Wednesday 31 December 2014

A year to remember

Looking back over the past year seems rather strange yet wonderful. I have been given so many amazing opportunities and done so many things which I would never have had the chance to do before. With the year coming to an end I thought I would share my highlights of 2014.

Manchester Fashion Week- April 

The second fashion show I helped out at and helped to make some of the pieces. It gave me a great insight into how it works and the work which goes into preparing for a show. It was an amazing day and in true VauhausXEustratia style, the after party was amazing, as was the after after party, and the after after after party...



Studio Day- May 

As well as fashion shows, Eustratia host events such as the open house day and studio day. Unfortunately I missed the open house day as this was before I started my internship but I was around for studio day. Models have the chance to be shot by photographer Toria Brightside whilst wearing Eustratia and photographers shoot Vauhaus model hazel, a great opportunity for models and photographers to build their portfolios. 


Disney Shoot- May 

As well as interning for Eustratia, this year I have had the chance to try my hand at a few other things too, one of them being styling. I assisted on a shoot for the Disney Gold Label collection, a range of luxury scarfs, pashminas, throws and cushions. I helped to put the female outfits together and assisted with the men's shots on the day. This was a great day all round and the team were a pleasure to work with. Photographer: John Clarke



German Fetish Ball, Berlin- June

The German Fetish Weekend has been Europes biggest fetish weekend for over a decade, hosting a variety of events including the German Fetish Ball featuring performances from fetish and burlesque acts and fashion shows from a number of latex designers. As well as exploring this amazing city, we also took part in what must be be Eustratias hottest show to date (30+ degrees!). Take me back to Berlin...


Eustratia Jewellery Range- August

I was really pleased to be part of developing the new jewellery range for Eustratia, helping to source suppliers for producing the range and putting together the final pieces. You can view the full range here.


Cyberdog 'Cyberween' shoot- October 

Another chance to try my hand at styling, I was asked to help out with future fashion label Cyberdog's halloween shoot. I had an absolute blast working with this amazing team. Shot by Ryan and Kaz at Andrew Woods Photography


As well as all the amazing events, I have loved being part of Eustratia, learning how to make Stacey's amazing creations and generally assisting in any way I can. Through my internship I have met so many amazing people, some on a professional level and some who have now become good friends. 2014, you have been amazing, bring on 2015! 











Monday 24 November 2014

Winter sale top picks

So with the winter sale on I thought it would be good to show you my top picks. This turned out to be harder than I thought as I pretty much love everything! After much deliberation, I have managed to narrow it down a little! Here's what I chose: 

Batwing top now £36
From the fabric collection, I love this versatile top. 

Open shoulder top now £30
I have this top and wear it loads, I like to wear mine with a bralet and it looks great with some tailored trousers and heels. 

Moth necklace now £20
From the latest jewellery collection, this over sized moth is a great statement piece and I really like the chunky chain. 

Corset skirt now £200
I wore this to the Manchester Fashion Week after party and it is one of my favourite skirts. Looks amazing and is really flattering. 

Puff sleeve body suit now £88
One my favourite pieces from the s/s collection and I love the pastel blue. Not that into pastels? This can be made in the colour of your choice. 

Harness skirt now £176
This looks amazing worn with a blouse or with latex, and I'm really enjoying harnesses at the moment. 

Scalloped ball-joint stockings now £86
Latex stockings always look amazing and I really like the scallop detail on these. 

Stripey briefs now £36
I love the pink and white combo on these but they also look amazing in different colour combinations. 

The winter sale is on until the end of November so whether you're looking to treat yourself or shopping for gifts, head over to www.eustratia.co.uk

Tuesday 18 November 2014

Show time: Regress

In which I experience my first fashion show and begin my love affair with rosé

One of my favourite parts interning for a designer is the fashion shows. I experienced my first show earlier this year at Regress and as my first show I didn't really know what to expect.



We got to the venue early for the models to get ready. I was there to help with hair, dressing the girls and, of course, polishing off the rosé. It was a great insight for me into the planning and preparation that goes into a show. In the run up to the show I made the flowers which Amber and Stacey wore in their hair. It was a great preparation for me for future shows such as Manchester Fashion Week and the German Festish Ball. This was also when I got to meet a lot of the girls for the first time as well as see a few familiar faces. The show looked fantastic and all the girls were amazing. We celebrated in true Eustratia style with more wine and lots of dancing. 










Wednesday 22 October 2014

Lesson 1: Flowers, flowers, flowers

Making flowers for ball gowns, body suits and other fabulous creations...



Ok, so I can't actually remember the order which I learnt to make things as it's been a few months and A LOT had happened since I first started. So I'll start of with the things I learnt to make early on. 

My role tends to be quite varied and pretty much depends on what's happening at the time as to what the priorities are. Very early on, I did lots of things like taking product shots for the website as Stacey was in the process of updating the images to make them more uniform across the site. For me, this isn't the most fun job as I prefer a more creative outlet but as I said in my previous post, Expectations , sometimes you have to do things which you don't enjoy as much but in the end it's all worth it and you have to do these things in order to be able to do the more enjoyable tasks. 

I also do a few of the less glamorous jobs such as cleaning latex and packing it away after shows. Again, not the most enjoyable job but it holds more value than you would think. For me, my job is making Stacey's life easier. If I'm doing things like these, this frees Stacey up to do important work, and things I'm not able to do yet. 

I always enjoy learning how to make new things and this was one of the things which appealed to me initially when starting this internship. I was rather excited to learn how to make these amazing flowers. 



Stacey is a brilliant teacher and has the absolute patience of a saint. I was abit slow at first but after lots of practice (and I mean lots!) and determination I have got a lot quicker at these now. The first lot I made were for the flower body suit, part of the spring/summer '14 collection. We were on a deadline to finish as this was one of the pieces in the manchester fashion week show. The body suit actually has around 100 flowers on it, and is a great example of the workmanship which goes into a Eustratia garment. 



The body suit features three types of flowers, two of which I learnt to make. These flowers were also used on the flower bra and the flower harness.



The other week it was back to the flower making for a commissioned piece for Wella Trend Vision. The floor length gown features fake grass trim to the shoulders and train with latex flowers on the grass. Luckily by this point I've got a lot quicker at my flower making!


Monday 6 October 2014

It's show time!


It's been a busy few weeks over at Eustratia house getting the final preparations ready for the Fashion and Lifestyle Exhibition this weekend at Event City, Trafford. We will be headlining with a unique fantasy fashion show featuring models from the fabulous Vauhaus agency.
  
As well as getting everything ready for the show, we've been busy getting ready for our stall, where you can purchase items and find out about the after party we're throwing with Vauhaus. 

This year, my family holiday has come at a rather unfortunate time, the week before the show! However, being the good little intern I am, I've taken some prep work with me.


I've been making jewellery ready for the stand. Luckily I've got a great work space in the 
cottage I'm staying in and it's been nice and cosy with the fire on. Fortunately I'm back the day before the exhibition so I will around to help out all weekend. 

In between working and relaxing, I've been out to see some of the local attractions here in Northumberland, including this amazing medieval castle, complete with dungeon and torture room. 



I'm really excited for the exhibition which is expected to attract over 15,000 people and the after party is sure not to disappoint! At least I will be well rested after my relaxing holiday ready for a busy busy couple of days. 

Saturday 27 September 2014

Introducing: Eustratia

The brand, the designer, the latex


I've followed Eustratia for a number of years. In fact me and Stacey (founder, designer, creative director, general wonder woman) discussed an internship around 3 years ago. Although I was aware of Stacey's amazing creations, working with or even wearing latex was something completely new to me but something I had been intrigued by. For those of you who arn't familiar with Eustratia...

Model: Kelly Image: Winterwolf Studios


Eustratia specialises in latex clothing, although have recently released fabric range. All items are handmade in the UK using quality materials to create visually stunning pieces which you won't find else where. Stacey's creative vision really shines through in her work with her unique designs, drawing inspiration from both the past and future.

"I'm interested in creating beautiful items that transcend the fashion/fetish/costume/art labels and satisfy me creatively, while also appealing to others and becoming items to cherish and wear with pride for years to come. I enjoy trends and fashion but I prefer clothes that are versatile and can be carried forward from season to season, I therefore aim to achieve a unique but timeless quality within my work...

The Eustratia vision is aimed towards individuals who wish to express themselves through their appearance, amplifying their beauty and enhancing their personality in order to convey a message." Stacey Black.


Model: Biomechanina Image: Aesthetic Contradiction

From working with Stacey, I have personally begun to see latex in a whole new way. Latex clothing is often associated with the fetish scene, but Eustratia shows how there is so much more to it. In recent times, latex has been seen much more in popular media, with celebrity fans such as Lady Gaga, Daisy Lowe and Kylie and designers such as Burberry featuring it in their A/W 13 collection. Across the Eustratia collections there is a combination of show stopping pieces that make an impact and pieces which are extremely wearable, my current favourite being the swing skirt.

Image: Rik Ayres Photography

I believe that it is a truly wearable fabric and have enjoyed incorporating latex into my everyday wardrobe, especially with accessories, as well as wearing full outfits for shows and events. It is surprisingly flattering, pulling you in in all the places you want it to. With pieces such as the swing skirt, I find it drapes beautifully, much better than fabric and pvc versions I have seen. 

Aside from latex, Eustratia also offers a jewellery range, making it easier to get a little bit of Eustratia into your outfit. I will cover the jewellery range (and the part I played in it) as well as the new fabric range in more detail in a future post.



Not only from a design point of view but also from a business perspective I have found Stacey to be a huge inspiration. She set up Eustratia in 2011 and the brand continues to go from strength to strength, with shows at the German Fetish Ball, Manchester Fashion Week and the upcoming Fashion and Lifestyle Exhibition at Event City to name but a few, as well as studio days and open house events. Stacey's work ethos really shows through in the results she achieves. I've never known anyone to work so hard and so much, I'm not entirely sure she's human.

You can have a look at Eustratia's fabulous collections here, follow on Facebook and keep up to date with Stacey's blog here.


Monday 22 September 2014

Expectations

When I first went into my internship I didn't really have expectations. I enjoy making things and thought it would be good to learn a new craft. I certainly didn't expect everything which has happened over the last few months, Manchester fashion week, walking on a catwalk in Berlin, fabulous parties and most importantly for me, all the amazing people I have met. 

  For me, my internship has opened up a whole new world, one where I feel I've always belonged but never quite knew about until now. I will post individually about events at a later date, there's a lot of back tracking to do!

  I always get asked about my internship and what I do, so hopefully this blog will give you an insight into the world of a fashion intern, and for those of you who have ever thought about interning, perhaps it will inspire you. It's not all parties, fashion shows and trips abroad, there's a lot of hard graft that comes with it too, long hours in the studio late into the night, show prep, juggling an internship around your paid work, perhaps even doing things you don't find fun or interesting (luckily not so much the case for me!), but for me, it's all worth it. An opportunity like this can open so many doors for you, to things you'd never even thought about before. Through people I've met because of my internship I've had the opportunity to style photoshoots, something which I never would have thought to do before and meet lots of interesting people who play different parts in the fashion world and gain great insight into what it is they do, bloggers, models, photographers, designers. 

  I suppose the most important thing when it comes to interning is finding something you love and have the passion and drive for. If you can do that, and give it your all, then you can achieve great things, and if you're as lucky as I have been, it will surpass any expectations you may have had. 


Photo by Toria Brightside 

Sunday 14 September 2014

Once upon a time

  



 I graduated from Manchester Metropolitan University with a degree in International Fashion Marketing in 2009. Whilst studying I had the opportunity to do a placement year where I worked for a shoe design company as a design assistant. 

  My original plan after graduation was to go full time in the retail job I had worked in since I was 16, earn a bit of money and then go get a job related to my degree. At this time, the job market wasn't great so I thought this was the sensible thing to do. It didn't quite go to plan and 5 years later, I'm still in the same job.

  A few months ago, a friend of mine suggested I contacted his friend, a fashion designer, about an internship, this is where things got interesting...