AN ALTERNATIVE IDEA…

Posted on May 18, 2013 by vikkilondon

Dear all,

I have been away from the blogging scene for quite a while now because of a very exciting project that I have undertaken which is taking up a fair bit of my time.

At uni this term I am doing a ‘fashion consultancy’ unit which means that we become fashion consultants for a brand for around 3 months. Always up for a challenge, myself and my awesome partner in crime Aoife, decided to steer away from the norm (many students work with major high street names such as John Lewis, HOF, Dorothy Perkins etc), and work with a company that would really benefit from the project and had what we called ‘heart’…this is when we came across ‘The Alternative Limb Project’. (Massive thanks to my lovely friend Fran who originally told me about T.A.L.P!)

‘The Alternative Limb Project’ is a unique brand set up by the amazing Sophie de Oliveira Barata. As you will notice from the images below, she is one talented lady! She makes bespoke alternative limbs for amputees reflecting the wearer’s imagination, personality and interests. From a leg covered in sparkle, to an arm with a secret compartment in it, the possibilities are endless! When we first visited Sophie’s studio we were blown away by her work, and I think you’ll agree, it’s pretty amazing!!

The performer Viktoria Modesta (seen above with the speaker leg and on the red carpet) is a regular client of The Alternative Limb Project and wore a dazzling crystallised leg sponsored by Swarovski in the Closing Ceremony of the Paralympics!! (below)

I could talk for England about ‘The Alternative Limb Project’ and how amazing it is, but to prevent this post being solely writing why don’t you check out the webpage here or this really great article on CNN.

As part of our project we are researching into the markets that may be interested in The Alternative Limb Project, and with myself being a volunteer and strong supporter of Help for Heroes, we are doing a lot of research into getting wounded servicemen interested and involved.

At this point I ask you to consider if you know of anyone who is an amputee? If you do, please pass on this post!! Re-tweet, share on facebook, email it – whatever you want to do! We want as many people to know about The Alternative Limb Project as possible! If you are an amputee and you’re reading this, whatever your thoughts, whether you like the idea of an alternative limb or not, please click HERE to take a short survey and tell us your thoughts!!

Thanks for reading and I shall blog again soon to let you know how the project is going. If you want to know more or want to message me, I have added a contact form to the bottom of this post. Would love to hear what you think! Have a great weekend x

VIKKILONDON ON PSYCHE…

Posted on March 22, 2013 by vikkilondon

London is known by many as THE fashion capital however there are so many unique fashion-y gems dotted all over the country, and I have just discovered one more…

Screen shot 2013-03-22 at 20.06.15

Psyche is a multi-award winning designer lifestyle store in the heart of Middlesbrough. Home to a variety of awesome brands from Barbour, Michael Kors and Paul Smith to Ugg and French Connection, their offer of premium fashion provides something for everyone! (Note: they do kids-wear and menswear too!)

With their mission “to create the ultimate retail theatre” and the store personifying their creative and unique handwriting, shopping at Psyche is described by many as an unforgettable shopping experience.

Ever since it was established in 1982 (- HOW did I not know about it before now?!) Psyche has received great recognition from the industry’s big dogs, including Vogue and The Times; and looking at these photos of it’s awesome interior, I’m not surprised.

I’m sure my boyfriend would have a ball in this menswear area (above), and I’d happily snuggle up in that black leather chair in the corner and watch him have his very own ‘Pretty Woman’ moment! haha!

Sorry I couldn’t resist adding a Pretty Woman clip to this post!

For those of you thinking, this sounds awesome but I don’t live up north – fear not! Psyche is way more than simply a store, they have a fab website too that rivals the best in online fashion retailing including FREE DELIVERY and returns for UK orders!! AMAZING! Check out the website here and get psyched about Psyche! x

VIKKILONDON ON THE OSCARS…

Posted on February 26, 2013 by vikkilondon

WOWIES I was impressed by the Oscar’s red carpet this year. I don’t know about you but I definitely thought there were a lot more hits than misses this year. With an ‘old-school’ Hollywood Glamour theme to the whole event, all of the celebs seem to embrace sophistication and glamour in their outfit choices and I LOVED it.

So I was back on BBC Radio Solent yesterday with the lovely Katie Martin, where we discussed the red carpet fashions at the Oscars, as well as some sneaky info on my goings on during fashion week.

Remember you can listen again to that interview here for the next 6 days on BBC iPlayer, so check it out if you’re interested (go to 1hr 17mins into the show). For those that are not in the UK, or fancy just browsing through some photos of beautiful gowns I have composed a summary Oscars post for your viewing pleasure…

COLOUR OF THE CARPET: NUDES AND PALESThere was a massive trend in colour for the Oscar’s red carpet with nudes and pale palettes being the colour of choice for everyone from Jessica Chastain to Anne Hathaway. Many magazines have reported today there being almost a bridal feel to many of the dresses, which I can definitely see. My personal favourite from this trend, but also from the whole of the red carpet for the Oscars 2013 is the beautiful (Oscar Award Winning!! Congrats!) Jennifer Lawrence in her stunning Dior Couture.

Yes she did trip up the stairs when collecting her Oscar but like I said on the radio yesterday, that doesn’t matter now, all we want to talk about is the dress!! You may remember in my Golden Globes review Jennifer Lawrence wore a very similar design, again Dior Couture, but in red. She has found a style that suits, and is definitely making a name for herself not only in the film industry, but the fashion industry too! Keep your eyes peeled as I’m sure she will be on the front of our magazines in the not too distant future!

MIDNIGHT BLUES:

Another colour choice for many on the red carpet was shades of midnight blue. It was also the colour of choice for actress Helen Hunt. I’m sure you have heard by now she wore a dress from H&M’s conscious collection!! This isn’t the first time H&M have appeared on the red carpet, as they have also been worn by the likes of Amanda Seyfried and Michelle Williams for previous award ceremonies. May I also just highlight this isn’t just any off the shelf frock, it is still custom made! I’m afraid you can’t pop down to your local H&M right now and purchase yourself a copy; but perhaps this is a hint that one day soon H&M may release a range of evening dresses inspired by the red carpet? We shall wait and see!! Anyway, going back to Helen Hunt…choosing an eco-dress from a high street brand is all well and good, but she obviously didn’t make this choice based on saving money or showing she is a down-to-earth celeb as the star revealed she was also wearing $700,000 worth of jewellery! WOWZAS!! So I guess this was all about attracting some attention? I think so. Lets be honest, it’s been a while since Helen Hunt was on our screens, so I guess she wanted to make a statement and say ‘HELLO! Remember me?!’ Don’t worry Helen, we remember you…how could we forget you!! After all, ‘What Women Want’ is an AWESOME film!!!!

I also mentioned on the airwaves the amazing Adele. When I watched all the red carpet interviews Adele was honest and open about how when choosing her dress for the red carpet all she wants is something that will suit her shape but most of all is comfortable; and I think you’ll agree it definitely pays off. If you haven’t seen her skyfall performance yet, check it out on YouTube, it’s beautiful and I guarantee you’ll get goosebumps!

So lets face it, Oscar’s night is all about the ladies and the frocks, but I thought I’d end this post with a photo of the dashing, hunky, gorgeous (…the list is endless) Eddie Redmayne! *queue fainting women everywhere* Enjoy x

MIRANDA KERR…

Posted on February 14, 2013 by vikkilondon

I have had a style crush on Miranda Kerr for quite some time now. So as I sit here in a rather boring Uni lecture, I thought it would be more productive to inspire you all, my lovely followers, as you all compose your LFW outfits, by compiling a quick blog post of some of my favourite Kerr street style looks. Let me know what you think! x

MONDAY I’M IN LOVE

Posted on February 7, 2013 by vikkilondon

Love is in the air at the moment as Valentines Day approaches. I know it isn’t enjoyable for everyone (yes, I will be one of those sat alone with Bridget Jones, a ton of chocolate and a bottle of wine as my boyfriend is away training with the Army) BUT there is no reason why you can’t treat yourself on Valentines day, show yourself a little love and buy something gorgeous from the amazingly cute brand ‘MONDAY I’M IN LOVE’.

Set up by the amazingly multi-talented Kylie Malcolm, MONDAY I’M IN LOVE is taking ASOS Marketplace by storm. As soon as I heard that Kylie was releasing some special pieces ready for Valentines day I emailed her to find out more, and ended up falling even more in love with the brand!

Ok, firstly I’m in love with the name of your brand MONDAY I’M IN LOVE, but where did it come from? Were you inspired by the Cure song??
I listened to the Cure a lot and they have always been a big influence on me. My flatmate Tom, with whom I lived with for quite a while is Robert Smith from The Cure’s nephew. Whilst I lived with Tom it was a really important time in my life and of course the Cure provided the backing music to that period. Music has always been key part in my life, and the darker side of The Cure appealed to me. Also at that time I met my husband who came to my door after work on a Monday and I think I fell in love with him right then and there. So the song Friday I’m in Love has a huge meaning for me, but Monday was my day. The brand, I feel, reflects me and all my influences.

Wow! That just melted my heart!! What a lovely story! All of your garments and accessories have a vintage kind of look, is there a certain time in fashion that really inspires your collections?
Its hard to choose a specific era, I like beautiful garments from all times. I feel that there are so many different things from each that I like and each influence the brand’s style. If I choose to make a skirt that takes you back to the 60′s, or Victorian lace that gets given a new lease of life by being put with more modern fabrics, I am always trying to bring out my take on what is fashion.

So tell me about your valentines day pieces – what can we expect to see on the online shop?
The iconic heart of MONDAY I’M IN LOVE is the main focus. We’re working on tops, skirts, purses and bags with strong bright prints focusing on our brand.

(Photos from the latest MONDAY I’M IN LOVE Valentines photo shoot)

MONDAY I’M IN LOVE was launched in 2012 and already you’re selling on ASOS marketplace! What’s next for this fast growing brand?
I know?! This year has been quite a roller-coaster, the studio has had a constant creative buzz. This year we are hoping to get a new collection out each season and build the brand lmore. ASOS is a fabulous platform to build a successful label and we are delighted to be working with them. Obviously I am excited to broaden our retail options but no matter what, we want to stay true to the spirit of MONDAY I’M IN LOVE, so quality rather than quantity must always come first.

Anything else we should know about MONDAY I’M IN LOVE?
MONDAY I’M IN LOVE is a new UK brand and I am trying to build a reputation for individual fashion. There are some things that really matter to me – I want people to look good and feel great but I really do want to keep things fun (or at least not too serious). Fashion should be enjoyed, not worshipped. Also, at this time of globalisation, and despite being on ASOS, I don’t want to loose that local feel. When I grew up, the local shop was familiar and honest, we knew that it was part of our local economy and brought goods from near by. We want to try to hold on to some of that local feel, certainly starting with honesty but also supporting our local economies.

A MASSIVE thank you to Kylie for chatting to me about her gorgeous garments!! Keep your eyes peeled for the February edition of Company magazine which has a style guide for the ASOS Marketplace and features MONDAY I’M IN LOVE. PLUS I have a bit of a vikkilondon EXCLUSIVE: Kylie is working on bringing out lots more gorgeous accessories as well as working on 3 NEW LINES: a vintage, contemporary and a men’s line. WOWIES what a busy lady!! Can’t wait to see more! Check out her website here and treat yourself this Valentines!!

much love x

TIME FOR A DE-CLUTTER…

Posted on January 20, 2013 by vikkilondon

So you go crazy in the sales, have a few extra bits and bobs from Christmas and suddenly your wardrobe is BURSTING at the hinges. Finding anything in there becomes a mission every morning. So this weekend why not attempt a de-clutter, but just a warning: you will probably create more mess in the process…but it will be worth it.

So last Monday, I was on the Katie Martin show on BBC Radio Solent, discussing this topic as well as some of the key trends to keep your eyes on so here’s a summary on what I chatted about:

- Invest in decent clothes bags!! Protect your cashmere and your intricately beaded items that you will keep for years but may only use once or twice a year. However don’t make the mistake of putting these in the back of your wardrobe and forget about them. Once you have your clothes bags, label them, use polaroids on the outside of them to remind you of what’s inside.

- I also used polaroids to organise my Mum’s shoe box collection. Keeping your shoes in their boxes also de-clutters your wardrobe but you can sometimes forget about those gems left inside. So once again add photos to the front of the boxes, OR invest in some clear plastic boxes to keep shoes in.

- As much as we all have that favourite winter jumper that now has holes in, there has to be a time to say goodbye. If you find it difficult throwing out clothes, get a friend involved in your de-clutter session. Someone like a sister or daughter is perfect as they will give an honest opinion of whether something is really past its used by date.

- Also with those old clothes that are too good for the jumble perhaps suggest a frock swap party with your friends. At least you can guarantee that they’ll be going to a good new loving home.

As for trends, there are several trends coming up for this year that you may already have within your wardrobe, just consider styling some old bits differently! For example…

Last year’s pyjama trend- keep those silk printed trousers and re-create for the MASSIVE suiting trend this year. Where with a smart plain jacket or team print on print for the summer.

Going back to the suiting trend, for the Radio Solent listener I suggested bringing suiting out of the workplace and into the everyday. Perhaps start by wearing your suit jacket with just a lace camisole underneath for a sexy evening look.

Monochrome is a MASSIVE trend for this year. Radio Solent listeners search out your classic white shirts and black and white basics and bring them to the front of your wardrobe. Consider teaming different pieces together and perhaps wearing whole outfits of white! The monochrome trend also brings out the sixties trend as seen in these amazing catwalk images from Louis Vuitton. So this season bring out stripes and checks in your outfit choices.

That’s just a quick summary of a few of the things I chatted about, and I hope it’s inspired you to tackle that mountain of clothes in the corner of your room that once was a neat organised wardrobe! Have a great weekend! x

LONDON COLLECTIONS: MEN…

Posted on January 13, 2013 by vikkilondon

Lace lingerie, hot pants, and frilled skirts, just what you’d expect from the…men’s collections?? From the 6th-9th January last week London showcased the men’s collections and there were some surprises in store. Menswear met womenswear during the catwalk shows as several designers used this opportunity to explore their brand creatively and show that menswear is definitely not dead, but constantly evolving.

It was J W Anderson’s collection that initially caught my eye. Frilled boots, frilled shorts, frilled dresses, frills were everywhere!! Not to mention the what-looked-like frilled rubber gloves!!

Then, thanks to twitter, I heard about ‘hotpants at Versace’ so I just HAD to look up the collection. Versace had more than hotpants though, Donatella dressed her gents in full men’s lace lingerie!

I think the quote below from style.com summed up this collection perfectly:

“Challenging conventional notions of sexuality was something of a Versace signature in the golden days. Donatella just found new ink for her pen.”

Finally, the other collection that really caught my eye in this theme of mens Vs. womenswear was the fact that Christopher Shannon chose to use a couple of female models within his menswear show!

So what do you think about all this gender confusion? I personally think that it’s great that menswear is being explored so liberally as womenswear has been weird and wacky for many years (think Alexander McQueen, Viktor and Rolf) so it’s time we sat up and paid more attention to the menswear collections. Who knows if it will ever make it onto our high streets but maybe one day? As the future style king maybe Romeo Beckham will surprise us in a few years in a frilled dress? His Dad did the sarong skirt a few years ago so maybe he will follow his lead?!! Leave a comment and let me know what you think! x

All catwalk images from style.com.

NEW YEAR…NEW YOU??

Posted on January 10, 2013 by vikkilondon

Happy New Year my dear followers! It’s been a while but I’m back in the blogosphere once again to bring you more ramblings about fashion, London and all the fun in between.

Every year in January we seem to hear ‘New Year, New You’ and other catchy power phrases all over the place, to encourage us into some type of personal life cleanse. Whether it’s eating better, getting fit, drinking less, this time of year it’s all people can talk about. I know you’re probably sick of it too, but I have to say that I’m one of those unfortunate souls that can’t help but get caught up in it all. I have just made plans with a close friend to start going running, my fridge is stocked with healthy meals and I’m determined to go to the gym at least 3 times a week (we’ll see about that one!) When it comes to getting fit, I find the magazines and adverts are great for that first initial boost and to get you dreaming about that Victoria’s Secret model body that you WILL achieve by the summer; but then there is nothing there to convince you that stepping into that cold London park in your old grey tatty joggers is actually a good idea, and in the past I have quite often ended up back on my sofa with a cup of tea!! SO what can you do to solve this dilema? Sweaty Betty. No that is not the unfortunate nickname of some scary muscular personal trainer, I’m talking about the clothes store. Since I have discovered the gorgeous sports wear from Sweaty Betty I just want to wear the clothes all the time and show them off, and what better way to do that then running round a park or showing off in a gym.

Let’s face it, men love gyms so they can flex their pecks and look at themselves in the mirror a lot without their girlfriends complaining, but why should they have all the fun? Move over gents, we need some mirror space please to admire our new floral printed capris while we work out! (Yes I did just say FLORAL Capri’s – they are AMAZING and in the SALE! Grab some now before they go!)

Whatever shape or size you are, feeling good in what you’re wearing will naturally increase your confidence and help you perform better. So if like me you have all these amazing ideas about getting fit etc and you’re not quite sure how to put them into practice, try spicing up your work out wardrobe and getting some bits that you really love. I know floral capris may be a bit too much spice for some but what about a new hot pink sports bra that can peek out behind your classic black tank top to just add a bit of personality to your look.

(Other colours available)

So give it a go and I’m sure you will feel inspired to take that first step into that park simply to show off your new gear…and suddenly, voila you’re achieving your goal! x

ARTS, ARTS AND MORE ARTS…

Posted on October 27, 2012 by vikkilondon

In the past 10 days I have been to three fabulous exhibitions, and from having a serious lack of culture in my life I am starting to feel slightly more cultured again.

The first exhibition I happened to stumble into, literally! It was the first solo London exhibition of Mr.Brainwash. For those of you who have seen the Banksy film ‘Exit Through The Gift Shop’ you will be aware of the name and the man behind it.

Thierry Guetta AKA Mr.Brainwash is a hard character to define. I suppose you’d generalise him as a graffiti artist, however the way I see it is he just mass-produces graffiti meets pop-art type artwork, and thrives off his connections to the world famous Banksy. HOWEVER, many believe that his overnight success and close link to Banksy could be because he is in fact another Banksy facade or joke, playing the art world?? I believe this definitely could be possible. Doesn’t the name give it away? His work is nothing exactly new or ground-breaking yet people are desperate to buy up his work? Have we been brainwashed into believing he’s more than he is? Hmmm interesting stuff Mr.Banksy…I wonder if we will ever find out!!

Next up, I visited The Little Black Jacket exhibition at the Saatchi gallery. A VERY different type of exhibition. It was iconic, elegant and everything that the classic Chanel black jacket represents. Each image was photographed by Karl Lagerfeld and styled to transform the same little black jacket into each individual’s personality. It was amazing. Each look was so different yet was made up of the same unique component: the Chanel jacket.

And finally, a massive thank you to the lovely Ted for accompanying me to the Tim Walker exhibition at Somerset House, that I was oh so desperate to see. As magical as I hoped it would be, the exhibition was like walking through some sort of fairytale dream world. Tim Walker has to be one of my favourite fashion photographers, he has such a unique eye and I plan on decorating my flat with as many prints/postcards and photos of his work that I can find!

So there you go!! London has been spoilt with artistic gems recently, I hope you have managed to get to see some of them too, and if not get down to Somerset House before the end of January for Tim Walker and the Saatchi before 4 November for the little black jacket!! Enjoy x

Some photos not my own.

A KNITWEAR LOVE AFFAIR…

Posted on October 10, 2012 by vikkilondon

So autumn has officially arrived, its time to get out those chunky knits, bulk buy the hot chocolate (and marshmallows) and prepare for the arrival of winter. Sounds slightly depressing doesn’t it; especially since everyone thought we were going to have an ‘indian summer’ – I swear they just say that every year? Anyway, I was not looking forward to the approaching winter season UNTIL I discovered Aubin & Wills and their beyond gorgeous knitwear collection.

I’m afraid to say until this past weekend I had never been into an Aubin & Wills, I was naive to think that as a sister brand of Jack Wills it would consist of the same kind of thing: branded hoodies, tartan print PJ bottoms etc etc. Yet little did I realise, Aubin & Wills is the much more beautiful, intelligent and timeless elder sister; who little sis JW can only dream of one day becoming (no offence JW, my sister loves you so keep doing what you’re doing).

From shirt dresses to lace dresses all the garments seem classic and timeless, but have some great feminine touches. However on this first shopping trip it was the knitwear that really caught my eye. All of the jumpers were SO soft, I just wanted to curl up in the changing room and hibernate in a pile of them!! Plus how could you resist this cute fox motif jumper (available in grey and beige).

I couldn’t leave without buying something, and whilst I couldn’t quite bring myself to splash out on a jumper so early in the month I did leave with this gorgeous scarf (and I shall be returning next month for the matching hat too!!!)

Trust me, go and check out Aubin & Wills for those winter warmers because I promise they won’t disappoint!! x
p.s. My scarf and I have been inseparable since the day I bought it, here’s some evidence of my knitwear love affair…

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