A Fresh Start, A New Chapter

There is something I need to begin this blog post with, and that is a huge apology for posting hardly anything to my blog for the most part of twelve months. The reason for not posting is that I simply fell out of love with the idea of discussing fashion shows that I weren't even attending. It made me feel like a fake, an imposter to a certain extent. Anyway, I'm over that, I miss expressing my opinion on fashion and the shows are a huge part of my life whether I attend them or not, they inspire me. With college work proving to be more and more challenging and more and more time-consuming, especially for the latter half of the english school year (January - July), believe me if you study fashion, like with any creative subject you'll know what I mean. I dedicated all my time to my course and I'm glad I did, my fashion show was a huge success for not just me, but for everyone involved and I passed with three Distinction*'s - the highest grade the college has ever awarded in fashion design. I simply couldn't have asked for a more incredible tutor over the past two years of my life. Plus, I feel like the relationships with the people I now feel honoured to call my best friends forever, (or bff's to us millennials) you know who you are, got way stronger over the course of our second year. Yes we stressed and we cried together, but we laughed a million times more! I will be forever grateful for you all being so welcoming and for being just a generally lovely group of girls to the only boy, who was also several years older btw. I turn 22 tomorrow! Omg omg omg major major crisis! However it wasn't just the amount of college work that had to be done, applying to university and building portfolios was also very commanding, but I'll talk more about that later. One of the main reasons was that I just felt really uninspired, I was getting tired of the way my blog on a whole looked, especially when you compare the aesthetic and content to so many amazing fashion blogs out there that I myself particularly enjoy reading. That is why I have taken it upon myself to whitewash my blog and start a new chapter, a new and pure beginning for The Wolf of High Street. Anyway, this is what I've been getting up to whilst I've been away...


Experience Applying to a Fashion University

Applying to university is a stressful period in any student's lifetime, not only is the entire process a long one, it's also exciting and a highly thrilling experience and results can be incredibly rewarding, except for when in my situation, yet again. Maybe I'm being a little dramatic here, forgive me, I'm a fashion student. For many fashion courses in the UK, applicants are not only expected to produce a physical portfolio to take to interview with them, they are also required to produce a 10/20 page digital online portfolio to the universities' requirements, only after being successful at this stage are you invited to interview. Understandable considering how popular fashion design courses are nowadays and how many people actually apply, it is a brutal process, but it's also very honest. If you're not good enough, they will tell you have been unsuccessful usually via. email, in my opinion better at this stage rather than they have you travel across the country to then be told it's a no, trust me, I've been there. It is hard to take in at first, but once you've had time to yourself to think and to compose yourself, then it's the perfect opportunity to better yourself and try again next year.

        

I could talk to you about my interview at Liverpool John Moores and Kingston University, although not much happened other than at my Kingston interview I met a girl studying there who I was on foundation at City of Liverpool college with, she's currently about to start her final year. Anyway, the reason I wanted to talk about my Westminster interview was not the fact that I got to meet current first year students there, have them tell us everything about the uni, halls of residence, easy access to central from Harrow (where the Westminster fashion campus is located), see the work of students or the fact I got offered a place. The reason why I enjoyed my Westminster interview so much was that I met an incredible girl. She had no name on her portfolio so I gave her a sticker and a sharpie pen (I was surprisingly organised that day) anyway, we got to talking and she was the coolest person I had ever met. She was wearing an upside-down jacket and her eyes were painted red like the devil. Cansu, if you're reading this, which I hope you are when tell you about it later, I want to say thank you for being part of my life and for being the truly amazing person you are! There's not a person on this planet I enjoy bitching with as much as with you hahahaha. I don't think I've ever told you this, but I wish I got to spend that entire day exploring London with you. Good luck studying knitwear at Central Saint Martins this year, you deserve it babes, I know you will smash it!

                                  

That brings me to my next point, I was successful in gaining a place at four of the five fashion courses I applied for, Westminster, Kingston, Manchester and Liverpool John Moores. The one I was unsuccessful at, was of course, an art school that has been home to most of the on-schedule fashion week designers currently heading up their own label or as creative directors at some of fashion's biggest houses, as you may have guessed by now, that place is none-other than Central Saint Martins. Don't get me wrong, the courses I did gain a place at are all highly-regarded institutes, on Business of Fashion's annual list of the top 50 fashion schools from around the world, Kingston University came in at 2nd, University of Westminster 12th and Manchester School of Art 16th. But what bugs me the most is that soon after being rejected from Central Saint Martins, I realised that I applied to the wrong course. I applied to their Menswear course, and after careful consideration, by CSM's standards, I am not suited to that course. Instead, I should have applied to I feel either Womenswear or Fashion Print as they allow for more unrestricted creativity to think of a better word. You can check my digital portfolio here.

After being rejected yet again, I was so incredibly annoyed with myself for not researching back into each course. Although having said that, I do feel Central Saint Martins' website could be improved to avoid this happening to anyone else. By this I mean, each of the five main fashion courses Central Saint Martins teach; womenswear, menswear, print, knit and design with marketing. They each have different criteria and each course leader is looking for something different from one course to the next, but rather than have that different criteria listed for each course, they each have the exact same information, which can be a little confusing as far as preparing your portfolio goes. Central Saint Martins is my dream place of study, as it is with thousands of fashion students, so you can imagine being rejected for a third time crushed me. Of course you start to doubt yourself, and question your ability. I did, it's only natural. I felt lost, this was the reason I went back and completed a two-year long BTEC course for and honestly, I failed myself. I rejected all of the four others I did receive and purposely missed the deadline to reply to each uni through UCAS track. I'll talk more on the matter in another blog post I have planned for the future, my plan right now in life, so stay tuned. Next, my Final Major Project and fashion show.

FMP, Teenage Wasteland and the Annual Fashion Show

For my Final Major Project, I was inspired by a modern-day French Revolution compared with current affairs from today's world leaders. Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un mainly. Historical references shone through the garments I designed and made but with a twist. As you may be aware, I have a huge interest in this idea of youth in fashion, so that played an important role in my project and then allowed me to begin to develop a narrative.

"Teenage Wasteland depicts the lives of a lost twin brother and sister during the apocalyptic aftermath of a nuclear war. Broken, alone and fragile, this story follows them on their journey in search of one another and themselves. Inspired by the French Revolution, New-Romantics, Blitz Kids, football hooligans and current affairs. Flowers grow out of a dirty place too."

On the evening of June 16th, Cronton Sixth Form's annual end-of-year fashion show took place, intoxicating and frightening, but a highly anticipated experience. As 2nd year students, our Final Major Projects were shown as collections that we had total control over; the theme, the models, the music, the lighting, the runway theatrics you name it, we had complete freedom. The show itself was shown in the college's brand new IDEA's centre. It was a huge success, if I'm being honest, perhaps the best show in the college's history, set-wise. There was two shows, one at 6pm and one later at 7pm, the later show was absolutely jam-packed, there was even people watching through the glass walls from the carpark. It was insane. I was really delighted with how my project turned out and the show made me realise that. The moment when you see everything you've been working so hard on for many months beforehand to witnessing applause and the many congratulations from family, friends, students, tutors and even strangers is just an amazing feeling. There is nothing quite like that relief backstage after the show, from chaos several moments earlier to nothing can top this feeling of ecstasy when you can finally say, "I did that, that was me." I would also like to take this opportunity to say a huge huge thank you to everyone involved that help make my Teenage Wasteland vision become a reality, I really couldn't have done it without my amazing models, you were all the final jigsaw pieces. My wonderful sister Melissa and also Nay, Blake, Heather, Bethan, Jacob and Ellie, thank you.

 

 

    

Well that is it, that is pretty much the most important things that have happened in my life so far in 2017. I am glad to be back blogging, and the way The Wolf of High Street now looks. I want to expand my horizon as far as my blog goes, I want to bring much more of my own personality to it. Incorporating more of a lifestyle aspect to my blog, by including features like a diary, what I'm getting up to, places I visit, how I'm feeling etc. alongside that I would love to share with you my fashion design work, by including these new sections, hopefully those will inject that personality that I feel my blog has been missing. Of course I will be continuing to talk about all things fashion; catwalk shows, trends, my latest buys etc. so I look forward to getting back into blogging.

I can't believe the Summer has came and gone so very quickly, but I lurvvvv September and it's my Birthday tomorrow! On the other hand, I just want to say good luck to all the students who start high school, college or even university this week. Remember, those years are not only to work hard, but to have fun, find yourself, spend time with friends, make new friendships, get up to mischief, but stay safe and try not to stress too hard, it will all be fine in the end. Anyway, here's to my new blog, I hope you continue to enjoy reading it as much as I do writing it. 

The Wolf of High Street

xxx