Rosie Moorhouse: 2014

Behind the Scenes at Newcastle Fashion Week

14:26

I got the privilege of working as part of the backstage team at Newcastle Fashion Week on Saturday, and it was an unbelievable experience!

I was working at three catwalk events which were presented by Company Magazine. The Company feature writers, Alexxsia Elizabeth and Carlene Thomas Bailey hosted the three events; A-K, L-Z and Vivienne Westwood with Cruise.

I was told I had to be in Newcastle city centre at 8AM, normally I'd grumble at the idea, but I've never been so excited to wake up at six in the morning.

Arriving at the venue I was greeted with my model, Jodie, who another team member and I were put in charge of dressing for the day. We were responsible for making sure her clothes were catwalk ready and in the right order of appearance, as well as checking that the clothing actually fitted our model (we had a last minute panic about a wrong size bikini top). I also had to tape up the bottom of shoes so that they didn't get damaged, and I had to help Jodie during her quick changes by ensuring that no labels were hanging out and all buttons were fastened.

The atmosphere changed rapidly when VIP host, Julien Macdonald OBE arrived in the dressing room. His bubbling personality got all of the backstage team excited for the catwalk events and he took the time to take photos with all of us.

After the first two event, we were responsible for taking all of the catwalk clothing back to the shops that they were borrowed from; we carried bags of clothing through the town to shops such as H&M and Adidas.

The evening event featured Vivienne Westwood and Cruise clothing and was VIP invite only. I continued to dress my model throughout the event, although we were extremely careful to cause no damage to the clothing as it had a very large price tag!

The event was rounded off with an trip to the official after party at Bonbar bar. It was an incredible experience and I can't wait to visit other Newcastle Fashion Week events throughout the week such as fashion talks with industry experts and shopping events in Eldon Square.

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Exciting News!

04:00

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The Rise of the Budget Brides

15:28

Due to the rise of the high street H&M wedding dress, Rosie Moorhouse asks if women prefer expensive frills and sparkle or a basic budget drape.

It’s mid afternoon and the curtain shuts for the last time (I hope) while my friend, who is a bride-to-be next summer, tries on another wedding dress in the third shop we’ve been in. Lace sleeves, ribbon corsets and intricate detailing surround me and before long I hear the familiar cry, “I’m not sure if this one suits me!”

We’re in Debenhams trying on their collection of wedding dresses. Despite the huge amount of fuss covering the £60 H&M wedding dress, believe it or not, they aren’t the only high street brand to sell wedding gear. We visit Monsoon during our shopping trip; they not only have bridal wear, but also flower girl dresses, pageboy suits and a variety of bridal accessories such as shoes and veils. Although, these dresses, unlike the H&M dress, don’t come cheap with the lowest price being £229.

With summer fast approaching and the National Wedding Show just around the corner, brides-to-be everywhere are in full swing to find their dream gown. Instead of looking at thousand pound dresses, brides can now spend less as weddings have hit the high street. Due to the high street collections, budget brides can now spend a small price on their dress in comparison to the £1,200 average price that they paid in 2013.

The H&M wedding dress is the perfect frock for any bride on a budget but the question is: would you buy it? The average wedding costs £22,858 and a staggering 35% of brides would consider having cosmetic surgery for their wedding, so it comes as a shock that some people are ecstatic about the new money saving gown. Bride-to-be, Laura Summerill, 28, from Newcastle, claims, “I don’t need to spend a lot on my wedding dress, and my day will be perfect if we pick the right location, and as long as all of my family are there to celebrate with me, then I will be happy. The H&M dress is amazing, I could wear it on my big day and know I look good but yet I don’t have to worry if I ruin it because it only cost £60.”

Moving away from high-street, the new era of budget dresses may have an impact on the traditional way of buying a wedding dress; through establish bridal boutiques which never produce the exact same dress but also have a larger price tag. The owner of Berketex Bride boutique, which has been established for over 50 years, says, “What boutiques do is very different from the high street. The H&M dress is a very particular look and I can guarantee that we probably don’t sell anything similar to it because wedding dresses can vary greatly. I think it’s all down to individual preference on the appearance, I don’t think the price tag is a huge matter as long as you love the dress.”

High-street gowns may not affect bridal boutiques as much as first thought, although if the variety of high-street styles starts to increase, there may be a bigger rise in budget brides. Bride-to-be Natalie Wharton, claims, “Some brides agree there’ll always be boutiques. I know a lot of people that would love a bargain wedding dress but I would never dream of shopping on the high street. The tradition is going to a bridal boutique; you wear the dress to celebrate the happiest day of your adulthood, so your dress needs to be something to remember. The high-street is not good enough for the biggest day of your life!”

High street dresses, so far, have far less detailing compared to boutique dresses. The material appears to be far less rich with many of them being made from polyester, and the biggest difference between high street and boutiques is the sizes are standard, not made to measure. This means that there is fear of baggy fabric and bumps in all the wrong places. Hardly marriage material, is it?

On the other hand, the budget dresses look beautiful at first glance, and the price tag really is a bargain in comparison to traditional dresses. But whether you decide to bargain buy or splash out, the H&M gown is bound to be making an appearance at many big days this summer.

Trend Report: Precious Metals

10:01

Metallics are no longer just gold and silver; get ready to sparkle as shiny vibrant colours are making a statement this season.

Ranging from cobalt blue to baby pink and tropical orange, this trend is hot for the summer and these eye-popping colours will get you in the mood for every garden party this year.

High shine has already hit the celebrity world, with Beyoncé recently being spotted in a two-piece Topshop dazzling pink outfit and Emma Watson and Angelina Jolie sporting the trend at the latest Oscars red carpet. Emma wore a rock ‘n’ roll gunmetal shade dress which featured a mermaid skirt, while Angelina wore a silver shimmering gown with pink mesh sections incorporated.

Shiny metals stole the show majorly on the SS14 catwalk and they’re stretching into next season, with designers such as Julien Macdonald producing a collection for AW that shows it has been hugely influenced by hot metal. A particular dress from the catwalk show is a flamboyant pink bodycon and has intricate curved small panels detailed across it; this showcases the future of the colourful metals.

On the high street it’s all about combining metal with embellishments. Topshop has released skorts in floral prints with metallic orange woven throughout as well as a jacquard embellished skort. They also feature a rose gold textured tee with a zip embellishment. River Island have also embraced metallic and a staple item is their limited edition rose gold metallic leather biker jacket and accessory shops such as Dune are selling shiny turquoise pointed toe court shoes.

Metallic first became popular in the 1930s and were often combined into ball gown dresses. Fabrics woven with thin metallic yarns were used to create an old Hollywood glamour style. Throughout the 40s, metallic progressed to different garments such as leather coats, which actress, Ida Lupino, was seen wearing. In the 50s metallic one-shoulder cocktail dresses became popular and metallics were even incorporated into the paper dress trend in the 60s. For Versace AW94 collection, most models wore matchy-matchy gold, pastel blue and pink metallic short skirts combined with cable-knit roll necks and this is one of the most iconic designer collections influenced by the metallic trend.

If you want to dive straight into this trend, grab a fitted two-piece outfit or match a gold skirt with a brightly coloured jumper and pair with a bag featuring the same colour as your jumper (we suggest cobalt blue), and combine with gold embellishments such as zips, jewellery and heels. On the other hand, if you only want to dip a toe into this trend, start by accessorising. Rose gold and gunmetal clutch bags can be combined perfectly with any outfit or perhaps slip on a pair of dazzling silver stilettos, but if you want to be even more subtle, polish your nails with a metallic striking silver, sparkling pink or thunderbolt blue.

If you have a boyish figure, the best way to wear this trend is a plain metallic dress that has cut out features at the waistline to give the illusion of curves. If you are pear-shaped or round, combine this trend with a loose flowing top that has metal features around the neckline and if you have an hourglass figure try the two-piece trend as this will show off your curves.

Fashion stylist, Kalee Hewett, has this tip: “My favourite look on the SS14 precious metals catwalk was a gold leather pencil skirt and colour block sweater!”

Shimmer up your wardrobe in time for summer by adding a dash of metallics. This ‘it’ trend will definitely not fizzle out anytime soon.

The Oscars 2014: Best Dressed

02:40

Lupita Nyong’o

Lupita Nyong’o, the girl everyone wanted to dress, is wearing Prada. The crystal blue pleated dress was definitely a strong contender for the best-dressed at the Oscars this year, complete with a sparkling headband to match the glistening silver strands weaves into the pleats.

Although this dress is a little safe for the ’12 Years a Slave’ star, the stunning duck egg shade of the dress complimented Lupita’s skin tone to create a soft and dreamy look.

Jennifer Lawrence

The girl on fire, who was nominated for the Best Supporting Actress, looked fierce in a red peplum designed by Dior, of course.

She combined the strapless number with a draped back necklace which was a subtle touch that complimented her nude makeup.

The straight-line gown looks high fashion, sophisticated and modern, but in true J Law style, Jennifer took an early tumbled while on her way up the red carpet; a tradition has to be maintained!

Emma Watson

Making her Oscars debut, the young actress who has recently starred in The Bling Ring and My Week With Marilyn, walked the red-carpet in a Vera Wang gunmetal gown.

Emma sparkled in this rock ’n ’roll sleeveless t-shirt design which expanded at the hemline to create a elegantly draped, floor-sweeping mermaid skirt.

Emma was accessorising with Jimmy Choo heels, a Chanel Fine Jewellery ring and, in true British fashion, she’s holding an Anya Hindmarch crisp-packet clutch.

She completed her look with a loose-up do and a coat of red lipstick. Full marks Emma!

Naomi Watts

Nudes were an ultimate trend spotted on the red carpet and Naomi sported the trend perfectly with this floor length Calvin Klein gown complete with ice beading and cap sleeves. She rocked this dress as she combined it with sparkling metallic jewellery to create a bold statement look.

Red-carpet flat hair worked wonders for Naomi, and red lips topped of the outfit to create a high-fashion, glamorous look.

Sandra Bullock

It was not surprise when the ‘Gravity’ star turned up looking better than ever wearing a royal blue Alexander McQueen strapless satin dress.

The stunning gown was complete with a sweetheart neckline and incorporated dramatic draping under the bust which created detailing that couldn’t have made Sandra look more elegant.

Side swept curls completed Sandra’s classic look, and it was topped off with her Lorraine Schwartz ear cuff with added total sophistication.

My Winter Summary

02:36

Rosie Moorhouse

Behind the Scenes at Newcastle Fashion Week

Exciting News!

The Rise of the Budget Brides

Trend Report: Precious Metals

The Oscars 2014: Best Dressed

My Winter Summary

Rosie Moorhouse ♥

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