WHAT LIES BENEATH -By Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott!

On a long journey, about a month or so ago, we decided to stop at a service station! I know what you're thinking...WOW!.. but it was here where I came across a fashion magazine called 'LOVE' - issue no. 6! I read it, loved it, and put It down....but today I decided to re-read it! An interesting photographic piece caught  my eye! 'What lies beneath'. Overall, It's a very sadistic shoot , with models playing dead, exposing themselves to the world - all in the name of art and fashion! I love this shoot, as its a type of photography which appeals to me. It may not be to everyone's taste, however, I shall post the photos from the shoot below, with the short movie that accompanies at the bottom of the page :

MODELS : Mariacarla Boscono, Saskia De Brauw, Kristen McMenamy, Paul Boche, Anais Pouliot, Lara Stone, Jed Texas, Guinevere Van Seenus, Xiao Wen Ju & Angus Whitehead

WARNING : NUDITY and DISTURBING IMAGES!

FAUX Fur! - PART 2

This is basically a continuation of yesterdays post! So today i shall be looking at accessories and coats for men!

Coat :

This coat , to me, is reminiscent of winter. With a fur collar, this brown wool mix is ideal to add an extra 'warm' layer to an outfit. Fight away those winter blues! Costing £160 from 'Topman' , i don't think its an opportunity to let slip! After all, its not that heavy so it can be worn through Autumn, Winter and even during those chilly days in spring!

Accessories: 

 

This Gant Trapper hat is a classic example of a faux fur accessory. With its ear flaps, a stud chin fastening and knitted finish, it can be worn with a casual, smart/casual outfit! Either way, its going to be warm! Costing £50 from 'ASOS' , its definitely something to carry with you for most of this this Autumn/Winter season.

P.S I am actually saving for that coat....love it. so. much.

FAUX Fur!

Faux Fur is definitely an obsession of mine for A/W 2011! Appearing on a number of catwalks, including Topman and GUCCI!
Faux Fur has changed from the rough, prickly weather ruined as we know it, it is now a stroke of pure luxury! plus it looks good!
A key piece for women is that of a coat! Whilst for men it seems to be all in the accessory, with an occasional coat!
Today I shall be focusing on women:

This is a thigh length, double breasted coat, with both a Faux fur collar and cuffs. An ideal statement piece. Costing £75 from 'Topshop', there is no need to overspend, and it will be sure to last throughout those British

 winter days.

If, however, you don't want to go to the expense of buying a new coat, then there is no harm in buying just a faux fur collar! The one above costs £25 from 'ASOS', making it possible to transform most of your coats etc.! Just think, more coats for less! (ish)

Now i know this may not be what most of you would describe as everyday-wear, but i just had to put it in! i LOVE it! Its a grey faux fur coat made by KTZ, with tri-colour segments (bright blue, purple and green) and exaggerated shoulder detail. Costs £450 from 'Topshop' but worth every penny!

Keep reading, as tomorrow i shall be posting on accesories and coats for men! Faux Fur...of course.

Mik Artistik! - " You look very BAG- ogenic"

Towards the end of my shift today, a man came in with a framed brown paper bag...not just a plain paper bag, but one with a portrait on it! After a little chat with the boss and I, It turns out he goes around drawing people on brown paper bags! How special is that?? Sets him aside from probably every artist already! And makes it his thing! After calling me "very BAG-ogenic" , I've decided to promote his work on here, and give you all a little information on him! 

For the only time...EVER... im going to copy and paste a whole paragraph, written by Mik himself. I couldn't have written it any better and it gives you a little insight into his life!

'A long time ago in Beeston, South Leeds little Mickie Gallagher discovered the joy's of drawing cowboy's and spacemen and superhero's...no girls allowed. After a turbulent career in insurance, oil and construction Mik ended up where he should have gone in the first place, Bradford Art College. Then he left having played with ink, tape-recorders, punk and obscure eastern european cigarettes.

More construction work followed as his art career floundered then in January 1983 Mik found his vocation, the brown paper bag and the biro became his tools as he wandered from Leitrim to London doing portraits.

A degree in theology rounded everything off nicely...

Mik lost his marriage and everything...

A new dawn broke on some morning in May Nov 94 when Mik trod the boards for the first time as Mik Artistik surrealist, semi-finalist, performance poet, stand-up, performer...phew!!!'

http://www.mikartistik.com/news << this is a link to his site, check it out for further information!

Mik has also had a documentary filmed about him....on the BBC! so that's something for you guys to watch!

A/W 11 make up trends! - 60's

Recently I have posted a few trend looks ...... but I've been thinking .........How i can take it even further!?  Thanks to an idea from a friend of mine, i have decided to make posts on Make- Up trends!

As my previous post was about the return of 60's fashion, today I shall write about the perfect make-up to suit!

We're coming into autumn now, meaning it may be time to put away SOME of our best and brightest (not all! everyone loves a bit of colour!) , and re-work the darker selection! Looking to the 60's for inspiration, designers have used a number of Twiggy inspired looks, as followed:

• This look is the darker, thicker of the two, not one for those who believe in all-natural!!

First impressions may be that of shock, but believe it or not designers such as Roberto Cavalli are using this look on their runways! Its a pretty easy look to achieve, its basically a smoky eye with a nude lip! Kits such as the 'Too Faced Smoky Eye Kit' are available to help you along your way:

At £23 from 'Boots' - this is a great start to mastering this look!

• This next look is the lighter of the two, and probably the most suitable for everyday wear! It is a modern take of the classic cat eye - fresh face, matte lip and a thickly lined eye! 

Used by designers such as Marc Jacobs, it is very simple, easy look, which can be obtained through using liquid eyeliner, a soft eye pencil, or perhaps even black eye shadow!

Womens trends A/W 11! - 60's!

This season, the swinging sixties are back! Be prepared for mini skirts, peter pan collars and of course, shift dresses!

• As its autumn, monochromatic colours tend to take favour, but don't forget to add block colours to an outfit, especially those revolving around autumnal reds and oranges. 

A few key pieces :

This red 60's shacket is a great example of what to wear! With its vibrancy, this single breasted jacket is perfect for that splash of colour, adding life to any outfit. From 'River Island', and only £35, it is ideal for all those fashionistas out there!

Don't fancy the idea of bright coats? Well why not use accessories instead? These 100% leather Cacharel gloves not only add colour, but can sophisticate any outfit. Costing £160 from 'ASOS' they are made to last and no doubt shall make their return in many- a - trend! Secondly, we have a metallic-blue belt! Attach to a black mini dress, and you have a dream team! at only £6, its worth looking in to! Again, go to 'ASOS' for details!

• The sixties wouldn't be the sixties without prints! Geometric to spotted to floral, dresses to blouses to knee-high socks, keep an eye out!

Key Pieces:

This Jacquard Shift dress by Louche is glowing sixties fashion! Perfect floral print and bold colour.Only £55 from 'JOY',  it is ideal for those aspiring to be the next Twiggy!

This cream contrast, peter pan collared blouse from 'River Island' is, once again, ideal for those wanting to re-live the sixties. Very simple, Highly Fashionable. At £30, its a perfect update for your wardrobe!

This concludes the sixties trend! keep visiting for more trends in future blogs!! :D

One for the guys ! Trends appearing in A/W 2011.

For Autumn/Winter there are a number of trends cropping up from the catwalk, lucky for us!
One is that of exploration; Furs, Checks, Chunks (the thicker the better!) - Typical autumnal colours such as muddy browns, rich , broody reds! Think of an expedition, an adventure - THAT is what to wear.

Key Piece:

• Jackets. Jackets. Jackets. The thicker the better (preferably)! They can be worn done up, or layered with a vast amount of knitwear, remember, stay warm!

This khaki green jacket, with a Borg collar is not only PRACTICAL but also a statement piece from 'River Island'. Brisk through the countryside in both warmth and self satisfaction, at only £55, this is a must for a mans wardrobe!

• Fur Hats - something I'm sure everyone adores, you just cant go wrong with them!

This hat in particular comes from 'Topman' . With Nordic print, and fur lining, this accessory is key to stopping those cold winter ears, and its fashionable at the same time! Good combination right? 

Costs £18

For the next trend, we are going back to our roots, our heritage.  It is all about being a typical gentleman - flawless seaming, sharp tailoring, the classic chino. Very simple, but very effective.

Key Pieces:

• Once again, its all about the jacket! Double Breasted is very popular right now, done up or worn with a shirt for a formal look, or perhaps on top of a t-shirt or jumper? Sporting a casual feel. Asymmetric Jackets are also cropping up around places, a little twist on a timeless piece.

This Asymmetric jacket is by 'Alexander McQueen', totaling £600, its not a jacket to buy lightly, but as I always say when it comes to McQueen - its just beautiful! 

• Brogues - I just can't get enough of these at the moment, appearing in a number of trends, a classic in themselves. They can be worn casually or formally, go with what takes your fancy!

Aren't these just lovely? Nanny State 'Spencer' Brogues from 'Topman'. With their tarnished tip, they add a classic edge to any casual outfit. Costing £100 and being 100% leather, I believe it to be worth every penny!

My Photography !

These are just a few photos from my AS photography portfolio.

The below are from the 'Portrait & Identity' section of the course, where we had to take images that included our interests. Mine being fashion, I decided to incorporate aspects of porcelain - The White Face, The Red Lips......

This section is from the exam, where we had to incorporate 'Art Nouveau' into our images. Of course, being me, it had to be resembled in the clothing, but with a dark twist of my own.....