Cabot Circus Spring/Summer Show pt. 2

Here are a few more snaps from the Spring/Summer fashion show at Cabot Circus yesterday, take on my Canon 450D and the good old point and shoot Olympus Tough, thanks to Amy B.

'Boho Chic' is no longer about floaty skirts and earth colours, as Urban Outfitters shows.

A white polka dot dress from James Lakeland is perfect for summer. Image courtesy of Amy B.

Denim shorts are updated with boyfriend blazers and boater hats.

The sun and blue skies accessorise the 'Mid America' line dancing. Image courtesy of Amy B.

Ship-Shape loves nautical from River Island and Wallis. Image courtesy of Amy B.

Strike a pose: Military vogue from House of Fraser.

A model dances her way through the double denim look. Image courtesy of Amy B.

Towering heels and short hemlines courtesy of A Wear, Ted Baker and Jones.

Cabot Circus Spring/Summer pt. 1

The fashion season has well and truly hit Bristol and this weekend is the turn of Cabot Circus to show us what we should be wearing this Spring. And Spring has well and truly sprung as shoppers crowed into the sunlit centre of Cabot - with a ceiling of blue skies lighting up the bright white catwalk outside House of Fraser.

After the success of their anniversary catwalk show in September, the fashionable brains at Cabot enlisted the help of stylist Ricky Partner to create the two shows that will rotate across the next two days, while choreographer Vicki Jackson ensured the models had the necessary moves to wow the crowds.

With scenes such as 'floral', 'mid America' and 'Italian Riviera' there were many trends to get through to what perhaps could have been one hour long show was split into two shorter segments, advertised as Show A and Show B. My stylish stallholder chum Amy accompanied me to Show A and we were treated to the best nautical, floral and boho chic looks from the likes of Ted Baker, A Wear, Urban Outfitters and River Island.

Men, women and kids were catered for, as were the diverse clientele of shoppers. I'm a bit of a sucker for the nautical trend which ticked all the boxes but I was pleasantly surprised at the 'Boho Chic' scene from Urban Outfitters, New Look and Dorothy Perkins. I was expecting the maxi skirts and off-shoulder tops circa 2004 but this new take on Sienna Miller's favourite fallback was refreshingly modern, with plenty of denim and boyfriend blazers thrown in for good measure.

The 'Mid America' and denim scenes were rather bland and could have benefited from more diversity and accessories but the geek chic scene was spot on, with heavy, black rimmed glasses and nervous, awkward expressions to compliment the buttoned up shirts and prim blouses.

This season Cabot Circus have gone for quality over quantity and while merging both shows might have been a little too long for the average shopper, it would have been great to see more trends per show without having to come back at a later time. However this did give us the opportunity to explore more of the offers and talks within the 'fashion and beauty playground' in neighbouring Quakers Friars.

If you want to be part of the action then head down today or tomorrow for catwalk shows, competitions and talks - all for free! For more info and show times, click here.

Nautical but nice: models show of their moves in this season's cream and navy combo

The men were kept in the loop with the 'Mid America' look from Guess, Republic and Urban Outfitters

Bold colours and patterns characterise the floral trend, courtesy of Monsoon and Ted Baker

Clear blue skies provide the perfect accompaniment to the florals scene

Urban Outfitters show how to do the new 'Boho Chic' with cut-off denim, floral prints and leather ankle boots

Models get the double denim treatment from Zara, Next, Reiss and Dorothy Perkins

Peaches and cream: 'Beauty and the Geek' for guys and girls. Accessorise with heavy black rimmed glasses

Ted Baker, Fred Perry and A Wear tackle geek chic with checked shirts and demure blouses

Military looks by House of Fraser

Something for the weekend...

This weekend sees the return of the Cabot Circus Fashion Show which I had the fortune of attending last September. The host of events taking place throughout Cabot and Quakers Friar are free to all visitors, with competitions, makeovers and catwalk shows taking place across Friday 16th and Saturday 17th April.

Cabot Circus has only been open for 18 months but it has already made its mark on the South West fashion scene, with high profile stores such as Harvey Nichols, American Apparel and Kurt Geiger taking their place alongside the usual high street suspects such as Oasis, Next, Topshop and House of Fraser.

The A/W anniversary show was fantastic fun and I'll be taking my new camera down to capture the action. If you're still unsure of what you should be wearing this Spring or just fancy a fun afternoon and lots of discounts and goodies then check out the Cabot Circus website for show times and details. To read the Ship-Shape post on the last Cabot Circus show then click here.

Bristol Fashion Week @ Cribbs

A model struts her stuff on the catwalk at Bristol Fashion Week

While LFW is upon us I thought this would be a good time to mention that once again, Bristol will be having its own fashion extravaganza at The Mall at Cribbs Causeway in March.

From 25th to 28th The Mall will play host to a number of fashionable events and catwalk shows and the public will have numerous opportunities to enter competitions, receive freebies and discounts and take part in makeovers. Celebrity stylist Mark Heyes (of GMTV fame) will be hosting the S/S 2010 preview shows and hairdresser to the stars Andrew Barton will also be sharing tips with the public.

It is important for Bristol to continue to carve out a place for itself as the fashion capital of the South West so if you have a free morning or afternoon then go check it out. I will be blogging more about this bi-annual event once I'm back on Bristol soil but if you want to know more right now about show times, ticket prices and how you can be involved then check out the Cribbs website.

Image courtesy of Sarah King.

Stokes Croft Fashion Show

Bristol's best-dressed flocked to Metropolis tonight to see the first ever Stokes Croft Fashion Show. The bar was stocked, the models were preened and entertainment was in full swing as revelers celebrated the best of local and independent fashion design, including the likes of Dutty Girl, Avalaan and Spunky.

The Cheltenham Road venue was the perfect setting for this intimate show, where supporters included local press, models, designers and entrepreneurs including George Ferguson of the Tobacco Factory. As the girls and I squeezed along the front row into our seats, we cooed over the cute orange goody bags while waiting for the show to start.

At 8.30pm sharp burlesque mistress Ophelia Bitz, below, took to the stage to host the show, looking stunning in an emerald green Gilly Woo corset and mandatory clipboard, introducing each label and singing some show tunes to kick the evening off.

Before the model graced the catwalk, PRSC chairman Chris Chalky took to the stage to thank the crowd for attending and supporting local designers, commenting on the recent arrival of Primark and the necessity of encouraging creativity and regeneration through ethical fashion choices.

Next up was the beautiful burlesque artiste Lily Belle, who literally gave audiences a sneak peak of her interval performance with a traditional fan dance (pictures of which are at the bottom of this post).

First to grace the catwalk were Avalaan, a collaborative label with a shop on Gloucester Road, inspired by art, music, sport and design. Skiwear and and the skater look were both key themes, with men in graphic print tees and illustrated hoodies, while the women wore beanies, sweatshirts and brightly coloured t-shirts layered over leggings and ski pants.

Ben's Sister used models styled in simple blue shirts and black tights to show off their range of leather bags, including a rather tasty oversized gold union jack clutch. The designs were simple but elegant and a peak at their website confirms that these gorgeous well-made bags can be customised and made to order, hurrah!

Madidas Harrisa, aka Maddie Harris, is a local designer who specialises in recycled fashions and reclaimed fabrics. Her outfits used flashes of gold, blue and pink lycra to hug the models' bodies, taking the form of leggings, dresses, tops and skirts. Floral prints oddly complimented monocrhome strips while gold and animal prints gave the streetwear an on trend 80's look. Big hair and Nike hi-tops accesorised the look perfectly.

Dutty Girl bourght the first half of the show to a close with a diverse mix of men and womenswear from the range of labels stocked in their Dutty Shop across the road. The artistic and musical influences were clear in their urban streetwear, dresses and men's knitwear, with blakc, purple and gold featuring heavily in the colour schemes.

Lily Belle was welcomed back on stage during the interval in what started out as a 1950's outfit to perform a saucy salsa with a giant lime wedge and oversized salt shaker that dusted her with glitter. Soon she was down to her sparkly tangerine underwear and the girls and I agreed how brave the buxom Lily was to strut her stuff on stage, nipple tassels et al!

After a tantalising performance the audience were refreshed and ready to see the second half of the show, kicked off by South-Blessed, a label specialising in logo tees and hoodies. Next up were the independent t-shirt company, SP:UK (Spunky) who are based in London and Bristol. The label has been praised for it's originality in inviting illustrators to send in their best t-shirt designs for production. Tonight their section consisted of new and old designs alike, including 'Crows' and my favourite, the 'Yes No' design by The Boy Fitz Hammond. Menswear and womenswear made appearances to the sound of Dizzy Rascal, with the crowd cheering the models as they danced down the catwalk.

Gilly Woo finished the night with a stunning collection of coresets, dainty dresses and evening wear. The diversity of this label was wide, with dresses inspired by the 30's, 40's and 50's. Prints and colours were bold while the shilhouetes themselves ranged from figure hugging bodices to A-line skirts. The girls and I fell in love with a spectacularly decadent strapless dress covered in gold sequins, though we were disappointed that we didn't have any occasions to wear it to!

Despite an early exit, it is a school night after all, I am assured that DJ's played on into the night and many drinks were consumed. The show itself was a missive hit for me and I hope the designers and models enjoyed the event as much as we did. With such an emphasis on ethical practices and recycled fabrics, the event was a refreshing event after a week of slightly more commercial fashion shows: I can't imagine Cabot Circus allowing burlesque performers to grace the stage!

As Chris Chalky said in his speech "the future does belong to you". We need to support our local labels and events such as this so that Bristol retains it's cultural value and doesn't become yet another faceless city. The links on this post all contain contact details and locations for these fashion designers so pay them a visit next time you're out shopping, and purchase a part of Bristol's Cultural Quarter.

Lily Belle performs a burlesque favourite; the fan dance

Avalaan model sporting Buggs Bunny inspired headwear

Gorgeous red and white hoodie from Avalaan

Close-up shot of green men's hoodie, Avalaan

Love the bright body-con in this Madidas Harrisa outfit!

Lily Belle gives a zesty half-time performance, above and below...

Dutty Girl models in reworked and vintage inspired outfits - love the Adidas dress

More from Dutty: illustrated sweater, menswear but I think it would be cute on girls too

Spunky tee is modelled with attitude

Beautiful Gilly Woo corset, which reminds me of Wedgwood pottery of all things!

Super sparkles as gold Gilly Woo dresses finish the show

Stokes Croft Fashion Show

Fashion fever hits Stokes Croft as the lovely people at Gilly Woo, Metropolis and the PRSC have come together to showcase the best of Bristol's independent fashion labels and outlets in a night of fashion, cabaret, performance art and music.

If you like to keep it local and want to see what Bristol's independent labels have to offer then come along and check this event out. The night takes place this Sunday (4th October) at Metropolis on Cheltenham Road (formally Jesters) and tickets are £12 + a 50p booking fee, available from www.gillywoo.com.

Cabot Circus Fashion Show

A new season in fashion is marked by events across the fashion capitals of the world. Although London Fashion Week has just ended, Bristol is catching up with shows across the city, from Stokes Croft to Cribbs Causeway. This weekend the fashionable folks at Cabot Circus are kicking things off...

A year ago today Cabot Circus opened it's doors to the public and as press I was lucky enough to watch the celebratory events unfold. One year on and Cabot Circus are celebrating with two days of catwalk shows, make-up demonstrations, competitions and give-aways. Today I went down to see the first of several catwalk shows taking place over the next two days and got a front row seat to see what the stores will be showcasing this season.

The show focused on five popular trends; biker chic, knitwear, countryside tweeds, 1940s and the the ever popular decade on the high street: electric 80s. First up were the biker models. Despite clothes from Guess, New Look, G-Star and French Connection, almost all the looks were styled with black wet-look leggings and biker boots. Nothing wrong there but it would have been nice to see a twist on this popular look. A studded black cardigan from French Connection was a highlight, as was the biker jacket from New Look, with it's studded shoulders, see below.

The knitwear portion of the show was fairly commercial, with looks to cater for all members of the audience, from students and young mums to middle aged women and businesswomen on their lunch break. The stand-out model was dressed by River Island, who have gone down a more edgy, expressive route in the last two years. The chunky bright necklace and fuchsia pink ankle boots gave more individuality to the look.

I particularly liked the 'Tweed and Tails' look that came next; with a mix of checks, tweeds and knits that echoed farmers wives and horse riding in the country. The stylists had paired tweed with tweed in the form of skirt/trouser suits but I would have liked to have seen a mix of layers to show how a fitted tweed jacket could enhance a number of more casual outfits such as skinny jeans or tea dresses for example.

To interject a dose of excitement the models performed dances with one another while parading down the catwalk and during the 'Fabulous Forties' section I was quite concerned that one model was showing off more than just her clothes! Luckily the model in question was wearing quite a fitted skirt but it goes to show that in shows like this it is not always wise to go for a front row seat! Once again many of the looks were very commercial but a pink feather shawl from Topshop (layered over a Kate Moss tea dress) proved that you can find unique, quality and on trend pieces for a reasonable price on the high street.

A surprise hit for me was the Dynasty-inspired finale. I'm not normally one for the 80's trend but there were some gorgeous shoes, jumpsuits and dresses on show from Topshop, Reiss, River Island and Karen Millen. My favourite item which is already on my Christmas wish list is a cropped sequined jacket from Dorothy Perkins - gorgeous! Below are some shots of the show - unfortunately mostly the later half as I spent ages sorting out the settings on my camera.

If you're interested in seeing the fashion show then get down to Cabot Circus tomorrow for more shows, give-aways and demonstrations, or click here for more info.