I would like to start by saying Happy New Year from all of us at Teen Cheltenham Fashion Week. The last couple of months of 2011 were hectic, especially with CFW official launch in November and many exciting meetings in December. It was great to have a break, but you’ll be glad to here that we have returned and well under way in planning lots of events for you.

Now would be a good time to inform you of the changes we are making to this blog. Instead of four or five monthly posts such as those we created last year, I will now write one big monthly blogging extravaganza, which will encompasses all of the areas we covered before. So welcome to our new and improved monthly blog. Enjoy!

In February we…

..held our first ever team meeting On Wednesday 25th January we enjoyed a creative and productive meeting. The majority comprised of discussions regarding sponsorship, which is all extremely exciting. We also had time to plan some photo shoots, develop our ideas and discuss people who are eager to get involved with CFW. A plan was set in motion, outlining the start of our journey to the first ever Cheltenham Fashion Week, this September.

..started working with our new team members The CFW team comprises of many fabulous people, our latest inspiring members are Sarah Clarke, who is helping to organize and arrange the schools/educational shows and our menswear director, Josh, who is informative, enthusiastic with a whole host of contacts coming out of his ears. Our new members already feel like part of the CFW family, we look forward to working with them in the coming months.

..organised plenty of interesting meetings When planning a Fashion Week, let alone the first of its kind, Sam, our Director and Co-founder, spends most of her week in meetings. Thankfully all of the conversations are exciting. Some include meeting potential designers, interested in showing at CFW, other with sponsors and also chatting to team members, to keep the creative juices flowing.

..our CFW team members had lots of success Our Fashion Consultant, Sarah-Hayley Owen, recently dressed her personal clients for the Golden Globes, our Stylist, Chloe, styled a shoot for the wonderful Cotswold Style magazine and I (Jessica Harvey) won my age category in the face of the Cheltonian competition.

As a team we have drunk…

580 coffees
100 glasses of wine
876 glasses of water

We have read…

Vogue
Harper’s Bazaar
Phoenix
Elle
Marie Claire
Cotswold Style
The Cheltonian

We have received…

30,000 emails
3 CV
10 phone calls

We have bought…

5 pairs of shoes
7 dresses
5 handbags

We have been inspired by…

Donatella Versace

After his death in 1997, Gianni Versace left a huge pair of shoes to fill (pun intended!) and Donatella Versace was left with the difficult job of filling them. Her new role was so vital to the company, it is a surprise Donatella didn’t feel scared, decline the role and flee to the Italian countryside. Thankfully, she was much stronger and returned The House of Versace to the Fashion Empire it was always meant to be.

One of the examples of Donatella’s miraculous achievements is her Spring/Summer 2012 Couture collection. Although the collection comprised of only 15 pieces, the dresses are so intricate and beautifully crafted, it is a wonder the skilled workers of the atelier managed to create that many! The silhouettes were true to the Versace signature style, corseted second-skin tight dresses, cut to accentuate the curves of the body. The famous model, Karlie Klos, opened the show followed by fourteen other models, gracefully gliding down the golden steps of Beaux Arts.

The collection began with pale grey and silvery shades then flashes of red, orange, yellow and green gave the show an electrifying feeling. Donatella made the women look powerful but not aggressive and instead of her usual sun-kissed selection of models, she opted for 15 girls with pale skin, the colour palette of the collection looked striking against their creamy, dewy complexions.

With Donatella’s imagination and passion, she manages to make a heritage fashion house feel very new!

CLICK HERE TO SEE VERSACE COUTURE SS12 COLLECTION ON STYLE.COM

Well Hello! There are lots of exciting developments occurring in the CFW camp and I am bursting to tell you about everything. This section of our new blog aims to present an exciting backstage insight.

CFW Backstage will feature interviews with some of the people that have already become immersed in all things fashion with CFW, assisting us during all of our events. We are always on the lookout for more inspiring individuals to lend us a hand, if this is you..get in touch!

    
One of our first events for CFW was a photo shoot at the beautiful Cowley Manor, attended by many of our team and associates. The shoot was in preparation for our launch event/catwalk show on the 23rd November.

The models that walked in our show were shot (with a camera, not a gun!) by the wonderful photographer that is Spencer from All in the Image.  They wore the garments that would later make an appearance in our catwalk show.

The shoot was meticulously styled by CFW’s own Stylist, Chloe Isobella, and featured three different looks entitled Morning, Ladies who Lunch and After Eight. 

There were a wide range of ages among the models, the youngest being Ellie, a High School for Girls, Denmark Road student who is the same age as myself, 14!  Our only male model was the perpetual gentleman, Richard. 


Cowley Manor is a magnificent and elegant location for these CFW creative happenings. Nestled away amongst a humble Cotswold town, this luxury hotel spa is the ideal place to relax, unwind and indulge, epitomizing the CFW ethos and  motto, ‘Appearances can be deceiving’!


Backstage, rails of clothes were enclosed within the mocha walls and an army of 18 chic black ceiling lamps. The scent of hairspray mingled with the tea infused air and the venue emitted a glamorous ambience. Trays of jewels littered the main table, reminiscent of those found in the bedroom of Karl Lagerfeld.

        
It was an incredibly hectic day yet an exciting opportunity to see a shoot at first hand.

Our launch Fashion Show was also a fantastic event. Downstairs we offered a glamorous affair, with stalls ranging from floristry to chocolates. Our stylist Chloe shone like the star she is and Sam our Creative Director showed off her brilliant sense of style in a beautiful floor length number.

The show featured clothes from a variety of sources, including some items by Stacie Carroll from Dottie Chic. She is located upstairs in the Regent Arcade and her collection houses beautiful Jackets and brilliant wedge wellies, it is a must see shop! If you would like to view images from the look book then please email us.

The show finale was a learning curve for us, as at one stage we had less than two minutes to change a model into a skin tight Wearable Art cat suit, some would say that’s impossible but I can offer on good authority that it is manageable, although not too glamorous to witness!

Stay tuned for our next CFW teen blog post, where we will tell you more about how people are responding and interacting with Cheltenham Fashion Week.  We love to hear from you so keep the emails coming!
 
Until then

Peace , Love and Art Galleries

Jessica Harvey

Teen Fashion Ambassador

So far this month we have had a multitude of people recommending and promoting items of clothing and jewellery which they have recently purchased in and around Cheltenham.  Their suggestions and favourite pieces will be featured in this article, along with other items that caught our eye. Pieces range from Skater Dresses to Leather Handbags, we are sure that you will love them just as much as we do. Enjoy!

TOPSHOP

Moustache and Glasses Necklace
Nearest store: 163/166 High Street, Cheltenham
£8.50

This is a rather amusing novelty necklace, from popular high street store, Topshop. This brand provides a variety of on-trend fashion, jewellery and accessories at aspirational prices!

Thank you to Chloe Gray for recommending this item, and for providing the photography!

TOPSHOP

Indigo Skater Dress
Nearest store: 163/166 High Street, Cheltenham
Buy online here
£46

Our second item is also from Topshop and an excellent addition to your winter wardrobe. This dress epitomizes the selection of dresses available at Topshop. It is majestic in its simplicity and elegant in its structure, a perfect replacement to the Little Black Dress ( Sorry Coco Chanel!)  This dress is also ideal for the numerous Christmas parties you’ll soon be attending!

Thank you to Ella Davies Smith for this suggestion.

COAST

The Lucky Dress
Nearest stores: 82a The Promenade, Cheltenham
Concessions: Debenhams, Beechwood Shopping Centre, 123 High Street, Cheltenham
House of Fraser, Cavendish House, 32-48 Promenade, Cheltenham.
Buy online here
£160

A friend of mine recently bought this dress for a wedding and I can verify that it is stunning. In a vivid and rich colour, the detailing at the neckline compliments the simplistic line. For some reason, it reminds me of a dress from Alexander McQueen’s Spring Summer 2009 show ‘Natural Dis-tinction Un-natural selection. Although I would class it as evening wear, it could be worn in the day if worn with patterned tights and a leather jacket, or other casual items of your choosing. With a name like ‘The Lucky Dress’ you really can’t go wrong!

MULBERRY

Oversized Alexa Bag
Available from: House of Fraser, Cavendish House, 32-48 Promenade, Cheltenham
Online at Mulberry
£925

I spotted this satchel in Cavendish House ( House of Fraser) and instantly fell in Love with it. As Mulberry is a designer brand , this bag is considerably more expensive than the other items displayed in this article, however it is perfect if you have a higher budget and are willing to spend more money on finding the perfect bag.
The versatility and effortless chic of this satchel contribute to make it perfect for almost everybody!  Suitable for teenagers and adults alike, it is big enough to hold all of your necessities, but not so big that you end up knocking things (or people !) over with it, as I often do. 

The neutral oak shade allows this back to suit any outfit, once again demonstrating its versatility.  If you prefer for your accessories to have some colour, this bag is also available in nine other colours, including a beautiful black suede skin. If you’ve got the money, then why not treat yourself!

RIVER ISLAND

Purple Stud Detail Court Shoes
Nearest Store: 3-5 Regent Arcade, Cheltenham
Buy online here
£60

Our fifth and final item are these beautiful purple platforms, courtesy of River Island. Personally, shoes are my obsession and I aspire to be a Shoe Designer (among many other things) in the near future. Shoes like these are the reasons why I am so besotted with footwear. The silhouette is elegant and would easily elongate one’s legs. The minimalistic yet highly effective stud detail adds interest to the platform, which in turn adds height and structure to the shoe. Believe it or not, platforms actually make a shoe easier to walk in, which is particularly helpful if you are new to walking in heels or are going to be on your feet a lot. These lovelies are also available in bright fuchsia and mink. River Island call the mink versions ‘light brown’, but after viewing them at first hand I feel “mink” is a more suitable shade description.

Our monthly post ‘Talk of the Town’ showcases items you love and want to talk about.  If you can recommend a garment, piece of jewellery or maybe a bag or shoe, available from a shop in Cheltenham or online, be sure to contact Teen CFW via twitter, facebook or email before 1st December.  If you would like your details to be featured in our post please leave your full name with your suggestions. Peace, Love and Pink calculators, Jessica Harvey, Teen Fashion Ambassador