RIVER ISLAND: STUDENT SHOP-IN

Taking a leaf out of Topshop and Urban Outfitters' book, highstreet heavyweight River Island are launcing their first 20% off student shop-in event:

I have to confess that I'm not particularly a fan of River Island clothing, but I DO love their shoes - really impressed with the fashion-forward designer copies (affordable too) and the gargantuan range of boots they produced over the winter season was nothing short of astounding!

I'm moving to Edinburgh on Monday to stay for a couple of weeks while doing some work experience with a magazine (yay!) and I will DEFO be popping in to the Princes St store to see if I can blag these badboy Chelsea boots:

Love!

I JUST BOUGHT

THIS jumpsuit from Mango:

I spotted it in the window of Mango today after a mammoth TV day at uni (high five TV team, we smashed it!) whilst striding through Buchanan Galleries looking for mustard tights. FYI - the high street is sorely lacking in such an item - had to make do with "rust" ones from Miss Selfridge, far from ideal...

ANYWAY I'm not really one for a jumpsuit since I'm wee and bottom heavy (wow, what a combo eh? Jeeeze, God, give someone else a chance already.......) and I often think they make me look wee-er and arsey-er. However this one just screamed my name and surprisingly it fits really well... the top half manages to balance out my ample BOOTAY quite well if I do say so myself.

£50 ain't cheap, but it's worth it for something a little special, especially if it's been well cut and finished as this has been.

Wearing it to the ECA fashion degree show tomorrow night with yellow nails and a coral lipstick (Rimmel's Coral Lady or something? I just picked the first one I saw - make up SCARES me no end). Not sure about the shoes yet since I'm going straight from uni so need to be comfy during the day. My heart says black Rick Owens wedges since they are the comfiest shoes in the universe, but my head is saying something brown a la the styling in the second pick... Hmm who knows.

Anyway, so looking forward to tomorrow - CAN'T wait to see all the collections by my friends (one of my bezzies in particular) so expect a bumper review over the weekend!

Also, a really cool wee styling job came my way today, but unfortunately I had to turn it down due to being in uni all week. BOO HISS :(

 But more of these sortsa things please, universe, yeah...?

THE MET BALL - BEST AND WORST

Just a quick yin cos I'm currently the online editor for us masters students' assessed Newsweek BUT I couldn't not share with you my picks for the best and worst dressed at last night's MET Gala in New York.

The BEST:

Crystlal Renn - Channeling Black Swan slightly, no?

 Adore your swagger pal, but please stop telling folk you're plus size - blatant LIE.

Christina Ricci can be very hit or miss and I fear that on anyone less quirky than her this might have looked ridonculous, but as it is she smashes it in this sexy LBD.

I hummed and hawed over Dakota's mad dress for ages but I've definitely settled on a win. Love the loose, laid-back hair and glad shes gone for no jewellery as less is more with a fussy frock like this.

I actually overlooked Isabel Lucas in this stunning gown and headpiece with matching earrings... Shame on me! LOOK at it! Totally gorgeous. I do feel the vibrancy of the red carpet takes away from the overall effect of the dress though, and I would love to see this look shot against a white background. It's coral, no? Loving the little tassel on the bag too - it's all in the detail.

70s-TASTIC, Eva, gwaan yer bad self! So sexy in Stella McCartney. Seriously, I don't think I've ever seen Eva Mendes looking bad...

Daphne Guinness was just one of the guests who chose to pay homage to the late, great Lee McQueen. This gown is straight off the runway and seems made for Miss Guinness here. Perfect.

Ignore Jennifer Hudson - sorry pal but your effort is passable at best (and I preferred you with more meat on yer bones) - and let's just concentrate on Vera Wang... Mesmerising, no? Fabulous colour for her skin tone and can't get enough of those long, straight locks.

Lol @ my last rant about how I'm so NOT into Chungy, but even I have to admit that the burd's got balls to wear this tricky but STUNNING Christopher Kane dress to an event like this. Again, on anyone else I'm not sure it would have worked but she pulls it off. Fine, fine, props to Alexa...

Love the length of the dress, love the shoes, love the scraped back hair.

Would like to see a darker eye on Leighton Meester here, but overall it really works. I always enjoy shots of Leighton on the red carpet - never afraid of trying something different. Props!

Now, unfortunately, for the WORST:

Oh dear, Christina. I'm sure this is just a bad photo and that you in fact DIDN'T wander around all night looking like you'd fallen off the special bus... But really! First thing I'd be doing here is cutting off those weird half-sleeve things - they just look strange and totally ruin it for me. But I don't feel too bad bashing Miss Hendricks here, she's been looking WAY TOO HOT for her own good recently!

Dakota got it right, but shame her little sister Elle Fanning got it so wrong. I like that she's pushed the envelope a bit, and that she's wearing something of a shorter length, but the overall effect is weird and coupled with that strange pose she looks like some kind of creepy doll.

 It's a bit too fussy and overworked for me. And flats?! Just no.

Something about the colour of this dress on Jessica Stam makes me want to puke in my mouth. It's not really THAT bad I suppose, but I just do not have the stomach for a sugary-sweet dress like this today. And coupled with that hair and the overly smoky eye, it's a thumbs down.

Christ almighty, Rihanna, who is your event stylist? This is just latest in a long line of red carpet horrors... The horrendous side plait is killing it for me - far to asymmetrical for a dress like that. The earrings and shoes are nice, but that's literally about all I can even muster to say.



Soooo what do you guys think - have I left anyone vital out?

VOGUE UK JUNE COVER

Alexa Chung covers next month's Vogue UK:

..I'm underwhelmed.

I hate to admit it, since I'm bound to get a lynching from her vast army of followers, but I'm not usually Alexa's biggest fan anyway, and this lacklustre cover just seals the deal. One. Trick. Pony.

Firstly, I DO like the Erdem dress, pendant and darker hair on Alexa - it's a grown up, classy look and frankly I'm just happy to see her out of her old battered brouges and tatty blazer combo which is normally her scruffy uniform. It's a very "English Rose" style and I've always felt she looks far better when channeling a feminine aesthetic like this...

But yet again it's the same gamine, coquettish look we've all seen ten million times before. I REALLY dislike her expression in this shot - she looks like she seriously can't be arsed, and the crossed arms add to that almost petulant attitude. Her cheekbone and collarbones seem really defined too - perhaps too much retouching? It reminds me of Lady Gaga in Born This Way. Plus, that weird sort of half-smirk?

Hate to hate but... Nah. I just don't dig it. Am I chatting mince? Tell me!

BACKPACK DILEMA

I confess, I have mixed feeling about backpacks.

Having worn an assortment of heinous variations throughout primary school and the first five years of secondary (sixth year I was only in for 2 hours a day and pretty much just carried a pen and notepad in the infinite depths of my blazer when I absolutely HAD to), I've never had one on my back since then.

What I remember most about them was, as a petite teenager (read SHORT-ARSE), the backpacks I carried were always stupidly massive and had to be slung as low as possible round my bum in that typical moshery way... Cool kid.

But they were also insanely practical! I could carry my entire makeup bag, all my jotters and books, pencil cases (multiple), diary, phone and STILL have room for an ample packed lunch and maybe even my battered copy of The Bell Jar for reading round the back of the bin sheds when I was feeling particularly misunderstood. Which was often... Anyway, practicality WIN!

So now that I see they're enjoying somewhat of a fashion resurgence, part of me is like HELL YEAH, perfect excuse for me to dig out my brown cord H&M badboy with the hand-sewen coloured beads all and Nirvana patches all over it, and head out to the skate park to get my mosh on!

...But then I give myself a shake and think, dude, that is most uncool. You are 23, this will not do. Added to my Angela Chase centre-parted bob, acid-wash Levis denim jacket and creepers, I'm afraid I might be pushing the boundaries of my 90s obsession A TAD TOO FAR.

What do you guys think - the modern backpack - rad or lame?

Cool bag, but Uggs? Naw mate.

pics from Lookbook and Google.

WARNING: Backpack porn:

Alexander Wang Marti leather backpack. Uuuhhhft. NEED!

If I bought a vintage black leather backpack (and promise not to write angsty lyrics and quotes all over it in glitter glue) would you guys still talk to me?

ALL ABOUT THE DRESS

WELL! If you didn't know that today was the Royal Wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton... THEN WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN?!

Oh I do love a good wedding, bloggies! And of course, it is all about the dress really, isn't it?

Speculation over the designer and style of the most famous dress in the world (an estimated 2 billion people watched Kate arrive at Westminster Abbey a few hours ago) had been building for months, but reached fever pitch last night.

The reason? Sarah Burton - head designer at Alexander McQueen - was seen arriving at The Goring Hotel in central London where Kate spent her last night as a single woman, and the grainy shot of a hooded figure in ballet flats slipping into the side entrance of the 5* hotel pretty much sealed the deal... KATE WOULD BE WEARING MCQUEEN!

And indeed she was. Those of us waiting on tenterhooks to see the dress were NOT disappointed (I actually shrieked and spilled my tea down my jumper... glamorous):

Stunning, stunning, stunning! Pics via Getty Images and ELLE

According to the Telegraph, "the dress was made with ivory and white satin gazar. The skirt echoed an opening flower, with white satin gazar arches and pleats and the train measured two metres 70 centimetres. The ivory satin bodice, which was narrowed at the waist and padded at the hips, drew on the Victorian tradition of corsetry and is a hallmark of Alexander McQueen's designs. The back was finished with 58 gazar and organza covered buttons fastened by Rouleau loops and the underskirt was made of silk tulle trimmed with Cluny lace."

Sarah Burton DONE GOOD I think we'd all agree. I had predicted and hoped for something just like this - demure, gorgeous, slightly 50s in essence with lace sleeves and deep V neck: old fashioned but with a modern twist - and the reality more than met my expectiations. I especially loved all the tiny details like the tiara and veil, no necklace and embroidery on the bottom of the gown. Her hair was half up, half down - a style with which Kate clearly feels comfortable.

Really, it was an absolutely faultless overall look. I have to confess, bloggies, I came over more than a little misty-eyed when I first saw it in all its glory! A poignant moment for the late great Lee McQueen and British Fashion in general... *SNIFF!*

Sarah Burton was quoted on ELLEUK as saying: "It was such an incredible honour to be asked, and I am so proud of what we and the Alexander McQueen team have created.

Burton declared herself "delighted that the dress represents the best of British craftsmanship. Alexander McQueen's designs are all about bringing contrasts together to create startling and beautiful clothes and I hope that by marrying traditional fabrics and lacework, with a modern structure and design, we have created a beautiful dress for Catherine on her wedding day."


*SNIFF/SNOTTER!*

However, although I had hoped against hope that Sarah Burton would take inspiration from one of my favourite, if not my absolute favourite wedding dresses of all time - Grace Kelly's - I couldn't have dreamed that the inspiration would be interpreted in such a fittingly literal way. The similarities, both between the dresses of Grace and Kate, and circumstances of their marriages into royalty are notable.

Grace Kelly the American actress (and therefore "commoner") married Crown Prince Rainier of Monaco in April 1956. Kelly's wedding dress, designed by MGM's Academy Award–winning Helen Rose, was worked on for six weeks by three dozen seamstresses:

The resemblance between the two dresses (and women of course!) is undeniable, but the subtle differences in detailing, neckline and hair styling brings Kate's McQueen gown into the 21st century. Truly, a dress that will be remembered forever.

Never has a potential future Queen looked as stunning since gorgeous Grace herself.

Swoooooon!

BY ALL MEANS NECESSARY

Hey bloggies! Excuse the HUNNERS O' POSTS recently... What can I say, I'm inspired!

Here's another wee piece I bashed out earlier about a joint art exhibition I went to on Friday night. I might be biased since one of these talented artists is my friend's beau, but seriously I was MEGA impressed with the genuine, simplistic nature of their work. Arty folk make me SUPER envious, I can just about draw stick figures!

Anyway, N-JOY. 

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

Friday 22 April saw Glasgow's art lovers flock to the top floor studio at uber-cool hangout The Art School to witness a special exhibition of recent work by artists Jackson Marlette and Robin Leishman.

The two students in their final year at Glasgow School of Art put together the unique event - By All Means Necessary - in a matter of weeks, and greeted the plethora of guests with a cold beer and a polite eagerness to discuss the concept for the exhibition:

“The idea was to show that massively differing personal inspirations can sit side by side in a harmonious habitat through linking imagery,” said Robin.

“We wanted to show that art doesn’t need to be consciously curated together to work collaboratively in this sort of space. There just needs to be an overlap in passion to allow the work to make sense together, and in our case what links our work is the psychology, imagery and military motifs.”

Indeed, walking into the exhibition space, sparse but for the adorned walls, visitors were confronted with two very different fine art styles.

Jackson Marlette’s work used primarily paint and spray paint on canvas (materials that are sometimes considered ‘primitive' in a contemporary sense), and focused on memory and paranoia.

The most striking aspect of his work was the imagery of guerrilla militia and live arms set against a background of vivid primary colours and erratic brush strokes to create a contrast between the unsettling and the childish. Needless to say, the result was disturbing yet captivating.

Like Jackson, Robin’s work also focused on childhood and memory, however the materials used in his case included photography, sketches and pine and steel etchings.

A favourite among visitors was a mural of photographs showing toy soldiers carrying a wounded comrade away on a stretcher. The photos had been stitched together with thread to create one large, touching scene.

Robin said: “I wanted to explore the relationship that we all form with inanimate objects in order to stimulate an organic memory of the past.”

“It’s privately a shrine to the memory of my father. By using the military toys that he once played with as a child, I was hoping to create a bridge to a man that I never knew by developing a relationship with his possessions, and using their motifs to engage in a visual dialogue.”

If the effect of By All Means Necessary was to show that different styles of art can exist in the same space harmoniously, linked only by one single inspiration, then the brief was undoubtedly met.

Guests at the exhibition marvelled at the unique notion of a joint showcase, and Leishman and Garrett have certainly caught the attention of Glasgow’s art luvvies, which will surely stand both artists in great stead for the future.

(Nice arse-shot eh?)

You can see Robin Leishman and Jackson Marlette’s work displayed at the Glasgow School of Art’s degree show from June 11- 18.

I'M IN LOVE...

..with a shoe.

Behold, the Jeffrey Campbell Smudge Fab in black paisley:

I know everyone harps ON AND ON AND ON about the bloody Litas but they don't particularly do it for me and in my opinion are the perfect example of The-Emperor's-New-Clothes syndrome...

These are WAY more up my street. J'adore :)