MADRID

September : the perfect time for a weekend getaway. The Summer is officially over and its the perfect pick-me-up. This year, I paid my first ever visit to Madrid for a long weekend. I wasn't sure what to expect but what a beautiful city! The perfect combination of culture and commerce - the architecture was steeped in history and the food as Spannish as you like. We walked, we shopped, we ate, we drank, we even watched a live game. The perfect antidote to autumn blues.

Cara Delavigne

Search LFW and you'd be hard pushed not to come across this 20 year old British beauty who has been making her mark over the past couple of seasons. Walking in no less than 8 hugely anticipated shows over the 4 day event, Cara Delavigne could almost be deemed the 'face of' the London shows. 

The new face of Burberry fragrance and headlining the brands campaigns in the past, I was surprised to see her walking but not closing the Prorsum show. However, the model opened Issa London, Sister by Sibling, Topshop Unique and closed Matthew Williamson, Mulberry, and Peter Pilotto as well as walking for Giles.

Tim Walker at Somerset House

Whilst at Somerset House for the ice-skating with Amy, I couldn't resist visiting the Tim Walker exhibition. It would have been rude not to after all. I was pleasantly surprised to find that it was free to attend. As expected, the layout was quirky and very much fitting to the style of Walker's photography. Props from the images were scattered throughout and the fairytale wonderland settings created within this photographic genius' creations were brought to life. An oversized doll and the famous swan carriage that appears in multiple shots acted as explanation to the process behind the result. 

 As an avid fan of  his work and a proud owner of his PICTURES coffee table book, I was delighted to see some new work that I had never yet come across featured within the display. Pink Fireworks was a favorite on the day and I instantly started searching for prints of 'Charles Guiskab and Chandalier Tree: 2010' and 'Stellar Tennant on Ladder with drapes' to buy and hang on my now seemingly bare and boring bedroom wall. I am yet to have any success with this venture.  

(above : the prints that I now wish were hanging on my bedroom wall)

Somerset House Ice Skating

A lovely Christmas idea, this year my sister and I decided to forfeit presents for each other and go ice skating at Somerset House. It was lovely. London was buzzing with Christmas spirit and it really made it feel like the season had arrived. We had a wander round Covent Garden and down Oxford Street and visited the Tim Walker exhibition which I had been dying to see since it opened. Altogether a perfect and different gift. 

Cardiff

 

I spent the day in Cardiff on Sunday traveling down to see my sister, Amy for the day. Its such a lovely city and was nice to do something a bit different (even if I was hideously hungover from the night before.) As is the norm, we spent a good 2 hours in Costa having a catch up before any city-exploring commenced. 

As its the festive season, log cabin Christmas markets were set up throughout the city lanes selling trinkets and warming mince pies and mulled wine to happy Christmas shoppers and uni students enjoying the weekend. One thing I have noticed about Cardiff on the few occasions I have visited is the amount of vintage clothing shops around... Plenty of opportunity to pick up an exceptionally traditional Christmas jumper. Somehow, I managed to resist.

We had dinner in a really sweet little vegetarian bar / cafe / restaurant called Milgis - somewhere Amy was really keen to take me and knew I would fall in love with. It had a really hippy vibe and it felt like Id stepped right back into a cafe in Byron Bay. The scent was of incense and the food organic. Cocktails were quirky and imaginative and the decor had a 'thrown together' sort of vibe. Definitely worth a visit.

Victoria Secret Fashion Show 2012

As anyone who lives within commuting distance of London will be highly aware, American lingerie brand Victoria's Secret opened its first British flagship store on Bond Street this Summer. I am yet to visit the store myself but I have heard it is everything you would wish for from the brand that brings every girls dress-up dream to reality with its world-famous fashion shows. Tomorrow night the 2012 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show airs at 10pm and I am hoping for sequins, glitter, fairytale fantasy and of course - wings!

Thanks for the day off

image bbc.co.uk

The Tweet Mirror : A New Multi-Channel Marketing Technique Bringing Retail and Technology Together

The Tweet Mirror is a new device under trial in Australia. Another development bringing retail and technology closer together and involving the consumer by creating a relationship that they can value. Ultimately designed to help retailers achieve a seamless multi-channel marketing strategy, the idea encourages shoppers to become brand ambassadors by promoting products through their social media channels. As it becomes more and more important - some may say essential - to have both physical and digital presence, consumers such as myself are expecting to see innovation in a technological sense. As a Gen Y consumer, I personally am looking for a brand that has personality and encourages me to buy into it. I want to feel involved. This sort of development is particularly intriguing. 

The device uses touch screen technology and internet connection to enable customers to take their own pictures in different outfits and instantly share images and information via Twitter, Facebook, MMS or email. Having launched in areas of Europe, India and China, Australia is now jumping on the band wagon.

Tweet Mirror is the first to bring together physical and online presence using multi-channel marketing and the presence of Tweet Mirror in multiple sites, shoppers can share their love for a brand with their social network followers virally and instantly. The stronger online presence could also increases traffic to a  retailers online store.

Field also revealed that the Tweet Mirror is relatively hassle-free for retailers to install, with no software development required and only minimal initial set-up customisation needed to “plug and play”.

A spokesperson from Brackley Industries, the company that has distributed the software said : “The valuable data base collected by Tweet Mirror is also easy for the retailer to access and is a useful and valid data base to leverage marketing activities.”

Cotton On Group Launches Innovative Shopping Experience Combining Music and Fashion

Cotton On, the popular Australian high street brand has recently launched a fitting room service that combines both music and fashion. It is my opinion that this especially innovative idea puts Cotton On at the cusp of the ever-influential introduction of technology within the fashion industry. 'Try on Your Sound', as it has been named, consists of a fitting room that uses Radio Frequency Identification to enhance consumer experience.

Ragtrader reported: 

'Selected garments are tagged with a unique RFID code that initiates a playlist once a customer enters the purpose-built change room. The playlist is individually selected to reflect the style of the garment. Cotton On has initially launched the service for select men's and women's denim styles, with music ranging from rock, indie or pop.' 

Clever in so many ways as not only will the experience help the shopper to relate to the brand and feel like a valued customer, they may also be encouraged to make a psychological bond with the product, encouraging them to purchase. Using up and coming talent and less commercial / well-known Australian musicians, Cotton On has remained in keeping with its branding and personality. The idea is to combine the definition of 'self-expression' through music and fashion and to speak to the target market on a personal, identifiable level.

And here's the technical part. To work, the RFID system transmits electronic information between a garment tag and a reader via a wireless system, requiring no need for human intervention or line of sight between the label and the computer. The technology activates when the garment and reader are in close proximity.

Continuing the theme, consumers are invited to share experiences with followers and Cotton on via Twitter at #tryonyoursound. I love this idea - totally innovative and completely responsive to the evolving trends within technology, fashion and media today. Could this be the next big thing in retail? I think Cotton On have set the standard for a more interactive shopping experience in the future. 

French Jaunt : My weekend in the South of France

Last weekend was everything we needed. My friend and fellow March-baby Bex kindly organised for our group of uni friends to take a cheeky little trip to her family home (slash BLOODY GREAT CASTLE) in Rodez, the South of France. Catching us all on the same weekend and shepherding us into the same place was the first accomplished miracle. Granted, who would want to miss out on a 'relaxing' weekend in the French countryside, but for once, work commitments, family occasions and money issues didn't cause a problem. WINNER! 

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We left on Friday morning and arrived at the chateau where we ate, we drank, we played and we danced for the next 3 days in our own little version of rehab. Below are a few snaps from the weekend, documenting the catered for birthday dinner a la the lovely Nichola and his staff, the easter egg hunt, sports day, bowling and the beautiful town that was Rodez. Living up to our reputation of looking like a school trip (yes we got asked three times on one flight) we got fully involved in the activities and Bex even created an awards ceremony on the last night. A weekend to remember with a fantastic group of people.  

This was how we rolled.. 

..and this is where we rolled to

Rodez Town

Rodez Cathedral 

 

CHEESE!

Sports Day!

Inspired by...

PFW AW12 Street Style : Green and Yellow

Flicking through images of Paris Fashion week this month, the chance for designers to showcase their AW 12 collections to the industry's most influential, iconic and irritatingly stylish, one of the main street style trends that I noticed was the combination of yellow and green. Whether it be floral or block colour, this team  of colour was seemingly, everywhere. Very springlike indeed! I love the image below of the bright yellow bag, floral trousers and oversized relaxed blazer, proving that if yellow isn't your colour, it can still be worn. Gorgeous. 

Images sourced from Fashionology and The Telegraph Style.