Today, CONVERSE Inc. announced the launch of their newest footwear collaboration with world-famous Gorillaz. Launching in February 2012, the styles from the collection combine the iconic Chuck Taylor All Star silhouette with the band’s legendary graphic images. Award-winning designer and Gorillaz co-creator Jamie Hewlett has designed exclusive prints incorporating elements from their ground breaking artwork.

“To converse: the exchange of thoughts, feelings or ideas. That’s what Gorillaz are all about, working and collaborating and exchanging ideas with other artists and global communicators. We’ve been trading in ideas and conversing with one another for ten whole years. So I couldn’t think of a better bunch of people to help celebrate our decade in the business than the good people over at the Converse shoe company. Plus I’ve been wearing my Chuck Taylor’s since forever.” – Russel Hobbs, drummer of Gorillaz

The Gorillaz collection gives the classic Chuck Taylor All Star silhouette an edge with four different looks inspired by the band. The military inspired camouflage print, taken from the cover of their self-titled debut, is the signature design for the collection and is featured here as a sneak peek. All shoes from the collection contain a Gorillaz heel tab and hangtag with additional details on the product. The full Gorillaz Chuck Taylor All Star collection will be revealed in February 2012 and available nationwide and globally at select retail stores and online at converse.

Clothes Show Live in association with Suzuki is giving two lucky winners a pair of tickets to this years show! Whether looking for the latest, cutting edge fashion; glamorous catwalk shows featuring not-yet-seen designer collections; the perfect opportunity to pamper and relax; AND much much more – this year’s Clothes Show Live is bigger and better than ever.

Benefit, GHD, Lipsy London Beauty, Lee Stafford and Eylure are among the shows well known and best loved fashion and beauty brands to shop from; while X Factor resident hairdresser Jamie Stephens, celebrity stylist Karl Willett and Clothes Show veteran Caryn Franklin will all be on hand to give demonstrations and their vital advice about the industry.

Don’t miss the UK’s favourite celebrities and musical icons including: Alexandra Burke; Her Majesty & The Wolves feat. Pussycat Doll Kimberly Wyatt; Jeff Brazier; girl band Parade and a host of Hollyoaks stars as they appear across the shows stages and bars including the Diet Coke Image Catwalk.

Catch stylish duo George Lamb and Grace Woodward presenting in Clothes Show Live’s famous Suzuki Fashion Theatre. Here Clothes Show Live entwines fashion and music featuring performances from Her Majesty and the Wolves feat. Kimberly Wyatt in an original themed catwalk show. This year’s theme is “A Night At The Department Store”. See over 40 models and dancers perform an awe-inspiring spectacular in collections from top designers and find out what really happens when the lights go out in your favourite shops.

Back for its second year, The Dance Show at Clothes Show Live, will once again be the must-attend event of the year for any dance enthusiast. Running for the whole six days from 2 – 7 December, The Dance Show will feature amazing live performances, interactive dance classes, the UK’s leading dancewear brands, masterclasses from the professionals, seminars and awards. The Dance Show has something for every dance fan in the country.

COMPETITION
Who will present at the Clothes Show Live Suzuki Fashion Theatre?

Send your answer along with your: Name, Address, Telephone Number and Date of Birth to competitions [@] fusedmagazine.com. Deadline for entry is: 5pm 0n the 18th November, 2011.

Clothes Show Live in association with Suzuki and The Dance Show take place at Birmingham’s NEC, from 2-7 December 2011. Tickets are available online now at clothesshowlive.com or by calling the box office on 0844 581 1256.

Clothes Show Live in association with Suzuki and The Dance Show take place at Birmingham’s NEC, from 2-7 December 2011. Standard tickets cost £27+ and include entry to both shows and a dedicated seat in the Suzuki Fashion Theatre. Upgrade to a Platinum Ticket for just £12 extra to receive fast-track entry, priority seating in the Fashion Theatre, a goody bag and a show guide.

Tickets are available online now at clothesshowlive.com or by calling 0844 581 1256.
+All tickets are subject to a £2 booking fee

Last December we featured some bang-on-trend items from Frock On Vintage in our festive fashion piece. Over the past year this up and coming label has gone from strength to strength and is now available to buy from the upper level of Topshop in Birmingham’s Bullring.

Congratulations to Frock On’s gorgeous stylist and owner, Pam Cheema, who has put in so much hard work to bring you all the best hand-picked vintage gems. Why not go down to Bullring this week and bag yourself a glamorous one-off outfit for the party season? With fur coats, mohair jumpers and sequins a-plenty you’ll turn that Plain Jane into a Sexy Sadie in no time!

Drawing inspiration from the Dandy’s of the Victorian Era, where the moustache was as important an accessory as a top hat, monocle and cape, Patricia Nicolás’ True Gentleman collection uses the hairy top lip as a focus for her new pieces.

He may not be able to lift you over puddles, or open carriage doors, but he will look absolutely gorgeous with that fur coat, or that oh-so Victorian lace blouse. You’re most welcome, ma’am!

You can get the pieces direct from the website starting at 105 euros.

To secure your invite as a guest of the Townhouse, visit www.facebook.com/jacques to book a (complimentary) place for you and your friends at one of these ‘must do’ summer soirees.

The Jacques Style Bar: Relax at the bar with a delicious glass of Jacques.

Beauty Parlour: Guests will be pampered by expert beauticians who will be offering glamorous makeup touch ups and mini manicures. Girls have the chance to glam up, get their hair styled in an updo and relax with a leading masseuse.

Wardrobe of Wonders and Photo Studio: Play dress up with fabulous vintage frocks from Rokit Vintage, with leading vintage style advisors on hand for top tips.  Get ready for your close up within the Jacques photo shoot studio, from wind machines to flattering lighting, Jacques girls can step into a real life photo studio.

Enchanted Garden: Unwind in the Enchanted Garden with 1920’s black and white movies projected onto the walls, antique croquet sets, hopscotch and games of vintage tennis – complimented by a couple of glasses of Jacques over ice.

“I have always loved combining high-street clothing with vintage pieces to create outfits,” comments the very stylish Adrianne on why she decided to set up the venture. “I would create pieces and customise elements to create the look I wanted. Opening the online boutique has enabled me to turn this hobby into a business.”

Sourcing elements of her pieces from all over the world she combines contemporary and vintage stock to create jewellery that is both on-trend and has a story to tell.

Having no formal training in jewellery-making didn’t stop the young entrepreneur. Her father used to do silversmithing and taught her some techniques and processes when she was growing up.

“My qualifications are all in Art and Graphic Design and I have gained knowledge through experiences working in the fashion industry.”

Working from her studio in the Worcestershire countryside she comes up with ideas and designs that have recently been seen on several celebrities. “I am definitely led by the fashion trend seasons, but because I buy stock which is vintage I tend to be more inspired by the unusual elements, colours and textures that I find. I think this makes quite an exciting design process, as I aim to create fashion-led pieces using unusual and limited edition materials.

“I love vintage style and beautiful things, but am definitely a high-street shopper at heart. I like to combine classic items with high-street outfits and create looks that are of the moment, but always with a little something different.”

With regular commissions for weddings Adrianne has also spotted her creations on Katie Waissel from X Factor; “Last season [she] was photographed on several occasions wearing my Bonnie Bow necklace. Also I know that Eliza Doolittle and Pixie Lott have a couple of rings and Fern Cotton has this season’s Faye necklace. These are exactly the celebrities I would love to see wearing my collection. Alexa Chung would be amazing though!”

Describe your usual – (if there is such a thing – or the closest to it) – day in Toronto
Typically, on a day when I know I’ll be shooting street fashion, I’ll roll out of bed by around 9am, have some toast and OJ, quickly check email and surf the web. I’ll leave my home in the suburbs before noon and make the hour-long trek downtown by public transit, armed with my Nikon, a voice recorder, and a fistful of business cards.
Once downtown, I’ll usually check out a few of the more happening areas of the city, style-wise (Yorkville, Kensington Market, and Queen Street West are my favourite spots). If there’s nobody interesting about, I’ll occasionally wander off the beaten path until I find someone that catches my eye. If I’m not having much luck, I’ll grab a slice of pizza after a few hours and get recharged, or maybe pop into a bookstore for a short break. When the going is good and I’m photographing a lot of people, I may skip lunch altogether.
By the time 6 or 7 o’clock rolls around, I’m pretty exhausted from all the picture-taking, walking, standing around, giving directions to random people, and dealing with panhandlers and solicitors, so I’ll call it a day at that point. Head home, have a bite, review and edit the pictures, again check email and web, pass out in my bed by 1am or 2am.

Tell us about what you do: My name’s Theo and I…..
My name is Theo, 36 (turning 37 in late June), and I was born and raised in Toronto. I earn my living as a warehouse worker, but I also do street fashion photography in my spare time. I’ve spent many hundreds of hours standing at intersections and roaming the streets with my camera, all because I love to photograph people with awesome style.

You captured some very cool fashionista’s what kind of style do you admire?
I admire any style that looks like the person put some thought into how he/she is dressed. I can appreciate a variety of styles, be it punk, bohemian, goth, urban, casual, formal, etc. I like people who stand out from the crowd.

What makes you choose a person to photograph and include on your site?
If I think someone looks cool, I’ll include them. If they look like they might not know what a street fashion blog is, I’ll probably steer clear. Also, everyday people are far more interesting to me than the celebrities or “fashion elite” you see on certain other street fashion blogs, so that’s what I try to focus on.

How would you sum up Toronto style?
Torontonians, in general, are not overly concerned with style. Toronto has a lot of uniquely stylish people, but many of us are probably more focused on wearing clothes that are going to keep us warm and comfortable, rather than what’s going to get us featured on a street fashion blog.

Favourite places to…

Take a picture: The Distillery District. Historic section of town that mixes 1800’s architecture and modern-day design, its fusion of old and new makes it the best spot to spend the day snapping photos.

Go for food: Zet’s. A 24-hour family restaurant located near the airport – they’ve got an all-day breakfast menu that makes me salivate every time I think about it. Watching planes take off while you eat is also pretty cool.

Meet with friends: The Crooked Cue. Great because I can shoot pool and have a few pints while chewing the fat with my buddies. They’ve also got an awesome platter full of tasty pub food.

Show off to visitors: Kensington Market. A bohemian neighbourhood that’s Toronto’s mecca for vintage and second-hand clothing, with shops, cafes, and a smorgasbord of interesting characters that give it a unique identity.

Get drinks / cocktails: Gate 403 Bar & Grill. Their cocktails are sublime, and the live jazz music makes for an extremely relaxing atmosphere.

See an exhibition: Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO). Enormous, teeming with great art, with a recent re-design that’s beautified it to the point where I often find myself hanging around until they kick me out.

Go shopping: Yorkdale Mall. With more than 240 stores, I can always find something new to add to my wardrobe, CD collection, or book shelf. Plus, it’s just a 20-minute bus ride from my house.

Find the best fashion kids for your blog: Intersection of Queen West & Spadina.  Bursting with creative people from all walks of life, this is the go-to place for finding the coolest-looking individuals in the city.

http://styleinvasion.ca
http://styleinvasion.com

The Sugarfoot Stomp girls kept the theme alive with tunes from the era while Umberto Giannini provided visiting ladies with amazing hair styling or curls and soft waves.

To complete the look Benefit added the eyeliner flicks, porcelain-like skin, dark eyebrows and of course signature red lips.

Hannah said:

“We normally describe our jewellery as a contemporary mixture, where simplicity meets innovation.  Our influences come from contrasting areas; the bold shapes of art deco and Bauhaus mixed with the urban landscape of the city around us.  I’m Swedish and Ciara is Irish, so we do believe that our experiences and mix of cultures have informed our taste fashion.  It’s these sorts of juxtapositions we believe define our jewellery and set it apart.”

Ashley’s ‘Space Scape’ really brings the jewellery to life.  A soon-to-be Fashion Promotion graduate, she has been sourcing the design talent in the North West:

“I came across BLAC jewellery at their shop inside the arts and crafts centre in the Northern Quarter, Manchester.  I have a slight obsession with jewellery – the more unusual the better, so I was immediately blown away by BLAC’s unique designs.  The geometric shapes, reflective materials and fluorescent colours of the jewellery were great inspiration.  The projected space scape’s provided the only lighting at the shoot, which allowed for some quite atmospheric images.”

You don’t have to be in Manchester to get your hands on a piece.  Retailing between £20 and £200, BLAC jewellery will be available from their website when it launches this summer.  Until then you can contact them via Facebook or drop them an email.

Words by Laura Booth

Shoot Details:
Creative Director – Ashley Hilton
Photographer – David Wade
Model – Hazel Whittle
MUA – Callie Marie Callighan
Videographer – Dima Kalenda

BLAC Details
BLAC, Studio 2, Manchester’s Craft and Design Centre, 17 Oak Street
, Northern Quarter
, Manchester
, M4 5JD
Tel: 07960 889 462
Email: blacdesign [@] mail.com
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