Tag: 2011

  • Designers take on the Girl on Fire

    I’m a huge fan of The Hunger Games, so when I found out on Twitter that InStyle has gotten top fashion designers to design Katniss Everdeen’s Hunger Games opening ceremony dress I couldn’t resist blogging about it! For those who haven’t read the books the outfit is originally designed by Cinna, Katniss’ own personal make-over guru and mentor who is subtlety pushing the buttons to ignite (no pun intended) a rebellion in this dystopian society. The design brief was pretty simple.

    “I am dressed in what will either be the most sensational or the deadliest costume in the opening ceremonies. I’m in a simple black unitard that covers me from ankle to neck. Shiny leather boots lace up to my knees. But it’s the fluttering cape made of streams of orange, yellow, and red and the matching headpiece that define this costume. Cinna plans to light them on fire just before our chariot rolls into the streets.”

    The Hunger Games, pp. 67

    Katniss’ outfit during this ceremonial procession on a chariot with Peeta is her first real step into becoming a beacon for the rebellion movement. The outfit is powerful, not necessarily sexy, but enough to capture the attention of the ‘Capitol’ in for both the wrong and right reasons. 

    Christian Siriano
    Tommy Hilfiger
    Rachel Roy
    Tadashi Shoji
    Charlotte Ronson
    Nicole Miller
    Christian Cota
    Tibi
    Erin Fetherston
    The Blonds
    BCBGeneration

    My favourites are definitely Christian Cota and Charlotte Ronson, both of these designers captured the spirit of Cinna’s vision for Katniss. She’s armed, dangerous and not the little girl from District 12 everyone thinks she is. Close runners up for me are Christian Siriano for his take on her fire cape and Rachel Roy’s nod to the fandom with the Mockingjay pin on her boots. Nicole Miller and The Blond’s take on her outfit are a bit too ‘Capitol’ chic for me, I can’t see Katniss in a Gaga-esque headdress, sorry! As for Tommy Hilfiger, Tadashi Shoji, Tibi and BCBGeneration? I don’t know what book they were reading but standing the designs on their own they look great. 

    I loved pouring over these and hopefully, the costume designers for the movie will do just as great a job!

    Ria Xx

  • [365] Happy 1st Birthday to my blog!

    Well, this was a lovely surprise when I checked my calender today. Today marks the 1st birthday and it’s been one heck of a year! 

    My first post was a little introduction to the blog on the 7th December 2010 and reading it back, I’ll admit it’s beyond cringe-worthy. I remember um-ing and ah-ing about starting a blog during my 2nd year at college whilst doing Media Studies and looking at the stereotypes of women in fashion [it was an excuse for me to watch re-runs of Ugly Betty and spend hours analysing The Devil Wears Prada/The September Issue lol] but it wasn’t until I hit my first semester at University that I took the plunge. 

    Back then it did a little miniseries about the X Factor fashion and a post about my trip up to The Clothes Show, but I had a real problem with trying to find what really wanted to focus writing on. I’ve talked before about my problem with finding my blog identity and hell I don’t think I’ll ever find it! What’s important to me now [and what I realised in a post I made a few days ago here] is that I still enjoy writing and posting. Meeting such a diverse group of bloggers last Saturday really helped with that, we all had our own personal lives to deal with but when it came down to it blogging was something we really loved and that should always come first with a hobby like this. 

    So in celebration of my first birthday, I thought I give my blog a little TLC with a revamp. Let me know what you think and hopefully, this is only the beginning!

    Ria Xx

  • South Bloggers Meet Up

    South Bloggers Meet Up

    – All us outside of Southampton Guildhall – close up shots of my outfit (details in my previous ‘This Week’ post) – Having a good root through Hepwright’s Vintage in Bedford Place, Southampton – German Christmas Market – Pasta at Bella Italia – Yes I was a child and got an ice cream for dessert :P – my only fashion purchase of the day from New Look, I never want to take it off! – [Group photo and Hepwright’s shot courtesy of Sarah from Sarah-Leigh’s Style Files]  

    As promised, a full post about the South Bloggers Meet Up last Saturday in Southampton. We were only a small-ish group in the end but it was a fabulous day out. We started off with a quick snoop around Hepwright’s Vintage and a gossip session at a nearby coffee shop, before heading back into the city centre for a gander at the German Christmas Market and a look around the busy West Quay Shopping Centre.

    We then finished off the night with a meal at Bella Italia and another good gossip before heading home. It was so lovely to meet everyone at the event and finding out what people did IRL, whether actual jobs or Uni, plus other hobbies and interests outside beauty and fashion.

    This is the first time I’ve ever done anything like this but it was really great to chat to people who understood the blogging world and why I like to take pictures of my outfits and talk about fashion. Plus our gossip session definitely inspired me enough to pull me out of my most recent blogging funk.

    A big thank you to Michelle for organising the meetup!

    Now go ahead and follow all the other wonderful ladies who were there:

    To anyone who missed out on the fun hopefully we’ll have another meet up in the New Year, would be lovely to meet even more of you guys!