Gok Wan for Simply Be: Blogger's Goktails

My last week in London before I venture back north to Newcastle has been pretty amazing & this is one of the reasons why...I was invited to the Gok Wan Shapewear for Simply Be Blogger's event and yes I got to meet the man in question (I have a picture to prove it and everything). It was held at the super swanky Covent Garden Hotel & we were served cocktails & canapés while we had a look at the new collection...

Left: The lovely new range

Top Right: Me & Gok

Bottom Right: The contents of my super cute goodie bag

Shapewear can be quite a touchy subject for a lot of people I know, you immediately think of the rather offensive flesh coloured pants & having a 'Bridget Jones moment'. After this event I can honestly say there is no need to ever return to such monstrosities! Shapewear can be pretty & make you feel sexy (ask Gok, he knows exactly what he's talking about). 

Starting at size 12 his new range is colourful & easy on the eye. Shapewear is always something worth investing in, cheap pieces will just push the lumps & bumps somewhere else which is defeating the object ever so slightly & not to mention extremely uncomfortable. The most important thing for me when wearing anything like this is the comfort factor & feeling like myself. I don't like the idea of Granny pants, I'm only twenty after all, but this is something Gok has most definitely avoided in this new range & understands about women. As well as Gok's new range which is lovely & lady like I'm also a fan of Next shapewear as they keep things looking sexy & classy but produce the streamline figure we all wish we had!

Apart from getting to see the gorgeous new range (my favourite bits were undoubtedly the coral selection) I got to meet loads of other lovely bloggers which was fantastic - it's not something you get to do a lot in blogging as it's quite an independent thing. It's a bit bizarre as you're used to reading their blogs then meeting them in real life is rather surreal (in a good way obviously!). 

Top: Anne, Gemma & Hollie

Bottom: Me (after a couple of glasses of wine, Gemma & Hollie

I can also confirm to you all that Gok is exactly the same in real life as on screen; bubbly, friendly & fantastic at dressing women. Make sure you check out his new range & his new Chinese cookery book Gok's Wok which is out now.

Kathy xo

Diary of a Fashion Intern: Part III

As my third week comes to an end I've started to realise something: you need to really want this if you aspire to make it in this industry. I'm tired, I'm sick of returning clothes & I'm sick of soup but I've also had one of the best weeks of my life. Another week, another photo shoot. This time it was hands on & I really had to pull my weight.

While I don't think I've ever been happier it's a Friday (yes, I have had Katy Perry stuck in my head all day) I've learnt a lot this week. I think the more the fashion team & stylists get to know you the more they're going to trust you with the more challenging jobs. I was admittedly told by one of the lovely stylists, Chloe, 'It's hard to shine while you're stuck in the fashion cupboard' (to be honest it's hard to do anything in the fashion cupboard it's so full). But on a more positive note interning is the way you make contacts and network - the important thing when it comes to journalism. In the past three weeks I've managed to pick up five numbers from the Look team - & one of the stylists (Lucy, who I went on my New Look shoot with) is moving to Stylist Magazine which means if I ever find myself there I already have a contact. See how this is starting to work? The best advice they've given me is even if it's just a week or two snap up any interning or work experience you're offered - you don't want to be that girl who turned them down (yep, it's pretty cut throat).

Don't get me wrong, this isn't my attempt to put anyone off achieving their dreams & eliminate some of the masses of competition (joke serious) but this is the kind of invaluable tips & tricks the text books won't tell you. If you really have your heart set on a career in the fashion journalism industry my best advice (after pestering the life out of anyone in the office who will answer my questions) is: have a thick skin, people can be mean (especially girls) but don't take everything personally & most importantly be persistent - if you don't get a reply from your first application don't freak out, people are busy & easily forget to reply to e-mails...send it again!

Top: Amazing view from this week's shoot in Shoreditch

 Bottom Left: Working with this view isn't too bad I guess...

Bottom Right: A surprise parcel from my best friend Georgie - a framed copy of the first ever magazine I've worked on (there were a few tears)

Kathy xo

Diary of a Fashion Intern

So, I may or may not have mentioned I've just began a month interning in Look magazine's fashion department (It's not like I talk about it much or anything...). As my first week in the big bad fashion journalism world comes to an end I thought I'd share my experiences with you, you lucky lucky people. 

Unlike most fashion blogs I'm not going to just show you what I wore every day because really, you're probably not that interested & secondly I have to get up at 7 every morning & to be perfectly honest I really can't be bothered to start taking pictures of myself at that time. I want to tell you about what I've really experienced & what it's really like to be the lowest of the low on the fashion career ladder.

On my first day I turn up early, trying my best to make a good impression, to this awfully intimidating building that resembles The Devil Wears Prada a little too much for my liking. I'm left waiting for about thirty minutes & naturally I'm starting to freak out. This is obviously a bad omen isn't it? I should just get up & leave now shouldn't I? Coming to London & missing an entire month of my third & final year at university was a ridiculous idea Kathy, what on earth were you thinking?

Yes, this all went through my head within a short half an hour. Thankfully, I could not be more wrong. I have literally had one of the best weeks of my life & as cliche as it sounds I've learnt so much. Yes, there has been copious amounts of coffee involved (it's free though - IPC Media supply unlimited amounts for all their staff the little cuties) but it's been worth all the hard work. The view from the canteen (top right corner) is enough to make me want to go into work everyday. 

While me & my fellow three interns (Jaz, Megan & Hannah - who are adorable by the way) were majorly thrown in at the deep end, I was always expecting that. Being part of a team has made it so much easier though, ringing up a PR company for the first time can be a little bit daunting but now I wouldn't think twice about it (I'm a pro, naturally).  I've even been able to put together an online piece this week which will be published in the next few days, and yes I will be bombarding you with links. 

Despite having absolutely nothing to do with my journey to becoming a fashion journalist I've got to say experiencing Liberty's this week was a major highlight. I was sent to buy a leaving present for one of the team (Yep, major intern classic right there) & was given their press card...which means 20% off...and I was allowed to use it. Yes, you read right, I was allowed 20% in the most beautiful, fantastical, amazing store of all time. It was worth buying something for the carrier bag alone (That's me being drawn in my advertising once again, cringe).

Although I've pretty much lived off soup this week (Pret you lifesaver) & I don't think I've ever been this tired I have really been able to see the hard work that goes into a weekly magazine. I'm beginning to appreciate how much magazines rely upon their unpaid interns. Sample returns, chasing up photographers, showing models where to go, arguing with PR companies & freaking out when you accidentally barge into the editor (She wasn't impressed). It's all been part of an amazing week & I can't wait to do it all again (Although I am a little sick of soup).

Kathy x