Tight and bright party, Bournemouth

I thought I'd publish a small fancy dress piece about last night's 'tight and bright' themed party at Bar Extreme on Old Christchurch Road, Bournemouth, which I can genuinely say was one of the best nights out I've had so far. The dress code, as you can tell from the photos below, was anything fandangledly bright and colourful.

Moroccan leather bag, Bournemouth University

I love this bag belonging to my coursemate, Tal. Purchased from a market in 
Morocco, the horse leather is a beautiful and rich, dark chocolate brown, while 
the colourful threaded pattern throws in some African shazam.

Nerve* Magazine (September/October 2011)

Below are a few page designs I've been working on for the first issue of Nerve* Magazine this new academic year. Unfortunately, there were a few glitches with the printed issues (namely the fact that two whole pages from a three-page piece were somehow completely ignored), but you can view them all here in pdf format. Please tell me what you think!

Nerve* Fashion (September/October 2011) - designed in Adobe InDesign

GFW -

LFW Street Style - Somerset House, London: Part 8

Even more fashionable guests of London Fashion Week S/S 12...

Fantastic poncho in a fantastic red and stripes.

The colour of the left girl's trousers is so lovely, and the right girl's khaki
trenchcoat is a great autumnal outerwear piece.

I love the long ginger hair and how it matches the orange-ish nebula print top.

The pattern on this woman's dress is very jazzy in its mix of various pastel colours.

Another nice colour contrast, this time between the orange coat and mint green skirt.

Leopard print tights are so unusual, yet look great on this woman.

Two more floaty outfits, particularly the woman on the right with her blue,
star-print blouse. I like the matching hats too.

Who says shirts have to be a certain length? So awesome.

Very cool print for this Chanel shirt.

LFW Street Style - Somerset House, London: Part 7

Even more fashionable guests of London Fashion Week S/S 12...

This young lady was the prettiest girl I saw at Somerset House. Her hair is
beautiful, and I especially love her leopard print ankle boots.

Very different looks, but both are super stylish. The left girl's red coat adds
volume to her cutesy outfit, and her silvery dip-dyed hair is so cool. And I
really like the two (yes, two) collars on the right girl's outfit as well.

A very modern look on the left with modernist sunglasses and bright orange
hair, compared to the more classical style on the right with superb colour
contrast between the orange and blue.

Another excellent contrast between orange and blue.

Very snazzy vertical stripes.

These tights bought from Camden add so much extra character to this outfit.

Probably the most unusual menswear look among the Fashion Week guests.
It's not often you see a guy in a skirt (if it is a skirt?) and tiara, but at the same
time, I do like it. Not for myself though.

A good mix of styles between these girls, but it has to be the galaxy print skirt
which wins my vote out of all three outfits.

I love what this guy has done with his windowpane check blazer. Pushed up
sleeves and a popped collar give this smart-casual style a toughened tone.

The Grand Grotesque Parade (and more...)

On Saturday evening, a mournful rendition of "Oh we do like to be beside the seaside" resounded on the breeze in Bournemouth town. Crowds flocked to the Lower Gardens to witness the 'Grand Grotesque Parade', an artistic reinterpretation of the once-forgotten Edwardian 'Grand Grotesque Carnival', as part of Light Night from the six-week Bournemouth Arts by the Sea Festival.

On the street, Bournemouth

This young woman wears a great mix of colours throughout her outfit. The top 
and skirt flatter her figure, while the headscarf draws attention to her beautiful 
and literally sunkissed hair. Smaller details, namely the vintage jewellery,
add further personality to her colourful style.

How could I not take a photo of these two? They're both dressed so similarly, 
from the Vans to the Ray Bans, that they complement each other wonderfully.

LFW Street Style - Somerset House, London: Part 6

Even more fashionable guests of London Fashion Week S/S 12...

A somewhat delicate style, as created by the lightweight floral jumpsuit, but 
the jacket and hat give this outfit the extra flair.

A fabulous mix of different styles, although my favourite has to be the man 
in the blue suit - very sharp and a lovely shade as well.

Leather jackets seem to add so much volume to an outfit, and that can certainly 
be said in this outfit. Great zingy pattern to the dress too.

LFW Street Style - Somerset House, London: Part 5

More fashionable guests of London Fashion Week S/S 12... 

  

I really love this shot. Beautiful woman, beautiful green dress, beautiful hair.

  

The smart look for women is always so chic, although it's not often you see
a woman wearing a tie. A touch of femininity in the Louis Vuitton bag too.

  

These Converses are just awesome. The two tone design is really eye-catching,
and I particularly like the added feature of studs on the sides of the shoes.

  

A very masculine look, emphasised mainly by the shaggy coat.

  

This style reminds me of the Edwardian dandy gentlemen, who dressed
smartly although sometimes quite quirkily. Cool shoes and snazzy trousers.

  

Gorgeous smile, but I very much adore the contrast of those checks too.

  

An intriguing choice of material for her jumper, but I still like it - matched
well with the shoes and over-the-knee socks.

LFW Street Style - Somerset House, London: Part 4

More fashionable guests of London Fashion Week S/S 12... 

These girls have very vintage-esque looks that complement each other so well.

This young lady was wearing such an extraordinary dress, and duly was

I love Prada sunglasses like these, although they make these two look a bit
like Lady Gaga, if you can see where I'm coming from?

Great mix of colours broken up with a snazzy patterned cardigan.

Beautiful colour co-ordination in plum purple. Very chic, lovely pose.

House of Fraser's fashion fix for charity

(as featured in the BHbeat newspaper, 16th September)

Following the huge success of House of Fraser's “Summer House of Fashion” at Aruba, Bournemouth earlier this year, the department store on Old Christchurch Road, Bournemouth, held an autumn catwalk show earlier this month.

Dude Shoes: A Review

(as featured in the BHbeat newspaper, 16th September)

As a wearer of mostly smart boots and lace-ups, a pair of casual shoes from Poole-based footwear company Hey Dude would have generally gone unnoticed. But having put these, as they have been dubbed, “super light shoes” to the test, they have proven to be the lightest and most comfortable shoes I have so far experienced.

The DuPont sole is the not-so-secret magic that makes Dude Shoes so light, as well as giving them the strength and elasticity to endure and absorb rough terrain. Their special engineering means a pair of Dude Shoes can weigh as little as 150g a pair.

However, it is not the shoes' lightness or sturdiness, but rather the spongy leather in-sole that really sells this brand. Dude Shoes make walking a comfortable affair even after several hours of rambling.

Hey Dude's headquarters are located in Poole, but their shoes are sold on a nationwide level – their biggest stockist being multiple shoe retailer tReds. Trish Martin, senior buyer at tReds said: “It is one of the best-selling brands in-store, and we are glad to be supporting a fellow independent Dorset-based company.”

Hey Dude produce a range of alternative styles, with quirky names to match, like Farty and Wally. Designs include fur-lined logger boots and suede desert boots, all with the same lightweight materials and comfy soles.

Yet super light does not necessarily equate to super cheap – the Wally, for example, retails at £40 a pair. But for the sheer comfort of the in-soles and the convenience of their near-weightlessness, Dude Shoes are definitely worth considering.

(To visit the Hey Dude website, click here)