This week has been spent styling some of the models in preparation for my next style event on Friday 26th November. So far we have hit LK Bennett, Hobbs, Jigsaw, GAP, Monsoon, Fenn Wright Manson, M&S, Oasis and New Look (whose party range I have to say, I think, is great.) Next week it is the turn of the remaining models and the rest of the shops that Birmingham has to offer -which is a lot. I want to make sure that not only do I have a range of models of differing ages, heights, shapes and sizes but that I also cover the spectrum of shops - from the more expensive to the less expensive. We have just had a new Forever 21 open here - the US version of TopShop - and I am dying to take a peek. Hopefully there will be some amazing finds for the styling event.
My new rails have also arrived - six pink clothes rails, so that each model can have her own rail of clothes. The experience that I gained from doing the event at Harvey Nichols was invaluable in terms of finding out the best way to organise the clothes for each model. Hopefully I can take some of that away with me and put it to good use.
I am dying to show you the pictures of the best finds that I have come across whilst out in the shops but I don't want to spoil it for those who come along to the event. I will report back afterwards though to tell you about the most popular items, as there are always some things that go down better than others.
I find that whether people like something or not can depend on how often they are exposed to it. Obviously some pieces speak for themselves but in some cases, the more that the audience sees a piece, the more familiar it becomes to them and the more they like it. The psychology behind the way that individuals approach clothes can be so complicated that it is hard to predict who will like what and who won't. The same is true for how they perceive their shape. You would be amazed how many women have hang ups as a result of comments made to them, most commonly by an ex-boyfriend or their father - and how many of those hang ups are completely without foundation. I have also realised that we are all creatures of habit and that habits can be hard to break, especially when we don't realise that we have them or if we do, how to go about breaking them. We can have very strong associations with things, particularly colours, which put people off - the classic being that a particular colour reminds them of their school uniform. It can be the same with trends which re-appear further down the line. I used to feel that if we did a trend the first time around we shouldn't do it again - and that is true of some things but not others. A lot can depend on whether the trend is age appropriate - cropped tops for example, or whether it now suits a person's particular size. In essence I think that the key is to remain open minded and more often than not, it is more about how an item is styled. Anyway, with the help of my lovely models, I will do my best to show people how to put different outfits together, how to style the different body shapes and show them what is on trend for the season. Hopefully there will be plenty of fun along the way and some satisfied, more confident, ladies at the end of it. I will let you know how it all goes.
