WHAT I WORE: Dumpster Design

I recently received an email from Dumpster Design asking if I would like to do a style shoot with one of their dresses. Would I? Yes please! I was first introduced to Dumpster Design at Brighton Fashion Week and always thought the models looked like they were having so much fun walking down the catwalk in their recycled couture. To be offered to wear one of these innovative designs was something I could not turn down. 

The suggested dress was showcased at Brighton Fashion Week 2012. It's made from strips of blue jay cloths that had been worked on to a paper mache corset. The jay cloths were also shaped into petalss making it look like feathers of an owl (thought this to be rather appropriate for a Hooting Miss Owl). I decided my bird fascinator from Kate & Aud was the perfect accompaniment to my outfit. It was surprisingly comfortable and felt incredibly glamorous even though it was made from recyclables. It took over 3 weeks to create and it's Buy it Now price when first resided was £900!! Over a year later, and still in pretty good nik after being in one catwalk and one exhibition, it now retails at £700. 

In my last post I got to interview the brainchild of Dumpster Design, Daisy Harris-Burland. If you haven't read it yet, you can find it here. There's even a sneaky preview of the current collection Daisy is working on, 7 Deadly Sins!

What do you think of Eco fashion? Have you ever made a dress from items you've found lying round the house? I would like to think Eco and sustainable fashion are here to stay especially when designs are being so innovative and not your usual hemp trousers. If you would like Daisy to make you a bespoke garment, may it be for a special event, prom or even wedding, prices start around £700 and can be made from any material and any style! Visit her website for more info

Big love!

AKA Hooting Miss Owl

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My Week in Photos...

Love spotting The Big Wheel down side streets on St James Street

Time for Cream Teas at Blackbird Tea Rooms

Proper tablecloths & dainty vintage china

Beautiful old shelving and displays at Blackbird Tea Rooms

Yummy cakes at Julien Plumart

Colourful macaroons

Clippity-clop red shoes

Bit of street art advertising

Wise words

Uploading new products to the online shop. Soon to be launched!

Colourful Dr. Martens at the new Brighton store

Booty DM tattoos at the Dr. Martens launch party (taken by Vintage Brighton)

Abi Wade performing at the Dr.Martens launch party

Rockabilly barbers at The Mesmerist

Jess Eaton at BFW13's Zeitgeist show

Jess Eaton at BFW13's Zeitgeist show

My outfit for BFW's Sustain show. Vintage lace dress from Beyond Retro

Rebecca Jayne Taylor at BFW13's Sustain show

Louise O'Mahony at BFW13's Showreel show

MC Gaff E modelling Jylle Navarro's collection at BFW13's Showreel show

WOW, what a week! I'm thrilled to announce that Pretty Litter have asked me to be their new Fashion Editor, and this week I've been out and about covering Brighton Fashion Week. The photos above are a quick peek into the week's activities featuring some sneak peaks of our coverage and some behind the scenes shots.

Dr. Martens also launched their first ever store in Brighton's South Laines this week. I was lucky enough to go to their launch party for Pretty Litter Magazine. You can read all about it, as well as lot's more on Brighton Fashion Week, here.

I'm really excited and I can't wait to work with Lyssa and her team. I'll still be blogging about all things vintage on here and I will be announcing some great news about the online shop soon.

So, WATCH THIS SPACE!                         

 
Big love!
AKA Hooting Miss Owl

ALL IMAGES ARE SUBJECT TO COPYRIGHT 

AND ARE TAKEN BY MYSELF UNLESS STATED OTHERWISE

PLEASE ASK FOR PERMISSION BEFORE USING

THANK YOU!

Dr. Martens seek Brighton Street Style Icon

Dr. Martens opens its first Brighton store on Wednesday 12th June and to celebrate they are searching for Brighton's ultimate Dr. Martens style icon. Whatever your style, tribe or subculture, DMs invite you to express your individuality and show off your best look using the classic footwear.

The person who best represents Brighton's alternative spirit in a pair of Docs will WIN £300 worth of shoes, accessories and clothing!!

 You can enter the competition by:

• Sharing your DM style photo on Twitter or Instagram using #drmartensstyle and #DRMARTENSBRIGHTON
• Submitting a photo from the Dr. Martens photo booth in Jubilee Square on June 15 (part of People's Day, Fashion Zone)
• Being photographed by one of DM's style hunters on the streets of Brighton between now and 12th July

Liz Bishop, founder of Brighton Fashion Week (June 13th - 16th) and judge of the DM Style Competition, said: "Real fashion happen on the streets and I can't think of anywhere with quite such and eclectic mix of styles mingled with the classic Dr. Martens than in Brighton."

Brighton's DM Street Style icon will be announced on 18th July on the Dr. Martens Facebook page and via Twitter.

Dr. Martens is one of Britain's favourite alternative brands and has been championed by British sub-cultures for over 53 years. The Dr. Martens Brighton store is located at 15b Prince Albert Street and opens to the public from 12th June.

Also, do head down to Jubilee Square on Thursday 15th June for Brighton Fashion Week's installation for People's Day. Dr. Martens will be there with their DM van and customisation boot bar. You will be able to customise your DMs for a more edgier and individual look. Here are some examples to get your creative juices flowing...

Ta ta for now! 

AKA Hooting Miss Owl

Competition Details

Brighton's DM Street Style Icon competition runs from 28 May to 12 July 2013. Brighton Fashion Week will judge the competition and the winner will be announced on 18 July. Anyone in Brighton (visitors and residents) can upload their own style photograph, wearing a pairing of Dr. Martens, on Twitter and Instagram using #drmartensstyle and #DRMARTENSBRIGHTON. Style scouts from Dr. Martens will also be on the streets fro the next two months snapping style icons in a pair of DMs. The winner will recieve £300 worth of vouchers to spend on any boots, shoes, clothes or accessories in the new DM Brighton Store in Prince Albert Street to be redeemed by 31 December 2013.

 ALL IMAGES ARE SUBJECT TO COPYRIGHT

PLEASE ASK PERMISSION BEFORE USING!

THANK YOU

BFW: Couture Show

On June 3rd BFW opened their doors once more for the Couture show. There was certainly a lot more hustle and bustle in the candle lit church and we were treated to some live music from a trio of musicians. A DJ laid down some housey-housey beats whilst a violinist added a classical tone, and a soulful singer added accompanying melodies and vocals. It was an interesting and eclectic blend of styles that actually made the audience think about what they were hearing. On the back wall of the church you could see shadows of the models and designers, all back stage getting ready for the first collection of the evening. It was great to see this; it added a sense of excitement and anticipation that was only present towards the end of the previous nights show.

Tim Rhys-Evans

As soon as I was settled in my seat we were graced with the presence of Tim Rhys-Evans’ all black collection. He had taken the Elizabethan neck ruffle and added a modern twist. The detail was focused on the upper body and new necklines gave the models a powerful and statuesque look. This is a look I would definitely love to see more of.

Tijana & Mila Popovic - Fairies from the Heart of the Forest

The collection by Serbian design duo, Tijana and Mila Popovic, was a contrasting difference from Tim Rhys Evans gothic collection. ‘Fairies from the Heart of the Forest’ was a very delicate and romantic white collection with only the flashes of lime green eye make-up for colour. Queen Adreena’s Pretty Polly echoed around the church adding to the dreamy atmosphere. I found myself instantly thinking “I want one of these dresses!” Lace has been quite a big trend this season and they had used beautifully crocheted detailing in their dresses. Some of the models were even wearing handmade crocheted lace as head-wear that slightly came over the eyes. 

Studio 805
 

We were then treated to the only menswear couture collection of the night from Studio_805. The models walked down the catwalk in quite a menacing manner with Mickey Mouse style ears and garments that reflected quite a dark theme. The garments were in black and white and had quite a strong sportswear / S&M look.

Hayley Lai

Hayley Lai took inspiration from Star Wars for her BFW collection. Her garments had dimensional, futuristic, geometrical shapes. Hayley Lai had also stated that Katy Perry and Kanye West’s music video "ET" was also an inspiration to her in terms of styling. 

Masato

The Masato collection was amazing and the more I look at it the more I fall in love with it. It was incredibly stylish with 1940s and 1950s tailoring in beautiful warm tones.

Millie Betito

Millie Betito was certainly another gothic collection but her usage of soft knits and luxurious pleated fabrics was cleverly done so that it added an air of sophistication. Betito used similar techniques to origami to get layered ruffled effects, and I can tell you it worked! This girl has only graduated one year ago from Manchester Metropolitan University and if she is designing eye catching pieces like this now, I would definitely love to see what she will produce in the future.

Alexei Izmaylov

After all these fabulous collections so far tonight, Alexei Izmaylov, was the first to receive a standing ovation from the crowd. The usage of his Club 101 silk scarves was certainly a work of art. His abstract prints on structured dresses, styled with big romantic hair was truly wonderful.

Jess Eaton - Roadkill Couture

 

Next was the designer I had been waiting for all evening, showcasing her 'Roadkill Couture' collection. No one had an inkling of what Jess Eaton was going to produce for this year’s BFW until the day of the show. And I can tell you it was a jaw dropper and made you think about the ultimate nature of sustainability. Eaton had made items out of fur and bones from dead animals that died from natural causes, were bought over the counter at the butchers or even found dead on the side of the road. Beautiful hats from magpie wings and buffalo horn went well with her punk styling. Among her more unusual creations were a hat made from a fox’s head, a necklace made from rat skulls and a cape made from a Shire horses tail. Her application of feathers was the most striking thing of all, however, especially the dramatic array of pheasant and magpie feathers, which were styled with Prince of Wales check, Argyle or latex. Fabulous. Absolutely, truly fabulous.

Edward Finney

The Jess Eaton collection was the hardest act to follow. Edward Finney’s collection was a Parisian wonder, consisting of a black Edwardian dress that had a skirt with so many layers and ruffles that I was surprised that the model was able to move down the catwalk at all! Gorgeous! His finale for the night was a white dress that had purple ink spots dripping down the fabric. It was a great collection but it paled in comparison to the bizarrely beautiful work of Jess Eaton.

Here’s to BFW 2012. I wonder where they will go from here?

Images taken by Jennie Davies from Vintage Owl Boutique

Videos taken by Jo Bowden

(Please ask for permission if you would like to use any of the pics or vids)