It's not you, It's me.

You are a brute. You chewed me up and spat me straight out. You made false promises and let me down. 

London, it's over.

It's not what you think though, I promise. It's just a break, we need to take time away from each other. We've spent too much time in each others pockets, both living in a bubble and knowing nothing else other than each other. You flirted with my taste for excitement, you played with my spontaneous nature - you made me feel a sense of false security, but now, it's time to have some space. I spent all my money on you, I dedicated so much time and effort,  Only to realise that we're just not working out.

I have done the inevitable, it's time. I'm moving out of London - moving away, moving home, and turning to the dark side ; becoming a commuter. From the green depths of surrey, I moved to London four years ago, to chase after the dream to be in fashion. And god have I made my mark, and proved I'm part of the industry. Along the way, I have danced to the early hours of the morning in Fabric and Ministry of Sound, fallen out of the Uber (stylishy, may I add) on a Friday night in Mayfair, spent my sundays daydreaming in the V&A, sipping coffee on Kings Road.. even rummaging through the thrifts shops in Brick Lane. I've discovered my love of spas (Mandarin Oriental, you will always be "the one"), I've sat front row at London Fashion Week and drank triple shot mixers in the Mens Fashion Week after parties. I've grown with London, I've played with London and I've worked with London. But every relationship has its time, and my time of renting in the big smoke, is over.. well, for the next few months at least.

You see, they don't tell you what London is really like, apart from "it's where the work is! It's where life is!"And it is. It's 100% about living. It can swallow you up for all your worth, and spit you right out. All of course with good intentions. It was never a bad relationship. It had its ups and its downs. London taught me the meaning of resilience; the meaning of focus, motivation and multitasking. A relationship that made me appreciate being alone, but also how much you need others around you.. and how important they are.

We just need time. To breathe, to sort out what we really want, where our heads are at, and how much we really love each other. However, at this moment in time, London, it's over. 

Amelia Stephenson Launches Amelie Louise London

Through the intricate relationship between Pain and Pleasure, both power and beauty can be perceived and demonstrated – a key crossover that, for her preview exhibition for her launch collection, Amelia Stephenson has chosen to explore. Fulfilling the intimate setting of Blessings bar, Stephenson presented a collection that played on the sense of empowerment, of beauty and elegance juxtaposed through tie and restraint. With intricate emerald and black lace detailing, exposed through cut out and asymmetric line structure, it was indeed a collection of thought, of attention to detail through a delicate design relationship. But where exactly did Stephenson start exactly? “I’ve always loved the female form, I’ve always admired it. I developed my style from a general womenswear attraction, and really realized that lingerie design was more my passion through studying my foundation diploma - it comes naturally to design the way I do.” 

Walking through the tasteful exhibition, of the pain versus pleasure photo shoot undertaken by Stephenson in collaboration with Pip Jay King and model Jessica Talbot-Smith, there was a definite sense of fragility and strength, as the Stephenson pieces were exhibited through a raw and gritty environment, a characteristic that Stephenson is unafraid to show within her aesthetic. I questioned, what was her favorite piece and indeed, exhibited image? “The cupless body for me is my favorite, just because the detailing on the back is really different, it’s unique and stands out from your classic lingerie pieces, through the way it can be seen when worn under a garment as well as its own construction detailing. It’s a piece that can be styled as underwear, outwear, over the top of a garment as well as underneath.” 

It was clear that the Amelie Louise London brand is one of longevity, and that the exhibition was only the start of what Stephenson has in store. Where did Stephenson see herself in ten years time? “I really have high hopes for the brand, of us going out there and really showing what the Amelie Louise brand is about. Obviously, at the moment, it is just I, so hopefully there is a future for the team to expand, to really push the brand identity and to take on more than what is possible right now. I am confident that the Amelie Louise London brand can only grow and develop, as this is just the start.”

Images with credit to Pip Jay King. 

See the Amelie Louise London brand here : 

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/amelielouise.london/

contact - amelia.stephenson@allingerie.com 

See the photographer - 

Pip Jay King - www.pipjk.com 

See the model - 

Jessica Talbot Smith - https://www.instagram.com/jessicatsss23/?hl=en

contact - jessellents@hotmail.com

What's in the bag?

It's one of the best seasons of the year right now, and we're all feeling the urge to splurge, with advertisements left, right and centre, and money is flying out of our pockets so fast, that we forget about our overdrafts and chase that high of buying PRESENTS (I said it)... but, what if we considered what we're buying, just a little bit more? 

Despite the many preconceptions, sustainability can also be quite cool and fashionable. As I found out this week when I started the horror of christmas shopping and stopped by Lush.

Now, amid the walls lined in multicoloured gift wrapped boxes, all containing different gift ideas, with different prices and different sized, I found that I was after a unique present, something that not everyone had. Whilst trying to decipher whether the glittering white £18 ribboned body product box was going to do me any good, I was directed to the "scarf wrapping" after stressing I wanted a present that was unique and special. And she was right.

Lush are big very big on non-animal testing for the products and indeed, come from an ethical stand point, so there is no suprise that sustainability is one of their ethos as well. Cleverly done, the brand allow you to pick a vintage scarf to wrap your chosen products in. The scarf does cost but not much, and when chosen correctly, can be used as a fashion accessory for a bag, around the neck as part of an outfit, or even in the hair.

The scarf was then twisted into a series of knots, and you could indeed pick what kind of shape to have the scarf made into - I chose a bag shape to hold the products inside. The products I chose were also labelled with name, ingredients and how to use.

Now for unique present wrapping, this definitely stands out. The idea of having the scarf as the wrapping but also being able to use as an accessory is smart thinking, and does indeed change the idea of sustainable fashion, showing how reusing previously owned items for other uses can redefine the original object.

What if this christmas, as consumers, we find new and exciting ways to wrap our presents? The newspaper your parents collect, the packing from online websites, the scarf you don't really like to wear anymore, all can be used and changed (think paper + ink + staining) to redefine the unused objects concept, saving both our pay checks and the environment. 

Sustainability - reuse, resell, redefine. 

Sustainable Sass.

I'm afraid this is one of those moments yet again where I sincerely apologise for having not written anything for over a month.... and you guessed it, deadlines. Well good news, I'm back (whilst I have the chance). 

As a Fashion Design student, I have also had the opportunity in the last month to really open my eyes. Through all the gunk I have being sent to my inbox about a new 50% discount, or cookies popping up on the side of my browser on the new misguided dresses that I HAVE to apparently have for £15, I have opened up my eyes nice and wide to the antichrist of the fast fashion circus.. you named it, to sustainability. 

I wrote a post a while back about the current state of the fashion industry and indeed, how it is speeding up - consumers are wanting things quicker, they want it now, meaning designers are churning out designs quicker than they can get their morning Starbucks in rush hour. That is only 2% of the reality of the fashion and textiles industry right now. With emerging brands such as Missguided, publicdesire, boohoo, even zara and h&m, the fashion and textiles industry is working at top speed in order to get this weeks looks into stores and to their consumers, at an affordable, comfortable price. Sounds good right? Hold on just one minute. 

Have you heard of Global warming? Global warming is caused by the earth's atmosphere indeed, warming up, affecting weather patterns, water levels and environmental growth. Global warming is caused by the "greenhouse effect", in which the earth traps heat radiating from earth towards space - with CO2 acting as a main cause of this trapping. Now burning fossil fuels creates this CO2, such as burning coal, oil and gas. 

And here's the key part. The fashion and textiles industry accounts for 10% of global carbon emissions, and remains the second largest industrial polluter, second only to oil with fast fashion indeed speeding up this pollution. 

In context - you have the christmas party coming up, you need a dress for next week. It's the end of the pay month and you have about £20 to spend - but you want to look like Kylie Jenner, with the shoes to match. So you order a dress online that's £7.50, reduced from £15. You then buy the matching shoes for £12. The dress just about makes it through the christmas party, with the hem falling apart as you're dancing, and your heel snaps off as you get into the Uber. Well, they were cheap, so I guess it doesn't matter if you throw them away, you kind of expected them to fall apart anyway. 

We've all done it, I myself... and here's the situation explained. The reason the dress and shoes are so cheap, is because the fabric is cheap - the fabric used is a cheap synthetic that uses twice as much oil to create, and double the amount of water waste is also created.. ergo, CO2 production and global warming. Throwing away the cheap dress and shoes also creates CO2 pollution - the items go to a landfill site and are left to rot away, creating CO2 and methane pollution. Kind of regretting that £20 now a little right? And because of the low price tag, the items are bought 10 x more, doubling the pollution. 

This is one of the considerations that it is important to take as a consumer. We all love to shop.. the thrill, the feeling of having something new to wear, the adrenaline when you find THE DRESS in the sale and you get the last size 8. But it's also our responsibility as consumers to do what we can to help slow down global warming. 

Want to buy a new shirt because you're feeling the boyfriend look this season and know a nice cotton shirt is going to feel great under THAT jumper? Don't buy a cheap cotton shirt online. Have you heard of organic cotton? The production of Organic cotton needs less pesticides in production (hello CO2) and reduces water waste by up to 50%. Organic cotton is a little more expensive but it feels great, it lasts longer and it reduces harmful gas emissions. When you get a hole in your Jamie jeans and you're not sure how you can wear them out? Save them. Keep them for summer. Create a pair of high waisted shorts with them... or better yet, donate or stitch it up yourself. It's just a hole right? 

As a design student, I have come to the realisation that there are far bigger things going on in this world than what we realise, and the danger of our own living environment is higher than ever - in terms of my contribution, this year I am focusing on creating a sustainable collection of garments that aren't only sustainable, but also stylish. As a consumer? I'm trying my best to consider what I buy and think about what lays behind the item and what the bigger picture is. After all, it's another excuse to invest in higher quality pieces rather than cheap throw aways that waste my money. 

So, don't throw away - save. Don't buy cheap - invest. simple huh? 

photo credit - Georgia Sillitoe http://www.georgiasillitoe.com/

Harnessing with Amelia Stephenson

For my second designer that I chose to collaborate with, I wanted to work with designs that were a little unconventional but yet no less eye-catching and exciting. Cue the work of Amelia Stephenson. 

A contour design student from London, Amelia Stephenson is fast-tracking herself towards a 'lingerie-meets-fashion' forte, and showing that harness' are not just for the dark and dangerous. Using silver chains, elastic, metallic features and leather, the harness' are perfect for when you feel you want to add a bit of a twist to a look - from cotton dresses to jersey basics (have I said already how I love my jersey?), the body accessories that Stephenson creates are the 21st century girl's way to accessorize, and are the girl's best friend when it comes to moving from a day to night style. 

From a design background of Agent Provocateur, Fleur of England, Nichole de Carle and freelance work with start-up brands, it's no surprise that Stephenson herself is working on her own design brand Amelie Louise London, that has an edge of sexiness against delicacy and femininity - a speckle of BDSM to a white shirt, a smidge of leather strapping with a pair of suit trousers, Stephenson brings allure back to styling with attention to detail and an amplified design aesthetic. 

So you've got that hot date coming up and feel like you just can't wear the same old GAP white shirt again? You're looking for something to add to the LBD you've chosen (again) to wear to Cirque? Now is the time to think outside the box and Amelia Louise London is your ticket to beating the norm. 

instagram - @amelielouise.london

email - amelia.stephenson@allingerie.co.uk

London Fashion Week with Tessa Spielhofer

This week, I was lucky enough to be given the opportunity by Jungle Magazine (https://jungle-magazine.co.uk) to contribute to their online journal as London Fashion Week writer - through this opportunity, I also chose to work with two new designers to create a few looks for the week. One designer I was given the opportunity to work with was accessories designer Tessa Spielhofer, and her incredible Davos bag and Nyon bag.

 The first bag I chose to work with was the beautiful Davos bag - this accessory definitely stood out to me as I felt it matched my own personal style - minimal yet with a slight twist, casual but with elements of sophistication.

The bag itself is of an envelope structure, allowing the user to fold the opening to a magnetic secure point, which holds the opening in place until the user intends to open the bag. At the sides, the bag can be used with a removable chain strap, which I found was great for when I had a lot to carry (fashion week note - prepare yourself with the multiple levels of magazines, leaflets, press releases, popcorn and water bottles you'll end up with at the end of the day). It has an incredible sophisticated leather handle across the lower end of the bag which is great to use whilst in clutch form, with golden lion studs - a symbol chosen by creator Tessa as a symbol of strength, a small embodiment of what Tessa sees her ideal customer to be - strong, independent, fiery and brave. My favourite feature inside the bag was a little piece of material that can be used to clip your house keys on - many a time I've turned my bag upside down outside my house door at 9pm trying to find those little pieces of freedom and have just been asking for an easy way to not lose my keys... and this is it.

Now, the combinations of material make this bag, and make it as luxurious as it appears. A combination of leather and python, it screams luxury and indeed, positions itself against other shoulder bags on the market, by being the "cool-girls" go to for a night out at Sketch, to brunch at the Dalloway Terrace. I felt incredibly stylish using this bag for the shows and interview I had lined up for that day and felt that, in a basic outfit of a black T shirt and white jeans, this was the perfect bag to really dress up the look.

For day two, I chose to work with the Nyon bag - I wanted to work with a small bag to take the weight of carrying heavy bags on my shoulder, and this was the best decision I made when it came to choosing an accessory.

For when you're running to get coffee and you only need your keys, cardholder and phone, this is the perfect bag - and it has one secret that not many bags on the market have. A reversible closing flap. With two material pallets of metallic leather and python, and beautiful braiding around the outside of this little treasure, this bag gives a twist to the traditional saddle bag shape - a little something to brighten up a minimal outfit (and I'm a pro of those!). What made this bag for me was the attention to detail in the flap, the idea that the modern woman doesn't want to just own one bag, and does have multiple outfits to work with, and multiple occasions to attend.

It's a bag that gives an opportunity of option to an outfit.

Now, the reason I like to work with new designers is the excitement of discovering new, clever pieces that not everyone has, and discovering how much they can add to my wardrobe or a look that is made up of items that aren't necessarily designer or up-to-date ; it's the opportunity to mix up pieces of old and new and to create an exciting outfit.

For me, discovering Tessa Spielhofer has been a bonus to London Fashion Week and her beautiful accessories definitely deserve attention - for their craftmanship, for the attention to detail, and for the ability of working well with the modern day woman's wardrobe.

tessa spielhofer contact:
instagram - https://www.instagram.com/tspielhofer/
website - https://tessaspielhofer.com/

Pick your Poision.

okay, it's not what you think - I'm not about to write about an 80's movie with american gangsters trying to work out how they're going to kill their boss, well not yet at least. It's 8.23am in London and I've had a particular post on my mind for about a week, something that I feel relates to the majority of women out there. 

Perfume. That little bottle of toxic poison that all women (and men) carry in their day bags to work, their clutch bags to the bar, their oversized travel bags to their family house. The little bottle that defines who you are, what kind of character you are and is one way we send out our mating scent to those around us - well, not in a natural way. It is one of the hugest markets in the world, used by many fashion and cosmetic companies as a way to develop their brand as well as create an identity, all through particular flavours that have certain connotations when different levels of ingredients are combined together. a concoction of tastes, of styles, of aromas that glisten flirtaciously in those little glass bottles on our window sills, waiting to be picked up at the start of the morning as we rush from the shower in our towels, thinking of how we want to look that day. An intelligent play on materialistic want and self representation that no one seems coming until they're out of their front door on their way to work. 

It's incredibly interesting to pull on the factor of what a consumer wishes to portray themselves as when they choose a perfume, and it's a strong mechanism to almost create a lifestyle through a particular scent so that those that feel they can closely relate to the overall image that a perfume creates, will buy into one particular brand and their created aroma. 

Case study 1 - me. 
The best way I can describe this interesting observation is indeed looking at myself. My first ever perfume when I was 16 was Miss Dior Cherie - a small pink glass bottle with a metallic bow around the nozel, that smelt like flowers and strawberries. It was my first ever perfume bought for me from my parents and was, at the point, a good start to what characteristical path I would set myself upon - I was young, naive, finding myself and becoming a young woman.

When I was 18 I bought Dior Poison. Now this transition in scent says it all - the bottle was dark red and black, and the scent was dark and deep, reminding me of cherries and liqourice, and was as strong as poision. It was my way of drawing attention from others around me when I wore it, a scent that stung the noise and made you want to find out more - at this time of my life, I was finding my own identity, and my own style, was discovering what a social life was and indeed, my own independence. 

Now, at 22, I wear Yves Saint Laurent Black Opium. Lighter than Dior Poison with a slightly more floral scent, it is a perfume that combines what I feel, two levels of my character - femininity and softness against a confidence and independence. A mature scent that still is youthful and girly at the same time. 

So when you next pick up that little glass bottle of the shelf in Selfridges, or spray a little something something onto a tester card when you pass the beauty counter on your way home, think to yourself. Why is this little glass bottle of poison attracting me so much? What is it about me that relates to this significant aroma that one brand is trying to sell to me right this minute?