Gok-Tastic!

Last Wednesday I was completely star struck on the front row of the Gok Wan's fashion roadshow in the centre of Cabot Circus. Thank you to the lovely ladies who PR for Cabot Circus I was able to sit on one of the pink seats and use the voting paddles.

The first season of Gok's fashion roadshow Gok was up against Brix Smith Start with a designer versus highstreet face off. This season Gok is up against.... well... Gok!! He has turned his hand at creating an affordable collection, where each outfit cost up to £50 and a more expensive, where each outfit cost up to £250. I wont reveal too much about them as the programme will be airing later this month but I am looking forward to finding out where everything came from.

There were also three lucky ladies who had a Gok style make over and looked like they really enjoyed the experience. It was nice to sit where I did as I got to see the family's reactions, since they knew what they had looked like before. At the end I was grabbed for an interview.... Which I really hope isn't aired.... "I voted for the pink one... because of such and such a reason..." All very embarrassing - but I was pleased with my outfit and actually have a snap here with some of the other guests (Picture source mystreetchic.com). Skinny Jeans, over sized cream shirt and clogs. Managed to successfully wear those and not fall over much... hehe!All in all I had a lovely time. It was nice to also meet the girls behind mystreetchic.com who I sat with.

Enjoy and hope you manage to catch the show!
Fashion Fantasist xx

Introducing the New Generation

Last Saturday was UWE fashion and fashion textiles graduate's show. I can still remember the stress and excitement from mine so I was very much looking forward to this years ideas and designs. After a lovely day at the Cottage Inn by the River I headed to Bristol's RWA, which is an art gallery. A really light airy space and very intimate - I knew I would be able to get a close look at the garments as they came down the catwalk.

I wasn't disappointed!

The first collection that graced the stage was Sarah Cassidy's. A brightly coloured knitted collection inspired by an anatomical heart locket. Acid green, bright blues, black and white stripes all teamed with Vivienne Westwood shoes made for a very exciting start to the show.

Here are a few of my favourites...

Edward Lord's dramatic grey sculpted collection was very impressive with a luxurious fur trimmed coat and long draped dresses.

Lucy Brookes' printed menswear created from abstract pin up girls.

Jenna Lauren Dawson's collection featured wonderful, drawn bird embroidery and print patterns.

Elaine Youh's collection featured complicated fabric manipulation in a colour pallet of red, black and white.

Tolga Ozturk's menswear collection inspired by gorillas was very striking in blacks and orange. One model even had some eyes draped over his shoulders.

Nicola Chisall's impressive plastic carnival inspired collection closed the show in a blur of bright colours and complicated construction.

I really enjoyed the show well done to all the graduates and good luck for what they might do next! I will do a separate blog post for the 2D work. Please check out my review of the show for Guide2Bristol.

Best wishes,

Fashion Fantasist xx

P.S thank you Steve Norton for the photographs!

Fashion Weekender

Hello All!

Just a few trend images from the Cabot Circus Fashion Weekender (2nd - 3rd April) in case you missed the event!Denim Dury by WarehouseSpring Forward by Dorothy PerkinsFeeling Good by Ted BakerNeon Rainbow by ZaraThe Cash by Harvey NicholsMr Sandman by House of Fraser - I love the outfit with the shorts!!Nude Study by Harvey NicholsCannes-Tastic by House of FraserFrocks and Frolics by French ConnectionLadies Who Lunch by Hobbs

On the Saturday alone the Fashion Weekender attracted over 100,00 visitors!

Fashion Fantasist xx

Pull Yourself Together

This is something I plan to do in regards to this blog because I have been negligent and I am sorry!!!

But on a brighter note I would like to talk more about Pippa Stewart who's collections were featured in the Fairwear Fashion Show in March. I was able to catch up with Pippa and find out about the inspirations behind her collection 'Pull Yourself Together' and 'Operculum' created with Ashleigh McPherson and her views on fairtrade. 'My inspiration for 'Pull Yourself Together' was a number of things, first of all, over the summer of 2010 I was obsessed with the film 'An Education' by Lone Schervig. I particularly loved a scene in which the main character took a trip to Paris, the dress she was wearing was so sophisticated and feminine. I also have a passion for Vintage clothing and fabric, which i tend to collect from local charity shops whenever I have time to spare. So when i came across the floral fabric (featured within the collection), that teamed with a visit to David Austen Roses LTD in Brighton-inspired a 1950'sesque look for the 'Pull Yourself Together' collection. The collection I did with Ashleigh was the 'Operculum Collection' in which a group of six designers teamed together and focused on various areas of the collection. Operculum was inspired by garments from the era of World War 1 and the Women's Land Army, then mixed with a contemporary feel. The idea of the collection was to be based on classic designs, sustainable and interchangeable, with detachable collars and buttons. Each garment was to be treasured by its wearer in the way garments would have been in World War 1. As a group we disagreed with the issues of commercial highstreet shops generating 'disposable' clothing that is worn a few times and then thrown away.For Operculum we used 100% cottons and silk habotai all Fairtrade and we aimed to use wools found from local Alpaca farms in the West Country. The actual patterns for the garments hardly created any wastage and if there was any to spare after, the off-cuts were turned into gaiters and collars. All the embroidery throughout the collection is 100% sustainable by Gunold, who use renewable resources to create their range of embroidery threads.

I feel Fairtrade is very important because it generates better working conditions and fair terms for local farmers who produce cotton and other materials for the Fashion Industry. It also creates sustainability within local communities and that's why its important to be sustainable within fashion. With all the fabrics, patterns, trims and clothes found sat and unused in charity shops, why should we use even more energy and resources creating something new when we haven't even utilized the mass of resources we already have.'

I think these collections are both lovely and I really admire Pippa's thoughts on Fairtrade. I will definitely be keeping an eye open for what Pippa and Ashleigh do next!

Pippa has two blogs one for Pull Yourself Together and the other for Operculum.

I promise to have more frequent posts and I have a couple lined up soon!!

Best wishes,
Fashion Fantasist xx

Spring Into Summer...

... With Cabot Circus Fashion Weekender this weekend (2nd - 3rd April).Taking place in the centre of Cabot Circus under the glass roof, I hope it isn't raining but if it is you should all stay dry, the catwalk will showcase the hottest trends from the new season collections. Bringing together the best of high street and designer brands.

Vintage has been a key theme over the past few years and spring/summer will see 70’s glamour making fashion waves. Cabot Circus will show you how to create unstructured gypsy-like silhouettes and work shimmering fabrics, chunky heels, wide-leg trousers and figure-hugging waistbands, whatever your style or budget.

The Fashion Weekender will also celebrate the return of good old-fashioned glamour, nudes and muted tones and the rock-and-roll inspired ‘cool rider’ look.

Each show will be created by stylist JP, who has worked with a host of celebrities and recording artists and currently runs his own London-based fashion consultancy. Visitors will also be able to seek out the latest hair and beauty trends with experts from Sanctuary Spa, Seanhanna and other beauty brands giving free demonstrations and taster sessions. So it will be the perfect time to discover a new look.

Discounts of up to 20 per cent will also be on offer at many of Cabot Circus’ iconic fashion stores and restaurants over the course of the Fashion Weekender and all those attending will be invited to enter a competition to win £1,000 worth of fashion!!!!! - Yes Please!!

The fashion show will run a few times over the weekender - Show Times - Saturday 2nd April - 11.30am, 12.30pm, 2pm, 3.30pm and 4.30pm - Sunday 3rd April - 12pm, 1.30pm, 2.30pm and 3.30pm and it is a completely free event!!

Unfortunately I am unable to attend because I am visiting my family for Mother's Day but if you do get the chance to pop to Cabot Circus over the weekend it is going to be a fantastic event. The catwalk is on level 1 outside House of Fraser (I have been walking past it on my way home from work!)

Enjoy and have a lovely weekend
Best Wishes
Fashion Fantasist xx

Fairwear Fashion Show

The fairwear fashion event was part of Bristol's contribution to fairtrade fortnight. It happened last Saturday (05/03/2011) I meant to post sooner but hopefully some of these new designs will help you forgive me. For a full review please go to Guide2Bristol.

As well as ethical high street fashion there were also some interesting contributions from the students of UWE, Charlie Boots and local designer (my former uni tutor) Jo Buckley.Rhapsody by Grace Ekell was an interesting collection with a monochrome colour pallet. Garments were made from fairtrade and organic fabric and off cuts. My favorite piece was the grey silk satin dress. It had been digitally and discharge printed with hand painting on top to create a striking almost animal print.A completely different take on recycling next with a collection by Pippa Stewart. I really liked these dresses particularly the one in the centre. The fabric looked like mostly curtain and nets - the kind your grandmother would have. But with curtain tassels and tie backs it was fully transformed into fun flirty summer dresses with a vibe that reminded me of 50's housewife and 'Mad Men'.Another collection that caught my eye was again by Pippa Stewart but in partnership with Ashleigh McPherson. The girls had used blogging to keep in contact to reduce the amount of paper used. The collection had an all together different feel. ‘Operculum’ (Which I am informed means inside of a shell) was created from fairtrade and organic fabric and knit offcuts. The collection featured a beautiful print that resembled coral.Bristol's own ethical designer Charlie Boots also featured three dresses from her range. Sophisticated and chic my favorite was the black dress with white bound edges. I liked how the bound edges emphasised the female figure.The finale featured a fairtrade, organic cotton wedding dress that split into three parts so that it can be reused, reworn and remade. It was modeled by Miss Bristol who looked radiant.The dress was designed by Jo Buckley in partnership with pattern cutter Alex Maier. The dress was designed with near zero fabric wastage. It was hard to believe the fabric was cotton, it was wonderfully structured and I could picture it not looking out of place at an outdoors or beach wedding.

I really enjoyed the show and the event as a whole was a success raising people's awareness of the types of fairtrade fashion there is out there including school uniforms!

These photographs are from Charlotte Stone and Jon Craig - please check out their websites!
Best wishes,
Fashion Fantasist xx

Cat On The Wall

This week I did an interview with Jo Whitby from the Music and Culture Webzine Cat On The Wall. Please check it out here.

Thank you
Fashion Fantasist xx

Happy New Year

And Happy Birthday to my blog! It has been a year since I started blogging as Fashion Fantasist and what a year it has been. I was not expecting this blog to turn out the way it has done. It started as a way to make a digital profile for myself and my designs but has turned in to a lot more.

I don't think any of the opportunities I have experienced this year would have happened without this blog. It has helped me meet new people, I have been invited to fashion shows and events, I have written for other blogs and online publications and of course it helped (with Twitter) towards getting an internship with French Connection.

Writing this blog has expanded my fashion horizons. If I have found a designer or piece of work I have found interesting or inspirational I have tried to make contact with the designer, which has been a very rewarding experience discovering other peoples inspirations and aspirations.

A highlight of this year for me was to go to London Fashion Week!! I only went the one day and saw one show but it was amazing. As you all know I didn't shut up about it for posts and posts. Thank you to Kirsty Ward and David Longshaw who gave me that opportunity it was amazing to meet you both and I wish you the best of luck in 2011. At LFW I also met the team behind the hugely successful Young British Designers who I had the pleasure of writing a guest blog post for. Wonderful people who I think are doing exciting things for young British designers.

One of the best and most challenging experience this year has got to be my final university collection. It was difficult to get in to the swing of things but through it I discovered a real interest in photographic and Trompe l'Oeil print techniques. I am currently trying to create some garments that I can market and sell... But look out 2011 for that. I also experienced a real passion for meeting new people whilst helping with the PR for our University fashion show. I created a twitter account and managed to get the most coverage our university shows have had. It was also very flattering to have my work featured in an online publication.

Going to shows to cover them as a journalist/blogger was something I was not expecting but it has been a real delight to do this for both Culture Candy and Guide2Bristol. Hopefully this will be something I will continue to do in 2011.

Working for French Connection as an intern was such an eyeopening experience. I learnt so much and met a lot of very friendly people. It started out as just photocopying and sticking together artworks but as I got to know people better I started to contribute more. This may seem like a small thing but in the 2011 a/w range there are bead combinations that I helped create and that is so exciting. I brushed up on my Photoshop skills and actually feel more confident on Illustrator. All in all it was fantastic - hard work but well worth it!!! (Thank you to Rachel again for the gig!)

All in All it has been a whirl wind of a year. 2010 has been hard work but I think 2011 will be even harder. I am going to be continuing to look for work, start creating more designs, keep working hard on this blog and keep talking to and meeting wonderful people. Of course like every new year my resolution will be to stop chewing my nails! Hehe!

Sorry I haven't done any images in this post I wasn't sure what to choose!!! But here are some gorgeous shoes I have my eye on...Finsk Boots....... Well I can dream - that is why I am a Fashion Fantasist! (They are also really lovely in black!)

I hope you all had great years and thank you for reading my blog, following and supporting it. Wishing you the best 2011!!!
Fashion Fantasist xxx

Happy Belated Birthday Cabot Circus

I missed Cabot Circus' 2nd Birthday (25-26/9/10) but I have been informed that it was a great success!!

Over 168,000 people turned up to help celebrate over the weekend and the total footfall for Saturday was up 18% compared with it's first birthday! Cabot Circus also raised more than £8,800 for Breast Cancer Care through the sale of the Ultimate Fashion Weekender goodie bags!!! That is just amazing and very inspirational - I have recently got involved with organising a show - but more revealed about that at a later date...

(How great is this photo! Look at the girls faces in the background!)

James Baily, the Center Manager said - "We are delighted with the excellent turn out from our shoppers who turned up on their droves to help us celebrate our second birthday in style. It was a fantastic weekend thoroughly enjoyed by all who took part. It was especially great to see the interest in Cabot Circus has continued to grow two years on."I was sent some photographs from the event and it does look packed. I am very jealous of the people who got to see Gok Wan!!!Hopefully I will be able to make it to their Third Birthday - well trust me I am blocking out the weekends in September already in anticipation!!

If you did manage to go please share your stories? What hot fashion trends are hitting Bristol?

Best Wishes
Fashion Fantasist xx