Female Role Models

Over the last few weeks I have had some heated discussions about the concept of female role models. Everyone has an opinion on what a good female role model is and of course we all have our different critierias. This topic really got me thinking when International Women's Day hit last Tuesday and The Guardian published a pull out in the G2 section listing the top 100 female role models. The list included a lot of great and wonderful women - some of the people I liked were on there but a few were not. So it got me thinking about what made a good female role model so I suggest the topic as a guest blog post for Wendi from Wendi B Writes and you can read it here.

Feel free to go over and have a read, tell me what you think of my little list of female role models and tell me who your own role models are.

Image taken from The Guardian. 

Online Fashion 100

How many times have you picked up a magazine and come across a guide to the movers and shakers of fashion, business and media? London's Most Influential People by the Evening Standard and The Media 100 which is brought to us by The Guardian. Now we have Online Fashion 100 which gives us the heavyweights behind the UK's online fashion industry. Online Fashion 100 is a 'who's who' guide for everyone who wants to know about online fashion and in there you will find entrepreneurs, bloggers, marketers and photographers. Online Fashion 100 is brought to us by Leon Bailey-Green who is an online fashion consultant, digital marketing strategist and blogger. After reading this guide - which is well overdue - I decided to seek out Leon and ask him a few questions about this exciting project.

How long did it take you to compile the list and did you have anyone working on it with you?
I began working on it in January, although most of the work went into it six weeks before release. I did everything myself - the research, writing, images, design etc.

How did you get The Independent and Schway onboard?

They were really keen on the idea and it was great to get the support from both of them. Schway is going to be everywhere soon!

I am a big fan of Nicky Hambleton-Jones and was delighted to see her involved in the project. However, some would say that she is an 'interesting' choice. What were your reasons for choosing her?

I've met Nicky and all I would say is that she's creative, business savvy, successful and genuine. She was an obvious choice to give an all round view of the impact of online in the fashion industry.

We had four bloggers in the top 40, do you think that we are now at a stage where bloggers are taken seriously and seen as here to stay?

I should stress the list is compiled in random order to make everyone equal. I think there is still a way to go but nowadays if a blog can demonstrate its visitors numbers and quality of audience it'll go places, and be taken seriously.

What are the medium and long term plans for Online Fashion 100?

Medium term, it's a secret! But long term I can tell you that there will be another one in 2010 around March. I will use a panel to suggest names, but it will still be my final edited choice and will continue to contain names of those on the fringes of the industry not just those deep in it.

Your own blog is very lively, how much of your time does it take?

I find it quite relaxing. When I write it gets me thinking. I get a lot of emails from brands, pr agencies and students, asking for advice and opinions. That's the rewarding side and makes it all worth it.

Describe a typical day in the life of Leon Bailey-Green.

Working, lunching and numerous meetings!

I have a few exciting things coming up like my next eBook which is going to take quite some time to produce.

You can download a copy of Online Fashion 100 here. You can also check out Leon's fantastic blog here.

Leon supports www.b-eat.co.uk

Photo courtesy of Metropolitan Hotel

Media in the City

They came, they saw and they conquered and then they were gone in 60 seconds. Who am I talking about? Four ladies called Sarah Jessica, Kim, Cynthia and Kristin who brought the West End to a stand still during the much awaited premiere of Sex and the City: The Movie. The media fascination with this film has grown over the last four years, Face it press coverage was never going to be an issue, every media outlet in the world wanted this film and in order to stand out, editors had to think out of the box in order to produce memorable stories. Some failed miserably like The Guardian who for some reason unknown to me commissioned Alice Wignall to ask the tedious question as to whether a feminist can really love the show. Yawn - boring!! However, a few mediums did an excellent job such as The London Paper who have treated us to a novelty guide to New York City in Carrie, Samantha, Miranda and Charlotte style. Also Heart FM who have really taken the film's mantra to heart and renamed itself Sex and the City FM for this week only. They will also be airing promos from the film and running competitions all week. Now that is what I call entertainment.

So here is my list of the top five media coverage of Sex and the City: The Movie.

1. EW.com have published a fantastic piece on six ways of looking at Carrie. Six men and women from all walks of life discuss the show and our favourite gal about town.

2. Mandi Bierly from EW's quirky confession on when she connected with S&TC. Aided and abetted by comments from readers.

3. US Vogue's depiction of Carrie and Big on their honeymoon was delightful and sexy.

4. The New Yorker's fantastically insightful profile on SJP herself.

5. Missy Schwartz from Entertainment Weekly has written a brilliant piece on the long journey of this year's much anticipated movie release.

Have you been taking in the media stories for the Sex and the City film? Which one has impressed you the most?

The Meaning of Sunglasses: A Guide to Almost All Things Fashionable

Ok, brace yourself because this is a heavyweight of a style book. Fashionista journo, Hadley Freeman's writing debut is on the ethos of fashion industry and all other elements. The Meaning of Sunglasses: A Guide to Almost all Things Fashionable is an A to Z of fashion with a twist. It does not cover the all and sundry of fashion but topics and subjects that the author finds intruiging. This approach results in a very funny, witty and very well researched book. As an officiando of The Guardian and ultimate style mag, Vogue, Ms Freeman certainly knows her stuff. However, unlike other fashion journos, she posseses a look on the industry that is cynical and analytical. Freeman like her books teaches you how to embrace the fun in fashion and not to take it too seriously. I mean it is only clothes right? Ok as well as shoes, handbags etc. Every echelon in the style stakes is covered here; vintage, music, film, fashion designers and even a certain Kate Moss. Normally I do not care for blurbs on press releases but the statement issued from the PRO that this title 'shucks off its imposing mystique of fashion and makes it relevant to people beyond the usual Vogue readership' is true to its word. Hadley takes fashion from the snooty elevators and brings it right down to grass roots level with her delightful entries.

The Meaning of Sunglasses: A Guide to Almost All Things Fashionable is published by Viking and out in February.