All I want for christmas is Net-A-Porter.

Today I am sitting contently in bed, after spending the last two days engulfed in family duties, food eating, feeling incredibly merry and grateful for having such a supportive and loving family - both immediate and greater family. I wanted to share quickly though this little christmas present I received from mother and father, in the form on a big black box - aka. Net-A-Porter. 

Now, it's not about the present for me in this blog entry, but the actual presentation and branding of the package - yes, I know, I'm writing about a box, but just wait one minute and let me explain the intricate detailing that this online retailer brings to the comfort of their consumer's living room. The box itself is intwined in two different types of ribbon, both coordinating with the overall minimal black and white theme of the packaging. Along with the gift inside, the box also contained a small instructive manual on how to measure yourself for future purchases, along with a black and white net-a-porter tape measure (all of course separated from the original box, inside a black drawstring cotton bag). The gift itself was given it's own smaller, branded box, inside black tissue paper from the net-a-porter box, which made it particularly difficult to want to remove the gift from the whole packaging as it was simply too pleasing to ruin. 

I know, it's a box, within a box and tissue paper and a pretty ribbon. But when you think about it, the feeling that this thought out process can achieve - the excitement, the inner little girl who used to scan through vogue dreaming of her first designer purchase, jumping up and down, the thought of NEVER throwing this box and ribbon away as it finally symbolises that you are now a woman of style, makes this box a trophy of good taste and style. 

So, I can now say that, all I want for christmas next year, is Net-A-Porter.  

http://www.net-a-porter.com/gb/en/

JW Anderson PF 16 has fallen.

The pre-fall 16 collection from the new kid on the block JW Anderson has dropped. With the leading role of leather playing throughout the collection, juxtaposing against both fur and the intrinsic experimentation with zip hardware, Anderson lends a nod to our past fashion silhouettes found , but also to our future in the quest for experimentation and that "something new".  Texture is a must as materials clash, but in a clash that compliments the femininity behind the silhouettes and tones. The JW Anderson girl appears as the future warrior, armed with hardware and her leather armour, but as a female of fun, with close attention not only paid to materials and shape, but also to the delicate trims of metal bows, lingerie lace and pearl studs. Anderson brings back fun to such a primarily serious based collection, showing that girls in the 21st century really can have fun.

Charlie May - the London style girl crush

Charlie May. The new minimal girl pack leader, has firmly place herself on every fashion-crowd's radar... and for all the right reasons.

Charlie May Resort 16


With the minimal environment of the Devon Landscape backing May's design ethic, there is nonchalant, carefree attitude about her delicate feminine materials and aesthetic, juxtaposing against masculine, boxy and oversized shape.  The need for fuss and a "stand-out" attitude becomes pointless, as admiration lays in the intrinsic "back-to-basics" of her previous, present and future collections. Her design aesthetic is a development of a new kind of fashion crowd - the fashion crowd that see luxury as an extension of a well-made, comfortable v-neck tee and an alpaca coat. Indeed, Charlie May lays at the forefront of the city girl who prioritises comfort and luxury over print and colour. Charlie May, the London style girl crush.

http://charlie-may.co.uk

a man's world.

So I am a pioneer of oversized and baggy clothes - as a female with a petite frame (I'm only 5ft2 with a size 6 body), I am far more comfortable wearing something that is oversized and masculine than something that shows my actual size. With winter season surrounding us, the temptation to "duvet-dress" (note : Max Mara and Celine were all advocates for the trend AW15) is every girls morning-routine problem. As females, we are finding comfort in long, leg covering coats, XL knitted roll necks and baggy knitted pants (Charlie May, your snap chat story is my 7am style influence). Yes, it's a man's world for female fashion, as we take over oversized neutrals and show our male counterparts how to really wear winter style.

"Hi, sorry, but do I have time to design?"

Several big headlines have been hitting fashion journals and articles over the last few weeks. First, Alexander Wang from Balenciaga, then Raf Simons from Dior and now Albert Albaz from Lanvin. There is a sense of change in the air and it's making everyone waking up at 7am to scan Bussiness of Fashion and its business counterpart Vogue, ask what on earth is going on?

The news of Albert Elbaz's departure from Lanvin was a detrimental development from the breathe taking speech Elbaz gave at the award giving from the Fashion Group International Night of Stars, in which Elbaz was honoured with the Superstar award. The speech in question brought up the realisation of how quick the world of Fashion is moving, and how fast it is accelerating in order to meet design, that designers are feeling hot under the collar with the limit of time in relation to freedom of design. Is it possible that eventually the industry itself will run out of steam and eventually crash?

As a fashion student, we receive, at most, 6 months to develop a collection - that includes time to research and find a starting point, working on the stand and developing design ideas, work technically on our own in the studio or with university technicians, create technical folder's for individual garments, a professional portfolio of the garments, and a photo shoot to exhibit the pieces in an editorial environment. Ah, the luxury of being a student. But a step out in industry, we are jolted with the realisation that in less than three months, a collection is researched, designed, created, styled in a look book, sent out to buying appointments, produced for clientelle and featured in a fashion show - that's not including the time needed to go into production, the amount of emails and meetings arranged to sell and advertise the collection, or even the accounts side and money-matter decisions held. We are given a glimpse of this ever-demanding world by Simons in the documentary 'Dior and I' in which we see a visibly distressed Simon's hurdle through the given timeline of three months, to create a couture collection.

Gone are the days of the reward of time. With the ever endorsing social media, fashion is being hurried up to produce, to show and to sell that in a way, the beauty of feeling the process of design and really being able to feel a theme or idea, is lost in need to make money.

As a student, there is not much that I can do about this, only read the articles that I scroll through at 7am before I go to intern, but its an issue that ultimately, could possibly destroy a young fashion graduates dream of going out alone, the prospect that Fashion Design is no longer the freedom to design what you see in your mind, but a money-making bussiness that will, eventually, give you a month at a time to create an award-winning collection that will sell to vogue the next day, or else, you're out.

Paradise Syndrome, curated by Peana Projects

So this Saturday passed, I was lucky enough to stumble across this magnificant pop-up pandora's box - The installation of Paradise Syndrome, curated by Peana Projects. Located in Williamsburg, 661 Driggs Avenue to be exact, a converted abandoned warehouse had been transformed into a microcosm of art, showing the ever contesting competition of industrialism vs. nature. The given title "Paradise Syndrome" is indeed a condition one feels when at the highest point of paradise - for example, wealth, they feel they can achieve no more.

I have to say, since seeing this exhibition, it has been playing on my mind. As we passed the entrance, we thought it was just an abandoned site, or even some kind of quirky fashion launch that as students, we wouldn't be allowed to enter. However, as we walked in, the sense of peace juxtaposing again the rough, distorting building materials made the introductory experience slightly chilling, but in a way that takes you from your current 'just been for brunch on a saturday' mode to working out the relationship between the greenery and colour against the industrialism and raw materials. It was almost the thought of life against the dead, the idea of paradise (the life in the greenery and calming minimalistic arrangement) against the the 'dead-end' landscape, that stops you in your track. 

It was an incredibly enlightening experience, and the overall achievement of creating an emotion and an atmosphere, aswell as a beautiful and invigorating exhibition, is definitely one I wish to experience in the future. 

(http://www.peanaprojects.com/projects/2015/10/14/paradise-syndrome)

Jacquemus

I'm just going to leave these look-book images just here. Goodnight.

The power of Jacquemus - http://jacquemus.com

Guided New York - City Guide by Cereal

Throughout these three months, I have spent my weekends off wondering and trying the tourist places as well as your "New Yorker" places. I mean those places that Time Out doesn't tell you about.

Behold, Guided New York from the guys at Cereal. If you haven't already checked at Cereal then I say do it now. Guided New York is an extension of their charming, minimalistic attitude to a life with no busyness or complication - it is the "how to" to New York for those that run more in the quiet streets of life.

From Brooklyn to Manhattan to Williamsburg, this journal of "places to go" lists the best places to grab a quick Brunch (brunch will always be the most important meal of the day), to gulp a morning coffee whilst watching the fashion-crowd clip-clop across SoHo's paved side walks, to slugging down a cocktail or two surrounded by atmosphere and spirit. It's a pleasant read on the morning metro, with branding and typography that connetates ease and minimalism. Cereal, you hit the mark.

Cereal Magazine - http://readcereal.com

October 29th 2015, 21.19

First off, I want to upload some quick photos to just show New York.

Tribeca fire escapes and blue sky.

When your design knows people.

 230 Rooftop bar. When it was warm.

Brooklyn - My home for three months.

 Fifth Ave. One Gossip Girl moment a day keeps the doctors away.

 Dumbo - my future home.

 Chelsea and it's food market.

 Wall Street but no wolf?

 Brooklyn Bridge

Trouble always found its way back.

I'm Back. For Good this time.

So I'm back.
Time to restart the blog - I want to write about things I love, things I see, things that entertain me and things that I want everyone else to know, but don't want to be that annoying someone who fills your newsfeed with articles from BOF and images from Pinterest.. and yes, photos of buildings that I find particularly interesting.

I am a Fashion Design and Development student at the London College of Fashion, currently on a three month industry placement in New York (metro, trash can, whhaaaaater, garment district and LOTS of coffee). I finally head home in around 3 weeks, but I feel that everyday I see something or experience something new that I wish to let people know about. The next trip is also to the land of Paris where I will be studying Clothing Design at a Design University, which is the perfect opportunity to track everything and upload anything I see and experience.

So, enjoy. Here's to a long lasting blogging relationship and a happy ending.