iMerchandise Fashion App

Hello lovelies!,

So are any of you a fashion buyer or interested in becoming a fashion buyer? Well if you answered yes, then well I just need to tell you about the new iMerchandise fashion app. Now I know that you guys are so busy with taking & making orders, making appointments etc and that you wish that the whole process was just so much more simpler. Well ladies let me introduce you to the new iMerchandise fashion app. It makes the wholesale process so much more easier and will be a great support for your business. Instead of all those hours spent with making those orders you can now go to your appointments and fashion shows completely stress free, as all you'll need is your fabulous handbag that will contain your purse, must have fashion accessory and of course, your phone. This app is completely hassle free and lets you take snapshots to create your own boards of the latest styles and trends that will allow you to place your order and share on social media.

It was just a few weeks ago when one of the iMerchandise team contacted me about this new app and even though I am not a fashion buyer, I must admit it's probably one of the only new apps that has really caught my eye and not to mention it is fast becoming the hottest thing to have right now as it has been featured on California Apparel news, lucky magazine, Iconic! TV fashion & entertainment. This new app is going to be a revolution for the fashion buying world, how wonderful will it be to now have a stress-free job where you can snap your own wishlist wherever you are, such as front row at the latest fashion catwalk or just scouting out new trends. Honestly, if you are in the fashion buying business, please invest in the iMerchandise fashion app and let yourself have that extra glass of wine at night while the new app deals with your complicated stuff.

Here's a little video that will tell you more about the iMerchandise app;

Viva Brazil!

Have you ever been somewhere so spectacular that you kind of just want to tell the world about it? yeah?, well that's me right now. Now I know it has been a few weeks since my last post and of course I dearly apologize my lovelies, college work and university applications have been hectic, ugghhh the life of a fashion student........but that's not what this post is about!

So in my absence from blogging we celebrated my sisters 23rd birthday on January the 12th and like usual for us we always go out for a family meal to celebrate. My sister, Holly, decided on a new place that none of us had ever been before. A lovely restaurant called Viva Brazil, just in the center of Glasgow. I had absolutely never heard of this place before in my life so I decided to look it up and see what they were like, to find out that they were a Brazilian style steakhouse. Let's just say I was intrigued, and as much as sometimes that I hate to admit it my sister does have fabulous taste when it comes to picking out places to eat so I already knew Viva Brazil already would not disappoint.

Now that I have been there all I can say is that the evening was quite spectacular, Viva Brazil truly do live up to their motto "More is everything...food, service & atmosphere", they really do. The waiters were exceptionally nice in explaining how their restaurant works, which was quite peculiar once the manager had explained to me that there was an all you can eat buffet with mashed potatoes, chips, salad, rice, pasta's etc, that you could help yourself to while you wait on the meat coming around. Now this is where it gets interesting. Viva Brazil had passadors (meat carvers) that go around the room with selected cuts of delicious meats, there were 14 in total, such as porks, sausages, chilli chicken....even chicken hearts! (which I couldn't ring myself to eat by the way, but hey! at least there is always a selection. Nothing wrong with trying new things) that have all been slowly roasted over an open charcoal barbecue.

As I am such a massive food enthusiast, I just love to eat!, this place hit all the right spots for me and the funny thing is you would expect to be so full after eating, but because the passadors that go around give you just a nice carving of meat and leave a sufficient time between each meat selection, the surprising thing is that you can eat even more. Not that anyone was complaining!!!.

So since that I have established the food was excellent and that Viva Brazil's method of serving is quite something, I think I have to leave a little word about the service. All I can say is that it's probably one of the best services I have ever received in a restaurant. Not only did they always come over and ask if you needed a new drink or if you needed anything else but the one thing that really topped the night of for me was that they didn't rush you at the end of the night. You know how some places and you go out for a meal with a load of people and suddenly the staff are trying to shove you out the door? well that never happened. We stayed there for an extra hour just having a nice conversation over a cup of tea to let the meal go down and let the night wind down and not once were we told if we would like the bill, if we were planning on staying any longer and for some reason that just made it even better. The staff seem to be as relaxed as the customers and that's something to appreciate in a very busy restaurant.

So that's the end of my little review about my night out at Viva Brazil! and I just have to say that I truly recommend this place to anyone who is looking for a great night out with fantastic service and great food!. So if your around Glasgow anytime soon or your just looking to check somewhere else out, this is the place to go. You will not be dissapointed.

Camera Obscura photo shoot

Well what do you know, it's finally an update from me. I mean it has only been, what?, 6 months since I last wrote here. Ugghh well I must admit I am truly sorry, the past 6 months have been somewhat hectic and I have barely had the time do anything apart from work, work, work. It sucks when that happens, but it is all for my future career within the fashion industry so no matter how daunting it feels the studying and course work must be done and I know that it will all be worth it in the end. 

So on the subject of my studies I have recently applied to my chosen universities and of course I have to set up portfolios for them all, even more work I know, however for one portfolio I have to style my own photo shoot so I got in contact with my lecturers old students who was looking for some assistance on her new shoot that she was doing at the Camera Obscura in Edinburgh. As a massive fan of photography is was an absolute brilliant opportunity for me to see what  actually happens behind the camera and all the planning that takes place before the shoot actually happens. Not to mention the setting was brilliant and magical and the model, Rebecca Baillie was just an absolutely mesmerizing model. During the shoot Brianna, the photographer, was explaining how she wanted to grasp a futuristic effect with the idea of dopplegangers, which in my opinion has worked perfectly. 

I was so glad that I got to work with people who have gone on to become quite close acquaintances and have given me great advice when it comes to styling my own shoot. I can honestly say this was a brilliant opportunity and can't wait to be involved a lot more in the world of photography. 

Rachel's Jewelry Box

So summer is finally here. After a long and stressful time at college, studying frantically non stop for almost a year it is now time to relax and enjoy some few months of peace and having with your family and friends, do whatever you want. So that is what this post about my lovely fellow bloggers because I have really exciting news!. And that news is known as "Rachel's Jewelry Box".

So your probably all wondering, "what is that?". Well over the past couple of months, in between my studies,  I have been planning and creating a small jewelry business to pursue my creative ambitions. It happened one day when I was on my local hobby craft store and I decided that during the summer I wanted to do something valuable with my time and quite a few people I know have started small clothing or jewelry/accessories brands online that not only help make them earn a bit of money but also allows them to be able to further their careers.

I have to admit I have had great fun creating some bracelet designs. It's become really fun and I have to say that I am glad that I have taking the art of jewelry making up. I have tons of inspirations and influences for new designs and I am always making more every day.

"Rachel's Jewelry Box" has only really just started up yesterday but I am hoping that I manage to keep this business up and I do hope that their will be some interested buyers sometime very soon.

Currently for sale is my Vintage Floral Bracelet which was my first ever design which has already proved to be quite popular with some people that I know and also a few hand crafted beaded bracelets. The beaded bracelets are made with a stretchy wire so they fit almost every hand and don't wear down easily at all.

So I guess I just wanted to share my exciting news with you all and I would very much appreciate it if you all went and liked my facebook page, and if you have any inquiries about purchasing one of my bracelets or even have a design you would like me to create just let me know. I am always happy to make new designs for you guys!

Link to Rachel's Jewelry Box - https://www.facebook.com/pages/Rachels-Jewelry-Box/158744880980367?skip_nax_wizard=true

Helena Bonham Carter: Timeless Classic

If there is one woman in the world that truly inspires me then that would be Miss Helena Bonham Carter, so when I saw that she was on the cover of my favorite fashion magazine Vogue, I knew I had to purchase it. So I did. I ran to the shops and picked up my own copy of Vogue's July "Ageless Style Issue" and if I have to be quite frank, there was no other perfect symbol for a timeless classic like Helena. 

Right down from her unique sense of fashion to the passion that she shows when she embraces each of her roles. 

An ape, a gun toting prostitute, a villainous witch right down to Ohpelia In hamlet or the Queen Mother, Helena has provided some of the best on screen characters with such diversity and character you'd be forgiven for thinking that in many ways that there is a little piece of herself in each of the characters that she plays and in the interview she states "I don't agree to do a film because I think it's going to make money. I do it because I think I am going to lean something from the character". 

The 12 page interview called her "Roaring forties" is accompanied by some fabulous gothic style pictures of Helena Bonham carter looking the best she ever has. And just judging by the photoshoot, Helena is at the best she ever has been. Utterly flawless, porcelain skin and high cheekbones. 

During the interview Helena discusses playing different roles all of which are so diverse, her priorities as an actress and a mother as well as what character research means to her and it was after I had finished the interview that I realised that there could be no other person in the world that would have been a better symbol for Vogue's ageless style issue, because over the years Helena has aged perfectly with grace but also still kept her fun and magical spirit through each character that she plays and her daring and bold style that, even though she has taken such harsh criticism for, it is in fact Just so her to be that way. Yes, Miss Helena Bonham Carter truly is a timeless classic for this generation. 

1920's fashion trend and The Great Gatsby Influence

"The Great Gatsby", starring Carey Mulligan, Tobey Maguire and Leonardo DiCaprio has only just debuted at the Cannes Film festival but already there is a huge buzz not just about the film but the absolutely splendid 1920's fashion that the film portrays. The iconic F.Scott Fitzgerald Novel has been given a make over by one of the most breathtaking directors, Baz Luhrmann, and has seen the 1920's fashion trend soar straight back into fashion.
The legendary 1920's jazz era was known for it's flamboyance and post war fun and to be quite frank, the 20's is definitely one of my favorite fashion era's along with the Great Gatsby novel itself.

I first read the iconic F.Scott Fitzgerald novel in my higher English class a few years back and as huge fan of books and the 20's fashion this particular novel stole my heart. The novel depicts the portrayal of a man known as Jay Gatsby who strives to meet the American dream with extravagant parties all in the hopes of impressing Daisy Buchanan whom he begins an affair with. The underlying tones of infidelity, social upheaval, idealism and also the idea of new money vs old old money is what brings the 20's to life in this novel.
Even though I am still yet to see the film, which will probably include me dragging my boyfriend by the ears to the cinema, I do hope that this recent film adaptation manages to capture all the essentials that has made F.Scott Fitzgerald's novel into a classic. Not to mention I am rather excited just to see the 20's fashion trend light up the big screen.
The 1920's fashion era is not only beautiful but the background of the Jazz era is rather interesting. It was an era that reflects the changes that began to take place in society and in my own opinion was the beginnings of the rebellious women. Forget your classic rebellious teenage female of today's day and age, women of the 1920's were and still are the original female rebellion and that showed through the changing fashions. Women moved away from the restricted corsets that dominated the Victorian Era and opted for dropped waist lines, cut their hair into a bob with finger curls, knee length dresses that would show of their legs whilst dancing and earned themselves a reputation with collectively being known as "Flappers".

So as I have not had the advantage of seeing Baz Luhrmann's "the Great Gatsby" I have heard about the debate of whether or not it will do Fitzgerald's novel any justice, seeing as the novel and Fitzgerald himself managed to flawlessly capture the the roaring twenties along with the emptiness the era provided for those who strive to meet the idea of the American Dream, however you cannot deny that The Great Gatsby remake has spun a 1920's fashion revival and seen the iconic and exciting trend hit the catwalks and the high streets.

Spring/summer fashion trend report.

So it would seem that winter is finally beginning to fade allowing spring/summer to finally blossom and hopefully bring nice weather along with it. However, where I am from that is highly unlikely. Especially with the weather we have been having recently. Uggh, I hate it when Winter decides to stay past it's due date, don't you? Well, I must admit the winter weather is not going to stop me checking out some of the latest spring/summer fashions and trends for this year and judging by the looks of things the colors alone will be enough to brighten up my mood along with the weather.

Monochrome Checks 
The Monochrome Trend has been on the rise for quite some time now, so it's not surprising that this black and white check trend is going to be a huge hit this spring/summer season. And with this trend the bigger and bolder the better.

Pastels
Ahh the ever faithful pastels. I don't quite think it would be spring/summer without these light hue's making an appearance. Quite frankly, I love pastel shades. Especially for this season, it makes me feel quite summery and girly and I don't think you can go wrong with this trend. Honestly, every spring/summer wardrobe should have pastel shades featured in there somewhere.

Stripes
Stripes have been on the rise for quite some time now. I seem to be seeing them an awful lot more this year than I ever have. From the runways right down to the high streets. The good thing with this trend is that they can be used in so many ways. Thick and skinny, horizontal or vertical as well as mixing up the colours. I can be certain that this will be a trend to watch this season.

Crop Tops 
Once a dreaded fashion piece for those of us who didn't feel toned enough and that amount of exposure used to leave us feeling embarrassed. Yes, it's true. The infamous crop top has popped up this spring/summer for another round. However, there is something you need to know about this particular trend. See the crop top has evolved along with the modern day times and is now more sophisticated and mature, thanks to some handy work by some high class fashion designers who have been featuring this trend on their catwalks. These new style of crop tops are designed to be paired with high waisted skirts and shorts for a more lady like approach allowing this more difficult trend to be a bit more approachable.