Happy New Year!

Good Morning all,

Happy New Year and Happy Birthday to Fashion Fantasist, this blog is now two years old!! 2011 was a very busy year for me and unfortunately this blog was very light on posting. 2011 brought me a permanent job in an office, a new house, two little kittens and new friends.2012 I have aims to get to grips with what I want to achieve. I have been working on some print designs and am working on a mini collection. At the end of 2011 a friend at work had a baby and, as a gift, I made a patchwork baby blanket. I really enjoyed it and have already received a request to make two more. It might be something I will explore in more detail.In other news I hope not to be too wiped out by work, I enjoy what I do but I must remember why I am doing it and to utilise my evenings and weekends doing things that I love. Also I hope my 2012 will be full of balloons... All will hopefully become clear later in the year! :)

I hope this post hasn't been too dull but Happy New Year and I hope you achieve everything you wish in 2012!

Best wishes,
Fashion Fantasist xx

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

Oliver Bonas

The most wonderful shop has opened in Cabot Circus recently that I can't go a day without stepping in to. Oliver Bonas has opened its first shop outside London and it is in Bristol :) Oliver Bonas has 27 shops in London and was started by.... well you guessed it - Oliver Bonas! It all started from him bringing home interesting and different gifts for his friends.It has a wonderful selection of homewares, gifts, womenswear, things for children and of course at this time of year Christmas stocking fillers. I have already managed to find a couple of unique Christmas presents here and have dragged Mr FF round it and pointed at quite a few things. So if you want to find a beautiful gift or just want to spoil yourself do check out Oliver Bonas online, in London or even in Bristol. If you do pop in Bristol you will probably find me there... I just can't get enough.... My Christmas list is getting longer...

Anyway speak soon lovelies!
Fashion Fantasist xx

Pop-Up Christmas

A lovely Pop-up shop has, well, Popped-Up in Cabot Circus this month...

This year, the run up to Christmas has seen over 100 local artists come together as part of ‘Pop-Up Bristol’ - a new initiative from Made in Bristol that has showcased a diverse range of independent galleries and creative talent on the high street for the first time, adding a new dimension to Christmas shopping at Cabot Circus this year. The pop-ups offer the opportunity to purchase quality gifts and one-off pieces by up-and-coming artists.

Drawn in Bristol is a newly formed, locally focused illustration collective which hosts regular events & shows in the city. The collective has 50 members and celebrates the work of Bristol based illustrators by providing them with a platform to showcase their work. Their stunning shop can be found in Quakers Friars and features original illustrations, prints and cards, handmade toys and locally designed T-shirts.

‘Upfest’, established in 2008 and now Europe’s largest graffiti art festival, adds a new dimension to Level 1 of the Glass Walk in Cabot Circus with an urban art and graffiti gallery, ‘POP-UPfest’. As well as urban style artworks, the gallery will feature Bristol street art photography and weekly live drawing events.

Along with these, the ‘Smithson Gallery’ pop-up provides a platform for a variety of talented artists and styles, offering original art and prints alongside great cards and original gift ideas including bags, cushions, tea towels, ceramics and decoration.

Pop-Up Bristol will be hosting a party to celebrate the one-month countdown to Christmas on Thursday November 24th at 6pm across their three temporary festive galleries at Cabot Circus!

The event will offer guests a fantastic opportunity to see and purchase all the brilliant artworks the shops have on offer and will also feature live drawing and music. There will also be a chance to meet all of the diverse and talented artists involved in the project along with some exciting special guests.

So if you are around in Cabot this Christmas season make sure you Pop by! They will be open as follows:
POP-UPfest: Open now - 24th December (level1, Glass Walk)
Drawn in Bristol: Open now - 3rd December (Quakers Friars)
Smithson Gallery and Gifts: Open now - 24th December (Level 1, Glass Walk)
Bristol Creatives: Open now - 24th December (Quakers Friars)

For more information check it out here!

Best wishes,
Fashion Fantasist xx

P.S I am really excited about Christmas! :)

Elvis isn't dead...

Hello Strangers,

It is crazy to think that this time last year I was enduring the long bus journey from Oxford to London and then an hour long underground trek - enjoying an internship at French Connection!It was an interesting experience but it already feels like it was a million years ago. What I really enjoyed was being able to help out with print a bead work. It is very strange to see some of the pieces I helped with sitting in the shops waiting to be bought. Gives me a little skip in my step when I see an advert for a garment I saw at it's beginnings. It was a fantastic experience and I really enjoyed it! Thank you to the people who helped me get it and who taught me a great deal about what the industry is like.

Anyway the reason I rave about some of the garments is because I have recently purchased one. It was in the sale but £325 reduced to £150 I think is still fair :). It is the Broiderie Brogue dress in cream leather with a laser cut pattern. I can tell you the silly thing I get excited about is I remember photocopying the pattern and trying to make it match at the seams and also drawing the pattern on to a working drawing. Silly but it gives me a little thrill.I did have an occasion to splash the cash and get such a statement piece - it wasn't just for wearing round the house! It was Mr FF's Grandparent's 50th Wedding Anniversary at the end of September = A big deal! A lot of his relatives were there, some travelled from Italy and America to come and celebrate. It was lots of fun with a five course lunch and a Dean Martin impersonator serenading us all and in the evening there was a hog roast and an Elvis impersonator. It was so much fun!! I have added some pictures in this post so you can see mine and Mr FF's outfits and some of the crazy shenanigans!

Mr FF and I
Mr FF and I with Mr FF's Bro and GirlfriendThe Grandparents = awwwAnd a rather close call with Elvis!

Anyway speak soon!!
Fashion Fantasist xx

(Thank you David D'Elia for the event photographs)

Song of the Rainbird

Good Morning lovelies,

One of the things I really love about being a blogger is unique designers I hadn't come across before sending me press releases and imagery of their collections. Imagine my joy at finding one such email earlier this week from Australian designer Kelly Love. I had not come across Kelly's work before and I am so pleased that she has shared it with me because I adore her AW11 collection - 'Song of the Rainbird'.It is a collection inspired by the 60's with references to the correlation between muses, fallen rock stars and beautiful birds in cages. I really love the print work, black and white mixed with navy contrasted against bright pops of yellow. I wanted to know more about the collection. So contacted Kelly back and asked her a few questions:What is your inspiration?
Inspiration can come from anywhere but my label is mainly inspired by femininity, 1940's and 1960's, textured fabrics, foreign films, Parisian actresses, folk music and antique furniture.How do you start designing a collection?
I start by writing - anything from a short story to a song. For my AW2011 collection 'Song of the Rainbird' I collaborated with the band Nova's Basement who wrote music to my lyrics. You can listen to the song here! Whatever I write is written as the girl who would wear my collection, almost like an imaginary muse. I then do a mood board, start sketching and pick colours and fabrics.What made you move to London?
The Industry is so much bigger in London than in Sydney so I knew there would be more opportunity. I also love to travel and there are so many places just a hop, skip and jump away? Plus it is such an inspirational city with so much to do and see.How long have you been designing?
I started designing at school and loved it. I've always known I wanted to do something creative. My label started in 2o08 when I launched my first collection "Beautiful Side of Everything" at the New Generation Show of Australian Fashion Week. My latest collection for SS12 'Pocket Full O'Posies' is my third collection in the UK and is inspired by bunches of posies, vintage lingerie and 1940's cocktail parties.I really like this collection and enjoyed speaking to Kelly! I hope you do too!
Best wishes,
Fashion Fantasist xx

P.S she also has a shop on her website!!!

Behind The Sun

The drizzly, darkness of winter seems to have appeared. I have that horrible numb feeling in my brain from a rather horrible cold. So this blog post may not make muuuuuch sense. Hehe! We did have one last lovely weekend of beautiful weather however and the papers went mad calling it our Indian Summer. So in natural Brit fashion we took to the park with picnic in hand and disposable bbq in the other.

Now this is my first outfit post so please be kind... I have managed to find myself a lovely pair of wine coloured skinny jeans for the winter months. Coloured trousers - jeans and chinos are becoming a big winter trend for women and men. Imagine my joy when instead of teaming these jeans with chunky jumpers I was able to wear a strappy top - in SEPTEMBER! :)

Head scarf: Charlotte Taylor
Top: Topshop
Jeans: Urban Outfitters
Shoes: Miss Selfridge
Bag: Primark

More posts soon - the fashion weeks have not gone unnoticed!! I am now going back to my hot chocolate, blanket and Red Hot Chili Peppers 'What Hits' and the talking dolphin.

Speak soon lovelies!
Fashion Fantasist xx