Happy New Decade : Celebrating the Joy of Fashion

London, UK

Happy New Decade : Celebrating the Joy of Fashion

Tuesday, March 24

*this post is sponsored by Selfridges, however all opinions, anecdotes and rambles belong to yours truly 

in order to delve into how and why the world of fashion brings me so much joy, we’re gunna have to have a bit of a throwback here because we need to, really, talk about why i started this ... how i edged my way into this industry and what fashion blogging has led me to today by doing so. things might get a little bit personal and a little bit ‘all cards on the table’ but i want to try and keep it lighthearted because i’ve touched on the in-depth, emotional side before ( props to those who read here in those days but if you didn’t, it’s explained in quite a few previous blog posts ) and after all, this post is supposed to be celebrating happiness. so happiness we shall spread.

fashion has always been a huge interest of mine, right down to the stereotypical ‘child tries on mum’s shoes and lipstick whilst she’s not looking’ days but i wasn’t always 100% certain whether i wanted to have a career in it. even whilst studying fashion design at college, i was super into personal style but when it came down to the curricular side of things, i tended to steer more towards illustration and interior design ~ still two huge passions of mine today

after that, the growing storm clouds of untreated anxiety and depression really began to roll in and the lack of leaving my house, and therefore feeling hopeless and creativity-depraved, led me to set up this little site you see today ( that, alongside some encouragement and regular ‘where is your outfit from?’ flashbacks from being back in education ). this little site, which might not look like much ( and could definitely be written on more ) that’s filled with my heart and soul. filled with truths and a truckload of thoughts i felt were easier to communicate to the internet than to humans in real life. this little site which saved me from spiralling even further into darkness and kept me afloat. kept me hoping.

setting up liv in fashion felt like i finally had a purpose. people cared what i had to say and they even liked it. they commented nice things and they appreciated my choices of outfit, despite the fact i photographed them outside the front of my house because i had panic attacks at the thought of going much further. but that didn’t matter. having this outlet enabled me to feel happy for the first time in a long while

fast forward to five years later and i’m working with brands i could have never even imagined, on campaigns with messages which make you realise how far you’ve actually come. because as humans, we tend to forget our past journeys. we’ve been taught to not look back ‘because we’re not going that way’ ( shout out to tumblr for that teenage quote of a lifetime ) but i’ve always thought it was important to reflect. it’s often very humbling and allows us to appreciate our personal growth, rather than constantly be consumed by the pressure to perform better.

Selfridges have launched ‘HAPPY NEW DECADE’ in a bid to encourage us all to explore what brings us the most joy ( something which i believe is even more important at this current moment in time ) ... to embrace self-expression and start this decade with a positive outlook for what’s to come -because a brighter future WILL come- whilst also being fully present and acknowledging the moment. i attended a comedy night at their cinema last month to do just that and being able to laugh out loud, in a room full of humans doing the same, felt entirely freeing. i can't wait until we'll all be able to do that again once the chaos calms down

in a similar vein, to start the decade how i mean for it to go on, i have chosen to embrace practicality and efficiency ... so say hello to my new baby ~ the boyy bag ( karl ). when i tell you that laughing out loud was freeing, being able to carry around all your daily belongings in one bag, no additional tote, is the epitome of freeing. goodbye tiny bags. i still love you but for now, more reasonable sized, top handle bags are taking front and centre. and with them, sits a fresh hit of optimism for 2020.

shop the Selfridges designer bag category here

♡

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Test-driving Hyundai's new i10 in Lisbon | #GoBig

Lisbon, Portugal

Test-driving Hyundai's new i10 in Lisbon | #GoBig

Thursday, January 23

*this post is sponsored by Hyundai, however all opinions, anecdotes and rambles belong to yours truly

moving to london has come with a whole host of ups but there’s definitely also been some downsides to doing so. sacrificing driving being one of them. now i know it’s not the be all and end all, and i could’ve technically carried on having my car whilst i was up here but from past experience, it began to become a little irrelevant for the day-to-day and was ditched in favour of public transport, simply because i was already near to where i needed to be. living in brighton meant i had to travel further to get to places because we lived on the outskirts but now being in brixton, this is less of a necessity. 

and yet, i realise, something i hugely miss.

driving, for me, was never just to get from a to b. it was an experience; it was an escape and most of all ( and probably strangest ), it was therapy. it got me through some of my toughest times and being able to have that freedom, whilst also maintaining an environment of comfort and homeliness, as well as providing a distraction, created the perfect balance to nurture my anxiety. 

being offered the opportunity to test-drive Hyundai’s new i10 was, therefore, never going to be one to turn down, especially after seeing it was pretty much built to cater to all of our modern day needs ( and is the ideal size i love to drive ~ little cars are the way forwards imo and this still even manages to pack in five seats ). throw, also, into the mix, the opportunity to do so in lisbon ~ a city i’ve always dreamt of visiting but never quite followed through, and i had my suitcase packed before you could even say ‘i10’.

Hyundai have really focused on streamlining each aspect of the driving experience so, despite it being my first time on the opposite side of the road, and brenda ( the car’s new, given name ) being an automatic which i’m not entirely used to, i felt fully at home and in true comfort. it’s sort of tardis-esque in its function; appearing small on the outside but can shuffle around a full family, a whole loada luggage and probably the odd furry animal without feeling cramped and for that, i can only applaud ... the #GoBig campaign tagline meaning is made abundantly clear by this, on entry. 

some features worth noting, available on the new i10 :

~ eight-inch central navigation touchscreen

~ wireless charging

~ apple carplay and android auto connectivity

~ bluetooth connectivity

~ heated front seats and steering wheel

~ rear-view parking camera

~ Lane Keep Assist and autonomous emergency braking with forward collision warning ( using the front camera to monitor road lines and distances between other cars to avoid or minimise accidents )

~ cruise control

~ GPS vehicle locating ability

~ smartphone navigation control and remote locking

i think we can safely say i came away with, not only a strong desire to return to lisbon ( hello quaint, little corners and hand-painted tiles dotted in between incredible pieces of street art and some v v tasty, vegan natas ), but also with brenda firmly stuck in my mind and i’m already missing her companionship. there are ten colour variations available of this model, so you'd be hard-pushed not to find your match but let’s be honest, i was always going to opt for a mono/neutral palette with mine ... what say you ???

cheers to hopefully being behind the wheel some more in 2020!

*outfit co-ordination may or may not have been planned in advance

♡

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Not Another Mental Health & Self Acceptance Post ...

Brighton, UK

Not Another Mental Health & Self Acceptance Post ...

Wednesday, December 12

you’d never know unless i told you, but these photos were taken a few hours following a rather extreme and out of the blue anxiety attack. those of you familiar know it doesn’t just go away after the ‘height’ of it and i can reluctantly confirm that i definitely cried and freaked out both prior to and (quite) a few times after this little photo break. and i’d definitely just done a full face of cute make up before the former ... #goals

you see, it’s funny because i look back at these images and whilst i adore the location (hometowns will always be special), the colours, the compositions, the ‘couldn’t-be-more-me-if-it-tried’ ensemble (if i’m not wearing knitwear and trainers i do not feel my true form); they will forever evoke that memory of how i felt that day. and the aftermath thereafter

and you might think that this would make me hate them but personally? i think maybe that’s why i like them so much

[ the aforementioned gola classics which provided a sense of comfort amongst the chaos. i've worn these non stop since i got them and love the little, green accent on the back ~ reminiscent of an old school tennis shoe ]

SHOP MY LOOK

to an outsider, they’re just another load of street style photos, shot (beautifully, might i add, thank you @bethanyevisuals) by another fashion blogger, in front of another aesthetically pleasing building. but to me, they’re so much more

they’re proof. proof of me feeling hopeless yet still managing to stand in front of a camera and shoot. proof of me feeling like the world is against me yet still producing content i’m more proud to share with it than i’ve been in a while. proof that although i feel weak, i actually did a damn good job at being strong, willing myself to smile and carrying on. and proof that yeah, whilst that was a bloody horrible day, it was also a bloody lovely one. and i completed it. with a sea view and the sun shining, in one of my favourite cities. oh, and there was a surplus of gin to boot (not the answer, kids ~ i just like it anyway. you do you hun)

so next time you try to judge yourself for being ‘crap’ or ‘useless’, how about reminding yourself of the things you managed to achieve that day? next time you see a picture of yourself, taken during a period you weren’t at your peak, how about reminding yourself of how you felt and look at where you are now. it may even be much of the same but hey, i guess that means you got through it the first time, amirite ??

this all works for how we view other people too

pictures don’t need to be surface level ‘curated fakery’ ... they often hold things we might, at first, not even notice about ourselves, let alone our peers

i’ve been trying to focus recently on accepting certain things as part of me. it doesn’t mean they have to take control, it just means i’ve acknowledged their existence and i’m subsequently better equipped to cope with them

there’s this maverick sabre lyric which forever floats around in my head:

“my insecurities don’t pay rent, but they’re living with me”

and if there was ever a perfect time to whip that reference out, i reckon it’s now (won’t be rapping it though so you can envisage that one for yourselves) ...

blazer | c/o & other stories (identical here)

skirt | monsoon

bag | jw anderson pierce

sunglasses | celine marta

trainers | c/o gola

rounding off, following the talks of my 'comfort blanket' ~ the 'inca' trainers are my current, vintage inspired go-to's for those daily run arounds, with a timeless feel that's been taken straight from the courts. you'll be happy to hear that they feature in both the men's and women's collections, in a range of colours if you fancy a stray away from the classic!

am i the only one who finds a surprising amount of solace in wearing things where i feel most at home?

♡

*this post was sponsored by gola, however all opinions, anecdotes and rambles belong to yours truly

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2018 : The Year I Learned to Love Travelling

London, UK

2018 : The Year I Learned to Love Travelling

Saturday, November 17

highly aware i'm starting to sound like a bit of a broken record but look who's back on the blog again!

now if you're after a profound think piece about where i've been, what i've learnt and how i've found myself, then i'm afraid you're gunna have to wait 'til i have some sort of epiphany and life becomes a little more settled and certain because right now i'm only sure of two things:

one - adulting sucks.

two - travelling is a treat for the soul.

i'm not gunna go into grave detail on the former because quite frankly, if you're reading this, i know you get it (i still look at my demographics from time to time - i see ya!)

being honest, this year has been tough. dealing with heartbreak (anyone got any remedies which don't involve sugar because my sweet tooth seems to no longer be a thing and my dentist may hate me); house moves; mental and physical health issues; stress, plus having withdrawal symptoms from my world-travelling sister whom i miss dearly, has certainly taken its toll

but the latter?

 i think i've been away more in twenty-eighteen than i have in my entire twenty-four years (okay maybe a slight exaggeration but i'm rolling with it) and whilst, admittedly, packing is no longer filled with the sheer excitement it once projected during childhood, and has somewhat been replaced with an overly-procrastinated chore, i've fallen in love with travelling. the freedom. the escapism. bonding with those who accompany you and just generally being in new environments and seeing different sights has helped abundantly.

suitcase and belt-bag both Lipault x Jean Paul Gaultier*

being a homebody through and through (won't bore you with my birth chart but just know that i'm as 'cancer' as they come), i've even surprised myself. sure, i still crave my own company and comfort but there's also this new lust to be somewhere new. to keep refreshing my mind during this time where it's all over the place and remember the familiarity i get to come back to once it's done (there's definitely been some jokes from mum on getting a revolving door fitted because i'm in one day and gone the next).

twenty-eighteen has been the year of independence. on learning to rely less on others but knowing who's there when you're in need. on doing things alone which were once impossible without being accompanied by someone you know. on learning how to be single (and watching the film more times than you care to admit). on realising that your happiness is not measured on how somebody else has made you feel but how you make you feel. on preparing to live alone ... although, not fully alone because as of next week, i'll officially be a kitten mum! that's right, i'm full on ready to embrace the crazy cat lady lifestyle and i really can't wait to share my sweet, baby angel with you.

so whilst i say this isn't really a profound, self-discovery piece, i guess i kinda have learned a lot about myself, even if things aren't currently as smooth-sailing as i'd have hoped. the hardest times teach you the greatest lessons. (not sure if i made that up or subconsciously stole it but let me have it, pls)

and whilst we're on the topic of travelling - if you haven't yet noticed my new luggage companions, where ya been? the most stylish carry-on you ever did see (also doubles up well for multiple-shoot-clothing-cart-around-erer) and the 'fanny pack' trend i thought i'd never get on board with ... brought to you via Lipault's limited edition collab with Jean Paul Gaultier. the pieces are lightweight, feature multiple compartments (which have actually begun to reignite my joy for packing, i won't lie) and take inspiration from two of JPG's faves : the pinstripe suit and Madonna's famous, conical corset. 

you can view the full, twelve piece collection here or pop into one of Lipault's four, brand new stores across london to grab twenty percent off with #JPG20

♡

~ this post was sponsored by Lipault, however all opinions, anecdotes and rambles belong to yours truly

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Home, Loneliness and Back To Basics

Brighton, UK

Home, Loneliness and Back To Basics

Monday, July 23

it’s been a while again, hasn’t it?

and no matter how often i say it out loud, write it down, type it out ... i still end up leaving this space alone for far too long. never forgetting, but more ignoring. procrastinating. neither of which i’m proud to admit.

my old pal, chlo, wrote a post recently about blogging, in its traditional form (or the lack thereof in our modern and ever-evolving industry) and it really struck a chord with me. hit home.

literally.

for the past week, i’ve been feeling extremely overwhelmed, uncertain and despondent. and to be quite honest, when it comes to that, there’s only one thing for it ~ again ... home. i remember how much upset and resentment we felt when my parents (mum & step dad, for those who are new here!) decided to uproot and sell our family house. i say ‘house’ because whilst, yes, we grew up there, made memories, shared so much love and laughter, learned lessons which have shaped entire fragments of ourselves today; those four walls were just that. walls. beautiful walls at that, but still merely bricks, nonetheless. and the rest of that stuff i mentioned? the good, profound shit which makes us feel warm and fuzzy? well, that all comes from the people inside them.

what i'm wearing

dress | zara

bag | gucci (similar here and here)

sunglasses | rayban (c/o next)

trainers | nike

in a few weeks, my best friend (otherwise known as my big, baby-faced and A* sister) moves away. travelling the world and learning invaluable lessons amongst unfamiliar cultures. in a few weeks we’ll be leaving our little, could-be-hoovered-more-but-that’s-how-we-like-it hovel and taking our next steps ...

her? back to brighton for a pit stop until the inevitable journey begins.

me? well, to be honest i’m not really sure. in the unlikely scenario i find a place by then, i’ll be up in london for the foreseeable. and if not? back to brighton, and mum’s welcoming arms with sis, until the right one comes up.

but even then, i’ll be living alone. don’t forget working alone since i took the plunge into full-time freelancing back in march. this, to me, is pretty scary. i’m not gunna lie by saying i’m the *most* emotionally stable human on the planet and my mood swings leave a lot to be desired as well. the idea of having an entire place to myself, on one hand, fills me with excitement and enthusiasm, whilst simultaneously spiralling my being into a pit of anxiety and despair.

i like being alone, but nobody wants to be lonely. and my gosh, is there a difference.

lately, loneliness has manifested itself whilst being alone and that’s where the worry sets in when the relocation finally does happen. living with a stranger is just not an option and living with a friend has not really worked out in terms of timings. do i go back to a more ‘traditional’ job, involving physical, human interaction? get a pet? (animals are far superior to humans, no offence) or, as my inner-conscience keeps yelling, suck it up and stop crying ... the latter being easier said than done.

change is amazing. but also emotionally draining. as is losing your sister to exotic countries across the world, but that’s just coming from a selfish POV. for a while i’ve been suppressing these uncertainties and sadnesses, so as to not fall behind and become unproductive. i’ve been letting stuff slide, which has actually upset me; focusing myself on work, other people and their problems, all the while ignoring my own. i’m now realising that probably wasn’t the best idea, since it’s all releasing itself in one, giant flood and what was once ‘liv’ has been replaced by a withered and energy-less puddle, who mainly thinks about bed and gin (the best things in life, alongside animals tbh).

the reason i’m back here releasing all my feels to those of you who have patiently stuck around throughout my absence, is exactly because of what chlo’s post reminded me ~ why i started. this blog began as a creative and emotional outlet during the peak of my battle with anxiety. a safe place of self-expression, honesty, sanctuary and usually some sort of badly told anecdote.

my online home.

and aside from spending time with my family and receiving all the tlc from mumma ~ there’s no other place i’d rather be right now.

how about you?

♡

poem source (from handwriting) here

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Female Artists are F*cking Killing It // Top Ten Playlist to get you through May

East Sussex, UK

Female Artists are F*cking Killing It // Top Ten Playlist to get you through May

Sunday, April 29

music is a huge part of my life. in fact, even more so now i haven't had a tv in any place i've lived for the best part of a year and a half. and do you know what? i don't miss it whatsoever. sure, i'm still a sucker for an episode of towie or mic. give me a david attenborough documentary any day. but in my own time. tv no longer dictates me. instead, i get to give my rapidly dwindling eyesight a rest and treat those ears to something other than the fatiguing sounds of a non-sleeping city. it's refreshing and peaceful. and if anything, only strengthens my appreciation of the skill it takes to songwrite, produce and compose. coming from an early-retired and ever-regretful pianist ...

what i'm wearing

(full whistles look c/o next label)

swimsuit

jeans

shoes

tote

i love that it's a language we can all understand and a feeling with which we can all relate. when you find that piece of music which so perfectly and purely expresses your mood better than you ever could. tell me honestly, have you ever met a single soul who says they don't like music? and seriously, how can anybody not like something so vast? so inclusive of every experience, emotion, expression.

if someone were to ask 'what sort of music do you like?' it's never really a question i can answer. give me anything from drake to einaudi. bryson tiller to the xx ~ it either comes in phases or all at once. i've always struggled to find satisfaction in one thing. i crave variety and avoid routine. music being no exception.

SHOP THE LOOK

recently, people have started asking about songs playing in the background of my stories. and since it's not a standard topic for liv in fashion, it prompted me to share some of my current favourites over here. show a different side to this space and pass on some music which is currently manifesting itself in my memories.

in the ever-important age of female empowerment, it just so happens that the majority of my latest playlist is flooded with up and coming female artists, and even more so when whittled down into a top ten. though not a conscious curation, if anything were to demonstrate the growing presence, importance and influence of women within a male-dominated industry (/world), i don't think this would be the worst place to start.

with that being said, here are my top ten tunes for the april/may transition ~ the steady lead up into lighter fabrics, kinder climates and hopefully, a little more self love ...

one ~ body, sinead harnett

two ~ cigarette, raye ft. mabel & stefflon don

three ~ aqua blue honda, tylerxcordy

four ~ know myself, justine skye

five ~ check, kojo funds ft. raye

six ~ all in, jay prince

seven ~ come over, mabel

eight ~ fine lines, jorja smith

nine ~ the weekend (funk wav remix), sza

ten ~ grey luh, berhana

♡

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