I Heart Lindsey Kelk

I Heart Lindsey Kelk



With the due date of my second 'unexpected' pregnancy looming I needed some literature to take me through the early days of having a newborn, as last time I spent 4 days in the hospital and during that time 'activities' are not exactly the first thing on your mind. Now usually I am a killer/thriller kind of gal, the darker the better and I don't usually deviate from this genre. However, in this case browsing in my local Waterstones it was the cover of the I Heart New York that caught my eye. (see above). My process in choosing a book is simple, I read to back and if I'm interested, I read the first page. By the end of the first page if I'm not hooked or intrigued then I put it back. Well it's safe to say that I was caught hook, line and sinker by the first page and it's probably the quickest I've ever read a book. 

(This can be brought on Amazon for £4.99 at the moment, by the way. http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0007288387/harpercollins2-21  )

I think what catching me with these books is its a situation that we see in books and movies all the time when the lead female goes through a tough time and then fixes it with a makeover or a bend and snap demo in the case of legally blonde and then they pick up the pieces and make it work to their advantage. The guy is usually shown at the break up event and then again after the makeover is completed so that self-satisfied moment can be reached, but in this book it doesn't happen like that. I am trying to explain the premise of the book, but know that in my excitement to rave about it I am likely to give away the key plot ideas and so instead I will say this. In a nutshell after the 'incident' she packs and leaves for New York in the heat of the moment and it ends up being the best thing that ever happened to her. Now secretly I think we've all that moment when things have gone bad and either a Bridget jones singing, ice cream, diary fuelled crusade to change kicks in, or we take the high road and don't let it get to us, but deep down with no kids or responsibilities I think given the chance we would all take off to another country as a form of detox, just for the experience of for nothing else.

Now hats of to Linsdsey Kelk, as the book is beautifully written and I'm one of these people who emotes what I'm reading; so the happy parts I've got a grin on my face, (which can make you look strange when your sitting bye yourself in costa, in your own little world) and so on and so forth, you get the idea. The lead character is fun, spontaneous and yet at the same time is all of us- unsure of what to do when suddenly faced with new surroundings. Now add to this the characters shall we call it addiction to designer labels and the good things in life (alcohol, food, tv) she becomes a well rounded down to earth character who I felt I had a lot in common with.  I think the best books are the ones where you get so involved in the world created within the pages that you want to find time to curl up with this book because your invested and excited about what's going to happen with this character. When this girl shops she blows a wedge load at a time and as a fashion lover when Phillip lim and Marc Jacobs come up as the items being brought it peaks a whole other category of appreciation.

"she smiled and finished off the collection of luxury leather in front of her with the most beautiful, beautiful bag I had ever laid my eyes on." (Marc Jacobs) "I reached out to stroke its buttery softness, the dark brown of the leather looked like milk chocolate and the subtle gold detailing winked at me. 'buy me', it whispered tantalisingly. 'I complete you. ' " extract from book when she buys her MJ bag.

Now I know that not all my followers are from the UK, and so I have included the pic below that not only shows the 5 books Kelk has written to date, but also the international covers, you have no excuse about tracking it down.

(picture taken from Lindsey Kelk's website http://lindseykelk.com/ )

The top three (New York, Hollywood and Paris) are on my shelf and now I wait with baited breathe as Kelk comes back to her roots in penning I Heart London. I will hold my hand up and admit I gave myself one of the happy clap moments when I found this out. Geek I hear you say? Well yes, but proud of it.

So there you have it, I heart Lindsey Kelk as an author and I heart the character Angela for letting me into her world.

FrostinatorFashion xx

Prada for LG

I think that nearly everyone nowadays has either an I-phone or a Blackberry, well hold onto your seats fashion lovers as LG has teamed up with Prada for the launch of their new handset.
 

Daria Werbowy and Edward Norton are the faces of the ad campaign and I have to honest that the picture alone drew me into wanting to upgrade my phone. Don't worry my little I-phone I still love you but they do look good don't they?


 

photo of Daria taken from http://www.fareastgizmos.com/mobile_phones/prada-phone-by-lg-3-0-advertising-campaign-features-edward-norton-and-daria-werbowy.php
photo of Edward taken from http://www.lgblog.co.uk/2012/02/prada-phone-by-lg-3/

Taken from the phones4u website are the following quotes about the smartphones selling points, apart from the name obviously. http://www.phones4u.co.uk/lg/prada/

Android Operating System
' At just over 8.5mm thin, the Prada phone by LG is one of the world s slimmest smartphones. The luxurious Saffiano leather look and feel on the back panel has premium written all over it, not literally though, that s saved for the Prada branding.'

'4.3-inch Super Bright Display: The Prada phone by LG sports the company s most vivid display yet with a brightness count of 800nit.'

'Dual-Core Processor: Browse the internet, playback videos and navigate inside menus in double-quick time thanks to the 1GHz dual-core processor with dual-channel memory'

'8 Megapixel Camera: The Prada phone by LG comes with an 8 Megapixel camera, complete with autofocus and flash, allowing you to take photos day and night. A 1.3 Megapixel job can also be found on the front of the handset for video calls.'

Visit the phones4u website at http://www.phones4u.co.uk/lg/prada/?&cid=ppcgoo For their full review.

You can see by images out there that it is very slimline and touch screen on the front, but it does actually have a qwerty keyboard that slides from underneath -think the G1 but Prada. So for those of you that don't like 100% touch screen, this is a classy option for you :)

This is a quick blog today as I just wanted to show off this new gadget before the word spreads and its old news.

If you already have one do leave a comment and tell me what you think of it so far, pros and cons.

That's all for now darlings so like, follow, retweet, subscribe(which is free by the way it just emails the blogs to you when they to live) or whatever you like if you enjoyed it

FrostinatorFashion xx

Love Hearts

 Me and my Love Heart

It's great when your a kid and your given 50p and told you can buy sweets with it, you get that sudden rush of power and importance and no matter what you buy they taste great simply because YOU brought them. As you get older money becomes something that hopefully we have but 50p may be loose change in our bag instead of the highlight of our day.

To be realistic in todays economy 50p really doesn't get you much, but it's more the excitement then the haul - except on halloween because then its all about how much you get-, what i do like though is when something small brings back a memory and makes you feel small and young again. You know what i mean a bit of n-sync comes on the radio and before you know it you have the image of you and a hairbrush and a couple of your gal pals throwing some serious dance moves in your bedroom or a bit of spice girls giving you back your swagger for a minute or two, strike a pose and ..... girl power!!

My moment came when choosing the favours for my wedding and finding that some places did little packs of love hearts with phrases such 'mr and mrs' and 'forever' carved into the sweet. I got more excited over the fact they were love hearts then all of the other favours and even though i didn't choose them for my 'perfect day' i started longing for some love hearts.
Example of wedding favours http://shop.lovehearts.com/love-hearts/wedding-favour-boxes

To get to the fashion point of this piece more and more people are cottoning on to the notion that sweets can be the basis for many types of art, jewellry and make up designs.

Sweet Lily Sparkles works with Polymer Clay and has a huge range of flumps, chocolate magic stars and jelly baby based ideas that are turned into the cutest bits of jewellry. I mean who wouldn't want a pair of Jammie Dodger earrings!!


I was lucky enough to get my Love hearts fix with this bracelet and i have had so many people commenting on it and asking where i got it, that i'm afraid i may have started a trend. Sweet Lily Sparkles if your orders start pouring in from the midlands - you're welcome :)
You can have so much fun with Instagram!
To find out more about Sweet Lily Sparkles and her range please look at her website http://www.sweetlilysparkles.co.uk/ourshop/prod_1851648-Loveheart-beaded-Bracelet-as-seen-on-Hollyoaks-Hollie-Jay-Bowes.html and if that wasn't incentive enough, there is a sale on as we speak and this bracelet is £5.60 - yes you heard right only £5.60.

 This Sugar Lips necklace is another example of the love hearts that Sweet Lily Sparkles has on offer at the moment for £6.

Anybody knows that to wear a piece of jewellery you need the right look to go with it. Well now i have my love heart bracelet what's next you ask? Well look below and all will be revealed.

The Make Up Academy (MUA) recently launched a Love Hearts Collection made up of nail varnishes and Lip balms that are all named as if they were love hearts.
http://www.muastore.co.uk/index.php/love-hearts
£2 KISS ME is 1 of 5 shades available and even though it is only stocked at a few Superdrug stores they can be brought directly from the MUA websitehttp://www.muastore.co.uk/index.php/love-heart-lip-balms

 £2 U ROK nail varnish is 1 of  6 shades available

 
I have used 5 of the 6 colours above as i wanted the brightest ones to show off in this rare pout of heat Britain is having at the moment. Apart from my son trying to eat them they have gone down well with people commenting how colourful and fun they look. However, if i was at work i culd tone it down to one or two shades, then again if i was going out i could add some marbling or nail wraps... maybe even some liner as art, but i will do another piece on that soon enough.

My Keep Cool picture was very simple to do as a couple of friends have liked it. It was done with MAC embrace me lip liner and dazzleglass gloss over the top. It's nice as the liner is bright and under a gloss brings out a pink/coral tone depending on the shade.
http://www.maccosmetics.co.uk/product/shaded/166/1765/Products/Lips/Lipglass/Dazzleglass/index.tmpl
follow the link to dazzle glass index :)
In my case both were brought from the display in my local MAC as they've both just come out. So experiment with these of the MUA glosses which maybe in a balm tin, but they spread like gloss so apply a little and add what you need as you go.

pictures taken from

http://www.welovecushions.co.uk/result.asp showing that these sweets create memories so great you can buy them on cushions just as a reminder.

http://shop.lovehearts.com/love-hearts/personalised-gifts There is a website called lovehearts.com that has a whole page dedicated to just love heart sweets and what you can do with them.
Also available are Cuppachino sets (£14.99) Address books £5.99
and many others so check out their site if these tickle your fancy.

This blog has been so fun that i will follow it up soon with some similar pics using MUA and MAC products amongst others in my collection to have a play around with. I may have also just fallen head over heels with Violent Lip lip transfers or lip tattoos and have brought the leopard print to mess around with.

Please leave comments or pics of what you have done as would love to see them.

FrostinatorFashion xx

Nigel Barker 'Beauty Equation' - Book review

Everyone likes to recieve a compliment, its a fact that even if you don't know someone, when they say you look good, or 'nice shoes' it will bring a smile and maybe the occassional blush to your face. Today for example a couple of people said i had nice hair - now this may be because i had it all lopped off at the beginning of the week and coloured completely different,- but it nevertheless gave me a spring in my step and an extra whip of my hair. To get to the point what i mean is, everyone likes to feel beautiful.

This is the book so you know what to look for £12.99 ($20.60)  when i brought it so price may vary.

Beauty however if a fickle thing as everyone has their own perception of what beauty is and their own opinion about what people wear, what size they should be and what they consider attractive. With the amount of media attention being put on celebrities and being thin, the latest fashion etc etc its easy for the average person to feel slightly...lack lustre? Well after reading Beauty Equation i would like to put everyone back on track to bringing inner self assured goddesses to be in par with their naturally beautiful selves. The question is..are you ready?

                                       'You + Allure + Confidence + Compassion
                                               Spontaneity + Radiance + health +
                                   Honesty + Charm + Energy divided by Humour

= Beauty'                                                                    

 and yes before we carry on i am computer illiterate and cannot find the divide button on my laptop!

The Equation above sums up how to find your beauty equation and then the book takes each point and devotes a chapter to each explaining what they mean and the best way to achieve them.

It would be easy for me to go through the whole book, but then that wouldn't be so much a review as it would regurgitating the entire thing. There would also then be no encouragement for you to buy the book if you could read the whole thing on here :)

In the equation YOU is firs,t but that obviously refers to the person reading this, so hello YOU. You need to be comfortable in your own skin and what Nigel Barker does very well within this book is explain that you first need to be comfortable with yourself before you start worrying what other people deem beautiful. Are you brave enough to hold a mirror up to yourself and analyse your own face?  Nigel writes the book as if he is your friend and coach guiding you through each step and this worked really well for me as it almost gives you a little confidence boost of 'well if nigel says i can do it' and it's nice to read a book when you feel like they are talking to you and not just print on a page explaining something.

 'We will break down each area of your self-presentation so that you can be your most beautiul self, inside and out.' (Will use red to show extracts from the book.)

Allure

When he talks about allure he explains how it is a natural impulse to size people up by their looks, attire and how they come accross, but that if you think about how you come accross to others and if you were meeting yourself for the first time what would your impression be? Allure is that quality that drws people to you when you enter a room or a conversation. That type of enticing quality where its not so much on your looks but how you command a room and how you present oyurself within that room. Nigel uses the example of a casting call and says 'no matter how pretty they are, they don't always get the job.' If you are sure of yourself you naturally hold yourself taller, if you know the shoes you are in make your legs look great then you walk with that extra little piece on confidence, but its what you do with it that counts. You can be the prettiest girl on the planet but if you can't string a sentence together, or give the impression that your too good to be there then why would people want to socialise with you?

In a natural social situation it's inevitable that not everyone will like you, but the book doesn't try  to sell itslef as a self help book on how to make everyone think your beautiful as you will always have some people that you just don't get on with.  It does however talk about first impressions and how they may determine opportunities for you later on.

So how does Mr Barker tell you to tackle allure? Simple use common sense, wear clothes that are fit for the occassion i.e. jogging bottoms to the gym and clothes that fit your body type.

Allure is a mental attitude. It's not a case of she's stunning it's a case of i was talking to her and i want to know more. If your late accept the fact that your late, apologise and move on. There's nopoint waving around a bunch of excuses to try and get out of it, because you will then just be late and the girl full of excuses. How many times on ANTM have we seen a girl with a bad picture suddenly say 'That wasn't my best shot, the sun was in my eye'..yada yada yada instead of yeah its not a great picture, i'll work on it.

My favourite part of the allure chapter is when Nigel refers to the hoochie look. Best reference is along the lines of if you want to sell yourself for the job you want and not just sell yourself like you work on a street corner. It's true though, you may have killer abs but job interviews generally don't like the erin brockovich look. Use your head people and let your inner character and inner beauty shine through. Once you have the confidence to be who you really are and people can then be drawn to the real you, the natural beauty within is coming through already.

Now remember this is just the tip of the iceberg of this book and enough information within it's pages to make the iceberg sink the titanic, to continue with a very tenuous metaphor... and what i mean is i really enjoyed this book. I found it reads as if somone is offering you advice and whereas sme of it you know or think you do already and then other parts make you think 'Oh i see, or do i have that quality?' The book also encourages you to take pictures of yourself to help you understand your own beauty and for those of you brave enough you can go online to http://www.beautyequation.com/index and add your picture to the gallery. While your at the gallery take a look at the photos on there and every single on of them has had the confidence to upload it to a public forum and everyone of them has that look in their eye as if to say 'yes i am beautiful,' and i'll tell you what its so refreshing to see young people on there being happy with who they are and not trying to fit into a size 0 or have the same hairstyle or airbrushed picture as everyone in magazines, because its real people and that's what beauty equation is all about.

To wrap up this blog i wuld just like to say that i really enjoyed the book and it's nice that someone with that much experience has the view that he has. It's down to earth, honest and encouraging. So go ahead pic up that mirror and then that camera and let's see what you can see.

For those who don't know already you can follow Nigel on twitter @NigelBarker :)

http://www.beautyequation.com

FrostinatorFashion xx



Felicity Brown and Elise Berger

One of the things i like about the internet is the access you have to almost anything at the click of a button. Now for someone with a serious crush on Mr.Fashion i may have become a slight cyber stalker scoping out the sales, new designers and good old staples to nay wardrobes at the same time. Bring out the i-phone with all the apps right there its just too easy to find a thousand things you like.

With me there are millions of things that i like, but i only buy the ones where i have to stand and stare for a good couple of minutes and then later can recall it to mind. With a personal post-it then stuck in my head (metaphorically, i don't wear postits as fashion accessories) i will then go back later and see if i get the same reaction. This feature focuses on two seperate designers that i stop and stare at this month.

Both lines of Felicity Brown and Elise Berger are unfortunately for me designers where every piece sees a decrease in my bank balance and i think they are both just amazing. So hello everyone. I'm a fashion holic and i'm in love with Felicity Brown and Elise Berger. (small round of applause)

Felicity Brown

Brown is a well known name within the fashion world as before launching her own label in 2010 she had worked with Mulberry, Alberta Ferretti and Loewe as some of the examples. 2010 she launched at Vauxhall Fashion Scout with the help of her brother and we saw the beginning of Felicity Brown. The next collection shown at Fashion East was further encouragement that everyone wanted a piece of her and from the designs below i don't think it's hard to see why.

One of her more extravagant pieces is this black and cream silk dress taken from the new season
 http://www.youngbritishdesigners.com/designers/newgen/felicity-brown/

In the sale at the moment this piece has been reduced from £1560 to £490. The tied together but coming apart look is high fashion with an almost rage to riches concept being shown within itself. Anyway before i get too deep on symbolism the black and white pieces by Brown is what caught my eye and here are some more examples.


Black and White Peasant Silk Peasant Skirt £950 is gorgeous and to me it's all about the waist band on this piece, thick and block print cinching in all waists.

This bold print doesn't just work on skirts however, put it on a mid-sleeve top and you get...
 Anyone else get a fleur-de-lise vibe? Probably just me, but this can be brought for £335. You can't see it on this picture, but it does have an orange layer underneath which hangs slightly longer then the prink so you can wear cropped trousers if you want to wear it loose.

Elise Berger

Moving on to Elise Berger and if you bear with me you'll see my train of thought. Thinking about pairing the top with cropped trousers reminded me of these trousers by Berger.

 £160 These Magdalene trousers made from 100% cotton i love from the turned up bottoms, to the seams and the side pockets. Now pair this with a non-tucked in version of the top above i think could be an interesting look. The orange in the underlay would then allow orange or nude boots or dressed up sandals. That is however just conjecture as i have neither piece so can only imagine - in my head though it looks Goooood.

Borne by Elise Berger is in it's third season including SS12 and apart from being pretty and comfortable it aims to fit you as if it was made for you and to make you feel like an individual when you wear it. All designers have a muse or idea that started their collection and in this case it was a poem by Hermann Hesse

"Like ev'ry flower wilts, like youth is fading
and turns to age, so also one's achieving:
Each virtue and each wisdom needs parading
in one's own time, and must not last forever.
The heart must be, at each new call for leaving,
prepared to part and start without the tragic,
without the grief- with courage to endeavor
a novel bond, a disparate connection:
for each beginning bears a special magic
that nurtures living and bestows protection"

                            
£135 Siglinde Green Cami             £265 Paulina lace shirt                   £250 Kreszenia dress
http://www.youngbritishdesigners.com/designers/arising/borne-by-elise-berger/

Again this may just be my reading into this but looking at the poem and then at these images it looks like a age for those coming of age and asserting themselves in the world. There's a purity and young quality in the colours and yet the colours and cuts are elegant and eyecatching. By coming of age i mean in terms of fashion and becoming sure of oyur own style and what you like and what suits your body shape, not simply turning 18.

The difference between the designers for me is that with Brown i want to have the outfit in the picture just as it is shown. I want the cinched in waist and the floaty peasant/ gypsy vibe ebbing from my bones, but with Berger it's young and fresh and i want to mess around with their shapes and what they would be paired with.

Ok fashionista's that's all for now. Huge thanks to Young British Designers for their access and pictures and do check out all the talent they have on offer at http://www.youngbritishdesigners.com/index.php


FrostinatorFashion xx

Mothers Day

I'm going to go slighly off the fashion track today as it's Mother's Day and all that.

If you had told me when i relocated cities to go to university that within 8 years i would be married to a hunk man and blessed with two kids (not in that order i may add) i would have laughed in your face.
The truth was that i felt the ripe old age of 27 -yes back then i thought 27 was old- that was the time i would start thinking about settling down and making roots, that was not however what the man upstairs had planned for me.

Pregnant at 22 with a pending graduation i had no clue what to expect from my future, all i did know was that i maybe younger then i had planned but that i would put my all into motherhood. Not that you really have a choice as motherhood is a pretty demanding role and if your not in it 110% you will find it hard going.

All the other holidays like birthdays and christmas etc they all revolve around celebrations and togetherness but mothers day is the day when you are celebrated for creating a whole new person and you don't expect a night of drinking or a roast dinner, instead you expect some sort of blobby picture that you are told is of you and them, a half buttered piece of toast and being woken up with sticky cuddles. This is however the best thing ever to me.

I am one of those lucky women that didn't try to get pregnant, didn't have any real issues with pregnancy and had healthy babies at the end of it. That in itself is a blessing as many women struggle with at least one of the above. It's times like mothers day when i get all goey inside and start sprouting off about how lucky i am to have the family i have etc etc, but then the card or heart rendered one liner form my partner reminds me its not family day... its mothers day.

Today i am being celebrated for those swelled feet and cravings of ice when pregnant with number one. Celebrated for getting a taxi to work when my tummy would no longer let me drive anymore. Celebrated for 2!! labours (i must be crazy) with a bit of gas and air and one water birth. Now looking back on it i think damn right, i should be celebrated. Could men cope with one day of morning sickness? boobs that grow 3 cup sizes with no warning? getting two kids up, dressed, fed and at nursery and still be at work on time..... i'm gonna say no.

Today i can have all the cuddles and kisses i want, with luck maybe a little present or a dinner in bed as my partners on nights and therefore asleep all of today but i do like a whole day dedicated to the mums out there. Remeber your mum, grandma or whoever raised you to be the person you are and send a little thank you to make them feel special.

hint hint Interflora are always good xx

Frostinator Fashion

Manchester Fashion Week is a coming

Manchester was born during the industrial revolution with it's name originating in anglo-saxon heritage and being known as 'Mameceaster' although this was changed to 'Manchester' in the 17th Century.

Always being a thriving community you would think Manchester would struggle to maintain itself, but if anything it is now one of the biggest cities in the UK. It is therefore no suprise that with it's passion for development, trades and textiles that it created it's very own fashion week to showcase talents of a mele of people. If anything Manchester is the place that won't let economic downturn stand in the way of the people's need, and in my case i need fashion :)

Manchester Fashion network, Manchester Fashion Week, Manchester... you seem a theme here right? Manchester has always beena  go to place for fashion with Boutiques, Couture, Vintage shops and basically a thousand places that create a wonderland of shops to delve into and create the look you have been searching for. However it is not only a place where people visit, Manchester is also quite the city for nurturing people's passion, which has led to some famous Mancunians such as Micheal Atherton (cricket), Max Beelsey (Actor), Judy Finnegan (Presenter),John Thaw (Actor) and The Gallaghers. Let's face it where would the world be without Wonderwall and the Sweeney?


With Manchester Fashion Week coming up between the 9-14th April i just wanted to point out why people are drawn to Manchester, it's more the people and the work ethic then anything else. That's not to say however that Manchester has no points of interests - see below
 Taken from Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manchester

Beetham tower is not only the tallest building in Manchester but the tallest residential tower in Britain. I love this building because it reminds me half of an x-box in shape and also i wonder in summer if it shines like a disco ball?

As i said before Manchester Fashion Week is coming to town 9-14th April and it is safe to say i will find a way to get myself in the mix somehow. It's also an opportunity to wear my style as i see fit and get to watch catwalks shows such as Masato Jones who was one of my first pieces as a blogger (a whole three months ago can u believe it?) Caprice will also be there as well as companies including Boss Model Management. Obviously i will keep you posted as more information is released :)

So there we have it. Manchester in a nutshell. The place to be. I'm gonna say yes



FrostinatorFashion xx

 Manchester Skyline picture can be found at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manchester
Masato website www.masato.co.uk @masatostudio

Stud and Stud Boutique

My lovely friend Lois at Carrottoppr sends me over various bits and bobs to look over and 'Stud and Stud' is definately something that caught my eye.

Most of the images were sent to me via Carrottoppr and immediately i could tell which bits i loved, which bits i didn't and which i needed to research to find more information on. What i found is this..... http://www.studandstud.com/ is a very interesting site which shows off talents of new, young designers and as well as showing their skills and their collections customers can also order made-to-order pieces on set pieces.



Simon Preen

Preen is a name you may know as apart from being a Derbyshire lad he had a sell out collection with Urban Outfitters not so long ago. This time round it's bodycon, mesh and jersey used to create looks such as the pictures below.

                    Purple Papal Body £80 is made-to-order and takes within 4 days and now i don't think i'm brave enough to wear it alone, i could see it working my wardrobe with the right ensemble. The model however is not someone i'd like to meet in a dark alley as if looks could kill...well she fulfilled the brief i'm sure. Other items are bodycon maxi dresses, crop tops and a Doll-Parts Felsh body which leaves absolutely nothing to the imagination. You can however decide for yourself at the link below http://www.studandstud.com/dproduct.php?id=174
                   

Fraulein Kirk
The website describes Fraulein Kirk as employed to 'inspire adventure, lust, and sexual exploration.' The collection has also been made as multi-functional as 'feminine erotic fashion accessories are versatile & can be worn inside or out of the bedroom.' Here is an example or two and now the question is would you wear them inside or outside the boudoir?


                               
Fraulein Kink Ana Fringe Blindfold £58 and Libertine Blindfold £65. Pictures courtesy of Carrottoppr.
These Madeleine Fur Cuffs are also available for £95

Antagoniste

By far my most favourite collection on Stud and Stud I have officially become a fan/groupie of Antagoniste and i'n not ashamed to say so.
Something i look for in new designers is how the collection makes me feel, as i personally think there's nothing worse then seeing something and having a 'meh' expression on your face. Antagoniste's work makes me not only want to buy and wear the scarves, but to reach out and touch the material and then study for an hour and follow every piece of imagery that's on them.


Antagoniste 12 monkeys Army Silk Scarf £115. Pictures courtesy of Carrottoppr

 Picture coutesy of Carrottoppr
Antagoniste Jungle Juice £115 is my favourite piece of all, but i really encourage you all to look at the website as what makes these even more fascinating to me is that each scarf comes with its own story. For example Jungle Juice 'evokes a bestiary of humid and disturbing places, a wildlife with valuable beauties offering itself to the risks and peril of those who try to discover it...' The quote can be found alongside the piece on the website http://www.studandstud.com/dproduct.php?id=222 and each piece comes with its own fantastic back story, this by the way is a concept i think more designers should employ.

I've kept this picture large as i think it's really important to show of the detail and workmanship in the Antagoniste pieces. I am truly a fan of these - i can already see the money leaving my account and skipping it's way over to Stud and Stud as we speak - :)

Byrogue
Byrogue picture courtesy of Carrottoppr
Byrogue ring - picture courtesy of Carrottoppr

Byrogue hails from East London and in case you hadn't sussed it out, it focuses on statement jewellery, making whoever wears it stand out as someone with individual style. A few more pieces ont he website are
  
Byron double £70                                Moon £180                            Alice £180
Items can be found on  http://www.studandstud.com/product.php?a=d&id=15

Tamzin Lillywhite

This collection is a bit eclectic for my taste as it has bags. belts, cuffs, harnesses all using different styles and workmanship, but just because it's not my taste doesn't mean there isn't a market for it.



Lillywhite Cuffs £28               Nude Abraxas Harness £140        Gold Bronte Bag £390


The one thing that is consistent however is that studs are incorporated even though they may vary in size and it's probably that which puts me off as it reminds me of a younger me back in the day going thorugh my Rocker/Emo whatever phase, which revolved around a lot of black and a lot of stud/ball or chained jewellery and accessories.
Anyway i digress the harnesss pieces are interesting as a lot of designers have been playing aorund with an equestrian vibe whether it be with clasps or backs of outfits being held together with harnesses etc so Tamzin may be onto a winner

It makes me think of Eudon Choi and the image below which is available from http://www.youngbritishdesigners.com/ for £70 as it's on sale at the moment from it's normal £140


So there we have it peeps, Stud and Stud.

FrostinatorFashion xx