Cork Fashion Week 2014

What an amazing beginning to the month! To be featured on the front page of the Evening Echo with Claire Garvey is just insane. I was not expecting it at all and it was an incredible surprise. The editor asked me to write a piece for Cork Fashion Week and I was so excited that she chose me to do it. The piece includes some of my personal experiences with fashion and how Cork Fashion Week has helped me overcome them. 

 

I hope you enjoy it and please let me know what you thought of the piece :)

Love, B

Mallow College of Design & Tailoring Fashion Show 2014

I am delighted to have been invited to see the 25th Anniversary Fashion Show by the Mallow College of Design. It was held at the beautiful Silver Springs Hotel in Co. Cork.

As we are well into the summer months, I chose to wear something very bright for a change as I wear a lot of black. This dress was €15 from Oxfam the charity shop. I am so obsessed with the sleeves! I paired it with a statement neck piece from Penneys, shoes and bag from New Look. The dress got a lot compliments. People at the fashion show thought I was one of the students, they thought I had made the dress myself as it was so unique.

I was allowed to invite one guest along with me and I went with my best friend Rachael. We had a great time pointing out all the quirky designers. It was great to also be supporting Gina Wallace, a friend of mine who was showcasing her designs. There was an amazing range of pieces that were showcased. There was definitely something for everyone. I loved how the MC spoke about the amount of detail that went into pattern cutting. It was great to focus on that for a change as a lot of people tend to focus on the overall styling of an outfit and forget all about the fine detail.

The show was split into segments which included part-time students and graduates. Their pieces were showcased by models from the Celia Holman Lee Agency. A lot of the designers had 2-3 pieces each, therefore the models came out in pairs and it was very well choreographed. You had a chance to see each piece on it's own as well as part of a collection.

These are shots that I took backstage showcasing some of the student's work.

I am looking forward to see what the graduates will go on to produce in their new careers.

Winner - Best Styled Mannequin

Honestly, there are no words to describe my excitement when I found out that I had won best styled mannequin! This all took place at Oasis Fashion Store in Cork City. They were holding a Blue Carpet Event which was hosted by Top Irish Blogger Suzanne Jackson aka SoSueMe. During this event, they held various competitions which were also judged by Suzanne and I just felt that styling a mannequin was a bit more challenging than styling myself.

I really wanted to create an outfit which showcased Spring/Summer, that could take you from a day at the beach to a fun night at a beach side cocktail bar or barbecue. The blouse is very lightweight and the floral patterns on the shorts just bring that summery warm vibe which brightens up the look. The colour of the bag, which isn't shown in the picture, picks up the gorgeous peach tones from the shorts. The hat and sunglasses just scream Beach Ready!!! They are both also very good at protecting your skin from too much exposure to the sun. I paired this look with sparkly tie back flats which also can't be seen in the photo. I really love the final outfit and I was thinking about how I'd style someone else rather than myself.

I have also added photos of some items that I bought with the €150 Oasis voucher that I was given for winning. Talk about being spoilt! :)

I am so glad that I entered!

What I Wore: Blazer, Zara | Jeans, Kuyichi | Shirt, Crisis | Necklace, Penneys | Trainers, H&M 

Happy Shopping :)

Love, B

Sting like a BEE!!!!

You can't beat a pop of colour over all black. This blazer has been a favourite of mine since I bought it. It's so easy to style and the colour just uplifts the simplest of outfits.



Blazer, Zara | Shirt, Forever 21 | #TAG Chain, River Island | Jeans and Shoes,  H&M



Happy Shopping :)

Love, B

Wish list - Miss Selfridge

I am loving the latest dresses from Miss Selfridge. The photos don't do them much justice as the embellishment is out of this world and amazing when you look at it in closer detail.

The neon pops of colour also add to the gorgeous detail. Honestly, I can look at these dresses all day long!!! Wear these to a Ball or Debs and just watch as everyone's jaw drops! The shorter style would even be suitable for a night out.


Happy Shopping :)



Love, B

All White

I have previously spoken about my obsession with the USA based online boutique www.nastygal.com and this jumpsuit was my first ever purchase from them. I generally love to try on everything before I buy it, hence why I never shopped online for clothing until recently. I was very nervous about buying this jumpsuit as it was coming from so far away and I didn't know if it would fit right but I just took the risk. It arrived within 4 days as I had chosen the express delivery. I was so excited to try it on and I can safely say the risk paid off!!! I did a few alterations to make it fit my shape a little bit better, but overall it was amazing quality and worth every penny!

This outfit is such a statement piece and people absolutely loved it. I wore it on a night out for my boyfriend's birthday. 

*quick tip* Invest in good body tape to make sure there's no danger of your boobs falling out.

Happy Shopping :)

Love, B

My top 5 picks - Warehouse

I am loving this AW13 range from Warehouse stores. The leather jackets alone are a huge investment. They are classic wardrobe must have's and they are very versatile. I also love the fact they can be worn by different age groups depending on the styles. The more simpler tailored styles work very well for mature women and the more studded edgier styles work well for younger women.

Asymmetric Zip Leather Jacket_€215_Warehouse AW13

                                                    Every woman needs a party dress!

This dress is incredible. The colour, cut and length work very well together. It would look flattering on a curvy or slender woman. The paneling gives an illusion of curves and for the already curvy women it would cinch in the waist and skim over the hips without looking frumpy.

Bustier Detail Pencil Dress_€90_Warehouse AW13

 

 

 

 

 

                                                                   Make a statement!!!

Lace Detail Jumpsuit_€107_Warehouse AW13

Embellished Cuff_€18_Warehouse AW13

 

You can never go wrong with a jumpsuit. They are easy to style and they would be perfect for someone who is always on the go but loves to look stylish. This particular one could be worn with a diamanté waist belt, the embellished cuff pictured above and very high sparkly heels.


Visit www.warehouse.co.uk for more information.






Happy Shopping :)

Love, B

DIY Xmas Jumper

So, I was invited to the Contributor's Xmas Party for the Cork Independent newspaper. The invitation was strictly Christmas Jumpers. I knew straight away that I wanted to make my own design as it was my first time actually wearing a Christmas Jumper.

Here's what I used:

I used a jumper that I recently bought from New Look. 

The tinsel was €1 from Penneys and the bow came in a pack of three for €1 from Guineys.

To keep the tinsel attached to the jumper, I used the small wire that held the other two bows that I didn't use. There are plenty more options if you don't want to use the same as me. You could use sparkly ribbons and leave the ends hanging to add more festive cheer to your jumper. Simple as that!

Get Creative :)

Love, B 

Brown Thomas Cork - Discount Night

This was a very random night for my friends and I. We had originally planned to just go for a meal and it ended up turning into a Christmas shopping spree. There was up to 20% off from most items at the beauty and clothing department. The home-ware had up to 10% off and it was incredible.

There was a great atmosphere as it wasn't too busy, therefore we could all take our time and browse through the rails without any pressure. There was also a drinks reception, which was unexpected but very inviting. This event stayed opened until 9pm.

I'm glad that I got the time to browse through the shoe emporium, which is my favourite part of the whole store and I absolutely fell in love with the red Ted Baker coat above. Perfect for the Christmas season.

This is going on my list and I am so excited for Christmas!!!


Happy Shopping :)

Love, B

RSVP Magazine Feature

This was my first time being featured in RSVP and I am even more excited that it was with my boyfriend. The photos were taken on the night of the Style Blogger Competition, where I was nominated as a Top 30 Finalist.

In order to be nominated, I had to write 300-500 words about my favourite A/W 2013 trend. I chose Statement Necklaces, as I am obsessed with them! Luckily enough, I was chosen as 1 of the 30 bloggers and my article was featured on RSVP's website, Facebook and Twitter pages. You can still read it on the link below.

http://www.rsvpmagazine.ie

After all 30 bloggers were chosen, we each had to get people to vote for us through the RSVP Magazine website. The two final prizes were Style Blogger 2013 and Style Blogger 2013 voted by the public. I did not win any of the titles but I am so proud of myself for getting as far as I did in the competition.

I met some amazing bloggers and it was such a brilliant night!

This competition was a collaboration between RSVP Magazine and OASIS Stores Ireland.



Love, B