The September Issue.

We are currently one week into August - does this scare anyone else? The year has flown by. Granted, it has been 8 months of work, end of friendships, start of relationships, heartbreak, tears and new ventures and the craziest time and I cannot believe its now only 4 months to Christmas (urgh). The weather is slowly starting to creep back into dull and dreary and its now time to start planning our inspiration for Septembers outfits. Of course, I will be wearing a real fur coat throughout winter, I love this beautiful Emilio Pucci jacket - the long shaggy style reminds me of the iconic Kate Moss, who I am always envious of - how does she manage to look so effortless in winter when us lot have runny noses and windswept hair?! I have a beautiful French black rabbit fur coat that I shall be wearing throughout the season which is similar to this Pucci one, my first real Vintage find all those years ago! Next up is a handbag - I have a Vivienne Westwood heart shaped crocodile skin bag which I carry everywhere - but this vintage Chanel bag is to die for - the classic quilted style is timeless and I am desperately searching for one like this! I don't think I shall ever be able to afford one though!
The beautiful tan suede ankle boots are by Vagabond - I love their shoes and the chunky low heel will be perfect to team with thick tights and dresses. As for dresses, I've been lusting after Mary Katrantzou prints for ages. However, I can't afford the prices! A great alternative is the designer Emma Cook, who does some gorgeous graphic prints like this mini dress. A silk like this is still light enough to keep that end of summer vibe, but can be layered up with chunky knits and thick tights to carry you through to autumn.
I can't let go of my favourites - Baroque, Alexander McQueen and Egyptian. These gorgeous McQueen embroidered pumps are just perfect. As is this beautiful Rosita Bonita Scarab necklace - I've recently discovered Rosita Bonita and I am totally head over heels with their stuff!
Pull all outfits together with a slick of plum purple lipstick.
Done.

Overly Ambitious.

Having a very dreamy week this week - I had a long weekend in Whitby, North Yorkshire with Jazzy Jeff's Junk at The Great Seaside Vintage Fair and have been back working at Irregular Choice all week, and have spent this afternoon (after being tattooed) doing some internet window shopping, heres my ambitious wish list:

I bloody love a good kimono or cape. This gorgeous floral printed one is by Alexander McQueen, and is silk - I can only imagine the movement and softness of the fabric! Would look fantastic belted, teamed with black leggings (possibly the trusty American Apparel ones I live in) and this incredible Idriss Guelai Atelier bustier - almost plastic looking, with quite a harsh exterior - would clash perfectly against the soft silk (Although at over £1,000 I think its a little too out of my price range). It reminds me of the bondage trend which Louis Vuitton did so well a few seasons ago (who could forget Kate Moss striding down the catwalk smoking in those hooker boots?)
I recently purchased the most amazing tapestry buffalo platforms from ASOS, but spotted these 'Hyper' platforms online and fell in love! A snip at £75, they echo the grungey yet indie look of Jeffery Campbell but for a fraction of the price! The chunky wedge adds a harder look to the overall shoe, and would add a great twist to an otherwise 'regular' outfit.
Finally, these Susan Caplan Vintage Chanel earrings are just precious - what self confessed fashion lover wouldn't want some vintage Chanel in their wardrobe? I especially love the droplet style of these pieces, its almost like gold coins from the streets of Paris, but with a posh French twist.

My theory is, its better to be overly ambitious than just settling for whatever happens, so hopefully one day all of these beautiful pieces (As well as many more) shall be being worn by me, strutting down Leicester high street.
Keep dreaming Harriet...
 

Smooth Styling: Leicester's Finest.

If your a true Leicester resident you will know about Kasbah Piercing & Tattoos on Silver Street. I first became familiar when I worked at Goldrush Vintage in Malcom Arcade around 3 years ago - Kasbah was situated opposite and since then, every piercing has been done by Charlie, and every tattoo by Che - and I shall continue to do so as long as i'm in Leicester!

Charlie and me bonded over a mutual love over Kasabian and mad clothes, and has been one of my closest friends ever since. He works SO hard at Kasbah (a family business) and also on his acting - and I am SO proud to say he debuted his role in HOLLYOAKS a few weeks ago! Part of the new Roscoe Family, he plays Freddie, and already has made a brilliant impression on every Hollyoaks fan I have met - he really deserves it, because bloody hell he has worked hard for it!

Now I work as a freelance stylist, i'm pretty chuffed to say that I've styled one of Leicester's finest - here's a snap from The British Soap Awards of Charlie (top right) and his on screen family. His suit is, of course, Alexander McQueen, styled with accessories from Jazzy Jeff's Junk. Hopefully he will keep me in mind for more of his appearances (well he best bloody do anyway)

And a little photo of me and him taken today in the glorious Leicester sunshine.

 

 

I'm wearing these American Apparel leggings to death at the moment, and teamed it with a handmade dress from Ksuko Clothing in Royal Arcade, Leicester.

 

If your a Hollyoaks fan (and even if you aren't) you can catch it on Channel 4/E4 every week day. Charlie is also featuring in the second Kick Ass film which is out this summer!

So proud of this guy.

 

LSF Charlie! Love H x

 

 

Alexander McQueen Sample Sale.

As part of my time at Alexander McQueen, I was able to work at the A/W Sample Sale. As I work in the Archives, I have been working towards the build up of the sale with my boss - sorting out the McQ pieces which have to be checked to see whats going into the sale, etc. I also worked at the venue with the Sample Sale with the wonderful Alex and Daniel sorting out the beautiful ballgowns for the sale.

The actual sale itself was mayhem - as I have said in my previous post being an intern is tough and I feel working at a Sample Sale can either make or break you. Obviously, the team who run the sale are there to make sure everything runs smoothly, so tempers can run high. I was working with the wonderful Andrea on accessories and jewellery - I found myself very overwhelmed throughout my first morning, as people were like magpies for the jewellery, and there were some very rude people - but it needs to be taken with a pinch of salt. I was responsible for restocking the jewellery and accessories, and making sure people didn't walk off with it. Obviously rings/necklaces/etc are small and can be easily swiped so I had to be extra vigilant when people were trying stuff on. What amazed me was how easily people were spending money, and after I'd gained some confidence I asked a few people how they had known about the sale (as its invite only) and if they had been before. A lot of people were students from CSM, and surrounding Unis, obviously with student loans, some very, very VERY rich people who could afford to splash out, and my favourite people - the ladies/gents who had saved up money over the months to buy only one or two pieces.
 

The days can be long on everyone, working 9am-9pm isn't nice but you just have to grin and suck it up, as its a great experience, and you get to see some beautiful clothes!

Actually going to sale is brilliant, as you can get some real bargins from them, even if you have a limited budget, its nice to treat yourself!
I'm not going to lie and say it was easy, there was points where I wanted to cry because of rude customers and the overcrowded atmosphere, but overall it was mental, in a good way. Especailly the daily Starbucks run!

The Sale rounded off my first 3 months at McQueen, and I am now back in Leicester for the Christmas season, for a much needed 'rest' - however I have found that I cannot rest and have been throwing myself into new tasks, I'm determined to learn a new language in the New Year, and I'm focusing on my Vintage Clothing Business on my days off (Jazzy Jeff's Junk can be found on Facebook). I'm itching to get back to London and the beautiful big city, but even more excited about getting back to the Archive with my wonderful boss and the gorgeous clothing.
And a massive congratulations to Sarah Burton, who received her OBE today!

Life of an Alexander McQueen Intern - SO FAR!

Well, i'd definatly be lying if I said interning is a walk in the park. I'm currently working in the Archives of Alexander McQueen, which yes, is a personal dream come true - but it's not easy!

I've done about 2 and a half months so far, and I finish next week after the Sample Sale for Christmas.

When I started, I can honestly say I was terrified - for me, McQueen was not just a fashion designer, he was THE fashion designer, and its a true honour that I got the internship there!

 

Working in the Archives has been tiring, hard work but still its so much fun! Obviously, the archives contain all the collections, including the Fashion Shows, Pre and Comm collections, including Mens and McQ lines. Its a huge space, and It's incredible just looking through the collections, seeing both Lee and Sarah Burton's work. Occassionally, Studio need outfits for inspiration/reference so my duties include sourcing outfits from the vast collections, or from the Vintage clothing section (which is a personal favourite of mine, there are some real treasures in there!) which me or the other interns run over to the main HQ.

Occassionally us interns do have to do the errands, but it's not just making tea for everyone (which I'm sure is said a lot!), its incredible seeing all of this fashion history in one place, including all of the incredible shoes and accessories - I have tried the infamous Armadillo Shoes on, and they are incredibly comfortable, suprisingly!

 

Pulling outfits out for celebrities is a regular occurance, such as the glorious Naomi Campbell, however I am yet to meet the one and only Kate Moss - although if that ever did happen I'm sure I would collapse in starstruck awe and cry into the couture.

Next week, is the Sample Sale - something I'm incredibly excited about, but also scared stiff about! I can't wait to work in such a busy environment, and I'm honoured that its with McQueen.

 

I must admit, the commute from Leicester to London two days a week is hard work - getting up at 4am and sometimes not getting home till very late at night is exhausting and sometimes upsets me as I spend the rest of the week tired and not really up for anything, and the cost of travel is eating away at my very small savings, but you know what, I adore every second. I finish after the sale for Christmas, and then I'm going back in the New Year to gather some more experience!

 

If anyone was to ask about my interning - I would say think about it long and hard, because you might have to give a little more up to do so, but the outcome will be so worth it. It's a great experience and with a boss like mine, it can be hilarious!

 

Long Live McQueen.

So yesterday was possibly the most nerve racking, emotional, and most amazing day of my life. I finally had my interview at Alexander McQueen, to be an intern in the Archives. I've been preparing for months, trying to keep myself calm, because lets face it - it's a huge deal.

I've worked so so hard on my degree, and have put 200% into every piece of work I do, and I can finally say that it's starting to pay off! The interview itself was not as bad as I thought it would be, and I got shown around the archives of one the greatest Fashion Houses in the world.

Getting to see key collections, couture pieces, custom made gowns was a dream come true. I even got to see my favourite collection, VOSS from S/S 2001, which was more lovely that I could ever imagine - the feathers, the intricate stitching and general beauty of the garments was incredible.

I can finally see a future coming together. I start in two weeks, i'm so excited!

Alexander Goldbear.

Anyone who knows me knows how much i adore Alexander McQueen. And Haribo. So think how i felt when the two were combined!! A New York magazine, Twelv, have created a dress made entirely of Haribo Goldbears!

The magazine's Editor-in-Chief, Hissa Igarashi and Fashion Editor, Sayuri Marakumi, spent three weeks constructing the 220-pound dress for its debut issue- dedication to Fashion or what!

The dress was inspired by the late Alexander McQueen's dress which was dedicated to his dear friend Isabella Blow, who tragically commited suicide (I still haven't got over the loss of either of these brilliant minds).

 

 

Stay Jazzy you Crazy Kittens!

H x