ben howard - brixton academy

I promise this is the last time I will blog about Ben Howard for a while cos I feel like I'm starting to verge on obsessed! 

So the other week, my flatmate Holly and myself travelled to Brixton academy, with out last minute tickets to see our favourite Ben. I'm not just saying this cos I'm an avid Ben Howard fan, but it really was one of the best gigs I've ever been too. The music was brilliant, Ben's voice is just as good live as it is on his records and he also knows how to put on a good show. He is actually quite funny in real life. He played a whole range of songs, from classics like 'The Wolves' and 'The Fear' and  my favourite 'Gracious' to his new EP which features songs such as 'Oats in the Water' and 'Esmerelda'. The night was amazing and I would recommend anyone if they get the chance to go see him live. You won't be disappointed.

I will leave you with my Ben Howard song of the day, his amazing cover of Bruce Springsteen's Dancing in the Dark.

Enjoy xx

ben

You all know my obsession with Ben Howard, so when my house mate Holly managed to get hold of two tickets to see him live, lets just say we were both more than excited! So on Thursday we make the trek from Nottingham to Brixton Academy to see our favourite Ben! I don't think I've been this excited about something for a long time!

So I will leave you with my Ben Howard track of the day, 'Further Away', which has been helping me get through my dissertation research.

And don't worry, I will give you a detailed account of Thursday night after the weekend.

Enjoy xx

fierce

So ASOS has recently launched it's Christmas campaign #BestNightEver and to coincide with this they have released a series of shoppable videos featuring some very current and hot musicians. The other week saw ASOS take to Pinterest where they released a jigsaw of images which needed to be pieced together to work out who the celebrities featuring in the campaign would be. The outcome was model Charlotte Free, and musicians Ellie Goulding and my favourite Azealia Banks. This is a great and fun way for a brand to interact with their consumers.

This week saw the release of the campaign videos; a separate one for each artist. The final one was released today by the renowned fashion blogger Susie Bubble and is the cherry on top of all three; Azealia Banks. 

This is Azealia's version featuring new track Fierce for ASOS's #BestNightEver campaign. When the video is finally uploaded to the ASOS website you will be able to shop Azealia's outfits straight from the video. The video features a mixture of 'London downtown aesthetic mixed with some uptown glamour' styled by Sharmadean Reid. 

ASOS is at the forefront of e-commerce, but it won't be long until you are seeing shoppable videos from all your favourite high street brands.

Enjoy xx

greyhound

As collaborations go, this is one of the most suited I have seen in a while. When do you drink vodka? On a night out. So what better than teaming an alcohol brand with a DJ. Or 3 as it turns out. Absolut Vodka collaborated with the legendary Swedish House Mafia on their summer anthem 'Greyhound'.

Absolut presents 'Greyhound' - the drink, the song and the video to accompany. With some subtle product placement within the music video the two brands fit perfectly together. 

The video, directed by Carl Erik Rinsch, sees three groups of racing enthusiasts, all kitted out in couture Lady Gaga would have been proud of, as they watch and cheer on their robotic greyhound; whilst casually sipping on their light pink Absolut Greyhounds - cue the product placement. Whilst those enjoy the race across the Bonneville Salt Flats, the Swedish House Mafia trio are confined to a remote location where they remotely control their robodogs. 

The visuals of the video are stunning with eye popping colour set against a gorgeous background along with some stunning outfit choices. The music fits the video perfectly and Absolut Greyhound seems to be the perfect drink for these couture cladded socialites to be drinking. In my opinion this is a brilliant collaborative choice with two brands that fit and compliment each other perfectly.

Enjoy xx

coca cola - spread the happiness

For my uni project I have been looking into different brands and how they market their products or any PR stunts that they have carried out. Recently, over the past year, Coca Cola have taken part in some interesting guerilla marketing campaigns using their iconic vending machines. Last month in Korea a vending machine was set up with a big screen attached to it. The idea was to get consumers to dance in public. So when the public copied what the characters were doing on screen the they received a free bottle of coke.

Earlier this year they set up a special vending machine in an Istanbul shopping centre to coincide with Valentines Day. The vending machine looked like any other but with rigged with a secret camera inside. The only way you could get a can of coke was to prove that you were a couple. When you did, a can of coke was released for both you and your partner. Quite a cute way to share the love for Valentines Day.

Really interesting way to grab consumers attention and make them aware of the brand. Now they just need to bring one to a shopping centre near me and make it Diet Coke!

Enjoy xx

burgh island

You will all know by now the extent of my obsession with Ben Howard; so when my flatmate introduced me to his new EP the other day, Burgh Island, I was pretty happy. The EP may only be four songs long but Ben certainly didn't disappoint and I have had it on repeat ever since. 

Oats in the Water is my favourite song off the EP and here's Ben singing it in the Radio 1 Live Lounge a few months ago. Absolute perfection.

Ben may have missed out on the Mercury Music Prize last week but with his fast approaching UK sell out tour, I don't think he has anything to worry about. I am very jealous of anybody who has a ticket and as I said to my friend the other day, I think Ben Howard is the only thing that is going to get my through my degree this year. 

Enjoy xx

tim walker: story teller

Last week saw the opening of Tim Walker's new exhibition, Story Teller, in association with Mulberry, at Somerset House. If you are familiar with Walker's work you will understand his obsession with fairytales, and this is exactly what we see throughout the exhibition; a fashion  fairytale. However, Tim Walker would not be able to achieve anything to the standard he does without his fantastic set designer Shona Heath. She is the brains behind a lot of the spectacular images that we know and love from Tim. 

 As you walk through you will see a complete mix of surreal, often spooky, imagery inspired by fairytales that we know and love. These are mixed with stunning fashion photography which captures and enhances the beauty of the subject which alongside the gorgeous gowns creates a really beautiful photograph.

Prior to the opening of the event, Mulberry and Tim Walker teamed up to create this short film which gave viewers a sneak preview of the props and photographs included in the show. Like the photography it is very surreal and very spooky, perfect for Halloween just around the corner.

Mulberry and Tim Walker's Night at the Museum

The exhibition is around until January so if you are in London between now and then, it is definitely worth a visit.

Enjoy xx

bjorn borg - lights off

So having recently started working on my final year project with Bjorn Borg, they came in today to tell us more about the brand. During the lecture they showed us this video by Karmaloop TV of the party they held at Battersea Power Station to promote their Lights Off campaign. 

The video shows everything that the brand is about, from the fun and playful nature of the brand to the sexy Swedish models showing off the latest underwear collection. The light show was brilliant and the video has been very inspiring for ideas for our project. And how fun does the party look!

Enjoy xx

i love ben

Doing a casual stalk of Ben Howard on YouTube, I found this amazing cover of Lana Del Rey's 'Video Games'. However much I love Lana, I have to admit that I prefer Ben's cover. His voice is mesmerising. Think I'm a little bit in love!

Enjoy xx

night light

I love Jessie Ware's new song Night Light but this remix by Joe Goddard just adds a whole new dimension to the track. Love it!

Enjoy xx

jessie j + elle

So November's cover of ELLE has already been released and gracing the cover this month is the gorgeous Jessie J.

Jessie J has grown up a lot since she first broke out onto the music scene with 'Do it Like a Dude'. She looks so graceful and sophisticated on the ELLE cover wearing a stunning Dolce and Gabbana brocade bodysuit photographed by the legendary Rankin. But despite what anybody has to say, I love Jessie J and she was one of the best acts of the weekend when I saw her at Benicassim festival in the summer. The accompanying editorial is set to be just as exciting with stunning gowns from Giles and A/W12 pieces from the likes of Jean Paul Gautier and Elie Saab. Now I just have to wait till Monday until I can buy the magazine!

Enjoy xx

esta noche

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this song.

Potentially rivals my love for 212. The song may not have a video yet but that doesn't matter cos its so brilliant.

Azealia Banks - Esta Noche

Enjoy xx

other tribe

So I've been hearing this song on the radio for the past couple of weeks and every time it comes on I can't help but sing along and have a bit of a dance. Its just too catchy. The lyrics may not be something special - I mean this is the first line of the chorus, 'hit me up in the summer time when the length of your skirt is just right' - but it is such a fun song and always puts me in a good mood.

Enjoy xx

lana del rey + h&m

Driving to work the other morning I lost complete focus of the road ahead of me - sorry Mum! But don't worry I didn't crash - as I was totally distracted by the billboards I saw on the edge of the road. These posters we're of course for the new H&M collaboration featuring the stunning Lana Del Rey. I would never have considered her as one for celebrity endorsement, yet saying that she does have a Mulberry bag named after her, but she seems like the perfect face for H&M's A/W12 campaign. 

This is the full video of the H&M commercial where the sultry singer croons Bobby Vinton's 'Blue Velvet'. Everything about the commercial fits perfectly, from the song to the setting and LDR's wardrobe choices. I love the cheeky ending as well as it proves that the brand or Lana don't take themselves to seriously as well keeping in line with H&M's fun side.

She is a perfect choice for this seasons campaign. 

Enjoy xx

florence and the machine

So this morning as I was listening to Radio 1 they were replaying the time that Florence and the Machine had performed in the Live lounge. I never heard it at the time, but I am so glad I heard it today. As well as doing her own song, she also covered one of my favourite songs from this year, Drake and Rihanna - Take Care. Now for anybody who knows me, I love this song and it could so easily be ruined, but Florence did it justice and her version is just stunning.

Enjoy xx

primark a/w12

As my friends will account for, I love a good bargain from Primark. I mean why pay extortionate prices, when you can get the same thing for a fraction of the price elsewhere. If no one knows where I got it from then I'm not bothered what it says on the label; I'm not gonna lie, I'm pretty good at finding a decent copy in Primark. I have plenty of friends who say that they can never find anything in there and I'll agree there are plenty of times when I've been in Primark and thought, 'this is hell, please get me out of here', but you just have to give it a chance. These are the same friends who always say 'I love your bag, where is it from' - Primark of course. I recently bought a pale pink studded clutch bag and a military style jacket with leather look sleeves, both items seen in Topshop and both bought at a third of the price from Primark.

This leads me onto Primarks A/W12 collection. With amazing, futuristic, Christopher Kane like prints, fabulous dip-dye fringing and lots and lots of studs, this seasons collection looks brilliant; and a complete bargain as well.

Enjoy xx

lazy oaf

This morning I came across this brand Lazy Oaf and I can't believe I'd never heard of them before. With the fun graphic prints and bright colours, the clothing may not necessarily be my style, but I love the energy and playful image of the brand. Their current A/W12 Lookbook is pretty awesome too with brilliant photography and vibrant imagery.

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

Images from Lazy Oaf A/W12 Womenswear and Menswear Lookbook. Both photographed by Masha Mel and styled by Tess Yopp.

Enjoy xx

the great gatsby

I read The Great Gatsby for a piece of coursework in A-Level English and in my own personal opinion it was quite a dull book, which from start to finish, never really excited me. I will also admit that there were plenty of times throughout the novel when I had no idea what was really going on. However on holiday my friend was reading the book out of choice and she told me that it was being made into a movie later this year. The movie is directed by Baz Luhrmann, of Moulin Rouge fame, who is the last director I would have ever considered to direct The Great Gatsby. Yet when you watch the trailer, which is so over the top and totally dramatic, the strange pairing seems to make sense. The story no longer seems dull and boring but instead fun and exciting. It is also set in 1920s Manhattan, which has to be one of my favourite eras for costumes and fashion. Luhrmann seems to have injected some of his Moulin Rouge magic into the film, which after reading reviews F.Scott Fitzergerald fans are not too happy about, but to tell you the truth, it has made the film exciting and something that might actually be worth seeing. With big name actors like Leonardo Dicaprio playing Gatsby alongside Toby Maguire and Carey Mulligan the film might not be all that bad.

I guess we will just have to wait till Christmas to see if the movie is as good and as spectacular as the trailer makes out. And maybe this time I might actually understand what is going on!

Enjoy xx

#MFW Prada

I know the Prada show happened the other day but I have only just got round to watching it. The show received so much love and attention from the press, and quite rightly so as it was truly great.

"Dream is forbidden, nostalgia is forbidden, to be too sweet is not good. Everything we used to feel historically, now you can't enjoy. The clothes are the expression of this impossible dream." Miuccia Prada explaining backstage after the show that she wanted to create a show which embraced the traditions of femininity. Whilst she successfully achieved this aim, she also created a fantastic show which embraced the 1960s and had a real influence of Japanese culture, from the origami style folds, the Japanese printed blossom and the Harajuku girl style platforms in which the models wore. 

I also loved the simplicity of the show with the childlike floral drawings printed onto almost every piece throughout the show, sometime in an Andy Warhol style repetition but at times just a singular floral motif. This mixed with the monochrome colour palette, juxtaposed with the flashes of red and bright red lips of the models made sure that the show was just brilliant!

Enjoy xx

survey time

If you happen to be a boy that is reading this, I would be extremely grateful if you could answer my survey to help with an idea for my final year project at uni. I am currently thinking about creating a new men's magazine based on fashion, as well as other content, but in able to estimate how successful this would be I need as many opinions as possible. The survey is completely anonymous and you would be an absolute star for completing it. Click on the link below to complete:

survey

Thanks in advance xx

boohoo.com

Every girl I know finds herself in this predicament on a regular occasion. You have a big night out coming up and you really want something new to wear but don't want to spend a lot of money. I know I always end up in this situation, so with the Fashion Vouchers competition, I have given myself the challenge to find the perfect outfit for a night out with just £50 to spend at boohoo.com. 

This outfit is all about the accessories. I chose a simple grey jersey dress, £12, which can be as easily dressed down as it can up. Dresses like this are great as you not only is it cheap but it's multi-useful; wear with tights and ankle boots under a military jacket - one of this autumns wardrobe necessities - in the day, then for evening team with these gorgeous lemon yellow heels, £30. The heels add colour and attitude to the outfit. For a final touch add a statement necklace, £8, and you've got yourself a perfect outfit for that night out.

All items from boohoo.com. 

Enjoy xx

#LFW Topshop Showspace

The Topshop showspace is always a highlight of London Fashion Week for me. With shows from Topshop Unique to Mary Katrantzou and J.W Anderson, there is always guaranteed to be some spectacular talent on show. I loved the futuristic catwalk this season and how each designer adapted it to fit their collection. To see all the shows click here. Here are a couple of reviews of my favourite Topshop shows from London Fashion Week.

Topshop Unique

The music accompanying the Topshop Unique collection complimented the surroundings perfectly. The collection this season, as it is most, was very utilitarian and very simple but I feel like there was something missing this season; the collection didn't immediately grab my attention as it has done in previous seasons. However saying that, the collection is very wearable and at the end of the day, this is what sells. Big and extravagant collections always look spectacular but you could never wear most of the pieces, whereas this is where Topshop Unique excels as you could easily wear any piece that was seen on the catwalk. The neutral colours and interesting mix of sheer and shine fabrics accompanied with the graphic prints gives that edge which we all love from Topshop.

Mary Katrantzou

The Mary Katrantzou collection was all about shape and silhouette this season. From column style dress, flared skirts and shirt dresses to streamline suits, dipped hems and oriental style kimono jackets, the shapes all provided the perfect canvas to Katrantzou's spectacular prints. The outfits were patterned with stamp and bank-note motifs creating an almost tribal print in places as the bold and bright colours contrasted with the thick black edges of the stamps. As the show went on the striking colours that we saw in the beginning were transformed into a mixture of shimmering metallics. The collection was truly exotic and took the audience on a  cultural journey around the world. Mary Katrantzou is known for her creative brilliances and she sure didn't let us down this season.

P.S. How cool to does Cara Delevingne look!?

Enjoy xx

only love

I know I keep posting music on here recently, but I couldn't not share this with you. As I was sat on my bedroom floor packing all my clothes to go back to uni tonight I put the Ben Howard - Every Kingdom album on; I don't know if you've ever listened to it, but Ben Howard's music literally makes everything seem okay. It's so calming and relaxing and always puts me in such a good mood. So this then led to stalking him on YouTube and I found this gorgeous acoustic version of his song Old Pine:

The album is definitely worthy of it's Mercury Prize nomination and it's no wonder his UK tour is completely sold out! Now all I need to do is get my hands on some tickets to see him live and life will be complete! 

Enjoy xx

r.i.p

Rita Ora - R.I.P (Gregor Salto Remix)

Working at French Connection full time this summer you can imagine how the playlist can start to drive you a little bit insane when you're listening to the same songs everyday for the past 3 months! So think how exciting it is when the new playlist arrives. I give full credit to whoever came up with this seasons music, as although there is still some absolute shockers, there are also some pretty decent tunes in there; one of them being this little gem. A remix of Rita Ora's 'R.I.P'. 

Take a listen and enjoy! xx

love story

Earlier this year, my sister and I bought my Dad the Chilled 1991-2009 Ministry of Sound CD for his birthday. Me and my Dad have often shared music, me introducing him to bands such as the XX and him introducing me to this song which I'm about to tell you about. I often forget how much I enjoy some of the music he listens to.

So over dinner tonight, Dad insisted on playing his new CD which to be honest I wasn't paying that much attention to until this song came on:

Kings of Tomorrow - Finally

This is the original version of a song that my Dad and I have loved for years. I will admit that both versions are brilliant however this remix has been one of mine and my Dad's favourites for a very long time:

Layo & Bushwacka - Love Story

I will now admit that the whole CD is now on my iPod in the hope that I will discover some more gems like this one!

Enjoy xx

happy birthday

So this weekend saw the birthdays of two of my closest friends Jenny and Katy - click on their names to see their blogs. However this wasn't just any birthday this was the big 2-1, which of course meant for lots of celebrations. It all began on Thursday with Jen's legendary white chocolate and red current cake. This cake makes an appearance every year on 6th September and I promise you, you will never have tasted anything better! The afternoon was spent lounging in the sunshine and taking silly photos with Jen's new amazing camera lens. Most of these photos of courtesy of Jenny.

A couple of pimms later and the celebrations continued into the night. 

I thought this was the perfect occasion to attempt to curl my hair with rollers for the first time. I wouldn't say it necessarily went curly, it seemed to just add volume but I can't promise I put them in right. Let's just say lots more practice is needed!

I wore my black silk vest top from French Connection and THE American Apparel Disco Pants. I have worn them on every possible occasion since I have got them; I think I'm in love! I accessorised with a black and gold Aztec necklace from Primark and my trust black wedges.

With Katy's birthday being 4 days later on the Monday, it only seemed fit for Jen and Katy to have a joint party for friends and family on the Saturday. This turned out to be such a lovely evening, catching up with friends I hadn't seen for months. It was the first time this summer all 11 of us had been in the same place at the same time, yet it was like we had never been apart.

I wore a Topshop floral dress with my favourite Topshop heels, which only ever make an appearance when I know I will be sat down for most of the evening as they are VERY painful!

Yesterday, saw Katy turn 21 and after all the partying of the weekend it was nice to do something a bit different, so we relived our childhood and went bowling. As I am still a big kid I demanded that the barriers were up and I won; well the first round anyway! The barriers weren't allowed in round two and I lost. However the evening was so much fun!

The entire weekend has been the best and I hope Jenny and Katy had as much fun as I did. Happy 21st girls! xx