No Debutante: Festival style

Showing posts with label Festival style. Show all posts

Sunday, 5 February 2017

Woof Woof

Since the No Debutante blog has been promoting all things Bristol Fashion, I have been introduced to so many new Bristol fashion designers, that I am overwhelmed by how much is going on in our beautiful city, The great thing about fashion is it changes & there is always a new collection to inspire, to love and promote, Bristol fashion has now become a full time passion of mine, I could talk about it all day there is so much talent....so let's get started...

I'd like to introduce you to Laa Woof.
This sparkly fabric hoarding Bristol based fashion designer creates festival fashion & party wear under the name Laa Woof from her studio at The Island, which is such a creative space in Bristol with so many interesting things coming out of there including No Debutante favourites Neat Frontage and Tezla Designs. The designer Laura Wood creates limited edition and bespoke customised creations that will make you stand out form the crowd in a clash attack of matching patterns, sparkly custom made catsuits, leggings, crop tops, skirts,bombers, hot pants and kimonos making all your sparkly dreams come true. No Debutante has fallen in love with the supercute Mermaid Kimono, holographic mermaid bombers (there's a theme building here...) amazing shimmering catsuits and sequin embellished mesh tops, I just want to be a shimmering mermaid but you knew that already! With kawaii graphics, fun anime influences, Manga styling and a love all of all things sparkly Laa Woof has definitely caught No Debutante's attention.

I asked Laura at Laa Woof a few questions, here's what she said......

What inspired you to start Laa Woof?

I have always been a hoarder of shiny things and since working in a fabric shop it grew out of control . I started making outfits for fancy dress parties, whilst teaching myself how to sew by taking clothes apart and recreated them using sparkly fabrics. Over the past 4 years my brand started to emerge and became Laa Woof.

Where did the Laa Woof name come from?

I first started making animal hoods to sell and had to create a name for a market stall. So I brain stormed with some friends and we came up with Laa Woof which is a wordplay on my name.

Whats your favourite thing about Bristol?

The music scene has always been the biggest pull for me, when I was living in Brighton I would travel up each month for a night. Its great for gigs and dirty raves! I don’t go out as much as I used too, but it’s great to know when you are going out there’s always something on!

Do you think Bristol gets much fashion media attention?

I think Bristol receives more media attention for its music and graffiti. I would hope that with the ever growing talent there is here in Bristol, the fashion scene will get more limelight! I think as a community we should organise fashion show events to draw attention here!

You offer custom orders, how does that work with Laa Woof?

Clients usually send me a message wanting something special. I gather as much information from them about the outfit and start collecting samples. I usually send photos of the fabrics I’ve found and some drawings of the garment. Once the client is happy I take payment and start creating !

There are a few festival style Fashion brands in Bristol, what makes Laa Woof unique?

Its great to have a big scene of amazing diverse designers here in Bristol !! Many of us share a love of all things sparkly and shiny!!

My influences and inspiration come from everywhere and are always feeding into my new designs.

I come from a fine art background so I think that practise is always relevant in my work. I enjoy the process of how I source the fabrics and piecing them together to the overall construction of the garment. A lot of my most recent pieces have involved creating patches and more time consuming methods, which are usually one offs or very limited editions ! Making them super special and unique to treasure and feel fabulous in !! .

Whats with the Panda obsession?

Pandas have always brought me much joy they are just so silly and cartoon like !! When I’m blue nothing makes me smile more than watching a baby Panda go down a slide on youtube!!! One of the 1st garments I made was a Panda onesie which I still love and and am actually wearing now as I write this!!!

Did you collaborate with a local designer to create your panda print?

Whist living in Brighton I commissioned a local artist David Waterhouse to come up my Panda Logo! His artwork was spot on and represented the fun I wanted to unleash in my brand.

One of my models from a previous fashion show worked on my latest fabric print. Ebun was great I shared my ideas and she came up with a few mock ups until we settled on the chosen one!! I’m so in love with it!!

Favourite designers / artists?

I’m in love with Independent designers such as Lady Gonzalez and Arteporvo really amazing styles and inspiring ladies!

There are so many amazing designers emerging from Australia at the moment my favourites are Di$count Universe who create incredible sequin designs and NixiKillick whose work is so fresh and vibrant using modern, futuristic elements in her pieces.

Current favourite record?

I'm absolutely hooked on Bonobo ‘Black Sands’ Album! It’s pretty much my soundtrack to sewing and life! Makes for a zen head, even whilst I’m having a sewing meltdown...sometimes...

Whats your favourite festival?

Balter Festival is a small and growing festival in wales! I’ve had a stall there shared with friends for the past few years and it’s been a great success each year. It has the best crowd and the right amount of muntiness!!! Amazing ska, punk and balkan bands and an incredible amount of electronic music !!!! Totally recommend going!!!

Current obsession?

MERMAIDS!! I find it to be an ongoing source of inspiration and creativity for me!! I melt every time I find iridescent sequins and shiny spandex.

There is an event in Brighton called March of the Mermaids, where thousands of people dress up as all things sea related, to raise awareness for sea conservation. It a create excuse to cover yourself in as much glitter as possible, channel your inner mermaid and sashay along the seafront for the day!!

Whats next for Laa Woof?

I have a few projects going on at the moment! One that's secret that I’m very excited about !!!

I really enjoyed having my first fabric design printed, can’t wait to design more. I would love to work with local designers to create new exclusive prints each year!

Am currently planning my festival circuit, I should be appearing at Balter Festival , Secret Garden Party, Boomtown, Shambala and Illusive!!

Keep ya eyes peeled for my summer collections and my stock appearing in That Thing over the festival season!

Check out the Laa Woof etsy shop

Follow Laa Woof Facebook

All clothing by Laa Woof

MUA Sophie Moore

Photographer & Direction Maka Iriek

If you are having a fashion event or a have a new collection you would like
No Debutante to promote please get in touch!

If you are interested in collaborating with No Debutante or getting featured on the No Debutante blog please contact me on nodebutanteblog.gmail.com

Keep up with No Debutantes OOTD posts, collabs and current fashion obsessions posted daily on all of the following. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, Pinterest. all under the #nodebutante name.

Thanks for checking in Fashionistas xx

Wednesday, 30 November 2016

Pretty Neat

Neat Frontage are a Bristol based design duo which includes Ruth Strugnell (also from Bristol's Fix Up Look Sharp) & Gemma Pope who specialise in creating one-off handmade streetwear garms mixed with festival style, sportswear & bright colours! From metallic bodycon unitards, jazzy printed tailored items to block print oversized sweatshirts Neat Frontage know how to make you stand out from the crowd whether you are at a festival, a club night or just hanging out, Neat Frontage will brighten up your day with a pop!

No Debutante visited Neat Frontage in their vibrant & creative studio at The Island, Bristol to find out where the magic happens.....and to borrow some Neat Frontage goodies for a fashion shoot but more on that very soon! Coincidentally the Neat Frontage ladies also share their space with another No Debutante fave from the Bristol Fashion scene, Terri Young from Tezla Designs. Unfortunately, Terri was not around to chat but it was great to see the Tezla creative space & to be in the creative environment of some of Bristol's fashion family, I have to say it was very inspiring, a room full of dress mannequins, plants and clothing.... my gosh, I wanted to get my fabric shears out & start cutting up my imaginary new collection there & then!

The Neat Frontage girls are always so bubbly & full of fun and have a hundred ideas & plans for what they are doing next whilst carrying out several projects at once & working their day jobs too! Its good to meet people who's lives also seem to be consumed by so many creative things at once whilst trying to support themselves (& in my case, their families) to make it all work. Bristol is not full of dreamers, it is full of do'ers, who will try their hardest to succeed whilst remaining inspired, creating a beautiful Bristol. Don't get me started on how Bristol needs to support its local designers....Bristol Fashion week??? Pah!

Neat Frontage are currently working on their latest collection & very kindly let me take a sneak preview, the stand out pieces at this point are the sheer black bodysuits with bold 90s inspired, block coloured shaped appliques, a beautiful matching block appliqued sheer kimono (everyone wants this piece of magic), cute black culottes with sportswear inspired sequined or metallic side panels & the very comfy oversized unisex sweatshirts in Mondrian style grids and jazzy prints that have pockets in, nothing gets me more excited then a dress or sweatshirt with pockets in! No Debutante loves this collection as does everyone I have shown it to! Nice One ladeez! Pow!

Watch this space for more on the Neat Frontage collection & the Bristol Fashion collaboration photoshoot featuring No Debutante, Anthony Prothero Photography, Neat Frontage, Tezla Designs, That Thing, House of Junk, House of Bendy & Jokoto Clothing.

All Photography by No Debutante except for images 4 & 6 courtesy of Neat Frontage.

Thank-you very much to the lovely Neat Frontage for having me & for your help!

For more info on Neat Frontage follow them on facebook https://www.facebook.com/neatfrontage & on Depop.com

If you are interested in collaborating with No Debutante or getting featured on the No Debutante blog please contact nodebutanteblog@gmail.com

Keep up with No Debutantes OOTD posts, collabs and current fashion obsessions posted daily on all of the following. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, Pinterest all under the No Debutante name #nodebutante

Thanks for checking in Fashionistas xx

ND xx

Saturday, 6 June 2015

Kimono Love

No Debutante Loves Kimonos!

With Festival season on the horizon what better way to dress for the occasion than with a boho kimono? This was going to be a single kimono post but I have been wearing them so much, this Kimono obsession could turn out to be a regular feature! The kimono in today's post is from Urban Outfitters, it's black, embroidered, silky and has tassels, it has everything! I love it! Layer your kimono up over vest tops and dresses or over jackets, wear with shorts or jeans, experiment with it, it's such a versatile garment. The kimono is the item to make a statement in this summer, however you wear it. Rock it like a groupie!

Here's a couple of ways I have been wearing it lately, expect more from this kimono very soon!

All clothing from Urban Outfitters, Topshop, Primark and No Debutante Vintage.

All styling and Photography by No Debutante.

Thanks for joining me today fashionistas! Follow me on Instagram, Tumblr, Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest for daily updates and fashion moments all under the NO DEBUTANTE name!! See you later fashionistas xx

ND xx

Monday, 28 April 2014

Dilly Debutante - Foxtrot Hair Fashion shoot

Finally, I have got round to posting about the Dilly Debutante photo shoot collaboration for Foxtrot Hair. Obviously, I am the Debutante in this collaboration but who is Dilly Foxtrot? Selena aka Dilly Foxtrot is a brilliantly creative and fabulous fashionista friend of mine and is also the lady behind Dilly Foxtrot Investigates (a beautiful childrenswear blog) and now the creative brains behind Foxtrot Hair a freelance hair service that offers Vintage and Contemporary Updos and hair styling for special occasions, proms or even just for popping out to the shops, there is always time for glamour daaaarling!

I was really excited when Selena asked me to collaborate with her in a photo shoot for her Facebook page and to help with the promotion of Foxtrot Hair. How could I refuse a day of getting my hair done, dressing up and parading about (in the wind and rain might I add, it's blood cold up North!) with two of my best mates (the other being Selena's sister Dianne who took the Modern Vintage shoot photographs) I loved it!

The results of my first (and coldest) shoot 'Modern Vintage' were brilliant. I was dressed up in a nautical Vivien of Holloway halter neck dress, Meadham Kirchhoff frilly ankle socks and red wedge sandals with my hair twisted up in a french pleat and a brilliant victory roll on top, finished off with a dramatic net fascinator over my face. The location was set behind an industrial estate, next to a canal with amazing derelict and half demolished red brick towers and industrial chimneys, it pretty much looked like a British World War Two bombsite and my Modern Vintage outfit fitted in perfectly.

We joked about my character being a (albeit rather glamorous) war widow and in the last photograph I had climbed up onto the rubble to try and get a creative, blitz style photograph but then got stuck (I was wearing a very tight pencil dress and wedges for goodness sake) and Dianne got a shot of me trying to get down. It actually looks more like I was inspecting the ruins of my home and crying about the loss of my husband 'Oh gawd, my Charlie'.....My hair still looked fabulous despite the wind and rain and I wish I lived around the corner from Selena (like I used to, over ten years ago) so she could style up my hair whenever I was off out, well, every day....If anything I would become annoying....

In the second shoot 'Festival Chic' Selena styled my hair up into lots of random plaits, we discussed how we liked the randomness of it and how we both loved hair that doesn't look too done and perfect, it's too sterile and bland, texture and creativity is much better than perfection in a hair style!

Selena is really great at plaiting and braiding hair too, she is so quick at it, I, sadly, am not.....Don't get me wrong, I have perfected the victory roll but plaits and braids are too fiddly for my fingers, I trained to be a hairdresser for a time and I was no good at cutting either, I am much better at bigger updos and colouring! It would be great if I was still in Leicester with Selena then we could collaborate all the time! Check out the fantastic plaits and braids on my newly coloured (by the lovely Vikki Mac - my usual hair stylist) pink and blue mane the colours and textures look amazing with the Foxtrot Hair plaits and braids!! The photographs for this shoot, were taken by photographer Helen McCann-O'Leary and are fantastic and in perfect

contrast with the Modern Vintage and Undone Glamour shoots.

The other models who joined me on the day were the very young and beautiful Celine and Lois who had not done anything like this before. These girls had the longest legs ever and were happily walking about in short skirts, massive heels and no tights in the wintery weather! Perfect models with beautiful hairstyles! They were great in the Foxtrot Hair 'Undone Glamour' shoot and ruled the Boho, Festival Chic look. I caught a quick Instagram pic of them both on a runaway bicycle, which is hilarious but a brilliant natural shot with loads of energy. So funny! Well done ladies!

In conclusion, Selena at Foxtrot Hair is a very creative lady so whether you are looking for a bang on trend look or a vintage inspired updo this freelance hair stylist can create it for you.

Foxtrot Hair is based in Leicester, UK. Please contact Selena on her Facebook page here for more info.

I am lastly excited to announce that Selena chose one of my Modern Vintage shots for her business card and Facebook page, which I am very humbled by, it's a great honour and I am so happy the collaboration went so well! Here's to more Dilly Debutante collaborations. Now check out these amazing images!!!