Harvey Nics

The past few years luxury fashion retailer Harvey Nichols have entertained (or shocked depending on your inclinations) the nation with their witty and sometimes shocking Christmas viral adverts. Whilst this year they seem to have toned it down a bit, it is yet another stroke of creative genius. Also, if you've ever been in Glasgow on a Sunday morning, it manages to perfectly sum up a fair few sights...

Victoria

xo

Inner mosher

Today I embraced my inner mosher and spent the day listening to heavy metal (particularly Slipknot). I wish my fashion choices had been as cool as the bag above when at 13 years old I first thought anything covered in studs was "like the best thing ever". Unfortunately, back in the day that meant sparkly studded bracelets... This time round however I have just purchased a leather look dress and deep green velvet dress to get me through this Christmas party season. Here's hoping I can accessorize better this time round!

Victoria

xo

Source: weheartit

Glasgow girls rock X-Factor

Obviously I like to see Glaswegian talent flourish but I was particularly happy when I heard design duo Obscure Couture (Jennifer Coyle and Lyndsay Pagan) were featured on this weekend's X-Factor! Since their debut last year, I've kept up to date with this pair's work as their off the wall creations continue to amaze me. With X-Factor being a bit of blur the past few weeks, their colourful collections could not be more apt!

 Follow them on twitter and facebook

Victoria

xo

Vintage

 With Remembrance Day vast approaching, I love looking at old pictures and soaking up the Zeitgeist of that era. 1940's fashion has always inspired me as these women managed to look so glamorous when they literally had nothing. The elegance that oozes out of them almost makes you forget what horrible times they were living in. To me, it's particularly interesting that in our own (albeit extremely different) difficult times, elements of 1940's trends have appeared on the runway. Midi skirts, waist belts and mens tailoring have all been huge trends this season and certainly reflect the harsh economic times we are living in. 

  

Here's to sticking together and pulling through it exactly like these strong women did before us.

Victoria

xo

Alter ego

Last summer I worked as the marketing assistant for new company Kennedy Purple, working under the alter ego "Ms. KP". Living a very contented life with a new designer bag every other week, I started the blog The Adventures of Ms. KP. Kennedy Purple offers every woman a touch of glamour with affordable designer rentals, providing not only handbags but jewellery and accessories too. With the festive season vast approaching, be sure to check them out to become the belle of the ball!

Victoria

xo

Local talent continues to triumph

Before I start anything, sorry I haven't posted in a while! Last week was chaos as 'Strictly Come Scottish' finally crept up, thankfully blossoming into a wonderful Saturday night. We don't have an exact figure for the amount raised yet but I'll be sure to let you know when we do. It's looking good so far!

I've always championed the local design talent we have here in Scotland believing it to be an untapped resource that is often over looked. Harris Tweed however have managed to establish a reputable name for over 100 years now, continuing their production using local resources in the picturesque islands of the Outer Hebrides.

I have to say though, I was unaware that in some instances weavers still work from home until I saw extracts from Lara Platman's new book "Harris Tweed: From Land to Street". I love the idea that it is still so ingrained in the indigenous culture that has become synonymous with the brand. I whole heartedly agree with Lara's notion that weaving is an art form due to it's line by line construction.

Recently Harris Tweed celebrated 100 years of the orb stamp of certification, a symbol I feel keeps the company fresh and modern. Controversial music icon Pete Doherty received  a different kind of attention after he wore a bespoke Harris Tweed suit (designed by Glaswegian based Marina Maclean)  at a Parisian guerilla gig in 2010  whilst Matt Smith made his screen debut as BBC's Dr. Who in a vintage 1960's Harris Tweed jacket. Although the BBC have recently chosen to use a Chinese replica in more recent episodes (something which is beyond me with such an excellent resource on your doorstep), Harris Tweed should not suffer the fate of recent times as many high profile designers such as Chanel and Alexander McQueen choose to integrate this fabric into their collections.

Lara Platman's new book "Harris Tweed: From Land to Street" is available to buy on Amazon. It will definitely be on my Christmas list!

Victoria

xo

Source: BBC

Elsa Schiaparelli

I was extremely excited to hear Elsa Schiaperelli's work is to be celebrated at The Met this Spring. For me, she is a monumental pioneer of the fashion industry who is often overlooked in favour of the likes of Chanel who have sustained longevity. I feel she deserves more recognition as she was the first to create the modern catwalk and the wedge shoe which has been a favourite amongst the fashion pack for a good few seasons now. Her collaboration with surrealist artist Salvador Dali cumulated in four key items, my favourite being the shoe hat pictured above. However, in today's society with the likes of Lady Gaga consistently making post modern statements, I can't help but feel her style would resonate with the youth of today.

Time for a comeback?

Victoria 

xo

London

Sorry for the lack of blog post. I took wee jaunt down to London this weekend as the sailor got a day off (fastest 18 hours of my life!). Shockingly, I had never been to London so I decided to turn his day off into a mini break for myself. I absolutely loved the city and can't wait to go back and see some more of it with someone else. 

What struck me most (through the endless hours of people watching that I probably wouldn't have got had I been with someone else) was how fearless Londoners are. Not only in their fashion choices, but in the way they run at the subway doors, cycle in front of cars and get on with their daily lives surround by a constant flow of bemused tourists. However, it was their outlandish fashion choices that got my creative juices flowing. Unfortunately I forgot my camera so I have no first hand pictures for you but I'll leave that to the professionals...

Source: The Guardian

Source: Face Hunter

Source: slamxhype

Victoria

xo

Sexual attraction

 

Doing some research for work today I stumbled across (what I think is) a ridiculous article on the BBC Scotland website about how the contraceptive pill alters your attraction levels. Apparently being on the pill makes you more attracted to reliable, caring types. I can safely say looking back on my ex boyfriends, that definitely isn't the case! My favourite quote of the article was definitely:

"Dr Roberts added: "Choosing a non-hormonal barrier method of contraception for a few months before getting married might be one way for a woman to check or reassure herself that she's still attracted to her partner."

I didn't have the heart to tell my ginger boyfriend that not only can he not donate sperm, but if I wasn't on the pill then I might not actually be attracted to him...

What's your thoughts?

Victoria

xo

Source: BBC Scotland

Mr Button

 

I have no words to accompany this picture apart from "get me some of these now!"

What an awesome idea!

Check them out at John Caswell Design

Victoria

xo

Long distance sucks...

At the moment I'm currently battling two long distance relationships; one with my boyfriend, one with a best friend. Whilst there's the obvious reasons I miss my boyfriend, there are so many reasons I miss my friend too. She's such a positive, bubbly person that I know she would be making dealing with the separation from my boyfriend 10 times easier if we were still seeing each other every week. Separation from anyone is difficult but it's amazing how quickly you can adapt and change what you consider normal. Long distance sucks no matter who it is with but it genuinely does make you appreciate the person more when they are there. My friend is coming to Glasgow tomorrow for one amazing night out and I get 18 hours in London with my boyfriend new weekend. Bring it on! I feel like a kid at Christmas :)

Victoria

xo

Photo source: we heart it

American dreams

 

The glorious Glaswegian weather today got me thinking (as it usually does) of places I'd rather be and whilst I usually think of sunny exotic places, today it was Florida that popped into my head. For some reason the rain never bothers me as much when I'm there. Nothing quite beats driving along those straight open roads through an amazing sunset thunder storm. With Halloween vast approaching, I'm getting more and more tempted to jump a plane and go over for Universal's Halloween Horror night. However, my blank pay cheque might have something to say about that...

Victoria

xo

Charity Tuesday

Following twitter's trend of Charity Tuesday, I'm using my blog to shamelessly plug the charity ball I'm organising. Please spread word and get involved because it is such a great cause!

In aid of CLIC Sargent, at 7pm on Saturday 29th October Oran Mor's ballroom will be transformed into one of the best nights Glasgow has to offer. Hosted by Karen Dunbar, the night will include:

• A piano and champagne reception
• An exquisite traditional 3 course dinner prepared by Oran Mor's fine dining team led by Jeff Crawford
• A barrel load of laughs provided by compère Karen Dunbar and stand-up comedian Gary Little
• Table magic and a floor show by master cocktail flairer and Scottish champion, Jon O'Connor
• Charity raffle/auction
• Traditional Scottish dance provided by The Clan Wallace followed by Celtic folk and ceilidh band, Stramash leading you through to the wee hours

Tickets cost £70 or £840 for a table of 12 with 100% of profits going to charity. For more information, ticket sales and general banter, keep up to date on Facebook/Twitter.
twitter: @comescottish

 

Victoria

xo

Autumn fashion

I have to say, I've always been a bigger fan of Autumn fashion. Tights, boots and layers galore get my creative juices flowing much more than skimpy tops and booty hugging shorts. This A/W, fashion is set to get much more feminine with longer lengths and waist nipping skirts and dresses. Bring on the cold!

Victoria

xo

Where I'm waking

Call me old fashioned, but I think there's nothing better than holding something creative in your hand. Whether it's a beautifully bound book, zany album artwork or a detailed drawing, nothing quite beats that sense of ownership you get from tangibly possessing items. Whilst I welcome all the advancements this digital age has to offer, I feel this notion is slowing eroding. As a result, when folk pop duo Slow Club released their second album 'Paradise', I opted to spend an extra few pounds to actually own the cd. I certainly wasn't disappointed! Not only is the album a fantastic follow up to their debut 'Yeah So', packed full of the same uncomplicated happy beats that keep Slow Club high on my recently played list, but the album artwork brought a smile to my face. After having seen the duo play King Tuts this month, this artwork, to me, reflects the band's personality and adds so much more to the album than a digital download will ever be able to offer. Whilst Slow Club are from Sheffield, I have noticed Glasgow is definitely seeing a surge in this type of creativity. I welcome it with open arms and hope you do too!

Victoria 

xo

Ashish S/S 2012

Recently my own personal style has been heavily influenced by 90's grunge. I'm not entirely sure why but I think it might have a lot to do with the fact Foo Fighters 'Wasting Light' has been on repeat the whole summer (one of the Foo's best albums if you were wondering). So as you can imagine I was extremely excited to see the Ashish S/S12 collection at London Fashion Week take an extremely girly slant on such a masculine style. Sequins adorned the catwalk with brightly coloured pattern clashing extracting the glamour that usually accompanies the use of sequins. Boxy shapes and chunky Dr. Martens were given a feminine twist with beautiful flowers. This is by far my favourite collection yet. Think I could get away with flower filled Dr. Martens on the streets of Glasgow? Watch this space...

Victoria

xo

(photos via Elle)

Tim Walker

Tim Walker's fantasy fashion photograph has always been a favourite of mine. I love his ability to make my imagination run riot with his almost dream land compositions. Yet this dream land is not solely confined to his settings, it can be applied to the person he is shooting. The above picture is Scarlett Johansson, not her normal style eh? Apparently conceived over one too many glasses of wine, I love how the fun transpires through this image. It made me see Scarlett Johansson in a totally different light, making me realise actresses of her level must constantly be playing whatever role they choose whilst they are in the public eye. Tim Walker, I salute you! 

Victoria

xo

(Tim Walker for W magazine)

The dream I'm working on

I may still not know what I want to do with my life, but I do know that someday I want to live in a house filled with shoes, reminders of all the places I've been and laughter.
Walls covered with photos of my family and friends and beautiful books that I'll use for inspiration piled high in a corner. I want to live behind a red front door and have pretty bedsheets that make my comfy bed the best place to be. When I leave I'll be going to a job I love only to return to the person I love a few hours later. That's the dream I'm working on.

Oh, and disco ball stairs.

Victoria
xo

The beginning

Hello!

My life seems to be taking a whole different path at the moment so today seemed like the ideal time to start a blog. I'm not sure what I'll do with it yet, I'll see where my fingers take me but at the moment it is dedicated to all those things that do not grow on trees. Take inspiration from it!

Victoria

xo