Week 1 - Just Touched Down In London Town

Day One.   

 This place is poxy mental, just as I was coming out of the underground for the first time I got a taste of what life in London was gonna be like. Four Harajuku girls in full ensemble, nobody batting an eyelid. Raging! I soon realised nobody cares, the place is too big for people to care. I could have been wearing an oasis pink tutu (flashbacks) and nobody would blink. These "people" were also in a major bleeding hurry, I was only trying to top up my oyster card and they were tutting, how dare I take so long like. Hmmmm - "unless ya want a bang of these two rather large suitcases I suggest ya back off, scumbags!" (In my head of course). I was feeling emaciated, hadn't eaten all day with the nerves in my stomach. It was late on the Sunday now and my first day of work was the following morning. Sick much!


Day Two

I thought I'd be brave and walk to work, try and find my way around a little bit, got there in no time. I was early - talk about eager beaver. I was brought up to the Oasis office, given my induction plan and introduced to all the different departments. I was in for a busy week. Thrown in at the deep end. I was delighted, it would help keep my mind off the fact that I was already missing home and I was only gone a wet day. Literally!
I was sent straight out to assist in setting up a brand conference, again experiencing something different; event organising. Twenty naked mannequins needed my attention and needless to say they were styled to within an inch of their plastic poxy lives by myself and the Oasis Visual Team (An Amazing bunch of girlos). They were FABOOSH! The room was FABOOSH. Day one over - second task just beginning - trying to get home when there's a tube strike was no easy task. Two hours later I made it in the door. Shower, eat, red wine, chat, music, bed (well actually sofa, i'm staying with friends for the first few days/weeks/adoption).


Day Three:

Took the tube and followed the directions on my ticket for the Oasis Brand Conference - It was held at the Louise Blouin Foundation - an amazing open gallery space - very edgy with that raw industrial kinda feel. Massive! The uplit mannequins shined when we walked into the room, showcasing the new packages and looks for the Oasis customer. My highlight, the knee length camel coat that wouldn't look out of place in the Aquascutum window on Bond St. It looked amazing and i'm sure it will be a sell out when it hits the stores. It was a day of meet and greets, too many new faces to remember even one name and i'm normally good at stuff like that. The presentaion was over, time to hit the Argyll St store for set up of Vogue Fashion Night Out. More mannequins, store layout and styling tips, tick, tick and tick. Job done!


Day Four:

After a nice little sleep in ( I had the morning off) it was time for Vogue Fashion Night Out - I was acting as resident stylist (homemade badge on shoulder of my friends borrowed jacket to prove it - scarlet!) Obviously everyone left looking amazing, goody bags in tow. Happy Days... In the window sat a layered burgundy and purple tone dress that drew customers to the store. The project design team had worked in collaboration with Lindsey Braddock, a young graduate designer to create a one off window display as we were soon entering London Fashion Week. It proved to be a big success and Lindsey was delighted with the display.



I was NOT delighted when I saw this photograph! The night was to get better. I met with Anthony (the guy who took me in) for the Vogue Rick Owens party (he gets these amazing invites to glitzy events lol). Champagne and canapes all round. I was starving after my twenty minute walk through the plush Mayfair, passing Matthew Williamson on my way, nearly asking him for directions until I realised who he was. Imagine. Mortified.com. He did however remind me of Jafar from Aladdin! The party was "very fashion" Anthony had told me. He wasn't wrong. Rick Owens, Gareth Pugh, designers from Victoria Beckhams label, website owners and socialites to name but a few. Out of place. Never! Gidde up on that (",) A few drinks and some noodles (from "Wok in a miniature box") later it was time to head back East. Bedtime.


Day Five:

It was time for my first Style File! - a monthy guideline publication for the company, issued to all stores from the Head Office Visual and Creative Team. The day was hectic, one of the flag stores (this month Poultry) was transformed in 9 hours by many hands. It was here that I realised it's the small things you do that make a difference. Loooooooong day, paid off, the store looked Faboosh and it was home time. The end of my first week. Delighted..

This weeks lesson "Time flies even when you're not having fun"

Over n Out!

D.O.G
xx

Hey Guys.

StyleWARS may be over but my new career is just beginning.

Judges (l-r) Peter O Brien, Caprice Bourret and Ian Galvin with mentor Angela Woods

THE WINNERS STORY

After six difficult tasks that tested myself and the other contestants on everything from visual merchandising, styling, marketing, art direction, design and runway production it was down to the final three. Myself, Grace Mangan and Holly Shortall - one of us would walk away with the prize of a twelve-month contract on the senior creative team at the head office of Aurora Fashion (Coast, Karen Millen, Oasis and Warehouse) in London. The job was described by mentor Angela Woods (Head of Design, NCAD) as 'a truely magnificent opportunity to make it internationally'. One aspect of the job is to travel with the respective teams on design and buying trips to major cities such as Barcelona, Berlin, Dusseldorf and New York.

It was time to meet with the judges. We knew that when we stepped onto the plush red carpet, the kind that sinks under your feet its so thick (a true taste of the red carpet lifestyle that would await the winner, how ironic) two people would leave extremely disappointed and one person would be ecstatic. The judges plagued us with questions and studied our answers with subdued expressions, ensuring not to give anything away. It was clear from the 'discussion' that the judges favoured Holly's ultra light fashion show which left me pondering what I'd do if I didn't win. Until then my sights were set firmly on the creative role I had relished for far too long. After my critique it became apparent that the winner would be decided based on the creative flair and ability throughout the programme. All three were back in the race. Caprice cut to the news like she meant business and said that the person finishing in third place would be, and then a pause, the eternal poxy pause that seemed to last an hour and had all three hearts beating so profusely they could be seen by everyone in the room. My mind was wrought with fear that it could be me and just as I was breathing out for the first time in five minutes, the name came. It was Grace. Deep breaths (and some funny hand action, that my friends will never let me live down - and rightly so, I was mortified)! Described as too emotional by the judges, they feared she might not be able for the role, her concepts were magnificent but the judges saw her as just that - a conceptual person. If you ask me, I think she's amazing, maybe too creative and expected so much of herself that she got too frustrated in a very confined environment. I gave her the biggest squeeze when her name was called and she whispered in my ear "come on". I knew I had the support of most of my fellow contestants. It was back to business - the final two!

At this stage Holly looked as if she was about to collapse and I wasn't feeling as though my legs could take too much longer so I thought it might be a good idea to grasp her hand, show a united front as we stood before the judges. Holly and I had got on really well in the latter half of the competition, especially when you consider that we nearly killed each other over a styling decision in week two. We were friends! However the judges appeared to be taking their time over the decision, it was afterall going to change somebodies life for good, a new start, a new career and whats more a move to London. As the judges di-sected each task and our performance to date, I was thinking I was in with a chance, the only task that Holly had beaten me outright on was the final task. The judges spoke of consistency and the ability to work alongside people and not on your own. It seemed as though they had made a decision, one they described as 'unanimous'. Holly had given a fabulous interview and was quite obviously a very confident person, she was well able to discuss what she could 'bring to the table' so to speak. In comparison my interview was quite subdued. But the decision was made.

Caprice spoke; "I can now reveal that the winner of StyleWARS 2010 is" and again the pause, this time even longer than the last. Thoughts of other reality TV programmes flashed through my head, the kind where the judges take an eternity to deliver the news and the tension mounts and mounts. It must have been about three minutes (believe me, it's longer than it seems), and then it came........... David! I nearly poxy collapsed, I had no feeling in my legs and I just put my head in my hands, I can't even explain the emotion I felt at that moment. Sounds really cheesy but it's true! From there on out the prizes were revealed and it was all congratulations. It was off to the champagne and canopy after-party were we could mingle with the judges. The atmosphere was different, it was real and I was going to London! Peter and Angela offered their phones for me to go and ring home. I had to put them out of their misery. I knew they had been sitting on the edge of their seats all day, panicking every time the phone rang and going mental at the person on the other end for ringing. How dare they ring at such a time, they were waiting on an important phone call, from me!

My sister Mandy answered; straight away I told her. "I won Mand". On the other end it was just constant screaming for about 5 minutes until they realised I was still on the other end of the phone. Back to the champagne afters, I needed more than what a champagne glass could hold though. We sat on the grass with the production team (who were amazing) and spoke about the show and the fact that we couldn't believe it was over. But it was! The show was over but my new career was just beginning.

I can honestly say it was one of the best days of my life and long may it continue.

David Greene (London) x