Category Archives: Culture

Dawn O’Porter Interview | On This Old Thing: The Vintage Clothes Show

Posted on by

Dawn O’Porter is back on our screens this summer with a new show, This Old Thing: The Vintage Clothes Show, all about the world of vintage clothing, and how to make the most of it. Here, she expands on what the series is about, why she believes looking back is the way forward, and how she may be the first presenter in history to make a financial loss presenting a series.
dawnoporter
Your new series is called This Old Thing: The Vintage Clothes Show. What’s it all about?
It’s about trying to get people to step away from the mass-production of the high street and incorporate some of the old with the new, so that they’ll not only be a bit more stylish and stand out, but it’ll also do something to combat this throwaway culture where people buy clothes and then chuck them away the next season. I want people to fall back in love with clothes like they did in the old days, and value what they buy a little more, and look after clothes better.

Why is vintage stuff less likely to be throwaway? Is it because it’s better made, or because it doesn’t go out of style, or is it something else?
I think it’s the fact that the styles are timeless, because they’re old-fashioned. So many designers now look to the past for their inspiration when creating new looks, but if you get one from the past, it won’t go out of fashion. Also, it’s not necessarily that they’re always better-made, but the styles are quite exciting, and I like the idea that I’m spending my money on clothes that not everybody else has. It allows you to have your own style without being dictated to by the fashion industry, and to have a style that doesn’t change so quickly. And another thing we focus on in the show is that women in the past used to make a dress, or have a dress made, and then if they put on weight they’d have it taken out, if they lost weight, they’d have it taken in, and they looked after their dresses and tried to keep them for life. So it’s the way that the clothes were made, and the way they were looked after. Plus the styles were great – you can sometimes buy modern versions of them on the high street, but they’re not really like the originals.

Your passion absolutely comes across in the programme. When and how did you first become interested in vintage clothing?
I think it’s always been there. My aunt and uncle, who bought me up, were big players in the fashion industry in London during the 60s. They were furriers and designers, and my aunt dressed some of the major windows on Oxford Street. So it was always talked about at the dinner table – the way clothes used to be made, how the fashion industry used to be, the importance of well-made clothes and style. And they’d talk to me about the old designers, the characters that they were, and the revelations that they came up with in the world of fashion, how they changed the way women dressed for ever. This was just a continuous conversation in our house, so it was always there. And I’ve always loved clothes, but in my early 20s I bought everything from the high street, but I couldn’t really get it right. I couldn’t keep up with trends, I couldn’t really be fashionable. But I really loved clothes. And then I discovered a vintage shop, and realised that I could dress for myself rather than for an industry or trend. I did a lot for my confidence, for the way that I felt about clothes and the way that I looked. It’s the feeling of “I’m wearing what I love,” rather than “I’m wearing what you love,” that I think is so great about vintage.

In the series, you had to convince vintage-sceptics to buy into the idea. What were their objections, and what are the objections that people in general have about vintage clothing?
Well, first of all, they think that someone died in them. To which I would say who cares? As long as they’re not still dead in them, it doesn’t matter.” Also they think it’s unhygienic, but if you go into a vintage shop and something is really stained, or it smells, don’t buy it. It doesn’t mean that it’s all like that. A small proportion of it is, but most vintage shops have carefully selected their stock. So it as about getting people over the fear and presumption that everything stank. And another thing that put people off was all the rummaging. What’s great about the high street is that you can go out in your lunch hour and buy a red dress in your size and everything’s very easy. And the thing about vintage is, you have to put the time in to buy stuff. But if you put the time in to buy the right stuff, your wardrobe is going to be full or stuff that you love, and getting dressed is going to be less stressful each day. I met people who were in full scale meltdown the whole time, because they had so many clothes but no defined style, and they didn’t know what to do with it all. I told them to have a wardrobe that was half the size, spend their money better, and take time to choose what they wanted.

How successful were you? Were there any real tough nuts to crack?
Yeah, there were two very tough nuts to crack – one woman called Lisa and one called Elissa. Lisa was 44, dressing like a 25-year-old, obsessed with standing out, wearing stuff that nobody else had. So she never shopped in the high street, but shopped in these boutique places, but all of these dresses were just wrong, they were too young for her. She wanted to dress more for her age, still fun, but just more suitable. But she hated the idea of vintage so much that I had to literally drag her into the shop. She thought it was disgusting – the idea of wearing something that somebody else had worn made her physically sick. She actually said it made her want to sick up in her own mouth. But by the end, we found this incredible blue chiffon dress that she couldn’t have looked more incredible in. She was totally transformed, it became her favourite dress.

Where should people shop for vintage clothing? Is it as simple as going to your local Oxfam store and rooting about, or should you go to a specific vintage clothes shop?
It’s very different from charity shopping. Much as I love charity shopping, vintage is a different thing. Vintage is at least 30 years old. The shops are like little boutiques, and the owners are people who have travelled the world looking for the items they stock. So it’s all been very well-edited by the time it’s in here. We filmed all over the country, and we found one of these shops in every town we visited, and found good stuff in every shop. So find your local vintage boutique and go and see what there is. Also, I love eBay. I’ll put in “vintage 70s red dress” and search, and loads of vintage 70s red dresses will come up. The chances of finding something are just limitless.

A lot of people have the impression that vintage is a great deal more expensive than high street stuff. It’s not necessarily, is it?
No. I bought the most amazing dress yesterday – full maxi-dress, 100 per cent cotton, really gorgeous, with pockets, and it was £24. Like all types of shop, some vintage shops are expensive, and some aren’t expensive. You just need to do a little research.

You visit loads of vintage stores during the series. Did you spot anything while you were filming and buy it?
Every. Single. Day. I’m addicted to it, I can’t help myself. I came home with bagfuls every day, and I’ve nowhere to put it. It’s all over the floor. But I like organised chaos.

Do you think it’s possible you’re the first presenter in TV history to have made a loss filming a series?
I think that’s very possible, yes!

How much time do you spend shopping?
Well, I’m buying now because I’ve got my own vintage business, so I have an excuse to do it all the time. I do a lot online, I do a lot on eBay. I suppose, when I’m not writing or filming or doing other jobs, I do about two-days-a-week. But it’s not all for me, it’s for the business.

Does Chris come with you, or would he rather pull his own teeth out?
He’s really good! He’s a good personal stylist, and he loves vintage shops too, so he’ll be in the men’s section, I’ll be in the girls’ section. It’s good.

Tell me about the business. What’s happening with that?
It’s called Bob, and it’s a vintage business. Well, it’s sort of half-and-half. I’m launching with 400 pieces of vintage that I’ve found all over the world, from my travels. And it encompasses all price ranges and all sizes. And then the other half of the business are my favourite dresses, that I’ve loved and I know I’ll never finmd again. And I’ve remade them in lovely fabrics, but they’re all very distinctly vintage styles. And there will be limited numbers of each one ever made. So it’s a mixture of the old and the new, which I think is the key. I’m not trying to get people to move away from buying new clothes altogether, I just think we should be incorporating some of the old stuff that already exists as well.

Did you learn anything while filming the series that might help you in your new venture?
So much, yeah. I learned a lot about how to dress different body shapes, and about quality of clothes. What I want to do is make a dress that will last a lifetime rather than a season. So I put seam allowances in the dress, which means that if she pits on an inch, she can take her dress out. It’s those little touches that vintage clothes have that the high street doesn’t, that I’m putting into Bob. It’s just about bringing back charming little touches like that.

You’re a TV-presenter, journalist, author and now dress designer and businesswoman. Is there any limit to your ambitions? Do you fancy becoming an astronaut or playing in goal for England?
Actually, it’s funny you should say that, that is my next ambition. I want to play for England. It’s just a matter of time… No, I want a life that is about books and dresses, and then I’ll be very happy, so I’m working my arse off at the moment trying to create that existence.

This Old Thing: The Vintage Clothes Show starts on Channel 4 Wednesday 25th June at 8pm.

The Art of Conversation By Judy Apps Book Review

Posted on by

theartofconversationbookreviewSome people are socially inept. It is not polite to point it out and I never do. But let’s be honest, we have all been there: opposite the person at the party who talks about themselves endlessly, at a wedding next to someone who is critical about everything or sat beside someone who just endlessly moans on a long journey. There is an art to conversation, and plenty of people have not mastered it.

 

So I might be buying this book in bulk and handing it out liberally, anything to lessen the social trauma of listening to someone else droning on about their own life for an hour, or moaning and complaining and then just leaving, a negative aura lingering behind them. I once spent an hour and a half, no exaggeration, listening to a women talking about her biological clock and how it was running out, and forty minutes at another party trying to explain to someone where the Scottish Borders are “What country does it border with?” they asked. I managed to keep a straight face, wondrously.

 

The Art of Conversation by Judy Apps is a fascinating book. It also has a section on dealing with the type of drains above. So called because they drain your energy. It has anecdotes and quotes galore, all of which are brilliant. It also has exercises and will help you understand the different levels of conversation and how they work. I read this book very fast as it is both enjoyable and educational. It also helps you overcome fear and express yourself more powerfully with your voice and body language.

 

An educational, insightful and enjoyable book. Definitely worth a read.

 

The Art of Conversation: Change Your Life with Confident Communication is available here.

 

 

 

 

Superdrug’s 50th Birthday Experience | Social Diary

Posted on by

Tuesday 10th June, Bankside Vaults, SE1, Unilever were honoured to host an all-encompassing beauty experience to celebrate Superdrug’s 50th Birthday, in one unforgettable party.

kingslandroad laurawhitmore linzistoppard kimberleygarner andyjourdan jameela jamil

Held at one of the largest nightclubs in London, Bankside Vaults was transformed into a highly creative venue where VIP guests came together to experience a unique event, that included an immersive fashion show, exhibiting designs from some of the most up and coming creative heads in the industry hailing from London College of Fashion. The conceptual show blurred the boundaries between creativity, fashion and beauty.


Celebrity model, presenter and DJ, Jameela Jamil was on the decks for the party’s VIP guests including celebrities Laura Whitmore, Made in Chelsea’s Andy Jourdan, models Kimberley Garner and Imogen Thomas, boy band Kingsland Road and BAFTA winning violinist Linzi Stoppard.

#Superdrug50

 

All images Courtesy of Piers Allardyce

 

 

Does Having Children Hold Women Back?

Posted on by

gorgeousbaby

Something has been annoying me for a long time and I need to write about it. Yes, women and how they are discriminated against if they have children, and if they don’t have children, Yes, basically just the fact that women can’t win when it comes to their ovaries. No one has every asked a man how he balances his work/life balance. Or how having children affected his career. And many famous men don’t have children and it is not pointed out in every single article about them a la Jennifer Aniston. But that has gotten me thinking: does having children hold women back? A lot of women in the June 2014 edition of Bazaar magazine thought so.

 

Zaha Hadid was interviewed and said: ‘With architecture, if you stop, it’s hard to go back. It’s long hours, lots of travel. If you have kids, it’s not obvious how to make it work.” and went on to say “When I could have kids, it just didn’t occur to me.”

 

Artist Phyllida Barlow said: “I don’t think having children and being an artist are compatible at all. I don’t mean that as a negative thing, just that both require full-time attention. Both are emotional and hazardous. Things go wrong” Phyllida has five children and a successful career so I am not sure what her point is.

 

This is an extract from the piece on artist Marina Abramovic: “She also knew she’d never have children. Every person, she argues, has only one source of energy, which can be transformed into work, family, children, creativity; anything. If you have children, you divide it.’ It isn’t a fashionable view, the article goes on, but there’s no doubt in her mind that it is not possible to be a great artist and have children: Maybe if you’re very rich and have nannies but then the children suffer’, she qualifies. The evidence is all around us she insists. ‘Why are there so many more male artists than female. Because a man doesn’t have to sacrifice as much as a woman.’ How sexist. She then goes on to cite Louise Bourgeois who had an amazing career post-60: husband dead and children who had left home, ‘So many artists start wonderful, talented, and then the children come.” Then how come so many men manage both? Oh, right, the woman gives up her life and career. Am I the only one who reads this and wants to scream the point that children have two parents? Surely the father could look after his own children at some point? And don’t get me started on men who refer to looking after their own children as ‘babysitting’. You contributed half of the DNA you idiot.

 

Weirdly enough, the sanest comment came from an Olsen in the June 2014 edition of UK Marie Claire: Elizabeth Olsen has been thinking about the working-women-having-kids-thing. ‘It’s more important for women to do well in their families lives because they end up doing better in their job if they pay attention to their family. There was a time when you’d have a career, get to the top and then have children, which I always thought was weird- as opposed to having kids witnessing the ebbs and flows, starting somewhere and growing together as a family’ Can someone please give this women a medal?

 

Oprah Winfrey has stated many times that she couldn’t achieve what she has if she had children, but how does she know? How can she honestly say that? Oprah is also quoted saying: “If I had kids, my kids would hate me, They would have ended up on the equivalent of the “Oprah” show talking about me; because something [in my life] would have had to suffer and it would’ve probably been them.” Do children say this about their fathers? In a typical family set up men are away a lot. Kids don’t hate them, they just miss them. People don’t give children enough credit. They know adults have to work.

 

Former Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard was interviewed in the Telegraph and she was asked, once again, about her child-free status. She said: ‘I’m comfortable with my choices. It gave me my chance to work as an PM’.  I mean, why ask a former Prime Minister about her career when you can question her ovaries instead?

 

But this hasn’t answered my original question. Does having children hold women back? Probably. I don’t have children myself, although I may one day, but I think the main question should be: if having children doesn’t hold men back, why should it hold women back? The answer is obvious. Women are supposed to sacrifice everything for their children and burn their ambitions and wishes on the alter of motherhood. And some of the worst critics for women is other mothers. I know married friends in their thirties, some of whom don’t even want children, who can’t get a job or a promotion because employers don’t want to risk hiring a women in their thirties, too worried that they will just get pregnant and then cost them maternity leave. Women are discriminated on the fact that they have wombs, whether they use them or not.

 

A book I will be reading is I Don’t Know Why She Bothers by Daisy Waugh. It rages against the social pressure of women sacrificing their entire life at the alter of motherhood and is an antidote to maternal guilt and pressure. Because you know what can stop children holding women back? Men picking up the slack and doing their fair share.

 

What do you think? Does having children hold women back?

 

 

Wedding Planning For Dummies | Book Review

Posted on by

It is well-known that planning a wedding is hard. But it is not until you actually plan a wedding that you realise that it is even harder than you thought it would be. And then some.

weddingplanningfordummiesbookreview

The mixture of organisation, planning, ideas and different family members is quite a toxic mix, making even simple decisions seems insurmountable sometimes. I am planning my own wedding at the moment and it is rapidly approaching. So when Wedding Planning For Dummies dropped through our letterbox I was incredibly happy. I am that dummy and I need that book.

Before a relative reads this and panics about how close the wedding is, it is mostly done, I am just worried I will forget something. Not so with this book. It is thorough and fun to read. What’s more, it taught me things that I never even knew. It may be a ‘For Dummies’ book but, like all in the series, it leaves you feeling very competent in the end.

It has lots of tips on how to not pay too much, tips on finding the perfect venue, ideas for making your wedding personal and suggestions for the invitations.  Actually, it just has every basis covered that you will need for your wedmin.

It even tells you the different types of marquees you can get and I loved the section on how much alcohol to order depending on how many guests you have. It really was invaluable. Brilliant book, a must read for those planning their wedding. The authors really know their stuff.

Wedding Planning For Dummies is available here.

Wrong But Funny: The EnglandKini

Posted on by

With the World Cup around the corner the players will be playing in scorching temperatures this summer in Brazil. UK company ThumbsUp! Have designed a kit that will keep the players very cool, they just need the players to get the kit. ThumbsUp! Are hoping a journalist can drop off the kits in Brazil, so the England players can wear a kit that will keep them cool this summer.”englandkini

Whilst it’s clearly a novelty product, creator ThumbsUp! say “It’s the perfect kit to keep cool in Brazil and it’ll definitely keep their Brazil Nuts covered.” Whilst fans have clearly seen the funny side, you can expect to see pubs, full of men ‘fitting’ into the Englandkini’s whilst cheering on Rooney and Co this summer. ThumbsUp! said “We hope we can get some to the players as we’re sure they’d see the funny side.”

The newly launched EnglandKini has been snapped up by hoards of fans as it’s cheaper than an official England Jersey. Fans can now support the Three Lions at a fraction of the cost.

The EnglandKini costs just £7.99 from Amazon. But are you brave enough to wear it?

Interview with Mem Freda

Posted on by 
What made you get into acting?

As a child I was always fascinated by these ‘beings’ that lived inside our TV set! I was 
convinced I would see them leave from the back of the TV after a show was over, if I waited 
long enough!

Born with such a wild imagination, the decision was not a conscious one, but a route destined 
to happen. Often I would roll around the living room floor wrestling with pillows 
(crocodiles) having just seen an episode of Tarzan. 

Not much changed into adulthood, where I would recite dialogue from films I’d seen, with an 
attempt at replicating the characters. Eventually, I realized that the energy I had was best 
channeled into acting, hence, it chose me, as much as I chose it, as a career. 

Mem

 

What is the strangest role you have been offered?

Its very rare I find anything ‘strange’.

Once I was asked to be in a commercial, and was paid £38,000.00 for two hours work and when the 
advert was aired, all you saw was the side of my nose, that for me was strange!!

 

How do you prepare for a role?

Often when you land a role, you have background information at your disposal, from the script, 
the director, the character breakdowns etc.

Depending on whether the character is fictitious or not, will determine the nature of the 
research one does. If the character in not fictitious, I would gather as much information 
as possible to build a profile that is as close to the real life personality of that person.
I find it easier when a role is fictitious, as this allows for more freedom to experiment
with different layers to the character, until I find one that best fits to what the writer 
intended.

 

Who is your role model? It could be anyone from the past or present. 

Marlon Brando was my first ‘role model’. I have also always been influenced by the work of
De Niro, Pacino, Penn, Travolta and recently Christian Bale. 

 

You have some amazing films coming out soon, but what has been the most diverse role so far?

I’m excited for audiences to see two films coming out soon in which they will see me in a 
different light. First is BREAKDOWN, in which I play a tortured victim. It stars Craig
Fairbrass, James Cosmo and is directed by Jonnie Malachi and produced by Luke Fairbrass.

The second film is MY HERO, here I play a cockney florist, Simon Flowers, who is a drug lord 
operating out of Margate. Directed by Robert Osman and produced by Katarina Gellin, 
audiences are in for a real treat.

 

Plastic that's out now, is one brilliant film. If you had unlimited funds what would you do 
with it and why?

In terms of film, I would continue developing and producing interesting and stimulating stories 
for audiences to enjoy, appreciate and remember through time. In terms of life, I would set up 
a charity organisation to help others less fortunate. 

 

You do really get all the gritty roles to play in films, but are there any roles that you long 
to play? Like a Romantic comedy, or are you digging deep with the bad guy stuff for now?

I love playing the villain. Having made a career out of it, I still want to pay service to 
playing such roles. However, it is also high time to show my diversity as an actor, 
hence, a romantic comedy,horror, drama, are all avenues for me to explore. And I am 
currently setting these wheels in motion.

 

If you could play any role that is really out of your comfort zone what would it be?

Not sure any role is within my ‘comfort zone’, as all require a substantial amount of work. 
However, what would be fun to play, is a similar role to that of Dustin Hoffman’s role in 
Tootsie.

 

If you could direct any film past or present what would it be and why?

It would be thrilling to do a remake of Boogie Nights. It had me in fits of laughter, so it 
would be fabulous to attempt to make it just as funny.

 
Are their any roles you have played that you felt you changed as a person while filming 
or can you walk away and not get too involved with the character?

After 20 years of psychosis, with each dark and terrifying character I’ve portrayed, you have 
to learn to walk away unaffected. It’s that or strangling the cat when I get home.

To keep sane you have to have full control over reality and fantasy. I did have problems at
the start of my career, but had to deal with them pronto.

 
Who would you love to star with next and why?

I’d love to be able to work with Juliet Lewis. She captured my interest ever since I saw her in 
Kalifornia and Natural Born Killers. She’s a sensational actress and her music ain’t bad either!

 

 Tell us something about yourself that we don't know.

I love horror films and was excited to win an Award at the prestigious
Myrtle Beach International Film Festival for Truth or Dare, which I produced along with
Jessica Cameron and Jonathan S Higgins.I also like to dip crisps into diet coke. 

 
Are you into this whole selfie things and even if you are not who would be the one person in 
history you would love to have a picture with?

Absolutely detest the whole selfie thing! If I were to have a selfie picture with anyone, it 
would be with Elvis.

Dear Kitten Rite of Passage Cat Video Is One of The Best Ever

Posted on by

Now, this video is an advertisement for friskies. It is not a sponsored post, nor are we being paid to share it, we just thought it was pretty cool and it made us smile. Watch it and let us know what you think.

Did you like it?