Thursday 29 October 2009

My Winter Staples

Hi everyone,
I love winter. Winter is the best. I love the snow, I love the cold (weirdly enough) I love my birthday, I love Christmas. But most of all I love winter fashion. I am hopelessly obsessed with knits, coats, boots and woolly hats -- to the point where I sometimes attempt to wear them in summer (it doesn't always work out, as you can imagine).
So this post is going to be mostly about all the fashion items I am obsessed with at the moment and I am hoping to get you people obsessed with as well.
Number one, my vintage Frye boots. Sadly I don't have a picture right now but I'll add it tomorrow, promise! Well, that is if I can find my camera. They (the boots) were my Grandma's in the forties -- tan leather with a little heel and and amazing shape. They are also thigh-high, which makes them all the more amazing. When I went to Florida to visit my Grandma about a year ago she told me she wasn't a size 7 1/2 anymore and she couldn't wear winter boots in Tampa, so said boots made the transoceanic journey to London, where they will live out the rest of their days in constant use. I pray that my feet won't grow any more.
Number two, my huge woollen shawl. Its meant to be a scarf but it is actually so wide that to call it a scarf would be like calling a tour bus a bike. Its cashmere and bedecked with see-through sequins (by now you must think that I am obsessed with sequins because of the famed yellow/gray dress, but I assure you that is not entirely the case. No, seriously). It is about two meters in length and at least 60 cm wide so I guess it would be safe to call it my new winter coat. Or my new mattress/duvet. But it will definitely last me a few years...
Number three, my astoundingly gorgeous Topshop coat. Indescribable, so you will kinda have to wait until tomorrow as I have yet to find my camera. All I can tell you is that is is dark gray felt with great buttoning detail and a classic trench shape. I've been wearing it for almost two years now and it hasn't shown any sign of wear yet.
Those are my top th
ree winter items, and if you haven't stashed up on your winter wardrobe stuff yet hit Topshop NOW or you'll have to wait until next year!
And now for another outfit (not, I haven't exhausted my supply yet):
This is my friend (anonymous) posing in my favourite pair of overall from H&M. In fact, nearly the entire outfit is from H&M -- the tights and the navy tank top underneath the overalls. The gold dance shoes I bought at an auction at my old school in Berlin. The scarf that she's wearing (not too visible here) is an heirloom and its printed with traditional native American designs. The pearl necklace is from a market in Hong Kong. The navy top is also great because it looks amazing no matter what you wear it with. In the pictures below you can see the necklace and the scarf in greater detail. I think this look is cute and quirky (the overalls and dance shoes) with a ladylike twist (the pearls and the scarf). The bright tights also make it fun. I hope you liked today's post and I apologize again for the sad lack of photos of winter items... sorry!
They'll be there in the ext post, which will be more interesting.
Be sure to comment, I miss your ideas!
Emma =)






Wednesday 28 October 2009

Some fun photo editing...

Hello again!
Today's post is going to showcase another couple looks of mine plus some wicked edited photos my moi, a few of which you have already seen (the halloween ones on yesterdays post). Although I don't have Photoshop on my computer, I use this cool website which some of you may have heard of called Picnik. You don't have to register and it
is really fun to play around with your photos. Just go to Picnik.com to try it out! So basically today is going to be mostly pictures with fewer words... So enjoy!


This is a look I created out of my two favourite dresses, not counting the yellow sequinned one that was in my last post.
One is a strapless stretchy one I found in a small shop in Paris a few years ago (called Justside) for about 115 euros. Over that I put
a Topshop one-shoulder top which on me is long enough to wear as a dress. The whole thing was belted with a pink chiffon scarf given to me by my best friend. The parasol is from my uncle in Hong Kong.
Go figure. Here's the original pic, just so you get an idea of the real colouring.


The strapless dress below is actually the main part of my halloween costume this year... you'll have to wait and see what it is though because I'm not giving it away until the day!
Another look:


This is one of my favourite looks of the 'season' -- funnily enough, a lot of what is worn in this picture is from an obscure little shop in Scotland, which is where my family is originally descended from.
The socks came with a kilt I bought when I was eight and the cable-knit sweater is something I have had forever and it is very useful in those cold, dismal months of, well, now. The belt is form Primark and came with a blouse that is now MY LIFE. When I bought the skirt it was actually a frilly blouse from a flea market. I tailored it into a really great skirt that I know wear a lot of the time. The bandanna I got from my Aunt in Pennsylvania.
And now for an item I have been lusting after for quite some time...
It seems I've been writing just as much as usual today, but I guess I can't help it, as some of the pictures aren't exactly self-explanatory. Oh well. Anyway...


This spectacular metallic backpack from American Apparel is going to be my back-to-school staple, whether I have the money or not. Not only is it big enough to hold all my heavy school books, it will definitely make a statement in the hallway, even paired with a school uniform (sigh). It also comes in pink for those with a girly side. I'll have to ask my mom for it as a birthday present --
By the way, my b-day is on the 12th of November. Save the date!
Hope you enjoyed today's post and I will be back soon...
Emma Christie
P.S. Comment!!!

Tuesday 27 October 2009

Hey there all,
Thank you so much for all the positive feedback on my previous posts! You guys rule and Luzie, I am definitely going to check it your blog, it sounds awesome! We young newcomers to the fashion
world need to stick together =)Sorry about the lack of posts in the last few weeks -- I injured my knee a few weeks ago and had to be operated on, so I wasn't in much of a position to be blogging. Although I am still in a highly annoying
brace(see picture) which has kind of ruined all prospects of an awesome halloween costume to wear to my party, I am up and blogging, if not running, again. So anyway, today I looked at Sea of Shoes, a truly awesome blog by the highly creative Jane Aldridge. After being immersed in awesome fashion up to my ears(Prada slingbacks, vintage YSL, you get the picture)and while revelling in the mesmerising sounds of the Doors (come on baby light my fire...lalalala), I was so elated I decided to drop Jane a line. I asked her to comment on some of my posts and see what she thought, so people, get ready to welcome a fashion celebrity to our scene (that is, if she heeds my email -- pray she has time!)You can visit Sea of Shoes at seaofshoes.com (well,duh). I guarantee you will be inspired!
SO, without further ado, here are my latest outfit ideas:

Ah, the mobile days. Sorry, there is a time to reminisce about functional knees and this is not it... so this is a pretty simple outfit without too many accessories as the sequins are pretty eye-catching by themselves. This is basically my favourite dress in the world. Its made of grey silk and obviously and abundance of yellow sequins. I got it for £70 at a store (on Chiswick High Street, surprisingly,the fashion mecca of London, not)called Shoook! which some of you may have heard of although I'm not sure if it exists anywhere else in the world.Despite its, um, bizarre name, it sells fancy dress stuff that can actually also be dressed down with, say, ribbed beige cashmere tights and some hardcore black leather boots and maybe a navy blue cropped blazer. And all this at a fairly affordable price!
I say its a score. This particular dress I bought for a Year 8
showing of Will Shakespeare's The Tempest (although I can hardly say its Miranda-esque, for those of you who have read the play). People would actually just grab the hem and rattle it -- it has got to be the noisiest dress in the world, but it was still quite funny
to see the astonished looks on the teachers' faces as they tried to isolate the noise. Because I was getting a bit bored with the shape of the dress, which is actually a simple shift, I belted it with a braided brown leather belt and pulled a bit of the top over the belt to create a whole new shape, which proves you don't need to spend a
ton to reinvent your wardrobe if you're getting bored.I am planning on wearing it to all looming Christmas parties...






And now for something completely different.
(I love Monty Python)

I absolutely loooove these sneaks, so when I saw them on the Pastry website on the hunt for items to go on my birthday wish list, I knew they were the only ones for me. The houndstooth checks will go amazingly with the jacket I'm working on. Actually they aren't something I would typically wear (I usually go for things a little more high-fashion and a heel is usually also required) but their all-out girliness with a twist had me hooked from the moment I saw them. I think they would go well with a metallic tulip skirt over acid-green tights and with a cropped classic trench coat. Tell me what you think!





Moving right along.... to halloween, my favorite holiday. Here are some photos I edited in honour of that special day... And yes they are of me. That's all for today, folks... but there'll be more soon. Hope you enjoyed today's post! xoxoxo Emma

Tuesday 6 October 2009

Today's Topic: Outfits by ME









Heya everybody,
As you probably gathered from the title unless you have a massive hangover (and probably no job or unusual working hours, but
whatever), today's post is all about a couple outfits put together by me and modeled by me and my BFF, who prefers to remain anonymous. Oh, and by the way, sorry I couldn't find the time to post anything for the last couple days -- not that many people out there are reading this, but I prefer to remain optimistic! Anyway, get ready for lots of clothes, pictures and.... more clothes!!! Enjoy; here goes.

1. Rebel Preppy

This look is inspired by both Gossip Girl (see blouse, bag and belt)and the days of my first foray into the fashion world, which was a pretty crazy semi-goofup (I think): think Debbie Harry goes wild at Camden Market and add lots of black eyeliner. I thought it was a cool punk statement. But when you pair it with pearls, crystal hair clips,a neat blouse and a vintage Margaret-Thatcher-esque handbag, the result actually does work if you have the right amount of chutzpah.

First: the famed bag. I bought it at a vintage shop on Brick Lane for £20 and it is MY LIFE. Plasticised cotton and brass chain handles. Sadly I don't know what era or brand it is from - but still, I love it. Next, the tights. They were in fact

given to me by the very friend posing in these pics. Apparently they were a steal from H&M.


Here you can see another element of the outfit:the fail-safe Ramones tee. Notice also said pearls, bought in Hong Kong, red belt, H&M, and a teal alice band, also H&M.

I hope you guys like this outfit and take inspiration from it -- and if it isn't exactly your idea of, well, anything you would ever wear, I have more outfits coming up and yet more in my head.
But meanwhile, I'd like to address the subject of eating disorders in fashion models which are influencing how every female (and some males) in the world looks at her body. This topic is tossed around like pizza at Domino's, but its really a serious problem. as you are probably well aware, there are two main eating disorders: anorexia and bulimia. When someone is anorexic they will obsess over the amount of calories/food/etc. they consume in a day and often try to stop eating altogether to ac
hieve the "perfect" figure, which is sadly the one seen on catwalks and advertised on billboards all over the world. Bulimia is an eating disorder in which a victim of the
illness will regurgitate whatever he or she has eaten, and often binge on everything in the fridge. This can lead to severe stomach and esophagus problems as well as diminish weight, and not in a good way. Anorexia Nervosa (the full scientific name for anorexia)cases as well as Bulimia cases have increase
d over the last 30-40 years as beauty ideals have changed over the decades. At least 1.1 million people in the UK alone are affected by an eating disorder. In the US up to 80
% of women exhibit some signs of an
eating disorder at some stage in their life. This is no joke. Its not a rare occurance that a victim of an eating disorder will die because of this. And before the die, they will look like this:
Anorexic people will not be shocked by this image, they will most likely think something along the lines of, wow, I wish I could look like her. Eating disorders like that are a thing of the mind, above else: when the victim looks in the mirror, they will see someone overweight that they believe is them. And if you need any more convincing, here are some facts:
-Marylin Monroe wore a size 14 and is still considered one of the most beautiful women in the world.
-If female mannequinns were real women, they would be too skinny to have children.
-Most fashion models are skinnier than 98% of american women.

So guess what? Most models are no happier than you or me, and you really don't need to look like them to be happy/look pretty/get a guy/whatever your reason. And if you have a friend that believes that crud, get them to a doctor fast.Please take this to heart, its really important to me. And here's a promise: if I fulfil my dream of being a successful fashion designer, I will never hire underweight and/or anorexic/bulimic models. I know from experience (of friends who feel that way) that that kind of stuff just isn't worth it.

Emma Christie

Saturday 3 October 2009

Hello Again......Spotlight on William Tempest


Hi again everyone,
So the other night while listening to Ladyhawke's 'Paris is Burning' and thinking about what next to put into my blog, I had an idea - how about putting in something about young designers who have made it to the top, like new kid on the block William Tempest (right). This guy started off as an unpaid intern for Giles Deacon after graduating from London College of Fashion. Later he acquired a paid job as a pattern cutter, but as time went on he became a womenswear designer for Jean Charles de Castelbajac in Paris. And before you knew
it he was shortlisted for the last Fashion Fringe in London and off into the world of designer-superstardom.Impressive, particularly when you take into consideration that there are shockingly few paid internships and jobs out there for perfectly qualified fashion graduates.These talented people often have no choice but to work unpaid as interns for fashion legends. I think in a way its just by luck that any fresh talent is discovered - you've got to be one in a million and have a very distinctive style. In the golden age of fashion, any design-savvy person could become the next fashion 'big thing' in the blink of an eye. Take, for example, Coco Chanel. An incredibly talented and headstrong visionary who revolutionized womens' fashion and turned the world away from rib-cracking corsets. I'm not at all saying that Coco was just some stylish person born in the right time, but in those days it was easy to start a revolution as people felt there were so many boring old customs to be abolished (although Coco was the first, really, to take advantage of this - the rest didn't fully catch on until the '60s). But nowadays there isn't much to revolutionize, unless, say, you invent a collapsible iPhone. So kudos to Mr. Tempest for making it in this tricky industry! And to all those interns out there striving for a job; never lose hope, there's always Project Catwalk.

And now for a look at Tempest's designs. The designer uses a variety of fabrics to create his garments, which are mainly minidresses and a cross between Karlie Kloss at the Met Ball and a resident of SS Enterprise who is for once incredibly fashion-forward (e.g. not Spock). One particular piece (not shown, sadly) is apparently inspired by Tudor architecture and one of Tempest's favourites. His designs also feature jewel-like angular prints in all colours of the rainbow as well as monochrome. Absolutely awesome, I think - and I hope you will agree. Let me know! Next topic will be eating disorders in the fashion industry and some of my own sketches and compiled outfits. Enjoy!
Emma Christie

Friday 2 October 2009

My First Entry EVER!!!!!!! Friday 2nd of October

Hello young fashionistas everywhere,
So here I am, writing my first blog post ever in London, fashion capital of the UK if not the world (no offence to our friends in Paris and Milan). First a little correction... I guess this blog isn't just for young people, as stated in my opening line, but for everyone fashion-forward or interested in fashion. It is probably just as in-league with people my age (13 in November, but what difference does age make? Notice I'm not using text speak, which I'm very proud of!).
SO... now a little about me. I was born in San Francisco, California. Six years later, I moved to Berlin, Germany. Another six years, give or take, I go to a girls' school in Ealing, London. Jet-setter? Not really - although traveling is my passion, along with sports and, of course, fashion design (sketches by moi will be incorporated into this blog). I am a sucker for shoes (heels in particular - my mom disapproves), bags and all things fashion-related. In this blog I will be posting photos of all my favourite outfits, designer or not, accessories etc. .... and giving my views. Ok, that sounds incredibly pretentious, but its hard to describe... Anyway, production of further posts will start as soon as I have time.... which I will have as I have injured my knee and won't be doing any work. My mom thinks its from wearing all those heels... well, what can I say? C'est la vie... or C'est la mode. Well, I must hobble off for tea, London's calling! Please enjoy and follow my posts and be sure to comment!!!
Emma Christie, Self-Proclaimed Fashion Addict