Make Do & Mend!

So it's been a bit late and I've left it till the very last minuet to blog about this spread but I think its one that needs to be talked about...

Seeing Vogue as just a pretty picture book with expensive clothing and envious models (honestly I do try and read it) I was very surprised to see that the recession is even affecting our fashion highness!

This months Make Do and Mend photo shoot proves this point. They have cleverly used everyday household items and made outfits that are actually quite stunning...ok Mr Tim Walker and his clever camera skills may have had a helping hand, but these clothes are amazing. I never thought that I would be saying that wearing a bin liner is a good look but you have to agree this is defiantly D.I.Y at its best!

Visual Merchandising at Loot!

Throughout the summer I worked at Jack Wills and a children's stall in Brighton Lanes. I also helped out at Loot, a men's clothes shop adjoined to the stall. Loot was opened in January this year so the shop was still new and still needed to gain an image to entice new customers in. Having experience within retail and hence studying fashion, the manager of Loot was interested in my ideas to give the shop an 'image'. Because the shop sold men’s clothing, particularly focusing on the ‘new mod’ look which is popular in Brighton (Harrington Jackets, Monkee Genes and Relco shirts, being some of the brands he sells) we decided to go for a school theme, creating an image that our target audience could relate and buy into.

We made displays using old bookcases, desks and benches. We also managed to find an original school blazer and satchel which we put in the window. Mixing old photographs found in flea markets and old textbooks gave the shop a great school theme and made a lot of customers want to stay longer to look around the shop. Hopefully I can put some photographs of the shop and how it is coming along later when I’m back at Christmas!

Photograph curtesy of my brother and his friends.

Monkee Genes

I've always been a bit of a Topshop girl when it comes to jeans, always sticking to the same size and style just changing colour to match season.

However, it was when my little brother of 16 bought a pair of Monkee Genes (from Loot where I work in Brighton Lanes, don't forget the 25% discount there!) that I actually discovered how amazing these jeans are! All throughout the summer that I worked there I never once tried on these beauties and I was kicking myself in my new black jeans from Topshop (the pair that are now claiming dust in the depths of my wardrobe!) I had to have a pair! Not just for my sake but also for my brothers because to be fair who would want their elder 21 year old sister stealing his jeans? Not much of a street cred for him there!

I am now happily sitting in my jeans and 'oh my' these jeans are amazing! They mould themselves to your legs whilst flattering your thighs (in my case this is a very big thumbs up!)

So if you want a great investment this autumn/winter (infact all year round) then I urge you towards Monkee Genes!

Pink, Pink, Bright, Bright, Pink!

Coat Paul Smith, Headband Topshop, Quilted Bag French Connection, Leopard Print Shoe Jimmy Choo, Pink Skirt with Broach River Island, Earrings Miss Selfridge, Bubble Hem Dress Matalan, Pink Rose Drape Side Top Topshop, Horoscope Briefs Miss Selfridge, Jacquard Dress Warehouse.

In keeping with the 80's that is still a major influence in fashion at the moment, the re-emergence of bright fuchsia pink is current throughout designer and high-street! So get your inner Barbie out and celebrate pink again!

Marilyn Minter for MAC

Marilyn Minter has teamed with MAC cosmetics new limited collection for Autumn 2009 alongside painter Richard Phillips and illustrator Maira Kalman. The collection features a lot of glitter and gloss in bright glamorous colours.
Marilyn Minter is perhaps most famous for her images of mud splashed diamond studded heels and enlarged images of lips, giving beauty and fashion a raw edge. Her video Green Pink Caviar was very controversial, sparking either love or hate of her work whilst gaining an interest in the media and critics alike. Her video has also featured in Madonna's Sticky and Sweet tour, linking two very similar characters in art and music.

"I was shooting stills of models with long tongues swirling and sucking bakery products from under a pane of glass. I wanted to make enamel paintings along the idea of 'painting with my tongue'. My makeup artist shot some short videos during the shoot just to see how it would look. The low definition videos looked so good that we made plans to do a professional high definition video. This made sense to me as I have made both billboards and produced a commercial advertising a painting show in 1989." - Marilyn Minter

Belle & Bunty Autumn Winter 2009

I had to share with you the new collection by Belle & Bunty. I absolutely love the mutual grey colour palette mixed with gold and black which gives the outfits strength on otherwise a very blank canvas. I particularly love the gold and black patterned dress and chunky knit wear! Effortlessly cool!