The One That I Want

Chanel. Let's talk Chanel. More specifically the incredible No.5 film featuring Gisele. I love a good perfume story. Or any story to be fair. Chanel never lets us down with their stories of romance, passion, travel and of course amazing fashion in their fragrance campaigns. This one is very summery, classic and I think it almost has an old feel to it but with new vibes and styles. 

The story starts with Gisele glamorously surfing though the waves in what I imagine to be the Hamptons to find that a mystery man (her lover?) has left a note on he table. After a few gorgeous shots of the iconic 5 and Gisele with her daughter it shows her modelling for nothing other than a new Chanel No.5 fragrance campaign! What are the odds! She gets overwhelmed and she drives in to NewYork to find her lover. Ending with a passionate kiss. 

Ahh. Romantic. At heart I love romance. This kind of campaign with the style, the music, which is amazing with Lo-Fang performing "You're The One That I Want". Seriously though that song will stick in your head. It has mine! 

Check it out here if you haven't already! Actually even if you have treat typirself and watch it again! 

http://youtu.be/8asRWe5XNw8

#TheOneThatIWant 

 

 

 

McQueen Brings Asia

Hello!

One of my favourite designers of all time is Alexander McQueen. After his passing the fashion world looked to Sarah Burton to see what she would accomplish with the label. Season after season I waited in anticipation to see what direction she will take the name.

Her collections have wowed me I have to say. I have loved the different styles she has shown from previous collections and this season brought Asia to the runway. The collection was inspired by a personal collection of antique kimono's. Floral prints and embellishment adored the looks in an array of array of fabrics including wool, silk, marquetry leather and even hand cut floral ruffles. Modern, feminine, dark but stunning all at the same time. Its a gorgeous collection. Full of floral influences from Asia with traditional styles with modern contemporary twists. This to me is the idea of classic with twists. This may become my choice for best collection of the season!

I abosoutley love this collection! It took a while but i've chosen 5 of my favourite looks from the show. Below is also an illustration i did of a look from the show also! Hope you enjoy! 

#AlexanderMcQueen #SS15 @WorldMcQueen

What do you think? Comment below! Remember to "Always Be Classic"! Until next time! Bye!

How To Wear Sparkle This Season

Hello!

Every girl likes to sparkle right? But sometimes it can feel like too many accessories and it can make the whole outfit look ruined, over worked and like its trying too hard to be pretty. This season tackles that issue and designers have created ways to make women sparkle in a much more effortless way!

Gem's, sequins and beads galore. Designers such as Balenciaga, Marni, Gucci and more have incorporated these into the garments already meaning that the look is already accessorised for you! No fuss. I love this idea. It means women can just throw on their bejewelled sweater or top and walk out of the door (hopefully with more on than just the sweater or top!) and your already effortlessly glamorous! Designers have clustered the jewels to add extra punch. Be ready to sparkle more than a vampire out of Twilight with this stunning new trend.

Pair with mixes of texture for added style! Add a faux fur trim coat and boots and you've got a stunning autumn and winter 14 look! Happy autumn!

#Sparkle #AW14

Love this trend? Let me know and comment below! Be sure to follow the blog on BlogLovin too and never miss a post! https://www.bloglovin.com/blog/12503779 . Remember to "Always Be Classic". Until next time, bye!

Illustrations!

Hi Guys!

A smaller post this time but I wanted to share with you some of my practises with my fashion illustration skills. I usually use CAD for my designs but I wanted to bump up my hand illustrations. I started with markers and then ended using pencil. The last is my favourite and in my opinion the best I've ever done. What do you think? 

#fashionillustration #fashion 

see more on my Instagram! : @ryanpilkington 

The Front Line

Hello!

Ready to fight? This season sees the return of the utility/military trend. I love this trend as I think its effortless and my military boots from River Island are a major staple in my day to day wardrobe anyway. This is becoming a trend that returns season after season with designers outing their own twists and influences.

Look for tones of khaki, black and sand. Neutral tones work best. A key way to work this trend is to mix textures. Mix wools, leather and faux fur to add major interest and variety to the look. A wool jumper paired with a faux fur trimmed parka with skinny jeans and of course statement military leather boots will work a treat! No accessories needed! Effortless. Designers such as Balmain, Isabel Marant and Balenciaga used this trend for their AW14 shows. An easy way to look at this trend and what you could pull from your wardrobe you have already is to think about utility. Pockets, zips, hoods or waterproof fabric etc. Is the garment very practical?

Guy's you can wear this trend too! The same rules apply!

#Military #AW14

Will you be wearing this trend? Show me your best utility look! Be sure to follow on BlogLovin too to make sure you never miss a post! https://www.bloglovin.com/blog/12503779 . Remember to "Always Be Classic"!

Bye!

 

 

 

 

Right Shoe Forward

Hello!

Each season see's one item that everyone sees as a must have. The golden ticket to the fashion frontline. This season we see the return of the boot. I personally love my military boots for all seasons and I see them as being my major players in my day to day wardrobe. Boots are investment pieces of fashion I think. They are bigger shoes, more statement making and more interesting. More fun if you like.

They can be dressed up or dressed down. Designers from Versace, Michael Kors and Topshop Unique and many, many more have created boots for their autumn winter collections. Knee high boots for women are my favourite. Pair these with a '50's style a line skirt with a sporty tee tucked in with a belt will be sure to win you style points this season! Ankle boots that are looser in fabric so they roll around your ankle look great with denim and roll up the hem of the jeans too for more interest. As stylish as they are maybe think about practicality of the boots when buying them! You may love cut out boots that reveal more leg but is it worth having your legs freeze if it starts snowing?

Guy's, look to military boots and Chelsea boots this season! Pair these with a classic pair of jeans with the hems rolled for extra style points. Add a pea coat and a scarf and you've got a perfect effortless look for autumn and winter!

#Boots #Loveit #Hateit #AW14

Do you love this trend? Let me know and comment below! Be sure to follow the blog on BlogLovin too and never miss a post! https://www.bloglovin.com/blog/12503779 Remember to "Always Be Classic"!

(Images from Vogue.co.uk and the final being my own)

LA Skin Care Review

 

Hello!

Last week I visited Olympia Beauty in London and although I don't work in beauty it's always nice to see another industry and who doesn't like a good few pampering products?! Whilst going around the stalls I found LA Skin Care which is a skin care brand from Sheffield! (woo!). I admit that I've not got model skin and  that it could be much better. I was looking for a solution throughout the day and this one hit the mark!

The issue I have with my skin is simply that its a little too oily causing blackheads. Not fantastic and something I've been trying to solve for a while now with many different brands and products but to no such luck. After talking about the brand and the products I found three I wanted to take a chance on.

I decided to focus on three essentials that I knew I could commit too and ones that Louisa (brand founder) recommended for my skin. I purchased the Facial Cleanser, Facial Sugar Scrub and a Hyaluronic Moisturiser. I have used them all for a week now, day and night, and I'm already seeing amazing results! My skin is much less oily and as for my black heads there are no where near as severe as they were! I'm on my way to being blackhead clear finally! These three are great for me too as I'm not much of a morning person if I'm honest and I like that its a simple regime I can stick too and still see results.

This brand for me is like a god send. The products are all naturally inspired, delicious for my skin and best of all animal friendly! A little goes a long way too meaning great value for money. Which is great with everyone's wallets and purses being a little tighter now! An amazing Sheffield brand and one that is definitely one to try, love and share!

What's your beauty regime? Let me know and comment below!

For more information on LA Skin Care then check out the website: www.laskincare.co.uk
Follow them on Twitter too! : @LASkincareUK 

#LASkincare #RyanPilkington

Thanks for reading and remember to "Always Be Classic"! Bye!

The Coat For This Season

 

Hello!

I love a good coat. My Superdry one is one of my staple peuces for autumn winter. Timeless and classic. Coats this season are big. Faux fur, leather and wool. 

Look for simple. Not too fussy and boyish styles. Minimalist coats are key this season. Pastel and soft colours are big on the streets for this trend! Worn over the shoulders pair with a great pair of tailored trousers, ankle boots, a simple sleek blouse and a great structure box bag. Stunning, simple and effortless style. 

Got a great coat you want to share? Send your photos in! I'll feature it one the next blog post! Be sure to follow the blog too! Click the links on the right or search the blog on BlogLovin too! Never miss a post again! 

#autumncoats #ryanpilkington 

Thank you and until next time remember to "Always Be Classic" ! 

Bye! 

 

Oh Chanel!

Hello!

Now I don't know if its just me or does fashion power house Chanel never disappoint? Inside that Chanel house there must be secret gold dust that Mr Largerfeld sprinkles onto each look of each collection before it goes out. Season after season Chanel has never let me down. Always something new, exciting and unexpected from the label.

Spring and summer 2014 brought us the 'arty' looks with fabrics in paint brush prints, colourful woven and beaded fabrics to make up a 90 look collection that was fun, loud and interesting. Each look had hidden details that you didn't notice the first time around. The set was stunning as always from the house. The venue was transformed in to a large art gallery with large Chanel logo's recreated in various media and the famous No5 bottle being recreated in marble. Amazing. The models even followed the theme through with the accessories with some of the models carrying clipboards and paintbrushes!



Autumn and winter 2014 Chanel brought the supermarket to the fashion lovers. The shelves were stocked with 100,000 mock branded Chanel food products!  Long coats, mixed and matched prints and textures and Chanel this time followed the trainer trend that has been huge for the past few seasons. This trend fro me isn't great or I'm at least in the fence with it. Not being the most sporty person ever I cant say I can do the trend much justice but I'm not a fan of women wearing this trend. On men done properly with some skinny jeans and a great jumper in a cool print or texture then I think it works a treat but on women I like to see more feminine shoes like the classic heel. Not chunky metallic trainers. Chanel lost a mark because of this for me so it gets a 9/10. However what's interesting to see is that even a major fashion house has to follow the street trends to be able to sell products and make profit. Designers now are having to design to sell not design to make art. If they make art that sells then they've hit the bulls eye.

As you can see Chanel has made me fall in love with it all over again this year in fashion and I cant wait to see what will come next from the worlds biggest fashion house!

Check out videos here:

 

Spring summer 2014

 

 

Fall winter 2104

Until next time! Remember to Always Be Classic!

Fashion Takes a Look On Society

Hi everyone!

In todays society everything is fast paced. Social media is the new, easiest and biggest way to connect to people and nowadays people are often juggling around 3 things at once. With money being tight meaning people purses and wallets are tighter than ever fashion needed to take a stand to keep people interested in buying products.

Since the 2000's branding on garments has been massive and designers have taken to this to make clothing sell. Back in the good old days garments didn't have large branded logo's on to make people pay attention. Back then clothing stood for itself. The pure beauty of the clothing made enough of a statement. However, I digress, times are different now and people love seeing brands. The world is full of them! Coca Cola is recognised by 98% of the worlds population! People love to show off what brands they have on, often these are the brands that have a little bigger price tags. This is the reason people love to show them off, show what they've paid and how much money they can afford to pay for luxuries such as fashion.

This season Jeremy Scott for Moschino took this to another level with branded fashion. For their Fall 2014 show the brand took inspirations from major recognised brands such as McDonalds and SpongeBob! Fun, loud and wacky all spring to mind when I think of this show. The looks literally spoke for themselves, colours, logos and accessories all shouting what brand the looks inspiration was. Dresses with the McDonalds Golden Arch on them, black boots, skirts etc with large gold Moschino straps and even coats with a big Spongebob face smiling at you! This has to be the most fun fashion show I've seen for a long time! Definitely check this out! The looks may seem very loud but if we look at the pieces separately then these could look stunning paired with simple garments.

This was the brands way to look at hat society is. Since life is so branded we may as well dress as the brands we love. Fast fashion. Fast and branded just like life.


Check out the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6FDYGNOXtQ

See you next time!

Yves Saint Laurent

Recently I have watched the Yves Saint Laurent (YSL) French fashion film. After starting up my own fashion label nearly 4 weeks ago I was super excited to look at how a fashion world icon like YSL started and what it was like to get to the top.

This film was amazing. I love a good fashion film anyway but one of my absolute favourites is Coco Before Chanel. That film really inspired my at a time when fashion wasn't my friend and I had lost a lot of my drive for the industry. So all in all this film about Yves had a lot to live up to. Boy did it. It shows the journey that Yves Saint Laurent endured in order to make his own designer label become a household name. Yves saint Laurent in 1957 being the age of 21 became the head of fashion giant Dior. Designing a collection in 1958 that almost certainly saved the enterprise from financial ruin with a softer version of Dior's New Look.

After creating collections for Dior Yves Saint Laurent then was in the military for 20 days before the stress of hazing by soldiers caused his check-in at a military hospital where he then received news that he had been fired by Dior! After being released from the hospital Yves then sued the house of Dior for breech of contract and won. Then he along with his partner, industrialist Pierre Berge started their won fashion house. The YSL label was born. The fashion house grew from strength to strength becoming the first couturier to come out with a full ready-to-wear line of clothing.

There are loads more to this story and I wont be revealing anymore! The movie is a sure fire definite must watch film. Romantic, exciting, inspirational, shocking and of course stylish at all times. This film and the YSL story has showed me that no matter what age you are your never too young to be great but always be careful what comes your way on your path to greatness. I will always rely on the people closest to me to make sure I make the right decisions and help me realise the dream I have. Always learning, growing and developing. This story has opened my eyes.

Just wait until the Ryan Pilkington film!

A Roaring Classic

The 1920’s.  Style had meaning in those days. Women were feminine and men were masculine. Silhouettes were curvy and classy. Not boxy and shapeless. The hips, the skirts, the bust and the fit. Each as important as the last. Making the woman. Making the icon.

Tailored garments were simple. Easy to wear. Timeless and chic. Eaton collars, scalloped hems and accentuated waists, fundamentals in the silhouette of the 1920’s jacket. I liked the idea that women made an effort in those day. Each day was a runway.  They made an effort for their husbands and worked hard to stay chic and fashionable. The classic two piece suit had been born in those days. Chanel and Dior had come in to their own. Making their names over the famous tweed suits and tiny waists. Contrasting piping was a nice touch I saw in old fashion photographs from the 1920’s.  White jackets with black piping. A simple detail that worked so well.  

Accessories such as hats and gloves were the finishing touches. Romantic and stunning these were the days off chic. The days of the woman. When men were gentlemen.  Men’s fashion followed the same ideas of being classic, simple and chic. Two piece and three piece suits were key. The men new how to dapper.  The term dapper was born in these days. Again nothing was too much effort. They made an effort for their wives. Timeless style. Walking canes, brief cases, hats, gloves and moustaches were staples in the gentle-man’s wardrobe. 

Let's revive the vintage. Let's revive the roaring 20's! 

Milan

Milan fashion week is my favourite week. Sure I know what your thinking "every fashion student will say that about every fashion week" but it honestly has been my favourite for years. The designers that show at Milan Fashion Week give us the sensuality and the sexuality that's in Italian blood. They know exactly how to work a woman's curves, with Dolce & Gabbana using the ever classic bodice and corset for maximum impact and Prada showcasing exactly what Milan offers for the fashion brave and the loud.

As the shows go on and the days pass it's increasingly difficult to choose a best show. Every year for me without fail it's usually a showdown between Dolce & Gabbana and Versace. Admittedly more often than not I just call it a tie and name them both #1. Tomorrow is the Dolce & Gabbana show (ahhhh!!) and the Versace show didn't disappoint. As ever the looks were sulty, sexy and beautiful. This season showed a rock influence with chain details, oversized jackets and deep black and midnight blues. The colour scheme also featured softer, more feminine tones such as lilac, white and pastel yellow. Midriffs were bare and heels were sky high. Here are some my top looks!! 

The Best Of British

London Fashion Week is well and truly in full swing now! After constantly checking for new shows and updates I think it's time to rack my favourite 3 so far! We all knew that London SS14 wouldn't disappoint!

From the fresh new designer to the established and loved labels all designers pulled out amazing new tricks and styles for every woman to fall head over stiletto heals for! Prints are huge and silhouettes are varied but the one thing they all have in common is they are the best of British! 

1. Julien Macdonald

2. David Koma

3. Mary Katrantzou 

Can't wait to see what Burberry among others will do! Check below for the videos for The top three shows! 

1. http://youtu.be/73aKtTfmY2g

2. http://youtu.be/K9ePMepQYV0

3. http://youtu.be/ErCiyyaY3TI

Mission Accepted

Recently I've experience having lots of focus and determination to get practising and get uni work done. Loving it. After not knowing what to expect from my first year at uni, looking back I know I could've done a few things better and I given the chance again I would approach them and complete them in very different ways.

This year, my second year, will be very different. I will look back at the projects given and be able to say "I did really well"  or "I'm proud of that". Work as hard as I can. Even in my spare time ill be practising designing, embroidery and sewing. Alexander McQueen didn't just float through. Chanel didn't say "oh we" when something didn't go her way. Thi isn't just a week long thing. It's a life long mission to be the best I can be. To make people proud. I want people to see my collection in the Graduate Fashion Show and think "he did it", "he proved us wrong". 

Let the fight to reach the top begin...

Cut It Out!

This Spring and Summer fashion is being a little naughty. Play peek-a-boo with your clothes this season with cut out dresses! For those of you thinking the trend is hard to pull of or that you have to have a certain body to wear this trend then your wrong. This trend isn't as hard to pull off as you think.

The key is to think about where the cut outs are! If you insecure about your stomach the last thing you want to do is draw attention to it so try going for dresses with cut outs on the chest or the arms. This will then detract the attention from your stomach to the peek-a-boo cut outs! This method works in any part of the body! Just have the cut outs on your favourite part of your body and none on your most insecure part. Simple. 

Keep this trend minimal with the accessories. Let the dress do the talking and pair with a pair of statement heels. Done and ready for the night. Remember, you can wear what you want if you wear it the right way! 

Get The Tailor!

Every Spring and Summer a tailored trend comes along to smarten everyone up and this year was no acception. Women everywhere are looking for the tailored short for summer. The perfect thing about the tailored short is the simplicity. These can be dressed up and dressed down, exactly what we want from the items that goes into our wardrobe. We don't want to be buying pieces that will only work with one other item otherwise we won't get our money's worth!

Dress these up with a matching of contrasting blazer and a low vest top. Stack thin delicate necklaces for a great summer night look. Add statement simple court heels in a red for the finishing touch. Dress them down with some converse and a low cut vest top. Stack bracelets for a funky edge. Perfect for everyday. Who says everyday fashion needs to be boring? 

Check out stores such as Primark and H&M for a cheap as chips pair that will make you over the moon and ready for summer! For an easy money saving way to wear this trend be Simon for a maximum spend for be shorts around £15 then pair then with other items in your wardrobe! Cheap and easy! Let me know how you wear yours! 

Urban Style

One of my favourite stores out there on the high street is Urban Outfitters. The men's fashion and the women's fashion is eclectic, vibrant and comical. Everything we like. Men's wear is a battlefield, you can't be too edgy without being "dodgy" or "weird" but I feel this store does it right. The style is edgy but manly. Sporty.

I noticed many staples in their garments. One of their wardrobe and style staples was the ever classic check shirt. This is one of my top things a man should have in their wardrobe. It works with everything and can be worn dressed up or dressed down. Urban outfitters layered theirs with soft jumpers and wool hats giving the mannequins a very preppy look. Another mannequin had a 1950's style bomber jacket over the top with black denim shorts. Amazing. Defiantly going to be layering my jumper with check shirts. I think I'll make mine more casual though and wear some joggers with them. 

The next was the basic tee. The main item in most men's wardrobe this classic had a few UO twists. The design team had used over sized tropical floral prints in blacks and oranges for strong contrasts. Tie dye and spots also had a strong print influence. Rolled sleeves and joggers hit a home run for me, I loved this style. Easy and simple to wear day to day. Perfect. They even had hit a micro trend that's recently hit the streets which is making designer labels comical. These two tee's had "Homies" (instead of Hermes) and Ain't Laurent (Yves Laurent)!! 

Over all I think Urban Outfitters have further shown me that great style can be so simple. Easy. Don't think about what to wear, just go with your instinct and style will come naturally.