God's Own Junkyard

This isn't strictly fashion-related, but I simply had to share this little spot in Walthamstow. God's Own Junkyard is a collection of neon lights, some from blockbuster movies and some collaborations from the likes of David LaChapelle. It is owned by Chris Bracey, AKA God, who originally owned Electric Wonderland in Walthamstow before it had to be shut down. This new location opens up a whole lot more space for this unique attraction! Who knew there was such a gem in Walthamstow?

Meadham Kirchhoff + The V&A//Fashion in Motion

So I've just gotten back from the show and all I can say is, wow! It was fantastic. I've been to Erdem before at the V&A and it doesn't come anywhere close to this. There was a hell of a lot more thought put into it with props, lighting and general aesthetic. I don't want to go on too much, just look and admire the photos I took!

"Pink It's My New Obsession"

As most people know, I am a little bit pink-obsessed. I'm not entirely sure why as I've never seen myself to be the girly type, never bothered to make an effort with hair or nails or whatever. Always very happy in black, yet pink is my favourite colour! I think pink can be rebellious somewhat, when styled in the right way. It doesn't have to be overtly feminine. This editorial that I stumbled upon on Vice proves my point, and I just had to share it with you.

Shot by Timur Celikdag and styled by Elgar Johnson, this fashion story shows how pink can be masculine, fun and flirty all at the same time.

Marge: Style Icon

Following suit of loveable Muppet character-turned Hermès-lover, Kermès, there's a new face on the block: Marge Simpson. Blue-haired mother of three, Marge has always had the signature style of the green strapless dress and string of pearls - a classic look, but illustrator AleXsandro Palombo has reinvented her in the guise of several style icons. 

This side of Marge is a little bit raunchy, a little bit cheeky but undeniably fashionable. Enjoy!

As Kate Moss in Playboy

Isabella Blow Exhibition: Fashion Galore!

…And "Fashion Galore" it certainly was. I cannot think of a better expression to have described this exhibition. It was a celebration of an absolutely extraordinary woman who had a careful eye for style that most can only wish for. She had been the nurturer of the most wonderful modern designers that the world has seen, from McQueen to Treacy, to Chalayan. Her provocative and awe-inspiring style is one that will be imprinted in our hearts forevermore. 

The Return of Streetwear

They say that fashion has a 20 year cycle: we repeat the same trends, only 20 years later. This has certainly rung true for streetwear clothing with brands like Stussy making a return on the highstreet in Topman, since their initial birth in 1980, and Adidas rereleasing the Torsion Integral S with two new colour ways. 

Stussy

Dear Santa (My Dream Christmas List)

Black Friday: Why?

An American tradition, on the following Friday after Thanksgiving, Black Friday marks the shopping frenzy that becomes when prices are discounted, and essentially starts off the Christmas shopping season. Sounds harmless, but with it becoming known for it's trampling of shoppers, even shootings, what is the point? All of this for a bargain? And why now, has it been adopted by the UK?

Asda, of all places.

Problems of a Fashion Promotion Student

Kermès

Drawn by artist and head of creative development of Bobbi Brown, Donald Robinson fused together fashion with The Muppets to create Kermès, the doppleganger to Kermit the Frog. The loveable character is not left lonely as he has also created an incarnation of Miss Piggy: Miss PiGAGAy. Donald Robinson's Instagram is full of these loveable, witty drawings.

Small Business Saturday

On the 7th December people will be encouraged to support the small businesses local to them with the event Small Business Saturday. It has been adopted from America who do this as a yearly event on the Saturday after Thanksgiving, established in 2010, and has been extremely beneficial for small businesses. Last year, $5.5million was made in sales for small businesses and has generation long-term custom for them. They want to bring this to the UK.

So, why? Well as you can see from above, it will be very helpful to generate business and money for locals. Other than that, our nation's small businesses provide nearly two thirds of private sector employment, and almost half of private sector turnover.

It has support from big businesses such as Facebook, O2, Lloyds, Twitter and many others, as well as backing from Ingenious Britain and Start-Up Britain.

Hopefully this gets you thinking about checking out the little man more often and think twice before you go into Starbucks! Here are a couple of my favourite spots for independent businesses:

1. Brick Lane Coffee

This is where I always grab a coffee when I'm in Brick Lane! They do a huge range of different drinks including my all time favourite Chai Latter with Almond milk, and also cater to those of us who are veggie or vegan. The interiors are really fun and it all feels very cosy.

2. Boxpark

This is a great place to find small businesses and pop-up shops. It's like a shopping mall specifically made for that purpose, and it's also a lovely design and has very cosy places to sit with a drink or some street food and watch some live music.

Trend: PVC

PVC ain't for everyone, I personally have been rocking the sex worker aesthetic since I first learnt what it meant to shock your dad. But PVC doesn't have to be right out of an Ann Summers catalogue or the Red Light District. It can be fun, flirty, refined. Plastic doesn't mean tacky - think feminine silhouettes juxtaposed with boxy shapes. Here's my pick of inspiration of how to wear this seasons hottest fabric:

Lady Gaga for Versace

Is it a model, is it a young Donatella Versace? No, it's musics most talked about woman Lady Gaga. You either love her or hate her, or maybe you adore one of her multiple personalities and dislike the other - however there's no denying she grabs your attention. 

Meadham Kirchhoff @ The V&A

Following her success with her Topshop collaboration, Meadham Kirchhoff has been chosen for the next Fashion in Motion show at the V&A. It will consist of four free catwalk shows on December 6th, featuring the highlights of their collections.

"When approaching every collection or garment, we secretly hope to make something worthy of being seen in a museum, so for us it is an honour to present a show comprised of hand-picked pieces from our favourite" - Meadham & Kirchoff

It's a sure thing that they have achieved this of their designs, which are not only jaw-dropingly out-there and theatrical, but also beautiful and stylish. They were established in 2002 and have acquired the Emerging Talent Ready-to-Wear award from the British Fashion Council. Their fantasy world has captured the attention of many and I for one will definitely be getting tickets to see this! Their collections tell stories of whimsical and dark tales but maintain a sense of style that can be admired by many, whether you wear it or not.

Ann Demeulemeester's Departure

Dear friends,

As a young girl I dreamed of having a voice in fashion. I worked hard to realise this dream and now I feel that I have accomplished this mission.

I always followed my own path

A new time is coming both for my personal life and the brand "Ann Demeulemeester". I feel it's time to separate our paths.

"Ann Demeulemeester" is an adult brand now with it's own identity and legacy that is to continue proving without me.

I trust the company and the people that worked hard with me. We prepared this step together and they feel ready to bring the brand further into the future.

For the next winter collection we have decided to show men and women in one show on the 27th February 2014. The mens collection will be in the showroom in January 2014.

I want to thank all of you with all my heart for the trust and support you have given me. I fee proud of what we realised together.

I'm a happy and fulfilled person, ready to create new challenges in life.

X

Ann Demeulemeester

Louis Vuitton X Nicolas Ghesquiere

Nicolas Ghesquiere has now been confirmed as the creative director of Louis Vuitton, so what can we expect for the future of this well-established brand? Will he be true to their heritage or take it in another direction completely?

Louis Vuitton SS2014

Caryn Franklin x All Walks Talk

Today we were lucky enough to have a talk with fashion commentator Caryn Franklin, former Fashion Editor of i-D and now co-founder of All Walks Beyond The Catwalk - the campaign that challenges fashion's idea of beauty and encourages diversity.

Kit Neale + NEWGEN

Former Ravensbourne student Kit Neale has been chosen to receive funding from NEWGEN (New Generation, created by the British Fashion Council). NEWGEN is a talent recognition scheme, and helps to promote new businesses. Other recievers of the NEWGEN award are Nasir Mazhar and Agi & Sam. 

Marks & Spencer V Debenhams: Who gets your vote?

Marks & Spencer

Debenhams

Conscious Fashion Gift Guide

It's that time of the year and the C-word is on everyone's lips: Christmas. Another C-word that has been on the tip of our tongue for a while, especially those in the design business is Conscious. Those buying presents for their fashionable relatives or friends should consider the idea of buying an item of clothing that cares. An item that gives again. There are many brands that have cottoned onto this idea and produce brilliant products that help charities.

Shopping Savvy

Daily I get frustrated by the frivolous purchases that some students (or low income buddies) make. Hoards of on-trend clothing from Primark; pieces that will only see the light of day for the week that they are fashionable, or will fall apart mid-twerk at the student union. I don't have a job, my income is solely from student loan. The only other income I have is anything I can tear myself away from and sell on eBay. I will be very open and say that I pay £400 a month for my flat in London, not including bills. I pretty much support myself fully, bar the time my (lovely, generous) boyfriend had to help me out financially because I worked for free for two months during the summer. Yet I have a wardrobe full to the brim (and I mean to the brim, plus three large drawers dedicated to yours truly) with amazing clothing. How, you ask? I think it's about time I share my shopping savvy with you!

AR Wear - Anti-Rape Pants

AR Wear is a up and coming project led by New Yorkers Ruth and Yuval. AR stands for Anti Rape, and this is their big idea to give "confidence and protection" to women. They are crowdfunding their project using Indiegogo. The pants are said to give a barrier against the attacker, they are impossible to remove by anyone other than the woman wearing them, and also impossible to cut through. The incentive for the campaign is that is it proven that most rapists will be deterred by some sort of resistance and will lessen the chance of a rape taking place. But what is the real message here?

Erwin Blumenfeld + British Heritage Inspired Shoot

As part of our work for the summer break, we were asked to compile a photoshoot that was inspired by both photographer Erwin Blumenfeld and British heritage and eccentricity. Using myself as a model (since to be quite honest, it ended up being very last minute after being incredibly busy over the summer interning), I tried to emulate British style through prints and textures, whilst also using the same photographic style as Blumenfeld and applying effects post-production. I'm very pleased with the results!! I've very kindly added information on where the items of clothing are from if you were interested. I purposefully used a lot of vintage items mixed with British brands or high street to show our thrifty nature!

TURBAN - ROKIT VINTAGE

Becky is Myth-Busting: The Elusive "Thigh-Gap"

It's the current buzzword of the fashion-industry, following Australian plus-size model Robyn Lawley's comments on it after the backlash she received when shown as the covergirl for Vogue Italia. Facebook commenters named her "hefty" and "too fat" - and why? Because her thighs touched.

Bailey's Stardust @ The National Portrait Gallery

David Bailey - he put the sex into photography. The inspiration behind the film Blow-Up, he made photography cool and fashionable, he's something Terry Richardson wishes he was. Known for being Vogue's photographer in the 60s and lover to Jean Shrimpton and husband to Catherine Deneuve, he is still regarded as one of the best photographers of all time.

Lou Reed++Imperfect Day

It was whilst browsing Twitter I found out the news of Lou Reed's death at 71 on the 27th of October. It was strange because just the night before I sat with my 18 year old brother and boyfriend, listening to Perfect Day and reminiscing about all the memories we had of that song - myself and my brother would sing together on the way home from school and remembered how once it was raining, and as soon as we started to sing Perfect Day, the sun came out through the clouds and the rain stopped! It was a bizarre tribute to his death, before it even happened. 

Moschino X Jeremy Scott

The latest news on the block is that outlandish designer Jeremy Scott has been named the new creative director of Moschino, announced last night. His first collection will be showcased in February at Milan Fashion week, an event which will be eagerly awaited by those loyal to Moschino and fans of Jeremy Scott's own line. He is taking over from Rossella Jardini, who has led Moschino since it's original founder, Franco Moschino, died in 1994.

Jeremy Scott 2012

Suits you, sir!

After my "brief" hiatus from the world of blogging, there's plenty to talk about already. As always, a lot of happening in the world of fashion, and there ain't no rest for the wicked so I will just get stuck right in with talking about the staple of every working man's wardrobe - The Suit.

Ralph Lauren + Beaux-Arts

Ecole Nationale Superieure des Beaux-Arts school has housed some of the most influential designers of today, from Valentino to Givenchy and well-known impressionists such as Monet and Matisse. It is a hub of creativity and innovation in fashion and art.

Trend: Camo

The camoflage trend seemingly always makes its rounds every few seasons. Be it traditional, neon or with a feminine twist it's a pattern that never goes out of style. It is a paradoxical thought that to stand out next season, wear camo, but with the new takes on the military staple, it's hard not to.

Jonathan Saunders

Make it British!

"Made in Britain" has been a buzz-phrase floating around for some time now, especially after Mary Portas' Kinky Knickers which meant the coveting of fashion made in the UK. For some of us, this was outrageous because there are plenty of wonderful British independent lingerie brands that she seemed to be undermining by saying there were absolutely none. Whereas Mary didn't really do her research on the matter, the British manufacturing of fashion is now becoming stronger and will hopefully overthrow cheap, unethical manufacture in the UK.

RIP Bert Stern

The first I had heard of Bert Stern was through the iconic "The Last Sitting", a collection of photographs of Marilyn Monroe in the lead up to her untimely death. My mum, a big fan of Marilyn has the book displayed with her other Marilyn books on our cabinet, and I distinctly remember feeling very drawn to these images. Marilyn, who was viewed as a vivacious and beautiful women, was now shown to be self-conscious and unhappy with her image. The red marks drawn all over the images -which were unusable at the time and undoubtedly Bert Stern was incredibly cross with this act - represented how Marilyn and all women under the eye of the media feel a pressure to be perfect.

Paris Couture Week: A Reflection

In a world where we're increasingly becoming more used to fast fashion, it is nice to have a little break and venture into the world of couture once in a while. Whereas us students could probably not even afford a thread on the garments, there are others out there splashing £80,000 on a dress.

The clients of couture love the shows as it gives them an opportunity to actually wear their lavish garments, as for the most part the only people who have an occasion to wear these are huge award-show winners like the Oscars. Paris Couture is now becoming more of an event than ever, with parties being held in the designers houses, the clients can dress up as they please and not look out of place. 

It seems that this idea of dressing up becoming a sparse occasion has taken it's toll on couture, which is less about ball-gowns now than it would have been 50 years ago. Whilst this might be disappointing, it really shows how times are changing and perhaps dress is becoming more casual. I have noticed it in my everyday life, it's quite rare to see a woman in heels.

Besides this, couture is still exciting and a wonderful event! Here is my round up of pieces:

Shopping Mecca

There's plenty of new arrivals this year for acclaimed shopping streets Regent Street and Conduit Street.  The first J Crew outside of North America is set to be placed on Regent St this year, being a favourite of Michelle Obama and a very fashion-forward, casual brand. It will be located on 165 Regent Street, previously home to Burberry. It will be interesting to see the reception that this American brand receives in a very British street. The CEO says "If you can't make it there, you can't make it anywhere".

Another exciting store opening is Dior on Conduit Street. There is a lot of buzz behind this new addition due to the sheer volume of rent to be paid! For ten years lease on the 3,300sq feet, Dior will pay £308,500 a year, which is the highest rent to date on the street. It is expected that many other luxury brands will follow suit, and Conduit Street will soon become another well-known shopping location.

LFW SS14

London Fashion Week this year will be running from September 13th until the 17th, and will showcase the spring/summer 2014 collections. This year, the British Fashion Council has announced nine of London's greatest up and coming designers who will be sponsored to have their spot in Fashion Week. The designer support initiative is called NEWGEN, which is currently sponsored by Topshop and is one of the worlds most internationally recognised talent identification schemes. 

These are the lucky designers who have been picked to be sponsored this year:

Catwalk Sponsorship

J. JS Lee

AW2013

Abercrombie & Fitch: Homeless Chic?

The whole Abercrombie & Fitch hoopla is rather old news now. If you've been living under a rock or perhaps lost inside the darkened maze that is the A&F store then I'll bring you up to speed: Mike Jeffries, CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch made the comment that they target the "cool kids" and "attractive" people, and that he doesn't wish anybody otherwise to shop at his store. Also, no fat people allowed as they only cater to those under a US 10. (Hello? Mike, frankly you're not very attractive nor thin, and copious amounts of plastic surgery hasn't helped.) He's since apologised for his harsh words. But there's still a big amount of backlash coming from the American public as well as celebrities.

Barbara Hulanicki: Women Have Such Boring Wardrobes

Founder of Biba says that women nowadays are slaves to trends, and are "too concerned with what's fashionable" and therefore it becoming dull and samey. The 77 year old designer acknowledges that perhaps the reason for this is that high street shops stock such similar styles that it's difficult to have an individual look.

"Once Upon a Time..." by Karl Lagerfeld

It's hard to imagine that ladies really thought "How awful!" and "She has no taste" about Chanel - but this film gives a true representation of the heritage of the iconic brand and style icon. This really puts into perspective how far Chanel has come from a small shop in Paris to a worldwide brand, known to everybody. The film shows Gabrielle's hat shop gaining momentum, more and more customers flood to her shop to try her hats. The visuals are very lovely and so is the styling, however...

HOM X Jonathan Saunders

I had the opportunity to go and photograph the HOM x Jonathan Saunders collaboration, so obviously I jumped at the chance as a big fan of Jonathan Saunders' work. This was my first time behind the lens at a runway show so it was pretty exciting.

Ravensbourne + The Degree Show

 “This year at The Degree Show we are injecting an element of fun into the building. Colour will be central to the show and will guide delegates through the course exhibition spaces. There will be more to see and more to enjoy.” - Madeline Ayers

Ravensbourne's Show at GFW

Last Monday I was incredibly excited to see the Rave show at Graduate Fashion Week. We arrived and went straight to the stand which was getting a lot of attention, even from the likes of fashion blogger Susie Bubble! When show time came around, there definitely was a buzz about the place. The music started and the first collection stomped out, and the cameras started flashing. There was an undeniably cool vibe at the show. Here are some of my favourites from the show!

Luke Harris

Helena Bonham Carter on the Cover of July Vogue

The beautiful Helena Bonham Carter is going to be gracing Vogue's "ageless style" issue next month. The issue celebrates style that goes beyond age, and Carter is the perfect spokeswoman for that as somebody who defies the norm of fashion in show-business with her eccentricity. Muse and wife to Tim Burton and best buddies with Johnny Depp, this woman is an inspiration!

The thing I love most about Helena is that she seems to embody a Tim Burton character herself, I love her gothic influences in her dress and although it doesn't always work it's always eye-catching. I would hate to catch her blending in with the other Hollywood actresses. I think she encapsulates British style as a whole.

Style Inspiration: Alexander McQueen

I first experienced this collection quite young when I was bought a book on the history of fashion, which talked about the most influential people, collections and movements in fashion. I think the initial shock of seeing the word "rape" to describe fashion is definitely what made it memorable along with the image - a red haired girl with plaits and different coloured dreadlocks, with an open knit jumper exposing bare breasts and a lace skirt exposing her knickers. I think I somewhat related to it with my Scottish heritage and the collection was described as "England's rape of Scotland". I have always been fascinated by things that were slightly disturbing and using that in fashion was even more intriguing. I think I liked the way it explored taboos. Anyway enough of my rambling let's post some photos!

Men's Fashion Week SS14

London Collections: Men is taking place from Sunday 16th June - Tuesday 18th June and will showcase over 70 menswear designers. The men's fashion week emphasises the importance of established British brands as well as emerging talented individuals. The event contributes to the changing perception of menswear.

British Fashion Council's Fashion Forward initiative is recognising up-and-coming design talent, and this years winners are Christopher Raeburn and Sibling join Lou Dalton in receiving business and financial support from BFC in order to show their collection either through catwalk or presentation. I think these are going to be the ones to watch this season for the new talent.

Other well-established designers which will show their Menswear collections are Alexander McQueen, Christopher Kane, JW Anderson, Paul Smith and Topman.

Penrose Magazine

As previously mentioned in the last post, we've been working on creating a magazine this term. Our magazines concept is all about individuality, innovation and unique style. We have tried hard to make this magazine available to both sexes, but mostly focusing on the art of it. I'm so pleased with the outcome and I can only cross my fingers and hope we get picked to be Ravensbourne's quarterly magazine! You'll see my name scattered about, but I did the styling for the shoots as well as photography for the Sunday Best editorial, and a short bar review. 

You can view it here

I've also created a video as an advertisement for the upcoming Ravensbourne magazine!

Ravensbourne Fashion Magazine Promotion from becky lightbody on Vimeo.

Ravensbourne First To Sell Out At GFW!

It seems that it is truly the year for Ravensbourne. Especially for Fashion Promotion, who have had two finalists in the Diversity Now Fashion Film competition which has been reviewed on i-D online, one student is a finalist in the D&AD awards, as well as finalists in different categories at GFW Competitions, including Fashion Photography, Fashion Marketing, Fashion Business Idea and Fashion Media. I feel so proud to be part of this course, and I'm excited to see what is to come of it. We are soon going to be launching a magazine too, and although my group has worked hard on ours and I'm in love with it, the competition is tight from what I've seen! Either way, whoever wins the privilege of being Rave's fashion magazine is going to deserve it and it will be amazing!

Ravensbourne at GFW 2010

You might have been foolish enough not to get tickets to Ravensbourne's GFW show (silly you) but that doesn't mean you can't come along on the other days to see our stand. Here you'll be able to see some of the garments and sketchbooks from Ravensbourne, and there will also be a pop-up shop from Natalie Finch! She has won this prize in competition with others, and last year another Ravensbourne student won it too!

Erwin Blumenfeld @ Somerset House

Today I visited the beautiful Somerset House to see the exquisite Blumenfeld exhibition. If you've not heard the name before, Blumenfeld is one of the most influential photographers of the twentieth century, renowned for his highly imaginative and innovative photographs which featured in some of the most highly regarded fashion magazines of the 40s and 50s such as Vogue and Harpers Bazaar.

As an avid vintage lingerie and stockings fan, this was one of my favourite shots!

Vauxhall Art Car Boot Sale

The Vauxhall Car Boot Sale is not your typical car boot - no rummaging through somebody's old clothes or broken bits of electronics, nor is it like your typical art gallery - nobody in uniform staring you down if you step a little too close to the red rope or telling you off for taking pictures. This car boot certainly has a bit more of a celebrity status, with people camping out the night before to grab the just-for-the-day artworks. It's coming up to it's tenth anniversary, and will be held at Brick Lane Yard Car Park on June 9th.

More Ravensbourne @ GFW Sneak Peeks!

Last week I was lucky enough to sit in the entire day with the Level 3 Fashion students whilst they photographed their lookbook! The lookbook will be on everybody's chair at the show (which is now sold out!), so look out for my name in there as I spent the day editing the photos ;)

Although I do have the images myself, I don't think it would be fair for me to post them so prematurely prior to the show itself so here's the bits that were snapped during the lookbook making process!

Hermes @ Saatchi Review

Yesterday afternoon I had the lovely opportunity to make it down to Sloane Square with my fellow Fashion Promotion peeps to go and see the Hermes exhibition on at the Saatchi gallery. We were there on the first day of it opening, and the exhibition finishes on Sunday, so if you can get down there quickly! I have to say I was really taken aback by the exhibition, it was free so I wasn't expecting a lot from it, maybe just a few bags in cases and scarfs on display, but boy was I wrong!

Karen Walker X Advanced Style

Designer Karen Walker has collaborated with with photographer Ari Seth Cohen of Advanced Style - a blog that I have loved and read regularly for a while now, so I was excited to see the campaign!