Fashion and Politics meets feminism

After the degree show, I wanted to get into contact with some of the students that impressed me the most! All their hard work deserved some positive comments! Saffron Peacock was the first student I contacted. Feminism is always a topic that gets my heart rate pulsing! I admire anyone that stands up for what they believe is right and as a girls girl, Saffron got my vote!! After the degree show, I came home and wanted to see more work from Saffron, I was intrigued by her project Lost in Translation so contacted her to find out more:

So, tell us a little bit about your background before university?

I come from an artistic background and have always really enjoyed art, film, culture and fashion. At sixth form, I studied Photography, Art and English and decided FCP would be the perfect course and something I'd enjoy! 

When looking through your work, Lost in Translation caught my attention, tell us about this project?

Lost in translation is an exploration into the enduring narration of fashion and politics, tapping into the timely nature of the 4th wave of feminism. Lost in Translation looks into postmodern culture’s impact on feminism, revealing a loss of conviction and how it can be addressed in regards to fashion branding and communication.

What/who are the biggest inspirations behind your work?

The inspiration was basically just the timely nature of feminism in our culture. When I originally started the project I looked into activism but this swiftly moved into feminism as it is the most prominent form of activism in our culture today. I looked at feminist theorists like Pamela Gibson but waded my way through different theories to come to a conclusion of my own definition of feminism, as I found the fourth wave can be very conflicting.

Have you always been a feminist? If not, when did it become your passion?

When I was at school I never really considered myself a feminist because I didn't fully understand it and associated it with old women and suffragettes, but as I matured and when I learnt more, obviously I completely changed my mind! I think all women are feminists if you want equality.

What does feminism mean to you?

Feminism to me is equality of both sexes, the ability to thrive regardless of your gender. 

What advice would you give to people entering their third year at university?

My advice would be to start early! I'm usually bad for leaving things last minute but you can't in third year! I used a year wall planner to help plan out my project which was really helpful in staying on top and organised. It seems like you have a long time but it goes so quickly! I'd also say although it can be stressful try to enjoy it, throw yourself into your project and remember to relax!

What do you plan to do now that university is over?

Now that uni is over, I'm having a bit of a well earned break but I'm always on the lookout for work and opportunities in London for later this year.

To browse more of Saffron's work, visit: http://www.saffronpeacock.co.uk

Instagram: @saffronpeacock

Photo Credit - Saffron Peacock

NTU Degree Show 2016

To end our amazing first year of university, myself and a couple of other FCP girls went to look at the degree shows around NTU. We were intrigued to see what third years from our course had produced so we headed straight over to the FCP degree show. I was astounded to see how professional each project was! It was refreshing to see such varied content and it got us all very excited to see what's to come for us in a couple of years!

I also loved the FLIP idea - you could collect as many postcards that you wanted and create your own flip book full of student's work and their contact details. Some of the postcards were beautifully illustrated, others were graphically designed and then there were some quotations! Everyone loves an inspirational quote!

We then moved on to the Graphic Design degree show. I had no idea what to expect from this display, however it was very inspiring, it was clear to see that everyone had found their strengths and had their own way of displaying their creativity. My favourite by far was the middle image on the first row - the cards were really cute and made me laugh! Here are some of the quotes on them:

"A true friend is like a good bra..."

"Just wing it..."

"I like big buns and I cannot lie"

"I've got 99 Bobby Pins but I can't find one"

Any girl can relate to any of these sayings!

 The next stop was the Fashion Design degree show! This is always my favourite stand to visit because when I was younger I wanted to do Fashion Design, however, I realised that FCP was best suited to me. Each stand was so professional and when looking closely at the collections, each garment was finished with perfection! As a previous textiles student, I know how hard it is to perfect a garment. 

Lastly, we looked around the rest of the degree show and found some homewear/product design stands. Again, the talent was outstanding. If you didn't have the chance to visit the degree show this year, make sure you add it to your diary for 2017!

Photo Credit - Chloe Ferdinand

Ryan Hawaii aka DJ CATFORD

For those of you who don't know Ryan Hawaii - where have you been hiding!!

Born and raised in Catford, South East London, Ryan Williams is a talented creative whose passion is overwhelming. Growing up, Ryan and I used to always go for play dates with our parents and he always had an eye for fashion - he noticed everything! Moving to UAL: Camberwell and doing a Foundation in Graphic Design confirmed his thoughts about starting up his own brand. With the help of friends and family, Ryan Hawaii and the Neverland Clan was born. Here are a couple of my favourite shots from Ryan's previous press: (the middle shot was featured in ID Magazine... Yes Ry!!)

Photo Credit - Ryan Hawaii

Anyway onto the exciting news.. Ryan has just launched his first vintage site: djcatford.com 

This website aims to provide his followers with unique, quirky clothing at a cheap price. All items are under £50 so grab your bargain quickly!! As well as vintage specials, the website will soon be selling printed tee's designed by Ryan. 

Visit http://www.ryanhawaii.co.uk to see some more of his designs!

Like what you see?

Twitter - @RYAN_HAWAII

Snapchat - ryanxhawaii

Instagram - @ryanhawaii

Dot 2 Dot Street Style

Dot 2 Dot was full of quirky, stylish individuals! Here are a few of my favourite street style shots;

Dot 2 Dot Festival x Fred Perry Subculture

Over the summer, our course has given us a live brief. We got to choose between Fred Perry or Dance 4, I choses the Fred Perry brief because i'm interested in subcultures. From that, the lecturers selected a few of us to help out at the Dot 2 Dot festival. So last weekend I was given the amazing opportunity to work for Fred Perry Subculture at the festival in Nottingham. Throughout the day, myself and the other girls had to interview bands and festival goers as well as photographing anyone that we thought fit into the "subculture" category... and of course, we got to watch the amazing performers!!

We also had to photograph and video the bands performing. We were each given a stage to be on so that we got equal coverage of all the acts. On my stage we had the headline act Temper Trap and I was very excited to see Dua Lipa (if you haven't heard of her already, give her a listen!). It was such a fun day and I would love to help out again next year!

FCP Girls: Photo Credit - James

Stayed tuned to see some of my favourite street style images from the day!

18montrose launch

 As part of the Creative Quarter team, Lana, Abi and I went to the launch party of 18montrose, a new store soon to be opening on 58 Bridlesmiths Gate. The atmosphere was buzzing! 18montrose stocks the likes of Stone Island, Common Projects, Folk, YMC, Woolrich, and Y-3. When looking around the store, I fell in love with the stripy top (shown in the image below). Here are some exclusive images from the launch.

Photo Credit - Chloe Ferdinand

Calling all creatives - Get yourself down to the loom!!

Last night, I had the incredible opportunity to visit The Loom in Nottingham with a couple of other bloggers. We were greeted by the most amazing duo Samantha and James, (brother and sister - how cool!!), who kindly shared their journey with us and how they came up with  The Creative Factory! The Loom is owned by Posedion Kumar who has given Samantha and James the platform to launch The Creative Factory! The pair were so lovely and even treated us to food and drink! (I would highly recommend the burgers!!) The passion that they have is mind blowing and it is very rare to find people who are so enthusiastic and go ahead to pursue their dreams! As soon as they started explaining the concept of their plan, I was sold!!!

The Loom is a bar/restaurant that opened last November but has recently been refurbished to entice the creatives around Nottingham. It is located in the "heart of the arts" outside the Nottingham Contemporary. This is a perfect place to be as the Loom has recently created the Creative Factory which gives artists the opportunity to exhibit their work. The decor of the place is amazing - you have to visit just to see the outstanding work!! All of the artwork on the walls has been created by James and as soon as you enter, you are greeted by a collection of famous faces. The idea is that the entrance is monochrome with no colour so you feel like you are in a classic hollywood film - full of glamour!

 As soon as you approach the stairs, you are hit with a pop of colour and an image of Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz (I am the biggest fan of this film and absolutely loved this painting!!). As the Loom and the Creative Factory evolves, the idea is that they collaborate with artists around the area and their work will be promoted on the walls of The Loom. I love this idea because collaborations not only help with self promotion, but they inspire and empower artists to be successful. James made the point that, "it is the artists and creatives that make the area cool", I 100% agree with this and there is definitely a lack of cool places for artists and creatives to promote their work but at the same time to hang out and socialise with other creative and inspirational people. The overall vibe of The Loom was relaxing and chilled, I felt welcomed and personally, I think the atmosphere of a place is vital!

As you move towards the back of The Loom, you are hit by the beautiful stained glass windows (see below) that are inspired by the most famous creatives. Each of the designs were intricate and full of colour, also made by James, how talented is he! If you are in the area - definitely pop in to see these! It's the perfect opportunity for an inspiration Instagram photo too! James explained that there will be a "Loominati" loyalty card for members, who will receive regular discounts.

We also got the chance to meet James' girlfriend Faye - a graphic designer/illustrator who creates the most beautiful drawings and illustrations. Below is an image of one of the drinks menus, Faye did all of the illustrations in both the food and drinks menu and we were blown away with the companies that she has worked for! (Skinny Dip being one of them!) I recommend that everyone checks out her Instagram - @fayefinn.

Not only were we spoilt rotten with drinks, wonderful company and live music - we also got to taste some of the food on the menu! I have to admit, my favourite by far was the selection of burgers!! They were delicious and I can't stop thinking about them!

After such a fabulous evening, I recommend visiting The Loom and The Creative Factory if you are ever nearby. It is a place of inspiration, a place for you! 

3-5 High Pavement, Nottingham NG1 1HF

Thanks again to Poseidon, Samantha, James and Faye - you treated us like royalty and you are a credit to creatives!

Photo Credit - CQ Bloggers: Chloe, Lana and Abi

Olivier Rousteing X Nike Lab

Who else is excited about the Olivier Rousteing X NikeLab Collaboration? My obsession with sportswear has just got so much worse - I need this collection in my life!!

But why has NikeLab decided to team up with someone like Rousteing?

In a recent interview, Olivier Rousteing said that sport has always been part of his life. He started playing football at 10 and went to watch his first match at 14. At the match he was amazed by the team and how they pushed themselves. The aim of this collection is to integrate the iconic style of football into sport style.

Black and gold and the dominant colours, this is because they convey victory and black is a timeless colour. I like this combination because although the pieces plain, the gold adds luxury and adds subtle detail. The brand ambassadors of this collection are french footballers - Blaise Matuidi, a french midfielder and Laure Boullea, a french defender. Matuidi defined the collection as cool and classy and I think he is spot on. Below are my favourite pieces from the collection.

Rousteing's favourite piece from the collection is the jacket shown above on the far right. He got inspiration from soccer players and the jackets that they usually wear. The idea is that the jacket is versatile, ladies can wear this as a long jacket or zip it up and wear it as a dress. 

From the whole collection, the trainers above are the only ones that I would actually wear. I think the clothing is much stronger and will be more successful than the footwear. Rousteing never disappoints and I can't wait to see what else he has up his sleeve. 

Photo Credit - Google Images

You can never have enough shoes!

Sophia Webster has been one of my favourite shoe designers for a while now! Her continuous creativity is innovative and eye catching. The designs of her shoes are intricate and can make any outfit look cool and bold. I love detailed shoes, especially for a night out!! I have selected a few of my favourites from her collection:

Photo Credit - Sophia Webster

The first pair of shoes are really cute, I love the use of pastel colours and the detail on the straps make the shoe more interesting. The style of this shoe is probably my favourite because the platform is deceiving and the shoes look higher than they feel (girls you know this already!). The second shoe is more elegant! I like how there are three straps, and the heel is made of small balls, this is unique. If you have previously heard of Sophia Webster, you would know that the butterfly shoes are her signature style! I think these are amazing!! You couldn't forget these anywhere, they are beautiful.  I especially like the holographic pattern on the wings. 

Blake Lively, Solange Knowles and Rita Ora wearing Sophia Webster - Photo Credit: Marie Claire

As you can see from above, many celebrities are also loving Sophia Webster and her shoes are becoming part of the "red carpet" attire!

Make sure you look out for her collection at the next big event. 

Topshop Scandal

Yesterday was a sunny day so my flatmate and I decided to go shopping in town. When walking past Topshop, we noticed a lot of security and a crowd of people handing out flyers titled "REINSTATE THE TOPSHOP TWO". For those of you that know me... I can be a bit of a loudmouth and was intrigued by the flyers; so we approached one of the people handing them out. We soon discovered that the 'Topshop Two", Carolina and Susana were cleaners in Topshop's flagship store on London's Oxford Street, but were suspended and then ultimately sacked for joining a trade union and demanding a living wage. 

At first I thought this story couldn't be true because of Topshop's reputation, it seems to be such an established company and as they are so successful I thought that they would be a great company to work for and would want the best for their employees... but clearly I was wrong!! 

Photo Credit - Google Images

The pair were receiving 'poverty wages' which was being managed by the Britannia Services Group (this is the company that are responsible for the contracts of cleaning staff at Topshop). It has been released that Topshop is well aware of the misconduct that Britannia is getting away with but are turning a blind eye... How are people supposed to support themselves on lower than the minimum wage?! After speaking to the man who handed us the flyer, I came home and took it upon myself to research more into this issue because I was in such shock.

When researching, I found out that this issue arose in 2011 and single mother Susana, was a cleaner at Topshop for over 6 years. Stress and anxiety resulted in her having months off work but she remained working under those pay conditions because her job was the only source of income and as a mother of three she relied on her wages. According to the Guardian, Britannia said they could not discuss personnel issues with the press due to data protection and privacy laws... Personally, I believe this is not a good enough response. 

"Susanas online petition currently has more than 32,500 signatures" (the Guardian, 2016)

I support the Topshop Two and hope they get the justice they deserve! Rant over!!

Style Feed - The world's top fashion blogs

Over the weekend, I went into Waterstones to buy some magazines and got completely sidetracked! I ended up looking at fashion and photography books. I came across a book called Style Feed - The World's Top Fashion Blogs and I found some bloggers that really inspired me. I feel like at the moment, there are lots of fashion bloggers and it is hard to stand out amongst everyone - especially with fashion. Whilst flicking through this book, I found three bloggers that were blogging about fashion but in an interesting way that is slightly different to the majority of bloggers out there at the moment!

Photo Credit - Google Images

The first one was Izzy Tucson who created The Dandy Project. I found his blog interesting because although he blogs about self-style, he also writes guides on how to create DIY clothing and focuses on the construction of clothing, commenting on the pattern, colour and texture. Personally, I find this much more informative than just seeing an outfit post and as an ex-textiles student, I appreciate how much work goes into making clothing. Another point of difference with Izzy Tucson is that he always includes accessories in his blogging and this is rare for a menswear blog. He embraces his passions and it is clear to see that his work has paid off as he frequently travels around the world with The Dandy Project.

Photo Credit - The Dandy Project by Hudson Shively

Advanced Style was the second blog that caught my attention. Although the website layout isn't as aesthetically pleasing as the majority of the blogs out there today, Advanced Style have an amazing concept. Ari Seth Cohen (the founder) roams around New York and is constantly on the look out for the older generation who are stylish creatives that maintain a passion for fashion. I absolutely love this concept because there are so many fashionable OAP's out there but when do we ever see them in magazines or newspapers? Cohen comments on why he finds the outfits inspiring, his experiences of meeting the people he photographs and how he is influenced by everyone he meets. Those of you who have followed my blog for a while would know how much I love Iris Apel and the women/men featured on Advanced Style are just as fashionable.

Photo Credit - The Wild Magazine

Leandra Medine, creator of Man Repeller was the third blog that I thought had a point of difference! On the blog, Leandra has put the definition of "Man Repeller" - 'she who outfits herself in a sartorially offensive mode that may result in repelling members of the opposite sex.' When I found out the definition, I wanted to know more about the blog. What I really liked was that this blog is lighthearted and contains humour - this is rare to find! I find this blog refreshing and current, Leandra has been very clever here and created her own language for her fans (see DICK-SHUN-ARY page) where she in able to connect with her consumers on a personal level. Out of all the bloggers, she is the most entertaining!

Photo Credit - Harpers Bazaar

So if you're looking for new bloggers to follow, I would recommend this book because it is full of a diverse range of creatives!

Review - Spotlight on Independent Fashion

So... sadly, the Spotlight on Independent Fashion events are over! On Friday and Saturday evening, Sneinton Market was full of creativity and inspiration! Where do I begin!? To start off the event, there were many brands set up in various spaces. It was very interesting to see how each of the independent brands used the space to promote their work. I especially liked the use of old mannequins, this fit with the interior of the room that the companies were given. Headcase Headwear was very clever with their promotion and they thought about how they were going to engage with the customers. They had provided free glitter that they were applying to customers faces and they had created a small photo booth for people to have a laugh with the products! (to see the bloggers in action at the Headcase Headwear photoshoot visit @CQnottm on Instagram).

Although it was nice to wander around the mini shops, I have to admit my favourite part of the evening was the catwalk shows where each brand showcased their creations. Below are a few images from each of the shows:

Genius x Flux

Ullr & Skade

The brand Ullr & Skade presented sweatshirts, t-shirts and sweatpants. I really liked this collection because everyone needs casual wear and I love oversized jumpers. I like how although the clothing is casual/minimal, it still looks tasteful and stylish.

Thrift Generation

Cow

One BC, JC Middlebrow, Love Lust and Passion

Laura Worthington 

Urban Avenue, It's Simple and Amy Topham

The collaboration for the last show was a genius. It's Simple and Amy Topham created a catwalk show heavily inspired by Urban Dance. The models strutted in time with the beat of the music and they were brilliant dancers!! This was a great finale for the show and it is definitely one to remember!

I hope you all enjoyed the events and will be joining us this week for the rest of Nottingham Fashion Week!