I heart American Apparel

I dont think it really needs to be said does it, i love american apparel. In my eyes, they can do no wrong. Well maybe, some of their photos can sometimes come across as being slightly pornographic. But, in this day and age. Sex sells, and i know that, after all i work in a store that uses a sexy image to sell their clothing.

Anyway, i love American Apparel so much so, most of my wardrobe is made up of their clothing, some being the same item but in different colours (can you honestly say you dont have that too? because if you're saying no, I THINK YOU'RE LYING!).

anyway, here are two things i really want from the ever growing 'new' collection from AA.The above photos are a LACE leotard (mmm...i love leotards, although you always forget how incredibly inconvieniant they are up until you need the toilet). BUY ME ONE...If anyone feels generous, i'm a size Small...
This one i think is also one of their coolest leotards, although they've had this one for quite a while, i still havent got round to buying one. But GET ONE HERE and make me jealous.

oh sad times for my bank balance as there are so many more things i want from AA.

Shope online!

anyway, a couple of the reasons i have a deep love for AA are their campaigns..such as:

1) LEGALIZE LA , the latest update is a touching story about one of the factory workers.
2) LEGALIZE GAY, something i so strongly believe in, and i was deeply disappointed when Prop 8 passed. I have so many close friends who are gay and with all my heart i want them to have the rights that everyone else does.
3) Environmental Initiatives, come on guys, its the 3 R's. You know what I mean!

and a fourth one that i'm indifferent about...it being something about organic materials...

so read up boys and girls! do some online shopping. (maybe even buy me something?!)

love hoops xx

kicking up a fuss...

Over the last year I have really gotten into high heeled boots, my first pair being a beautiful suede pair from Nordstroms in California. They were the most comfortable boots ever, sadly however, I wore them into the ground. So after i had to put those boots to rest, i strived to find a pair equally as eye catching. Finally, however i succeded.

With these.


How pretty are they?! Made with soft buttery leather, they slouch perfectly. The only bad thing is that they aren't cushioned very much on the inside so it's like you're walking on wood. And when you walk the gold zippers knock against each other which you become aware of because of the sound. But they're so pretty, i chose to ignore these little bad points after all
'Faut souffrir pour etre belle' as someone dear to me once said, right?!

So anyway, the reason I brought up my boots is because I wore them at LFW and as much as I knew they were pretty amazing (haha) I didnt realise how much attention they would attract. They attracted more attention than I had even imagined...I was expecting a couple compliments here and there. But the boots took on a life of their own...I guess, if that makes any sense. I was constantly being stopped and asked about them, repeatedly had my photo taken (with permission and without!!) for blogs, magazines and for peoples degree projects. At one point, mid conversation, i looked down to see a woman with a video camera filming them, I looked down and asked her 'are you alright down there?' to which she replied 'Yep, just filming your boots...hope you dont mind'. How could i? After all they were after all my fashion week pride and joy.

Anyway, for those of you who read this and like the boots you can get them HERE!

signing off, with hugs and kisses!
Hoops xoxo

All the worlds a stage !

…..and fortunately for the ones living in Londinium for one week only it was the epicenter. This was only my second season in the fashion world but unlike most sequels, this one definitely kicked the previous seasons butt ! apologies readers, let me start properly… get ready for the read, lock the door, turn off your Blackberry (crazy times I know, but worthy of such drastic measures) switch off all the lights, whip off those day worn clothes and allow your eyes to drink in the vital information I am about to impart and your brain to engage in something not as snooze fest-like as the commute home from work, sugars…welcome to my jungle ;)

Bonjour to you readers ! The rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated; I've been ill (swine flu-ilicious) but also working on my blagging skills (more about this later) and also my pursuit of my dream career. I wanted to drop you a note and thought it was time to send you something newsworthy and as ¼ of the Howler girls I wanted to tell you a bit about my experience of LFW.

There are special places for me, which although within the line of human interruption may seem non sanctuary-like, I love them, one of which I have taken only a select few and one until recently was only shared by two others. Obviously on this list is London Fashion Week….yep, the week when fashionistas roam the streets running to show upon show sending out blogs, getting papped and making a mess of the BFC venues ;) The setting for the momentous event was Somerset House and the 18-22nd September would be either a hit or miss situation, not just for the designers but also for the British Fashion Council, whom changed venue this season from South Kensington.

Many come for the collections whilst drinking in the atmosphere. I go for the cupcakes, the mouth wateringly good, fresh from the oven of the angels, sent from heaven cupcakes. I jest , although the HOH lavender cupcakes were very much as described previously . The atmosphere abuzz with activities and the anticipation of seeing something which a team of people have worked months on to only be shown for mere minutes makes me tingle. Cut throat as it is, you can be applauded onto the pedestal after your designs are shown or kicked off it, I love every second.

So I decide a few days into fashion week to attend with support from Teresa Hooper and Joel Dash I saw my first few shows of the season. The rest was all up to a woman named Camilla my alter ego….and also the persons name on the press pass I found (please don’t sue me) So we blagged ourselves into some shows, one being the Issa London show.

We were asked if we had tickets, I politely said that my PA had RSVP’d so we should be on the list, in the seconds after-we thought we had been found out- it was not only nerve racking but exciting ! We got in, the person at the door was apologetic that they had not reserved us seats ! Although not getting front row, we (Teresa and I) ended up in second row (with the front row goody bags, mwahahah) we settled into the chairs and waited for the show to start. The first person to grace te catwalk was the supermodel, mobile phone thower at all her assistants (its getting old now) Naomi Campbell, Chanel Iman also made an appearence.

Some of the Issa London Collection (pictures taken on my Black Berry )

Peaches. Daisy and Jourdan Dunn watched front row as the models paraded down the catwalk. Teresa and I definitely blagged ourselves into one of the best shows! We managed to see some others, but for me, Jasper Conran (neutrals and corseted waists) and Issa were the best of the bunch, Williamson wasn’t at all surprising in cut or in color and seemed drenched with the same boring cuts that you see mass produced everywhere.

Matthew Williamson photos:

Sadly Westwood let me down-especially with their choice of models-apologies Pixie but really, please learn how to walk if you are prancing down the catwalk. Bull in a china shop much? :s Anyway, to end on a good note, I met some lovely people one of which was my fellow Howlers Lara and also got to know Natalie more also. I am excited about what the designers will showcase next…..Roll on next season !!


Howling at the wind, I leave you, off to a Rick Ross show,


Howler girl Mai, hugs and oodles of kisses xxx

OUR TIME AT LFW 09!

SO guys its only been a week.. seems aages ago..

Thought you'd like to see some pics of our time there...

I was working on the HOH stand, exhibiting next to Atalanter Weller and Sykes. And the rest of the girlies were enjoying as many shows and as many glasses of free wine and champers as possible ;p

Some amazing people were met and fun times were had...

Enjoy and love,

Lara xxx

Introducing The Howler Girls...

Hey fashion followers, welcome to The Howler Girls. We're hoping to become a fashion based blog. So please, feel free to follow us and our little blogs.

Who we are...
Name : Natalie
Occupation: Intern - PR/Press
Interests: Vogue Cigarettes, decoupaging, dancing to electro beaaaatttssss and shopping.
Favourite Restaurant: Hummingbird Bakery
Favourite Item: Blackberry
Favourite Brand: Balenciaga/Chloe
Favourite Country: India
Favourite Film: Scarface/ La vita e bella
Favourite Colour: purple




Name: Lara
Occupation: Intern - House of Holland. Studying Fashion Business inspired by Anna Wintour
Interests: not clothing as such but what people wear, why they wear it and how they wear it. Interested in the person as well as the clothes.
Favourite Restaurant: San Lorenzo/Portabello, Notting Hill
Favourite Item: phone - so i can keep in contact with those i love and miss.
Favourite Brand: HOH - representing!!/Chanel
Favourite Country: UK aka LONDON
Favourite Film: True Romance
Favourite Colour: Morange from MAC (lipstick form)


Name: Mai
Occupation: Fashion designer soon to be reading Law
Interests: Photography, lucid dreaming, tennis, sketching, scones, reading, eating oodles, apple crumble, polo, calamari and FLUMPS.
Favourite Restaurant: Shoreditch House rooftop lounge, China Tang.
Favourite Item: Chanel bag/Blackberry
Favourite Brand: Galliano, Westwood and my own - Mai-Ling Dwyer
Favourite Country: Japan
Favourite Film: Howls Moving Castle/ American Pyscho
Favourite Colour: Grey






Name: Hoops
Occupation: Assistant to Albie Espinola/Student
Interests: Art History, driving, music, dancing, daydreaming, photography, eating/baking, alternative fashion and online tv.
Favourite Restaurant: Mi Piace, Pasadena
Favourite Item: Blackberry/Ipod
Favourite Brand: American Apparel/All Saints/Miu Miu
Favourite Country: India/America
Favourite Film: Bring It On/Mean Girls
Favourite Colour: black






Foundations
The Howler Girls were born during London Fashion Week Spring/Summer 10. Natalie and Teresa were sitting in the press room of the BFC tent drinking champagne, thinking of how to get into more shows next season when the idea of a fashion blog was developed. A lot of 'press' at fashion week are fashion bloggers. What more could four girls want than a job related to fashion and all things pretty and expensive?

The name 'The Howler Girls' came about from two things. The first being that else where in the BFC tent a rehearsal was going on and in the background was a Florence and The Machine song (although, now i can't seem to think which one it was) and Teresa, being a fan of Florence asked Natalie if she had listened to their song 'Howl'. The second reason behind the name is 'Harry Potter', for those of you who haven't read the books, there is a type of letter that the wizarding community send each other called a 'howler'. The howler is a letter than screams at you hence the name. Thus 'The Howler Girls' were born.

I think that's all for now. Thanks for reading.
Hoops xx