Todays Look: Pretty In Pink

I'm not the most girliest of girls and certainly not a massive pink fan, so even I was surprised when I looked in the mirror yesterday and found myself clad head to toe in bright summer florals in varying shades of blush - literally, even my nails are pink at the moment. And as you may have come to expect from me by now, the majority of the outfit is thrifted, including the my favourite vintage blouse that I picked up for mere pence and those silk embroidered shorts. The shoes are Topshop's Wisteria wedge, which whilst bought from ebay, I purchased during their just sold out frenzy, so weren't the bargain I'd have liked them to be ;) Photo credit as usual to my boyfriend, for putting up with my prancing around in the name of blogging!

Steven Tai AW13

Following the vintage, books, and brains vibe of his SS13 catwalk, Steven Tai's AW13 collection sees him develop innovative silicone textiles that reinterpret the traditional masculinity of skiwear into modern feminine designs that feature his trademark oversized silhouettes and playful design touches.

During my internship at his London studio, I was fortunate enough to get the opportunity to be on set to assist in the filming of his AW13 film, which was later premiered at this years Hyères international fashion and photography festival.

The film set saw the creation of a winter wonderland in spring, with the film itself taking on an instructional skiing how to guide. Tai and his creative director Kin wanted the video's feel to be humorous, have a narrative and engage with the viewer rather than simply concentrate on visual aesthetic like most other fashion films.

Designed to give the impression of being a series of step by step video guides, the film acts as an introduction to skiing, addressing how to dress appropriately, posture etc through does and don’ts style examples. As you can imagine it was a lot of fun helping out on set, surrounded by tonnes of fake snow, authentic vintage skies, and of course all of the striking pieces from the collection that I would have happily worn myself.

You can watch the video at the end of the post, my name is in the credits :')

Steven Tai SS13 & Internship

So after my in and out presence on this blog recently, I have decided to update you guys with what I have been up to since reporting at AW13 London Fashion Week for White Noise Magazine. Firstly after several mini projects I had going on at university, I undertook my final project for end of year two which involved working in a small group to create our own magazine. Needless to say it was a complex and immensely time consuming project which I was relieved to finally finish at the end of last month.

After a brief week away to visit family during the easter break, I returned back to Epsom and began my internship at the London studio of Canadian designer Steven Tai, who I had been fortunate enough to meet at his Fashion Scout exhibition during SS13 London Fashion Week. Since then I have been hooked on his innovative and quirky designs, so as you can imagine I am very excited to be interning with him at the moment.

Steven Tai's SS13 womenswear collection had been inspired by the idea of geek wear, which saw him explore the style, personality and interests of the geeky female. The pieces embrace the overall awkwardness of this girl, which is reflected in the oversized shapes of the silhouettes and muted colour scheme. During the research stages Tai had looked at and been fascinated by the process of bookbinding, which for his collection he translated into compact layers of raw-edged cotton, which he had gathered to create concertina overlays. Such attention to detail is carried out throughout, with focus predominantly placed on the textures of the cotton, linen and wool fabrics used.

Image Source: Getty Images

Trend: Walk Like An Egyptian

This spring season an old trend has once again resurfaced, this time in the form of all things Egyptian. First popularised during the 1920s after the famed discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb in 1922, egyptian design and iconography has since been embraced by the fashion industry both on and off the catwalk, most famously perhaps by John Galliano's outrageously eccentric Dior S/S 2004 show, and more recently seen on the Topshop Unique S/S 2012 collection. Now the trend has once again resurfaced on the highstreet, with ASOS and Topshop featuring numerous egyptian inspired pieces. My favourite have to be the silk egyptian print shirt dress by Nary Manivong and Alexandria Hilfiger’s New York label Nahm, and ROMWE's collection of egyptian inspired leggings.

London Fashion Week: Preen AW '13

Androgynistic femininity was the direction of the Preen AW13 collection by designer duo Justin Thornton and Thea Bregazzi.

Known for their modern application of original prints and clever cutting, the first look didn’t disappoint, featuring a sleeveless ditsy print blouse, and black cigarette pants with detachable pocket detailing. Whilst also providing a taster of the red, black, and white colour palette that was to follow.

The use of boyfriend blazers, oversized wool overcoats, and multiple variations of the classic suit affirmed the androgynous inspiration behind the collection. Though the constant alternation to involve pencil skirts, sheer blouses, and flowing chiffon maxi dresses made it clear that an element of romance had also been involved in their vision, to have led to the contrast of ladylike dresses and bold trouser cuts.

Vibrant and intricate floral embroidery is also featured highly within the collection, along with the use of subtle leopard print on sheer fabrics for dresses and blouses.