Fashion life in London

Wow, it has been so long.

Well, I've moved to Uni.. I am at Westminster doing Fashion Merchandise Management. It's pretty good. So different to home, but in a good way. The course has improved my knowledge of the retail side of the industry, rather than the trends, which is what I usually focus on. Also, going to uni has given me such a great opportunity to buy more clothes. I have been incredibly bad... buying so many cute skirts and dresses and tops.. I've realised that I need to get a job if I want to keep this up.

Anyway, I am determined not to give up on my blog. I like constants in my life, and recently I've lost a few. SO without further ado, I am going to talk about some of the fashion-related incidents that have happened in the last 6 months (woah, it really has been ages).

I volunteered again at one of the Fashion in Motion shows at the V&A in November. This time, it was Kansai Yamamoto, a Japanese designer (who I later talked to- nicest man ever). His designs are pretty cool. Very colourful and bold. A notable design of his was the.. well, I guess you'd call it a jumpsuit?... he designed for David Bowie in the 70's. It was featured in his show, among brightly coloured kimonos, unitards and those rather uncomfortable looking, but cool, Japanese Geta shoes. The show itself was very fast paced and fun, with the models dancing around on stage. Certainly makes a change from the models in the shows of today. I've embedded the full video below.

<iframe width="640" height="360" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/HJg3Z6J7mMw" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Also, I managed to get a picture with the designer himself! All us volunteers were required to wear 'Happi Coats', designed by Yamamoto himself. It was a bit big, but it made me feel more engaged in the show, wearing his clothes.

My flatmates and I decided to do a photoshoot back in November. Alice, Kaley and I were just talking and we suddenly decided to make Kaley's room in to a studio (well, we tried) and use all of our clothes to make a look book. I was the model, Kaley was the photographer, and Alice was the stylist. It was so much fun. We used Ben's big film light and Alex filmed the backstage bits. That's one of the things I love about Uni.. you're with people who are up for doing things like that, because you have the same interests. I've added a couple of pictures belowwwwwww. Kaley (who is back in Chicago) is going to make it in to a physical lookbook, which is really exciting. The shoot took hours. haha. There were so many bad shots.. Tyra Banks would not be proud, but at least I 'Smysed'.

I have recently gotten in to Gossip Girl, after a lot of pressure from my two (former) flatmates. And I will never go back, not just because of the addictive storylines and attractive men. But mostly because of the exquisite fashion in the shows. BLAIR WALDORF is my current fashion idol. Her look is so.. smart. Classic. I particularly love her abnormally coloured tights, and buttoned up blouses. BEfore watching the show, I already shared her dress sense to an extent (minus the headbands and coloured tights), but my mind has been truly opened. Have a look at some of the pics below. I've never been so affected by someones dress sense.

Nautical vibes

Floral fit and flare

Love those white tights. Check is in this season so win/win

Good colour scheme. 

mmm.. zesty

Living in London has given me so many more fashion-related opportunities, apart from the shopping. I feel I should make the most of them. At least, more than I have been! Although I have settled in to some (short-term) bad habits since being here, one thing is for sure. My desire to work in fashion, and my love for fashion has only grown!

More soon,

Saira

Jenny Packham at the V&A

On Friday 19th July, the V&A museum held a special catwalk event, dedicated to the iconic designer Jenny Packham and her designs over the past 25 years. It was a monumental contribution to my understanding of the fashion world that I hope to formally enter in a couple of years.

The ambiance was very dramatic, almost intimidating with the 2D, tall, striking models clad in such stunning and valuable gowns. The designs were so intricate and it was my first glimpse of Haute Couture in real life, so a pretty big deal. The designer had picked her favourite pieces over the last 25 years, of which there were about 45, for the show.

The event was free, and being a volunteer I was mainly in charge of organising the audience and giving away the tickets that had not been collected to passers-by in the museum. I quite enjoyed it. Some people had clearly not been able to get tickets before (as all 4 shows had sold out) so were overjoyed at actually getting tickets, especially when I had ones for the front row. Seeing their faces light up brought warmth to my heart. There were others who refused the tickets, which personally I don't understand. Who wouldn't attend a fashion show led by such a renowned designer and featuring such beautiful garments? Cray.

Met some fantastic people and although I didn't get to speak to Packham herself, I participated in an interview regarding the show, which is due to be put up on the V&A channel online. I've uploaded a video of the finale on youtube, which I have also embedded here. And some pictures of course, but the lighting was sooo bright.

As volunteers we had to wear these hats, designed for V&A fashion volunteers by notable milliner Stephen Jones. Got some mixed reactions there.


Click here for the full show.

Transparency

I am falling more and more in love with the PVC/sheer trends of 2013. From Louboutin to LK Bennett to Accessorize, many retailers seem to slowly be incorporating this see-through, futuristic style in to their garments, shoes and bags.

Helmut Lang ss13

Christopher Kane ss13

Michael Kors

Fendi

Rupert Sanderson

Christian Louboutin

Louis Vuitton ss13

Topshop

Klear Klutch- click here

LK Bennett

Met Gala 2013 fashion fails

Oh my god.

Among the guests at the punk-themed Met gala were some of the worst-dressed celebrities I have ever seen.

Unfortunately I cannot include all of the worst-dressed, that would take all night.

Maybe for the next event.. or for this event I should mention the best dressed, kind of balance it out.

Givenchy

Amanda Seyfried: 'You know it's funny, I was actually about to leave the house when I decided to have some toast- but unfortunately I leaned too far over the toaster and my dress caught fire.. Was running late though so I didn't bother changing. The flames got the train a bit too'

Who knows

Ashley Olsen. I would say this has a more hippy vibe than punk. she should have put some flowers in her hair, gotten a drum to put over her shoulder and a massive peace sign on her forehead.

Kenzo

This is beyooooooooooon..d crazy. She seems to have gotten fire tips from Seyfried. I just think it's too over the top.. the cleavage and the boots and the belt and the split. At least her hair looks amazing, improves the look a bit.

Rodarte

Dakota Fanning's dress actually looks suitably punk-inspired from the front, but the back makes it look like she has some kind of skin disorder.

Giambattista Valli

What is up with the leggings with this dress?!!! Admittedly, when I think 'punk', I think fishnets, but with the dress? It looks like a halloween costume, or like it tried to have a peplum and failed. I'm a bit biased because I hate dipped hem dresses.. especially to this extent. Don't find them flattering at all, sorry Jessica Biel.

Riccardo Tisci

What the hell! Kim Kardashian in my opinion usually dresses quite well (expect for when she wears the high-waisted trousers) but this is a massive no. This dress was clearly not intended to be worn by a pregnant woman. The boobs are smothered down, giving her an unflattering shape. One of the very worst. There is no focal point to the design or pattern of this dress. AHHH. NO.

Riccardo Tisci

Madonna... I could see Kelly Osbourne trying to pull this off, not you! You are too old to even attempt it.. sorry. I wouldn't look at this and think 'this event was punk themed'. It seems like she should have a pair of handcuffs at the ready or something. So unflattering for her shape. Why do these celebrities have money if they don't know how to spend it?!?!!!

Who knows

Mary-Kate. Narnia: Ice queen's lost baby. Narnia in the 70's. Narnia hipster edition. Abba's tour in Narnia.

Riccardo Tisci

Rooney Mara. Gives a cheap wedding dress vibe.. or she was trying to wear a sexy dressing gown but she got the front caught in a shredder. Why does it have zips. I like the neckline, but that is all. I don't recognise her and now I have even less interest. Well done.

Zac Posen

I feel like this dress could potentially be pulled off by somebody else..Uma Thurman hasn't quite done it though. She could be.. head mermaid of the met gala.

Fashion! Oscars 2013!

Maaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarch. I'm going to LCF yayayay!!!!!
Just ordered Sims 3 Seasons. University life is coming out on Tuesday, will weigh up the reviews and make a decision next month or something.
Anyway, Fashion.

Imma chat about the Oscars. Unfortunately, in my opinion I feel a lot of the celebrities got it wrong. It shows that just because you can afford an expensive designer gown doesn't mean it will suit you.. or even look nice. I'll start with the obvious.

Jennifer Lawrence

Unfortunately, I just was not feeling the first one. I was surprised because this dress is Dior Couture, but to me it just looks like a cheap wedding dress. The colour is alright as she seems to have a bit of a glow/tan so isn't too washed out. Overall, a stiff looking dress, which although compliments her frame, doesn't seem suitable for the occasion. I'm not saying she doesn't look stunning... but she could look more stunning with a nice dress.
PoD Oscar Fashion Rating: 4/10
As for the Vanity Fair Calvin Klein dress, a slight improvement. Makes her tummy look weird in this picture, but a lovely colour. A bit busty for my liking but I think the length compensates. She looks a bit like a star, which is certainly better than looking like a cream puff.
PoD Oscar Fashion Rating: 7/10

Amanda Seyfried

Absolutely loved her choice of Alexander McQueen. I think is suited her very well, and the sheer material is very on trend this spring. You could say that it is a bit curtainy but I think she carries it well, as it doesn't make her look dragged down.. in fact quite the opposite. She has almost nailed this look. I think if there were no train it would look nicer.
PoD Oscar Fashion Rating: 9/10
Givency Haute Couture by Riccardo Tisci. I agree 100% with the colour, very suitable and looks good with her blonde hair. But I have a thing about dresses with loads of straps. It can look a bit messy.. She looks a bit like she has broken her neck and is wearing a cast.
PoD Oscar Fashion Rating: 4/10

Amy Adams

She looks a bit like a swan in this Oscar De La Renta number but I like it, it suits her. I like how she hasn't overdone it on the jewellry, so as to not distract from the dress. Not sure about the colour.. washes her out a bit, but then I can't think of a better colour for this dress. Perhaps black?
PoD Oscar Fashion Rating: 5/10
All the stars seem to overall look better to me in their after- party attire. Maybe it is because I am not a fan of big poofy dresses in general. I prefer minimalism, it does more for your shape and people don't trip over you. So this one is another from De La Renta. Massive Great Gatsby flapper vibe coming from this dress and I like it. She looks like tinsel! I think it was a good choice, but if the neckline were a bit more daring, the dress would be sexier.
PoD Oscar fashion Rating: 8/10

Anne Hathaway

Red carpet look=Prada. Not a completely bad choice, though I have to say the pale pink washes her out almost completely. Why do pale people do this to themselves?!!!! Having said this, I absolutely love the design of this dress and think it flatters her figure very well. Why she wore a necklace with this I will never know, just the bracelets would have been cool. She has the right hair for this dress, just not the right skin tone.
PoD Oscar Fashion Rating: 7/10
Saint Laurent. So she failed on the colour and got the design right with the first dress, and now it is the opposite for this dress. Brilliant colour for her skin tone, makes her skin look purer somehow. I hate the gold embellishment at the top, it clashes with the style of the dress. On the plus side, at least it matches her Oscar. Without it, she would look like a fool in this picture.
PoD Oscar Fashion Rating: 4/10

Charlize Theron

Dior Couture. Love the peplum on this dress, she carries it off well. It is white which gives off a slight wedding vibe to me but the dress is too modern for this to be an issue. Again, maybe without the train it would look nicer, because the dress is so beautifully structured and then there is this loose, perhaps flimsy train... The dress looks fabulous without it.

PoD Oscar Fashion Rating: 9/10

Reese Witherspoon

One word: Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat. Cobalt suits some people but on Reese it just looks artificial. Also, in my opinion the blue and the black clash. The neckline doesn't compliment her boobs, if she had smaller boobs then sure. What is with the side trail?! The material has ruched up as a result and the creases don't do anything for her small frame! Louis Vuitton.
PoD Oscar Fashion Rating: 1/10

Melissa McCarthy

I put this one in for the lolz to be honest. I don't even know where to begin, but I'm sure you are thinking it all already. Colour=No. Design=No. Sleeves=No. Weird embellishments=No. Train=No. Neckline=No. Dress=No. Go change.
PoD Oscar Fashion Rating: -2/10

Sandra Bullock

Bullock has got this so right. Elie Saab is my favourite gown designer anyway, and once again I love this dress. The beads and lace remind me of a sari, and they make a nice difference from some of the plainer dresses worn at the event. No jewellry worn except for a ring, which is good as it doesn't take away from the dress. Although the dress covers everything the sheer material makes it look sexy. Very pretty!
PoD Oscar Fashion Rating: 9.9/10 (lose the ring!)

Raimon Bundó

It has been a month since I have posted anything...

Weddings.
Up till now I have always wanted a Vera Wang wedding dress (considered the best of the best) but now my eyes have been opened to other designers who have designed wedding dresses at the same level of creativity, while at a slightly more acceptable level of suitability. Don't get me wrong, the latest VW (spring 2013) collection is fascinating with the red wedding dresses, although some of them don't look much like wedding dresses, as opposed to just standard amazing occasion dresses. Equally, some of the asymmetry in the CH fw 13 bridal collection is rather off-putting.

Look 14

Every girl dreams about her wedding day, but I only started to when my eyes were opened to all these amazing designers who create some incredible ones.. I've never fantasized about my actual husband (that kind of puts me off it...) or the venue or anything, just what I will wear. Bit shallow yes, but there's nothing I can do about that is there.

So I stumbled across a few of the lesser well-known wedding dress designers when doing some extensive research, and I came across Raimon Bundó, a Spanish Bridal designer. I'm not sure how well-known is is- wikipedia doesn't seem to know it, but the webside looks profesh, check it: http://www.raimonbundo.com/

I photo-shopped my head on to some of the dresses. Well I say photo-shopped. What I really mean is, I used the Windows snipping tool to cut out my head and paste it on top of the models faces. I must seem so sad/ a loner (true atm), although I am sure many many girls have done this or sort of planned some aspects of their weddings. I'm just making my addictive tenancies known to the public.

A short post, but the purpose of it was to inform you of Raimon Bundó. Also, to inform you that wedding dresses from Marchesa, VW, Herrera and the rest are not the only ones you should dream about. Oh and also http://www.dresswilmington.com/different-types-of-wedding-dresses.html gives you the low down of the different wedding dress styles. For me, it is sheath/column all the way.

Asos haul on Thursday

I completed iiiiiit! I started from right to left. It's all kind of jumbled.. You can just see Dolce and Gabbana's tapestry florals from their aw12 collection on the right, and then move in to s/s13 on the right there, with Burberry's metallic trenches, Prada's Japan-inspired florals and stripes and squares from the likes of Marc Jacobs and Louis Vuitton.

Speaking of the stripes, I would say that they will be the most influential trend this summer. Probably because striped clothes are fairly common already. But this season, stripes are going to be taken to a whole new level, for example they will be mixed with other geometric patterns, and will overall appear a lot bolder and will usually be considered the statement part of the outfit. I get paid on Thursday, so naturally have been familiarising myself with asos.com and all of the clothes I will buy.

I am going to share them with you, because they are amazing. Not all of them are stripey.

1. http://www.asos.com/ASOS/ASOS-A-Line-Skirt-in-Ponte/Prod/pgeproduct.aspx?iid=2704374&SearchQuery=a%20line%20skirt&sh=0&pge=0&pgesize=20&sort=-1&clr=Red

I feel I do not wear enough red, usually because I fins it sooo bold. But for summer it should be acceptable. This red skirt is adorable, I saw in the asos magazine a picture of a model wearing it with a black and white stripey baggy t-shirt tucked in and they complimented each other very well. Plus, this season, bold skirts are in so that is another fashion box ticked.

2. http://www.asos.com/ASOS/ASOS-Sheer-Bomber-Jacket/Prod/pgeproduct.aspx?iid=2315827&SearchQuery=sheer&sh=0&pge=0&pgesize=-1&sort=-1&clr=Grey
I find that the sheerness of the material gives the jacket a very summery vibe, usually bomber jackets look very heavy. How practical it is, I am not sure.. I don't care. I'd team this with a pair of jeans, a camisole and some flats. Caaaaaaas. For those colder summer days (i.e. every summer day in the UK).

3. http://www.asos.com/Motel/Motel-Hollyanna-Dress-In-Faded-Vertical-Square/Prod/pgeproduct.aspx?iid=2739983&SearchQuery=square&Rf-700=1000&sh=0&pge=0&pgesize=-1&sort=-1&clr=Verticalsquare
I am so in love with this, not only is it bang on trend with it's 60's influences and geometric print, it looks pretty versatile. The dress is quite loose-fitting, meaning that it can be worn during the day with a denim jacket, or for colder days with tights. This is the first item I will be adding to my bag. I cannot WAIT till Thursday omgomgomggmmggm!!!!

4. http://www.asos.com/Vero-Moda/Vero-Moda-Embellished-Sheer-Top/Prod/pgeproduct.aspx?iid=2441684&SearchQuery=sheer&sh=0&pge=0&pgesize=-1&sort=-1&clr=Black
I hope they will not have run out of stock of this by thursday. I love sheer things, make me feel sexy. I'd probably only wear this in the evening or nights out with some black jeans or a skirt.

5. Not sure between these two:
http://www.asos.com/ASOS-Petite/ASOS-PETITE-Exclusive-Skater-Dress-With-Popper-Straps-And-Cut-Away-Detail/Prod/pgeproduct.aspx?iid=2456556&SearchQuery=skater%20dress&Rf900=1465&Rf-300=1878&sh=0&pge=0&pgesize=200&sort=-1&clr=Cream (cream or red)
or
http://www.asos.com/TFNC/TFNC-Skater-Dress-with-Textured-Mesh-Top/Prod/pgeproduct.aspx?iid=2282740&SearchQuery=skater%20dress&Rf900=1465&Rf-300=1924&Rf-800=-1,24&sh=0&pge=0&pgesize=200&sort=-1&clr=Black in black
They are both pretty and I like the skater style, it's very feminine. I might decide to go for neither tbh, I got one from primark yesterday and it was only a fiver.

Yeah, so that is my Asos haul, counting down the days.

Also, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m6yZnT599HM, she is so amazing.