Pokesdown - Bournemouth's Vintage Quarter

"Pokesdown went one step closer to firmly establishing itself as Bournemouth’s vintage quarter, after a busy late-night shopping event last Thursday.

Coinciding with the arrival of the town’s first Christmas tree with lights, vintage shops along Christchurch Road stayed open until 10pm, while the Tattoo Parlour Café, near Pokesdown train station, held an independent traders fayre, selling an assortment of crafts and handmade trinkets."

Dapper magician, Chris Keward, and owner of 'What Alice Found', Nicki Grainger

There certainly have been quite a few Pokesdown-related blog posts recently, but it just goes to show how much the town is hoping to get noticed and rejuvenate its vintage spirit.

To read more of my write-up for BHbeat on Pokesdown's late night shopping event, please click the following link: "Is Pokesdown Bournemouth's new Vintage Quarter?"

What Alice Found vintage calendar

"In the countdown to 2012, Pokesdown vintage boutique 'What Alice Found' has released a vintage-themed calendar for the new year."

(Image courtesy of Nicki Grainger, photography by Emily Fisher - Fishee Designs)

I've had a bit of a dry spell on the BHbeat byline front, but thankfully, this is the first of a few more to come in the next couple of weeks. I won't give away any details - you'll have to look online or pick up a copy of the free newspaper.

But for now, you can have a read of today's news feature about a vintage-style calendar, produced by two shop owners in Pokesdown. Please click the following link to read the full article: "Vintage-style calendar shot in local businesses"

Retro clothing under one roof at the Pavilion

(as featured in the BHbeat newspaper, 13th October)

The nationwide-famous Judy's Affordable Vintage Fair came to Bournemouth Pavilion, drawing in hundreds of shoppers on 8th October.

Beales Girls Night Out

(as featured in the BHbeat newspaper, 13th October)

Earlier this month, Beales department store in Bournemouth held its semi-annual fashion show, Girls Night Out, featuring performances from former X-Factor contestants and local lads, The Reason 4.

On 6th October, about 500 fashion conscious individuals attended the event which included a catwalk of new and upcoming autumn and winter styles from such brands as Barbour, Esprit, Duck and Cover, and Calvin Klein. The evening was held to support Dorset children’s hospice, Julia’s House, for which over £9,000 was raised.

Lin Hudswell from Julia’s House said: “I was absolutely blown away by the show and the support from Beales couldn’t have come at a more crucial time.”

Upon arrival, guests were offered complimentary makeovers from the in-store beauty team while treated to the mellow tones of professional singer Katie Francesca. Everyone seated at 7:30pm for the main event, complete with a real runway.

Southampton boy band The Reason 4, who made it to the judges’ houses in last year’s X-Factor, were the surprise musical appetiser and finale for the catwalk, performing a cover of Maroon 5’s “Moves Like Jagger” and their new single “Empty Bottles”.

The Reason 4 with Beales CEO Tony Brown (left) and designer George Davies (right)

Afterwards, the band signed autographs and posed for photos with their fans. 26-year-old Glenn from the band said: “I thought the show was a great success. The models looked great and there’s something here at Beales for everyone. I feel good to be a part of it.”

Also at the event was designer, George Davies, who came to promote his new clothing collections at Beales – ‘GEM’ for women and ‘Broadbents & Boothroyds’ for men – which were featured in the fashion show. George, who also founded ‘George at Asda’, gave a substantial donation towards the show’s cause.

He told BHbeat: “The people here are amazing and the fashion is great but more importantly, what it does for charity is even better. I’d travel anywhere for that.”

(Link to online article: http://bhbeat.com/18094/beales-girls-night-out)

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)

Fashion from BHbeat (16th September)

Picking up the latest issue of BHbeat's print edition, I found I have an entire page! As the new "BHbeat fashion guru" (not a title I chose myself, I assure you), I am now writing local fashion stories on a fortnightly basis, with articles featuring both online and in print.

The two articles in the current issue of BHbeat's newspaper are currently exclusive to print, but I shall publish them to this blog this week with extra photos.

Vintage fashion in Bournemouth

"When you buy vintage, you breathe new life into fashion, a fashion that once upon a time was outdated and unwanted. But now, vintage and retro clothing has become timeless – a clear advantage against the come-and-go trends of the high street."

At last, another fashion-related piece published for BHbeat, this time on the topic of vintage fashion. The article has been published on the BHbeat website, but will also be featured in the upcoming issue of their print publication. In addition, they have sampled some of my style spotting photos, which you may recognise from previous posts.

If you liked my opening paragraph, please click the following link to read the full article: "Vintage fashion: bringing back old school glamour"

Interview with Caryn Franklin

Yesterday, I had the privilege to interview British fashion expert and renowned style guru Caryn Franklin. For her significant contribution to the fashion industry, notably her latest initiative, "All Walks Beyond the Catwalk", the Arts University College Bournemouth have awarded Caryn with an Honorary Fellowship. 

The subsequent article was written for BHbeat, who I will now be writing for on a fortnightly basis as their new fashion writer. If you have the time, please have a read of my article: "'All Walks Beyond the Catwalk', an interview with Caryn Franklin"

(Photo courtesy of Caryn Franklin, photography by Chris Floyd)

To find out more about 'All Walks Beyond the Catwalk', please visit http://allwalks.org.

Summer House of Fashion

Yesterday evening, I attended "Summer House of Fashion", a local charity fashion event held by House of Fraser in aid of the Wessex Cancer Trust. However, instead of writing about it for this blog, I typed up an article for BHbeat - an independent guide to the best of Bournemouth, Poole and Christchurch.

The feature was published this morning, and I'm pretty chuffed about getting my first ever byline. If you have a spare moment, please do have a read by clicking the following link: "Aruba Fashion Show raises money for Cancer trust"

To view all my photos of the event, you can find them either on BHbeat's Flickr account, or on the BHbeat Facebook page.