Fashion Voyeur

People will stare, make it worth their while.

Categories: The Archives, The Fashion Closet

Winchester School of Art Graduate Runway Show

The Winchester School of Art is proud to be one of the UK’s leading art and design institutions and part of the world renowned University of Southampton.  An international centre for ideas and innovation, they have a history which spans almost 150 years.  Ranked among the top 1% of universities worldwide, the University of Southampton is recognised as a global centre for excellence in research and education. Their reputation, which is reflected in their UK and international league table rankings, is built on a long history of world-changing achievements.  96% of graduates go straight into employment or further study, over 75% of which is graduate level (Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Survey, 2015/16), now those are some impressive stats.

The Programme for Fashion & Textile Design at Winchester School of Art is alway one that produces talented graduates and alumni – it’s over-subscription reflects that.  This year, twenty out of their fifty students were selected to showcase their graduate collections at a show following Graduate Fashion Week, hand picked by a panel consisting of Cozette McCreery, Sibling, Clare Copland, Production Element, Sophia Malig, By Walid, Lisa Burn-Hunter, WSA Knitwear Tutor and Cecilia Langemar MA RCA, Programme Leader Fashion & Textile Design for Winchester School of Art.

“This was my first time on the WSA panel, I didn’t know much about the institute which sounds bad but we can be so lazy when based in central London that we often don’t look beyond what we already know. I was intrigued to see what the students had to offer. The freedom given to them in comparison to other universities is clear. When actually selecting from the 50 students I have to go for my gut reaction. There were quite a few collections that honestly, I loved instantaneously so that was easy. Others I felt had a place because they looked cohesive and a few where the student had obviously had fun with their ideas and offered real show-pieces. You must take into consideration the flow of the final running order and what will make a good show a GREAT one. This sometimes means that the more accomplished, yet quieter collections don’t get to catwalk but having an exciting catwalk creates a buzz for everyone so it’s important to show the really visual looks as an introduction to the overall output of the student’s work”.  Cozette McCreery, Sibling.

As far as Fashion design courses in the UK go, there are a few which stand out as amongst the best.  One of those is right here in the North East in the form of Northumbria University and amongst the others is Winchester School of Arts.  The institute prides itself on producing highly creative, skilled and hands on design graduates suitable for a range of positions within the Fashion Industry upon completion of their degree course.

Each year graduates take up roles in prestigious companies internationally and in the UK.  The 2018 show presented pieces from: Sofi Lever; Ning Kang; Abigail Skrentny; Grace Haggerty; Jasmine Lynch; Isabella del Zoppo; Becky Chandler; Lauren Sampson; Ashleigh Cameron; Holly Baxter; Zoe Lyne; Madison Weight; Evie Knott; Rui Cheng; Ezgi Gunay; Jessye Bolton; Hannah Franks; Chiara Bradfield; Yuxin Li and Ruje Aktar to an audience of super cool peeps including myself, who were engaged throughout.  It’s easy to forget that these designers are graduates when you’re watching the show.  From the production, to the casting and right through to the quality of the design and manufacture of each garment, the standard is as you would expect from London Fashion Week.  It’s undoubtable that we’ll see some of these designers showing full collections on the runways of fashion Scout in the coming years.

A further ten students were selected to present one complete mannequin outfit The Vinyl Factory as part of an innovative display of fashion design techniques: Charlotte Oliver; Courtney Wheeler; Yaming Zhang; Elena Hillier; Diva de Sa Menezes; Claudia Friel; Evie Cox; Anna Bateman; Maddy Page and Ellie Biggs made up the cohort.

“The panel select the students based on originality, creativity, professional execution and finish, silhouettes and colour story, level of pattern cutting and construction, ‘catwalkability’ and wow factor and a sense of a fully formed coherent collection. WSA BA Students are very able designers in terms of creative concepts realised to a professional standard in terms of make and finish. Most of our students progress into industry straight away after the BA course into a range of companies and studios, from Alexander McQueen and Victoria Beckham to Asos and Topshop. Some of the fabrications this year have been outstanding from both the Fashion and Knitwear students with some handmade woven leather fabrics, creative hand embroidery and embellishment and some innovative knitted fabrics with stunning yarn combinations”.

Cecilia Langemar MA RCA, Programme Leader Fashion & Textile Design for Winchester School of Art

 

Categories: The Archives, The Beauty Cupboard, The Fashion Closet

How To Find An Awesome Aesthetics Practitioner

The aesthetics business is booming right now and the rise in so called “Selfie Surgery” is fuelling that boom.  From minor ‘tweakments’ to full scale surgery, it’s never been more normal, or accepted to admit that you’ve had work done.  What was once only accessible to the rich and famous has hit the mainstream and I can guarantee that you already know someone who’s dabbled in the world of aesthetic treatment, whether you know it or not.  It’s no longer about looking ‘done’, just as fashion has trends, so does the beauty industry and within that, the aesthetic industry.  In the 90’s Pamela Anderson appeared on the scene with her surgically enhanced breasts and the silicone era was born, today’s version is Kylie Jenner, with her plump lips and crease free face, she’s the poster child for an industry that we hold up as the Holy Grail.

two images of Kylie Jenner side by side showing the pre and post effects of her facial aesthetic treatments

But can we really turn back time, or at least hit the snooze button for a little while, using just a needle?  Well, yes as it turns out.  When you seek out advice from an Aesthetic Doctor it’s completely bespoke to your face structure and needs, it’s not like taking a prescription medication which is prescribed universally for a particular set of symptoms.  That’s the reason it’s important to do your research if you are planning on looking into taking the injectables route, the Safety in Beauty Campaign seeks to highlight the difficulties in regulating the industry and ensuring that practice is safe.  Nobody wants to end up on Botched Bodies and there are a few things you can do to prevent that from happening:

1. Only seek treatment from a qualified doctor, nurse prescriber or dentist to ensure that your practitioner has a medical background and a knowledge of facial structure and dynamics.

2. Beauty Therapists, no matter what they claim, are not trained medically, and if something does go wrong, they can’t prescribe the product used to treat and dissolve filler.  In fact there is a national campaign gathering momentum to call for a halt on this type of medical practice taking place outside of a medical environment.

3. Have a clear idea of what it is you want to achieve, rather than the product you want to use.  Just because a product worked for someone else, it doesn’t mean it’s the right one for you, your practitioner will look at your facial structure and help you to decide.  Sometimes filler can be used to slim down other areas, it’s not always injectable toxin you need.

4. Be prepared to hear “No”.  A good aesthetic doctor won’t be afraid to turn you away if treatment really isn’t necessary.

5. Don’t have unrealistic expectations, if you’re 46, you won’t leave the clinic looking 26.

I’m no stranger to the odd tweakment, I’ve been having Botox injections for almost two years now, I was probably late to the game at my age (the average age that women to begin aesthetic treatment in the UK is now just 22) but it’s something I’m happy with and planning to continue.  I have an inherited forehead line that completely disappears around two weeks post treatment and looking back at pictures from as little as two years ago and seeing how much I’ve managed to change and control that particular facial dynamic using a minimally invasive procedure is seriously impressive.  To me anyway.  The fashion industry is cut-throat, youth is its currency and everywhere you look there are examples of good and bad aesthetic treatment, the chances are, you only ever notice the bad.

One of the most important things to remember if you are making inquiries about possible aesthetic treatment, whether it’s dermal filler, lip filler or wrinkle relaxing treatments, my advice is the same:  cheap treatment doesn’t mean you’re getting a bargain.  Seriously, those FaceBook ads you see advertising lip filler or wrinkle relaxing treatments for an unbelievably affordable price, can come with a hefty hidden cost.  You’re literally putting your face on the line here, the first thing people see when they look at you, your shop front as it were.  Do research, look at previous work, ask about medical qualifications and whether they’re equipped to manage you as a case should things go wrong.  If somebody claims that things “never go wrong” alarm bells should be ringing.  Like any surgical procedure in a hospital, aesthetic treatments, although minimally invasive, are still medical procedures and yes, things can occasionally go wrong.  What you need to be sure of, is that if you happen to be one of those people in the minority, are they able to treat you effectively.

The biggest change in my own face has been through growing in my eyebrows with the assistance of a (private) prescription only product called Lumigan.  You’ll have seen me raving about Lumigan on here and on social media but I can’t begin to communicate just how effective it is, without showing you.

The picture on the left is pre-botox and mega brows (obvs) and was taken in 2016 as I was leaving the gym, the picture on the right was taken a few days ago (2018), also leaving the gym.  Neither image is posed for or altered in any way.  Big difference right?  See my point is, if you are planning on traversing the aesthetics slope, then the best way to do it is to look hard at yourself and only treat the bits that matter, don’t jump on the bandwagon to follow a trend just because somebody else is doing it.  Aesthetics is about you, and you alone.  You can’t change yourself to be someone else.

Of course, you could always adopt the Ru Paul mantra “If you don’t love yourself, how in the hell you gonna love somebody else?” and embrace what you already have….

P x

Categories: The Archives, The Fashion Closet, The Lifestyle Edit

iPhone X & Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus Cameras on trial

If you’re thinking of upgrading your phone, the chances are you’re looking at something produced by one of the two big leading cellphone manufacturers, Apple and Samsung.  If you’re anything like me, you’ll already know their release schedules and most of the expected features before the key notes take place and the releases are even announced and the chances are, you’re more interested in the camera and social media gadgets than the ability to make calls.  Sound familiar?  I was asked by Three UK to take the current new releases (at the time of writing) from both brands to test out the camera functionality, after all, who doesn’t love a good selfie these days right?

Where’s better to test camera functionality than the tourist trail in London?  Nowhere!  Armed with the iPhone X (pronounced 10 to mark the tenth anniversary of the iPhone) and the Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus, I hit up the vibrant Bermondsey Food Market to see what I could capture, before moving along the South Bank via Tower Bridge and Shakespeare’s Globe.  It’s worth me mentioning here that I’m an Apple fangirl.  Ever since I jumped on the bandwagon with iPhone 4, I’ve been a devout returner and my home is kitted out with Apple gadgets galore.  iMac, iPad Pro, iPad Mini, Air Pods, Apple TV, AirPort, you name it, I’ve got it – I kind of feel it necessary to declare my potential for bias before we move on.

Ok, so, under the guidance of my photographer friend Rob Percy, I started learning to get to grips with the latest Android offering from Samsung.  The S9 Plus is a big phone, bigger than any of the iPhone models and has an edge to edge screen meaning it’s easy to line up and snap pictures.  It is however pretty hard for an iOS user to get a handle on, to me the phone set up felt clunky, in comparison to the iPhone X (more on that later) it takes more clicks to complete each task, including unlocking the screen, which I found super frustrating.  Yes, both phones have facial recognition, but the Samsung still requires some extra faffing to get into where as the iPhone reads your eyes and unlocks instantly.  Let’s look at the merits of each phone and its respective camera individually:

SAMUNG GALAXY S9 PLUS

It’s a slick looking phone, clean lines, massive screen with a cool little curved edge that looks and feels expensive.  Not quite a point and shoot if you want to achieve the best photographic results as this particular phone allows you to shoot in raw format.  Be warned, this takes some mastering, it requires a lot of post production and manipulation but might just be worth it if you’re looking to ditch the DSLR.  Images created on this device are sharp and the light is automatically adjusted and refocussed in automatic mode – the more you’d select for ease and speed.  Editing is a little more tricky on this device if you’re moving from IOS to Android, I’d need way more than a day to get to grips with it but if you’re already using a Samsung phone and planning on upgrading, I’m assured the tools for image capture are the same as the previous model so you’re all gravy.  The S9 (as with other Samsung models) has a built in virtual assistant called BIXBY, and i hated its constant patronising, like an overbearing parent.  “Are you sure?” Yes I’m fucking sure BIXBY, Samsung are a million miles away when it comes to competing with Apple and Google in the VA arena, however, BIXBY does have some benefits in camera mode; if you point and shoot using BIXBY mode, the camera will highlight points within your screen capture to focus on and then provide more information, an awesome feature for travellers and tourists with a thirst for knowledge.

What you really want to see is the camera footage though right?  I’ve got to admit, the camera is insane.  It’s an amazing piece of kit packed into a cellphone and when you think about the cost which is around £800 (at the time of writing) it’s in the same ballpark as a mid range DSLR but has way more benefits than just being a camera.

SAMSUNG GALAXY S9 PLUS Front Facing Camera
SAMSUNG GALAXY S9 PLUS Using straight lines to train the eye
SAMSUNG GALAXY S9 PLUS Demonstrating depth of field
SAMSUNG GALAXY S9 PLUS Bermondsey Food Market
SAMSUNG GALAXY S9 PLUS Bermondsey Food Market
SAMSUNG GALAXY S9 PLUS Food mode

One of the things Rob and I discussed during this camera trial, is that screen variation matters.  There’s a little bit of understanding of inception required for this bit; the pictures above were taken using a Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus which has a particular type of screen optimised for that device.  When you view them on that screen you see them as they were meant to be, all crisp and clean and vibrant.  However when you take those images and view them on a different screen, as you’re doing right now, you dilute some of that quality as your own screen perceives, translates and displays them within the limitations of your own device.  Still with me?  Basically, they look the best on the device they were taken on and that goes for any device, what you see when you look through another screen shifts the parameters a little, to illustrate my point, here’s some third layer cellphone inception for you, an image I took on my iPhone X, of an image I took on my Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus, viewed through the screen of whichever device you’re holding right now…..  Mind.  Blown.A test to illustrate the importance of screen variation in cellphones. The image of of a selfie which has been taken on a Samsung Galaxy S9 Plus and viewed on screen, then an image of the cellphone displaying that image has been taken using an iPhone X

iPHONE X

The iPhone X marks a departure from the expected format of cellphones from Apple.  Since the first iPhone, things haven’t changed that much and apart from size and internal features and functionality, the phone itself has largely remained the same.  That is until now.  The X marks the tenth anniversary of the iPhone and a brand new luxe take on the iPhone.  The home button and headphone jack are gone in order to make the phone more streamline (it actually looks very like the Samsung model) and there’s a new edge to edge screen to play with.  It doesn’t take long to get used to the missing home button, I’ll admit, the first 15 minutes were frustrating but it’s plain sailing and feels pretty natural after that.  The controls are simple; simple enough that my mum could use it with ease and that’s a pretty good guage for user testing.

The camera is a simple point and shoot and is optimised for use straight away.  According to Apple it’s a big step up from previous iPhone cameras and is the first phone in the line up to utilise Apple’s new technology and dual lens mechanism.  This means that the Portrait mode that is available on the iPhone 7 and 8 Plus models that every Blogger loves, is now available on the front facing camera too.  Just let that sink in.

Editing images in post production is easy, I’m not talking photoshop, FaceTune or filtering images with colour washes, I mean editing the settings to bend light, or enhance shadow within the image; real editing tools to make images strong and bold.  Simple slider functionality is available to edit each image as you wish and there are downloadable apps such as LightRoom if you do want to shoot in raw or using pre-set editing tools.  But what about the images?  Well, they’re crisp and require very little in the way of manipulation, however I’m going to say something a little controversial, I have both the iPhone 8 Plus and the iPhone X and in all honesty, I think the camera on the iPhone 8 Plus is better.  *Gasps*  I know right?  Definitely a shocker but I’m not disregarding it, having Portrait mode available when you’re shooting selfies or anything else front facing is invaluable and therefore a winner.

iPhone X Selfie using front facing camera
iPhone X using lines to train the eye
iPhone X Depth of Field, The Shard
iPhone X The Dickens Inn
iPhone X Depth of Field St Paul’s
iPhone x Tower Bridge

You can see from both sets of images that a selfie looks different, the one taken on the Samsung uses light to blur out imperfections and highlight more vibrant colours, whereas the iPhone image offers a more HD style perspective, leaving you to correct anything in post production.  Both have their benefits and uses, and both are super smart, intelligent devices that will no doubt sell in droves and with only £100 between the two, cost isn’t really a deciding factor

THE VERDICT

Both phones are great, my honest opinion is that the majority of sales will come down to upgrading from a previous model by the same brand.  Generally speaking if you’re in the Android camp then you’re rooted there, and the same goes for established iOS users.  I liked the Samsung’s camera but hated everything else about it, it felt slow and clunky and not as slick as the iPhone.  It feels weird for me to say that because I’m also a Samsung fan, my TVs, refrigerator and washing machine are all Samsung, but they just haven’t done enough for me to leave Apple and rely on the device as my lifeline to the world.  Way too many clicks to do anything and despite the camera coming up aces, I’ll be passing on this one, sorry Samsung.

The iPhone X is a no brainer for me, I’m a fangirl, we’ve established that, Apple have stepped away from the usual release model with the X and I like it, it feels slick, it’s definitely heavier than previous iPhone models but it’s more compact than the 7 and 8 Plus models, with a bigger screen.  Yeah you guessed it, I bought it, but i’m betting you knew that was coming didn’t you?

Pixie xo

Categories: The Archives, The Fashion Closet

What I Wore: Spring Layering

It’s always around this time of year, when the weather is starting to show glimmers of change, that I panic and forget what I ever wore before Winter cascaded over the land, and my life.  The days of wearing my cherished faux furs are almost over but it’s not quite warm enough to wheel out that old Spring favourite, the denim jacket.  So, when I’m styling up a look for early Spring disguised as Winter, what do I look for?  That’s a tricky question, you know I’m a lover of the old juxtaposition.  Whether it’s prints, textures or colours, I love a mismatch and the quirkier the better.  Choose something unexpected and they’ll never see you coming, or maybe they will because if you’re anything like me it’ll be blue white and orange…

A full length picture of Blogger Pixie tenenbaum wearing a blue and white striped Primark dress with cowboy boots and an orange pointelle Topshop jumper standing by the River Tyne

Ok, so, take one typical Summer dress – there are loads of these around right now, H&M & Urban outfitters lead the pack when it comes to print choice and they range from £35-£49, or if you’re not too bothered about print options then you can pick up this very one from Primark for just £14, if it’s not already sold out.  Yes, before you say it I know there’s a big backlash about Fashion Bloggers and Influencers advocating for Primark because of what it does to the fashion industry in terms of hierarchy but on a surface level, I believe that if you’re interested in fashion and don’t have the resources to feed the runway, then fast fashion is absolutely an option.  I shop at Primark myself and believe wholeheartedly that there’s a place for fast fashion in the industry.  Can’t find this dress?  Check out Groupon’s offers on Dorothy Perkins clothing for something in a similar style.  I got you boo.

Ok, so now that’s out of the way, this button through, shoestring-strap sundress is my favourite of all the ones I’ve tried, that includes the more expensive versions at Marks and Spencer, Warehouse and Urban Outfitters.  It has huge pockets at the perfect height to be functional, (so many items from Primark have the pockets way too high, like maybe their fit models are 5’5″) and the straps are adjustable, like bra straps.  If you’ve read my Surgical Series, or if you know me IRL you’ll know that I absolutely hate exposing any chest. Décolletage, collar bones, however pretty you want to make it sound, it’s not on my list of body parts to show off.  You can opt to wear this dress as it is, or if like me you like to cover that area, you can throw on a tighter fitting tee first.

If you’re styling it with a tee underneath, choose something that’s shorter in length, more form fitting and with minimal design on the front as it’s not that visible once the dress is over the top.  This No Fake tee is made of uber light cotton so it doesn’t bunch up under the empire line.  This particular dress has diagonal dart placement in the bust creating the illusion that flat chested girls like me, actually have more up top.

When it comes to prepping for Spring, layering is your top skill.  Scratch people skills, social media and IT, layering is literally the skill at the top of your arsenal and the one that’s gonna score you the most style points.  Get it right and you’ve got yourself two totally different looks, one on top of each other and the bolder you go, the better it is.  My favourite top layer in this juicy combo is this orange knit sweater from Topshop which you can buy here. thrown straight over the top.  The orange against the simple blue and white stripe might be too much for some, but for me it’s perfection.

My footwear of choice is my trusty cowboy boots, a Summer wardrobe staple of mine and something you’ll have seen in various guises in my other What I Wore posts – a girl literally can’t have too many cowboy boots.  Low enough that you can walk around comfortably and versatile enough to pair with just about anything.  These ones are from Topshop and the good news is that they get a refresh every year so you’ll always find them in store and online during the Summer months.

So what are you waiting for Voyeurs?!  Spring is right around the corner…

Pixie x

Categories: The Archives, The Fashion Closet, The Glorious North East

What I Wore: The Perfect Denim Jacket

Love it or hate it, the trend for denim jackets emblazoned with huge motifs is going nowhere.  Embellished denim just won’t cut it anymore, in an age where we paint, embroider and customise our clothes, a simple pearl or diamante is just no good.

These days we’re all looking for that little bit of flair, something that makes us different, and that makes us stand out.  Why?  Because it’s no longer cool to be wearing what everyone else is wearing.  Gone are those school days where we all wanted the same sneakers, where wearing the right jacket gave you a silent seal of approval.  Right now it’s all about individuality, and standing out.  Personalisation came on to our radars in a big way in the noughties, with Nike’s iD Design Lab making it easy to grab a pair of bespoke sneaks.  Not just with your name, but by selecting panels and fabrics meaning you had the opportunity to create something unique and completely bespoke.  In fact, I was asked to create a pair of bespoke 90’s archive Air Max sneaks to display in the New York iD Lab as part of a fashion exhibition, but that’s another story.

So, with individuality high on our agendas, there’s never been a better time to stand out.  Whether you’re sick of conforming, or you’ve longed for a time when you could embrace your individuality; wonder no more, that time is now.  Fashion is changing, the industry itself is changing.  The shift in show seasons is a reflection of that, with some designers opting for the See Now, Buy Now model and others opting to stay within the pre-season format, everything has loosened a little and become less rigid.  Just like gender, fashion has become fluid, and open to interpretation.  You can of course conform, if that’s your jam, but where’s the fun in that?

So, the point of this post, yes, denim jackets.  So, there once was a time where a little lace trim or a carefully placed pearl was considered a fashion risk.  Why would you want to add to denim, it’s perfect the way it is right?  Well yes, but it can be so much more….

Here’s my favourite denim jacket, now just as an aside, I haven’t been paid to write this, I wasn’t gifted the jacket, I bought it at full price and probably the retailer doesn’t even know I’ve written this, but this is my top pick for getting you through Spring and Summer as the most perfectly versatile cover up.  It’s a simple mens fit denim jacket (that means you get the 80’s sleeve rather than the tight fit stretch denim), until you see the back.  This one is from North East independent retailer Flaura Rose, she customises each piece individually and they retail at around £60 depending on the intricacy and size of the design.

fashion blogger Pixie Tenenbaum wears a denim jacket by Flaura Rose with red elephant design on back

I spotted this one on a market stall and fell in love with it, it’s stiff denim so the collar stands up without flopping and it’s the perfect wash.  I’ve worn it with my beloved Daisy Duke’s, these vintage golf trousers and a million other things because that’s right Voyeurs, it goes with freaking everything.  So, that’s it, my ode to the not so humble, bespoke, individualised, crazy freaking awesome denim jacket.  It’s a real talking point to, people always ask me where I got it from, and I never tell them.  Until now.  You’re welcome.

Pixie Tenenbaum Editor's signature with fashion illustration graphic