party outfit Archives - Fashion Voyeur

Struggling for some Halloween outfit inspo? Then The Intu Eldon Square Fashion Spooktacular is here to give your Winter wardrobe a shake up with an added spooky twist…

From October 23rd to 29th you’ll find the Intu Walk-in Wardrobe and resident Stylist Emma on hand to dish out advice on how to create the perfect Halloween glam outfit – there’s no cheesy fancy dress here, it’s all glam, high street pieces, with a scary edge to turn you into the perfect Halloqueen come October 31st. Whether it’s taking layered tulle from New Look to create a Corpse Bride look, or using Topshop’s sugar skull makeup kit, or even visiting Ann Summers for a tongue in cheek take on Natalie Portman’s Black Swan, Intu Eldon Square’s retailers offer a variety of ways to tap into Halloween, without having to step near a polyblend costume.

Already got Halloween nailed? There are a selection of short workshops available from finding the perfect Winter coat using FW17 trends as inspiration, to finding a festive outfit to turn heads – with only 8 Mondays left until the big day you might as well sort your outfit now and give yourself one less thing to worry about!

I was invited along to the Fashion Spooktacular preview evening, it’s one of my favourite events in the North East fashion calendar and as one of Intu’s team of Bloggers it’s always a lovely opportunity to get a good look at the Fashion Week trends that have filtered down to the high street. Given the Spooktacular theme, I wore my Topshop Stranger Things tee (which you can shop here), and was greeted with paella and sangria from Tapas Revolution on arrival as well as some familiar faces.

After a brief introduction from stylist Emma and a preview of some of the key pieces to land at the shopping mall for Halloween, we were paired off and set challenges at individual retailers, fellow blogger Jen and I hotfooted it to Topshop for a series of mini games culminating in a Supermarket Sweep style timed challenge where we were each given two minutes to style a Halloween outfit for ourselves from scratch. We also got to test out the latest glitter Lip Kits from Topshop Beauty, at £18 they may sound pricey but when you see the effect they create and just how easy they are to recreate, you’ll be adding one in every colour to your basket Voyeurs. After all, glitter makes you fitter right?

My Halloween Style Challenge Outfit

Topshop Glitter Lip Kit £18

The whole evening was rounded off with some spooky cocktails at The Alchemist, which is about to undergo a very bewitching makeover just in time for Halloween weekend, when the bar will see some of its most popular cocktails on the menu given a creepy Halloween spin.

So, how can you get involved? Well, the Fashion Spooktacular is open to everyone and workshops are run frequently throughout the day. There’s no need to book, you simply turn up, listen, then go shop!

October 23, 25, 27 and 29:

11.30am Creepy crawly homeware
No dodgy paper garlands or wolf masks here, feast your eyes on the chicest of Halloween homewares to get your house or venue ready for the creepiest night of the year!

1.30pm How to pick a wicked Winter coat
Discover this season’s outerwear trends including checks, red, folklore, sports luxe and capes all in an Fall palette of orange, mustard, black, camel, red and gold. Learn the perfect coat shape for your frame, how to identify the right size of pattern/print and which shade will make your skin tone pop.

3.30pm Autumn/Winter capsule wardrobe wizardry
Our personal stylist will work with you to build your perfect Fall/Winter capsule wardrobe based on key pieces which can be combined to maximise your looks this season extending your cost per wear.

October 24, 26 and 28:

11.30am How to pick a wicked Winter coat
As Above.

1.30pm Our top ten must have Autumn/Winter items
Featuring a mix of trends, we’ll run through our top ten must-have pieces for this season including ‘wear everywhere’ dresses, slouch boots, statement tees, knits and earrings.

3.30pm Scarily-good Halloween costume ideas
This is the chic version of Halloween, for those who really want to wow at their Halloween party. We’ll show you the very best ghastly accessories that can help create a costume using items already in your wardrobe and also super cute kids costumes for your little ones.

Bewitching beauty

The best of the the shopping mall’s beauty offerings will be on hand throughout the week to give you tips on upping the ante and levelling up your makeup skills. Fancy a Halloween makeover, or just want to learn some tips on how to create the perfect sugar skull look? The swing by for one of these beauty workshops taking place throughout the day between 11am and 4pm.

24 October: Topshop
25 October: Mystical makeovers
26 October: Inglot
27 October: Inglot
28 October: Topshop
29 October: Mystical makeovers

So, now you’re armed with the dates and the deets, you’ll be rockin’ a bitchin’ and bewitchin’ Halloween outfit in no time!

Pixie xo

Fashion retailer Coast made a return to the North East this weekend with its first stand alone store in over two years. Nestled in the Platinum Mall of Intu Metrocentre, the brand new concept store held a Bloggers Breakfast on Saturday and I went along to check out the latest from the occasion wear masters….

If you know fashion then you’ll be familiar with Coast. For a long time Coast was the refuge of middle-aged women looking for wedding guest attire, but not any more. Gone are the dowdy shapes of yesteryear and in their place, fresh new styles in every vivid jewel tone imaginable.

With a focus on quality and individuality the latest collection incorporates hand painted flowers which have been spun onto flat weave silks, heavy crepe dresses with underskirts and showstopping metallic stripes.

The introduction of fashionista Olivia Palermo as a Seasonal Sartorial Stylist has helped propel Coast back to the forefront of high street fashion and as part of a £2 million expansion plan, the roll out of several concept stores across the U.K. has followed.

“Coast definitely brings something unique to the high street: they believe that dressing up is fun and I can certainly relate to this, teaming up with them for the Autumn Winter collection was a really enjoyable experience.” Olivia Palermo.

In the North East we’ve been starved of a Coast standalone store for some time now and as one of my favourite high street retailers, news of the concept store is music to my ears.

The brand new Coast concept store at Intu Metrocentre is a welcome addition to the Platinum Mall, with a simple set up and soft lighting, the non-fussy store allows the product to do the talking. The launch is part of the brand’s strategy to launch stores in key cities across the UK with the aim of capturing a larger share of the occasionwear market and it’s been well planned; the results of research commissioned by Coast showed that 86% of occasionwear shoppers buy a new outfit to wear to an occasion, spending an average of £100 on a dress or separates.

“Despite facing ongoing financial pressures, our customers are determined to continue looking great for a special occasion. We’re proud to be responding to this demand with a unique store environment and service experience that turns shopping into an occasion in itself.” Margaret McDonald, Managing Director of Coast.

The store has been planned with the shopper in mind, from the flow of the floor (clothing – accessories – shoes – Lifestyle – outerwear), to the awesome dressing rooms which take up almost as much floor space as the shopping area; it’s a shoppers paradise and the Sales Staff are the icing on the cake. With hours ploughed into staff training to ensure that staff are familiar with the product, the Sales Team at Coast Intu Metrocentre are friendly, knowledgable and helpful – a big plus, and the downfall of so many other high street retailers.

We were treated to a phenomenal Carluccio’s breakfast of yoghurt topped with granola, French pastries and prosecco followed by a private viewing of the Fall / Winter collection which we cooed over and tried on in our droves.

I couldn’t leave without topping up my occasion wear collection with a beautiful full skirt from the Limited Edition collection, featuring gorgeous hand painted red and orange flowers with a double wrap front (nobody else on the high street does a full skirt like Coast, they’ve got that on lock). It’s beauts Voyeurs, but don’t take my word for it, feast your eyes on this….

Huge thanks to fellow North East Bloggers Rachel Kershaw, Chloe McGuirk, Sarah Adams, Laura Bloom, Lisa Spoors, Katie Davison, Tasha Steele et al for making a rainy Saturday morning so much fun. And of course thank you to Coast for the invite, I’ve already got my eye on a pair of split side velvet trousers and matching jacket so that second visit is imminent…

Pixie xo

October 23, 25, 27 and 29:

October 24, 26 and 28:

Bewitching beauty

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