Friday 19 November 2010

Tom Ford Shades

Tom Ford sunglasses are the business. Always oversized and generally rocking a retro vibe they are the celebrity’s shade of choice. Universally loved by Hollywood’s leading ladies (and men), Jennifer Lopez, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt have all been snapped modelling Tom Ford shades in recent months.

Nicholas Hoult has become the poster boy for Tom Ford sunglasses, since starring in Ford’s Directorial Debut, ‘A Leading Man’. Alongside his female sidekick Carolyn Murphy, his face is regularly splashed across the fashion glossies and billboards. It’s certainly been an interesting career trajectory since his geeky turn in Nicholas Parson’s ‘About a boy’!

Tom Ford is primarily known for his menswear and accessories but this year he shocked the fashion world by throwing a surprise ‘Cocktail Party’ which was in fact designed to reveal his first womenswear collection in 6 years. Top fashion folk were invited to the ‘Cocktail Party’ which was held in New York and had all the hallmarks of a Fifties couture show. Ford asked women that inspired him to model his spring/summer ‘11 collection, among them were; Beyonce Knowles, Julianne Moore, Daphne Guinness, Lauren Hutton and Amber Valetta. Ford commented “I want to concentrate on real women and the real customer. It’s all about individuality, individual style, different body types, women who have their own style.” One official photographer was present to avoid press leaks and its rumoured photos of the show will not be released until January next year!

Such secrecy has created even more of a buzz about Tom Ford. If this story is anything to go by then every woman in the fashion-know is going to have Tom Ford on her radar! As is always the case designer clothes are way beyond our budget, but thankfully with a little scrimping and saving, designer sunglasses are not! With this year and next, seemingly obsessed with all things vintage, Tom Ford sunglasses are the perfect label to hit the retro mark. There are so many different styles and most of them are beautifully oversized which was such a common trait in the ’50s, ’60s and ’70s.

Thankfully the sun hasn’t disappeared just yet and there’s always the need for the perfect pair of shades to take you through the winter. In order to be bang on the money for next year’s big trends we’d suggest investing in a pair of Tom Ford sunglasses and you won’t be disappointed!

Thursday 9 September 2010

Vogue's Fashion Night Out

Having finished my marketing course early on Weds 8th Sept in Regent St, I thought I'd have a cheeky browse around Topshop and slink off home. However as soon as I hit Oxford Circus I realised this was no ordinary Wednesday night.. it was in fact 'Vogue's Fashion Night Out'. Brilliant.

Free cranberry and gin cocktails in Toppers, mad booming music in the lingerie shop on the corner, martini's and a photo booth in River Island, live styling in the window of Pull and Bear, 'walking in high heels' lessons in Selfridges along with free tequilla slushies and a celeb sighting! None other than pregnant Lily Allen, looking very glamorous, holding court in The Wonder Room in Selfridges at a private party.

The West End was awash with beautiful, sexy, fashion people and the paps! There was a real energy and excitement and I got on the train back home on a high - that may have been the tequilla though!

Monday 16 August 2010

New Shade Station Lifestyle section!

Have you seen our hot new Shade Station Lifestyle section? If you’ve yet to check out our fab community pages then you’re missing out! With fresh booty to be won every month, an up-to-the-minute celebrity sunglasses and watches guide, discounts, blogs, free wall paper to download and a chance to get your pic on the website, our lifestyle section is fast becoming a vibrant hub of activity.

We’re as obsessed with celebrities as the next person and we’re especially keen to know what branded sunglasses, watches and accessories they’re wearing. Why you ask? Well, so we can let you, our fab Shade Station customer, know exactly who’s wearing what, what’s hot this season and how you can bag a bit of celebrity style. Every week we feature sizzling hot designer sunglasses in our ‘As seen on…’ section, and then add a cheeky discount. Now who can resist a bargain?

You can follow the latest style news and learn all about established sunglasses and wristwear brands and upcoming designer labels in our Shade Station Style Blog, which is fresh and celebrity focused. What’s more you can download cool wall paper for your computer desk top or peruse the snaps from our latest fashion shoots.

But we’ve left the best to last, why not let rip with a ‘Hello World – Check me Out!’ and get your mug shot pinned on the Shade Station website! You can even win money for it! Our ‘Get your pics out’ section is a chance for you to show everyone your beautiful face in your best sunnies. Just go to ‘Get your pics out’, upload a picture of you in your Shade Station sunglasses and then sit back and wait for the phone call! Well that’s not strictly true, all our lifestyle visitors will vote for their favourite pic by clicking on the shot. The person with the most clicks in a month will win £50 – depending on how expensive your taste is, that’s a new watch or a half price pair of sunnies! If you’re shy and would rather remain behind the camera, you can still join in the fun by voting for your preferred photo.

Our lifestyle section is designed with you in mind and we hope you like it. Check in regularly for the latest celeb style, seasonal trends, discount brands and get your face seen in ‘Get your pics out’. Get involved, tell all your friends about us and we’ll love you forever!

Thursday 24 June 2010

Ray Ban have Summer Stitched up!

If you’re not in Ray Ban sunglasses this summer you may find yourself in the minority… The Ray Ban craze shows no signs of abating – quite the contrary in fact as they’ve already updated their tasty portfolio of shades this year.

At the beginning of 2010 Ray Ban introduced their ‘Rare Prints’ range of Wayfarer sunglasses – a twist on the original block shades, with subway designs, floral motifs and stripes. In addition to some snazzy prints, Ray Ban have released the Wayfarer II, an update on the Wayfarer style with two tone coloured frame and arms. The summer is the perfect time to add more colour to your palette and Ray Ban make it super easy, as so many of their Wayfarer designs are colourtastic! Just pop a pair on and you’ve nailed a couple of trends in one go!

Most young celebrities acknowledge the style power of Ray Ban Wayfarer sunglasses and some are die-hard fans. Stylish men and women who wear Wayfarers include; Rachel Bilson, Kate Bosworth, Dominic Cooper and Robert Pattinson.

Continuing with the colour theme and also picking up on our love for oversized shades, Ray Ban’s Cats 1000 are a great pair of sunglasses to cover your peepers this summer. With acetate frames, massive lenses and a retro style, the Cats 1000 come in a range of bright colours including acid pink and yellow, tortoiseshell and two tone.

Another hit this summer for Ray Ban has been their sunglasses style RB4141. A little like a re-worked Club Master, but with Wayfarer arms, these shades have smaller round lenses and smack of Sixties vintage with a new age twist. Worn by the likes of Lady Gaga and Pixie Geldof, the perfectly round lenses are a huge trend this season.

And finally we couldn’t leave without mentioning our love of Ray Ban Aviator sunglasses. The original and still the best – these beauties were designed for pilots back in the day and now adorn everyone from Cheryl Cole, Kylie, Tom Cruise and David Beckham. Loved by all and sympathetic to most face shapes, Aviators are the classic stylish option to some of Ray Ban’s wackier styles.

Tuesday 22 June 2010

2010 Festival Sunglasses Trends

Summer is officially here, the sun is shining and we couldn’t be happier! With the warmer months comes the usual smorgasbord of amazing festivals to get your hedonistic thrills at. Whether you enjoy moshing at ‘Download’, country pursuits at ‘The Green Man’, teenage kicks at ‘V Festival’, fancy dress at ‘Bestival’, glamour at newbie ‘Vintage at Goodwood’ or the mystic of ‘Glastonbury’, you must ensure you’re dressed for the occasion.

Festivals, fashionable summer gear and cool sunglasses all go hand in hand. Maybe it’s the influence of Gaga or perhaps Dita Von Teese, but this summer is all about kooky and vintage. With styles from the Fifties and Sixties making a comeback, we predict this year’s festivals to be awash with vintage shaped sunglasses in a cat’s eye style or small round frames, oversized sunglasses in reds, greens and brown and retro-looking shades.

The festival season kicked off with April’s Coachella Festival in California, where a host of celebrities dazzled with their fashionable threads and on-trend sunglasses. Kelly Osborne was spotted wearing small round framed lilac sunglasses, Katy Perry went retro in angular black frames with a bold white stripe across the top, Dita Von Teese personified Fifties elegance in oversized brown sunglasses with graduated lenses and Kate Bosworth dressed to impress in classic Ray Ban Aviators.

Aviators and Wayfarers from Ray Ban transcend fashion and will always be popular and current. For classic sunglasses you can’t go wrong with either of these styles for festival frolicking. The same goes for oversized glam shades. Designers like Gucci, Bvlgari, Versace, D&G, MDG Sunglasses, Chanel and Pucci all have great sunglasses for summer goddess style. On the other hand if you’re a seasonal type of girl with a desire to look fabulous and ‘now’ – take a leaf from Kelly O’s book and opt for small round shades. This style was all over the spring / summer catwalks and looks great in pastel coloured frames teamed with a floral frock or playsuit. Or you may want to play the vintage diva with cats eye shaped sunglasses – again a strong trend on the catwalk this year. Look to brands like Prada and Marc Jacobs to achieve this look.

We’ve got our Big Chill tickets and our festival sunnies sorted. Now it’s just a case of praying for sunshine! Here’s hoping….

Tuesday 25 May 2010

Crazy for MDG Sunglasses

Well it looks like the Queen of Pop has another big hit on her hands… Following her successful turn advertising Dolce and Gabanna’s Spring / Summer 2010 collection, Madonna has joined forces with the Italian duo to design and produce a portfolio of fabulous sunglasses. With a history of bold fashion choices and a popular collaboration with H and M, it’s unsurprising that the original Material Girl has chosen to venture further down the fashion path.

Available next month at Shade Station, the MDG collection consists of 6 pairs of oversized sunglasses that have had both fashion people and journalists gushing.
It is the first time D and G have ever ‘co-branded’ a collection and it is testament to the strength of their relationship with Madonna, that she is the first. Of the alliance they said “Designing an eyewear line with Madonna was a new experience for us. The oversized and wraparound designs are sexy and very feminine, like our clothes. Madonna’s creative contribution and unique point of view were key, even in designing the MDG logo.”

The MDG sunglasses bear both Madonna’s name and the MDG logo on each arm and are definitely one of the hottest brands to be seen in this summer. Of the six styles, three are classic Riviera style, with thick black frames in round, square and oval with dark lenses. There is an unusual pair with transparent red frames and mottled red and grey arms and the final two are more ‘matrix’ looking with a metal top bar and graduated lenses.

The hype around this first MDG Sunglasses collection is enormous and we can’t wait to get our sweaty hands on these knock out shades! We’re certain this range is going to go like hot cakes so to be sure you’re in Vogue this Summer keep a keen eye on Shade Station…

Tuesday 4 May 2010

Blogging

I'm currently sat in class 3/4 of the way through a 12 hr social media crash course.... Ultimately I'm hoping it will give me some hints and tips to help me write my Digital Marketing Plan for my Digital Diploma and also enable me to promote The Marketers' Forum to a greater extent online.

So far I've learnt the importance of discovering your 'Core Process' in order to display your vulnerability online and encourage people to engage and participate with you, particularly when blogging. After some discussion, soul searching and a little help I came to realise my 'Core Process' is 'Creating Environments'. With this in mind, I need to go ahead and let this drive my online activity and build my 'brand'.

Until people start engaging with my blogs and participating with comments and discussion, I am simply 'Social Broadcasting'(Penny Power). In time I hope this will change and I can encourage people who read my blogs to get involved!

Blogs should be the 'nerve centre' to your website!

Friday 9 April 2010

We love Ray Bans!

Have you seen the one where the guy gets a pair of Ray Ban Wayfarer sunglasses tattooed to his face? Or the one where the
chameleon changes colour every time it touches a 'Colourized' pair of Ray Ban sunnies? Or the one where a cow gives birth to a naked skinny man wearing white Ray Ban shades? Or even the one where 100 people freestyle wearing a selection of Ray Ban sunglasses?

Thanks to the internet, companies like Ray Ban are finding crazy, hilarious and abstract ways to advertise their product and make some global noise. Clever, off-the wall short virals are without a doubt one of the hottest ways in 2010 to get people talking about a brand. Ray Ban has always been slightly ahead of the curve and their sunglasses appeal massively to the internet generation, thanks to their retro, classic designs, cool advertising and huge celebrity endorsement.

Hot young thing Marina, the flame haired lead singer of band 'Marina and the Diamonds', always carries a pair of Ray Ban Wayfarers in her handbag, even at red carpet events. In this month’s Instyle magazine she is quoted at The Brits saying her Wayfarers "... are great on no make-up days." Other fans of Ray Bans are well documented. You name a young Hollywood celebrity and they’ve probably been pictured in a pair of Ray Ban Wayfarers, Ray Ban Clubmasters or the classic Ray Ban Aviator.

New to the Ray Ban collective this year is the Rare Prints line and The Outdoorsman range. Adding a fresh twist to 2 old classics, Ray Ban have rejuvenated their already incredibly popular Wayfarer and Aviator styles to bring them bang up to date for a new decade. The humble Wayfarer has been attacked with stripes, pastel floral patterns and even a subway map for 2010 and the ever so stylish ‘suits anyone’ Aviator has been given a facelift with a luxurious hint of leather across the bridge,

If the Met Office is anything to go by, we’re in for a scorcher this Summer, so make sure you spend the sunny season protecting your eyes with the coolest brand on the sunglasses block.

Thursday 1 April 2010

70's Influenced Tom Ford Shades

Although Tom Ford’s directorial debut ‘A Single Man’ narrowly missed out of an Oscar this year for it’s leading man, Ford was still a winner in the fashion stakes. Dressing both the Oscar hosts, Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin, he also created a one off tuxedo for Colin Firth with ‘For Colin Firth’ stitched inside the jacket.

Actors like Brad Pitt, are well known to be fans of Tom Ford’s stylish clothes label and although Ford hasn’t yet produced a fashion line for women, he designs sunglasses for both sexes. The current Tom Ford sunglasses campaign shot by the man himself, sees ‘About a Boy’ actor and current Tom Ford muse, Nicholas Hoult, looking suave working the camera with honey blonde model Carolyn Murphy. The campaign is playful and sexy, with both Hoult and Murphy taking it in turns to wear his and hers, thick black 70’s influenced Tom Ford sunglasses.

The retro style oversized sunglasses Carolyn Murphy is sporting, are called ‘Nico’ and are from the new Tom Ford sunglasses range. Other new sunnies include Aviator style ‘Ramone’, ‘Peter’ and ‘Marco’, oversize cut out styles ‘Carla’ and ‘Clemence’, thick contemporary frames ‘Patek’ and ‘Claudia’ and the Tom Ford ’special cross over’ designs ‘Eugenia’ and ‘Georgette’.

Tuesday 23 March 2010

Lux Michael Kors watches

Michael Kors is an American power house. Not only is he a lux designer of great note, he has a starring role in TV’s Project Runway and is the recipient of this year’s Lifetime Achievement Award from the prestigious Council of Fashion Designers of America (that’s the fashion Oscars to you and me!) Where does a man who is juggling some serious balls have time to breathe, let alone embark on new projects? His latest is a fabulous new make-up line in collaboration with Estee Lauder, aptly named ‘Very Hollywood’.

Michael Kors counts some of Hollywood’s leading ladies among his loyal fans. Packing a punch at the Oscar parties this year was Jennifer Hudson in a midnight blue Michael Kors gown and comedian of the moment, Tina Fey, in a dazzling one-shouldered Kors number. These ladies made the headlines and created quite a buzz for the Michael Kors brand…

Michael describes the type of women he creates clothes and watches for as “… a woman of any age, any nationality and who is fashion conscious without being a fashion victim”. Sounds like anyone of us, if only we could afford some of his beautiful designer lux clothing! Thankfully his watches, sunglasses and accessories are a little more affordable.

Michael Kors watches are very elegant and stylish, in keeping with the beautiful clothes he produces. We especially love all the tortoiseshell watches in his collection. Tortoiseshell continues to have a strong fashion presence this year and Kors ensures there’s plenty of the wonderful print to go around. There’s no shortage of vintage gold and white Michael Kors watches either, which all makes for a classically decadent collection.