in a world that feigns some knowledge of you

Today was a very nostalgic sort of Sunday, spent visiting family by the seaside near Portsmouth, long car journeys, naps and discovering sweet restaurants and cafés. I used to spend every weekend in a similar routine - I would go out somewhere on the Saturday (Brick Lane, for example, or a gallery) and then spend the next day seeing family and lazily working on art or this blog. It was nice to explore a new little bit of seaside that I'd never been to before, and we ate in a really cute restaurant overlooking the (albeit very stormy) sea.

As my mum pointed out, I was pretty much a walking advertisement for Hirst Antiques (the vintage costume jewellery shop I work in!) with my pretty hard to miss Askew earrings she bought me for my 18th birthday a few weeks back. I had worn them around the shop one Saturday and had fallen completely in love (as is inevitable with Askew jewellery, trust me), and my mum surprised me with the set as a present that she had secretly organised with my boss. I love how 'much' they are - endless drop cascades of stones and charms jingle and catch the light as they move, and basically if I could wear them 24/7 I really really would. The necklace is a vintage piece from Afghanistan that I found in a vintage jewellery shop in Norfolk along with the silver pin on the jacket, the other pin being my mum's imp pin from when she was a Brownie girl guide as a kid.

 I actually wore this outfit during the week but was really feeling the patterns and so couldn't help cheekily repeating for the occasion...I had been rushing and couldn't decide which shirt to wear, so ended up just wearing them both. The black and white one was from Margate, the red tile print from Beyond Retro, the shorts from Rokit and the jacket was from a kilo sale. The shoes are Monki, and the bag was £1 (!!!!) from a charity shop (I had had a bad day and my friend phoned and took me charity shopping, which obviously boosted my mood by about 300%).

As you can probably see, as much as I love the seaside the weather at this time of year is generally not quite to my taste. Although, I can deal with cold and wind as long as it doesn't rain - if there's no rain, it's always a good day in my books. Also, the restaurant gave us free apples "for the journey home" (?!) which was such a nice touch and it's sweetness helped combat the discomfort of the  cold somewhat.

Anyway, in other news, I saw the Ann Veronica Janssens exhibition at the Wellcome Collection during the week and IT WAS SO COOL. It explores ideas of space, being and existence through the use of lighting and coloured mist, leaving you in this room entirely disorientated and at points unable to see anything, as if you are in some sort of never-ending abyss of mist. I absolutely loved it and took a lot of photos, which was inevitable really considering how pretty the colours were. It's free so I totally recommend going if you can (although go at an off-peak time because there are always queues!)

I adore the effect of the mist?! As you walked it made you appear almost translucent or like a projection, before engulfing you and making you invisible to people only a few metres away. It was a really clever concept and to be honest I might visit again before it closes.

The last thing I have to say before I conclude this slightly disorganised post is that Bloom is launching really soon! I started the zine in the summer and work is finally reaching some level of completion - submissions have been amazing, layout is coming along and my deadline is drawing ever closer, so if you have any last minute contributions please don't hesitate to send them to submitbloom@gmail.com ! See here for more details about the issue. Basically it started as part of my extended project at school, but I love how much everyone has supported it and am planning on carrying it on afterwards, hopefully producing a few print issues a year and running an online site / online versions. It's become somewhat of a business between myself and Stanley and so keep an eye out as we are actually taking it quite seriously and so there should be some exciting things to come. We made an instagram account (@bloomldn) this week too so follow that if you would like to keep updated on it's progress!
I hope you have a lovely week!

all the lights followed closely behind

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Hi there. It's been a while, hasn't it?! I always feel guilty when I don't keep this page updated - I generally have things to say / things to share but my time management has really been out of the window recently, and I've had to dedicate most of my time to catching up with school work and keeping on top of college and all the deadlines that come with it. This year has been weird so far - after the summer, I seem to have changed a lot and my whole social group / school dynamic has changed, including the things I do and places I go outside of school. I've been going out more around London and hanging out with friends more, listening to more music and dancing a lot, which in my books makes it a pretty good year so far. I will get back on top of posting on here too - I know I say that every time, but I do really mean it!

 I turned 18 a few weeks ago, which is really crazy for me as I genuinely still feel about 12 years old. I had a strange realisation, whilst dancing along to Craft Spells (who I went to see in a super cool basement in Dalston with Mona) on a Tuesday night, that suddenly I was an individual with no constraints anymore - I can go out and do whatever, even though I really do not feel like an adult yet. It's odd, but I'm enjoying it so far. Above are an odd selection of horrendous quality webcam photos from the last few weeks and a page from my current A level sketchbook.

I haven't got a full outfit post as such ready for today, but I think a catch up is needed anyway so I am going to use this post to share a bit of my current inspirations / moodboards as well as any updates from things I've done or been to. Normal service will resume on this page shortly I promise!

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I'm really feeling pastels again this year - I don't wear them enough. Soft nudes, pinks and natural colours to match the cool winter and sleepy days spent working inside...also, florals to remind me that there is spring to look forward to after the nest few cold months. Collectif's spring/summer SS15 collection captures this perfectly, with pretty vintage floral prints in dresses and two pieces that could transition easily into your autumn wardrobe.

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I'm also really into reds, tartan, checks and golds, probably because it's christmas soon. Collectif's A/W 15 collection has some amazing pieces that fit this aesthetic perfectly...I love the Lurex fishtail dress and the check dresses, perfect for winter parties.
I was actually invited to the Collectif camden party, a lovely evening of vintage style, music and people all gathered together in one space. I unfortunately couldn't stay very long and so didn't get many photos, but kindly have been sent these taken by Jackson and Co and Lisa Jane Photography that perfectly capture how lovely the night was.

Collectif is an independent 1940s and 50s inspired vintage reproduction brand, who create the most beautiful and authentic retro inspired pieces based on their in-depth knowledge and huge archive of vintage style. A great way for newcomers to get into vintage without having to buy second-hand, Collectif is also a wonderful way to find vintage pieces in the right size (it can be hard to find actual vintage in modern sizes!). The party itself was a lovely event for anyone who loves vintage, with a showcase of the brand's festive season lines, makeovers and styling, and live music from acts such as The Tootsie Rollers, The Victory Sisters and burlesque from The Folly Mixtures. I had a really lovely evening, thank you Collectif for inviting me! I really recommend you check out their online store here.