Quick blog update

So before I pop off to lesson, I'm off jean shopping today since I've put a minor hole in my others and so can't wear them out really. I've also got 2 interviews tomorrow aswell so I might not update for a few days, but I just thought I'd let you know!

Also has anyone found any really good designers on the ASOS marketplace, that have low prices that could be higher that aren't? I really want some good stuff but I'm almost broke ): Don't you just hate that!

An Interview with... Alexandra from Makemeadress

Today, from the wonderful world of Handmade and Vintage! I've interviewed for your pleasure Alexandra from the online Etsy store Makemeadress. She was wonderful to interview so thank you for letting me!

Makemeadress Shop!

How long have you handmade things?
Since I was a little girl playing with my mum’s fabric box and my grandmother’s huge array of clothes, shoes and just about anything else you could wear.

Black Lace Cocktail Dress - $210.00

Did your grandmother and mother ever encourage you as such or was it more self-driven the need to create?
I wasn't actively encouraged to create but was actively taken to dance classes nearly every day. My grandmother was a dance hostess in the 50's and thought I should be taught properly. I was more interested in the costumes and was eventually told I would be better off designing the costumes than dancing in them! My mother is very creative and is a wonderful support.

Where do you work from? Office space, the lounge, outside?
I'm lucky enough to have a studio where I live.

Do your surroundings reflect how you design?
Not so much, I'm sure if I lived in the city my designs could be a little different but out here in the country I'm able to run away with my imagination. 

Do you sell in the countryside, or go into London etc. for ideas occasionally?
We always take holidays in cities which are great for ideas and to be around a buzz. Our nearest city Bristol is only a short drive away and is an amazing hub of creativity. 

Little Black Organic Cotton Dress - $190.00

How do you get you’re inspiration for new products? I am constantly watching old movies, pouring through books on the golden age of design and have an unhealthy addiction to vintage clothing and fabrics. I find inspiration in just about everything and live and breathe dresses all day long.

Is there anything special you do when stuck for an idea or on an item? i.e. walk?
I usually get to a point with each dress where need to step away and not look at it for a few hours. When you have been staring at the same dress for sometimes twelve hours a day, you need to get some perspective. 
I take trips out, we'll go to exhibitions, and there is an excellent fashion museum only an hour away. I watch a lot of films and visit flea markets and vintage shops as much as I can. I love people watching and seeing how people style themselves which is always inspiring.

How did you get into hand making stuff?
I started with textiles at school and went on to study fashion design at university.

Were you brilliant first off, or did it take a few attempts? It’s taken 27years to be good at what I do; making dresses is a very long and endless process of learning. Every dress is different and there is always a new way to cut a dress. I hope to be brilliant when I'm 90!

Black Lace Peter Pan Dress Collar -$35.00

What led you to creating your own business?
Since graduating I had the option to move to London to work or stay living in the countryside; I chose to stay and as there aren’t many fashion jobs in the countryside I decided to set up my own business.

Do you think it’s been worth it?
Yes! Its hard work but I love every day that I get to work on new commissions and am happiest creating dresses all day long.

Is there anything you would change?
Being more confident to make contacts and network - but I'm working on this.

Do you get many difficult customers, and if so how do you manage not to yell at them?
There is no such thing as a difficult customer just a great challenge!
Of course there have been times but they generally just need some reassurance and everything is fine.

Is there any particular reason you started your online shop, apart from you love it?
Selling on-line has been the best way to reach lots of customers interested in the same vintage look as me. My perfect customers are rarely found walking down the dirt track to our house in the middle of nowhere.

Blue Red Cosmic Print rockabilly Dress Sample -$80.00

If you didn't make dresses what else would you of done?
I would have been a terrible dancer, singer or a very mediocre actress maybe?! I nearly went into fine art but was still sculpting dresses. I like the idea of teaching one day. 

What are the things that you most enjoy about owning your own business? 
I get to work with wonderful customers on their ideas and get to work on dresses every day.

What is your next step for your business or is selling online it?
I'm working on a new collection of bridal gowns which will launch early next year and I will be working with local boutiques selling one of a kind dresses.

Thank you for reading the interview, and be sure to pop along and have a look at what other items they have, there are also the most wonderful clutch bags as well! 

xoxo

Interview: Dianescloset

Andy T - lookbook.nu
Showing us how to mix Vintage with new styles and other items.

So I had a snoop around on Etsy.com and here is an interview with Claire from Dianescloset on Etsy.com

She discovered Etsy while searching for jewlery and accessories for her wedding.(Hand made items and blissful weddings do go hand in hand for unique Jewellery for you're once in a life time day!) She was very impressed by the skill and talent of the vendors and bought several pieces that She  wore on her wedding day including a necklace, shrug and clutch. Her wedding dress was her mother's, though altered to fit her specifications and season (her mother got married in the fall, she got married outdoors in the summer). Shortly after her wedding in July, she quit her job to go back to school full time. She was in the process of searching for a part-time job when she saw a vintage suit in a shop window that reminded her so much of the clothes her mother had worn and passed down to her and her sisters. This inspired her to start her own vintage shop on etsy, selling mostly 1960s and 70s clothing like her mother's. She has always been facinated with fashion and if she hadn't chosen to study an academic field, she likes to think she would have gone into the business. She started her shop mid-September and has been working hard collecting, listing and promoting her vintage pieces ever since and she has an amazing collection with currently 49 listed items. she chooses unique items that can be worked into outfits today, giving a good mix of Vintage and new. It's inspiring that she just quit her job and was inspired by something she saw and has done so well at it! 

Never Worn vintage beaded

 Glam Cocktail Dress - £50.89

The interview...

Me: How long have you handmade things? 

Diane: I've been collecting and wearing vintage clothing since I was a kid.
Me: Where do you work from? Office space, the lounge, outside? 

Diane: I work out of my apartment.
Me: How did you get into hand making stuff? 

Diane: My mother passed down some of her loud 1970s clothing to my sisters and I. We also often went to thrift stores and I loved the thrill of finding wonderful, unique items. I love history (I majored in it in college) and I think that translates into me being drawn to items with history.
Me: Were you brilliant first off, or did it take a few attempts? 

Diane: I've gotten a lot of compliments on my items but sales are still slow since I am new to Etsy.

Me: What led you to creating your own business?

Diane: I recently left my job of three years to pursue a Masters degree full time. I had been searching for part time jobs with no luck when I saw a vintage suit in a shop window that reminded me so much of my mom's vintage clothing. I was inspired to start a shop selling similar items.
Me: Do you think it’s been worth it? 

Diane: So far, it's been awesome!
Me: Is there anything you would change?

 Diane: I would love to have more free time to devote to my shop.
Me: Do you get many difficult customers, and if so how do you manage not to yell at them?

Diane: Like I said, I'm new, but so far all of my customers have been wonderful!
Me: How do you get you’re inspirations for new products? 

Diane: What ever catches my eye!

Me: Is there any particular reason you started your online shop, apart from you love it? 

Vintage Cream Crocheted Jumper - £22.27

Diane: It's a fun way to do share something I love with an awesome community of like-minded people.
Me: What are the things that you most enjoy about owning your own business? 

Diane: The flexibility and the sense of accomplishment.

Plaid Jacket - £15.90

To Visit Dianes Closet. CLICK HERE!

Music! Friends? Life! Fashion! Urban?

Currently loving the song Miami 2 Ibiza by Tinie Tempah and the Swedish House Mafia. They're such great artists! and Tinie Tempah is definitely staying at the top and growing strong. I've a feeling they're both definitely going to last more than 15  minutes which would be nice. I think we should be harsher on music, people who are only going to have 15 minutes of fame should be thrown out quicker. Too many people are called A listers when they really aren't and it's a shame since it's giving the music industry a bad name and it really is painful to listen too.

On the other side a bit more thoughtful. Friends? a friend recently had an incident where he needed his friends to stand by him, some he let leave to protect them, some ran and others stood by him, and when he came too, the people that should of been there weren't instead some of the ones that were on the opposing side were. So friends? People that stand by you're side through out anything? or ones that won't? Although I guess you need an occasion to actually test it. But just a thought for everyone, are you're friends who they think they are? I've had a lot of this recently, specially arguments with my parents over my friends. But sometimes the ones that are meant to be bad for you are the ones that will stand by you when you need it the most and if you ask me that's what friends are meant to do.

On the other side... Fashionnn! But I just though I'd give you something to ponder quickly.

On the Fashion front... I'm a bit bored. Very uninspired today, possibly cause I'm too tired. But hopefully I will think of something. I've got Cambridge next saturday so hopefully there will be something inspiring there. I have gotten into the idea of things that are more urban lately, a little bit "gangsta". Bit different to my normal stuff. But I'm just really waiting to get paid so that I can spend some money and get creating. I'm really looking into my own range of tops at the moment rather than at what other people are doing. I'm a little worried that I just copy what I see and that I'm not experiencing enough. So I'm really trying to get more experiences to draw on, so we'll see how that goes! 

I got my interview sorted for Coventry so that's good so far, but apart from that there's not much else to report on. So here's some stuff that I've drawn etc to show you or worn etc. You'll work it out! (: You just have to press play down the bottom to get it to go through everything!

12/11/10 on Prezi

Excited! Interview! Work! Family!

So sorry guys that I've not been online much I've been a bit lazy this week but I'm psyched back up again! so the sleep in went well but I came home friday and slept the entire day cause I felt drastically ill! But I managed to get lots of work done in my research book for Art! Which also helped with my drawing for my interview!

I've got an interview at Covent University for Fashion Design, it's the only one so far that has given me an interview, but I have just checked and no one has declined me either! So I'm really excited! But yeah I've been doing lots of art work and drawing in my books, and I'm going to mount my samples from my night course into my Design book that I started! so hopefully I'll have a good lot of work to show!

But I also saw that for my interview I have to design a top! and OMG! (excuse me since I hate the word but that was pretty much the response I had) But I had the greatest idea last night! I'm going to not tell you anything about it for now except little gold beads, lace, and spray paint! That's all you need know for now! But I'm really excited about it, but I also thought I could use the shirt to do some styling with as well! So I'm now super excited! But for now I'm going to have to wait until I have all of the things that I need! 

Works been going well and we won the incentive so I've an extra £60! which is going to be really helpful since I have the boyfriends presents still to buy, but I don't get paid annoyingly till after the 20th when I'm going with my friend to Cambridge, so I might take it out of my savings and then owe my savings account some money. 

I've also got Sunday off because I've got my nans birthday meal so I get to dress up a little and see everyone that I've not seen in months! Which will be really nice! I've also to show you my new red dress that I brought for the traffic light party on the 28th! It's really nice, it's from Tesco as well and was something like £18.00! Which is cheaper than the one in New look I saw but that one wasn't even properly lined.

 I also have to find a fancy dress costume for saturday night since it's my friend Claire's 18th, currently I'm going as a sailor, since I completely forgot about it being fancy dress, so now I'm stuck pennyless and costumeless! So I'm just going to have to make do! 

Such a good day!

Create a Free Slideshow

Today was pretty great! So as you know I got accepted into IFB (Independent Fashion Bloggers) which I'm really proud of since I didn't really think I'd get accepted in as my blog isn't AS fashion orientated as some of the others are and that I don't update enough sometimes. But I got in despite and this did make my day a good start. I then went shopping with my mum and got to dress up a little, which every girl loves doing! I got a white blouse, a new coat which you can see in the slideshow (the navy one) and a white blouse, a ring, and some new underwear (Cause every girl loves some good underwear!) We also then went out to lunch, which wasn't as good as what it used to be when we went to the place, we've said this the last few times that we've gone.... and yet we still go?!

I've then sat and up-dated my blog, as you can tell, and I've had a good old look at some magazines, and attempted to sort out my room... I think it's messier than when I started? Got to love tidying occasionally. I've also rang my friend who is at her sisters in New Castle and organised to go to the beach on Friday, so there should be some good photo's from then hopefully since I also got some batteries for my decent camera! 

I still can't quite believe that Kate Moss is leaving Topshop though, I dislike that thought! However I will so be getting an item from her last collection, a ring or something I think. Since I think the clothes are a little expensive for my student budget sadly, but maybe for Christmas! I'm really looking forward to seeing what Chloe Green can do though! I loveee! upcoming Designers! 

I also managed the very top Slideshow on Slideroll, and I'm quite impressed with myself, although our windows do need a good clean, which I managed to not notice till I'd taken the pictures which is a little annoying. But I'll be wearing that coat when I go to the beach so hopefully I'll get some really nice pictures of it then!

Also! A little bit of news for you, I am trying to line up some interviews with up coming designers, or owners of businesses who sell vintage clothing. I thought that might be a little bit interesting and different! The competition will close on the 19th, so expect the week of interviews to be up not far after that! But I'll try to keep you posted on how that is going, but so far I've had some good response!

xoxo!