Photography masterclass

Photography Masterclass

This past week I have been attending introductory photography masterclass’s to get me feeling comfortable and confident with a camera before I start my fashion photography unit at university. These sessions have really helped me understand the amount of work that goes on to create those killer shots. I have always felt assured when it comes to taking photos on my little iPhone 5 but when faced with a rather large and heavy Canon camera I was worried to say the least. So with a somewhat foreign object in my lap I was poised to sap up as much information about how it works and what it does from my photography Course leader, Gino. 

Within the first session Gino threw as much knowledge about lighting, shutter speed and apeture as he could at us and then in the second session we were able to try these techniques and strategy’s out.  

 In our second session we were shown how to assemble lighting equipment and camera stands and also how to create the perfect setting for our shoot. We used white/black boards in which we situated them in front of the high beamed lights so that the light would hit the boards and bounce back onto our model. This allowed the models face to become more highlighted and meant all of her features would stand out more within the capturing of the photograph. We then set up the camera. Capturing the perfect shot is all down to the settings within the camera, throughout the session we changed the file size, shutter speed and the aperture so that we enhanced all of the models features but also took a more  focused and professional photograph.

Now that I have been given my assignments I'm really excited to start snapping away!

Topshop Unique

Topshop Unique 

Spring/summer  2016

 I know that it is still winter, but the fashion world is already planning ahead with this years spring/summer collections. None more so than that of Topshop Unique. It seems as though pretty pastels and fitted suits are back and bigger than ever. 

Watch out satin is about.  As featured above this dress is just one of the pieces that specialise with  satin wear. So it looks like pastel coloured satin is the way forward this spring/summer. Every summer, pastels will always be in trend but it's interesting  too see that the fashion industry are bringing in new textures for the public to mix into their wardrobes.  Fashion houses seem to be focusing more on the texture of the garment more than a pattern or the overall outlook, they want some that feels good!  Satin does just the job it allows the outfit to look smart and well put together but adds that extra sass that every woman needs in her life.  This is definitely one of my favourite looks from the catwalk. Satin and fur are a dream come true. 

 The 60s polka dot trend seems to have been  revitalised and brought back to life this summer in these quirky, bohemian patterns. As with most of the Topshop's unique range all the clothes have a certain pop or texture that makes it stand out from the crowd. I love, love, love the fur bags, clutches and pom pom accessories that are creeping into each season. Im so glad that Topshop have carried on creating accessories made with fur because makes any summer/spring outfit look so elegant and lady like. 

And of course you can't have spring without the infiltration of florals!  Topshop have created a few lace pieces with a green and red floral design just like the one in the picture above. The lace and the flowery embroidery is a dream come true look for a sizzling summers day or even a lovely lunch date. This look is sure to make a very substantial wave in the sea of fashion. 

Here are a few of my favourite looks from the catwalk and they sure do have satin,fitted blazers, florals and lace galore. 

Thank you so much for reading,
Molly x x x 

Woman shamer

Envy, self-doubt, Inhibition all the ingredients to make a Woman shamer. 

No matter what any woman says they have once been guilty of being a women shamer, its very likely they will  say they haven't  but they probably don't even realise they are doing it. Im not about to start criticising the female race because for one I am a lady myself but we do it so much that it just becomes second nature to us all and heres how we do it. " If i was her, I would definitely not wear that dress, she looks so slutty not being mean tho" most of us would not think twice about expressing that kind of opinion, to fellow friends or family but if the person you are talking about was to find out, it could lower there confidence and self esteem. 

Back in the early 20th century groups such as the suffragettes used to empower each other and allowed men to recognise there intelligence also. But it seems that in this day and  age the women within society never think twice about slandering another persons name or judging another on their weight,height,fashion sense, intelligence, religion, ethnicity and beliefs. 

One of the most famous spats within the public eye between women , is that of Katie Hopkins and Lily Allen. Today  it seems that celebrities and most of the general public use social media as a platform to name and shame and none more so than that of Katie. Back in 2014 Katie took to twitter to write some unprovoked tweets, about the British singers weight after giving birth. Although Katie is a columnist surely there is better things the world needs to know more than a celebrities weight gain?. Why did she feel the need to talk about such an intimate subject in which I'm sure Lily was aware of on twitter. The answer is, well, Katie probably saw no harm in expressing her thoughts and feelings on social media because everyone else does it on a daily basis so why can't she?. Its because she is in the public eye thats why she gets condemned for her actions. 

So referring back to the title of this  blogpost,  are Envy, self-doubt and inhibition all ingredients that make a top class women shamer? Well yes,  they are. You may think that a girl is a 'slut'  or an 'attention seeker' because she has a lot of Instagram followers, but it is just the insecure and self conscious person inside of us that is telling us we should be jealous of that girl. It seems that the only way us women deal with jealousy is to speak ill of the person we are jealous of in order to make us feel better about ourselves.  

Now, don't worry if that sounds familiar because WE ALL DO IT!. It is a habit that has grown up with us and sadly doesn't subside.You may be now thinking to yourself "oh no I would never do that" but you may shame another lady in a different way. But if you can take anything away from this blog post I hope that  the next time your about to put shame onto another female think of something positive to say instead and I can assure you that you will feel 10x better because of it. 

Mademoiselle Privé Chanel exhibition

MADEMOISELLE PRIVÉ

Chanel exhibition at the Satchii Gallery in London.

When I found out that the writing, fashion and culture students were going to the Chanel exhibition and there was extra spaces I knew that I had to go. I always love visiting London and now that I live in southampton it seems like these visits are becoming a regular occurrence.

Sign posts which lead us into the gallery. 

Gates into the Satchii Gallery to the exhibition. 

When arriving in London outside the Satchii Gallery I immediately saw the long line of men and women who were just as eager as me to feast their eyes on a whole lot of Chanel.Thankfully we didn't have to que for too long before we reached the gates of the gallery. When entering it was like we had been transported into a fairytale woods and because it was autumn the leaves on the trees looked phenomenal. From the moment we stepped through the gates the exhibition had really set the bar high and me and my friends were not expecting what we saw. There was never just one thing to look at, my eyes were continually darting from one beautiful thing to another until my eyes focused onto the doors into the exhibition and of corse there was a fab amount of selfies that were being taken by me and my friends because how many times do you get to go to a Chanel exhibition? The answer to that question is once in a blue moon.

Chanel staircase

When entering the exhibition there was mirrors all around us and white lilies amongst various Chanel books. A distinct part of the exhibition was one of the first rooms, this room within the exhibition was portraying Coco's apartment. It showcased many opulent white hats and white pearls. The hats were placed on head mannequins and also on shelves and the background drop was almost animated as it looked like someone had drawn a room on the walls with a black marker pen. This edgy, scruffy backdrop made the delicateness of the garments shine through and everyone concentrated on the sheer beauty of it all.

The hats being displayed with the Chanel staircase in
background.

The hat boxes.

Close up shot of the white hat.

We then entered a pitch black room which had dramatic and moody music playing as we tried to find out way through to see the next part of the exhibition. This room was also very dark but in the middle of the room it hosted a silver birdcage with a diamond necklace covered in stars. Looking at this dazzling piece of jewellery really made me think of the saying diamonds really are a girls best friend!. All the lights in the room were centred around this sparkly necklace, this necklace was placed in the exhibition because Coco created the exact necklace back in 1932.

The diamond necklace covered in dazzling stars.

The silver bucket of Chanel.

The image above was situated in the first part of the exhibition and as you can see the Chanel logo is imprinted into this silver bucket with an array of "Chanel esque" chains hanging from it. This piece is so detailed and intricate that you have to really look close to make sure you take in every aspect of it.

The next part of the exhibition saw us entering the Jardine à la Français, this room showed a multiple number of "bushes" transfixed into a hexagonal spacing onto the wall and also on the floor so that the public could sit on them and admire the greatness of the room.

Jardin à la Français

A close up of the Jardin à la Français.

Rose De Mai.

Among the amazing pieces within the exhibition one of my favourite rooms was the perfume laboratory. As soon as you step into the room a mild scent of Chanel waves over you and you try and take in all of the surroundings but it just isn't possible with one glance, there is just too much to look at. There are 3D Vats  which hold multicoloured liquids and they  bubble and steam when the lid opens. Engraved around the edge are the scent of the fragrance and also in holographic text not he top of the container . It almost seems as though your stepping into a new age perfume factory.

Muguet

Upstairs in the Chanel exhibition was where all the haute couture couture  Chanel garments where displayed. They were all displayed with a pole of light going through the middle of the garment which was amazing to see because it let the public observe every little detail of the garment and all the intricate parts of the garment that you would be able to see if the dress was photographed with somebody wearing it.

This particular gown was my favourite, as you can see from the picture above it was a stunning rose gold. It looked as though the dress was made up of gold coins and would definitely be fit for a queen. This powerful dress was amongst many other statement dresses, as you walk around it then displays many famous faces that the British public would be sure to recognise. Celebrities such as Kristen Stewart, Lily Collins and Julianne Moore are featured within this exhibition. They all were pictured wearing stunning Chanel designs and the particular outfits they were wearing were  displayed across from the pictures. There was a room which veered off from the dress displays which was a short film of Karl Lagerfeld speaking with Coco's ghost. I really enjoyed watching the short clip as it really gave me more of an insight into the exhibition as a whole, there was limited information gave throughout the exhibition so the clip helped me and all the public learn more about particular aspects of the exhibition. 

One part of the exhibition I was really impressed with was the Chanel No.5 talk, this was a talk from some lovely ladies which told us the ins and outs of the perfume. How to wear it , when to wear it and of corse the notes of the actual perfume. We got to learn the notes that make up this infamous scent and how these particular notes work in order to achieve this tantilising  fragrance. It also gave us a chance to have a Q and A session with the lady's to ask any questions about the perfumes. I was always put off by the Chanel No.5 range of perfumes when shopping in department stores such as John Lewis or Debehnams because you always get a rushed experience and never get to fully emerge yourself in that particular scent. This means that you never get chance to understand the fragrance, or know how it works and the parts you liked about it. This is why I loved this talk because I was able to really take my time over the perfume and was able to take in all the notes that make up the scent!. So hopefully I will be getting a little bottle of Chanel No.5 EAU DE PARFUM for christmas, hint hint to my mum or my boyfriend haha. 

Chanel No.5 parfum. 

Here are some more pictures that I took from the exhibition. 

Lily Collins. 

The Chanel definition of Haute couture. 

Another one of the impressing dresses on show.

Me outside the Satchii gallery.

Im afraid to say that the exhibition is now closed to public, but i hope this blog post gave you a sneak peak as to what was actually showcased within the exhibition!. 

Thank you for reading,
Lots of love 
Mol x x 

Autumn and Winters fashion fixers

The ultimate guide to this years autumn and winter fashion fixers. 

It is the return of Boot mania! But with a twist. This years autumn/winter trends have seen an influx of all kinds of different beautiful boots that are very easy on the eye. We are seeing a host of designers that are using snakeskin and patchwork patterns to  incorporate into their succulent  shoes. High-street shops such as Zara and Topshop and Mango have integrated certain aspects of boots from designers such as Gianvito Rossi, Chloé and Burberry. I know most people may cringe at the thought of snakeskin boots, but wait there just a minute,After reading this  I may just change your mind about these wondrous boots because after all how many people do you see walking around wearing snakeskin on their feet?. If the answer is nobody then good it means that individuality and originality is coming straight your way. 

Top designers such as Isabel Marat are using the standard Chelsea design with the black heel and the elastic insert but fusing in dynamic and varied faux snakeskin. Isabel only uses very neutral and basic pallet tones for her shoes, colours such as nude, crème and white with the opposing colour a jet black. Top shop have re-created a similar pair of boots for their autumn/winter line. Although these do not have the elastic insert within them like Isabel's do they are still mouthwateringly good to look at . These boots are called bless snakeskin boots and carry on the 70s vibe that was very apparent through summer and is now entering autumn/winter.

Isabel Marant snakeskin boots.

Another high-street shop that is selling these snaky print shoes is office. I usually wouldn’t call on office for the latest boots as they usually specialise in trainers but they have produced some particular exquisite pairs of shoes for autumn/winter season. This one pair of boots incorporate the more autumnal colours that we see arriving in the stores at  autumn time. The snakeskin pattern is blended with a deep maroon and shades of black. The heel is also the same colour so the whole boot is one consistent blend of colours. They are much higher than the ankle so it makes the person wearing them appear taller than they actually are. 

Gianvito Rossi patchwork boots.

The 1970s sensation that overtook in summer does not look like its about to fade out as these 70s inspired patchwork shoes are making an appearance on all the catwalks and infiltrating Britain's fashion stores. These shoes are particularly fall colours such as maroon, bottle greens and brown suede. A top designer brand Etro has incorporated these colours along with deep and baby blues to create 70s carpet like materials that are covered over these above the ankle and chunky heeled boots. But if you are a bit dubious about paying £1,900 for a pair of boots then your in luck!, because designers such as Kurt Geiger and Aldo have created these patchwork beauty’s for a quarter of the price.

Another garment that has been adapted and remade straight from World war 1 to 2015s autumn/winter season is the trench coat or the Mac. There has been a noticeable inflow of these military formed coats in Britain's top-end high street stores and also a remake of some of the most notorious designers that year after year re-design the trench coat. One of these designers is Burberry. The trench coat is one of there most famous garments and they have had some of the most famous and influential celebrity’s such as Kate Moss and Emma Watson show case them.

Kate Moss for Burberry 2006 campaign 

 From looking online and also in stores, Zara and Gap are just some of the high-street stores that are embracing the trench coat fascination. Each of these stores have their own individual spin on the robust and structured coat, whether it's a different cut, colour or textures they sure are experimenting. A trench coat is formally a long cut with a high belt to ensure that it insulates you from the cold, but the revitalisation of the coat has seen the warlike garment  in a casual jacket form, hip length and knee length like Kate Moss for the famous  Burberry campaign back in 2006.  

As winter approaches and were amongst the autumn falling leaves you will see an array of men and women wearing these trench coats whether it's an authentic military treasure that they have got out of the attic or a brand new high street find they are sure to make a wave in the sea that is fashion.

Thankyou for reading, 
Lots of love Mol x x 

Pleasure and pain exhibition

My review of the Pleasure and pain exhibition at
the Victoria and Albert museum.

Whether its famous football boots to feather trimmed heels,to red feather mules the pleasure and pain exhibition at the V and A has it all!. The name of the exhibition “pleasure and pain” reflects greatly with the shoes that are on show because with every pair of new shoes you experience either pleasure or pain. 

One pair of shoes that are sure enough to catch your eyes are the Yves Saint Laurent “stripper heels” that were showcased in the seduction area of the exhibition. The glint of the black patent shine from the shoes are drastic enough to make you stop straight in your tracks. The gold stitching of the Yves Saint Laurent logo contrasts towards the black shoe.  “stripper heels” have been worn by Beyonce and definitely bring the erotic and provocative look to any lady as well as the exhibition. These euphoric heels are named “stripper heels” because the height and thickness of the heel allows for great friction and stability when gliding along a poll, it also gives the lady wearing them more height, making her more seductive and “stripper like”. These shoes also have connotations of pain that are the underlying message, for one the brutality and agony that must come with the wearing of these heels but also the job in which these heels have to be worn for. 

Unfortunately photography within the exhibition was forbidden!

Another scorchingly hot shoes from the seduction are a pair of heels formally worn by the definition of sexiness Marilyn Monroe herself.  When visiting the exhibition the information given to the public about these shoes suggest that back in the midst of Marilyn's career many thought that she would tamper with her heels (so make one heel shorter than the other) so that it would enhance her walk to make her “assets” wiggle more. Along with the creators of the exhibition and the 2nd year students, studying History of design MA later found out when expecting the heels that in actual fact the heels were never tampered with in anyway. Meaning that her infamous walk was well…..  . How she walked!. So maybe it was the way in which the heels made her feel that gave her that sultry walk. It has been said before that a simple garment or shoe can change your whole perspective and outlook, meaning that these simple red mules could have made her feel like the sexiest person alive at that moment. The height,the colour are all components that could have made Marilyn feel like a sex goddess when walking around in them,meaning this would shine through in not only the way she presents herself but her walk also. 

Me, Chloé and Saf at the exhibition 

Among all the pairs of extravagant,eye candy of heels and boots are a pair of mens tasselled loathers. This particular pair of shoes may seem monotonous compared to the pony skin fur mules by karl Lagerfeld or the football boots worn by David Beckham,but these particular shoes have a heart warming past and part of a vast collection. This pair of shoes comes under the obsession within the exhibition, and they show three normal everyday people and their obsessions with their shoes. The tasselled loathers are part of Valeria’s collection,she says “the process of selecting pair of shoes was very exciting”although these loathers were not hers but her fathers. These loathers were made in Italy around 1980-1989 and they obviously remind her of the fantastic memories and life experiences she shared with her father. By her having these particular shoes on showcase it shows that one of her most collectable or most loved possessions is not a pair of dazzling stilettos from Christian Louboutin or a feather trimmed sandal from prada but a practical and stable leather loafer in which she will admire and cherish for the rest of her life. 

The people who have featured in obsession have never seen themselves as shoe collectors, they just have a passion for wearing and buying multiple pair of shoes. For example “Katie”has all of her shoes on display within her home and loves each individual shoe so much that she names them. A quote from the exhibition says “An obsession occurs when you buy a pair of shoes simply because you don't have them in that certain shade or shape” meaning that although you may have 10 pairs of brown boots you would need this other pair because it has a different coloured buckle to the other 10 pairs.  The public who visit this exhibition really get to understand the pleasures that come with owning normal or extraordinary  pairs of shoes. They are able to get an insight into the lives of an extreme shoe lover and this why the exhibition had to be named “pleasure and pain”.

A lot of the shoes within the exhibition are about showcasing wealth and luxury and that is not far from the shoes designed by Roger Vivier for Christian Dior in the 1950s. The exhibition stated that only the wealthiest members of society would be able to afford and wear these shoes. These shoes are under the theme of status, the higher, the more glamorous and more sparkly the shoes are the higher the status of the person. The greek platform shoes allowed the royalty and important people of Greece to literally stand one the lower status people making them feel like nothing and there able to feel like gods with all of the power. 

The pleasure and pain exhibition is located at the Victoria and Albert museum and is open to the public until the 31st of January. The price of admission is £12.00 without a donation to the museum.

Thank you for reading my blog post! 

Lots of Love Mol xxx 

My smart casual outfit

My version of a smart casual outfit. 

Generally most days I want a smart casual outfit for university, smart because I want to look presentable and professional when surrounded with my fellow journalists and lecturers but also casual so that I am comfortable for a long day of lectures and seminars. Theres nothing worse than being stuck in a lecture with a tight dress or uncomfortable trousers on because the seats are miniature and there is zero leg room. So i found with this outfit I found a good balance between the two. 

This coat is so versatile, in the picture above it shows me wearing the coat buttoned and tied up. Which adds that side of sophistication and maybe a little bit of mystery! I could be wearing my pyjama top underneath this and no one would ever know!!

Me and my amazing photographer Chloé

As you can see I'm very small and I would fit right in at a santas grotto as an elf. 

I haven't worn these black boots since last autumn/winter but I got them out of the back of my wardrobe to keep my feet warm. They are black suede so they get very dirty easily but are effortless to clean, I love that I can wear them with either black jeans or black tights and they just blend into the shoes which gives me more height and i definitely need more height being the little girl I am at a height of 5'1. I paired this cute pair of booties with a high waisted denim skirt, this denim skirt is a deep blue denim and is tight at the waist and has an A line cut. I added a black woven leather  belt around the top of my skirt this allowed me to pull in the waist of my skirt tighter as occasionally my weight fluctuates meaning I could lose weight or put it on and the skirt would no longer fit me correctly. I like simplististic outfits and don't generally wear a lot of colour so this plain long sleeved top was perfect to go under neath my sleeveless navy blue coat. The turtle neck on this top is very slim, I like this because the thin material doesn't make me feel claustrophobic or too warm in this cold then hot weather that we get in autumn. I finished this outfit off with a faux alligator skin clutch bag, usually people would only use a clutch if they were going on a night out but I think that it works just as well in the day, with all the dark colours within the outfit the bag although it is black separates  the dark colours and adds a pop to the outfit. 

Thank you for reading my latest blog post. 

Lots of love Mol xxx