To Wrap Up The Year

 

I always take pride in wrapping presents and I do like to recieve a present where the wrapping has been carefully considered.

I was particularly impressed with both my own wrapping and that of others. Last year I went all notstalgic using brown paper, string and luggage labels. This year I went for a different edge and my theme was white, I really like the idea of 'The White Company' and how everything is very crisp clean and tasteful. So with this in mind I bought the paper from Clintons a pricey £3.50 a roll and i needed 2 rolls, but it looked great all the same. I bought white ribbon from the habberdashery which was a less expensive 50p a metre and I only needed 3 metres. And then to finish I bought a piece of white card with a faint glitter from an art shop for £1 and used a paper slicer to cut out perfect square tags.

In the flat we did a secret santa everyone knows how it works you all put your names in picka  name out and then buy one present for that person. Suzzane got me AGAIN for the second year running and although I got a great present (a ridin' solo T-shirt and some earrings) I was particularly interested in this gift bag which she handmade herself! I think it'searned it's place on my bedroom wall !

The City of Inspiration....again

About the same time last year I wrote about my trip to London and a year on having spent alot of time there in the past year it still gives me that same feeling everytime I go. I remember the days when i'd visit exhibitons and museums on school trips dash round and then make the most of free time (shopping) but as i've got older I have come to appriciate them and can't think of anything better than spending a day or two wondering round them.

We visited the postmodern:Style and Subversion exhibiton the at V&A which was incredible. My favourtie pieces were 'Protect Me From What I Want' 1985-Jenny Holzer where these words were displayed on the big screen in Times Square. I thought it was capturing and scurrently studying commerce and culture this caused a lot of controversy, as people were made to think do I actually need this?





We also went to the Dazed and Confused Exhibiton at Somerset House- 20 Years of Dazed and Confused.
The exhibition was small but of real quality. I really liked the piece titled: 'TV is Boring' by Rankin, it gave us some inspiration for our ad campaigns for our current project, and all will become clear soon....







 We also took the time to carefully study major department stores Selfridges and House of Fraser, we were talking to staff about wrist worn devices and techology, and were studying the departments looking at if/where our product would be sold.

A productive yet relaxing couple of days, sometimes it's nice to get away,  for a fresh scene always creates inspiration!

Warming to Post Modern

So last week we had a guest lecture a lady by the name of Lucy Norris post modern enthusiast and founder of Pret-a-Rever : 

"Prêt-à-rêver is about regaining focus on what really matters. Prêt-à-rêver is about joining up the dots and opening our eyes to the world around us. Faced with a difficult world, it is time for directional creativity to reclaim its agenda"

Lucy presented a great argument for post modernism and spoke with clarity and passion, lots and lots of passion. However with a love for Ikea, Primark, and a good weekly glossy I wasn't really sure how to respond to her, It left me feeling very confused and defensive over who i am and the brands I agree with.

During the seminar I sat deflated for a while until we were given the task to make an object postmodern. We chose a Salvador Dahli watch which we called EMIT, emitting time the watch tells you how many hours you have left in the day. I got really involved with the idea and by the end I was slowly warming.

So today I was out and about in Nottingham and having a love for window displays particularly christmas ones I glanced at this one and smiled to myself. 'How postmodern' . And with no father christmas, reds, greens, no tree or bauble in sight I actually quite like it.

French Connection - Christmas Window 2011

Winter Windowfull

I'm always excited for our window displays and also excited to see everyone elses reaction too. When branches and pumpkins arrived in store last week I was rather confused as to what Sam our window dresser was going to be doing; however I arrived at work today to find this truly breathtaking display.

It has an element of creepiness about it but at the same time it's magical, and I love the attention to detail with the pine cones in the boots, the green pumpkins and the animal masks which i was dying to try on!!  I took this picture at 6.00pm to get the full effect with the spotlighitng.

It's not just this window or becasue i'm biast but Jigsaw's marketing for the A/W campaigns are amazing, so classic yet targeting a new fresh consumer with their styling but in keeping with their british heritage to accomodate for the regular Jigsaw Lady.

Jigsaw- Bridlesmith Gate Nottingham

What am i Like?

Working in fashion you have to be incredibly thick skinned, something i certainly am not. On an amazing course at a widely recognized university my peers are incredible and all work differently in their own right. We were recently given 13 categories and asked to visualize 10 of them as things we like. I thought to myself well this is easy enough...... but as i watched peoples work around my it gave me that sinking feeling, i am not quirky or creative like everybody else, but after completing my work how i wanted to do it i realised i am just me i shouldn't try to be a cheap version of somebody else just a great version of myself.

And so when looking at my sheet of paper it may not stand miles above others but this is me, not quirky, not a drawer, not a photographer but an organised young girl who has a dream and an ambition to follow it.

Jigsaw Customer Event

So where do i start with this one ? All the Jigsaw stores were asked to hold customer event evenings in their stores to celebrate the arival of the amazing A/W collection. The event could be done in any way we wanted thinking about our client base and what would be appropriate. Naturally studying the subject I do my boos thought it a good idea I helped with the organisation of the event. I decided to stage a fashion show completing the styling myself based upon the styling used in the current Jigsaw campaigns.

We worked so hard on the event  and I even managed to rope in Toni & Guy to do the models hair, Pret a Manger to do catering, Jo Malone being new to Bridle Smith Gate came and burnt some of their amazing candles and waxing boutique nkd () gave us some vouchers to hand out with an amzing 25% off your first visit. And how can i forget the amazing cakes we made .

 The night was really enjoyable and great to see so many regular customers enjoying the new stock and eager to hear about thelaunch of our new personal shopping service in the Nottingham branch. I was just dissapointed that after all the preperation for the fashion show due to customer foot fall it couldn't take place, customers came at different times with most asking about the fashion show, but leading busy lifestyles had to be in different places. And as you will remember it was the weekend of the heat wave so many were enjoying BBQ's and catching the last few rays whilst they could.

I was dissapointed because we had worked so hard and the girls looked amazing, but unfortunately it was one of those things, so next customer event evening i could do nothing but i won't i'll think of something bigger and better.I dont' like failing at things but it can only be a stepping stone.

Maggie+Me

I was in House of Fraser the other day I know House of Fraser department stores are always a bit akward especiallly having worked in one and hated every Minute.I actually popped in to browse around the Mango section as we don't have a stand alone store here in Nottingham.

With Mango dissapointing me and what with the mini heat wave last week I scanned through the last of the sale bits where I came across the blue playsuit pictured in my 'Today I Bought' column. It came up as £8.50 on the till and I thought it would be ideal for another generic student night out. I came home and looked at the brand online and I have to say I really like their stuff having never heard of it before.

They have some really nice pieces and I really like the fun polka dot brand identity. The clothes arern't expesive to buy full price either so i'll definately be ordering more from them.

 

http://maggieandme.co.uk/

Super Superdrug!!

So I am a big lover of Boot. Close to the hear being based in Nottingham it's a fanstastic company, and I always look forward to that christmas brochure flicking through circling which make-up set I want. And then theres the advantage card Excellent you earn points for buying your essential items things you actually need, so at the end of the year I can treat myself to a new perfume or as my mum does saves hers and buys all her holiday essentials im talking suncream, insect repellent, etc.

Now heres the devestating bit Superdrug have just introduced 'The beauty card' it works the same way as an advantage card but initally they have better offers and their products are considerably cheaper than boots! It hasn't stopped there Superdrug have revamped their stores and they look incredible.

Much more fashion focused you can actually work your way around the store they're more spacious now and divided up into departments. The till point is lovely with the Superdrug brand name being proudly advertised behind the counter. And whats great about Superdrug is that I recieve 10% discount for being a student with my NUS card which is great because I can still collect points and pay a cheaper price.

I'm a big lover of marketing and re-branding and although what they've done is simple and overdue it's also incredible.

I know where i'll be shopping for my essentials from now on ! Big Love for Superdrug x

A New Life Kind Of Shopping

So when my friend invited me to go shopping I jumped at the chance although it was only when I got in the car she explained we were going to a charity shop! Now being a fashion student I should be expected to rave about charity shops, constantly be routing in there cutting and sewing things but unfortunately i'm not. In fact I can't abide them, it's not a means of snobbery I just hate everything about them the smells, the unorgansied clutter of otherpeoples tat that they simply don't want anymore.

Now this was all about to change... New Life is located in Cannock and has really flexible opening times, opening as late as 10pm during the week. So it took me a while to get my head round it but it's basically a huge charity shop but.....all the clothes are brand NEW and they are clothes that have been rescued as a result of theft, firesand from factories and stores and they cannot be returned due to insurance claims.

Now i'm not going to lie its a little TK Maxx in the way everything is everywhere i mean its catorgorized by men/women and in size sections, but you really need to rummage. So we walked in and you  just have to throw yourself into it, I picked up a few bits for my friend pointing out different brands; not your typical enw look, or topshop no but; Warehouse, Oasis, Monsoon, we were loving it breakinbg all the fitting room rules, we shared one cubicle full of dresses.

 To actually make a purchase you do have to become a member and the joining fee is £3.99 for a year, but totally worth it and remembering all the proceeds are for charity, the only downside being the dogey webcam photograph you have to have taken. Katie came away with 3 dresses one of which she bought a few weeks ago in Warehouse and took back because she couldn't afford it but at £6.99 she snapped this one up !

I bought this lovely Monsoon Fusion dress which I was unsure of becasue at £15.99 I thought seemed alot for a charity but I decided to stop being tight, it's charity and it a brand new Monsoon dress retailing at £60 i'm glad i got it. I also bought some new sunglasses for £2.25 and im 95% sure theyre missoni but all the labels have to be removed or scratched off for security reasons so unless I find them online I guess i'll never know.

New Life supports the New Life foundation for disabled children, check out the website and get down there to support this fantastic revelation and pick up a bargain. All the staff are volunteers too which I think is incredible, as they were working so hard, and not your typical charity workers they were a mixed bunch of ages and gender.

New Life

Where I Belong

So my interning came to an end and it's now time for summer to start..... who am I kidding it's time to start my summer projects!
Moving on lets talk about my internship, I have to say it was probably the most challenging out of all the internships i've done, the work load was insanse and it appeared i'd started at a busy time whichmeant I didn't get a thourough insight into the world of PR. The two weeks went quickly and I was given a lot of jobs which were the reverse of the jobs I did at Fabulous magazine, ie: sigining in clothes and signing them out to magazines.

It became clear after a few days that PR wasn't for me, it's not that I wasn't enjoying it, it's just not a place where you can reallyshow your creative side. During the second week I got the opportunity to help with preperations for the Lipsy, Pixie Lott A/W 11 press day. I started off assembling around 20 mins which was suprisingly difficult, after this it was all systems go and for me it gave me a chance to show what im good at

Pixie @ The Launch

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I love events, and I just got stuck in helping dress manakins, putting up signage, doing the starbucks run, steaming clothes. I used my initative to go and get cleaning products and then started on a good clean up. It was an amazing day I just loved being part of it, and along the way a highlight for me was meeting Alison Tay, Style editor at Now magazine. She really was an inspiration full of adive, so friendly, and just an amazing stylist.  To see the transformation at the end of the day was incredible. The Lipsy girls were so grateful for my help they treated me to a shop on the Lipsy website I was spoilt for choice but ipted for this pixie playsuit.

The two weeks came to an end and I was given a bundle of goodies as a means of thanks. I was given some Ciate' nail polishes and cuticle oil, some Scandalous Hair products, and some Nail Rock wraps one of which has already been claimed by my sister. 

I've tested the cookies and cream and the paparazzi and I love both colours, both very different, the cookies is soft and great for day to day and the paparazzi is more of a statment colour. The actual polish goes on really well, and you can creat two looks one coat gives a nice sheer look and two more dramatic one tone.
 

The hair products are lush !! I got a shampoo, conditioner, heat protection and deep intense conditioner. I'd never heard of this range before, but it is amazine, it makes your hair so shiny without a greasy texture and I can get away with washing it for up to 3 days.Usually I avoid heat protection sprays because they do make my hair very greasyand weighty so when I curl it they drop instantly, but this not only smells great but is perfect at protecting my split ends.

Click to buy The Scandalous Products