Fashion Voyeur

People will stare, make it worth their while.

Categories: Beauty, Pixie, Uncategorized

The 2016 London White Party

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If you’re a Beauty Blogger, or you work in the beauty or Aesthetics industry, you’ll probably have heard of the Safety in Beauty campaign; launched in October 2013, the campaign seeks to facilitate and promote safe practice across the entire industry.  Masterminded by Beauty Blogger Antonia Mariconda, the campaign offers members of the public free medical and legal advice regarding procedures in the aesthetics and beauty arena.  Sounds good right?  Double right.  The campaign has amassed such success that Aesthetics Practitioners all over the UK have jumped on board pushing for safer medical practice and as such, the Safety in Beauty Awards were born, to celebrate the industry’s ‘Diamonds’.

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2015 saw the first Safety in beauty Diamond Awards and White Party in London, where excellent practice and education was recognised and rewarded.  So successful was the event, that 2016 marks it’s second entry in the aesthetics calendar and I was invited as a guest of Newcastle Skin Clinic to bring you all the deets.  First of all, why white….?

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Ok, now we have that established on to the venue: The Grand Connaught Rooms, Covent Garden.  Dressed to the theme with a (very lumpy and bumpy) white carpet running throughout.  Before you say “accident waiting to happen” yes, I tripped over it. Twice, and I wasn’t the only one.

The White Party is a big deal, but what it stands for and sets out to achieve is much bigger.  Everywhere you look, you’re reminded that the event is about Safety In beauty and that’s what comes first – before the party, the glamour and the cocktails, we’re here first and foremost to promote and recognise correctness, safety and medical excellence in the industry.

Sticking to the theme, I wore a white Love Niche tuxedo dress accessorised with hand harnesses and a hair crown whilst Luisa (nominated for Best Aesthetic Nurse) wore a short white dress covered in paillettes.  We enlisted the help of Makeup Artist Stacey Lincoln who visited us at our Notting Hill penthouse apartment, with instructions to give me the darkest black smokey eye, (to match my heart), and to give Luisa the full drag queen treatment.

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We arrived at the Grand Connaught Rooms and were greeted on the door by iPad wielding hostesses who registered us for the evening before we headed to the bar for gin.  The first room housed the bar & a dedicated selfie zone with a Kimye-esque white (natch) flower wall, the second was set up for the main event with tables named after designers (we were Fendi), and a buffet dinner.  Before the event started we mingled with Lizzie Cundy, Arlene Philips and Abigail Clarke (who is an actual friend of mine, not just someone I spotted).

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With the boxing season about to start again for me I was under strict orders to drink no alcohol so of course I drank gin, amaretto and more gin (sorry Phil, I shall repent by jumping rope).  The food wasn’t so great – a sentiment echoed by everyone on my table and further afield, and the queuing system was most likely responsible for the late start.  In the days following the event, we were contacted by the Safety In Beauty Team to express their disappointment with the venue and how things hadn’t gone as promised.  It certainly didn’t spoil our night anyway.

Despite starting way later than planned, once the event was underway we heard real life stories of how the campaign has helped people and how most importantly, education for consumers is key.  If consumers are able to make an informed decision based on truth, then the campaign has succeeded in empowering them.  Awards were given out in a variety of categories after being shortlisted and critiqued by a specialist panel.

On to the reason for us being there, as the sole practitioner at Newcastle Skin Clinic, Luisa was shortlisted for the Nurse of the Year Award having been recognised for her reconstructive work and her cautious attitude towards injecting filler etc.  Sadly she didn’t win, the award went to Rachel Goddard who Luisa said was a “very deserving winner”.  The actual awards part of the evening was excellent, not too long like some of these events can be and not so short that it loses its effect.  Each category and associated award was compounded with a success story which made it relatable for the audience.  The full list of categories and award winners is below.

Nurse of The Year Award Winner
Rachel Goddard

Highly Commended
Claudia McGloin
Sue Ibrahim
Lindsey McEnroe

Doctor of The Year Award Winner
Dr. David Eccleston

Highly Commended 
Dr Patrick Treacy
Dr Tijion Esho
Dr Daniel Sister

Surgeon of The Year  Award Winner
My Breast Group (Patrick Malucci, Simon Withey, Norman Waterhouse, Peter Butler)

Highly Commended
Sabrina Shah-Desai
Nick Parkhouse

Clinic of The Year Award Winner
EF Medispa
 
Highly Commended
Medizen
Air Aesthetics

Beauty Industry Professional of The Year Award Winner
Tracy Giles

Highly Commended 
Lorena Oberg
Eryca Freemantle

Innovation for Pioneering Service in Safety Brand Award Winner
Accuvein

Innovation for Pioneering Service in Safety Individual Professional Award Winner
Norman Wright PAPPS

Training/Educational & Professional Development (Advanced Beauty) Award Winner 
Noveau Contour by Karen Betts

Training/Educational & Professional Development (Medical Aesthetic) Award Winner
BACN British Association of Cosmetic Nurses

Highly Commended
MATA
Society of Mesotherapy

Best Industry Safety Campaign Award Winner
British Association of Dermatologists for The Sun Awareness Campaign

Best Industry Media Outlet Award Winner
The Consulting Room

Best Beauty & Aesthetics Industry Show/Event Award Winner
Olympia Beauty

Outstanding Career Achievement Award Winner
Dr. Dawn Harper

People’s Choice Award – Most Inspirational Person Award Winner
Katie Piper

The White Party feels like an exclusive club, almost like the premiership for UK aesthetic practitioners and this is their Christmas Party.  It’s interesting to see how these people interact with one another; there’s no competing, no animosity and in fact, they all seem to be friends with one another, cheering for each other as names are called out during the awards ceremony.  As we leave the event, shoes in hand, Luisa tells me that she’s proud to have been in a room with some of her “heroes and mentors” and that makes me smile.  We hail a cab and head back to our apartment where we quickly realise that none of us brought any makeup remover….

“Thank you to all our amazing sponsors and guests attending, the glamour and style is always a pleasure to see, and the support The Safety in Beauty Campaign continues to amass yearly is simply humbling” – Antonia Mariconda, Founder & Creator

Roll on 2017, I can’t wait to see what happens next year!

Pixie xo

I also have to give special thanks to Newcastle Hair & Beauty Clinic for getting me event ready in the days before The White Party.  I paid them a visit for white Essie gel nails, Decleor’s Vital Eyes treatment for my tired eyes and Nouveau’s LVL Lashes which are the best I’ve ever had, in fact, the makeup artist we used said there was no need for false lashes because my own were THAT GOOD! So big love guys, you’re the best!

 

Categories: Uncategorized

Love Niche Fashion Event

To say that Nisha Vedhara, Designer and Director of style studio; Love Niche is passionate about her job is an understatement.  Nisha grew up around fashion, her mum was a designer in India and Nisha absorbed as much as she could before bringing her own designs to the UK and setting up her boutique Love Niche.

Nestled in the heart of über trendy Newcastle city centre, Nisha owns and runs Love Niche Studio, a small but achingly stylish boutique on Clayton Street which not only stocks and sells clothes, but also offers a personal styling service for clients old and new.  Nisha travels to Italy, France and India to personally select the pieces that make up the Love Niche collection.  Anyone can access the service, you don’t have to be in the upper echelons of the fashion elite to be styled by Nisha, you just need to be able to get to the studio and she’ll do the rest.  Simples.

Newcastle is now considered soooo cosmopolitan that it has its own annual Fashion Week in May and in the run up to NFW the city turns its urban cool dial up a notch in preparation.  As the event draws nearer the North’s fashionistas begin to up their game.  It’s no surprise then that on March 30th, Newcastle’s Fash Pack, myself included of course, assembled in trendy nightspot Bonbar for a fashion event that’s become an annual hot ticket.  Hosted by Love Niche, in association with Hooker and Young Hairdressers, Terry de Havilland and North East glossy; La Di Da magazine, the relatively new event is always a very slick presentation.

Guests were greeted on arrival by hostesses and handed a goodie bag and given the option to purchase deluxe raffle tickets, a dedicated selfie area complete with Love Niche background, gold picture frames and flower crowns was set up in the entrance for show goers to tweet and Instagram their pictures.

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I arrived at 7.55pm wearing a Jean-Pierre Braganza denim jumpsuit and L.A.M.B. heels, fashionably late as it were, (the invite said 7.30pm) and the venue was already packed with TV personalities, models, bloggers, editors and people just generally inspired by and passionate about fashion and style.  Guests ordered from a bespoke drinks menu created specially for the event and sampled canapés from silver trays strewn with gorgeous flowers provided by The Scene Setter, the same company who created those gorgeous flower crowns.

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The evening opened with a talk on style; Nisha is passionate about style and shares the opinion of Gabrielle Chanel: “Fashion comes and goes, but style is eternal”.  When she speaks it’s easy to see that she is the driving force behind her own brand and that she is truly about female empowerment.  she passionately tells the audience that it’s definitely “not about size” the way that so much of the fashion industry is and that it’s more about “a feeling”.

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The show itself features some of Nisha’s own designs as well as items which are stocked in the Love Niche boutique, it opens with resortwear and models in bikinis and kaftans in glorious colours walk the makeshift runway which traverses the entire bar area ensuring that everyone can see what’s on offer.  The hair is divine; fishtail plaits looped back on themselves topped with flower crowns handmade specially for the event.

As we move into daywear it becomes apparent that Nisha is not about one particular movement or segment of fashion, there’s something here for everyone.  From the dedicated fashionista to the 9-5 office worker and everyone in-between, we’re all catered for.  The next section of the show is all about “achievable glamour”.  think fifties style printed co-ords with bare midriffs, wide legged trousers giving a nod to riviera chic and a DIVINE one shouldered red pannier dress that could have sauntered off the Dior SS15 runway, (I’ll definitely be popping in to the studio for a closer look at that one) all topped off with a line of oversized sunglasses.

The final phase of the show was real high-octane glamour.  Full length gowns, sequin covered disco ball frocks, and show-stopping frothy floor sweepers.  As the show draws to a close, the line out showcases those amazing red carpet worthy frocks one last time and attention is drawn to Nisha as she appears on the stage in a figure hugging black dress to take her bow.  She thanks everyone and makes an emotional statement about how overwhelmed she is at the support for tonight’s event.

As far as event dressing goes, Love Niche has you covered.  I don’t think I’ve seen such an extensive range of red carpet style gowns available in the North East and with a range of accessories carefully sourced and selected to match, you really do have a one-stop shop with Love Niche, and it’s right in the centre of Newcastle.  Whether you have a prom coming up, an event, wedding or just a big night and you want to go all out in the style stakes, Love Niche is certainly worth a visit.  You’ll find that there’s something for every price range, from high street to high-end and you’re likely to end up with something pretty unique.

Fun, Fashion, Friends and Flower crowns all in one night, what more could a girl want?  Oh yes and I won a raffle prize too….

Pixie x

To find out more visit Love Niche online at:

www.love-niche.com

www.lovenichelondon.com

Want to engage with Love Niche on social media?

Twitter: @LoveNiche & @LoveNicheLondon

FaceBook: www.facebook.com/LoveNicheStudio

P.S. After having my actual camera stolen at London fashion Week I was left using my iPhone, hence the pictures of my (über cool) “Collective” and I!  I promise to update with pictures of the models as soon as I can get hold of them!

 

 

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