A Dairy Piece

Hello! 

I thought it time to have a little reflect on how things are at the minute with the brand and see where I'm at on a personal level as well as a professional level. 

I've been a busy bee of late trying to sort new customer orders out which are all very exciting along with liaising with new customers that I will be working with in the pipe line. Though out this experience I am learning how to get things organised and how to simply be some what a businessman. I always like to sit and have a moment where I'm thankful for all that I have. The support, the connections and the opportunities that have come and will be coming my way. 

At 20 years old I never thought I would own my own business and would be dealing with various customers, writing for a magazine and dealing with a Spring and Summer campaign (coming soon!). If I had told a 15 year old me that all of this would happen I would have simply laughed in my own face and told myself to stop dreaming. Told myself that these things happen when your 30+ not 20. But look! 

It's thank to the connections I've made and the opportunities that these people have given me that I was able to start this journey and start the birth of a new icon of fashion. This blog does act as a diary of sorts. It acts as a vent for me and gives you the chance to see what it's like to own a small business in fashion, what goes on and how it feels. I'm not going to lie and say that it' all glitz and glamour because it definitely isn't at all. Even on the small scale. Its hard. Very. It's all calls, emails and messages between customers, sorting fabric sources and then finally getting to create the clothing. Then praying that the customers loves the item that all your blood, sweat and tears have gone into over a number of days or sometimes weeks. 

I'm in the process of finalising my next project which will be my first campaign shoot! The first photoshoot with my own connections helping out. Each having their own businesses that we will all benefit from with this project. It's stressful and it's hard with it being a one man band type set up but it's all good. All icons had to be stressed to be great right? 

Designer Scenarios.

We all love a good advert right? Seeing the vision of the designer come to life in various scenarios. Below I've compiled my favourite ad campaigns for spring and summer 2015. 

Below there's adverts from Dior, Lanvin, Balmain, Balenciaga and Oscar De La Renta. 

Enjoy!

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!

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)

Viktor and Rolf

Hello!

How are you? Designers that always try new things in their collection are always my favourites. Always pushing their label and showing their customers new styles and showing a new direction but with styles that stay true to their brand image. Viktor and Rolf are one label for me that definitely do this.

For the spring and summer 2015 show the label looked to sporty notes mixed with feminine loose silhouettes and floral prints. This collection really stands out for me for summer. Its very clean, sporty but different to the other ways I've seen the sports trend being used  by other designs in their spring an summer 2015 collection's. Innovative cuts and stitching showed just what the Viktor and Rolf label are best at. Doing the odd, the edgy but the wearable. If I could sum up this collection in three words it would be innovative, sporty and effortless. A stunning collection.

#ViktorandRolf #SS15

What do you think to this collection? Let me know and comment below! See you next time and remember to "Always Be Classic"! You can follow my blog of BlogLovin too: http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/12503779

#Strokeme Faux Fur

Hello!

How is everyone? Good I hope! Ever thought "I wish I could wear brightly coloured faux fur and be bang on trend"? Then this is your moment! In this blog post I'll be revealing what to look for and what to wear this loud autumn trend with! 

Designers from Céline, 3.1 Philip Lim and Topshop Unique and more have embraced and created brightly coloured faux fur for the new season. This trend is loud, bright, fun and a little wacky. Look for fur accents such as collars, pockets and coats or capes. This way you can wear the trend without being OTT. 

Pair a colour pop faux fur coat with a basic silk shirt in a neutral colour such as nude or white, midi or mini length skirt in a darker colour like khaki or navy (both big for this season!) and some killer ankle boots with a hint of sixties vibe (see Saint Laurent for inspiration!). Keep the look simple. Let the fur do the talking! 

Have fun with this trend and make an impact! Love this trend? Love fuax fur? Then show me your best furry fashion! I'll feature it on the next blog post!! Comment below or email them in. Remember to "Always Be Classic" ! 

Until next time guys! #furfashion #Strokeme #ryanpilkinton 

Bye! 

Ps: email - pilkingtonsdesigns@gmail.com

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! 

 

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!

The First

Hello again!

Hope everyone has had a great weekend and that going back to work isn't too bad! With this blog post I want to give you all an update and a look in to the latest collection being designed here at Ryan Pilkington!

Recently with orders being placed for evening wear I have had opportunities to look more into one of my favourite parts of the fashion world. Evening wear and haute couture. Designers like Elie Saab are my favourites. Always stunning, feminine and classic. I love seeing the details, the silhouettes and fabrics. As you'll soon find out "classic is my favourite word".

 

"Classic is my favourite word"

I wanted to use this information and growing interest a little more and design a small capsule collection of 8 looks and this would become the first collection officially designed for the Ryan Pilkington brand/business! Very exciting! With the collection, that's in the works now, I wanted to design looks that are classic, unique and sexy. It's no secret that the colour black is like the sword in the stone for fashion. Loved by all, this colour is the main colour for the collection. Dark, mysterious, intriguing and sexy this colour said everything I wanted with this collection.

Along the silhouette lines fort he collection I wanted simple elegance. No fussiness, nothing that was overworked or too flashy. This collection is more a celebration and a look into simplicity. The form of the female body and the classic chicness of letting just the shape of the woman and the fall of the fabric  do the talking. No distractions. Following along with those key points for the collection in mind I thought of fabrics. Silk is classic, falls beautifully and slides on the skin. This was the first obvious choice and then came lace. Lace is a cheeky fabric I find. The idea that your still wearing a piece of fabric however around 80% of it is sheer. Covered but exposed at the same time. Add black, silk and lace together and this is the foundations for the Black Classics Collection by Ryan Pilkington.

Check out the looks so far and find out more information along with new looks and more on the official Facebook page for Ryan Pilkington

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Ryan-Pilkington/1586243024937075

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!

Julien Macdonald

Matalan have teamed up with British fashion designer Julian Macdonald to launch a new formal line! W10 shows us classic tailoring in greys and blacks. Each piece a classic. Now for me the items that stood out for me was the shoe range!

I love a good pair of shoes (my shoe rack proves this!) and I have to say that you cant beat a good pair of classic formal shoes. I am quite particular with this however but the footwear that Julian and Matalan have created is great! Matte, Gloss, pointed and brogue styles all available! My favourite was the glossy pair you see here. Pair these with a classic tailored black suit for a dinner and you'll be the man who's on everyone's mind!

Moulage & Betty Jackson!

One of my latest creations came in form of a university project. This was Moulage. The idea of this is to work directly on the stand with the fabric instead of creating paper patterns at the beginning. This was exciting. Prior to this I have never worked in this way. We had a session on the basics and then we ran with it. The garment that I created was the product of a few weeks practise and some quick designing. 



I finished the garment 3 week prior to the deadline so needless to say I was very happy. I had found the best way for me to make garments. I was quick and easily motivated by this process, more hands on to start with instead of taking endless measurements. This meant I could add finishing touches and details to the garment. This soon became my best garment to date in my opinion. Still is.

The best part of this project was that we had a visit form Betty Jackson! yes the Betty Jackson! After being nervous all day I tried to keep my cool as she walked through the room. Trying to make myself look busy with my garment when she stopped right next to me! "This is nice how are you going to do this?" that's when I realised she was talking to me! I answered her with how I would attach the details. My tutor was also there with her and she began explaining that I had found Moulage easy and I had found my feet with the process to which Betty Jackson said she also liked to work this way. "You know the first garment I made I completely forgot someone had to get their head into it, don't tell anyone that" she laughed smiled and walked off. Wow. A designer had praised my dress.

My week was complete with that. Here is the garment made out of white felt and paper nylon.

My Favourite Collection

Recently I had a project at university set for me called Whimsical Wings. This project was based around the theme of anything that flies, from man made machines to natural animals. Although this project at first presented a challenge with design, I have to say that its my favourite collection I've ever designed for a project!


The original idea was to have the collection based on the theme of Leonardo Da Vinci. One of the most influential men of science in history. Artist, inventor mathematician and scientist this man was a master of all trades. However I wanted to make this project more quirky and fun. I instantly thought of one thing I was addicted to as a child. Dinosaurs! Feathered dinosaurs to be exact to be specific. this was the starting point.


I looked at colour, shape and species for my collection. After researching various species I finally chose the "missing link" in evolution. The Archaeopteryx. After extensive research I looked at WGSN for S/S 15 predicted trends and after drafting out designs my collection was born.


This is my Spring and Summer 2015 Collection: Archaeopteryx.   

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. 

The Return

It's been a while since I have updated my blog but I'm back! University has been really busy as always and I'm very happy with the progress I've made on my course. I'm in my second term of Fashion with Textiles at Huddersfield and now that I've had a mini break in Centre Parcs I've rediscovered my love for fashion and I returned to uni with vengeance and focus.

First of all we have worked on a mini glove project for a national competition. The aim was to choose a brand and design a set of three gloves for the brand. Our tutor then chose the gloves that would be sent off to the competition board to be judged. I chose the queen of quirky fashion Cath Kidston for my brand and 2 out of my 3 gloves were sent off to the national board! Very pleased. The first prize being £400! 2nd is £200. There is also an award that you can win including a trophy, £500 and a fashion lunch in London! Fingers crossed I win!

My latest project that we have been given is a menswear Ted Baker project. This is my first time at doing menswear but I'm very excited as it's something that I've always wanted to try out. If this project goes well and if I enjoy designing menswear then I may choose to do menswear in my next year at university. Menswear is a growing market and new designers are always needed for fresh ideas and views on mens style. Will I be one of the new menswear designers?

Keep checking back for updates! I will be posting a dress I have designed for a previous university project called Minimised Aesthetic which was inspired by nature and butterflies. I will be making the dress this week so stay tuned for the final outcome! I will be able to use my new industrial sewing machine and my new overlocker to create it too! Very exciting.

I'm very happy that I've found my passion for fashion and design again. After having doubts about my course and whether fashion was right for me I finally realised why I love fashion and why I chose to do this in the first place. In ten years you will see Ryan Pilkington over the top of stores and stands selling stunning fashion. But will it be menswear or womenswear?