The Look Show AW11

Last month (I can't believe it's October already!) I was fortunate enough to attend the Look show for the second time, courtesy of Miss Selfridge. I was really looking forward to attending as every Look show seems to be different than the last, and I was excited to see what this one would bring.

Look's VIP area, post-show

Westfield Stratford City
The show was at the newly opened Westfield Stratford City in London. I might have made a massive faux pas in initially going to the wrong Westfield *facepalm* but despite this my boyfriend and I got to Westfield Stratford City on time. Westfield Stratford City is insane! As a shopping centre I think it is brilliant- huge stores, big and beautiful window displays (I love a good window display) and an incredibly tasty food court. But- and it's a big but- if crowds bother you, don't even think about going there on a Saturday! It might calm down in the future, but I don't think I've ever been in a busier shopping centre, ever. It took a long time to walk a few feet due to the amount of people behind, to the side and in front of you. If you're planning a shopping trip to Westfield make sure you wear something loose fitting and cool, because the glass ceiling makes it hot! I understand why there is a glass ceiling, as it is nice to give the impression of a natural environment and it makes the centre feel larger, but I think the heat might cause problems for some people- time to turn up the air-con I think! Also, speaking of a 'natural environment'- outside there were speakers on top of lamposts which emitted bird noises(!)

Our discount booklet on the train home

The Look Show
We went to pick up our passes and had a little browse around the shops before we went to the VIP champagne reception. This was different to Look's spring/summer show and was more an opportunity to socialise. We were offered canapés, presumably from the eastern food court, which were delicious! Then at 4pm we were directed upstairs to the show space, which was really nicely set out. My boyfriend and I were lucky that we were seated in the main area as I know some others were above by the balcony and didn't get as good a view. On each seat was a very generous goody bag which I loved exploring on the train home. As we filed into our seats there were more Look ladies handing out mini M&S pink champagne with straws.

We were seated on the back row near the screen and had a great view. We were also seated next to two hilarious asian guys; guys, you made our show experience that much more enjoyable! With other shows at fashion week the atmosphere is a lot more reserved but what was nice about the Look show was that people cheered during the show at looks they liked, when Sarah Harding of Girls Aloud appeared as did supporters of the other models.

Sarah Harding opening the show in a dress from Warehouse.

I loved the show itself, it's such a departure from fashion week not only with its atmosphere but also with its attitude. All the pieces on the catwalk were ready to wear and ready to buy- when we were checking the high street shops out after the show, we noticed in shops like Miss Selfridge the items that were on the catwalk were marked with a bright label. Another thing I loved about the Look show was its inclusion of curvy models that aren't your runway size 0. Look shows yet again that you don't need models that skinny to sell clothes. I mentioned above that the audience clapped and cheered for their favourite looks, and this was no different with the curvy models; the entertaining guys I sat next to loved the M&S monochrome dress pictured above.

Halfway through the show Dionne Bromfield came out and performed. She's a little thing with a big voice! It's hard to believe she is only 15! She was a great performer and asked us if we were having a good time. She is a prodige of Amy Winehouse and was her goddaughter.

My video of the end of Dionne's performance

The Looks
There were so many looks from the show that I loved but to avoid making this post too epic I'm just going to post a few of my favourite looks. When I first saw this coat from Urban Outfitters I loved it, and now looking back on the photos I love it even more. I think it might be my perfect coat- great for winter with a faux-fur collar and cuffs, and good for an hourglass figure with the nipped in waist. And pockets! My dream coat.

The red dress below is from River Island, and what I love most about it (apart from its Gucci-esque shoulder embellishments) is the way it moves. It's so stunning and glamorous, especially paired with the gold cuffs (also from River Island) yet it would be so comfy to wear, not constricting your legs at all.

I also loved this dress from Oasis, it looks like it might be really flattering for pear shapes and the print reminds me a lot of Mary Katrantzou. I also adore the last look from Urban Outfitters, it would be perfect for wearing to lectures. I'd have a hard time pulling off those trousers personally, but the jumper is so perfect for autumn/winter.

Urban Outfitters coat

River Island dress

Oasis dress

Urban Outfitters shirt, jeans, jumper and shoes

After the show we went back to the cloakroom and had a flick through our discount vouchers. We discovered a lot of them were only available to spend in Westfield, so we did a bit of shopping. We nipped over to River Island to collect our free piece of jewellery from a bucket for all Look Show attendees. Then we headed over to Next to spend our free £5 voucher. I got a lovely gold ring and my boyfriend used the voucher to buy some PJs at a discount.

H&M scarf, Palmers body butter, Label M curl spray, Burts Bees moisturising lip balm, Look's own makeup range: double hit lip and eyeshadow, Next perfume, Monsoon bangles, Kleenex tissues, Fizzy Popov pocket mirror, Make Believe facial tan

Last week Look had a special edition of their magazine which included all the fashion, beauty, celebs and gossip from the show. But if you didn't manage to pick up last week's Look, you can view their Look show special mini-mag online here.

You can also watch Look's own highlights from the show here:

To see what I wore to the Look show, click here, and to see my posts on last season's Look show, click here and here.

London Fashion Week outfit Day 2

My day 2 of London Fashion Week was spent at the newly-opened Westfield Stratford City. The new shopping centre opened on Tuesday, with 200,000 vistors on its first day. And that's mid-week. Can you imagine how many were there on Saturday? My advice, when trying to imagine that figure, is- don't. It was pretty overwhelming. I kept having what basically were 'hot flushes' because of the crowd and heat, where I needed to sit down somewhere air-cond for 5 mins and have something to drink.

The following photo was taken after the Look Show (more posts to come on that later this week), in the VIP area, where we went to collect our bags. The area was empty apart from a few people at the bar. It was quite funny really- just an hour ago it had been full of people drinking M&S pink champers and now it was empty.





Matt and I seated, waiting for the show to start. Matt is wearing Levi jeans, M&S shoes and a Clothing at Tesco shirt. You can spot our M&S pink champers (with a pink straw no less). I put my straw in and it immediately bubbled over, creating a wet patch on the floor (oh dear). It turned out if I took the straw out it immediately stopped overflowing. How curious!



This is us with our goody bags. There was some very generous products in it from various brands- I'll be revealing all in my upcoming posts. :) I hope you like these 'teaser' photos - I'm spreading my photos out over the week as in only two days we took over 2,000 photos(!)

London Fashion Week: PPQ

I'm really excited to be attending London Fashion Week tomorrow. I won a pair of tickets to the PPQ show from InStyle magazine. InStyle were a pleasure to communicate with! I've had some experiences of dealing with other brands that haven't been so friendly and it really makes such a difference!

I will be in London tomorrow, live tweeting and blogging my thoughts. I'm also hoping to cover some Fashion Mavericks shows; N'Damus London and/or Anna Grzegorczyk.

I also definitely want to pop into Selfridges to see their Monki concession, time permitting (and while I'm there I may or may not be pretending I'm in Ab Fab).

I also found out today that I won tickets to the Look Show with Miss Selfridge (again, a pleasure to communicate with!) so I'll be really excited to attend that since I went last season (which you can read about in my two part post). I'm also looking forward to seeing all the bloggers I know who are going that I was too shy to say hi to at the last show. I'm quite apprehensive about Westfield Stratford City though, by the looks of things it seems huge and I think I'll be attending the Look Show on my own so I'm bound to get lost! So if you see me wandering around don't be afraid to say hi/point me in the right direction!

p.s. The new site WIWT launches today, my name is evemariadust on there if you want to check out my outfits! I think I might become addicted to the site once I get my iphone. Poppy who runs the site has a great sense of humour if you need another reason to visit!

p.p.s. Fingers crossed everything goes to plan!

The LOOK show a/w 2011

The LOOK show is back for its fourth season in a brand new venue, Westfield Stratford City, and is giving bloggers a chance to blog from the front row of the show.



I have always loved the philosophy behind the LOOK shows, which was to showcase the best of the high street in the glam setting of a fashion show. When I told my grandma about the show and told her Marks and Spencers was showcasing, she wanted to know all about it! I think this is a great example of how fashion can be for all ages and that by showcasing high street fashion LOOK is doing a great job of making the everywoman feel included.

At the S/S 2011 show LOOK also announced the winner of the search for their curvy supermodel. I feel really passionately about representation of women of all sizes in fashion, and I was so pleased to see women out there that on the catwalk. I noticed that after the SS11 show, LOOK began including women of all sizes in their magazine. I'm always so happy to see this when I open the magazine and the girls always look so stylish!

I was one of the lucky few to win tickets to the last show for Spring/Summer 2011, and it's an experience I will always remember. You can read more about my experience at the show in my two-part post here and here.



I would love to blog from the front row of the LOOK show. At the last show I was kicking myself for not having entered the blogging competition. I entered the draw for tickets on a whim, and it ended up being a day I will never forget! I was tweeting all the way through the show (@evemariadust) last year; from spotting LLYMLRS in the queue to go in, to the train ride home. I was actually suprised more bloggers weren't tweeting during the show! Another reason I loved being at the show and would love to go again as a blogger is that it was such a great experience to be surrounded by so many creative people. I would love to have the opportunity to meet more of my fellow bloggers and learn and share our ideas and experiences.

Having been at the show once before I feel like I know a little bit more about what to expect and how to prepare to blog about it. I would love the opportunity to record the show for my readers through my writing, photos (with my new SLR camera) and real-time tweets. Being part of such a friendly and creative blogging community makes me appreciate how much I love blogging and how I would like to carry on this blog as a creative outlet to share fashion and style experiences. I would love LOOK to choose me to be one of a group of ladies who represent bloggers everywhere who love to write, look, and read about high street fashion and style.

LOOK show Part II !

Last week's issue of Look magazine (which was a special £1 price) was a bumper issue that had a number of full page spreads giving the models and outfits that were on the catwalk for us at the LOOK show. So for the full lowdown check out that issue of Look (and for 20% off New Look and £10 off Warehouse).
I've already talked about the experience of the reception and after party so I'm going to talk about the catwalk and outfits now. :)

The order of the day was:

THE LOOK SHOW
Spring/Summer 2011 collections from:
New Look
Dorothy Perkins
Uniqlo
Monsoon
M&S
Interval featuring special guest performance from Alexis Jordan
H&M
Mango
Next
Warehouse
River Island
French Connection
The Look Curvy Supermodel winner announced

Monsoon

back:

front:


This jumpsuit was a stunner. The corsages were actually put on in addition to what appears to be an attatched belt. The dress itself is a plain purple, which you can view and buy here (£100).
How to wear: This outfit would look best on bigger ladies, with the large corsages being perfect against their shape. I think the colours would suit blondes best, and I would wear my hair loose and wavy, and feeling a bit 70s.

Warehouse



This is a jumpsuit from Warehouse. I thought the front was rather plan (scoop neck, keyhole front) but the back was quite unusual. It doesn't appear to be available to buy in online yet, but it retails at £160.
How to wear: I can see it worn on the beach with a wide brimmed straw hat and a cocktail. The white color makes it easy to glam up with some statement jewellery and heels. I think this would best suit tall ladies.



This rainbow maxi dress made such a statement on the catwalk. It is £100 from Warehouse and you can buy it now here.
How to wear: I think this dress would look great against very dark skin. It can be paired with gladiators and gold jewellery for a summer evening at a restaurant.

New Look



This look was really channeling Parisian chic. It seems perfect for the beach with the rope duffel bag, yet great for sightseeing and shopping in the casual t and flats. I can't get over how comfy those shorts look, but the scarf makes the whole ens amble look oh-so-stylish. You can shop all the items in this look here.
How to wear: I would wear this for a great day-to-night outfit when on holiday and nipping to a cafe for lunch. I might give it a little pop with some delicate orange stud earrings that sparkle in the sun.

H&M



I love the delicate almost-peasant yellow blouse. The blouse would also be great with bootcut jeans and wedges. With the trousers you could go minimalist and pair it with a pale blue loose t or a white bodysuit and cloth blazer.
How to wear: This look creates curves around the hips, so would be good on a boyish figure.

Next



In this look you can see the scalloped detail on the blouse that is very popular for spring. In Look's photo the model looks really skinny but on the catwalk she was all curves, and the look certainly suits curves. Next always manages to nail style for the mature woman.
How to wear: This look would suit tanned or darker skin. The denim skirt shows off great legs, so I think this look would be perfect for an apple shape (big bust, slim legs).

Halfway through the show Alexis Jordan played, and I managed to record a bit of it here:

Alexis Jordan from Eve Maria on Vimeo.

Thanks again Look for a great show! You can watch the look show in its entirety below or at the Look website.

LOOK show SS11 Part 1

On Friday my boyfriend and I made our way down to London for the Look show SS11! It was at Victoria House, London. We arrived at Bloomsbury square and looked around to see where it was. I immediately spotted a long line of fashionistas and I knew it was there. I also spotted Lily and Victoria in the line ahead of us but was too shy to say hello. *foolish* I also spotted Sara and Kavita. My boyfriend was very conscious of being one of a very small minority of men! I said to him 'don't worry, all the photographers are men' and of course they were. There were some awesome drool-worthy cameras with mega lenses.

As we go in, we hang our coats and bags in the cloakroom and are handed canapes and champagne by the waiters. All the food and drink was provided by M&S and from my boyfriend's report they were all lovely! They served shellfish, mini sausages and mini spring rolls.



After we had had our welcome champagne, we had some fun with photos in the New Look photobooth. The staff held out some accessories and I took the hat and Matt some sunglasses. We also entered the Look Good Feel Better raffle. Look Good Feel better is a charity organization that holds skincare consultations for women with cancer.


Dress, tights and belt: Primark, waistcoat: Bhs, shoes: H&M, ring: Topshop



Apologises for looking like I'm about to stab someone! I actually had an amazing time, despite perhaps not looking it. I'd like to reassure everyone that this is not my 'happy face'! The reception also had a quite fun chocolate fountain. We had our picture taken with Marina from Marina and the Diamonds by the fountain and she asked my boyfriend if she had chocolate on her face! My boyfriend, being the gentleman he is, told her she had it on her chin. Sorry Marina! (and he's a bigger fanboy of hers than I am) :P





Marina being interviewed by the Paparazzi. She told them her mouse jumper dress was made by a friend, her lipstick was Barry M and her bag was Vivienne Westwood.



You can also see behind us a billboard of Taylor Momsen for Parlez-moi d’Amour (Speak to me of Love) by John Galliano perfume. There were samples of it in the Look goody bag (some exciting news related to that coming soon!) and it smelt gorgeous. I'll definitely be buying it.




Other celebrities that we saw were Shane Ward and Lucie Jones from the XFactor, Sophie Ellis-Bextor and Olivia Palermo! She wasn't announced until the very last minute and everyone got really excited on twitter. She looked very beautiful in a H&M dress.







After the show, Sunday Girl sang, supported by the girl band Wonderland. I'd never heard of them before, but they sang well. Sunday girl has such amazing eyes! Did anyone else think that?

Untitled from Eve Maria on Vimeo.

After the show most of the celebrities disappeared and the rest of us celebrated with some amazing cocktails made on demand! I saw mojitos, rose and white wine, but our cocktail (we just had one between us, one of us had to drive home!) was fresh mint leaves, champagne, gin, lemonade and an unmarked bottle of something alchoholic! To be honest, if you'd wanted to get drunk, it would have been very easy! This is something I'm not sure is a good thing. I heard that they did give soft drinks on request, but I felt like soft drinks should have been circulated as well as alchohol- if I had brought my mum, as a teetotaller, she would have initially thought she'd been offered nothing to drink...just a thought. I don't see why alchohol is necessary- if you need it to have fun, that's a definite bad warning sign. Anyway, moving on...

You can check out more photos, and videos of Marina, Sunday Girl and the show itself on the Look microsite and their facebook here.


coat: Zara

That's it for now! In my next post I'll be reporting on the fashions on the catwalk and Alexis Jordan's performance, and posting photos. I'll also show what we received in the Look goody bags and I have a little surprise for you guys in the form of my first giveaway! :)