A Right Royal Christmas Doo

The annual Christmas ball for JD Williams saw a 'royal do' at the Palace Hotel none the less...complete with an appearance from the 'Queen' (and one of her beefeaters...ooo er).  The Palace was the perfect setting for the ball and everyone donned their finery for the occasion.  

We were welcomed with champagne and cranberry, which was delicious then there was a festive spread of goats' cheese terrine, beef and seasonal veg, topped off with white chocolate and gingerbread cheesecake....however, we all found the free bar much more tasty!

All the girls were the belle of the ball, each with our own style, which made for a great array of trends.  I opted for the Gothic, leather trend as seen in Vogue and other fashion magazines throughout 2012.  Some went for striking cobalt blue and in the words of Vogue (and Meryl Streep) this is a carefully selected hue much loved by designers and a regular on the catwalk.

The rest went for classic black...an all time favourite and ever so reliable, like myself some dazzled in deep plum but I put my fashion foot wrong when I forgot my plum lipstick so has to rock the nude vibe instead, a mistake I could not believe was my own!!  Of course there were some festive dresses all in sparkles and resembling the Christmas fairy, cream and jewelled and ever so elegant.

The fun began in the photo booth complete with dress up accessories...all our fashion credentials went out the window as we transformed to our true, silly selves!  I have to say some of the disguises were ace and quite well put together but the giant wig has to be the winner!!

So whilst the doo was a royal one, we all had a right good knees up and danced the night away at the Royal Palace.  There were a few Sleeping Beauties amongst us that could not last the night, but no Cinderella was left without a Prince and we all lived on through the night, dancing happily ever after.....

Christmas Pampering

Coming home for Christmas meant I finally got to go shopping and do all things girly again!

This started with a visit to the Christmas markets where mum and I sampled the mulled wine and spiced cider!! This kept us nice and toasty as we trailed through the tiny stalls.  It was all Christmassy and lit up around the markets which definitely got me excited :)

 

 

It did get too cold so I had to buy some lovely new gloves...hand finger knitted by a little company in Manchester.  They are so nice and finally replace my favourite gloves from All Saints which have disappeared never to be seen again!

Our day was made even better with a spa pampering session at Harvey Nichols in Manchester, an amazing pedicure and manicure complete with champagne meant I was ready for the party season.  I went for deep plum toes and glittery burgundy fingers to match most of my new purchases....in plum and burgundy; I think I definitely have a theme in my winter wardrobe this year :) mum went slightly similar but opted for hot pink toes instead...a girl can never have too much pink right? The spa was so lovely and the beauticians were really friendly...and very good at the treatments!! It was an amazing treat after a hard day shopping in the busy crowds.

 

After feeling VERY relaxed we ended up dining in the Harvey Nichols restaurant; their Christmas menu was just too good to resist :) We had a great view of the markets and all the shoppers still bustling in the streets, whilst we sat warm and cosy.  The meal came complete with crackers and it was really yummy food...it was a little taste of what's to come on Christmas day and I can not wait!!

We both ate Turkey with the most amazing stuffing flavoured with Clementine...and whilst I did not eat my sprouts (bleurgh!) the rest was very good.  The meal ended with Christmas pudding and brandy sauce AND a cheese board, both of us were stuffed after the meal and it was a great end to a great day!

This was the best welcome home day ever and it definitely got me in the Christmas mood! I am looking forward to even more turkey and pampering over the holidays at home, I have my Christmas wardrobe at the ready, nails done and a taste for all the yummy food...so bring on Christmas!!

Winter Wonderland

The Christmas festivities have taken over this week! Uni deadlines have been met and it is officially Christmas time :)  Whilst being cooped up in the library, I have not seen much of the winter fashion this week but I have found the odd moment to decorate home and we have our very own reindeer, Ralph!

 

It is nice and cosy at home, whilst we haven't got a tree up at uni, fairy lights and Ralph make it just as good.  The rooftops have turned frosty now so it look more Christmassy everyday :)

 

To celebrate with the girls, we cooked a HUGE Christmas dinner one evening! We had all the trimmings and our plates were piled so high with yummy food...I also had my first experience of bread sauce which I have to say is really yummy :) We had Michael Buble's Xmas album playing, crackers on the table and even mistletoe above the door.

 We ended the night curled up on the sofa's watching 'A Nightmare before Christmas' unable to budge due to too much food...but it was so worth it!

I have already been spoilt with presents too, Secret Santa with the girls at home and with my old placement girlies too...even Anna's mum sent me a lovely present.  My placement girlies bought me a personalised Cinderella book, I am Cinderella and they are the ugly sister, along with the rest of the bunch as the other characters like the fairy godmother.  They always say I am a Princess, so they turned me into a real life one :) it is such a lovely keepsake.

 

Secret Santa with the girls at home was so much fun, we all got amazing gifts and mine especially is fab! I have a few fashion books, British Fashion Designers and Coco Chanel, sat on my cherished bookshelf but my Secret Santa bought me another to add to my collection.  It is a catalogue of old Vogue front covers from many eras, the images are so vibrant and it is the best Secret Santa I have received! Here are some of the many pages from the book, some of my favourite covers:

I must have been very good this year, Santa has been so kind already and it is not even real Christmas yet!  Finally,  my presents were complete with a gift from Anna's mum.  It was wrapped so nicely...complete with a little keepsake bell on top :) I now have my own Cath Kidston mug yay! and a cute little trinket box for my room too.  I have always wanted my own Cath Kidston mug and now I have one, I have been very spoilt.

All this excitement has made it a great end to the uni term and I can't wait to get into the outside world again and venture into the land of Christmas fashion....seeing people all wrapped up and cosy with their festive accessories.  I can not wait to go back home and sit all cosy warm by the tree...but I am sure I can fit a few more Christmas cocktails with the girls first......

Upcycling Fashion

My course friends and I were lucky enough to attend the ‘Watch Your Waste Week’ event at the Museum of Science and Industry last Thursday, the event was run by Recycle for Greater Manchester to promote ‘Upcycling’ Fashion.  This involves reusing and remaking old clothes into something new rather than simply throwing unwanted garments away or donating them, therefore reducing waste in Manchester! 

Me and the Wardrobe Angel

I was able to speak to some of the designers at the event and it was great to learn where their inspiration sprouted from.  Also at the event was the Wardrobe Angel who owns her own stylist business.  With a wealth of fashion industry knowledge and experience under her belt from companies such as M&S and H&M, the Wardrobe Angel was launched just 15 months ago.  Her website is great and the feedback from the services available is even better, the Wardrobe Angel teaches you to minimise your wardrobe with maximum effects, creating smarter shoppers.  The site is definitely worth a look for all you budding stylists out there!

Adnan Bayyat turned to fashion after studying a music degree, to express his creativity visually and now he creates bespoke garments for high profile people and events.  He showcased his dress designed for Breast Cancer Research which was formed from recycled medicine bottle tops, his ‘jigsaw’ dress was worn for a high profile wedding (remaining anonymous!!) and was created from old, incomplete jigsaws and shoelaces.  His other creations include a dress worn by Lady Gaga and the ‘Liquorice’ dress which appeared on the catwalk.  These are amazing creations and a true representation of ‘Upcycled’ fashion. 

Sara Li Chou Han presented her denim creations which had a Gothic inspiration running through her collection; the garments are ready-to-wear and made from various denim off-cuts which created these edgy pieces.  Sara is now studying Upcycling as a Masters topic at MMU so it is clearly a passion for the designer.  She also runs workshops in Manchester which teach the public how to ‘Upcycle’ their own clothing, the workshops are called Stitched Up and look great fun so definitely worth a visit!



 

Other designers at the event included Antiform: ready-to-wear, Caroline Dionne: creations from old school trouser and blazers, Love Me Again: colour block knits and workwear, TRAIDRemade: ladies and men’s clothing inspired by print, Constanze Friedrichs: Androgynous sportswear and Susan Lang: ready-to-wear and bespoke, print influenced womenswear.

                                           
Whilst the 'Frow' wasn’t as stylish as New York Fashion Week and the models didn’t rival those of Victoria’s Secret, the event was great.  The idea behind ‘Upcycling’ fashion is exciting and should be publicised more widely.  I spoke to one model who said he expected to be wearing bin liners and rubbish when he accepted the job but to his surprise he loved his ‘Upcycled’ shirt and would wear it out. There was a great turn out at the event and the attendees seemed to really enjoy the evening...especially the free buffet and yummy canapés! They were fascinated by the concept of 'Upcycling' and many seemed keen to partake in workshops and future events to expand their knowledge and usage of this nature of fashion styling.

It just goes to show, you should not judge before you try and as 2.1 million tonnes of clothing is bought each year, with 1.4 million tonnes thrown away, ‘Upcycling’ is definitely one to watch!

Hold The Front Page...

This week I became a real writer and got my first ever by-line!!  

It felt so good when I received the email saying my article was ready and it looks amazing too.  If you read my earlier posts, you will know I wrote this a while ago so it is long anticipated...and it was worth it.  I am so proud of this piece and hopefully it will be the first of many as I really enjoyed writing it and it will look amazing in my portfolio.

The finished product >>>

































It is tiny and hard to read so here is the link if you fancy it My First Fashion Piece It is a pdf so scroll through and I'm on page 11.


With all the excitement, I have been lacking on the fashion front but I have been making my Christmas list.  I am desperate for a new camera, then I can venture out and take photos of all the amazing fashion out there; I just hope Santa is seeing all this good work I'm doing.....

In keeping with the Christmas theme, we had a girls night this week and my uni friend went all out with an amazing glittery outfit enough to rival the fairy on top of the tree.  Her dazzling Miss Selfridge skirt made such a statement and she cleverly teamed it with a nude blouse so as not to steal its limelight, and with those legs who could not love it!!

I on the other hand opted for the faithful LBD, bought not long ago from River Island it is my go to dress this party season.  Not quite elegant enough for the Christmas parties but a definite winner for a night on the town, it has just enough detail to make it unique and I can switch my accessories at will.



This time I opted for my all time favourite Marc Jacobs clutch, all the way from New York, it is the one accessory I cannot do without.  The deep plum colour is unusual too so it vamps up my little black dress perfectly.















So I have spent my week mostly being excited about numerous things and my uni work has suffered to my dismay!!  I shall be hitting the library to swot up on my fashion knowledge, but next week I shall be attending a very special catwalk show and fashion event so watch this space...

Serious Shopping

True to my word, I went home and boy did I get inspiration! It felt so good to be on home turf for a change, and it was a great excuse for a trip to the shops before the crazy Christmas shoppers take over each and every highstreet.  

I took the mothership along with me so I didn't get lost in the crowds; this is always a naughty combination as it generally results in mass purchases and tired bank accounts...but lots of fun!

Surprise surprise, it was the best shopping trip I have had in a long time.  Our first stop was Bertie, I had heard there was a sale on and since I first stumbled upon the store at the start of Summer it has been my favourite shoe store ever since.  I could have quite happily bought the whole sale rack of shoes are they are so beautifully made and all leather so will last a lifetime; however I was on my best behaviour and settled for two pairs of amaze-ting new shoes!

  

I just HAD to have these Brown loafers, they are so unusual...and so comfortable!  These shoes will never go out of style and I have already been showing them off at uni, needless to say they gained many compliments and a few jealous eyes.

My second pair carries on the androgynous theme and are also quite unique, they are like wearing slippers all day long and they go with everything!

There was an gorgeous third pair of bottle green penny loafers which I was very reluctant to put back on the shelf, but my bank account would have exploded; I would go back and buy them in an instant if someone supplied the funds! But for now I am ever so happy to be strutting around in these beautiful pairs.

We did leave the store with three pairs of shoes...mum invested in these bargain heels which were so irresistible it would have been wrong to put them back on the shelf!  They will go with work outfits and party outfits...and maybe some of my outfits. 




 

I think it is safe to say Bertie did very well off us entering their store and mum and I left Bertie with the biggest smiles...and biggest shopping bags! I can't wait to see what their new collection will be like as I am sure to be there picking my new favourites.
 

My next stop was Topshop, my old favourite and I knew exactly what I wanted...I have had my eye on a midi jersey skirt for some time now and I just knew Topshop would have the perfect one for me.  Originally I longed for a classic black, go with everything style but much to my dismay they only had teeny tiny sizes in store; my options were to walk out empty handed or opt for the less popular grey skirt.  I was reluctant with my body shape but I was desperate to own this skirt, so I chanced it with the grey one and I haven't looked back since!  It is much nicer than the black skirt and I haven't seen it 20 times already on my way around uni, I love having something that other people don't, it makes me feel more confident knowing that I have my own style and that I stand out from the crowd.

So here it is....

Those are my new Bertie black shoes too...see I told you they would go with everything! The skirt is double layered too so it is lovely and soft but also thick enough to keep you warm without tights if your brave enough.  

I am so ready for an uber stylish Autumn/Winter season, it is much more reassuring when you have your wardrobe just the way you imagined it before the season began.  So come on Mr Frost, I'm ready for you....