FINAL DAYS AT FIVE WAYS

Finally! I can officially say I have attended my last lesson of sixth form. No more school, no more business dress and no more teachers mean I can now look forward to lie-ins, lax dress codes and lecturers instead. After a rousing rendition of the school song in our last full school assembly, we tried our hands at chav and nerd style for ONE DAY ONLY* before donning our lower school attire one last time. Emotional but exciting, here are just a few photos to show you how we celebrated finishing Five Ways in true adolescent style.

*Please bear in mind this was a costume. I DO NOT normally dress like this...but I kinda liked it.

 

I would also like to take the time to thank each and every one of you for reading my blog, I really appreciate it and whether you know it or not you are helping me to realise my dream of eventually running my own magazine! After all, I was awarded Future Leader today; here's hoping! I may be a bit quiet on the blogging front during study leave, as revision leaves little time for stylish living, but stick with me: you wont be disappointed. 

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Since September 2004, I have been a student at King Edward VI Five Ways school in Birmingham. I have grown from a fresh-faced eleven year old into the fashion fiend of eighteen I am today, and it has been a long, long journey. On Tuesday, the school that has shaped my adolescence will cease to be my school, as this week was my last full week at Five Ways. With four days left of sixth form (which requires 'business dress') and four suits in my wardrobe, I decided to wear them all for one last time.

Tuesday

Jersey blazer with polkadot lining and lapels, white t-shirt, jersey skirt

Pearl and glass rings: China, Gems TV and H&M

Mix of bracelets: Iran, unknown, H&M, gift and vintage. The more the better!  

I think this blazer is so cute.

Wednesday

Black t-shirt, dogstooth skirt, rings from China and H&M, bracelets as before

Necklace from Accessorize, one of my favourites

Suit from Matalan

The  vintage brooch that makes me wish I wore glasses, Primark studs

   

Thursday

Ring-a-ding-ding! eBay, gems TV, H&M, gift and H&M

This is my favourite 'business dress' outfit! Blouse from Matalan with a chain under the collar

Nobody knows how my shoes get so trashed. Primark.

Friday

T-shirt Matches for Erdem during LFW, grey trouser suit from Matalan

Was finally able to change my 'new' piercings yesterday

NEXT BIG THING

The world of retail is often taken for granted. We walk into a shop, we see something we like, we buy it. However, how many of us stop to think about how this product came to be on the shelves? Over the past few weeks, Britain's Next Big Thing on BBC2 has got viewers thinking about the retail process. Open days at Boots, Habitat and, most fashionably, Liberty, saw buying teams looking for exciting new products that could be sold in store in a matter of months.

These days have revealed some real treasures along the way, like Charlotte Sale's wave inspired glassware, made by hand.

Furthermore, Tom Hopkins Gibson pitched some beautiful bowls he makes from driftwood he finds near his home in Scotland.

But my personal favourite? Phillip Weston and his stunning silk scarves, with photocopied prints rendered beautifully in show-stopping colours. I would put him with Holly Fulton, Christopher Kane and Peter Pilotto in terms of creativity with print, and although their styles may be vastly different their innovation unites all four designers (yes, Weston is now a designer). His creations are available at Liberty, HERE under Weston Scarves.

I really think Weston's work is beautiful, original and inspiring, so I will be saving up and treating myself to one of his scarves come summer. Has anyone else been watching? Who is your favourite found talent so far?

Tune in tonight at 8pm for the next episode!

MK OHHHHHHHH

It will probably come as no surprise that I have a HUGE style crush on Mary Kate Olsen: bohemian, eclectic, rock'n'roll, creative, risky...I cannot compliment Miss Olsen enough on her sartorial savoir.

However, it is not only her off-screen style that captures me. Her presence on the big screen sees Olsen play characters a little less mainstream than in her previous straight-to-video tweenage films. Take in The Wackness and Beastly for example. Whether a free loving stoner in the late 1990s or a modern-day witch taking style tips from Kesha, respectively, Olsen's fashion and costume never fails to fascinate.

 Beastly (2011)

The Wackness (2008)

So I definitely know which film I preferred, but which costume designer deserves the highest honours? Let me know!    

LONG LIVE MCQUEEN

The stars were out in force Monday night at the annual Met Ball in New York, held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. This year, the Ball marked the opening of the museum's retrospective of the late Alexander McQueen's work, paying tribute to a designer who is still clearly deeply missed by the fashion world. Naturally, McQueen was a favourite choice for many attendees, with Stella McCartney's subtle yet sexy designs coming a close second. So, who wore what?
 

Daphne Guinness in Alexander McQueen

Eva Mendes in Stella McCartney

Jay Z and Beyonce in Emilio Pucci

Karl Lagerfeld and Blake Lively in Chanel

Sarah Burton in Alexander McQueen: a quick note to say this woman has done what many doubted could be done and carried on the McQueen legacy with integrity, compassion and creativity. Sincere congratulations are in order

Taylor Swift, looking UNBELIEVABLE, in J Mendel

Another stunning night in style terms, with enough material to pore over for days to come. Don't forget to get your hands on the sumptious tome accompanying the retrospective, Savage Beauty, and let me know what you think!

IZZY WIZZY

The Selby paying me a little tribute with Charlotte Rust