I JUST JOINED PINTEREST!!

Check out my boards please!!

http://www.pinterest.com/OliviaJohnson94/boards/

🙂 enjoy! xx

SO THE TIME HAS FINALLY ARRIVED – I’M OFF TO UNIVERSITY!!

So now that I am fully enroled onto my BA Fashion course I thought I would tell you guys about my moving in, my beautiful room and house, my university and first week experiences!! I’m still working out how to budget, and being a fashion student can be very expensive because of all the materials and equipment we need to buy, so it isn’t easy! I must say, it was interesting going through the stage of thinking that I was incredibly poor and writing Haiku about being a poor student shopping in ASDA. Managed to get pate for 65p though which made my day; fortunately I have a boyfriend that is very good at maths and can work out which is cheaper, 160 tea bags or 80.

If you’ve read my blog before, you may know that I am studying in Epsom at UCA. I really like the area, the shops and the people and even the Boogie Lounge, our local ‘club’ is quite endearing. The first freshers event was called ‘rubbish start to freshers’ where we had to wear bin bags. Some people got creative, and as I found out about the event last minute, I went for a white tail and unicorn horn. Fabulous. Hope you guys like the pictures!!

My duvet sets!

My bin!! From Dunelm Mill

GET A PRINTER! It’s so much cheaper!!

Mannequin and pin sets – from my textiles teacher!!

As a fashion student, I have lots of fabric and Indian fabric as well that I got for a small amount of money that I’ve draped over my mirror, chest of drawers and what not!

TIPS?

It might be a bit late, but here are my University tips for anyone who’s listening!!

• If you can afford it, get two duvet and pillow sets so you don’t have to worry about having to clean one, plus you can get such funky prints that can change completely how your room looks – how fun!
• GET A ONESIE. THEY ARE SO WARM AND SNUGGLY.
• Be confident, be sociable and be confident in your own skin. You will find people like you, it’s university, it’s a diverse place!!
• Be organised and do your work but have fun!
• Take loads of plastic bags and reuse them. Seriously, I didn’t realise how much I needed them until now.
• Nick as much as you can from home before you leave! MWUAHAHHA!

Go to charity shops to find cute and cheap little things like teacups – so sweet!
I got this flower jug from home but you get what I mean!

My outfits from this week!!

So I’ve now decided to start a weekly post on my blog of the things I get up to, the work that I’ve done, my achievements, my not so good achievements (!), my experiences, interesting artists and designers that I discover and anything else that I find interesting!
Hope you guys enjoy!! 🙂 xx

CLUB TO CATWALK – London fashion in the 1980’s – EXHIBITION REVIEW

Today I managed to finally visit the Club to Catwalk exhibition at the V&A!! I was so excited and managed to get some sketches done and a cheeky video even though sketching wasn’t allowed!!! Not happy with that!! You can check out my video on my instagram: oliviajohnson94.
There are particular areas in fashion and certain designers from the 1980’s that I don’t know much about and I had such a good time learning about them. It opened my mind and I loved to see so many garments in front of me!! The two floors of the exhibition, jam packed with everything 80’s including, in my opinion, amazing music were surrounded by the wealth of fashion history that is permanently displayed at the V&A. Unfortunately no pictures! But do go and visit for yourselves!!! It was so much fun! Do tell me about your visit as well!
My favourite designers from the exhibition would have to have been Wendy Dagworthy and Zandra Rhodes (an alumni of my university!!). I loved everything there though to be honest. I loved the knitwear, the exhibition design, the androgony and the feature on the clubs and the Blitz magazine demin jacket commissions. CHECK IT OUT!!!

I had a look at the permanent fashion collection as well, got some pictures and did some sketches…

Ossie Clark & Celia Birtwell

Dior!

1960’s

Schiaparelli

1920’s + 1930’s

Excellent sculpture by Rodin

REVIEW: EARRINGS

My very good friend and fellow fashion blogger http://madebyco-ge.blogspot.co.uk/?m=1 has her blogs 1 year anniversary coming up -woo! I’m so pleased for her and her successes that she has experienced over the past year. She inspired me to create my blog and to show people what was going on in my head and I thank her so much for giving me the confidence!! For her anniversary post she has asked a few fashion bloggers, including myself to do a post on her new earrings – eek!!

She’s designed and handmade her new boxes to sell her products in. I think they’re so sweet and elegant!!

When I was thinking about how I would style and outfit for these earrings I thought of a few ideas. Maybe a gold and blue ensemble? A wild and mismatching outfit? An evening look to match the elegant earrings? I decided that these earrings could work with so many outfits for the evening or the daytime. I styled them with two outfits of my own. The first was to a friends smart/casual dinner party, where I wore them with some Next printed trousers, a black top, tan shoe boots, a burgundy hat and a scarf…

And the second was during the day in my first week of university when I went to see a film about Diana Vreeland. I wore my funky cotton Yuri dress, more about that later…!!

If you follow my link to her blog, do check it out and her earrings also!! 🙂 xx

DYING MY HAIR WITH MY GOOD FRIEND ROSIE!! REVIEW OF L’OREAL PARIS PREFERENCE WILD OMBRE KIT

I decided that just before I went away on holiday that I would dye my hair myself! I had heard about the new L’oreal Paris Ombre hair kit and seeing as I’ve had my hair dip-dyed before I wanted to try it this time for a lot less money!! The packet cost me just over £6 which I thought was a very reasonable price. I had just had my hair cut and any of my remaining blond bits from my previous professional dye were gone! I would recommend that when you do this, your hair is straight, clean and if you can just after you have had it cut, like I did. I believe that this will give the best effect for your hair. So this is the contents of the box…

I found that the brush was really useful for applying the dye, and watch out for the smell of the bleach!! The mixing of each section was quick and easy as was the actual process. I liked having the choice myself of whereto apply the dye and with the lovely smell of the conditioner I wasn’t bothered by the smell of the products at all!

This is the creepy face that I pulled when I put on the gloves! If you haven’t dyed your hair before, I would suggest that you read all of the information properly, as this kit in particular gave me some helpful tips and safety precautions. I also had my good friend who knows a lot about hair dyeing to help me!

This was the back of my hair before I dyed it!

 

And the front!

 

And this is the final result after I curled it!! I was really pleased with the results and I would definitely recommend this product to others! But remember to wear old clothes when you’re doing it in case the dye touches any of your clothes!!

 

I also helped my friend Rosie to dye her hair pastel pink – doesn’t she look fab!!!

 

 

I don’t usually do beauty posts, so I hope everyone enjoyed it! 🙂 xx

THE LIEBSTER AWARD

My dear friend Colette; http://madebyco-ge.blogspot.co.uk has nominated me for The Liebster award! It’s an award created by the IFB which I joined last month!

Here are the rules – eek!

1. You must link back to the person that nominated you.
2. You must answer the 11 Liebster questions given to you by the nominee before you.
3. You must pick 11 bloggers to be nominated for the award with under 200 followers
4. You must come up with 11 questions for your nominees to answer.
5. You must go to their blogs & notify your nominees.

Here are the questions that Colette gave me…

1. What is your blog’s main focus?

Fashion, craft and my work!
2. When did you start blogging?

I started to blog properly about a year ago!
3. How does your blog’s design reflect you as a person?

My blogs background is a print that I designed during my Foundation in Art & Design course. It shows my style of drawing, my choice of colours and my crazy style! The print is drawings of earrings that I made!!
4. Do you have any outlets for your blog followers? (e.g Instagram, Twitter etc )

Yes, I use instagram, my username is oliviajohnson94 and I also use Polyvore, my username is oliviaemilyjohnson and I also post on Tumblr; oliviajohnson94
5. Describe the contents of your handbag.

A leaflet from my university about our freshers fortnight events, my academic diary, a couple of pens, my phone, my purse with my initials on it, a mirror, my Cath Kidston sewing kit and a pebble from Cpari that I saved from my holiday this year!

6. What is one beauty/fashion related item, that you can’t live without.

My Indian scarves! They keep me warm and in my mind, go with everything!!
7. High Heels or High Tops?

High heels for sure!
8. What’s your favourite designer?

My favourite designer changes hourly! At the moment, it’s Alice Temperley as I follow her on instagram and am loving her posts from London Fashion Week!
9. Couture or Thrift?

BOTH – TOGETHER!!!
10. Favourite song of the moment?

The Jam – Eaton Rifles
11. Finish this statement : In 5 years, i’ll be….?

Hopefully working my way up in the fashion world!!

My 11 nominated blogs are…

-http://mandymint.wordpress.com/
-styledork.com
-http://onebeautyblog.blogspot.co.uk/p/about-me.html
-http://lilting-grace.blogspot.co.uk/
-http://ohlittleramblings.blogspot.co.uk/
-http://taoofsophia.blogspot.co.uk/
-http://girlisshamelessdotcom.wordpress.com
-http://fashionpickmeup.wordpress.com/
-http://jaxxisart.wordpress.com/
-http://blondeur.com/
-http://www.ennfrancosays.com/

Here are your questions…

1) What is your favourite book?

2) Tell me about something that you have made that makes you proud.

3) Primark; yay or nay?

4) Your favourite flower?

5) If you had a limitless amount of money, where would you go shopping?

6) Favourite designer?

7) Missing summer? Descibe your ideal holiday.

8) Bodycon or maxi dress?

9) What was the last exhibition that you went to or artists you admired?

10) The website that you use most?

11) Name a skill, a hobby or a superpower that you have always wanted to have but haven’t yet mastered!

I want to thank Colette for nominating me and bringing to my attention the Liebster award and I also want to thank her because this opened my eyes to the world of my followers and favourite blogs!! I hope the blogs that I have nominated answer and enjoy my questions as I have used their blogs as inspiration for the questions!! 🙂 xx

Retro Garden Pleated Dress with Baroque Hem – Retro, Indie and Unique…

Retro Garden Pleated Dress with Baroque Hem – Retro, Indie and Unique… (clipped to polyvore.com)

OUTFIT POST!!

Necklace; Accessorize, top; New Look, skirt; New Look, shoes; Primark, bag; H&M, leather jacket; vintage

I went out recently to Wahaca in the Stratford Westfield with my good blogger friend Colette (madebyco-ge.blogspot.co.uk !!) for a fab meal and evening to say goodbye to her before she leaves to study Fashion Print in Leeds! These are our outfits!!

Me! Looking quite grumpy!!

CAN YOU BELIEVE IT!?!? Colette made her dress!! My talented amigo! Her shoes are from Bershka and her earrings she makes and sells herself on her blog!!

Nice legs Co-ge!! xx

PUG PRODUCTS MADNESS!!

As my close friends know very well, I am obsessed with pugs. Luckily for me they are ‘in’ at the moment and I’m taking full advantage of that by getting every pug product I can possibly find. I have a pug top already but recently I got these two amazing products in Primark; a pug onesie and a top!! I just love them!!! Tell me all about your love for pugs and any pug products – share the pug loveee!!! Oh and check out this amazing website that I stumbled across… http://www.sanger.dk/

Check out my friends foot!!! :p xx

SNEAK PEEK AT MY SUMMER PROJECT!!

Here are a few of my fave designs from my summer project for my Fashion BA that I start next week
!! Eek!! The project is based on cacti and I’ve posted some pictures on my instagram already – do follow me! I’m oliviajohnson94 🙂

I’m experimenting with media and a kaleidoscope effect at the moment!

I created all of the figures myself and I think they’re the best I’ve ever made! Thanks for reading!!