Posh Swaps Blog

A new Vintage Home and Interiors Fair will launch on 16th October at Cecil Sharp House in Primrose Hill. The fair is for lovers of shabby chic and a home filled with the charm of true vintage pieces that bring comfort and beauty from faded textiles and restored vintage furnishings. These together with treasures collected over the years all make an inspiring home which is certainly ‘where the heart is’……..
At the fair you will be able to find selections of vintage furniture, some painted and restored, tableware, glassware, lamps, mirrors, linens, textiles, curtains, eiderdowns and garden items. Also trinkets, treasures and unique gifts.
This is a great shopping alternative to escape the general high street trends and also the many reproduction ‘vintage’ items that appear in abundance! Nothing is comparable to a piece of true vintage.

Sunday 16 October 2011
Entrance to the fair is £2.00
Open from 11.00 a.m. – 5.00 a.m.
Cecil Sharp House, 2 Regents Park Road, London NW1 7AY.

Further Information
www.vintagefashionfairlondon.co.uk
fair@vintagefashionfairlondon.co.uk

Trends are great but they come and go. If you are a true follower of fashion you will need to update your wardrobe constantly to keep up with the latest fashions and trends. If everyone shopped in this way it would have a huge impact on the environment with a high carbon footprint and lots of waste.

Classic pieces of clothing are a great way to build a timeless wardrobe that will effortlessly take you from season to season on style. Most pieces of clothing that have earnt ‘classic’ status have done so for a really good reason. They are usually incredibly flattering and wearable pieces. But if you are worried you will look dated in classic clothes, don’t be. You can pick out some amazing modern classics that combine timeless style with a modern twist. You can also keep your look on trend by adding fashionable accessories. Here are our favourite 4 modern classic pieces.

Sheath Dresses - the sheath dress is a style which has been made popular by Victoria Beckham. It is simple but very stylish and suitable for an range of different occasions.

The Wide Legged Trousers - these are such a flattering cut of trousers, they will never go out of fashion. Whilst peg legged, skinny and harem trousers have come and gone out of fashion wide legged trousers have remained a firm favourite with so mnay stylish women.

The Classic Blazer - you really  can’t go wrong with a classic cut blazer. It is one of the most stylish and flattering pieces of clothing that you can own. Wear with jeans for a casual look or tailored trousers for work. You can even wear with a little dress for the evening.

Floral Shift Dresses - bright florals, romantic florals and ditsy florals all come back into fashion year after year. Pick yourself a simple shift dress for the most timeless style.

Classic clothing is also great for swapping, buying and selling second hand.

Which classic pieces do you love?

The great thing about swapping and buying second hand clothes is that although you might not be buying the latest designer collection, if you know what to look for you can find some great pieces that work perfectly with the seasons new fashion.

Get some fashion inspiration for your swapping and shopping with these 5 trends for SS11.

Stripes - stripes are one of those looks that are always on trend. For SS11 they featured heavily in the Prada collection, a sure sign that they are going to be huge for SS11.

Floral Prints - another look that never really goes out of fashion floral prints just keep on coming back. There were some amazingly bright and colourful prints featured on the catwalk at D&G for SS11.

Bright Colours - the perfect way to get yourself noticed bright colours were the perfect contrast the neutral colours that have become so popular recently. Look out for neons and juicy citrus colours to brighten up your spring wardrobe.

Maxi Skirts - hemlines will be moving downwards for the spring with long ankle length and mid calf length skirts and dresses. As maxi dresses have been popular for some time now there are likely to be some great second hand choices available.

The Seventies - the seventies will have a huge influence o Spring fashion with flare, maxi’s and pussycat bow blouses all featuring. Also watch out for that Studio 54 disco style.

For more ideas on trends for the season ahead check out www.theshoppingforecast.com

The famous fashion sport’s brand O’Neill has announced the launch of their new collection called ECO’Neill- a collection that is made entirely out of eco-friendly and sustainable materials in a new attempt at ‘doing their bit’ for the environment, and so reduce O’Neill’s carbon footprint. As O’Neill is one of the world’s leading companies when it comes to surfing products, the launch (which will be released next Spring), comes to us as extremely good news as they are seen to many as role models for other surfing and sporting brands.

The collection includes board shorts with fabric made from recycled plastic bottles, basic t-shirts, tanks and beanies made entirely from 100 percent organic cotton, and novelty t-shirts and tanks made from 100 percent organic cotton slub jersey. Advertising the new eco-collection is reggae artist and waterman Mishka, who completely supports the launch. He will promote his latest album release ‘Talk About’ to coincide with the launch, and will be giving his fans a preview of the collection during his album tour which started at the beginning of April. As the newest member of the O’Neill family, he will also be contributing to the designs and creative side of further ECO’Neill styles. Also in the coming months ahead, Mishka will then be featuring in advertising for the brand, social media and mobile marketing to show his support for the coming launch. O’Neill is among many different companies- designer and high street- to launch a new eco-friendly range.

Having been around since 1952 when the world’s first neoprene wetsuit was introduced by surfer Jack O’Neill, O’Neill’s are extremely pleased to be able to create such a range made from recycled and organic materials and yet still maintain their surfing image around the world and continuing to deliver to their customers exactly what they need in terms of style, flexibility, and now the knowledge that what they’re wearing is reasonably sourced.

Picture taken from www.fashionunited.co.uk

Some more very green and very stylish posts from our Green Chic friends this week - enjoy!

Factio Magazine goes green this spring with eco chic footwear! Naya shoes are made with style and comfort in mind while still being gentle on the environment.
Fashion Tribes Check out Dita Von Teese in eco-chic, plastic fantastic shoes by Jean Paul Gaultier for Melissa -
Guiltless & Glamorous reviews a hot new cruelty-free skincare line made in Vancouver!
My Beauty Bunny tells us about the new USPS shelter animal stamps that help save animals’ lives!
Posh Swaps has some great tips on organising a clothes swap party or swishing
Runway To Retail checks out the spring/summer 2010 collection of AGGA B.that is sure to intrigue you.

picture from Runway to Retail

A very happy New Year from Posh-swaps.com. We hope that you had a great 2009 and also look forward to lots if swapping in 2010. Here at Posh-swaps.com, we  have made a few changes to the way that you list items to make it even easier for you. You can now upload any size photograph and it will be resized to the required dimensions. Other plans for 2010 include more promotion of the site to increase out user base and the choice of clothes for swappers. We hope to promote eco fashion and sustainable style even more, keeping you up to date with the ultimate in guilt free style. We also hope to organise lots more fun clothes swap parties. Finally, we have no plans to introduce any fees throughout 2010 and beyond. Posh-swaps.com is still completely free to register, list, swap, buy and sell second hand clothes. Please let us know if you have any other ideas or feedback about the site.

The new year is a great time to swap clothes. Why not have a clear out of your wardrobe and swap anything that you no longer wear. If you have not worn something for over a year, then you will probably not wear it again.

If you have received clothes from well meaning friends and family that you just know you won’t wear, instead of leaving it hanging in your cupboard, why not swap it for something you will wear.

If your new years resolution is to lose weight, treat yourself to some new clothes in your new size by swapping your old clothes. A great new wardrobe to suit your figure for free.

Happy New Year and Happy Swapping!

9th January is the  first ever International Day of Swishing as announced by Futerra Communications, a UK sustainability communications agency on swishing.org. ‘Swishing’ is the term coined by Futerra Communications to describe clothes swap parties a phenomena that has become hugely popular all over the world. The dictionary definition of swishing is ‘to rustle as silk’ but the futerra definition is ‘to rustle clothes from friends’.

2010 looks likely to be a year where swishing will increase in popularity. It is a greay way to refresh your wardrobe without racking up debt on your credit card. It is also a great sustainable alternative to shopping, reducing the textile waste in landfill and the environmental impact of clothing manufacture.

To celebrate they will be throwing an eco-fabulous ‘Red Carpet Swish’ at London’s Swanky Andaz Hotel in Liverpool Street, London. At Posh Swaps, we will be celebrating the International Day of Swishing by hosting our own online swap party or swish. There is no exclusive guest list everyone is welcome to list and swap as many clothes as they like for free. We will also be inviting our favourite Fashion Bloggers to come along and join in the swap.

Have you ever wished that you could live a  more green life but just can’t seem to find the time to do so? Finding the most eco friendly options and products can take time and that is something that most of us seem to be very short on. That is why I am really pleased that I came across www.wekangogreen.co.uk, a website that seems to give almost everything that you need to make your life a lot greener and be more eco friendly.

From organic gardening tips to a database of places to recycle and find eco friendly goods to making less waste when you cook, the website is jam packed with really useful information accompanied by charming pictures.The shop stocks almost anything that you could possibly need from cleaning and laundry products to hair care and organic makeup to batteries and even water saving devices. If you though going green would be difficult, this website will make it a whole lot easier.

They even run a stamp reward scheme so going green doesn’t have to be expensive.

The ARISE Promise of Africa collective show will take place at New York Fashion Week on Friday September 11th. This is the second runway show to be presented as part of the ARISE Magazine founder Nduka Obaigbena’s vision of bringing a changing roster of rising and influential designers from across the African continent to New York each season. This season’s designers are David Tlale (South Africa), Eric Raisina (Madagascar), Tiffany Amber (Nigeria), and Jewel by Lisa (Nigeria). David Tlale and Tiffany Amber were co-winners of the ARISE Africa Fashion Awards in Johannesburg this past June, giving them the opportunity to show in New York.

The second runway show in what will be a biannual tradition for New York Fashion Week, the ARISE Collective will feature designers from South Africa, Nigeria, and Madagascar on fashion’s most influential stage, presented by ARISE Magazine. All four designers in the ARISE Collective are celebrated in their native countries and are honored to be seen as some of Africa’s many promises in the continent’s bright future.

David Tlalewas one of two designers awarded Designer of the Year at the ARISE Africa Fashion Awards in Johannesburg this past June, giving him the opportunity to present in New York for the first time.“I’m very excited about this once in a lifetime opportunity,” Tlale said. “I never thought I’d show at New York Fashion Week in the Bryant Park tents this early in my career. It’s the right time to show the world what Africa has to offer

Tiffany Amber, by Nigerian designer Folake Folarin-Coker, first showed in New York as part of the inaugural ARISE Collective runway show in February 2009 “The reviews and the comments made by the industry professionals, audience members and customers was overwhelming,” Folarin-Coker said. “It was a good wake up call, there is a market out there that wants to see Africa’s vision, hear our stories and follow our lines. Also showing in New York as part of the ARISE Collective for the first time are Madagascar-born textile wizard Eric Raisina, who pioneered “silk fur” through his work with artisans throughout Cambodia, Madagascar, and the ateliers of Paris, and Jewel by Lisa the Nigerian label of Lisa Folawiyo, which features heavily embellished and handcrafted Ankara fabric.

The show will be run by renowned show producer, who has worked with international celebrities such as Elton John, Tyra Banks, and John Legend for more than two decades.Continuing the tradition of exposure for culturally-diverse designers is vital to ARISE Magazine founder and THISDAY GROUP Chairman Nduka Obaigbena

ARISE Magazine

ARISE, launched in February 2009, is the world’s first magazine on global African style, culture, business and politics. Produced in London, ARISE is published by THISDAY Media Group, Leaders & Company Ltd, one of Africa’s leading daily news outlets. THISDAY events, including the THISDAY Awards and THISDAY Music and Fashion Festivals, have brought music and fashion icons as well as world and business leaders to Lagos, Abuja, London and Washington, DC, including Bill Clinton, Jay-Z, Beyoncé, Rihanna, Usher, and many more. ARISE is published by THISDAY Media Group, Leaders & Company Ltd. and can be found on the web at www.ariselive.com.

picture from www.ericraisina.com

The Wottle, a collaboration between designer Orla Kiely and water filter company Brita is quite simply a reusable water bottle. Nothing revolutionary about but a great idea and looks pretty good two. The constant use and subsequent disposal of plastic water bottles is very damaging to the environment. Not only is there the problem of landfill to consider but also the use of valuable and non renewable resources to keep manufacturer plastic bottles for just one use. The Wottle eliminates both of these problems and can just be reused each day by refilling with tap water or water from a filter jug.

The Wottle is manufactured from recycled plastic further adding to it eco friendly credentials. It is also a lot cheaper option than spending money on bottles of water. I think the Orla Kieley leaf design also makes this  a much more stylish option than a normal bottle of water.