Expert Style Advice from the Bristol-based Designer, Dress-Maker and Stylist

Diamonds, the traditional engagement gift, accepted as a token of a promise to spend eternity with someone, but what makes one diamond better than another - the clarity? The cut? The number of carats? All of these things, but actually I would argue that it goes much deeper than that. What really matter is where it came from.
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I can’t wait for the moment when I pack my duvet parka under the bed, yeeha! Because this spring sees some seriously lovely trends hit the shops, from electric dreams to The Great Gatsby. Starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Carey Mulligan, Baz Luhrmann’s adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel is set to hit our screens this year. Red hot 1920s lips and dark silver beaded and sequinned waterfall tops and dresses inspired the runways; see Halston Heritage, Galliano and Marchesa. Perfect for floating through spring weddings and summer nights.
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Mild West Heroes is a Bristol-based, ethical t-shirt company that promotes the artwork of West Country illustrators. Started in 2007, the company is run by Jude and Mark Lawson who, after moving from London, fell in love with Bristol and felt inspired by its creative vibe. Whilst embracing the DIY attitude of the city, they also became more aware of its strong ethical and environmental views: “We wanted to create something that was fair for all, whilst also being as low impact and sustainable as possible. We thought promoting local artists and sharing any money made was a good place to start.”

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By Heidi Gough

Ryan Walker
Describe your outfit: Relaxed urban farmer
Favourite Bristol clothes shop: BS8
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10 ways Bristol has changed over the last 10 years

Riots, job-cuts, awful fashion and a royal wedding! We’re quantum leaping like it’s 1999 again. Why? What’s the fascination with retro-reminiscence? 10 years ago I was scooping sick out of my pockets and I remember thinking at the time ‘I really don’t want to be back here again. Thank god for the relentless future when all this will be lost to alcoholic blackouts’ and yet here we are again, reliving the past - like that’s somewhere good to go. Were the days before these days really so good that we all want to go back for a day out or is Bristol at its best now?

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As the temperature drops, one of Bristol’s most predominant characters all head indoors, most likely inside the coffee shops of Clifton. Some are effortlessly stylish and some insist on sporting fashions but you can only label them “Cliftonites”. They are a year-round occurrence however, with a volume and dialect that is hard to ignore.  Identifying a Cliftonite is easy; by day they can be found in abundance shopping in Jack Wills and by night they are “raa-raa-ing”(a style of Cliftonite dancing) in the Lizard Lounge on the Clifton Triangle. Ugg boots are a must, preferably the short ones or folded down with tracksuit bottoms tucked in, a long sleeved “grandad” top with a hooded gillet to finish off the look. The genuine Cliftonite however would never be without her back brushed ‘Mason and Pearson’ hair, distinctive throat tickling scent of ‘Ellnett’ and a foundation a few shades deeper than natural painted all over the face, including the lips.
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Often there really is nothing better than meandering around the independent vintage shops and boutiques of Bristol. Whether emulating Mad Men’s early 60s Betty Draper, 80s Debbie Harry, or 90s Kate Moss, to purchase an original item from the era you are in love with is a thrill. What’s more it can take you from copycat to real McCoy, leaving you smugger than a contented ginger tom pummeling an inordinately fluffy sofa. This delicious pot of sardines just keeps growing too with new vintage boutiques popping up around Bristol all the time so now that garment of gorgeousness could quite easily be a mere whisker away! Enough of the kitty analogies, let’s pull back the dusty sheets and shine the bright lights on Bristol’s vintage boutique parade!

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Ben, 31
Job: Area Sales Manager
Style: ‘Oliver Swift’ - Suits mostly
Fav Shop: I like Urban Outfitters but John Lewis is good
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Tough girls dominated the runway for autumn/winter as seen at Rag & Bone and Alexander Wang as fashion seems to be having a nineties throwback moment with grunge dragging its Doc Martins into the spotlight. Make-up artist Gucci Westman created the looks for Rag & Bone with Kate Moss cool kohl rimmed water-lines, while Diane Kendal went for greasy reddy-brown on the eyes and hair was an ode to emo with low side partings and oversprayed roots at Wang. Tom Pecheu created the look he described as “upper east side meets Woodstock” with a subtle gold shimmer on the eyes and deep violet lips giving grunge a girly spin.
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Expert Style Advice from the Bristol-based Designer, Dress-Maker and Stylist

This issue we are in search of the perfect pair of jeans, that staple item that is never quite right. Now, you know I do my best for you dear readers, but obviously even I can not recommend the perfect pair of jeans for every one of you. This is because I don’t have experience of every pair of blue jeans on the market nor intimate knowledge of every one of your figures. But I do know a lot about denim, I know a lot about fit and construction and I know a lot about what suits different body shapes so in your quest for the perfect pair of jeans you have two options: you take what you need from the advice here and do a bit of educated shopping; or you hire me as a stylist or a dressmaker and get a guaranteed result!
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