The History of Personal Style

I’ve been given the task of writing about the history of personal style which I couldn’t get my head around initially as I felt that it’s quite a profound subject to approach. There are many roads to go down with this. It could apply to the way we can look back on previous eras and identify staple garments and styles from each one, or it could look at how we now create new styles by reviving past trends through vintage fashion. But the thing that really sparked an interest in me was the individual style that each person upholds. We are all attracted to specific detailing on clothes; whether its prints, embellishments, colours or styles and this is reflected in the garments that we choose for ourselves. The way that we wear these garments with the additional clothes and accessories we put with them creates an overall image that becomes our signature style.

Our personal style is our way of revealing a small part of our personality and it’s something that we become known for. My mum bought me a top the other day because she saw it and thought it was ‘such a Sophie top’ so I obviously portray a certain image with the way I dress. My weakness is florals. I wear them all year round and I am always drawn to floral prints whilst shopping. I’m also attracted to very girly styles with lace, pearls and bows. These are all things that never change despite the changing seasons and are generally incorporated into my outfits as I adapt to new trends. This way of dressing is something that’s stayed with me ever since I was a little girl who refused to wear trousers and wanted to wear a party dress every day.

The evolution of personal style is something that has stemmed from social changes and developments in fashion over the years. Take the 1960’s for example, where youthful styles such as miniskirts were first introduced. This drove a wedge between different generations and meant that teenagers no longer wore the same clothes as their parents. They were introduced to shops like Biba, which sold clothes that were primarily aimed at their own age group and allowed them to experience the latest fads of the period. This was also a time that produced certain fashion groups such as the Mods, who influenced the types of clothes that people bought and the images they portrayed with their outfits. This continued throughout the ‘60s and into the ‘70s, when hippies and punks emerged and provided contrasting styles for people to adopt. Groups of specific fashion identities continued during the ‘80s and ‘90s and still emerge in recent years. These fashion movements of each era are significant in fashion history and seem to sneak back into modern trends every so often.

The introduction of these groups has given people the freedom to express themselves through clothes, but it does take away the individuality of a personal style because the people that fall into these genres of fashion are generally following the same way of dressing. While these types of groups still exist today, they are more prominent in young people that are going through the motions of finding their own personal style. I certainly found it easier to fall into specific categories of fashion while I was at school, but this changes as you get older and interact with people from all walks of life. Especially in our society where people tend to mix different genres and disregard the notion of sticking to a certain type of fashion. I also found that getting out of school uniform and being able to wear my own clothes when I stayed on for higher education made me re-think my style in terms of dressing how I liked to dress instead of how I thought I should dress. You get to a certain age where you start evaluate your personal traits and gain a better understanding of the sorts of clothes that flatter your shape which eventually evolves into a signature style.

Ever since fashion shows became mainstream and fashion weeks were started in the 1990s, we are continuously plagued by changing trends and are encouraged to dress differently every few months. This concept is so integrated in our culture now that I find it difficult to look back on the 2000s and pick out the staple garments to identify with this era. They have all been done before. It seemed that we were just reviving and modernising previous trends. This, coupled with the surge of interest in vintage fashion, has meant that the 2000s were deprived of original trends and that people were encouraged to mix old and modern garments to create a new style. The emergence of throwaway fashion that originated in the 1960s has intensified in recent years with the success of high street chain stores. Primark is a prime example of this as it provides us with cheaper versions of the ever-changing trends at such low prices that it makes us feel better about only wearing certain garments for a couple of months. This then leads to the notion of investing in neutral and timeless garments that create a blank canvas to mix with the cheaper and on-trend pieces.

The fast-paced fashion industry and the concept of disposable style encourages us to be creative, while the obsession with vintage fashion gives us the opportunity to explore different eras and recreate any that we particularly admire. This shift in the routine of staple garments and silhouettes throughout fashion history has provided us with an imaginative attitude towards fashion, and has meant that it is no longer unusual to ignore trends or to wear clothes that were meant for the opposite sex. Amongst the recycled trends and pieces of fashion history, our personal tastes still shine through as a source of inspiration.

Personal style is as much about our personal preferences as external factors like trends. There will always be aspects that catch our eye, like me with my floral patterns, but we now have the option to incorporate these with current trends to communicate our personality and style. It’s easy to forget that we portray a strong image of ourselves through our clothes, so it’s time for us to embrace our quirks and display them to the world.

Fancy a life overhaul?

A trip to TAD could be just the thing! This Rome concept store has all the components of a creative and harmonious life.

Since 2001, TAD has been satisfying the contemporary needs of Italian fashionistas. With sections including; home, fashion, beauty, art, books and flowers it provides an imaginative solution for all areas of life. Perfect for those of us wanting to give our lives a spring clean in the coming months!

TAD is a concept store with a difference; it aims to inspire us to release our personalities through interiors in our home amongst other things, and to improve the atmosphere we surround ourselves with. While most concept stores can feel like a museum where you are forbidden to touch anything, TAD has created a homely yet quirky world that encourages customers to explore their artistic side.

Aside from the shop, it also has a cafe that specialises in fusion cuisine and a hair salon that provides the perfect opportunity to relax after a major shopping spree on the ultra-stylish Via del Babuino. TAD manages to cater for all consumer needs under one roof... could it be the hippest department store ever?

If you are unable to visit the magical city of Rome anytime soon, check out the TAD website and prepare to be inspired!

www.taditaly.com

Beat the big freeze in style!

Love it or hate it, the fur industry is on the up. Fendi provides the chicest way to wear real fur for those who dare to stand out!

As Britain is gripped with freezing conditions yet again this winter, we are taking notes from the Italians and investing in real fur to warm up. According to the British Fur Trade Association, the end of the noughties has seen a ‘significant growth in fur sales’ in the UK, compared with sales figures at the end of the nineties. As a nation that usually turns our noses up at real fur, something spectacular would have to happen to sway us. A recent visit to the Fendi headquarters in Rome provided a suggestion...

Presenting to you the 24 carat gold Fendi fur coat! As the original experts, Fendi proves once again that it will never be outdone when it comes to providing innovative ways to wear fur. Then again, gold fur seems like the perfect marriage in sophistication to us...how could others compete?

Patrizia at Fendi informed us that the coat is made of mink fur that has been dyed black and placed into a vacuum with a 24 carat solid gold bar. This process causes the gold to encase the fur, and provides a permanent finish with a gorgeous gold lustre. The coat will be available to buy for the Autumn/Winter 10/11 season and will retail at a grand total of 40,000€ (approximately £35,000). It’s a little out of our price range, but if you want a lavish garment to save you from the unbearable cold next winter, keep your eyes open for this precious piece.

The celebrity style icon: Just the work of a great stylist?

They’ve been lurking away and are now emerging from behind the scenes and into the spotlight, becoming celebrities themselves. It is becoming clear that a stylist can work wonders for a celebrity’s career, bringing them out of obscurity and positioning them in the growing line of celebrity style icons. Does the personal stylist actually improve a celebrity’s reputation and public appeal, or do they just provide a stylish screen for them to hide behind?

As much as we look up to these celebrities and gossip about their fashion triumphs and faux-pas, there is often no real connection and we are left wondering whether they are actually responsible for their enviable looks or whether they have just been dressed up like a child’s doll.

Someone that gives off this vibe to me is Cheryl Cole. She is styled by Victoria Adcock, celebrity stylist and a regular contributor to Numero magazine. While she is always immaculately stunning, it’s difficult to distinguish where Victoria ends and Cheryl begins. Looking back on Cheryl’s style, she has made quite a transition, ditching tracksuits and crop tops in favour of shift dresses and sky high heels – under the instruction of Victoria. She is a shining example of how styling can re-invent a celebrity and portray an image that the public will react to. This then poses the question of whether she is really worthy of her style icon status.

A series of tabloid scandals involving her marriage painted the picture of a beautiful yet broken Cheryl and earned her a place in the nation’s hearts. This then led to a position on the judging panel of reality show X Factor and ultimately resulted in extensive media exposure. This exposure called for a wardrobe makeover and the new big haired, tanned and glamorous Cheryl was unveiled. It is fair to say that this change of image has resulted in some major career breakthroughs, and it has certainly caused her to be taken seriously within the fashion industry. With a British Vogue cover and an endorsement deal with L’oreal under her belt she seems unstoppable, but I just don’t buy it. Good styling has obviously done her many favours, but I can’t help but think that she has carefully moulded into this person we know and love. The same down to earth girl with the Geordie charm is still underneath it all, but it just doesn’t correlate with the size zero figure and extravagant designer dresses.

Stylists have the ability to create a character for a celebrity, one that entertains the public and gains their adoration. However, these characters make it impossible for us to see the real person behind the fashionable facade. While we all remember Lady Gaga bursting onto the scene last year with her dramatic make-up and leotards, she has recently transformed into this elusive figure that continuously shocks her audience through fashion. The eagerly anticipated video for her new song Telephone provides us with almost 10 minutes of Gaga as a conniving murderess and presents a series of outrageous outfits, one in particular involving some strategically placed caution tape. Much like her icons David Bowie and Madonna, she constantly reinvents herself and enthrals audiences with her theatrical performances. Lady Gaga has also gained the recognition and support of many fashion designers, who now beg her to wear their designs, placing her firmly within the fashion industry.

While most people are unable to understand Gaga’s seemingly strange personality and her desire to wear telephones and Coke cans in her hair, I recognise it as making a statement and trying to retain a private life by living through this unpredictable character. With some valuable styling from Nicola Formichetti, the creative director of Dazed and Confused magazine, Gaga has managed to enhance her career significantly. Her music is catchy and she is an undeniably talented singer and musician, but I don’t believe that she would have achieved her icon status without a brilliant stylist behind her. The creative input of Formichetti has created this mysterious air around Gaga and let’s face it, whether you’re a fan or not you can’t help but wonder what she’s going to do next.

We live in a society that takes great pleasure in mocking less stylish celebrities and praising those that get it right, so it is no surprise to me that most celebrities turn to stylists to boost their public appeal. As the adopted daughter of Lionel Richie, Nicole Richie was already known for being a regular on the LA club scene, but her friendship with Paris Hilton and appearance on the reality show The Simple Life presented her to the public. Whilst being the more outspoken and mischievous one, Nicole appeared to be slightly overweight and very misguided in her fashion choices. She enlisted the help of celebrity stylist Rachel Zoe and stepped back into the spotlight, carrying a lot less weight, but oozing with style.

Zoe is notorious for producing an army of size zero, fake tanned celebrities with sunglasses and hairstyles bigger than their bodies, and Richie endured rumours of anorexia after her collaboration with Zoe. However, she is now considered a style icon and owns her own jewellery line, House of Harlow. It appears that the anorexic headlines back in 2006 brought Nicole back into the spotlight, and that her new found sense of style has given her a purpose in the celebrity world. Most socialites seem to be famous through association and Nicole is no exception, but yet she is still part of the A-list. The decision to hire a stylist has been integral to Nicole’s success and has essentially provided her with a career as she has become accepted in fashion circles.

It’s easy to forget that there are still some celebrities out there that do opt to style themselves and still manage to be considered style icons without the assistance of a celebrity stylist.

Top of this list is the ultra-stylish Kate Moss. She was single-handedly responsible for the outbreak of skinny jeans and ballet flats in the summer of 2005, and has since been a walking advertisement for any upcoming trend. In 2007 we were able to emulate her style ourselves as the Kate Moss line for Topshop was unveiled and she became the queen of the high street, as well as the catwalk. As a prominent figure in the fashion industry since the 1990s Kate has secured her place as a style icon. Having an eye for style could be down to her years of being styled by world-famous stylists and being in the habit of having to look immaculate at all times as a supermodel.

It’s rare to come across an interview with Kate and she never makes public appearances. However, she is a regular fixture in the tabloids where details about her love life, drug use, and party girl behaviour are put in front of us, leaving us to create our own perceptions of what she is really like. Perhaps Kate’s way of communicating to her fans and expressing her personality is through her style, and it seems to work. Being a style icon keeps her in the public eye in a way that she feels comfortable exposing herself. It seems ironic that a supermodel that has had no problems with posing naked in the past is shy around her fans, but fashion has created her and is where she feels comfortable.

American actress and model, Chloe Sevigny is known for her impeccable sense of style, something that earned her an internship at Sassy magazine when she moved to New York at the age of 18. She has since branched out to act in movies and television series’ and has established herself in fashion circles. Part of Chloe’s appeal is that she doesn’t need to rely on a stylist to create her eccentric style. She is also quite the chameleon, being able to work the geek chic look by day, and turn into a Hollywood starlet by night. She knows how to emphasise her best assets, choosing extremely high hem-lines to show off her endless legs, and often goes for particularly quirky footwear to perfect her look.

Chloe has created her own fashion line for Manhattan company Opening Ceremony, and has previously been the face of the Chloe brand and a muse to Michael Kors, cementing her place within the fashion industry. It’s refreshing that she has paved the way for herself using her own style initiative, which is a rarity these days. She is also a popular actress, meaning that she probably doesn’t need her icon status to draw attention to herself. However, I personally haven’t seen any of her films, but could recite a summary of her signature style off the top of my head. Not having a stylist allows her to express her individual style, but being such a reputable stylish persona could distract from any serious acting roles that she undertakes. There is no doubt that she is successful, but I wonder whether her involvement in fashion could have provided her with these opportunities.

Much like Cheryl Cole, actress Kirsten Dunst has gone through a major transformation during the course of her career. However, she seems to have gone the opposite way to Cheryl, changing from the cute all-American girl, to a grungy wild child. This is reflected in her scruffy-meets-vintage style. A visit to rehab and a string of rock star lovers has contributed to the public’s perception of her, which consists of mixed reviews. Many tabloids and style bloggers have ridiculed Dunst for her often dishevelled appearance, while some advise readers on how to ‘get her look’ and praise her for her laid-back approach to fashion. Refusing to employ a personal stylist, Kirsten is considered to be a style icon with her thrown together looks, and never fails to make an impact.

Kirsten’s style is very identifiable and it is admirable that she chooses to style herself and retain her personality within her clothes. To me, this means that she is worthy of her style icon status as she dresses as she pleases despite the critics, however this could have adverse effects on her career. Kirsten has enjoyed a long and triumphant acting career, carrying her through her childhood and into her 20s, but this drastic change in her style could distract from her acting career and cause people to stop taking her seriously as an actress.

Personal stylists can provide a character for a celebrity to hide behind, which leaves us wondering who they really are. However, it has become clear to me that the celebrities without stylists tend to do this for themselves, the only difference is that they create their own individual style to hid behind. While I agree that the styled celebrities do look great the majority of the time, I believe that any celebrity that rejects stylists and uses their own creativity is worthy of the style icon label. I also think that they would probably still be famous and likeable without this label, but living in the day and age that we do, all celebrities are put under pressure to look flawless and are scrutinised by society if they fail to do so.

We are now being forced to recognise how influential stylists can be, and how they are responsible for a lot more than handing clothes to our idols. While the concept of these stylists gaining celebrity status off the backs of their famous clients may irritate some people, there’s no denying that they have a profound impact on the success of a celebrity’s career. I’m sure that some celebrities have a say in the outfits they wear, but next time you ‘steal a celebrity’s style’ remember that behind most stylish celebrities is a styling mastermind that has carefully pieced together that image.

My interview with stylist Mark Heyes...

If you’re an early riser, you’re bound to have caught Mark Heyes styling the nation on GMTV. He recently took a break from his busy schedule to speak to us about style-icons, the must-have items for spring/summer and some exciting upcoming events...

You came from a background in graphic design, how did you end up in styling?

I got into art school at age 17 and was the youngest person to be accepted at Glasgow School of Art. I think I was probably a bit too young; all I knew is there were jobs in graphic design! I had a Saturday job in Kookai and women used to come in and ask me to put together outfits for different occasions. I realised at that point how much I loved styling outfits. Back then, people didn’t really know what a fashion stylist was so there wasn’t that many about, it was a good time to be starting out. I managed to get into lots of newspapers in Scotland and then Channel 4 contacted me to do a show called She’s Gotta Have It which I did for 6 series’ and then I started working at GMTV from there.

What excites you about styling?

Its great working with models and celebrities, but there’s nothing better than styling up a woman who’s lost her way with fashion. When you put her in that outfit and she sees herself in front of the mirror, it’s a great feeling to know that you’ve put all that together. It can make a huge difference to how someone feels about themselves.

Which season do you prefer to style for; Autumn/Winter or Spring/Summer?

I’m an autumn/winter boy! I buy my winter coat in July, that’s how excited I get knowing that autumn/winter’s finally on its way. The fabrics always better and the designs are a bit more dramatic.

If you could be a personal stylist to one person, dead or alive, who would it be?

I would love to work with Lady Gaga again. I worked with her at the very beginning and then she went back to the States so I haven’t seen her in ages. I was only responsible for the big knickers and funny sunglasses so I’d like to take it to the next level. It would be great to get really creative by doing a bit of a couture look on her. At the beginning you’d speak to some designers and they weren’t really having any of it, and now she has them all at their fingertips.

Are there any emerging celebrities that may have the potential to be style icons?

Kara Tointon from Eastenders has such a brilliant sense of style about her. She has this beautiful way of mixing high street and vintage pieces. She had this big, gorgeous vintage cardigan on when I met her and she really carried it off incredibly well. I actually met her in Selfridges in the personal shopping department, and she bought the most incredible Alexander McQueen dress and just looked astounding in it. That’s one fashion icon I would keep my eye on. It’s quite a rare thing to see someone with such an individual style who’s not just doing everyone else does, and she’s definitely got an individual style.

You’ve worked as the fashion presenter for GMTV for several years now, what keeps you motivated for those early mornings?

Maybe it’s my down fall but I do over-work myself. Me and my assistant Sarah are on the high street every single day so I know what’s selling, what people are buying and why they’re buying it. It’s something that I really live for.

Do you prefer to work for live television rather than pre-recorded shows?

I love the buzz of live TV, the more high pressure the better. When you’re out doing a live show where people are going up to you and screaming and you’ve got to finish in 30 seconds, I just love it, I totally thrive on it. It’s something I never expected as I didn’t want to do it when I was growing up but now I’m doing it I adore it.

What has been your most challenging styling job?

It’s difficult to put my finger on it as I will always find a solution for something no matter what. Celebrities can be quite difficult because you need to be precious around some of them and you can’t upset anyone. There are often problems with sizes on the live TV shows. I’ve had call up the store manager of Debenhams, Oxford Street, and get them to open the store for me at 7am before. With live TV you can’t just cancel an item and have 6 minutes of the entire show with nothing in them. However, I do like those kinds of situations because I kind of thrive on it.

You advise the public on how to re-create catwalk trends with high street clothes, but do you prefer to shop on the high street or are you a designer fan?

I do love my designer clothes, there’s no denying it! Boy’s clothes are getting a lot better on the high street though. Girls have got it made as they’re a lot more adventurous and there’s a market on the high street for some more adventurous clothes. The UK tends to be a wee bit dull and it tends to stick to all the same things, so people go to places like All Saints for more exciting pieces. But I don’t want to dress like every other guy that’s gone to All Saints, do you know what I mean? It starts to look a bit common. Zara menswear is actually looking really good at the moment and I think with places like Cos coming out for guys, there is definitely more high street options for them.

In your opinion, which items of clothing should be invested in?

A coat. I’ve invested in 4 really good coats that I’ve spent a lot of money on and I’ll always look after. I’ve got a Balenciaga naval-style coat that I bought immediately. It has gold buttons all down the front and if a button falls off I’m screwed! You just need to take care of it; I think it’s a shame that we’re quite disposable about things now. Saying this, I don’t think you need to spend a £1000 on a coat, there’s some great mid-level ones that look absolutely incredible. If you want basic capsule wardrobe items like black wide-leg trousers that can be worn in so many different ways, then that type of thing as well is worth investing in. Spending lots of money on jeans and white shirts is silly as you’re going to wear them day in, day out. Topshop and Henry Holland jeans are all great and they’re only like £40, so why would you ever bother. I used to swear by Dior Jeans for men, but some of them are £380 which is ridiculous, I couldn’t bring myself to spend that kind of money on a pair of jeans. Denim is denim at the end of the day.

You presented from London Fashion Week for GMTV recently, what was your favourite collection?

I really liked Julien Macdonald. Apparently it was really cut down the middle, some people loved it, some people really didn’t like it but I thought it was quite amazing really. He used to design knitwear for Chanel and Givenchy and he kind of went back to his roots with the knitwear and came out with some really beautiful big chunky knitwear pieces that I think are going to be a really strong look for autumn/winter 2010. He also had some beautiful silk eveningwear, it was black lace and flesh coloured silk which was divine, and I thought it was a beautiful combination.

You’ve got some exciting events coming up at the moment such as your celebrity charity auction for Haiti. Can you give our readers some key information about the event?

The auction is going to be happening on Ebay from Friday 26^th March – Sunday 25^th April. I can’t believe the people we’ve got involved! Vivienne Westwood, Estelle, Sienna Miller and Naomi Campbell have all donated items. I think anyone that’s seen those images from Haiti would agree that it’s just terrible really. I thought we should do something for the DEC Haiti Fund, so we’ve been sorting it out and people have been really responsive so hopefully we can raise a lot of money.

Out of the items that have been donated so far, which are you most excited about, and who was it from?

Sienna Miller’s vintage Gucci handbag. I was absolutely chuffed that she got on board and it’s great when you get an A-lister helping. It’s quite a fabulous bag and she’s very sweet. I actually bumped into her at the Matthew Williamson show at London Fashion Week and she was delightful, she knew all about the auction.

You also have a book called ‘Get the Look’ coming out in April. Tell us a bit about it...

It’s very exciting. It’s actually my first book and I’ve put everything in to it. It’s about the 10 most signature designer styles, like Dolce and Gabbana, Chanel, Yves Saint Laurent, Matthew Williamson, Ralph Lauren and Prada. There’s a brief description about the designer, where the look originates from and celebrities that love to wear it. I’ve got 5 different models; 2 size 10s, one size 16, one petite model and one mature size 14 model, and all of them are styled in each particular designer style. It’s all about what to look out for, so what’s the best kind of Chanel-esque jacket to look out for for your age and for your size. What’s the best thing to wear for different occasions, if you’re going for a Matthew Williamson kind of look; how to dress it up or how to dress it down. It’s a really easy to use, a dummies guide to how to look a million dollars on a shoestring really.

What do you hope women will gain from reading your book?

I love the idea of a quick fashion fix so I’m running by that. I love the fact that the British high street’s so good at doing great catwalk lookalikes. I think that sometimes we do fall into the awful category of just constantly buying stuff because it’s cheap and never really wearing it again. The whole idea is that each and every one of these designer looks will all still be in fashion in 10 years time because that’s their signature style. Dolce and Gabbana’s signature style is not going to change that much in 10 years and Chanel’s signature look has been going for around 100. All of them are such classic styles and kind of prove that no matter what age, shape or size you are, you can always dress in them and still look bang on trend. It’ll be the type of piece you can wear 2 years down the line and still look fantastic.

You were number 25 in the Guardians top 100 most influential people in fashion last year which is obviously a great honour. What has been your ultimate career highlight to date?

Probably being invited to 10 Downing Street with the British Fashion Council by Sarah Brown, that was fabulous. That was last November I think, and then in December I got invited to St James’ Palace by the British Fashion Council and that again was incredible. I was just stood there going ‘what’s going on here?!’ The Oscars was also fabulous, it was an amazing thing to do and a great TV buzz.

Are there any dreams or goals you would still like to achieve?

I don’t know, I’m very much a take a day at a time kind of boy. The book was hardcore because I wrote it all myself and I styled it all by myself. I would love for this book to be successful and I would love to get another book out. That would be an amazing thing.

You were lucky enough to work on the Channel 4 show ‘She’s Gotta Have It’ soon after graduating from university. What advice can you give to people wanting to pursue a career in styling?

I would say you need to go for as much experience as possible and that’s probably heartbreaking to hear because the work experience jobs are hard to get. Just work your arse off by doing the work experience, you’re probably going to be in some fashion cupboard doing send backs at a magazine, and having to work weekends so you can make some kind of living. You need to be dedicated, you need to know that this is exactly what you want to do and just go for it. It’s sad but true but there’s not massive amounts of money in fashion, you need to do things for the love of it as well. I know I always say it, but to wake up and do the job I love every single day is worth it. I adore my job and I always count myself so lucky to do something that I’m so passionate about. If you really want it, you’ll get it. Just put all your effort in to work experience and do as much as you can, getting out there, meeting people and selling yourself – no-one can shout about yourself as much as you can.

Finally, which items should be part of every woman’s wardrobe for the Spring/Summer season?

One of the Balmain-style military jackets. Warehouse have got an incredible one for £150, and Next have got one in at £90. It’s the kind of piece that you can put over literally anything, whether it’s a pair of skinny jeans and a vest top, or with a sequin dress it’ll look incredible. It’s the one trend we saw from New York to London, we saw it in Milan and I’m sure that we’ll see it in Paris too. There was a very strong military vibe about London Fashion Week, so it basically means that if you buy this jacket now, you’ll be able to wear it until next February really, so you’re good to go! The Balmain one I can only imagine would be around £6000, their prices always shellshock me!

Mark’s book Get the Look is available to buy from 5^th April.

To stay updated and to get involved with celebrity charity auction for Haiti, join the facebook group: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/event.php?eid=304117005237&ref=ts

Beginnings of the blog...

So I've started this blog mainly to document any articles that I've written, and also to reflect and comment on anything fashion-related.

I'm in my last few months of studying Fashion Styling at university and for my final major project I am contributing to the personal styling website, iStylista. It provides an online personal styling service, but also has a blog that I am writing for. My articles have ranged from finding the right dress for your body shape to interviews with prominent personal stylists. I have also written my own in-depth versions of any articles that I was particularly interested in, which I will be posting on here. It's been a great opportunity for me as I'm contemplating pursuing a career in fashion journalism after uni, so I'll just be writing about anything that interests me or that I have an opinion on really.

I'll be putting up some articles soon but I'm sure I'll find something I want to comment on before then anyway!