VOTE FOR PHIL

            

For those who don't know - I've interviewed Phil before, apart from having really interesting things to say about fashion and etc. Phil is a talented musician. Looking back on the interview that I had with him I wish I asked more questions about his career...

Anyways - Phil is entering the Green Man Unsigned Competition, which means he'll get to have his own set at the festival this year. To win he has to get as many votes as he can. So, what you have to do is go onto this link (http://www.greenman.net/unsigned/phil-king)  and vote for him - it's literally a click and then you're done! Also, Phil totally deserves to win and it would be a shitty festival if he didn't - just saying. So go and vote now!!!B.x 

CANDY PANTS - ONLINE STORE

I don't know if it's just be who does this, but I spend ages on etsy looking through different stores just to see if they have anything offer that I wont find on the high-street at a similar price and when I came across Candy Pants I felt as though I had found something that would appeal to everyone. Their nostalgic shorts, dresses and artwork are every girls dream - it allows you to be a mature young person and be proud of your cartoon obsessions at the same time! So, as per usual when I find a store that I like, I contacted the woman behind the machine and this is what Catherine had to say...

Why did you start rejuvenating clothes?

I started rejuvenating clothes because I'd always had a style of dresses and tops that I could never find and got sick of it!  I had decided to try to create what I had in my mind myself. It's also is pretty much the epitome of recycling!

Have you always wanted to work in the fashion business?

I think I've always wanted to work in the fashion business in some way, shape or form. I remember sketching idea for dresses in my little notebook when I was around 8. It's always come naturally to me.

Is etsy a great way to start out a fashion business?

I'm so glad I found Etsy because it has so many amazingly talented artists and designers that get to share their creations. It's a great community of people!

Would you say that your personal style is similar to the pieces you create to sell?

I would have to say my personal style is very much like the clothes I design and create. I love girly, colorful, sparkly things and I never really grew our of it! 

Do you have any particular fashion designers that you might get inspiration from?

I usually don't pull inspiration from other designers, although Betsey Johnson does have my heart! I'm usually very inspired by things that used to ( and still do) make me happy as a child. The patterns on children's bed sheets are always so fun and I figured I could take them and turn them into something a grown up could wear and still look really cute! Disney, vintage, and bright colors play a huge part in my inspiration as well. I just want to design clothes that make a statement, are really fun and fulfill nostalgic people's closets. 

I suppose that interview really sums up why I love this label so much! I think it's so great how Candy Pants (in my opinion) is like Catherine's dream come true, kinda like a Disney story. My favourite pieces out of all her creations has to be the Mickey and Minnie mouse shorts and the Harry Potter dress (pictured above), they look really vintage don't they? I suppose one of the real reasons why I love the Harry Potter dress is because it makes me feel quite patriotic, which is extremely rare for me. I also really love the idea of using bed sheets to create items of clothing, it's one of the best types of recycling that I've seen in years, it's so original and slams down any sort of oldschool style tshirt that might come out of urban outfitters any day.


I am in love with this store and highly recommend that you check out their etsy & like their facebook page. B.x


www.candypantsclothing.etsy.com

www.facebook.com/Candypantsshop

HEELS.

(from left)
Internacional - £22.99
Nine West - Gift
Kurt Gieger /Thrifted - £5.00
Thrifted  

For someone who doesn't particularly like/wear heels, I feel as though I have one too many pairs. To you four pairs of heels may seem like nothing, but for someone like me, who only gets the same pair out every year, four is loads. I suppose the reason why I never really buy them or wear them is because I see no point to them. I'm already 5ft8.5 (1.78m) and if I decided to start walking around with an extra 5inches I'd feel like a bit of a freak to be honest.

Also, heels are really not my style. I'm not saying that I'm the sort of person that only wears trainers and jeans but I can't stand to be restricted by what i'm wearing! Whenever I'm walking around in heels (especially in the street), I'm always stumbling about the place and grabbing on to anything I can (and yes, in some cases I have grabbed on to strangers as I've fallen down), I'm clumsy anyway I don't need something to make that more predominant! 

Aside from my accentuated clumsiness and freakish height that is given to me by heels, I do love them. I think they look beautiful and feminine (not to mention, they make anyone's legs look amazing), but I do feel a bit exposed in some ways and that's most probably because my mum (anti-fashionist and supreme feminist) would always remind me that heels were invented by men to keep their women from running away and leaving them. That nugget of information will stick with me for the rest of my life and has done for the last six years, it's now become somewhat of a curse for me because all I think when I have a pair of high-heels on is "you look fucking stupid Billie, now take them off and put on some trainers". I suppose I shouldn't of taken that statement so seriously when I was younger, but for some reason I can't shake it off, just like I can't get myself to chuck out one of these pairs of heels. Because the way I see it, every pair of heels I through out a piece of my girly-ness goes out with them. 

The only real reason why I started to think about heels today is because, my prom is in six days and I still haven't mastered the walk. I can do it around the house but as soon as I step outside, I'm all over the place. Prom is such a public occasion, I'll be in front of my peers the whole night and pretty much everyone will see me making a fool of myself! I am totally screwed. Oh bother. B.x 

p.s - for those wondering - I'm wearing the gold platforms on the far left to prom. Wish me luck! 

CSENGE

Dress/Top - New look
Shorts - Made by Csenge

Csenge and I walk to school together everyday and she always looks pretty first thing in the morning. Her sharp bob hangs loosely around her neck when we start the trek up St. Michael's hill (for all you that don't know Bristol - St.Mikes is crazy steep and really long) and she doesn't even get out of breath. I don't know if you can tell by the pictures, but Csenge is a dancer - I have to say - Cseng has the moves.  Seriously, she runs like an antelope, it's more of a glide than a run! Anyway, here's what she had to say about clothes and such things -


What are your favourite things to wear?
Well Dancing takes up a lot of my time so when I do get to go out, especially parties and stuff, I try and look nice but I'd just rather go out in like baggy tshirts and shorts.

Yeah same - Would you say that when you're dancing there is a particular uniform you have to wear or is it quite liberal?
Well before it used to be just wear something you can sweat into,but because I do training in Swindon now you have to wear footless tights and a leotard, all your hair has to be tied back. It can be really frustrating if say I have a ladder in my tights and I'm like "Oh no! What if they're going to chuck me out of the lesson?"

So could you turn up to a contemporary dance auditions in leggings and a tshirt?
No, you'd have to wear something tight that shows your muscles and how your body works, because that's what people are looking for in the audition and they want to see how your muscles work and how you use them. So if you turn up in something really baggy they just send you home


Because you're always in your dance clothes when you're dancing, do you think you've begun to just dress like that anyway?
Occasionally when I go out I'll tend to wear a dress that's a bit tight, but I'll wear my leotard underneath it because I don't want to look like a slut. But when I usually go out I tend to wear something different.

Do you have any fashion icons?
I always watch 90210 and there's this character silver that I do think I look up to and dress like her
Not to mention, you really look like her...
Yay!! She's definitely the person that I get fashion ideas from. But I try not to exactly copy her and keep my self original, so people can't really tell that I'm not trying to copy her.


How would you describe your style in three words?
I'm not too sure because I'm not really vintage but I'm not really urban either... I don't really know, I haven't really thought about it.. oh! I never dress formally. It's quite hard to say, I don't really know.

You grew up in Hungary, would you say that there is a difference in style to over here ? Because I've noticed that in a lot of central European countries that the style is a lot more classic, whereas in England you can kind of wear what you want.
Well not really because, Hungary is a really remote country,  I mean I don't think that many people know Hungary exists! And there isn't a lot of money back there so people tend to go for what they can afford really. I mean, when I look back at pictures of me and my old friends and I see what we were wearing, I can kind of see that fashion is important there but because there isn't as much money as there is here, you just try to be as fashionable as you can with the money that you have. So people just kind of go for Primark style clothes.

So would you say there is more pressure on being fashionable in England than in Hungary? And is that a good or a bad thing?
I think it's probably the same amount of pressure but the fashions are kind of different. But I think that altogether there is probably more pressure here because more people have more money, meaning that they can afford more things so it's more important to look nice. Say if you don't follow fashion people judge you right away without actually knowing you, you just end up being outcast if you don't dress 'nice'.

Since you've moved to England, Do you think the same way about fashion as you did in Hungary?
No, I think moving has definitely opened my eyes to fashion. It's like, when I moved from Hungary I thought that people wouldn't care how you dressed in England, which is kind of true because you can wear what you want but in your head you always have this idea of what impression you want to make. There's a lot more pressure than actually wearing what you want to wear.

What is your favourite shop?
Well, there's actually quite a lot! I really like urban outfitters and topshop. I don't really have a favourite shop, because there is so many kind of things that I like and I want all of my styles combined that I can't really find one particular shop that sells what I always want.

Finally, Do you think that in general people feel pressured to look like models/celebrities?
I think it depends on the person, because some people get really influenced by what they see on TV, probably more in our age group. Everyone has their little icon, that you kind of keep secret because then everyone might think you're just copying them. But I think people tend to be more influenced by each other and how their friends dress, rather than going all out and trying to be individual.
__________________________________________________________________________________


I'm always so interested in fashion in other countries and especially places in Europe because it is so close yet so culturally different in many ways. Interviewing Csenge answered all my questions and it was great talking to someone so into dance!

Anywho - must be off! B.x

Current faves pt.2

             

Lets start off with a bit of music - my friend Frances (who I shall be writing about soon - she dresses so cool) introduced them to me the other day and I have not taken them of repeat since. They're one of those bands which you can listen to again and again and not get bored of. I don't know if any of you recognise the lead singer, but that is Peaches Geldof's baby-daddy, Tom Cohen. I can totally see why she went after him, because everybody knows - once you're in a band and you are really tall, that makes you hot. That's why people like Graham Coxon are attractive, because they're in a band.

Something else I've been loving (well today I loved it) is the WEATHER!!! Since Monday I've left my jeans in the back of my wardrobe and I hope they stay there till September. It has been too long since we had a bit of sunshine in the U.K don't you agree? I don't think I could live with that rain for much longer, I'd probably end up looking like a prune in a week, or worse, have trench foot.

Linking in with the beautiful weather, my favourite clothing type thing at the mo' has to be shorts and a tshirt. Mostly shorts, they are my absolute favourite item. Shorts can be worn all year round in my opinion, if it's chilly outside a pair of tights underneath your favourite shorts will keep you warm. Although I don't recommend cycling shorts with tights underneath because that would just look silly. My all time favourite type of short hast to be a high-waist cycling short, it has the same amount of freedom as a legging but the smartness of a short. Personally, I'm a firm believer in shorts/skirts over cycling shorts, I think if you have a plain pair of denim shorts it can be quite cool if there's a little bit of bright colour just peeking out at the bottom. Cycling shorts are great if you have a sheer or short skirt that you don't feel comfortable in, you can kind do what you want if you have shorts on. They're just the best item of clothing ever invented.

Asos

BooHoo

Nothing else spectacular has been happening recently, so I don't have much to say. I finished school on Friday which has been pretty sweet except I have to keep going back for exams (THEY'RE DRAINING MY SOUL). Oh! I got tickets to see Blur with my ma' which I am unbelievably excited about!! That gig better be good, I've been waiting for ages to actually go and see them...

Anywho, must be off - B.x  

Scarlett Hearts - Online Store

Scarlett hearts is a cute little independent online-boutique, that sells adorable pieces of hand made jewellery. I love it when I find online stores like this because the quality of the pieces are always better than high street jewellery and it usually tends to be more unique and interesting, I guess I just really love hand made stuff. Also price wise, Scarlett hearts is the best. I can never find a nice piece of bling these days without it costing over a tenner - anyway here's the interview with the woman behind the machine Charlotte :

How did you get involved with making/designing jewellery?

 Well I’ve worked with jewellery for 5 ½ years now, I began working in a High end jewellery store and we were taught how to make minor repairs and add extensions on for customers. That’s where my basic knowledge of jewellery making and designing came from, the rest is all self-taught. .
 
When did you decide that you wanted this to be your career?
I graduated from a degree in Geography and realised that I did not want to rush straight into a career with that subject. I began working more hours basically just to pay my bills but I felt like I wasn’t fulfilled. I had been making jewellery for myself for a couple of months and then began sharing it with friends; they encouraged me to start selling it.
 
Scarlett Hearts is just a year old and its going from strength to strength! It is so exciting because I know I have built this all up myself and I’m proud of Scarlett Hearts. I now know that this is no longer just a hobby, I want to continue to grow Scarlett Hearts because I believe it has the potential to be successful! 

Where do you gather inspiration from when you create a new piece of jewellery?

 Inspiration for new piece can come from all over! I have an eclectic bunch of friends who all like different things so they play a large part of my inspiration.

I’m very big on trends and fashion so when a new season is approaching I look at these and try and see ways to bring that into my designs so that people can see my pieces fitting in with their wardrobes.

 
Bloggers and You tubers are great inspiration too as you get to see what is current on the high street through those and again I look at ways I can bring my designs into their wardrobes.   
 
Do you believe that the fashion and jewellery industry go hand in hand?
 I do think both go hand in hand because an accessory can make or break an outfit, it can be that finishing touch.
 
Being a 'one-woman show' at the moment, would you ever consider hiring other people to help make jewellery with you?
I make everything myself but I do get help at busy times from my friends and family! I would love to employ people and have a little studio eventually! 

Your jewellery is incredibly low price! Have you ever considered raising the price? 
The whole point of what I wanted to create with Scarlett Hearts is to have affordable pieces because it’s hard to find that anymore on the high-street and it’s even harder to find that with handmade items! So pieces at Scarlett Hearts will be remaining affordable! J

Would you ever create a collection for a well-known shop or is Scarlett Hearts totally independent?

I’d love to do some collaborations but I like the idea of collaborating with other indie companies. I love working with other creative people as you can come up with something amazing!


I love it when people send me good clear answers like these ones because it means less for me to write, haha!! But on a serious note Scarlett Hearts is one of those labels that you can just tell is going to succeed, even looking on their website loads of the stock is selling out (especially all the pieces I wanted).

My absolute favourite item from Scarlett Hearts has to be the 'Zodiac necklace' (pictured above). In my opinion it's the perfect piece of jewellery - it's simple and can be worn with everything and gives the wearer an indentity, it's the kind of necklace that's a conversation stater on it's own. Selling at £3.50 it's a complete bargin that pretty much everyone can afford.

Ok - well I have to go now or I'll fail my english exam... B.x

This is the website (it's cute innit?)
http://scarletthearts.bigcartel.com/

Festival rules.

I feel that I have been to my fair share of festivals in my life and it's only fair that I share some of the knowledge that I've picked up along the way, rather than doing revision. So, here are a few things that I wish I had known from that very first campsite.

1. ALWAYS TAKE BOOTS, NOT TRAINERS. 
I learnt this the hard way. It was the first time I was going on a festival without my mum and naturally, I didn't listen to any of the advice she was giving me and I thought it would be a good idea if I wore my nikes. If only I could back in time and tell my naive self that what I was doing would end in complete disaster. That year wasn't particularly wet but even so, I kept losing my shoe in the mud and having to run to catch up with my friends. I got back home tired and dirty, with these piles of mud on my feet. I actually managed to save those shoes by putting them in a pillowcase in the washing machine, they were never the same though. Also, no matter how many pairs of socks you have on, your feet will not feel warm at 3am in a pair of vans.

2. SHORTS + THIGH HIGHS > JEANS
It's a rather bizarre statement really, but it's true. There is nothing worse than being in a pair of soaking wet jeans when you don't have a duvet and hot water-bottle waiting for you at home and lets be honest you're not going to have another pair of jeans waiting for you back at the campsite are you?

3. TAKE A MIRROR & LOADS OF MAKE-UP (NOT NECESSARILY NAIL VARNISH THOUGH)
This counts for camping and festivals really. The amount of time that I've spent sitting in a tent looking in the tiny screen of my mobile trying to put eyeliner is insane, it never works and you end up looking really stupid. As for make-up, your usual routine isn't enough. The fun of going to festivals is dressing-up and being able to look like a mentalist without even having to think what everyone else says (not that you should care normally). Trust me, it is such a laugh putting on 6 different shades of eyeshadow, it's pretty much fancy dress for 'grown-ups'.

4. TAKE A TOILETRIES
If you think that you can go 4 days with out a wash, you are so wrong. At least take one of those all body wet-wipes/a toothbrush. You really don't want to be one of the smelly ones. Also - if you're pretty obsessed with greasy hair like me - there is always a sink somewhere that you can wash your hair in.

5. BRING YOUR OWN ENTERTAINMENT 
Whatever is going on at the festival you are gonna have times when you just want to jam at the campsite. Take your iPod and speakers and something else to take up your time, because you will be without internet and however much you try to deny it - we are all dependent on facebook/twitter.

I hope these have helped and I can't wait for the rain to leave England alone so I go out and do my thing festival-style. If you don't live here, you wouldn't understand how much of a piss it takes. B.x

P.S THE MOST IMPORTANT RULE IS FUN! 

Aisha

Blouse - Charity shop
Jeans - Primark
Vans - Office

My friend Aisha is pretty, playful and a barrel of laughs! Her happy-go-lucky attitude shines through her relaxed style with a twinge of her prized 'Aisha spice', she certainly has a unique outlook on fashion. Here's her various ideas and opinions:

Tell me how you dress in three words?
Urban, chic and ummm.... vintage? I like my charity shops!

Are there any designers or celebrities that you take trends from?
It sounds a bit cheesy but I quite like Jessie J, I quite like what she wears. Like... some of the stuff at dutty is quite nice..


Ok, I know that you really like beyonce..
Oh YES!


Do you think she looks better with her hair curly or straight?
Curly


Mel (she was with us at the cafe): What sort of question is that? 
I'm asking because Beyonce is mixed race..
She's black actually. 


Yeah she's black and she's in the public eye and she bleaches her skin and straightens her hair and  it's not very natural is it?
I definitely think she looks better with curly hair. Her curly hair is weng. 


Do you think she'd look better if she was more natural - if everyone was more natural? Or is a little make-up good?
I think make-up is good because it can boost your self confidence and it's fun.

Does it piss you off (because it pisses me off) that Beyonce bleaches her skin and straightens her hair? Because I find that it's a bit disrespectful and contradicts the message that I think she gives.
I think it's a shame because it's just what people want to see rather than what they need to see.


And do you think if she just decided to go for a really natural look one day everyone would start dressing naturally?
Mel:It's not like she's the queen.. 
She is the queen. I think it would help people explore their more natural side which I think is a bit better. Well not always but it's a bit more true to yourself rather than fake eyelashes. 


Is there anything that you wish you could change about the fashion industry?
I wish it wasn't so expensive! But I think there should be more support for models and women for accepting their bodies, whether being slim or curvy, because that's the way we are and we should support each other to feel more confident about our unique bodies

So what you're saying is that big designers need to get more natural looking women?
Yeah 


Ok - if you saw a size 16 girl modelling Chanel, How do you think that would go down with the public?
I think people would be really uncool about it, but they shouldn't. Obviously it's a bit of a shock because their not used to size 16 models.. Sometimes people can be quite hypocritical because they'll say "why do big girls wear tight skirts? they look fat" but then again why shouldn't they? They are just people! Any girl can wear what she wants! 


Do you try to keep on trend when you chose your outfit - or do you just wear what you want to wear?
I suppose I keep on trend a little bit but I need a little 'Aisha spice'


What is 'Aisha Spice'?
Me.


What do you add to an outfit to make 'Aisha spice'?
I like gold, like gold earrings and eyeshadow - but not like tacky. For instance, I think a little delicate chain could really make my outfit


 Being 15 -do you think that it's silly that some teenagers say that they're more stressed about their appearance rather than their grades?
That is absolute bullshit. People should be worrying about their damn GCSE's rather than what they wear. When you've got all your passes then you can worry about what you are wearing! I understand that everyone wants to look nice and be a bit more confident but trying to find that balance between what you are wearing and other stuff is important for your confidence as well I suppose.


Do you think that some young peoples clothes are offensive to others or should it not matter?
I think that people need to mature into their style. I think people can wear what they want really, but maybe it would be better to wait a bit to wear hot-pants.


Is it unfair that men view women in a different way depending on what they wear?
Well it shouldn't matter what you wear, but I think you should be careful because there are idiots out there that think all women in short skirts want sex. If we were living in a world where everyone was nice we wouldn't have to worry about that, but we're not so I think people should be a bit careful.


And finally - what are your favourite shops or designers?
I like Topshop, Charity shops, Dutty, Urban outfitters and I quite like little boutiques and things like that! 


Thank you Aisha!

*Dutty girl is a boutique in Bristol that has lots of vintage and one of a kind clothing.

Alimonada - online store

As I sat at my computer one Friday night scrolling through the endless pages of internet, I came across this gem of a jewelry store and literally wanted to buy everything (but I couldn't, because I'm skint). The pieces are beautifully crafted and not to mention their ethos is amazing. 10% of profit from each item is sent to "casa da graca" (grace house to you and me) which is a shelter for underprivileged families in Brazil. Finding out about that makes me want to buy things more!!!!!!!!!! Anyways - here is the lovely interview, with the lovely Heidi from 'Alimonada'

How did you get involved with making/designing jewelry?
I am a fashion designer for over 11 years and I have designed for
retailers like Urban Outfitters and Forever 21. When I moved to NY, 9
months ago, I decided to start making my own jewelry, and I started toreceive a lot of positive feedback, and that's when I started my own
shop.

When did you decide that you wanted this to be your career?


My passion for fashion have been in my life since I was very young. Mymother have a clothing store in Brazil, so I grew up helping her anddeveloping my love for fashion.

Where do you gather inspiration from when you create a new piece of jewelry?


I'm inspired everyday by things around me, could be anything from ajacket to an art exhibition, but I think Brazil have a big influenceon my designs since I lived there my entire live, and I think you cansee a bit of it on my pieces. Colors, music, the fashion scene, peopleon the streets contribute to create something different and new.

Do you believe that the fashion and jewelry industry go hand in hand?
Definitely! I think they complement each other. Accessories makes a
final touch to any outfit. It can either be used to dress you casuallyor dress you up.

If so - which is there a designer you would like to collaborate with?


I love how Alexandre Herchcovitch can mix colors and shapes in such aharmonious way, It's a dream far away from coming true, but I wouldlove to collaborate with him!

Why did you chose to have your stones imported from Espirito Santo,Brazil?


I chose the stones from Brazil, because they are unique in terms ofcolors and quality, I think they give a special touch to my jewelry. Ilove all the variety of natural stones Brazil has to offer.

Have you ever thought about designing earrings?


Yes, I have. Hopefully in the near future. But for now I want toconcentrate in bracelets and necklaces which are my specialty. My
philosophy is to make just a few pieces of each style to make it more

unique. 

I really love how optimistic this label is and I feel as though it could go pretty much anywhere. As I said before the pieces are great and I especially love the batman necklace, It's kooky but also looks quite smart. I hope you buy something from there on my behalf - B.x

Online shop : alimonada.com/

P.S - The shops blog is amazing! Loads of good pictures of food - alimonada.tumblr.com

What makes me, me.

If i'm honest, a few months ago I would've never thought that nearly 2000 people would have seen my blog by now and would be in contact with some brilliant designers, even though most of you reading this are probably friends or family, I still feel so grateful and Thank you so so much, it means the world to me. I could go on some more but that would be super boring, so on with the actual story, my favourite subject, me. 

I'm 15, half French and half English, I like to learn, I think Kevin Smith films are the bomb and yes, I do use words like 'tha bomb','fly' and 'dope'. I have no idea when I started talking like such a tool, but that's just the way it is. I became interested in journalism and writing when I was around 9ish, and began to think about fashion in a journalistic way when I turned 12, before that I didn't have a clue. Unfortunately I prone to a debate so, recently I've been having somewhat 'heated' discussions with friends about labeling. As you all know I'm a hipsterphobe, as much as I try to be cool and say that people can do what they want, I always find myself cringing anytime I hear words like "tumblr" and "hype". Anyhow - this term gets dished out a lot just like emo, chav and keener. Even I've begun to play a game of 'spotting the hipster' and when I look back to think what I've just done is like saying every time someone get on the bus with a big bag they're going to try and blow us up, when in reality it's just a bag. On the other hand some people might say that it's natural to make judgments, but is it really natural to do it just to be mean? 

This really went off topic innit? ah well B.x