Sunday, April 24, 2011

Going Places

Going places!

Sometimes in life it might seem like you are on a definite road to nowhere. In constant comparison to everyone else, one can feel like there life is a little less lived. Well it's time to ignore the other dancers and create your own dance off. Here's how to catch someones eye. This time make yourself the centre of attention, take over the club (maybe do a little jette and land in the box splits) this ought to have caught their eye and your friends will no doubt have their insides falling out with the laughter. Everybody loves a big ball of fun. Just last week when I was walking from Dalston to a friends house in Islington I saw a very reserved couple (ya'd think I knew them) staring at me, so I jumped up and did a scissor kick, clapped my hands under my legs and shouted champagne! It looked for a minute like they might have had a conjoined haemorrhage with the look of appalled shock on their faces! My message to them was this "life is hardly that bad, lighten the fuck up". There is enough doom and gloom without you walking around with the weight of the world on your face and you're doing your wrinkles no good either!

Message of the day: Let yourself go! Let your hair down (mine does be down meeee back), sachay away!

For now though...

Kiss Kiss Bang Bang

Thursday, April 21, 2011

"The State Of Her" ( I won't tell you who said that)

A Rough Breed of Social Climbers

If ever there was a case of social climbing and becoming famous or popular by way of association (think Mean Girls), this was it. People that are famous or as I like to call it 'well-known' for no other reason than being connected to somebody who was a genuine star. Think Peaches and Pixie Geldof. Their dad, Bob Geldof and mother Paula Yates were two very successful people in their chosen careers. Their daughters however do nothing but attend social events and parade around trying desperately to look cool. Peaches was recently given her own OMG awful show on ITV 2 which only proved one thing! She is no doubt the most pointless character you will ever meet in your life.

Their faces however grace some of the countries finest magazines and they are invited to every IT party in London town. How they do it I'll never know.


As for Pixie, she looked a whole lot of nothing special last night at a party in the prestigious W Hotel in Londons Leicester Square. The younger of the Geldof sisters, although no doubt prettier than her grungy sister still looked a mess. With scruffy hair that resembled a home died yellow platinum blonde and a midi length plain black jersey maxi, the social climber looked as if she had been dragged through the Serengeti on the back of a jeep her dad took to Africa in an attempt to save the world.  At a party attended by the fabulous Florence Welch and the ever trendy Pam Hogg and Jaime Winston, myself and a friend sipped on V + T's and tonnes of fresh lime under what is no doubt the largest disco ball on the face of the earth. 

Still though, we had a good time!

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Cream of the Crop

Londonedge


One superfluous event after the next, a new pop up club here, a new designer boutique there, an ever changing celebrity emporium. So, try as you may not to succumb to the narrow minded world of competitiveness, there is no denying that it is ever increasing and mighty hard to ignore. There is competition in every aspect of your daily life. From the time you wake up in the morning you're competing. If it's a shared flat you're competing for the bathroom before you even leave the house (a work friend informed me last week she was fourth in line). Then the moment you step outside you're competing against the city. Competing for a spot on the tube, a space in the work elevator. Whatever it may be.

It is common knowledge that if you want to stand on the escalator you do so on the right hand side so the majority can fly past you on the left, a look of mild panic on their faces. When I first arrived here I found it so hard to believe, now however I'm one of those people. I noticed recently I was power-walking  through Old St tube station, with Hurts playing sweet music in my ears and before I knew it I had surpassed an escalator load of people. 

In this town there are so many things going on and people fighting for success. This is true in no industry more so than the cut throat world of fashion. Only a select few will make the cut and become household names, whether it be a stylist, designer, photographer or model.

So who is willing to stop at nothing and be the next big thing. In a race to the top of the stylist ladder where people like Katie Grand and the recently resigned French Vogue Editor, Carine Roitfeld (who was rumoured to have styled Dior's most recent outing) sit proud. The trick is in having an edge, offering something different and making no secret of the fact that you plan to make it to the top. 

So who wants to be on top? My names to look out for include stylist Anna Trevelyan and designers Asger Juel Larsen and Tze Goh (see pictures below)

Kiss Kiss Bang Bang

Styling by Anna Trevelyan


Asger Juel Larsen


Tze Goh

Monday, April 11, 2011

Bjork Reinvented - Again

Bjork Biophilia
Bjork - Love her or hate her, there is no denying that she is super talented. This summer will see the Icelandic star delve into a multimedia exhibition entitled 'Biophilia', which aims to encompass her music, installations, live shows and celebrate the use of modern technology using the internet. Experiments and showcases will look at basic principles of how sound works, the infinite expanse of the universe and more intricate things like planetary systems and atomic structures. 
Is Bjork too clever for her own good or is this a multimedia facade put up to portray the star in a reclusive light? There is no doubting Bjorks' passion for intellectual displays and lord knows she loves to create a good debate (think Marjan Pejoskis' swan dress at the Oscars which is chiche even to mention because there is rarely an article written about the star which doesn't mention it - I guess now this one included - damn) but planetary systems and pre-historic composition of fossils and early atoms is best left to someone like David Attenborough. 
Nevertheless, I'm sure it will be a mega talking point when it is launched at Manchester International Festival for a three-week residency. There will be six intimate shows in the Campfield Market Hall for audiences of 1800, her first UK dates in over three years. For these six special shows, Bjork will be performing new tracks from the forthcoming 'Biophilia' studio album as well as with a small group of unique musical collaborators. If you like Bjork, you will love this. She will also be experimenting with new sound systems such as a 30 foot pendulum that harnesses the earth's gravitational pull to create musical patterns. It seems the stranger the concept (no matter the sound) the more likely it will feature in the exhibit.
Just saying!
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang





Björk Biophilia, Campfield Market Hall, Campfield Avenue Arcade, Manchester, M3 4FH; June - July 2011

Monday, April 4, 2011

Designer Collaborations - Jil Sander, Charlotte Ronson

+J by Jil Sander

While we are on the topic of designer and high street collaborations, let me bring to your attention the news that Jil Sander has won the coveted 2011 Design Museums Brit Insurance Design Award for her +J collaboration with Japanese high street chain Uniqlo. The prestigious award which has been won by Christophe Decarnin and Christopher Kane in the past was won by Sander who beat off competition from Alber Elbaz and Gareth Pugh. Check out some of the collections key pieces below.









Charlotte Ronson


So there you have it, the proof is in the pudding, designer/high street partnerships can pay off. Maybe that's the reason that the latest name to be linked with the Uniqlo brand is New York designer Charlotte Ronson. She was selected to design a spring/summer range for the retailer which is due to hit the shops soon. If light summer pieces with rope detail necklines and plenty of nautical stripes is what you're after I suggest you keep an eye out on Uniqlo's website for details of the launch. 



Designers Against Aids

H&M - Designers Against Aids

It's nearly that time of year again (a sure sign that the seasons are well and truly moving fast) for high street giant H&M's annual collaboration with Designers Against Aids (DAA). The celebrity endorsed partnership has been a great success in the last couple of years and judging by some of the product from the preview images; this year should be bigger than ever. Famous names taking part in the project include Akon, Ana Matronic, Jake Shears, Keri Hilson, Leigh Lezark, Penn Badgely, and Selma Blair. 

The product ranges from the all important slogan tees to new additions such sleeveless leather bikers and men's one pieces. Most styles are androgynous in keeping with the charities message that the disease affects both men and women but the overall message is the same. 

There is no cure, all we can do is prevent - so remember, wear a raincoat and if you haven't got one don't play in the rain. Simple as. Be safe!

The collection is available to buy online from April 26th and 25% of all sales will be donated to DAA and various other HIV/Aids charities.


Kiss Kiss Bang Bang