Strike...

Yesterday, 29th of March, there was a national strike action against consumism and the labor reforms and cuts that the government is applying and planning to apply to the Spanish citizens. Being students and all, we decided to go to the demonstration led by the syndicates and labor unions in Salamanca. These events usually go smoothly and without any rows but there are always more radical groups that believe direct action is the only way to get their voices heard; they stop any public services by force, close shops and sometimes perform acts of vandalism. I am absolutely agains the use of violence in any demonstration because apart from the fact is is against the law, it sends mixed messages about the aim of the organization they are representing. The syndicates promote direct action but also solidarity with fellow traders. However, how can you say that when part of your members are committing violence against those workers who decide to work during the strike? Some workers don't get a choice wether they want to use their right to go on strike: they need the money, we are in crisis after all.
 I am not sure where I stand. I am definitely against the government cuts and I will continue supporting pacific demonstrations and legal actions against it. However, the truth is that these methods might not be as effective as they used to be anymore. The goverment doesn't take into account what people protest against anymore with the excuse that we have "chosen"  them to be our leaders. The truth is we only get to choose once every four years and the voting system is set up to make it very easy for the big parties and impossible for the smaller so our vote will always be distorted. But carrying  "direct actions" against the goverment and starting to use some kind of violence can easily lead into something not pretty. We've had revolutions before, fighting for our rights as citizens, but they were bloody and full of death. Hasn't our society evolved enough not to use those methods anymore? We'll just have to see...

After making my point (god, who knew I could still write about politics when I haven't done it such a long timeee), I want to comment on a fashion observation from Salamanca: crochet and backpacks. I love crochet for spring and summer, I think it creates a lovely texture while still being light enough to wear. In Salamanca, all the girls wear it combined with leather backpacks. I am not such a big fan of those. I think they remind me of my High School years (that I want to forget, stylistically speaking) but I do admit that they are practical and easy to carry.

XOXO

Journey to ... Salamanca

" The bus sways me back and forth, swiftly as if in a cradle. The endless fields of green grass through the window. Occasionally you can see the tower of a church, an abandoned farm, a lonely graveyard in the middle of nowhere. The sun brushes one side of my face from time to time, proyecting orange shadows through my hair. I can feel the soft leather seat behind me. Momentarily, I am somnolient. A bump on the road brings me back to reality. I glance across the rows of seats in front of me. A relaxed pose. Or tired. Beige chinos. A tanned arm. Silver Casio. Knitted grey sweater. On the screen, a quick succession of images I can't discern. Looks like a movie. Brunette ruffled hair. Green eyes. Or blue. Or both. I glance at the horizon. Between the fields, at the very end, a group of trees. I look at my watch. 7:08. Tecnically, in seven minutes we should be in Salamanca. I lean forward and look over the seats. Through the parasol I see the road, a bridge, and at the back, green and sky. "

People 1. Raid....

I have decided it is time to put more faces on this blog;  people that I work with or simply admire because of their fashion style, attitude and choices. Thank you so much Raid Ryan for agreeing to be the first one portrayed and interviewed! She studies Theatre with me and this year we have worked in a few projects together. I hope after this post, you will love her as much as I do!

XOXO

First of all, what are you wearing today?

Well, although it pains me to say it, the whole outfit on this day: trousers, tee shirt, shoes and cardigan are all from  Topshop. However, the tan plaited belt is from a charity shop. The necklace is from Barcelona as is the turquoise ring and the other ring is very old and has huge sentimental value!

How would you define your style?

It's hard to pin point exactly what my style is because some days it is super casual, with a pair of vans or boys shoes and a tee shirt from SUPREME, ONLY NY, OBEY (all male brands); and then the next day I can come in with heels and a silk shirt! I really love simple clothes such as a nice coat with a pair of jeans or smart trousers and a plain tee shirt or shirt with lashings of rings. I tend to stick to black, blues, grey, whites and creams. Khaki and red are my colour of choice. I always think about adding more colour to my wardrobe but I just think nothing looks more chic than dark clothing with a white shirt and a really good pair of shoes.

What do you study and how does it affect the way you dress?

I study Theatre Arts so my day to day wardrobe has to be pretty casual. I mostly wear jeans and a tee shirt with a pair of flat shoes. But I more than often ignore what is probably appropiate for a practical lesson and totter in in a pair of heeled Chelsea boots which have become my new obsession.

Where do you shop and what are your inspirations/style icons?

I don't only shop in Topshop, I look in vintage boutiques in Brick Lane, Urban Outfitters and charity shops. I recently got a high waisted pencil skirt that comes just below the knee with a little split at the back and a knitted jumper with shoulder pads, both from the Brithis Red Cross shop for ₤4! I also love Zara, COS, ASOS and if I had a little more money (all the money in the world) then I would spend more in The Kooples, Celine, DKNY, Calvin Klein, MaxMara, Rag & Bone, Michael Kors, Chloe, Joseph....The list could go on!

I love men's clothing so a pair of Vans with a boy's tee shirt works fine for me. I love a little hint of androgyny in my outfits. Boys have it so easy when they wake up in the morning; It just looks like little or no effort has been put into their outfit. I WANT THAT! I love fashion, but I am far too layed back to put hours of work into an outfit.

As for someone who inspires my fashion choices, there are too many people to point just one, it depends how I feel when I wake up in the morning and who I want to be that day. But if I had to say, then I like Erin Wasson. She just has this effortless, tomboy cool, stylish, relaxed chic that I adore in a woman. She has her own fashion label and just look at her apartment in New York at www.theselby.com, too cool! I would never be a slave to fashion, but I do appreciate how it can make you feel when you wake up in the morning. 

If you didn't do Theatre, what would you do?

If I didn't do theatre I would definitely do fashion or fashion photography. I love it, I think it's art (cliché I know, but it so is!) I spend my money on Vogue, clothes, cigarettes and the Theatre. I'm always "people watching", looking at their outfits, wondering how I could wear it; window shopping in Covent Garden and walking into Burberry (not before saying to my sister: "let's pretend we've got loads of money") and wishing I had enough for one of their trench coats.

Cupcakes...

After a crazy weekend that never seemed to end and the 9 o'clock start I had today, I feel like I need to post this picture to keep my spirits up and think of the upcoming holidays! My dear friend Akitsu came to London this weekend to visit me before flying back home (Japan) for Easter. We had some lovely times (mostly eating, as seen above) but also just walking around London and chilling out. We both like good cakes and cupcakes so we decided to indulge and buy some Ottolengui cupcakes in their store in Islington and have them with a nice cup of Earl Grey. Delicious.


XOXO


P.D The one on the left is lemon and blueberry cupcake and the right one is white chocolate cheesecake with raspberry sauce.

She's the girl...

Today is 11th of March and it is a very special day. For many reasons, but the only one that matters to me is the birthday of my dear old  friend María. I say old because she is turning 20! This is supposed to be the age when you stop being a teenager and become an adult, when people take you seriously, when you are supposed to have a clear direction in life, bla bla bla..... but really, 20 is important because of the BIRTHDAY PARTY! In this case, the party will be postponed until the Easter holidays when I am there to organize, of course ☺ But coming back to Maria, I am not sure if I know how to describe her. She is..... a tough one. Tough is a good word for her. She is strong, too strong sometimes. She is my rock, my cynical side, my rational half, my Miranda (Sex and the City), my lawyer (someday), my "meaty" friend, the person I discuss Vogue wtith (although we don't share fashion styles). But not everything is nice and easy; with friendships you also have to work hard to keep them from drowning and the road sometimes gets rocky but that is what makes you grow closer as friends. Maria and me know that very well and I think, no matter how far apart we are (986.007 Km), or how difficult things get, we will never give up on each other. 


So, after these heartfelt confessions, I just want to wish her a lovely day with her friends, and family and boyfriend. I bet she probably won't read this until the afternoon because then is when she will wake up, probably with a hangover from the celebrations last night... I wouldn't expect anything less.


Happy birthday ♥

Hoy es 11 de Marzo y es un día muy especial. Por muchas razones, pero la única que me importa a mí es el cumpleaños de mi querida vieja amiga María. Digo vieja porque hoy cumple 20 años! Esta es supuestamente la edad cuando ya no eres una adolescente pero un adulto, cuando el mundo te toma en serio, cuando tu vida tiene que tener una dirección clara, bla, bla, bla… pero, en realidad, 20 es importante por la FIESTA de cumpleaños! En este caso, la celebración será pospuesta hasta Semana Santa cuando yo estaré allí para organizarlo todo, por supuesto ☺ Pero volviendo a María, no estoy seguro si sé como describirla. Ella es…. dura. Dura es una buena palabra para ella. Es fuerte, demasiado fuerte a veces. Ella es mi roca, my lado cínico, mi mitad racional, mi Miranda (Sexo en Nueva York), mi abogado (algún día), mi amiga carnívora, la persona con la que hablo de Vogue (aunque nuestros estilos son distintos). Pero no todo es fácil y genial; con amistades también hay que trabajar duro para que no se hundan y la carretera a veces tiene baches; pero eso es lo que nos junta y ata mas como amigas. Maria y yo lo sabemos muy bien y sé que no importa lo separadas que estemos ((986.007 Km), o lo difíciles que se pongan las cosas, nunca nos abandonaremos.

Y después de estas sentidas (y empalagosas) palabras, sólo quiero desearle un día genial con sus amigos, familia y novio. Estoy segura de que no va a leer esto hasta por la tarde porque es entonces cuando va a salir de la cama, seguramente con resaca por la celebración de ayer por la noche… No esperaba menos.

Feliz cumpleaños ♥

Mirror, Mirror

I can't wait until the release of Mirror, Mirror; a new retake of the classical fairytale of Snow White but with some changes. On a recent interview of Lilly Collins (Snow White), she explained how the main storyline was kept as originally written but the way Snow White acts is much different. She doesn't rely on the prince to "save her" and help her come back to her home. She takes matters into her own hands. I think it is a brave an intelligent change. Nowadays, films are a huge form of communication and entertainment and are viewed by millions of people around the world, especially young girls who will take the actresses as their role models. This is why it's so important to give the right impression. I am not saying that films shouldn't have romance, or impossible goals but not every single film has to be ONLY about that because, honestly, it is not realistic. In real life, women don't stand waiting around for a man to appear from thin air and  fix up their lives. On the contrary, we always have to fight harder than men to get where we want to be. So I think it is great that movies are being made taking traditional but old fashioned tales and adapting them to today's mentality. We might not gain total gender equality just yet but young girls will definitely take the lead.

After all this (long) rambling about women's rights (it was women's day yesterday! I had to mention it somewhere), let's talk about the costume in the film. It is absolutely stunning. I didn't know the costume designer from before, Eiko Ishioka, and I also found out that she died in January this year. She designed the costumes for some iconic films such as Bram Stocker's Dracula  directed by Francis Ford Coppola and for which she won an Academy Award. Also, she designed The Cell with Jennifer Lopez. Her work on the stage includes Madam Butterfly, Cirque du Soleil and other musicals.

Mirror, Mirror's costumes remind me in many ways to theatre costumes. They are bold, big with expanded shapes and silhouettes. If you were to put those dresses on stage, they would work the same or even better than in the film. The attention to detail is also admirable; the flower embroideries on Snow's dresses are amazing and the shapes and textures of the Evil Queen (Played by Julia Roberts) are ingenious and beautful. I can't wait until the film comes out!

XOXO

I ♥ ...

Valentino...

Alexander McQueen...

Dior...

Here are some of my favourites from the Fall collections. There is something dreamy and romantic about all of them; the materials look soft, floaty... ruffles, plated skirts, tulle, lace. I have to say I especially like Dior's show. Since the "departure" of John Galliano, the house doesn't seem to be the same.  There have been controversial reviews about it: some say that it brings back some of the old Dior glamour from the New Look with the full skirts and waist focused and others point out that it is an "easy" collection, non innovative but "nice". Is Dior ready to settle for "nice"? We'll see. 

XOXO

Saturday...

I don't think I've had such a long and chilled day as today in a while. Will and me started off going to a Vintage Fair in the morning where they sold clothes by the kilo. I had never been to one before to the excitement was in the air although the clothes were from the 70s, 80s and 90s..... The place was pretty organized considering the amount of people that go through there during the day. I didn't find a lot of stuff that I loved but I did grab a nice burgundy wool jacket with quite big puffed shoulders that I HAD to buy. After rummaging for an hour or so, we left and walked through Schoredich to Brick Lane and Spitafields Market which was heeving with vintage sellers and tourists. After our very successful vintage shopping, we sat down in a lovely square and had some coffee: typical saturday behaviour.

It was still early in the day so we headed to the Barbican to get culturized. It was very very busy but we saw an interesting exhibition by a Chinese artist called Song Dong. This is an extract of what he wrote about the exhibit.

            " On August 11, 2002, my father suffered a heart attack, and in a matter of minutes, he left us forever. My entire family sank into a depression. For my mother, in particular, it came as a great emotional shock, and drastically affected her spirit and behaviour. Nothing we did could pull her out of her sadness. "Art" was my  last hope. As my mother helped me with my art-making, she slowly emerged out of grief. In the three years following my father's death, I countinually planned this collaborative exhibition with my mother. In truth, art was no longer of importance. The most crucial thing was to pull my mother out of her isolated and grief-stricken world and give her fresh air to breathe"
The art piece was just a space filled with objects, hundreds of everyday domestic things that you could find in a house: boxes, medicines, chairs, bottles, toys, books, clothes, shoes... everything was neatly placed but the amount of space that it covered was unbelievable. It was like seeing someones life through daily objects, most of them old and not pleasant, but still touching.

P.D Photos by Will Bowden.... since my camera is currently being repaired