Successful People.

Luella Bartley.

Basically my idol. She dropped out of a Fashion Journalism course 2 years in and still managed to become Fashion Editor of Vogue. Starting 'Luella' in 1999, the year after she won 'Young British Designer of the Year' Award. She debuted at LFW in 2000 with 'Daddy, Who were the Clash?' and then showed at NY for 6 and a half years before returning in 2007. Since then she took over the scene with her quirky British design style. Winning Designer of the year in 08, and international designer in 09! Her designs are extremely popular within the 'Brit Pack' often seen on red carpets on Alexa Chung, the Geldof sisters, Daisy Lowe, Lily Allen, Sienna Miller and Kiera Knightley.

The label Ceased trading in November 09. Leaving a luella shaped hole in my Fashion weeks.



Henry Holland.
Did a Fashion Journalism Degree. First Job, Fashion Editor for Bliss and Smash Hits magazine. He found a niche, printed some t-shirts that became a complete whirlwind of success!! With slogans such as 'Do me daily Christopher Bailey' and 'Get yer freak on Giles Deacon' this lead to his label 'House of Holland' which in 3 years has gone from printing T-shirts in his front room to selling clothes to Browns, Harrods and Dover Street Market. He has recently done collaborations with Levis and Debenhams!

I take a lot of inspiration from these two. They are probably my favourite designers because the designs are fun, fresh and quirky! They both started out in journalism and ventured to the design side. It just goes to show how complex a career path can be! Which is inspiring to me because I love writing and I love designing. It encourages me to carry on blogging, i've noticed a lot more views since i've changed my layout. With the use of Google analytics i can see how many views my blog gets a day, and where from! It makes me feel like a detective. Kinda! Anyways, i'm going to keep on doing what im doing, hopefully i'll be a big blogger like Disney Roller Girl, Oh Elle or Susie Bubble. It is already giving me opportunities/contacts. I'm trying to find a way i can brand myself, this could be it! Its definitely the thing i've become good at.

Toile Review.

'Whatever doesn't kill you, makes you stronger.'

RIP McQueen

Its a Sad start to Fashion Week, and the loss of a genius for the fashion world. Alexander McQueen has sadly taken his own life, 3 years after his friend and mentor Isabella Blow, who took Lee (aka Alexander) from student to couture, also committed suicide and just a week after he lost his mother.

Here is a small tribute of McQueen's life's work, from Fashion shows from 2005 to 2010. Every collection seemed to get better, and its a devastating loss. The death of McQueen will affect the industry to no end, it makes way for an heir to the McQueen brand throne. Will a successor be able to fill his shoes? This man influenced so many people, and so many fashion students. Its going to affect us because he was a designer who left school at 16, and was taught the trade through industry. A valuable lesson for us FdA'ers who are very practical and very career driven. It offers us inspiration. Personally I felt overwhelming sadness when I heard the news, but the mark he has left on Fashion injects even more passion and motivation into me.

Swash ss10

Swash is a fashionable partnership between two Central St Martins graduates, Sarah Swash and Toshio Yamanaka. The pair's spring/summer 10 collection is called 'dream machine' and is feminine yet formal and heavily print based. Sarah's influence is the eccentric English humour - where as Toshio is a perfectionist pattern cutter.

The styling of these balloon based beauties is done by Sebastian Kauffman and photography is by David Dunan.

Colour Forecast Spring/Summer 2011

The New York offices of Lectra held a 'Webinar' which I attended yesterday afternoon. It was on the pantone colour forecast for spring/summer 11. So i'll outline the basics.

Blazing Yellows. Jasmine Greens. Curacao. Carmine Rose. Carrot. Think Flowers and think bright. The colours are mostly found blocked in outfits. There is a lot of floral influences within these colours, however, silhouettes are kept simple with use of texture and colour to brighten it up. Orange is particularly one to watch.Turtle Dove. White. Mist. Cosmic Sky. Strawberry Cream. Colours are washed out pastels, light, with highlights of lavender and pink. Clothing in these shades are kept minimilistic. With zero decoration or fuss. Focusing on the beautiful shapes.

Hunter Green. Forest Green. Green. Amber Yellow. Italian Straw. These colours are all earthy neutrals. Influenced by wood chips, soil and bark from the trees. Designs are structural, and wooden, focusing on skeletal accessories and shapes.

A Single Man

I thought I would blog about Tom Ford's latest venture in life - A single Man. He is the writer and director of this - what looks like - amazing film!! I can not wait to see it. It is a romantic tale about an English professor who loses his partner and tried to go about his day to day life. Starring Colin Firth and Julianne Moore, who looks stunning! With also homegrown talent of Nick Hoult (Tony, skins).

Tom Ford, for those who don't know, is an American Fashion designer, particularly well known for the turn around of Gucci and later a career with Yves Saint Laurent!

Menswear Project

This was originally a man's long sleeved shirt. Brightened it up a bit didn't I.