Showing posts with label fashion. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fashion. Show all posts
Tuesday, 28 May 2013
Sunday, 16 December 2012
Have you met Daisy?
If you're a regular to 'Alas, I cannot Swim', you will have seen "Kiss Like Daisy" featured on my winter wishlist a few weeks ago. Daisy is the creation of Katy Louise Dyer, a 22 year old media graduate based in Reading, and is a luxury online boutique offering beautiful handmade jewellery and accessories for the urban fashionista.
I'm lucky enough to know Katy in real life- having worked alongside one another at House of Fraser (her on Ted Baker, me on AllSaints) and it is so wonderful to see her going from strength to strength after setting up her own business from scratch. All of her items are handmade with care and precision- so you are guaranteed to find something you'll love. And there is so much to choose from!! Here are some of my favourites:
The Double Bow
The Double Bow headpiece is Katy's fresh take on the classic bow- the staple Daisy item. Combining an oversized bow with a smaller counterpart creates a bold, chic, catwalk-inspired look, and being on a headband can transform any outfit in a matter of seconds.
Team this item with an oversized cable knit jumper and jeans to make a daytime statement, or a simple little black dress and heels to turn heads in the night time. The Double Bow retails at £22.
The Leather Collar
I am such a huge fan of the current detachable collar trend, so this item is a real must have for me. Once again, Katy's unique take on styling comes into play- this is not the twee sequinned Peter Pan collar I have seen over and over again on the high street, but black leather with a gold drop chain- edgy, androgynous, and stylish. I love the way Katy has styled her collar on bare shoulders- giving the more feminine and classic necklace a miss for a really up to date look, but this collar can also be worn on top of shirts, or even plain-neck tshirts and dresses to give an old outfit a completely new lease of life.
The leather collar retails at £35
The Daisy Chain
The great thing about the Daisy Chain is the variety of ways in which it can be worn. Wear it long as a necklace or shorten the chain and fasten it under your collar for an androgynous bow tie effect. I love the idea of a masculine/feminine clash by wearing the floral Daisy Chain as a bow tie!The Daisy Chain starts at £18, but has a special promotional Christmas price starting at £8, so is a great stocking filler for your loved ones and a wonderful way to introduce them to Daisy.
Glitter Cat Hat
In my opinion, this item is not only absolutely ingenious but completely adorable! Adding a new, feminine twist to the current beanie hat trend, the Glitter Cat Hat is such a cute way to keep your ears warm as the weather gets colder this winter. I was never a huge fan of the knitted "animal face" hats that seem to make an appearance this time of year, but Katy has come up with a much more sophisticated version by using a glitter material and leather ears. This grown up yet quirky look very much reminds me of Charlotte Olympia's chic and fun designs. The Cat Hat is a must have, and retails at £24.Trio of Roses Headpiece
I have saved my absolute favourite item until last- I ADORE the Trio of Roses headpiece! Although I adore the masculine edge of some of the items available at Kiss Like Daisy, the Trio of Roses really stands out to me as a very beautiful, delicate and feminine item (although- it goes without saying!- the leather look material gives it a rock chick edge. I LOVE the juxtaposition of this- Katy's items work on so many levels!) Inspired by alternative bridal wear, the Trio of Roses headpiece offers real tailor made luxury to the girl wanting a unique look for a special occasion, and retails at £84.
Intrigued by the ideas behind these items and to find out more about Daisy herself, I interviewed Katy to find out more...
SI: Hello Katy! First and foremost, who is Daisy?
KLD: Daisy is a made up person. She is meant to represent the ‘ It girl’ that most girls either know or aspire to be. She might be your friend or someone you admire. She is a strong, confident and comfortable with herself and style. I chose the name ‘Kiss Like Daisy’ because essentially what I mean by ‘Kiss Like’ is ‘Be Like’. Therefore, I want my target market- young women in the UK, to be like Daisy, the strong and confident girl who is not afraid to try new fashion and strive for whatever path in life she may choose.
SI: Your degree was in media. What led you to the world of fashion, and more than that, the tremendous feat of opening your own business?
KLD: Fashion, Drama and Film have always been my strongest interests. I think I have a natural common sense and self-taught attitude towards fashion and design, therefore I decided by doing a media orientated degree that involved the technical side of film, I would have a broader knowledge in my interests that would help once finishing Uni and beginning my career. The desire to work within the fashion industry completely overtook my interest in film and drama during Uni, so I started looking for fashion internships as soon as I graduated. I did a short PR and marketing internship at Luna&Curious and here I saw how young designers like myself were making money from being stocked in the boutique. Then one day whilst being at the boutique, I thought I would open my own boutique. This way I could sell my own products whilst performing various fashion roles that were of interest, such as website design, PR and marketing. I decided an online shop was the best option considering I knew I would be funding this completely alone.SI: Your range includes accessories that can spice up an everyday outfit, to more statement pieces such as the Trio of Roses headpiece. This clearly isn't an everyday item- to me it seems very high fashion and "catwalk". When you designed this and other statement pieces, what or who did you have in mind?
KLD: This piece is bridal inspired. It is for the alternative bride-to-be. It is a statement piece and I hope it shows my customers the more bespoke side of Daisy. I love big and extravagant headwear, therefore I had to incorporate this into the brand design concept and by making it Bridal inspired it is more fitting to my customer base- women aged 16-30.
SI: The staple Daisy item is the bow. Why is this?
KLD: The bow is something I think is complementary to all women. I personally love them. I incorporate what I love into all my designs, because I find I can only design and produce products that make me excited and appeal to my personal taste. For me, a bow is completely classic. It can make any women look instantly classy and elegant; for example in an evening dress, but at the same time girly and cute if in casual, sport or day wear. It’s transferable from season to season, day to night. No matter what your style: punk, girly, glam, whatever... I think you can add a bow to and look super stylish!
SI: You launched your online boutique in October, but how long had you been planning your business venture?KLD: I have worked on it since August 2011. I have had to learn everything about business from scratch; however I am quite impressed that I have done it all in just over a year. I have worked full-time and had three jobs at one point whilst setting this up. However, I think if you really love and want something you will strive to finish and see it through, even if it means you get a little less time to yourself.
SI: What gave you the idea for Daisy, and how did you develop the concept?
KLD: I am a very empathetic person; therefore naturally I always feel a strong desire to help others. By building a business like this I knew I could inspire other people, especially young women who may have the same dream or are unsure about how to go about doing something in life. The concept of Daisy is how I want to inspire other women, I want them to be confident as people and not be frightened or scared to do something in life, because it is no secret how many anxieties can overwhelm a lot of young women these days, therefore I want to provide a little bit of hope and inspiration to other women.
To discover Daisy for yourself and find your own signature Daisy item, visit www.kisslikedaisy.co.uk
Katy currently has a selection of items on offer for Christmas, so grab yourself a bargain from as little as £5!!
Friday, 16 November 2012
Tim Walker: "Storyteller" Exhibition at Somerset House
Supported by Mulberry
Tim
Walker is renowned worldwide to be one of the great fashion photographers of
the 21st century. His fantastical, fairy tale images are of a staggering
creation, even in today's contemporary art world. The chance to see Walker's
photographs exhibited is, in itself, a sight to behold. However, what sets this
apart from other current exhibitions is that alongside the images, you are
given the chance to walk amongst the very props that Tim Walker uses to create
the magical worlds in which he creates work.
Walker's
work fuses a dreamy childhood nostalgia with the cutting edge of contemporary fashion. He is no stranger to
huge names in the fashion world such as Alexander McQueen (a distinctively
intimate portrait of whom can be seen in the Storyteller show), Meadham
Kirchoff, and is a resident name inside the pages of Vogue and LOVE magazine,
to name a few. However, as you walk amongst giant clam shells and a four-piece
string quartet of insects, it becomes clear that Walker's success is not due to
who features in his photographs, or what they wear. It is the sheer magnitude
of creation, that most people tend to lose sight of aged around 8 or 9. Walker has, incredibly, not only kept in
touch with this, but projected it into creating some of the most beautiful and
awe-inspiring photographs of the 21st century.
Nothing
can prepare you for the way you are thrown into an imagination time warp when
you enter the exhibition in the east wing galleries at Somerset House. There is
no easing you in- the first room is filled mostly with a bright blue model Spitfire
inspired by the 1946 film "A Matter of Life and Death", designed by
Andy Hillman. This is surrounded by Tim's photographs of the Spitfire crash
landing into Lily Donaldson's drawing room at Glemham Hall in a wonderfully
glamourous 1940s styled shoot.
This is
just the beginning. Throughout the exhibition, you will find yourself at the
foot of the pile of sand, at the top of which, behind a door stands a
life-sized Agyness Deyn, beneath a giant snail the size of a dog, and pondering
an image of a granny in a space ship. There are no boundaries to Tim Walker's
imagination. Interestingly, Walker himself seems to have more than plentiful
faith in this. His images are not titled with the fanciful names you might
expect them to be- simply a descriptor
of who, where and when ("Malgosia Bella and skeleton; Essex, UK;
2009"). Truthfully, he doesn't need to title his images any more
extravagantly than this. There is enough to make your imagination fly and your
heart flutter with childhood nostalgia in the image alone. There is no need for
a title that offers anything more than the facts. Walker gives you the tools to
construct any embellishment or narrative by yourself.
For
myself, one of the most exciting pieces of the exhibition is the huge swan boat
which has featured in a number of my personal favourite images by Walker. These
objects in themselves carry an air of magic- as if by lying dormant they are
inconspicuous, but the images surrounding them are proof of their alternate
lives in a dream like world- from the giant clam where Clementine Keith-Roach
dozed like a fairy tale Venus to the exquisite swan boat. Like a toy that comes
alive at night, you wait for the swan to slip up and blink or move its head- so
much does it seem to come to life in the image "Fantasia on a Nautical
Theme".
"Very
often there is a kind of nostalgia built into a photograph, by virtue of taking
it. You've taken the photograph and it's immediately a thing of the past the
moment you press the shutter."
Admittedly,
there was one area of the exhibition which I personally found underwhelming-
"Slight Angle to the Universe" seemed too much like Tim Walker's take
on Martin Parr, depicting more or less everyday scenes with an odd twist- for
example, a fox hunt with one of the hunters having had their horse replaced
with a space ship. Although undoubtedly still wonderful photographs, to me they
just didn't encapsulate the same fairy tale magic as the rest of the
exhibition. Whereas the rest of the images in the show do live up to Walker as
the "storyteller", leaving you as the viewer with your mind
overflowing with ideas and inspiration, the "Universe" series left me
feeling like I had been shortchanged in these stories- there just wasn't enough imagination in them to
inspire anything in me.
It was,
then, a huge and very welcome surprise when in the last room I found the prop
of my all time favourite Tim Walker photo-shoot.
The huge,
10ft baby doll that was featured chasing Lyndsey Wixson in Vogue Italia earlier
this year waits in the final room of the exhibition. She is as creepy in life
as she appeared in the shoot, and the detail in her is incredible. You are
given the chance to get up close and personal with her, everything from her
thick eyelashes to her many underskirts. She is both terrifying, and beautiful.
Even more excitingly, the exhibition also features some of Walker's doodles and
notes in planning the shoot, and the dolls adventures alongside Wixson.
This is essentially the epitome of Walker's work. Creating something, from scratch, that he then brings to life in such a beautiful and wonderful way. Whether it be gorgeous and fantastical, or the stuff that, as a child, your nightmares were made of, it cannot be denied that Walker's photographs have their own kind of magic- the kind that transports us all back to a time when our imaginations ruled our world, and it was certainly possible to have a nap in a giant seashell, if we so wished.
Friday, 3 August 2012
Favourite Fashions at Lovebox
Whilst we were at Lovebox, I decided to document some of the amazing outfits we were seeing there. From vintage to high street and everything in between, I had to show you some of the best outfits of the weekend....
Lets start with my lovely girl Amy who made up 1/3 of our Lovebox team. She teamed Hunter wellies with jean shorts, a "wild thornberrys" rucksack from Topshop, and a wicked Aztec-style vintage top. I won't include the National Trust raincoat she also sported for the first day... :)
Here we have Melissa, co-owner of Bumble Hog Vintage. Her outfit was compiled entirely from Bumble hog itself! A simply detailed yet beautiful lace mesh top over another staple- the denim jean short, wonderful striped tights and Peter Pan shoes resulted in another winning outfit from the Bumble Hog girls!!
Leona's outfit really caught my eye. Her neon yellow skirt is bang on trend for the summer- and although neon hasn't been one of my favorite trends, she managed to rock it! Her Aztec crop top had just the right amount of neon to compliment the shirt, whilst her patent Dr Martens, and leather jacket and (studded!!) bum bag levelled out the brights with a biker chic. Plus- I'm SO happy that bum bags are coming back into fashion. Again, style+practicality = win win!
Lets start with my lovely girl Amy who made up 1/3 of our Lovebox team. She teamed Hunter wellies with jean shorts, a "wild thornberrys" rucksack from Topshop, and a wicked Aztec-style vintage top. I won't include the National Trust raincoat she also sported for the first day... :)
The lovely Emily worked a complete Topshop outfit, finished up with a sturdy pair of Dr Martens to give the look a rough edge and to protect from the mud and rain of day one. Fashionable and practical, this is definitely a winner in my book.
We found Holly working alongside Melissa (see below) at Bumble Hog, a wonderful pre-loved and vintage clothing outlet owned by the girls. Doing the festival circuit with their business themselves (and obviously knowing their stuff), I fell in love with the outfits the girls were wearing. Holly can be seen here teaming pattered tights with every girls must have- a chunky cardi- and an amazing pair of striped dungarees from fellow vintage stall Headlock Vintage. Finished with a slick of statement red lippie, and there you have it- the perfect festival outfit!
Leona's outfit really caught my eye. Her neon yellow skirt is bang on trend for the summer- and although neon hasn't been one of my favorite trends, she managed to rock it! Her Aztec crop top had just the right amount of neon to compliment the shirt, whilst her patent Dr Martens, and leather jacket and (studded!!) bum bag levelled out the brights with a biker chic. Plus- I'm SO happy that bum bags are coming back into fashion. Again, style+practicality = win win!
This is Savannah- gorgeous outfit, great name, and as you can see, loads of fun! I absolutely adored her studded denim jacket (I think I have a bit of an affliction with studs at the moment, I just want to stud EVERYTHING) Savannah described her Urban Outfitters dress as "throw over", which I thought was really perfect. That teamed with stocking detail tights and Doctor Martens made for an effortlessly stylish festival outfit.
I absolutely fell in love with Spasena's tassled body suit (wow, studs and tassles seem to be really getting me going at the moment...Dolly Parton where art thou?!). Of course, this had to be a one-off vintage find so I can't just nip out and grab one for myself! This in itself had enough detail to make an incredibly grunge-chic outfit when teamed only with denim shorts, and Dr Martens. (These two items seem to be staple for a lot of girls at the moment!) Her wayfarer sunglasses and wild curls really completed the look.
So, there you have it- my favorite Lovebox Looks! Do let me know if you enjoyed this post, I've been considering doing more street style and outfit blog entries. If this was a hit, let me know and you will be seeing more :)
Love as always,
Sian x
Thursday, 2 February 2012
Tim Walker shoots Lindsey Wixon for Vogue Italia, February 2012
Tim Walker, master of dreams, has once again worked his magic in a beautiful yet slightly haunting shoot with Lindsey Wixon for Vogue Italia.
Styled by Jacob K, the shoot sees Lindsey in a menagerie of beautifully feminine pastel outfits, in a lonely world where her only company seems to be a giant baby doll.
In classic Tim Walker style, the shoot pays homage to childhood nostalgia whilst maintaining an air of edge and mystery. It is undoubtedly unnerving to imagine a world of total isolation, yet in classic Tim Walker style he manages to keep it high fashion and fresh.
Tim Walker has been one of my favorite photographers for as long as I can remember. Despite primarily working commercially, his style is and has always been instantly recognisable, and this is why I admire him as a photographer. In this day and age it is rare to be able to work commercially and yet still have enough of your own imput to dictate your own style of working.
Another thing I love about Tim Walker's shoots is that he always has the most amazing props- there seems to be no limit to turning his ideas into a reality. The doll in this shoot, although being massively impressive is also REALLY creepy (I think so anyway...) but the excecution is perfect- it all works so well together.
I hope you all enjoyed this editorial as much as I did.
Sian xx
Styled by Jacob K, the shoot sees Lindsey in a menagerie of beautifully feminine pastel outfits, in a lonely world where her only company seems to be a giant baby doll.
In classic Tim Walker style, the shoot pays homage to childhood nostalgia whilst maintaining an air of edge and mystery. It is undoubtedly unnerving to imagine a world of total isolation, yet in classic Tim Walker style he manages to keep it high fashion and fresh.
Tim Walker has been one of my favorite photographers for as long as I can remember. Despite primarily working commercially, his style is and has always been instantly recognisable, and this is why I admire him as a photographer. In this day and age it is rare to be able to work commercially and yet still have enough of your own imput to dictate your own style of working.
Another thing I love about Tim Walker's shoots is that he always has the most amazing props- there seems to be no limit to turning his ideas into a reality. The doll in this shoot, although being massively impressive is also REALLY creepy (I think so anyway...) but the excecution is perfect- it all works so well together.
I hope you all enjoyed this editorial as much as I did.
Sian xx
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