On Monday evening, I was invited to Miele's showroom, just off Oxford Street, for an Evening With Jasper Garvida. Most of you may know Jasper from Project Catwalk, and, in the last few years, he has really proven himself as a designer.
It was a really fun event and got to meet Hannah, Claire, Harriet, and Kavita, who were all absolutely lovely. The event was really interesting, and I did learn quite a bit about Miele. They did a 'rose test', which is where they put a rose in a washing machine, and after a wash, the rose comes out looking pretty perfect. We were all really impressed by this. The point was that Miele washing machines are really good for delicate clothing.
(Picture thanks to Claire)
He said he first got interested in fashion when he was 3 ad he started playing with his sister's hat at a wedding, but never considered it a proper career, until he was 19, and moved to London, from Toronto.
He went on to explain his style icons, and described Greta Garbo as one of them. She was a 1920's star and it's very clear to see her influences in the collection. It is all very 1920's elegance. It's all very 'fetch' (have been dared to use that word in a post, lol.) A lot of the pieces from the AW10 collection are clearly inspired from the 1920's Art Decor movement.
He also mentioned his key pieces for every woman. He said that every woman needs to hav gorgeous lingerie that she can feel super sexy in.
And he gave some advice for any young designers. He says that the fashion world is not easy ad that there'll always be someone putting you down. You have to really work hard and think of long term aims and goals.
And we got a sneaky comment about what SS11 will be: silky and light. Shhhhhh.
I know Hannah managed to get a one-to-one interview with Jasper, so keep an eye out for that.
Above, the lovely Harriet is modelling one of the pieces, and below is my favourite piece from the collection.
Sherin xx
I have very little money right about now, so wasn't intending on going shopping anytime soon! But, I can't go too long without spending money. Luckily, this shopping trip was full of bargains. We went to 'Southhall', which is a place in London that specialises in South Asian things (clothes, food, accessories).I managed to get the last one of this bag. I love the colour so much and it was only £3.50! How amazing is that? My friend's birthday is coming up, and I bought her a bag as well from the same place. I won't show you a picture or tell you the price because I know she occassionally checks out our blog, but it is a gorgeous bag.
I also got this outfit:
It was literally love at first sight. I saw it and immediately wanted it. I thought the colours and design were lovely. And we negotiated a lot for it. He was selling it at £70, and we got the price down to £40! One of my mum's skills is negotiating prices, so I let her get the price down. I think the trousers are lovely. You can see the amazing detailing on the side of each leg. Also, there is a reason for my weirdish pose: I'm holding up my trousers. When you buy South Asian clothes, the trousers aren't fitted at all. They come like 5 sizes too big, and you're supposed to put your own elastic in it. Have any of you been out on a shopping spree lately?Sherin xx
I just found out about this really cool company - T-box. They squeeze all sorts of garments - t-shirts, dresses, bikinis, undies - into a tiny little box! It doesn't seem to be available in very many countries, but if you manage to get your hands on one, please let us know! I'd love to be able to pack my wardrobe into tiny boxes - it would be great for traveling.
Events:
If you are in Manchester over the Easter Weekend, be sure to make it to Vintage Threads Easter Eggs-travaganza. It is going to be the UK's biggest Vintage Market, for men and women, and will include clothing and accessories. It will be located at The Triangle in Manchester on Friday 2nd April (11am-5pm) and Saturday 3rd April (9am-6pm). And to top it all off: it is a FREE EVENT! There will be cool events troughout the 2 days, such as clothing alteration workshops and a tea party. If only I lived a bit further North!! For more information, check out their website. 
And for all you London bloggers, there is an exclusive Flash Sale at Anna Lou of London on Wednesday. It will be at their Anna Lou Shop (21 Fouberts Place, W1F 7QE) at will only be for 2 hours: 1-3pm. Everything will be 50% off, such as these gorgeous enamal heart cuffs. It is guest list only and you can register here. I've already registered and can't wait to go.
Happy Sunday!
xx
Earlier this week, I was invited to a Quentin Mackay Press Day for their AW10 collection. Quentin Mackay bags are gorgeous and we've seen them on the likes of Victoria Beckham.
AW2010 is the third season for Quentin Mackay, and his Ball & Claw collection has received a lot of attention. It's a beautiful design and so well thought out. He got the idea for it from the carving of the feet of a sewing machine he received from his Grandmother when he was 15.I managed to speak to Quentin Mackay and he was really interesting and knowledgable about the bags. He went through each collection bag by bag, and I learnt a lot about the bags and the brand.The bags aren't mass produced items and each one has a unique code to it.The inside lining is red, and like with all the other bags, each one is individually branded and numbered on the inside, making each one unique. It is evident to see that the bags are madereally well: Quentin Mackay said that he has a passion about quality and hardware, so you can see that no corners were cut when making each bag. You can also the quality of the brass hardware of the Ball and Claw on each bag. The Ball & Claw is either brass with platinum (silver) or brass with gold plating (gold). Quentin explained the process of making the Ball & Chain and it's a very delicate and intricate process: exactly like how jewellery is made.
Persia Bags:These bags were all gorgeous. They are large-ish shoulder bags, which is a perfect day bag. It is clear the Quentin really thought about functionality when designing this. Each bag has a key leash on it, and it can also be used as a safety clasp, so that you can attach it to your arm or chair.While talking to Mackay, I also learnt a bit about the designing world. One particular skin, called Porosus Crocodile, is very hard to come by and a very small amount gets allocated to designers.Jeannie Bag
GT (Gorgeous Treatment)This is a more casual bag, and is quite slouchy, that you can put it on your shoulder. Again, it's clear to see that Quentin thought about functionality. The strap can be extended, so that you have it as a shoulder bag, and it can also be made a lot smaller, so that it's more of a handbag. I felt the Python one in this collection and it felt really good. Daphne and Delphine:
Both these bag's are more of an evening style. Both have really light chains, making them easier to carry in the evening. Daphne is very soft leather, made from Sugar Wool. The other collection is the 'Showgirl' one. I loved how Quentin 
described these. He used the word: 'luxology', which refers to technology being used in bags. The bags are made from a very lightweight material and have carbon fibre handles, with a palladium finishing The bags also come with a 'B-Tag'. Basically, you take a picture of the tag, on your phone, and it will automatically direct you to the website, giving you more information about the product and the brand.For more information, check out the website.Sherin xxP.S. I have two very interesting events next week as well, so yay!P.P.S: I may be lacking in outfit posts over the coming weeks. from the end of next week, I will officially be out on the campaign trail for a politician in the run up to the Election. That means that I'm going to constantly be in jeans and sneakers.
FASHION WEEK!!
Photo Credit: We Heart It
Fear not, this won't be like the History lessons we had at school, with a teacher so old that you were sure they were actually there at the events they were talking about. This is a Sherin-style history lesson.
We all love Fashion Weeks. All the designers and celebrities rushing around and models looking amazing: what's there not to love. But have you ever wondered how it first started and why?
The first Fashion Week was set up in 1943, during the war. At that time, France really was the fashion capital of the world. All the big shows took place there and all the journalists went over there to report on fashion. 
In 1943, France was occupied and so, journalists were unable to travel there. In New York, publicist Eleanor Lambert, decided to host the first New York Fashion Week, or as then known as 'Press Week'.
(Photo Credit)
The aim was to distract attention from French Fashion and to, instead, showcase American designers. The result of this was magazines which usually only focused on French designers turned their attention to more local talent.At that time, American designers and fashion was thrust into the limelight and gained new momentum. Editors and buyers were given the opportunity to report on American collections, which allowed Magazines to move away from French dominated designs.Every year, NYFW was held in a different location, until 1994. 
This is when Fashion Week in New York, as we know it, came about. The event was moved to Bryant Park, inside a number of white tents, and no one has looked back since.
(Photo Credit)
Since then, many cities followed New York's example. London had it's first Fashion Week in 1961, Paris in 1973 and Milan in 1979. Since then, many more cities have decided to have Fashion Week's of their own to showcase local designers. However, the 'Big Four' are still New York, London, Paris and Milan, and each has earned it's title as a fashion capital. Sao Paulo, in Brazil, has now been named as the 5th most important Fashion Week.As you know, each city has two Fashion Weeks a year. Autumn/Winter is shown in February and Spring/Summer is shown in September. The main aim of Fashion Week, today, is for brands and Fashion Houses to show their latest collections and to show buys and industry experts the latest trends. Fashion Weeks are held months in advance as it then gives the press the opportunity to preview all the trends and designs for the next season.
The great thing about Fashion Week is that it allows all the designers to interact with each other and discuss the fashion world, as well as be seen by the media. Are there any other history lessons you'd like?
(Miss) Sherin xx
P.S. I want to start up my Fashion in Politics posts again. Anyone have any ideas who I could feature?
Both Leia and myself were lucky enough to get invited to Lublu's AW 2010/11 Press Event. Neither of us knew much about the company at first, but we both loved it after taking a look at the collection.
The designer behind the collection is Kira Plastinina, who started designing when she was 14!! By looking at the collection, you can tell that she's really talented. (The skirt on the left, modelled by Sara from the PR company behind the event, was made from rubber. It felt so amazing!)
The brand debuted in 2008 at Moscow Fashion Week and was an instant success. Right now, in England, the collection is only available in Harrods, and is selling really well!I was lucky enough to spot Kira at the Press Event and had to ask her where she got her inspiration.
She said that she was reading 'Goethes Faust' and that it was about the conflict between good and bad. She was designing the collection at that time and wanted to incorporate it into the collection.You can clearly see the good and bad contrast in the collection. The good side of the collection is full of nudes and beiges, which show naivety and innocence. One the other hand, the clothes that reflect bad are edgier, with a lot of grey and black, which show a much darker side.
Kira wanted to create this collection for women who are brave when it comes to fashion, and there is a lot of leather and lace.
You can see heavy inspiration from the 90's as well. There were a lot of crosses on the clothes as well as a lot of fishnets and holes in the clothes. There were also a lot of feathers and drapings.
What do you think of the collection?Sherin xxP.S. We have another Press Day next week, which I'm very excited for.
Unfortunately, I didn't get to go to any of the Fashion Week's. I did, however, get to go to the (kinda) political equivelant of them. It was the Spring Party Conference where the members of the Political Party all get together and discuss issues. This was, in theory, my first 'business trip' (I'm an intern with a Political Party) and although I was working, so on my feet the whole weekend, I did have a lot of fun. The Conference was absolutely buzzing, and there were so many cool people to meet and network with.
I did have to go on a few shopping sprees beforehand, to ensure that I looked good, comfortable and professional. My usual work outfits are slightly more casual, so I did need a lot more mature pieces for the weekend.I'm also going to refer to some of the politicians that I met, which all you non Brits will probably not know.Day 1:
I'm wearing Boohoo Skirt, Nine West Shoes, H&M topThis outfit got me through the whole first day and an 
interesting experience. I was waiting for the lift in the hotel, with a friend, and when the doors opened, Nick Clegg was in there!!! (Nick Clegg is the leader of the party that I intern for). We both got really starstruck and shuffled in nervously. We then gawked at him, mouth open and eyes popping. He was really nice and started talking to us. He had an amazing presence about him and was really down to earth. Unfortunately, I'm kind of a loser, so when the lift stopped on our floor, we didn't get out, but continued to talk to him and completely missed our floor.The colours of the party are yellow and turquoise, so it was quite interesting to see some of the ways that people tried to incorporate this in their clothes. Not many of us were impressed with the guy in the bright yellow skinny trousers:
That is fellow intern, and my room mate for the trip, Orchid. We decided to have her pretend to pose, so that we weren't too obvious.The day was quite chilled as it was the first day of the conference. I was really lucky to meet some of the really high profile politicians, as well as my local MP, who I've always found really inspiring, and she definitely lived up to my expectations.Day 2:
Orchid in amazing Topshop Harem Pants. She pulled them off so well. And the white blazer had amazing shoulders on them.
I'm wearing H&M trousers, Barratts Shoes, Dorothy Perkins top and FCUK waistcoat.The second day is when it all properly kicked off, and we had to be up really early. Orchid knew what she was doing and went to bed early the night before. I wasn't so clever and stayed out till about 1am and got very little sleep, so I was knackered. I was running around between buildings all day and was told NOT to be in heels this day because of all the running around I had to do.Evening:
The above pictures were taken at the end of the night, instead of the beginning.When I was making my timetable for the weekend, I was especially careful to make sure I added time to change my outfit on Saturday night. There was an importantish reception and we knew we'd be out fairly late. I'm wearing a Camden Dress, Dorothy Perkins top and Priceless shoes.
The evening was quite surreal and I was introduced to Lembit Opik (He's a high profile politican). He was simply amazing to talk to and was so hilarious. I then spent then next few hours talking to a very very very cute guy. Ahhh, good times.Day 3:
I loved Orchid's shoes so much. They had a slight heel on them and were so cute.
I kind of fell in love with this dress. I bought it the day before I went to the Conference, from New Look, and it was on sale!The detailing on the back is probably my favourite thing about the whole dress!There is a General Election coming up, so I am in full political mode these days.Sherin xx
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(Picture thanks to Claire)
He said he first got interested in fashion when he was 3 ad he started playing with his sister's hat at a wedding, but never considered it a proper career, until he was 19, and moved to London, from Toronto. 
