Daks Fashion Show SS2013 / PV Paris Trip

This years show was my favourite so far and we had great reviews from the likes of Vogue UK and Style.com. I don't think the excitement will ever fade even when your working crazy hours and up at the crack of dawn (well, before dawn and thats if your one of the lucky ones that gets some sleep!) arriving at Somerset House when everything is still dark and quiet - its really special moment. I loved the sequin fabrics and accessories!

The following Thursday we were up at 4:45am to get a train to Paris to visit Premiere Vision once more - again I can't see myself getting over being surrounded by the most beautiful prints and fabrics that Europe has to offer! The next day consisted of market research and then a few of us stayed on for the weekend as there are some markets that are only on a Saturday. Instead of staying at a hotel over the weekend we found an apartment on www.airbnb.com which I can't recommend enough - theres a different story behind each apartment and the one we got was through a women that lived there and hired it out sometimes in the weekends while she was away - it was so cool and in a very safe courtyard right near the Notre Dame and you can't really get more central than that. Prices are very affordable as well, so much nicer than staying in a hotel. We would get up in the morning and play the French radio while we got ready - so much fun! If you are ever in Paris you must eat at a restaurant called Fish la Boissonnerie. I walked in and saw paua shells and a Pukeko which was quite odd in the middle of France! Some of the most beautiful food I have ever eaten (French cuisine) and half of the restaurant is owned by a Kiwi and the chef is from Japan! Perfect combination if you ask me! We asked for some bread and its so fresh that they walk across the road to a night bakery and it comes in hot from the oven, how cool is that. Will definitely be returning there at some point!

I really have grown to love Paris and it is one of my favourite cities, once you know the city a bit more and avoid the touristy areas its the perfect city for a weekend getaway.

Spain

Spain was beautiful, such a nice relaxing, chilled week - I haven't had a relaxing full week at the beach for nearly two years now which is kinda crazy! The day before we flew out news broke that the worst forest fires in a decade had spread through the area we were going to, basically we were flying to Malaga and driving to Estepona but the road we needed to use was right in the middle of these fires. Anyway airports were still open and we figured it would be fine and when we got there the road was open again but it was black along the motorway and there was still smoke in some places from the last of the now dying fire... of course my parents weren't informed of this until I returned to London!! The fire had spread to the forestry near our house so everyone had vacated which meant we had the pool to ourselves for a few days!! Crazy to think we probably would have had to go back to London if we had flown out on the Friday instead...

Nothing major to report other than that, we slept in, swam in the pool, chilled on the beach, ate at yummy restaurants and just really relaxed in the beautiful sun. It felt a bit like home and its so refreshing to walk around in boardies and a singlet again! On one of the nights we went on a boat ride and watched the sunset which was one of my favourite parts of the holiday for sure. There was a marina round the corner from the beach and we had dinner at the restaurants there and I couldn't help but think that for 12 years I lived round the corner from Half Moon Bay marina and only ate there once - its truly amazing what you see when you leave home that you never saw when it was in front of you everyday. 

Whats next? Well this week is the lead up to our fashion show so it will be work work work, the following week we will be in Paris for four days and the most exciting news of all is that I will be heading to Tokyo in 3 weeks time. TOKYO! Since I was 9 years old and first wrote my name in Katakana I have dreamed of Japan and finally I have the opportunity to go with work for 7 days. Following Japan (literally the next week) I will be in Lake Como with work again to develop a project I have been working on for the past few months. Full steam ahead!

Ayr - Beggs Factory

I was lucky enough to stay with my family for an extra day as I had a factory visit in Ayr which is about 2 hours away from where I was in Livingston so first thing Tuesday morning I boarded a train and headed to Ayr. The factory there is incredible, we got a behind the scenes tour to see how all of our goods are manufactured and the factory also produce for the likes of Louis Vuitton and Hermes Paris - its a bit surreal walking around with piles of Louis Vuitton blankets and scarves just sitting there! Its such an interesting process - techniques and machinery are still in use from hundreds of years ago. Everyone was so lovely and welcoming and Ayr itself is a really sweet quaint town. At 6pm we boarded a flight back to London, I have been in the office for 3 days now and am re-packing tonight to head to Spain for a week with some girlfriends where I plan to do nothing but sit on a beach and sip cocktails! Oh la la!

Scotland Family Wedding / Reunion

Last weekend was a bank holiday for England so I booked an extra day and had four days with my family in Scotland. My cousin David got married to his partner of 12 years and it was the first time the whole family had been together since I was 7 years old (minus my parents and brother of course but they sent a message to be read out at the speeches which was really nice). We danced all night long, my legs were sore for days after!! It was my first Scottish family wedding and everyone looked so smart in their kilts - even though I have never lived in Scotland it all feels very natural when I'm up there with the traditions etc and its just great to spend time with everyone. On Sunday my Auntie Ali had a big family BBQ at hers, even though most of us were struggling from the night before it was a great BBQ with lots of food and more drink....! I love getting away to Scotland, at the moment I visit around four times a year and will be up again in November when the All Blacks are playing there so will squeeze in some family time as well as NZ time!

One Year at DAKS

Wow - I can't believe that I have been at Daks for a whole year now! I have had such an incredible year here and have been given so many amazing opportunities - still pinching myself really. I never thought in a million years that I would end up in the fashion industry - it was never my 'thing' but now I just can't get enough of it and am officially hooked! I work with such a talented team who are also now great friends of mine so I couldn't be happier. When I think to back to living at home and hearing stories of designers in London that get to travel to Italy and Paris during the year it just sounded like a movie to me - I mean, I only did see it in the movies - and now thats my life, even writing this now I'm pausing and thinking, wow. The mornings where we get in a black cab and head off to the V&A to see an exhibition or wake up after a nap at a hotel to get a 6am cab and head to Somerset House to work backstage at the fashion show - those are the movie mornings.

I've been working towards this since I started my diploma in computer graphic design when I was 16 years old and ten years down the line I am so proud of my journey through the design world, I really can't imagine any other way of living, I am constantly learning and growing and I just can't seem to get enough of it.

Next month is London fashion week yet again followed by a trip to Paris to the textile fair - I'm staying on for the weekend to have a mini break while I'm there - I never seem to get over seeing seeing the Eiffel Tower its just so breathtaking so were planning a picnic in the park near by as well as exploring the markets for some vintage finds. Before all of this I'm off to Scotland for my cousins wedding then off to Spain for a week of relaxation - all my holidays consist of traveling over chilling so I'm going to take some books and just chill out. I really feel like I could just sit at the beach and stare at the ocean for a week straight!

There are so many exciting projects coming up at Daks over the next year so I'm ready to go into year two with just as much excitement and enthusiasm as when I first started here - I look forward to updating you all with future projects! 

Fare Thee Well Wimbledon - Hello Clapham!

After 11 months in our gorgeous home in Wimbledon (re-named Wimbles or Wimbledoniam) it is time to say goodbye. Where the time has gone I do not know!
I have never lived anywhere else this long that hasn't been a family home (due to me being in the generation of returning home to save some dosh every now and again!) so it has been bitter sweet leaving. I have decided to venture out on my own so I can meet new people and even though it was daunting at first I'm really glad I settled on this decision as I have found a nice new place in Clapham South. Its really hard finding a new place in London, so many factors play into it with cost, location, competition with every other flat hunter and of course finding people you actually like and feel you could live with and vice versa. You have about 10-15 minutes in each house and that includes getting to know the flat mates! After a few months of searching I finally found a house that is 25 minutes to work (I was an hour away in Wimbles) and of course one of my new flatties is a Kiwi and ones an Aussie - but there is one token English! They had around 20 people come to view the place so I was stoked when they called and offered me the room - I saw it on the Monday and by the next night it was settled really - like I said, rooms go quick. So to fare thee well our first home in London we had a tennis themed BBQ at the house with friends! I made tennis ball cake pops which were so cute! Definitely my new craze...

I'm excited about this new chapter in my London life - at first I had minimal things in my room as I was all about saving to travel but seeing that London is now where I live I am going to make this new place more of a home (as in I want to buy photo frames, cushions, candles etc all the little things I initially wanted to do without) so I was a little naughty and splashed out on a beautiful cushion from John Lewis to get things started! Seems I will be here for a while so might as well decorate! I couldn't believe the pile of things I had to move - considering that I only arrived last year with just one suitcase - I have accumulated a fair bit!  

Hope everyone back home is keeping warm, its been really hot here the last week (going to rub it in while I can, tomorrow may be freezing again for all I know!) Will be doing an 'Out and About in London' update soon! Happy weekend to you all!

Royal Windsor Horse Show

A few Sundays ago I went along to The Royal Horse Show with my work colleagues as Daks is one of the key sponsors of this event. It's held annually in Windsor, about an hour from central Waterloo station and is only £4.40 return which is amazing for London! Windsor is such a beautiful, quaint town full of character and history - I had no idea it was there until this trip! I really need to study up more on London... You arrive in a cute little village of commercial shops and as you walk out Windsor castle is right in front of you! Beautiful rivers and parks surround the area making it perfect for picnics on a sunny day (so not that often over here haha!) and the grounds from the station are about a 10 minute walk away.

It was such a fun day out and I'm really glad I went, it was like a huge fair with stalls, rides and of course the show area - we had V.I.P tickets from Daks so got some of the best seats! There was a perfomance from the NZ Army band which was so cool to see! They even did a version of the haka!!! Its buzzy to be in the same place as the Queen and other royals though, its a world you just see in the tabloids or on the news so to be that close was an awesome experience. Highly recommend a visit to Windsor should you ever visit London....