London Fashion Week

As previously stated, i was in and amongst bloggers, models, designers, celebs and photographers alike at london fashion week. This is the outfit i chose to wear...

The main thing about this outfit was my addition made by my jacket. Receiving many comments on it, it soon became a piece of interest. Designed by London based store Lazy Oaf, this black and white digital print anorak became the talk of passerbys.

Originally I wore dark blue skinny jeans (Topman), Chelsea boots (Topman) and a sky blue 70's style Farah polo shirt I picked up from T.K.Maxx. In my bag I packed a red sweatshirt and this Lazy oaf jacket. As the day progressed, I felt cold and donned my sweatshirt and jacket. Almost instantly, someone asked to take a picture if me...

London Fashion Week - Street Style, Day 2

Hey, I attended the London Fashion Week as a blogger and photographer to gain inspiration and experience in the fashion. This is my second year of turning up  to Somerset House and parading the courtyard around the chrome covered tent, photographing the hipsters and fashionistas as they wait to watch their favourite designers catwalk shows. To any start-up blogger and Photographer, I genuinely recommend the experience... you will not be disappointed. It is an amazing way to gain inspiration, acquire new contacts and build your portfolio.

Below is a group of images that showcase some of the best street style...

Unfortunately due to school and work etc. I was only able to attend one day otherwise I would happily document everyday day but who knows about the future... maybe one day I'll be invited into a show...

For all images i took that day, check the out the editorial page.

Issue Seven of Ink & Arrows magazine

Issue Seven of Ink & Arrows magazine. Features interviews from, our cover artist, Nikita Kaun, Lucien George, Jared Tuttle, Kim Wells, Elliot Phillips, Ophelia Mercedes & many more! 
www.inkarrowsmag.com
http://issuu.com/inkandarrows/docs/inkarrowsmag_issueseven_/c/sley5ze

Wireless Festival Day One

Bit late now (i thought i posted this agggges ago... sorry :/) but on the 4th July i went to "The Wireless festival" in Finsbury Park, London.

The headliner this year was fashion forward rap star Kanye West. If you kept up to date with the festival and heard about his set, you might have heard about apparent booing of him off stage... this didn't happen. Yes we heard some booing, but it wasn't that loud and it wasn't a massive crowd gathering and he quite clearly did not hear it as he continued to deliver his 20 minute rant about black rappers not given equal opportunities outside of their fields. 


Honestly i thought he was sick and he delivered an fantastic set, delivering some killer hits out of his vast collection. songs such as "good life", "can't tell me nothing", "touch the sky" and "black skinhead" rocked the festival from the front through the back which when coupled with Kanye's visual artistry, the crowd got a lot more than what they payed for.

The Wireless festival is situated in East London and young adults pay £70-£80 for a days worth a world class performers stretching from the quick up-and-coming artists to legends in the game such as Jay Z and Kanye West. With its urban music blasting throughout the festival, the crowds attract a multitude of different people. With this in mind, you can only imagine what the dress code is like. After experiencing the Wireless Festival the year before, you get the general idea that people dress to impress. Unlike other festivals, people aren't donning floral head bands and wearing crisp white dresses and wellies. At Wireless, people come rocking their mesh tops, short shorts, bucket hats and Jordan's. So this year i decided to follow in suit and copped myself the DxpeChef Black and white Dashiki from their 'Dashiki Capsule' and coupled it with some mustard coloured shorts from H&M and Gourmet Wood-chip patterned Trainers.

Prom

The other day, it was year 13's last prom. As tradition, the year 12's (my year) were invited. From past spectating as well as listening to the general consensus, smart casual was the way forward at this party. Unfortunately, or fortunately, for me, i had brought a close to £200 suit at the beginning of this year. Due to the material and cut of the 2 piece suit, i decided not to wear it unless for a special occasion. Of course this occasion had arrived, despite what my peers were wearing.

Donning a blue slim fit 2 piece suit from topman, i had a decision to make in terms of going full out with a bow-tie, silver plated rolex and gucci shoes or.. casual my look down...

When wearing a navy blue blazer, your ultimate choice of shirt is the colour of white. With the dark colour of blue, the blazer is almost black which just instantly suggests that you need to provide a clear contrast in colours... and what's more contrasting than its monochrome partner in crime WHITE. So pairing up with a smooth white shirt, i decided to leave off the tie and unbutton the top one. This made my look more casual so my style was almost flawlessly effortless.

To finish off my look i had to decide on footwear...
The ultimate accessory for any suit is the choice of footwear.  From brogues to moccasins, picking the right style, material and colour can almost make or break the suit. For me, i chose to go with a pair of loafers. Matching the trend at the moment and distinct marrying with the slim fit of the suit, i felt that loafers or moccasins were the obvious choice. Searching everywhere for a decent, cheap pair of loafers can be stuff and when you search for burgundy bass weejuns, you've set yourself on an impossible task. I searched everywhere with no luck. with my budget now stretched out to £100+ i was desperately searching anywhere before a pair of size 12 hudsons made themselves clear to me on the Topman website.

In this look, the burgundy red of the shoes subtly provides another colour to the fairly standard color scheme. On top of this, the loafer style makes the look more casual with their slipper-like structure. loafers aren't you thing or you were on a cheaper budget, you could also wear a slim fit pair of light brown/beige brogues or formal shoes. Get a slim fitted white shirt to compliment the slim fit of the navy suit suit. Keep the accessories minimal and i feel you need to remember your sophistication despite your casual persona. 

i hope that this can help for future reference in terms of future proms, weddings, ascot, garden party etc.

Neil Barrett SS15 - Menswear

Another long wait, but i just want to show my appreciation to Neil Barrett's SS15 collection. 

Shown at the Milan fashion week, Neil Barrett showcased a pristine display of minimalism and roman classicism. As magazine Dazed & confused describes it, Neil Barrett's collection was "A pillar of clean, minimalist strength. Boys filed out into the column-filled Palazzo Del Senato in clothes that seemed like a tribute to the space – a long-time venue for Barrett – as the designer looked to the faultless lines of Roman classicism for SS15." 

The idea of Roman classicism is one of the perfect images between male beauty and masculinity. Within fashion, it can been seen as a cliche and at times tacky but within these pieces Barrett creates a seamless blend with his minimalistic style as well as pay homage to Italy. Neil Barrett took the plain look of monochrome high-end sportswear and applied his reworked roman classic themed graphics and created a more modern and current look.

Barrett works on  high-end  sportswear silhouettes (like his signature sweatshirts and bombers) and his exquisite details always makes his pieces feel very unforced, and this collection was an exercise in the balance between those two forces. Whilst his work was created  structured and precise, the statements felt light and graceful – not unlike the Roman classicist theme that had set off the collection.  

Riccardo Tisci - Inspiration

In my eyes Riccardo Tisci is one of the Gods of fashion in this modern day.

Riccardo Tisci (born in 1974 in Taranto, Italy) is a 38-year-old Italian fashion designer who reinvented Givenchy and conquered the runways of Paris. After he studied in Italy he then graduated from London's Central Saint Martins Academy in 1999, and in 2005 was named Creative Director for Givenchy womenswear and haute couture. In May 2008 he was also named as menswear and accessories designer of the Givenchy men's division.

Tisci's apparent fascination with Gothic and religious touches (dark, languid dresses for fall couture) and space-age minimalism (one ready-to-wear show featured white-clad models drifting around a sterile-white sphere) have drawn new attention to the Givenchy brand. tisci states that Beyond his blood relatives, there is his close-knit six-person  design team within Givenchy and his posse of intimate girlfriends. these take form in the likes of the model Mariacarla Boscono, Carine Roitfeld, an early proselytizer for his talent and a poster girl for his Goth-chic aesthetic, and the artist Marina Abramovic . Tisci’s relationship with Abramovic is so productive and the artist, an ageless 65, depicted herself suckling Tisci for the powerful sixtieth edition of Visionaire, which he edited, dedicated to “Religion” and, of course, celebrating family. On top of all this,  there are the women he admires and dresses: Madonna (whose COSTUMES he designed for her Sticky & Sweet tour in 2008), Cate Blanchett, Rooney Mara, Naomi Campbell, Courtney Love, Florence Welch, Kim Kardashian and Rihanna among them. And his male counterparts who frequently wear Givenchy: Frank ocean, Kanye west, Jay z etc.

As seen in this image, Riccardo Tisci designed the wedding dress that Kim Kardashian Wore to marry good friend of his, Kanye west. You can see his legs in the second image of the back of Kim's dress. These two pictures have now become the two most liked pictures on instagram ever.

For me, Riccardo Tisci is one of my biggest inspirations. Coming from an average background, Tisci set out to become to become the top of his field despite having to deviate from original path. I want to be in photography and art, what Riccardo Tisci is in Fashion. He is my benchmark. Tisci has been in the business for such a long time yet he finds each new project as fun as his first. also as one of the best, Riccardo Tisci has had the ability to work with artists and brands to collaborate on projects such as Nike's AF1's. I want to be in a position where people come to me to work off of my aesthetic much like Tisci... that is the dream.

"Riccardo Tisci: the man who got Kanye West to wear a skirt"