New Years Resolutions: Just Do It.

Resolution

noun

1. A firm decision to do or not to do something.

   
   

   

   
   

   
   

   When we wake up on January 1st, 2014, almost every one of us will be A) hungover beyond belief, but more importantly B) kicking off the New Year with a fresh (albeit, clouded by an alcohol-induced fog) mindset and 'can-do' attitude. Resolutions are something that we all set with nothing but good intentions. Sure, sometimes they don't work out and you fail miserably; but that's what happens when you get your head stuck in the clouds and set yourself some unrealistic and downright impossible goals.

   
   

   The first resolution which comes to mind is the 'Oh, I'm totes going to the gym 5 times a week and lose 20lbs. Victoria's Secret models, eat your heart out'. Yeah, I think we all know it. Do you actually know the statistic for people who stick to this one though? It's only about 38%. And it doesn't get any better for other resolutions. Finding love is 31%, financial success is around 34% and scarily, only 8% of people making resolutions of any calibre will actually fulfil these by the time a new year comes around. 

   
   

   So what can we do to stick to our goals? Well start off by making realistic choices. If you want to lose weight, start by cutting bad foods out of your diet instead of doing something drastic. Want to get fitter? Take the stairs and walk as much as you can. You don't have two legs for nothing. Giving up cigs? Try cutting down by a couple a day. We all know the saying, "You want what you can't have", so don't deprive yourself or try to change overnight. These things take time.

   
   

   Those are the obvious ones, but what about other matters such as our love lives and career goals? Well love isn't exactly something that you can control - it controls you and comes into your life when you least expect it. That's what I've learned anyway. But that doesn't mean that there's absolutely nothing for you to do to improve the situation. Start by surrounding yourself with positive people; I read somewhere that we're the average of the people we see on a daily basis - so if you have a positive mind, then love may just come knocking. Get yourself out there a little bit more; try online dating, talk to the person next to you on the train in the morning, get your morning latte from another coffee shop. All of these things will introduce you to new people and work towards finding Mr (or Mrs) Right. 

   
   

   Careers. Well, what can we do to work towards bettering this? Take on extra hours, try and give your input a little more to the people who are going to take notice. Do something you don't normally do. Look at the people you aspire to and see what sort of things they're doing - it must be working for them, so why not take some tips from them. Oh, and if you're in a job that you hate? Look for a new job and quit. Don't get me wrong, I know this isn't exactly the logical thing to do when you have bills to pay, but life is for living. Stop doing something that you hate every day, just to get by. Study a new course, find an exciting career that you can realistically do and go for it. Yes, there's risks, but just think all the great things that could come from it.

   
   

   If you're a student like myself, you can do an internship, find some work experience, travel, see new places and meet new people. Everyone forgets that life is an experience and helps you to figure out the path that you're supposed to be on. I set out five years ago with the goal of working in the design industry; only now i've decided that it isn't for me and that I want something a little more challenging and engaging like fashion journalism and trend forecasting. The point is, I discovered that through taking a step back and trying new things. Everyone I went to school with has, or is soon to be graduating from their chosen degrees, whereas I still have a year and a half to go. This doesn't phase me because I'm more determined now than I ever have been to get to where I want to be. I'm glad that I took the time to figure out what I wanted, because it affected every aspect of my life and now everything is 100 times different than how it was five years ago. Hell, it's 100 times different now than it was last year!

   
   

   So when you sit down with your pen and paper (or Notes app on your new iPad Air) in the next couple of days, think of realistic things that you can do to make 2014 better than 2013. I'm going to get to the gym as much as I can (this is realistic for me because I absolutely love the gym and can get into the habit of going every day once I start), keeping a more positive outlook and focusing on my future career by applying for Camp America in the Summer, followed by an internship either overseas or in LDN. These are things that I fully intend on sticking to and I hope that you can stick to your goals as well in 2014.

   
   

   I hope you all had a lovely Christmas and have some fantastic plans to kick off the New Year in style!

   
   

   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

DKNY: Pre-Fall 2014

First of all, I know it's Christmas, but that doesn't mean that every post you read has to be about the day or the run up to it. Secondly, Pre-Fall '14 may seem a long way off to be talking about its collections now, but I just want to. So here it is.

When I say collections, I really just mean DKNY. Everyone knows the brand to be luxe, laid back and effortlessly cool; which is exactly what the Pre-Fall 2014 collection is and more. There are some pastel colours, thrown in with sea blue and sunset hues; all of which colouring a sporty collection of hooded tennis-style dresses, striped trousers and T's with saying's such as "Pizza or Caviar?" and "Disco, Deli, DKNY". Don't even get me started on some of the biker jackets and the shoes in the collection as well. Those are definitely at the top of my Fall'14 list.

The whole thing just screams chic simplicity. What more could you possibly ask for?

What do you think about the collection? 
Also, what sort of festive posts are you taking a particular loving to at the minute and would like to see on VDM?

Photo Credit: www.vogue.co.uk

VDM: The Magazine

As you may or may not remember, I mentioned in an earlier post that I had been producing my own fashion magazine for my editorial journalism module at uni. At the time I could only show you the article and a mock front cover for the publication, but alas, everything is finished and I can now show you the full thing! Hooray! 

When I was given my brief (it was all about diversity, identity and ideals) for the module, I immediately knew that I wanted the magazine to reflect Vita di Moda. From the content, to the style in which articles were written and indeed, how the fonts and general aesthetics of the magazine looked. In the end, I came up with VDM for the title (pretty self explanatory, really) and tried to style the magazine around my personality and identity as much as possible. Having my own publication is something which I have thought about as a career option after university, so I hope it gets some positive feedback. 

All content - written and photography - is my own, so it's taken me a while to produce and I'm really pleased with the result. I hope you guys like it as well and don't forget to let me know in the comments section what you all think!

CLICK HERE TO READ THE MAGAZINE AT ISSUU

AQ/AQ: Party Dress Edit

Now, if you read my last post (click here to catch up and I'll forget all about it), you'll remember that I said I would be celebrating the upcoming Christmas festivities in a cheeky little Christmas jumper; however that does not mean that I won't be getting glammed up to party as well! When it comes to party dresses and such, one brand which stands out as a go-to is AQ/AQ (previously Aqua by Aqua). Don't get me wrong, for a regular dress these can be considered quite expensive, but for an occasion such as Christmas, i'm sure you can break the bank - or extend your student overdraft - just this once. Being higher end on the high street, AQ/AQ is a little out of reach for every day items, however not too high that you can't aspire to and save your pennies up for, if you see something particularly special. 

There are some obvious picks in my selection - such as the all over sequin pieces and classic red dress - however I thought I would add in some trouser options and a stunning white, long sleeve, peplum dress for those of you feeling daring enough - and confident enough not to spill Christmas pudding or red wine down the front of it. God forbid. 

CLICK TO SEE ALL OF THE ABOVE BY AQ/AQ

For me personally, I think I could be enticed to try out a trouser option for one of my Christmas parties this year. The red jacquard trouser and top option just seems to stand out the most. Team it with a gold statement necklace, embellished front waist belt and some killer heels and you're onto a winner.

Which look would you be most inclined to go for?

Christmas Jumpers: What Would Mark Darcy Do?

Do A 'Mark Darcy' This December:

Who wants to hear a funny story? This time last week, I was casually listening to Michael Buble's Christmas album and dancing around my flat, simple because I had just about finished all of this semesters work and submitted my tattoo/diversity article; which meant that I had gotten one uni deadline over and done with. Then the worst thing imaginable to a student happens … my MacBook decides to switch off and won't turn back on. Ha, I know. One might think this isn't too bad; surely a second year fashion student would make copies of her work? Well, um, no. I didn't. Rookie mistake - what was I thinking? So yeah. For the last week now, i've been re-doing months of work, including: putting together 30+ pages of research for my personal events management file and a 22 page magazine. All from scratch. It hasn't exactly been all fun and games lately, let me tell you. However, I've submitted work for deadline #2 today and I only have 3 pages left to do for my magazine, so I'm getting back on top of everything. Go me!

With the stresses of uni (and life in general at the minute), my friends and I have decided that a little Christmas family dinner and festive drinking session is in order once all of our deadlines are over. Said festivities will, of course, involve a rather attractive Christmas jumper; so I've taken the liberty of sourcing some from the high street to help us (and you too!) decide on one.

Starting from the top left clockwise: 

1 // 2 // 3 // 4 // 5 // 6 // 7 // 8

I know #5 isn't exactly a sweater, but it's a pretty cool beanie, so I had to add it. Each sweater is festive and won't break the bank (the most expensive is £35), which means more dollah for christmas presents and cocktails. Primark don't have a website to source some of their festive jumpers, however from being in store lately, I think I'll probably purchase one from there. Either that, or i'm going for the "Merry Christmas Ya Filty Animal" one from Boohoo. I do love a good movie quote on a jumper, not gonna lie.

Whatever you decide to do to celebrate the festive season, make sure it involves a jumper like those above. And a decent amount of festive-themed cocktails.

David Gandy By D&G

By D&G:

*THIS POST CONTAINS FULL FRONTAL NUDITY*

Sometimes in life, little events happen or you receive a text/email, or you simply logon to Facebook and instantly your day is made. I think it's fair to say that this happened to me today. This morning (after realising that I had slept in and deciding that it was probably best just to miss my morning classes entirely, don't judge) I logged onto FaceyB to see what news was clogging up my newsfeed. What did I see? A butt naked photo of David Gandy. No, I don't just mean the back view and some delicately, yet annoyingly appropriately placed bed sheet across his crotch. I mean full. on. frontal. nudity. 

After scrolling past and then doing a double take, I clicked on the image and found the accompanying article. It seems that Italian powerhouse D&G, have dedicated an entire photo book to the fashion and modelling icon. I know, it really is proof that there is a God out there somewhere. I counted my blogger blessings and wanted to write about his perfect package then and there, but unfortunately I couldn't miss the second half of my day. So I'm doing it now. 

"David Gandy, a true icon in the world of fashion and modeling gets the prestigious honor of having a photography book completely dedicated to him. Published by Rizzoli, the book David Gandy by Dolce&Gabanna explores the unique relationship between the British model and the Italian fashion house. Photographer Mariano Vivanco plays an integral part in this journey and contributes both iconic older images and new exclusive shoots to the book." - www.kontraplan.com

They say that a picture is worth 1000 words, but let me tell you; no amount of words in the freaking English speaking language can describe just how perfect this man looks in these photographs. So I'll just leave them here for you to gawk over. Let me know what you think if you aren't left entirely speechless!

Photo Credit: www.kontraplan.com

Tattoos | Diversity | Identity

Well hello stranger(s), remember me? If I thought I had a lot of work to do in first year of university, then second year just shot me down. I've to create a pop-up event for Cruise clothing, research and write an essay on live experiences and if that wasn't enough, create my own magazine (mock cover pictured below - can you guess what VDM stands for?); photo shoots and an article on diversity included. Ha, I know. So I've been a little busy if you couldn't already tell. Since I haven't been able to sit down and take a second to think of some blog posts, I thought I would share the first draft of my diversity article with you all. The article is based on tattoos within the fashion industry (shocker for me, eh?) and how it makes me a little pissed off that we still get judged and told to cover our ink up - as if covering them is going to make us any better at our jobs. Anyway, I hope you enjoy it and I'll try and get some other posts with some of the work I've been doing lately up soon. Much love xoxo

The fashion industry is forever evolving at rapid speed; from Chanel and her palazzo pants, to Rihanna and her lack of pants. Styles change, people change, but one thing remains the same: the judgement in a stranger’s voice and facial expression, when they do not particularly agree with the ensemble you painstakingly styled that morning. Or on a more person level, the way in which you choose to represent your personality and identity to the big bad world.

One question which most tattooed people tend to get asked on a regular basis is, “How will you ever get your dream job now?”. Who is to say that an individual with ink on his or her arm, isn’t as passionate, dedicated and hard working as the clear-skinned, hopeful intern, sitting next to them in Anna Wintour’s reception? In the end, it all falls down to an expected set of ‘ideals’ that the fashion industry has set in stone for the world to follow as religiously as Vogue itself.

Having said this however, a selection of highly influential - and at times, controversial – designers have taken the first step towards change, by casting heavily tattooed models on their catwalk shows and advertorials. Names include the likes of Vivienne Westwood, Jean-Paul Gaultier, Valentino and Marc Jacobs and each have welcomed tattoos wholeheartedly. For example, the head design due for Valentino; Pierpaolo Piccioli and Maria Grazia Chuiri, have been at the reigns of the fashion house since 2007. Since then, they have revelled in injecting a sense of youth to the brand and have managed to do so in a variety of ways. One such way was through their Spring Summer 2013 accessories advertorials, where the heavily tattooed photographer Terry Richardson, replaced the regular presentation of florals and candy coloured lace with his sleeve. Maria Grazia Chuiri commented saying, “the sensual yet elegant nature of our accessories, described as objects of desire - and Terry’s tattooed arm is the perfect showcase.”

Other successful fashion names such as Louis Vuitton, have previously made a less permanent decision. In 2010, “Models at Louis Vuitton sported custom temporary tattoos by Brooklyn artist Scott Campbell.” Said tattoos were in no way, shape or form subtle or on the small side either; they were large, eye-catching pieces placed directly on the neck/chest, full arm and calves. If steps such as these are being made on the luxury, high fashion scene (where image and self representation really is everything), it begs an answer as to why individuals with tattoos are still being judged in not only the fashion retail industry, but the work place in general.

Kieran Rose is an up-and-coming ‘alternative’ model who, at the tender age of just nineteen, already has countless tattoos covering around 70% of his body. He regularly shoots for a variety of street-wear brands, has an impressive fan base and although undoubtedly talented in what he does, knows all too well the sharp sting of rejection from the public. “I’ve had some abuse for them [tattoos] in the past and still get s**** for them every now and then. People say its ‘disgusting’…those people are just judgemental”. Kieran then commented further saying, “I think as popular as they’re becoming, there’s still a lot of people who’re against them and always will be.”

It is a disturbing realisation that people are still being discriminated against in the 21^st century, despite how far the general consensus on body art has come in the past decade or so. “What were once the province of sailors or bikers, and then the pastime of rockers and punks, are now all over bank tellers and advertising executives and stay-at-home moms.” Those particular individuals with tattoos are still very capable of being successful at a high rank career; such as a magazine editor, photographer or top model. Tattoos are no longer the sole symbol of rebellion, aggression or anger. They simply extend a persons identity and personality and show that they believe in something: “There is something especially wonderful about seeing a tattoo on a model on a runway—I’m here, it says. I’m different. I have a grandmother, a favorite poem, an opinion.”

As it stands, there are many retailers - and other professions – which have policies in place which states that body art must be covered when in the work place at all times. This is generally due to the brand not wishing to have a specific look or stereotype associated with them. However, after looking at a recent survey on the general public, asking what their thoughts were on heavily tattooed individuals, it is a wonder that said policies are still being enforced. Over 60% of the public said that they would feel more than comfortable to receive their medical treatment, education and legal advice from someone with visible tattoos. A farther 94% said that they did not feel that someone should be made to cover their tattoos, purely to gain employment in their chosen field. Finally, 100% of people surveyed stated that they in no way found heavily tattooed people offensive.If brands are worried about their self-portrayal within a public setting and therefore have employees cover up their tattoos, perhaps this could change in the near future if they saw that the majority of the public did not actually react badly towards them.

What was interesting from the survey, were the comments that the public left on their opinion of heavy tattooing. One individual said that “tattoo’s don’t change the person, they are an expression of the person”, with another stating that “it is a personal choice and doesn’t reflect someone’s skill or intelligence”.

Statements such as these just shows how the public actually feels towards body art and it being presented in a work environment. Just as Kieran Rose noted previously, there are people who will forever have an issue with tattoos. However, in today’s society, more and more people (both from a younger and an older generation) are walking into tattoo parlours and requesting to be inked on a much grander scale. Time will present itself eventually, when those applying to be the next Editor-In-Chief of Vogue may well just have a full sleeve. Who knows, maybe even the President of the United States could have a chorus of song lyrics, or skull and roses tattooed to his (or her) bicep.