Olympics

So the sporting games have arrived and today kicks off with the Cycling road race, Men's Gymnastics Beach volleyball and various other events. Even though the games themselves are the most important events of the next couple weeks and as much as I, and a good majority of people I know, love to watch the rather attractive athletes competing, I have to say the parts that stood out for me the most was the unique lead up to the Olympic games. 


One of the innovative ways this country lead up to the exciting games was the not only amazing to see but also highly inspirational to some. This was of course the Olympic torch relay which was carried by many people including a few role models, one of which had an appearance in this blog of mine. Hayley Rea, one of the winners of the Spirit of London awards, carried one of the flamed torches through Wandsworth. 


I will admit I haven't been one to rave about Olympics and to be honest it wasn't until this week that I actually started looking forward to the games yet, it did feel pretty good to be part of the positive atmosphere surrounding the torch. I was definitely impressed when the torch brightened up the not so popular town of Thornton Heath. If you know the area, you can imagine how surprised I was to see so many  smiling faces.   

The torch-bearer entered Whitehorse Lane...

Here the torch-bearer seemed rather overwhelmed...suppose anyone would be with a hundred cameras in their face. 

To finish off, here's a short clip of the torch.  Enough words now, enjoy :) 

First Stop - Paris

It doesn't take much to please me, so going to a place that gives me more than I could ask for well, that's just fantastic.

Besides expecting the obvious scenery and architecture, I decided to arrive with an open mind, not in fear that I would be disappointed, after all it was Paris.

It was a while ago since I stepped foot into the land of France but that's not to say the memory has faded. The incredible scenery and quaint architecture is something that I think most people would remember and certainly a destination worth visiting more than once. 

Even though the university I attend cancelled our original trip I was highly grateful when they replaced it with a trip to what's known as 'The fashion capital of the world'. Baring this is mind it was inevitable that something educational was involved. However, to some the word 'educational' may imply something tedious, but not for me. A Marc Jacobs exhibition, the educational aspect of the trip, was one of the highlights and certainly something worth seeing.   

 After travelling for a good couple of hours at five in the morning, it was obvious that not many of us were not in the best of moods to be walking around, however, it certainly had to be seen. I will admit, I was slightly disappointed, not with the exhibition itself, but the fact that there should of been much more of it. By all means I'd recommend anyone to see the work of Louis Vuitton presented in such a unique way, but anyone would agree that it was over too quickly. 

The next stop of the day was checking out where we would stay for the night. St Christopher's Inn was the hostel and to be honest it wasn't a place for all. For some, they were happy it was just a one night thing, it being rather basic and slightly grim. Of course, for a typical traveller it probably wouldn't have been half bad, especially with it being filled with plenty of other people to meet. When you're there to just to put your head down after a busy day of sight-seeing, it's not half bad...

... especially with a view like this just outside. 

After a well deserved nap and a couple of hours of getting ready I was eager to see the city. So Rebecca- Elizabeth, Megan Layland, Georgia Mallia and I set off on the Metro to visit L'arc de Triomphe. It's a pity we didn't get very close or even climb up it but it was still truly speculator, especially with the sun setting right behind it. Enough rambling, the picture speaks for itself.  

    

Felt very small here...

    

The next day we had just enough time to make one final stop in the city before we jumped back on the Eurostar.  As we stepped out of the Metro station in gorgeous sunshine weather we hovered about for a second thinking, 'where the hell is it?'. It wasn't until we decided to walk down the street slightly and turn the corner and finally we were there. In front of us was the breathtaking Eiffel Tower. Again the pictures say it all, yet I would encourage anyone that hasn't seen this beautiful city to

 go, right now, and see it. Nothings better than seeing the real thing. 

By all means I had a great time and even though this was my first time visiting, it certainly wasn't the last. 

Look out for my next blog about my adventures in Turkey :) 

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An interview with Hayley Rea

Just to let you all know, I have not neglected this poor blog of mine even thought it may seem like it. I'm not making any excuses but its summer after all and busy is a subtle way of describing it. No, I'm not saying it's been non-stop crazy fun. I wish. Unfortunately the majority of my summer is going to be built up of working in an attempt to make as much money as possible. Of course, being a student, it wont be enough. 


Today's post is an interview with dance teacher, Hayley Rea. Even though it was very stressful towards the end, I managed to hand the work in and don't think it's a bad job. Have a read and let me know what you think. 
          

Hayley dancing with one of her students

To some, first impressions are most important. In this case, dance teacher and owner of Aim High Dance Academy, Hayley Rea has no trouble. Having nothing but a beaming smile on her face, you instantly feel welcomed in her delightful home in Norbury, South London. Although, it is quite hard to avoid the lovely habit that Rea has of not knowing when to stop talking. This only makes you feel more at ease in her company, and it was as if I’d known her for years. Considering her lack of height, its no wonder Rea has the need to be noticed. That’s not to say she completely ignored me whilst she nattered away, I was politely offered any snacks or a drink as she bounced around the kitchen to make her cup of tea, much needed after a ‘long day’.

As the conversation commenced, it was definitely a fact that Rea deserved that cup of tea. The young woman, now 23, has been building her career since the age of 18 and has wanted nothing more in her life than to be a dance teacher. She states: ‘It’s quite a surprise but teaching dance is all I’ve wanted to do, all teachers want to be dancers but not me!’ Qualifying at the age of 18 in 2007 as a professional street and freestyle dancer, Rea always felt one day she would open her own dance school. Gaining as much experience as she could along the way, she finally felt ‘the time was right’ in 2009 and before she knew it, Rea had her own company, Aim High Dance Academy, in three different branches based in Lambeth, Croydon and Merton.

As she took me on a trip back in time, it’s clear to see what motivated Hayley Rea into doing something challenging and why her passion for teaching will, hopefully, never disappear. When growing up, like every typical teenager, Rea went through a ‘rough patch’, as she describes it and dance was the one thing that kept her going. She elaborates: ‘Dance was always my little pick me up, I realised then how much it meant to me there and then.’ Rea mentions that one of these tough times was when her mum couldn’t afford to pay her dance classes as she grew up so, sneakily Rea had to hide at the back of the class just so she could do what she always dreamed of doing, nothing was stopping her. Embarrassingly enough, she did of course get kicked out of them classes. She laughs: ‘Yes I eventually had to leave the class once they noticed I hadn’t paid but I just wanted to do it so badly.’ Of course Rea has no intention of setting this example for any of her students.

It was with this personal experience that Rea felt determined to create a business for many others growing up with similar situations. Since young people seem to have somewhat questionable ways to express themselves these days, Rea created Aim High Dance Academy as a community project for young people in common deprived areas, all funded by comic relief. ‘At first the dance classes were free but in 2011 we started charging so that we could expand and it actually became even more popular, I think when something’s free people think it’s a bit dodgy,’ she laughs. Rea has reached plenty of young people over the course of her career, as of yet she has nine classes consisting of 108 students. She’s certainly doing something right.

The talented woman doesn’t stop there. Alongside her community project Aim high Dance Academy holds a contract with different primary schools and theatres, part of the payment there keeps the community project going, every little helps as they say. 

As Rea describes a typical day in her shoes, she mentions that she also has an extra job working as a senior supervisor in a school, helping her with her own bills and expenses. This clearly shows that the majority of Rea’s hard work is completely selfless; anyone would agree that her willpower lies purely in the young children that she teaches rather than making all the money in the world. She backs up this personality trait by stating: ‘It would be lovely to take a break from it all one day, going on holiday would be a luxury but I remember the kids and that it’s very rare to love the job you’re in so I am very grateful.’ Her commitment is clearly through the love she has for dance, nothing has ever been handed to Rea, it’s all off her own back and she certainly proves that if you’re willing to work hard for something, you can achieve it. The parents of some of the teenagers also notice the respect they have for her. When their teenagers have a particular problem they turn to the owner of the inspiring school. It wouldn’t hurt to have more women like her around really.

It’s no surprise of course to know that Rea’s work hasn’t been unnoticed. In 2010 she won the Spirit of London award, an achievement through arts. Now an ambassador for the spirit of London award, Rea, being part of a network, is able to carry on inspiring young people in even more ways. As well as this, the inspirational street dancer has also been given the chance to carry the Olympic torch. It did come as a shock that Rea feels some slight disappointment. She confesses: ‘I know I should feel proud and I do, I’m certainly exciting but for the last two years I’ve been trying to get the whole dance academy involved but nothings come up, it all seems a waste of time.’

By no means have her other achievements been a waste of time. Time isn’t going to be wasted in the near future either. Having a desire to support and make a difference is young children’s life; Hayley hopes to raise money for a six-year-old gun victim, Thusha this June. Rea’s emotional side shone through as she tells the story: ‘It’s a real shame because she wanted to be a dancer and now she’s paralysed. So me and another girl are going to dance our way across London and meet in Hyde Park, just to raise a bit of money, showing our support.’ I don’t think the public need much more evidence to prove that this enthusiastic performer doesn't have one bad bone in her body.

As the conversation ended, Rea admits that throughout all her success she couldn’t have done it without her mum, Marion Rea and twin brother, Adam Rea. If it wasn’t for her supportive mum, Rea probably wouldn’t have pushed herself to open her own business until now, for that she’s entirely grateful. This gratitude can also be read in the Croydon Guardian since Hayley nominated her mum for ‘unending support’. ‘Now that me and my brother are close, he helps me out if I need it and I know my mum’s always there to do typical mummy things, washing and ironing the schools t-shirts doesn’t sound like much but it certainly helps.’

For more information on Hayley’s dance school got to http://www.aimhighacademy.co.uk/. 

Hayley with mum, Marion and Brother Adam. 

Aim High dance academy

The Lion King

Okay, you're all probably rather annoyed with me starting almost every blog post with an apology of how useless I've been but in all honestly I've been terribly busy and will get back in the swing of things soon. However, I'm sure you'll agree that it's needed this time since it has been over two weeks since my last post. Shameful. Hopefully this post will be worth the wait.


Today I'd like to write about one rather exciting event that I would most definitely experience again and again. You see, I was a very lucky girl a couple of weeks ago since the boyfriend decided to surprise me. I knew absolutely nothing for weeks. I generally adore surprises, as long as they're good obviously and even though the boyfriend has never failed to disappoint me before, I couldn't help but feel a pack of nerves settling in.


Thankfully, after walking for what felt like ages, especially in my Russell and Bromely heels, I took a sharp turn in London town and felt nothing but instant excitement. Written in yellow were the words 'The Lion King'. I don't mean to sound overly dramatic but I can't help but build up such a brilliant performance. 

I managed to snap the picture above at the beginning of the show until a member of staff flashed a torch in my face, woops. It's true, this being on of my favourite Disney films, I had expectations but from this moment on, until I left the Lyceum Theatre, I was grasped. I haven't met one person that's criticized this performance and I think most people would agree when I ask, why would you? 

I think I might stop there since I don't want to build your expectations too high and then have everyone blaming me fore being highly disappointed. But by all means, go see it!

Having not a clue what my surprise was I decided to dress up for the occasion which, even though there was mainly kids in jeans and trainers, I don't regret. I threw on my lace turquoise dress from Jane Norman and My dark boots from Russell and Bromely. Not a bad combination.   

Remember to keep checking for posts. One about Paris coming soon. 

 Lyceum Theatre

The Lion King

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Summer's on it's way. D&G Inspiration.

Despite the awful weather that keeps surrounding the different parts of England and the fact that it has no intention of leaving, it is certainly not ruining my excitement for the summer which, I hope, is arriving soon. Even if the sun doesn't make a good enough appearance in this country, I'm positive I'll be satisfied with the rays, most likely burning me, on my delightful holiday in the tropical country Turkey. With this in mind, it came to my awareness that the majority of my wardrobe is filled with dull coloured garments which I'm not prepared to wear along the boiling streets of Marmaris. I am now on the hunt for some striking coloured clothing to brighten up this wardrobe of mine.

 First item on my list are these funky little Ray Bans from ASOS. I've never been a great fan of patterned sunglasses, I like to keep it simple. However, if I decide to wear an item of my not so florescent clothes then these brilliant sunnies will certainly spark give the outfit a bit of spark. They are indeed out of my price range costing £140 yet, I'm sure I can find a knock-off pair at a Turkish market. No one will ever know.  

Even though they look like they could break my neck as soon as I take one step in them, I'm pretty sure they'll be worth the pain. Animal print is the one pattern I can't get enough of and the one thing I need more of. I think I'll start collecting more of this popular print starting with this pair from River Island.

Flicking through different designer's collections for Spring/Summer 2012, it seems as if D&G's final collection has inspired me. Their last designs consist of nothing but vivid, bright garments that everyone was impressed by. Don't get me wrong, I would never wear something just because it's on trend at the time. However it seems my recently bought printed play suit from TK Max will be well received in the world of fashion this summer.

Keep looking for updates on here. I'm off to Paris soon so make sure you read up on all my adventures there.

Vogue

River Island

ASOS

An interview with Mica Bihal

At long last, two posts in one week. Shocking. Hopefully this will happen more often. 

Today's post is all about my current university unit called interviewing. We were paired up with design students in the third year which, considering I've never thought about interviewing as a career, turned out to be rather enjoyable. 

This proves that work is getting done throughout my first year and I don't think this piece is too bad. However, I'm no professional just yet. 

At a first glance, I’m sure anyone would agree that Mica Bihal’s confidence is what stands out the most, a characteristic much needed being a fashion designer, a career Bihal hopes to be achieve. This first impression is backed up when Bihal begins to describe her current and final collection at Epsom UCA, ‘I’ve dabbled in mainly womenswear but for my final project I decided to bite the bullet and go for menswear, a big challenge for me.’ Her determination shone through when describing the risk she was taking showing she has no intention of wasting time.

When asked to describe her style, Bihal expressed her interest in tailoring and her love for the ‘suited and booted’ look, contrasting her casual floral dress and classic leather jacket that she turned up in. She elaborates though by expressing her love she has for the conflicting style of casual and smart looks much like her muse for this project. ‘Shakah Madoih is my inspiration for this project; he’s very cool, combining garments like tailored jackets and casual jeans’.

Bihal’s main focus on her final collection is tailoring yet, everyone has to start somewhere and she started with crocodiles. She laughs, ‘I just loved the textures! I took it further with the whole crocodile hunting, with the British hunter and combined that with the drapery from an African tribe, it all sounds strange but it makes sense to me!’  The style Bihal describes for her work does not fit in with any recent trend, she admits that she will never create an outfit just because it’s in season but whether she can see her designs on someone.

Later, Bihal tells me that fashion design was not her number one choice. Being creative was a characteristic she was well aware of even when she was younger, architecture was her dream back then. However, if sadly, the fashion world did not exist then she would have pursued a career in cooking, someone sounds like they’d make a perfect domestic goddess but she did not mention any future plans of being a housewife. As well as cooking Bihal ensures she has plenty of breaks for various hobbies in between work. ‘I’m open to do many activities to be honest, keeping sane is the goal’.

As the conversation was coming to a close, a more relaxed side of Bihal crept out as she described her love for travelling and her want to go well, everywhere. This is proved when she started to describe herself more, ‘I’m certainly open-minded and easy-going, my friends would agree I’m pretty laid-back’. She later confesses that laziness is one of her weaknesses, the complete opposite of my first impression. Nevertheless, Mica Bihal is determined to graduate, plans to hopefully intern and find a place where she can finally relax after three years of an ‘up and down’ university experience. 

Google images

Skate

Okay, so maybe I lied about doing three posts before, but I promise to do at least more than one this week. Be sure to keep checking for updates though :)

The last two weeks have been pretty hectic, the complete opposite to what I thought, it being the Easter holidays and everything I expected to relax a lot more, but that's not to say I didn't enjoy it. At the time, I loved the fact that I avoided all university work and concentrated on my social life, what a good student I was. But now I'm back in the pleasant Epsom town and will be motivated to do some work, hopefully.

For now, I'd like to talk about one activity that I participated in which involves falling over once or twice, the option to dress in typical 80's clothes and something that makes you think you're a professional after a couple of drinks. I am indeed talking about roller skating.

 

The boyfriend celebrated his birthday recently and decided to gather everyone at the Vauxhall Roller Disco since a few people recommended it and you know, it's something different.

At first, I was a bit on edge about the whole thing, considering the last time I skated was many years ago. The outside exterior didn't calm me nerves at all, being rather small and under a rail bridge, was almost a bit intimidating. However, this first impression soon disappeared as the inside was the complete opposite. Disco lights flashed everywhere and you couldn't miss those that went all out in their florescent skirts and leg warmers. I went for the safe option myself wearing jeans and a plain top, more effort will be put in next time.

I would suggest to anyone that if they're stuck on what to do for their next birthday or just want to try something different then skate! This particular one is for over 18s only since there's a bar, which certainly adds to the fun.

Google Images

 

POP!

 Trying to keep this blog as updated as possible is proving to be difficult. Forgive me again, I'll attempt to do at least three this week. 
 Moving on, since the days at university can drag on, especially living in a quiet town like Epsom, Rebecca Elizabeth and I have to find ways to occupy ourselves. On this particular day, it was previously decided that we should show off our baking skills, or lack of, by creating little lollipop shaped cakes otherwise known as 'POPS'. 
Being a massive sweet tooth myself, I was looking forward to eating them rather than the making although, the baking's all part of the fun. However, as I flicked through Rebecca's handy POP bakery book, the nerves started to grow since all the images looked like they had been crafted very skilfully, the complete opposite to what I can do! We bit the bullet and started making what hopefully would be yummy...

Once the mix is ready you have to roll them like so. If you're willing to try this, prepare to get messy.

Next step is to push them onto lollipop sticks and dip them in chocolate...and if you're anything like me, eat one during the process. 

Once they've become suitable to decorate, show off your art skills by applying edible sparkling dust. 

Once you've finished making them looking pretty, display them however you wish. 

I must say, not having a clue at the beginning didn't hold us back and it turns out they were pretty tasty, my opinion and many others. May need work on our art skills though. 

Pop Bakery Clare O'connell

Searching high and low for a Student House

   Emily Arabadjian, Rebecca Elizabeth and I were strolling along Epsom high-street yesterday searching in every letting agency and calling everyone we knew to see if anything was available. A massive NO is the only answer we got. The one time we're organised and we get absolute zilch.
  However, this does not destroy my excitement for hunting for a new home and finding a room which I can make my own. This will be done by sticking photos and other visual memories everywhere but most of all finding the prettiest furnishings around. I may not be able to afford these products but there's no harm in looking now is there? 
I shall start off with my bedroom which is going to resemble something quite like this...

 With a fancy purple lamp to match...

and because I just can't get enough of the colour, a set of purple tumbler's for the kitchen...

  To finish off, a packed walk in closet would do me quite nicely, especially one resembling Eva Longoria's here. 
  Of course, being a student I'll be looking at something very far away from this ideal living space but if anyone out there is feeling generous, don't hesitate to help me out. 


                                                                                 

Google images

 

Styling Project - Grunge

  Just a quick little post about my recent university project. We had to work in partners for this particular one and I do agree that it is risky to work with friends but Christopher Peacock and I made it look rather easy. 
  We instantly had similar ideas such as urban, street and heroin chic yet, we agreed on doing the current trend of grunge which can be seen on Christopher Kane's A/W 2012 collection, with Kane's use of black leather piping and his lack of make-up which matched the plain styling of the model's straight hair. We were inspired by his whole effortless grunge. 
   Rummaging through my wardrobe and high-street stores we eventually pieced together the typical 90s clothing and this is what we came up with...
                            

The top two photographs are my favourite with the outfit consisting of a cropped grey top, casually showing off an old piercing scar, with the words 'Raising hell in the 90's' printed across, a typical grunge item from Topshop. This was completed with light blue jeans from River Island and my black Doc Marten boots. 

All in all, after a few stresses here and there, we managed to finish our project and picked up a few styling skills along the way. 

Photographer: Christopher Peacock

The story behind the boots

    Walking along the streets of London town, Oxford Street to be specific, Rebecca-Elizabeth and I thought we'd browse through a shop that I have actually never been to and to be perfectly honest after this little trip I can't think why. As said previously, I've never been one to shop constantly and I swear I had no intention of buying anything, especially being a student. However, since Rebecca-Elizabeth, the darling that she is, kept flattering me with her compliments such as, 'They look so good on you!' and my mother gave me the okay, I gave in and bought these lovely little shoes...

   Russell and Bromley was the place where I just had to give into temptation and buy quite possibly the best pair of boots I've owned. 
   Originally, Rebecca-Elizabeth wanted me to model her light blue denim shirt along with dark blue denim shorts yet, when the boots came along we just had to add them in. So the mini-photoshoot began with the delightful lady polishing me up by curling my hair and applying the make-up. She may deny it yet it is clear to see that Rebecca-Elizabeth knows her way around a camera and has picked up some styling skills, she is doing Fashion Journalism after all. 

I do feel 'the boots' were very much worth all the fuss and certainly worth the sale price of just £79. They spice up a casual outfit during the day and go perfectly well with evening wear as seen on my previous post. 

A special thanks to Rebecca-Elizabeth for her styling skills and photogrpahy. 

She's also a pretty good friend to have ;)

Check out her blog yeah? 

Rebecca-Elizabeth

Valentines Day

I need to keep this as updated as possible and I'm failing miserably so far. Forgive me.
 Anyway, I decided to ramble on about that day that some people dread whereas others seem to do something rather lovely. I went with option two this time round and celebrated valentines day in a random but lovely way and was a very lucky girl. 
 I've never been one to get into it as much since it is mainly society pressuring you to do at least one thing but me and Eddie, the boyfriend, thought we should do something not so typical and go swimming. It was very enjoyable and I certainly recommend it to more couples that can't decide what to do. 

Later on in the evening we decided to do something a little more typical and go out for a meal.  I chose this simple black lacy dress from H&M, my black little bag complete with my Russell and Bromley black boots to keep in with the black simple theme. The boots do have a story behind them but I'll save that for another post...

There's no place like Landan...

Roaming around the streets of London with Rebecca Elizabeth (shopping is off the list of things to do due to lack of money) we find ourselves in the calm concrete space that is Trafalgar Square. We braved the breezy cold weather and managed to take a few snaps because it's just so damn pretty, shame about the Olympic clock at the side - doesn't exactly fit in with the traditional look. However, you've got to love the tranquil atmosphere that Trafalgar brings in the winter, a complete contrast to summer's atmosphere but I'll leave that for another post...

The blue fountain in Trafalgar...

On the Waterloo Bridge... London Eye...

I apologise for the bad quality pictures...Big Ben :)

Capri Pants

Capri Pants 


Almost three years after her first appearance to the fashion world, Sonja de Lennart, a 1950s European fashion designer created her most iconic garment, the Capri pant. Although her collection in 1948 consisted of Capri skirt, blouses and belts it was the pants that made history. Known as the must-have casual clothing item of the 1950s, the Capri pants have been shown in iconic figures such as Marilyn Monroe, Audrey Hepburn and Mary Tyler Moore. Controversy was caused when Moore first wore Capris on the 'Dick Van Dyke Show' since women in the 50s were used to pretty frocks and high heels on the TV, therefore wearing trousers was a shocker, let alone skin- tight three quarter lengths.

No matter how much astonishment this caused, Capri pants were popular and the legendary Audrey Hepburn could be the reason why. Hepburn wore a classic black version of the Capris when acting her renowned performance in 'Funny Face'. Used to hoovering in a cute skirt, housewives of the time switched to this fresh style that Hepburn continued to popularise throughout her career. Examples of this include, 'Roman Holiday' and 'Sabrina'. 

                                       

D&G paid homage to the simple garment by displaying a relaxed version of the slacks in their Spring/Summer 2012 Men's wear collection. This show, of the vintage pair, told the public that Women aren't the only ones strutting the classic style. The structure has clearly changed in order to keep some masculinity yet, it is also cropped enough to be considered Capri pants for men.  

The new film, 'My week with Marilyn', features this fifties silhouette. As she relaxes on the sofa, Michelle Williams, who plays Marilyn Monroe, emphasizes the informality of the cropped pair. 

                                               

 Wonder what's next for Capris...

I am tempted...

I can honestly say I am not one for shopping constantly, I find I appreciate my clothes more when it's one thing I buy every now and again. That being said, if I see something I absolutely  adore then that's it. I MUST have it there and then. An example of this would be my lovely new parka jacket from Dorothy perkins, not your typical khaki colour but an 'antique brass' as Google tells me. Maybe slightly darker and brownier but I am a fan.

The main reason for this post is this picture below. Jack wills in the sale (I still hope) and I need it. Never been a huge fan of velvet but on this dress, well it felt pretty damn good.Why I didn't get it there and then I really don't know. Well maybe the price (£139 sale price!). A big regret now. For a night out in Epsom, this is highly over the top yet, I don't care, I'm sure someone will have a glamorous dinner party soon, I'll wear it then of course. If there's anyone generous out there, get in touch...I need this!