My Fashion's Night Out: Sept 8th

I know, I know...I'm not exactly fast on the updates when it comes to these things!
So anyway, my first FNO ever, not gonna lie, it's not like I experienced the whole thing but at least I experienced it! At first glance, London's FNO seemed like a massive party down Oxford Street with urban-esque music blasting from every store. I have to say, I've never seen so many partly drunk and partly excited people on Oxford Street at this time before; it was as though night life of Leicester Square and the chic style of Mayfair had come together. Since I arrived late, I wasn't able to go to many stores but here's my experience in pictures..

Topshop displays: colour blocking with a rough edge
Topshop on FNO: Unimpressive...hardly any activity...a lousy notepad for spending £75, a DJ and a fashion moments display..I definately expected more..

The party at Urban Outifitters; truly urban with some good discounts and awesome displays.

The display dress for the evening at French Connection with 20% off everything

Forever 21- I was so excited to see the new store in London since I hadn't been yet. Although, I didn't buy much; recently raided F21 in America and bought a suitcase full of stuff. 

Pull & Bear: biking challenges, polaroid pics, 20% off and drinks here....was definitely worth the visit. 

In Summary; A unique experience of a celebration of clothes and style in some of the best High Street fashion stores in the world (or so I would say ;) ). 

Make up review: Stila One Step Correct

I recently went to FL, America on holiday and obviously had to do some intense shopping. One of the things I was really excited about was taking a trip to Sephora since we don't have it in the UK. Sure, we have plenty of make up brands and stores here but I'd heard so much about Sephora having these amazing products, I had to pay a visit. I decided to get a face primer so that I don't always have to put foundation and blusher on
my face together as my skin gets pretty oily and starts to break out during the summer. I have to say I was pretty impressed with the Stila One Step Correcter (Primer) because it sets your face perfectly and unless you have really blochy skin, it evens takes over the job of foundation of even-ing out the colour and texture of your whole face. It's great for anyone with even slightly oily skin and for summer in general as the primer is light on your face and probably even prevents sweating.

 There are 3 different brightening toners within the primer that come together as you can see (from the picture). The green colour cream neutralizes redness and conceals any blemishes, the light purple cream fights any sallow undertones to give a vibrant look to the face and the peach cream brightens and illuminates the face and helps reduce sun spots. All in all, it works perfectly!
Worth it?
You only need to use 2 tiny squeezes a day and I think this will last you about 3-4 months if you are like me and use it 4-5 times a week....If you do your make up more often then that it'll probably last you only a couple of months. I've been using it for about 2 weeks and the bottle barely looks used. I have to say, it is a little expensive...I payed about $39 for it in total (inc. tax). But if you think about the amount of uses you get out of it....(From my example 20 times a month*3 or 4 months = 60-80 uses)...seems pretty worth it!

Hope this helps for anyone looking to buy a primer!

Blake Lively: A Fashion Inspiration

The words ‘she looks good in everything’ are used by us all too often in praise or envy of someone’s , most probably a celebrity’s, ability to be able to pull off absolutely any outfit in any given situation, no matter how bizarre, weird or slutty it may be. Of-course, in today’s fashion world where Lady GaGa-like inspired apparel are in the norm, it’s hard to say people don’t look good in everything; in a society where almost everything is being accepted. So when you see someone like Blake Lively not having to resort to 10 inch studded heels and frightening make up, you know you really can use those words.
The ability to keep up with high fashion, what with all the eccentricities of runway looks has become increasing difficult these days for celebrities. In that respect, I find Blake to be a fashion inspiration; both on and off screen. The gossip girl has always stood out to me as both an icon and excellent actress. Whether it is the outstanding work of the writers or her understated acting in a high society upper east side role as Serena van der Woodsen, she always brings an aura of glamour and charisma to the show as she is constantly able to diminish her scandalous reputation with any outfit; no matter how short the skirt is or how much cleavage she’s showing. It certainly takes a special someone to be able to achieve that. No wonder she is now a Chanel ambassador.

I think 95% of her outfits look stunning and incredible. While it can be argued that the gossip girl start has a show stylist for on screen appearances, off screen Blake declares that she doesn’t need or want a stylist as she has a passion styling her own outfits. Here’s some my favourite Blake outfits where she has carried her outfit beautifully.   

 A gossip girl outfit….one word….WOW

There is a fine line between tacky and glamourous when it comes to lace. Blake wears it so well; I LOVE this dress; especially the bead detail and the scallop neck. She really sets the 40’s glamour vibe with this Zuhair Murad dress.

This tribal designed strapless number was worn for Fashion’s Night Out last year. It’s hard to work tribal on red carpet but Blake shows how the key is to not mix too many colours and stick to stricking combination.

 At the met- the printed bodycon style with the Grecian draped chiffon brings out the Hollywood and Parisian glamour fused together in this beautiful dress. Blake, once again, instead of making it look weird, she looks sophisticated.

A day ensemble on gossip girl. I love her ability to tame down an otherwise very workwear looking playsuit. The peep toe ankle cut boots never seem like a good idea in theory but with the contrast of the patterned jacket and the chained bag- they look amazing!

An exclusive designer interview with: Ethical- Emi

In the glamorous world of fashion, we often turn a blind eye to the not so glamorous side of manufacturing and making the stylish clothes that we are so drawn to in shops and boutiques. However, it has often been pointed out that many retailers use unethical means such as low cost labour to manufacture the clothes sold in their shops.
So when I came across Ethical Emi; an online jewellery and clothing store based in the UK and I found it pretty interesting and refreshing that all of the things they sell are made and manufactured in the most ethical way possible. I decided to interview with Ethical Emi Fashion designer; Xander Kostroma their jewellery and new 2011 clothing collection;

Visit at; http://www.ethical-emi.com/

Why ethical jewellery and why fair trade? 

Well, I genuinely believe that every business should be conscious of where/how their merchandise is made. Nowadays, many of us have adapted this “throw away” culture which we cannot continue with. If we don’t take action now who knows what is in store for us in the future?

How would you describe your ideal customer for; firstly your jewellery and secondly your clothing?  

We design for the modern woman of today who is conscious about where she shops, but this doesn’t mean we exclude anyone when we are thinking about our collection. Generally, we design for women aged 18 – late 40’s for our jewellery, and for our clothing we design for the slightly older customer. The age range goes from late 20’s to around the mid 40’s, however at a jewellery fair we attended we sold one of our disc necklaces to an 87 year old lady – who fell in love with the necklace as soon as she saw it!

Tell us a bit about your new 2011 clothing collection. What's your inspiration behind this collection? What kind of style are your designs based on?

We were thinking of “walking with your head held high” when we originally started planning the collection. We wanted to create a capsule collection for a woman of today who walked with sheer confidence. The collection is made up of 8 pieces that can be worn during the day and then glammed up with some high heels and a bit of sparkle at night. We wanted to keep the collection minimal so went for a monochrome colour pallet but added in a dash of purple just for the fun of it!

What is the inspiration behind you current jewellery collection?

The jewellery is designed to be a contradiction to our clothing. We wanted to create quirky pieces that can add a bit of fun to our outfits and show the world that yes, you can be confident when wearing our clothing but also show your inner cheeky side by wearing for example a little camera necklace or statement pair of earrings.

And finally, pick your 5 favourite pieces of jewellery or accessories available on the website?

This would have to be the owl necklace, the teacup & saucer necklace, The Chinese inspired earrings, a double dose of some stacker bangles and the 1940’s inspired brooch.

Verdict:
Clothes; classic cuts with a bit of edge- great for being fashionable in and out of the office. True, it's for women in their late 20's but a little accessorizing ages down an outfit by a long way! My personal favourite is the purple skirt- slimming, sharp and sexy.
Jewellery; Bohemian and chic in its own way. Pretty and detail orientated jewellery is particularly great for bland dresses and plain tops.
Overall; Stylish, Girly and Inexpensive considering the ethical and fairtrade nature of the company!

Shop these items at http://www.ethical-emi.com/

Back from.....

Sorry for the really longgggggg pause in blogging..I guess don't have that many excuses apart from maybe exams and just being plain lazy!! But that doesn't mean I've lost my interest in blogging or fashion...just been a little busy! But I'm definitely going to be doing it regularly from now on! So watch out for my new and improved blog posts

Lots of Love 

Eshani 

xx

Summer 2011 Key Fashion Trend: White on White

White on White is a new trend for recent times but seems to be the perfect contrast this season's colourful clothes. It's all about being white and crisp looking this season. Look out for the 'LWD'- the little white dress; pure, elegant and chic. Whites this season are not feminine and girly in anyway; it's all clean cuts and functional. It almost fits into the minimal trend from a couple of seasons ago. Accessorizing with this look should be kept to a minimum; perhaps some killer heels to enhance a sharp look, a skinny belt or a clutch.
Here are some of my runway favourites...

(From Left) Alexander Mcqueen, Alice by Temperely, Dolce and Gabbana

And some more affordable pieces supporting the trend...

From left to right
1. Shift Dress- Asos- £35
2. Blouse- Zara- £59.99
4. A-Line Skirt- Topshop- £35

Summer 2011 Key Fashion Trend: Maxi Skirts

As spring begins with pretty flowers (particularly daffodils) and patches of sunshine, a new season begins in the world of fashion.

MAXI SKIRTS are a huge trend this summer! Last year, Maxi dresses and skirts were slowly becoming popular but this year the focus is on long and beautiful Maxi Skirts. I Especially LOVE the beautiful long chiffon and light material skirts which look elegant and graceful. This summer, looking feminine and girly is very much the key to dressing.


Here are some the maxi skirts by designers I'm loving;

Alberta Ferreti, Chloe and Lavin (from left)

Light Patterned, Pleated and Simply Flowy; they come in all different styles this season. My Favourite; definitely the Lanvin; extravagant and Spanish-looking.

Here are some of my high-street favourites; 

I know, I know, they kind of look all the same....but I have a weakness for chiffon material !!

   From left to right;

1. Supre.com.au- £5.84!!

2. Asos.com- £45

3. American Apparel- £52

15 Days, 15 Looks: DAY 15

This last look is my most comfortable fashionable look with a loose pink shirt and skinny jeans. The embellishment and metal detail in the outfit gives it a slight edge while maintaining a mellow, lounge wear look. I'm a huge fan of embellishment on clothes and bags as they add dimension to an outfit and a sense of glamour. The shoes were an absolute bargain (£8 on sale) as well as super stylish too.  

Top- H&M, Jeans, Bracelet- Topshop, Shoes- Marks and Spencer, Cltuch/Purse- Urban Outifitters, Ring- Dorothy Perkins

15 Days, 15 Looks: DAY 14

This look has a vintage feel to it; especially with the leafy skirt and stained bracelet. Since I don't wear actual vintage, this is the closest I can get to putting together a look that has an aged look to it. In this look I've shown that putting two different patterns together can clash but look good together at the same time.  

Top - New Look, Bracelet- Sears (USA), Skirt- Urban Outfitters, Shoes- River Island, Ring- Aldo.  

15 Days, 15 Looks: DAY 13

Earring Detail...

Today's look is simple, summery with only delicate jewel detail on my top and earrings. The flat gladiators with cropped chinos gives a summery feel and a toned down tribal look (with metal detail on the shoes).

Top and Bag- River Island, Chinos- Zara, Cardigan- Uniqlo, Gladiators- Topshop, Earrings- Accessorize

15 Days, 15 Looks: DAY 12

Ok... so not the best pictures in the world...I know!
This look is inspired by the animal prints trend for summer. When I first found this dress it, it seemed unsual but that's kind of why I liked it; it was a weird animal print embedded into a fadded floral print!! I like subtle animal prints a lot as they don't look tacky and too bright (although bright tribal prints are really 'in' for the summer). A pair of high gladiator heels and simple and cute jellewery to accompany!

Dress- ASOS.com, Shoes- New Look, Necklace- Accessorize

15 Days, 15 Looks: DAY 11

Sorry people...kinda missed a day :S but Oh Well...

This look is a simple cross-over trend between colour blocking and the 80's style. The brightly coloured crop top with fitted jeggings and heels give an 80's feel to the outfit. The chained handbag with contrasts the top and the rest of the outfit gives a classic feel to the look. I never usually wear this handbag out much- it's actually one of my first designer items- a BCBG Max Azria that I bought in the US a few years ago. It's vintage look allows it to go well with almost any classy-urban outfit.

Top- Miss Selfridge, Shoes, Jeggings, Vest, Necklace- Topshop, Bag- BCBG Max Azria.

15 Days, 15 Looks: DAY 10

To be honest, when I put this outfit together today I didn't really have a style or a trend in mind but looking at these pictures now I am kind of reminded of Serena's style from gossip girl; the classic urban-chic girl with the denim mini skirt and head 'piece'. Sometimes dark colours like blue and maroon go incredibly well together and bring together a sharp and classy feel.


Top- Gap, Skirt- Topshop, Bag- United Colors of Benneton, Shoes- H&M, Head Piece- Primark, Earrings- Topshop

15 Days, 15 Looks: DAY 9

This outfit is inspired by the nautical trend in an unconventional sense. The chained pattern on my t-shirt and the button detail (which isn't shown very well in these photos) on my skirt add a subtle nautical expression. The look is also spring-inspired with mellow colour tones. Mixing up and clashing patterns is also a very in trend for this summer although I've only done it very refined way. Also, it's almost a head to toe Topshop outfit!! :S

Top- Bershka, Bag, Skirt, Shoes, Necklace- Topshop!!

15 Days, 15 Looks: DAY 8

Another Winter meets Spring outfit where I've gone back to Black. The only colour in this outfit is the colour knitted scarf to bring the outfit life. An outfit which I consider classic and urban-esque. A clutch goes well with such an outfit as it adds the finishing touch!

Top and Bracelet- Topshop, Blazer and Shoes- H&M, Jeggings and Necklace- Warehouse, Ring and Clutch- Dorothy Perkins

15 Days, 15 Looks: DAY 7

Three Words; 

COLOUR BLOCKING SUCCESS!!

Finally, I found a few things in my wardrobe that I could put together and support the trend with. Although, this outfit is more office-y and less casual, it stands out and makes a statement. I stepped it up a notch with bright Barry M nail varnish and purple and blue eyes! 

Skirt and Ring- Dorothy Perkins, Cardigan and Neclace- H&M, Shoes- River Island, Belt- Topshop, Bag- United Colors of Benneton  

15 Days, 15 Looks: DAY 6

And the shoes...

I would describe this look as urban chic with an urban-ish bod-con dress that is plain with military boots. The loose, flowy crop top over a dress is my go-to look when I don't want to look impeccable. It's a scruffy, comfy, effortless urban look that is practical for moving around the city as well looking timelessly stylish. You could say that this look is not really in-season but it's one of those outfits that can fit into any season as it can be tailored to enhance different shapes and styles. If you wanted to go for a more bohemian twist, you could add a bunch of bangles and some dangle-y earrings. If you wanted to look more edgy, a leather jacket would do the job. 

Top- Zara, Bag- Dorothy Perkins, Dress- H&M, Shoes- River Island

15 Days, 15 Looks: DAY 5

So I tried the whole colour blocking thing again combining it in a more casual style with a t-shirt. I'm starting to really love bright colours and clashing them together in a more sophisticated way but I think I need to build up my wardrobe with more bright colours to experiment more!! It's interesting to clash a white/back tee with a vibrant colour like peachy orange; at first it looks unsettling but then it seems to look very urban classic with the help of the green belt detail and chandelier earrings. Also the skirt was a bargain; £4!!! It also looks like I'm really short eventhough I'm not LOL!

Top- Bershka, Skirt- H&M, Shoes- Aldo, Belt- H&M. 

15 Days, 15 Looks: DAY 4

And the shoes..

This look is sort of inspired by Alexa Chung's style. Although I think that she's a little over-hyped as a fashion icon, I do like some of her outfits. This outfit is inspired by her boyish-fierce style with leather jackets and boots. Leather combined with a khaki lace mini dress gives off a military edge. For what I feels like the first time ever, I felt that this look needed no jewellery to complete it as it enhances the fierce, boyish look. These are my favourite boots; they're great for more mannish, rock-chic looks as well as more feminine, girly outfits. 

Jacket- Zara, Lace Dress- H&M, Bag- Topshop (Marc B), Shoes - Topshop

15 Days, 15 Looks: DAY 3

I'm haven't exactly been a fan of colour blocking or bright coloured clothing most of my life so when I wanted to create an outfit with several colours, I found it difficult to find much around my wardrobe. Finally found an orange/red top with cut-off sleeves to work my look around. I think I managed to create a look that speaks the culture of central Europe (partularly Spain) with bright colour against black and Chinos; which are casual but classic. Brown Gladiator Heels add a summery touch.    

What do you think?


Blazer- Topshop, Top- Zara, Chinos- Zara, Necklace- Accessorize, Bracelet- H&M, Belt- Zara, Gladiators- New Look, Bag- Marc B (Topshop), Ring- Dorothy Perkins. 

15 Days, 15 Looks: DAY 2

I've gone for a spring inspired look with lighter colours dominating the outfit. Soft Florals and lighter tones cross over into a more edgier, rough look with scruffy studded boots and ripped, faded shorts. I also added a pop of colour with the bright flower clips in my hair just to make it stand out.This look is partly inspired by Erdem's Spring/Summer collection with a creamy floral top combined with lace and partly mixed in with Winter's grungy/mannish trend. My outfits tend to have different dimensions of style all mixed in together; girlish charm, rough and scruffy and feminine.


Top- River Island, Vest- Primark, Necklace- Disney Couture (ASOS.com), Shorts- Forever21, Stripy tBangles- Warehouse, Other Bangles- New Look, Shoes- Aldo, Leaf Earring and Flower Clips- H&M, Bag- Topshop.