Anti-fur protest goes into tech-y times

I regularly check vogue UK, along with many other sites as well, for fashion news updates. Often, I don’t find a great deal of it peaking my interest. That’s probably because recently, I’ve found that my interest in fashion has mellowed ever so slightly. Don’t get me wrong, I do still love fashion; but I just mean that I’ve been feeling that I’m more interested in the overall style of an outfit as opposed to keeping up to date with fashion news. I think the Yves Saint Laurent quote at the top is a good indication of this.

Nonetheless, I do still check because you never know when something interesting may appear. Case in point? Stella McCartney’s latest anti-fur protest.

From the article on vogue, I gather that the latest ploy in the campaign is a protest. But not your conventional protest - it’s a protest which is moving with the times. It’s online.

More to the point, on the online world of Second Life, in which members can visit:

“a Stella McCartney/PETA “world” based on the English countryside and including a lake, tree houses, picnic tables and, endearingly, Linda McCartney mini veggie burger stalls - which Second World residents (known as avatars) can visit to discuss the issue of fur as fashion and donate money to the cause.”

The real question is will this help? I’m all for, as McCartney so delightfully put it, “a bit of humour on serious subjects”; but the cynic in me can’t help but think that no matter how much campaigning goes on, there’s always going to be those odd few who find wearing a dead animal to actually be attractive.

Heaven knows why they do. I personally can’t even touch fur without squealing loudly and making a disgusted face. To me, there is no point to wearing real fur when there are so many good fakes which no animals have suffered and died for.

However, it is an excellent idea and concept which I am all for. So if you are a member of second life (or even those who aren’t), why not have a look and “support the cause”. After all, animals can’t speak for themselves.

Behind the scenes of the blog

Well, I’ve been making a number of small changes to the blog recently. I changed the layout (though one day I’ll actually put some effort into making the blog have a unique look, rather than the ones wordpress just provides), added some more widgets along the side (including some rss feeds from sites which actually know what they’re talking about!) as well as a few other things, which you may or may not have noticed.

There is also a new page - contribute - which is exactly what it says on the tin. I am looking forward to having some fresh ideas on the blog and a bit of reader contribution - which is more sparse than my posts may I please say (though I love you all dearly)!

So whilst my posts this week may have been lacking, I’ve been working like a busy bee behind the scenes. I do hope you enjoy these improvements (and if not, do not hestitate to make this known - within reason of course)

Topshop Charity Sale

Something which may be intriguing to those living in the UK is the Topshop Charity Fashion Sale, which is taking place this week. Unfortunately, I am a bit late in posting this and the London and York events have already taken place, but if you live in the vacinity of Manchester or Brighton, then it’s all a go.

Oh and you can apparently get your own stall! It’s just a shame that I don’t live anywhere near where they’re being held.

I started this trend

Being away from blogging, fashion and life in general for so long creates problems when you return. It’s hard to get back into the swing of it especially seeing as I am feeling very uninspired lately.

I will however say that it did amuse me when I saw this T-shirt (pictured right) on Topshop. The slogan reads “I started this trend” which I find rather ironic because obviously they didn’t.

In fact, this latest trend for oversized writing on t-shirts was made popular by everyone’s lusting after the House of Holland t-shirts (such as that pictured left). Personally, I’m not attacted to any of these t-shirts because I do not find large writing appealing on a T-shirt, but hey ho, that’s just me.

In fact, if you think about it these large writing T-shirts aren’t a new concept and if I had to wear a T-shirt with oversized writing, give me one with a political message such as Katherine Hamnett’s designs.

Hell, with present day political situations, I’m sure some amusing slogans could be thought up.

Images from Topshop or Google

History is a mystery

I love learning about the past. History is a subject which really inspires me, though I hated taking history gcse because I’m terribly slow when it comes to writing essays (the time is just not enough - an extra 15 minutes was all I needed). Nevertheless, I still love learning about history because it is the foundation of the present day and I find it incredibly interesting.

For some of that time when I was meant to be ‘revising’, I actually started reading this book that I have on my shelf - “Fashion - The Century of the Designer“. I’d often glanced through it, but I’ve never actually sat down and read it. The history of fashion is something that I do not know much about, which is terribly sad because it is rather exciting. Unfortunately, I’ve yet to finish reading it because after reading up to the 1960s I thought it was best to start doing some revision otherwise I would actually fail (and I didn’t want that)

Fashion as we know it, is a fairly new concept. But all throughout history people have dressed in beautiful clothes. As I was browsing amazon uk for a link to the above book, I came across this book “Four Hundred Years of Fashion“. I can’t formulate an opinion as to whether it is good or not because I have not bought it, but it does look most interesting. I think I will indeed have to buy it to read.

Fashions past are the inspiration of many many collections. And there is no stopping people bringing past concepts into their own styling. I’ve always thought that incorporating different ideas is the way to go - no boundaries, no limits.

I’m back baby!

Oh yes! Exams are officially over much to my delight. Though I’ve found it rather an odd feeling not having to do any work.

Anyway, blogging will be returning to normal soon enough. With my random observations and ramblings on fashion and fashion-related topics.

Over and out for now!

#1

I was going to wait to post this, but I figured I may as well share rather than leaving it lurking about. More posts after 15th June!

Inspiration:

(From Foto Decadent)

Result:

(taken on 21st May 2007 - I said that fashion never stops)

I said I’ve been wanting to try out fashion photography and since I know nobody who would be willing to be a model, I thought diy it (quite literally). So here is my first attempt and hopefully at some point, I shall meet someone willing to model for my next, so that it can venture into the realm of clothing rather than just heads.