Pop to www.irregularchoice.com for more info.

G Star have stores in Leicester, Derby, Birmingham and Nottingham. diffusiononline.co.uk

Pop over to G Star Derby’s Facebook page for more images from the night:

Manchester Metropolitan University BA Hons Fashion Students presented their final year collections at the Capitol Theatre (Manchester) on Tuesday 22nd June 2010 where the students got a great opportunity to present their work in a live situation to the general public and industry; something they’ll all be hoping to do a lot more of in the future.

Many of the students created bold shapes and silhouettes this year. Perhaps a little GaGa inspired?  Some of the garments were suitable for the catwalk (or for a lady wishing to make a bold statement!) but many of the clothes were very wearable and made from beautiful contemporary fabrics and interesting takes on more traditional materials. Bulbous skirts made from plaited wool? Sounds unusual, but definitely makes an impact!

Earlier in the month, Manchester Metropolitan Uni student Rebecca Thomson took home the gold award from Graduate Fashion Week in London with her collection of hand-pleated details with jogging bottoms, giant bow-ties, lace bib-collars and billowing shirt-dresses.

So congrats to Rebecca and the rest of the students and have a little looksee at some of the best bits from the show:

(All images courtesy of Andy Espin)

www.andyespin.com

Visit Manchester Met Uni”s own online gallery of their photo shoot before the show:

http://www.artdes.mmu.ac.uk/fashion/shoot2010/

Approved entrants will have their pictures posted in NEXT’S Facebook gallery. Then the one-hundred aspiring models who secure the biggest number of votes in a public poll (also on Facebook) will be invited to the fabulous live final in London on 30^th July. There will be TWO winners!  The prizes? Each will enjoy a £2,000 shopping spree at NEXT, the chance to star in a photo-shoot for NEXT, plus a special introduction to leading model agency, Select. Think you’ve got what it takes? Well, you have to be in it to win it, so get yourself over to Facebook and round up every handsome dude and pretty young lady you know . . . then point them in NEXT’S direction. Stardom awaits, you gorgeous things.

The Vans ‘Girls Off the Rail Tour’ have called upon an expert stylist to be on hand in each city to spread her invaluable fashionista knowledge to anyone looking for some clever styling tips. As well as being the first to check out the fantastic new collection, you will receive all the VIP treatment that a shopoholic desires. Make-up demos, fake tattoo artists, delicious cupcakes and drinks, Vans goodie bags and loads more! What more could a girl ask for?

For the London leg of the tour Vans’ trusty stylist will be heading out and stalking the streets around central London to find only the coolest, quirky and most stylish girls, who look like they have a flair for fashion. The lucky few will be selected to style an outfit in store with a chance to win an exclusive Vans Shopping Spree! I think this calls for some serious wardrobe raiding ladies…

Check out the tour dates to find out when the Vans ‘Girls Off The Rail Tour’ is coming to a town near you… don’t miss it!
Vans, Carnaby St London Friday 25th June
Foot Asylum, Liverpool Thursday 1st July
Vans, Manchester Friday 2nd July
Vans, Leeds Saturday 3rd July
Vans, Coventry Thursday 8th July
Vans, Kingston Friday 9th July
Northshore, Newquay Monday 2nd August

JUST IN! Check out some of the pics from Liverpool’s leg of the tour at Foot Asylum.

As Carly Zucker, Alex Curran and co got ready to cheer on their partners in South Africa at the World Cup, Sophie Langston, Charlie Masters, Charlotte King and Kirsty Luckett were named by Westfield Derby as Derbyshire’s most fashionable ‘real life’ WAGs.

Each girl won a £150 Westfield gift card to kit themselves out with a new summer outfit from the stores at Westfield Derby.

Charlotte King, whose boyfriend David Brown plays for Eastwood Town, said: “It was fantastic to get the chance to go and spend money like a real life WAG! I chose a real summer outfit including a new lace tunic with studded design on the shoulders, a fashionable bandeau and some hot summer shorts, all from Topshop.

“I guess I fall under the category of a WAG – I like my clothes but I have always watched David in his matches and I can’t wait for the World Cup. Now I just hope the England team can do us proud and bring the trophy home.”

Sophie’s husband Dave is manager of Uttoxeter-based  Rocester FC, Charlie’s boyfriend Dave Gray plays for Dronfield Town and Kirsty’s boyfriend Karl is the star striker at Mickleover Sports.

Janine Bone, centre manager of Westfield Derby, said: “Cheryl Cole may not be a WAG anymore but I think these photos prove we have some worthy replacements right here in Derbyshire. It was fascinating to see the support these girls give to our local superstars and it’s great to see there’s no let up in the fashion stakes whatever level their men are playing at. We were delighted to be able to reward them with the chance to spend like a real WAG.

“We’re all really excited for the World Cup at Westfield Derby and we have a packed summer of events to help shoppers cheer along the team, from face painting to free screenings of the England matches in Showcase Cinema de Lux. It’s going to a fantastic summer!”

Sophie Langston

Husband Dave Langston is the Rocester FC manager. She chose:

• ¾ sleeve linen jacket, River Island – £34.99
• Cream top, River Island – £9.99
• Straight fit white jeans, River Island – £39.99
• Whipstitch handle detail bag, River Island – £39.99
• Black Boots – models own

Charlie Masters

Boyfriend David Gray plays striker for Dronfield Town FC. She chose:

• White dress, Doll Boutique – £40
• Patent Platform Court shoe, Barratts – £25 (sale)
• Bracelet, Diamond & Pearls – £7.99
• Earrings, Diamond & Pearls – £5.99

Charlotte King

Boyfriend David Brown plays striker for Eastwood Town FC. She chose:

• Stud shoulder lace tunic, Topshop – £40
• Bandeau, Topshop – £6
• Bloomer Shorts, Topshop – £32
• Boots – model’s own

Kirsty Luckett

Boyfriend Karl Ashton plays striker for Mickleover Sports FC. She chose:

• Maxi dress, Warehouse – £65
• Nude ring-front sandals, Dorothy Perkins – £40
• Teardrop dream catch earrings, Topshop – £7.50

Pretty blush bracelet set, Topshop – £16

“River Island Graduate Fashion Week in London was unlike anything I have ever experienced. I have never been so nervous, excited, proud, terrified, amazed and exhausted in one day – and you know what? I would do it all again tomorrow!

The event, at Earls Court, is an opportunity for universities to show off the nation’s newest and shiniest fashion talent. Many leading names in the industry attend to closely inspect the final collections of hundreds of students from across the country, searching for the new Stella McCartney or Marc Jacobs.

I, along with 15 of my course-mates from fashion design and nine from fashion knitwear design and knitted textiles, was selected to exhibit my collection on the catwalk. With students from 21 other universities also selected for catwalk shows, and more than 50 institutions exhibiting work overall, the competition was high.

The day kicked off less than glamorously at 9am, unloading box after box of clothes, accessories and shoes. It was then on to the task of selecting clothes, dressing models, organising hair and make-up and completing stage run-throughs before the 2.30pm show.

Jessica Lovell got proceedings underway with her stunning collection of oversized silhouettes and distorted floral prints, creating a magical ambience for the rest of the hour-long show.

My collection was 11th in the running order and the wait felt like a lifetime. Eventually I caught a glimpse of my floral print appearing at the edge of the runway and my stomach flipped.

Inspired by Frances Hodgson Burnett’s novel ‘The secret garden’, my collection was based around patterns from nature – specifically flower petals and insect wings.

I selected simple silhouettes to ensure the prints remained the primary focus of the collection and used simple, flowing fabrics and neutral colours, with a few metallics thrown in for good measure. I also studied traditional menswear from the 18^th and 19^th centuries and softened the shapes to create a cohesive and consistent overall look.

As the models glided up and down the catwalk I could not believe it was my work on stage and I was bursting with pride. And then, within sixty seconds, it was finished. After working solidly for six months on these outfits it was surreal to think it was all over.

A series of alternating fashion and knitwear created a beautiful selection of textures, shapes and forms across all collections. Our talented international student, Shinsuke Mitsuoka from Japan, did a fabulous job of closing the show with his surreal dark, geometric and innovative collection, which left friends, family and the press in awe.

The day ended with an appropriate amount of champagne, nibbles and excited reflection on what was a truly magical experience.

We were thrilled to have had the chance to share our work, both on the catwalk and at the Nottingham Trent University exhibition stand, and to give the industry a glimpse of the amazing fashion talent to come.”

For more on Nottingham Trent University visit www.ntu.ac.uk
For more on Graduate Fashion Week visit www.gfw.org.uk

Images courtesy of Andy Espin Photography: www.andyespin.com

Among this year’s work – which was showcased in the University’s newly-refurbished Newton building – was a stunning collection inspired by climate change, with knitwear designed for the proposed forecasts of the year 2050. Up and coming designer Laura Coppen combined sustainability and luxury, and included technological yarns aimed at protecting certain areas of the body in hotter temperatures.

Laura used a thermal sensor camera to map where hot and cold temperatures affected the body most, before developing her six piece collection accordingly. One of the yarns used, seacell, is created from seaweed and enriches and releases vitamins and minerals into the skin, while another, clima, has paraffin in the fibre that creates an interface of heat regulation between the wearer and their environment. It’s all very clever stuff.

Another knitwear collection was inspired by the literary nonsense of 19^th Century authors such as Alice in Wonderland creator, Lewis Carroll, in which socks have been joined together to create beautifully-designed individual pieces. Designer Hannah Bullen came up with the idea while on work placement at the Ruddington Framework Knitters Museum where making socks was part of her role!

Her womenswear collection, which aimed to question the rules of logic, included a complete skirt and top made from lining socks together, as well as incorporating socks into various features of her garments. Socks were used to create a bustle at the back of one dress, heels form the bottom of a skirt, while the toes were used to create a high neck, pockets and a scarf in other pieces.

Film noir and the screen sirens from the late 1930s and early 1940s were the inspiration behind fashion design student Rosannah Palmer’s visually powerful collection. She mixed dark colours with a sophisticated palette and couture high-end fabrics were for a collection which includes jumpsuits, dresses and a beautifully-tailored shirt.

David Powell, meanwhile, has created a menswear collection based on an exaggerated style of the American deep south, and has designed his own check pattern and incorporated leather and padding throughout to give his work a biker-feel. And Frankie Yung has used the Japanese bento box food container as inspiration for the structure and simplicity for her collection, which features angular designs worked into jackets, dresses and trousers.

After the Nottingham shows, students will be selected to show their collections at the prestigious Graduate Fashion Week event in London, which provides a platform for the very best fashion design talent in the UK. The event runs from 6-10 June, with the Nottingham Trent University catwalk event scheduled for 8 June.

This year’s students will be hoping to emulate the success of previous Nottingham Trent University undergraduates who have gone on to establish careers at labels including Paul Smith, Julien Macdonald, All Saints, Abercrombie and Fitch, Max Mara, Karen Millen, Issey Miyake, Levi Strauss, River Island and Topshop.

Nottingham Trent University: www.ntu.ac.uk

Photography courtesy of Andy Espin:

www.andyespin.com

An eclectic mix of eras, styles, fabrics and colour palettes this collection has everything from casual summer frocks to show-stopping evening gowns. In fact, just about everything you need for a stand out summer wardrobe.

According to Topshop,  ‘denim makes a comeback this season’ (although for me, it never went away!) Key pieces are hippy-ish low rise wide leg jeans and cheeky hotpants,  laced up at the front a la Christina Aguilara in her Diiirty days! From that we go to 1920′s inspired pieces in chiffon, lace and silk which are key if you’re following the underwear as outerwear trend this season. A silk and chiffon bed jacket with floral lace trim in soft pistachio, and a traditional oriental floral print kimono are luxurious and wearable in and out of the bedroom. All in all our favourites include the tailored city shorts in black velvet with a cream lace trim and a  stunning cream satin cape adorned with appliquéd oriental orchids which will dress up a denim day look.

You’ll need to have credit cards at the ready to get your hands on a… wait for it ‘contemporary faded ditsy print washed cotton mini dress with a maxi length graduated back’,  which was named ‘ dress of the season’ and is therefore certain to sell out before the summer sun even arrives. Oh, and as if this collection wasn’t cute enough. Kate has  named a 1970s inspired,  smock style, blue ditsy print blouse after her daughter Lila.  Now, what fashionista in the making wouldnt be happy about that! Kate’s Spring/Summer 2010 launches in Topshop nationwide from tomorrow (20 May) and below is just a little taster of some of the pieces.

GP

www.topshop.com

I.Know. How exciting. Midlands fashionistas are polishing their elbows as I type.

And who do we have to thank for this glimpse of nirvana? Why it’s those lovely folk at Highcross.

Next week (April 26-2 May) the Highcross shopping centre has a schedule packed tighter than this summer’s hotpants of gorgeous fashion events. There will be shows, workshops, stylist sessions, beauty advice, pamper pods and Q+A’s.  We’ve also heard a rumour about cupcakes and The Almanack will be having a champagne and shoes evening. That’s two of our favourite things!

For more info on all the fabulousness that awaits you, head over to their site.

The lovely folks at Highcross really want you, loyal reader of 69 (and one of your friends) to join in the fun.  We have 10 front row seats to give away to the fabulous fashion shows that will be happening next weekend. If you are a lucky winner you will have your choice of attending the  Saturday (1st May) 4pm and 6pm or the Sunday(2nd May) 3pm or 4pm catwalk shows which ever suits your fashion perusing needs.

On top of that Highcross want you to go to one of their ‘Pharmacy Sessions’ which cover a whole bundle of fashion topics to help you dazzle. Topics that are covered are Tailor Fashion To You, Fashion need not be expensive, Accessories are key,  What’s on Trend? to name but a few. Head on over to highcrossleicester.com for a full run down of topics and get your thinking caps on for which workshop you want to attend.

And finally Highcross will give those lucky chosen few a goody bag of treats.

So if  all this sounds like its up your street just pop your details below and winners will be contacted on Friday 30th April.

T’s & C’s

From time to time we may send you information about fabulous products, services and brands that may interest you. If you mind terribly, email david@69-247.com otherwise keep your eyes peeled.