NYFW...

It may not have finished yet
But this has stolen the spotlight for the entire week

I also have serious topknot envy of a 2 year old!

Racist Clothes. Political Correctness overload or downright racist??...

This last week has raised some serious racial claims for the fashion industry. But where does racism start and political correctness begin. When is going to far, to far?

First up was the Indian Headdress scandal for Swedish super giant H&M. Now we all know the uproar caused by the Native Indian ensemble worn in 'that' Victoria's Secret show last year. To an extent we can understand, the model was very scantily clad. However the demand to remove an innocent accessory seems to far. The item in question is marketed for festival wear. I myself have seen many at festivals in past, along with the whole Navajo theme. In no way do I find this offensive or in the slightest racist. 

This is political correctness gone mad. I admit, yes, I am no Native Indian so, no, I do not have a leg to stand on. However, where do you draw the line. When I was 6 I had a whole outfit, headdress included, Pocahontas style.Now is there a problem with that? I was never aware that I was being racist in a game of dress up, and isn't festival wear just an adult form of dressing up. Is because you are now an adult that the tables have turned. If demands to remove stock from shelves should this not apply to the entire trend. Whose to say a jacket, like pictured above isn't racist? Or Jewellery which is inspired from Native Indians or Aztec or South East Asian Hill Tribes, are these all not deemed to be racist.

The second news story this week broke today. The Nike leggings which have been removed from sale, as they a deemed offensive to the indigenous people of Australasia. To some they look like a pattern on a pair of leggings. At some point I am sure pretty much every pattern has appeared on a pair of leggings, including the above mentioned trend. The leggings design has come from tribal tattoos from Islands such as New Zealand and Samoa. These tattoos and patterns are sacred in their culture. So really this is debate of culture, not racism. Its sad to think that throwing the word racist into a story makes the readership increase.
The same question arises though. The leggings are not demeaning culture, they are showcasing it. People buy the patterns on their clothing because the like it, they find it attractive. Should all tribal designs and tattoos be banned on anyone not from that culture? 
Things like this start to raise all kinds of issues which others may actually take serious offence to. One comment on the article posted by Vogue states, "how do white people even think they have the right to decide what's offensive to cultures that aren't their own oh wait i know the answer".
Now this starts to open a whole other Kettle of fish, where people are assuming that the white man is out to get the black man, such an archaic view on racism which the world is trying to stamp out. The hero that is Morgan Freeman was quoted saying "How do we stop racism? Stop talking about it. I'm going to stop calling you a white man, and I'm going to ask you to stop calling me a black man".

British Highstreet...

The Great British Highstreet, one of our beloved parts of heritage, but is it soon to be something of the past?
I certainly hope not. Admittedly I have never really had a high street in the traditional sense, yes my local town does have a high street but its littered with take aways, hairdressers, charity shops and bookies. There's not one bakers, or butchers or anything along those lines, all we have is one sad looking newsagent which is overshadowed by Waitrose on the corner. With shopping malls and out of town complexes the 'Great British Highstreet' is quite out of fashion.
But should we be loosing this heritage?? Food shopping seems to be getting more and more expensive and grocery markets seem to be springing up everywhere. Maybe we should be going back to buying local instead of the big conglomerates. Maybe the little butcher in the next town that managed to stay trading is the best option.
I was reading a report on the rise of rates for retailers on Drapers today, and if tax on Bricks and Mortar stores goes up again then how are independents going to survive. Are we condemning them to failure? What's the next step in getting our heritage back...

London...

I am soon to be moving to London, a large ambition of mine is to finally come true. I have always loved London. Right from the very first time I remember going there...
The year was 2000, I was 11, my dad took me to the Millennium Dome. I remember sitting excitedly on the tube from Hatton Cross into central London. Looking at the map and asking what was at what stop. The Piccadilly line does a wonderful drawing of Above the Underground showing you all the famous places. I remember it being empty which is odd for the tube, something which I grew up to appreciate those times. Swinging from the centre poles and basically being a kid. I remember it being one of the earliest times I had my own camera, cue many selfies of me and my dad. I remember being very happy.
Happy
That is purely what London is to me. I have always wanted to to live in that hustle and bustle, and the ability to just go anywhere at any time and see everything.
Considering I have been overseas for some time I hadn't been to the Capital for a while. I treated myself to a wander around Spitalfields and Brick Lane. 
I had momentarily forgotten my sheer passion for the place. I wandered around from market to market in simple awe. I quite simply cannot wait to be living within touching distance of everything. 

Photo A Day...

This little one is soon to be joining my household. Stuck for a name however, suggestions are welcome 

Photo A Day...

Set up for the day 

Photo A Day...

Not a cloud in the sky 

Photo A Day...

Really need to get rid of my tan lines on my feet 

Photo A Day...

Now You See Me...

Last night I went and saw Now You See Me. I had high expectations from the cast list. What film could possibly be bad with Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman in it two hero's in my eyes. But it seems rotten tomatoes has another view, it was only rated 46% and after seeing it I simply do not understand why. 

Now I'm in a difficult position here because there are twists in this film as any film which do not want to be spoilt, and I'm not going to be 'that' person. All I can say is go see it, simple and to the point. Make your own judgement on the film. Try and work it all out, that is the whole point and I'm sure you will be befuddled by the end.

I love magic and illusions, this film combines everything perfectly. The director is a magician in his own right, distracting the viewer from what's really happening. I'm sure with a second viewing I would sit there and go "ohhhh yeah I see it now" or "oh of course that's what happened" etc etc. But on first watch I was too engrossed about the magic tricks and "how the bloody hell did they do that" to follow any plot lines. Call me simple if you like but its hard to not get sucked into the 'show' so to speak. 

I think the casting was brilliant with a few hiccups. But the actors did a fabulous job. Freeman plays Thaddeus Bradley, a former magician who has turned to 'de-bunking' the trade. He plays a fantastic role as always. This man is flawless. Michael Caine again plays a stellar role as he always does. The casting of the Four Horsemen could have been better in my eyes. Isla Fisher doesn't bring much to the table, nor does Dave Franco, apart from being utterly beautiful. Jesse Eisenberg is such a good actor, although a little pigeon holed at the moment I feel. He plays the overly smart, condescending guy who thinks he knows everything. Which in fairness he does, and in this instance it does work. Not to mention the hilarious Woody Harrelson, who never fails to impress. I couldn't imagine anyone else playing this role. Finally, Mark Ruffalo, who has such a familiar face and voice but for some reason I can never remember any film that he has been in. Then you look and it all comes flooding back to you like "of course he was in that stupid". He again doesn't fail to impress. 

This film has been the first in a long time where I couldn't work out particularly where the film was going. I sure as hell couldn't work out any of the magic tricks. Which is what for me made this film so enjoyable. The fact that I was constantly trying to work out what was happening, what was going to happen next, how they did that, how they were going to do that and so the list goes on. 

One very happy customer. Not convinced watch the trailer here...

Skins...

Ok so yet another new series of Skins on E4. I can hear the sighs that echoed around every room when this was announced as I was one of them. I seriously lost interest in Skins during series 5 and I probably only really stuck with it because of Jack O'Connell. 

I loved Skins when it first came out and I think that was largely due to the fact that I was 17, I was at sixth form and to an extent that was my life, or at least wanted that to be my life. If I remember rightly then yes weed was very popular and for some an everyday occurrence. What I didn't like was for example in the series 5 finale they all took ecstasy and ended spacing out in the woods in Somerset whilst a wedding was meant to be going on. For me it became very unrealistic. Maybe because come that time I was graduating university etc etc. 

This series worried me. I wanted it to be good. It has most of my favourite characters in it so it was promising. I started it with high anticipation, not really knowing what to expect. And well I thought it was fantastic.

The idea: So its three, two part episodes, each following one central character. 
This week: Fire, Effy's turn and it picks up in her life in London.Which unexpectedly she's not the Effy I would have expected. She is working as office bitch at a Hedge Fund and working god damn hard. Her life seems to have fallen into place somewhat. She lives with Naomi from the third original series, who has fallen apart, drinking at lunchtime, constant spliff in her hand, and all day parties. This is what I would have expected from Effy. 

But the old tenacious Effy is still there. She's using the men in her life to get her her big break, which she does. The episode goes shows Spring and Summer, presumably Autumn and Winter are to follow. And she ends on quite a high. She's no longer office bitch, she's a trader, she's having it off with her boss, she's pretty much bossing life. But we all know skins and how it goes and there's a huge downfall waiting to happen to her. Its just around the corner, well next week. 

HURRY UP NEXT WEEK, I'm hooked already 

Photo A Day...

Flat Hunting

It has come to a point in my life where I now have to officially find somewhere of my own to live. Over the last 6 years I have gone from child to student to traveller to well adult I guess now. It is more than a daunting process one that I am looking forward to in some aspects. In others dreading it...

Me and my boyfriend want to move to London. We ideally would like to live by ourselves after doing so in Australia for so long. However there is one massive stumbling block with that and its money. And isn't that just life's biggest issue. Finding a two bedroom flat to share with a friend is bad enough let alone trying to get that buy itself.

Another thing which is dragging is back is deposits, why must the be so expensive!! Wouldn't life be so much easier if those bad boys didn't exist. After having found the perfect flat for us to rent by ourselves we are now having to convince the landlord that we are serious about the flat, but we cant move in until August. Which to be honest is getting a little ridiculous.

Another thing I've noticed. Whilst browsing the Internet for flats, I have come across a large handful which just simply look terrible. If I was a letting agent/owner I would never allow my place to be marketed like that. At least make you bed before photographing it, maybe even a little tiding up, or even some washing up would be great. It just makes your whole place look shabby.

Rant over... If anyone has any tips or in fact a flat to rent that would be fabulous. Looking for the Putney/Fulham Area, 300 p/w max ish? Pretty Please and Thank You.

Photo for the day...

Photo A Day...

I decided on my bucket list that I wanted to take a photograph a day for a year. So I what better time then to start the now. 

I took this photo last night at the Robbie Williams Take The Crown tour at Wembley.  

Bucket List...

My best friend has emigrated to Australia permanently and as part of her visa application she had to list all the countries she had been visited in the last 10 years. I took this challenge on (harder than you think) and found that since the age of 13 I have been to 39 destinations, 18 different counties. It made me think of how privileged I am, and in fact how well travelled my generation really is. 

But it got me to thinking about what I've done but more importantly what I want to do and see. I decided to make my very own Bucket List which hopefully I can tick off at some point in my life.

Get soaked by Niagara Falls

Stand on the edge of the Hoover Dam

Helicopter ride over the Grand Canyon

Gamble away my savings in Las Vegas

Carnival season in Brazil 

Visit Antarctica and hang out with some penguins

Visit the whole of New Zealand

Especially Hobbiton

See the Cherry Blossom in Japan

Visit Monte Carlo

Visit St Petersburg

Watch Phil play at the Hong Kong 7's

Walk the Great Wall of China

Stay at Farah's pad in Dubai

Visit South Africa

Go on Safari

Drive Route 66

See the Pyramids of Egypt

Stand on the Equator in Ecuador

Release floating lanterns

See the Northern Lights 

Travel on the Trans-Siberian Railway

See the Terracotta Army in China

Visit the German Christmas Markets

Celebrate Paddy's Day in Dublin

Visit all 7 Continents before I'm 30

Go back to Bali

Stay at the Four Seasons in Bora Bora

Take a photo everyday for a year

Learn another Language

See Celine Dion in Vegas

Visit Cinque Terre

Watch the sunrise over Machu Picchu

Travel throughout India

Ride an Camel through the desert

Drive a Super car

See an active Volcano

Visit Hawaii

Got to Fashion Week

Do a home-stay in a foreign country (Europe & Asia)

See Mt Everest 

See a Glacier

Visit Uluru

See Irrawaddy Dolphins in the Mekong

Visit the Amazon rainforest

See Petra

Easter Island

Ancient Greece

Stay at the Hotel Marina Bay Sands in Singapore and swim in the Infinity Pool

Do Ibiza

Go to Glastonbury

Stonehenge for the Summer Solstice

Got to Coachella
See Day of the Dead 

Own a Chanel Handbag 

Primark vs. E-commerce...

I remember back at college desperately trying to find out information on Primark for a project online, and getting nowhere. Their home page was so uninformative that it was a wonder why they even had it. My opinion was to thwart us students. However that was 8 years ago and in that 8 years technology is miles better. I mean the iPhone didn't even exist back then....whatever did we do???

Now one of the aspects of retailing is how well they use multiple channels to provide consumers with their products. There are award ceremonies dedicated to etailing. Mobile purchasing is in the motions of taking off, with the help of the trusty iPhone.

But Primark always stood their ground. They didn't need a swish transactional website. H&M and Zara were once in that category too, but since have succumbed to the wonder of e-commerce.

Primark again still standing strong, despite all their competitors following suit behind them. Until last week.

They have finally succumbed so to say. But only slightly. They've teamed up with super e-commerce giant ASOS with a capsule collection of mens and womenswear to be sold on their site.

Probably in a bid to test the waters to see how well the items sell.

Interesting for ASOS the prices are of course Primark prices which are quite a bit lower than their own... interesting to see how the sales figures end up. And interesting to see whether Primark will take the plunge and have a fully transactional website.....
 Have a look for yourselves

Parenting Skills...

So I spent the evening looking through old photos from my childhood. Came across this one. It showcases my fathers ultimate parenting skills. 

Its been a long time...

I have somewhat become very distant from Blogging, from the Internet, from life as I knew it.

  

I packed up my stuff, shoved as much as I could get into a 40L rucksack (which sounds a lot, I can confirm it is no) and off I went.

 Ending my journey living in Australia with a whirlwind 7 week trip across South East Asia. Starting in Singapore, working our way up through Bangkok a few times and finally flying home. Looking back it feels like a lifetime ago that I left Sydney but in reality cramming so much into 7 weeks was no where near long enough.

 

There were certain ups and downs, having an almost daily argument with my rucksack, my clothes, my hair and more frequently than desired with tuk tuk drivers were some of the low points.

But seeing countless sunrise after sunrise on the most gorgeous beaches, sights and towns and then seeing the sunset made those lows slip away.

  Days filled with beaches, chang, sights, driving around countless islands on the back of a motorbike, splashing around with elephants, baby tigers, teaching children how to play candy crush, wandering around sunken temples, negotiating thousands of motorbikes and endless bus, boat and train journeys.

 

I started my journey in Singapore, however only for a night. Ive been there done that, not wanting to waste my money in an Asian super city that costs a fortune to stay in. My reasoning for Singapore was convenience. Flying Scoot (based out of SNG) was my cheapest option. And what an option it was. The flight itself was basic, no food, no entertainment but who needs that now with iPads etc.  

 From Singapore it was onto KL in Malaysia. Quite possibly my most favourite place in the entire world. The sheer diversity of the city never fails to WOW me. But even more so the way that it all just works together in perfect harmony. My trip to KL wasn't to see the sights it was mainly to eat the wondrous delights it has to offer. However a trip to KL wouldn't be complete without seeing the Petronas towers lit up in all their glory. Or for that matter a trip to majestic temple situated in the Batu Caves. Probably more famous than the caves are the monkeys that roam the 200 odd steps to the top.

 A quick flight and you find yourself across the boarder and in the delightful Phuket where every taxi is there to willing take all the Thai Bhat you just took out the cash machine with a grinning smile on their face.

 The island of Koh Phi Phi is truly one to behold. With no cars, and very little motorbikes, it is a maze of pathways lined with tattoo shops, massages, hostels, and bars. With bars that line the beach it truly has become a party island. Boat trips run daily around the island, and to see the infamous Maya Bay. Made famous by Leo in the Beach. If it wasn't for all the people and all the boats it would truly be a marvel.



Chiang Mai is not what I'd thought it to be, for some reason I thought it would a small town stuck in history. In reality it was a large city overtaken by the modern world. Despite this the experiences to be had there were truly magnificent. Where else can you play with 2 month old tigers one day to riding through the countryside on elephants.

The real treat for me was Cambodia. The country although it has been torn apart by their own people, they remain some of the kindest and funniest people I have met yet in Asia. Aside from all of that the Country itself is beautiful. From the temples of Angkor to the stunning sunsets over the vast countryside. Yes the children may beg your for everything you may own but remembering it is one of the poorest countries in the world you kind of forget that and let it past you. The temples were magnificent, somewhere you and well a truly get lost in. The capital has depressing reminders of the past through various museums. But the people shine through everything and will continue to shine no matter what is thrown at them.

 

 Onto Vietnam and a serious wake up call from the quite almost sleepiness of Cambodia. There are people everywhere, a lot trying to make a quick buck so having your wits about you at all times is imperative. Especially when doing anything remotely tourist related. The country is beautiful and vast. Taking a train to any of the cities can be an adventure in itself. But the scenery is just simply awe inspiring. Especially along the Hoi Van Pass. I have never in my life seen such beautiful scenes in both the natural world and the man made. The sea views from the mountain pass were stunning, but the road itself was hair pin after hair pin turn. This trip overshadowed the entire country for me. Its something that I would never in my life get bored of seeing.