The Queen of Fucking Everything

in yesterday's post I brought you the word Fashanker by the fabulous Holestar, someone who I discovered a few weeks ago but have fell in love with

Holestar is a drag queen with a difference, she was born as a woman playing an over-exaggerated version of a woman. She stands for gender equality, sexual equality and is a big advocate of both.  She has had scorn for becoming a female drag queen but is not one to roll over quickly.

Whilst in an ill induced haze I tweeted her insistent questions, quite rightly she only answered two so here goes

Whats the best advice you could give to people struggling with who they are?
Learn to love, accept and celebrate yourself and be fabulous about it. Fuck what others say.The world is full of different fruits!


And for a fun one, whats your favourite costume?

Don't have one really...prefer accessories. Love the speculum headpiece on my Queen of Fucking Everything EP artwork.

And with that I was told to wait for her autobiography! 

So what do you think?

sunday smile- from the sickbed

Hello lovelies, this week has been an eventful one. For the most part it was great fun but on Friday in the Fash Comm studio I got really sick and was taken to hospital, luckily its gastroenteritis so nothing serious but it was still pretty scary. But lets get on with the happy.

-On Monday a band of mysterious superheros took to Northumbria and Newcastle handing out treats to people who travelled sweet. To find out what it's all about get yourself to Northumbria SU between 11 and 2 for the Launch

-And whilst we're on about the union, after I took part in Bespoke Brits in December I will be running the next one. I'm so looking forward to it, like the page for for more details.

-Gok Wan has launched a new awareness campaign for teens Gok's Teens: The Naked Truth features lots of celebs giving advice to their adolescent selves and teens growing up now.

I’m also a feminist because I like to fuck, and I resent everything and everyone that would make that a secret shame. I fuck not to make marriages or babies but simply to fuck, and I am sick and fucking tired of the government and beer ads and my friends and fucking Cosmopolitan telling me there’s something wrong with that.

The Pervocracy: Full Frontal Feminism

-There's been a big influx of shit girls say videos recently but Shit Fashion Girls say is definitely the most bang on, I can identify a lot of these girls in people I know. Oh and SFGS2 is even funnier.

-On a serious note, although SOPA got took off the table ACTA is still going strong. This would mean censorship throughout the internet and your blog could be taken down for using an image even if you cited it. This video explains it better

-A 3D tour of Neil Gaiman's actual library! There are no words to describe how much I geeked out over this.

- A new word for your vocabulary

Fashanker

Noun; A form of idiot. Combination of someone who is fashionable and an utter wanker.

Credit to Holestar

And now one eye is starting to close so that's your lot. I changed the blog layout yesterday though, what do you think?

On The Edge

Hello all, semester 2 has began and I'm super busy again! Wednesday saw the launch of something very exciting; for a couple of month now I have been working with Arts and Humanities students to create a student led literature magazine called The Edge. As someone with a fashion background I agreed to take on the role of Creative Director and design and put together the magazine.

Just a couple of edits, full pdf will be available online soon.

To celebrate the launch we had a party at Blakes Coffee House, a gorgeous little cafe in Newcastle. There were readings, music from Great Man Theory and a local folk band called Transatlantic sessions and copious amounts of wine (mainly consumed by the english lecturers!) I'm awaiting some professional photographs which I will share with you guys.

Above is myself with English lecturer Kaye and English student and a very good friend of mine Julia. Edge was Kaye's concept and although she gave us free reign with it she had been an endless support to all of us. And as for Julia, well she has been the kick up the bum I needed, friends, confidant and absolute powerhouse. 

If you'd like a real copy of the magazine they're available at Northumbria and in selected places in Newcastle city centre. We also have a blog ran by the tech whiz (ahem) Chloe where we will be posting submissions that didn't feature in the mag.

Here's to next issue!

Miss Manda's Vintage and Craft Fayre

Last Saturday I attended Miss Manda's Vintage and Craft Fayre in Sunderland minster church. It really was such a great venue for this sort of event, there was a sort of war time feel to the whole thing and there were some real gems.

I loved the diverse range of stalls; Love Lou La Belle do great kitsch jewellery and I cant get enough of the Betty Paige bookmarks. Then there were some delicious sweet treats which I was guided away from swiftly. Next door to those were Seaham Waves who make pieces using stones found on Seaham beach.

I love these kooky pieces from super bright stall Clotique, they do pieces ranging from Golden Snitches from Harry Potter to massive lifelike pastry necklaces. Yummy!

Rebecca Harrison's table was adorned in flowers and jewels with beautiful hair pieces, bespoke necklaces and one off embellished pieces, while Ashleigh Pip's was very romantic with lots of hearts in different hand made ways.

My favourite people of the day were Peppermint Sundae, they make mismatched cakestands which are all easily dismantled for transporting and changing. They were also really lovely to chat to. Ruth, one half of the team,was dressed so gorgeously that I had to take a photo.

Two gorgeous vintage stalls now. Kissing Cows had great business cards and super cheap accessories, Hannah got a gorgeous bag for a fiver! As well as vintage, Pink Flamingo had a great range of tees including this Maggie Thatcher one saying "my dad striked", a very powerful message.

Being the magpie that I am, I was drawn to all these beautiful brooches and accessories, all from different eras and each with a story I bet.

Event organiser Miss Manda's stall was a mish mash of jewellery, homewares, toys and clothes. I loved the old Singer  and all the variety especially in the sizes.

It was a lovely afternoon and I hope there will be another one as it's just what Sunderland needed

Winter blues

So apparently yesterday was the most depressing day of the year, I personally don't understand how the whole country can pin that much sadness and anger on one day. If people feel down it's going to hit them at any time, you can't force a whole society to feel depressed at the same time. Even with the state of the world right now there's always something out there that makes a day worth getting through.

As I've mentioned before I've had depression for a few years now so do find some days harder than others and I know a few of my friends do too and while there isn't one fast cure for depression we can all do something to make ourselves (and those around us feel a little bit better. Here's just a few ideas

-Go outside. You don't need to dress up or go out for very long but wrap up warm and go for a walk. It'll get some air in your lungs, clear your head and make you feel alive. If you have a place that makes you feel better go there and read a book or take some photos.

-Talk to a someone. A problem shared really is a problem halved, it can be a friend or family member or a complete stranger. I know therapy is still a taboo in the UK but it can really help to talk to someone outside the situation. For me its a combination of both that works but nothing beats sitting in a coffee shop and putting the workd to rights with a best friend (as Amy CT well knows!)

- Go to a pub. I'm not encouraging excessive drinking here, but more the social aspect of spending an afternoon in a pub with friends. A proper pub is a great way to spend the cold winter afternoons with friends with food and of course a little tipple is really theraputic, you can laugh, cry and just be yourself with those you love.

- Get away for a few days. I don't approve of running away from your problems but sometimes visiting friends, family or going travelling alone can really help you. A change of scenery can mean a shift in perspective.

- Spend a day doing what makes you happy. Be that starting a new project, painting, shopping or just watching trashy TV totally indulge yourself.

-Remember that this wont last. This is just a blip and it will get better but only if you let it.

If moods are persistant it could be more than just a dip, for information on Seasonal Affective Disorder symptoms and help visit SADA and for depression there is the mental health charity Mind.

Hope everyone stays well this winter and I'm always here to listen and talk.

Reese in red

Ahh awards season, the time when blogs all over the land are filled with beautiful dresses, I wont be doing a full review as every blogger does that instead, tumblr is full of pretty dresses and fierce ladies.

For me Reese Witherspoon was the showstopper, deep red clashing with her blonde hair and the shape suits her perfectly. The curves make me swoon, she looks like a real life Jessica Rabbit. A far cry from Elle Woods.

And in the midst of all these dresses and minor celebs here is a true star, the breathtaking Marilyn at the 1962 Golden Globes. Screw the Kardashian's just look at her!

That Lumpy Blue Sweater

 Cardigan- Primark

"You go to your closet, and you select, I don't know, that lumpy blue sweater because you're trying to tell the world that you take yourself too seriously to care what you put on your back. But what you don't know is that sweater is not just blue. It's not turquoise. It's not lapis. It's actually cerulean. And you're also blithely unaware of the fact that in 2002 Oscar de la Renta did a collection of cerulean gowns. And then I think it was St. Laurent, wasn't it, who showed a selection of cerulean military jackets. And then cerulean quickly showed up in collections of eight different designers. It filtered down through the department stores, and then trickled down into some tragic Casual Corner where you undoubtedly fished it out of some clearance bin. However, that blue represents millions of dollars and countless jobs. It's sort of comical how you think you've made a choice that exempts you from the fashion industry, when in fact, you're wearing a sweater that was selected for you by the people in this room... from 'a pile of stuff.'"

-Miranda  Priestly, The Devil Wears Prada

 Ah the Devil Wears Prada, it was only a matter of time. Today was a lovely day with my friend Jo the yellow haired warrior with coffee and our comfy clothes- though for us that still means studs, suede boots,  head scarfs and fake fur- where I acquired this lovely jumper in Primark, a store which embodies the "lumpy blue sweater" mentality. Yes Primark does churn out a lot of bad things but when you do search you can find some unique things for great prices, but you're never fully free from the trends even when you are being "unique'.

But does that mean girls have to dress fashion forward? Does it change how your viewed? Well a lot of the time yes, but it shouldn't I know people who dress alt and get looked down upon and girls who wear heels every day who get treat like princesses, both these girls have a confidence about them and their clothes show that, they could do the same job, know the same people but they'd be viewed differently. And I think this is bloody wrong! Be proud of who you are ladies, our style is an extension of who we are. No labels or trends deal in Personality, its all you. Don't forget that

Newgen Moodboarding

Moodboards are one of the most interesting things in the design process, they're how designers pin down their ideas and inspirations. The above were from Topshop NewGen SS12. I love how much the moodboards vary and the contrast when all shown together from the rockabilly vibe given off from Sister by Sibling to the mute monochrome and structured shapes and glassware at Askill. I particularly loved the handwritten letters on the Thomas Tait board which gave an older, vintage feel to Tait's cocoon shaped collection. After being out of the design world for many years (probably since GCSE textiles!) I found moodboards and storyboards very helpful when planning and presenting certain modules of my course.

Orla Kiely S/S12

This can either be viewed as very late or slightly early, I took these photos when I was invited to the Orla Kiely presentation during September's fashion week. Unfortunately due to personal circumstances I never got round to blogging about it, so think of it as a preview please!

This was one of my LFW highlights as it felt like a proper insight, where fashion shows are exciting the girls are more constant at a presentation and left a better impression. The feel of the collection was very muted classic shapes in Kiely's trademark tones of olive green, crisp white and dashed of orange.

The one thing I didn't like was that the size of the models really hit home when they were on display like this, its such a shame as I think these styles would have suited a more diverse range of women