A Fortnight in Pictures: Fabulous Frocks & Saving Shoes

It’s been a bit of a mad couple of weeks in terms of events and night’s out, so I’ve been a bit quiet on the blogging front as a result. Even this is going to be a bit of a quick post, mostly made up of various photos from the last ten days or so. If you follow me on twitter you’ve probably seen most of these already so sorry for the repeats! In the last fortnight I’ve been to blogger meet-ups, shop openings, photoshoots and parties and at one memorable moment even found myself listed alongside some of my fashion idols as I was placed at number 3 in the top fashion tweeters according to The Telegraph. Their cheque is in the mail…

Fashshot goes Plus Size!

A little while ago I was invited to the Fashshot studio to take part in a video interview as part of a Plus Size episode of their online magazine show. The videos are now online, and while I’m obviously cringing at the sound of my own voice, it’s lovely to see myself alongside great people from the likes of Style369 and Ann Harvey, along with the FashShot team and some gorgeous curvy ladies in the street style section (one of whom has the same New Look dress as me – obviously Grace has fab taste). My contribution is only a tiny bit of what ended up being fab show discussing all aspects of the plus size industry, so if you’ve not seen it yet, take a look…

On size 14 as the ‘ideal’ and other revolutionary ideas…

Earlier this week the Daily Mail published an article about our new Equalities Minister, Lynne Featherstone. She made some comments over the weekend about the media’s portrayal of women, the ridiculous ideals that young women have to live up to, and the amount of tiny, airbrushed models we see in publications every day. She even suggested some kind of kitemark system for images that have been digitally altered. “Advertisers and magazine editors have a right to publish what they choose, but women and girls also have a right to feel comfortable in their own bodies.” She said.

So far, so good. But she then suggested that girls would be better to aspire to the curvaceous figure of my current girl crush, Christina Hendricks, rather than the impossibly thin models on the catwalk. “Christina Hendricks is absolutely fabulous. We need more of these role models.”

This, of course, led the Mail run with the shock headline “All women should aspire for hourglass size 14 figures, claims new equalities minister.” Talk about paraphrasing…

Zzzzz! Julien Macdonald picks on plus sizes.

I remember writing a review of Project Catwalk during its first season and jokingly photoshopping a pair of devil horns onto Julien Macdonald’s head after he made one too many nasty comments about the contestants.

In early episodes of the show, it quickly became obvious that the Welsh designer was filling the Simon Cowell role in the show, a comedy villain who loved nothing more than tearing the contestants to shreds.

And it seems nothing changes. Madonald will soon return to our screens, this time judging models, not clothes, in a new series of Britain’s Next Top Model. And whilst the show has a new look and a new face at the helm – Elle Macpherson – one thing it will no doubt be recycling is Julien’s tendency to spout unnecessary vitriol.

This week’s gem? Well, apparently, “If you’re a size 14 in room full of size eights – you’re in the wrong room.”

‘Vogue Curvy’ – Italy embraces the voluptuous woman

Vogue may be all about aspirational high fashion, but they know a hot topic when they see one. Hot on the heels of the so-called ‘rise of the size 16 supermodel’, Vogue Italia has dedicated a whole section of their website to women like us: Vogue Curvy.

So far it seems to be relying on two tried and tested topics – models and celebs. There’s a gallery dedicated to Crystal Renn, complete with behind-the-scenes pics you might not have seen before, and one for America Ferrera. Model Sindy Gourland gives style advice, and the ‘curvy blog’ covers the Mark Fast show…

V Magazine’s Size Issue continues to shock

V magazine continues to get column inches for its use of curvaceous models in its current ‘Size’ issue. Alongside Crystal Renn’s ‘One Size Fits All’ spread, tongues are also wagging about shots of models Tara Lynn, Candice Huffine, Michelle Olson, Marquita Pring (above) and Kasia P in the ‘Curves Ahead’ shoot. The mag pitches them as the “bombshells of plus size” and I think they definitely fit the bill. Also grabbing the headlines is a slightly hypocritical shoot by our favourite fat-hater, Karl Lagerfeld, featuring the voluptuous Miss Dirty Martini…

Crystal Renn does high fashion

The new issue of V Magazine (out January 14th) is definitely worth picking up for the groundbreaking photoshoot that pitches celebrated plus size model Crystal Renn against model-of-the-moment Jacquelyn Jablonski in a fashion face-off. Can a curvy girl really pull off high fashion like a catwalk model? We say yes, as Crystal works her magic in tricky looks like body-con dresses, leotards and flippy mini skirts…