18 February, 2015

LONDON FASHION WEEK NEWBIE

What I'm wearing: 
JAEGER Stripped shirt
GINA TRICOT Asymmetrical skirt 
NEW LOOK Sandals 
UNKNOWN Sunglasses 

Hi world. So here we are in February…. The month of love, chocolate and roses, but for some reason the only thing I really associate the second month of the year with is FASHION. Oh yes fashion – fashion in all aspects. With fashion week going on in New York and London Fashion Week right around the corner I am more than thrilled to see what this season will bring. Last year around this time I was scrolling through my Instagram news feed enjoying different snapshots of fashion week around the world. Little did I know that a few months later I would actually attend one. Personally, fashion week has never really been all about the shows, because let’s be real, how many shows does a so-called newbie have access to? No, what I found interesting and to some point quite intriguing were the people I saw outside the catwalk.

Fashion week is namely the only place where you just did not want to ‘blend in’ with everyone else, owing to the fact that nobody would notice you and actually want to take pictures of you. See, I wasn’t aware of this when I attended London Fashion Weekend in September last year. Although I was beyond excited to be there and had the perfect outfit in mind, I ended up just looking like the girl next door. Even worse, nobody stopped me to ask me where my sandals were from as they did to someone else wearing shoes that excuse my language, looked like bricks. Admittedly I felt over the top, maybe a little bit overdressed and slightly feeling myself a bit too much.
The sun was shining, I had my sunglasses on and for a quick second it felt like it was all about me. This was just until I made it to Somerset House and saw all these different fashion enthusiasts e.g. bloggers, stylists, photographers, you name it. Wow! I felt like a newbie in an instant! But I still managed to pose for a picture in front of the famous ‘London Fashion Weekend’ signboard and immediately uploaded it on all social platforms, because hey – now I was one of “them”.
However, being a fashion student, a year older and wiser, my view on LFW has really changed. Not in a bad way or anything of that sort, I think I’m just very fascinated about it all – the people, the shows and just the atmosphere in general.

 Moreover, I got the biggest grin on my face when they published the show schedule for this season, with so many designer graduates from Central Saint Martins and London College of Fashion such as the incredibly talented Bora Aksu, who had a gorgeous S/S15 ballet inspired ready-to-wear collection, which by the way was like being taken into another world. As Bora mentioned in an interview with Vogue.com, he really did create something light. “I wanted to create something light and weightless but at the same time not too nostalgic.” If you haven’t seen the collection yet, please do – because it is exactly what he describes it to be like. In addition to UAL designer graduates on the schedule this season is LCF graduate Lucas Nascimento, who in so many ways is quite different from Aksu. His S/S15 collection semaphored contemporary colourfulness. With lovely cuts, great lengths and bright colours he definitely had a collection to remember.

Although both designers are completely different in their own way, one thing is for sure. They do not fail to deliver contemporary collections, which is also a reason why I’m so fascinated about the fashion industry and I can’t wait to see what they have to show us this time around. Now with an understanding of how the industry works, how effective and extremely talented people are I am so eager to experience it all over again.

So if you’re like me a newbie to this whole fashion week thing and you don’t really know what to do or how to dress, just make sure to get there in time, dress to not only impress but to stand out and have a blast! Enjoy your time, because you might just be lucky as I was last September and end up getting a seat front row. Good luck.

I hope it was a good read! 

Until next time, 
Mell O.

11 February, 2015

IT'S ALL BEHIND YOU


What I'm wearing: 
VILA Top 
ZARA Trousers 
STRADIVARIUS Brogues 
ASOS Coat

Hi world. Hope you're all great! It's been such a lovely start of week and I thought why not put on something really comfy yet stylish. That on itself can be a challenge at times, as comfy clothes to some might only mean sweatpants. But hey, lets move on from that. Anyway, I titled this post 'it's all behind you' because of my pose, but also owning to the fact that it really is all behind you.

I'm all about being positive and seeing the best in every situation, which is something I am working on to improve even more this year. Positive-affirmations, meditation, good health and good social life are all quite essential, when it comes to positivity on a daily basis. However, putting everything that you've been through, what people might have done and said about you, behind you is a tough thing to do, I agree.
But to be honest, that really is the only thing you can do in order to grow. Let me please stress on GROWTH. How important is that? How great is it to look back at your life and see how much you’ve grown? I personally think moving on is an essential ‘skill’ life – being able to sort out your life; see what and you need and don’t need anymore. I call it a skill because it really is something one must master. It’s not easy letting go and it’s always easier said than done, but some people are not in your life to stay – some come in our life for a reason or only a season. This is very important to understand in order to not look back at your life bitterly.

Life is such a beautiful thing, however we must remember that family and friends add on to it. You as a person are what really matters; your health, your motivation and willingness to actually live the life you’ve been given. So if you ask me, the most important thing in life and in order to grow is to move on, LEAVE it all behind you. Because let’s face it – there comes a time where your loved ones will leave you – would that be the reason why you’ll give up on life? No! You must continue living and striving for happiness, which by the way isn’t a goal but something that should always be a part of your everyday life. Be happy, choose happiness and leave it all behind!

Forget about the pain, the exasperation and move on!

I hope it was a good read!
Until next time 

Mell O.

08 February, 2015

FIRST POST OF 2015 | WHY FASHION DESIGNER COLLABORATIONS WITH HIGH-STREET SHOPS ARE RISKY

Hi everyone. I hope you're all doing great, I'm back again: New Year, new concept and new post. It took me some time to figure out what exactly I wanted to do with my blog, so I actually had to relaunch it. As one of my goals this year, I will do my absolute best to update my blog more frequently. So on to my first blog post, which is actually a feature I just over the Christmas. I've always been interested in designer and high street retailer collaborations so I thought, why not research it more and write a feature about it, now that I had a chance. 

Collaborations are frequently seen in the fashion industry, whether it’s between designers alone or retailers and designers, but the question here is whether or not these collaborations are purely fashion related or just a good marketing strategy?
 American fashion designer Alexander Wang launched his sports themed collection last month in collaboration with H&M. After their recent collaboration with French designer Isabel Marant the Swedish company took another turn for this year’s designer collaboration.
Inspired by autumn colours and Wang’s sporty style, the collection seemed quite different from what H&M normally does.
According to Press and Communication Assistant Claire Wakeman from H&M, the brand always seeks to collaborate with significant and relevant designers.
 She said, “With each designer collaboration, H&M wants to capture the true DNA of the designer.”

Admittedly, the Wang x H&M pieces sold out the same day it was launched, and most importantly, the collection brought a whole new look to H&M. It even had costumers queuing several hours just to have a feel of the collection.

The brand has since 2004 worked with designers such as Karl Lagerfeld, Roberto Cavalli and Stella McCartney, however mixing high street fashion with designer collaborations can sometimes become a dangerous affair. Furthermore, this has not always been a successful aspect for the Swedish brand, according to a research done by EDITD, it is proven that the Maison Martin Margiela x H&M collaboration wasn’t quite a hit amongst the consumers. After the collection being launched in November 2012, it was shown that 22 pieces were reduced more than 50% of it’s original price without it even being put under the sales category.
Even though there is always a risk behind these collaborations, it is still an on-going annual event for the high street shop.
20-year-old H&M employee and student, Joana Akoto found the launch itself to be very disappointing, because of the items being sold so quickly. But also because of the prices, which according to her were incredibly high compared to the brand’s usual price range, as a pair of leather joggers are £179.

“I got to the store around 10:30 am and everything was pretty much sold out, there were only a few pair of jeans, jackets and shoes left, but the items I was looking for were all gone. So after looking in different departments and some of the fitting rooms I concluded that there was not much to do than just to head home. On my way out, I actually did find an item that was on my list, just randomly hanging in the men’s department,” she says.

It’s arguable though, if the collection really was worth all the hype or if costumers saw the collaboration as an opportunity to invest in designer wear for a reasonable price.
Admittedly, 20-year old Akoto had not seen much of his previous work. “I have not seen much of his previous collections, but I really like the few ones that I have seen. I think it’s because he is very minimalistic and that’s more my style,” she said.
Looking at the collection and Wang’s sort of minimalistic style, it’s no surprise that this must have been a risky team up for H&M to do, as they’re known for their rather diverse clothing. However, it’s a situation where fashion designers get a chance to aim at and also create a different target group than their usual. Which is also another reason why H&M chose Alexander Wang. “His fashion-forward tailoring with a sense of ease perfectly corresponds to H&M this autumn,” said Wakeman about the American designer.
This sense of ease is also recognised by 20-year old Akoto, who thinks that the American designer was just the right designer for H&M this year. The 20-year old H&M employee said, “I loved it. I think it was unique, very his style with the dark colours. I loved the material and the small details on them. My favourite item has to be the sweatshirts, which complements my muscular arms so well.”
“The good side of H&M x Wang was the fact that it became a huge success. People waited for hours to get in on the launching day and most of the items were sold out within a few ours,” said 20-year old Akoto.
Although Wang is known for designing street wear, this was his first time actually making sportswear so the collection was just as important for him as it was for H&M as Wakeman stated, “the collection is full of experimental and cutting-edge techniques, such as laser-cutting, embossing, foam-injecting and bonding.”
While this particular collaboration was a risky one on both sides, it was proven to be a success and is also considered a good marketing strategy, which is one of the key aspects of designer collaborations.


I hope it was a good read. 
Until next time, 
Mell O.  
Sources: Wang x H&M / The collection