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)

Uni City Fashion Face Off

Which Uni are you from Bristol or UWE? I am a UWE graduate and think they might just have what it takes to win this face off...

The lovely ladies at MyStreetChic.com have given students the opportunity to win £50 to spend at Merc Clothing and an exclusive MyStreetChic beauty goody bag.

During freshers weeks an undercover 'glam spy' from MyStreetChic will be scoping out both universities and snapping pics of the most stylish students. “The two universities have a history of friendly rivalry, so we’re hoping they’ll be pulling out all the stops to show us who has the best style,” commented Gina Dyer, Editor of MyStreetChic.com.

Just to make it fair the looks won't be chosen by the MyStreetChic team. Instead the users of the site are able to cast a vote so if you want your fellow students to win you need to log on and vote. Voting will open Wednesday 5th October.

Best wishes,
Fashion Fantasist xx

Gok-Tastic!

Last Wednesday I was completely star struck on the front row of the Gok Wan's fashion roadshow in the centre of Cabot Circus. Thank you to the lovely ladies who PR for Cabot Circus I was able to sit on one of the pink seats and use the voting paddles.

The first season of Gok's fashion roadshow Gok was up against Brix Smith Start with a designer versus highstreet face off. This season Gok is up against.... well... Gok!! He has turned his hand at creating an affordable collection, where each outfit cost up to £50 and a more expensive, where each outfit cost up to £250. I wont reveal too much about them as the programme will be airing later this month but I am looking forward to finding out where everything came from.

There were also three lucky ladies who had a Gok style make over and looked like they really enjoyed the experience. It was nice to sit where I did as I got to see the family's reactions, since they knew what they had looked like before. At the end I was grabbed for an interview.... Which I really hope isn't aired.... "I voted for the pink one... because of such and such a reason..." All very embarrassing - but I was pleased with my outfit and actually have a snap here with some of the other guests (Picture source mystreetchic.com). Skinny Jeans, over sized cream shirt and clogs. Managed to successfully wear those and not fall over much... hehe!All in all I had a lovely time. It was nice to also meet the girls behind mystreetchic.com who I sat with.

Enjoy and hope you manage to catch the show!
Fashion Fantasist xx

A Lesson In Style

A group of the UK's finest young stylists are told to get creative with Converse Bags. With the new term just around the corner the stylists were asked to draw inspiration from their school days when they drew on their school bags to express their personal style. They were given a Converse Bag and a pencil case... The results ranged from the classic to the extrovert and extraordinary and they definitely expressed that person's unique style.The Brief:

With Converse launching their first bag collection just in time for the new school year, a handful of the UK's finest experts on style and self expression representing fashion, music and culture reminisced about what defined their own unique style, getting nostalgic about what it means to be an individual once the new term begins. Provided simply with a canvas duffle bag from the Converse Bags & Accessories launch collection, a pencil case and notebook, they got creative to express their personal style in their very own special way...
Alexis Knox:
About Alexis Knox: Style Mentor on T4's Style the Nation alongside Giles Deacon and Nick Grimshaw, Alexis Knox is an expert on expressing personal style. By Day she is Fashion Director at Notion magazine and a renowned stylist and by night she is a host at the surrealist club night ‘Circus’.
Describe your school style?
Accessorise to the max! I went to a Convent school where the uniform was pretty strict.... a kilt! So it was all about customising to the max with plastic bangles, kids accessories and gweebo bunches!

Britta Burger:
About: Britta Burger is acting Fashion Editor at surf, skate and snow title Cooler magazine.
The inspiration behind the bag:
The duffle bag really reminded me of all-American High-School basketball heroes, the whole sporty collegiate style. It’s also about the way I grew up, the whistles remind me of my parents who were sports teachers and the poms poms are kind of like balls. The canvas of the bag was just asking to be drawn on with the markers and I suppose it's also an abstract take on the classic stars and stripes, but I was inspired by the iconic pop art aspect of it, not the fact that it's a national flag.

Hope Von Joel:
About: Stylist and Accessories Designer Hope Von Joel’s fashion credentials begin at home, as Niece of Supermodel Jean Shrimpton, Hope studied knitwear at Central Saint Martins, working for the likes of Alexander McQueen and Gareth Pugh, before becoming Fashion Editor at The Super Super . From styling London Fashion Week shows for Charlie Le Mindu to fashion editorials for titles such as Elle Girl,Tank, Arena, Oyster, Dansk, and UK Vogue, Hope is now contributing Fashion Editor at Fiasco and one half of the talented design duo behind http://www.eyeoftheworlddesigns.com/ with Liam Motyer, creating stunning handmade wooden accessories, available exclusively at Browns Focus.
How did you style up your school uniform?
With a big smile and old paisley scarf, fur muff to keep hands warm and old second hand shoes in a shiny 60s black and white!

Chantelle Fiddy
About: Chantelle Fiddy is a journalist and renowned commentator on London's grime scene, whose music credentials include penning for Ctrl.Alt.Shift, RWD Magazine, Mixmag, Sunday Times Style and Dazed & Confused as well as presenting on Channel 4's 'Generation Next' and making multiple appearance on BBC Radio 1's Review Show. You'll mostly find her online.
Describe your school style? My school style flitted between record bags and (hideous) rave jackets (I hereby admit to rocking a Technics number) to holding my (entire mop of unbrushed) hair up with felt tip pens and wearing leg warmers alongside my yellow shirt and green blazer.

About Converse Bags:
For AW’11 Converse took the illustrious heritage and iconic style, that has seen their classic sneakers and Chuck Taylor All Star logo omnipresent since the 1900s, to create their first ever dedicated Bags & Accessories Collection. The debut collection reflects the simple and versatile styling synonymous with Converse complete with the iconic Chuck Taylor All Star logo, steel eyelet details and the ever versatile canvas.

The new line of Converse Bags & Accessories is available now at stockists including Schuh, JD Sports and www.blackleaf.com. Prices range from £19 - £54.95

Enjoy, Fashion Fantasist xx

(Images include Alexi Knox's creation, Hope Van Joel's wooden masterpiece and Britta Burger's collegiate style creation)

It's oh so quiet.... shhhhh shhhhh

Right it is time to blow the dust off this blog and banish the tumbleweeds and get with the programme! I have no good excuse for my lack of activity and can only apologise for being dull and say thank you to those followers who have not left out of sheer boredom!!!

I have a few dozen posts lined up but I should probably fill you in with what I have been up to...

As you know I finally managed to get a paid office job at the end of February. I shall not divulge the company name but I was there with an agency on a temporary bases. On 1st June I was offered a role within the company to work permanently and I started on 1st July! I am currently 2 months in to my 3 month probation period and I feel it is going well. I enjoy working with the people I work with and I think that is what counts... My hours are also pretty cool 9am - 4pm, which means I have actually had some time to draw :) I also am really enjoying office wear = smart/casual can be lots of fun and I am also becoming more experimental with my weekend style. I hope to incorporate some style snaps for you on this blog going forward.

(Yes this is a work shirt... Tucked in to a black pencil skirt it looks pretty cool!)

Mr Fashion Fantasist and I also have two new little members of our family in the shape of two very mischievous kittens who , I'm not going to lie, keep us on our toes. They are Bea and Rosie. Bea is the runt of the litter and is a tiny, black short hair and Rosie, her sister, is a black long hair. At this very moment I have both of them sitting on my knee batting at my fingers on the keys and the screen. Most of the time they can be adorable but they can be little terrors as Mr FF found at his peril when they chewed through his skype head set whilst he was mid conversation.... ooops!! But look at their little faces - you can't be mad for long! They also seem to have some sort of death wish throwing themselves up and down the stairs...
Stairs? Yes you read correctly! Mr FF and I have moved out of our one bed ground floor flat in to a two bedroom house! Yay! To be honest I am just as excited about the stairs as the kittens!! Hehe! It is still rented but it is a lovely Victorian mid terrace house with features, a garden and I have converted the second bedroom in to a bit of a studio space, which I plan to shut myself away in whenever I come home from work. However coming from a one bed flat in to a house one notices a severe lack of furniture so I have become a tad obsessed with interiors at the moment and I think my Tumblr blog will start to reflect this... I need to buy a scanner, mine went to scanner heaven, as I have a big box of image clippings I plan to share with you on that blog!

Front room
Bed room
Second bedroom/Studio!

Anyway that's the life update over... I am very much looking forward to writing a few posts I have lined up and sharing with you my Autumn favourites that are now in the shops. But for now, how are you? and what have I missed?

Speak Soon!!
Best wishes,
Fashion Fantasist xx

Love it, Wear it, Share it.

My Street Chic has launched in Bristol. After a megally stressful day I was unable to unwind at the Launch Party on 16th June at the Big Chill Bar but I heard that it was a great success and I am very excited about the concept of the website.

(The MyStreetChic.com girls (left to right) student fashion ambassadors Grace Wakefield and Georgina Puddephatt, Editor Gina Dyer, Staff Writer Sian Hogan, student fashion ambassadors Grace Currie and Parul Matlib)

(The team from Robin James accept their certificate for setting the world record for topknot hairstyles. Staff Writer Sian Hogan, Robin James Salon Manager Lucy Castle, Robin James Creative Director Javier Encina, Robin James himself, MyStreetChic.com Editor Gina Dyer.)

"MyStreetChic.com is ‘the online fashion community that’s right up your street’, looking at how real women are wearing the latest street, fashion and beauty trends.

We’ll cover styles on a localised basis – so you can see what people where you live are wearing and how to adapt the look for yourself.

The site has launched with Bristol as its pilot city and will later be rolled out to other cities."

It is very exciting to have Bristol as the pilot city as there is so much buzz surrounding it now with indy boutiques and designers cropping up all over. The website combines insightful editorial coverage as well as user generated content and interactive features. Its aim is to put real women at the centre of determining what's hot in fashion. It is a platform to see how real people on your high street are wearing the latest trends and offers tips on how to make the looks work for you.

So watch out Bristol - put your best fashion foot forward when you step outside because you never know when the My Street Chic team may be there to snap your picture. They were recently at St Paul's carnival last weekend and there are some lovely photographs of a whole range of summer styles.

Best wishes,
Fashion Fantasist xx

Current Bun

(Photo credit: Lee Stafford)

Bristol hairdressers will attempt to set the World Record for the highest number of topknot hairstyles completed in one day today (11/06/2011) at Cabot Circus.

The event is organised by Bristol based fashion website MyStreetChic.com. Bristol shopper's hair will be transformed into the iconic topknot style as part of a speed styling challenge. A team from Robin James Salon Ltd will attempt to get through as many topknots as possible to score a World Record - and put Bristol firmly on the style map! I wish them the best of luck!!!

The topknot, otherwise known as a super high bun, has been hailed as the hairstyle of Summer 2011, with celebs like Kylie, Gwen Stefani, Blake Lively and Whitney Port all rocking the look.

Shoppers in Cabot Circus today will be able to get their hair styled into a topknot for free and become part of the attempt. Everyone who gets a topknot will also receive a free MyStreeChic.com goodie bag, packed with stylish treats!!

Want a new look to go with your new 'do'? Make-up artists from Bobbi Brown at House of Fraser will also be on hand offering free makeovers, while the Sactuary Spa will be providing mini-manicure. The event is being held to celebrate the launch of MyStreetChic.com, a new Bristol based fashion website that will cover all things stylish in the city.

"Bristol is home to a hotbed of different styles. MyStreetChic.com aims to celebrate what's best in the West for fashion and, with this World Record attempt we hope that people will sit up and take notice of Bristol as a style capital," said Gina Dyer, Editor of MyStreetChic.com.

If you want to take part in the Great Topknot Challenge, head down to the MyStreetChic.com std in the main street at Cabot Circus TODAY 11th June between 10am and 6pm!!

Much Love

Fashion Fantasist xx

Yours Truly, x

Hello lovelies,

I would like to introduce you to Kerry Lockwood the blogger behind Yours Truly,x. I have been following Kerry's blogs for awhile and actually studied with her a few years ago, but her personal style has really captured my imagination. A fearless combination of vintage, high street, dyed red hair and a beautiful smile Miss Lockwood really knows how to have fun with fashion. So I thought I would dedicate a blog post to her and share with you her wonderful personal style.So Kerry, can you tell me a little about your personal style?
I suppose the easiest way to describe my style currently, would be a culmination of the 1940's - 60's infused with modern accents, and personal heirloom relics.My style is evolving and developing, and yet I think the basis has always pretty much been the same, even from my teen years. I love yesteryear, and will buy vintage garments for a great pattern, fantastic cut or if they evoke a personal memory. I then mix those pieces up with high street or charity shop finds, and jewellery that has sentimental value. I think this creates a very modern approach to style, as well as a much more individualistic wardrobe!Where do you find inspirations for your outfits?
It's such a cliche but inspiration can literally be found anywhere! One of my favourite handbags is a little wicker picnic basket that once held a children's tea set, I loved it so it became part of my wardrobe! I love mixing childhood relics into my outfits.I tend to use films as a great source of inspiration, whether old or modern they can have such a plethora of ideas within them!For example, I have some brogues that I hunted down after seeing a pair Naomi Watts wore in 'The Painted Veil', I have a Maria Von Trapp style dress from 'The Sound of Music' and a faux fur coat that could have been Margot's from 'The Royal Tenenbaums'I think it's really important to be open to inspiration from all directions, and with the Internet, it's literally easier than ever to be well informed!

Who are your style icons?
So many! Frida Kahlo, Iris Apfel, Catherine Baba, Audrey Hepburn, Little Edie Beale, Dita Von Teese (her street style!) Bette Davis, Jessica De Lotz, Lucille Ball, Rita Hayworth, Anna Karina, Grace Kelly, Ava Gardner (my Grandfather danced with her once!). I also quite like some modern icons like Kirsten Dunst, Alexa Chung, Leith Clark, Tennesse Thomas, Drew Barrymore, Iekeliene Stange, Helena Bonham Carter. I also find innumerable bloggers very inspiring, as their style is untouched by wealthy companies peddling their designs!What does 'style' mean to you and what is important about fashion?
Style is something very organic and individual to you. It isn't contrived or orchestrated, though it does take some effort! It is you at your most creative, and coincidentally your most comfortable. It's about evolving, being honest and experimental (sometimes getting it wrong!) but most of all about having fun.

A lot of people comment about how much I smile on my blog, but the truth is, when a lot of those photos are being taken, I'm having a really wonderful time! Clothes should be intrinsic in that.

It bothers me when people say 'Oh I could never dress like you, I couldn't pull it off' because I dress in a way that I think is an extension of my personality and in a way, it defines me. Therefore, flattered as I am, I openly encourage people to develop their own style that is unique to them, and compatible to their own personalities.What is your favourite piece of clothing (at the moment? Mine changes every time I find another hidden treasure...)
Oh I know what you mean! But then I suppose each new garment is the latest part of your style evolution? I am currently obsessing over a black scallop 1950's dress (recently featured on my blog) that I simply adore. I'm also going a bit crazy for my sundresses right now. It's nice to wear vibrant colours after such a long Winter!Where do you like to shop?
I shop a lot on eBay, as it's so convenient. I have a saved searches list as long as my arm! I also pick up a lot of things in Brighton & London as I visit both quite regularly. In London I love Brick Lane, Portobello, Angel Islington, Soho and Covent Garden. I could quite easily blow a whole months wage on a day out in London! Brighton, where my boyfriend lives is also great. Relatively recently they gained a large Beyond Retro store (where my black scallop dress was found!) and there are also tons of boutiques, stalls and markets to explore.

I also wish I could shop abroad more! I'd love to explore Stockholm, and the style haunts I found in Paris and Berlin are the stuff dreams are made of!I also love your tumblr - wonderful interior snap shots and general lifestyle - where do you like to find these images and do you have any favourite interiors? (Places/homes of someone/or designers?)
I love interior design, it's another element of style which is so personable. It's funny you should mention a favourite interior, as I'm quite obsessed with an artist couple, Annie Morris & Idris Khan. Their home is simply phenomenally designer, with breath-taking attention to detail and enviable vintage finds!

My tumblr is kind of like a creative diary for me, it references when I developed interest in new ideas and shows my creative train of thought I suppose!Aside from fashion what else interests you?
Well, films as I mentioned are a great passion of mine, as are books. I always try to find time to read, and make sure it's something worth reading! I'm currently ploughing my way through Nobakov's 'Lolita'. It's disturbing and brilliant in equal measure. Maya Angelou is one of my favourite authors.

I like nature and being outside, blues, jazz and easy listening music, collecting things, talking to people and learning something new, travel, illustration, art, designing…

I also really love history, particularly British history. Certain periods of time just fascinate me, which is a bit of a guilty confession truth be told! The Antiques Roadshow is one of my favourite programs!I know you did a fashion textiles degree and I am curious if you are doing any projects at the moment?
I'm currently trying to set up my own business. It's currently a battle of time and finances, but I have heaps of ideas I'm eager to make into a reality. The business will be based around home textiles, gifts, paper accessories and baby accessories. Through the design process, it has become obvious that my company will be one that is very quintessentially British, print-orientated, and a little bit whimsical and romantic I suppose! But would you really expect anything else…!I hope you have enjoyed meeting Kerry please stop by her blogs they really are lovely I find heaps of inspiration just tucked away. I adore British-ness and I think Kerry has hit the nail on the head and I look forward to whatever she does next! Find her blogs here and here. She also has a Lookbook account which you can browse.

Best wishes,
Fashion Fantasist xx