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.

PARIS HAUTE COUTURE: ARMANI PRIVÉ FALL/WINTER 11

A match made in heaven. Armani garments with Philip Treacy millinery. One of my favourite shows this year.

When I was interning at Philip Treacy for two months at the beginning of Summer, I saw the samples of the Armani hats being created before my eyes. As you can imagine, I saw a lot of hats whilst I was working there, but none took my breath away quite as much as the hats created for Armani Paris Haute Couture - and they were only samples. 

Clearly oriental inspired, this collection is so mesmerising. I love how the floral patterned silk contrasts with the harsh blocked black velvet. I'm in awe of the handbags from this show too, so elegant and simply beautiful. 

My favourite bag from the collection - this long velvet clutch with the amber jewel. Look at the heron fastening!

From the simple felt bow head pieces to the elaborate geisha-esque works of art, the Philip Treacy millinery that accompanies this show compliments the style so well. Obviously, I am bias considering Philip Treacy can do no wrong in my eyes, but I really believe that his hats steal the show for me. The garments are so sleek, sexy and sultry and I feel that the hats marry with the clothing so beautifully. The hats are architectural and structural, therefore they contrast so charmingly with the slick clothes. 

Some of the hats mimic the hairstyles of Japanese women. 

Others are bows that replicate Obi knots. 

And some are enchanted Japanese blossoms 

This show is so perfect to me - the drama, the colours, the materials and the flair. To me this show is so appealing because of the neat contrasts between sleek and harsh. On one hand, I love the sharp origami silhouettes but we are also being introduced to soft tailoring with the silk sheath like garments. These two combinations just work so gorgeously. Absolutely beautiful. 

Simple tailored printed silk fabrics following the natural contours of the models silhouette 

Bolder folded origami style structured clothing is later introduced.

This is a show to be admired on so many levels. From the prints to the fabric. From the jewels to the accessories. This show is desirable to any audience.

Please please watch this. The hats and garments become more and more beautiful as the show progresses.

STUNNING.

xoxo

SPOT THE DIFFERENCE

YES! Its the hat.

I am in love with foxes. I recently sited one outside my house (very unusual as my area is so urban) and named him Pierre. 

I love this hat, I bought it on line a couple of years ago and I think its so cute. Its made of felt so it does not crease and is water resistant. Whenever the weather is crummy, I wear this and feel better. All hats are made from scratch to order too.

I got it from this website www.kyaaa.biz

There are lots of different animal designs, here are some of my favourites.

I am fascinated by hats. I think hats are an extension of ones self, you can tell a lot about a person judging by the hat they are wearing. 

Hats are so daring to me, I wish more people wore hats. A good hat can really communicate the look you are trying to create, it can really take an outfit to a whole new level. 

Me looking very Pete Doherty at a house party nearly two years ago. I wore this bowler hat with a white lace dress to toughen it up a little. When I see these photographs I kind of miss my black hair...

I think anyone can wear and look good in a hat. I think wearing a hat takes courage but the gamble pays off when you marry a beautiful hat with the perfect outfit. 

My favourite hat of all time! How could I not refer back to this when I'm writing a blog about hats? It reminds me of a mint humbug. With this, I'd wear a very plain outfit. A black dress would do. 

I still feel unbelievably honoured to own this Philip Treacy hat. It stays neatly in its rightful box!

I was so thrilled when I worked at Philip Treacy as I was able to expand my knowledge of millinery. I applied for many Fashion internships after I finished my first year at University and I can honestly say that I wanted to work with Philip Treacy the most - even above my heroine Vivienne Westwood. I felt this way because there is so much you can learn from accessories. At University I have been fortunate enough to learn the basic crafts of a Fashion student - pattern cutting, sewing and actually bringing Fashion drawings to a finished fully functional garment, but I'd never worked closely with accessories. I've always had a love for hats so working at Philip's studio was a dream. I loved being able to see how hats are developed and it was beautiful. The hard work it takes to create a hat is astounding to say the least.

I felt that working at Philip Treacy really aided me to broaden my Fashion horizons. I was essentially taking a crash course in something I'd had no prior knowledge of at University. If I worked for a clothing designer, I knew the basics of how a garment is made. With hats, from the creative process to devising a finished piece was a mystery to me. 

One woman who I think can carry a hat like no other is Isabella Blow - she was a close friend of Philip Treacy. She had a "more is more" attitude, no design was ever too over the top for her. I think this philosophy has been applied to the hats she wore. I love her signature flamboyant style. I also love referring back to her quotes - one of my favourites "If you don't wear lipstick, I can't talk to you" headlines my page.

 I also love her response to why she wears such elaborate hats (the majority of the hats she wore were Philip Treacy designs)...

"...To keep everyone away from me. They say, Oh, can I kiss you? I say, No, thank you very much. That's why I've worn the hat. Goodbye. I don't want to be kissed by all and sundry. I want to be kissed by the people I love."

Here is Isabella Blow wearing some of my favourite Philip Treacy creations.

How could you not be in awe of these hats? I could spend hours pining over the detailing of these beautiful creations. You can imagine how beside myself I must have been working there...

Other celebrities have turned to Philip Treacy for avant garde millinery.

Britney Spears

Cheryl Cole

Beyonce

Pamela Anderson

Grace Jones and Iman

Naomi Campbell

And probably most famously...

Gaga

Maybe if I am very lucky, I'd love to work for Stephen Jones one day too, just to see how another milliner works. 

I'm excited for what the future holds, if I was fortunate enough to be rewarded with such a wonderful internship in my first year of University, I'm very excited with the prospect of working with other designers too.