My menswear is in a magazine!

Hello guys and gals,

Just a quick post to say I've got a new post over at Moustaches and Monocles!
Please do pop over and have a look, it's pretty exciting for me.

Here's a preview:

Pip pip xx

Jeepers creepers, I am a magpie!

Oh me, oh my.

Life has been ever so busy again, as per usual. But I'm taking this opportunity (before another nightshift) to update and upload. 

So last weekend, I had a really great photoshoot for my menswear collection to be in an online magazine. I have seen the pictures and ever so pleased with them. I will give you more info and share the pictures when the magazine launches!

Now I've recently been doing a lot of shopping on ebay, what with it being mothers day/birthdays etc coming up. The trouble I have with ebay is that it's so easy to shop...and spend! I can sit on my sofa and rifle through pages of treasures and junk, until you find that perfect something. And usually for a bargain price if you're lucky! It's also always enjoyable to recieve things in the post, so another positive.

...........BUT, it is so easy to spend! It's not like real money, it's just pressing buttons isn't it. Ha.

And, I can't bear it if I lose something I've been bidding on! It drives me insane.

Do you girls have the same strange relationship with ebay?

Here is a beauty that arrived this morning from ebay for myself (the rest have been rather wonderful presents for others):

Vintage 40's shrug: ebay, £1.30 (+£2.50 p&p)

A pretty big bargain eh? 

I just love the print and the texture of the fabric. 

It's a bit discoloured, and tatty but I can make the mends to it. Now I just need to find something plain enough to wear it with (I am constantly drawn to prints, so sometimes it can be hard to find things that match)!

What are your best ebay bargains?

Pip pip xx

Menswear style inspiration: my Dad.

I have started a menswear blog, because I have all these menswear inspirations and ideas and, due to being a vintage-sporting female, not able to express them. ET VOILA....here is born 'Moustaches & Monocles'!

My first post is about my own Dad's sartorial stylings!

Pip pip xx

Embroidery, James Long and London Fashion Week!

Just a quick post from me tonight!

I was reminiscing about my degree and looking back on some past work, and stumbled across these photos of some work I had the honour of getting to be involved in!

Below is a photo I took of some serious embroidery I worked on for the menswear designer James Long on his collection for his show in London Fashion Week AW09...

 

 

I worked on this showpiece alongside my friend Rebecca and the lovely designer/ebroidery king Scott Ramsay Kyle; we spent three whole weeks of almost uninterrupted embroidery (in the design studios, on the bus, in bed). Me and Rebecca's nicknames at the studios were 'Dot & Deirdre' due to our days being spent sat in the corner wearing our fur coats and gossiping whilst eating buscuits and doing the ebroidery!
But, I'm sure you'll agree that the result were worth it. Especially sitting at LFW watching the finished piece come down the catwalk!

 

The home of this picture can be found here. 

Pip pip xx

Ten things...

Hello lovely readers!

My oh my, it's nearly Christmas! Can you believe it? This last week has been sooooo incredibly busy that I am absolutely exhausted! I have a big ol' list of things I need to do before I go home to see my fam for Christmas, but I just can't bring myself to do any of them when I get in after work, so instead, having exhausted my efforts doing my Christmas cards, I am in bed and fighting back the zzz's to catch up on the land of the blogs...

My friend over at My Spare Time Retreat did an nice little post of ten interesting things about her life other than her Gyaru interests.

Here are ten things about me that you may or may not know:

1.

I have an obsession with vintage suitcases and other such cases. I just love them. There's something about the history of a well worn, well travelled case. I have a lot of different battered cases, with different names written inside, and lined in tatty papers. I also have a most fabulous set of cream 1940's Samsonite suitcases in near perfect condition! 

 2.

I am a Visual Merchandiser for Topman! I have a bit of an obsession with Topman collections such as LTD and their collaborations as well as their smart department product (especially this season with their beautiful Harris Tweed collection).

3.

 

I have a degree in Fashion Design, from which I graduated in June. I specialised in menswear for my second and third years an above is an outfit from my pre-collection. It still amazes me that I actually made it!

4.

 

My maternal Grandad is Indian...well, born in Burma (now Mayanmar) but his family were from India originally. My Mumma's maiden name was Sulaiman, which I have always been jealous of not getting to have myself! This is a very old photo of my Grandad, my Mumma and her siblings (Grandad on the far left, Mum is bottom right)!

5.

I have 3(!) middle names.

My full name is Rosie Alia Epithany Arran Johnson.

Alia...an Indian name and the name of my Auntie.

Epithany...from Silas Marner which used to be my Mumma's favourite film (it should be spelt Epiphany, but my silly Daddy spelt it wrong on my birth certificate, oops!).

Arran...as in the Scottish Isle of Arran (not the boys name Aaron, as people often ask) which is where my Mumma and Dad went on honeymoon when they were pregnant with me!

6.

 

I love typewriters. I own three currently. And I like to use them much more than I like to use a computer keyboard...I'm trying to pressure Mr Mike into trying to make me a modified typewriter computer keyboard (It apparently can be done, he found it on a website somewhere). My dream is to have a modified laptop integrated into a suitcase or some such beautiful exterior casing!

7.

 

I love making things, especially for presents! I enjoy making someone I love a thoughtful homemade and personal present...but then so do my Mum and Step-Mum, so I guess I've been influenced by the wonderful presents I have recieved over the years.

8.

 

I have a lot of name-shares and name-coincidences in my family.

My name is Rosie (Johnson). My Step-Mum's name is also Rosie (Johnson too, because she is married to my Dad). 

Alia is my middle name and also my auntie's name. 

Ian is my Dad, Step-Dad and even Mr Mike's Dad's name.

There is also several family members on my maternal side who share names (aunties, uncles and cousins).

This all tends to confuse people rather a lot!

9.

I am inquisitive....and generally a little bit confused!

I am very easily confused, as it seems that a lot of information just seems to immediately fall out of my head, instead of staying in it and getting filed away under "may come in handy" or "need to know". I don't really know why this is, but Mr Mike spends a lot of time laughing at my questions/cluelessness and saying "are you being serious?".

Oh dearie me!

I like to think that maybe it's slightly endearing? Ha ha!

 10. 

 

My favourite thing at the Wellcome Collection is the glass case of old artificial limbs. I think they are beautiful things and I did a couple of projects in uni where research was taken from studying these! I adore the system of pulleys and levers some have, the lacing of old wood and leather ones and the shiny metal ones still made to look like real limbs. For some reason they really amaze me!

I must sleep now, as I'm literally falling asleep on my laptop.
Why not do this post yourself, it would be nice to know more about you all!

Pip pi....zzzzzz
xx

It's been a while.....

SORRY!
I have been away far too long.
This is mainly because i have been busy finishing university work, having my graduate show, and then (luckily, after my new bed arrived) getting ill and remaining in bed for far too long!

On the 23rd of April, I had my graduate show. I have now just about finished my three years at uni, and two of those years i have spent specialising in menswear. My graduate show went well and here are some photos of my collection.....

Morbid Anatomy by Rosie Alia

Look 1:
Cells Jumper,
Muscle Shirt,
Muscle Trousers.

Look 2:

Back Brace Harness

Ribcage Shirt

Dissectional Trousers

Outfit 3:

Second-Skin Jacket

Cells Vest

Intestinal Trousers

 

 These are my favourite shoes in the whole world, and they finally got a decent outing at my show! I made myself a skirt out of some remnants from my collection too.

**************

SO, I've almost finished uni now, which is insane. Now starts the hellish jobsearch........

byeeeee x