Tag Archives: london

MADELEINE AYERS…FUTURE FACE OF FASHION

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Madeleine Ayers – where do I start. She’s a talented designer, a blogger wanted by everyone from Graduate Fashion Week to Vauxhall Fashion Scout, she’s interned for numerous big names in fashion and now she’s entered the Elle Intern 2012 competition!!

The Elle Intern Competition is open to all current interns and gives 10 lucky winners the chance to take over ELLE UK for one month and put together their October issue. Sounds great I know, but I’m afraid the deadline has now passed and it’s time to show your support for your favourite applicants!

Maddy’s submission for Fashion Editor #ELLEintern2012

Maddy has applied for Fashion Editor and I know she would be incredible…just look at the mood board she submitted…this girl is good!

So Maddy is a dear friend of mine and I knew she was a serial intern…but I didn’t know she had done SO MUCH!!

“After my art foundation I  interned with a small designer Monday to Friday at the start of summer, learnt how to pattern cut, use an industrial machine and style a shoot. I collated my saved money and moved to London to intern for Olivia Rubin, and have stayed in touch to this day. I have worked at London Fashion Week off and on-schedule every season since I arrived; firstly doing the standard heavy lifting and standing around, and then upgrading to the writing team where I had the opportunity to write show reviews, meet and interview incredible people…It was a dream, and it was achieved through never saying no and always being willing to get stuck in, regardless of how big or small a job is. The most important pieces of advice I have for an intern is to use your common sense, use it with a smile, a sense of urgency and never say no.

The next placement I took on was in my summer break, this time with designer Julian J Smith. It gave me an insight into how difficult this business is, and reminded me that however stressed I feel right now, after I graduate my stress levels will increase exponentially. I worked at Giles from just before Christmas up to April this year. Insane hours, insanely beautiful collections…A learning experience unlike no other and I hope to return. My latest experience has been one of the most incredible and memorable of my life. Graduate Fashion Week gave me opportunities I would never have even dreamt I would be able to experience at this point in my journey. It was also an incredible educational experience, and I don’t plan to stop anytime soon!”

WOW OH WOW MADDY!! And if that wasn’t enough as well as all these placements she has just completed her second year of a womenswear degree (which is a Monday to Sunday workload!!!) AND she has a 15 hour part time job in London’s most famous department store! She works incredibly hard, and is incredibly talented, so I think it would be a shame not to show your support for Madeleine Ayers.

Look at these amaaaazing illustrations by Madeleine Ayers!! She’s one talented chicca!

If you fancy hearing more from Maddy visit her awesome blog thegirlwithnowings.tumblr.com . She constantly inspires me with her amazing instagram skills and beautiful illustrations/designs.

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So Maddy, why should you be ‘Fashion Editor’ of ELLEUK?…

“I work hard, I learn fast, I listen, I have my own point of view, I know what is going on in terms of trends, I know what looks good aesthetically but also understand that truly original aesthetic perfection can not be achieved alone. If studying design has taught me anything, it’s that fast fashion can choke creativity. Designers are seemingly being forced to produce more, for less, in a shorter space of time to simply survive. But in reality, I believe that this isn’t true. I believe that people are simply being even more creative, and that’s what I want to prove to the world as acting fashion editor. I want to highlight the beauty being created in a story pertinent to the season. I want to highlight the household names, juxtaposed to the young London creatives as I believe in terms of quality; there is no differentiation.”

Support Maddy for Fashion Editor for #ELLEintern2012 by clicking here and liking her submission! Tweet about it too perhaps?! Or Pinterest it if you fancy!?! However you wish to support her, please do. She’s awesome! x

VIKKILONDON STYLING FOR #WFW2012…

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Hello lovely followers, so its been almost two weeks since I last posted and I know  a few of you have wondered where I have disappeared too!? Well, I have been planning this massive shoot that I was to be styling and directing for the Winchester Fashion Week magazine, and I have to say, all the stress and worries were definitely worth it. I can’t reveal the final images just yet but I thought I’d give you a quick insight into the shoot and show some behind the scenes action…

Location: THE ROOF of One New Change shopping centre. It took a lot of organising but I finally secured the roof as our location for the day, and it was incredible. I’m a regular to the roof however the rest of the team had never been up there before and their faces when they arrived to this were priceless…

The Look I was going for: Sleek, fierce, “lots of lines”. All of the clothes, designed and made by my dear friend Natalie Cheung, were fantastic to work with and a pleasure to style. The detail that goes into each garment is incredible. Watch out for this young designer over the next couple of years as she takes the fashion industry by storm!!!

The Team: 

THE FABULOUS TEAM!!! (Image courtesy of Theo Williams)

From left to right: Theo Williams (Photographer extraordinaire!), Ivory Bella (MUA), Myself (Stylist/Creative Director), Amanda Renberg (Our gorgeous model from Sapphires Model Management), Natalie Cheung (Designer).

I feel so privileged to have had such an amazing team to work with so thank you all so much for making it the massive success it was! And also a special shout out to Hannah Bunnage and Ted Smith for being there as moral support during the shoot, we obviously couldn’t have done it without you guys either!!

Behind the scenes:

Ivory at work, creating the ‘fierce’ look I was after..(Image courtesy of Theo Williams)

Theo and Amanda working hard!

Natalie is a multi-talented lady and also assisted with the hair styling for the shoot!! (Image courtesy of Theo Williams)

(Image courtesy of Theo Williams)

(Image courtesy of Theo Williams)

(Image courtesy of Theo Williams)

(Image courtesy of Theo Williams)

One of my favourite behind the scenes images from the day…look at the crowd we had watching us at work!!!

Amanda’s gymnastic background came in handy when balancing on the hand rail…which gave us a great shot and relieved Amanda’s poor feet from those sky scraper heels!!

Amanda could definitely do ‘fierce’!!!

So that’s all I can reveal right now, but keep a look out for a post on here in June where I shall show you the amazing shots we achieved this weekend!!!

If you like the look of the shoot please do leave comments below, I’d love to hear your thoughts! Have a great evening everyone! x

(Image courtesy of Theo Williams)

PURE FASHION. PURE LONDON.

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Wow it’s been a busy old weekend, and of course Sunday was the first day of the Pure London trade fair. For those who don’t know Pure London is a massive fashion buying festival held at Kensington Olympia twice a year. It houses over 1100 brands and welcomes in over 14,000 buyers sourcing the latest collections. Obviously I’m not a buyer, but it was an inspiring event and I loved watching the live catwalk shows and talks.

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There were a complete mixture of brands shown, and I have to say not all were to my personal taste, check out these odd looking marshmallow-like shoes!!!!!!!!

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But the high light for me was definitely a trend prediction talk given by the trend gods that are WGSN. They informed us of the 3 key macro trends for AW2012/13…
1. Eco Hedonism
2. Radical Neutrality
3. Hyper Culture

…but what do they all mean I hear you cry!?!? Well…

1. With Eco Hedonism here are the key things that I picked up on…
Very greyed off palette with pink tones for warmth;
Maxi lengths with high splits;
Lots and lots of draping!! Draping and layering is KEY!
Drama is important to this trend with a slight gothic feel;
Heavy chunky shoes, mystic jewellery;
Flowing sheers help add to the drama; the mesh tee and asymmetric silhouette;
Pleating moving more complex;
Metallics back again but muted shine.

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2. As for Radical Neutrality…
Quiet minimalist, not about basics but minimal pieces that may be radical in design;
Sports neutrality -neoprene;
Dropped shoulders;
Lack of embellishment;
Considered and controlled volume;
Sweat tops in formal way;
The Peg leg trouser is back!
Brogues- masculine footwear in this trend;
Defined contour lines on accessories.

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3. Finally, Hyper Culture…
All about colour and pattern!!
African, Chinese and Middle Eastern influences combined in a cultural mash up;
New silhouette – tube skirts;
Snood returns as an accessory;
High top trainers;
Oversized top with the skinny legging;
Sequins pushed to new level in evening wear;
Lace moving into trousers and skirts.

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So they you go! I know we’re only just managing to get our heads round spring summer trends as the winter weather refuses to leave us, but the fast paced world of fashion is miles ahead!! However I think it’s great knowing some AW12/13 trends now, as everyone knows we’re in difficult economic times, and if we’re able to make purchases that will be bang on trend over two seasons then we are easily saving money!! Sooo vikki’s top tip: find links between these trends and SS12 trends and save money whilst looking super fashionable over 2 seasons!! Have a great evening all! X

JUST A QUICKY…

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Hola everyone! Just working on my next big blog post…the BAFTAs. Will post that asap and will be back on BBC Radio Solent this week to discuss all the fashions live on air! It will be my normal Friday afternoon slot, keep an eye on my twitter @vikkilondon for more updates on that!

Anyway just to keep you going, heres a little something to tingle your fashion taste buds! (we all need a little monday morning distraction from work!)

So you guys know I love a good hat but just thought I’d show you my new addition to my collection…the winter turban!

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It’s from Urban Outfitters in the SALE! Amazing bargain! Seen here with my classic French Connection fur coat. So what are we thinking about the winter turban? Would love to hear your comments! Have a great Monday! X

FASHION + OLYMPICS = STELLA

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I have been promising to talk about the Fashion/Olympics relationship for a few weeks now, as I’m sure as soon as these wintery days pass and the sun appears, Olympic fever will be out in force! However there is only really one thing you need to know about this combo, and that’s the simple equation that sums up 2012…

FASHION + OLYMPICS = STELLA

Yes folks, Stella McCartney is our lady this year.

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She is already a house hold name (for those that don’t already know her as a face of fashion, she is of course the daughter of Sir Paul McCartney), but Stella McCartney is set to have one of the most exciting years of her career this year as she continues her flourishing relationship with Adidas, and is designing Team GB’s Olympic Kit!!! Plus we will all be able to be part of the action thanks to the limited ‘My 2012′ collection by Stella McCartney for Adidas.

“The concept behind this particular collection with adidas was to project the energy of the Olympic year and to inspire young women to engage in sports and events surrounding the Olympics and we see this collection as a wonderful way to mark this very special occasion.”

Stella McCartney at stellamccartney.com

So for those of you who haven’t quite got into your ‘get fit/be healthier’ new years resolution, there’s no excuse now!! We have FASHIONABLE SPORTSWEAR! Did you ever think you’d see the day??

Have a peek behind the scenes at the ‘My 2012′ campaign shoot here on the ‘My 2012′ tumblr page.   Do you recognise someone there? Here’s a small hint…

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It’s of course Alex, one of my beautiful faces of Winchester Fashion Week 2011!! A massive congratulations to Alex for getting in the campaign, it’s such an amazing opportunity for her and everyone at WFW HQ wishes her all the best!

(below, Alex in the Stella McCartney and Adidas ‘My 2012′ campaign)

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Anyway returning back to the wonderful Stella McCartney leads us into the opening of ‘World Of Stella’ at Selfridges on Oxford Street. Fellow Londoners this is a must see!! From 26 January to 14 February Selfridges are holding a whole ‘world’ dedicated to this designer of the moment, housing not only her new sportswear collections, but her signature Falabella handbags, lingerie, kids wear and she will be launching her new fragrance L.I.L.Y. How on earth does this mum of four do it I hear you cry!? Who knows, one thing is for sure; someone get this woman a gold medal!!

I hope to check out ‘World of Stella’ for myself this week so keep an eye on my twitter @vikkilondon for instant updates, and I’ll try to include some sneaky photos!

If you haven’t been Stella’d out by now, check out this video of the new GB Kit in action here on Vogue TV.

Enjoy! xx

NEW YEAR, NEW GIRL…

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Apologies for not following up my trends blog post as promised. I promise I will eventually discuss the Olympics/Fashion relationship but so far this week has been craaazy! So I’m off to a very important meeting today, so important that I cannot reveal details (plus I don’t want to jinx things, after all it is friday the freakin 13th!) but as long as it goes well I will inform you later!

I hope you’ve had a good first couple weeks back in 2012. How are the new years resolutions going? I can’t believe I’m actually sticking to mine, it’s a miracle! Anyway once again apologies for lack of posts but in the mean time if you’re desperate for some thing to do I have two ideas based on my experiences this week:

LEGALLY BLONDE THE MUSICAL!!

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Who doesn’t love Elle Woods. Yes it may have been an obsession when we were like 12 and we no longer have the pink fluffy pen and long to dress in pink 24/7, however my girl friends surprised me with a birthday trip to see Legally Blonde the musical in London’s Savoy Theatre this week and I have to say it’s SO GOOD!! All Londoners and those local to London definitely take a trip down, its such a great girly night out and it’s hilariously funny. I noticed they have a few deals for last minute booking and mid week shows so check them out, I promise you won’t be disappointed.

For those who can’t easily get to London I give you…

NEW GIRL!

Here’s a little taster, this clip made me laugh out loud!! (p.s. ignore the subtitles they’re a little annoying!)

For those who don’t know New Girl is the new TV show staring the gorgeous Zooey Deschanel. I guarantee it’ll bring a smile to your face and it’s great new year watching. I could list a million youtube clips on here from the show, but I shall leave all the comic surprises for you!

As for Zooey Deschanel, not only is she a very talented actress, she’s also a successful singer and a super stylish style icon. Her style is quite feminine and her classic look seems to be a pretty summer dress, but I think the key thing to pick up on with Zooey is that she knows how to dress for her shape, and that’s what is most inspiring.

PRET-A-PORTEA…

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I’m proud of being British, and one thing I believe the British truly do best is afternoon tea!! I make it my mission to try as many as I can around the world, but nothing beats an english brew and a slice of victoria sponge. 

Just days before christmas, it was my gorgeous friend Sophie’s birthday and I decided to surprise her with a sophisticated birthday tea at The Berkley Hotel. The Berkley provide an afternoon tea with a ‘fashionista’ twist. All cakes and treats in their ‘Pret-a-Portea’ are fashion themed, featuring trends in print, colour and silhouette straight off the runway! Your kind waiter/waitress gives you a quick introduction before you tuck into your fashionable treats and of course the cakes change every season to match the latest trends!! It’s utterly amazing and definitely recommended for anyone with a love of cake or interest in fashion (or both!).

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Below is the guide each table is given, showing the relation between cake and trend. The cake version of red Valentino clutch was so life like!!ImageImage And if that wasn’t fashionable enough for you, everything is served on beautiful Paul Smith china!! (The tea pot is to die for!)

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ImageThis tiny Mui Mui gold shoe biscuit was definitely my favourite treat of the day (oh if only that was a real pair of glittery gold Mui Mui heels in my hand!!)

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The Burberry Trench: iconic, beautiful and DELICIOUS!! 

I had such a fun afternoon, and it was such a unique experience! Click here to book online and try it for yourself! I can’t wait to see what next season has to hold in fashionable edible treats!

YOU SHALL GO TO THE BALL…

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So this Monday was halloween, celebrated by many, but how many people actually realise what they are celebrating?? Anyway it would seem that for most it’s just another excuse to party and I have to admit, this year I fell into that category. I’m proud to say that I am a member of the Ballet Society at uni and we took a group halloween outing to a Masquerade Ball at Cafe de Paris.

I had seen photos of Cafe de Paris and it always looked magical, so you can imagine with added decorations for halloween it didn’t disappoint. From chandeliers to an A capella group, this wasn’t your average halloween celebration. Although the general theme was ‘masquerade’, my fellow ballerinas and I went a la Natalie Portman in Black Swan (complete with big tutus! – just an excuse to wear a tutu really!!)

It was a fun and really different way to spend halloween, and I’d definitely return to Cafe de Paris as the venue itself is stunning. With individual booths (available for everyone – not exclusive like those snooty clubs in mayfair!!) it’s a great place for a fun time with a group of friends. It really feels like a flash back to the past, with a kind of 1930s feel, I hope that they’ll have a vintage themed party or something held there as it would be awesome!!

Anyway check it out here> http://www.cafedeparis.com

It’s easy to get to/from as it’s right in central london. Drink prices aren’t ridiculous considering the location and fantastic venue. During our event it was 2-4-1 cocktails from 7-8pm and 9-10pm so check out if that’s available other nights too – cocktails are definitely work a try!! I’d love to hear what you all think, so leave me your comments and experiences below!

LFW…VIVIENNE WESTWOOD

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What a couple of days it has been!!! I’m utterly exhausted (thus why I’m back to being a day behind on my blogging). I can’t quite believe all that has happened over the past two days…

Saturday 17th September…

So I started out at Simone Rocha this morning. I was left to represent the casting agency by myself today which meant it was down to me to book the girls etc. I was so pleased to be given such a responsibility, however I was pleased as it was pretty quiet in the studio with very little stressing! (even though it was the day before the show!) I managed to get a couple of really good girls confirmed and get some good options on others.

Our wall of beautiful girls at Simone Rocha

I also booked in fittings for later that evening. For lunch the interns at Simone’s studio suggested I tried a Turkish pancake! Being in Dalston there are quite a few cultures living side by side and I had noticed the odd Turkish restaurant next to an African fabric store, adjacent to an Indian take away! Anyway I can safely say a Turkish pancake is DELICIOUS. It’s very similar to a crepe however seems heavier, and contains spinach, onion and feta cheese! MMMMMM! So around 3pm Simone left the studio to go and see her dad’s show (John Rocha) and I had to leave for Vivienne Westwood. This is the one show I had been waiting for and I couldn’t believe now was the time! I bounded downstairs ready to run to the tube, opened the front door and it was pouring with rain!!!! I couldn’t believe it! I didn’t have an umbrella or even a coat. I considered calling a taxi but my the time it arrived I’d be really late. I could see it now…I was going to turn up at Westwood like a drowned rat!! I braved the rain with a cardigan over my head. Got soaked to the bone! However thankfully at Kings Cross there were tube closures which meant I had to get a taxi and that gave me a chance to dry off a bit….a bit.
As I drew up to Smithfields Market the amazing location for the Vivienne Westwood it really didn’t sink in what I was about to see. On arrival I met Gemma and did the usual calling agencies, chasing up models etc. There was sooo much going on in hair and make up it was pretty difficult to see who was there as the make up and hair really transformed them.

Stunning hair and make up at Westwood

I was chasing up one model in particular as her agent said she was literally going to walk in the door any minute, so I stood at the door, waiting and waiting, until…Vivienne arrived.

Vivienne in passing...

It then hit me where I was and what I was doing!! I decided to move from my location as Vivienne was coming right this way, and it was lucky I did as the storm of press and media that clouded over her when she arrived was insane!!! Cameramen were doing anything (and I mean anything) to get a good shot! To make matters worse Tracey Emin then appeared on Vivienne’s side. THEN PAMELA ANDERSON STROLLED IN!!

Pammy Anderson!!!

The press went mad desperate to catch a photo of them both. During this chaos we attempted a rehearsal that all models made bar one. It was a relief when all models had arrived and were sorted as that was our job done. Now it was time to enjoy ourselves. Rehearsal – only one model didn’t quite make it. eventually all models arrived.

All the models lining up ready for rehearsal

Once the rehearsal was done and the final preparations were taking place we dashed front of house to grab a good spot to see the show. We saw Hilary Alexander quickly grab a hello from Vivienne before the show commenced backstage too. We met up with one of the model agents and a couple of editors from Dazed and Another magazines and found our place. I could see in the distance from where we were sat Paloma Faith on the FROW and later found our Eliza Doolittle was next to her. Across from us we saw Nancy Dell’Olio and a couple other famous faces taking their seats.

Such an incredible venue

The show was absolutely incredible. I can’t believe I was actually there. I don’t feel my pictures do it justice so I’m just going to post a video of the awesome finale where Vivienne followed by her army of beauties paraded down the catwalk. Marta (model from Union) lead the way looking beautiful on Vivienne’s arm.