Archive for the ‘fashion’ Category

Favourite Things: Insa Leggings

Tuesday, December 18th, 2012

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I’ve been a fan of Insa’s work for a while now. He transcends graffiti while staying true to street art’s roots. There is no mistaking an Insa piece when you see it emblazoned across the side of a building. So, when he announced recently that he was doing limited edition leggings, I got way overexcited. And when he says ‘limited’, he really means it. 30 pairs were handmade in London town with Insa’s signature print on them and the result is pretty darn head-turningly awesome.

They were pricey (though thankfully the other half got them for me as an early Christmas present), but some things are just worth it. It’s not just the exclusivity of them that appeals to me – though I won’t lie, knowing there are only 29 other people with the same leggings as me reduces my ‘accidental matching outfits on a night out’ anxiety a great deal – but as someone who really does think of fashion as wearable art, as style as one of the ultimate ways to express yourself, these leggings are rocking my world.

And yes, I am on the record as hating leggings, but dare I say it, I may actually wear these to run in. Also, since running, there’s a whole new sports luxe element of my style that I’ve been playing with that these might slot in with quite nicely.

Either way, I sure do have funky legs this Christmas.

To see more of Insa’s work, check out his website.

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Rust & Regret

Monday, December 10th, 2012

I’ve gotta be honest – the majority of stuff that pops up in my inbox is rarely anything to shout about. Unless a brand is doing something that really catches my eye, a whole lot of stuff winds up in the trash. Then today, this little gem popped up and I thought you guys might like to know about it. Rust & Regret is a new accessories label based in Melbourne, Australia and they’ve done a collaboration with artist Derek Nobbs. The result is a limited edition, sterling silver signet ring. I’m not ordinarily a massive fan of the skull and bone thing, but this is totally something I’d wear.

There are only 40 pieces made worldwide, retailing at AUS$350, so you better move quick if you want one. They’re officially available on January 31st 2013, but pre-orders are happening from now until this Friday (Dec 14th), with custom-sizing available – so it could be a kind of post-Christmas gift, if you’re in the market for some new finger decoration.

More pics after the jump.

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Bangs Does Shanghai

Monday, December 10th, 2012

I had no preconceived ideas about Shanghai. I hadn’t really thought about what it’d be like, I guess partly because I never imagined I’d be going there. Sometimes you don’t even want to dare to dream. But then all of a sudden, I found myself in Business Class on a Virgin Atlantic flight and it started to sink in that I really was going. We landed at 8am Shanghai time. A driver picked us up and even in the cold light of day, with the dull haze of pollution hanging over the city, there was the unmistakable buzz of the urban jungle – recognisable no matter where you are in the world. I couldn’t wait to dig in.

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Sales and Stampedes

Tuesday, November 27th, 2012

Stuff is expensive and times are hard which is why it makes sense that people love a sale (or take to a life of crime, whatever). But there’s loving a sale, then there’s camping out for days beforehand or punching people in the face if they get their hands on the thing you wanted. Everything in moderation, eh? I saw this video footage the other day of the Black Friday sales in the States last week and it hurt my soul. I just don’t think I’ll ever want anything badly to get wrapped up in a stampede.

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Layering & Loungewear

Monday, October 22nd, 2012

I cannot wear my everyday clothes at home. Can’t do it. It’s a ritual of mine, when I get home, jewelry comes off, if my hair’s been down all day, I put it up (& vice versa) and I strip off my outfit in favour of loungewear. I love me some loungewear! The home is about comfort. It’s where we can take off our armour of power suits and pointy-toed shoes and just relax. Of course, coming into the winter months, I’m choosing my loungewear based on what will keep me warmest.

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Leeds Digital Fashion Week

Monday, October 15th, 2012

Fashion Weeks are loved by many and loathed by some. Let the naysayers yap on about how frivolous and irrelevant it all is, but there’s no denying the influence these shows have on the way we shape our personal style, whether we like to admit it or not. But if you’re someone with an interest in fashion, Fashion Weeks can almost be alienating – how do shows in London, Paris, Milan and New York speak to your experience if you don’t live in any of those cities? Well, the good folks at creative agency Hebe Media in Leeds are putting regional fashion at the forefront this week with the first ever Leeds Digital Fashion Week.

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The Most Popular Blogger You’ve Probably Never Heard Of

Friday, October 12th, 2012

When I first moved back to the UK in 2009, back to Leeds, I was meeting with some cool creative types up there. We would exchange ideas and put the world to rights. One of the people in that group was Shang Ting Peng. Quiet and unassuming, she had moved to Leeds a few months before me from Taiwan, via Barcelona. When I got talking to her, I found she’s super into fashion and works on all sorts of cool projects. She told me she had a Facebook page called UK Observing Diary, where she documents Leeds street style and culture. Pretty cool, I thought. Then she said it had over 120,000 likes and gets millions of hits a month. WHOA! I thought. Shang Ting may just be the most popular blogger we’ve never heard of! UK Observing Diary has such a cult following back in Taiwan that Shang Ting got a book deal. She just recently got back from a month long book tour in Taiwan. I caught up with her to get the skinny.

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Austin Reed Competition Winner

Friday, October 5th, 2012

Last week, I launched a competition to win a £200 shopping spree at Austin Reed. All you had to do was send in a pic of you in your worth threads. And what a stylish bunch you are. The good folks at Austin Reed took a look at the entries and have picked a winner. Is it you? Check it out below.

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New Glamour Post: How to Cycle in Style

Thursday, September 27th, 2012

With the incredible summer of sport that just passed, you’d be hard pushed to not want to get active somehow.  But if you’re not a professional athlete with endorsements and sponsorship deals, the challenge is how to fit it into your life in a realistic way.

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Win a £200 Austin Reed Shopping Spree!

Thursday, September 27th, 2012

You know when you reach adulthood, do you get a little jealous of the back-to-school season, ’cause kids get to buy a bunch of new clothes to get them ready for the new term? That’s not just me, right? Well, as we segue into Autumn/Winter, you’re probably thinking about jazzing up your work wardrobe. We can’t let school kids out shine us. So, you know how I love my readers and love for you all to look supafly all the time, right? Ya huh. So, to help keep you in stylish threads, I’m offering you the chance to win a £200 Austin Reed shopping spree! Woo hoo!

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