TODAY I TURNED 20 + ISABELLA BLOW

Hello everyone, 

My blog post title pretty much sums up everything I aim to write about today.

Can I just start off by saying that I am so sorry I have not had time to write blog posts daily any more. I am just far too busy with University work, having a long distance relationship and maintaining my well being. 

I've been trying to keep this blog quite formal with employers viewing it and what not, but since it is my birthday, I shall mix work and play on this occasion! 

I've started 2012 with a bang. I've been going to the gym loads after yoyo-dieting for as long as I can remember so I'm feeling really fit and healthy at the moment. I have also been lucky enough to land another Fashion internship in London! I'm working in the Designer Sophie Hulme's PR department.

Examples of Sophie Hulme's work

I am really, really excited for going down to London. I fly out this Thursday (the 2nd) from Aberdeen to Heathrow. Unfortunately, my boyfriend is not accompanying me until later so I will be travelling all on my lonesome. I'm sure I am more than capable of managing this however, since I coped two months in London last year working for Philip Treacy. I am only in London for two and a half weeks with Sophie Hulme. I believe I am working with her in her studio in Islingston and I am accompanying her to her first London Fashion Week show on the 20th... Words cannot quite describe my excitement! 

To prepare myself for London, I thought it was only fair to get my hurr (hair) done. I got my hair bleached, toned and then finally got some extensions in to even out the length. It was a complete birds nest before I got it done yesterday, so I am really relieved to have it all one length and beautiful looking. I got some little feather extensions added underneath my fringe too, just because I thought they were cool, unusual and VERY me. 

I took both of these photographs on Instagram. My boyfriend recently gave me his old iPhone so I really enjoy using this app. 

My hair was a birthday present to myself. From my parents I got lots of money for taking to London, this is perfect because I really need some new clothes. I will certainly be visiting my regular spots in London as soon as I get a day off - Rokit, Beyond Retro and Topshop Oxford Street. My boyfriend also purchased me a Vivienne Westwood jacket and a vintage Burberry mac - photographs to come asap, I promise.

For my birthday, I had a really chilled out weekend. This entailed sushi, cinema and Nando's. I cannot walk properly since pulling muscles in both of my legs so again, this was perfect. Note to all of you thinking of taking a 'Body Bootcamp' fitness class at the gym - don't. 

With regards to University work, this semester I am studying CCS (Contemporary and Contextual Studies), Promotion and Advertising, Digital Application and Typography and Graphics. 

For Typography and Graphics, everyone has been given an 'Icon' to research. Mine is Isabella Blow. 

I was completely thrilled with being given Isabella Blow to research. I have quite a lot of prior knowledge of Blow since working with Philip Treacy. I think she is fabulous. 

For Typography and Graphics, we have to pull a direction/theme from our 'Icon'. When I think of Isabella Blow, I always think of her as a bird. I bird that preys on young talent and also a mother figure to those who she takes under her wing. Her love of pheasants was appealing to me. I found it fascinating how she was actually buried in her favourite Philip Treacy hat - 'The Pheasant'. This possessed me to research birds/feathers/pheasants further. Thus, my direction was quickly established - birds.

I began by photographing a dead pheasant to include in my research books. I wanted to capture images of the birds vibrant feathers to reflect Izzy's bold, colourful and vivacious dress sense and some of only the birds talons to reflect a harrowing and monster-like feel. 

I will hopefully be able to create one of these images into a graphic eventually. This will accompany my Typography and Graphics work. 

***

That is a very, very brief catch up on what I have been doing recently. There is so much more to tell but I don't want to document it all into one blog post. 

I very much doubt I will have time to write another blog post before I go to London on Thursday, so in the mean time, wish me a safe flight! I PROMISE I will blog once I have arrived in London. Obviously, I won't be able to document my entire Sophie Hulme journey as I prefer to keep a lot of that private, but I really look forward to sharing my overall experience with you all. I predict a few personal style blog posts since I will be purchasing so much clothes when I am down there, some street style images and possibly some cool shit that I don't want to confirm yet. 

I actually can't wait to go vintage shopping! If anyone has any bits and pieces they recommend me trying to sift out of the vintage shops, all suggestions are welcome. I really need to examine the gaps in my wardrobe at the moment to see what clothes I need. Long skirts spring to mind...

I'M EXCITED! I'm trying to contain myself however. What with me being a woman and all now...

xoxo

P.S. Exciting things to come - the possibility of styling a male model for a photoshoot (not until March though), launching an online E-Magazine and also the revisiting of Philip Treacy's studio.

LFW STREET STYLE + COSMOPOLITAN BLOG AWARDS

Hello everyone!

I'm so sorry I've not had a chance to blog recently, as you know I've been at London Fashion Week taking photographs of Street Style and attending exhibitions. I have also had no wifi in my flat. I've been to the library a lot, but just to do work. I've been really motivated since coming back to University for my Second Year because its been so full throttle thus far. I have a great deal of work to be getting on with. Right now I'm planning a photoshoot based around some song lyrics. I'm going home to Aberdeen this weekend to scout some models and take some photographs of locations. I'll tell you more about it nearer the time.

We did some 'shop window research' - in my case, pining over the Vivienne Westwood shops in Oxford Circus

Thank you so much everyone who has tweeted me and said you miss my blogging! I've missed blogging too since I did it everyday, but I have been so busy. Even my boyfriend has been getting on at me for not blogging. I think I've been working myself hard the past week, so I've taken time out this afternoon to catch up with you all.

I didn't want to mention anything until it was confirmed, but I received an email today from Cosmopolitan.co.uk saying that I'd been shortlisted for the Cosmopolitan Blog Awards. I'm totally delighted, I'm glad my hard work has been paying off as I spend a great deal of time perfecting my blog and communicating between my followers. I try and keep this is interesting as possible for you all.

I'm waiting for Cosmo to email me a badge that I can attach to my page so you can vote for me via that, but until now if you could PLEASE click on this link http://www.cosmopolitan.co.uk/blog-awards-2011-vote and vote for me. You simply enter your email address then click on 'student blog' and then Ashleigh Duncan.

Thank you everyone who voted for me, I didn't receive many notifications from any of you stating that you'd gone out of your way to vote for me, but clearly SOMEBODY has! I'm so grateful. Please do take the time to vote for me. It takes two seconds.

As you know, myself and a few of the other students attended London Fashion Week to take photographs of street style which will feed into our Fashion Communication portfolio.

Our Street style images have to have a theme. The theme could be bare legs, patterns, coloured hair, hats etc. I chose menswear as my theme as all of the women I took photographs of were way too contrived and poised. I found the menswear more aesthetically pleasing also. Some really interesting characters were caught by myself outside Somerset House.

Here is some womwenswear too - not as interesting as the menswear but some of you might disagree...

We also attended a talk in Topshop Oxford St with Alex Fury, saw the ShowStudio Cafe exhibition and the Corrine Day exhibiton (all took place in the Oxford Circus/Bond St area). All were excellent, and really ensightful - especially Corrine Day. The photography of Kate Moss was amazing.

I'm in the library right now and have an unbelievable amount of work to do. I hope you enjoy my street style images and PLEASE vote for my blog on the Cosmo website. I'd be eternally grateful!

I'll try my very hardest to blog again this weekend between taking shots for my up and coming photoshoot!

Thanks again to all who voted for me to get on the Cosmo shortlist in the first place,

xoxo

COOL CATS FROM LONDON TOWN

While I was interning at Philip Treacy's studio a couple of months ago, I met some really interesting people. 

Only recently whilst I've been completing my Summer Project my University has given me to do before I go back in the fall, I have really began to appreciate how talented these people are.

Part of our summer project is to devise a diary of contacts - PR companies, models, stylists etc. The diary has to be presented in a contemporary way. I feel that my two month internship at Philip Treacy will really benefit this part of my summer project as I worked in the PR department there. 

I attended a "Ladies Lunch" charity event at the Haymarket Hotel. Philip and Zandra Rhodes presented some of their latest collections and I helped out backstage. I helped the models change into their outfits, made sure their changes were as swift as possible and fixed their hats in place before they hit the run way. It was one of the most thrilling experiences of my life. I remember the atmosphere being unbelievably tense backstage as there was hats scattered EVERYWHERE, it was up to me and another intern from St Martins to find the correct hats for each girl. At the end of the show, Philip was really pleased with our efforts so I felt that our hard work had paid off.

Here are some images from the show.

She looks so fierce in that McQueen jacket. I remember the collar never wanted to sit properly but she worked it!

Couture bubble perspex dome with ornate patent flower trim - I still remember the names of all the hats :))

Chloe Flowerdew

IMG

Zoe Brown

IMG

Zoe Brown

Red flyaway bow

Prior to the Fashion show, some professional models from IMG had castings at Philip's studio. I met the girls featured in Philip's runway show at the Haymarket Hotel and they were all lovely - Chloe Flowerdew, Zoe Brown, Chelsea Donaldson and Katya Ko - she was my favourite.

Katya Ko for Dazed Japan

On a separate occasion, I met some one else who I found particularly fascinating.

One day I was asked to pack some hats for a photographer called Kurtiss Lloyd who was coming to pick up the hats for a photoshoot. I remember feeling terribly embarrassed when he turned up slightly early to collect the hats and they were not packed yet. I invited him up to my office and packed the hats in front of him and in doing so, we began talking. He turned out to be one of the most lovely people I met in London whilst I was interning there.

I recently emailed him and requested if I could use some of his photographs in my Summer Project - not only did he say yes but he also sent me some brand new photographs he's taken recently of some models wearing Philip Treacy hats. He's been so kind and I'd like to show you some of his work.

Here are the results of the hats I packed for his photo shoot.

I think he's so talented. Thank you again Kurtiss for letting me feature you in my project and use your images for this blog post. I'm mostly grateful however, for how kind you were that day. 

I appreciated it so deeply when people took the time to get to know the little Scottish girl when I was tackling big bad London.

xoxo