on FBBs gorgeous yellow-toned alabaster skin, and the gorgeous turban + cape combo is fashion forward enough without looking ridiculous. Bingbing manages to both push the envelope and remain demure and elegant at the same time - no mean feat!
The colour pop of terracotta red lips contrasts beautifully and stops the head-to-toe muted tones washing her out. My only tiny gripe would be the brows... I love a bushy eyebrow as much as the next man (maybe even more y'all) but these babies are just too unruly for me. A subtle pluck would make a world of difference I feel. But it's really only a MINUSCULE issue with what is an otherwise outstanding look. 


What do you guys think of Fan Bingbing's style? Agree, disagree??



Photos for this post were sourced via style.com, the telegraph and Google images.

Thursday 19 May 2011

KIRSTEN DUNST: MON JASMIN NOIR

Another quickie effort as I'm still in the burgh with limited internet access (although I seem to have been tweeting feverishly over the last few days - gotta calm it down!) however I couldn't NOT share with you guys these beautiful shots of Kirsten Dust for Bulgari's new fragrance Mon Jasmin Noir:


 



I know this isn't BREAKING NEWS as the images have been floating around since the end of April I think,but oh I do love me a gorgeous Bulgari campaign! Remember Julianne Moore last year? I blogged about it, duh! This is on a par with that. Maybe ever so slightly better.




The campaign is inspired by Bulgari’s Mediterranean Eden theme: an imaginary place where history, fantasy, and dreams combine. A paradise immersed in warm amber light that transforms a classical 16th century Italian-style garden into an almost-imaginary setting full of enchantment and seduction.

Quite. 

I absolutely adore Kirsten Dunst. I think she's a fantastic and underrated actress - The Virgin Suicides, Crazy/Beautiful, Drop Dead Gorgeous anyone? Plus she seems like a really sound person too. She's relatable and down to earth, and somehow I always find myself rooting for her.

As an actress known mainly for her understated, laid-back style, I love that Bulgari have pulled her out her comfort zone by placing her in this opulent, glamorous campaign and she looks like she was made for it. Totally smokin' hot.





What do you guys think of the campaign?

Monday 16 May 2011

M.I.A

Bloggies! I have been totally off the radar for well over a week, right? Unacceptable!

Forgive me - I am currently holed up at The List magazine in Edinburgh staying with my friend Kirsten who doesn't have Internet access in her flat, bless her, and it's proved impossible to find time to blog what with working 9-6 every day and trying to write essays/drinking/writing essays/eating pizza/drinking/having a laugh/making dens out of pillows and watching The Notebook... etc. You get the picture.

I'm having a great time and working my socks off, but I am ACUTELY aware I've neglected FFS and lost two fickle followers during my absence too - sob!

Please bear with me bloggies, Normal service will resume this weekend. In the meantime enjoy a few of my...

Edinburgh Fashion Observations:



Folk in suits and trainers. 

Seriously, they are EVERYWHERE! In Glasgow I never see this kind of thing - it's not that Weegies dress smarter, I think it's more that Burghers just don't give a crap what they look like at the end of a hard day. Come 6 o'clock they're just like, "Eff it, I'ma stride home up Nicholson Street in my Armani/Viv Westwood suit rocking my Reeboks, AND WHAT OF IT?" I've honestly seen several tens of people doing this every single day. Gotta love the commitment to comfort.



Beards.

Again, absolutely everywhere. Most of the guys I've seen, young and old, ain't shy of a considerable face rug. Apparently the longer the better... *innuendo bingo alert* Hey, I'm not complaining - I can't help but find the more Gandalfian efforts strangely alluring... Just me? Ahem. Anyway, obviously bearded men cut about Glasgow all the time in their droves, but through here it's like every second person could be hiding a nest of rare baby birds a la Peter Griffin from Family Guy style in their beard. What's with that?



Geek Chic.

Wow, so apparently this look is still going NOWHERE FAST out East. So many cardigans and vintage specs all over the shop - I feel positively preppy and posh, even in my battered Levis denim jacket. It also appears that the plaid-shirt mafia have a serious strongholding here too... Very 2007/8, no?



Ombre Locks.

It still won't die. I don't actually dislike the ombre effect, I'm just sick to the back teeth of it, and in Glasgow, folk are beginning to move away from this done-to-death look in favour of darker, more muted styles. Or red of course. Red hair is EVERYWHERE in Weegieand but surprisingly I've hardly seen anyone channeling the Rihanna look through here (thank GOD cos I hate it). They are most definitely still loving the ombre.


So aye, don't desert me faithful followers/readers/stalkers. Back to Glasgow on Friday night and blogging again Sat.

Catchyeez!  xx

Sunday 8 May 2011

ECA FASHION SHOW 2011

**Bumper Post Alert!**

SO, on Thursday night some friends and I went along to the Edinburgh College of Art fashion show to see our best pal Kirsten and all her friends show their final year collections.

Believe me, bloggies, I have been WELL aware for months of how much blood, sweat and tears have gone into these collections. Kirsten and her friends had been pulling 24-hour days and working right through the night regularly in the weeks leading up to the big event, so needless to say I was on tenterhooks as I took my seat, ready to finally see what they had all been creating...

Oh my goodness, it was nothing short of spectacular! Not just the collections - more on them in a moment - but the production value of the show itself was utterly outstanding.

As one of Scotland’s key cultural events, the two-hour long fashion show set against the backdrop of the dramatically-lit neo-classical Sculpture Court of the College’s main building is an opportunity for guests and industry insiders to catch a glimpse of the best Scottish designers before they burst onto the world stage at Graduate Fashion Week in June.


The audience were treated to a slick show of collections in fashion, textiles and performance costume, and as I've said, the production value alone could rival anything seen at London Fashion Week in September. Head of fashion at ECA, Mal Burkinshaw, says the level of professionalism is all thanks to the students: They are some of the best we’ve ever had, he enthused before the show.

The standard has been so high, and it’s all thanks to them that we have such a professional and well-organised show this year.


I think they’ve really enjoyed the last few weeks of preparation, and now we can all finally enjoy the fruits of their labour.

As the light’s dimmed and the thumping music began, it became clear we were going to be allowed a close look at the collections, as the first model walked out at eye-level with the crowd seated around the semi-circular catwalk. This unique salon-style format is more commonly seen at haute couture shows in Paris, and facilitates an atmospheric and intimate effect.




The first collection to emerge was Tailoring: Fashion as Communication by year 3, followed by the unique All Walks project - an initiative founded by Caryn Franklin, Debra Bourne and Erin O’Connor, working with influential catwalk designers and top industry creatives to celebrate diversity between body shape, age and race within the fashion industry:



All Walks
 
All Walks

All Walks
 Seriously, what a refreshing concept. It's very easy to talk the talk about celebrating diversity in fashion, but when all that comes sauntering down the runway is gamine giraffe after waif-like 14-year-old, it can be very disheartening. I was so glad to see a special project dedicated to walking-the-walk about this issue. Also, in a similar vein, I found it quite inspirational that in the show programme, each of the final year students were asked to comment on how important body image diversity was to their personal design process. It shows great intelligence and integrity on the part of ECA and the students not to have shied away from the issues which surround the industry and affect how it is perceived from the outside...

ANYWAY, next up, the one we were all waiting for: the final year fashion design students’ sumptuous spectacle!

Impressive collections included Where Are We Going? Always Home by Pamela Hill – a knitwear collection inspired by warmth, comfort, pattern and wood carvings:


Pamela Hill

Pamela Hill

David Vallance and Anna Stephenson (winner of the i-on Graduate Fashion Prize 2011) also wowed the audience with their sexy and edgy, and feminine and floral collections respectively:


David Vallance

David Vallance
 I love the tailored shape of David's collection (entitled Flirting With Conformity, the rope embellishment and the contrast between the fabrics used. The collection was inspired by a recent period of time spent living in La Dune du Pilat in France and the clean lines and muted colour palette definitely says edgy French sophistication to me!


Anna Stephenson

Anna Stephenson

Anna's collection was just beautiful - really simple and stunning, and showed that no matter how obvious and done-to-death floral prints can occasionally be, a truly creative mind can always find something unique, distinctive and personal to do with them.

Nicola Paxton's Blue Sky Thinking collection of laser-cut dresses and coats were another highlight. I found this one of the most contemporary and ready-to-wear collections of the lot - I could actually picture myself in some of those stunningly intricate garments:



Nicola Paxton

Felix Chabluk Smith, winner of ECA Graduate of the Year and the British Fashion Council's Burberry competition, presented the only menswear collection (entitled Kin) of the night and the first ECA had seen for 15 years. I was impressed again by the intricate nature and sophisticated lines of the collection. Definitely one to watch.

But OF COURSE, for me the stand out collection of the entire night came from Kirsten Wotherspoon herself, with an assortment of soft, shimmering, metallic garments encased in transparent PVC jackets and capes:








Kirsten Wotherspoon and model
 The collection called It’s Better With the Lights On, is inspired by light, shadow and reflective photography. I don't want to say too much about it at the moment as I am planning another post about this particular collection, but it is definitely safe to say that even although Kirsten is a friend, had I not known her I am dead certain this collection would still be a personal highlight. Keep your eyes peeled over the next week for a post all about it...

Of course, needless to say all 20 of the final year students’ collections were stunning.

In terms of key trends, I'm glad to see I wasn't chatting mince when I entered that ELLE competition prophesising wildly that bold and bright colours would be everywhere for spring/summer. The majority of the collections were exactly that - bold and bright, with a vivid tangerine ORANGE utilised to its full eye-watering potential in several collections - Sarah Ho and Fiona Sommerville's in particular.

There were hints of Celine, Calvin Klein, Erdem, Dries Van Noten and Jill Sander, and I'm sure I spotted some Matthew Williamson in there too, but overall the collections were deeply individual and unique.

I have to be objective, says Mal, but they have all worked so incredibly hard – and it’s been very challenging. They’ve had to pull 24-hour working days to get to this stage, but I know they would say that it’s definitely been worth it.
 I view any student who has made it this far, got a degree and created a collection from scratch, as a huge success.

As the only Scottish art college invited to show collections at Graduate Fashion Week in London in June, and counting designer-of-the-moment Holly Fulton as one of it’s past graduates, Edinburgh College of Art has a prestigious reputation to uphold in the fashion world.

But after Thursday's show, it’s crystal clear the ECA class of 2011 are leaving with it firmly at their feet.

Finally, I'll end this monster post with some more stunning shots from the night:









All the photos in this post are by my amazingly-talented friend and photographer Nadine Yardley who owns the copyright.

They have been used with her express permission and cannot be reproduced from this blog without prior consent. Click on her name for her Flikr, or contact her at nads_yards_87@hotmail.com.
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