Zadig et Voltaire

Zadig et Voltaire Autumn Lookbook

I almost had a fit yesterday when I realised that Montpellier is home to a lovely Zadig et Voltaire store. I have huge love for this French brand, half way between the chicness of another highstreet(ish) French brand The Kooples and the glam rock aesthetic of Balmain. The hefty price tag is well out of my student budget, but I plan to spend a lot of my time browsing there, and hope for some serious sale reductions. Although, if I have some money saved at the end of my stay, I may invest in a top as a little present to myself. If nothing else, I will try to save enough for this barrette, which will be perfect for Christmas.

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Zara - The Mood

lookbook

Flick through the Zara lookbook for a bit of winter inspiration - my favourite is the glitter photo with the oversized hat.

Mor - Jewellery Carnaby and Soho London

One of the best jewellery shops I found around Carnaby Street, when I was looking to spend my birthday money on something long-lasting. I can't wear silver jewellery as my skin tone is too pale, but Mor has the best bronze jewellery which looks classy but less expensive than gold (thank god). It's hypoallergenic too, which is great as I'm wary of becoming allergic to metals, as my mum is allergic to nickel and silver and it's such a pain for her to buy jewellery.

ring, earrings, earrings, bangle

The shop sells basically a nicer version of beach jewellery, the type you buy in little shops on Greek islands, with some interesting twists - so there was a necklace with lava rocks posing as a string of beads. I bought a freshwater pearl bracelet and pair of bronze earrings in the shape of a flower (will post photos later). The designs are all created by three different women, and they pull on architectural structures and ancient jewellery artefacts to create some thoroughly modern pieces. 

Montpellier

Heading off to Montpellier in four days, beginning to stress. I'm away for a month, and hopefully will come home a bona fide French speaker, which will be brilliant. I still haven't completely confirmed accommodation, which has got me a little worried, but I hope it will all work out. It's bucketing it down at the moment, hail and everything, so I hope the weather is better!

I will probably be doing lots of this.

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photos from tumblr

Crushed Velvet Gold Fish

Newest addition to my wardrobe, plus a necklace that I bought about two years ago (on sale for £1!) that I still haven't got round to wearing.

crushed velved skirt - UO; fish pendant - Topshop

The London Film Festival finishes on Thursday, and I'm flying out to Montpellier on Sunday, which gives me about two days to pack for a month away! It's going to be tight. I don't even have time to go shopping for a new pair of boots (shock horror). Still, now that I've finished sorting out university application stuff, it's good to finally be starting on my gap year antics. Oh I have another question - Siena or Perugia, as a destination for three months in Italy? I can't decide...

I won this award from both Meg's Budget Boutique and Lions and Tigers and Makeup, and I couldn't be more chuffed! I'm so happy (and amazed) that there are people who actually read what I write and value what I have to say. Thanks so much for being so supportive, it really is amazing!

And so to send it on to more people with under 200 followers, I have chosen:

• http://flattt.blogspot.com/ - literally found this blog this morning, after a comment on my wall, and can't believe I haven't come across her amazing photos already
• http://skyhigheels.blogspot.com/ - okay so she has slightly over 200 followers but I love her whimsical blog
• http://samalamode.blogspot.com/ - for her generally very cool and interesting posts

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Fools Gold

scarf - thrifted, switzerland; shoes - UO; bracelet - birthday

I bought these shoes last week, when I realised I was going to a red carpet event at the London Film Festival and had NOTHING SMART TO WEAR (was working, so couldn't go in heels). My bracelet is real gold, it was given to me for my eighteenth birthday, but I've only just started wearing it now it's come back from the jewellers as it had to be shortened. Scarf is from a Salvation Army store in Switzerland.

Rather coincidental, dontcha think, that all these items feature gold? Linking nicely into my online outburst of happiness that YES the Stone Roses are reforming! (though I can't see them play because I'll be in France) but this post is my tribute to a brilliantly talented band.

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The Artist

At the gala screening of 'The Artist' last week, truly the best film I have seen so far at the London Film Festival. Dujardin utterly deserved his prize at Cannes, and should definitely be nominated for an Oscar. It's strange that a predominantly silent film has such an emotional pull, but I laughed, cried and spontaneously clapped during the screening (along with the whole of the rest of the audience). The film riffs on the plots of both Sunset Boulevard and A Star Is Born, and uses original twenties settings and staging to provide an extremely modern tale. The cinematography is beautiful, and the classic soft-focus closeups are captured exactly as they were 80 years ago, though perhaps a little less blurringly romantic (to go with the 21st century story of the trappings of fame, depression, pride and its fall).

It's an unlikely choice to pick to see at the cinema, I guess, but I give it a million starred review, and urge you all to put all your prejudices about 'black and white' and 'silent' to one side, and give it a go. Fork out eight quid (cinemas are so expensive these days!), it'll be the best eight quid you've ever spent- promise! 

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First Day at LFF

So today was my first day volunteering at the BFI London Film Festival! I got there at midday, and spent the afternoon filling bags with festival programmes for the Film Festival Delegates, and getting to know all the other lovely volunteers who I'l be spending the next two weeks with. Most people there are older than me, and a lot of them are currently doing MAs in film or screenwriting, or have just completed BAs in film-related subjects, so it was really interesting to talk to them and find out where they've come from and what their career plans are, now that they are in their final years of study, or have just finished.

I am working Wednesday evening, which is the LFF Gala Opening Night, so that will be exciting - I am seriously looking forward to it. I'm also working on Friday night, and a lot of next week but nothing is confirmed yet (but I hope to be able to do as many shifts as possible!)

I also went shopping before I turned up to volunteer, and bought this top with the last of my birthday money - it's Carin Wester for Urban Outfitters. Purple sheer, with a keyhole at the back, and a ribbon tie - I love it!

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SSFW'12 parte tre - Ciao Italia!

By rights I should already be onto recording my thoughts about Paris Fashion Week - I am incredibly behind with these posts! But I can't just let the wonders of Milan pass me by...

Alberta Ferreti x2, Bottega Veneta, D&G

Dolce and Gabbana x2, Emilio Pucci, Emporio Armani

Fendi, Giorgio Armani, Gucci, Jil Sander

Salvatore Ferragamo, Versace, Versus

Trends to point out: flamboyant Mediterranean colours, high necklines, sharp tailoring, sandals, pastel colours (again!), bloomers still being pushed at Dolce and Gabbana, nature referenced in prints and patterns, continued allusions to sportwear, a possible increase in mini-lengths - but maybe just because it's summer?, exploration with textures, very simple hair and makeup. Let the clothes speak for themselves - they are rather fabulous.

I'd like to say a massive big thankyou to Alexa at cashmereandcandy for giving me this award!

I have to share seven random things about myself, so here goes!

1) I lived in Greece when I was younger

2) I have painted one wall in my room pink, the rest are white

3) My great-grandad was an oyster-catcher

4) I am a very quick reader - if I want to, I can read a book in one day

5) I've been to Reading Festival twice and loved it each time

6) I had my first boyfriend in nursery school, he invited me to his pirate party 

7) I had my haircut yesterday morning! I'll put pictures up later

And I've chosen 

isabella at viewsofnow.blogspot.com

angie at angiebeautybelle.blogspot.com

stephanie at linconnuedeindochine.blogspot.com

fang ting and ashley at ftashion.blogspot.com

to give the award to next!

Thank you everyone for reading my blog, and for commenting and following (and handing out rewards!) It really means a lot to me - and I actually mean that!

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New Header and Noel's New Song

I'd just like to explain the reason for changing the name of my blog: having posted for a month, I have decided that I, erm, quite enjoy blogging! Originally this was going to be a gap year blog, but I think I want to continue it after my year out is up, hence the name change. Hope you guys don't mind too much!

Also, I want to tell everyone to listen to this acoustic version of Noel Gallagher's new song 'If I Had A Gun.' I know I was gutted when I heard that Oasis split up. Yes, they are quintessential lads' rockers, and Liam Gallagher's new band Beady Eye is, if anything, Oasis at its most boring (in my opinion!) but this new offering from Liam has recaptured some of the band's old, original sweetness and melancholy joy (oxymoron, anyone?) in this melody and in his lyrics. It gives me chills. Have a listen and tell me what you think. I am definitely going to buy his album when it comes out.

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Coral Crop Top

top and shorts - Topshop

I dropped my camera on the floor this morning, so what were already slightly grainy photos have become even more blurred and unfit to be posted - but I have no other way of taking photos, so please excuse the quality... 

Thank you all for the support of my last post! I will definitely report my experiences of the London Film Festival on my blog so you can all get a bit of 'backstage action.' I hit 25 followers yesterday, which was exactly a month since my first blog post, so I'm pretty happy at the moment! Thanks for following, it really means a lot to me that you enjoy my posts and my writing. As well as acting, I'm interested in fashion/music/film journalism, so I'm using this blog as a way to practice my writing style and gain an audience...which I seem to be achieving! So all's good!

This afternoon I went to see the film 'Whats Your Number?' with Anna Faris in (and Martin Freeman also for about five minutes-love Martin Freeman!). I expected it to be another dire romcom, and in some ways it was, with its incredibly predictable plot - girl makes friends with guy to help her find a husband, but realises at the end that he has been 'the one' all along. There were some incredibly funny bits however, and although the main character Ally was 'in-between jobs', she'd been fired from a position in a marketing company, rather than, say, her cake shop closing. I think that maybe, after the hilarious 'Bridesmaids' (although that film did feature a cake shop), films marketed at women might be getting a teeny tiny bit more realistic and true to life. Which can only be a good thing.

I'm getting my hair cut on Friday - shorter or same length to grow it out? Any opinions? I have no clue, personally - see how it goes, I guess.

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55th London Film Festival

I've just been told that my application to work at the BFI 55th London Film Festival was successful! I have a meeting on Monday with all the other volunteers, where they'll hand out festival programmes (and our T-shirts!)

Vanessa Redgrave, Tilda Swinton, Ryan Gosling, Rhys Ifans, Michael Fassbender, Rachel Weisz, Madonna, Kiera Knightley, George Clooney, Freida Pinto, Evan Rachel Wood, Carey Mulligan

Think of this as a style and talent moodboard of extra-special inspiration from people who excel in their chosen profession

- have I mentioned that I want to be an actor?!


photos from tumblr

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Peanut Butter Blues and Melancholy Jam

shirt and boots - UO; skirt - H&M; ring - Topshop

I wore this outfit to a friend's birthday party at the weekend - with my lace up boots because it was in a field and so quite muddy (I really need to clean them now!) The skirt is from H&M via eBay, and it's the only piece of clothing I've ever bought off eBay because I find it quite hard to buy things that fit me and so I'm always quite nervous to bid when I see shirts labelled as '6-8 but will fit a 10'. But I'm probably being stupid, because this skirt is perfect!

Have you heard the album 'Peanut Butter Blues and Melancholy Jam' by Ghostpoet? It was shortlisted for the Mercury Prize earlier this year, when it was still unreleased-that's how good it is. It didn't win, but that doesn't make the music any less touching and heartfelt, fusing rap and electro in a sort of 'post-dubstep' Jamie xx/Mount Kimbie style extravaganza that's weirdly reminiscent of Flawless in some places. Have a listen-it's been my soundtrack to finishing my personal statement. I'm about ready to send it off....

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SS'12 (2) Fabulous London Fashion Week

I really am terribly behind with these posts, bear with me! Here are my choices from LFW - by choices I mean things that I would gladly wear from day to day, or bizarre outfits that somehow appeal to my inner madwoman (the one that would love to do her supermarket shop in a tartan three-piece suit)

Richard Nicoll; Burberry Prorsum

It seems block colours is still present on the catwalk, but the idea has shifted from solid colours on solid fabrics to easier-to-wear shades on chiffons and sheer materials. It's nice to see that pleat skirts made a reappearance at Burberry, while the Saturn-like rings at Richard Nicoll seem apt in the year of the Olympics...

Acne; Clements Ribiero; Christopher Kane; Clements Ribiero

Far more common than colour blocking was the introduction of prints at LFW. Here, designers have taken inspiration from nature, with tie-dye, flowers, shells all present (and CR on the far-right arranging his pattern in an interpretation of snake print). Yet these prints are far from soft and girly, the top and trousers suggests an androgynous defiance, and the slip of thigh at Christopher Kane references the sexuality of the miniskirt.

Kinder Aggugini; Ann-Sofie Back Atelje; Richard Nicoll

Texture and structuralism was again brought into play, with velvet, silk, sheer, leather and complex tailoring. Ann-Sofie Back Atelje was an incredibly exciting show, and on a personal note I would happily walk out the house in that Nicoll outfit! 

Jonathan Saunders, House of Holland, Paul Smith

Pastels carried on from NYFW, and were heavily plugged by both Saunders and Henry Holland. This blue and yellow midi dress seems like the most perfect ray of sunshine to complement a summer's day, practical enough for England's unpredictable weather yet cooling in the heat of the Mediterranean. I always love the variations on tartan that Holland comes up with, and the playful use of grunge mesh in a preppy polo top is genious. Paul Smith is always a favourite of mine, I find his clothes to die for: masculine yet impeccably tailored to complement the female body.

Temperley London, Giles, Meadham Kirchhoff, Mary Katrantzou

Lastly, enter my inner madwoman. This kimono-style two-piece from Temperley, complete with turban and sunnies, is extravagant and inspiring. Think Gloria Swanson from Sunset Boulevard (not Hailee Steinfeld for Miu Miu). If I was going to be on the red carpet any time soon, I would wear this from Giles-especially if I was Natalie Portman winning an Oscar for Black Swan! By the way, I bet you anything that swans and swan-related items will feature heavily on the high street in the coming months. This outfit by Meadham Kirchhoff is brilliant: part Tudor courtier, part '20s flapper, part burlesque star, part schoolgirl, part old cushion cover, every bit extraordinary. And I raved about my love for Mary Katrantzou in my first ever post, and I still love her crazy prints that really shouldn't work but somehow totally do!

photos from style.com

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No more braces!

jacket - ted baker, button shirt - UO, belt - thrifted, trousers - San Francisco, boots - Zara

Today is a good day for two reasons. 1) my last visit to the orthodontist EVER which means no more brace/retainer! 2) I've just had an interview at a local lifestyle magazine for work experience/interning, and they've said that they would like to take me on! It's a monthly publication, and in about two weeks they are shooting the fashion spread for their November issues, and I think I am going to be working on it-they're going to contact me soon. I am so thrilled that they have agreed to let me come and work at their company for a bit: I really NEED magazine/editorial work experience if I am to do anything fashion-journalismy in the future, and so this is definitely a huge step in the right direction.

In other news, I am still having camera issues, but I am getting there (hence one blurry picture, one not). I have already decided that a good camera is number-one-top-priority for me to spend my money on - even more than clothes!

Also - I urge you all to go and see Jane Eyre with Mia Wasikowska and the glorious Michael Fassbender. Although I think maybe more could have been done by the director Cary Fukunaga about keeping up the tension and general drama of the piece, it is superbly acted, with a brilliant screenplay from Moira Buffini, and the cinematography of the film is simply exquisite. It's as if every frame is a painting. Plus, you have to look out for a scene-stealing Judi Dench, who bustles around with a sort of lace napkin on her head.

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Delayed roundup of SS2012 RTW (1)

I've been slightly lax on New York/London/Milan Fashion Weeks, but here's a roundup of the best so far... pictures from style.com

3.1 Phillip Lim - aside from loving the pastel colours here, this top has an amazing drape back/racerback detail which I wish I could show you (Lim's inspiration was a kite from his childhood). Secondly, perspex heels are always great in my opinion.

Calvin Klein - I'm still in love with the soft minimalism and nude tones of last summer, and it seems Francisco Costa is too, although it's not surprising coming from CK. I love the pleat detail, and the way this dress hangs off the body. It just proves below-the-knee is sleek and sexy, not frumpy. I'm putting a slip dress on my wishlist for next year!

Marc by Marc Jacobs - It pretty much stole the show in New York, in my opinion (doesn't it always?!) I love the mix of (wearable) colours and fun textures, as well as the fab shoes and that massive orange beach bag. Have a look at the full collection and check out the brilliant swimsuits as well. Roll on summer!

Preen - Firstly, this is the starting point of a great collection; secondly, this is Arizona Muse (when I next go to the hairdressers I'm taking a picture of her in as inspiration). The pixellated squares draw attention in a good way, and, practically speaking, the high neck and tshirt sleeves means you won't burn in the sun - always a good thing.

New York Fashion Week isn't really my thing, I find it much too polished. I prefer the roughness and edgy cool of LFW, which I will cover in a post soon! To balance out the Upper East Side feeling of this post, here is a song by Animal Collective. I woke up with it in my head, and tried to listen on Spotify, but that website (along with Facebook) seems to be slowly dying: I can't get either of them to load. 

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Fuzzy camera

jacket - all saints, daisy dress - reading festival, shoes - UO

Hi all, apologies for the lack of posting, but I have been trying to figure a way to take a credible outfit photo that I won't be ashamed to upload. I've finally alighted on a scheme which involved me sticking my camera to my brother's music stand with a bit of bluetack - if anyone has any better methods (I'm sure they do!) please say! I could do with some advice. Also, I took these this evening in rapidly fading light, hence the fuzzy, awful quality. Will do better next time.

bangle - vintage

I bought this dress at Reading Festival 2010, with my last £20 (I sacrificed supper for it) and it has become my failsafe outfit if I am ever too tired/hurried to decide on what to wear. Like this morning, for instance: I went to a farewell-before-uni breakfast with my friends at the local cafe and woke up FIVE MINUTES before I had to be out the house. oops. So flung on my dress and ran.

I saw possibly the worst/best film today - William and Kate: The Movie - about the origins of the happy couple. It was absolutely dire, and therefore possibly one of the best movies I have ever seen because it was so hilarious. It deserves a watch, simply to check out Kate's awful collection of hats, or laugh at how woefully weedy lovely Prince Harry is.

Other things I have done recently: WORKED a lot and I can now make the best ever cappucino, went to Wagamamas with the gals from my drama group (recommend Cha Han which comes with miso soup-yum), housesitted some Labradors and decided that dogs aren't actually that bad, wrote my personal statement (!), went to London to visit the new mall in the City/attend a Shakespeare workshop, read the whole of Caitlin Moran's 'How To Be A Woman' - brilliant book! 

Oh and I've applied to volunteer at the BFI Film Festival in October, and filled out an application form for the Montpellier language course in November. Hopefully both of those will work out, and ta dah! my gap year will be sorted up until December - phew!

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