All posts filed under: Music

Of course, aspirational writers need role models – but not like The Independent columnist Chloe Hamilton

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Two can play this game… Any self-confessed Blogger, Vlogger or Zoella fan will have most likely read Chloe Hamilton’s The Independent column on beauty vlogger, Zoe Sugg. Known to the Youtube world as Zoella, a name that Chloe says is ‘irritatingly Disney-fied’ yet how ironic that as I read this a Disneyland ad banner frames her own words. Zoe has over six million subscribers and her online success has quickly catapulted her from Wiltshire-born beauty blogger to the Vlogosphere’s biggest Superstar. Unfortunately, with fame comes criticism, something I’m sure Zoe, to some extent, will be struggling with as she surfs the proverbial wave she is currently riding. So, when I saw a link to Hamilton’s article on my Twitter feed last night, it took me a while to click on it. Why? Because I knew I was giving in to the idea of media outlets cashing in by attacking trending figures of the moment. Even though I gave The Independent one view, I feel my lasting and final opinion after reading Hamilton’s one-sided vendetta against Zoella overshadows …

Harvey Nichols Leeds: Kristina Blahnik Q&A

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On the evening of 7th October, Harvey Nichols Leeds invited me to a Q&A event with Kristina Blahnik, Manolo Blahnik‘s lefthand woman when it comes to his family-run shoe empire who is also, incidentally, his niece. Here’s my story of the intriguing and fascinating stories she told us… Leaning against the structure of the water fountain in the central hub of the Victoria Quarter in Leeds after a day at work, I browsed my Instagram and checked my emails before entering Harvey Nichols to attend the Manolo event. As I anticipated the occasion, I thought about what Manolo Blahnik meant to me. The first image that sprung to mind was a youthful Carrie Bradshaw pounding a New York sidewalk in a pair of Manolo Mary Janes followed by a scene from Sex and the City where Carrie exclaims ‘Manolo Blahnik Mary Janes! I thought these were an urban shoe myth!’. For Manolo Blahnik, Carrie was the turning point for the designer’s commerciality, something he never pushed for, however after Candace Bushnell wrote his shoes into the book out of pure …

Harvey Nichols AW14 Fashion Show

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Last night, Harvey Nichols Leeds showcased the best of their AW14 designer collections in a runway show which had the longest catwalk I have ever seen! With the grandeur of the Victoria Quarter’s architecture as the setting and an audience of fashion savvy people, the show proved once again that Leeds do have the fashion factor! I cannot commend Harvey Nichols Leeds enough on the creativity and innovation expressed within the show and really wish other retailers and companies would follow in their footsteps to give Leeds a mark on the style map. Harvey Nichols will always lie at the central point of Leeds’ fashion hubbub. From Burberry to Balenciaga, they stock the best of worldwide fashion. I vlogged the event and you can watch it below followed by some recaps of the style showcased on the night. The trends for this season’s HN fashion show were particularly youthful and current.The expert industry stylists at Harvey Nichols Leeds really excelled this season in marking their luxury fashion territory in the city and you could tell …

Part III – Santorini

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After a hectic time in Mykonos it felt so good to hop over to Santorini to a hotel room right next to a pool with air con – luxury after two nights sweating to death in a non AC box room in Mykonos! We stayed in the area of Perissa, quiet and understated with the best beaches we’d been to so far. We spent the majority of our time in Santorini exploring the island – one day we literally quad biked all the way around it! Oia, at the North of the island, is just as beautiful as it looks. The view overlooking the Caldera is so amazing. We also visited the Red beach and found a few other niche beaches down little dirt tracks. Our quad bike was pretty knackered as we got it cheap so on one occasion I did have to jump off and push us up a hill! If you want to explore and go on interesting excursions then Santorini is the Greek island for you. We went on a boat …

Part I: My Greek Adventures

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This Summer, I went Greek Island Hopping with one of my best friends, Cinzia. The experience gave me a slight taster into what backpacking would be like. Believe it or not I did get worried about the straps on my backpack rubbing my natural tan off my shoulders every time I put it on (a girl thing, I think) however once I got over that it just simply hurt. Joking! It felt so freeing to just shove everything in a bag and leave for another adventure to a different island. The Greek islands are definitely one of the most beautiful places I have been. The population of cats is beyond amazing, the food is cheap but tasty however you get slightly harassed by restaurant owners attempting to entice you in. The sea is the clearest of clear and definitely makes up for the not-so-great sandy beaches. Overall, the experience was better than I had ever expected and I feel blessed to have seen so many beautiful places this Summer with a great friend. Part I …

Travel Beauty Packing Guide ✈

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Organisation is key to a stress free holiday. Plan and prepare with help from these heavenly products. They will minimise clutter and turn you into an organised and carefree traveller. Top Left Clockwise: After watching Ingrid Nilsen’s Travel Bag Essentials video on Youtube (if you don’t watch Youtube beauty videos, what is wrong with you!), I have fallen in love with this Anya Hindmarch flight bag. The clear exterior is a godsend when you haven’t got much room to rummage around on a plane and it’s the perfect size to fit all your mini flight essentials in. To ensure 100% organisation, the bag has two compartments – a ‘take off’ side and a ‘touch down’ side – genius! To slim down your packing, make sure you buy a travel toiletry kit like this Opal London one. Instead of packing the humungous bottles and tubs your products come in, use this kit to transfer the exact amount needed into smaller packaging. Labels are provided to avoid confusion! To keep all your toiletries together in one compact space you need a …

Pool Slides: Love or Loathe?

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I’m all for flat shoes integrating back into the fashion loop but I am going to suggest that Pool Sliders are taking things a little too far… In life there are types of shoes that are just made for certain people. Take Manolo Blahniks and Carrie Bradshaw, for example. A beautiful match made in shoe heaven combined with a New York City sidewalk. When I imagine a Pool Slider’s match however, all that springs to mind is a balding middle aged man and white sports socks. So why and how have these ugly pieces of plastic become the It shoe of high fashion? Phoebe Philo is somewhat to blame after her ‘Firkenstock’ creation for Chloe S/S 13. Little Ailia Wang somehow looked adorable and chic all at the same time in a pair last year and, like all mini style icons, made the fashion world fierce with envy. How can someone be so small and carry off a pair of pool slides for god’s sake?! Then came the piece de resistance – Freja Erichsen for …

How to: Wear a Classic Shirt this Summer

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Skirts are trending right now. Whether you keep it classy with a straight midi or liven things up with a billowy mini, opt for a vivid floral or a minimal polka, skirts can be your trusty partner in crime this summer to take you from day to night. What’s the secret you say? A classic shirt can change the way you style your skirts forever. If you’re wearing a patterned skirt, a crisp white or baby blue shirt combo creates an effortless and sophisticated look that emits a certain je ne sais quoi that you can’t quite put your finger on. Maybe it’s the nod towards powerful and professional women that it exudes or maybe it’s the seductive connotations surrounding wearing one the morning after the night before – there’s something rather empowering about wearing this basic piece. Especially when worn with a skirt, this combo is the perfect balance – a lady essential on bottom, a gentleman essential on top. There are a few rules you need to abide by to get this look …

How to: Wear Lace this Summer

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I’ll be honest. I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with lace. I always find it’s slightly too much for the minimalism fiend within me to handle.  I do believe, however, that it looks a million times better on a person than on the hanger. It’s a fabric that needs structure to work otherwise I am reminded of the lacklustre drape of my granny’s curtains. There is one designer that keeps the ‘love’ part of my lace relationship intact though – Erdem. His somewhat habitual use of lace in his designs, especially in his SS11 collection, has kept the delicate material in the fashion game and most definitely given it a new lease of life. His lacy masterpieces are nothing less than magical and he somehow manages to maintain its pretty nature whilst creating a modern statement. My love for his work grew even deeper when the Duchess of Cornwall initiated her 2011 North American tour in an Erdem navy lace dress. The epitome of modern grace, I couldn’t think of a better muse for …