Monday 27 January 2014

Rainy day fashion

Dull, miserable damp weather typical of this time of year and most of us are tempted to imitate the gloom with dark and drab outfits - why not brighten up the day with some colourful clothing!!

Don a hat - not only will it help with frizzy hair - the bain of my life - however carefully style my hair the moment I step outside it will end up frizzy so hats not only save me from a "bad hair" day but it can also be a fabulous way to add some colour into your outfit.

 
 High - heeled wellies - Having to avoid rain splattered pavements and puddles is a nightmare for shoes whether your preference is for original or repro they will both get ruined in this weather. They are lots of great colours and patterns on the high-street and some even have heels!!
 
 Bright rain mac  - protecting you vintage outfits with specially designed rain mac in fun colours - find one that will pack in your bag and pull it out if you get caught in a down pour.
 
 
 
Banish black coats - instead of the normal dull black or grey winter coats wear a bright coloured one, it will brighten up you day and make a few people smile along the way.
 
 
 
Whatever the weather stay warm and bright - what is you favourite outfit to cheer up the dull days - send me pictures - would love to see you in them??
 

 
 
 


Tuesday 21 January 2014

Miss K Loves - Prim Vintage

With Norwich Fashion Week approaching fast I thought that I would showcase some of the fabulous vintage shops and suppliers that will feature in the Vintage show in March.

First up is the longest established vintage shop in Norwich and winner of the Vintage Norwich Awards for two years running - Prim Vintage -  http://primvintagefashion.com/home.html
Run by James and Shona who are passionate about their vintage and know there stuff too.  With a wide variety of every changing stock ranging from the 1930's - 1980's so if you are looking for a glamorous party frock or a fun piece of one off clothing to update you look - you will find it here.

A great way to add vintage to your wardrobe is with a cute scarf or bag so come along and take a look at the fabulous accessories they have to co-ordinate with you look.

Many stunning vintage pieces from these guys have found there way into my wardrobe over the years so here are just a few of the fabulous items that I get to wear all the time.


A divine 1940's suit that has made many appearances at various vintage events around the country.
 
A stunning 1940's dress for a few weddings last year.

The most fabulous 1940's coat - every time I wear this someone wants to buy it off me!!
Not for sale!!
 
I love this blue and white stripe dress that is one of my summer staples.
 
Another of my summer favourites - a 50's print skirt and suede shoes.
 
 
Just so I can look glam evening having my morning tea - a 40's dressing gown.
 
 



Vintage doesn't have to worn just to a vintage inspired event - a smart 40's or 50's suit can be part of your work wear or a 50's dress can take you to a wedding or party, a cotton 70's number will look cute with sandals for summer - the list is endless so make sure if you are looking for something different for your wardrobe this year you take a visit to Prim and see what they have to tempt you.
 
Prim will be featuring in our photo shoot and showcasing some of their beautiful dresses in the show too.
 
Prim Vintage St Benedicts Street Norwich.
 
 
Watch out for more features on vintage shops and sellers in the lead up to Norwich Fashion Week.
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Friday 17 January 2014

Behind the scenes - NFW first shoot!!

Once a year Norwich pays host to all things fashion - for one week in March the city if full of stylish people hopping from one exciting event to another.

This year the dates are March 6th - 13th - you can check out all the news and dates here http://norwichfashion.co.uk/
Sunday is always the Vintage show and this year it is bigger better and more fabulous than ever.  I can't tell you details at the moment as it is all top secret - but believe me it is not to be missed!!!

Just to give you a little hint - between you and me you understand!! Think big sets, the best vintage that Norwich has to offer - dresses, lingerie and maybe a few little surprises.

We have a fashion shoot planned for next week for the official launch photos but we had a mini shoot to get you in the mood - again can't show you the official pictures yet but here are a few behind the scenes shots to wet your appetite.

Missy Vintage working her magic on the lovely Nakita.
 

The set coming together from the array of vintage pieces in Aladdin's Cave.
 
 

 
 
 
Joe Black -  assisted by his beautiful wife Milda - shooting Nakita and Jake (Sandra Reynolds).
 
 
 
More news coming soon from all the plans, shoots and inspiration behind the shows. It's going to be a fabulous week of fashion so don't forget to put the dates in your diary.
 

Tuesday 7 January 2014

Style Icon - Nina Ricci

There are many designers, movie stars, men and women that I consider real style icons so I thought that I would do a regular post introducing you to the people that influence the way the clothes I wear and in the designs for the collection.

Starting with a designer that like me launched her own collection later in life - Nina Ricci.

Born in Turin Italy she moved to France with her family aged 5 and began as a dressmakers apprentice at 13. She went on to work as designer for Raffin and remained there for 20 years until she moved to create her own line in 1932 aged 49!!!



Helped by her son Robert, she liked to work directly on the mannequin to ensure that the designs had the right shape.  She favoured soft drapes, floaty lines and feminine styles. Her mission was to make women beautiful with a youthful sparkle.

The House of Ricci grew rapidly and by the 40's it had developed leather goods and fashion accessories.




1948 saw the launch of L'Air du 'Temp her first fragrance. The bottle was designed by Robert and Marc Lalique.




She worked until she was 70 and in 1954 the designing was taken over by Jules Francois.

The label continued under different designers and in 2009 is back as a fashion leader with Peter Coping who continues to capture the ultra feminine style that Nina herself loved.


Peter Coping Spring/Summer 2014

Fabulous Times ahead - new year plans.

When a new year begins it is time to sit down and asses what I want to focus on for the coming months.

Launching the collection last year was amazing but because it took me  longer to find the right manufacture and get the dresses into production than I had scheduled I missed most of the "vintage season" so the main focus this year will be take the collection out on the road so more of you lovely vintage gals get a chance to try them on.
 
I am organising "Pop Up" shops, visiting Vintage Fairs and 1940's weekends - details will follow and I will keep you posted on Facebook so go over and like my page https://www.facebook.com/pages/Fabulous-Miss-K/188326231178706 so you can keep up with all the news and don't miss out on an event near you.
 
 
 
Plans are under way for the Vintage Fashion show for Norwich Fashion Week - check out their web site for all the fashion news and events  http://norwichfashion.co.uk/.
 
This year the show will be more fabulous than ever with the best vintage fashion, nightwear and lingerie and a glamorous after party so you can dress to the nines and sip cocktails.
 
 
 
This year too I will be looking through my original pieces and sourcing other styles and designs to add to the collection. The idea is to build a capsule wardrobe that you a can mix and match for any occasion - plans are for a suit, 1930's style dress and a LBD - what would you like to see in the collection???
 
 
Lots of other ideas are running around in my head - Vintage Style Icon and etiquette workshops, updating the styling and personal shopping service, photo shoots and more - some will come to fruition some will stay just as ideas or wait for another time.
 
 It is always exciting to make plans at the beginning of the year and see how they develop and then there are the opportunities that arise that take you by surprise and  in a completely different direction!!
 
So let the adventures begin and lets see what fabulous times 2014 has in store???
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 

 
 
 


Friday 3 January 2014

New Year Goals and Dreams.

With all the festivities done and dusted my thoughts turn to New Year plans and resolutions. So what is in store for me in 2014??

Well to begin with I am hitting a major milestone - my 50th birthday - I am not quite sure how I feel about it  but if these women from www.advancedstyle.blogspot.com  are anything to go by I am still a mere spring chicken!! So really this will not be an issue for me and I plan to embrace it and celebrate in style throughout the year!!

 
As far as resolutions go I am not one for making sweeping statements that never last longer than the time it takes to put all the decorations away I am going to give myself some personal and professional goals that I would like to achieve this year and as they say that once a goal is written down it makes it more attainable so here we go -
 
Personal.
 
1.  Now that I am getting older I need to start taking a more care of myself, I do generally eat well and dance when I am out but feel that I need a bit more exercise and a healthier diet - spending hours at the gym is not my idea of fun so I will look for other ways to move more - ballet and tap are something that I would love to take up again. Eating wise I love to cook so the plan is to dig out my recipe books and start enjoying being in the kitchen again.
 
 
 
2. Refine my wardrobe is a goal I have had for a while - as stylist and personal shopper it is something that I tell my clients all the time but don't always manage to do all the time myself. I have my own signature style but I want to get a little more organised with how I buy my clothes and make sure that I only purchase items that mix and match with other things in my wardrobe - unless some die for dress needs a good home.
 
 So I am going to take my own advice - get my outfit inspiration ideas up on the notice board in my dressing room, see what I already have and what I need to purchase to pull it all together.
 
 
 
3. Relax more - running a business is stressful and I never seem to switch my brain off so this year I am going to have some "me" time every day - even if it is moving away from the laptop for lunch, I used to love to read books and magazines but I never seem to find the time to do that anymore so I intend to do that too, go for a walk, or treat myself to a bit of pampering - anything to may me relax at least once a day!!
 
 
 
4. Get out and about more - my weeks and weekends are always packed with events but I seem to miss out on some of the simpler stuff - heading off in the countryside for a picnic, wandering around a museum or art gallery - there were so many exhibitions I have missed last year! A few more short breaks are on the agenda - discovering towns and cities that I have never visited, just strolling around taking in the scenery.
 
 
5. 365 project - which involves taking a picture of something fabulous that happens or inspires you every day of the year.  Another version suggests you put a note in a jar about something special. So I don't know whether I will keep this up everyday but I am going to do my own version a combination of both ideas.
 
 With the onset of digital photography and Facebook  no one seems to print pictures anymore so I am going to print at least some of the photos with little notes and antidotes attached to the pages to document  my adventures this year and put them in a 2014 album so I can look back and remember the fun times throughout the year.
 
 
 
 
So they are my goals for the coming months. Professionally I have lots of new ideas for the collection, new projects and services that I am going to offer but more of that when I officially get back in the office next week.
 
Have you made resolutions or goals for 2014 - let me know I would love to  hear your plans your year???