BRISTOL FASHION WEEK 2013 #BFW13

If any of you have subjected yourselves to following me on twitter (which you can do here), you may have noticed that around 2 weeks ago I live tweeted from one of the shows at the renowned Bristol Fashion Week. Sadly, it was far from my kind of thang, the styled outfits were pretty dreary, there was a theme of male domination and patriarchy throughout the whole show which totally deified Robin Thicke (gag!!) and the event was infested with pretentious children who thought it was a lot more glam than it really was.

Now, that could just be my own Bristol prejudices seeping out, but I can't say that it's the only reason why I found BFW to be some sort of joke because I genuinely love my city. Bristol is amazing and having spent all my teen years living in the middle of it I've been exposed to many of it's great qualities, however, being a fashion capital is not one of them. That's not to say that there aren't many great designers and well dressed people in Bristol. I truly believe that if it were organised correctly Bristol could have a fascinating fashion week showcasing all these wonderful things, but it isn't and all we see at BFW is snippets from M&S's latest A/W range.

During the catwalk, I could feel myself having a bit of a crisis, an internal battle of sorts, the devoted Bristol-bred gal side of me was amazed by the fact that the city which Vicky Pollard had originated from had given birth to an almost professional fashion show and wanted to support my hometown of sorts, whilst the London-born I'm-above-everybody-here woman found the show painful to watch and had to supress her laughs. Ultimately, the south west sweetheart was crushed by the career driven diva, hence this post.

I believe that this bout of intense pride was absolutely influenced by the moronic presenters who were supposedly in the fashion loop, but really seemed like a chuckle brother tribute. Any dignity that the show had was completely demolished by their unwitty banter and unnecessary comments about the models, in particular one beautiful model who apparently had poor memory as they kept reminding her that she was BEAUTIFUL and SIZE 16. My friend Alice who accompanied me to this occasion made a hilarious remark about the bald hairdressing superstar and how we should always take advice from them.

The final things that annoyed me about this whole shebang were a) the two annoying model children who looked smug rather than cute b) the fact that I felt bad about not enjoying myself because I got in for free. Now, the comment about the children probably seems like one step too far, but honestly, if you saw their faces, annoying poses and stupid dance moves, you'd feel the same. In their defence I could have misinterpreted gas for smugness. Nevertheless, I can't thank BFW and Claire Hodson for hooking me up with a chance to experience an almost serious fashion show in my favourite city in the south west, it just didn't work out for us I guess. B.x

POWER FOR TEENS

If you didn't know, I'm in my last year of school, which means that next year I'll be a real adult. Basically, I'm just waiting for the day that the education system spits me out like an old piece of Hubba Bubba that lost it's flavour. That said, I'm not just hanging around having a laugh like most people think teenagers do, because if you've already passed your teenage years, you'll know it's hell and that doesn't happen. First of all, you're given all this false independence. Parents start trick you into thinking that just because you get a bit more pocket money and they've lifted a curfew that you can do what you like when you like, which is just so far from the truth. For instance, my parents, are totally cool with most stuff but then when it comes to the near future it's suddenly ok for them to step in and make all my life decisions. The most frequent attempt to keep me on a leash for the rest of my life is, when I'm prevented from leaving the house before I complete some sort of tedious housework. Don't get me wrong, I am thankful when people cook me dinner, but it's not like I asked them to do it for me. But, the second and the most horrid thing about being a teenager is the phrase 'young adult'. Those 2 dreaded words make me die a little inside every time I hear someone use them. I mean, what do you even mean when you say 'young adult'? Not to mention the fact that adults only use it when they feel it necessary to patronise a group people below the age of 20. I personally, find it particularly insulting when I get branded as a young adult, because I did not wait for over a decade to be a 'cool hip young adult', I was waiting for the day that I would suddenly be like my edgy teenage sister who always got to do cool teenage stuff, not for the moment where I was a mature young adult who was setting a good example for future generations. Anyway, here's some cool stuff that might help you be really teen in your teen years...

Teenager for life. B.x

THE BIRDCAGE - BRISTOL

With just one year under it's belt, The Birdcage has totally secured itself a position in my personal top ten list of best shops in Bristol. Well, I don't really know if you can call it a shop, because it literally does everything, from sandwiches to live music. Either way, it's a great venue and I was lucky enough to have a quick chat with the Head Of Retail, Emma, who gave me the down low on all things Birdcage.
 

 

When choosing stock for the birdcage, do you aim to please a certain group of people?

Well, I think when we first opened, we were aiming for people of 30+, but slowly we began to notice that we mostly attracted students who wanted to come in, have cup of tea, do their uni work and shop.  So now the age range we’re really looking at is between 16 and 35.

Do you usually try to stick to a trend when buying the stock for birdcage’s store?

Yeah, before we go on stock buys we get all the staff members to get involved as well. So, we’ll do mood boards where the staff pin whatever they like we try and look for similar things at the warehouses. We also go on sites like Trend Report and Topshop to see what’s in fashion which really helps.

Speaking of highstreet brands like Topshop, would you say that as an independent company, you are in competition with it?

I think that there is some competition. But it’s not bad because places like Topshop sell at a higher price, because well, they are Topshop, but you could buy similar garments cheaper. For example, I often put pictures up on tumblr or facebook showing dresses from Topshop and our dresses which are really similar but cost a few pounds less and I think that really works in our favor.

At the moment, you sell predominantly vintage clothes, would you ever consider having a fashion line sold in store?

That’s what we’re looking into at the moment because, vintage is great, but it’s that thing of having only one of each item.  We’re looking at basic item to sell like, polo necks, crop tops and leggings because you can constantly reorder and restock, however, when you haven’t restocked in a while with vintage clothes, it can sometimes look like there isn’t much in store.

I know that Birdcage is only a year old, but have you thought of expanding the store into its own place, separate from the café?

Not really, but we do have an Asos store as well, which is great, but we’re thinking of creating our own separate online store as well. The Asos store is doing really well but it’s not getting as much attention as it should be because of the way the marketplace is. If we were going to have our own online store I think it would be used to sell mostly more expensive and high-quality vintage.

What would be your tips for someone shopping at the Birdcage for the first time?

My only bit of advice is, when you go into a vintage shop; don’t be put off just because you don’t think something is your style. You have to be creative and know how to style it, always think outside the box.

Finally, If you could describe the retail section of Birdcage in one word (not vintage or retro), what would it be?

That’s a tricky one!... A place to find love …

Having been to the Birdcage on multiple occasions, I can safely say that all of what Emma said is true. I always get the impression when I'm in at The Birdcage that everyone is having a good time, the sofas are comfy, the food is good and there's always music on that we all know and love. Walking in, it kind of feels like a really cool shared house where you have to pay for a cup of tea, which you never mind because, when you meet the staff, they act like they really want you to be there, thus making it feel like your paying for not only the cup of tea but their lovely hospitality as well. To summarise, The Birdcage is great and you should go there, now. B.x

Hit them up on their website, facebook & twitter :

www.birdcagebristol.com

twitter.com/birdcagebristol

www.facebook.com/pages/The-Birdcage-Bristol

KATE GAREY - ONLINE STORE

Designer Kate Garey is a refreshing asset to the world of fashion and accessories. Her cutsie designs appeal to all ages, all price ranges and are available worldwide. Coming in many different forms, there is no way you can not want to buy some of her products in my opinion, especially considering the modest pricing. If you, like me, have a tendency to gravitate towards anything cat-related then Kate is your gal. The black cat earrings in the top right corner and the leopard necklace in the left, are probably my two favourite items from the site. They are amazing statement pieces, which are always brilliant conversation starters and believe it or not they are both retailing for under £10! This low price isn't only for the jewellery, but also the bags, stationary and home décor. I think almost everything on the site is great if you want to show your love for all things soft & cuddly whilst retaining any maturity, and also create lovely gifts for all your loved ones. However, if animals don't float your boat (and I don't know why they wouldn't), you can always choose from other various prints e.g. mermaids, tea appreciation and retro-esque tattoo style.

Kate was kind enough to answer a few questions about the background of her site and what makes it tick, so without further a due, here is what she had to say :

Why did you decide to open your store?
 I launched my website because I thought it was the best way to sell my products worldwide at a lower cost than a bricks & mortar store. I think today having a online presence is really important for my type of business.

What inspires each of the designs?
Many things. I think inspiration comes to you rather than looking for it. It could be watching an old movie or seeing something on a day out, or on a blog.

Have you ever considered opening your own store?
 I think it is something I would like to do one day. there definitely needs to be a lot more independent, unique shops out there.

Aside from the tshirts and dresses you already sell, would you like to create other types of clothes?
My main focus is handbags and accessories but I would love to do vintage style dresses with my quirky prints.

How long have you been creating designs for clothes and home wares?
 My Brand turns 5 in May! It's nice to look back and see how far I've come.


There is totally a universal emphasis in the foundations of this brand, in both availability and crowd pleasing-ness (?), which is just such a pleasant thing to see these days, as originality and kookiness becomes more and more rare. You could be a chic fashionista or a hardcore punk and still find something on Kate's store without any hassle, which is yet another rare quality and makes it a perfect place for gift buying and etc. I personally rate Kate and her work highly, and can only see greater things for her label. Now my people, go and buy something from her store at : www.kategarey.com

B.x
 

ROME HAUL 2013

As much as I like shopping, I usually try to stave off of buying clothes until I return to Rome. Anyway, there is always this crazy amount of cheap second-hand clothes that nobody seems interested in at the market and usually sells for €1.00 a piece. I'm not really sure if it's a change in styles across the continent but this is usually the case in the majority of central European countries. Nevertheless, I shouldn't generalise Italy's fashion because, back in the day, these people had some great outfits (which are now mine, HAHA!).

In the top picture you can see an overdose of denim. It's a bit of an obsession for my pops that I always have a good strong pair of jeans, hence the black Levis, which I could not be more grateful for. These jeans have become one of my wardrobe staples in a matter of days,  if I could wear them everyday I would - no joke, they are that comfy. They're from the CurveID range and retail for around €77 (£63/$100), which is what I expected really, but it's not really an item I would usually buy for myself. The rest of the Levi jeans were either bought at the market or handed down to me. The crewneck sweater came from this amazing superstore in Piazza Vittorio called MAS. Words cannot begin to describe my love for this shop, there are about three floors of mismatched clothes that only goes up to around €20 max. The sweater I bought was only €2.00 and it's super soft and comfy which is what I need for those days when I don't want to get out of pyjamas but I have to.

I only bought a few tops this time which kind of sucked, but the ones I did get were so so so good. I think the best piece was the black bejewelled top (upper left corner of the second picture), I got it for €1/€2 which is just the best. This top is so convenient, especially with the monochrome trend for spring, I think it add a bit of pizazz to the boring-est of clothes and it means I don't have to look around my jewellery box for a cute necklace. The rest of the tops are pretty basic (not the prints - just the tops) and are just fun things to have in your wardrobe.

I hope this post has given you an idea of the clothes I tend to buy and their pricing etc. B.x

SUPER CUTE SUMMER/SPRING WISHLIST

blue yellow spring by wewantshops 

pink/blue by wewantshops 

Although it might not seem necessary right now to be creating a spring/summer wishlist considering that there is literally torrential rain going on outside my window, I'm hoping that by thinking about spring and summer 24/7 will somehow change the rain into hot sun. The really bright granny pants and yellow booties are great, because they let you embody sunshine (even if its only seeing the sun). Anyway,  I'm totally sick of seeing black and grey clothes/skies e v e r y w h e r e, so I think it's about time I brighten up the world by looking cute(er than I already do). B.x

THE DEATH OF POP - INTERVIEW / REVIEW BY LOLA.

*Before you start reading and get confused - this is a new part to wewantshops where my friend Lola reviews new bands - all that was written below was by Lola, not me - ENJOY!B.x*

As a group, how long have you been making music together?
We've been friends for a couple of years now. We were both in separate bands but we had occasionally played together and started demoing tracks. In November 2012 we decided to finally do something seriously together and we got to work at Christmas 2012 and started writing songs. We uploaded two tracks on the 2nd January which got some interest and that was the start of the band. We have got some good friends and old bandmates to join us to form the live band. People who we enjoy playing with and have the same musical influences. 


Why did you decide to start recording/releasing tracks?
Probably a combination of having very similar influences and discovering together we formed quite a strong songwriting partnership. We'd enjoyed demoing songs together as little side-projects but we both decided that we should work at something bigger and more fully realised. We work at quite a fast rate and just want to continue to release consistent material for people to enjoy.


What are your musical influences?
It would take too long to list them, the last 50 years of pop music really. If we had to boil it down:
McCartney II (the album)
Carly Simon's "Why" (the track)
Howard Jones (the man)
The Smiths
Chris Rainbow
The Cure
Emitt Rhodes
McCarthy
The House Of Love
my bloody valentine
Ride
The Boo Radleys
Ash

What has inspired your latest singles? 
"Clear Sky" was about the light shining into our home studio and it hurting our eyes.
"Kiss Me Quickly (Kill me) is about a lost opportunity.

Which genre of music would you say best describes the The Death Of Pop?
shoe-pop

Will your band be going on tour any time soon?
Lots of dates planned for the summer. Gig on the 4th April at The Waiting Room in Stoke Newington, London.
How long has it taken for you to get to the point you are at now? 
3 months


What sort of media attention has your latest single brought you?
We've been really fortunate with all of our releases so far to have been met with some attention - getting blogged about, being featured in the NME Radar section of the magazine, and responses from people wanting to put our records out. We've got a 7" coming out in April with Manic Pop, a 10" out at the end of April with Pictogram, and we'll be featured on a School Of Abuse compilation tape released this summer.

The Death of Pop are a well-put-together mix up of ideas. They pretty much sound just like their influences – sunny, dreamy indie-pop. They seem cute – the album artwork is all in pale pastel colours (pretty pink and blue designs sat next to song titles like “we’re gonna get fucked”) and their singing style is really relaxed. It’s the usual indie thing – little groups of English boys singing about girls. It’s honest music – they don’t play about with stupidly confusing metaphors and apparently don’t bother to put deep inner meaning into all of their songs, if one is about the sun hurting their eyes. That’s where you can hear they’ve been listening to the Smiths, who wrote plenty of songs without taking themselves seriously, which is what makes them so likeable. As well as that kind of lazy humour they’ve got a weird contrast of depressing or dark lyrics sung in a really soft, happy way. The Death of Pop do this too, and impressive riffs and standout guitar stop them straying too far into super-cute summer pop. 

Lola x 

ORGANIK ROCKA - UK

Self-proclaimed misfits with a dream to "make the revolutionaries look superfly", Organik Rocka is a refreshing brand in the fashion industry. As a collective, they aim to bring out east London cool in ethical bamboo tshirts,which from the looks of their latest collection "demo" is very likely.  I became a bit fascinated with the solgans slashed across their tshirts like "work, buy consume, die", which, quite frankly, describes the people in the western world today. Kay from the team was kind enough to answer a few questions.. 

Why did you decide to create a label? 

At the time of creating Organik Rocka, we could not find top quality ethical/organic tees that had rockin designs or text. The brands that were out there, were kinda boring,so we decided to do our own.

Would you ever consider branching out into other aspects of the fashion industry? 

We are spontaneous, so we do what we do when we feel like doing it.

What inspired your latest range? 

Chocolate, dance, music, sex, romance - in no particular order.

You are a very political/ethical label how do you intend to portray that through your clothes?

Are we very political??? I suppose being that all aspects of modern living is politics - then I guess we are. I think the clothes speak for themselves!  

Will your next range have the same background?

The misfits that make up Organik Rocka are not tied to only one thing - so god only knows!

Do you think fashion can change the world for better?

Hell yeah!!! And at the very least, we can make the revolutionaries look superfly!!!

 Organik Rocka's clothes are perfect for the shy person in all of us and allow everyone to express their opinions through their clothes. My favourite design is the "work buy" tshirt which retails for £32, it's simple yet still gets peoples attention, once again proving that less is sometimes more. If you are looking to purchase their clothes, you can either buy them online or from their Spitalfields/Broadway Market stalls. There is no doubt that I will be checking out their stall personally next time i'm in London. B.x

LINKS
https://twitter.com/organikrocka

http://www.youtube.com/user/organikrocka

https://www.facebook.com/organikrockabiz 

THE REBIRTH OF THE RIOT GRRRL

For you guys who don't know what a riot grrrl is (don't worry I didn't for ages):

Riot grrrl is an underground feminist punk rock movement that originally started in the early to mid-1990s, in Washington, DC and the greater Pacific Northwest, especially Olympia, Washington and Portland, Oregon. It is often associated with third-wave feminism which is sometimes seen as its starting point.
(wikipedia)

There has always been an underground for punky feminist girls in the western world, but it managed to make it to the mainstream in the 90's with bands such as Bikini Kill, L7 and Sleater-Kinney. This third-wave feminism sparked a new generation of alternative girls who serve as an inspiration for many to this day. For instance, if there had never been bands like L7 with the coolest bass player of all time (Jennifer Finch) I doubt that the chick bass player in school of rock would have been a chick and without her I would have never even thought of picking up a bass. However, in recent years this wave of radical feminism has slipped into the background and women's rights have taken the backseat. Unfortunately this has resulted in a new form of "acceptable sexism" putting women at the butt of misogynistic jokes about getting back into the kitchen once again. Quite frankly I could not think of a better time for something so serious to become trendy. Sure it must be annoying for some people to hear impressionable youths declaring their status to the world as a feminist when they haven't even studied the fundamentals as hard as you did, but can you really say that promoting equality into the mainstream is a bad thing?

The increase of girls choosing to not shave their armpits in the name of feminism is major, although this may seem disgusting to some I think it's quite a good choice no matter how unconventional it is. I suppose the reason why i'm so supportive of people like this is because I am pretty much a slave to the razor, I've always had it drilled into my head that body hair is disgusting when really it's natural and the more people we see embracing that promotes a better attitude to women's bodies everywhere and the choices they make. However, even if there are more girls throwing out their bics there is no doubt that the everyday persons point of view on how a woman should look is still pretty deformed, with the easy access to porn and sexualisation of almost everything in the media it's not really a surprise.

One of the more interesting things about the modern riot grrrl has to be the way in which they function. Although it was only 20 years ago our society and the way it functions has changed greatly since the end of the twentieth century, for instance, the internet. It is no longer necessary for people to make zines and hide their opinion on certain subjects when you have tumblr, twitter and whatever else is out there. The new riot grrrl isn't an underground scene but more of a nostalgic trend, founded by the girls and boys that were just a bit too young to know what it meant before.

Unfortunately, I would not be surprised if this revival is short lived like so many other things these days, not to mention the fact that it's probably going to become some sort of joke for those that piss everyone off. If you're a riot grrrl keep riot grrrling, you guys are cool. B.x

*image from - thisishangingrockcomics.tumblr.com

AN ALTERNATIVE TO FUCK OFF.

I always find myself totally lost for words whenever there is some sort of verbal confrontation, partly because I don't really like getting into arguments with people, but mostly because I'm very very slow. Don't get me wrong, I do have my moments where sass takes over me and I can totally belittle people with my words, but I usually tend to get these great insults a few hours later when I'm in bed trying to get some sleep.  My solution for this reoccurring problem is to create a facade by dressing with sass, wit and a little bit of attitude.

OUTFIT No.1

 I think it's pretty apparent that this outfit is inspired by the classic movie Heathers, because quite frankly, I couldn't think of a better group of girls to personify the two words "fuck off". I think my favourite thing in this mood-board (is that the right word?? I'm not very pro with these things) has to be the Houndstooth jacket. If you think about it, the jacket alone is pretty intimidating, first of all its called HOUNDSTOOTH, the print itself is totally confrontational and kind of looks like loads of sharp objects and then there is the shoulder pads which basically make anyone look tough. Speaking of being tough, this red leather skirt is the love of my life in skirt form. I think it's necessity if you're looking to use sass to kick-ass. The pleats make it look very cute and innocent but also allow great leg room if you ever need to kick your opponent. As for shoes I think that flats are imperative if you're planning on telling your nemesis where it's at. Running heels isn't flattering or convenient, especially if you're trying to save yourself from a beating.

OUTFIT No.2 

My love for all things funky, groovy and disco is unfathomable, so you can imagine how pissed I was when I couldn't find a pair of gold flares to complete this ensemble. Unfortunately the look didn't turn out as studio 54 as I wanted it to but I still think it could give the intended message. Gold is the main colour here, simply because it's the colour of POWER! I think you could win any argument in this outfit, granted, you could be a bit vulnerable in a black bandeau but why not see it as an opportunity to show who's in control, of not only your body but what ever circumstance you're in as well? Rainbow print doesn't get enough credit these days which is a shame because it's so fun and versatile because it has literally got all colours of the rainbow in it . If you still don't feel safe from your enemy in loud prints and tight trousers, just get physical and use the chunky jewelry and mad platforms as weapons (only as protection though).

OUTFIT No.3
  

For my last 'alternative to fuck off', I decided to seek inspiration in one of my favourite idols, Annie Lennox. I tried as hard as I could to imitate her look from the music video for Sisters are doin' it for themselves because not only does she look bad ass in it, but the song is all about standing up and fighting for what you believe in. Even though the look is pretty androgynous I think that you can still look really feminine if you want to, adding red shoes for example is a pop of colour that most people wouldn't think to make when wearing a trouser suit, but it still looks amazing even if it isn't "the norm". Once again, we see the shoulder pads, I don't think you really need to say much when you're wearing something that's called a 'power-shoulder', but if you are involved in some sort of confrontation, they definitely act as great protection if you need to barge into someone. I'm also really into the high-waisted peg trousers, sadly these days most people shy away from a trouser which isn't skinny, harem or chino, which makes it all the more intimidating! The way I see it, by wearing these trousers you can change loads of peoples minds, and if they find your clothes cool, they're going to find your side of the argument cool as well*. 

For me, dressing like this can be very therapeutic, it's never nice to have a confrontation with someone but sometimes it can seem necessary. Sending messages with your clothes is a fun alternative to something that is usually quite stressful and altogether nasty and has been going on forever, even in nature. Think of yourself as a tarantula, terrifying to look at but lacking in venom. I sincerely hope you manage to put your rival in their place and kick butt! B.x 

_________________________________________________________________________________

*This can't be guaranteed.