PHOTOSHOOTING

Finally, i've gotten round to uploading the final images of Isobel from a photoshoot I did back in January! I'm such a slacker when it comes to finishing a piece of work i've started within the same month but better late than never, as they always say.

Finding these photographs instantly rekindled my love for photography and it made me realise how much i've been putting my real passions on the back burner recently, so as of today, i've decided that over the 4 months I have off in summer, I will dedicate my time to designing and photographing... and I cannot wait.

Keep you posted!
becky x

FRAGRANCE: WHAT HAPPENS NEXT

Alongside our group fragrance project brief presented to us this semester, another task we were recently given was to produce a fragrance trend booklet.  This was an individual task in which we had to use the software InDesign to create our 12 page, A5 booklet.  I found this brief to be one of the most exciting ones I have worked on since starting my course at uni as I felt it gave me the freedom to express and further my design skills.  Having used InDesign on a very basic level previous to this brief, I found I was learning and discovering new areas of the software the longer I used it.  

I focused my trends around 4 areas, props & styling, casting & model, location & place and the shape and silhouette of the fragrance bottle itself.  Within these areas I found micro trends that I feel will take over the fragrance industry in 2015, my favourite trend found within the casting and model category was 'The Bearded Man', after researching into campaign imagery from various fragrance and fashion advertisements, I found the rugged 'mountain climber/ biker man' is slowly but surely taking over from the impeccably dressed sophisticated business man. 

As part of Thursdays seminar we were asked to bring our trend booklets with us, we were then presented our work to our groups of 8.  When presenting our work we gave others an insight into our trend ideas and how we feel they will be used successfully in 2015.  Our booklets were then exchanged with another group and we were given the task of critically analysing 3 positive points and 3 areas they could improve.  Following on from this we were asked to select our top 3, these were then handed to another group where they were graded and then whittled down further to select the most successful trend booklet.  

I received a high 2:1 and my booklet was chosen as part of the top 8! I was so thrilled with how well my work had done in the peer assessment, with one of the main strengths of mine highlighted being my design and layout, something I spent agessss working on!  My booklet came second out of my seminar group of around 60 fellow students and I couldn't have been happier!

I found this session to be extremely beneficial as it highlighted the weaknesses in my work and how I can improve, the feedback I received from my peers was extremely constructive and enlightened me about areas of trend research I hadn't thought about when doing my initial research. 

I would appreciate any comments anyone has on my work, I'm always looking for places to improve.

becky x

ON WEDNESDAYS WE WEAR PINK

After our recent lecture on the influence film and music have on fashion, I felt this new campaign by DAZED magazine featuring Kendall Jenner taking a mean girls approach to hateful comments about her career and personality and adding a comedic value was perfectly fitting and connected to all audiences.  After all, who hasn't seen mean girls at least 100 times? 

DAZED magazine is starting to become one of my favourites by far, I cant decide whether this is down to its unique, never-before-seen campaigns or the diverse content in each issue... it's definitely becoming to one to watch.

becky x

THREAD LIGHTLY

DAZED- Winter 2014 // Photography - Gregory Harris // Make-up - Yamin

“I think the most fun, unexpected aspect of beauty is that it doesn’t always have to be about making the girl look as beautiful as she can – it can be about creating something interesting or different,” - Yamin

Make-up artist, Yamin, landed his first job in the industry for DAZED magazines October 2010 cover, since then, the beauty renegade has worked for the likes of Balmain, Dior and currently holds the role as Maybelline's global make-up artist. New to his work, I was extremely fascinated when I stumbled across his new Winter 14, beauty campaign. Surrounded by an industry that promotes 'beauty' as an idea of perfection, this shoot takes a completely different approach and turns beauty into something quite alienesque and unfamiliar; using thread to contour pinnacle points of the face he has successfully managed to change our perception of this models stereotypical beauty. 

becky x

SEVENTY THREE

Coat- WAREHOUSE // Jumper- UO // Jeans- Topshop // Boots- h&m

Constantly being complained at that I wear "too much monochrome" is a comment that is becoming extremely tiresome, yes my wardrobe may be made up of 80% black but whats wrong with that? You can't beat it if you ask me! 

With my flat mate, Isobel, being a fashion marketing student its very handy when it comes to us doing shoots for our blogs, we head out on Tuesday to find a location perfect for us both, as we're new to the city it took quite a walk before we found some more suburban areas... we stumbled across this beautiful doorway and couldn't help but both choose it for our location due to the distressed nature of the surrounding brick work and the perfect natural lighting. 

With black skinny jeans and chunky boots being a staple in every girls wardrobe,  I wanted to rejuvenate a classic look and what was more perfect than this beautiful grey/blue light before dark high-low turtle neck jumper, found HERE. At £38, admittedly this was quite a stretch for my measly weekly budget but I just couldn't resist, plus with the addition of a whopping 20% discount at the checkout with MYUNIDAYS, how could I say no?

Not being tall myself, at 5'6", I was worried with it having a low scoop back it may drown me however I have worn it with both heels and flats and have found it to work perfectly for my figure, I can definitely recommend this buy if you're looking for a lighter take on a classic chunky turtle neck.

becky x