Primark and the growth of fast fashion in the noughties.

The noughties have become synonymous with instant gratification; we communicate our feelings to the world instantaneously via facebook and twitter, even text and email are too slow for us. We want our grande-double-shot-soy-milk-no-whip-extra-hot macchiato stat and shops that only replenish their stock before each season definitely do not work for us. Welcome to the age of the right-now. Welcome to fast fashion. And the store that personifies this movement from the “designer or nothing” 90s, to the “wear today gone tomorrow” ideology of the 2000s? Primark, of course.

Primark, or Penny’s in Ireland, first opened in Dublin in 1969. After it’s success it went on to open four out-of-town stores in the UK in 1973, and by 1983 both the UK and Ireland had 22 stores each. Expansion sky-rocketed over the next twenty years and today there are 139 Primark stores in the UK.

So what is the attraction to what is now the UK’s biggest value fashion chain? Primark captures the latest trends from the catwalk and creates desirable products quickly and cheaply at prices you don’t have to think twice about. Their website boasts that a style can go from Catwalk to High Street in as little as “six weeks…depending on the style in question.” They typify our wanting of designer creativity at minimum wage prices, and we want it fast.

Many people argue the change of focus in the noughties. We no longer boast about the expense of the things we buy as we did in the nineties; we now boast about the fact that our evening dress came with change from a twenty and our shoes were in the sale. “Cheap” has lost its insulting connotations; we no longer care if our dress isn’t the best quality or if our shoes fall apart. Fast fashion is about disposability; we want to have the liberty of experimentation with the latest trends without the commitment of a month’s salary.

Primark promotes the idea of shopping as entertainment; the idea that fashion is no longer a luxury but is accessible. We no longer gaze longingly at what our favourite celebrity is wearing and save up religiously for months to purchase that perfect bag; we now snap up the imitation dress with enough change for a cheap version of this season’s IT bag. Primark and stores like it constantly churn out imitations giving us a snippet of the current trends, and when it goes out of style it no longer matters. For the price we will just throw it away and buy whatever is on trend this season.

This is disposable fashion. No longer do we make investment buys; rather than buy an expensive coat that will last ten years we just buy one for a tenth of a price and replace it every year. We are the age of non-commitment, even when it comes to clothing. We don’t want a messy divorce; we don’t want decades of attachment only to realise that times have changed and we’re ready to move on. We want a one-night-stand piece of clothing; we know what we want, we get it and we get rid.

photo credit: daily mail.co.uk

Stylish Shoes at Marks and Spencer

Shoes are becoming a huge part of our everyday fashion wardrobes lately, so much more than they used to be that almost every girl and woman around is starting to convert to something a lot more stylish, from the high-flying women who run busy offices down to the yummy mummys pushing toddlers and strollers around. Retail giant Marks and Spencer have recently designed and brought to life a huge range of simply gorgeous, stylish shoes in an assortment of colours and styles and heels galore!

Unfortunately, the statement "if it's flat it's not good-looking or trendy" is quite true, which isn't a problem for many of us who live in heels all the time, but for those who really want to look great whilst just being out and about even at the supermarket, heels are now the way forward. From the popular court shoe for the office to the platform peep-toe slingback sandals, it seems that Marks and Spencer have got them all!

Sandals of all kinds are really on-trend right now, so it's best to invest in a pair that you can wear with plenty of outfits such as the Ghillie Lace Platform Sandals- quite a large heel, but in a stunning khaki-green colour with light brown heels which would look great with any summer dress, white skirts (so on-trend as well!), and even skinny and ankle-length jeans! A great shoe we are seeing more of is the Asymmetric Cuff shoes, and Marks and Spencer happen to have a really cute pair in black and pink- perfect for those summer evening parties! A great sandal which would look fantastic with any nautical items recently purchased are the Limited Collection Double Cross Strap Platforms, as would the Autograph Leather Cage Platform Shoes in the white. If heels aren't your thing, then there is a stunning pair of Snake Skin Print Wedges- just check out Marks and Spencer's new range as soon as you can and make yourself look super-stylish!

What's in Fashion- Grunge Glamour!

To round up the end of our What's in Fashion week, rather than discuss one item in particular we thought that we could bring you up to speed with what is emerging and what we can expect in the new autumn/winter collections. It seems that many fashionistas want comfort as well as style these days, so all our favourite designers have been working hard to provide just that for us. So bring out the era of the grunge glamour! The grunge look has only just begun hitting the catwalks, and consists of a modern mix of long silk skirts and slouchy, boyfriend-type jumpers. It really is a fantastic look- much better than the 90's look of overly-long denim skirts and tracksuit tops! This year we will be seeing plenty of truly elegant, over-the-top evening skirts combined with slouchy jumpers in neutral colours. Designer Erdem Moralioglu says that he "loves the casualness of a boyish jumper and a long satin skirt- it strikes the idea glamour/grunge balance and you only need invest in the skirt- the jumper should be an old favourite."

Beautifully baggy trousers will also be extremely stylish this year, combined with old-style knitted cardigans both short and long. The recent discovery of the Trainer Boot will be the shoe to consider wearing with the grunge-look outfits, as they too are a mix of grunge (trainer) and glamour (high-heeled boot). For an excellent day-time look, again slouchy knits will be key along with a pair of skinny jeans, and for the rest of the summer you can get a jump-start if the weather stays decent enough by combining a maxi-dress with a cropped jumper, perhaps with 3/4 length sleeves if it is too warm for anything bigger. This look is going to be huge, whether it takes off now or in the future, but you can easily accomplish this new trend with minimal effort and look absolutely fantastic!

What's in Fashion- Draped Dresses

We have looked at quite a few different types of dresses in our What's in Fashion week, but they have had such a huge impact in the world of fashion that it really is extremely stylish to be seen out and about in any type of dress! Today's type are the elegantly sexy draped dresses, which can truly make you look like a goddess when wearing one. They have been quite popular this spring/summer season as they are so easy to wear due to the flattering shape and comfortable silhouette in such an elegant way. Draped dresses are becoming an extremely popular choice of dress lately as they can be really great at doing what almost every woman wants... they hide the tummy area, but depending on the style of the dress and where the 'drapes' fall. Not only do they hide the tummy, but also all your other lumps and bumps such as chunky legs, big bottoms and large breasts.

This type of dress in particular is more often worn as an evening or party dress as they are so elaborate and elegant, and even walking around a shopping centre in a dress which looks as though you simply draped a scarf around your body could raise a few more eyebrows than desired, unlike a maxi-dress or simple sundress. However, when you wear a dress as beautifully designed as these, you will find that you will need to wear hardly any accessories as the dress itself will speak the beauty for you!

It was famous designer label Burberry who started off the trend of the draped dress with their last spring/summer collection, and they presented a variety of dresses and draped skirts in stunning pastel colours. Of course, not long after nearly every celebrity was seen wearing one at all the red carpet events and then seen on every fashion magazine cover. So if you have an upcoming party or social event, a draped dress is highly recommended as a fabulous, stylish head-turner, and you can begin your search for one at Britain's most elegant high-street retailer, Marks and Spencer!

What's in Fashion- Body-Con Dresses

Next up for discussion for our What's in Fashion week are the uber-sexy body-con dresses. They come in either short or long and are a popular choice of dress as they nip right in at the waist to show it off, and they hug close to the body to create a fabulous figure. Originally designed for the skinniest of girls, many curvy celebs have come forward in their body-cons to prove that anyone can wear one and look fabulous. The designer who has introduced the body-con dress to the catwalk is from the famous French house Herve Leger, or now known as Herve Leroux after he lost the right to use the Leger name. The current owner of the company is Max Azria and he trades under the name 'Max Azria for Herve Leger'. However, it was Leroux who pioneered the creation of the body-con dress, otherwise known as 'bandage' or 'body-conscious' by using materials that are usually associated with foundation garments so that the dresses would mold and shape to the wearer's figure with its signature bandage-like stripes.

A body-con dress should be (some of the best ones at least) able to pull the two most important areas up and in- the breasts and the bottom, to really accentuate them and look amazing (think Jennifer Lopez). However, a flabby tummy and arms can really ruin this look, so it is really important to either choose a double-layered dress to hide some of the awkward bumps, with thicker fabrics and panelling at the front, or you can wear special stomach-holding underwear for a smoother look. Pear-shaped girls should opt for dark block colours to flatter the bottom half, big busted girls should stick to the 'bandage' dress to emphasize the breasts (but avoid strapless as they won't provide enough support) and rectangular-shaped girls should go for dresses with high neck lines and large shoulder detailing to draw attention away from the breasts. Any girls with with chunky thighs must opt for the longer styles (just past knee-length) to add the balance. You can buy some really great body-cons at Dorothy Perkins and Debenhams!

What's in Fashion- Skinny Combat Trousers

The next item of clothing up for discussion on this week's What's in Fashion are the super trendy skinny combat trousers. They have only recently emerged into the spotlight this summer season, with yet another celebrity or two being an inspiration for wearing them- Sarah Jessica Parker paraded around Manhattan in a really stylish pair to promote Sex and the City 2, and of course every one's favourite style icon Cheryl Cole, who was caught sporting a pair earlier this year as she left a hotel in Paris.

We have seen the huge rise of the skinny jeans during this past year or two, and now nearly every girl has a pair in her wardrobe so designers have taken the skinny jean to the next level to keep them looking up to date and interesting and so have come up with the skinny combats, or skinny combat-style jeans. The trend with the original skinny jeans is usually a baggy or long top worn over them, as is also extremely common with leggings and jeggings, but with the skinny combats a great look to wear with them is a smaller top perhaps showing off some belly (if you're brave enough!) and also to show the top of the trouser itself, which is usually a boyfriend-style to just below the zip/pocket area, then skinny the rest of the way down.

As combat trousers usually have pockets of all shapes and sizes on the side of the legs (this tends to go with the skinny ones too) a long top or cardigan which comes to around that pocket area could look a bit too much and not really very great. A black leather jacket would look really on-trend with these trousers right now just like Cheryl, perhaps teamed with a white stretch cotton top with black stripes and of course a fantastic pair of high-heeled sandals. One thing not to team your skinny combat trousers with, however, is any type of military-style top or jacket- which is also quite popular in the fashion world at the moment. Jackets with the front stripe and brass buttons, for example, in any colour, would not look good unless you are specifically aiming for the whole 'military soldier' look (which really doesn't suit most girls!).

Picture from www.dailymail.co.uk

What's in Fashion- Animal Print Dresses

Continuing on with our What's in Fashion news, we are going to look at the animal-print dress and how it has gone from almost 'tacky' to really trendy. It was back in the 80s and 90s when people started wearing animal prints in a similar style as today, but with no idea how to style them properly! Tiger-printed crop-tops with the then fashionable tracksuit bottoms is a classic 90's look, so if you want to wear animal prints today it's always best to remember the golden rule: keep it simple! Items of clothing with animal prints that really should be avoided are jackets, trousers, skirts, and coats as you tend to look 'over-printed' and that you belong in the jungle. That only leaves us with dresses and accessories. Today's designers have worked extremely hard to bring animal prints back in fashion, and as it is dresses being modelled and worn by the celebrities it's dresses which are the must-have! They look fantastic when worn on their own, with added accessories such as black high-heels or or simple statement jewellery.

The celebrities seen wearing the best animal print dresses recently include Cheryl Cole in a cute strapless mini-dress in leopard print, Jennifer Lopez with another leopard print plunging gown as well as her sparkling tiger print gown with a feathered hem, Miley Cyrus in a cute printed day dress, and Micha Barton and Gwen Stefani to add to the list. You can shop for your gorgeous animal print dress at Debenhams, Oasis, Miss Selfridge, and Marks and Spencer, and so prepare to make your next fashion statement with the bold and beautiful! However, if you're not quite ready to go for the daring dress, you can always make your statement with animal print accessories and jewellery. Leopard print is huge right now with all the celebs wearing it, so skinny belts with jeans, dainty pump shoes, cute earrings, big and chunky bangles, nail foils, and even umbrellas will get you started and look just as great as the printed dress!

Why boots are your year-round staple

Boots worn only in winter? Sooo 2008 darling!! Boots were always the one item we adored in winter and then put away neatly around April to rediscover them again around October. Getting your boots out in the in-between months meant admitting defeat; acceptance of the English weather with a sulk and a jumper. But not this year. blame the summer festival season perhaps, where we spot Kate Moss and Alexa Chung looking effortless in denim shorts and floral dresses, complete with bare legs and wellies. Or blame the growing fascination with what can only be described as “edginess”- a love of smudged eyeliner and leather jacket with a rebellious black ankle boot to counter balance girly lace or a tea dress. But whatever it is, boots are here all year round- which should bring with it both a whoop of celebration for our bank balances and a sigh of relief from our pedicure-deprived feet.

Boots in summer bring a lot of fabulous opportunities; not just an excuse to splurge on something which you can convince your other half you will wear “all the time” (and this time you actually might!!). Boots teamed with a pretty dress have an instant laid-back cool to them- a rebellious reaction to the girly matchy-matchy-ness that usually prevails at this time a year. Boots and shorts are synonymous with Glastonbury chic- wear with touselled hair and a headscarf, but definitely with a shower. But Spring/Summer this year has brought with it a whole range of new boots for us to lust after; lace up army boots for 90s grunge perfection, peep toe ankle boots for a new twist on the now-classic shoe boot and a range of lightly coloured boots in creams and beige to complement the nude, neutral tone of the season and manage to avoid looking too clumpy or heavy for summer.

With the unpredictability of British weather, boots in summer allow us to show off our St Tropez while keeping our feet dry- there’s nothing worse than spotting

grey clouds when your toes are exposed, or wearing black tights after paying £40 for a spray tan. With recession-chic still the order of the day though, there’s nothing wrong with just wearing your usual winter boots. Be they suede or leather, cowboy or thigh high (okay, well maybe not thigh high), wear with bare legs and keep the rest of your outfit summery and fun to avoid reminding everyone of the impending gloom in the middle of summer. Oh and tonnes of attitude. Spend your pedicure budget on a great jacket and you’re ready to go, come rain or shine.

Photo credt: oceanup.com

What's in Fashion- Jumpsuits

Next in line for us to look at for this week's What's in Fashion news, we will be looking at jumpsuits and why they are so popular yet not many people are seen wearing them on a daily basis. They became big in the 80s, but they were too baggy and looked like mechanical outfits. However, a hand-full of genius designers restyled them back in 2008 and were soon seen on nearly every catwalk around. The jumpsuit was originally worn by military pilots, factory workers, and anyone who wanted to protect their under-garments. They started becoming fashionable for women back in 1937 when actress Katharine Hepburn wore a silk one-piece in the film 'Stage Door',and then five years after that Vera Maxwell, a pioneer of American sportswear, designed a version of the 'coverall' that would be worn by many women during the Second World War.

Despite being extremely comfortable and fashionable with many celebs past and present having them in their wardrobes, jumpsuits are actually very difficult to pull off as they need to fit perfectly and define the waist area. The shoes need to be glamorous, ideally high-heels or platforms as the wearer could end up looking like a male mechanic. When worn correctly, they look extremely stylish and offer the wearer an all-in-one outfit appeal similar to the dress that has become a huge retail hit only very recently.

The best place to start looking for a jumpsuit ideally is one of the most sophisticated retail shops in Britain- Marks and Spencer. They offer a range of on-trend jumpsuits, from the long leg trouser to the shorts, and the 3/4 length. They have been designed to look as feminine as possible with features such as cowl necks, cap sleeves, bright colours, floral designs, and belted in at the waist as the jumpsuit should look like. You can check the range out for yourself here, and perhaps you could set a new trend for all your friends and colleagues!

Shop jumpsuits, playsuits and all in ones

What's in Fashion- Maxi Dresses

This week, we are going to look at what items of clothing, shoes and accessories have been hitting the fashion headlines this season, and to start with we are going to look at maxi dresses as they are one of the biggest items to hit the catwalks these past few years. Maxi dresses have hit the catwalks by many designers for their spring/summer collections for yet another year as they really are increasing in popularity. They make the wearer look truly glamorous and a true fashionista with minimum effort on their behalf. The majority of maxi dresses that you will find come in a huge assortment of big, bold patterns, mainly floral or in the hippy-style with lots of smaller patterns, and are available with lots of the brightest summer colours which all look really great when you team them with white (white cardies, white sandals, white accessories, but not all worn together) to balance the maxi dress out as you are literally dressed from head to toe in bright colours and bold patterns!

It is evident now that maxi dresses are here to stay for quite some time yet- they are really one of the best fashion statements that you will ever own. Not only are they super stylish; sexy, chic, comfortable and extremely feminine, they will also very easily take you straight from chic daywear to glamorous evening wear. They suit all size and shape women- from apples to pears, big to thin, tall to small- although the more petite ladies do need to be careful not to allow their dress to drag on the floor as it will tear easily, and frankly it is not a good look! However, some advice to bear in mind: if you are big busted try to opt for a halterneck dress to flatter the bust area, and choose the larger prints if you have a bit of extra weight to hide (smaller patterns are for the thin as they seem to add more weight). And finally, don't forget to include your favourite accessories to ensure you look as though you have just stepped off the catwalk!

Picture taken from Catwalk Queen, featuring Oprah.

Designer Fever- Sir Philip Green

The last person we are looking at for our Inspiration Week is someone who could truly be one of the biggest fashion inspirators at least in the UK- which is none other than Sir Philip Green. Sir Philip may not exactly be a total fashionista like the other designers we have talked about, (though he probably does wear the most expensive suits you could ever find) but he does own the massive Arcadia Group- which includes several of our favourite fashion shops like Topshop, Miss Selfridge, Dorothy Perkins, and Burton Menswear for the husbands as well as famous other high-street names.

He is currently Britain's ninth richest person, owning 2300 shops in the UK which controls 12% of the UK clothing retail market, making his empire the second largest in the sector. He was born in March 1952, and despite being more of a businessman than a fashionable one, he has almost always worked in fashion. He left boarding school at the age of 15 and worked for a shoe importer before travelling to the USA, Far East, and Europe, and set up his first business on his return importing jeans from the Far East to sell to retailers in London. In 1979 he bought the entire stock of 10 designer label clothes sellers, sent them to the dry cleaners, put them on hangers wrapped in polythene to make them look new, then bought a place to sell them to the public.

Since then, he has continued to rise higher in the retail market, and in 1999 bought a failing British Home Stores and turned it around. It is now believed to be worth over £1.2billion. Sir Philip Green has spent more than £6million in education; the majority of it going in to The Fashion Retail Academy which now has over 200 students, and he is a generous supporter of the industry charity Retail Trust. For the many thousands of people who work in any Arcadia store, they can call Sir Philip their boss as it is a big thanks to him that these shops are so popular, and as for Miss Selfridge and Topshop... well, where would we all be without them?!

Designer Fever- Alice Temperley

The next designer we are looking at for this week's fashion inspirations is Central St. Martin's graduate Alice Temperley. Alice Temperley was born in July 1975 and grew up in Somerset before moving to London to attend university, where she studied for her fashion degree. Once she had graduated, she set up her own company and named it Temperley London, alongside her then boyfriend (now husband) Lars Von Bennigsen in 2000. She met Von Bennigsen back in 1998 when she was working as a cocktail waitress at The Met Bar to help pay for her studies at university, and she then married him in 2002 in a 20's style wedding covered by British Vogue.

Alice Temperley is popular for her designs which focus on using the best fabrics and special hand finishes, and she has been hailed as "the designer making the biggest waves in British Fashion" by American Vogue. Her collections, which are four per year, are sold in 300 stores in 37 countries, with four stand alone boutiques in London, New York, LA, and Dubai. She launched a Bridal shop in 2007 next door to her London store, and her headquarters are based in Notting Hill next door to her home. She has won several awards for her designs, including English Print Designer of the Year (1999), Best Young Designer of the Year (2004), and is named as one of Britain's top 35 female business leaders of 2006. Alice hosted her first fashion show in Notting Hill in 2003, but them moved her shows to New York and there she has hosted an online multi-media video launch instead of a traditional catwalk show.

Celebrity fans of Alice Temperley includes Scarlett Johansson, Sarah Jessica Parker, Naomi Campbell, Jennifer Lopez, and Nicole Richie to name just a few! She is a great fashion inspirator for her work has been nothing but exceptionally fantastic and famous, and she has only recently launched a sister brand called 'Alice by Temperley' which is more affordable fashion for a younger, London-look audience.

Shop Alice by Temperley

Picture from http://www.guardian.co.uk/

Supermarket Chic

Supermarket giant Tesco has announced this week that it will be opening a stand alone F&F Clothing store. The store will be located in London’s West End, where retail rent is among highest in the world, and have looked at potential sites on both Kensington High Street and shopping epicentre, Oxford Street. This is the next step in clothing retail for Tesco, who launched an independent online store in 2009, following the footsteps of rival Asda’s clothing range George, which went online in 2008. Tesco look to be proving their worth against George, whose independent stores shut down after 4 years of struggle, with Asda announcing that “the economics just didn’t add up.” But Tesco has been increasingly trying to grab the attention of the usual brand of shopper on the high street- not just people nipping in to do their weekly shop. It develops on the arrival of Tesco’s F&F Couture range; a collection of 16 pieces with prices up to £140 with eye-catching designs and intricate details, made from bespoke fabrics and textures. The Pagoda dress is the key piece of the collection, which comes in both grey and purple, but their Extreme Denim Jacket is a gorgeous stand out piece, and at £75 it isn’t quite the kind of thing you snap up with your milk and bread. Tesco is clearly trying to up the ante in its competition with Asda’s George range. Both supermarkets have been coming up with innovative new ideas in an attempt to cash-in on the success of cheap, disposable fashion shops such as Primark and Peacocks. Back in 2008, Asda was the third largest clothing retailer by volume (behind Primark and Marks and Spencers), and Asda is now the second biggest retailer in the “value sector”, after Primark, with Tesco trailing in 5^th place after TK Maxx and New Look. Asda, back in 2009, launched a range of between-size jeans and soon after released a dress with a tummy-control panel; both priced below £30. It has also announced a range of Asian-inspired clothing to reach out to new markets.

Supermarket shopping in itself has changed over the years. Now you can grab a TV, a mobile phone and even car insurance while you nip in on a Sunday afternoon, but I am still unsure about supermarket clothing. The styles seem to be improving, but there is still much to be desired regarding quality. But you can argue that if I wanted quality I should get out of Tesco and onto Fifth Avenue..While supermarkets argue their case for “fashion democracy”- prices everyone can afford, and “cheap desirable fashion” I remain unconvinced. I work in Asda part time over the holidays and always have a peek in George and come back disappointed. And that is in the biggest Asda superstore in Europe. Although, I have just ordered a lovely nautical playsuit from George Online that I couldn’t resist, so maybe times are changing. Perhaps F&F and George will soon be prominent features on our high street. What do you think of supermarket clothing?

image credit: dailytelegraph.co.uk

Designer Fever- Sir Paul Smith

Continuing on with our fashion inspirations this week is another popular British fashion designer, Sir Paul Smith. He is extremely popular worldwide for his designs, which have been described as 'perfection' where he combines the classy styles with the quirky, and so allows his customers to purchase relatively traditional designs which offer a twist of individuality (hence the popularity). Sir Paul was knighted by the Queen in 2000 after providing almost 30 years' of menswear clothing and being an icon, and he has proved himself to be a complete success and is now a highly respectable figure within the fashion industry.

Sir Paul Smith didn't always dream of becoming a fashion designer; he in fact left school at the age of 15 to pursue a career as a racing cyclist until his father forced him to work in a clothing warehouse. He had no interest in the work, until one day he suffered a terrible cycling accident which put a stop to his ambitions. After a whopping six months in hospital, he met up with some new friends who introduced him to the colourful world of art and designing. After some studying and evening classes, he was spotted by Savile Row chairman Harold Tillman, and his designs were then worn by celebrities including George Best. With some help and using his savings, he opened up his first shop in Nottingham in 1970. Business boomed, and by 1976 he showed his first menswear collection in Paris, and his career really took off as he expanded the retail business. He now has several shops dotted all over the world as well as numerous showrooms.

Despite being well known as a menswear designer, he has also designed womenswear collections which has proved to be just as successful, and more recently he designed the suits worn by the players of both Manchester and Liverpool Football Clubs. He is still today actively involved in his business designing clothes, choosing fabrics, and overseeing every development within the company with no plans to retire- what an inspiration!

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Designer Fever- Vivienne Westwood

Here at the Fashion Buzz, we are constantly bringing you up to the minute news on what is happening out in the fashion world, but where do we get all of our fashion inspiration from? Some of the world's top designers have played a huge part in all this, including Dame Vivienne Westwood DBE. Some of us think of a glamorous Hollywood actress at the name, but Vivienne Westwood has almost always been in the fashion business. Born in April 1941, she is the British fashion designer widely known as the one who brought us modern punk and new wave fashions into the mainstream.

Her passion for fashion truly started in 1958 when she studied at the Harrow School of Art taking courses in Fashion and Silversmithing, but quit after just one term saying, "I didn't know how a working-class girl like me could possibly make a living in the art world." However, she began designing and creating jewellery and selling it on London's Portobello Road whilst teaching at a school. She then became interested in the Punk Era fashions of the 70s. Her second husband, Malcolm McLaren, opened up a boutique in London called 'Let It Rock' where Vivienne began selling her outrageous designs which attracted the attentions of bikers, fetishists and prostitutes. McLaren then became the manager of famous punk band the Sex Pistols who began wearing Vivienne's styles, and so setting off a huge punk trend. As well as several other amazing lines of work through the decades, Vivienne has more recently worked with Sex and the City where her designs were featured in the 2008 film.

Vivienne Westwood has advanced from an OBE to a DBE in 2006 for services to fashion, and has thrice earned the award British Designer of the Year. She has five exclusively owned shops; three in London, one in Leeds, and one in Milan as well as several franchises, where her fun features have included Savage (1981), Hobo and Buffalo (1982), and Pirate, Gold and Treasure, Adventure and Exploration. She is clearly a huge success, and an inspiration to many of us fashionistas.

Shop Vivienne Westwood Anglomania

Katie Eary at Catwalk Genius is Finally Funded!

Back in June this year, we featured a blog on British fashion designer Katie Eary who was launching the first ever fan-funded clothing collection alongside popular fashion website Catwalk Genius. And now, just over a month later, all of the shares for the collection have been sold out which has created a huge spot in fashion history! Now that all the shares are sold out with all money raised, work will now start on the production of the new line.

People who made contributions will have extra special 'Designer Perks' as a way of saying thanks, which includes a VIP studio preview, special 24 hour advance purchase privileges, and the chance to win invitations to the launch party. They will also each receive shares in the profits made from the collection. The new collection will be all womenswear as Katie Eary has won the approval of several famous female fans including Kate Moss, Sienna Miller and Lady Gaga, although the designer is usually well-known for being a menswear designer. Top fashion magazine Vogue interviewed the designer about the first ever fan funded collection, where she said "I have been asked by so many ladies in fashion to hurry up and do a womenswear collection, and the opportunity crash-landed in my lap!"

Katie also explained that this new collection will be taking the main elements from her Autumn/Winter 2010 Menswear collection such as the bold digital prints and will be applying them to styles more competitively priced than mainline. So every supporter who purchased at least one share in the new collection will get 24hrs' advance notice to buy from the 'Katie Eary at Catwalk Genius' collection when it is launched later this summer, and because her womenswear collection will be a very limited diffusion line, each piece will be especially high in demand!

Madonna's New Material Girl!

Pop Queen Madonna's daughter Lourdes, or Lola, has started up her own fashion blog in preparation for the launch of her clothing line later this year. Despite the fact that she is only 13 years old, Lourdes seems to be making a huge impression on the fashion world, known as the daughter of the original and ultimate Material Girl. The new clothing collection is to be launched at Macys and is appropriately named 'Material Girl'. It's aimed at young girls and teenagers like herself.

Lourdes admits that she is completely inspired by anything vintage and how she adores the 80s, so her clothing collection will most likely represent the two combined such as leather jackets and denim shorts. In her blog, Lourdes writes about her favourite band My Chemical Romance, and also seems to have taken some fashion inspiration from them. She also talks about her love of crop tops and describes the best way to wear them, and includes photos of two of her crop tops designed for the new collection. As well as crop tops, she has also fallen in love with denim short-shorts, again describing how best to wear them and when and includes some celebrity snap shots to go with it.

Lourdes is technically the creative director of the new collection, but Macys have given the credit to her mother Madonna, who has insisted it is all of Lola's work and that even the blog was her own idea and doing, but admits she was only "peripherally involved in the line." So far, everyone is loving the new blog site and cannot wait for the collection to be released at the beginning of August this year, and has received several positive notes of encouragement and congratulations. So check out the new hip blog right here, and be there for the launch day to get your new trends in!

Plus-Size Women Wanted!

Fashion company Simply Be, who provide stylish clothing, shoes and accessories for plus size ladies, have launched a fantastic competition to find the new face of plus size fashion! Not only will the winner model Simply Be's newest collections, they will also win £10,000 to spend with the company to help you look and feel the part, you will be whisked away for a Best Magazine photo shoot complete with full makeover, and also the agents at Simply Be will set up a consultation at 12+ UK Model Management to help kick start your new modelling career! The only thing that they ask is that you are a size 14 or more and feel that you could be a natural in front of the camera!

The ladies you will have to impress are Simply Be's Marketing Manager Alison Forbes, who is experienced at casting models and overseeing photo shoots as well as handing out the discounts, Plus Size Fashion Blogger Gemma Cartwright, also editor of celebrity fashion website TheNod.com- a woman who knows what she's talking about! Also Jackie Hatton, Editor of Best Magazine who are supporting Simply Be in their search for a new model, and finally Simply Be Fashion Buyer Natalie Jackson who is just one of the people responsible for putting together the company's collections and also works with the other models on a regular basis.

To enter, just send three photos of yourself including a full length shot, a side profile and a head shot, write down your height, weight, waist, dress, bra and shoe sizes, tell them who you are, what you do and where you find your fashion inspiration as well as one sentence on why you should be Simply Be's Plus Size Model 2010, and find out the details on where to send them here.

Good Luck!

Beach Babe 101!

Whenever the summer holidays roll around and we are faced with the prospect of revealing ourselves in all our glory in front of people..... We shudder! We wish we'd gone on that diet sooner, joined the gym sooner or really thought about this sooner! Because lets face it, everybody wants to look glamorous on the beach. If Gisele Bundchen can do it then so can we! (Pictured below courtesy of Google Images)This week i will be telling you my top tips and ideas on how anyone can look like a million bucks on the beach!!
It all starts with the swimwear. Now this season all the fashion magazines have been plaguing us with articles on which bikini suits which figure and so on. But my number one golden rule is wear something you feel comfortable in, because confidence is key! If you dont feel like you look good then i think it's hard for other people to think you do.
I always try and have one or two bathing suits in block colours, any design but just simple ones and then the rest which I take on holiday are ones with interesting patterns or multi colours to add something different and fun. Personally I tend to over pack so would take five or six bikinis on any holiday, minimum, but I say always be prepared because a different look on the beach each day is glamour central!

Once you have your bathing suits organised it's time to match your accessories to them! When packing I like to only take one beach bag, (to leave room for more important clothes!) now pick one that goes with everything, a colour such as gold or white or beige as these colours are great and are especially good with a tan! Next it's sunglasses, again I like to have one or two pairs that go with everything such as Aviators, ones that look sleek but try and steer clear of any glasses with mirrored lenses or cheap metal frames because the sun will reflect off of them and nobody wants a burnt nose! I'm speaking from experience!

Accessories you can add to any beach look to add that extra bit of glamour are, cowboy style or trilby hats, which have been a big craze this season with stars such as Cheryl Cole wearing them. Also light and airy cover-ups to compliment your bathing suits, they don't necessarily have to be a perfect match with print but colour is essential. Maxi dresses are great for this. And lastly when on the beach I never wear make up! With sweat it just blocks your pores and melts down your face and you tend to look worse then if you'd just worn none in the first place! But i do wear tinted SPF lip balm. Now with sunglasses and a coloured lip, you will ooze glamour! I find MAC is the best for this and not expensive. I tend to go for a coral or pink to bring out the golden glow in your skin.

Finally to finish off your beach glamour look are two things, hair and skin. Now sunburnt is not the best look to sport but with a sufficient sun cream and continuing to re-apply you should be fine. Tanning can take a while but be patient because it will happen. Before I go away i tend to have one sun bed session to prepare my skin for the rays. Only one though because anymore and that's when you hit the danger zone. It just kick starts the melanin in your skin to activate that tan quicker!

Hair is always a nightmare! My hair always goes frizzy and dull and I have wispy bits flying around everywhere! I have found some amazing products that help prevent all these things from happening that i now can't live without! These are Lee Stafford's 'Shine Spray- Shiny Sexy Hair in a Can', which is a spray on shine that actually works. In one quick easy spray I look like I've walked out of a L'Oreal advert! Also to help control frizz a company ironically called Frizz have brought out a styling cream, which i love, and you run it through wet hair and when it dries you look like perfection.

Now we can all look like Brazilian beach goddesses! Well atl east we can try!

Date set for H&M online launch!!

Hands up who doesn’t love H&M? Anyone? Thought not. The huge chain store is one of the few shops where you can find a skirt for under £3 and now feel hideously cheap and tacky; it has the Primark price tag without the ick-factor- rummaging through rail upon rail to find your size and undoubtedly getting your ankles run over by a buggy. H&M manages to find the (difficult) balance of being affordable without being cheap, on-trend but not horrendously OTT and while their stores are usually large and choc-full of goodies, you don’t find yourself tripping over last seasons cardigans to get to that £30 dress you’ve seen everywhere. It’s a one-stop shop for basics that manage to avoid being too, well, basic. But there is one thing it has been lacking for the past couple of years; an online store. As aforementioned, H&M stores are often packed, not just with people, but with clothes, and this can often be a problem when you spied something gorgeous in a magazine and have just dashed in to grab it. Like most people, I am a huge online shopper, particularly when I want or have seen something specific and know exactly where to get it. I just don’t have time to hunt through rails and rails for something that I want. Especially as hunting through rails of beautiful clothes usually results in an impulse buy. Or two. Online shopping is much simpler and easier when you don’t have time to stop. But H&M is one of the few shops that has not previously had an online UK store. In this day and age of one-click shopping I bet I wasn’t the only one who was sure I was just clicking the wrong button on the website and hoped to one day find a secret passage into the elusive online purchasing section. As Alas, this was not the case, but not for much longer! H&M announced back in October last year that they would be launching a website, and a date has finally been announced for launch-16^th September 2010.

So what can we expect from the H&M website? The usual fare, I hope. Bandage skirts for £2.99, which may not be the quality of more expensive brands, but who cares if you sometimes flash more than you care to show when you can buy it in 5 colours? I’m hoping for their usual array of simplicity and choice (I often buy the same thing in several colours from their stores), coupled with their beautifully on-trend pieces and accessories. All for an affordable price. Their autumn look book features lots of grungy-looking floral pieces, loose floaty silhouettes and lots of layering, and seems to be perfectly on-trend for autumn winter, with cool camels and neutral greys and navys creeping onto the catwalks. The H&M website will also launch a homeware section, which has proven to be very successful in its native Sweden; the homeware section will focus on ease and simplicity and will take the form of an online catalogue where shoppers can search by room for a simple update. The homeware section will follow its clothes in its focus on inexpensive wardrobe updates.

Personally, I cannot wait to see H&M online. What do you think?

photo credit: http://www.fabsugar.co.uk/H-M-Goes-Online-UK-Shopping-From-September-2010-9050171

Henry Holland Joins Roxy

Fashion designer Henry Holland has announced that he is joining forces with top sports brand Roxy for the collections Roxy Heart, which combines a shared love for snowboarding, music, and fashion. Henry, who shot to fame back in 2006 for his t-shirt designs that bore outrageous slogans such as 'UHU Gareth Pugh', is taking over from London designer Zakee Shariff who joined the team back in 2009 for the launch of Roxy Heart. Previous to Zakee, Laura Figueras was also a designer on the team which means that Henry Holland has to up the game a little to keep the collection a success.

The collection has 15 pieces which includes a stud zippered snowboard jacket, a leather quilted pencil skirt, and a mohair cardigan with heart detailing. The collection also compromises directional sportswear, fashion pieces and accessories, and each piece features vibrant colours with heart and stud detailing and quilted leather highlights which will be key for next Autumn/Winter collections. Talking about how he worked and designed this new collection, Henry says, "My designs are for the girl who doesn't need to slavishly follow trends and instead prefers to create an individual look for herself. The collection is perfect balance of functionality and fashion."

Henry has had a rather colourful career which seems to be growing and getting better. He graduated from the London College of Printing with a BA Journalism, where not long after he launched his slogan t-shirts which made him extremely popular. Not long after, he founded his famous 'House of Holland' designs, and after two seasons showing with Fashion East House of Holland held its first solo show on the main Fashion Week schedule which earned critical acclaim. House of Holland is now an extremely successful business with its own place in Debenhams stores, with Selfridges, Harvey Nichols and Barneys among his growing list of stockists.

Is Clothes Swapping The New Shopping?

We may be 'officially' out of the recent recession which we have all had to suffer through, but many of us are still struggling to pick ourselves up and get back to normal perhaps because of a job loss. So whilst records show that fashion retailers are getting better profits steadily, there are several of their customers who cannot face the shops as yet and have turned to a free way of updating their wardrobe with clothes swapping websites. Many of these charge a fee just for you to use, but stylish swapping website Posh Swaps.com provides you with a completely free service! Posh Swaps is more than just a clothes swap website- you can also buy and sell, with second hand, reworked, refashioned and recycled clothes, shoes, and accessories as well as designer, high street, and vintage for women, men and children! Many of the customers opt for swapping as it's free, so this really is a great way of updating your wardrobe without spending a penny. Simply log onto the website, choose an item of clothing which you perhaps never wear that you're happy to swap, take a picture and upload it onto the website and decide what you want to swap it for!

Recently, swapping parties (or swishing) have become increasingly popular with many women, and once you are confident about clothes swapping this is something you could try. All you need to do is invite a few friends/colleagues/neighbours either to your house or somewhere bigger (hotel, cafe, etc) and each of you will need a few items to swap! this way, you get to see items up close, maybe try a few things on as well as mingle with everyone invited! The only downside of swishing is that you and your friends may all be completely different sizes, and if that's the case then you would be better sticking to the swapping website. So get trying, and see if you think that swapping could be the new shopping for you!

Sarenza Outfit Contest- Help Ceri Get To Paris!

French fashion company Sarenza, who specialise in the sale of stylish shoes, have launched a competition to send one lucky winner on a fabulous weekend trip to Paris! Sarenza are hosting the competition to celebrate the successful launch of their website here in the UK, where already a whopping 1million pairs have been sold! Our very own fashion blogger Ceri Heathcote, director and founder of The Fashion Buzz, Style Eyes, and other blogging websites, has been chosen as one of the UK's top fashion bloggers to be entered in to the competition along with 19 others and here your votes really count!

For the contest, Ceri had to choose her favourite pair of shoes from Sarenza's exclusive Continental Fashion Findings Range and find the perfect outfit to match her chosen shoes, take a photograph of herself wearing the outfit and shoes and send it in. She chose shoes designed by Pare Gabia in stunning blue as they provide her with comfort as well as elegance and wearability, and paired them up with a plain beige dress. Ceri chose this as she believes that "beige fits in very well with the summer's trend for neutrals, and because beige is also the perfect back-drop to show off gorgeous accessories as well as the shoes."

Sarenza are looking for the winner to be extremely stylish, know what they are writing about, and to pull out all the stops to prove that they can do both. You can help Ceri to win by placing your vote here, where at the same time you can subscribe to Sarenza's free newsletter and automatically be entered in to a prize draw to win £80 worth of Sarenza vouchers! You can vote for Ceri once every day until the 15th of July- so get voting!

Are You The Next Big Thing In Fashion Blogging?

Famous online shopping company ASOS.com are playing host to one of the biggest competitions in fashion this year- The Battle Of The Bloggers! ASOS have teamed up with HP to find the fashion blogger of the future with a truly amazing prize up for grabs- to become ASOS.com's resident street style blogger at large and given a series of fashion assignments to undertake. As well as this, ASOS are paying tribute to the new Sex and the City movie so you'll also win a Vivienne Tam netbook just like the one in the film courtesy of HP to work your new blogs! You will also receive your own branded blogging channel on ASOS Life where your column will be hosted along with coverage on ASOS.com and the HP site. You will be sent to a stylish city every four weeks with a photographer to write about your fashion experiences. This is simply every fashion blogger's heaven! To enter, you will need to submit a 900 word blog before 11th July. You can find more details how to enter here.

Another blogging competition is being held with beauty magazine Cosmopolitan.co.uk. They have launched their first ever Cosmo Blog Awards, where you simply place your vote for your favourite blogger with the best written work which you believe deserves recognition. The prize is to be added to the UK's leading fashion bloggers Catwalk Queen who will then add you to their team of top bloggers at the shows of London Fashion Week 2010. Again, if you want to be considered for voting you simply need to submit a new blog (as they are looking for young, new bloggers) or you can just vote for your favourite, details of which can be found here. So what are you waiting for? Get blogging and Good Luck!

Fashionable Shorts For Men This Summer

Despite the fact that shorts used to be worn by more men than women, the ladies took over the trend and made them their own and for a while the sight of a man in shorts wasn't a pretty one! Lately, the men are coming up on top with shorts that are extremely stylish and are putting the girls to shame! Fashion website BlueInc have recently launched a large collection of fashionable and affordable shorts for men, including casual and swim shorts.

The shorts have been designed to include comfort as well as eclectic styles including floral, gingham and plain. Floral has been in the past known as a feminine style, but since being paraded on the catwalk by the world's best fashion designers more and more men are deciding to brave the floral! On the website, perhaps the most stylish floral pair are the Vintage Floral Swim Shorts in pinks, yellows and blues, with mesh lining, velcro-fastened cargo pockets and elasticated waist bands to ensure perfect comfort and fit.

As well as the gingham, denim is as much on trend as it's ever been. The trend for denim shorts this season is to wear them below knee-length with perhaps a small turn-up and plenty of pockets so as to look very casual. This look is pretty much the same with chino-style shorts except for the turn-up to create a casual yet stylish look. Large stripes and other bright, bold patterns are an essential at the moment as with any other item of clothing, but are perhaps best worn with plain (coloured but not patterned) t-shirts as different patterns will clash. When it comes to wearing shorts, men are best keeping to one rule; above knee-length for extremely hot days and swimming, or below knee-length on any other day to keep casual!

How To Bag A Bargain In The Summer Sales!

Just the word 'sales' brings us a sense of excitement- you could well be thinking, "at last, the dress I've had my eye on is half price!" So now that the summer sales are upon us once again, it is time to sit down and have a think about what you really need and what you really want- after all, a bargain isn't a bargain if it's just going to sit in your wardrobe for the rest of its days. Some handy bits of advice to bear in mind: work out what you will need beforehand, and try to choose the classic versions which you know won't go out of fashion e.g, jeans and pale colours. By doing this you can completely refresh your wardrobe at a fraction of the price! Here are some top tips on how to bag your bargain:

1. Choose which items you really like before the sale starts.

2. Get there early- leaving it late often means only the bigger sizes are left as well as the tat no-one wants.

3. Think about what you really need as opposed to what you just want; there's no point buying yet another skirt if you haven't already worn your others.

4. Don't get over excited and end up buying the wrong size- you'll end up looking daft.

5. Opt for items that will last all the year round- it's great value!

6. Try not to impulse buy- don't buy clothes that you know you won't wear, it's a waste of money.

7. Don't let the prices tempt you- if it's only the price you love, it isn't worth it as chances are you'll hate it this time next year.

8. Choose items that will take you from autumn through to winter and maybe spring and not just the one season; otherwise you'll end up hardly being able to wear it.

9. Check out the returns policy in the store as some shops do not allow refunds on sale items (unless faulty).

10. Try to shop online as chances are they will have what you want in their warehouses rather than a select few in your local shop- and it saves you fighting through hordes of women to get the best bargains!

And finally, Happy Shopping!

Matthew Williamson in New Book!

British fashion designer Matthew Williamson is to have a book written about him by Colin McDowell and is to be published in October this year by publishing company Rizzoli. The book is said to be hugely anticipated by many fashion followers all over the world, and it is to explore the designer's life, work, and achievements following him from his debut collection which started in 1997 to his current multi-million pound status. Actress Sienna Miller has wrote the foreword to the book as one of his best friends which has been described as "a heartfelt speech", while fashion historian and author Colin McDowell provides historical and cultural context for each stage of Williamson's life. The book will also contain contributions from the likes of Zandra Rhodes, Sir Paul Smith, Joan Burstein, and Anna Wintour, and will be accompanied by an exhibition of the book and his work at Somerset House which will run until January 2011.

The designer has had a huge success during his 13 year career, with his debut collection 'Electric Angels' at the London Fashion Week and a 10 year anniversary celebration show. Williamson studied his Fashion Design degree course at Central St Martins College, London with his first job being a freelance design project with Marni, followed by a stint with fashion company Monsoon and Accessorize. When he launched Electric Angels in 1997, it was such a huge success that models Kate Moss, Helena Christenson and Jade Jagger were asked to show the collection. His career has been nothing but extremely successful from the start, and his label now produces four women's wear collections annually and has a customer portfolio including 170 prestigious wholesale accounts around the world. Just last year he opened his first U.S flagship store in New York and then in Dubai, followed by the launch of online sales in America and Europe. This book should make for a very interesting read when it is released!