Fashioning February: The Look Show

For the third season I attended The Look Show last Friday. There was a change of venue, instead of the lavish Saatchi Gallery on Kings Road it was held at Victoria House in Bloomsbury Square. I guess this made sense as it is only throw stone away from the Fashion HQ of Somerset House. The event is organised by Look magazine and the idea is to celebrate the best of the UK's fantastic High Street and to also show the trends that will be hitting our streets next season. So unlike the major designers who are showcasing looks for this Autumn and Winter, this event will show us looks for the pending Spring and Summer. In previous years I have enjoyed myself at The Look Show so I was really looking forward to this event. Before the show there was the usual champagne reception with nibbles as well as various stands offering beauty treatments and other activities. There were also a splattering of celebs such as Keisha Buchanan (stood right next to her thinking to myself that she looked familiar till I saw her picture in 'The Daily Fail', Lucie Jones from X Factor, Sophie Ellis-Bextor and IT Girl, Olivia Palermo. We were treated to a performance by Jay Z's protege, teen sensation, Alexis Jordan. Now onto the clothes - I hope you like the 70s as much as I do because this summer the High Street will be full of it. I warn you, you won't be able to move due to Saturday Night Fever and Studio 54. Shops such as French Connection, River Island and Mango are working their inner Bianca Jagger and Fleetwood Mac by using bold colours like bright orange, sunshine yellow, pillar box red, electric blue and bright purple.

These are the key pieces that will dominate the stores:

Jumpsuits
I love jumpsuits - they provide the perfect combination between glamour and comfort. Dorothy Perkins made a statement with their range of bold jumpsuits, French Connection had some classic black ones and New Look had palazzo halterneck jumpsuits that were divine.

Shorts
Start getting those thighs into shape because shorts are going nowhere. Next had brilliant white shorts on display as well as some fab short dungarees and French Connection are unleashing some seriously sexy tailored white shorts to go with a tuxedo blazer.

Maxi dresses
You could not move last summer without seeing a maxi dress and it looks like the summer of 2011 will be the same. Monsoon had really gorgeous maxis and there were floral maxi dresses from French Connection but Warehouse really out did themselves with their offer of really feminine maxi dresses.

Hats
Get one! A large floppy one - not only do they save your life when you are having a bad hair day, they also look fabulous.

Also corsages are back in a big way, no longer regarded as a hideous item reserved only for prom nights, corsages add a lovely touch to a large hat or a dress. Overall the girly girly look is still in and this was exercised very well by French Connection with their Parisian chic and 70s Riviera feel.

For more information about The Look Show check out the website where you can not only see clips from the show but you can also purchase the items.

In the top picture is Olivia Palermo and editor of Look magazine, Ali Hall.

The Look Show 2.0

Another season and another exciting installment of The Look Show returned in conjunction with London Fashion Week. Once again it took place at The Saatchi Gallery and there were the delights of free champagne and canapes as well as various pamper treatments. There were also performances by Gabriela Clini (in the pic below), Diana Vickers and hip US group, The Like. Apparently there were numerous C-list celebs in tow such as Jamelia, X Factor's Jo McEldery, Shane Ward, Martine McCutheon but I only spotted a bleary eyed looking Callum Best. I met up with the lovely Yvonne from Pretty Stylish London and we indulged in a makeover courtesy of Benefit.

The Look Show is organised by Look magazine and the aim of the event is to showcase the new season's trends from high street stores. The event made its official debut last February and was a huge success (read my previous blog review here) and as LFW concentrates on what we will be wearing for next Spring and Summer it is refreshing to see what the trends are for this season. High street brands such as M&S, Oasis, French Connection, Mango, Dorothy Perkins, River Island, Warehouse, H&M, Office, Monsoon, New Look and Next all showed their wares for this autumn and winter. The looks that I saw were the inevitable camel shades and aviator jackets; I wouldn't throw those ankle boots or shorts away just yet as they are still going strong. There were still a few capes around and jumpsuits as well as maxi dresses. Office employed the use of dancers to show off their 60s sci-fi themed shoes. I did see some really lovely pieces; such as the gorgeous crepe shifts, floaty tunics and jersey dresses from French Connection and Dorothy Perkins had a selection of wonderful prints on maxi and midi dresses and vintage florals. Monsoon never fail to impress me with their exotic colours, beautiful fabrics detailed finishing and their a/w 10 range has not let them down. It is full of lots of delights of quirky prints, wonderful hues with draped chiffons, fluid sheers and sequin embellishment. The fashion show takes over just under an hour but it is well worth it, with great models and a thumping soundtrack, this is one of the most fun fashion shows I have ever been to. To top that off we were given a goodie bag rammed full of beauty products and accessories. Not a bad way to spend a Friday afternoon.

Keeping up with the blogging trend, Look magazine also ran a blogging competition where they invited several bloggers to come down and review the show. You can read all about the comp and all the reviews here.

London Fashion Week September 2010

I was planning on attending New York Fashion Week but well that didn't work out so I decided to make the most of being in the UK and spend a few days at London Fashion Week. Unfortunately I didn't apply for tickets for the main catwalk shows and I wasn't in the mood to gatecrash so I decided to attend the events I did actually have an invite to. All of these events were off schedule (which means shows that are not taking place at the British Fashion Council tent) and darted across different parts of London. On Thursday there was Fashion Diversity at Islington Metal Works, Friday was The Look Show at The Saatchi Gallery, Saturday was Fashion Mavericks at The Strand Palace Hotel and Monday was Untold at The London Design Museum. I will be covering these events during the next few posts and filling you in on all the details.

Company High-Street Edit

While doing my weekly shop for food as well as magazines I came across this little beauty staring at me on the racks. I immediately snapped it up; as a mag junkie I am usually up on the new magazine launches but this one must have passed me by. I must be slipping and it is time to address that. Company High-Street Edit is a bi-annual spin off magazine from Company which focuses on high street fashion. The publication is quarterly and is edited by Victoria White who also heads Company and the ethos is to keep fashion lovers abreast of all the latest trends and more importantly where they can get their hands on them first. Company High-Street Edit is packed with fantastic features and stories but there are a few that really stand out for me. In Store Now which is a 14 page feature where PRs from stores such as River Island, Mango, Next and H&M present their spring and summer collection. A World of Fashion is a piece where the coolest designers from Australia, France, USA and Scandinavia are featured. To Clog, or not to Clog features fab bloggers such as Susie Bubble, Liberty London Girl, Ana Kinsella from Ripped Knees and Disney Roller Girl and quizzes them about blogging and fashion. Beauty Confidential is where beauty PRs from brands like Rimmel, Maybelline New York and Revlon give us an insight into the season's new looks. The New Fashion IT List is the result of a poll that was taken out on company.co.uk where readers voted for their fashion stars. The likes of Olivia Palermo, Whitney Port, Paloma Faith and Taylor Momsen are listed.

The publication does have a slight sales feel because it is very PR driven and therefore you feel that you are being sold to, however Company High-Street Edit gets away with this because of the creative way that the stories are presented. The look of the magazine is quite funky and it has a real scrapbook feel; I also love the recycled matt paper that the inside pages are printed on. A few bloggers have described it as a high street version of Elle Collections. As a lady who no longer has the time and desire to hit the shops I find this magazine totally essential because I can see what new fashion items are out and make my purchasing decisions then and there. So as well as my little mate asos.com giving me what I need it is really nice to know that I have options - Rachel Zoe eat your heart out. Moreover with The Look Show that took place in February it seems that the British high street can do no wrong. Company magazine has been struggling for a while now but this new edition might be just the thing to get them back on track. I can't wait to till September when the next issue comes out.

Fashioning February: My Space by Abby Ajay from High Street Fashionista

The British High Street is certainly having a superb week with Topshop Unique going down a treat at London Fashion Week and of course the huge success of The Look Show, which was a collaboration between high street brands and Look magazine. I am a high street girl who likes to mix pieces from Mango, Zara, H&M and asos.com so I was delighted when I came across Abby's blog. The High Street Fashionista is a blog which documents Abby's shopping life and loves of many bags, shoes and accessories. She started her mouthpiece in 2006 and since then she has graduated onto other topics in the popular culture remit. I caught up with her to find out where she blogs.

Describe the concept of High Street Fashionista.

The High Street Fashionista blog initially grew out of my love of shopping for clothes, accessories and shoes on the high street and the starting concept was to discuss my experiences of high street shopping and my aspirations towards shopping for designer clothes. I also wanted to write something for fun, which was separate from the writing I was doing for my day job (though I do blog about writing at Moody Writer. High Street Fashionista has now broadened to include general comment on popular culture and things that grab my interest as well as cataloguing my experiences of travelling, eating out, living in London, trying and failing to be a recessionista and of course high street shopping. Ultimately the aim is to explore and discuss a range of topics that are aspirational and which will resonate with all the high street fashionistas out there. 

Where do you scribe?
My blogging happens in snatched moments between deadlines for my day job as a screenwriter. Working from home, the lure of the E! channel has often proven to strong to resist and I tend to go out and write at places like the Southbank Centre, the British Library, The Women's Library, BAFTA or my local Starbucks or Costa. Sometimes inspiration comes at home and then I tend to either write in bed or in a comfy old armchair with my Macbook on my knees.

Why that place?

I like writing in public places because between writing, I like to people watch and eavesdrop, which helps me generate ideas for the blog and for my writing in general. But I also like being comfy which is when writing at home is most appealing. I tend to write straight onto my computer - basically I draft my blog posts when inspiration strikes - though I also keep a list of ideas I'd like to explore on the blog at some point. 

What is on your bed and sofa at the moment?

My working area at home is always a mess. My Macbook and Iphone have pride of place alongside, a stetson hat (I like wearing a hat when I write), a stack of DVDs to watch, books to read, magazines - Mslexia and Harpers Bazaar, my various notebooks, lots of post-its with reminders and the script that I'm currently working on.

What form of inspiration do you have on the wall 

I am a great collector of quotes, some more profound than others. Above my desk I have a postcard with the Lady Astor quote, "I married beneath me, all women do." I also have a photo of myself outside Walford East station on the set of Eastenders. I like to write down and keep extracts from books that have particularly touched me and I also tend to collect postcards and images that are particularly striking and which have in some way inspired me. I also have a cuttings book/ ideas folder where I put interesting cuttings from magazines and newspapers.

Do you keep a tidy office or are you a messy worker?

I am a horribly messy person in general (except for my shoes which are all neatly boxed) and often my desk is littered with magazines, books, DVDs, cuttings and other stuff I've collected for inspiration, which is why having a desk in a public space is a good thing for me. However my laptop folders are incredibly well organized.

You can read Abby's blog here.

You can follow her on Twitter here.

Fashioning February: The Look Show

As I mentioned in a previous post, Slave to Fashion Britain has the best high street in the world. With gems like H&M, Oasis, Mango, Zara, Miss Selfridges etc we are really spoilt for choice when selecting high fashion at reasonable prices. So what better way to celebrate this by holding a fashion show that features items that will be available in store and online right after the show. While items shown on the catwalk do not make their appearances in the shops till six months later the pieces featured at The Look are immediately ripe for picking. The show was hosted by Look magazine and took place at the swish Saatchi Gallery on Saturday. It was the first ever high street fashion show that took place during London Fashion Week with Look being the only fashion magazine to be part of London Fashion Week. The fashion stores that took place were Reiss, French Connection, H&M, Dorothy Perkins, Mango, Miss Selfridge, Marks & Spencer, Next, Oasis, River Island, Warehouse, New Look, Zara and Asos.com.

Now I am not really a fan of Look magazine as I find that it is a bit too much like a catalogue; I am more of Grazia girl but they really pulled out the stops for this event. It was a pretty slick operation from start to finish. It all kicked off with a champagne reception with tasty canapes; I am proud to say that I lived up to my so called 'bligger' mantra and stuffed my face silly. My excuse is that I did not have time to stop for lunch so I was famished by the time I got to the event and hey a lady had to eat right? Then it was up to the actual show itself. There were a few minor celebrities in the crowd such as Mollie King from The Saturdays and Beverly Knight. The show kicked off with supermodel, Erin O'Conner opening with Reiss with other stores showing off their wares. The themes were florals, shorts, jumpsuits, blazers with shoulder pads and rolled up sleeves as well as a lot of prints. Pop diva, Pixie Lott performed one of her hit singles and demonstrated why she is being touted as one of the country's finest talents.

Unlike catwalk shows where only the front two rows are given goody bags, The Look Show gave goody bags to everyone who attended and these bags which were designed by Olivia Rubin were bulging with products. Inside were a bar of Thorntons chocolates, a scarf from Dorothy Perkins, a small bag from asos,  nail polish from nubar, bangles from DIVA, another one from Tallulah Tu, rose petal salve from Rose & Co Apothecary, moisturiser from Purity,  necklace and earrings from Hannahmakesthings.com,  soft curl cream from Toni&Guy, notepad from Kipling, necklace from Rosie Fox, lipstick from Guerlain, woolly hat from Chelsea Girl, sunglasses from The Laden Showroom, H&M magazine, a bottle of Evian water, a £25 voucher from Next and of course a copy of Look magazine. Basically everything but the kitchen sick. Overall it was a great celebration of fashion from the high street and really exciting to see such vibrant and stylish yet accessible outfits on the catwalk.

Fashioning February: London Fashion Week - February 2010

So yesterday I got my fashion fix by heading down to Somerset House for London Fashion Week aka LFW. This is the second season that LFW has been held at Somerset House and the location works a real treat. The cobbled streets brings out the quainty aspects of British style along with the period features of the buildings that surround the courtyard. I had a very packed schedule ahead of me so I made sure that I got there early so I could soak in the atmosphere of LFW. After picking up my press badge I had a quick look at the press area and a quick chat with fellow bloggers Susie Bubble and Disney Roller Girl. The first show I saw was Kinder Aggugni which was a mixture of millitary chic and vintage flowing pieces. Needless to say the venue was packed and the audience very appreciative.

After I popped into the Vauxhall Fashion Scout media centre (part of the off schedule for LFW) to have a look at their set up. The Vauxhall Fashion Scout crew are always mega friendly and never fail to produce a fabulous press room. In September 2008 they had a Moroccan theme with exotic furniture, silk cushions and throws which was followed in February 2009 with a cosy space filled with bunches of roses and candles. This year they came up trumps with an Alice in Wonderland like theme with bird cadges dotted about on tables and window sills. There were also yummy cupcakes on display courtesy of thelittlecakery which I just had to sample - well it would have been rude not to. Next it was off to New Oxford Street for Romina Karamanea which took place at an underground venue which was jam packed. I spied Marion Kihogo tapping away at her netbook while looking chic in a fur gillet. The Romina Karamanea collection was very gothic like with all black pieces made out of leather, tweed and jersey. After a quick hello to Marion I rushed off to The Look Show which turned out to be the highlight of the day.

Check out Vauxhall Fashion Scout's blog.

I will be reviewing The Look Show tomorrow.

The picture at the top is of Kinder Aggugini.