March of the Penguins... and Friends

Exquisite!!

This is the word I would use to describe Charlotte Taylor's new Autumn/Winter 11/12 collection. Beautiful prints in mood-altering colours, bold contrasts and snippets of African, English heritage and Hungarian Gypsy inspiration.This is the third season from Charlotte Taylor and it is focused on the beautifully brave prints. Old favorites from previous collections have carried over in new colour ways. Penguins and robots are now joined by new friends - lobsters, ants and elephants. The colours are pleasing to the eye and mix soft with bright.There are huge printed scarfs - the size of duvets!! Classic silk blouses and shirts that I am yearning to own - Will make the prefect addition to my growing 'work wear' wardrobe (More on that in a later post). But they have a timeless elegance, but with quirky prints brings them bang up to date, and of course the CT headscarf is back in a big way. I am very pleased about this as I have been rocking mine recently to keep my ears warm in this lovely spring weather.The styling of this shoot is just perfect I really like the play of classical elegance in contrast to the unusual prints.

And if beautiful clothes wasn't enough... There is also a limited edition wallpaper which is to die for!! Imagine an army of penguins lining your bath room walls. I am not allowed to decorate my abode but I am tempted to buy some rolls just for when I can!I hope you love this new collection as much as I do - I will be saving to add to my head scarf some friends to keep it company in my wardrobe!

Enjoy!
Fashion Fantasist xx

Crazy in Love with Amour Fou

I am super proud of Charlie Critchley Crozier - The Bristol Designer behind Amour Fou as she is a part of an off schedule London Fashion Week show that happened this evening. Unfortunately I couldn't go as I am now a working girl but here are a few sneak peaks and a little on what Charlie has said about the collections (She has shown 2!!!)What is the inspiration behind the collection?
Well I will be showcasing two collection, I've been asked to show the fantasy range again as it went down so well at Rockstyle and London would like a little splash of magic to spice up the evening. I've added an extra 4 new designs to the fantasy set. Two enchanted princess dresses expressing the little girl inside all of us. The are both inspired by the fairytale Cinderella as I have made them with a raw cut edge showing that even beauty can have jagged edges and doesn't always need to be perfect. It's nice seeing the collection on a different set of models and seeing how the dress adapts and changes with a different face and figure.My second collection came from a project I started in College and from my obsession with the planets and star system, I used to gaze at the stars before going to bed at night and sometimes wish on a shooting star for my dreams to come true.......I've been pretty lucky so far that every wish has come to fruition.My new starlight collection has at least 4,000 sequins, rhinestones and crystals. It's a sparkly, shimmery, dazzling collection for ladies who like to shine when they walk into a room. The collection has nearly every style from evening gowns, prom dresses, 60's mini, 1920's flapper, lingerie and a piece from my new summer project, bespoke swimwear. I want to show London my versatility and my ambition to create just about anything so long as it fills my Amour Fou theatrical style.How did you get involved in LFW and what is the event?
I was asked to take part in the closing party show by Julian Bennett after the success of Bristol Rockstyle. The event is being held at Amika on Kensington High Street on the 23rd of Feb to a host of celebrities and guest the likes of Bond Girl and star of Prince of Persia and Titans- Gemma Artherton for Enzoani, Jamelia , Denise Van Outen, TV Gladiators Jenny Pacey and Wayne Gordon, Jayne Aston and John Adeleye to take to the catwalk.

The evening will be covered by top photographers, OK magazine and Fashion TV. (Wow I will be looking out for the photographs!!)There will be three designers in total and I have been asked to show my two collections last. The other designers are fantastic. Enzoani Couture's designs take my breath away and they have a Men's designer Terence Trout.

I found out whilst in the midst of getting ready for Fashion at Bath Show so I have had to use some from the Bath collection due to time limit but I'm saving a few special dresses for the Bath show that the Miss Willertons will be wearing and have been created just for them.........I really couldn't imagine another model wearing them. I even have my ballet dancer back again for the Bath section.

What have you been up2 since finding out?

Since being asked to do LFW I won't lie, the nerves did kick in! But I've had to put the butterflies on hold and get to work. I've been expanding the two collections so I can cater for all types of people with a variety of styles. I'm hoping to go for the wow factor and that involves an outrageous amount of sequins and weeks of hand stitching. Attention to details was on the fore front of my mind throughout. I want to show London that Bristol has some raw talent out there, it may not be their usual cup of tea but who knows they just might like the taste of Amour Fou!I am so excited to see the final Show pictures and I hope Charlie had a wonderful time tonight!!!!!!

Even though I didn't go to LFW this season I have some lovely posts lined up...

Best Wishes
Fashion Fantasist xxx

Concentric Thoughts

This is Liz Black's debut Autumn/Winter 2011/12 collection. Concentric Thoughts presents a subtle, futuristic, minimalist look. It consists of impeccably tailored statement pieces that have timeless appeal.

'Concentric Thoughts aims to appeal to the intellectual woman who demands innovative designs of the highest quality whilst managing a busy lifestyle.'

Liz graduated from Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design in London. Her degree collection, 'Arty Society', featured geometric and circular shapes, inspired by the Orphist artist Sonia Delaunay and beautiful prints influenced by the work of abstract expressionist Jackson Pollock.Concentric Thoughts signature pieces, The Circle Body Suit and The Circle Bow Dress '...frame the empowered woman in a circle, achieving a superb visual effect. Through out the collection, shapes are further refined and then re-simplified, resulting in beautifully feminine silhouettes whilst at the same time integrating masculine influences such as bow ties, lapels and collars sewn into the garments themselves. The use of sensuede, neoprene, silk organza, cotton and wool combine to create an elegant aesthetic.'Vogue Italia has described her as a 'designer to watch out for' and Fashion156 has named her the author's 'personal womenswear highlight'. In 2010 she won Ysh London's 'Best in Show Competition' and AKDK's e-Creative 'Best Emerging Fashion Designer' award.

So I am very excited to see what comes next from this obviously very talented designer.

Fashion Fantasist xx

Big City Dreams

Emily Kaya Has One Too Many Drinks in New York

I came across this particular illustrator on Amelia's Magazine blog and was immediately drawn in by their beauty. Ross McEwan has a wonderful unique style that I would like to share with you.

My favourite is 'Happy Pretty Girl Dreams Of The Big City' where a girls face in profile has hair piled on top of her head mingled in with iconic buildings from London. I think she is lovely!

Ross has been drawing from a young age with his first memory being a green dinosaur, '...a bit like "barney"in infant school I must have 6-7.'

'I guess my inspiration comes from celebrity culture, I like to narrate the images relating to stories I hear and a lot the time, the dumb crimes they commit. I use a lot of personal experiences also. There is a reoccurring person involved with the drawings, but I choose not to name he/she :)

For references of the models I usually have an idea of what I want and then search through books and magazines until I find the right pose to manipulate.'

Glitch Melissa Bracken Makes A Grave Error

I hope you have enjoyed Ross' work and check out his website.

Fashion Fantasist xxx

Gilly Woo for Guide2Bristol

At the beginning of the year I was asked to do an interview with Bristol based designer, dress maker, costumier and corsetry specialist Gilly Woo (Gill Cockwell) for Guide2Bristol.She really is inspirational, driven and involved with a lot of different projects all at once...

'What is next for Gilly Woo?


Well, we are very busy indeed with bespoke commissions for all sorts of occasion wear for the rest of this year.
I filmed a TV programme (bridal boudoir) for wedding TV at the end of last year so that will air in the spring and hopefully bring with it lots of enquiries (fingers crossed!) and we are still developing the ready to wear collection as well.
We are retailing off the peg corsets from Woohoo Vintage in Shepton Mallet and will be aiming to increase sales there as well as looking for potential retail outlets else where in the country.
Events wise I am a very busy girl too...
This April I'll be doing a catwalk show for Women South West and I have the privilege of cutting the ribbon to open the vintage weekender Ruby Slipper Retro in Torquay. Come June I'll be judging best dressed and best hat at the Bath and West show and then of course there is the Gilly Woo Christmas Do to organise for December as well as the 2 or 3 fashion shows we usually get involved in throughout the year.
I'll continue to write my column for Suit Yourself magazine too. It's a lot to fit in and I'm so lucky to have such wonderful staff who work so hard along side me to make it all happen, I'm also lucky enough to love my job!'
For the full interview please head over to Guide2Bristol.


Fashion Fantasist xx

Spring Clean

Hello, Sorry for my lack of posting lately but I have been thinking that my blog needs a bit of a revamp. With Spring Springing I am going to be giving Fashion Fantasist a bit of a Spring clean. In light of that I would like to have a new banner heading as at the moment I think I am on default and a little bit of colour wouldn't hurt!

So I am calling all illustrators to submit ideas for my banner heading by the 1st March... My favorite will be chosen and used with full credits to the illustrator with any website or blog info that they might have. Anyone interested please submit via email (on right hand side of page).

Thank you I look forward to seeing the entries!

Best Wishes Fashion Fantasist xx

P.S Don't Hyacinths just smell lovely?