Diary of an Intern

This past week I've been adjusting to waking up early and working most of the day, then coming home and wanting my bed straight away.  The work experience unit on my university course has started and I am currently working as a social media intern at a dress agency in Cobham, called Phoenix.  As a social media intern I mainly look after the networking sites (Twitter, Facebook etc), but I also blog, write up press releases and take photos of the latest and greatest stock.  If you follow me on Instagram, you may have seen the various items I've been photographing.  It's been both heavenly and dangerous being surrounded by so many beautiful clothes.  

DVF, Marc Jacobs, Anya Hindmarch, Louboutin, Jimmy Choo, Prada, you name it, they've got it. Everyday there's always something new and exciting added to the stock (and at ridiculously good prices too).  They get some real characters in each day.  This week I've seen girls trying on Jenny Packham dresses for their prom, a lady who 17 years ago bought her wedding outfit from us and one lady who checks tickets to see when things are due to be reduced before she buys.  

I've got three more weeks to go and I've already learnt so much, so I'm looking forward to seeing what happens next week.  

What have you all been up to this week? 

EC One Relaunches Website

Over the summer I got to help out on a few different photo shoots thanks to Push PR.  My first of the bunch was the EC One website campaign with Burberry model Milly Simmonds.  Browsing online I stumbled across a new look EC One site with the pictures from the shoot and thought I'd share with you the final product.  I think the website looks really sleek and savvy with it's new look, so without further adieu...

These are just a few of the images but I think they turned out great! They've also popped a behind the scenes pictures and even a video on their blog (featured below). The video has the smallest snippet of me interviewing Milly, which you can read here. 

*All images/videos belong to EC One

Do you like the shoot?  Check out EC One's jewellery, they have something for every accessory lover this Christmas! 

Thanks again to Push PR and EC One for letting me take part in the shoot!

LFW virgin no more...

It was going to happen sooner or later, SS12 stole my LFW virginity.  I was pretty lucky and managed to blag my way into London Fashion Week, thanks to the girls at Push PR.  As a trainee fashion journalist, it's something of a fantasy to go to the shows and visit Somerset House, so I jumped at the chance.  University has started back up, and our first assignment was to get into LFW and then do some work based on it, I shan't bore you with that.  I knew first off that the love of my life, David Koma, AW11 collection was being exhibited at the Topshop Newgen 'shed', so I made a beeline for that once I saw it.  As well as schmoozing with bloggers, visiting the exhibitions and seeing shows, I was also spotting the 'Fash Pack'.  I spied Anna Dello Russo, Hilary Alexander, Zandra Rhodes, Jo Elvin, Brix Smith-Start and Lenny the Stylist Pug (a personal highlight, I'm now broody for a Pug).

On Monday, after watching the Burberry arrivals, I went down to see Jasper Garvida's SS12 show.  It was particularly monochrome, with a flash of disco ball glitz here and there.  

I haven't done any show blogs as I feel it's a tad overdone in the fashion bloggersphere and I don't want to regurgitate Style.com.  I will, however, at the end of the Fashion Week season do a summary of my favourite shows and what I'll be looking forward to wearing next season.  I can tell you my stand outs so far have been DVF (naturally), Ashish, Elie Tahari, David Koma (naturally) and Burberry.  

Fall's out.

Whilst painting my nails I decided to surf the web (with great difficulty, may I add) and came across the new Burberry Campaign.  I'm really looking forward to next season, layering and an excuse to shop for some new pieces.  The Burberry Campaign features a leather mix Mac, tassles and that all important signature check.  

The newest face to model in the campaign is Milly Simmonds (above), who I've had the pleasure of working with a few weeks ago on a shoot for jewellery company EC One, thanks to my Internship.  She was incredibly down to earth and nonchalant, something I've never thought of a model to be.  Don't judge a book by it's cover eh?  

This is one of many campaigns that will soon be filtering through our monthly Vogue, Elle and Harpers. Are there any campaigns you're particularly excited to see? 

Slippery Snake

The day I get invited to the Burberry bash of the season, I'll know I have made it in the industry.  Until then, I'm happy to blog about it and daydream.  The Serpentine Gallery not only has a cool name, but was host to fashions finest last night.  It's also a socialite haven - this is the party that declares party season you see.

Of course, a party like this calls for decadence in dress and the ladies did not dissapoint. My personal favourite of the night wasn't one dress, but one designer who seemed to keep popping up.  Pucci.  

Poppy Delevingne

Liberty Ross

Both dresses are perfect for summer.  Poppy opted for a slinky maxi number with a wrap around feature, giving her body a bit of shape.  The mixture of green tones is really flattering against her skin tone and blonde locks too.  Liberty opted for a slightly more sculptured dress, asymmetrical in shape and slightly rouched at the waist.  

A summer party wouldn't be right without a floral number and Tali Lennox looked stunning in petals. 

Tali Lennox with Erdem

This silvery-blue maxi dress is bang on trend with it's pleated chiffon skirt.  I love how the print is layered with the chiffon to create a much softer look than an out there floral print.  A silk belt is used to give silhouette to Tali's slender figure.  

There were so many outfits to drawl over, that this may have turned into an essay post.  Have you seen any of the highlights?  Let me know who wore your favourite outfit below.  

I'm going to leave you with the highlights from Burberry's bash, enjoy.  

  

I Spy! Introducing my new feature.

With so many fashion blogs out their i've been thinking of ways to make mine different from others.  I'm hoping my new feature 'I Spy' will do just that.  The basic concept is that i'll be on the hunt for slightly odd, or just 'different' trends.  I'll then leave it up to you to answer: yay or nay.  As i've just been writing about menswear my first 'I Spy' will be focused on it.  I hope you enjoy this new feature, and any feedback would be lovely.  Here goes!

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I Spy: Mens Sheer Shirts?

Gaspard Yurkievich's collection included a royal blue sheer shirt (pictured above) not unlike the recent sheer shirts women have been seen wearing.  Personally, I don't know if a man could pull it off.  Although the model looks gorgeous here, could you really see your other half in it?  I think gay men would be able to pull it off with their out their nature and their love for fashion, but I don't think we'll see straight guys wearing this look any time soon.  

However, Burberry showed sheer knit jumpers (above) which I can see going down better, unlike the shirt it would look acceptable to wear a tank underneath the jumper (if you weren't that comfortable with your body).

On this trend I vote nay.

So guys what will it be? Yay or Nay?

Fabric Moment

Throughout past centuries it was always clothes that dictated your status in society.  The 21^st century sees the age of counterfeit goods or as they are more commonly known, ‘knock offs’.  That handbag may have a Louis Vuitton logo printed all over it, but does that make it authentic? 

Cashmere, a fabric synonymous with status, wealth and luxury, comes from the Cashmere goat, found in Mongolia, Iran, Iraq and more recently, America.  The fibres, combed out from beneath the goats chin are longer, smoother and straighter than that of sheep’s wool.    

During the 18^th century, both British and French women from wealthy upper classes had cashmere shawls imported from Kashmir and India.  They would drape these shawls around them, keeping them stylishly warm during the Neo-Classical times of short-sleeved, high-waisted dresses. 

The 19^th century saw the decline in cashmere in clothing and the development into cheaper, locally made imitations, usually woven with silk.  This made cashmere less exclusive as women from different classes could now afford the so-called luxury.

Designer Shirin Guild, brought back the use of cashmere during the 1980’s when sheep’s wool was used extensively for knitwear, advocating cashmere as a luxurious fabric once again.   

Cashmere is still around today in high street firms such as Marks and Spencer’s in jumpers, cardigans and pashminas.  Many high street stores claim to sell 100% cashmere garments, but always check the label, as you never know where a ‘knock off’ may appear.   

LFW's Best Dressed Beauts...

With all the hype around London Fashion Week I thought I would contribute to the cause.  With many female celebrities turning up to park their size zero bums on front row, there was more than enough choice for my top 5 best dressed.

My first choice is Cat Deeley, the new face of Links of London, who turned up in a stunning purple Pucci jersey fishtail dress.  With purple being a key colour this season, Deeley is really on form.  

Everybody's favourite socialite and MTV's 'The City' star is next.  Olivia Palmero attended Julien Macdonald's S/S 2011.  She sported former employer, Diane Von Furstenburg's skirt.

Girls Aloud's Nicola Roberts goes from pop chic to rock chick in this TopShop dress at the TopShop Unique show.  The metal gray compliments her pale skin whilst her red hair keeps her from looking washed out.

'These Words' singer Natasha Bedingfield wow's the paparazzi at The Kristian Aadnevik S/S 2011 show.  The royal blue dress shows off her stunning legs and compliements her skin tone nicely, whilst the feathers give off an animalistic side to the garment.

Lastly, no top five would be complete without our favourite Manolo Blahnik babe.  SJP turned up to the Burberry show in a leather camel Burberry jacket.  With military being a big trend this season, she is showing the troops just how it's done.  

All images found via Google, I do not own any of them.