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A new creative agency was established in Cardiff recently that offers photography, videography and digital media to help build an online presence for the corporate and retail industries.  What really caught our eye though, with this new young company, is the fashion photography on their site, along with the fashion and retail work they’ve been involved in.

They’re a group of creatives with fashion, TV and film industry experience, and some of their most recent work has been seen in Grazia, Look and Closer magazines.  They say “we like nothing more than producing striking and original imagery, teamed with intuitive design and precise attention to detail.”

We wish them all the very best in their new venture and wanted to share some of their images with you.  For further details go to Brave New Media.

Tenovus launched their ‘worn  by you, loved by us’ campaign yesterday and we’ve got some snaps they’re sharing that show just what you can buy and ‘throw’ together for not many pennies, just by taking a look at your local Tenovus shop.

Cat

The campaign runs from May 14 to June 1 and focusses on showing what can be found at the 6 local Tenovus shops across Cardiff and the Vale.  A photo-shoot was conducted earlier this month with photographer Amy Davies and the results show some fab finds, pieced together for some great looks.

Amanda

Tenovus, which is a Wales only cancer charity is also encouraging more people to donate items of clothing as each bag donated raises approximately £20 for the charity.

Charlie and Ian

Tenovus shops in Cardiff and the Vale can be found on Albany Road, Clifton Street, Whitchurch Road and in Barry, Cowbridge and Penarth.

If you go to the campaign Flickr page you can see some more photos and you can also vote for your favourites.

We know the weather’s been a bit rubbish lately, but we wanted to share with you some spring/summer fashion frivolities that have caught our eye recently, in-store and online.

The first are some fab loafer wedges in blue patent, that have all the appeal of a statement shoe, with none of the agony of wearing a killer heel  Wedges have been a favourite of ours for a long time. These are from River Island and cost just £35.

Next on our list is this lovely tiered skirt in black (shown here) or cream, from Anthropologie. It’s made of cotton/linen and would look great as a statement piece or as a staple to add some seasonal neon brights to. It’s £98.00 and has a really nice feel to it, we know, we had a good look (and feel!) of this one in-store.

Last but not least, we’re loving this flower kimono jacket from Oasis. At just £55 it’s a great piece to wear with jeans or for work over a summer shift dress or separates. It looks great teamed with some of the summer brights too.

Fred Perry arrived in Cardiff recently at the Morgan Arcade.  Called the ‘Fred Perry Authentic Shop’ the store is making the most of it’s traditional arcade location and has been designed with a little history in mind, along with a nod to the more contemporary.  Traditional parquet floors, hanging light fixtures offset by sleek modernist features crafted in black steel and brass – sounds very elaborate. We must pop in and have a look!

If you fancy taking a look, let us know what you think, the store will be selling men’s, women’s and kids clothing, along with footwear and accessories. and while you’re at it take advantage of the generous Cardiff store opening discount we’ve been sent for 20% off available until the 15th April.  Just click on the link and provide your details to access an email discount voucher you can use in store –  20% Discount Voucher .  Happy shopping!

There’s a couple of fashion events going on in Cardiff this week. We’re going along to both and thought you might like to know about them too. The first is very exciting as it’s the Welsh premiere of what looks like an amazing fashion film about world renowned fashion photographer Bill Cunningham.

Bill Cunningham is an 80+ year old bicycle riding photographer who’s been taking snaps of people on the streets, for the New York Times and other publications, for years, and in many ways was the very first street style photographer, so often emulated in fashion blogs across the globe. Revered by Anna Wintour Bill is a dedicated artist who isn’t driven by money when it comes to perfecting his craft, and in fact a quote in the trailer mentions that he loses freedom in his work when he charges for it.

The showing of the film is a collaboration between Chapter Arts Centre (where it’s being shown this week) and street fashion photographer Alastair Baglee who runs Cardiff Cycle Chic, a blog dedicated to looking great on a bike. We’re looking forward to the premiere tonight as the documentary has won a whole host of international film festival awards and looks truly inspiring.

The other event this week in the Welsh capital is St David’s Shopping Centre Ladies Night which is happening on Thursday 29th between 7pm and 10pm.

Over 80 of the centre’s shops, from the flagship stores of John Lewis and Debenhams, to leading fashion brands like LK Bennett, Karen Millen and Reiss, and high-street favourites including New Look, H&M, Mango and Monsoon, will be offering discounts of up to 20% off on the night and bringing some glamour and luxury to the evening with nibbles, tipples and entertainment while you shop.

As well as the many offers and discounts, the whole centre will be buzzing with music from DJs, a roaming fashion show and pampering stations where shoppers can enjoy mini-manicures, makeovers, hair styling and more from the experts at Kamigata, Clarins and Benefit.

There’ll be plenty on offer to treat the tastebuds too, with many of the centre’s Eastside restaurants also offering special Ladies’ Night deals such as 2-4-1 at Pizza Express and 40% off at YoSushi. To satisfy a sweet tooth, there’ll be the chance to learn how to create the latest cake craze ‘cake-pops’, and pick-up some popcorn from the vintage popcorn tricycle!

So if you can make either or both of these events let us know, we might even see you there!

Sponsor goodies pre-show

Cardiff Fashion was lucky enough to be invited to the now annual fashion show run by the students of St Andrews University in Fife, Scotland, last weekend.  Titled ‘Dont Walk’ it was a fashion event unlike any we’ve ever been to before.

We’ve covered Dont Walk on the blog previously as it’s become a bit of a global phenomenon in the ten years it’s been running and has been supported by well known celebrities and fashion dignitaries.  It’s also an event that we think is worthy of coverage as it brings together people, international brands, fashion, and a conscience, raising money for a named charity each year.  This year’s charity beneficiary is ZamCog. The fashion show was apparently also the event where Kate Middleton wore ‘that dress’ on the catwalk, and where royalty fell in love!

The show opener

The show kicked off fashionably late of course!  Italian lingerie label Rosamosario and Charlotte Lepre-Slater collections incorporated lace and lingerie inspired looks, corsetry and satin.

Highlights were menswear labels, South Korean Zero_Underscore with its sharp tailoring including a horizontally zipped frock style coat in a contemporary fabric. In contrast, menswear label Yasmin Bawa included pastel knitwear, shorts and other ‘cruise’ styled wear with real edge.

A little avant garde arrived in the form of Ben Crane with what looked like a ‘bee suit’ for men. Black hood, googles and a yellow oversized sou’wester and then there was a ‘surgical’ coat in uPVC. Hoodies, outerwear and asymmetric wool jackets with oversized lapels were also a feature.

Giggle Juice from New York showed a collection of graphic tees for men, and Stefan Wahlberg Design presented a collection of what appeared to be Las Vegas inspired dresses, with ballroom sequins and flesh netting.

A wide range of designs in a show that lasted well over two hours, where the models looked like they enjoyed the show as much as the 800 strong ‘very appreciative audience’, interspersed with an impressive auction raising hundreds for the charity, in the intermission.

It was a real experience, St Andrews is beautiful, and we must give special thanks and respect to the Dont Walk Committee that organised the event, all students.  It was a slick event in an impressive venue. Special thanks must go to Tom Curry in charge of us ‘press people’ who really looked after our every need.

We hope to be able to share some more images from the wide range of collections on show with you soon!

We’ve heard that a national fashion design competition will be launched soon by the Dont Walk team, so will keep you posted.  For more information about the event and the charity go to Dont Walk.

You’ve probably seen the TV adverts or heard about it somewhere, but in case you haven’t, Marni, the cult fashion brand, and H&M have collaborated on a collection, and it’s launching tomorrow across selected stores nationwide.  The collection in Wales will be available from tomorrow morning, EARLY, at the H&M store in St Davids Shopping Centre.  There’ll be a limit on how many pieces you can buy of the collection, and there’ll be wristbands issued to those queuing first thing tomorrow.  If you can’t make it tomorrow morning, like us, boo hoo, then take a look at the images of fashion loveliness we’ve been sent.  Don’t know about you, but we at Cardiff Fashion think this collection is particularly brilliant!  Eclectic quirkiness is what the press release says, bring on more eclectic quirkiness then, we say, if it looks anything like this! Our personal favourite is the green print dress below, gorgeous!

Gok Wan in Cardiff, image by Carla Morris

The inimitable Gok Wan came to Cardiff yesterday, to launch his latest design collection for Specsavers.  He’s been involved with more and more design projects recently, the Sainsbury’s collection, his Simply Be range, previous Specsavers collections, and he told us that he’s been involved in other design projects, including a lingerie range.  We asked Gok Wan a few questions when we caught up with him at the Park Plaza hotel, about this current collaboration.

Why did you decide to collaborate with Specsavers? I’m interested in offering style and design to everyone. Most people can’t afford £700 designer glasses, but still want to be able to access good design. This range is about affordable style.

What was the inspiration behind this new range? 40′s and 50′s style, Hollywood starlets, a bit of glamour. My favourite era is the ’50′s.

How important is it for you to collaborate with others? Very important. I’m always working with other creatives and other industries, the next period is extremely busy for me with loads of projects in the pipeline. I’m hoping to have some time off next January!

Gok Wan, image by Carla Morris

Your TV programmes have inspired many women, old and young. What do you think is the most important thing for any woman to feel about herself? Femininity, Sensuality and Sexuality.

What do you think of Cardiff style? I generally only see people here at events, all glammed up, so it’s not an honest portrayal of Cardiff style, so it’s a little hard for me to comment.

We think you’ll agree the designs for Specsavers are pretty fab! It was lovely to meet Gok Wan, as at Cardiff Fashion we think he’s done so much for women, their confidence and how they feel about their bodies. It’s fantastic he’s doing more design collections and collaborations and it just spreads the Gok Wan fabulousness a little further we think!

Interview by Georgia Flatman, selected images by Carla Morris

Talbot Green Shopping Park launched its search for the latest ‘fashion faces’ recently in a bid to find local men and women with real style, to head up the Park’s advertising campaign. The original competition was launched five years ago and calls on women and men in their teens, twenties, thirties and forties-plus, who enjoy creating their own style from the high street.

Winners of the competition are presented with £250 each in vouchers to spend at the Park, take part in a fashion photo shoot, and become the campaign ‘faces’ of the Park for a year, with their photos displayed on buses and taxis across South Wales, billboards, and in adverts and posters across the Park.

Originally a women’s only campaign, the Faces of Talbot Green now includes a search for men with style.  The first man to feature in the campaign, Thomas Smith, 21 from Pontypridd said: “Being chosen as a ‘Face’ really gave my modeling career a boost. I went on to be nominated for ‘Europe’s Perfect Man’, so I’ve got a lot to thank Talbot Green for. My mates think it’s brilliant that my face has been on a billboard and taxi in Cardiff, I’m sure not many people can make that claim!”

The competition is judged by a panel of industry experts. If you’d like to become the next ‘Face’ submit a recent photograph of yourself, a very brief description of your style and why you should become the next Face of Talbot Green Shopping Park, along with your age and contact details by 11pm on Sunday, 25 March. Send to faces@talbotgreen.com or alternatively call 02920 764 100 for a postal address.