Banging. Bang on.

Another day, another builder.

The new abode seems to be inundated with plasterers, lino-fitters, emultioners, matt/gloss painters and electricians. I kid you not. I can't move from my dining room. The bucket in the corner is looking tempting (!)

Thank flip, am off to the MCR Fashion Network Affiliate Marketing event this evening; shall report on my findings. One issue; the site. For an 'in the loop' fashion knowledge laden company, the site simply does not reflect this. Perhaps I'll use my one question to address MFN rather than the panelists (lies).

Today has been a flurry of glamour-grenade launches. The army of fashion-opinionated buzzy-bee-bloggers noting Oscars fashion triumphs and trumps has been almost as unbearable as the medias sickly-sweet relationship with Kate Middleton & her style. I shant add kindle to this bandwagon but I would like to note my most treasured Oscars dress. I still dream of this exquisite eyesore.

Vogue

The full list of '50 worst ever Oscar dresses' OH contraire.

Liver & Onions.

Spend the weekend in Liverpool. Rollercoaster ride of hilarity, delusion, libation (of the alcoholic nature) & lightly whipped banter.

Liverpool 1 is a must, naturally. The climax to our purchase hunt was Cavern Walks, a boutique bonanza. Sublime. I've never desired a whole shop. Genuinely. Until I fell in love with Lola. Lola Loves has stolen my heart & savings (/overdraft).

Next visit planned. Credit card drained.

Clubs visited? Shipping Forecast. Tick. Largos. Tick. Bumper (watch out for thieves). Tick. 3 bars blurring into one? Tick.

&we were only there for 23 hours. Riot.

The accent still grates on me.

Liverpudlian Artist Ian M.

T for Tango.

Life must've really been gay then. This was taken for a female dancing troupe of 1923. All so swanky. Just think; the scandal of the tango, epitome of the era Charleston, and the seductive Shimmy. Bring on Broadwalk Empire fashion, gaiety & frivolities in the coming year.

Vexed Verse.

Luke warm emotions, plod.

Crabby & irked. Perma.

Thwarted.

It's plaintive. I'm plaintive. It's plaintive.

Inferno

Next Generation.

Whilst flouncing round Pure I noticed a competition-cum-designer X factor type project. Next Generation.

The idea was to create a platform for the creme-de-la-creme of emerging designers to present original collections in a strong forum thus gaining the enormity of exposure that Pure Spirit can offer.

Judged by a panel of five experts (understatement of this years calibre), the competition was insanely intense. The two winners; The Village Green and Connected Generation, received a stand, while nine runner ups were awarded highly subsidised rates.

I particularly admire Village Green’s manifesto: to bring quintessentially English gems back from the grave, with honesty and respect their forefathers. It reminded me of a store I saw in NY. It took tired threads & revitalised them. On occasion making them more desirable than they were in their newness. Shall definitely be visiting them in Covent Garden when next down 'sarf. (I'm very tired ...)

I'd really recommend looking at the winners and runners up, some truly great pieces.

Maxjenny

Cashmere in Love

Silk and Sawdust

Trisori

The project has opened its doors again, this time for the August event. It's not simply to support the future talent, but to present buyers, press and visitors with the innovations and innovators of tomorrow.

Buyers were hugely impressed with this addition to the show, with buyers from iconic French department store Galeries Lafayette describing it as "an extremely interesting platform. We were taken aback by the passion from these upcoming designers." (Next Generation).

Check, check, check, check it out.

Pure & Simple. Hearsay.

It was a cracking song. At it's height of popularity I had pajamas & duvet set emblazoned with lyrics & wonderful 'flamey' visuals. Ah.

I went to Pure & Stitch last Sunday til Tuesday. With over 1,100 brands exhibiting across two impressive venues (Earls Court and Olympia) it was a tad overwhelming. Especially considering I felt like a recycling unit the amount of paper launched at me within 2 minutes of entering each venue.

Still, had a jolly, bustling time. Purpose was to have a scout around Stitch; the menswear trade show attempting to get on the international trade calendar. Reasoning being that I'm starting my own style advice site SUPERBAD, so it was a mixture of banter & research. I'd call it a recce for the next event. The various seminars of Ecommerce and the 'future of the internet and marketing' contributed to my snooping. Yet all work and no play made one a boring girl, so I skipped merrily to the WGSN and Drapers seminars;

Trend Presentation with Drapers fashion editor Laura Weir: buying advice to boost profit from the AW11 trends.

Buying and Range Planning

WGSN Trend Edit & Catwalk (x2) using pieces from brands exhibiting at Pure.

Zandra Rhodes and Eric Musgrave: an ode to Rhodes' lifelong love affair with textile (as well as plugging her new book and clothing/accessory range, which is, interesting)

There's an abundance of e-lit around so I shant natter too much. Here's a few visual snaps (comments from left to right correspond with images);

The lovely 1965 buses that shuttled attendees between Olympia and Earls Court. Quaint arrangement for Mina. The look was flirty, young 70s with a burst of florals demanding a picnic on the lawn.

The one, the only Zandra Rhodes presenting her new book (all pre-74 prints) and her new collection

(this was the best of a bad bunch (sorry Z))

Steve Spear interviewing buyers from large companies, to start up boutiques. Absorbing.

Zandra's bag collection, courtesy of the London Insider

At the WGSN Trend Edit presentation, Lorna Hall noted those emerging for AW 11/12;

Faux Real - think texture, angular shapes, conspicuous embellishment and deadened metallics with sheen

Your Space - strict etiquette of the 30s, colour blocking with a palette of grey, khaki and toasted reds. (very Marc by Marc)

*

360 Degrees - futuristic technology fused with ancient traditions; vagabond appearance (!) think Westwood, knitted and fur/knitted overlays (below), grecian twists and drapes (below)

Plus a few brand collection pieces that caught my (easily distracted) eye.

OnePiece

Ya Ya

Kif.if

Derhy

Maggie & Me

Numph

I spy with my little eye, something beginning with M. Yes, Mark Hayes was there, presenting a 'how to beat the high street' presentation. I felt it was a little under prepared and his choices were slap-dash. I got the jist though. My he's short (and tangoed). Which leads me to my final note on the event; all the speakers were jut that. Short. Small packages & all that.

Oh & a round of applause to Pure for their organisation, precision and success of an event (I couldn't have functioned without the 'What's on?' sheet).

* this model was quite possibly the sourest grape of the entire span. Not even a hint of a smile.

I love you, I love you not.

I was in LDN for bleugh day (Valentines). I received no card, was whisked away to a comedy show on a boat (sea-sickness is my affliction) & had to endure stories of 'how we met/we're so loved up/smooch smooch'. All together a vom-romantic day.

I was at the Drapers & Pure event before hand, hosting Stitch menswear & accessory trade show (images & notes to be up shortly). Valentines day was usurped, which I welcomed, as it only heightens my annoyance of flouncy people who seemingly aren't in reality, but in their own idealistic bubbles. (How very bitter of me).

Still, love was all around (hurt typing that). I make like a small girl pulling petals from a bloom ...

I love you

Charlotte Olympia, available at Harrods.

I love you not

Stuart Weitzman, Primerib Patent Sandals, £310. Available at Harrods. Just UGH.

I love you

Julianne Moore at the BAFTAs. Jeez louise, she's 50 & looks better than she did when she was 25. Tom Ford as a date? Nifty.

I love you not

Jennifer Lawrence at the BAFTAs. When did Xena-chic get the stylists salivating?

I love you AND I love you not, it's a fine line. I can't love both. Nor can I simply like both. Ambiguity. Such a snore.fest situation when ambiguity rules the roost.

Rhi-Rhi and Pejic in JPGs haute-couture Wedding dress range Spring 11.

(I'm swaying towards Pejic, it'd be rude not to comply with the rest of the post.)

The Business of Paper.

I've been in a flap-tizz. It's a culmination of worry, despair and regret. I ordered some Business Cards in time for Stitch (M/W trade show) from a reputable company (aka, not Vista) over a week ago &as I hopped from foot to foot each (dark) morning, waiting for Posty to deliver goodies he left me bewildered, with a fist full of bills & no joy.

Til today ...

Okay, so one can't read it. The fact remains; they came. I'm excited & need to network.

Death of the business card? PAH. I doubt those who profess this have ever experienced the sheer callow joy that sweeps over on receiving them. Almost as swell as having pencils etched in golden with your title; it didn't even matter if they were the worst colouring utensils ever.

I wish to visit every eatery to pop it in the glass jar next to the till (in the hope of winning a meal obvs).

It's the simple things.

The Grayson Area.

Manchester. Like an adolescent late bloomer, full of angst, meandering through social cliques; highs through the 'indie too cools', lows in the emo-goth phase and confusion through the rest.

A dolly mixture culture.

I'd say I'm not overly Mancunian in the sense I say 'he' and 'my' rather that 'our kid' but I adore my city. It especially excites me when I capture a fleeting fixture, whether it be a theatre production here for a month or an underground gig for one night only.

I visited the Manchester Art Gallery over the w/e to see the 11 day exhibition; Visual Dialogues featuring Grayson Perry.

I applaud its apt timing and response to the shock news that

Greater Manchester was set to lose £850,000 of Arts Council funding. Though how the slash will affect M.A.G is not yet known.

Featuring Print for a Politician and

Jane Austen in E17 Perry's work was accompanied with eclectic objects, chosen by Creative Consultants to encourage exploration of themes throughout his work. Expertly designed, the small space was dancing to a melody of passion, curiosity and investigation.

Print for a Politician (doesn't do it justice at all. I urge you to visit)

Like his alter ego, Claire*, Perry's work raises the question of acceptance, creative differences and aesthetic appeal. I found it fitting that his use of traditional crafts to comment on modern life as Manchester's own traditional craft material of cotton has taken on a new life; in the minds of retailers and consumers globally.

Claire

Oh I do enjoy an emotional and emotive journey instigated by visuals and their own loaded aesthetics.

Bravo.

I'm also being bold and likening MCR to the Print for a Politician, it's a transferable playground ideology; there are the hipsters, the smokers, the models, the socially inept etc. It made me laugh heartily. & I was also amused to hear that George Osborne has a copy in his office.

Mike Amesbury noted

“We believe that visitors to Manchester Art Gallery deserve to see some of the very best art that the world has to offer, and this includes examples of contemporary works such as these recent pieces by Grayson Perry.”

I couldn't agree more. This was the first of Perry's art to visit the North West, I dearly hope this is the first of a long line of big names and talent to grace us with their presence. &vice versa. Naturally.

*I don't want to take credit, but I've met Claire a few times & I consistently mentioned how I felt MCR is an excellent exhibition space.