I have officially just finished my first book......

I have to once again start by saying sorry. I know I pleaded/begged you to give me 4 weeks and now I’m back 13 weeks on. To be honest, after the internship, I felt I was entitled to a well-deserved break, which lasted a week and then I guess-I got lost in ‘Lazy Ville’.

But hey, that’s not the purpose of this post. I have officially just finished my first book, which I believe is a great achievement for me. What shocked me most about it was the fact that I read 200 pages of content aimed at females and gay men. The book was called ‘If You Have To Cry, Go Outside’ and was written by Kelly Cutrone. I must say, it’s an amazing story about her life and the book with-holds many wise words.

Her story also has many references and tips in regards to the PR industry, especially towards fashion. Personally, I recommend anyone to give it a read, not just because of the success of the story, but for the life lessons. If you work in fashion PR and you haven’t read it, shame on you. The book would seriously make your junior/account executive job easier and help you to understand why your Director is such a ‘B*tch’…

As much as it was out of my comfort zone, I really enjoyed it and stole most of Kelly’s quotes.

To My beloved blog……

I can only start this by saying I’m sorry. It’s been over 2 weeks since I’ve logged in and I haven’t showed you any attention- please forgive me.

When we started our relationship last Christmas, I vowed to keep you in the loop, with you following me step by step and partnering me through my journey. Please be aware that I haven't been cheating on you, nor have I fallen for another. You are not the only person to suffer- ‘Music’ hasn’t seen me since my interview.

I know you will not believe it, but it’s all my because of my ‘internship’. I have been so busy keeping up with the work and learning so much, I haven’t had enough time to fit anything else in. It sounds crazy, but I’ve reached another great chapter in my story and made some great friends. I miss our conversations about fashion, new/old music, events and the daily ups and downs of life in London.

All I ask of you is to please be patient and bare with me for these last 4 weeks. I know you get lonely but I assure you, the completion of this internship will give me knowledge for us to use for a life time.

Mr A.Kay

Alert Interns… ‘Interns commission is set up’

The “horror” of which the BBC highlighted of unpaid interns has caused an uproar within the Public Relations industry. The show 'Who Gets The Best Jobs' which aired on BBC2 in February, highlighted the fact of how some companies have many keen and willing applicants working in paid positions for no wage whatsoever. This has led to the formation of the ‘Interns Commission’ (Nikki Wicks, ‘PR Week’). The Public Relations Consultants Association has assembled a group of industry professionals to not only assess the fairness of interns, but also to broaden access to the industry, especially in regards to ethnic minorities and disabled people.

The exact figure of industry professionals is 16 involving names such as; Francis Ingham, John Lehal, Bieneosa Ebite, Mike Morgan and more…

Being an intern myself, I feel this to be an amazing idea and would love to help.

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Lets ‘Talk Future’……

Talk PR is a boutique consumer PR agency, who specialise in Fashion, Luxury Lifestyle and Beauty. Not only do they work with big companies such as ‘Proctor and Gamble’, but also use their expertise to nurture exceptional new talent and open doors of opportunity. One way they do so is through their initiative called ‘Talk Future’. They currently support three emerging designers by the names of; Holly Fulton, Louise Gray and Michael Van Der Ham.

 

London Fashion saw all three designers present their Autumn/Winter 2011 collections. Here are two reviews featuring Michael and Louise. 

Michael Van Der Ham

Known for his use of historic inspiration and fine crafting of classic fabrics, A/W11 brought us to another memorable event in Michael Van Der Ham’s career. This season saw him create a beautiful collection for what was his second showing at London Fashion Week, once again funded by the NEWGEN Scheme.

This new collection presented a mature approach from Michael, which saw a classic yet causal element to many of the pieces. Vibrant block colours were featured in the collection and were presented in intimate velvet fabrics. The line appeared focused on admiring the female figure, but at the same time encompassed comfort and confidence. Van Der Ham also catered to a variety of occasions with his elegant patchwork jumpers, daring frilled trousers and structured tailored jackets. The collection had a great balance of dresses and separates, which were complimented by modern rigid cuts.

The show was attended by know industry names such as; Elle’s Anne Marie Curtis, Caren Downie from ASOS, Grazia’s Charlie Miller and renowned blogger Bip Ling; With the shy designer closing his show giving everyone a quick wave.

Here’s a few picture taken from ‘Style.com’:

Louise Gray

This year’s London Fashion Week saw Scottish designer Louise Gray put her expertise in textiles and patterns to the test. ‘Up Your Look’; the name of her 2011 A/W collection, graced the catwalk on the 19th of February 2011. Louise said about the new line- "I was trying to think more of a wardrobe of what a woman wants" (Style.com).

 

The collection was a mixture of busy patterns, carnival themed fabrics and outlandish volumes, all of which wowed the audience and kept everyone’s attention. 

The line featured bulky colour-block Aran knitwear with Scottish heritage presented in some of the separates. The shirts and t-shirts had a unisex feel about them and many of the pieces consisted of complex combinations. For example, her red bomber jacket definitely caught many eyes with its cropped cut and burst of colour; which is sure to bring a glow to this coming winter. The collection also featured loose fitting flared dresses that had a very casual influence towards them.

The models hit the runway with dazzling balloon hats designed by Nasir Mazhar. The footwear used was thigh high heeled Wellington boots designed by Nicholas Kirkwood, complementing the overall eccentric look.

All in all, the show was an eye catching affair, keeping the attention of the likes of Jameela Jamil, Brix Smart Start, Vogue editor Alexandra Shulman, renowned journalist Sarah Mower and fashion commentator Colin Dowell. The show closed with a quick wave from Louise, signifying another great moment of her career.

Here’s some pictures of the line taken from ‘Style.com’

Holly Fulton also had a great show with her A/W 20011 collection which was titled ‘kiss me quick, squeeze me slowly’. With reviews from Elle and Vogue, need I say more but have a look at this amazing collection.

As for Talk Future, the opportunities and consultancy provided has helped all three designers massively and continues to groom their careers. Roll on AW11…..

‘Ghetts’ being ‘Ghetts’....

I have always had respect for Ghetts stretching back to when he was in Nasty Crew. One thing that I have always admired is the fact that he doesn’t hold back, especially in regards to his lyrics. This song is a great example of his fearlessness and I seriously don’t know how he didn’t make it as one of the MTV’s top 10 UK MC’s.

Easing Back....

I know I’ve been away for a week and I do apologise. I’ve been busy giving my all to the Taylor Bennett/Talk PR internship that I’m blessed to be on. Aside from this, I am very excited to see that my number one shop is getting coverage and a lot more exposure. Ease The Squeeze work really hard at bringing quality pieces from places all around the world and always show gratitude to their customers. I was happy to find these pictures on the Clothes Show Live website.

For more information, visit their blog (Ease The Squeeze). They also have a boutique on the ASOS Marketplace or you can visit them in person at the Truman Brewery on Brick Lane.

My ‘Dreams ‘N’ Ambitions’….

My journey so far to me has been a great one and here I stand to aspiring, I’ve been through crazy highs and crazy lows but they have all made me the man I am today.  We all have dreams me especially, but it is our ambitions and follow through that make them our reality. I’m not sure what on your list, but here’s a few that's on mine;