A new year, a new controversy for Urban Outfitters

Urban Outfitters is known to be a hub of (over-priced) hipster apparel. Coined for being the heart of urban trends for all those cool kids with fixie bikes and five panel hats. Stereotypes aside, I actually really enjoy splashing out in my local Urban. Yes, I could pick up this bohemian dress in my nearest charity shop. But, much like the Apple brand, it is a corporation I have bought into and, despite its high prices; I have been hooked ever since.

Since moving to the UK in 1998, Urban Outfitters has gained recognition with a niche in the market and is doing a bloody good job at maintaining it, celebrating collaborations with many reputable fashion houses; Vivienne Westwood, Cheap Monday, House of Harlow, Fred Perry (to name but a few).

Another thing Urban has been good at is creating a stir. The latest issue that has been hot topic in the New Year is the inappropriate stylisation of mental health. The fashion in question (featured below) is a crop top branded with the meaningless slogan; ‘Depression’; as if it is cool to have a mental disorder.

 

Designers of the DEPRESSION COLLECTION, Andrew Loh and Kenny Lim discuss the concept:

“DEPRESSION represents breaking from boredom, making a statement and standing out, and aims to meet the needs, occasions and aspirations of the Creative professional. In signature monochrome, each collection is presented as a black comedy based on medical themes, and some titles of their men’s, women’s and shoes collections include AW12 ‘Plastic Surgery’ and AW13 ‘Dysmorphia’. Seven years later, the former Art Director and Copywriter team is a lot less depressed, and has created the fast-fashion diffusion line ANTIDEPRESSANT, a trendy and more casual line of graphic t-shirts and basics that’s inspired by whimsical thoughts and geek culture”.

Of course Urban Outfitters are aware of the controversy they have caused. The company banks on products generating an outrage, conveying to young shoppers they’re an “edgy” brand (and gives them free publicity). A stroll down memory lane: back in 2010, Urban Outfitters sold a women’s t-shirt  that read “Eat Less” and in 2012, the store was criticized for selling a novelty card about “a closet tranny”. Just before the holidays, the store pulled a pair of socks depicting the Hindu deity, Ganesh. I could go on with more examples, but you get the point..

One scroll through my twitter newsfeed, I was met with people tweeting and re-tweeting their disgust; some whom, before the controversy may have assumed Urban Outfitters was an outdoor urban developer.. or plumbing. Someone even created a Change.org petition urging Urban Outfitters to halt production of the shirt. Nonetheless, within a few hours people were talking about Urban.

Urban Outfitters has since pulled the item from their shelves, but at what lengths should a store cause a stir in order to promote their branding and where do we draw the line between being ‘edgy’ and simply being offensive?

Christmas stocking fillers that won't break your budget

With Christmas just a few weeks away, the Christmas rush can be somewhat overwhelming. I have included a few of my favourite Christmas stocking fillers to help you out this season:

14 pc Nail Cube - £15.00 from ELF

The ultimate gift for any nail polish enthusiast! The Nail Cube features 14 nail polish colours in rich jewel tones, brights, neutrals and glitter top coats. Perfect to create trendy manicures this season.

Soap and Glory Limited Edition A Great Kisser Peppermint - £5.00 from Boots

Another reason to smile this season. Soap and Glory peppermint flavor lip balm will protect and moisturize lips. Get the mistletoe at the ready.

Father Christmas bath bomb - £3.25 each from Lush

Ho, ho, ho!  Father Christmas is back, and this year he's a delicate pinky white. A bath that gives you all the colours and smells of Christmas, with mandarin oil and orange flower absolute. 

Hair of the Dog book, £10 from Topman

Christmas is a time of good cheer. But for those days when you’ve had too much ‘cheer’, this book is all you need to make yourself feel human again

Interview with Buffalo Boutique

I have always been a firm supporter of Independent vintage stores and Buffalo Boutique provides a great platform for Cardiff vintage sellers to network. So it comes as no surprise that I was front in line to help out. Be it DJing their events, or modelling, or even helping stall owners set up for the evening, Buffalo Boutique is one event that remains a passion of mine. 

Buffalo Boutique is just one of Cardiff’s student friendly fashion events that allows students and fashion-minded people come together to revamp their style. Out with the old and in with the vintage…

I spoke to Kay Russant of Buffalo Boutique about smart tailoring, independent brands and the Cardiff fashion community.

Firstly, Kay, tell me a little bit about yourself?

I do a bit of freelance marketing in events for fashion in Cardiff. I’ve done stuff for CFW and CFQ. But I’ve done loads of bits and pieces; working with BB we’ve worked with Puma, UO and Topshop – just advertising their brands and bringing it to students I guess.

What was your reason behind starting BB?

We wanted to offer a late night shopping event where you could come to socialise, drink and find a bargain. We encourage our sellers to keep prices low and suggest stock ideas so that they can tailor to current trends. We also wanted to give new brands a chance to get themselves out there too!

How do you find the designers and stall holders who showcase at BB? (Do you scout them, or do they come to you)

Its a mix, we get a lot of people emailing us after coming to a previous event, or a friend suggesting it to them. I spend a lot of time scouring Etsy, ASOS marketplace, facebook looking for new designers or vintage sellers to refresh stock every month and keep building the BB network.

It is very difficult to succeed as an independent shop, especially with corporate shops still smothering the high street. However there have been signs of independent labels becoming popular. What is the future for independent shops, in your view?

Independent shopping has been very popular recently, with shoppers desperate to find something unique and different. The bigger shops are also trying to get a slice of this market, with Urban Outfitters having their own vintage (renewal) range, and Topshop has also been opening their doors to new independent brands in their concessions.

Being an independent its all about community and working together, we all club together to help each other out and to get as many people involved to help spread the word. That’s what makes things like BS8 in Bristol and CFQ in Cardiff successful.

How do you think BB has helped to showcase aspiring designers and stalls? (giving them publicity, networking, etc?)

I’d like to think that we have given them a platform to introduce themselves to the Cardiff fashion community. We get a lot of bloggers at the event who we encourage to talk to our sellers and to get involved, as well as all the shoppers who are desperate for something new. We promote everything online too, which has been really helpful with some of our custom sellers like Mati Stuff who does most of their work online.

Are there any independent brands we should keep an eye out next year?

I love These Folk, who do fun t-shirt prints with cats, beards and Mean Girls quotes. They have expanded to crops for the summer and hoodies for the fall, we’re super excited to see what’s going to come next from them. I should also mention that we also have some amazing artists who sell prints too, including Reunited Designs who do intricate patterns and bespoke designs.

What do you think about Cardiff fashion, what is a statement Welsh style?

I think the preppy style in quite Welsh – I’ve got my dungaree dresses and cant get enough of it. A lot of girls have beautifully collared shirts and the structured tailoring is a very nice ‘Cardiff’ fashion.

What lies ahead for BB? Any events we should pencil into our diaries?

The next event is on the 25th November which will be a Movember special, with a focus on menswear (as well as all the usual ace stalls for us girls!). The last one of the year is on the 9th December, where you will be able to pick up tons of great Christmas gift ideas for £20 or less.

Halloween makeup ideas

The pumpkins are ripe and the ghouls are out; its Halloween and I am here to inspire your alter ego. Whether you are staying in watching Hocus Pocus, or are invited to a themed party, Halloween is a chance for you to leave the comforts of your make-up bag and experiment in some weird and creative designs.

These are a few of my favourite looks for this Halloween:

 The Cat:

A costume that has been in our halloween reserve for years. It is a look that has grown with us over time, whether it is dragging our tail along the ground as a child, or donning sexy lycra in a Hallie Berry-esque catsuit in the Ice room of Oceana. Simple make-up if you’re handy with eyeliner. Finish the look with bold lips. Meow.

The Day of the Dead: 

Creating beautiful works of art on your face has become a recent craze for Halloween, and one that is growing in creativity and expression. The sugar skull incorporates floral designs, love hearts and spider webs in bright colours and bold outlines. This is a very intricate design that needs a great deal of practice, but once mastered, looks great! Add a pair of false eyelashes to make this look ultra fab. Dia de los muertos

The Black Swan:

Natalie Portman’s sinister ballerina has been a firm favourite for girls who opt for preen and polished over flesh covered monsters. This look is easy to creative with a white wash and statement eye make up.

I spoke to Jenna Moreton, independent Cardiff MUA on how she created this look using:

Face:               stargazer liquid foundation – white

Contour:        grey eyeshadow from h&m quad

Eyes:               George 24 hour felt tip liner – black

George liquid eyeliner – silver

Bourjois intense – charcoal black

Barry M dazzle dust – crystal blue

Lips:               limecrime – poisonberry with black pencil eyeliner in sides

It's fasercise, baby

Adidas Originals x Stella McCartney SS14

After cladding out the GB Team for the London 2012 Olympics, Stella McCartney and Adidas have returned for another, perhaps unconventional collaboration. This time it is not McCartney’s lack of ‘Britishness’ that has caused up a stir, but her choice of runway. McCartney opted for a less conventional means of showcasing her Adidas collection, using aerial yoga, synchronised swimming, a spinning class and dance class – showing the collection just how it’s meant to be: in action. McCartney also made it imperative that this collective was to be presented authentically, using real athletes over the usual runway frames that are spotted at LFW.  

McCartney is also a firm believer of minimal waste. Her choice of eco-friendly materials and low waste commitment made this inspiring collection flattering for health enthusiasts and for the environment.

The collection features two big trends for SS14; Urban, bright prints as showcased in the running and cycling range and soft pastels for the studio and yoga sessions. This is a mix n’ match collection making it universal and versatile for wearers.

As for shoes, SS14 sees a completely new model – the Primeknit Running shoe – a revolutionary digital knitting technology to create a seamless one-piece upper.

The collection lands in stores and online from January 2014. Just in time for those post-Christmas gym rituals.

If you can’t wait that long, check out the Stella McCartney for Adidas SS14 collection for yourself

Crop it like its hot

I've fallen madly in love with the Topshop range of printed midi skirts and crops!

These flashes of all over colour are flattering for those curvier figures, with a stylish 50s edge - I mean that sexy Brigitte Bardot thing..

Its like a sweet shop of colour where you can clash prints or, as I chose, stick to the classic mono-print. These beautiful (and affordable) pieces are my summer must haves.

You can dress down the look with a pair of jeans or slouchy top, or be fit for a night of dancing with just a pair of statement heels and badass attitude.

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Crop tops have been a big thing this spring and Topshop have been on point everytime providing basic and

fun prints to flaunt that bit of midrif in a classic manner. If you are looking for fun festival gear, look no further than the basic Topshop crops range - Pretty and practical in every way.

Shop Topshop Crops here:

Tattoos4Shoes

Oliver Sweeney was founded in 1989, and has since developed as one of Britain's leading fashion designers. The Oliver Sweeney shoe brand incorporates original handcrafted workmanship with natural modern flair. The brand speaks for your foot rather than following short-lived fashion trends, and has developed a shoe that is of high class, comfort and unavoidable authentic quality. 

I love the Oliver Sweeney brogue range, with a mix of traditional colours and patterns, as well as more elaborate and colourful designs. Each with their own custom personality and sharp attention to detail. 

The latest venture to pass through the Sweeney offices is the 'Sweeney Shoe Tattoo'. This innovative idea has truly set Oliver Sweeney above any other shoemaker. The impeccable care and detail that is put into each design makes each shoe special to its owner.

Since it's first feature in London's Selfridges, the Sweeney Shoe Tattoo has caused huge excitement in the shoe industry with customers wanting that special design, this really takes designer feet to the next level. 

The photo below is a custom design made for Gary Barlow during his X-Factor appearance last year, showing just what this brand can accomplish:

For more information about the Sweeney Shoe Tattoo and to submit your own requests, simple email designs to: shoetattoo@oliversweeney.com 

Click here to view the Sweeney Shoe Tattoo site: