I love Raf Simons

I can't describe how much of a genius he is. His beautiful Fall 2010 collection, the amazingly cut and put together suits. His impeccable tailoring. I just swooned! I'd quite like to marry his collections, they are beauty in my eyes.

I first stumbled across Raf Simons when I saw the photography for his collection in 2009 with Fred Perry. I instantly fell in love with the advertisements.

It was so eerily cool, it just attracted me to look more into it. And I've been interested in his work since.

Spring/Summer 2010



Delicious. I'm feeling a bit of the Burberry Prorsum Spring/Summer 2010 womenswear vibe pushed on to men and I'm liking it. I have a thing about brown belts... Also reminding me of the Alexander McQueen Fall/Winter 2002. Yummmmmmmmm!

Fall/Winter 2010



Sexy sexy cut suits. It's the bright colour pops in comparison to the sombre overall suit colour which gets me. And the general inventive tailoring.

Spring/Summer 2011



Again the splashes of colour on everyday suits, the tailoring. Men in shorts that look like kilts/skorts and cycling shorts!

And check out in the first image the back of the suit behind! Oh to see a man in one of these suits on the streets... I think I might chase after him and stroke him... sorry...

Raf Simons - one to watch!

xo

Listening to The Past Should Stay Dead by Emarosa.

Hipstamatic Prints

What is it about Hipstamatic Prints that is just so awesome?

Probably the fact that you don't have to lug round heavy equipment everywhere you go to take an awesomely vintage effect photo plus pay the extortionate price to develop the film and print it.

Plus it makes every setting ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL.

Lens: Kaimal Mark II
Film: Kodot Verichrome
Flash: Off

Lens: Jimmy
Film: Blanko
Flash: Off

Lens: Jimmy
Film: Blanko
Flash: Off

Lens: Jimmy

Film: Blanko

Flash: Off

All these photos taken on my friend Rachael's iPhone 4.

I do love an old camera though. Recently bought a Nikon F301 off e-bay. I'm still looking for a lens to use with it, it was meant to be a camera to use on holiday to get some incredible film photographs, but from the looks of things this will not be happening. I will probably end up using my Dad's old Canon instead or my Diana F+.

Amazingly those last three photos at the beach - it wasn't even sunny. Well there was sun, it was just overcast with cloud practically all day but the Hipstamatic App made it look all sunny and cheery!

And the last photo of the frog, his name is Phillipe. He has a very special place in Rachael and I's heart as he is our travel companion. He has been with us to Paris, been with me to Paris again, and New York, he's also been to places within the United Kingdom on our trips. He's like the traveling gnome in Amelie, but a frog... and made of rubber...

Anyway it's late because I've been trying to do some uni work. It's so hard to sit and do it when it's summer, yet everyday I spend not doing it, I spend thinking about doing it and what I should do for it. So technically I'm doing the work in my head just not physically.

*sigh*

Night all xo

Watching The Proposal.

Style Rookie

I read Tavi's blog as often as I have time to, and I enjoy it a lot. She has such interesting insights into everything, and she likes a lot of things girls her age would never have even heard of, that's from my older sister's era, such as Daria and Hole.

But she always has good points about things, and this week her letter to Seventeen magazine caught my eye, and I feel that I must re-post it because it raises such a good point.

"

Dear Seventeen,

I am writing you concerning your headline on your June/July cover, "THE PARTY DRUG THAT CAN MAKE YOU FAT & UGLY." I hope you keep these problems in mind for your future issues.

First of all, "fat" is a descriptive term. It is not a negative thing if it is what is healthiest for a person, and I mean ACTUAL health, not like how your "Health" section is really just code for "Skinny" ("Feel lighter and leaner!") It's very disappointing to see your efforts with the body peace treaty and Jess Weiner's column about body image contradicted with the suggestion that fat=ugly.

By trying to discourage the use of drugs with the threats that it will make someone fat and ugly, you're saying the worst thing that can happen to your average reader, a teenage girl, as a result of drug use, is not that she will have any damage done to her brain or become unhappy, but that her appearance will suffer (again, being fat does not mean bad appearance, but that is what you imply.) Notice anything wrong with this picture?

I know that the reality is that people do value looks over intelligence, and that therefore, the easiest way to convince them not to do pot is that it will make them unattractive. But it doesn't have to be that way. Pop culture and the media, two things teenagers especially breathe, have quite a bit to do with the way teenage girls are expected to value beauty over all else. You, Seventeen, do too, and you have an influence, so use it. I know your intentions are good, but there are ways to discourage drug use without taking away from another important message. Teenage girls are worth more than looks, and we don't need another media outlet telling us otherwise.

Sincerely,
Tavi

P.S. I'm just taking a guess here, but could it be at all possible that your valuing looks over intelligence or happiness is somehow related to your advertising content?

"

From Style Rookie: An Open Letter to Seventeen Magazine

Fat is not Ugly.

And the fact that a young girls magazine is basically advertising that it is, is truly disgusting.

How are we supposed to stop anorexia if magazines are going to carry on going like this.

Just today I watched Saturday/Sunday's episode of Jessica Simpson's The Price of Beauty, where she meets a French model who became severely anorexic through modelling. It was such a sad story. It's quite grotesque that to become a model in France, you're contract states that you have to be a certain weight, and they weigh you and measure you everyday to make sure you don't gain weight. And if you gain weight it's a matter of losing your job/career! It's horrible!

You know what's even more disgusting? The fact that the other day someone (I won't name names) said to me that being fat makes it harder to make friends. I completely blew up at this because it's just so harsh to think that people these days will actually avoid making friends with you because you are fat. It's beyond shallow. Maybe we should just start avoiding the really skinny people... What the hell is coming to the world? Just imagine that, if this happened, we all separated ourselves from each other because of how much we weigh and how we look. Gross.

More things need to be done to stop this.

Which is why it was nice to hear that Isabelle Caro (the anorexic model from Jessica Simpson's The Price of Beauty) modelled naked to advertise the troubles with anorexia during Milan Fashion Week 2007.

See the image here.

xo

Listening to City and Colour.

Nails

My friend just told me about WAH Nails company, who have a place in Topshop.
I never really liked fake nails or thought that much about my nails. I love nail varnish and I paint my nails as often as I have time, but they don't seem like a big thing to me....
Until NOW.

Miu Miu inspired nails

Chanel nails

Fruit nails

It's amazing because they can do this on your nail! It doesn't have to be a fake nail!
I'm impressed!
So my friend Charlotte has been raving about how good they are for ages and about how she's wanted to go, but until now has she sent me the website.
And well... we have a trip planned!

I think I want a galaxy print on mine....

xo

Listening to Young Guns's new album All Our Kings Are Dead.

All images from Wah-Nails.com

First Year

So first year's over and I think it's time to unearth some of the work done:

I did a project on All Saints where I had to design a collection for them. For my research I did an All Saints inspired shoot with my friend April, here are some of the images:

I made them to look old and grainy, because this was the style I was going for throughout my collection.

We had to go a group project where we chose a brand that didn't already have a fashion line and we had to create a fashion line for them, as well as photograph it, make a magazine layout, a press release, a goody bag and other sorts of things.

Here is the magazine layout that we made:

We finished it off by sticking it in a real magazine with a cover that we made to suit.

I also made website ideas to go with it:

For my final project, we did a Draping project where we had to choose a designer and drape two garments to suit their style.
I chose Alexander McQueen and this is one of the designs I came up with before I sewed it all together:

xo

Watching the film Harry Brown.

One Night Only

I'm always a bit wary of models who start bands or actors/actresses who start bands. You always kind of think are you not getting enough money from acting/modelling that you have to border on someone else's turf?

Edit: I know One Night Only were together before modelling for Burberry Prorsum, I was just explaining my view on these things. (for example: Pretty Reckless with Taylor Momsen - tsssk.)

But One Night Only. I actually really like this!

And the video is beautiful. The scenery when they're playing on the rooftop and it's quite a sweet video to be honest!

Of course with the added amazingness of Emma Watson in the video makes it a whole lot better.
I love her faux fur coat!

Check it out!

xo

Another Chanel related tattoo.

"If you piss everywhere

You aren't Chanel at all."

Fuck Yeah, Tattoos!

xo

Big Brother 2010.

Now I haven't been much of a fan over the years, but I have watched it a couple of times this year for the sake of it being the last and all.

Enough to notice John James.

But I just received the most hilarious text ever from my friend:

"Omg I liked John James till I found out he hates the pickle in McDonald's hamburgers."

And then

"Cannot believe it, our relationship is over !"

Oh my.

I do love her.

xo

A Chanel post.

You can't really tell but I am wearing Chanel Nouvelle Vague.
Yes I did eventually end up getting it, after all my umm-ing and ahh-ing in shops and then saying "maybe I'll get it later" and then it being sold out.
I totally love it.
Although when I asked my mother what she thought of it, she replied with

"Your nails look mouldy."

Errr yeah thanks Mum...

I did reply with

"They don't look furry."

Yeah I'm really not good with the comebacks, but hey.

My friend Charlotte has been asking me about tattoos for ages now, about how I decided on mine and where I went and all sorts of other questions. I kept telling her not to get one until she was completely happy with what she wanted, so she's been looking at tattoo blogs and she sent me this one.

Tattoologist

Which I actually just spent nearly a full afternoon trawling through right until the end.

And I found these:

I'm not too sure about the placement of the last one. To me it feels a bit big to have there, hearts and little things look better in that placement. But that's my opinion.
I now actually really want the Chanel logo tattooed on me. But I think I'd want it in white ink, so it wasn't completely obvious. Also I think white ink tattoos look quite nice and inconspicuous.



I'd have it next to my heart tattoo on my wrist (mines on the left). I'd probably have it to the left of my tattoo, and the logo would be a bit diagonal. I was thinking when I got my heart anyway that over the years I could get a few little tattoos around my wrist to create like a chain or something.
So yeah that might be my next tattoo. When I get me some pennies.

I'd also really love a Chanel charm bracelet for my 21st.

I don't think it's quite going to happen though!

xo

Listening to Glee CD.