Take Me To Funky Town

Those of you who have seen me in the past few days may have noticed me whistling the Lipps Inc classic and strutting along a little more wiggle than normal. I haven't suddenly become a massive Shrek fan (in fact I've never seen the film.. how bad is that?!). It is because I was whisked away to a Funky Town - or rather, Bottega's glamorous Seventies-themed summer fashion show.




The crowd were not only glossy-haired, well-heeled (literally - see McQueen, Louboutin, & Marant above!) and gorgeous, but were also very generous. The event was in support of Claire House Children's Hospice and at first count raffle tickets and donations added up to £700 but this was before the real shopping began. With 10% of each purchase made from the Bottega and friends collections available, it was the perfect excuse to shop - and yes, I may have made a purchase. But I had to do it. For charity, darling..!

The Grade II listed building Bolesworth Castle was the evening's venue, which just so happened to be shoe designer Cleo B's family home (read more about Cleo B at Newsic Moos very soon). Bottega have recently started stocking Cleo's collection and the evening proved to be a fantastic showcase for the pieces - in fact the first two looks were dedicated to Cleo's Rockbox and Jam Master Jay espadrilles and Sucker MCs casette heels.

 







All models wearing Des Petits Hauts Gold Katarina midi skirts and Sucker MCs shoes.

The Jam Master Jay is a classic with a twist - a raffia sole and heel, plus cool metallic and suede straps. Me likey.

'I'm in Miami Girl' was surely just gratuituous, giving us a chance to gawp at the babe-licious models. So full of attitude and sass, and each one different to the next - perfect casting! I think I'll leave this look to that sexy lot, though I'm sure I could find an inventive way to style the printed We Are Handsome swimsuit.

 





To me 'Le Freak C'Est Chic' was the most wearable and on-trend look of them all. Bottega stocks a fantastic edit of the Olsen's Elizabeth and James label, and each model was attired in at least one piece from the brand. My mum's favourite (did I mention my mum came along? She loved it) was the floral pyjama pants, and I was rather partial to the floral midi-maxi dress - it had a great movement and fluidity.

 





The 1970s references were coming thick and fast as we reached look 5, 'Saturday Night Fever'. A tight-fitting, one-shouldered top tucked into high-waisted flares. A floaty kaftan top, a tassled obi belt. On paper these may sound costume-like but the modern accessories (namely Cleo B) and neon accents kept the looks modern.

 




I really wish I could dress like 'Last Night A DJ Saved My Life' every day, though trailing hemlines in wet Manchester may not be the most practical. This look mixed vintage and modern pieces, though you would be hard-pressed to spot the difference. Can you see the Blank cross body necklace in the first look? Genius idea!

Awesome looks, beautiful venue and an atmosphere abuzz with lively chatter - the perfect platform for Bottega's wares and Cleo B's goodies.

 


The name tags were a lovely touch!
I like to think I dressed appropriately to the theme - this French Connection velvet jumpsuit doesn't photograph so well but it fits like it was made for me. I adore it. Accessorised with Terry De Havilland wedges and hair styled by the rain (thanks for that) I felt like a 1970s diva. And how on-trend is my mum?! Sporty tailoring, coral, and a scarf-print blouse. I reckon she's secretly been looking at the Philip Lim 3.1 spring/summer show on style.com without telling me...

 




You'll find Bottega in Tarporley village centre. I recommend you take a day trip; eat at Bottega's Birdcage café, then visit all of Tarporley's other treasures - numerous castles, top tea rooms, and more striking scenery than you can shake an SLR at.

Milanese Window Shopping

You know you've got visual merchandising fever pretty bad when other people come back from their holidays with window display pictures for you. This happened when Paolo Feroleto took a trip to Milan for Salone del Mobile (which to non-design-heads is Design Week) and in-between snapping pictures of furniture managed to sneak in a little window shopping. Please enjoy Italian Louis Vuitton, Miu Miu and Stefanel windows, and my favourite, Moschino's harlequin clown. A new Manchester window shopping will come as soon as the weather clears up!

A Blog About Blogging

Right guys, please don't be shocked, but I am going to use the naughty "b" word now.. Hold onto your hats!:


BLOGGING.
Blogging is the swear word of fashion media. To some, it is everything; others abhor it. Me? I started Fashion Dotty as a means to an end, but now it is more like an unpaid, all-consuming job, although when people ask what I do I still pull a face and put on a silly voice to say "I'm a blogger".

(NB: at London Fashion Week, if you are not a stylist, buyer, journalist or such, it is de rigueur to answer "I'm a blogger" when asked what your occupation is) 

I'm ever-interested in the whole blogosphere - what drives it, where it is going - so was curious to attend The Fashion Network's evening with Navaz Batliwalla - aka blogger DisneyRollerGirl - last night, chaired by Manchester's premier fashion blogger, Jordan McDowell. 

First up was a question about naming your blog. It was pleasing to hear that Navaz struggled to name her blog, too; she has a fascination with 1970s roller girl imagery, but unfortunately "RollerGirl" was taken: so another interest, Disney, was tacked onto the front. I think we can all relate to this - you struggle to find a name that isn't taken, and find yourself stuck with something, anything. Darned Internet. 

A gorgeous image from Navaz's Shoots tab

Navaz studied fashion promotion & illustration, and, like so many others, didn't get her dream job as soon as she left university. After years of work experience, working as a fashion assistant, then going freelance, she got the call we are all waiting for - come work as fashion director of CosmoGIRL! During her time at the magazine, Navaz started her blog - which was anonymous for the first three years - which began as a way to showcase her work and interests which did not fit the CosmoGIRL! demographic. PRs started sending emails to the anon blog's address and opportunities arose, so Navaz decided it was time to go public - as well as realising she was providing an honest opinion, which readers trusted her for, but "why should they trust you if they can't see your face?" 

There are not that many pictures of Navaz's face on the internet, but rest assured she is petite and unintentionally super-cute, with the most adorable lisp. Her way of speaking made me warm to her, and she spoke a lot of truths regarding blog views (namely, don't worry about them), brand-blog relationships, and self-promotion. Most bloggers have it in the bag, with their multi-channel approach; Tweeting, Tumbling, and Pinning, to supplement their blog posts, which should come "whenever YOU want". Navaz stated that you have to stand out to take your business forward. You can take that statement as a retailer, designer, or blogger; concepts like in-store galleries and social media stunts (such as Jonathan Saunders' #ShowUsYourSaunders hashtag, which Navaz thought was "quite sweet") are things that have stood out recently. 

The Starworks babes #ShowingTheirSaunders

All great points well made, I thought. DisneyRollerGirl believes the best blogs are those with varied content from day-to-day, posting about stuff you love; love that shows through in your writing and photographs. I think you can take this further by exploring subjects you are genuinely passionate about with your blog; treat it as a giant sketchbook, exploring ideas and sharing them with like-minded individuals. I don't think this is easily done with sponsored blogs, or those who are sent items for free. As @Fashion156 tweeted today, "sponsored blogging is going to kill the credibility online media has established. #ReadersAreNotIdiots". 

So where am I going with this blog post about blogging? I'm not entirely sure. What I do know is that I need to start being proud to be a blogger. Bloggers are both guinea pigs and power-houses, pushing the fashion industry forward with their style and opinions, however well formed. Blogging should no longer be an embarrassing word, but a word to be encouraged and celebrated.

Images fashionwelike.com, disneyrollergirl.net, Starworks

2022NQ

Manchester's Northern Quarter is a hub of art and creativity, so it was no surprise when new gallery 2022NQ opened last week. The concept of the gallery is a little different to normal, however; the space is to be used for club nights, creative socials, and film screenings - plus Manchester Fashion Network will be using it for their annual recruitment fair (graduates and students, take note - speak to employers about junior positions and get feedback on your portfolio). You can even hire it out for events at the weekend, or simply treat it as a regular gallery and pop in for the exhibitions.

Saturday night was the first of the monthly guest DJ nights, with Horse Meat Disco. There's currently an exhibition on by fashion photographer Matthew Comer, which I was planning to see anyway, but was expecting to be shoved into a neighbouring room for the clubnight; fortuitously it was in the same space as the photographs, and taking a turn around the room to view the artwork was the perfect foil to the rest of the evening's debauchery.

Another pleasant surprise was the crowd. Extremely good-looking and fashionable, there didn't seem to be a drop of pretension, a problem many other Manchester venues are affected by. In fact, 2022NQ suffered only minor niggles caused by the venue being full to capacity, such as toilet queues and an overburdened cloakroom. I'm sure these will be ironed out quickly and the venue will excel in its various endeavours. 

2022NQ is always open and is at 20 Dale Street, Manchester.

All Rise For J.W.Anderson

Along with the rest of the fashmosphere I am keeping a beady eye on J.W.Anderson's rise to fame, particularly those paisley print pyjama pants (accidental alliteration, there; I think I like it). Of course, to me his collections are completely inaccessible price-wise, so I am very grateful to Aldo Rise for the chance of purchasing a piece of this up-and-coming designer's history. 

I suffered a great internal battle choosing between these and the Preen pair, but in the end the fact that these are nothing like I've ever owned before - plus the heel hair - won me over. Worn with an outfit thrown on this morning to pick them up (Zara shirt, Vero Moda sweater, charity shop jeans) I'm looking forward to wearing them with a plain white tee and leather skinnies, à la Elin Kling.