LCM 2015: MY REVIEW

As the London Collections: Men draws to a close, I looked at the upcoming trends for men for 2015 that have particularly caught my eye.

As a fan of mens fashion and someone who takes mass inspiration for my style through menswear, I always look closely at the upcoming collections to see what may be appearing in my wardrobe this summer and winter.

It is argued that a lot of what gets displayed through Mens runway shows is hardly wearable or even slightly appealing to the average straight man. But nevertheless there will be a few things which I am sure high street designers will tweak to make it sellable to the average fussy fashioned men. But despite this, there is still a few things which I will be loving (and possibly wearing) next season, and I've made a note of a few of them here:

Xander Zhou 

Baggy pants, loose fitting tshirts and slider sandals were all the rage at Xander Zhou SS'15. Although this look may not be the most flattering on the average bulky male, I love these silk pants matched with the high collar long-line blazer. Definitely a trend I'll be following next season.

Topman

Definitely the most shocking look of the season was when Topman (WHO ARE A HIGH STREET STORE) opened their runway show with a Clueless inspired checkered pantsuit. They then continued to bring out more and more models wearing the craziest of garments (which included a seventies style flared jean matched with a cropped floral jacket, and a shearling coat which looked like it had come from David Bowie's wardrobe). I will be baffled if Topman ever release this collection to the mass public, they would certainly have to tone it down completely before bringing it into stores, otherwise expect to see a lot of it in the bargain bin...

Baartmens and Siegel

Possibly one of my favourite collections from LCM, purely because I could generally see a normal UK male wearing half of it. It features a hell of a lot of khaki and navy colours, and consisted of everything from a summer suit to shorts and tshirts. I would love to see men wearing this collection, and I am positive high street stores will be recreating a lot of these looks shown throughout it. I can't wait for their collection with River Island to drop, and I will definitely be hoping that normal men take to it just as well as the fashion forward ones do.

Burberry Prorsum

Every fabric, every style and every colour was basically shown at the Burberry Prorsum AW'15 collection. But there was one thing I noticed which I am hoping gets brought back soon and that is the duffle coat. This was shown with loose fitting t-shirts, cropped trousers and these dodgy flappy hats (which I'm sure will not catch on). Despite this it's about time the duffle coat was brought back for men and I am glad Burberry have done it. I guarantee that these will sell well and I am hoping that the mass high street will bring them to us too.

Moschino

Since Jeremy Scott took over Moschino they have starting featuring menswear within their womenswear collections. What I love about this is the collaboration and pairing between the looks combined with the male and female models. With Scott being as whacky as ever, the SS'15 collection featured a lot of $ signs and black and gold indented into the clothing. If you see yourself as a bit of a Kanye West wannabe and want to give these looks a try then be my guest, but I'm not too sure they'll be catching on to the mass market anytime soon. But congrats to Jeremy Scott for finally bringing the man to Moschino.

Overall it's been a whacky year for LCM 2015. As a PR student I've been astounded by the amount of press it's received over the past week. I really hope menswear collections continue to grow as fashion for men is just as important as fashion for women. I have loved watching this week and how much it is being talked about within the fashion world, let's hope we continue to see this!

BRAND YOURSELF THROUGH FASHION

As a Public Relations student, understanding branding is an industry must. Throughout my degree, it is imprinted into our minds that brand and reputation stand for everything within PR. If you damage your businesses reputation, it'll usually be because you went out of your branding guidelines. This will usually result in crisis management, and if you are an in-house PR, it'll probably be job threatening.

When we think about businesses, certain things usually spring mind. For example, whenever I think of Chanel I usually picture expensive, high-end glamour. I also think of the monochrome CC logo and the chic and tailored clothing they design. This is all because of their branding. To designers like Chanel, branding is everything, and everything they do within the business will be down to their image and reputation within the industry. And who will be behind all of this? The PR's of course.

But it's not just businesses who build themselves up based on their brand image. Celebrities are also classed as 'one big advertisement' because they brand themselves to follow through with an image that people will see. Lady Gaga for example, brands herself through her crazy clothes and whacky stage presence. This is how people view her and how they remember her. This is her brand.

And whether you like it or not, people in society will view and stereotype you. It happens to everyone. Usually people will judge others based on how they look, dress and act, people may disagree with this, but it's how our brains work.

But why should that be an issue? If you want to be a certain way whose to say you can't? If you want to look, dress and act a certain way then do! MAKE IT YOUR BRAND.
Personalising your brand can make you appealing and interesting to future employers. If you want to be known as a kooky girl with a strong personality and crazy dress sense THEN DO IT. It makes you so much more memorable then people with who don't have a powerful personal brand and image.

Being able to understand branding starts with being able to brand yourself. If you are able to come across a certain way and show you understand yourself then businesses will be more likely to employ you. And if they don't? Well then they are the wrong business for you and it's probably a good thing that you don't work for them.

And this brings us back to Public Relations Agencies. There are so many different agencies out there who all have different clients. All these agencies are looking for employers who will be able to fit in with their existing employees, who will understand their clients and be able to respect the reps and brands for each of them.

So if an agency isn't suited towards your look and taste, don't be disheartened...it's probably for the best...x

THE FASHION INDUSTRY VS. MEADHAM KIRCHHOFF

In late December, Twitter and blogs went into meltdown over the supposed news that the quirky and extravagant fashion house of Meadham Kirchhoff was shutting its doors due to lack of financial support. The news appeared in an interview where Edward Meadham and Benjamin Kirchhoff told Style.com that they are struggling to find sponsorship to help fund their catwalk shows for Fashion Week. As a huge fan of the brand, it pains me to hear news like this, and it is certainly making me question that if the fashion industry cannot support conceptual brands like Meadham Kirchhoff, is there even a point in art and creativity within the industry anymore?

Whilst the death of the designer duo brand is not imminent, the end definitely feels nigh. Despite a huge army of fans from all around the world, and a Topshop collaboration that sold out in minutes, the pair have always said that they struggle with the fast pace of the industry, and find it hard to keep up with drastic orders from department stores and boutiques. 

With the instagram and twitter-sphere booming, the demand for rapid fashion has increased tremendously. If its not hanging off the racks the second the last model walks down the runway, buyers just ain't interested. Waiting around for the next season of clothing to drop rarely happens anymore. The industry has quickened, and its leaving behind art, creativity, and conceptualism. Its leaving behind Meadham Kirchhoff.

I have been in love with the Meadham Kirchhoff creations for as long as I can remember. The duo have greatly inspired my admiration for nostalgia, ingenue, and kawaii fashion, and they have also opened my mind to dressing differently and not complying with what society tells you to wear. They were the inspirations behind my A Level Textiles pieces (for which I achieved an A), and they have given me the most perfect pieces of clothing which I will treasure forever (from my cherry print shirt, to my gold pentagon heels and my orange mongolian monster face knitwear). So if the designer duo were to shut down, I would indeed be greatly saddened, but the pieces they have given me are timelessly demiugic, so shall stay with me forever.

Long live MK! <3

DISNEY- WHERE DREAMS COME TRUE

I am exstatically happy while I write this post, possibly because I've just been accepted onto the Disney Cultural Exchange program for 2015, which basically means I am going to be living and working in Orlando this summer for two whole months! WOW.

The programme runs from the 2nd June - 7th August, and whilst I'm there I will be living in the Disney Dorms (accommodation built specifically for us students to live in whilst we work during summer), and working at one of the theme parks to earn my wage.

The program gives students from all around the world the chance to leave University behind for the summer, and come to Disney to culturally interact with one another through living and socialising. The program also gives us the opportunity to meet and network with some of the people behind the Disney brand, which is absolutely perfect given the degree I am doing.

Whilst I am there I will be working in operations, which means I will either be working on one of the many attractions Disney has to offer, or meet and greeting people that enter the parks, or working behind the ticket counter. I won't know my specific job role until I get there, but any one of these will give me the opportunity to interact with guests from all over the world, which will give me the chance to put my good PR social skills to use. Remember- its all about the clean cut Disney image and brand rep, and a public relations student of all people should know how important that is! ;)

I cannot wait to jet off to America for a fun-filled Summer at Disney, I am hoping this experience will help me grow as a person, and will continue to fuel my desire to achieve my primary goals of becoming a public relations professional. Hopefully I will develop life lessons and skills along the way that will be crucial to working in the industry. I am incredibly excited to begin this journey and I am so very grateful to have been accepted from the thousands of applicants that applied...

Orlando here I come!

STYLE YOURSELF RIGHT: A GUIDE TO DRESSING FOR UNI

Letting yourself go at University can be the easiest thing. If you're a party girl like me, you will more than likely spend the majority of your money on going out clothes, and not a lot on clothes to wear to lectures. This will mostly result in your turning up looking like got changed half asleep (which is actually true for most of the time).

But what I've learnt from my 1 and a half years at University is that you don't have to spend a lot of money or time on clothes to look fashionable. All it takes is buying a few investment pieces for the long-run, and knowing how to style them in order to make them look different on a daily basis.

I've found a few key items which I believe will be both stylish and practical, and will make for those long Uni days that you really can't be bothered to spend time on your outfit for...

1. A practical yet stylish jacket

If you're at a Northern University like me, you'll need a jacket from the start of Freshers Week until about the end of April. A good jacket can go very far though, and it'll become a statement piece within your wardrobe. The trick is to find something which is casual and not overly fussy. It should also be a neutral colour that'll pretty much go with everything you wear. I purchased a biker-style tweed jacket with a fluffy collar from Zara last September and I still wear it to the majority of my lectures a year on. Zara have beautiful high quality jackets for a very reasonable price. They are also cut well and look stylish with basically everything you wear. I've found one very similar to my AW'13 one that I believe would be perfect for University.

Mixed Wool Jacket- £59.99 Zara

2. A flattering jean

Jeans are a necessity for any University student that just really can't be bothered. But the key isn't a basic jean, it is a flattering one. Depending on your body shape you should always go with a style that comments your bust, waist and legs. This will definitely pay off in the long run as you will be able to style them with so many more things. For me, as my legs are the least flattering part of my body, skinny jeans just don't work for me. I best suit a high waisted 'MOM' jean as I have a long torso so the cinched waist compliments it (and also hides my legs a little more). However, if you have good legs, opting for a skinny or cropped jean will both compliment your figure. A dark wash or a black colour will be better for both winter and summer, as usually a bleach wash will only look better with pastel tones, so will be much harder to style in winter.

Black Mom Jeans- £40.00 Topshop

3. A sturdy black boot

Nothing will ever beat a good black boot. They go with EVERYTHING and they are so practical, meaning that you can wear them on even the coldest and iciest of days. If you're like me and want to have a more stylish boot, a chunky boot with a bit of a thick heel are always a good option. However, for practicality, a chelsea boot or a slim line ankle boot will look classically good. I purchased a chunky black pair from River Island a year ago and I still live in them, yes they have worn down quite a lot, but they were so good considering I only paid £40. Unfortunately my boot has been long out of stock for a while, but River Island have such a good selection and have brought a few out which are extremely similar to mine.

Black Chunky Sole Ankle Boots - £40 River Island

4. A slogan tee

If you are having one of those days when you feel like you just need to throw on a t-shirt and be done with it, nothing will be more effective than a quirky slogan one. Not only will it help promote your laid back attitude, but it will also look cute and will add a touch of style to your casual attire. I love nothing more than throwing on a plain white tee with a catchy slogan that reads 'DONUT TALK TO ME'. Its funny, cool and looks pretty chic with nice jeans and a jacket. 

House of Holland Slogan Tshirt- £20 ASOS

5. A bag that goes with EVERYTHING

Nothing is more frustrating then having to change your bag every 5 minutes because stuff doesn't fit or if it doesn't go with your outfit. This usually results in losing or forgetting things, or even being locked out of the library because you left your Student ID in your other bag (trust me, I've done that a few times...). I must admit, its not to everyones taste but I adore my Forever 21 black zip up backpack. Its cute, quirky, and fits everything in. It is my trusty University bag and I adore it. If you're not like me and would rather die then lug everything around on your back, I would definitely recommend a neutral leather (or leather look) handbag or shoulder bag. Something that you can carry with you everywhere is a necessity! (Just make sure it goes with your favourite jacket and shoe...)

Black Utility Backpack- £35.00 ASOS

So they are just a few examples of my University fashion necessities. If you're just into first year or haven't started University yet, then feel free to use this guide to find the correct way to dress (or forever be struggling in the morning before your 9ams)....You have been warned!

THE POWER OF THE BLOGGER

When managing a fashion brand or business, celebrity endorsements are usually key in generating publicity for the product you are trying to sell. Nothing receives more attention on Instagram then celebrities taking 'selfies' in clothing then tagging the brand, which receives instant publicity and generates circulation. But nowadays when it comes to fashion, celebrities are often taking a back seat in depicting the new season trends, and it is now starting to rest entirely on the bloggers.

Blogging has only recently become a hugely popular aspect of the fashion industry. Nowadays the people behind the blogging industry have more of a stomping ground in the fashion world than anyone else. Since the development of Instagram, bloggers spend the majority of their days photographing themselves, the food they eat, the fashion shows they attend and the people they hang around with. There aesthetically pleasing Instagrams are gaining thousands of followers, which means that they can control the content they post in exchange for money for promotion. They are the endorsers that can make your company, the hardest thing is just finding one which will give you their time. 

All bloggers have different audiences, which means that it is essential that you choose the right one who will market your products in the right way. High-end products should usually be targeted to bloggers that model a lot of designer clothing on their websites and Instagrams. Susie Bubble for example, is one of the UK's most coveted fashion bloggers, she gets receives clothing from the biggest designers (like Chanel, Dolce & Gabbana and Meadham Kirchhoff just to name a few), and she is always FROW at every fashion show from every season. 

However, high street bloggers also receive large attention from followers, due to the affordable but stylish clothing that they wear. Sarah Ashcroft is one of the most recent bloggers that has received an enormous amount of popularity this year due to her wardrobe full of beautiful clothes that the majority of her followers can afford. She is also extremely active on her Instagram which is brilliant for people that admire her style, but don't tend to take time out to read her blog. Whether she even posts an outfit that has been endorsed on her blog rarely matters, as long as it's on her Instagram people will see it, and she will help to generate publicity. 

Designer blogger Susie Bubble vs. High Street blogger Sarah Ashcroft

Regardless of what fashion product you are trying to generate publicity for, there will always be a blogger out there that will be able to help you. They are a fashion PR's best friend, and they are a reliable source of circulation. Companies are now even hiring a 'Blogger Outreach', whose job is to simply scope the most popular fashion bloggers to send them free clothes! Crazy!

BLOGGERS RULE. Remember that...

ALEXANDER WANG X H&M LAUNCH: MY REVIEW

After reading an excessive amount of blog posts and articles online, I think it's very safe to say the Alexander Wang x H&M launch is possibly one of the most highly publicised and anticipated collaborations a high street store has ever done with a designer.

The designs were depicted as being a futuristic touch on neoprene and leather. From evening dresses to gym-wear, this collaboration combines both modernism and traditional monochrome garments that practically go with anything in your wardrobe. In an ideal world making a purchase from the collection would be completely simple, but we all know that wouldn't ever happen.

...And I think it's safe to say I was right. Conveniently I was very fortunate to be in London on the day of the launch, but I wouldn't be able to get to the Oxford Street store until around 5PM. I wasn't expecting much clothing to be left, but nothing really prepared me for how little there would be available. 

The first thing I found slightly bizarre was that the collaboration was placed on the top floor of the shop (baring in mind that the H&M on Oxford Street has FIVE floors). Upon entering the store I was a little confused as to where the collection was even placed. After wondering around every single section of H&M for about 20 minutes, I finally reached the top floor to a dazzle of flashing lights and a stack of matte black hangers (with very little clothing hanging off them). There was also pumping music and a small crowd of people hastily grabbing clothing in a desperation to purchase something. Shoe boxes were being tossed around in the attempt to see whose feet could squeeze into a pair of size 3 leather sliders, and were then being thrown back to the shop assistants if they didn't. I think it's safe to say it was absolute mayhem. And to reiterate, this was at FIVE O'CLOCK at night.

I hastily started to search for any items left that I could potentially see myself in, but unless you count a pair of leather slacks, there wasn't really anything left that is both wearable and affordable. Saying this though, I was incredibly impressed by the quality of the clothes considering how it was a high street collaboration.  The leather used for the trousers felt incredibly sturdy, and the gym tops were a high-tech breathable fabric that absorbs moisture, which is quite impressive considering they only cost £25. 

So all in all what was my opinion? I have to admit that I did enjoy being able to see the clothes up in person, and if it wasn't for the fact that I couldn't get to Oxford St. before 5PM, I would have love to have gone earlier and at least tried to purchase the 'WANG' jumper or crop top. But saying this, collaborations come and go, I'm sure there will be another one in a couple of months that will knock the Alexander Wang collaboration out the park, so until then enjoy your gym wear, leather and neoprene essentials, I am sure you will look fabulous in them.