NEW YEAR'S EVE OUTFIT

I am a very lucky girl.

Last week, even with Christmas approaching, my amazing mum took me on a shopping trip to Topshop.  Amongst the several items that she bought for me, she purchased this gorgeous dress which is to be my dress for New Year's Eve. It's a jersey dress with gold lurex top and tulle skirt, and it immediately caught my eye in the store.

TOP 10 CHRISTMAS MOVIES

With Christmas fast approaching, I thought I'd start doing some Christmas related posts. So, here's Christmas Post #1: My Top 10 Christmas Films. Why not start with an easy one?

Christmas is the perfect time to gather round the TV with the family, all in your PJ's eating tons of chocolate, so why not stick on a classic chrimbo film? I can guarantee that I will be watching at least half of these when I return home after my first semester at university in a mere six days time, and I can't wait.

10. The Nightmare Before Christmas

The Nightmare Before Christmas is a 1993 American stop motion musical fantasy film directed by Henry Selick and produced/co-written by Tim Burton, which tells the story of Jack Skellington. A being from "Halloween Town" who opens a portal to "Christmas Town" and decides to celebrate the holiday, with some dastardly and comical consequences.  I am a huge Tim Burton fan and love his weird and wonderful films, with this one being no exception.

IMG NOW SIGNS MODELS NO MATTER WHAT SIZE, AGE OR RACE | FASHION FOCUS

The fashion industry has largely reduced beauty to one size, shape, height, and race for a very long time. Ever since the days "heroin chic" in the nineties, the fashion industry has lacked diversity. All to often, we see the same girls on the runway and in the magazines. 5"10. Size zero. White. Is this what "beauty" looks like to everyone around the world? Top modelling agency IMG seems to have recognised that it is not.

IMG, which represents everyone from Gisele to Joan Smalls to Kate Upton, is now set to starting signing models regardless of their shape, size, age, race, and height. If you've got the talent, they'll sign you. "We want to be an ageless, raceless, weightless agency," IMG Models Senior Vice President and Managing Director Ivan Bart said. "We just want to represent the best people in the industry."

ABERCROMBIE & FITCH'S PLUS SIZE PLANS | FASHION FOCUS

In a bid to attract new customers following dips in sales, Abercrombie & Fitch will start selling clothing in plus sizes for the first time.

The announcement marks a significant departure from the company’s “no plus size” policy, which fails to cater for customers above a size L, or the equivalent of a US size 10 (UK 14).

In recent times Abercrombie has continued to lose out against rival American Eagle Outfitters and fast fashion retailers Forever 21 and H&M.

A&F CEO Mike Jefferies made headlines after a controversial interview where he defended the label’s sizing policy, insisting that “only cool kids” have the right look to shop at Abercrombie.

MOVEMBER INSPIRATION | MEN'S FASHION

During November each year, Movember is responsible for the sprouting of millions of moustaches around the world, raising awareness and funds for prostate and testicular cancer and mental health.

Movember challenges men to grow a moustache for the 30-days of November, thereby changing their appearance and the face of men’s health. For the entire month, these selfless and generous men known as Mo Bros, effectively become walking, talking billboards for 30 days. Through their growing efforts they raise awareness for the often ignored issues of men’s health.

So, one week into Movember, here are some pictures of inspiration. Can you rock a 'tache like these celebs?

Johnny Depp

ALEXA CHUNG | CELEB STYLE

Alexa Chung has for a long time now been one of my favourite people.

When I first got really into fashion aged 13, I cut out loads of pictures from my "substantial" pile of magazines I had already collected to stick on my bedroom door. The above image was one of them. She's at Wireless Festival, and quite frankly, just looks cool. With the definitive Mulberry bag in hand, Alexa was never one to shy away from fashion, and it's safe to say her individualism has made her one of today's style icons.

LOU LOU VINTAGE FAIR

I absolutely love the smell of old things. The musty aroma just brings back so many memories of my nan and granddad's house, and makes me feel like a kid again. So it was no surprise that upon entering the Lou Lou Vintage Fair at the Southampton Guildhall today, I was overwhelmed with happiness. Not only was my sense of smell satisfied, but so was my sense of sight. There were so many amazing clothes around, a feast for the eyes, I didn't know where to look!

WEDNESDAY ADDAMS | GET THE LOOK

wednesday addams by anna-in-venture featuring ankle boots

Yeswalker ankle boots
yesstyle.com

HALLOWEEN FASHION ICONS

Instead of going as the stereotypical "slutty bunny" a la Mean Girls because Halloween is "the one night a year when girls can dress like a total slut and no other girls can say anything about it", I personally prefer going as something somewhat scary - it is HALLOWEEN after all! And so, with this in mind, here are my top 5 Halloween style icons, that hopefully will give you a little inspiration.

1. Wednesday Addams

I actually dressed up as Wednesday last year but I would happily do it again this year!

Get the look: A dress with a white peter pan collar, or a dress and a shirt you can wear underneath (that's what I did), the palest face powder you can find, and a centre parting finished off with tight plaits.

WHAT'S IN MY BAG?

As I said in my previous blog post, last Wednesday I went to Pause's launch party for the 5th issue of their amazing men's fashion magazine.

The best part about the night? The goodie bag! I joke of course - the best part of the night was talking to some of the industries most talented upcoming people and seeing all the clothes from This Is Not Clothing and Borsc London. But it's nice to get free stuff too!

So what was in my bag?

PAUSE MAGAZINE ISSUE 5 LAUNCH | FASHION EVENT

Last Wednesday, I attended Pause Magazine's 5th issue launch, held in Camden.

Despite showing up late (I missed my train!), their was still a great vibe about the place, with drinks flowing, and friendly yet fiercely dressed company.

Bluey Robinson - the Royal issue cover star

VICTORIA BECKHAM | LOOK FOR LESS

look for less #1 by anna-in-venture featuring shirts & blouses

Topshop shirts blouse
topshop.com

Mango boot cut jeans
mango.com

Tan boots
$40 - fashionunion.com

Vera Bradley oversized black sunglasses
verabradley.com

Last month, Victoria Beckham wore a £495 Burberry Prorsum heart-print shirt at New York's JFK airport - now see how you can recreate VB's chic airport look for a fraction of the price!

Lots of love,
Anna x

NEW JUMPER!

I'm not really a big fan of the cold months. The weather makes your hair do crazy things, no matter what you do, you're never quite warm enough, and you it's only light for a few hours a day. But one thing I am a fan of - jumpers.

It's safe to say I have quite a collection of jumpers piling up in my wardrobe (9 + 3 hoodies), and the latest addition is this: a pink and navy jumper from Therapy. I am more of a black and white minimalist dresser, so this purchase is somewhat of an unusual one for me, however I couldn't resist. I absolutely love the colours.  They're not too bright as to give you a headache, but are so warm and inviting - perfect for autumn/winter.

BECOME A DISNEY PRINCESS? YES PLEASE! | FASHION FOCUS

I’m sure it is every little girl’s dream to become a Disney princess, and I’m not ashamed to say that at 18 years old, it is still one of mine. I only just came back from Paris last week, where my family and I revisited Disneyland and recreated photos from 1998.

Still being very much in the Disney spirit, I am very excited to hear that Disney and Harrods will auction off ten Princess-inspired dresses created by some of the world’s most famous fashion houses, including Oscar de la Renta, Versace and Elie Saab. The sale will take place in November at Christie’s, and will raise money for the Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity.

JONATHAN SAUNDERS SS14 | MEN'S FASHION

For the past three days, the fashion world has descended on London for London Collections: Men spring/summer 2014. There have been a lot of amazing displays of men's fashion, but my favourite has to be Jonathan Saunders. He is my absolute favourite menswear designer and in my top two for women's, along with Louis Vuitton. His clothes, for men and women, are the perfect combination of high fashion and wearable styled pieces, with this collection featuring playful prints and strong tailoring.

FITCH, PLEASE! | FASHION FOCUS

When I'm in bed but don’t want to go to sleep, the one place I go to is Youtube. And the channel is Ellen’s.

Last night I stumbled across one of Ellen DeGeneres’s videos titled “Fitch, Please!” and decided to watch it. To my horror did I discovered that Abercrombie & Fitch are not selling “plus size” women’s clothing, and by “plus size” they mean anything over a size 10. And what is the reason for this you may ask? Because they don’t want ”larger” people shopping in their stores because they’re “not cool enough”. Abercrombie doesn’t even list women’s XL or XXL on its size chart.

Excuse my French, but… what da f**k?! 

Ellen was clearly outraged by this, as am I, stating “Since when is something over a size 10 a plus size?”

MARY KATE & ASHLEY | CELEB STYLE

Today is the Olsen twins 27th birthday! For someone who grew up watching them from their days on TV in Two of a Kind, (I was born after the glory days of Full House), to their films including Passport to Paris, Our Lips Are Sealed, Winning London, Holiday in the Sun, When in Rome, and New York Minute, (I had to mention all the good ones!), it seems odd that they’re only nine years older than me. 

They then seamlessly made the transition from actresses to business women, and then to fashion icons. Over the years, they stopped dressing in the same clothes and blossomed into their own styles - Mary Kate is the more quirky of the two, whilst Ashley is sophisticated and chic. Here are some of their best looks…

Clearly still in their "matchy matchy" phase, the twins first showed signs of their budding fashion sense back in March 2002 when they wore matching black dresses with lace detail to the Vanity Fair Oscars party.

HOLOGRAPHIC HEELS

The heeled sandal is a big trend this Spring/Summer and Zara offers some of the best on the high street.

Doing my weekly internet browse on high street websites - let’s face it, we can’t all afford the high end stuff -  it has to be said, Zara provides high fashion looking heels at reasonable price, starting at just £30, and ranging up to an affordable £70. If you're thinking to yourself that that's a little bit out of your budget, I have to say it's a worthy investment. It's all about quality with Zara.

VOGUE FESTIVAL 2013 | FASHION EVENT

Last weekend (Saturday 27th April) I went to the Vogue Festival at London's Southbank Centre with my friend Acadia. The night before I was frantically trying to decide what to wear and finally settled on this: a New Look white shirt, H&M black cardigan, New Look leather jacket, Topshop cigarette trousers, and Primark pumps. I went with this because it was a smart look but still fashionable, and I chose pumps for the comfort factor as after the Vogue Festival I was going to spending the rest of the day (and night) in London for Acadia's 18th birthday celebrations. (HAPPY BIRTHDAY ACADIA!)

Acadia, left, and I posing in front of the "Vogue Wall"

HOLOGRAPHIC | TREND ALERT

My favourite SS13 collections all had a holographic theme which is now a really big trend.

I almost jumped on the hologram band wagon last Friday when I considered buying some metallic heels from H&M but settled for the black version instead. (Read the full story of my shopping adventure here).

The best catwalk examples of the trend: Burberry Prosrum (left), Hugo (centre) and Jonathan Saunders (right).

MONOCHROME MADNESS

It was my birthday last month and I got quite a few gift cards that needed spending, so yesterday I went shopping with my mum after a stressful day at college.

Our first stop: House Of Fraser. Now, I must admit, I never shop there. The only reason I go in is because it's the only way to get into Yo! Sushi. However, I had a card to spend so my mum dragged me in. For those of you who don't know, House Of Fraser is a department store which sells lots of products, including clothes from stores such as Miss Selfridge, Super Dry, French Connection and Oasis.

I tried on a few dresses but none of them seemed to fit right - I am tall and skinny so it's hard to find clothes. The last dress I tried was a black and white sixties shift from Oasis. I loved it. I was so cute and quirky and the sixties is a REALLY BIG trend this spring/summer. But guess what? It was too big.

BEYONCE'S TOUR LOOKS | FASHION FOCUS

After the success of his designs for Rita Ora's Radioactive Tour, Emilio Pucci creative director Peter Dundas has created five looks for the Queen Bey to wear during her Mrs Carter Show tour, which kicked off last night in Belgrade, Serbia.

"Doing Beyoncé's costumes makes a designer want to run home and sketch," he told Vogue. "She is one of the sweetest stars to work with. She knows what she wants and what will work for her, but she respects creativity. I thought she looked incredible in the costumes, but it's difficult to mess things up with her. She's one of those girls who look even more beautiful without make-up."

GWYNETH PALTROW | CELEB STYLE

Gwyneth Paltrow first came to my attention as a style icon when she wore a stunning white Tom Ford dress with a dramtic cape to the Oscars in 2012. If you don't remember the gown, (how is that even possible?!) here's a photo.

BEYONCE IS NEW FACE OF H&M | FASHION FOCUS

It seems Beyoncé's star power is just rising and rising, with her AMAZING perfromance at the Superbowl, her advert for Pepsi showing off all of dance skills from past and present, and now this: starring in H&M's new campaign.

The singer stars in the Swedish retailer's new campaign modelling her super toned body, and a series of bikinis and beachwear inspired by her individual style. A rep for the brand stated that she gave "personal input on the pieces seen in the campaign" - nice to see she's had an input in the collection, and not just modelling for the sake of it. The summer campaign also features a bikini from the H&M for Water collection, which raises money for WaterAid.

PRIMARK'S SWIMWEAR COLLECTION 2013 | FASHION FOCUS

To be honest, these new pictures of Primark's 2013 swimwear collection have made me quite sad... When is it going to get sunny in England? It's supposed to be spring isn't it? Why is it sooooo cold?

Full of tribal prints and Ibiza-ready neons, the collection is perfect whatever your summer plans. And because it's Primark it's all super affordable, with prices starting from as little as £3! So now you've an excuse to pack a different bikini for every day of your holiday, if you can fit them all in next to all your other clothses. However, at 3 quid is does beg the question, are they good quality? And for a girl with small boobs like me I need a bikini that will enhance what little I've got.

VOGUE FESTIVAL TICKET HAS ARRIVED!

Ahhhh! I'm super excited to be going to the 2013 Vogue Festvial.

The festival provides an insight into the world of fashion for all of us mere mortals.

It is on the 27th and 28th of April and there are a wide variety of talks ranging from a behind the scenes look into a Vogue cover shoot to Victoria Beckham speaking about her life and rise to the top of design.

PRADA CANDY L'EAU FILM | FASHION FOCUS

Teaming up with directors Roman Coppola and Wes Anderson, (I loved his film Moonrise Kingdom, so sweet!), Prada celebrates its Prada Candy L'Eau fragrance with a film. Starring French actress and model Léa Seydoux, the short sees her having to decide (or rather not decide) between two men who've fallen in love with her. The perfume's nude and gold Art Deco packaging perfectly complements the romantic and dreamlike Parisian paradise created by Coppola and Anderson. Available in 30ml, 50ml and 80ml bottles, the fragrance is available exclusively at Selfridges from March 28, and nationwide from April 29.

Lots of love, Anna x