WTF

The Cat Will Walk At Midnight...or 9pm sharp!

2007-12-05T11:59:00.000-08:00

YES WE DID

2007-12-05T11:20:00.000-08:00

After much preparation, harried e-mails, frantic phone calls and diva style strops, the WTF fashion party finally decended upon the JJB stadium. More than 250 turned out on the rainy Tuesday evening but the inside of the Marquee was on fire. Every stall space was taken and the final frontline of stores was a great mix. There was Bags and Buttons, Pretty Bo's, Reds Closet, Justicia, Station Road, Fashion Victim, Fishers Frocks, Bead Freaks, Posh Frox, Elixea, Oxfam Orginals, Me&Yu, the Environmental Justice Foundation, Knickers and No Fur Coat and Vicky Martin. The later five featuring in the Ancer Homes sponsored Catwalk show which remarked on the current ethical revolution in fashion, all the clothes were either made here in the UK or ethically sourced elsewhere.

Winstanley College and their highly acclaimed Foundation Course put on the first show deemed 'Aquatica Mechanica' showcasing their fashion project. It was a spectacle to see, both inovative and creative and a credit to the students who organised the show singlehandedly and pulled it off with style, it was great to see the next generation of artistic thinkers grace the catwalk.

Tensions were high back stage as the big show approached. The 12 models and the WTF team did the event proud with a flawless performance at 9pm. They strutted like they meant it, beautifully made up both hair and make-up by Wigan and Leigh College, as the likes of Crystal Waters and Ratatat pumped up the crowd . Me&Yu oozed uber cool with hoodies and big shades with bright and bold prints, Oxfam Orginals showed a quirky and mix matched selection to demonstrate their diversity of styles and Vicky Martin closed the show with elegance and attitude. The EJFs t-shirt which were available to buy at the show, teamed with knickers and knee socks they were a hit with everyone, not just the boys. WTF donated £300 to this worthy charity that actively promotes the ethcial production cotton over seas, and has the likes of Christian Lacroix, Luella and native north Westerner Betty Jackson designing for them.

It felt like a blur of big hair, red lips, air kisses, cheap cava, hairspray and far too many camera flashes and suddenly it was 11pm and we were getting kicked out. We left behind a few miffed bouncers and one epic mess but the place was packed, all stalls broke it even, some made a killing, people shopped, drank, danced and sang. Hopefully the issue of ethical fashion was made known to everyone, affordable fairly made fashion is out there but don't believe the jam pipe hype, come to the next WTF and see for yourself.

Ride

2007-11-22T03:09:00.000-08:00

yes it is!

Tickets

2007-11-21T14:53:00.000-08:00

Here to clear up the mist over the WTF fashion show.

TICKETS are available from:

Wigan Oxfam
Or message the myspace www.myspace.com/walkwalkwalkwalk
Or you can pay on the door, but its best to reserve and I will put you on the list.

LOVEYOUGUYS

The Front line up

2007-11-21T14:29:00.000-08:00

Confirmed ladies and (Gents) are..

Vicky Martin - loyal WTFer, proud northerner and very sucessful designer.

Me&Yu - hot innovative streetwear all handmade printed and limited edition, for girls AND boys.

Club Couture - Formally Club Vogue, Wigan based clubwear venturing into a new exciting glamourous realm.

Knickers and No Fur Coat - Beautiful Individually designed knickers made or order and measure.

EJF - Awe inspiring charity who 'pick cotton carefully' and make t-shirts with the help of Christian Lacroix, Luella and Betty Jackson

Bags and Buttons - Sells fun bags, purses, button jewellery and badges.

Pretty Bo's - Costumes jewellery designer, likes to work with fresh water pearls to produce original creations.

Justicia - Green minded charity selling jewellery and other knick knacks. PforP's (perfect for presents)

Fishers Frocks - customised and idivdually reworked frocks.

Posh FroX - New Standish based dress shops for proms, parties and parading.

Bead Freaks - Hand crafted beaded jewellery, one of a kind.

Reds Closet - New Wigan Boutique, affordable glamwear.

(I will finish this one day) back tomorrow!
Come SHOP with us lets shop lets shop away!

Cheap furniture.. Good Cause.. Pretty Colours

2007-11-17T14:34:00.000-08:00

I couldn't believe this when I was mincing around the charity shops of Wigan... Got down into the RSPCA on the street next to the bus station and saw this sweet pink chair upholstered with plastic and trimmed with gold. Sounds positively vile however it was amazing and marked up at only a fiver. My comrade and I proceeded to fight over it and the woman comes over and starts asking if there is a problem. We explain the dilemma, she solves it. Apparently the chair was part of a set, the chairs are made for the charity shop specially by some sweet animal loving people who make furniture and donate it to the shop. Therefore they can sell it at cheap cheap prices. They do it all the time and could possibly make to order.. so if ever in need of some cheap furniture buy from there and save the animals while you do it. Remember poach eggs, not elephants.

oh and I don't have a picture because i didn't win the fight.

Aquatics and Mechanics

2007-11-17T13:46:00.000-08:00

WTF are you wearing - Manchester

2007-11-17T13:20:00.000-08:00

Your hair c'est long, it's all over your head! and that with that three quid bomber you gonna knock um dred.

Still Heart'n the Tartan

2007-11-17T12:17:00.000-08:00

Checks were huge this season, the lumberjacks and slow talking country boys were invading the creative heads everywhere. I have had a love affair with checks ever since the mighty reign of the tartan pants circa 1996 school disco, I absolutely loved them (may they RIP) So the fad wore off but tartan stayed on my mind and life up until now how been scattered with various headbands, bags, blankets and one seriously questionable cape all rad in plaid, i spent the summer stealing my best friends red/green checked legginings. Most recently I got a tartan kilt from a bag of old costumes someone was chucking away. Thanks to the 'subtle' guidance of the notorious VIV (Westwood) tartan has become a epic element of design fantasy object of harajuku girls the east over. Scots might heave a sigh of relief to know that its getting a bit old and once again will go to the back of the queue of influences on fashion. I was suddenly feeling a little sick of my new kilt TILL I bumped into these crazy kids roaming the streets of Manchester..

They took it to another level. thanks boys, I hope you have a beautiful tartan wedding.

ps. Seriously there is nothing better than wearing some boy's checked shirt.

I feel this fold was fate.

2007-11-17T12:10:00.000-08:00

Ryan's Vintage. Sustainable bags, as in I am not a plastic bag etc. Re-use re-use, do not refuse.

Old Coat make Knickers

2007-11-12T15:59:00.000-08:00

Hi, we want to welcome Knickers and No Fur Coat to our club. A bespoke designer of underwear, here it is in the words of the founder, Jana..

"Welcome to the world of Knickers! From the fab and frilly to the sleek and sexy we tailor make knickers and camisoles to match your individual needs - can you think of anything better?"

Well not really unless you have

Shes joining the ranks of Vicky Martin, EJF, Oxfam and Me&Yu on the WTF catwalk. Perfectly fitting with a serene green ethos, there is a new range just out of 'Planet saving Pants' underwear made from replaced materials. Taking old perhaps un inspiring clothes and re working them into backside bearing beauties.

I leave you with the faithful words of Bottom who aptly puts a cap on this subject
'it's like two planets colliding in a pair of pants! oh shut up eddie, i don't care about the vastness of your backside!' (exactly, all anyone really cares is whats on your backside) High Five for green knickers.

Could it be...Pop Arsse Scarf?

Made from a Manga dress

Mentality

2007-11-12T15:53:00.000-08:00

Rockin' and a frockin'

2007-11-12T09:30:00.000-08:00

Do you see this? FISHERS FROCKS. A label in it's bear babyhood boasts inventive and ironic designs and showed at the STRUT Manchester 4th November that was filmed by channel four apart from all this these dresses are tres tres cute. She knows how to party, she's affordable and has one beautiful entourage. Miss fisher will be joining us on the 4th along with some fabulous frocks for some fashionable frivolity.

ps poor old blow, RIP.

Go Go Go Joseph!

2007-11-11T09:20:00.000-08:00

Lee Meade…the legend… I mean please someone agree with me that after having “Any Dream Will Do” as a guilty Saturday night secret, the Meade himself frequents your dreams??? Haha
Well… not just “any dream” but my dreams came true this Monday when the finale ended with him ACTUALLY on top of me…haha (to learn exactly what I mean by this get yourself down to the Adelphi Theatre, Londres asap)
………
Ok so back to the fashion forefront, in reference to Josephs amazing technical dream coat I’d love to introduce you to a fabulous up and coming designer James Millar.
He’s one of many designer stars to graduate from the infamous Central Saint Martins and at the ripe age of 25 can already boast work with Bryan McMahon (menswear editor from Dazed&Confused) and Jonathon Saunders since 2003.
It’s hard not to fall in love with his spriteful, energetic, chaotically colourful unisex knits, in particular his “Technicolor Dreamcoat”. Not only is he among the new wave knitters who are flooding out psyches but he's braking ground by being favoured by fashion forward men's mags Another Man and Arena Homme Plus is straight off the bat being unconfined by womens/menswear exclusively. Let’s embrace these new designers! Bring our generation a fresh new look!

http://www.jamesfrancismillar.co.uk

Top Stop

2007-11-11T09:08:00.000-08:00

So I decided this weekend to venture down to our capital to get myself a dose of culture. As soon as I arrived (after a grotty megabus journey with some of the most undesirable loo’s I’ve come across…however not sure whether that can be fairly compared to those at Vfest as alcohol tends to soften the blow aka smell…) I was hit by some capital fashion.
What I love about London is that seasons don’t rule people, trends are around you constantly but it’s not in a cookie cut form. You see the over sized knits, the elctro-boho style, however the differentiations between each individual is what stands out.
Please let’s get rid of the topshop mannequins that roam the streets!!!
I’m calling out to you… let’s stop this infestation!

They tried... quite hard.

STRUT Ruby Ruby

2007-11-06T15:11:00.000-08:00

What do you do on a lazy Sunday afternoon? Hang with the fam, read your Sally Brompton horoscope, worry about Monday and eat too much jam on toast? Most perhaps, not this one. Look what we did this Sunday...

Ruby Lounge in Manchester, we danced while the (wasted little) Dj's rocked about the decks, regarded the catwalk shows from Thumder Egg, Me&Yu, You can make it Happen and If I Can Dream and disregarded the fact it was afterall only 5.30 in the afternoon and partied like it was friday night.
For pictures...

www.myspace.com/strutmanchester

No quite as unforgiving as one expected...

Under cover at Vicky Martin

2007-11-06T14:16:00.000-08:00

After much liaising over e-mail and phone I finally got to go and meet the women behind 'Vicky Martin' and this of course included Vicky Martin herself. If you are unfamiliar with Miss Martin, know this. She is a northern success story who built her label from scratch. She now holds a concession in Selfridges and has a store in the Triangle and is spotted often on the back of British celebrities on various red carpets (that's dresses not the actual woman) She aims to be different.
I went to meet her and her team in Whitefield at Vicky Martin HQ where iI penetrated the inner sanctum, buried into their design psyches and heard scandalous tales of soap star stress heads, dive d-mands and got a diamante in my eye. g-g-g-gettin it out!

And look, they design, cut, make, label and ship everything from the Head Quarters. That is pioneering, not an umpa lumpa or underpaid child in sight and these workers looked happy and healthy. That is why we heart the Mart.

WTF are you wearing? (Le Lakes)

2007-11-05T13:10:00.000-08:00

Ces filles sont magnifiques, ils tricotent si bien..

I wear Ashish, c'est non problème. I knit my shoes and this is dem'

All she was sayin was the song she wrote, too much yippin gone done her throat.

Half of the genius that brought us 'Prick', so cool uncool it makes me sick.

Four weeks and Counting..

2007-11-01T17:31:00.000-07:00

Ok kids up DATE on the show front...

we have:
Environmental Justice Foundation
Oxfam
Justica
Vicky Martin
Me&Yu
Club Vogue
Retro Rehab
Junk
Knickers No Fur Coat
and more....all under one roof!

Come and swap, show off your crop, SHOP from all the local ethical boutiques' stalls,
drop into an armchair for a complimentary hand massage,
marvel at the masterpieces strutting down the catwalk!

all creatives, makers, movers, shakers and intimidators welcome but please no flakers.

CASH ONLY FOR CLOTHES PURCHASES<<<

make a night of it with all your friends!
you won't regret it, promise!

WTF are you wearing?

2007-11-01T17:22:00.000-07:00

Flame haired Jessica rocked up to gab a bit, kind of like the hippy but hot like the rabbit. (Watch is from Barcelona)

Le Bus

2007-11-01T17:17:00.000-07:00

I feel like I live on the 362. It's a nightmare. My faith is now restored in the common bus catching public. Beret, Beret you saved the day. PS Pink is back but it never left anyway so there.

Prick your Finger

2007-10-31T04:41:00.001-07:00

Extracts from Wordworth (coindidently the former resident of Dove Cottage) and Poems from local poets were read out as the gentle click clock of needle industry chimed in the backgorund. We went to Dove cottage to learn about knitting, meet some cool nutsy people and eat fish and chips.

OXCRAM. Oxfam cram it all in.

2007-10-26T12:08:00.000-07:00

It seems at last the fickle attitude of today's society has done do gooders a favour. Ten years ago, charity shops were way out. Leaving terrifying visions of brand-less tat surrounded by teapots, miss-matched sherry glasses and endless biographies of would-be celebrities in the minds of the young. A place your granny would drag you too, much to your dismay.

Now however, after the ethical revolution and revival of retro and bargain based bagging, charity shopping is on the radar. The urban Shopping myths, 'Someone actually found a Chanel handbag in help the Aged in Chorley' (who is this girl!?) do help.

With this recent revelation the bargain havens are facing inflation. The sweet, kind hearts who raise money and awareness acquired some business sense, and are marking up accordingly. It's no longer just a jumble sale but somewhere to seek out real fashion. A Jaeger suit wont go mistaken into the three quid bin.

The world renowned Oxfam are taking this new found street cred to another level completely. Oxfam Unique is a charity shop with items specifically selected for a younger, edgier market. There is of course Oxjam, events arranged by anyone who fancies doing musical related fundraising and their association with the likes of Emergency Breaks allowing them to penetrate musical psyches. Going further still they are getting involved with aspiring designers with a scheme encouraging recycling and customising. All these are big steps to ultimately make helping their epic mission accessible and fun.

You can but tickets for the WTF show at Oxfam Wigan and learn all about their world wide mission from improving education in Ghana to supporting victims of conflict in Sudan, at the WTF show itself.

PS. All charity shop dedicates; be careful with blouses, dreaded granny sweat NEVER washes out.

walkwalkwalk..STRUT

2007-10-24T05:08:00.001-07:00

Get onto this event..

Same Teens presents STRUT Showcase featuring catwalk shows from Me&Yu, Thunderegg, You Can Make It Happen and If I Can Dream

With DJ sets from Same Teens & Wasted Little DJ's and LIVE MUSIC from Bitterly Ironic and Codette.

The event is being filmed by CHANNEL 4 for T4

*******Secret Celebrity Compere****

FREE GOODIE BAGS (WHILE STOCKS LAST)

Sunday 4th November
Ruby Lounge, Church Street, Manchester
4pm to 7pm

All this for only £4 on the door!!

*This is an all ages event, under 14's must be accompanied by someone over 18 - if your mum and dad won't let you come on your own - bring your big sister.

Alcohol is available strictly for over 18's ONLY - you WILL need ID and a strict door policy will apply.

Exciting! Our Sister, STRUT, are all about fashion and fun. Putting on club nights in various Manchester venues and supporting local northern quarter boutiques. This time as always they are Featuring their faithful friends Me&Yu who are also joining us on the WTF catwalk. This is their first all ages event. Nice!

Manchester Costume Gallery

2007-10-19T05:43:00.000-07:00

For anyone who is interested fashion, textiles, art or history, the Gallery is worth a visit. There is also some great historical photography and
Over 21,000 objects covering all aspects of the history of clothing and appearance, from around 1600 to 2005.

Strengths include 18th century fashion and 19th century women's and children's dress. The collection also includes a specialist library of over 18,000 fashion plates, magazines and shop catalogues. There are and accessories and one massive button collection. In recent years collecting has focused on the clothes of major British and European designers, 17th century items, post 1960 material, menswear, occupational clothes; and street wear.

They have recently changed their opening schedule so it's worth a check before you head out. The staff are really helpful and friendly, they took pity on me as I arrived on Wednesday morning and let me look around even though they weren't officially open. I had the whole place to myself for two hours, these are are a few snaps.

Say NO to SuperclassA

2007-10-17T15:41:00.000-07:00

Subtlety is over, step off all you casually tousled tamed manes, when is comes to hair there's something crazy in the air... or so the world of celebrity says. Deyn cracked out a different colour for every catwalk, Patricia Field, stylist for Sex & The City, rocks bright red at 60 and Winehouse hobbles Bambi-like beneath her beast of a beehive. Now the usual beauty emporiums have hair dyes, treatments, serums, sachets...all ricocheting of shelves. They are massively expensive and lack any real freedom or creativity. A mission to find a hair colour gets stressful. So when I in search of a change I stumbled across Paul's Hair World, Oldham St in Manchester.

Much like the Beauty stores of south London, it caters for Afro Caribbean and Indian hair needs and makes shopping for toiletries a much more exotic experience. Specialising in fake and real hair extensions and weaves they provide every colour, texture and length you could imagine. However there are all other kinds of surprising special treats. Colourful plastic clips, Velcro rollers and vats of cocoa butter you could sink your foot in and all at really good prices. This small shop served as a happy throw back to hazy days in summer spent browsing 'Black Beauty' in Brixton. Knocking Ghetto earrings off the stand while the woman behind the glass cabinet pipes 'Watch da Weave gurl!'. It is the place to go for some unexpected hair inspiration and its fun too. They sell crazy colours for the knock off price of £2.69 half the southern price. Go nuts with colours like Pinkisimmo or Canary Yellow and Platinum will tone down any brass-like blondes. Some of the most vibrant shades come artistically named; Vermillion, Cyclamen and Bordeaux.

I would like to herald all those who decide to throw caution to the quickly moving air and do something crazy with the hair on their head. Because at the end of it all its only hair and when you die it carries on growing and you haven't much choice about its colour then.

Jump to the Strump

2007-10-16T06:45:00.000-07:00

Chanel's Couture show 2007 A/W.

Thumper

2007-10-15T10:22:00.000-07:00

T.E.S...P.O

2007-10-15T06:42:00.000-07:00

After only a year of collaboration, Katherine Hamnett has decided to pull her 'Choose Love' range from Tesco stores.
It was all Roses and honey in Autumn 2006 with Tesco and fashionista Eco warrior as Lee Rees-Oliviere, head of design, gushes on thier press website 'I am delighted to have secured Katharine Hamnett to design a range of clothing for Tesco' and commenting “Just as more and more people are choosing organic foods, we know our customers are increasingly interested in clothing which is made using environmentally-sustainable processes,” Hanmett ensured that the clothing and its production adhered to the standards set by the International Working Group on Global Organic Textiles so in theory Tesco were improving their ethical credentials.

“Not only is the cotton soft and luxurious to wear but Katharine has created beautiful, stylish clothes – which also give something back to the environment. We expect the collection to have widespread appeal. it will also be affordable because Tesco wants to make organics accessible to all” Suddenly mass consumerism emerged with a conscience. Or so we were lead to believe.
The honeymoon is well and truly over because as October descended upon us Hamnett withdrew from the super store. Tesco's Eco friendly enthusiasm proved to be transparent as Hamnett comments ‘I was initially really excited about the tie-up because I thought we could increase demand for ethical products. But I’ve come to the conclusion that [Tesco] simply wants to appear ethical, rather than make a full commitment to the range. Choose Love is only available in 40 stores and the merchandising is practically non-existent.’

Voicing her political and ethical views really has been a life long mission for Hamnett and yes she smokes and is often spotted with the odd disposable coffee cup but she is committed to her mission. The fact is her reputation as ethical fashionista at large and 31 years of prominence in the fashion industry is down to hard work. Being green isn't just a mentality to adopt to ease a troubled conscience, but it doesn't have to be on epic proportions either. Recycle a can, buy vintage, buy organic, breath in more that you breath out. Remember, every little helps...

Braaaap to Black.

2007-10-11T16:00:00.000-07:00

Black is eternally significant in fashion, and reborn each season without fail. It's timeless, classic and wearable. A picture from every decade in photography's history can identify the time period with just one black number. Chanel in 1926, The Givenchy outside Tiffanys, a widowed Jackie Kennedy in the 60's, even Betty Boop who was in fact one of the original pioneers of the LBD becomes a branded image. It's typically prominent in the wintry months, this year is no exception. Once again another A/W embraces le noir, its time to get back.

Calvin Klein did in their A/W 07 prediction back in February fashion week. Their collection illustrated their talent to create diversity with classic defined shapes without the distraction of colour. Christopher Kane, D2squared and Burberry left a very inky mark on the face of A/W 07, bearing a key trend identified by fashionistas the magazine world over, black on black. Gareth Pugh, who's consistent use of black through all this collections, wows crowds with leather topped PVC and patent in bold block sections and multi layering of the gothy tones, always a spectacle to see. Over in New York, Proenza Scholuler layered cardigans, cropped jackets and scarves and although they were a patchwork of different materials, they remained black in their entirety. Never ones to be left in the dark, the high street heavy hitters Topshop, New Look and Next are hot on the notion of noir. Flooded they are with matte, mohair, wool, jumpers, sheer, chiffon, leather quilted and sequined...all black, black, black.

Check the Macy Dress by Vicky Martin. The Manchester based designer featured in the exhibition 'Little Black Dress' back in 06 as an example of contemporary design. Worn with thick tights, t-bar heels, a big fat black ribbon in your hair and some chunked out gold hanging from where you so choose, looks good on you. Lets be real, minimalism is a choice not a necessity. Vicky Martin and thier new season will be available at the WTF show, 4th December. See them on the catwalk.

ps. Scholuler also heralds a turn away from al things posh and the return to the street, but that is another story completely..

Stalkers and Strumpets.

2007-10-08T15:49:00.000-07:00

Another discovery over MFW; I was introduced into the fabulous world of Strumpets (namely the shop and product). The brainchild of Elizabeth Melinek was born 7 years ago when she went shopping for boots and, faced with the classic dilemma, nothing fitted properly. I met this enticing character, some kind of petitely proportioned jet haired superwoman, and was just as drawn in by the wall of leather legs. So ingenious are strumpets that they transform any shoe into a boot. The varied calf sizes (the aptly termed petite, athletic and voluptuous) ensure that they will fit anyone.
Her hub is down in the vintage paradise Brick Lane near Shoreditch in London and was originally stocked in the decedent Coco de Mer. Ms Melinek now stocks up Selfridges in Manchester with strumpets and waist clinchers. It was quite tantric in a way and very dark Victorian, in the way that Burberry Prorsum suggested for winter throughout their A/W shows back in March, with leather gloves and high neck tops.
She does use Toscana sheepskin and leather; not exactly an ethical dream. However there is a strict handmade-only policy on all produce so no sweatshop endorsement here. Though her price range maybe out of reach for some of us there is nothing like some ridiculous indulgent dress up. I strapped on some strumpets and I must warn you; do the same and you may be tempted to wear some ridiculous cleavage scooping dress, drink red wine and hang of a window and shout 'Alright mister!' at every man that walks past. Victorian whore fantasy aside, they're a revolutionary addition to a wardrobe and work well in normal circumstances too.

The most recent collection 'signature range' is a modern interpretation on 1930's spats, remarking on those worn through the crazy surrealism movement of that time that has been so widely referenced in art fashion and theatre during 2007. Being a slightly acquired taste, it's no surprise that Gwen Stefani has been seen wearing Strumpets' designs or that they have been featured at the Vivienne Westwood Retrospective - renowned for her corseted traditional creations. There’s nothing like a bit of a celebrity name drop to boost impressions. Impressed? I was.

www.strumpets.co.uk

Shirt on your back.

2007-10-06T01:44:00.000-07:00

Fresh from LFW the Environmental Justice Foundation hot footed down to Manchester to spread some words about 'The Cotton Campaign' and in the meantime flog some T-shirts. Ever see the picture of ethical goddess Miss Lily Cole wearing a Katherine Hamnet 'Save the World' T-shirt? Well that's them. Luella, Christian Lacroix and northern soul Betty Jackson all designed t-shirts for the campaign which, at £30 a pop, were flying off the rails. They're raising awareness about a very poignant issue in fashion, cotton is the rudimentary material in the business of making clothes (What would we do without denim, really?) Therefore the high demand and the nature of it's production leads to child labour and pollution of the environment with pesticides and poison. This activity is all rife in central Asia, specifically Uzbekistan.
Their t-shirts are 100% organic and fairly traded cotton and look hot with some colour me beautiful shorts and a pair of high tops. To read more about their mission and how you can 'Pick your cotton carefully' go to www.ejfoundation.org otherwise catch the limited edition t-shirts on the catwalk at 4th of Dec WTF fashion show.

What, the Hair?

2007-10-06T00:49:00.000-07:00

On the runway at Manchester fashion Weekend the real highlight (excuse the pun) was the hair. Toni&Guy Manchester Academy styled 1940's Femme Fetales with an edge, their hair was effortlessly moulded, waved and kinked. It was working war-wife meets rockabilly. All beautifully polished coifs, expensive blocks colours finished with a glossy shine. They declared this was the season to get a do. Whether it be cropped, crazy, or lengthily goldy locks, take control of your hair. Check out the Blondie in the black tailored suit, deemed Marilyn Monroe meets Debbie Harry. That was one hot child in the City. F*** the nails, get your hair did.

MFWaits for no Man...

2007-10-04T17:58:00.000-07:00

By 5pm the line outside the Urbis was winding back onto Corperation St. The people were out in force for Manchester Fashion Weekend, check out the woman in pink with the impromptu whip round, who assumed I was taking her picture on the sly when 'Actually love, I was just trying to get the queue'. Though it looks sunny it was icy in the shade but we were kept warm by the cutesy coffee girls and their free cappuccinos and chocolate covered nuts.

Not being officially on the list does pose a slight problem when faced with a list but luckily the organisers were so flustered all it took was a flash of my (faux) press pass and I was in the inner sanctum. With a charge of £3 for a goody bag This was not a blaggers paradise, there was a price tag on everything. A trim and restyle at the Toni&Guy salon would set you back a few quid and a wait in a queue while Bourjoir were charging £10 for slick of lipstick, however the event was hosted by Tia maria and Calvin Klein so we were entitled to free drinks and perfume samples. The reality is that for fashion to exist like this anywhere out of London there has to be a price tag. I also somehow stumbled upon the VIP catwalk. The models walked and worked it donning forties inspired hair by the innovators at Toni&Guy. Very apt for this season as Dior, fashion pioneers, showed pro war-fabulous Hollywood Glamour in their A/W 07 collection. This inspiration was translated into the clothes. Designers included Julia Clancy, Oliver Goddard, Paul and Joe, Betty Jackson, Ben de Lisi and Matthew Williamson. With clinched waists, classic tailoring and bold simple colours and red, red lips
created the perfect vision of a Femme Fetale. Meow.

Matthew Williamson, still spinning from his Prince serenade, has brought his retrospective 'Matthew Williamson, 10 Years in Fashion' to the Urbis Centre, that's before New York. This home-coming of such a successful Manchester grown talent coincides perfectly with Fashion Weekend as his designs closed the show.

A priceless moment arrived when an array of would be famous soap stars walked in after the show had started (Nancy that!) only to find the front row was full, leaving them scatter off to the sparce isle seats at the back. This put proof to the phrase that fashion waits for no man, or indeed no overdressed woman. Meeeow.

What you waiting for?

2007-10-04T01:36:00.000-07:00

London Fashion Week was a two weeks ago and London Fashion Weekend a mere seven days done. Hot on their kinked out heels is Manchester fashion Weekend. It begins today, a landmark fashion event in the north of England. Sarah Cox is fronting the event and is kicking things off at the VIP evening tonight. That's three straight days of shopping and catwalks only a train away. They've got Tony&Guy, Topshop and Boss Models backing them up, tickets are two for one if bought on the website, so really there is no excuse. If it's anything like it's London sisters the place will be swamped with ridiculous fashionistas, paparazzi style trend spotters, afternoon champagne and a load of stuff to blag, bring it on. Cannot wait!
Watch this space for videos, WTFtowear and general hilarity. We're off to cause some trouble.

http://www.fashionweekendmanchester.co.uk/

Angels in the North

2007-10-02T14:07:00.000-07:00

Hot on the back of the recycled revolution, Junk Shop a store with very green ethics, has opened in the Northern Quarter of Manchester, .
Though it won't be an individual as it joins POP, American Graffiti and Retro rehab in the ranks
of the many vintage inspired clothes stores in the area, though this just means it's sure to fit in.They are always in search of dreamers and schemers, so its the place to get onto if you fancy
yourself a creative undiscovered, whether it be art, fashion or accessories. Proud of their prints, Junk have a huge range of printed T's, dresses and vintage inspired pieces. They already have quite an eclectic clientele, Full Moon Ravers, Club Kids, Eco Warriors Screen Queens and Madchester Party People, clever!

Clothes are available to order through the online website or check the new store on Dale St.

Plus they're plugging Barbarella, 60's film star who took sex into outer space. Big hair, weird facial expressions and one wonder of a Paco Rabanne body suit, lets be honest an absolute style icon, if you're tacky like me.

www.myspace.com/junkshop

http://www.junkstoreuk.com/

Swap-on.

2007-10-01T12:23:00.000-07:00

Since fashion was taught some ethics suddenly the are all the big names are firmly on the band wagon and it's painted green. This poses quite an oxymoron. While these high street moguls suposedly repent of thier sins their organic shorts and hemp handbags hang oblivious next to the rack of jersey vests that were pumped out of a sweatshop. Buying clothes can not only weight heavy on the old balance enquiry at the cash machine but also on the conscience. Swap-a-rama parties are good for the soul becuase they don't cost anything. Just a shed of cast offs, a CD and possibly a bottle of fair trade wine (so not to be a hypocrite myself) That is unless you want you get yourself to Paris tomorrow....

ah Paris.

(P.S ethical read? Green Is The New Black by Tamsin Blanchard, Fashion Editor at the Telegraph magazine)

(wt)F is for Fashion

2007-10-01T06:04:00.000-07:00

Once again we kiss another so called summer goodbye and we find ourselves eying up scarves instead of shorts. So as the grey days and trousers close in moral can philander, and the slow march towards Christmas can feel endless. A much needed injection of excitement is what the doctor ordered. Over the last month fashion heavy hitters New York, London and Paris offered up their latest and greatest for their spring/summer 08 collections. Thus gives the new wave of winter fashion the go ahead to descend on our stores and our subconscious and just like the grey skies of autumn a new season is upon us in fashion.

In London, the success of exciting new designers like Christopher Kane, the cutting edges of PPQ and the reinvention of old English brands like Aquascutum, it looks like Britain is reclaiming it's revolutionary design reputation. With the Manchester fashion weekend descending upon us in less than a week the word is spreading even to the far reaches of the north west (who would have thought it?) So if you count yourself as one of the many frustrated fashion enthusiasts who gets sick of having stuff ordered in from the Oxford Circus Topshop and hoofing it to Manchester for any real inspiration then I write this for you.

Tuesday December 4th WTF are putting on a fashion show in Wigan. Read all about it and fashion things here.

WTF indeed.

To see all shows from all fashion weeks visit www.style.com

Turn to the left

2007-09-30T04:06:00.000-07:00

Fashion is life Art is a rave Science is key Hands can save I am part Of a New wave of thought, are you? what the F indeed.