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ZARA - edit

I have always been a massive fan of ZARA. Every time I visit the store it's like love at first sight all over again! What I think is great is how the brand manages to keep its loyal customers and bring more in by word of mouth, AND no promotion required.

I have recently been exploring their website and came across the pictures section which I have never seen before. These are edits of the most interesting outfits including ZARA pieces - showing different ways of combining your garments with different everyday-wear.

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Wish list

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Polyvore changed my imagination

Today was my first time using Polyvore and I fell in love with it! I think it really awakens your imagination and lets you do so much more than you thought was possible - from designing a dead simple wish list to combining images together to make a perfect home.

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Fashion student editor - part 2

My second column for FashionUnited.com is now ready to read! Hope you enjoy it.

COLUMN - University: that life changing leap that you have to take

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Mulberry new concept

While working on the group project, we have been asked to come up with a new concept for our chosen brand. Something that will bring the label back to life, boost its sales, and make it recognized and respected within the industry. Our brand was Mulberry. Personally, I found it very hard to think of something that will make them stand out from the crowded circle of fashion designer labels. There is a lot that has already been done by everyone, some of which has proven to be a real boost, or a failure. It is difficult to be able to think of something that goes with your brands identity, as well as, future plans the company already has.

We have decided to collaborate on a perfume campaign with an Australian artist - Victoria Garcia. The reason we chose her, was to be able to make the brand stand out from its competitors. She is a very popular illustrator, inspired by nature and all the wild things. Mulberry is a tree - strongly rooted, this is what the brand would also like to be like. Collaborating with Victoria Garcia will give them the chance to bring out the heritage of nature from the core of Mulberry.

Garcia was to design the print to be used on packaging and the perfume itself. We have come up with ad campaigns, as well as, visual merchandising and a launch party to introduce the new project to the world. Everything has been well thought of and questioned plenty of time. Below are a few slides from the group presentation.

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Mulberry x Tim Walker

Tim Walker is one of the world's most respected photographers - his work reaches the top levels of incredible imagination and unique style in which he is a master at. Below there is a video in which Tim gets interviewed about his book and exhibition which was held during winter 2012/13. The interviewer is Penny Martin - editor-in-chief of The Gentlewoman magazine.

"[...] sweetness can't exist without darkness [...]" - Tim Walker

Walker has been awarded the Isabella Blow award for Fashion Creator at the British Fashion Awards in 2008. He has photographed people like Lily Cole and Helena Bonham Carter - now he has just done the latest campaign for Mulberry featuring the model of the moment Cara Delevingne // AW13

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Mulberry

For my current project I have been asked to work in a group on a brand. The aim is to develop a new concept which will help bring the brands image/sales up in the market. We have chosen Mulberry. 

Mulberry is a brand which combines the cool of the city and the intricate craftsmanship from the countryside. The brand promises quality and practicality in all their luxury goods, which are British based in production.

Mulberry have collaborated with many celebrities who are thought of as Britain's well-known icons. People such as Alexa Chung and Kate Moss feature in their collections and are seen representing the brand in the lookbooks.

Over the years, Mulberry have developed quite a following within the celebrity circle, after Emma Hill took over the reigns of the company from Stuart Vevers, back in 2007. Well known British celebrities have been photographed supporting the Mulberry image and lining the front row during all their fashion shows.

Below are some of the images I have taken on the London trip while researching the brand. Unfortunately, the manager of the flagship store disagreed to us taking pictures of the interior, however we got a current hardcover lookbook.

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Miike Snow- Animal

My favorite song of the moment. It is now being played on repeat, I can easily relax to it and blog away.

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Influences and inspirations

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Zine: second years work examples

Couple of days ago, we got a chance to look at some second years work as an inspiration for our Zine project. We have been asked to create a zine - "(/zi:n/ ZEEN; an abbreviation of fanzine, or magazine) most commonly a small circulation self-published work of original or appropriated texts and images usually reproduced via photocopier." - Wikipedia. The topic for it was our chosen brand from a list given to us for the first module.

My first choice was Chloé - the reason for that was because I wanted to research a designer that I have always looked up to and loved their designs, however never really knew much about the history of the brand. Second choice was Jil Sander, which I chose for the exact same reason. Whilst doing the research in London on both designers, I have found very interesting material which I could use as my primary research (more about the two brands in the next post).

What I found very useful was getting to see the previous examples of what has been done before by students on their second year of FCP. All the zines proved me that this is a perfect place for me to be and a great course - exactly what I was searching for. Although, I did get a bit intimidated by the work of other students, it doesn't seem impossible for me to do. I always like to be positive and not scare myself at the very start. These are some of my favorite examples from the day.

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Can you feel the love?

It was like love at first sight. I saw it and I adored it.

TKMaxx must be one of my favourite stores - you find everything you could ever imagine there, from Maison Martin Margiela chunky knits, to China porcelain. It is all the things through home decor, travel and gifts, up to high end designers!

Recently, I have visited one of the TKMaxx stores in Nottingham, which is right by the corner - it is a great inspiration to me. I love looking through such a wide range of randomness - I always end up falling in love with something new and I can honestly say that every time I visit the store, I find something unique and buy it.

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Fashion student editor - part 1

My column at FashionUnited.com is now ready to read online! It is a great experience for me to be able to write for such a successful and well-known site. Enjoy the read!

COLUMN - Life of a fashion student in Nottingham

"Surround yourself by the people who love you and inspire you to succeed in life"

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Our style defines us

I hate the fact that everyone gets judged by the way they look. It is not about personalities and what kind of person you are – it’s about the clothes you wear. We all get categorised by the society and no one can change it. Why? Because we all judge.

 

What do you love?

What do you hate?

What do you read?

What music do you like?

Where do you shop?

What do you drink?

What are your beliefs?

Where do you live?

Where do you work?

What would you never do?

Answers to these questions represent each and every single one of us – this is what makes us unique. Everyone is different and no matter how hard you try to be that idol of yours, you will never achieve it. There is no one else that can be you. Yourself is the only person that will ever understand exactly how you feel and exactly who you are deep inside. People say that you are your worst enemy. I believe this. If you don’t love yourself how are others supposed to love you or even want to get to know your person?

We all get put in groups depending on what music we listen to or what we wear. There are plenty of them – indie, minimalistic, tastful, chavy, trashy, chic, tomboy, grungy, punky, geek, quirky, feminine and at last high street. These are of course only examples of what creates our society. High street is the most important one. This is where fashion happens. This is the best catwalk you’d ever see. Very famous photographer, Bill Cunningham, once said “The best fashion show is definitely on the streets. Always has and always will be.”.

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London - Knightsbridge

On the 12th November, my course was taken on an exploring trip to London. The point of it was to be able to get to know the city better and see the fashion side of it. Me and my group decided to stay in Knightsbridge, where all the high end designer brands are based.

Knightsbridge is a beautiful part of London with a very sophisticated feel - you can feel the posh British atmosphere. Harrods, Harvery Nichols and Sloane Street are the most looked out for places in London city for shopping destinations. These are were you find all the high end brands and this is the place where you are able to let yourself go. It is amazing how many cafés can be fit on one strip of a road. However, shopping is not the only reason people come to this part of the city. The Victoria and Albert Museum, as well as, The Natural History Museum are both based in Knightbridge. From all the museums I have ever gone to, these two are definitely my favourite. The V&A is well-known for the incredible exhibitions it holds - one of them was Club to Catwalk, which I got a chance to visit on this trip.

The exhibition we have seen was based on the 1980s fashion in London and how it has developed throughout the years. Street style was a great inspiration in that decade for designers like Vivienne Westwood. The society in the 80s gave the designers are great opportunity to experiment with their styles. A lot of collaborations were going on at the time - one of them was a campaign by Levi Strauss & Co., called "'BLITZ' Denim jacket by Levi Strauss & Co." which collaborated famous designers from that time. One of them was Vivienne Westwood, who customized the jacket and printed on it to make it look like an aviation officer jacket. In my opinion this was very effortless but has worked very well. However my favourite one was customized by Leigh Bowery. He has used golden hair grips to create the fringing effect, making it extremely heavy. The final effect of the jacket was unique and definitely a great experimentation from the designer.

Here are a few photos from my day in London. I have managed to take a few snaps at the exhibition, too.

The Victoria and Albert Museum - Club to Catwalk exhibition

Sloane Street

 London's Christmas lights

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37 days 'til the winter festive time

Christmas is so soon! 37 days left until the most looked forward to holiday of the year. It feels like last years Christmas happened yesterday. Why does the time go by so fast?

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Chanel: moodboard project

I have decided that for my moodboard I wanted to present Chanel as herself - the boyish style, also look at the change that has happened over the decades in the designs. I have tried to choose out images that reflected the elegance of Parisian women - giving the moodboard a feel of sophistication.

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Coco for Coco Chanel

"I don't care what you think about me. I don't think about you at all" Gabrielle Bonheur Chanel

From the young age of being a seamstresser, Gabrielle was always known to be the best at what she was doing. She was a perfectionist. She didn't depend on anyone. She didn't want anyone to think about her. She was an independent woman.

A time after leaving the orphanage to which her father has never returned for her and her sister, Gabrielle found herself working in a bar. She was a seamstresser during day time and a singer at night. This is where the 'Coco' was born. Gabrielle Chanel was known for her and her sister singing the same song, night after night. Whilst working in the bar, she was very lucky to be able to meet the French elite - it gave her a huge opportunity and a big step in her career.

Gabrielle Chanel was incredibly talented. At the beginning of her career, she became well-known for her very unique hat designs. That was the start of Coco Chanel as a designer. In 1913, House of Chanel opened its first store in Paris, followed by another resort in a town - Deauville. Both stores sold hats and accessories, with a few lines of garments from her very first collections. Chanel was always known for wearing very dark tomboy clothes. Black and grey were her two colours that Gabrielle was always seen in. This reflected in her designs in the 1920s, in her first ever womenswear collection. In the following years, Chanel continued to take over the fashion industry, including both haute couture, as well as, ready-to-wear.

When Gabrielle Chanel died, from 1983 Karl Lagerfeld started designing for the House of Chanel. Until today, the style and sophistication of Chanel is being kept. However the designs have become a lot more female figure enhancing, with the tailoring, as well as, change of colour palette from darks to very light pastel colours.

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Sport della vita

This is my final moodboard which I have presented to my peer group. The feedback I received was, to my surprise, great! I was expecting negative comments due to being so nervous about the presentation.

These are a few comments I received from students, as well as, the teachers:

"Great history knowledge about the brand. Confident presentation and the ability to speak in public"

"Very well constructed moodboard with a good selection of images"

The improvements which I have been asked to complete are to include more history related images and link my presentation the the modern side of the brand.

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