Fairy Tale Fashion

Although I had many favourite outfits from the Fairy Tale Fashion exhibition, I managed to pick out my best two. The first dress was named Magical and Mischievous Spirit made by Giles Deacon for his fall 2012 Collection. I love the look of the distressed fabric, he has made all his pieces in the collection distressed. They either have scratches, rips or pulls and I love this look on garments because they look beautiful but are created roughly. The high neck look is one of my favourites on dresses, I think it adds elegance and grace. Also, I it's clever how Giles has added netting under the sheer fabric, the soft colours with the dark stains work really well together.

Here are some other outfits that were featured in the fall 2012 collection. You can see the repetitive pattern of distress. I think this works really well with the Fairy Tale exhibition because it conveys both beauty and hard work e.g. Cinderella. I can imagine this dress being worn by Cinderella because she is a beautiful character but she also does all the housework.

Photo Credit - Google Images
This was my second dress, the Grey Smock. This is by Yoshiki Hishinuma and was made for the fall 2000 Collection. The techniques used on this dress are very similar to the dress above. In the photo it looks like leather, but actually, it is a sheer fabric coated with white film which has been torn to create a fringe pattern. Then, heat was applied which crimped the fabric and created an uneven texture. I thought the whole process was very clever because the look of the fabric is deceiving.

Before Christmas, our course leaders gave us a Summative Brief. For this brief we had to pick an element of fashion that we had previously looked at (I chose snakeskin) and we had been asked to do lots of research so we could create a report and sketchbook. Whilst in New York, I was looking out for any resemblance to snakeskin, whether in shop windows or for store interiors. However, because it has just been christmas, a lot of the shops still had festive themes and no snakeskin. When at the FIT museum, I saw three dresses that were based around snakeskin. I was really happy to find the middle dress (Alexander McQueen) because I had already planned to use this outfit as part of my report.

"Snakes are feared for their sly, venomous nature, but they also possess positive associations of strength"

(Quotation from the Exhibition at FIT)

I think this quote describes the above outfits perfectly. Snakeskin has connotations of life and death, evil and good, seduction and also nature. It can be used to make products look elegant and luxurious, sexy and explicit or engineered and tacky. I didn't realise how many creative contexts actually use snakeskin, either as a motif pattern or a literal snake. Architecture, interiors, products, styling, phone cases, beauty... the list goes on! I have really enjoyed researching snakeskin and will be posting my findings once I am 100% happy with my final outcome and have submitted my work.

Photo Credit - Chloe Ferdinand (unless stated otherwise)

Day 4 in NYC

Day 4 was the educational day! After our trip to Speedy's, we headed to the FIT museum (The Fashion Institute of Technology). We had been told about two exhibitions - Denim and Fairy Tales Fashion, I was really excited about the fairy tales one and intrigued about the Denim because I didn't know what to expect for this one. Firstly, my group went and looked at the Fairy Tales Fashion... which was STUNNING! I've been to a lot of exhibitions and this came pretty close to exhibitions such as Alexander McQueen and Isabella Blow. 

The exhibition highlighted that fashion within the different fairy tales offer a deeper meaning than just beautiful clothing. The clothing is often very symbolic to the character and their characteristics. These were a few of my favourite outfits, (well.. the majority of the exhibition as all the outfits were beautiful!) we couldn't photograph them with flash so some of the images are a little bit dark. I will also be doing a blog post later to show my two favourite outfits that were featured in the exhibition. The denim exhibition was very different to the fairy tales, it was focused more on the evolution and history of denim clothing. It was interesting to see how denim has been used in a variety of ways, but wasn't as visually appealing as the fairy tale exhibition which is what I prefer. 

As a little break from the museums, we went to a cupcake shop called Sprinkles where we found the best creation ever!! A cupcake ATM! You could order your cupcakes through an ATM machine which I thought was really cool. After the cupcakes we went to Central Park and finally, I got to do my favourite thing - ice skate!! The views from Central Park were crazy, the rink was surrounded by buildings and this HAS to be done when you are in NY.

Stay tuned for tomorrows post, a continuation of our adventure. Day 4 - Part 2 in NYC!

Photo Credit - Chloe Ferdinand

Day 3 in NYC

As soon as arrived in New York we were constantly on the move, so on day 3 we thought we would give our legs a bit of a rest and use the subway to get to certain places. We got the subway to Brooklyn and found a restaurant called Junior's to have breakfast - again, the biggest portions I have ever seen! This restaurant had one of the best hot chocolates that I have ever tasted, it was so creamy and not too rich!

Brooklyn had a completely different atmosphere to NY. We went into a couple of shops and then decided that there wasn't much to do, so we went straight to Brooklyn Bridge. This was the coldest day so probably not the best decision but it was a great experience, the views were amazing! We got to see the statue of Liberty from the bridge which was good because we hadn't planned to see her otherwise because of the lack of time.

We then got back on the subway and went to the 9/11 memorial. This had an eerie feeling, but at the same time it felt really peaceful, the sound of water distracted the noise of the city. If I ever visit New York again then I would like to visit the museum because although I have heard that is is very upsetting, I would like to see what it contains.

SoHo shopping was the next place we visited which was my favourite area. It was very trendy and cool, this was the unique area that I had imagine and would definitely recommend shopping here because there is every shop that you would want. Lastly, we found China Town and Little Italy. China Town was just a long road that had cheap stalls and restaurant, personally, I thought that Little Italy was more impressive. This had tiny restaurants and the road was decorated with lights and flags.

Stay tuned for tomorrows post about Day 4 in NYC!

Photo Credit - Chloe Ferdinand

Day 2 in NYC

We woke up buzzing on day 2 because it was the first full day that we had to plan what we wanted to do. For breakfast we decided to take the high line and head to Chelsea Market. The high line had great views, I didn't know what to expect but it was nice to be walking above the roads, I got some great photos. Below are a few of my favourites!

When we got to Chelsea Market it reminded me a little bit of Greenwich, it was a sheltered strip of cute restaurants and quirky boutiques, stalls and book shops. We stopped at a tiny restaurant for breakfast... it was yummy but very sickly! I had french toast, but as usual, American portions are huge and we struggled to eat all of it.

After breakfast, we browsed around the shops and went to the Rag and Bone sample sale but there was nothing that special in the sale which was disappointing. We came across a cake shop that had such pretty designs. There were biscuits with the Statue of Liberty and the Empire State Building which were great for gifts. 

The visual merchandise in the shops were very creative and the one that I like the most was the entrance to the Artists and Flea Market where the independent stalls were based. The window said "In 2016 I will..." and the whole window was full of post it notes that visitors had written on. Some of the comments were hilarious and because it was an interactive window, so many people were attracted (a great way to entice customers and enhance promotion). After Chelsea Market, we walked around the Meat Packing District which was mainly full of shops.

Our next stop was Grand Central Station, the design and interior was stunning!! We stood on the stairs and took photos, it looked exactly what I imagined it would look like but so much bigger! We then explored 5th Avenue but on the Upper East Side - this was where we found all the high end/prestige shops such as Tiffanys!! After browsing around the shops, we went to the Rockafella Centre - the view from the top of the rock was incredible. We chose such a good day to go because it was sunny so we could see the whole of New York, I would definitely recommend going to the top of the rock!!

Stay tuned for tomorrows post about Day 3 in NYC!

Photo Credit - Chloe Ferdinand

Day 1 in NYC

When we first arrived in NY, we explored around the hotel to see what was near us. The location of the hotel was great because we were in the centre of Herald Square which was full of shops. We spotted a cafe called Speedys that sold a variety of breakfast choices, ranging from hot breakfasts such as pancakes or a cooked breakfast, and cold choices such as pastries and fruit. It was DELICIOUS. 

After our breakfast we headed to the garment district where we were taken on a guided tour of the building. For me, the highlight of the tour was meeting the Wanderlust Girls and hearing their story. Similar to the Mushpit girls (you will know of these if you have read my previous blog posts or are a fan of the Mushpit magazine) the Wanderlust girls had no intention of going into a fashion career, their blog was purely down to passion and exchanging fashion tips with one another. The girls were unaware that the blog was visible to other people and this is what got them the followers because of the way they communicated with each other. They were very positive and the way they presented their story was endearing, the amount of opportunities that they come across is incredible and I wish them luck for the future.

 The next stop was Mode, the fabric store featured on project runway. This was insane, I’ve never seen so many fabric rolls in one place! Whilst we were in the shop, we were asked to pick a type of fabric in groups that would appeal to both women from New York and the Caribbean. Below were the choices that my group presented as we thought they were best suited to both. They aren’t too vibrant for the New Yorkers, but they still have a tribal and exotic tint that will appeal to those in the Caribbean.

We then went on to look at a magazine shop that stocked every magazine possible! This was interesting because there were so many different types of layouts and sizes which helped me for inspiration for my summative brief, which is to make a mini report in the layout of a magazine. We were introduced to Natasha Huang who works in PR and we got to hear about her background and what her job actually entails. This was a great opportunity for me because I was never really sure what PR covered. The garment tour ended with a visit to a jewellery showroom. We met the founder of Laruicci, Lauren, who was very welcoming. The showroom was set out beautifully and we got to look at her collection of necklaces, bracelets and rings. The rings were my favourite, with quirky designs and intricate detail.

After the tour, we got a bite to eat and then made our way to Broadway! Before the holiday, we had already looked at the choices of theatre shows on at Broadway and decided that Matilda was one of the favourites. I have seen Matilda in London and if I'm being honest, the one in London was a better performance. However, I was 13 when I went to see it so maybe now that I'm older, I had a different opinion. I was still really shocked that London was better because with Broadway, I had such high expectations. As we were in Broadway, it was the perfect opportunity to go and visit Times Square. This was one of my favourite places to visit because it was full of life and energy! Lots of people were dressed up as superheroes or disney characters which was funny to see.

Stay tuned for tomorrows post about Day 2 in NYC!

Photo Credit - Chloe Ferdinand

The city that never sleeps

New York has been a brilliant experience and it 100% lives up to the phrase... the city that never sleeps!! Having only 5 full days in New York, it was a struggle to fit everything in that I wanted to do but I think as a group, we organised our time well and I am happy to say that I actually did everything that I had planned prior to the trip - although it has been non-stop and I would love a nap!! I have been extremely busy and will be doing a blog post everyday to update you on what I actually got up to in New York (starting tomorrow!) as I have been slacking with the blogging this week. 

Photo Credit - Google Images

I will be attaching my photographs to the blog posts so you can get a feel of what it's like if you have never been before. As well as sightseeing and amazing shopping, New York is a place full of inspiration and creativity so I will also be writing posts about the inspiration that I got from the city, visual merchandising that I found interesting and the best of the museums that we explored!

Re-visit tomorrow for Day 1 in the Concrete Jungle

Prep for New York - my new camera!

I have always used a DSLR camera but they are so bulky and when walking around, it's so much easier to have a small compact camera. So, I recently purchased the Sony Cyber-shot Superzoom Compact Camera. Although the camera is small, you get high-resoltion images and this is exactly what I wanted. It has a 30x optical zoom which basically means you can zoom in on the camera and there is no blur to the image which is perfect for travelling and photography on the move - which is what I will be doing a lot of in New York. Another positive about this camera is that it detects the slightest movements, the image is always clear despite small movement when taking the photograph. 

Another function on the camera is that you can easily share images with other devices such as smartphones, tablets or laptops. This is called NFC and allows you to sync and upload images instantly. WiFi and GPS is also included, allowing you to upload images directly to social media and tag where you took the photograph, but this wasn't a necessity for me, but others may find this useful. I would definitely recommend this camera because the quality of the images are almost identical to the images taken on a DSLR camera and this one is much easier to take around with you when travelling. I can't wait to experiment more in New York, and I apologise in advance for the amount of photographs that will be posted over the next few weeks!

Photo Credit - Chloe Ferdinand

Film Review - Amy

Whilst packing for New York I decided to watch the new film, Amy. I've wanted to see this film for a while as Amy Winehouse has always been one of my favourite artists. Her distinctive voice gives me chills and the lyrics to her songs are always gripping. But who is the real Amy? We only ever hear about the rebellious addict in the press and I hoped the film would reveal more about the Amy behind closed doors because this would have been the perfect opportunity to show the world who Amy actually was. 

From a young age Amy had effortless talent, she wrote her own songs and they were always personal and relevant to her life journey. Every song has its own story behind it and they were always full of touching emotion. Inspired by Jazz artists, Amy hated the music in the pop charts, she said it “wasn’t really music, it was watered down” and she wanted to bring new jazz to the charts that represented her life. It was evident throughout the film that before Amy’s breakthrough she did not want fame, she said that she “wouldn’t be able to handle it”. 

Photo Credit - Google Images

As soon as the film started, there were various video clips shown of Amy as a teen, it was obvious to see that she was a strong individual who wanted things her way. At the age of 9 her father had an affair and Amy's behaviour spiralled out of control, she began to bunk school, get piercings and became glued to her boyfriend. At the age of 13/14, Amy was put on antidepressants and gradually started to get better, focusing on her music career. From the younger videos of Amy, you can see the passion she had for jazz music was overwhelming and there was always hope that this passion would override her addictive personality.

Camden was the wrong scene for Amy, she met the "love of her life" Blake, and referred to him as her "real drug". I believe the film portrayed Amy as a vulnerable young women who was influenced by the wrong people, Blake and her father. Meeting Blake was the start of her downfall, he ruined her and caused a weak alcoholic and drug addict. With the right guidance and support, Amy could have recovered in rehab and lived her dream, creating more albums. After watching the film I felt angry and disappointed, Amy had such potential to change her life around but she became too addicted and couldn't bare the thought of functioning without drugs.

As an Amy fan, I was frustrated by this film and wanted to watch the positives of Amy and her career, not be bombarded by her struggles. Why would any of her loved ones want her to be remembered as a crackhead who refused to perform on stage? I would rate this film 1/5 stars - Amy loved music, if she was in the right state of mind she would never have wanted her fans to turn against her, the film should have shown her success!

Countdown until NEW YORK (2 DAYS!)

Eeeeekkkk! 2 days until New York! I have never been to New York but it has always been a place to visit on my bucket list! I have been waiting so long for this and now that it has eventually come round, it doesn't feel like i'm actually going! Here is a list of things that (if I have time) I would love to do whilst in New York:

1 - ICE SKATING! 

I love ice skating, I used to go every year for my birthday and christmas! Although I have recently been ice skating, New York is the perfect place and in films it looks so beautiful. There are two rinks that have been recommended to me, either the rink at the Rockefella Centre or Central Park. I have heard that they are both great for different reasons but because I already want to go to the Rockefella Centre, it might be nice to go to Central Park.

2 - The Rockefella Centre

Speaking to family members that have been to New York before, I have heard that the Rockefella has an amazing view and it is just as good as the Empire State Building (if not, better!) So this would be a nice thing to do and a great chance for photos!

3 - A Musical (preferably Matilda!)

I have seen many musicals but my favourites were definitely The Bodyguard, The Lion King and Matilda. In London we have such amazing talent but personally, I think you have to visit Broadway when going to New York. As a musical fan, this is one of the things that I am most excited about! 

4 - MoMa

The Museum of Modern Art is one of the most talked about museums in New York. This is the perfect place to get inspiration for future blog posts and to learn about new artists. Also, as well as shopping and sight seeing, New York is known for its many museums and galleries so I want to visit at least one while i'm out there.

5 - Times Square

Times Square is a must, whenever I think of New York, this is the first vision I have. I would like to see this in the night because it looks so beautiful in films. Also, this will be a good opportunity to take some photographs.

And lastly, if we have enough time and the weather isn't too bad! 

6 - The Bus Tour

But, this REALLY depends on the weather! If it is too cold, then this will not be the best idea, but it would be nice to see as much of New York as I can. Also, this may take up a lot of time and I want to make the most of the time I have there.

You will definitely be hearing more about New York over the next two weeks, keep posted for photos, reviews and my overall experience in New York!

Photo Credit - Google Images

The new face of Louis Vuitton

Last year, the biggest trend that I was aware of in magazines and ad campaigns was GENDER. My first blog post focused on genderless fashion, I found this very interesting because Fashion doesn't have to be for either men or women, even though it is classed in these categories. I like menswear as well as womenswear, and you cannot always tell what garments fit into what category, so why can't a man wear women's clothes? With many companies making their ads genderless to suit both men and women, there was some controversy because many believe that men wearing dresses or skirts shouldn't be encouraged. But, I think this is positive for the fashion world. Fashion is diverse and focuses on expressing yourself, so why can't this been shown in the way that clothing and brands are promoted? I was so excited to hear about the collaboration with Jaden Smith and Louis Vuitton!

Photo Credit - The Guardian

It has just been announced that Jaden Smith will be the new face of Louis Vuitton, he features in the new S/S16 Womenswear campaign (shown above). Jaden Smith is an artistic, creative teenager and he is known for his unique taste in clothing so from my point of view, he is a perfect choice for the Louis Vuitton campaign. Yes, he is male, but he is the perfect person to experiment with this new idea. Despite being the new face for the brand, I love how Louis Vuitton hasn't made Jaden the focus of the photograph. The composition of the image is interesting and all the clothing looks great with the brick wall background. I will be looking out for more shots of Jaden for Louis Vuitton.

'A different kind of nude...'

Skin coloured lingerie should be a basic necessity for all women, you never know when you will need a strapless bra or some tights. The biggest issue is, what is the shade for skin colour? There are various shades of skin colour but hosiery/lingerie shops tend to only supply for women of a lighter shade?

Being mixed race myself, I can say that is it extremely hard to find skin coloured lingerie and hosiery that actually matches my skin tone. Thats where Nubian Skin is a brilliant creation! Founder Ade Hassan, decided it was time for 'a different kind of nude' and I completely agree! Below is a screen shot from their website, you can shop by skin tone, lingerie, the lace collection, hosiery and panties.

Nubian Skin has created 4 shades, Berry, Cinnamon, Caramel and Cafe Au Lait. Although this still doesn't cover every shade, it is a better selection that just the normal "skin colour" sold in shops. I think this company has got it 100% right as there is definitely a space in the market for these types of products for the darker shades. The pricing isn't too expensive so it's affordable for all types of people. Also from the website you can see that the brand is very popular in America and only stocked on Bond Street in England. If there were more stockists in London, I believe the idea would sell much more as this is a need. Model, Jourdan Dunn has also purchased some of their products and if this was promoted, more people would show interest in the company. 

To find out more visit: https://www.nubianskin.com

Photo Credit - Nubian Skin