♥"Live like you're dying..."♥

Bonjour mes amies, hope you are all having a wonderful weekend. Today's post is a little more serious and reflective than usual but I hope you'll appreciate it. Talking about fashion just a feels a bit trivial at the moment.

Yesterday, a girl in my year at school Hannah, died of cancer. I didn't know her personally, but the impact of the loss has been felt by everyone in our school community. She'd been bravely battling it for over 3 years and I was always in awe of her inspiring strength, determination, bravery and unfaltering positivity in the face of such adversity. She refused to let the disease get the better of her and came to school, with a permenant smile on her face whenever she was physically well enough. I'm not sure I would have been able to do the same if the tables had been turned.

Anyone who has ever lost someone, especially to dieseases like cancer knows how hard it is but the younger the person is when they die, the sadder it is for those left behind. Hannah was seventeen. We are all just on the brink of starting our lives and I can't help but think about all the experiences were are going to have that she never will; university, making friends, falling in love, getting a job, getting married, having kids. We will all grow older but she'll stay seventeen forever. It just doesn't seem fair.

Like I said, she wasn't my friend so I am not grieving but I am extremely saddened. The only good thing about death, if you can call it that, is that you are forced to put everything into perspective. It makes you realise how short and precious life is, how much you take for granted, how pathetic and trivial your problems are compared to some people's and question your own life.

I guess I wanted to write this post not to be morbid and make you feel depressed, negative and hopeless but completely the opposite. I wanted to give you hope and to want to make the most of your lives. I wanted to share with you a few of the momumental realisations I have come to over the past couple of years and especially in the last few days.

Live your lives darlings, I don't mean just 'exist' or 'survive' from day-to-day, I mean really live, live it to the absolute full. I know it's clichéd but live every second or every day as if it is your last because you don't know if you will be here tommorrow. Constantly tell the people you love how you feel about them, everyday if you can, make sure they are in no doubt as to your feelings because you may never get the chance to let them know.

Cherish every moment you spend with your loved ones. Make time for the people you care about. Sing, dance, laugh, hug, smile as often as you can; make as many memories as possible. Stop talking about things and just do them. "One day" may never arrive. Make sure that at the end of your life, whenever that may be, you have as few regrets as possible. Make sure there aren't things you wished you'd done or said. Life is far too short to do things you hate. If something makes you unhappy, stop it. It really is that simple. Don't spend 30 years in a job you hate or 15 years in a stifling relationship. Be happy because you deserve to be.

Most importantly, it can be easy to feel guilty that you are alive and they aren't but that is not only not your fault and not changing anything but it's not true. No one understands why some people die how and when they do, it's one of life's great mysteries which depends on what, if anything, you believe. What you do know for sure is that you are alive. It may not feel like it at times but for whatever reason, you have been given the gift of life. Don't waste it. You owe it to all of those who have died to live your life to the full and do all the things that they no longer can.

I think that's what Hannah with all of her bravery and positivity would want us all to do. So i'm going to start living, i'm going to spend as much time with the people I love and be grateful for every positive thing in my life. I'm going to stop talking about doing things and just do them and while I am doing them, cherish every single moment. Most importantly i'm going to start being a lot kinder to myself and not just survive but live. I really hope you will all do the same.

I will be back to my happy super chic, fashion-obssessed self in the next post I promise, I just felt it was neccessary to do this post.

Stay safe and chic mes chéries,

English Rose x

♥ "London calling to the faraway towns..."♥

Bonjour mes amies, hope you are all having a supercallifragilisticexpialidocious week. I've still got an inhumane amount of work to do so as I have been too busy to blog, I thought I would share with you my overall highlights from A/W London Fashion Week 2010 now that it has ended. Although I wasn't lucky, rich or famous enough to go to any shows this year, just having it in my hometown always makes me feel insanely excited and proud of the acheivements of my fellow countrymen and women, (I think the Fashion Weeks are for  "fashion-type's" our version of the Olympics) and this past week was no exception.

Held at the gorgeous Somerset House (above) the Best of British showcased their hardwork, talent and creativity and had many overlaps with its NYC predecessor with a lot of outfits featuring leather, fur and a monochrome pallete. I got an overall vibe of sophisticated, conservative chic; 'prim and proper' with what I thought were looks in many collections for the same woman at different points of her life from 'posh private schoolgirl' to 'posh rich lady' Although I loved a hell of a lot of them, some of my absolute favourites were:

Amanda Wakeley

 

Erdem

 

Mulberry 

 

Vivienne Westwood Red Label

So what do you think darlings, you liking or loathing? Did you have any highlights that I didn't feature? Hope you are all immense.

Stay safe and chic mes chéries,

English Rose x

♥"I don't care what my teachers say, i'm gonna be a supermodel..." Clueless♥

Bonjour mes amies, apologies for the ridiculous lack of postage, i've been snowed under the mountains of work I have to do but i'm slowly getting through it so bear with me. As you all know I love Marc Jacobs. Like seriously worship the ground the man walks on. I removed him from the pedastool he was on and placed him on his own cloud after I found out he has banned celebrities from his front row at his shows after labelling them 'boring.' This was enough for him to make the transition from icon to legend in my opinion but then I found out from the fabulous blog The Redhead Fashionista that celebrities get paid to sit at front row and just like that, Marc Jacobs became God.

I had no idea this was the case. I just thought they got invited to sit front row but not paid. I knew celebrities got paid to go to events like clubs and openings, I remember being left completely opened mouthed after I heard Paris Hilton once say that she was getting paid $500,000 to show up at a club and party with her friends (all drinks and expenses paid) for one night but it naively never crossed my mind that celebrities like Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen and Rihanna get paid for the privellege of showing up and sitting front row, rubbing shoulders with other stars, sipping champagne, watching an incredible show and lets be honest, the most important part, the goody bag.


I do understand that fashion is essentially a business, that photographs of the hottest star of the moment sitting front row will attract column inches which translates to publicity which translates to money in the bank for the design house. I also understand that if I was a celebrity getting paid thousands to enjoy the luxury of something that personally I would happily do for free (I would sit back row for absoultely nothing if it meant I got to sit in at a show) I would jump at the chance. But it's still quite shocking and distasteful in my opinion and has made me think twice about just how much goes on behind the scenes to create this image of luxury when actually its an utter sham and is just as much a business as Donald Trump's but gives out the allusion that it's the complete opposite.

The fact of the matter is that the running of the fashion industry is not dictated by the quirky designers who, when they receive financial backing,  essentially sign away a good amount of creative control over their company and effectively owe a lot of fat cats who only care about making money. The real fashion industry, the one well-hidden from outsiders, is actually dictated by people in stuffy black suits at board meetings which the "public face" of fashion criticizes and claims to be the very antithesis of. It's not.


"So", I hear you cry, "just how much do these celebrities get paid to maintain the well-executed lie?" Here comes the juicy bit, prepare to be as amazed as I was. A range of industry insiders for brands such as Rock and Republic, Chanel, Burberry and Victoria Beckham have leaked the pay packet of the stars, some of which have no interest or link with fashion, for their appearance at one of these shows. British readers just halve the values. Read on in horror and jealousy:


A-List
Rihanna ($100,000 or more)
Beyonce ($80,000-$100,000)
Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen ($80,000 each)
Julianne Moore ($60,000)
Maggie Gyllanhal ($60,000)
Chloe Sevigny ($60,000 or more)
Jennifer Lopez (circa 2005: $80,000; circa 2010: $30,000)
Lindsay Lohan (circa 2006: $60,000; circa 2010; UNINVITED)
Colin Firth (pre-A Single Man: $5,000; post-A Single Man: $15,000)

B-List
Blake Lively ($50,000)
Leighton Meester ($40,000)
Hillary Duff ($40,000)
Other Gossip Girl cast members ($25,000 a piece)
Jared Leto ($25,000)
Cliven Owen ($10,000)
Kristen Bell (unpaid, but airfare, makeup and clothing are taken care of)

C-List
Kim Kardashian ($35,000-$50,000)
Amanda Bynes ($25,000-$30,000)
Eliza Dushku (unpaid, but airfare, makeup and clothing are taken care of)

D-List
Paris Hilton (free or UNINVITED)
Jersey Shore cast (UNINVITED)
America’s Next Top Model Winners (free)

Other designers such as Carolina Herrera are now following in the footsteps of Marc and refusing to pay celebrities for the privellege of publicity, but the majority of the well known houses still continue to do so. So darlings think twice next time you see a picture of a star studded front row at fashion week.  All that glitters is most certainly not gold.

So what do you think? Are you shocked to find out how much they get paid or were you clued up enough to know this all along? Do you think it matters or is it just good business sense?

I should also mention that a few days ago I was featured in an interview with the fantastic website I Heart Daily but because I was so insanely busy I wasn't able to post about it. It was such an honour and so much fun to do as I am such a fan of their site so I just want to say a huge thank you to them and if you want to read the full interview you can here. Oooh and i've just finished designing a brand new blog layout which has taken forever so I would absolutely love to hear your thoughts.

Hope you are all having an immense week.

Stay safe and chic mes chéries,
English Rose x

♥"I'm crossing you in style someday..." Audrey Hepburn - Moon River♥

Bonsoir mes amies, hope you are all having a lovely weekend. My last couple of posts have been very wordy so I felt it was time for a good old fashioned style post which also serves the double purpose of being my entry into a compettition to win two tickets for London Fashion Weekend. The fabulous opportunity is being given by VoucherCodes and what you had to do in order to be in with a chance of winning was post pictures of you in your bestbuys ever.

To say this was quite a challenge for me would be an understatement. My long term readers will be well aware that I am not only a shopaholic but a serious professional bargain hunter and have had some truly amazing finds over the years. But I am in no doubt as to what my greatest buys ever were and just my luck, they went so perfectly together and couldn't have channeled my ultimate style icon Audrey Hepburn in her most iconic film 'Breakfast at Tiffanys' better than if Holly Golightly herself styled it.

My favourite buy of all time has to be this insanely gorgeous coat I got from Topshop a few years ago. Let me set the scene: it was the January sales in London (crazy and definitely not for the faint hearted), the rails were packed, the shop was bursting full of crazy bargain hunters, it was pure carnage, I scanned the rails like only an expert knows how and then I saw it. And my heart skipped a beat. I had to act fast, I grabbed it knowing that it was too beautiful and I had to get it whatever the size and whatever the cost and rushed over to a mirror to try it on.  Not only did it fit like a glove, have such increidble detailing, look so vintage, chic and like a million dollars but I swear Audrey Hepburn was staring back at me in the mirror. The whole shop stopped, all around me the fashion vultures circled, just begging me to put it down so they could grab it. But I would have died before I put it down and I made my way over to the tills. Only then did I see the price. Was £250, ($500) Now £40 ($80). I kid you not, I almost started crying. My heart was beating so fast, and I had that feeling you get when you are in the first stages of love and the object of your affection walks into the room. And I just knew that we were meant to be together forever. Its so special and makes me feel so special that I've only wore it once before. This is not just an ordinary coat, its a forever coat. When I put it on and feel the silk lining against my skin, I feel iconic. Better than that, it makes me feel infinite.

Paired with my black patent heels and Jackie O sunglasses, I felt like a modern day Holly Golightly but everyone knows that no Breakfast At Tiffany's tribute outfit would be complete without a Little Black Dress underneath the iconic trench. Enter Best Buy Ever Number 2. My regular readers will remember this dress well. I bought it a few weeks ago at a charity shop in Kensington High Street. It was in the window and made me literally stop in my tracks and catch my breath. Love at first sight. I rushed in and asked about the dress in the window. The kind shop lady told me that all the staff had been mesmerized by it and had a huge discussion about who would eventually buy it and although many people had enquired about it that day, the second she saw me she knew it was 'my dress' and that I would look amazing in it and truly appreciate it. It got weirder: it was in my size. It was destiny. Pure and simple. The Fashion Gods were smiling down on me as the kind lady handed me the beautiful princess dress with stunningly detailed lace and beading, a genuine silk bow, satin bodice and gorgeous structured bottom; the true magnificent beauty of which has to be experienced in person and isn't fully captured on film. And the best thing? £20 ($40). A tiny price to pay for a tiny piece of heaven. And just like that, my Audrey transformation was complete.

So there you have it darlings, two of my best, proudest buys ever that not only make me feel and look like a million dollars and bring me so much closer to my icon; but they were literally the bargains of the century and I still have to pinch myself at the immensity of the finds. I will treasure them forever and eventually pass them down to my daughter. I'm so glad I could share some of my favourite purchases with you and I hope you enjoyed looking at them as much as I enjoyed wearing them.

So what are your best buys ever mes amies? Which purchases were your best bargains and that you are you most proud of? What do you own that makes you feel and look like a million dollars? Do tell...

Stay safe and chic mes chéries,
English Rose x

♥The Backlash Against The Backlash♥

Bonjour mes chéries, as you know I like to draw inspiration from current affairs and issues which strike up something within me and this time is no exception and I think it will do the same in you guys because it is, in a way, about all of us in the fashion blogging community. I'm not quite sure how I feel about it, I just know I feel something - does that make sense? I'm interested to hear what you think...

I came across this article in the British newspaper 'The Independent' and found it absolutely fascinating as I had no idea tensions were so high. Essentially there is a backlash in the Fashion World about style bloggers such as Jane Aldridge of 'Sea of Shoes' and Tavi Gevinson a.k.a 'Style Rookie' and all of the privilleges and opportunities they receive from designers and design houses. The whole debate, although I have a strong feeling it has been simmering under the surface for a long while, was sparked over the recent Paris Couture Week where 13 year old Tavi (see left with John Galiano), blogger extraordinaire and darling of the fashion world, got front row tickets to the Christian Dior haute couture show. Wearing a giant pink bow (it was Couture week after all) she was seated two rows in front of the editor of Britain's Grazia magazine Paula Reed (see below) who has been a presence in the industry for many decades. Are you starting to see where this is going?

The controversy began when Paula tweeted pictures of her view of the collection which she claimed was significantly obscured by the thirteen year old's bow. Cue the sartorial catfight.

In the blue corner, The Clothes Whisperer said of the debate: "Oh, the irony of a grown-up correspondent's view of the runway being blocked by someone little older than a child and no taller than Frodo,"

Whilst Tavi hit back at the backlash saying: "I had no intentions of blocking the views of people behind me but it didn't block any views – I'm SHORT, so watching the show behind me would be like watching it through a regular-sized adult, but better, because adult heads do not have holes in them.... "

In the red corner, on the success of fashion bloggers, Sarah McCullough, Selfridges' creative concepts manager who hypocritically admits to being a blog reader herself said: "It's mind-blowing that bloggers like Tavi are at the couture shows and being showered with all kinds of gifts. It has soured things a little bit for me." 

Robert Johnson, associate editor at GQ magazine said: "Bloggers are so attractive to the big design houses because they are so wide-eyed and obsessed, but they don't have the critical faculties to know what's good and what's not. As soon as they've been invited to the shows, they can no longer criticise because then they won't be invited back." 

Two quotes which made me so angry. For me, several issues arise from this. Firstly is it right for a middle aged woman to launch a campaign against a thirteen year old girl? Tavi didn't ask to be invited to the show or to be front row and the whole thing smells of sour grapes and jealousy on Paula and other insiders behalf  that a child can get something, in fact more, handed to her than someone who has worked their socks off for several decades. In that case, blame Dior, not Tavi. Famous Bloggers undoubtedly get a lot of opportunities; Bryan Boy got a Marc Jacobs bag named after him, Jane Aldridge (left) is designing a line for Urban Outfitters, Tavi is the face of several campaigns and whilst I do understand and occasionally think their privilleges are excessive and would probably be a bit annoyed myself if I had worked for several years only for a "teenager with good computer skills" to come along but like I said, it is not the fault of bloggers that they get so many opportunities. And I'm sorry, but if anyone says that if someone offered them front row tickets to a Dior fashion show or the chance to design their own line they would turn it down. I certainly wouldn't.

Secondly, part of me feels that Tavi probably should have removed the bow out of courtesy but then another part of me thinks why the hell should she. It's fashion. It's couture. She was at couture week. If they were so bothered maybe they should have done the mature thing as adults and asked her then and there to remove it instead of not even talking to her and waiting until it was long over to go off it a huff and complain.


It is also completely unfair to say that bloggers do not deserve anything they get. Being a blogger myself, I know just how much work and passion goes into each post, and that's just my small scale, unimportant blog. Jane Aldridge is finishing high school online because the blog takes up so much of her time. Others bloggers make it their full time profession. The really good blogs are easily worthy of a place in any good newspaper or magazine except those people get paid and in that respect we're putting in just as much time, creativity and effort whilst still balancing our lives, work and school for free so when an opporunity arises, it's like a reward for your hard work and an acknowledgement of your talent.

I can think of a million journalists who make me think "how did you get this job?" and just as many bloggers who make me think "why aren't you famous yet?" Life is unfair. It's harsh but true that life is about grabbing and making the most of the opportunities handed to you, no matter how they come. If Tavi turned down the tickets, they wouldn't have given it to Paula, they would have given it to another blogger and she would have missed out.

At the end of the day, hard work and talent endures and once the blogging hype has reached it's peak and provided they want to work in fashion, people like Jane and Tavi are then going to have to prove themselves and work hard, just like everyone else and if they fall short they will be as quickly forgotten as they were catapulted to fame. If I was them, i'd be keeping every bit of money, clothes and contacts that came my way because you never know how long its going to last. If you were a journalist who truly believed in yourself and your talent, you wouldn't feel so threatened by a thirteen year old with a pink bow. And for the record 'Robert Johnson', you may have a point but mainly its journalists of successful publications like yours who are too scared to criticise, offend and sever their contacts because they might not be invited back. So shut the hell up you patronizing twat.

Okay rant over, would be so interested to hear your thoughts - if you didn't just skim and actually managed to read it all! I hope you are all immensely good.

Stay safe and chic mes amis,
English Rose x

♥"Got some money to spend, i''m living for the weekend..." - Hard-Fi - Living for the Weekend♥

Bonjour darlings, hope you are all well, I'm a bit snowed under with schoolwork at the moment so I thought I would just post some pictures of my outfit from this weekend, where I was carefree as a bee and also as I haven't done a proper outfit post in forever - i've been far too cold to be inspiring and just between us, i've been committing the ultimate insult to the Fashion Gods and living in mountains of layers, warm hoodies and Uggs. Shame on me. Please don't tell.

Although it was freezing, the sun was out in Londontown for the first time this decade giving me a chance to pair my new cardigan with a purple beret, plaid miniskirt, white tights, my favourite black leather shoes boots, a quirky brooch I got for Christmas, my favourite bag and my uber warm faux-fur coat. Winter Bliss.

Oooh, I also reached my first milestone of 100 followers, thank you everyone for your continued love and support for the blog - without you 'English Rose' would just not exist - i'm so grateful to each and every one of you and your support means the world to me =]


Stay safe and chic mes amis,

English Rose x