Tuesday, January 31, 2017

Fashion PR - first client!

I'm developing a fashion PR company, intended to represent independent and emerging designers in Scotland and today was the first meeting with a designer client.  Toco Fashion and I first met at the Checkmate fashion show last May and then did a shoot in early Autumn and she is originally a milliner who designs amazing hats as well as some beautiful clothing and is a designer I'm incredibly pleased to be working for.

She was already familiar with the aims and ethos of my idea, and to take it further I need to hear exactly what the designers need me to do on their behalf beyond what I've already got in mind.  We had a lengthy conversation to establish what's required and once I got home I started working on that list.  I'm looking forward to seeing the first round of results which will be a lookbook and a revamped website.

She's currently planning a new collection and is at the pattern cutting stage and it sounds like a stunning, luxury resort collection.  Amazing things are taking shape!

Wednesday, January 25, 2017

Gaelstrom

I've been developing a magazine in my spare time over the last year and published the first issue today - I hope you enjoy Gaelstrom.  It is a melting pot of Scottish creative and cultural expression. 

Gaelstrom is about the Scottish creative industry: we've got a massive wealth of talent, productivity and inspiration.   and the purpose of the magazine is documenting and writing contemporary urban legends, alongside commentary on affairs, opinions and culture. We seek to look positively at the future to see how we can create opportunities and inspiration; to examine what Scotland's attitude is, not continue to demonstrate it's image of being tartan-tastic. I want to portray the issues we face factually and then discuss the progression we can make together.

We'll continue to be captivated by mystica themes and fantasy - that's our Celtic heritage, but will define our identity beyond the tourist perception of Brigadoon and Wee Jock. We've developed way beyond that.

I hope you enjoy this first edition and I encourage contributions for future issues.


Fashion References

I've found a few references recently so thought I'd put links to them here.

First there's Amanda Hallay's YouTube Channel The Ultimate Fashion History with a huge quantity of videos I'm working my way through from Vikings to the 1950s.  There's also a Facebook group.

This is a lovely bit of British history - a website with images from Kays Catalogue: World Of Kays which shows hundreds of images from the catalogues from the 1920s and accurately described as "social history in a book.  Having been published twice each year since the 1890s, Kays catalogues represent a fascinating archive of the way we lived in the past.  Not only are contemporary fashions included but there are also household items and luxury goods, thereby allowing the whole picture of life in past times to be examined."


 
1933, ladies in sleek dresses

Above: Ladies dresses in the 1930s

1958, young women in bright summer dresses

Above: Ladies dresses in the 1950s

1968, women in Mary Quant dresses

1960s



1970s

It's fantastic to get these pieces of history, even better to remember the items from your own lifetime.

Tuesday, January 24, 2017

2017: So far, so good and looking better.

The new year so far has been good.  I've worked with a London stylist on a short film production called A Take Of Free Fittings, about a real charity, Suited And Booted, which helps vulnerable men prepare for job interviews to get their lives back on track by looking professional in order to make the best first impression they can.  On the Friday before the first production day I was running around all over London, or so it felt, doing picks ups,  buying costumes and props for filming on the Saturday and Sunday.  I loved working with Laetitia, the rest of the cast, crew and contributors were great and I loved chatting to Maria who runs Suited And Booted.

The Friday's shopping was a great way to get to know London, and it included a drop off to Burberry on New Bond Street and then to a lovely boutique, Donna Ida, in another part of London.  People have been really helpful with directions and I'm managing to learn my way around quite quickly.  The days on set were quite long but I was kept busy with getting things that were still needed and definitely made myself a good team member.

During conversation Maria told me about another charity which does the same assistance for women, and this organisation, Smart Works, has a branch in Edinburgh.  I tweaked my Image Consultant CV and sent it off with the application form and I'm going for a chat and to see their set up on Friday, so hopefully I'll be volunteering with them soon.

I've got another film coming up back in London in February, a fantastic horror-style music video in Glasgow later in Feb, then a beautiful fantasy shoot and I'm planning to run an editorial styling workshop with a photographer at his studio so have the trial run of that coming up!  I've also got flyers to distribute to attract new image consultancy clients.  And the icing on that massive layer cake is that I've been asked to style a show at Ibiza Fashion Festival in June which I'm stoked about!

Incredibly busy eh?  I'll need to work out the priority list to make it all function well ☺

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