The Look Shoe

It's always nice to have a momento which holds some special memories and I honestly can't think of anything more perfect than a pair of shoes! I'm always associating particular outfits with good nights out or special times and I may have found the perfect excuse for buying a new pair of shoes to do exactly that! Having had an amazing month at the Look magazine offices and working their fashion show in September, I'm contemplating buying the 'Look Shoe' as a reminder of all the fun I had. I'm talking myself into it, aren't I?

Diana Vickers' Photoshoot for Look!

During my placement with the fashion team at Look Magazine, I was invited onto the photo shoot with Diana Vickers. The shoot was inspired by icons through the past century, visualising the key hair, make-up and outfit from the 1940s, 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s. The effort which went into transforming Diana's look was huge and the hair and make-up artists were under huge time constraints to ensure all six executions were completed before Diana had to leave at 6pm!

It was so exciting to be a part of the shoot and the final photographs sat alongside an article with Diana and a video campaign to support her front and performing at the Look Fashion Show.




My favourite photograph of the whole collection is the one below. Having journeyed to Borough Market on the day of the shoot to purchase the red roses I am somewhat attached!!

Published in the Independent on Sunday

I can't tell you how excited I am to share the following two links with you. They came from two weeks work experience at the Independent on Sunday and I got myself two bylines!! Chuffed doesn't even cover it!

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/tv-radio/eamonn-and-sherlock-were-the-holmes-boys-separated-at-birth-2034895.html

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/food-and-drink/news/real-ale-shakes-off-its-beardy-image-2040609.html

Return of the Tanned Tights

Fake tan may be moving slowly out of fashion and David Walliam’s new wife Lara Stone is working the “pale and proud” look, but no one in the fashion world had anticipated this recent nylon bombshell. The Daily Mail has publicly criticised top style-influencers Sarah Jessica-Parker, Beyonce, Claudia Schiffer and Carla Bruni for stepping out in nude-coloured tights.

* * *

At the age of ten I remember discovering what I thought was the Holy Grail, a saviour to my biggest pre-pubescent problem of fuzzy legs. Nude tights were, after all, the ultimate symbol of being grown up and would most surely project me from child to teenager. Even with my young eyes I could see the way tights made your legs look airbrushed, disguising their paleness and the odd bruise from a playground knock-around! Especially as my mother denied me the right to shave my legs until I was in Year Nine (a really unfair rule, I thought!), skin-coloured tights answered my prayers.

It was alarming to learn that this garment had actually been subject to much ridiculing and hatred from fashion superiors, the voices I would soon become to count upon in work, study and play…

As my 21-year old self, I have come to learn to live by a few essential fashion rules. Beware of the VPL is one. And never show too much cleavage or leg is another. But a rule against wearing skin-coloured tights? Now that’s a new one…or have I just been living under a nylon-covered rock?

I still can’t quite get my head around the reason for a war on tights. We live in a climate which is punishing to our skin forcing it to come out in blotches, goose-bumps and clearly showing the lack of rays we get here in the UK. Therefore, tights are a fundamental safe-guard, right? If we could all have legs like Jennifer Aniston we would jump at the chance but as us mere mortals can't afford £££s on treatment and sunbathing on our Malibu beach home we have to simply make-do. Granted, the gathering around the ankles look is one usually associated with ‘old dears’ but worn correctly, surely they should get the green light?

Never say romance is dead, it's back and it's dark...

Glossy magazines this week are making a huge hoopla of the new trend to hit the fashion scene: Dark Romance, a twist on the boho vibe from a few summers ago. Whilst I'm personally terrified of thinking about A/W 2010 trends this is simply down to a personal financial crisis seeing as I have to wait another two months until the Student Loan is in. That means a further eight weeks of longing and loving from afar.



The muted tones and real autumnal colours (greens, auburns and browns) will look great on anyone; blond or brunette, tanned or pale. With my monetary dilemma upon me, the best solution I can come up with is looking through my wardrobe and pulling out all the garments I think work under this trend. I'm already thinking I have a khaki green loose fitting pullover and a brown checked waisted skirt. I had been holding onto the latter and saving it from the boot-sale pile where I had discovered it for quite a while, maintaining that one day I would have the time to hem it. But, heck, now I hear that midi-length skirts are back...will I be brave enough to try this? At a mere 5ft 3in, it could be really risky!


Check out Look! magazine's selection of garments for working this new Dark Romance trend: http://www.look.co.uk/pictures/shop-the-trend-dark-romance/topshop-dark-techno-maxi-dress-%C2%A360

Staycation

It may not be as adventurous as back-packing around the States as two of my friends have done this year, or jetting off to the family villa in South France like another, but a stay-cation is arguably just as relaxing and enjoyable as a va-cation!

First things first you don't have to face the dreaded flight which is bound to include at least one of the following: irritable passengers, an array of football chants from the stag group off to Estonia, super-smiley but unhelpful air attendants, cramped airplane seats and a screaming baby for in-flight entertainment! There's also the inevitable cold you catch from the return journey to Blightey faced with a torrent of rain to bring you back down to earth.

One thing I'm looking forward to is finally shutting up moaning about English weather and actually starting to enjoy it. I don't think any of us anticipated such an amazing spell of sunshine and warmth. Whilst it makes commuting in London that bit more unbearable, everyones mood is certainly elevated.

Fashion-wise our magazines are covered page-to-page with 'Best Summer Buys' and 'Holiday Items You Can't Live Without' and luckily even guidance on how to fit it all into your 20kg weight allowance. Despite not holidaying in the exceptionally popular Ibiza, Cyprus or Egypt, I have definitely been making the most of this press. I have finally succumbed to the trend for a maxi-dress so I will look the part along with my straw trilby.

Having been looking forward to two-weeks off from my work-experience-packed schedule this summer, calling it a stay-cation is making it feel far more special.

MOST AMAZING application on the H&M Website

I have discovered a new guilty pleasure. It's an adult's version of dressing our dolls. But the treat is, the clothes are real and you can, in a sense, 'try before you buy' or simply collate different outfits and see which ones you like.

Here is what I threw together today:



I love this girly day-time look with a nautical edge. The boots and the necklaces glam it up quite a bit. I'm thinking it could be paired with a boyfriend-fit suit jacket to conserve some heat as you go into the evenings.



This is a definite party outfit...in fact I think my social butterfly of a friend might own this dress! I've accessorized it with the boots to make it seem a little less conventional and let's face it, those boots will be a heck of a lot comfier than stilettos!



Now I'm not used to styling a man but I know what I like to see guys wearing. That's why I've chosen this big duffel coat. Nuzzling into it and getting that faint aroma of aftershave, it totally makes me think of snuggling up watching the fireworks (this isn't a tangent...I'm applying it to, er... the context as it's the Fall 2010 collection. Hmm, convinced?) I've injected a bit of colour with the scarf to brighten the whole outfit (the duffel and scarf combo would totally work over a suit, seen it done and it looks hot!) Absolutely love the chunky boots, even want a pair myself: super-masculine, practical but look gooooood!

The Trend for Ugly Footwear…where are the fashion police?

Let’s face it, when the Ugg was first printed in a magazine no one was jumping up and down at the sight of them. The only kudos was they were emerging on the festival scene upon the likes of Kate Moss’ feet. That was enough it seemed to propel the sheepskin-lined suede boot into becoming the ‘must-have’ footwear. It soon dominated every celebrity’s wardrobe and descended through the high-street stores with their take on the Australian boot. It needn’t have mattered that the boot wore like an ill-fitting sock, was highly unattractive to the opposite sex and the heel support broke within 100 strides on the shop door. £180 well spent, eh?

Then along came the Croc. A shoe which could be considered cute upon the feet of toddlers, but grown women? Tim Gunn, fashion consultant, told Time Magazine, “…the Croc – it looks like a plastic hoot. How can you take that seriously?” A Facebook fan page titled “I don’t care how comfortable Crocs are, you look like a dumbass” accrued over 1.5 million “likers” as of June 2010. Back in 2007 when they first emerged, celebrities such as Brook Shields and Nicole Appleton jumped on the bandwagon whilst the Style section of every magazine was in uproar. President Bush made himself unpopular with fashion journalists in 2007 when he emerged wearing matching shirt, shorts, socks and Crocs, “…there’s one thing we can all agree on when it comes to President Bush: he is not a fashionable man.” Stylelist goes on to declare Crocs as “the ugliest pieces of footwear on the planet”. According to Manolo Blahnik – the Internet’s foremost shoe blogger – “this is ground for impeachment”. Whilst the Croc was hailed as comfortable, and perhaps the reason so many celebrities endorsed it, it still came under scrutiny when a toddler was injured on an escalator due to the soft rubber upper getting caught. A safety hazard and ugly, really not much going for them!

But fear, the next edition of hideous footwear has arrived: The Wörishofer. A shoe designed based on function over aesthetic, claiming to improve comfort for bunion-sufferers. Now there’s a real hook, it may ease pain but everyone will know you have bunions! You may as well have a stamp on your forehead declaring it! Miraculously, a German podiatrist has developed a cult following of celebrities and style-stalkers. Photographed wearing the new "it" shoe is actress Maggie Gyllenhaal and outspoken rapper Mia. These are two rather unlikely candidates considering The Wörishofer as only ever seen on shuffling grandmothers complaining of back pain since its advent almost 70 years ago. They have become popular on the streets of Brooklyn, and as the book The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell identifies, breaking into a community like this can impact the majority into thinking this is a brilliant new trend. Just think back to the Hush Puppies revival...hmm...

The fashion industry’s turn to “ugly shoes” has been explained by Harriet Quick, fashion features editor at Vogue, "It's a combination of two things, the current taste for previously geeky styles, like Clark's and chunky brogues, and the vaguely orthopaedic styles channelled on the catwalks right now. They're an active antidote to the fierce sky-high heels we've seen, and they're grounded in functionality; girls are fed up of crippling themselves."

It seems, however, to be from one extreme to the other. Surely there must be some medium ground on which we can compromise the ugliness for a little sexiness (even if there is a little pinch)?

Stella McCartney for Olympic 2012 designs

It has been reported by the Independent Online that Stella McCartney is going to team up with Adidas to design the Olympic GB team ranges.

Having been to the exhibition Fashion versus Sport at the V&A Museum back in 2008, we are seeing more frequently these two industries merging their expertise.

The Brit designer teamed up with Adidas back in 2004 to create a performance collection which was an instant hit with active fashionistas. 'Each season we are able to merge more and more performance products with style,' says McCartney

The intelligence required for designing sports and athletic wear will not be compromised by the aesthetics. McCartney’s input is creating “the chicest sportswear around” for all areas of exercise: running, gym, yoga, tennis, dance and even wintersports.

View her previous collection at: http://www.net-a-porter.com/Shop/Designers/Adidas_by_Stella_McCartney

Visual Merchandising Trends AW10

My programme leader Tim would be so happy to know what an impact his lectures on visual awareness has had on me. Having initially been extremely overwhelmed by the mass of images we experience day-to-day, Tim made the point that as fashion marketers we have to stop letting this information go over our head and stop and acknowledge what is around us. Therefore I found myself putting down my copy of Stylist and looking out the window of the bus on my journey from Ladbroke Grove to Oxford Street. The no.23 bus wound its way through Portobello market and headed for Paddington before passing the Marble Arch and driving up the UK's busiest shopping street; the haven to all shopoholics and fashionistas, Oxford Street.

I wish the bus driver hadn't been lurching between stop and start and flooring the accelerator at any opportunity as I might grabbed some half-decent photographs to share with you. However, the key theme I picked up today is documented below:

- - - It will sound silly and you'll think, Well that's obvious but 'shopping' seems to be an umbrella trend for VM displays. Trolleys, in particular, seem to be heavily featured for once off the shop floor and in front of the window's street audience. One instance was a minimalist white stage and backdrop and in the fore-ground just two shopping trolleys placed one behind the other. Granted it was effective but I have no idea what the shop was or what in fact they sell. I know window displays are meant to catch you're eye, and that is certainly did, but aren't they supposed to lure you inside? I guess being intrigued would but those who are simply window shopping and never been to the area before might not have the same urge to follow it up...

A reflection of New York's shoe service...

Sitting in a crowded and undignified shoe department of New York's Lord & Taylor, it astounded me that the designs of Ralph Lauren and Anne Klein were being discarded and treated in the same manner as if they had been found in a Century 21 or TK Maxx. Aren't these names supposed to be up-market? How have these prestigious labels been displayed so shambolic considering their high price tag?

Surrounding me are millions of uncoordinated shoe boxes, stuffing, pop-socks and abandoned shoes littering the shop floor. It is quite acceptable for a shoe sale of this size to attract so much excitement, and in turn disarray, but when it is DKNY shoe boxes in question, you have to ask yourself if the market is really segmented? After all, I think you will all agree that environment is emblematic of your standard high-street retailer which accompanies economy-class service. You really would expect more when you are buying a bit of First Class footwear.

Shoe shopping experiences offered within New York has been a varied. Saks 5th Avenue had their breath-taking Eighth Floor devoted entirely to the biggest and most successful names within shoe design; Christian Dior, Manolo Blahnik, Christian Laboutin...a total shoe haven. Given its spacious allowance of space per designer, immaculately presented displays and perfectly positioned shoes, it was a welcome change from the hustle and bustle of the mid-market stores.

Most identifiable is the change in pace that I, as the consumer, experienced from store to store which emphasised the significance of the shopping environment on the feeling of ease or unease from being present there. The calm atmosphere created by light, space and pleasant music meant that I was automatically at ease (despite the high prices!) The highest number of shoppers was around the sale section on Saks' Eighth Floor (not surprisingly) but this was displayed respectfully on glass shelves and tables. No metal racks would dare show their face in this store.

Brighton-Belle

I returned to Brighton today for the first time in ten years. I can't believe I don't go more often! It's a great place for shopping, sunbathing and socialising and you can tell from walking around The Lanes that it is a vibrant place full of eclectic people. I wish I had taken my camera and I could have conducted a bit research for trend-setters.

Parking, admittedly, was a total nightmare and unless you succumb to stumping up £4 an hour(!!) then you'll have a tough job negotiating the maze of streets for a more reasonable alternative. Having offloaded quite a way out of town, I enjoyed quite a brisk walk to the centre which was made more enjoyable by the blazing sun. Having pulled out of the closet my straw hat and perfectly matching straw bag, I felt extremely summery and, for a moment, forgot I was only half an hour from home and not in fact a plane journey away!

Whilst the shopping centre hosts the same familiar brands, it seems the case that many of the stores, where possible, stock a wider variety of lines. Having spent almost an hour in one shop and another half an hour deciding which androgynous-styled shoes I fancied from Aldo, it was lovely to walk through the winding streets bordered with alfresco-dining and quirky shops.

I had heard the rumours about a particularly special chocolate shop and had to restrain myself from entering 'Choccywoccydoodah' which had the most lavish window display that was certainly enticing! See their websiite: http://www.choccywoccydoodah.com/#intro

Another shop which made my mouth water was Fizziwigg's which was situated in the heart of The Lanes (27 Meeting House Lane) and is far more up my street as a candy girl. The mention of cola-bottles and flying saucers plus the animated visual merchandising reminded me of Chessington World of Adventure's Professor Bubbleworks ride.

I definitely want to go back with my friends; it's the perfect place to chill-out and with the sunny weather we've been lucky to have recently, it really does feel like you have escaped away on holiday (although the pebbly beach and sore bum does remind you of the reality!)

Now I wouldn't wear them, but they do totally sum up the angle I have taken for my blog. I just need to Photoshop a rose pattern over the frames and you've got an image which perfectly illustrates that my blog is a collection of ramblings from one person's point of view.

Surveillance & Voyeurism Exhibition at the Tate

I saw a poster on the London Underground for this the other day and found that it complimented many of the Design & Visual Culture (DVC) lectures we have received over the past two years. Although my dissertation is based upon the high heel and its symbolic meanings, my friend Megan is looking at the role of social networking as an extension of the self. Therefore, seeing this exhibition being advertised rang alarm bells that it is definitely something worth seeing! We're both planning to have a look whilst we're together in London in September around the time we will be working at London Fashion Week!

I found a link for the exhibition if you want further details: http://www.tate.org.uk/modern/exhibitions/exposure/default.shtm

Hat-itecture

My sister told me about this pop-up exhibition that is in London for the next month (17th June-18th July) which I am really keen to see. The hats are on display which show designers/milliners/architects interpretations of London.

For more details, follow this link: http://www.youandmearchitecture.com/

I shall let you know what I make of it once I go!

Freshers-Fifteen going on Third-Year Thirty

Everyone expects new students to indulge fully in the student lifestyle for a while: late nights, heavily alcohol-fuelled and kebabs at 4am etc. etc. Well I wasn't an exception to this rule. Cooking in a kitchen shared by 13 people was never a particularly nice or hygienic environment to want to prepare and cook food. The speed-dial for the local Chinese was always a more appealing option.

However, the Fresher's fifteen (pounds in weight, that is) became a reality for me and whilst my initiative was there to join the University gym, the self-conscious part of me dreaded (and in turn completely put off) actually attending for fear of sweating it out in front any fitties!

Instead, here I am at the end of my 2nd year with many hangover-curing MacDonald's and Burger King's under my belt (literally) seeing the effects of University life on my waistline. So I have attempted to take control and take advantage of my youth (while I have it) and getting into shape. I'm not promising a half-marathon (like my sister) or even a 10k but I do hope to tone up all the wobbly bits!

My second visit to the gym today consisted of an aerobics class with a bunch of menopausal women followed by an aqua-aerobics class with 60+ women. It struck me as rather odd that these "Older Women" were so eager to get into the swimsuits having had two grandmothers who refused to sit by a pool in anything other than shorts and a t-shirt and a mother who relies on her sarong and kaftan like a safety blanket. But then the instructor walked out: tanned, tones and in tiny shorts! Not sure I'll be back next week but I'll be damn sure they will be...

Lily Lewis...my favourite discovery amongst the vintage collection

I've heard you're either a hat person or you're not! Luckily for me, I am. Obviously it can't be down to genetics because both my mother and father tend to steer clear of hats at all cost. It was at the Frock Me vintage fair I visited back in Easter (2010) at Chelsea Town Hall where I came across the young designer Lily Lewis. Her stand stood out by a mile; an array of hats and head-pieces relating to different time periods. My favourite were the 1920s cloche hats and one in particular which was royal blue and featured peacock feathers as the decoration.

I even stretched my budget to purchase a hand-made headband of black velvet decorated with a beautiful black and white chinese bird feather. The cost may have been high but the compliments make it totally worth it!

Check out her designs at: www.lilylewis.co.uk

Sex and the City...Dry Spell

Reports are confirming that the much-loved girls are "hanging up their Manolo's" and drawing a line under the Sex and the City chapter. Whereas I think even the most avid fans can agree that the two films never quite lived up to our expectations following the six series on HBO, it still feels like we are entitled to a grieving period.

I for one was never able to watch any of the leading ladies in their other work where they weren't playing the relatable Carrie, Miranda, Charlotte or Samantha. (Although a much younger Sarah-Jessica Parker does appear in First Wives Club and Girls Just Wanna Have Fun, which are great chick-flicks!)

I shall be keeping a close eye on what Patricia Field does next. I don't think Carrie Bradshaw or Sex and the City would have had quite the impact without the jaw-dropping outfits she concocted.

Will anything ever come close to the phenomenon that was Sex and the City?

La Vie en Rose au Parie: The Journey Home

I am amazed how quickly the journey went home considering how eager everyone was to get home. Mostly we managed to catch up on the sleep we had lost from the drilling but we also learnt some interesting South-African choir songs and heard our coach driver demonstrate his skills on the bagpipes!

Didn’t I start by saying I was slightly apprehensive about going to Paris without my Loved One? Well before I finish I must say it did sting to see a load of guys waiting as the coach pulled in with flowers, hugs and kisses for their special person. But in reality, being a Single Girl in Paris proved to me that in the end, the close friendships I have made are worth a whole lot more and ultimately we comforted each other through some pretty grim situations…priceless!

La Vie en Rose au Parie: Premiere Vision

Today was the day which explained the whole reason we had taken the trip to Paris at this time. Premiere Vision is a world-aclaimed trade show which is held in the outskirts of Paris to showcase the trends predicted for Spring/Summer 2011 and in particular the fabrics that buyers and designers should be taking note of. Our visit to Premier Vision has provided the biggest insight with regards to colours, textures and fabrics.

A combination of leaflets and articles that I collected from Premier Vision suggested a trend for workwear, implying that fabrics will be faded and stressed including elements such as ripping to create the worn in look. This trend has been considered when identifying key colours, textures and fabrics. Loving the fact that my ripped demin jeans will back in the height of fashion the year after next was really exciting (especially for my bank balance!).

Haivng been to the trade show Pure in Earl Court, London, this scene was not entirely new to me. In fact I felt I was at more of an advantage at Pure as I was able to walk around with a Buyer/Agent for her own fashion company. Therefore I gained an understanding of how a buyer and/or agent would approach an event like this, how they would record the information and translate this into necessary information for her business. However, as I had this insight I was able to consider this at Premiere Vision. The disappointing factor was that as a ‘Student Day’ at Premiere Vision, buyers and textile designers were not interested in speaking with us and by midday many stands were packing up to leave or had already vacated!!

Getting to see a short film informing us of the future 2011 trends was helpful and perhaps the most interesting part of the day. This was to massively help with the formation of my Paris Trend Briefing which I was to present on my return. Dragging our feet around, tired (from even more drilling) and hungry (unable to afford the ludicrous food prices), by 2pm everyone was sat at the entrance just willing the lecturers to turn up earlier and arrange the coaches to take us home!

Our final night was definitely marked with celebration. We all made an effort to dress up, i.e. not wear thermals, trackies or worn-out fleeces (I’m kidding, like we ever wore that? But you get my point…) and went out for dinner to meet the majority of our tour group at our favourite haunt, De la Ville Café. Another amazing dinner later (gourmet cheeseburger again for me. Don’t judge, Megs got the steak again by which point she’d had four steaks in a row!! Judge her.) and our trip had come to an end. The nightmare of packing was hanging over us just as badly as the early morning get-up was looming but we had all started to get excited by the thought that our clean beds were only a few hours away.

La Vie en Rose au Parie: Vintage Shops, Giggles & "Sex sells"

This was the most exciting day of them all. Morgaine, one of our lecturers, had recommended we explore the area around the Pompadou. We started the day by heading straight to the Hotel de Ville Metro station and wanting to hit the vintage stores before the rest of our course descended upon Free ‘P’Star. Of course on the way we got distracted by a ribbon store and a book store. The vintage store was the most extraordinary little shops crammed full of clothing. Every rail was heaving with hangers displaying usual items from various eras. The first thing to hit me though was the smell…that intriguing scent that you find in the treasures of your grandmother’s dressing-up chest which filled my nostrils with feeling of anticipation and excitement. With a tiny rickety metal ladder leader up to a small raised platform displaying dead animal furs (with heads and paws) alongside boxes of leather belts and a row of belts. The basement has the smallest metal spiral staircase that it was hard to manoeuvre down without factoring in the armful of little gems I have already pulled out. Trying on these items was like a movie montage that all girls dream of participating in. All we needed was some 80’s music on a sound system. I was a very happy girl to walk away with an army jumper/dress, a knitted sleeveless jumper and a silver sequin (second-skin) dress. That has to be a 21st birthday outfit sorted there! And all for the reasonable price of 30 euros!

The naughtiest bookshop I have ever been in was situated next door and had us bunch of girls in fits of giggles. It was definitely worth the tears as my stomach muscles got a proper work out!

Hours and hours were whiled away at our next stop…a charm shop! Like kids in a sweetie store, we ‘ooh’ed and ‘aah’ed over the wide selection of little Eiffel Towers, roses and knives and forkes which can be purchased. Each of us had our distinct individual style but one thing we all wanted to have in common was the same Eiffel Tower charm as a representative of our trip together. And now as I look at it on my necklace, I remember the laughs we had, the tears we cried and the horrendous travelling and accommodation conditions we withstood!

Our lunch was the rather hideously conventional for an English tourist…McDonalds. But blimey, how expensive is McDonalds in Paris? The higher price almost makes you think you might get better quality food than you do…nope it was most definitely the mass-produced high calorific fast-food I’m used to in England.

Rather inadvertently we managed to conduct an experiment over our lunchtime. A few of the flyers we picked up along our way included one from Free ‘P’ Star (the vintage store), which featured six or seven almost naked men posing. This had been placed up against the window where our table was situated…I happened to notice loads of people were looking in at us. I thought to myself, I know we stand out but surely we can’t be sitting in McDonalds any differently than a group of French girls would! Then it clicked…the men and women walking past were ogling at the semi-naked men posing with baby-oil-slicked pecks! Now if that’s not a clear indication that “Sex sells” then I don’t know what is??
I hadn’t known what to expect from the Pompadou centre following lunch. I had heard the name being spread around our tour group but I had mainly associated it with its innovative architecture, which had designed the building inside out! This was more of a spectacle that the interior. I did, however, discover the most exciting stationary shop within which as a big stationary-fiend and ex-rubber collector I was in a mini-heaven!

La Vie en Rose au Parie: Drilling, Chocolate & Shopping

Drilling woke us all up at 8.12am…luckily there was not a headache accompanying the shrill sound of the building work! As we all felt extremely tired and ratty from the awful nights sleep, we decided that today would a careful balance of research and indulgence. First stop was Angelina’s which came highly recommended by our module lecturer. All eleven of us order the hot chocolate; eight milk chocolate and two white chocolate. Wow…was this chocaholics heaven! The consistency of this hot chocolate was like no other I have ever seen…it was simply melted chocolate. It was the most amazing thing I have ever tried…but way to rich to manage a whole teapot full! Whilst trying to enjoy the post-Angelina’s warmth and feeling like we’d all just eaten a meal(!) we browsed a few souvenir shops on our way to Colette. Colette was the most memorable shop I visited during my stay in Paris which displayed a clear mix of fashion, culture and lifestyle. The retail environment was interactive, entertaining and attractive. Instantly you felt you were in a very fashionable place as the table were stacked with fashion publications and books. The clothing itself was displaying on mannequins of which there were around twenty in the menswear section alone. There were no racks of clothing with various sizes, it was obvious that service was essential whilst shopping in Colette and the sales representatives were very attentive. The basement of Colette had a very trendy-looking bar and restaurant which I would imagine was rather pricey to eat it, at least the interior decoration suggested it would be.

We had a traditional French baguette on the go to Champs Elysee. On walking out the Metro Station we saw the Arc de Triomphe from a distance. The rain pouring down stopped us from walking all the way down but it was exciting to see it from afar in all its glory. On the corner at the end of the strip of shops on the Champs Elysee was the Adidas Concept Store. It has so many interactive features that it is hard to remember them all but we definitely did end up spending a lot longer in there than we had anticipated…I think that is called ‘Missioned Accomplished’! Whilst there we played games, designed our own trainers and t-shirts, tested our fitness levels, posed for umpteen photographs which were printed and we were able to each take one home as a souvenir. This to be one of the most effective shopping environments I have ever witnessed. Adidas is not a brand that I particularly like and definitely not one which I regularly shop in but this concept store was highly entertaining and for that I think the brand has been raised in my opinion.

We tested our orienteering skills by negotiating with a map and some roughly translated directions to find the YSL museum. On our way we walked past the likes of Chanel, Dior (the one in which Carrie Bradshaw fell!!), Gucci, Louis Vuitton and loads more. This was great for seeing the top-end in a European market and see the new Spring/Summer window displays.

The YSL museum was displaying a range of outfits for their…

Continuing along the museum theme we visited the Museum of Modern Art. We had bumped into a group off our course and they had recommended we visit it, if not for the artwork but for the feature ride through the ‘Haunted House’. This was A LOT of laughs! In twos, we went around the House of Horrors and saw skeletons, murdered victims and skeletons. It was so extraordinary to experience this whilst in a museum…the two don’t seem too well matched but it certainly made us all keen to go!

Having seen our first sighting of the Eiffel Tower from the Museum of Modern Art, we were all very eager to walk there and see it for ourselves. Some of the girls wanted to take the steps up to the first and second balcony…it may not be essential for me to point out at this point that those who suggested this had not ever been to the Eiffel Tower before and therefore had completely underestimated the height! My feet were cream-crackered just from all the walking we were doing so there was no way I wanted to participate in this activity. Having been up the Eiffel Tower before twice with the Loved One I didn’t feel an urge to see the view this time!

The bitter cold had crept to our nether regions and with the closure of the Eiffel Tower ending any hopes to raise anyone off the ground. We walked to the nearest Metro (which was in fact miles away) and took ourselves to Bastille – this area had been recommended to us for great restaurants and bar. We managed to find ourselves a trendy little restaurant/bar with lively music located right next to a creperie and after our long days walking the streets of Paris we had a couple of cocktails to unwind!

La Vie en Rose au Parie: The Palace of Versailles

If there is anything that will get a group of students out of bed for a 7.45am meet, it would have to be excessive drilling! It was absolutely mind-splitting drilling which was so loud we were all convinced something was going to come crashing through the ceiling!

After demolishing the carbohydrate-fuelled breakfast on offer, our entire tour group congregated in the reception to board the coach to Versailles. The sensible ones had bought their pillows and blankets with them for the journey. Expecting only an hours journey, three and a half later we saw the Palace of Versailles.

It had begun snowing whilst we made our way there and the sight was quite spectacular. It was another twenty minutes later when our coach driver worked out where he could drop us off. The silver lining was that we were given a mini-tour of the area around the palace and got to see a bit more of Versailles.

Getting in free was a not only a saving grace for saving the euros but also for quickly getting us out of the snow! We found ourselves walking through a long row of rooms beautifully decorated with rich fabrics such as velvet and bright reds, blues and greens. Each room displayed family portraits from French royal family and the Hughes generations.

The views out of each window were simply stunning. The beautifully manicured gardens had a sprinkling of snow of the ground making it look like it had had a sprinkling of icing sugar. As we worked our way through the palace, the room sizes increased and the decoration became more elaborate. The Corridor of Light was the most ostentatious room of them all with gold cherub ornaments placed before every mirror, statues facing opposite and crystal chandeliers hung in a long row. This room would have been used for banquets and the vast space with minimal furniture displayed extreme opulence.
On reflection there were many things I learnt from my visit to the Palace of Versailles. The Palace of Versailles was built in an era when wealth was expressed through space and the royal family would have been keen to show this. To further increase the space of the rooms, furniture was hidden behind secret panels and pulled out when needed.

The King’s bedroom which we were able to witness was not his sleeping place but where he would take his closest visitors. The closer you got to his “bedroom”, the most important you were in society. If you were the King’s council, you would go to his “show bedroom” where you would see him wearing his “show nightgown”. Royalty had a separate staircase to “behave badly” in away from prying eyes of the King’s council.
The Guard’s Room displayed weaponry and would have been shown to visitors to show how threatening France could be. The Dining Rooms showed money and cultural dignity. Food was a signifier; meet and dessert came in dish which is a recurring trend apparent today. Our ideas of fine dining today originated from the Court of Versailles. Women were not allowed to eat in front of the men as its was considered seductive, especially women eating meat which was considered ‘extremely titilating’. Women had an anti-table which would be separated from the men, although they were still not allowed to eat to eat here, but instead could gamble, play cards and drink coffee. Great Britain was the biggest drinking nation of the 18th century. Servants would dry out used tea leaves and re-sell them even though this was illegal as tea leaves were extremely expensive.

The grounds to the Palace of Versailles are all about beauty and fantasy. Other aspects of beauty at the time was the female beauty spot which indicated beauty, availability and sexuality. Jugglers and jesters were people of the court as they didn’t like bringing strangers into the palace because of gossip.

The fashions that the Palace of Versailles witnessed was another opportunity to express their wealth but also carried their restricitions. Big, long sleeves meant that you could never put glasses down on a table as you would knock them over when trying to pick them up. But holding the glass displayed innovation and wealth. Even whilst sat at a table, there would be a servant to each person who would hold the wine glass by their shoulder whilst they ate instead of putting them down. At the same time, the wine glass would never become remotely empty! Each time the person put the wine glass to their shoulder, the servant would empty, wash and refill the glass and hold it until their hand returned to their hsoulder indicating they wanted to take a sip. This has got to be a recurring trend…how amazing would that be at a dinner party??

Having had the snow fall down, we were unable to visit Marie Antoinette’s private residence and we had a reduced amount of time at the Palace than initially planned. We managed to have a much faster journey home and were back at the hotel by 3pm.

The six of us girls took the Metro to Galleries Lafayette, admiring the many shops on the way. In particular there was a beautiful chocolatier which had its visual merchandising geered up for the impending Valentines Day. Now that has to be Paris in a nutshell: chocolate + Valentines Day = romance. Galleries Lafayette was simply stunning. The ceiling was incredible and made the whole shopping environment feel very luxurious and up-market. Printemps, another department store which was near enough next door, was not as mind-blowing although the shoe department certainly made me feel like I was in heaven! On reflection, visiting department stores in Paris was not dissimilar from those in the uk, although the stunning layout of Galleries Lafayette takes some beating! There was a clear distinction between luxury brands such as Dior and Chanel however, other more mainstream menswear brands were displayed in a similar way to the visual merchandising you would find in House of Fraser.
For the first time, on our official first full day in Paris, the whole tour group planned to meet at De La Ville Café at 7.30pm. By this time we had all massively worked up an appetite and had the most AMAZING dinner! It was steaks and gourmet burgers all round. Just thinking about it now is making me hungry! It was great fun to meet up with others from the group and trade information about which places were good to go etc.

The evening was nicely rounded of with a slumber party in our room…ten girls and ten bottles of wine!

La Vie en Rose au Parie: First Excursion into Paris

After a short power nap, wrapped entirely in my blanket to protect myself from the hotel’s bedding, we were all eager to head into the centre of Paris to make the journey and hotel seem worthwhile. The Metro station really wasn’t far away which was extremely handy as the blisteringly cold wind was almost unbearable. Having stood at a tram stop for almost ten minutes, quietly comforted that we were definitely in the right place as there was a group of FMB students also waiting there, we clearly looked like a group of English tourists as a metro worker came over to ask us if we needed assistance. And thank goodness he had, otherwise we would have found ourselves in the Parisian suburbs! He also rather worryingly informed us that the area we were located in was dangerous and therefore we should not travel around, even in a group, after dark! Well considering it was 3pm and we were forty minutes outside of the city centre and it started getting dark at 5pm, we contemplated heading back to the hotel! The hotel?? No that really wasn’t an option!

After some disjoined French, or franglais as I liked to refer to it, we managed to work out which Metro Station we were aiming for… “Je voudrais trouver le tour Eiffel?”… “Je voudrais acheter une carnet des billet, s’il vous plait?” Only Sarah-Fabulous Bonner could come out with “Babe, do you do student discount?”

The Metro stations in Paris reminded me a lot of the Subway stations in New York…it was something about the carriage-styles, the stations and the people. It was a little unnerving being a group of girls on the Metro as we clearly stood out like a sore thumb. I’m not sure whether it was because we were white, English-speaking or just fashionably dressed. It was rather shocking the fashion faux pas we witnessed. Fashion did not seem to be a concept that many people were familiar with which was incredibly shocking considering Paris’ reputation within the industry. It is not like the odd-bods you find in London who are clearly seeking to be individual. It made me feel like the Metro was a time-warp for fashion from the 1990s; ill-fitting clothing, dark base colours and a distinct lack of femininity.

Chatelet was our final destination for the day and we initially spent an hour or so wandering around the streets aimlessly, absorbing the sights and smells of the city. In true Parisian fashion we wiled away the rest of the daylight sat in an authentic traditional Parisian café, slowly warming ourselves up with a chocolat chaud. One of the things I had been most excited about with Paris was going to be with my girlfriends and doing what 20-something women do…have the biggest girlie chat ever talking about the course, our ambitions, where we see ourselves going after university! This ended up being one of my favourite memories of the whole holiday.

Having been successfully defrosted we headed back into the cold to see the beautiful shimmery lights of the streets of Paris and meandered down little side streets until we came to a beautiful little square with numerous restaurants. We settled on a small bistro where we all indulged in a gorgeous meal to complete our first day in Paris!

La Vie en Rose au Parie: The Hotel

Think Pontins. Think Butlins. Think South-East Asian hostels. And now imagine twenty times worse! As Parisian standards go, this has to be the lowest of the low! Not to mention its fine location on a motorway, with nothing but a petrol station in sight. We have some spectacular photographs of the bed linen…nicely stained! I wouldn’t be surprised if this hotel rents room by the hours! Famous quote of the holiday: “Girls, I hope you have birth control because you’re gonna need it to sleep in these beds.”

La Vie en Rose au Parie: The Journey

Midnight on Sunday night and Megan and I were pounding the streets on Nottingham. Not an altogether unfamiliar sight but this time without our clutch bags and instead with suitcases. We had spent the last two hours in my room, certain we had forgotten something and desperately trying to cram as much food into our hand luggage as physically possible.

Meeting all the girls outside the Bonington building was when the excitement really started to build up. Everyone was there half dressed in their pjs and half in their finest outerwear carrying designers handbags on one arm and pillows and blankets in the others. The best fashion contradictions ever.

The journey itself was pretty ghastly as coach journeys go but making it to the Channel Tunnel has to be considered an achievement after breaking down 20 minutes outside Nottingham. I think it was after the second stop on our way down to the coast when our driver insisted we all get off the coach whilst he took his 45 minute break that us girls realised we were going to be dependent on coffee for the week!

La Vie en Rose au Parie: Pre Trip

Passport. Check. Euros. Check. Ready for my visit to the City of Romance? Ready to visit one of the most prestigious fashion cities in the world?

My perception of Paris from film and book depiction, plus my previous visits left me feeling a little anxious about going to Paris without my Loved One. Don’t get me wrong, nothing much can come in the way of a girlie city trip away but when I think Paris, I think Eiffel Tower and then it is only natural for a girl to think proposals! I actually have a family friend who proposed to his girlfriend at the top of the Eiffel Tower…pretty big gamble if you ask me. Awfully romantic if she says ‘yes’ but awfully dangerous to be that high up from the ground if she says ‘no’.

Pre-girls night preparation for Paris included the essentials…vino blanc and the final two episodes from Sex and the City. If there is anything that can get a girl excited about going to Paris, it is going to be seeing Carrie Bradshaw walk around the beautiful districts in beautiful clothes and being whisked off her feet by Mr Big (lets forget her faux pas of falling flat on her face in Dior).

Becoming Country Bumpkins

My parent's imminent move to the beautiful East Sussex countryside got me to thinking how fashion can be dictated by our geography, I have started to see how high fashion takes both the garments and setting for inspiration. There is the practical element of course which the country requires of you and whilst crunching through the snow and walking the grounds in freezing temperatures I was very grateful for my wellington boots and duffel coat! (Although one day I hope these to be 'Barbour jacket and Hunter wellies')

My favourite fashion shoot which encapsulates the eccentricity of the countryside features Emma Watson in Teen Vogue.

"Shot in and around an old English Country manor, the styling reflects the attitude of the new, more mature Watson that we have recently grown accustomed to." (Teen Vogue, 2009)

Not only is Watson absolutely stunning, I love the colour contrast between her colourful and texturised outfits against the hazy landscape settings.

Beautiful & Glossy

There is something about fashion magazines that get me all excited like butterflies in my stomach. Whether it is too many episodes of Sex and the City and wanting to live Carrie Bradshaw's life and in particular writing a column for a New York newspaper and in her spare time sitting reading Vogue in her beautiful Manhattan apartment. Last year at university I got into the habit of walking to the Student Express shop every Sunday to buy a couple of newspapers, a glossy fashion magazine and a weekly. It was the perfect Sunday!

Last Christmas I was very kindly given a year subscription to Elle and Harper's Bazaar. I'm not quite managing Carrie Bradshaw's lifestyle just yet and now have a pile of about ten unopened magazines which I feel like I am failing in some way. I resolved that 2010 would be the year when I can save a few pennies and make my way through the piles of magazines (including International publications which my parents have brought back from various holidays abroad) was short lived. Come the 2nd of January I checked my bank account only to see that National Magazine had debited my account by £15. Which of the monthly publications I shall be receiving I do not know but either Elle or Harper's Bazaar will be dropping on my doormat within the next week or so and I have to say, I'm very excited!

When Harry Met Sally

I am so excited about the classic film 'When Harry Met Sally' being put on the stage. In February this year, a group will go on tour around the UK and I shall definitely be buying tickets to take my girlies along to watch in Nottingham. It looks like it has got a great cast too with Hollyoaks' Sarah-Jayne Dunn and Coronation Streets' Rupert Hill. It will be very entertaining to see some of the scenes on stage!

Christmas Lists

It has become a long-running tradition in the Letley family for the grandchildren to write a Christmas list. I have very fond memories at my grandparents house where my sister and I would sit up all night going through the Argos catologue and writing a million different things down on a list as long as my arm!

It was halfway into December when my deadlines were completed and I got my life back leading to being a bit carried away. I added visuals, prices, places to purchase from... It seems these days to be such a luxury to sit down and write down a Christmas list but this year I found myself writing 'printer ink cartridges' and 'electric toothbrush head'...a definite sign of my age!