Study Update: From then to now – My journey in BA Fashion Marketing & Journalism

I first started blogging at 17 when I was on a journey to discovering my career within fashion, I used Blogspot as the platform to show what I was working on at college. Originally, I never wanted to go to university. I wanted to work my way up in a job after I had missed out on the chance to attend London College of Fashion.

Now, I am 23 and as it turns out... I’m in my final year at University! You would never had guessed that was coming from what I mentioned 10 seconds ago!

Randomly, I rang up my current University inquiring about availability, after seeing on their website they had clearing places. They asked me a few questions and before I knew it, I had a place as a BA Fashion marketing and journalism student. That seems pretty simple, right? Well, the real work was about to begin…

My first year was not what I thought it would be, I expected lots of partying and going wild, but it was completely opposite. Partly that was due to living at home, although on campus it did not have the ‘student party’ vibe that I thought it would - so at 21, I thought I was done with my chances of partying *crying face*.

I also did not realise that I wouldn’t be choosing my own modules. The preset course content included:

-          Fashion History

-          Journalism History

-          Practical Journalism

-          The Practices of Marketing

In year 1 the grades do not count but I still wanted to do well (basically, I turned into the ultimate geek). I felt like I was studying very little fashion and it was extremely journalism focused. I did not enjoy Journalism history as I had no idea about it... But don't we all have that ONE class? 

First year taught me how to step out of my comfort zone and gain contacts, which is a requirement for journalism.

Second year was enjoyable, I gained friendships and confidence (although, I still hate class presentations) and got to choose my modules. Styling and journalism and fashion branding and journalism were my favourite as I got to learn how to be a Stylist, writing for fashion, street style photography and social media in fashion. All which will be so useful in the fashion industry. I experienced things like going to Crown and Magistrates Court to see trials allowing me to gain reporting skills, I got a trip to Paris courtesy of Drapers, invited to the GiambattistaXH&M event and competed in a fashion show!

Third year wasn’t what it’s cracked up to be. Due to the coronavirus it’s all been via zoom and at this point I’m totally ‘ZOOMED’ out! Although the perks are the amount of money saved on travel and I have come up with amazing story ideas.

I got to create my own magazine with a wonderful team, and I came up with the name, @_youngmagazine_ -  check out my articles on page 12 and 34 *squeals with excitement*.

I hope to graduate this year, throw my hat up in the air and get that Instagram pic I’ve been dreaming of without worrying about Covid, #InstagramGoals. This is only just the beginning of my journey into the world of fashion and I can’t wait to share it with you all!

Love Leanne x

Lockdown Skincare Saviours!

Hello Guys,

Todays post is a little different as I think I am yet to do a beauty post. As you all know the world has gone into turmoil, with the case of the invisible virus.. The coronavirus has effected us all. Even though its had devastating effects and will continue to do so, as a world when this is all over hopefully we will unite and get through it.

So with that being said my skin and by the looks of it from social media, plenty of others too has gone and had a little bit of a breakdown since being in isolation and lockdown. I suffer with acne and I have the worst oily skin.. But you know what they say, if you have oily skin you'll age slower. That's a perk!

Since we are stuck indoors, I hopped online to Look Fantastic and Beauty Bay and done a small little order to see if I can keep my skin under control. I thought I'd tell you what I brought, what I currently use and a few of the things I am hoping to get to prevent my skin from flaring up.

Because is it just me that feels like once one breakout goes another one pops up? Its a constant cycle👎

What I brought...

Pixi Glow Tonic - In the run up to me purchasing this I kept on seeing it pop up on influencers Instagrams, YouTube vids ect. So I thought I'd give it a go by purchasing the smaller bottle from Look Fantastic. Turns out I agree, I really like this product it gives you a little 'glow', it seemed to have calmed not just my breakouts but also a little bit of my scarring. It contains glycolic acid in which I think is perfect for acne prone skin.

Mario Badescu Facial Spray - I have used this little beauty for years and had to repurchase! This makes your skin so dewy, so its perfect for going under or on top of your make up. Because I have oily skin, I tend to just use this on its own after I wash my face at night or during the day if I am not going anywhere, I just spritz this on so it settles into my skin. I have recently started to use this on my back and chest as I am starting to get little breakouts there too and so far it's seemed to have soothed it.

Mario Badescu drying lotion - This product is a hit and miss in the beauty industry. Kylie Jenner used to use it but some say it dry's out their skin. For me I am not entirely sure on the product, you're meant to leave it on overnight and let it work its magic.. I put it on and wake up with nothing left on my face, considering I am meant to be able to wash it off in the morning it's obviously not staying put on my skin. I have been trying to leave it on for a couple of hours during the day whilst on lockdown but I still don't notice much of a difference and as one of the most expensive products.. I don't think I'd purchase again.

Mario Badescu items purchased from Beauty Bay. 

Neutrogena Oil Balancing in-shower mask - Although I have two products in this picture I recently purchased this mask as I love face masks. This sounded brilliant as again it has glycolic acid in it. You're meant to place it on to a wet face and then go in the shower and wait for the steam to make the product work (where I am assuming its meant to go hard). I have used this 3 times now and I don't see a difference, its more like an exfoliator than a mask. It doesn't harden or feel like its working into my skin in the shower. I tried to put it on and steam my face but still didn't make a difference.

Cetaphil gentle skin cleanser - Has been my go-to cleanser for years! I am a fan, its a runny but creamy consistency and I find it applies better when I have a dry face and just wet my hands before I spread it on my face. It defiantly is gentle and doesn't make me break out!

Here are some of the other skincare products I use.. Including Niacinamide from The Ordinary, great product but I think my skin has gotten used to it now and isn't working as it should, so considering changing it for another serum. The Ordinary Glycolic Toner, I started using this because I saw Huda Beauty recommend it so I wanted to try, great alternative for the Pixi Glow Toner.

From Primark I purchased their blemish patches but I haven't seen them in their since but these do seem to work really well! I also purchased their vitamin c pads which again, I loved but I have heard that you shouldn't mix vitamin c with acids.. So I have stopped using these for a while but anything with Vitamin C seems to work well for any skin. 

Face masks - I buy a variety of face masks from sheet ones from Garnier to Sephora to Lush's mask of magnaminity.

I also love Garnier's micellar water, so gentle and takes off all my make up before I go in with my normal cleanser! Love it!

These are some of the products I want to get my hands on next:

Garnier active charcoal peel off mask

Bye bye blemish drying lotion - a cheaper solution to Mario Badescu drying lotion

Cerave hydrating cleanser 

Cerave facial moisturising lotion spf 25 - for an everyday spf

Tea tree skin cleansing body wash - for back acne 

The Ordinary Alpha Arbutin - for dark spot scars

I'd like to keep exploring my skincare routine until I get it just right for my acne prone/oily skin type and constantly looking for recommendations, so if you have any feel free to leave a comment! Hope you enjoyed my first ever beauty blog post.. For more on me check out my socials:

Leannesfash - Instagram

Leanneswardrobe - Twitter

Speak to you guys soon!xx

Paris - Drapers trip!

So this post is going to be a little different, grab a cup of tea as it's going to be a long read.

As I went to Paris!! I never thought in a million years would I get the opportunity to head to the city of love and a fashion capital!

My university won a grant from Drapers which contributed to taking a group of students away and as a BA Fashion Marketing and Journalism student, I was one of the lucky few to be chosen.

We started off by heading to St Pancras at 5:30am to get the Eurostar for 7am (early I know but I coped!) - I am one of those that needs a minimum of 6 hours+ to be able to function.. So I was a little worried. We grabbed Pret to keep us going then headed in to check in for the journey ahead.

The Eurostar was quick, highly recommend it took around 2 hours and was a smooth journey. Once we got to Paris, me and my friends decided to hop on a bus to the TimHotel Berthier 17, our home for the next 4 days. It was an eventful bus journey to say the least..

So we settled in for a while and decided to head to Le Valle Village, a designer outlet. The transport systems are a little hard to get used to so finding the RER Trains to get to the outlet was a little difficult and took us a while, around 2 hours later we arrived at Le Valle, you enter a shopping centre, Val d'Europe which leads to the outlet. It has over 115 shops including Gucci, Burberry and UGG.

After a long days shopping we had McDonalds to me it tasted better than the UK. Am I the only one that thinks this? They had potato wedges as well as chips and the cold drinks come in paper coffee cups (very sustainable.. Well done McDonalds, France). Then took the long journey back.

The next day we took the train (which was a double decker!! London you need to up your game) to Palace Versailles, where we had a guided tour. On the way there I had a glance of the Eiffel Tower for the first time, now I really felt like I was in Paris! It was beautiful!

As we approached the palace you could see it from miles away, it was embellished in gold and the palace grounds were enormous. It really made me appreciate what Paris was really about!

 After our guided tour we had free reign of the city, so we headed to the Eiffel Tower to see it up close and personal. It was breath taking, approaching such an iconic sight and seeing it in the flesh was a memory I'd never forget. We decided to go up the Eiffel Tower, which only cost us around 8 euros if you are under 24.

It took us a while to get in but it was worth every second, the views were like no other. Getting the chance to be on top of the Eiffel, looking up to see the twinkling lights going off was an unforgettable moment, I'll be forever grateful for... I'll let the pictures speak for themselves..

The next day our next Parisian spot to check out was the Champs Elysee and Arc Du Tromph. The rain was pouring but it was still worth every second as we stopped off in Sephora, Zara and many other hotspots along the way. We then made our way to a Musee des Arts Decoratifs, which is where we spotted the Lourve but by this time it had started snowing so we only had a quick glimpse. Although we were there for a shoe exhibition, which didn't take long to get around so we dashed over to Galleries Lafeyette to see the beautiful department store in real life.

Highly recommend checking out Galleries Lafeyette, on the top floor they have an open top viewing space where you can see Paris, free of charge (picture above).

From there me and the girls decided to have a much needed beverage at a little bar down the road, which had two for one cocktails.. Always a must after a long day spent shopping!

On the last day and only a few hours left to see the city, we thought we'd get as much done as possible. Our first stop was to see the Notre Dame, which burnt down a few months ago. To this day it is all boarded up and had cranes and building work going on around it, which was very sad. We took a trip down Le Marais, the shopping district and stopped off for a bite to eat.

We found vintage shops, high street shops and another department store. The streets near the Notre Dame were beautiful, full of great little spots to eat, drink and shop. 

From then on we were on a mission to see the rest of Paris, we hopped on the metro to see the Arc de Tromph up close and then headed to the Sacre Coeur. As a spot I'd never heard of I wasn't sure I wanted to go but I am so glad I did. If you climb to the top of the stairs you see another breath taking view of France. Its incredible, as the sun went down and we only had an hour to meet the others until they were heading to the train station to go home we decided to go into the Sarce Coeur church. With tall ceilings and stain glass windows, it was the most peaceful end to our time in Paris. 

Paris it's been a pleasure! Hope you all enjoyed my post. 

How to make a: DIY triangle Bra/Bralet

Hey guys, so today I am going to be showing you how to make your very own DIY Bra or Bralette (Bralet) - as you can see there are many ways to say and spell it so I will let you decide how you want to spell it! But yeah just follow the simple steps to recreate this little beauty similar to triangl swimwear and calvin kleins bralette... but just not so good and professional as theirs I suppose! Sit back, relax with a cup of teas and enjoy... but if your making it then be prepared! ;)

Sunglasses: Primark £2, Sandals: Primark £8, Bag: New Look £15

Phone case: Jack Wills 

All you need is:

- A sewing machine 

- The pattern (above) printed out on A4

- Jersey cotton fabric (with stretch) - Mine was an old primark tshirt

- Sissors

- Elastics: like these: (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Top-Quality-Flat-Woven-Elastic-For-Waistbands-Cuffs-Tailoring-Dressmaking-/200995599036?pt=UK_Crafts_Sewing_Supplies_MJ&var=&hash=item2ecc4572bc)

- Pins

- Thread 

- Measuring tape

- Chalk 

- Ruler

Then (Instructions are on the picture bellow): 

After you've cut the shapes out pin them on to your chosen fabric make sure you have doubled the fabric so you get two cuts from them. You need to do this 4 times so altogether you have 8 triangles!

Then:

Then take the paper and the pins off the material: 

After you take the pins out:

Now this is the time you need your elastic and measuring tape:

You can take a few inches off your straps because of the stretchiness of the elastic.

Now: 

 BUT.. Don't pin it this way pin it where the seam is facing outwards - my mistake, you don't want to know the amount of times I had to redo this part! (see picture below for the right way to pin it)

Once you've repeated it for both you should now have this...

After you've sewn and taken the pins out you flip it inside out and you should end up with this:

Now get more elastic, measuring tape and a bra you own:

I suggest from here that you measure it round your self to see if you need to take some more off the elastic so its not too big or small. And again for the picture below when you've placed the cups where you want them try it on to see if you've pinned them into the right place.

Then once that's finished you...

Mark where you want to sew, pin it together and sew!

... And your done! 

There you have a simple DIY Triangle bra.. inspired by Triangl Swimwear and underwear (which I love but sadly I haven't got a pair, because it's a bit too expensive for a 16 year olds bank account... but maybe one day!). Hope you enjoyed my first tutorial and hope your ones all come out the same, if you have any questions send it too.. Leannesfashionwardrobe@gmail.com but if any of you attempt to make it I'd love to see it so send it through email or twitter which is @Leanne__Powell

Thank you for your time 

Leanne xx

College Fashion Show - My first skirt I made!

Hello Again Guys! Another college post! So recently in college for a few months I was working on a skirt - this was to be the first skirt I've ever made! I had to go through making the twill version (thank god I didn't have to put all the detailing on to the twill - by the way twill means "the practice version") and then making the actual version and plus putting the detailing on to it which was soooo long and tiring at times!!

 This was where I started off the pattern version which I used for both the twill and the real version. My plan was to make a wrap around skirt with button on it and my influence was London - because 1) I couldn't think of anything else to base it on and 2) Why not... London was where I was born really and I LOVE IT!

 All this hard grafting was to try and get an amazing grade (I haven't got the grade back yet unfortunately but after all the hard work I am indeed hoping for a Merit OR Destinction!) and to aim to get my skirt in the yearly college fashion show which is put on at the end of each year and shows many creations and students work!

I did many techniques and was still adding stuff on up until the days of the fashion show approaching. I used techniques such as printing and heat pressing, applique, foiling and more! I did embellishments such as the Big Ben, the London Eye and the Queens head! 

 Finally all my hard work paid off and my skirt was put into the college fashion show with a little more embellishment then it had before! This is a picture of the model strutting her stuff in my FIRST hand-made skirt.

I must say I am rather pleased and very chuffed! I am so proud, it may not be the best skirt but this has certainly spurred me on to make many more in the future... Now I only hope to get a good grade out of it! 

Leanne x