Merry Christmas and A Happy New Year!

Hello lovelies,

I have been having a rather jolly time - it was Mr FF and my first Christmas spent together. So we got the tree and decked the halls and of course were well a truly spoilt!

So this post is to share with you a few lovely presents I received, our tree and just general Christmassyness! :)

Our Christmas Tree
A cosy tartan rug

Some very lovely tea sets and china. I am a big fan of Tea-pot-tea (said as one word!) Fun to say and the best way to drink tea.These books are marvellous - I highly recommend them. And a beautiful bird print scarf.

Thank you to my family, boyfriend and friends for these wonderful presents. I hope you all had great Christmases and got everything you wished for. But hasn't time flown? I feel this year has just whooshed by... It is already new years eve and this blog's 2nd Birthday tomorrow! I hope you have all had a good 2011 and I promise to be more vocal in the new year!!

Very best wishes,
Fashion Fantasist xx

All the Jewellery I Never Got

All The Jewellery I Never Got from GrandBoy on Vimeo.

Don't you just love it when you stumble on to wonderful fashion whilst browsing the Internet? Natalie Coleman's hand drawn quirky illustrations caught my eye recently. Her Spring Summer 2012 collection features hand drawn, water coloured jewels digitally printed and pleated. The collection is flirtatious, sexy and full of whimsy.Natalie Coleman is a fashion design MA graduate from Central St. Matins and has worked for threeASFOUR in New York, Ragna Frodadottir a textile designer in Iceland and Joanne Hynes, Ireland.'Inspired by the stories, the secrets and longings for individuality in all women and with a background in strong narratives and quirky romance, Natalie has recently established her own fashion business and label NATALIEBCOLEMAN.'I really like this collection and with the weather turning cold I am already thinking about next season when the sun will hopefully come back!

Enjoy,
Fashion Fantasist xx

Bling Bling

Just a short blog post to announce that www.jonrichard.com launched on 22nd September! The lovely people include have put in every effort to make it a first class jewellery and accessory shopping destination.

The website retails jewellery and accessories from Jon Richard, MOOD, Simply Silver, Jon Richard made with SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS, Jon Richard Bridal, and our newest brand – Disney Couture!They are also offering the first 300 customers who make a purchase an £8 pair of Cubic Zirconia earrings as a welcome gift. Also to celebrate their launch they are running a competition for the first month. All you need to do is enter your details and you will be in with a chance of winning a Jon Richard made SWAROVSKI ELEMENTS goody bag worth over £300!!The site is clean, simple and easy to navigate. To those of you who are getting married a Bridal Boutique has launched and it allows customers to download a bridal brochure and view all their bridal jewellery range. The site also features a Look Book page, which showcases all the latest trend looks and pieces to buy to re-create the look!

As well as the website there is also a brand new blog featuring fashion trends, press events and new products.

I hope you will have a browse.
Fashion Fantasist xx

204 Gloucester Rd

On Wednesday evening (15/06/11) after a mildly stressful day at the office Mr FF and I headed up Gloucester road for an 'evening with designers/artists at Charlie Boots'. Charlie is a Bristol based ethical fashion designer and now has a lovely unique shop on Gloucester road. She has a lovely mix of her own fashion and pieces from other artists. It had photography by Michael Reeves and Deborah Weinrab on the walls and the window display was by illustrator Kirk Stacey. Charlie informed me that she is interested in local artists using her window to display their work and create interesting and varied window displays. She is also keen to allow other ethical designers exhibit their work on her rails for limited periods to help raise awareness for other ethical fashion brands.

The shop was great and there was not only clothing and bags but jewellery, furniture, clocks made from vinyl and beautiful pottery. If you get the chance to pop up Gloucester road (a must do anyway as there are some wonderful vintagey shops) please do stop by Charlie Boots. She is also running workshops where you can learn to sew dresses, skirts, bags, cushions, underwear, purses or textile art with experienced and skilled tutors. To find out more about this service go to the 'news' section of her website.

Enjoy

Fashion Fantasist xx

What's that Brown Owl?

It's Kirsty Ward! Back again on this blog with another wonderful collection. An exciting mix of crystals, metals, sheer voils, sportswear fabrics and mohair. It is a really beautiful collection and it is not hard to believe that she is celebrated as on of the up and coming iconic British designers.Kirsty Ward has continued her exploration of materials and structure by experimenting with texture and layers. Jewellery blends with the garments and creates Kirsty's signature statement looks. The British tradition of Brownies was one of the main inspirations for this collections with their yellow and brown uniforms (which lend to their name) with their badge encrusted sashes. (If you haven't heard of Brownies they are similar to girl guides.... I think? I was never a Brownie. The badges would signify certain skills they had learnt.)
The garments are all about the little special details. On closer inspection will reveal jewellery trapped between layers of fabric, mini hinges act as embellishment and boning inserted at various points adds structure to the most unexpected fabrics. I think this is what makes them so interesting and beautiful.I am so happy to see how well Kirsty is doing!!! She has been hailed by Vogue.com as One of the Designers to Watch 2011. This season she was selected as a One-to-Watch designer at Vauxhall Fashion Scout catwalk show and I am gutted I didn't get the chance to see the show but it is so lovely to have these photographs from the show. Selfridges’ have also invited Kirsty Ward to take part in the Bright Young Things exhibition and they currently stock exclusive pieces from her collection in the store and online.Kirsty Ward is also stocked in Kabiri London and with youngbritishdesigners.comFastening support by YKK. Crystals sponsored by SWAROVSKI ELEMENTSBest Wishes
Fashion Fantasist xx

10% OFF Ethical Fashion

The Unique Bristol Fashion Brand Charlie Boots is offering 10% off to all readers of this blog!!!!The label “Charlie Boots” is the brainchild of Charlie Boots, Bristol based designer who creates original , stylish womenswear and bags from ethically sourced materials which are then fabricated to a very high standard by a small team of talented seamstresses.

The ethics of the fashion industry have been thrust under the spotlight in recent years as exposes uncovered the true cost of high street fashion in relation to the environment and the human cost of the workforce needed to produce the high volume/low quality garments it demands.Charlie Boots’s vision is clear: “I want to show the fashion world that you do not have to compromise when it comes to style and quality when the ethical history of your clothes is important to you. I believe that people will love my ethical clothing for it’s innovative designs and for the care and attention to detail with which they are made. The fact that they are produced from ethically sourced materials and made by people being paid properly for their expertise is simply the way modern fashion should be. As consumers, we shouldn't expect anything less.”

Charlie Boots offers its customers an exciting range of day and evening wear that utilises fair trade, sustainable , organic, reclaimed and vintage fabrics such as 1930’s ‘feedsacks’ and kimonos from the 50’s onwards. Each design is limited to only ten items and due to the rarity of many of the fabrics, some are complete one-offs.

The Charlie Boots website also sells organic knitwear from Lowie and Eka and handmade jewellery.

Charlie Boots is currently offering 10% off (until the 25th of December) to readers of this blog. To claim your unique Voucher code please email hello@charlieboots.com and give the name of the blog you are reading. A text or email will then be sent with the discount code!

This cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer.

I have blogged about Charlie Boots before - I think it is a wonderful company with great values - so get shopping!!!! You may find some Christmas presents too!

Happy Shopping!!
Fashion Fantasist xx

David Longshaw SS11

Me - It's not like as an adult you can have a top with a cat on it. That (the dress above) is a chic, grown up, edgy version...
David - And you must consider what a cat on your tshirt means...
Me - It means I love cats... and maybe I have 50 or so at home.
David - ... and I smell of cat... and dead cat... as I have so many cats I can't find it....
Me - ummmm I think you took it too far.
David - (looks bashful) I always take it too far!

I think David Longshaw's imagination runs away with him, which I don't think is a bad thing at all - after all it is his story's that spring board his collections.

His Spring Summer 2011 does not disappoint - 'Well basically there is a bunch of hoodlums...' these female hoodies decide to go on a day trip to a stately home. But it is closed so they break in. They planned to perform petty crime and vandalism but instead are drawn in by opulent garments. They decide to dress up...This story influences the prints through the collection - the girl with two fags wearing a ruff and feathers and pug dogs. Feathers and subtle frills, prints of dogs and smoking girls all come together in beautiful hues of blue and purple. As well as illustration prints there are interesting 3D textures of feathers and knit by Lily Hibbert.The silhouette was inspired by sportswear - remember what 'hoodlums' usually wear... I really like the relaxed but structured nature of the pieces. I am very drawn in by the colours used.Kirsty Ward, in another collaboration, has designed the jewellery. Hardware with lilac and blue felt folds - again remember the 'bling bling' usually supported by 'hoodlums'...I really like this collection and the story behind it - I hope you do to! David will be exhibiting in Paris with Vauxhall Fashion Scout - if you get the chance to chat to him - do!

To see some lookbook images head to the Vauxhall Fashion Scout Blog.

Best Wishes
Fashion Fantasist xx

UnTold

As a break from the exhibition posts of LFW I will share with you the Untold show that I went to at the Design Museum (20/9/10). I was invited because my lovely uni friend Jaz was in the show!! Really pleased for her I knew it was going to be great!

The show started at 6 (well actually 7...) but there was a traditional London Bus used as a pop up boutique throughout the afternoon.I had a good ol' nose around and saw loads of racks of clothing, jewellery and illustrations. I also got to see Anna Lee's collection up close and personal - she was the winner of the Zandra Rhodes Catwalk Textiles Prize at Graduate Fashion Week.Once inside everyone took their seats at the catwalk - I sat in a seat with a goody bag. The show began...

First up was Tijana and Mila Popovic who make up the group ,,R8" for eco design. Uniting ethics and aesthetics - recycling, redesign and reconstruction. Black lace and Gothic form fitting garments started the show off with floral accents. Butterfly hats and unusual fabrics. Juxtaposition of hard against soft. My favorite piece was the Neon Zip Dress (photographed).Next collection to hit the catwalk was by the Untold 2010 competition winner Ross Paul Keenan.This collection was menswear with a difference, "My collection was inspired by working on Savile row and how everything was done by the book. I wanted to rebel against the menswear tailoring that has stayed unchanged for many years. The concept came from looking into the football and Brixton riots, and I wanted to create an urban warrior."

A tropical tribal fusion came next from Eki Orleans. Interpretations of African prints on silk - a more luxurious take on a traditional textile. Swimwear, graphic prints, frills and a sexy silhouette.My favorite piece was this yellow dress.The next collection was by Karla Sabina and featured frilled necklaces and cuffs with silver seashell bags.The next collection is going to be image heavy I am afraid - and quite possibly professionally bias... But I do really like my friend Jasmine Howard-Evans collection of brightly coloured, paint splattered garments. Inspired by 1940's utility wear, aeroplanes and birds. Free fluid designs have been taken directly from her sketchbook and contrasted against dungaree utility wear. So I really like this collection and I hope you do too!
After a wonderful colourful collection an Indian inspired mens and womenswear collection by DeLeon by Richard Ramos. Pleating, folds, knitwear and feathers with traditional Indian silhouettes.After the show there was tea and cake but unfortunately I had to dash off to catch my train. It was a lovely evening in a beautiful location.Enjoy
Fashion Fantasist xx