BITCH PLEASE

Need these.

Meadham Kirchoff Nail Wraps, £8, Topshop.

FLAMINGO

I have an occasionally wondering eye for overly girly pieces, and would rock this skirt with a basic grey tri-blend Apparel tee, vintage oversized denim jacket and heavy black platforms, for a grungier take on a very feminine piece. I love the texture and un-sculpted feel. 

Skirt: Zara.

BLOCK PARTY

I am lusting over the solid blocks of heel, from strapped sandals with 1990's style low block heels to the unavoidable sporty flatform and subtly sloped wooden wedges, this new take on adding a little height is great for daytimes and adds aplomb to midi skirts and skinny jeans. Here's my pick of the highstreet.

(From left to right) 1. Glitter Wedge, Topshop, £55. 2. Flatform Pumps, Topshop, £22. 3. Animal Wedge, River Island, £44. 4. Raffia Plait Wedge, River Island, £35. 5. Dalmation Strap Wedge, Deena & Ozzy, £68. 6. Ponyskin Strapped Sandal, Topshop, £55. 7. Cream and Navy Block Heel, River Island, £45. 8. White Stack Plimsoll, Schuh, £28. 9. Ankle Cuffed Block Heel, Cheap Monday, £80. 10. Snake Crossover Sandal, Topshop, £45. 11. Dalston Wedge, Topshop, £50. 12. Snake Block Wedge, ASOS, £40.

My favourite's are the Ponyskin pair, need to order them as soon as my pay cheque drops.

SALE RAIL

This year I promised myself to avoid sales and buying into highstreet looks which have already passed, but of course I had to take a look at what was on offer. The Topshop sale rail has been the hiding place for several of my wardrobe staples and once again the online sale hosts a few piece which would make welcome editions to my wearable collection.

Metallic Slip by Boutique £40

Ponyskin Wedge Boots £45

Sun and Moon Ponio £6.25

Dalmation Print Sailor Dress by Unique £80

Bomber Jacket £30

Silver Platform Moccasins £30

Metallic Cigarette Pants £18

Fur Clutch £15

Whilst the fun fur bag, hairband, metallic slip and parka nod to the 1990's comeback look. The cigarette pants paired with an almost sheer white tee and a beanie would be a great Spring transition look introducing s/s favourites pastel shades, with an air of futuristic sports aesthetic. Now to the Unique dress, yes I know that dalmation may well have had it's day but it made a great change from leopard print and this dress could be great for summer daytime dressing paired with Vans shoes. And finally to the heels, I just can't help myself when it comes to shoes, pair the ankle boots with white ankle socks and wear all spring, whilst the sliver platforms could be added to jeans and a tee and instantly make it look polished and considered.

Here's hoping there are still a few bargains to be had when my loan drops.

UNDER THE TREE

End of term deadlines have undoubtedly once again reflected on my blog, but now the festival holidays are upon up I endeavour to make it up to you! I felt the best, most seasonally in tune way of making my return would be through sharing my dream Christmas wish list with you...of course...it's mainly shoes.

1. Filip Pagowski Limited Edition Packaged Polaroid Film, Price Unknown, The Impossible Project.

2. 'Lex' in Oil Slick, £130, Dr Martens.

3. Burt's Bees Miracle Salve, £7.99, Boots.

4. Jeffrey Campbell Lace Up Wedges, £130, Urban Outfitters.

5. AP Parfum, £46, Agent Provocateur.

6. 'Lion' Wedge Heel Sandal, £80, Topshop.

7. Gordon's Gin, around £16.

8. Penguin Clothbound Classics, around £10, Amazon.

9. Cross Back Knit Dress in Dark Nude or Black, £64, American Apparel.

10. Ambre Gris Au De Parfum, £48.50, Balmain at Selfridges.

11. Embroidered Satin Mini, £8, Satin Triangle Bra, £18. Both Topshop.

12. Harman Kardon Speakers, £599.99. Available at Currys.

13. 'Lightning' Peep Toe Wedges in Snake, £75, Topshop.

14. Stack Magazine Subscription, £58 for a year, stackmagazines.com.

15. Dew Me Moisturising Setting Spray, £19, Urban Outfitters at Debenhams.

16. Classic Q Vertical Zippy Purse, £155, Marc Jacobs at Selfridges.

17. Chocolate Money, 75p, Thorntons.

18. 'Winona' Square Toe Wedges, £80, Topshop.

19. Cassette iPhone Cover, £12.99, Available from Amazon.

If only!!

GOT WOOD?

(Images Norwegian Wood A/W Collection shot by Matthew Kristjan, Various images from weheartit & Ditte Isager)

A visit to London is never (sad as it sounds) complete without a stroll around Topshop Oxford Circus, I adore the lower level of concessions, vintage, Wah's nail bar and of course the shoe lounge.

During my trip on Thursday I was really drawn to the concessions, i'm in a bit of a rut when it comes to buying  high street garms right now so it was great to see something different and a brand which really stood out to me was Norwegian Wood.

Despite hailing from Montreal, Canada designer Angie Johnson has an undeniable Scandi-aesthetic, and Scandinavian vibes are everywhere right now. Norwegian Wood is not the simplistic sister to Acne, or the kooky competitor of Monki, instead the collection brings a sense of Nordic Romanticism.

The collection meets perfectly between earthy and urban. I'd pair the bold pieces with an oversized white tee and top knot or with form fitting black staples. My favourite piece from the collection is the Psych Out leggings, with mesh panels for a faux knee high's look, they are featured in the Topshop side line but sadly not the campaign images. 

You can shop Norwegian Wood on Etsy 'ERE or instore at Topshop's Flagship. These leggings are priced at £55, with most of the collection priced between £20 and £90 it's actually affordable!

P.S. Check out Danish photographer Ditte Isager for some gorgeous Scandi' esque interiors shoots (her webpage is 'ERE).

P.P.S....I've changed my justification, how's it working for you, easier to read and clearer hopefully but any feedback would be great.

SUPER STACK

(Images from weheartit, tumblr, Jefferey Campbell Lookbook, Stylebubble, Vans, Moonspoon Saloon)

It started out with thick soled Creepers, but now size matters and I need bigger. Completely needing a pair of super stacked converse or Jesse Jo Platform Vans. So cool, the kids in NY are visiting 'East Village Shoe Repairs' to get foam stacks added to the soles of their sneaks. I remember longing for a pair of Buffalo boots back in the Spice Girls days, so now's gotta be my time right?

SIMON PREEN

Now for something a little bit different, and a post I have been so excited for over the past few weeks. Simon Preen is a London College of Fashion graduate who’s name and collection are deservedly taking off right now. With Jessie J rocking Simon’s look at the MOBO’s, MTV’s Video Music Award AND on last night’s X Factor, Simon has also created her latest tour outfits. On top of this the young London based designer has also been hyped by Disorder magazine and created a collaborative collection for Urban Outfitters.

After falling in love with Simon’s fearless futurist East London warrior looks I decided to get in touch, so here we have it, hannabytes first ever interview with the man himself alongside the stunning new images for his latest collection.

Firstly massive credit to you for the MOBO’s exposure, how does it feel to see Jessie J in your garments? 

It’s really great, that particular outfit was something I was asked to design for Jessie especially for her performance on the night. Jessie has been wearing my stuff regularly over the last 6 months, she apparently loves what I do and I have just finished making all the costumes for her UK Tour. It’s fantastic to build a kind of a professional/style relationship with a young, current artist of her calibre; and especially one whose image fits perfectly with my brand. 

  

If you could have anybody as the face of your brand who would you choose and why? 

Im finding it really hard to choose – I would have to make this campaign a story with more that one character – really 90’s – strong women. Sandra Bernhard and Polly Harvey, I’ve never thought about this until now but they could totally be sisters. Polly Harvey is the ultimate woman, if you have never watched any Sandra Bernhard solo stuff you should see ‘Without You I’m Nothing’ it’s one of the cleverest comedy performances I’ve seen. Rose McGowan and maybe Winona Ryder too just for the iconic roles they have played in some of my favourite movies. Those 4 all together would be a dream of a campaign to me. It would be good to get Janet Street Porter in there somehow – she is another icon of mine – i’m sure she wouldn’t want to have anything to do with it but it would be good to ask, even if just for her to tell me to fuck off. 

How about a sale space, what would a Simon Preen store look like and if it could be anywhere in the world where would it be? 

I would definitely like a flagship store in London, maybe in Soho, that would give me an excuse to leave East London once in a while and I like a wander into Soho of a weekday. It would be an illuminated black box with a strict music policy. 

 Who were your biggest influences when you first started realising fashion was something you wanted to be a part of, are they still important to you now? 

I’m influenced by whatever is going on around me and I always have been since I first took an interest in fashion – I rely on instinct but obviously there is a dark pull towards what I like in style – music is always more of an influence to what I do than what the rest of what is going on in fashion ever is. 

As a student, like many of my followers, what tips could you share about taking the most out of university? 

Well, I may not be the best example as I was a terrible student; I never went to class and when I did I just sat outside smoking and drinking coffee all day, the lecturer would just pass by every hour or so and be like “you still here!” – they never really got on at us about it. Although I didn’t really know my lecturers very well I bumped into one recently (he remembered me, to my surprise) and he said they always knew I’d do something interesting, which is nice to know. I passed my degree, not with the best honours but I don’t think that matters and nobody has ever asked me about it since I graduated. Everyone does the university thing in their own way, don’t fret about it, that’s the only advice I could give. 

  

How did you go about making the transition from student to independent designer, did internships help you to get to where you are today? 

I did a few internships and most were not that helpful but then I went to work for Pam Hogg which proved to be an invaluable experience. Pam had just returned to fashion after a ten year hiatus and it was the run up to her first show in London Fashion Week since the break, it was a pretty small operation and that meant that I got to know her really well as a person and see every angle of the business at a scale that I could understand. It was that experience as a whole, which ultimately gave me that confidence that I could do it myself, and that was when I decided to start working on my own label for real. 

Following your collection for Urban Outfitters are there any other brand you’d like to collaborate with, whether fashion or otherwise? 

I don’t know about other brands in fashion or otherwise, I never really look at any brand and think of it in those kind of terms. I would like to work on more music videos and movies – more film and photographic projects.

  

Outside of the online world of blogs and webpages, what excites your sartorial senses and inspires your creativity?

As I mentioned before music is a huge inspiration to me, I co-run a club night in east London called Reeperbahn, it’s a cold wave/synth party, the crowd it attracts are quite inspiring style-wise, very new wave, minimal, goth. It’s hard to say where exactly my inspirations come from sometimes because I don’t make mood boards, and I can’t ever focus my ideas in my head, I just try and read as much as I can (currently reading Janet Street Porters ‘Life’s Too Fucking Short’ – it’ great) and take in as much culture as time will allow and things just come together – I don’t even decide on the name or the theme of the collection is until its finished – maybe that’s because of the gaps in my education through not going to class. 

And finally, what can we hope to see from you in the near future? 

I have promised a menswear collection, which I am working on but the release has had to be put back because of issues with time and the fact that I am still a really small operation. I am planning from here on to produce smaller collections, more often, I’m not sure that I like the way fashion works, and I feel some big changes are due. Look at London Fashion Week, I don’t really know much about the fashion industry as such but it seems like it’s totally screwed, but maybe that’s actually a good thing, I like to think so. 

A great interview, so a huge thanks to Simon and I really hope you enjoyed the blog post. I think we can expect to see a lot more  from this great young British talent. You can check out more and hit up some of the amazing new pieces check the links below. Personally i’m saving up for the purple mesh skirted dress, perfect for the Warehouse Project in a few weeks.

WEB

TWITTER

FACEBOOK

ASOS MARKETPLACE

VINTAGE VACATION

Had to check out this webpage when I heard about it, so up my street and it didn't disappoint. A great collection of real holiday snaps, from the days when summer actually existed, taken all over the world. Here are a few of my favourites but take a look at the webpage 'ERE to see lots more.

Arizona 1964

California 1975

Colorado 1973

LA Farmers Market, 1967

North Carolina, 1967

Puerto Rico 1970

Yellowstone National Park 1959

If you love the vintage look, please don't forget to check out Rummage Vintage 'ERE, for more vintage inspired posts as well as a link to our great little eBay shop currently stocking these gems...

And tomorrow...i'll tell you all about the bargain's I picked up today from, would you believe it, New Look and Dorothy Perkins.

CREEPER CRUSH

Mimi Wade rocking Hellz X Vans.

Love them.

You can get them 'ERE.

SO..WHO WILL YOU BE?

That's the five trends I feel are important for the coming Autumn and Winter but just who will you decide to be?

The Naughty Rebel Metal Groupie, The Refined and Androgynous Mod, The Bohemian and Artsy Californian College Girl, The Slighty Unhinged Eclectic Lady or The Jewel Toned Heritage Goddess.

The characters which will define next season are very bold and diverse and it will be so interesting to see which of the A/W 2011 girls reigns the on the streets of the UK as well as who the celebrity trend setters embrace.

As for me I just can't decide, whilst I adore the simplistic Mod look I feel my style sits somewhere between the Art College Girl and her Rebel Rebel counterpart. And as it appears that summer is already over i'm going to start hunting to the perfect buys now. 

5:5 CROWN JEWELS (FINALLY)

Finally the 5th trend, this is all about colour.

It's Next Seasons: Primary Paint Box Brights, Red becomes Ruby Burgundy, Yellow becomes Citrine, Cobolt Blue becomes Sapphire. Colour blocking becomes grown up and indulgent.

Moodboard: My Own, featuring Topshop's take on Colour Blocking

Crown Jewels Was Seen On The Catwalks Of

Crown Jewels Is: Luxury, Metallics, Deep and Grown Up Colour, Ladylike, Cocktail Hour, Atonement, Furs, Futuristic and Classic, Veronica Lake, 1940's.

Shop The Look At: Zara, Topshop, River Island, Rokit.

The Looks:

Day Look

Oxblood Sheer Shirt, Topshop, £36. Citrine Knit, River Island, £35. Vintage Burberry Quilted Jacket, Rokit, £170. Tweed Shorts, Topshop, £38. Floppy Fedora, Topshop, £25. Snake Chain Necklace, Topshop, £35. Melange Socks, Topshop, £6. Burgundy Ankle Boots, Topshop, £140.

Night Look

Vintage Blouse, Rokit, £25. Midi Skirt, Topshop, £38. Spike Necklace, Topshop, £35. Jewel Brooch Turban, Topshop, £14. Black Agate Ring, River Island, £10. Turquoise Fur Collar, River Island, £13. Gold Nail Paint, Topshop, £6. Studded Box Clutch, River Island, £30. Lace Up Wedges, Topshop Studio, £70. 

What hannabytes Says: This look is pure luxury but work the colours into a country inspired daytime look with hints to 1940's glamour and it becomes very wearable. Go for true 1940's indulgence for evenings with turbans, chiffon and silk. Wear with allure and grandeur in perfect timing for the remake of The Great Gatsby.