Louise Thompson At The Elite Model Competition 2012

Last night I was lucky enough to be invited to the Elite Model Competition 2012 in association with Look magazine and Look beauty.

The evening started with some reception drinks on the balcony before everyone took to their sits for the catwalk show.  The aim of the competition was to find Elite's next top female and male model and what a task it was for the judges.  The scouts and team at Elite had managed to come across some of the best boys and girls that Britain and Ireland has to offer.

After a few quick changes and struts down the catwalk the winners were announced.  For the girls it was Gillian Matthew and for the boys the chosen one was Connor Doherty.  Both I'm sure have a great future ahead of them, it's not everyday that you get signed by the agency that discovered Cindy Crawford and Gisele!

Next it was off to a room full of very attractive and stylish people, also known as the after party, where tunes came courtesy of the one and only Henry Holland. For me the best part of being there (other than the free bar) was nosing at what everyone was wearing and the one person that caught my eye was Made In Chelsea star Louise Thompson.  Louise looked stunning in a gorgeous wine, one shouldered, maxi dress with nude peep toes.

Image from Look magazine

Go Try It On

I may be a bit behind the times but I've only just discovered the Go Try It On app for the Iphone.  For those of you that may still be in the dark, here's a little synopsis.

The app allows you to share your style and advice with friends, other users and even bloggers by posting a picture of your look.  Recent updates to the app include a timer feature, which combined with the frames and filters, gives you a perfect, professional looking shot every time.  My favourite bit has to be the style tab where you can "window shop" and add the pieces you love to your own personal shopping list.  The cute heart feature allows you to mark looks and products and save them for those days you need a little style inspiration.

If you love fashion and want to share your style and ideas with others then it's the ideal app for you, plus it's free to download.

Image courtesy of Apple

Topshop's Chunky Knits

I know it's not really what you want to be thinking about in August but with the way the weather is going, I'm afraid we might have to start thinking about buying pieces for our A/W wardrobes ASAP.

To soften the blow slightly Topshop have got some great chunky knits in at the moment that make you long for those cosy winter nights in.

£36

£36

£40

£42

£36

Images from Topshop

New Look's Studded Bracelets

Good thing studs are so popular at the moment or most of my wardrobe and accessories would be way off trend.

On a shopping trip yesterday Claire and I were like magpies, we homed in on anything shiny and with a stud.

As I'm on a tight budget at the moment my purchases were on a much slighter scale to that of my sisters but I still managed to incorporate studs into my new additions.

Both my mum and dad described my New Look studded bracelets as resembling a dogs collar but I happen to think they're quite edgy.  Plus they were only £4.99 and it was buy one get one free, result!

Statement Necklaces

Recently I seem to be going through a phase of obsessing over statement necklaces.  For me this is quite a big deal as I'm not normally one for too much jewellery.  

There are so many great pieces around on the high street from spikes to neon's and even some that look like they'd strangle you!

It's the ideal accessory to dress up a plain outfit day or night.

Topshop £10

Zara £19.99

Miss Selfridge £8

Urban Outfitters £28

Images as credited

Inspirational Fashion Quotes

I've noticed recently that a lot of blogs are dedicating posts to uplifting and inspiring quotes.
So, in keeping with the theme of Sister Stylista I wanted to share with you some of my favourite fashion quotes.
Hopefully they will inspire you!

"One is never over-dressed or underdressed with a Little Black Dress."

—  Karl Lagerfeld

"Don’t be into trends. Don’t make fashion own you, but you decide what you are, what you want to express by the way you dress and the way you live."

— Gianni Versace

"Whoever said that money can’t buy happiness, simply didn’t know where to go shopping."

— Bo Derek

"Give a girl the right shoes, and she can conquer the world."

— Marilyn Monroe

"Dress shabbily and they remember the dress; dress impeccably and they remember the woman."

— Coco Chanel

"While clothes may not make the woman, they certainly have a strong effect on her self-confidence — which, I believe, does make the woman."

— Mary Kay Ashe

My First Fashion Assignment

Yesterday I was given my first fashion assignment.  The task is for me to pull together three A/W 2012 looks from the high street.  I was given military and checks as two of the trends and left to my own devices with the third.  I haven't quite decided on which trend I'm going for but for some reason I seem to be swaying towards brocade.
Part of the task is for me to create a mood board so that the team involved on the shoot has an idea of the theme and look that I want to portray.
Then comes the hard part.  Seen as it will be my first shoot there obviously won't be a budget, so I need to get myself a model, make up artist, hair stylist and photographer for free.  Looks like I'll be trying to pull in a few favours.
Luckily for me, I have quite a bit of time to try and get it all sorted.
Keep checking the blog for updates on how I'm getting on.

Lazy Oaf Batman Print Dress As Seen On Cheryl Cole

Once again Cheryl has hit the headlines for something other than her music.  This time it's for her choice of outfit on a recent night out in London.
I must admit the cartoon print dress that she decided to wear probably wouldn't be my cup of tea but it definitely made a statement, which is what fashion is all about in my eyes.
From doing a quick web search it appears that the dress has divided opinion but it's got people talking and made the papers, so it looks like it did exactly what was intended.
If you're feeling brave and fancy copying Cheryl's style then you can grab yourself the exact same dress by Lazy Oaf from ASOS for just £60.

 


Image from ASOS

David Beckham's H&M Bodywear Range

We don't normally blog about men's fashion on Sister Stylista but I couldn't resist writing a little post about my future husband Mr Beckham and his new underwear range!
Becks has just launched his 2nd bodywear collection with H&M and the shots are quite frankly AMAZE BALLS.  The black and white pictures were taking in LA by photographer Alasdair McLellan with nine 10 foot tall statues being placed across major cities as part of the advertising campaign.
His latest underwear line is due to hit high street stores and online on the 23rd August, with new pieces being added to the collection in November.
Now all I need to do is find a man that looks just as good in his pants as he does!

*WARNING* Please allow yourself at least 10 minutes per photo to drool.

Images by Alasdair McLellan for H&M

Kardashian Kollection Comes To The UK

I have some very exciting news for any Brits that are fans of the Kardashian sisters.  Their very successful clothing line is coming to the UK!  You'll be able to pick up a piece of their style in over 250 Dorothy Perkins stores across the country from November.
The range has some great pieces, one of the things they do best in my opinion are blazers, with a variety of brights and prints a blazer is definitely a wardrobe must have and a great way to update your look.
Launching the line in a high street store will also ensure affordable price points for those of you that want to steal their style on a budget.




Image by Stephen Sullivan

The Day Of The End Of The World Themed Shoot Finally Arrives

After lots of planning and a very busy week of preparing, the day of the shoot finally arrived!  It started with a quick stop at Covent Garden to pick up the garments and then came the Olympic style sprint weighed down with two suitcases to Knightsbridge, where the model and rest of the team were waiting.  Next came hair and make up and then it was all on the bus to Battersea.
Once in Battersea the hunt for some perfect locations to shoot begun.  After a quick stroll around we were set and ready to get the model into the first look of the day.
Battersea was definitely the ideal setting for the End Of The World theme with the power station being a great backdrop and luckily for us the weather was on our side.
Eight amazing looks and a few stares from the local folk later it was a wrap.  Some great shots and looks were pulled together making the crazy build up well and truly worth it!

Arty Crush

I have a slight obsession with the YSL Arty ring at the minute but being £180 I'm still contemplating whether to invest in one or not.

If I do decide to get one then the next question is what colour to get, they have such an array, how will I ever decide!

Image from dolcesposa.com

A Day At Charles Fox Shooting For Kryolan's Trend Look S/S 2013

Sorry for the lack of posts this week but I've been a very busy bee.
Along with contacting fashion PR companies to get some looks together for Sunday's Bambi magazine shoot, I also spent the day yesterday assisting on a shoot for professional make up brand Kryolan's trend look for spring/summer 2013.
It was a 9.30 call time but as there's a crazy next few days ahead I was up bright and early and on the 6.38am train heading into London town to pick up some garments for this weekends shoots.
Once arriving at Charles Fox's Covent Garden store the fun began.  A lovely breakfast spread was laid on to keep everyone in good spirits and was swiftly demolished by the team.  After a quick prep for the day ahead it was all systems go.  Hair and make up were in full swing and the outfits for the day were pulled together by stylist Joey Bevan.
A quick dash to Oxford Street to grab some awesome shoes and then it was time for lights, camera, action.  I even had the chance to experience what it's like to walk in a models shoes myself, when the photographer asked me to take some test shots to check the lighting etc, not quite sure how these models do it day in and day out, it's definitely not as easy as it looks and it's very intimidating with a group of people watching your every move.  I only had two people watching me, the actual model had about 20 plus a shop full of people, guess that's why they earn megabucks and I don't!
All in all it was a long day for everyone but the make up, hair, outfits and photo's looked stunning so a great end result for everyone involved.

A Day Full Of Fashion Research

Today has mainly been spent contacting fashion PR companies and doing a bit of research for a Bambi Magazine shoot that I'm assisting on this Sunday.

The theme for the shoot is 2012 poster apocalyptic meets resident evil, picture lots of leather and latex with a sexy editorial feel.

The styling will of course be a piece of art as the amazing Joey Bevan creates dark and chic looks to fit the end of the world scene that will evolve.

The next few days will consist of collecting the clothes, accessories etc from designers so that Joey can start preparing and pulling the looks together.  Then it's all hands on deck on Sunday to ensure everything runs smoothly with no hiccups.

I can't wait to see the finished article and to tell you all about the day itself.

Marilyn Monroe Tribute

Being a Marilyn Monroe fan, I thought it was only right to dedicate today's post to the 50 year anniversary of her death.
Marilyn was not just a timeless beauty and ambassador of the female form but a real fashion icon. TV shows such as Madmen and Smash prove what a big influence her style still has on the fashion industry today.  To me her signature look will never date or fail to flatter your figure no matter what your shape or size.

Images from www.allposters.com

Pastels And Florals From Florence&Fred

I still can't quite get over how amazing it is that you can do your weekly shop and buy clothes all under the same roof.

Florence&Fred have some great summer pieces in at the moment that are bang on trend.  I picked up this pastel top and floral jeans earlier today, which will be great with a pair of nude heels for the afternoon tea party I'm attending on Saturday.

New Look's Studded Leopard Print Flats

New Look has always been my go to for shoes, especially for your everyday flats as they do them so perfectly and at such great prices.
After seeing both my mum and sister in some leopard print gold studded flats recently, I had to grab myself a pair too.  It's kind of a running joke in our family that us girls always seem to end up with the same things, just means that we all have great taste of course!
Being a wider fit means that the pumps are so comfy it's like wearing your slippers out, although I'd recommend trying them on, I had to buy a size smaller because my usual size 4 gaped a tad at the sides.