Graduate fashion week here I come (albeit slowly!)

Graduate fashion week kicked off on Sunday, but given my jetlag and a minor family crisis (it never rains it pours) I didn't attend any of the shows. Yesterday I had to catch up on emails and other work that actually pays the rent and today and tomorrow, finally, I can begin to check out the talent.

Except, of course, that fate hates me! Why, oh why, would the tube strike start today and run on until Friday? How am I possibly going to get from Earls Court to Mill Hill without the use of the underground network? Tomorrow, for the Gala Show, I certainly intend to find out, using a complex series of about 13 buses, a stack of magazines and several hours of patience. For the shows this evening? I'm in a state of turmoil where my desires for fashion is wrestling with my desire not to get home at 2 in the morning, having spent 5 hours on a bus. Sadly no, I am not exagerating! We'll see.....

Obviously on Thursday morning I will be posting the hundreds of pictures I take at the Gala show. In the meantime, here is a mini roundup of graduate fashion week so far (pictures 'borrowed' from fabsugar!)

Rio Maddison was the standout (for me) from Northumbria University. This outfit looks like a harlequin met Madonna and Balmain in a stud factory! The structured peplum style skirt is incredibly sexual to me and I like the more subtle take on the power shoulders.

Although Sarah Benning (from the university of Westminster) certainly creates eye catching oversized knotted knitwear, it is her almost creepy muscle leggings I can see every girl on the highstreet craving; it certainly beats having to go to the gym for "muscle definition"!

Kingston University's Amy Marshall produced a wonderful array of technicolour bubble shaped knits. I'm a sucker for knitwear (you have to be when you grow up up'tNorth), and this fabulous totally wearable thorover reinvents the wrap up warm cardigan for me.

I know this one has already been posted all over the bloggosphere but I have only one thing to say about Bournemouth's Marte Brauter: love= blonde hairy arms!!

And lastly, but not leastly, London College of Fashion's Annick Littlewood and her leather feathers. Whilst not totally in love with the top of this dress (which has a 90s replicating the 60s feel) the skirt was so wonderful it still made it one of my favourite pieces. Think of the versitility the leather feathers idea has!

Frankly, if this is what i've got to look forward to, I can't wait for Wednesday's show!

Love, Tor x

Virtual Shopping (In every respect)

Hello,

It's been more than a month since my last post, and yet again i've left poor Becky to pick up the slack. I can't even pretend that it's because i've been working especially hard. I've been 'working' on my thesis for 4 weeks now: total word count to date? Zero. In my defence, I have been reading. But i'm not sure I can hand a book list in at the end of all this and hope it will carry me through....

Anyway, believe it or not, it isn't actually whinging about my thesis that has led me by my nose back to the blog, but a newsletter email that landed in my inbox this morning. asos.com have joined forces with the London College of Fashion again to bring 100 one-off pieces from final year students to sell on the site. I saw the pictures of the asos.cm LTD100 collection in thelondonpaper on Thursday, and I was suitably impressed. When I was reminded this morning that the collection went on sale at 1pm today I headed straight over to start a fictional shopping list.

Now the first downside is that, regardless of my dire dire financial situation, this list would have to be fictional: when you click through to see what offerings they had produced in a size 14 you are taken to the menswear section. Hmm, vaguely insulting and unhelpful. My favourite!! The only thing I could've bought and made use of is this lovely doctors style handbag by Ursula Inglis-Jones: I love the gathering detail and the muted colours, but even if I had the scratch, I don't think i'd splash out £200 for it.

"I'm staring into the future and it doesn't look good. But at least my handbag does."

Now lets confuse the virtual nature of this daydream a tiny bit more and imagine I wear a size 8 for the rest of this post. (it's the only way I can possibly contemplate wearing all of these teeny tiny clothes!) If that were true, these are the pieces I would've chosen from the rest of the collection:

In this picture this dress by Preena Patel looks pretty; sheer and flowing and pink. But not mind-blowing. Until, that is, you see the detail on the collar and bust:

Origami paper-folding heaven! Like a thousand tiny fancy napkins all over your chest! The other item that would be welcome to jump straight into my wardrobe are these high-waisted floral trousers by Sandra Rojo:

I'm not usually the kind of girl to get excited about trousers (unless they're jeans, I don't own any and I just don't wear them) but I just fell in love with these. I love the way the density of the flowers and intensity of the colours graduates down the legs.

So there you have it: if I cut myself in half and times the money I currently have in my bank account by ten then that's how I would've spent my day and the funds. A girl can daydream....

Tor x

Sexy Stance for the Grads

Hello blogosphere,

My mother was right - I am a winner! Actually, I always have been. When I was a child, I was quite the tow-headed OCD competition freak. I entered everything and I won a lot: boomboxes, little torches, bright yellow stilts, tickets to see While You Were Sleeping... friends, I was little short of a pre-teen Scarface except instead of cocaine, I was drowning in crossword puzzles and a promotional tape of Madonna's Immaculate Collection. Money, Women, Power etc. Fine times.

Anyway, yesterday I received a hand-addressed envelope through my letterbox and lo! it was from Catwalk Queen and contained two tickets to the Education Day at Graduate Fashion Week where these fine people (and others) will be doing their best Q&A:

Lorraine Candy, Editor of Elle UK

Henry Holland

And it's all hosted by that lady what is off The Clothes Show

How exciting, right? I also get free entry into the exhibition at Earls Court so I can peruse the Graduate collections and hopefully talk to some new and interesting designers. I shall have to wear big confident shoulders to give me courage. I was feeling very fancy-pants and high end getting to attend the Q&A and all, until I read this blurb on the website:

The Education Day is primarily aimed at school groups and those at Further Education Colleges. However individual tickets can be purchased, but under 16’s must be accompanied by an adult.

Wow. Catwalk Queen didn't mention that in their competition blurb. Apparently, I'm gonna be rollin' with the jailbait. Not quite as exclusive and fashiony as I first hoped and the focus will be on Higher Education in fashion but you never know what fascinating tidbits could drop, especially if I ask pertinent questions. Either that, or I attach myself to Lorraine Candy like a particularly ardent Giant Squid until she gives me a job at Elle. I could write that Mademoiselle bullshit anyday of the week.

Artist's impression of Becky climbing the career ladder.
Also pictured: Iain R Webb (with axe, moustache)

So, I received the tickets yesterday and I'm going tomorrow. Things move fast in fashion and fashion-related edu-tainment, huh? What does one wear in this particular field? I've half a mind to tear my wardrobe apart. Bear in mind also that I'll be swinging on by the Topshop flagship to check out the Helmut Newton self-portrait machine. My vanity wouldn't allow anything less - plus Susie Bubble made it look so much fun!

When I take my turn, I'll be channeling these Helmut Newton pics:

Elizabeth Taylor, a distorted reflection and a parrot. Yes. Yes.

Paris Vogue: April 1977 cover

Oh Iman, I love you so much. You rock a turban even better than Andre Leon Talley.

In summation: I'm going to throw a hissy fit if Topshop doesn't let me show my boobs. You can make me up with Nars and throw designer/high street collaborations at me, it don't mean nothing without an angry Newton nipple in the photo. Though I ain't got a Newton model body, I love the strength in these women's stance, the confrontation or self absorbation (actually we could argue the socio-political question of 'gaze' and those ankle shackles in the Imam photo, but I'm certain that both she and Newton are fully aware of the fetishistic and racial implications of the image. I like that it's dangerous and ambiguous and they're dancing on that line -it makes me think of an updated version of Manet's Olympia, and what with the direction of the maid's gaze, the curtain and the reiteration of that paisley wallpaper, I wouldn't be shocked if it was a direct influence) and I want to celebrate that.

Olympia by Edouard Manet (1863)

Hmm. Got a bit academic for a second. Don't worry. There'll be plenty of boobs tomorrow. I have to go and pack and practice my power pose. Wish me luck, internet friends.

Your pal,
Becky