May 29, 2015

Fashion is always moving forward. Something very apparent to me as I write about the buying trip I have just been on with Heidi. It seems strange that we are still in the throw between winter and spring, yet in the fashion community all thoughts of summer have been moved aside to consider autumn and winter 2015..

I am doing some work experience with Flint and was invited to join Heidi to see and partake in the process of buying for the shop. This is my first blog post for the Flint website..

First up was a visit to Four Marketing which is the agency that represents Velvet. We met Christopher who showed us the pre fall/winter capsule that Velvet had created. It was so striking and there were some really amazing details and colours within it. It was so easy to see the collection in Flint, it will just fit in seamlessly. I almost can't wait the amount of time that it will take for it to drop!

Next up was a short walk down the road to Chiltern Street Studios where we were met by Denise who showed us a cornucopia of brands, specifically Bellerose, Crossley and Jumper 1234. All of them exhibited some fascinating pieces in scintillating colours. My favourite collection at Chiltern Street Studios was Crossley. The textures that the designers had achieved on these pieces were very unique. They would make every outfit that they were paired with visually unusual from the norm due to the aesthetic differences to most fabrics. It makes for a very original outfit. Crossley was also very special in that they were ready to buy and take away. It seems strange that they are in Flint now and customers are already wearing and enjoying them.

After a delicious lunch we had a lovely stroll down to Lucy Wernicks Fashion Agency where we had an appointment with Jessie. We had an opening to see 360 Cashmere - a brand that I absolutely adore. In fact, I am wearing one of their jumpers as I write this. Jessie talked us through the selection focusing more on the sensations of the fabrics and the exciting hues that they cam e in, subtle distinctions that made a large difference. With all of the agencies it was really great to see how they let Heidi go through her own process with the clothes, making up her own story.

Throughout the brands the colours were key, it was obvious that we were moving into autumn because throughout all of the collections they were rich, darker tones being used - for example, a burgundy or a dark teal. Autumn capsules are often my favourite in that I find they represent the colour changes in the leaves or the deepening colours of a lake, to me Fall collections feel very earthy and natural. I was really impressed with the different textures that all of the brands were experimenting with. My favourite yarn was 360 Cashmere's new brushed cashmere; it felt like a cloud to touch and had an almost angora like quality to it.

From my point of view, it was really great to see the buying process unfold, it was so interesting to see what happens behind the scenes at Flint and the work that goes into making it the special shop we all know and love, and it will be wonderful coming into the shop in the autumn to see the clothes that were carefully chosen, being proudly displayed on the rails.

Piece of the Day!

For me, the sheer chiffon shirt from Velvet was my Piece of the Day. I absolutely loved the small details that are carefully sewn onto the shirt. I really liked the fact that they were relatively subtle too. Another reason as to why I chose this shirt was because it taps into the bohemian trend with out going too far, so it's wearable for pretty much everyone.

I would wear this shirt with skinny jeans and maybe espadrilles or ballet pumps, or if I'm feeling brave, some heels! Because of the creamy colour of the shirt, it could go with most outfits, but I think it would look best with jeans. I think this outfit suits an everyday atmosphere or maybe a smart/casual event because it can very easily be dressed up with a jacket and heels.