Volupté

Never ever in my student lifetime will I ever be able to afford to visit Volupté but I often like go on the website and pretend I have loads of money and can afford to go.

Volupté  embraces all things vintage and beautiful, it describes itself as 'the most decadent little supper club in town, with burlesque shows, great food and cocktails' and it's hard to argue, with DJ set's, a restaurant with a very sophisticated menu, tea parties, cabaret, burlesque performances, live bands and most importantly an extensive cocktail menu, all oozing glamour with a pinch of mischief.
The website does a lot better job of selling itself than I do.

Pictures from the Volupte gallery

Calling all London based Vintage Fanatics!

Vintage fashion has had a big chunk of my heart ever since I was 13 and bought my first Vintage dress - a Victorian night gown. I never wore it out because one of the meanest girls in school (whom, may I point out left much to be desired in the wardrobe department) told me I looked like a grandma, which is something I'm used to hearing now but was not ready to accept at the beginning of my teenage years. 

It could also stem from years of hand me downs, there was nothing more exciting than receiving a bag of new clothes the cool girls down the road had outgrown, although the majority of it was tat and involved bullying my little brother into wearing it resulting in his overtly macho self in present day.

I love the way Vintage has evolved in recent years, mixed with newer or self made pieces these old garments get a breath of new life BUT for me there's always something more wonderful about a girl throwing on a 50's dress with the perfect pin curls and scarlet lips as if she just stepped out from the era itself. 

On the 29th to the 31st of July Vintage will take over London's Southbank in the form of 'Vintage by Hemmingway', a festival arranged by Wayne and Gerardine Hemingway celebrating everything from the 1920's through to the 1980's in the forms of film, fashion, music and culture. Last year brought gigs that catered for all sorts of musical tastes, from soul to disco, a sock hop, best in show, vintage art and my personal favourite, a roller disco!
for more information and tickets click here!


Here's a taster from last year!

Pictures from http://www.vintagebyhemingway.co.uk/downloads/pdf/vintageatgoodwood.pdf

Ingrid will make a wonderful wife

I've lived with Ingrid now for nearly 9 months, she's literally insane and always has a story to tell. Strong willed, intelligent, beautiful and multi skilled, from modelling to arranging charity gigs and tea parties to baking to preparing picnics for rendezvous, to me she is the perfect woman. Don't let it fool you, she belches like nothing you have ever heard before! 

(picture from http://londelhifashion.wordpress.com/2011/03/24/as-new-as-vintage-oxymoron/)

Name:Ingrid Aukrust Rones

Occupation:Student

Dream occupation:Muse

What first drew you towards the pin up style?The red lips and the models' confidence in their lovely, healthy bodies.

What's you favourite era for dress?
I love the doll-like beauty of the Roaring Twenties, the elegance and simplicity of the 60s and the 1950s figure.

Who are you style icons?
Grace Kelly - Because she always looked graceful, and because her style was consistent without being boring or old-fashioned.

Joan Harris (neé Holloway) - Yes, this is a fictional character from Mad Men. She's so confident and sexy, but at the same time sensitive. She's ambitious and professional, and dresses extremely well according to her gorgeous body.

Then there's Angelina Jolie's character Elise in the new film 'the tourist', dressed by Colleen Atwood. And, of course, the casual, laid-back elegance of Humphrey Bogart.

what's your perfect day out?
When I have the time to spend embarrassingly long doing my make-up, then walk around London watching all the inspiring people and discover new places and cafés.

And your perfect day in?Alone in bed with great films and food easily accessible from the bed.

Do you have a party trick?
I accept all challenges.

If you were a burlesque dancer what would your name be?
Miss Scarlet

Favourite film?
I just saw the King's Speech, and fell in love.

Favourite band/artist?
I have many, but if there is one record everyone should hear it's a recording of Vivaldi's Gloria with Nidarosdomens Pikekor (it's on Spotify).

Favourite place?
I have so many!

Favourite person?
I'm a tiny bit in love with Obama.

If you could bring back three people from the dead for a tea party who would they be and why?
I'd like to hear how Oscar Wilde talks, listen to J.S. Bach play and become John Holmes' widow.

Hot or cold?
Cold, you can always put on more clothes.

Sweet or savoury?
Savory, a perfect dinner is always better than sweets.

Boys or girls?
Can't live with or without boys, but I have huge respect for women and our unity and strength.

Summer or winter?
Summer as season, but winter for the Olympics!

Heels or flats?
Heels

What would you take to a desert island?
Company

What's the best advice you ever received?
My mother once advised me to never stop dreaming.

And finally, tell us a secret about yourself?
I wish I could save the world.

Spring project 2011

This year I feel like I've learned so much at University, since before I got there I couldn't pattern cut and my sewing skills were a bit of a joke. Here is my outfit for the first year show, all pattern cut and sewn by myself.

 

(please ignore how much the back of the dress needs pressing after sitting in a garment bag for 12 hours, it makes me grimace)

The show itself was also absolutely amazing, I'll put some pictures up of that very soon!

Panic on the streets of London

I'm not even going to attempt to try convince you that I have any sort of educated opinion or knowledge on politics because I know more facts about giraffes in all honesty BUT if even I can see that this country is going down the gutter then someone needs to put their arse into gear.

I will (hopefully) be protesting on Saturday.

Fashion BA

This week I started my degree in Fashion Design at Middlesex University,  I'm so excited to do some creative work, I haven't done anything particularly strenuous for months.

One of my first tasks was a sort of scavenger hunt with clues and addresses to find places useful for my course, it was such a good day, I found some really interesting places down the back alleys of Central London, in Huddersfield the only interesting thing you find down back alleys is a dead rat or a dodgy take-away, the rat usually because of the latter. Here are some pictures from my scavenger hunt.

Breakfast at Leons

 

 VV Rouleaux - The most amazing ribbons and trimmings shop I've ever seen, felt like a cat with a ball of string leafing through all of this.

Then we went to Browns

I got sucked into here

where I fell in love with these

Then got too excited to had to have a quick pit stop

After which we went to a seemingly tiny shop called MacCulloch & Wallace LTD which was surprisingly big inside, crammed with sewing stuff spread out over three floors. There's a really jolly man working there too, he sold me a notcher, I liked him a lot.

I went in Liberty for the first time in my life (I know, I know! But I've been on the website before, ok?!) and it's so beautiful, the shop itself has so many quirky little features and bits and bobs, I had to force myself to leave though, backing away from twenty 8 twelve or my loan would have been gone in a heartbeat.

Finally we went to a shop called R.D. Franks which has made me finally get over borders closing down, They'll even be stocking Lula! I managed to spend a mere £11 just picking up Volt and The Gentlewoman (for now)

Today I got out a few books for my project and probably lost my deposit by doing this on my carpet:

But more on that another time.

Dollar dollar bill

I'm lucky enough to have friends in my hometown who keep me up to date with the current art/fashion/events that I'm missing out on with moving to London (which to be fair is hardly all doom and gloom!). Today a friend of mine called Kano introduced me to the two dollar shirt. 

The two dollar shirt is part of a project by art collective 'milk 2 sugars' (which funnily enough is actually how I drink my tea), the concept is a backlash at the price of cotton going up and in my eyes making a point about British consumerism. The T-shirt itself costs literally $2 (or £1.28) and has been created for you to rip, tear, pin, poke, stitch and rework into something magical and completely new.

There's only been 100 printed and about 40 left which will be on sale tomorrow (4/10/10) from Dais boutique in Byram arcade, if you have your eye on one of these beauties get down there early or go home empty handed! 

Little fish in a big pond

I've finally made the big move to London and I'm sat in my very tiny (but very homey) room at four in the morning purely because this is the only time I can get online (the Internet here has been so far absolutely shocking) hopefully when the server has a word with itself I'll be back to blogging. 

I really miss writing on here, sorry it's been so long but I'll be back as soon as I can I promise!

I saw a bag in Camden the other day with this print on by Vladimir Tretchikoff:

When I was very young we used to have this picture at my parent's house, It was above the freezer in the cellar and I was absolutely terrified of her because her eyes followed me across the room. My dad bought it for his mum with his very first pay check. I'm not sure why it ended up in my house, perhaps my grandma was terrified of her too. I haven't seen it in my parent's house for a few years but I really hope they haven't chucked it out! 

Here's some more work of his I discovered a few months ago that I really love:

I love that sea foam green undertone and the interesting textures that pop up in all of these images. The subjects are so interesting to look at too, particularly the jewellery they're wearing.

It's late, I'll be back soon (I hope).

Home sweet home

I keep looking on interior design websites for inspiration for my dorm at uni and I just keep finding pictures of amazing houses. I'm looking forward to uni loads but the thought of owning my own house some day that I can make absolutely amazing gives me butterflies! I'd love to have a walk in wardrobe and a massive room filled with crumbling old books and 'too good to chop' magazines and an aga in a big kitchen with lots of cupboards full of pots of spices and a sewing room with little glass jars full of threads and buttons and a big bath with big gold feet and a big green front door. Exciting!

All pictures are from this amazing website I had recommended to me called desire to inspire.

Are you listening?

Remember I told you to keep your little ears pricked up and your eyes peeled last week? Here it is.

There's a man about town called Mr Kane and he was NOT happy with the limited access we boys and girls have to new and exciting brands here in Yorkshire, it made him mad and sad, and he felt bad for all of us. So he travelled far and near to find brands that not only oozed style but were exclusive and affordable (with prices ranging from pocket money to credit card). 

He's tracked down brands from Leeds to Latvia, made lots of phone calls, sent lots of emails, broke some windows, went to Paris (Life is hard in fashion kids...), bought some paint, used the paint, broke his ceiling, bought a flag and called in favours all for his new project; Dais.

 Dais boutique will be the cutting edge cool home of these soon to be highly sought after brands. Opening on the 14th August Dais will source brands on an as they appear basis, from classic and contemporary to verging on quirky to downright brave. Brands that have intellect, imagination and more technical skills than the butcher, baker and candlestick maker. Clothes that will make people stop you in the street, look twice and go 'HEY! I want to be friends with THEM!'

Call me a brown noser (hey, Maria, you're a brown noser!) but I'm genuinely excited to see someone work so hard to bring fresh fashion into Yorkshire and stick it all under one roof in a well laid out and aesthetically pleasing environment, where cotton t-shirts can run free and skinny and bootleg jeans can live together in harmony (okay not bootleg, no one is ready for that, sorry soccer moms!).

Here's a sneaky preview of some of the brands you can expect to pop up in your wardrobes:

ME&YU

Long

Odeur

Francesca Warren

Elventh Commandment

Beik

There's more exciting stuff too, like Ante from a nice chap on Brick Lane and Clare Davis - a London College of Fashion graduate. 

Dais will have a preview night on Friday the 13th August with a DJ and an exclusive look at all the current brands stocked, the official opening date is Saturday the 14th August. Pop into Bryam arcade in Huddersfield (second floor) and have a peruse. Latest news can be found on the Dais Blog or on the Dais facebook page.