London calling at Anita's Vintage Fashion Fair

Wow, I cannot believe how behind I have got on my blog, slap on the wrist for me! University has now completely took over my life and it will for the next six months... sad times ahead!

On a more positive note, last month I went to Anita's Vintage Fashion Fair where I got invited to blog about the event(I failed at that clearly ha!) because they were celebrating the four capitals of style with the fact that the fashion weeks were going on at the time, as part of my blogging I had to pick a city of my choice, and being patriotic I chose good ole London town.

Here are a few of the things I found which I thought were suited to London :

Farmer tweed caps, lovely stuff

I adore old suitcases, imagine some of the stories they could tell...

 Handbags like this are my favourite, so pretty and you can fit EVERYTHING in them, what's not to like?

I loved the way the store holders put so much detail into their displays, this reminded me of Miss Marple with the fox fur and the hat!

Winters coming! I did consider buying it but my eyes wandered elsewhere... It reminded  me of the 1940s land girls and is also so on trend with some of the printed jumpers on the high street currently.

 

This was from an alteration stall that was just outside the fair, make do and mend is as strong as ever!

Anita picked this out for me, 1930's nightwear and also very Alexa Chung, don't you think?

I saw these illustrations and fell in love, their from the late 19th century/ early 20th century

and I thought they were so quaint! I do love a good illustration.

Rule Britannia!!  I Wish British companies would make tins for their products like this today,

their so sweet and really collectibles!

Fellow blogger Jen of JJ noir, also a UCA student, great to meet her and we loved sourcing goodies!

These are some flyer's of one of the stalls, Rhapsody Rags, I had to snap them because of the London Mod imagery they had on their cards!

I made a friend don't you know! I wanted this mannequin so much with old newspaper cuttings plastered all over it, and the 90s Moschino jeans!

The fair itself, lots of busy shoppers having a rummage!

I shouldn't have tried this dress on because I fell in love, a reproduction 50s dress.

It fitted like a dream but was a little out of my price league, maybe next time!

The royal jewels, you've got to love a bit of bling.

The lovely DJ spinning the wax with music from the fifties and sixties, I was in my element!

Women even got to have their hair styled, I got asked if I'd had my hair done by them, I wish!!

London Style

These are just a few shoppers I snapped because I loved their style, what London is known for!

Loved this ladies outfit and the mismatch of prints, it worked so well!

This lady was trying this original Victorian dress on, you have to have a lot of confidence

to wear something like this, and she looked great!

anddddd finally these are my two little goodies that I picked up, I apologise for the rubbish quality image  but I purchased a vintage 50s beaded sweater and repro cats eye glasses, both for just over £30! Can't complain with that one even if I do say so!

I adored working at the vintage fair and would love to have the chance to do it again, all being well I'd be a bit more on time with everything by then! If you love a good bargain check Anita's fairs out, you never know what you might find, the garments, jewellery and handbags range from over 80 years, you can't get more vintage than that can you?!
Until Next Time

Toodle Pip

xxx

Anita's Vintage Fashion Fairs

Recently I got a lovely email from Zara King, the fab PR and Marketing lady at Anita's Vintage Fashion Fair's saying that she had come across my little ole blog,loved it and invited me to the next fashion fair in London as an 'Official blogger' to help promote it and to generally have a jolly good spending spree, now how could I turn this down!?

I found this on Anita's website, oh I am so excited for this!

I'm very much looking forward to it as I haven't been to a vintage fair in so long and as I've just started back in my third year at university, my student loan has come in at what I would say is impeccable timing, although I must add that I am going to try to be good and not spend too much... I hope, well my fella will be with me so I'm sure he will keep me on a tight reign!

Anita's vintage Fashion Fairs have been running for quite some time now and have become a popular on London's vintage scene, sponsored by Lipcote, the fairs don't just showcase clothing but everything from home wear, jewellery, fabric, you name it, you will likely find it there, and not only attracting the general public but celebrities, designers and journalists from all over London. What I love is that they don't come across as your usual vintage fair which are just stacked up with 1980s 'vintage'(if you can call it that), no sir, antique finds date right back to the 1800's so there really will be something for every fashionista out there.

As it is currently fashion season, the fair is going on the theme of the 4 capitals of Style, which are of course New York, Milan, Paris and not forgetting London town, I've chosen to cover London in my up and coming post on it so I'll be looking out for lots of quaint nostalgic bits and also some of you glamour girls and guys making a strong fashion statement (we all know London folk do it best).

As well as posting on London Themes for the fair I am likely to post about anything that catches my eye, my finds and the general overall response on the fair, I do feel honoured for being asked to be one of Anita's official bloggers so I hope I will do everyone proud!

My official Bloggers tag!

So if you're around in London this Sunday 25th September come pay the fair and me a visit and you never know your face might turn up on my blog, the fair is at Battersea Arts Centre, Grand Hall, Lavender Hill, London, SW11 5TN. Times are 9:30 am - 4pm (get there early to find the best bargains!)

Until Next Time

Toodle Pip

xxx

Street Style at Somerset House!

Off I went to Somerset house today to do a couple of shoots with two fab photographers (honestly it's been an amazing day!!) while I was there I needed to get some vox pops done for part of my uni project and with it being London Fashion Week there was plenty of choice! I was with the lovely Koral from UCA Epsom so she used her photography skills for me while I asked the questions, what a great team!! Enjoy!

James from Bloomsbury describes her style as Italian

and loves going to Mahiki

Rebecca & Jacob both live in London and love going to Fabric

Rebecca describes her style as Homeless chic whereas

Jacob says he just falls into his wardrobe and pulls out the first thing!

Jessica is German but lives in Poland

and describes her style as Rock Chic

Yu is from London and describes his style as something warm

with colour

Karina is from London and describes her style as old

and likes to go to Vortex!

Jay is from Bristol and loves to go to Circus in London

OK so maybe these captions kind of sound like something from Blind Date, should have really put contestants by each name! I had such a great day though with also being stopped by bloggers for wgsn and Adorn Jewellery, today has made me completely sure that I am on the right track for the future!
Photography Credits: Koral-Leigh Webb
Until Next Time
Toodle Pip
xxx

P.S here's a screen shot of me on the Style Scout blog :)

xxx

Can Marc Jacobs do no wrong?

I'm going to stop apologising every blog update I do for being late now because it's getting to be somewhat the routine, I truly wish I had more time to do my blog because I would generally be doing it as often as I could however unfortunately I can't but I will always try when I can.
As I was flicking through the Evening Standard the other day I noticed a full page article on the man himself Marc Jacobs, showing his new Autumn/Winter 2011 collection, and honestly I don't think he can put a foot wrong in the world of fashion, we saw his last Autumn/Winter collection for Louis Vuitton with a tribute to the feminine fifties and this time we've seen his own collection for a space aged twist on the forties, amazing!
Everyone sits up and takes note when he shows for, be it  Louis Vuitton or his own collection and then by luck will have it you see his designs being watered down to the high street for people such as you and I to buy.
Through this collection there seemed to be a number of different influences including of course the forties but outfits to me seemed inspired by matadors and possibly the Amish? However he added a twist to some of the well cut figure hugging suits by making the trousers in latex or throwing in an overload of polka dots to it. Either way I loved it and it makes my love for Marc Jacobs even stronger, when I was just checking out his Marc by Marc Jacobs collection there was another heavily 70s influence to it, so does he love looking back on times forgotten? If he does he does it with standard by bringing alive decades slipped by. Here are some of the outfits from his Autumn/Winter collection!

Fish scale Pencil dress, I think so!

Polka dot galore in a very Dior-Esq pencil suit

The berets seem very Greta Garbo/Marlene Dietrich to me
I would love to wear this outfit in the winter, the jacket is just adorable!

Ohlaee!! I don't think this model would be going to fight any bulls dressed in this
matador inspired outfit! Especially not in those  shoes!

I love love loveee this outfit, the skirt is amazing, definitely something I would wear
it creates the perfect hourglass shape!

I've noticed that when I tend to follow  catwalk shows their the ones that relate to me the most which I generally think is a good thing!
Until Next Time

Toodle Pip

xxx

J'adore Dior!!! (And the lovely Mr Galliano)

Couture Fashion week has been happening in Paris this week, everyone in the fashion world is going mad  for the up and coming Autumn/Winter 2011 collections, men's fashion week has been and gone and now the creme de la creme of Fashion have been presenting their pieces they have been working on since last season, their pieces that they have worked their blood, sweat, and tears into, to show to the highest of highest, the richest of richest, the garments that I can only talk about and dream that maybe one day  I too could hold a couture gown in my hands,well in my dreams anyway.

There is one designer that I have always been smitten with, this is probably due to him starting off one of the most famous looks of the 20th century, yes Christian Dior, unfortunately he only led a short life in the glamorous world of fashion but he certainly made everyone sit up and take notice and thank god he did because it would truly not have been the same without him!

 Since 1996 John Galliano has been designing for Dior and has been keeping the label alive ever since, which leads me onto his Spring/Summer collection of 2011.

Galliano has always been known for looking back to Christian Dior's past collections during the fifties and this collection really shows a true love for the man that took the world by storm at this time. It couldn't come at a better time with the Rene Gruau exhibition coming to a close in London, Rene Gruau was famous for creating  Dior's fashion illustrations from the the 1947 Miss Dior Perfume advert to through out the fifties.

This collection takes inspiration from Gruau who was a close friend to Dior in this collection, using a selection of tones and shades from his colour palette with bold reds and slick blacks to match the way Gruau's way of painting, which was also represented in the models make up,  it shows Galliano's love for the era recreating the famous hourglass essence with fifties influenced ball gowns and empowering pencil suits, all beautifully embroidered by only the finest atelier's. Dior's couture show is always about going back to the roots and this has gone back to the very seed of Dior with elegance from the hair style's of the models which is also spot on for the collection instead of giving it a contemporary nudge, this show had to have authenticity or It wouldn't have worked. It has been my favourite show out of this season so far. Here are a few of my favourite garments.

A walking illustration with the gliding black lines of the jacket

creating an hourglass shape to the outfit

The famous Red pleated circle skirt used as a contrast to the monochrome

palette.

A fiery evening gown with sultry Jane Russell styled make up

This outfit just oozes power! The pose, the expression, it is clear that Galliano wanted

female domination!

Belle of the ball! This somehow reminds me of Belle from Beauty and the Beast?

This dress is classic 50s prom dress and the detailing in the skirt is incredible.

Little girls dream of trying dresses like this on when their older, I'm now older and

I am dreaming of wearing it.

The different tones of grey work so well together in this outfit

Very sixties influenced with the style of dress, the embroidery sends me towards

Japan and their people with the way they stitch cherry blossom into a tapestry.

This is my favourite out of all the collection, These images are a bit scrambled I do apologise

The dress is spot on, the netting makes the dress come from something so simply designed

to something extravagant with icicle blues and the models Porcelain complexion gives it that classic

fifties look, something you would expect Diana Dors to wear.

This collection is a stand out from the rest and Dior would be proud

Until Next Time

Toodle Pip

xxx



The Flapping Depression take one...

At university at this moment in time.. yes that's right now I'm involved in a creative styling product based on a Spring/Summer 2011 trend... this means I had to look at many many catwalks until I went cross eyed over eccentric fabrics and went mad over Japanese kimonos. I looked at men's wear and women's wear a few favourites were Marc Jacobs take on 70s chic and Alexander Wang's slicked futuristic look. But I somehow got drawn to menswear.. I wonder why you may be asking.

My partner in crime Rosie showed me John Galliano's menswear collection and suddenly there was a light at the end of the tunnel. It was like a homage to the funny men of the twenties and thirties, yes that's right Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton. It worked so well, the references were so strong and it just stood out from other collections. Soon as I'd seen that collection others such as N.Hoolywood all started to make sense, there were links where there were no links before.. The trend we came up with was the Flapping Depression, a cross over between the 1920s and 1930s.

We organised a photo shoot at the Ace Cafe as a test shoot with two models Rosie had previously worked with and our lovely friend Eddy as our photographer. We were looking to create quite a grimey & grungy feel to our images as well as using strong Chaplin references. Here are some of the edited images (all edited by myself of course . Some work really well with the editing some not so well, I'll let you all decide that. This was only our test shoot we have our final shoot of the project on Monday 1st November so I will be reporting with image on that also.
Until next time

Toodle Pip

xxx

                                  This is very in the style of our Chosen Publication; TANK

This is my favourite image from selection, it is very natural and wasn't posed, I think we captured Chaplin very well

This image was meant to look quiet prison like with the denim of the thirties