No Debutante - Live Fast

Well, I am back from yet another short break away from the hustle and bustle of city life, on this occasion I have just returned from a long weekend away camping in Devon with my family, which doesn't come without it's own hassles but it's great to be outdoors with Phil and the kids on a rather unexpected sunny camping trip! What I haven't told you is that we had to put the tent up in the dark, my Mum did her back in, plus other mishaps but that would ruin the romantic illusion of my perfect family camping holiday, wouldn't it? 

Let's take a look at today's outfits. I had been influenced to bring out my very British punk and skinhead style by some images I had collected on Pinterest, even though Punk and skinhead style seems to be all over the place this Autumn Winter, judging by Topshop and of course Dr Martens campaigns and the AW catwalks trends. Punk and Skinhead style never really goes away for me, I have been into these 1970s British scenes since I was a kid, I was born in 1976 the year of Punk, so it's my duty to love it! Only a punk girl would have an Xray Spex record as the backdrop of her blog, wouldn't she? 

The first outfit I wore the day after DJing at my club night Bang, I was happy that I woke up without a shocking hangover and felt in the mood to wear my ridiculous shoes! The outfit is pretty contemporary with my rainbow platform wedges (ridiculous shoes), American Apparel tube socks (1970s skate style) and denim cut offs with a new wave Gang of Four tee tucked in, this isn't sounding that contemporary, as it's pretty 1970s based again with new wave, retro skatewear and platform boots and to top it off my new skinhead inspired Topshop khaki bomber jacket. The only thing that makes this outfit contemporary is that I have chosen to wear it all together! What do you think?

The second outfit is a little punk inspired but it's also about the attitude with punk and skinhead style. I am giving a bit of attitude in these photos, I really don't have to try hard my face seems to sit comfortably in a frown! I have quiffed my hair up at the front and have tied the back up, I'm quite liking this style at the moment, it's a little edgy and a little bit girlie. I rolled up the skull tee to make it a crop top and let my cut offs hang down a bit, I opted to wear my Topshop leopard print sandals instead of Dr Martens boots since the weather is still good here in the UK, I cannot waste the sunshine and the sandals helped to soften the look down a bit.

 So, do I have a punk inspired lifestyle to Live Fast and Die Young? I did have when I was much younger, things change when you have kids and get older, I am more of a Live Fast (providing you do go on holiday lots, have a few spa treatments and drink lots of red wine) and Die old ( but until then continue to act like you are living fast and dress like you are still young).

Get Punk and skinhead inspired now!!

Thanks for reading and hello to my new followers, I am always very excited to get new followers!! Please leave comments and let me know what you all think.

The next post shall hopefully include some new product reviews. Watch this space!

ND xx

Meadham Kirchhoff AW 2012 - Wham Bam Thank-you Maam!

Hello. I hope you are sitting comfortably? It is now time for another of my current obsessions and favourites from the Autumn Winter 2012 shows, a little later than most fashion bloggers (even though I have had the images on file and on Pinterest for ages) but as you may or may not know, I prefer to post about most of the images from the shows during the season they were meant for, rather than half a year earlier when they are shown at Fashion week, but that's just me!

The next show is from the Meadham Kirchhoff 2012 Collection. Again, it is one of the more avant garde collections from this season, but that is what I am interested in and inspired by. I want outrageous hair and make-up, bright colourful printed clothes and general outrageous nous, safe and  high street ready is not what I am into. I want to be inspired!!

Meadham Kirchhoff AW 2012 has all this and more, it is theatrical, punk, androgynous, glam rock, alien, glittery heaven! I bloody love it!

 

This is my favourite outfit from the collection and probably the easiest to recreate. It's a mix up of David and Angie Bowie, it's androgynous, glam rock and very 1970s. I love the multi coloured fur jacket, the 1970s tank top worn over a brightly coloured top, with Bay City Rollers' Fans style long socks worn with platforms and customised denim shorts.

This outfit also reminds me of how I used to dress when I met my husband Phil back in 2001, I used to customise everything and often wore long stripey socks under high turned up skinny jeans or with customised denim skirts and now the long stripey socks and tights are calling me, I am sure Phil misses it too! Ha!

 



More glitter, tartan and stripes. It's a 1970s punk Vs  pop style mash up!

 



 

Big glittery or leopard print knickers over stripey tights and customised denim!

 

Ziggy Stardust inspired 1970s Alien or 1980s Boy George Culture Club era?

Ruffled dresses, stripey tights and furs Vs Tartan and stripes

I am not sure about the ruffle dresses but I can make this look work with my own dresses. I'm inspired to make myself one of those Tartan skirts, god knows, I would prefer the real thing!!

This illustration is from another of my current obsessions Kris Atomic (great name for starters) who has now become my new favourite Fashion Illustrator. I love her illustrations sooooo much and I am completely inspired to start doing fashion illustrations again......It has been a long time coming.....Kris Atomic has a fantastic blog find her here http://blog.krisatomic.com She also gets invited to lots of Fashion shows too and gets to take some great front row shots, see images below for a sneak preview of some Kris Atomic Photography.

 

I love you Meadham Kirchhoff and Kris Atomic!!!!!

 

Ok, I am off to find a brightly coloured,  ill fitting wig to place on top of my head, colour my face in blue and pick up the kids from the school run..........ND xx

Fade to Gray - Louise Gray A/W 2012

I have been dying to show you Louise Gray's Autumn Winter collection ever since the A/W 2012 shows back at the beginning of the year. I had such a back log of stuff I hadn't even shown you for this Summer, what Summer? I hear everyone in the UK mutter to themselves whilst peeking out from under their umbrellas!! - Can I just say, not only is the continuous UK rainfall getting me down, I then have to read about how hot everyone is on any US blogs that I follow, which makes me really jealous!! Anyway, weather rant over for today!! I am now at the end of my Spring summer 2012 posts...

Let's have a look at Louise Gray's A/W 2012 collection of multi-coloured, print clashing, Pop Art Punks to cheer ourselves (Me) up.

How I shall be wearing Louise Gray AW 2012......If only I could afford the real thing.....

Let's start at the Punk inspired hair, I shall be quiff and spiking my hair up, perhaps create a bit of a curly quiff with my Babyliss styling wand. Sleek down the sides or for long hair, a pony tail and quiff up the front.

The 80s punk v's geisha girl make-up - loads of bright pink blending into orange eyeshadow/blush blended from the cheekbones right up to the side of the eyebrows...yeah!!!

The 80s inspired earrings - brightly coloured, massive beaded, trinket filled dangly earrings that finish below your chin. Wear 'em big!

The outfit - a 1960s style shift is the winner here, you can wear it over clashing printed tights, leggings or trousers ( the 1990s skirts and dresses over trousers look is massive this autumn winter) The print of your dress needs to clash with any other prints you are wearing or at least come in a different colour to the rest of the outfit. The jackets are either cropped or sixties inspired rain macs to wear over your main outfit or opt for a long sleeve shirt or printed long sleeve bodysuits to be worn under your dress like a pinafore.

The footwear - the knee high boot returns, wear them bright and printed and clashed up with your brightly printed tights or trousers.

The prints - this collection is a mash up of tribal aztec, metallic futurism, 1960s graphic  op-art and bleached up, punk paint splashes....all must be worn at once.

The Bag - bright and clashing with your outfit and carried like a clutch upside down.

I think that covers it.

Oh, Louise Gray,  you are becoming my favourite fashion designer ever!! As always, you are sooo creative and colourful and it seems, like me, you are very influenced by 1970s punk and 1980s style, with a smidge of 1960s pop art. I could wear every piece of  all your collections!!!

I love Louise Gray's personal style, she completely absorbs her collections, which makes me appreciate and enjoy the collections more. It makes them more wearable, I think, to see the designer wearing the collection. the clothes aren't just for very young, skinny catwalk models! Check out some images of Louise Gray above, I am loving the randomly applied eye make-up and I am considering this look for the next time I DJ at my club night Bang, which is in less than two weeks on Friday 27 July!! Excited!!! ND xx

Sources used for images include www.catwalkqueen.tv www.futurespacemagazine.com www.thedandyproject.com www.stylebubble.co.uk http://pinterest.com/nodebutante/

Bang - Nearly 10 years of outfits - A DJ has to look good! Part 1

I was very excited to return to DJ at my new favourite club Bang last Friday. Bang is my club night that I put on with my husband Phil and my brother Mike and it's been going for a whopping nine years (yes, I have managed to have three kids in that time).

 I haven't been at Bang since last August for one reason or another, the main one being pregnant and feeling ill.

I wanted to show y'all what I wore on Friday but thought it might be fun to show you some older Bang fashion moments too, so you can see what I used to look like.

 This set are from the last 5 years I reckon but my husband is currently searching hard drives and Cd's for all our old Bang photos, good luck with that Phil!



 

I reckon this one is from 2007 when Bang was still upstairs at the old rock club The Hatchet in Bristol, great venue, ran by idiots....enough said....I am dancing in this photo and do look a bit mad but check out the orange eye shadow and nails? I'm wearing a 60s style shift dress that I made about 10 years ago out of Ikea curtain fabric. A friend on the night said I looked like an Alien Go-Go dancer, which I, of course, took as a compliment! The dress always got a lot of compliments actually.

I'm going to find it.

2009 - I know that because I wore this River Island jumpsuit on my honeymoon to Japan. Looks like this is where the pink rinses in my hair started, it's very subtle, but it's there, years before everyone else got pink hair! Check me out....ha!

The three photos above were taken on Bang's 8th Birthday party by a photographer from Bristol Magazine Nitelife, god, that boy got in everyone's way when they were dancing but he did manage to get some amazing shots! When I take photos at Bang I worry I'm annoying people too much and don't wanna interrupt them mid dancing! People tend to leap about alot at Bang, you see. This was our first night at Bang's new home The Big Chill Bar in Bristol and it was truly rammed!

Me and my friend Knitted Nicky (loves a bit of knitwear, actually she is made of wool) an example of people leaping about at Bang. Love Nicky's cute little outfit, I've gone for a harsher punk look here it seems.

Smartened myself up a bit here in a cropped jacket, no less! The leopard print jumpsuit is tiny though so that slutted the outfit up a bit. I became obsessed with curling my hair (with my babyliss curling wand) that year, as you will see. Look at the geisha girl blusher too, whooooaa!

Lovin this playsuit from Topshop, I wore it to death.

A more laid back look this time in my favourite Xray Spex XL t-shirt and probably bloomers ( not seen...unfortunately) Hair getting bigger.

2011 - I was 12 weeks pregnant with Sylvie here, wish my waist was that small now! Looks like I've just played a bit of The Fall.....Theme from Sparta FC...I love it!

Here's me back at Bang in a bit of animal print, of course! Slightly odd photos and still carrying some baby podge, but I had to complete this post! I'm playing B52s - Rock Lobster, I'm happy!

I will put up the first 5 years photos as soon as we find them, expect lots of handmade creations from my old fashion label Phlem, Why was it called Phlem? That's another story....ND xx

My Style Icons - Part 4 - Annabella Lwin

At a time when I should probably be sorting out the pile of baby clothes and parafernalia that has accummulated in my house, to be ready for the new little baby  - who shall be arriving in approximately 5 weeks -  I have decided to blog about another of My Style Icons instead. I've not blogged for over a week and I'm missing it and this is my first Tuesday off work in ages AND my last week at work before I head off on maternity leave.....very excited!! More Babies and more blogging!!

So, Annabella Lwin........not only is she the front woman to one of my most favourite new wave 80s bands Bow Wow Wow, she looks amazing, she was a complete individual and she was also total Jailbait. I love her for all of this. I WANT CANDY!!!!

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Firstly, let's talk about the hair, even with the sides shaved down to a number one, a backcombed mohican and a harsh glare, Annabella manages to look beautiful. She inspired me to shave off my hair but to leave some long layers in to curl or backcomb for a soft and harsh look. I really do have quite a harsh look, without trying, so the soft girliness is needed.

I love the mix of the harsh styling with the girlie 1950s dress & gloves. I have copied this look many a time (I will blog the Emma's fashion back catalogue of images at some point!) The 1950's styling was big in the 80s and with Punk before that.

Annabella was spotted by Malcolm Maclaren (Godfather of Punk) in 1980 working in a laundrette, you know usual story, happens to us all, doesn't it.... he instantly auditioned her to become the lead singer of a new band he was putting together who became Bow Wow Wow. Apparently Mclaren had her transferred from her comprehensive school to Sylvia Young's Theatre School. This is all sounding a bit Brit School isn't it? Oh well we'll ignore that detail for now, there's more controversial stuff to come.

 The controversy linked to the band Bow Wow Wow reveals that the musicians were originally Adam Ant's  - Ants, stolen from Adam Ant by Malcolm Mclaren on a promise to make them famous, with Adam out of the picture Mclaren recruited Annabella alongside a London club kid (soon to be known as Boy George) to join the band. A few gigs and photoshoots later the rest of the band decided to get rid of Boy George and Bow Wow Wow was born. We could feel sorry for Adam Ant and Boy George here (I really must blog them on here at some point too, I feel a New Romantics blog coming on) but they both went on to individually become two of the biggest Pop and style icons of the 80s. So we won't worry about them at all.

Look how beautiful (and young) Annabella looks in the above image, if I spotted her in the laundrette I'd fall in love with her too! I'm sure she wasn't wearing this though, I would, any opportunity to dress up.

 Annabella did like to pose nude and half naked it has to be said. Whether this was her choice or Malcolm's is another matter, I guess the harsh image took the Lolita edge off of it. At this point fashion had gone a bit tribal which fitted perfectly with Bow Wow Wow's drumbeats which can also be heard in many Adam and the Ant records and post punk around the time.  I Love Annabella's hair in the below image, I can never get to the point where my hair is long enough to be able to plait it, the scissors are always calling me! Like they did the other day, more on that another time.

 Another little story for you here which I picked up from a great post punk book ' Rip it up and start again' by Simon Reynolds- which I leant to a work colleague and haven't seen it since, I think he may of lost it.  So, the story goes that Malcolm Maclaren had tried to get the other (slightly older) members of Bow Wow Wow to de-virginate Annabella, who was probably still jailbait at this point. Mclaren thought it might Sex her up a bit and make her less innocent!!! I'm not sure Annabella needed to be sexed up anymore, it seemed to ooze from her as it was. The good news is the very strong willed teenager refused them all, now that's a lesson for all girls who are thinking they might need de-virginating before they are ready! You have the rest of your life to be slutty!

 Oh look a bit of tribal aztec style, you know I like a bit of aztec at the moment, I actually want this jumper, it's baggier than the one's that are in the shops at the moment. Looks really comfy, why have Chavs ruined jersey wear for everyone? There was a time when you could wear jersey and be glamourous! Is it a Vivienne Westwood? Probably, I also forgot to mention Vivienne styled the band, the lucky buggers! Vivienne's Tribal collection, I think it was named The Pirate Collection without cheating and looking online, was massive during the early 80s, even Lady Di owned some of the pieces. There's another blog idea........Vivienne's Pirate collection not Lady Di....well, who knows, maybe both.

Aaaah! The Face, one of my favourite magazines.....I miss you!

Another Annabella Lwin fact is that her real name is Myint Myint Aye , Annabella is half Bermese and this name was given to her by Bermese Priests and means, get this, 'High High Cool'!!! Love it. Maybe a name for this baby then eh?

My mother has been completely over guessing this babies name. She thinks its going to be wierd and wonderful and has totally gone down the wrong track with Pop Stars names (My two sons middle names are Hendrix and Floyd so I can see how she got to this conclusion) she came up with...... Blondie or ........Madonna...........I don't need to say anymore, these names speak for themselves....she also had a dream I had another son and named him Jesus.

This look is very New Romantic Pirate, totally ripped off from Adam Ant, or was it the other way round? Vivienne Westwood V's Adam and the Ants. Annabella looks about 13 years old here.

Annabella with the de-virginating, ex Adam Ants -Ants, Bow Wow Wow boys. Going Wild in the Country! Where snakes in the grass are absolutely free!

Again, I seem to have ripped off this face paint, unknowingly this time, for once, at one of the Hoochie Coochie kaberet's that I have Dj'd at. The inspiration was Wild Animals, I'll blog the image one day. I remember on the night people thought I had leopard print tattoos, one bloke, who was very tattoeed up himself, suggested I should definately get it tattoed, I thought he was referring to the ones on my arms, he actaully, seriously, meant, the ones on my face!! He said I could carry it off. Thanks for the compliment mate, I think? The arms maybe, but on my face??? I have to pick my kids up from school and that!

It used to break my heart when I went into your shop

And you said my records were out of stock

So I don't buy records in your shop

Now I tape them all 'cause I'm 'Top of the Pops'

C30, C60,C90 Go! - Bow Wow Wow

My Style Icons - Part 3 - Poly Styrene

I mentioned punk in my last post so I thought it linked nicely onto my next Style Icon, her name is Poly Styrene and she was the lead vocalist for punk band X-Ray Spex. I love punk but not in the obvious contrived Punk way, I do not have safety pins in my face, wear bondage trousers or sport a mohican. I love the music and play alot of punk at my club night Bang, especially X-Ray Spex. I would describe my punk style as Punk Pop, I am influenced by the 50s styling that also heavily influenced Punk but I wouldn't say I am into the bondage styling too much, I love mixing punk with colourful pieces, militaria and costume accessories, I think it was named the Supermarket of style during the 90s, but it allows you to follow the seasonal trends whilst adding your Pop Punk/toy like edge to it, the Japanese are great at it but the first woman of Punk Pop for me, is the late, great, day-glo punk toy Poly Styrene. Braces on the teeth and pure punk pop attitude with her pop culture political mixed lyrics........'oh bondage....up Yours!'

Poly Syrene wearing what looks like a Fried Breakfast print dress, white leggings and polo neck and some white pointy kitten heels, wish I had this picture in colour. I have added a few of Poly Styrene's lyrics that are pop/ fashion based just for fun, I like the childlike / teenage view of life mixed with tounge in cheek politics, it's all in the delivery, you need to listen to the music.

When I put on my make-up
The pretty little mask not me
That's the way a girl should be
In a consumer society
ART-I-FICIAL - Xray Spex

Perfect example of Poly Styrene wearing a pop punk version of militaria, check out the braces.

He's the rebel on the underground
She's the rebel of the modern town
WARRIOR IN WOOLWORTH'S - Xray spex

There is nothing particularly glamourous about this one, I just like it for the girl next door look.

WHEN YOU LOOK IN THE MIRROR
DO YOU SMASH IT QUICK
DO YOU TAKE THE GLASS
AND SLASH YOUR WRISTS
IDENTITY -Xray Spex

Pop punk vocalist for Xray Spex during the 1970s, looking like a mix between Johnny Rotten and Bootsy Collins.

I am a poseur and I don't care
I like to make people stare
I AM A POSEUR - Xray Spex

You don't get much more pop than Smash Hits do you? Loving the childlike earrings and militaria, oh and the braces!

Look at Poly Styrene's outfit, it's like a short leather granny dress, actually it reminds me of the outfit Alex's Mum weras in A Clockwork Orange, infact it's nearly identical!The rest of the band seem to be in futuristic bondage outfirs too, sex was never really an issue with Xray Spex, it was more of a playful punk look. I have clearly nicked this image from google images, it still has a proofing mark on it, nice! All images on this post are from Google images.

One more step over the line, a more extreme outfit here, a futuristic, pop, air-raid shelter safety officer look, the braces are off, I miss them!

I clambered over mounds and mounds
Of polystyrene foam
And fell into a swimming pool
Filled with fairy snow
And watched the world turn day-glo
THE DAY THE WORLD TURNED DAY-GLO - Xray Spex

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The cover of one of my favourite albums ever by my beloved X-ray Spex - Germfree Adolescents, you have to listen to it, it's a punk pop classic. I remember some journalist on TV saying ' who on earth sits at home listening to Xray Spex these days?' Well I shall tell you, old punk journalist.....ME! Look at this day glo cover, the boys are wearing those towelling neon socks that seemed to be everywhere in the late 70s and early 80s, you usually wore two different colours if you had any style sense about you.....

You may get to touch her
If your gloves are sterilised
Rinse your mouth with listerine
Blow disinfectant in her eyes
GERM FREE ADOLESCENTS - Xray Spex

Where shall we have the next publicity shot taken? By the bin? Good idea.......i'll get in it....

Poly Styrene is not your typical Style Icon but then again, I am not a typical girl, always looking outside the box. It's not all about beauty and glamour in fashion. I like to mix and mix (not match) styles, dressed down one minute and dressed UP the next. I think about what I am going to wear each day, oh and combine this with whatever is clean or, in my current state, whatever still fits.....Punk pop all the way!