London Fashion Week

As you probably already know, last week played host for London Fashion Week over at the infamous Somerset House, Topshop Show Space and Freemasons Hall. I was lucky enough to get a front of house internship with a PR company - Ella Dror - and attended my first ever season. It was an experience I'll never forget and I really hope that I can do it again another season.

Instead of waffling on and on about all of the looks I saw, I thought it best to pick my favourite of the four shows to write about: Sibling.

(All other photos are not my own)

Was anyone else completely and utterly blown by the statement bow at Sibling? Oh so adorably spring. Bralets and crops seem set to stay for spring/summer next season, but we can also expect beautiful full skirts layered with volumes of ruffles to make an appearance on our shop shelves. Texture combinations were a big thing for Sibling's show this season as sheers clashed with thick bundles of fabric creating such a stunning contrast. The colour orange also made a regular appearance, alongside monochromatic blacks and whites.

Geometric Monochrome

I know it's time for transitioning into AW14 and all, but the weather's still pretty warm and I've only recently really just bought this dress in the Boohoo sale, so why shoo summer away so soon? Oh, and besides, there's nothing more autumn/winter than a bit of monochrome, right?

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Admittedly, I'm not the biggest wearer of dresses, but when I spotted this one at such a good price in the boohoo sale, I simply could not resist. Anything monochrome can really be worn all year round making this great for layering in the up and coming autumn months where I'll probably be teaming it with a chunky knits and ankle boots. I'm also quite liking the whole retro/70s look coming back around, so I think this geometric shift dress is pretty fitting.

By teaming this with my plain black kimono and white caged sandals, I tried to maintain the moody monochrome look. Call me slow, but I can't believe I only purchased my first kimono a couple of weeks ago - the things I've been missing out on! They're so cool to wear in hot weather and just perfect for covering up your shoulders and adding a more elegantly floaty feel.

Dress - Boohoo

Kimono - Boohoo

Shoes - New Look

Have you picked up any bargains in the end of summer sales?

South France Holiday Diary

There's one type of post that I've particularly enjoyed reading over the past couple of months: the holiday diary. I think there's just something rather nice and interesting about seeing what other people have been getting up to over the summer and what they've been enjoying - or perhaps I'm just nosy - so I thought I'd follow the trend and upload my own little holiday diary.

Last week, we jetted off to Antibes, in the south of France for a long weekend away. I've never actually been to the south of France before, and to be honest, it wasn't quite what I had expected, in fact, it was a whole lot better! For some unknown reason, I had expected a slightly warmer edition of the UK, but being in the north of the Mediterranean, there was a lot more palm trees and a lot more sun!

We flew with Easy Jet and it really was easy! The flight was smooth and despite a small delay of ten minutes, we still made it in good time. The sky was clear of clouds coming over our destination so we got a good view of the country from up above. Once landed in Nice, the process of departing the plane was so quick and really took no time at all.

This year we opted to try something different to our usual choice of a hotel by staying in a villa which we booked through Airbnb. The owner of the villa was so helpful and picked us up from the bus stop before booking a taxi for us since we speak very little French.

The villa, located in Juan Les Pins, was so well equipped with a washing machine, oven, dishwasher, microwave, kettle, fridge freezer, plates, glasses and even salt and pepper! The owner, Martine, was also kind enough to leave us a bottle of water in the fridge along with a bunch of grapes on the table too!

Alongside the kitchen, there were two bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and a toilet - I was actually surprised at how big and spacious the place was. 

We stayed on the first floor of the building; Martine lives on the ground floor which is really helpful if you need anything. However, everything is separated and different - you honestly wouldn't even know that she's there! Around one side of the villa circles a balcony which leads to a gate and some steps: the entrance/exit. It was so safe and secure with a couple of locked gates to get through.

Additionally, there was another balcony around the back which looked out onto some beautiful views.

Most days we spent at the beach which was only a couple of minutes walk from the villa. The sea was pretty cold, but refreshing, and once you got in, its wasn't bad at all! The depth was shallow for quite a way and there were a fair few fish swimming around! Distributed along the beach were a number of kiosks selling a variety of things ranging from hot dogs to fruit smoothies to ice-creams - even nutella paninis!!

We ate out most nights during our stay, but my favourite in particular had to be this cute little restaurant just off of the beach. I had the nicest Carbonara which was served with bread followed by a kinder surprise ice-cream for dessert which was probably the second best ice-cream I'd ever tasted! (It didn't quite beat the nutella one we had on the beach, but that's one flavour I don't think will ever be beaten!)

The water jug was a colour tinted wine bottle which was unusually different but so cute!

We had such a nice few days in Antibes and I would really recommend it to anyone!

Just in case anyone's interested, you can click here for the link to the villa which we stayed in. Also, if you would like to try airbnb for your next trip, use this link to get a £15 credit on your booking.

Did you go away this summer? Where did you go?

Neon Pink Pop

Hello (or should I say bonjour) from the south of France where I'm currently chilling on the balcony of the villa that we're staying in after just heading out to dinner. Yesterday, we spent the day on the beach where I opted to wear my favourite playsuit from boohoo.com.

Playsuits are just so comfortable and practical (okay, besides those I need to strip in order to go to the toilet moments) and so easy to style without having the trouble of searching for the perfect top to pair it with. I'm still completely loving Aztec print alongside the monochrome trend, and let's not forget to mention the fact that pink is my favourite colour, there's no wonder I fell for this at first sight! I love the brightness of the neon pink and how it breaks up the moodyness of the monochrome, adding that summer touch.

I decided to team this with my super comfortable jelly shoes from New Look - they're practically the definition of beach perfection.

Have you been sporting the all-in-one trend this summer? How have you been wearing it?

Plymouth Aquarium

A couple of weeks ago we headed out for the day to Plymouth Aquarium in order to capture some photos for my Unit 3 Textiles which I will be starting in September: Sea Life. There were so many pretty fish and other sea life creatures of all colours and patterns and I managed to take lots of photos which will hopefully stem some textile ideas. We even stuck around one part to watch the divers in the big tank which was pretty interesting. The aquarium really is a great day out, so I thought I'd share some of the pictures that I took.

I think my favourites have to be the pink lion fish (just look at those patterns!) and the turtle which was just so fascinating and graceful! Have you been to the aquarium lately? What were your favourites?

Back to College/School Wishlist

So going back to school or college after a long summer break probably isn't something that you really want to think about, especially as we're only half way through August. However, with only a couple of weeks until I start my second year of college, I'm beginning to get a tad excited about the whole back to school haul. I absolutely love stationery shopping and collecting up cutely patterned notebooks and folders as well as finding the perfect bag and coat.

1) T-Shirt Sticky Notes - Paperchase

These fun and quirky sticky notes are definitely something I've never seen before and I absoluetely adore them! Post-its are great for revision and just general reminders, but when your notes look pretty you're probably more likely to remember them. Pale green and blue colours are also included in the pack which make separating and colour coding revision subjects more easier. They also come with a pack of coat hanger shaped paper-clips. This is the first I've heard of them, but they definitely do sound pretty cool.

2) Notebook - WHSmiths

WHSmiths is my go-to for notebooks - they always stock so many different patterns and styles, and there's just so many to chose from! I love all things floral at the moment, and these contrasting block patterns just look really pretty. The pages are A4, lined and pre-punched making them simple and easy to use and fuss-free!

3) Butterfly folder - WHSmiths

Folders are another thing which I often look out for in WHSmiths. Again, they're always really pretty with so many different patterns to chose from just to make your work look that little more appealing. I also find that they last a long time and I often do re-use them too. Again, I chose this print purely because I can't get enough of floral patterns!

4) Floral pencil case - Amazon
The last of the floral print (honest) is this adorable pencilcase from Amazon. As a child I may have had a slight collection/obsession with pencilcases, and to be honest, that love has not yet gone away! I love the cute and girly colours on this one and the lace trim just makes it even more adorable!

5) Converse - Schuh
The last (and first) pair of converse that I bought, I purchased just over a year ago and have lived in them pretty much ever since. They're so comfortable and practical and can tone down any outfit for a casual day look. But just recently, they've been looking a bit worn out and the front of the sole is coming loose...time for a new pair soon then, I should think! I absolutely love the colour of this turquoise pair and I think that they'd be so easy to style with any coloured outfit too.

6) Grid print backpack - New Look

I tend to find rucksacks the most suitable bag for school/college days and I am lusting over this white grid one. Tartan/check/grid - and all of the likes - are making a huuugge comeback for AW14 and this backpack is just utterly perfect! It seems to have a slightly formal look about it but that can be easily toned down with something casual, such as jeans or leggins.

7) Duster Coat - Missguided
Duster coats are looking up to be quite a trend for autumn/winter, and I love this longline black one from missguided! The 3/4 length sleeves make it perfect for autumn when it's getting that bit cooler whilst the longline style gives it an elegant and sophisticated appeal.

8) Lace trim socks - Topshop

So adorably cute are the Topshop lace trim socks and I honestly don't think I'm ever going to get bored of them. I tend to wear them with converse, vans and ankle books as I think they just sweeten up any outfit whilst adding a bit of detail through the lace trim.

9) Mini snack boxes - Not on the Hightstreet (.com)
I'm always taking snacky things to eat in between my lessons at college (comletely and utterly guilty) and how cute are these snack boxes?! I love the witty slogans and the pots are a great size for fitting into your bag with out taking up too much room - perfect!

What's on your back to school items? Are you looking forward to the start of the autumn term?

Teen Choice Awards 2014 - The Best Dressed

So the Teen Choice Awards happened over in Los Angeles over the weekend, and, being the big fan of red carpet fashion that I am, I simply had to share my favourite looks from the red (blue) carpet. I do particularly enjoy the TCAs, I think it's the element of fun that the awards hold and the way that it's not taken all too seriously... can you imagine a surfboard shaped award at the Oscars? Thought not. So without further ado, here are my favourite looks from the TCA's blue carpet: 2014 edition.

Shay Mitchell

Canadian actress and model Shay Mitchel looked to die for in the most gorgeous Misha Collection lace white two piece. The midi pencil skirt and fitted bralet work exceptionally well together, highlighting the actresses oh-so-feminine silhoette, resulting in such a sophisticated look. I love the lace straps and hems as they add delicate detail to the elegant look.

Nina Dobrev

Confession time: I am a massive fan of The Vampire Diaries and I do have a slight (big) girl crush on Nina Dobrev. So really, there's no surprise that I've featured her in this post! The actress opted for a Vionet pair of co-ords which I completely and utterly love - so on point. The brightly contrasting colours add a fun and popping element to the two piece set, making quite sure that she did not go amiss! I adore her bubblegum pink Kurt Geiger courts as they harmonise so perfectly with the radiant colours in the co-ord crop and shorts set.

Sarah Hyland

Award show co-host and American actress Sarah Hyland opted for a dazzling Marc Jacobs disco dress with a daring yet sophisticated plunging neckline. The hundreds of sparkling sequins really add that glamorous impact, whilst the above-the-knee cut keeps it fun and not too formal. I love the choice of the black strappy sandals as they manage to create a subtle, slightly gothic look when teamed with the all over black dress.

Hailee Steinfield

American actress Hailee Steinfield looked amazing in this cutely cut Ellie Saab skater dress. I feel like this ensemble could have either gone one of two ways, however she totally pulls it off. The collared blouse style top has a vintage appeal whilst the mesh panels prevent it from looking all too dated. I love the delicate detail and how it adds grace and luxury to the gown, as well as how the use of pink breaks up the monochrome, making it appear more modern.

Bella Thorne

I am still in the midst of coming to grips with how this American actress, singer, model and dancer is only sixteen years old, but there you have it. The teen opted for this Johnny Wujek number and I love the dramatic effect of the oversized skirt as it works so well with the oversized floral print. The brilliant blue is such a beautiful colour and matches the blue carpet perfectly (bonus!). The fitted bodice and heartshaped neckline add an element of sophistication as it enhances her feminine figure.

So there you have it for another year - my round up of the best dressed at the TCAs. What were your favourite red carpet looks? Did you enjoy these ones?