Tuesday 27 October 2009

all sermons should start with scissorkicks

Being somewhat of a sucker for reality tv I stumbled across this little gem on the Discovery Channel on Saturday night. Let the title alarm you - Rampage is a nail biting series where crowds, riots and nature wreak havok. Trains, planes and automobiles spin out of control, destroying everything in their paths. It's not for the faint hearted but a welcomed change to Cheryl-Can-Do-No-Wrong- Cole's face on a Saturday night. Bet she can't do a scissorkick. Described as 'priests vs munks on the rampage'. What's not to love?

Sunday 11 October 2009

Launching a new product into an already crowded market is never an easy task and so I applaud Stylist magazine for bringing something new to the table in the world of female lifestyle titles. Granted, there is a fair amount of product placement which is nothing new for a women’s weekly mag but looking beyond the oversized image of this year’s ‘most wanted’ (read ‘most effectively PRed’) nail varnish, there truly is a lot of thoughtful comment and interesting articles in the title’s first issue. Personal highlights include a feature on why women are still earning less than men, with comments from female MPs, and the ‘Work Life’ page which features ‘a one-day diary from morning latte to lights out’ of a successful career woman.
This week we delved into the diary of Stephanie Phair, director of TheOutnet.com and former Vogue journalist, whose day rather predictably revolved entirely around fashion. Envious? Moi? Well, maybe a little, but mostly I just enjoyed this opportunity to further indulge my inner style voyeur. And I know I'm not alone in my fascination with finding out about the lifestyles of those working in the fashion industry. Take, for example, the presence of team ASOS on twitter. From the PR co-ordinator to the assistant buyer, the presence and collective following of the ASOS employees is impressive and hugely beneficial to the brand as a whole. The appeal of this (and the reason why Stephanie appearing in profile opps like 'Work Life' is so great for TheOutnet) is because we love to believe that we can relate to our favourite brands on a personal level. And whether that's simply by aspiring to dress like the Creative Director at Topshop or eat in the same restaurants as the CEO of People's Revolution, it is becoming apparent that well-heeled and well-versed employees can act as far more credible ambassadors than celebrities. Alexa Chung for New Look? Really? Anyone who admires Alexa Chung's fashion credentials knows that her style cannot be bought on the high street. And don't get me started on Cheryl Cole for L'Oreal...!
So while I eagerly await next week's installment of Stylist, I'll indulge my inner voyeur online with my favourite sartorial style blogs :