Prometheus

Hey folks, just a quick post today to say that i strongly recommend you going to see Prometheus! I took a trip yesterday to the cinema with the family after hearing such good reviews and can honestly say that the film deserves all the acclaim it's received so far.

One of the reasons that initially encouraged me to go was the fact Michael Fassbender is starring and after seeing him already give amazing performances in Shame and A Dangerous Method this year i knew it would be worth a watch! He really is excellent in this and does so well at playing his emotionally and morally complex character David, an immortal android (sounds strange i know, but trust me on this...). Seeing Prometheus just confirmed for me how versatile he is as an actor, it was great seeing how well he transitions from more art-house productions to big, Hollywood blockbuster roles.

The movie looks at human kind's inexhaustible quest to find out how we began in the world and where we originated as a species, but it also explores lots of other great themes and concepts like dreams, bravery, mortality and the extremities we're willing to go to for the things we love. This is the first Ridley Scott creation i have seen (shock horror) and also my first real encounter with the sci-fi genre, yet i still thoroughly enjoyed it. If you're already an Alien fan i'm sure you'll appreciate all the subtle references within Prometheus but you'll be very satisfied even if you're just someone that likes to geek out on fantastic visual effects and things exploding in space.

Apparently the film has been 30 years in the making, so i can definitely say that it was worth the time and effort Mr Scott! If you're still not quite convinced then take a look at the trailer below- enjoy your Sunday.

Russo's rocks

Hello! Sorry i've been away for so long *cue tumbleweed rolling*. I've been interning at Notion magazine as a fashion assitant, seeing the Damien Hirst show at the Tate and cracking on with my history exam revision, but more about all that later (well, maybe not the history stuff because that is boring and i doubt you want to read about that).

But for now, here's some quick news that may brighten your Monday- style icon and one of fashion's most playful, extravagant dressers Anna Dello Russo is doing an accessories collaboration with H&M. That's right, the woman whose jewel embellished gowns and strangely wonderful headpieces that can be spotted from a mile off during any fashion week is getting together with the high street chain to create a line of lovely shiny things. Check out the video below to see Miss Russo discussing her long time obsession with fashion and jewellery, but also look at how amazing her apartment is! Although, I wouldn't expect anything less...

Be back soon my loves, have a great week.

Older, wiser blah blah blah

Everyone has that band that reminds them of their younger years, don't they? I do know this is an utterly ridiculous question to ask considering i am myself still only 18, but the other night i was lucky enough to see You Me At Six at the o2 Brixton Academy and without a doubt their songs bring me so much nostalgia.

It was the band's final show after a lengthy and most likely tiring world tour promoting their new album Sinners Never Sleep, but no standards had slipped. With this also being the 4th time i have seen them live, i think i can safely say this was their best performance to date.

I went with one of my closest friends and we took a lot of pleasure of finally being at the age where we actually wanted to stand towards the back of the venue with the "older crowd" (har har). Looking down onto the brutal mosh pits, we laughed at the days when we would arrive hours early before the show just so we could practically suffocate in the crowd and be squished up against the front row bar.

As YMAS began to play tracks from their debut album that was released when i was only around 14, it was nice to think about all the times those songs had been playing in the background on lazy days spent sitting chatting absolute rubbish about school life or blasted at 1am on sleepovers where we'd "fan-girl" about how great the lead singers voice was...

Anyway, that's enough peering back into the past with rose-tinted glasses (and embarrassing myself). Overall, the gig was really great and i thought i'd share one of the tour diaries the band has made throughout their time on the road in the UK, just because it makes me laugh and it's nice to see what musicians get up to backstage. Plus, I think tour life looks SO fun.

Bargains

Thought i'd share some photos of my recent extremely cheap buys, captured on my wonderful iPhone with Instagram (my digital camera is broken and i have no idea how to go about fixing it...)

Last week i pottered down to Brick Lane with a friend and had a real good time wandering amongst the markets- even though i live in East London i haven't been down there in ages! By chance we stumbled across a vintage store where everything was £10 (yes, really) and i got my hands on this lovely bold printed dress. I've always had a soft spot for florals and combined with the current trend of graphic prints i knew it was a sure purchase- the pattern and citrus-y colours also kind of remind me of these Stella McCartney and D&G collections:

Dolce and Gabbana ss12

Stella McCartney ss11

I love the shape of the dress too- there are some shoulders pads in it which i'm debating on removing, but my mum has said "they look a bit Mad Men" so maybe they should stay?...

I'm lucky enough to be in an area where there are also a lot of great charity shops- the other two items you can see in the top photos are things i snapped up today, both under a fiver! As well as being a beautiful oatmeal colour and made out of the softest wool, I really love the jumper's simple neckline. It looks great with a collared blouse underneath and i think it will turn out to be one of my wardrobe basics. I do know spring is approaching and it probably isn't the time to be buying new knitwear, but at £3.50, who cares :) The brown leather bag, £2.50, was from St Francis Hospice and i just thought it would be nice to carry my bits and bobs around in on holiday when i'm not hauling my usual huge totes.

If any charity shops are near you i really do recommend you taking a look around- not only is it a chance to get hold of some more individual clothing, but the prices are more than purse friendly AND you're doing good!

Hope everyone is enjoying their long weekends, Happy Easter! I'm sure we'll all be reaching chocolate egg induced food coma's at some point...

"He who seeks beauty will find it"-

After reading blogs like The Sartorialist, Jak & Jil and Garance Dore for a couple of years now, it's right to say that street style has become one of the main sources of inspiration for my own attitudes and ideas towards fashion. But I never really knew of the originals of the game, the individuals that have been capturing those one time only, fashion fantastic moments in the streets for years now, way before the surge of social media.

So i was definitely intrigued when i saw the trailer for Bill Cunningham New York sometime last year, and even happier to learn that it would be screening at the Curzon cinema in Mayfair all this week. It was a great chance to learn about a man who has been snapping away at the most fabulously dressed from behind his camera lens since the 1960s, and who in my opinion, can be described as nothing less than an inspiration.

Armed with only himself, his bike, his camera (and on occasion a patched-up cagoule to dodge the rain) Cunningham continually delights in photographing great clothes and wonderful people. From those at the high society fund raiser parties to the bag lady standing at the crossing in a busy NY street, there is no fashion hierarchy for Bill, if he sees a lovely image he will take it. With his aversion to fine dining and questioning as to why anyone really needs space for a kitchen in their apartment, it's also so refreshing to see someone that after so long has not been caught up in the glamour of the fashion industry machine.

Despite his status as a photographer, Cunningham is also somewhat of an ambiguous figure and even at the end of the film we still don't know too much about him and his past- but i think that matters little as you almost immediately fall in love (well, i did anyway :/) with his hilarious humour and endearing qualities.

I hate to make age such an issue, but i am truly amazed to see a person of 80 plus still doing something that he adores daily, with such spirit and enthusiasm. This documentary portrays that without any doubt, his art is his passion and he lives and breathes the style found in the streets. I can only dream of having such a happy, fulfilling, influential career, and i hope that Cunningham's continues for as long as possible.

You can watch the trailer for Bill Cunningham New York below- if you still want the opportunity to catch it on the big screen here are a list of viewings.

The Near Future

I have a tendency to go dream window shopping and admire things which i cannot afford. And just a few weeks ago, in the depths of the January sales, whilst i was indulging this silly habit of mine and browsing online fashion haven Net-A-Porter i came across this. A Mary Katrantzou dress, reduced! For the bargain price of...

£5,000

I think a "lol" is appropriate here. But rejoice my friends, Mary Katrantzou is embarking on a collaboration with Topshop! You will be able to own some of her wonderful designs by paying prices more aligned with the high street.

I've personally love the sleeveless silk blouse paired with the blue floral trousers (above), very on trend considering clashing prints are in. The dress is gorgeous too, but at £350 it still looks like i'll need to be saving my pocket money for a while!

Sadly it's already sold out online folks, so if you've got cash to burn and want a piece of Katrantzou art in your wardrobe, you should hurry to your latest Topshop store immediately...

Shame

I was so excited to go see Shame in cinema and after finally watching it last night i can definitely say it lived up to if not exceeded my expectations.

Director Steve McQueen excellently opens up the dark, disturbing world of sex addiction to the audience whilst still making the whole film visually stimulating. Even simple scenes like Fassbender taking a night time run through the city and Mulligan singing a haunting rendition of "New York, New York" are stand out in their beautiful imagery.

The chemisty between the two leading actors creates a strange, unsettling but compelling brother/sister relationship on screen. Carey Mulligan brilliantly conveys her character Sissy's simultaneously explosive but desperate and vulnerable nature. But in particular Michael Fassbender's amazing portrayal of protagonist Brandon makes us sense the thrill, self loathing and constant thirst for intimacy that a sex addict experiences. As a viewer i was constantly caught between feeling repulsion and pity for the character but overall this makes the film wonderfully emotionally intense.

Tragic, shocking, revealing...this film goes beyond just the issue of sex and it really does provoke a lot of thought- i can't recommend it highly enough, please go see it! You can watch the trailer here .