The rise and rise of Miinto

Shopping site Miinto.co.uk - the one-stop online shop for the UK’s best independent boutiques - has gone from strength to strength since it’s official launch in the UK over 8 weeks ago.

The site now boasts 102 boutiques, stocking over 6686 products from 698 brands - over double the number it launched with and these figures are rapidly increasing on a daily basis. This has been aided by the recent expansion into childrenswear in addition to it’s offering of womenswear, menswear and accessories.

Notting Hill’s infamous treasure trove for the fashion savvy The Village Bicycle, is one of the latest boutiques partners stocking a wealth of hot, fresh labels including the likes of Lulu & Co, Opening Ceremony, We are Handsome and Eleven Paris.

Bearing in mind my love of a good boutique (Iris in Queen's Park just round the corner from me is my latest discovery) I figured it was about time I took a closer look at what Miinto has to offer.

Below is my pick of hot buys currently on the site.

From left to right: Clutch from Olympia Le Tan, £817.60, Sunglasses from Elizabeth and James, £245, Cuff from Rosie Fox, £18.

Notes on Miinto:

Miinto.co.uk provides a dedicated full-service online sales outlet for independent fashion retailers to expand their business through the web, giving these boutiques an international platform and significantly wider reach.

Over the last three years, this concept, originally developed in Denmark, has witnessed successful launches in markets including Norway, Sweden and the United States. Miinto.com has also just launched in Ireland and is set to be introduced to the Dutch market this Autumn.

The anatomy of a shoot

Ever wondered how the professionals pull together a fashion shoot?

With blood, sweat and tears that's how!

From conception to seeing the final product in print the process can be just as painful as it is fantastic and my lack of posts this past week has all been down to one thing - two of my biggest shoots of the year in one week.

It began with a mad dash back to the office where I unpacked samples and started to pull looks together. The easiest way to do this is to take emotion out of the equation. Don't pick out a dress just because you think it's pretty, rather look for a recurring theme and stick to it.

This is where a mood board comes in handy - usually a group of tear sheets from other magazine shoots or adverts you find inspiring along with fabric swatches or accessories -that I always keep on the table or pinned to the wall when selecting outfits.

I also find it always helps me to create a character for the shoot. For example this time my muse was a bored, 50's Miami housewife.  


The chaos that is me at work and my mood board / tear outs

The next thing to think about is the actual product itself. I was shooting for S/S 13 so first of all it needed to look totally different from the past two seasonal shoots we had done. For me this meant pastel colour clashes, pleats and retro prints all came into play to go along with my character.

When shopping for accessories I picked out 50's sunglasses including cat eye frames and earrings which were a mix of bright crystal and kitsch plastic fantastic - as inspired by the Prada S/S 12 ad campaign. Everything that wasn't sourced from the high street came direct from the bargain-filled Walthamstow market.

The rail and accessory table on the day of the shoot

Finally pulling everything together on the day is the hair and make up artist.

For the make up I wanted to stick to the theme of brights. I figured if my housewife was bored she might be more inclined to take some risks. She'd wear a bold lip and vivid eye colour, kitsch, sometimes tacky jewellery and she might even pair a conservative twin set with denim hot pants.

And for hair we started with a soft wave, went up to a tucked in bob and finished with a beehive. Pure perfection!

retro hair and clashing make up were a must for my bored housewife

So there you have it, that's a shoot from start to finish (minus all the technical bits like casting models and finding a location) and if you don't beleive me about the blood, sweat and tears part I'll send you a picture of my hands next time after they have been stabbed with pins and stamped on. I'm officially too embarrased to go for a manicure!

Hubble Bubble

My lack of posts in the past few days has been down to my attendance at the fantastic Bubble London trade show for kids.

Whilst on Saturday I helped with the build and Homegrown Installation - an initiative saluting brands who have stayed true to their British roots by designing and manufacturing in the UK - sunday was spent on a photo shoot for the next issue of trade publication CWB magazine.


The shoot featured two models showing of the S/S 13 collections from Bubble exhibitors. The styling, provided by Fran Lee, was directional, funky and fresh whilst the set design featured cut outs of iconic London landmarks and hand made signs.

Here is a sneak peak from the shoot below..

A rainbow of tiny shoes

Our rail of samples from exhibitors

Our adorable models from Urban Angels

Graduate Gold Winner Announced

Chloe Jones from Bath Spa University won the eighth annual Graduate Fashion Week Gold Award judged and presented by industry giants, Daphne Guiness, Suzy Menkes and George at Asda's Fiona Lambert this week.

 

With a prize of £20,000, and invaluable industry recognition from judges Jones now also has access to a mentoring panel to help her through the next stages of her career.

 

The judging criterion for the Gold Award is that the collection clearly demonstrates exceptional ability in design, cut and construction as well as excellent use of colour and fabric.

 

The judges reviewed shortlisted collections made from 17 catwalk shows and put the students through a rigorous interview process, before selecting the winner.

 

This year’s Graduate Fashion Week brought to the industry and media’s attention talent from all branches of fashion from over 39 universities across the UK and Europe. An elite industry panel of preliminary judges including Hilary Alexander, Jessica Bumpus of Vogue.co.uk and Melanie Rickey, Grazia fashion editor at large, joined the audience of press (one of which was me!!) students and the general public to scout the hottest talent from each university. 

 

Full award winners are below and you can catch up with my posts from GFW here.

 

 

Chloe Jones with her Graduate Fashion Week Gold Award

 

Womenswear Award: Chloe Jones from Bath Spa University was also the winner of the Womenswear Award.

 

Menswear Award: Riona Horrox from Edinburgh College of Art

Zandra Rhodes Catwalk Textile Award: Xiaoping (Fiona) Huang from UCLAN University as the winning student.

 

Stuart Peters Visionary Knitwear Award: Jousianne Propp, from Manchester School of Art and Caitlin Charles Jones from Kingston University.

 

International Award: The winner selected was Karen Jessen from Esmod Berlin.

 

Fashion innovation Award: Ami Collins, UCLAN

 

David Band Textiles Award: Emma Hardstaff, Edinburgh College of Art

Ethical Award: Sarah Murphy, Northumbria University

Per Aquun Marketing Award: Hayley Oldfield, UCLAN

 

Karen Millen Fashion Portfolio Award: Jousianne Propp, Manchester School of Art

 

Mulberry Accessories Award: Laura Smallwood, Kingston University

 

Barclays New Business Idea Award: Holly Reid, UCLAN

Stand Award: Edinburgh College of Art

 

Media & Design Award: Kerrie Donelly, UCA Epsom

 

Friday fashion round up

Its Friday which can only mean one thing! No not wine (though that will be happening after the week I just had) It's time for my weekly fashion round up.

First off the mark its Zoe Saldana, Dianna Agron and Jamie King who proved that all good things come in three's at the Persol Magnificent Obsessions:30 Stories of Craftmanship in Film event in New York.

The actresses, who posed up a storm together, all wore vastly different looks but looked equally fantastic.

Zoe wore top to toe Louis Vuitton pre A/W 2012-13. The statement top and cropped trousers are a typical ensemble for her but what I really love is the colour - I would lay bets on that shade of green cropping up all over the High Street come Autumn.



Zoe Saldana

Diana Agron also made my best dressed list for the below outfit which featured a black knit over a black printed dress - not earth shattering I know but Dianna kept it young and fresh with chunky wedged heeled boots which I adore.



Dianna Agron

Jaime King wore a Peter Pilotto S/S 12 printed dress to the event, paired with Persol sunnies. I'm not sure how I feel about the gold heels - a nice beaten silver or bright yellow or pink like Eva Longoria below might have been better - but overall I like her style.



Jaime King

Next up its a bevy of lovely summery ensembles including Eva Longoria wearing Versus Spring 2012 to the 52nd Monte Carlo TV Festival in Monaco. She paired the bright print dress with her signature Brian Atwood heels in a bold but effective fuchsia pink. I feel like this is a brighter, bolder version of Eva after years swathed in nude tones. I approve!


Eva Longoria in Versus S/S 12


Also wearing a statement colour well this week were Chloe Moretz and Jennifer Morrison who both attended the Women In Film MaxMara Face of the Future 2012 award, of which Chloe was the recipient. 

Chloe wore a MaxMara aqua blue dress and I am loving this style on her - she looks grown up (but not too grown up) polished and sophisticated at the same time. Jennifer meanwhile, went for a strapless tangerine dress and whilst I still think she looked better as a brunette the dress hit all the right notes on the night.



Actresses Chloe Moretz and Jennifer Morrison



Last on my winners list this week is Hilary Swank and Jessica Hart who both attended the Salvatore Ferragamo pre S/S 2013 show at the Louvre this week. Naturally both wore designs by the brand, Hilary a black and gold embellished dress and Jessica a knitted bronze jumper and printed skirt.



Hilary Swank and Jessica Hart, both wearing Salvatore Ferragamo

See more looks after the jump

Sneak Peek: Emilio Pucci Resort 2013

When the first Emilio Pucci Resort images dropped in my in box yesterday I just knew I had to share them.

The 2013 Resort line by Peter Dundas is a full on Safari expedition crossed with classic sportswear references. Dundas’ looks are sharp edged and urban cool grounded in the earthy colours of military khaki, black, and navy laced with sunflower yellow and hydrangea green.

Many pieces are embellished with intricate floral and Asian embroidery motifs, a nod to the 90’s when customising military surplus finds was all the rage - which yes, I vividly remember. Isn't it awful when you start to remember the trend from the first time around?

Embellsihed khaki designs from the Emilio Pucci Resort collection

The collection also subtly balances masculine and feminine; the technical feel of military undergarments appears as fine lingerie netting for example whilst Dundas implements yet more menswear influences with a sportswear-driven mentality. Here a slick trench coat has been relaxed with over sized lapels and a sash belt - a popular accessory run throughout.

Full on Safari: Earthy colours, caps, head scarves and waists nipped in with utility belts round off the look

But my highlight, as always at Pucci, has to be the prints. The idea of camouflage is given an abstract restructure as botanicals and a magnified orchid adorns silk pyjama pants and lace applique simulates the signature swirls of the Emilio Pucci archive. Elsewhere, a silk jumpsuit done in a pixelated floral print is mixed with crocodile jacquard to great effect.

Prints at Pucci: Oversize blooms mixed with crocodile skin

By far the most feminine pieces in the collection were the sheer, floaty maxi dresses and kaftan's and I'm craving a holiday just so I can wear one, but where can one Safari whilst wearing a maxi dress? The answer after much googling is Tanzania. Sign me up now!

Maxi lengths and sheer fabrics make for perfect resort wear

What do you think of the collection? Is it Pucci perfection in your eyes?