Tuesday 25 June 2013

What happened to Heatherette?

I've been doing a teeny bit of work on ideas for a collection next year and it reminded me of High School and a project I done on a corset design. Back then I was a 16 year old and my tastes were at opposite poles to what they are now but the inspiration behind my corset was down to the attention seeking and explosive colours that surround the designs of duo Heatherette.

I first came across Heatherette on an episode of 'My Super Sweet Sixteen' on MTV where the duo designed a one off outfit for a girl who was having her birthday party but wanted it to be insane and they went all out so that the outfit equaled this extravaganza.

Naturally the design duo stand out purely because it looks like they've single handedly decided to go against the rest of the fashion world in terms of aesthetics. The only thing I have ever seen even close to their aesthetic is the annual Victoria's Secret fashion show and even that looks slightly bland in comparison. However, as soon as I saw their dress and jacket combo on the telly I was smitten and decided to write about them in partnership with my corset design for my standard grade admission!

How do I even begin to describe the designs of Richie Rich and Traver Rains?

Well it's very 'candy land' and 'barbie.' Their earlier works are masses of vividly spraypainted tulle and glitter that launch an assault on the eyes at first but then cause intrigue. I personally look at the designs and get a feeling of a 5 year old girl in a dress up box, you can't help but think of youth and playfulness and I think that's a major driving factor behind why these designs were so well received, they give the wearer the chance to be that little girl again!

Their allure also lies in with the fact that their garments are never understated. It's all very in your face in terms of details and fabric. No one garment is just one colour, that is not the Heatherette way and strangely it works! Who wants an elegant satin gown that you can get from a hundred other designers when you can have a fru fru dress that attracts attention for all the wrong and yet oh so right reasons? 

This is why the Heatherette duo were loved, it is said that they would always kick off fashion weeks with a bang that left you longing for more and offered the perfect escape from fashionable reality. It was a show set on a glittering runway with a string of top models and celebrity fans who just kept the interest and success coming time and time again because the uniqueness was something to be celebrated...

HOWEVER! WHERE HAVE THEY GONE?

I recently took to the internet to see what they had been up to and instead of the usual pictures I'm used to seeing of them I was met with articles pondering the reason behind their absence from the catwalk over the past few years.

Artistic differences? Other work commitments? Bankruptcy? The list of possible consequences is endless and none come with a definitive answer. 

My theory about the downfall of the brand is that while their designs were a breath of fresh air from the norm they aren't incredibly marketable. The ready-to-wear line is way more accessible that the catwalk designs but even then you would have to be an incredibly brave soul to wear them to an event which makes advertising extremely hard. In terms of celebrity endorsement it's no secret that designers rely on celebrities wearing their garments on the red carpet to boost interest and profits but you can't exactly wear a Heatherette to the Oscars, at a push you could maybe brave the Met Gala but you run the risk of being misunderstood in your choice of dress.

Maybe in the future the duo will return with collections more suitable to these types of events but I will only accept them if some of the original and unique designs are kept in some way whether it mean the duo add an extra line or release a limited edition line of garments every so often to keep fans happy,one thing is for sure though, their glittering absence for the catwalk is being sorely missed by many .

Here are a few photos of the duos work!!






Friday 21 June 2013

London - Day 4 and 5

This post is mostly about day 4 because day 5 was really just shopping (see the London Spree post to see what I got.) 

So! Day 4 entailed a meeting with my Uncle, Cousin, her boyfriend Dan and her son little Sam! I hadn't seen them in ages so I was so excited to get to spend the day with them. Little Sam struggled in the beginning because he was only 1 the last time I seen him so I was kinda like a stranger but we were fine after he noticed I had a bag of crisps!!

I totally never realised that the zoo was also home to the scene from the first Harry Potter film where we seen 'The Vanishing Glass' so I was buzzing as soon as I spotted that! Plus Edinburgh zoo hasn't had a reptile house for years and I'm always gutted that they don't have any weird and wonderful snakes to look at. 

The day was a load of great fun, me and Sam were glued at the hip and there were opportunities to get really close to animals which was great. Me and the family also got a nice long catch up which was long overdue so yeah... lots of fun was had! 

The only gutting thing about the zoo was that we had to leave at 5 because they close and then re-open again in the evening with bars and a tonne of food outlets to enjoy so we feel like we totally missed out on a gold ol fashioned family night! We'll need to remember that the next we're down!

I have to say that when I arrived back in Scotland I was totally gutted. I had been to London about 4 times before this trip but because I'm a little older and more independent I totally fell in love with everything you could do and all the opportunities to be had. I've actually been looking at the clock and saying to dad "this time last week we were...." a whole bunch of times so I'm definitely hoping to go back as soon as possible because I could have easily stayed there much longer last week! 

Anyway, I feel like I've gone into quite a lot of detail about my few days holiday in London so it's time to shut up and the next blog post will be back to fashion. I'll maybe post an update on my progress with next year's collection or dissertation (I'm still undecided.)

Here's a few photos of me and my family at the zoo!












My outfit to the zoo! Casual leggings, baggy top and Levi jacket
Our view from the flight home

London - Day 3

Day three in London was by far the best day ever! I am a massive Harry Potter fan so I couldn't miss the chance to go to the Leavesden Studio Tour. Tickets were pretty expensive for me and my family I'll admit, especially with the added cost of the souvenir guide and the digital guide that you get to take about with you whilst you are doing the tour but it's money well spent when you consider how much there is to see and do there.

We got there for 11 o'clock in just enough time to get some coffee and breakfast before getting in the queue to go in. I don't want to write too much or go into great detail about the tour because if people actually read this it might ruin it for them!

I did however get picked to open the door to the great hall along with other people who were having birthdays which was unbelievable and it's insane how much smaller the hall looks in real life compared to how it looks on screen!!

The tour is split into three parts, the 1st is a massive hall you go into after the Great Hall and in here you find various sets and props used throughout the movie series and you get the chance to fly a broomstick as well as fry the Ford Anglia away from the Hogwarts Express.

The 2nd part is an outside area containing another Ford Anglia used in the films and other various sets before you enter 3rd section which contains a lot of Animatronics, and special effect masks and make up used to create memorable characters such as Griphook before you leave via a room containing a 1:24 scale model of the Hogwarts Castle which is used to capture aerial shots for the films.

You cannot forget the incredible Diagon Alley set either which was an unbelievable thing to behold, complete with every shop mentioned in the book and full of crazy window displays!

Throughout the tour you can get a souvenir passport stamped as well which is a really nice momento of the day and it needs to be said that the staff are unbelievable! I didn't know about the passport but a staff member was kind enough to fetch me one and even came back with a birthday badge for me which was great! They're a really chatty lot too and are more than happy to give you a little bit more background info on some of the props and sets you find within the studios.

I went absolutely crazy in the shop later on but I had saved up in advance because I knew I wouldn't be able to resist so much Harry Potter memorabilia!! I endud up with a time turner, a deathly hallows keyring, a Goblet of Fire 'Potter' Hogwarts Champion Top as well as a few sweets like Chocolate Covered frogs.

Here's the photos!!

Outside the studio
At the entrance to the studio
The cupboard under the stairs
Me opening the doors to the Great Hall
Inside the Great Hall
Yule Ball outfits
Gryffindor boys dormitory
Gryffindor Common Room
Me in Dumbledore's Office
Me in Diagon Alley
The scale model of Hogwarts
The entrance to the Chamber of Secrets
The Burrow
Various props and packaging from the films
The Ministry
Death Eaters
Me at Tom Riddles grave
Privet Drive
On the bridge
The Knight Bus
Amazing Butterbeer!!
More Diagon Alley
Weasleys Wizard Wheezes
Hogwarts
Hogwarts


After we got back from the Studios we decided to head back out to Oxford Street for some dinner and I had steak for THE VERY FIRST TIME!! We went to 'The Aberdeen Angus Steak House' and had a lovely meal before heading out around Piccadilly for a look in the shops. 

All in all it was a jam packed and utterly superb day!!


Thursday 20 June 2013

London - Day 2

After having to run around like crazy the day before to get to my plane, then get to my uncles house in the East End to then have to dash into Central London again to meet my mentor I was greatful for a more relaxed day. Having said that I was soon reminded that there is no such thing as a 'relaxed day' in London.

It had been decided that today was a day for me, my mum and my dad to do a bit of sight seeing as my past two visits to London had been so busy that I hadn't managed to take a look about! We left Mile End tube station at 11 and headed to Tower Bridge to do an open top tour bus. I should add that I am a total sucker for these things and was eager to finally take some pictures of the city!

30 minutes we waited for our bus as G8 protesters has caused delays at Piccadilly meaning that the buses were all blocked off from finishing their route. Luckily there were a few street performers about to keep me amused but the skies above were slowly turning grey and threatening to ruin my hopes of a good day out on top of a bus.

Once the bus arrived me and my parents enjoyed a good 40 minutes of sightseeing before plans took a turn and we got off at Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament to take a look about. Here we found more G8 protesters dressed up in prison gear and one as Borris Johnson running around and causing a bigger police presence as time went on.

So far it sounds like a pretty crap day right? Not true! It gets better I swear!!

The afternoon consisted of a mad dash into what was honestly the worlds narrowest Tesco Express as we soon realised we'd missed breakfast and were infact STARVING before going on a boat tour of the Thames. Our tour guide was AMAZING! He was so informative and had us laughing for the duration of our trip from the London Eye down to The Cutty Sark. I actually owe him a lot cause some of the things I learnt about London from him on that tour were things I had never previously heard of.

By the time we got back into Central London via The Cutty Sark Museum - and a short panicked journey in which we tried to find the DLR - I realised I was cutting it pretty close if I was going to get changed and stuff in time to leave for the O2 to see Kings of Leon.

Yep. Kings of Leon was the original reason I had booked London, I got tickets to see them way back in 2012 when ticket sales coincided with a SAAS Payment (I swear it was like God intended for me to go) and it had since spiralled into this massive week long trip in celebration of my turning 21.

After a manic hour of decided what the hell I was going to wear to the O2 and finding some sort of meal to eat I grabbed dad and headed to Canary Wharf for the tube to the O2.

Now, by this time I was tired but totally buzzing to get inside the place and in order to keep this post from turning into a novel I will skip to the good parts.

I met Caleb's wife Lily Aldridge. She walked right past me and my dad like any old soul who'd happened to stumble upon a Kings of Leon gig and for a minute or so my poor dad had to put up with me freaking out like a 13 year old who'd just caught sight of Harry Styles. Whilst I love KoL the fact of the matter is that I've had a file on my computer dedicated to Victoria's Secret Models since I was 13. (That sounds weird coming from a girl) But they're regarded as some of the most beautiful women on the Earth and every year I record their fashion show and marvel at how HUGE a performance is made out of it all, AND HERES ONE OF THE ANGELS INFRONT OF ME!

Later on Lily came back down during the support act and stood with a security guard in an alcove to the right of the stage and my dad started pushing me to the side telling me to ask her for a photo, eventually after dad saying I'd regret not asking we wandered over and she was absolutely lovely and let me get my photo taken with her. After that I didn't really care if KoL played terrible (sight exaggeration as I did pay a ridiculous amount for the tickets) as I'd gotten to meet my fave Victorias Secret supermodel. (Erin Heatherton was with Lily but wasn't there when I asked for a photo...damn)

2 hours later me and dad emerged from the O2, him a newly converted KoL fan asking what the names of songs were that he liked, and me absolutely buzzing from the fantastic night we had.

Yet another unbelievable day!
 Mum and Dad outside the Tower of London
 Me outside the Tower of London
 Me and a street performer
 Big Ben
 Houses of Parliament
 The Globe Theatre whilst on the boat tour

 Coming up to Tower Bridge
 The Tower of London as seen from the boat
 Canary Wharf
 Me braving the rain for a photo before Kings of Leon
 Me and Lily Aldridge!!!!
 Kings of Leon
 Kings of Leon
 Kings of Leon
 Kings of Leon

Lily and Caleb on the pink carpet/Lily for Victoria's Secret