#ESPspotlight Review for My Flash Trash: 'NEON Chain' Necklace by Flash Trash Girl!

You know what I love most about the 'NEON Chain' Necklace by Flash Trash Girl? It symbolises everything that someone like me wants from their jewellery. From the moment it arrived, I declared this 'My DIVA Piece'!

Rock On Twitches!

Imagine wearing Tina Turner around your neck in full-on, Ikette mode; it's Dramatic with the long tassles that DEMAND your attention. The jewelled embellishments sit atop those like a crown. Windsor or Bohemian, these rocks Incite a rhapsodical 'Queen-like' feel. Vivacious in a colour that screams sass, this necklace is nothing short of rose gold Attitude on a thin rope chain. As soon as you don it, you'll be powerless to contain your Inner Rock Chick; smacking the innocent out the way in her efforts to escape...Just look at what happened when I did?!

Perfect for the nickel and lead-allergic like myself, I love that the début label from MFT didn't go for the easily obtainable, economically viable materials so favoured by mass-producers, that would exclude sensitive-skinned wearers like myself from indulging. On a 16-inch chain, the 2-inch adjustable extension means that you can play with where it hangs for added impact...

A great way to emphasise the décolletage, dahlings...!

I thought the Lulu Liu AW13 Catwalk Show at London Fashion Week was the perfect place for the 'NEON Chain' Necklace's 'B.A.R.T'...Now if you're wondering what the heck I'm on about, well the concept is quite a simple one. When I sat down to think about how I should approach these reviews and what I, as a consumer would really want to know, as opposed to the typical 'Sales Copy', I decided that just looking at the pretty things wasn't going to cut it. If I'm being asked to part with my hard-earned cash, then I want to know how the product will fare in the Fierce  Female Field and so, the 'Brand Ambassador Road Test' or 'B.A.R.T' for short, was born. Yes, you are permitted to read on with the Bart Simpson song in the back of your mind - I know I will...

Considering the occasion and the finery that surrounded my photog friend Rebecca and I, this necklace caught the attention of a Fashion PR Rep who spends her days in European Fashion Houses with the Best of the Best. It's not heavy and doesn't get caught up in the fabric of what you're wearing like so many fiddly-looking pieces can be prone to do. I thought it was going to be forever annoying me for that very reason but honestly, once it went on, I forgot it was there until the compliments started rolling in!

Post-show with the lovely Alison Lewy, Founder of Fashion Mentoring, Networking and Start Up Assistance Organisation, Fashion Angel (Photography by Rebecca Need-Menear)

A pure, statement addition to your jewellery collection, the 'NEON Chain' Necklace also has matching earrings for added drama...

Available from the My Flash Trash Showroom for £25, or by website order.

The Pink NEON Chain Necklace by Flash Trash Girl

Did you miss my review of the 'Arrows' Headpiece by Culietta? Catch up here!

Feedback is, as always, welcome in the Comment Box below - what do you think of this piece? Do you own the 'NEON Chain'? Does it fuel your Inner Rock Chick? Let me know!

Until next time...
ES ;)

#ESPspotlight Review: LULU LIU CATWALK SHOW, LONDON FASHION WEEK SPECIAL - PART THREE

You could say that the event that I'm featuring in the third and final instalment in the #ESPspotlight London Fashion Week Series was my own personal equivalent of the Olympics Closing Ceremony. Who needs fireworks when you've got a million flashbulbs going off around you?!

Ok fine. A 'million' may be a slight exaggeration - the memory does tend to magnify when it replays in the Hollywood-esque 'movie' in your mind; but when Chinese-British designer Lulu Liu débuted her AW13 Collection at the jawdroppingly magnificent Freemasons Hall this Tuesday; please believe me when I tell you that it was a one of a kind experience. Let the recount begin...

Starting at the very beginning in a Maria Von Trappe type of way, I joined forces with the one and only Rebecca Need-Menear, who was just as excited as Yours Truly to shoot her first catwalk show at London Fashion Week. Now because she doubles as a Rock Star chick with Indie band Anavae, I won't pretend she didn't maintain way more self-contained composure than me. You're reading the hyperactivity on this page, can you imagine what the poor thing had to endure in person?

Making our way to the opulent Freemasons Hall, I was once again taken aback by the friendliness of the Felicities PR team, who immediately remembered me and the gorgeous headpiece I was sporting in my Brand Ambassador role at last Sunday's show. The personal touch is always a stone winner with me, and set a welcome tone for the rest of the show.

The venue itself was a marble testament to the true beauty of structural architecture - something I would soon learn was connected to the type of design construct that we were about to see - more about that shortly...As we reached the open gallery area of the catwalk space, we only had a few seconds to take in the beauty of our surroundings before it was time to get set up and ready. Taking our places alongside other invited press, Caryn Franklin's advice in Part One of this series flitted through my mind as I looked at the rows of seats. Though fully aware that not a one had my name on it, the newbie in me was stuck for a moment as I tried to figure out if I was supposed to sit well, anywhere...or  join Rebecca with the photog line at the front? My green outline felt practically neon...

The Catwalk Space, Freemasons Hall...

Opting for the less embarrassing latter, I parked myself down and took a millisecond to just STOP and drink in my surroundings. Your first catwalk show is not a moment that you will ever get to repeat, so I wanted to make sure that after the blur of trying to capture everything that I saw, in 50 years from now, more than the memories would be golden... The soft lights bathing the entire room in a rich glow, the hushed tones of those in attendance, over midtempo, but still throbbing music that - as Ms Franklin forewarned - had it's own heartbeat that ruled the moment...The sheer electricity in the air that made you hold your breath in anticipation of what was about to come - that is something that I will never forget.

The lights dimmed and a hush fell, my sentimental millisecond was over and 'The Blur' began...As the first model entered, my breath was immediately stolen by the caramel swirl sauntering toward us. As variations mixing cream and chocolate in unusual shapes, topped off by large ruffles and subtle pleats followed, it slowly dawned that we were being taken on a visual journey with just as many twists. The introduction of reds, then blacks, then prints, was done in such a subtle way that you would be completely forgiven for losing track of the speed with which the show was swiftly moving.

For the first time, I truly understood the meaning of the term 'fluid' when applied to a solid thing, with this collection. The smoothness of the transitions weren't just restricted to colours; suedes, satins and leathers made for a striking segue into furs. The continuity of the original foundation palette through the stronger colour blocks and material changes kept a thread of precision from start to finish, that tied a ruffled bow around this entire body of work.

The final parade was like a stream of drama that you could not help but be swept away by. What in theory, may have seemed safe from the restricted number of colours, was actually quite the opposite; so much was done with a select number of colours and different cuts of one printed pattern. Absolutely mesmerising.

One of my favourite moments of the show had to be the shyest designer I've ever seen, nipping out for the quickest praise imaginable - Lulu Liu was a literal mirage, who vanished before we had the chance to see, or salute her for her amazing works, so I will take this opportunity to say:

Congratulations, Ms Liu, on an awe-inspiring collection!

It was probably just as well the show was over so quickly, since it wasn't until the lights went up that I realised I was still holding that same breath since they went down! Just a quick moment to thank Alison Lowe for the invitations to both shows, and say Hello to the lovely Alison Lewy of fashion industry mentoring, networking and business funding organisation Fashion Angel; before it was time to head out and continue riding that potent catwalk energy right to the very words I'm sharing with you five days later...

That, my friends, is what I call 'One Hell of a Show'...

To see Lulu Liu's AW13 collection in full, visit the stunning photo album by Rebecca Need-Menear on the EricaSharlette Promotions Ltd. Facebook Page...

Then connect with Lulu Liu via her Social Media Catalogue:

Twitter / Facebook / Website

Connect with Felicities PR via their Social Media Catalogue:

Twitter / Facebook / Website

And absolutely do not forget to connect with Rebecca Need-Menear via hers!

Twitter / Facebook / Website

I'm off to watch The Oscars now and continue the fashion buzz for as long as it will intoxicate me; but leave your thoughts and comments on this round up and the entire series in the box below - I want to hear your feedback!

Until next time - enjoy the show!

ES ;)

Back At One...

It's a Wednesday that feels like a Monday. The smoke from the fireworks have cleared, the hangovers have died down (for most of you); you're back at work today and the nagging voice of overindulgence is torturing a sea of lost souls just like yours. It can only mean one thing: the calendar has been reset - we're back to zero on the dial.

In typical routine, there have been an abundance of New Year resolutions (some already broken) and '2013 is MY year' status updates - but what does it really mean? As someone who's been through the annual 'This year I'm going to...' rigmarole, I decided to take a fresh approach to wiping the slate clean. I'm treating the new start like that Brian McKnight lyric: "If ever I believe my work is done, then I'll start Back At One..."

All that really matters is what you've achieved in 2013 and nothing says 'resolve' more than devising a plan, organising your methods and putting them all into action. 

The biggest challenge is always figuring out where to start though - right? The first step to getting your show on the road is always the most overlooked and that's where you may be damaging your own future success. I've been doing a fair bit of DIY lately and the more I got stuck in, the more it dawned on me: why am I not treating my projects the way I treat a flatpack assembly? Go with me on this one, there's method in the madness...

If you're anything like me, then you're not picking up that screwdriver without laying out all your tools and components first, triple-checking your manual and making sure that you have everything you need. Why would you treat your precious projects any differently? Before you attempt to make things happen, make sure you've covered ALL your bases, especially the areas that present the greatest challenge. If things don't go according to plan, re-evaluate. And if your project is suffering because there was no concrete plan to begin with, put one in place before you abandon your New Year resolve!

There's not a smart phone in existence that doesn't have notepad and calendar applications. Calenders equal schedules, schedules equal organisation. Even the smallest of projects require effective management. As Fashion Angel Business Mentor, Alison Lewy consistently taught during her seminar at last November's 'StartUp Fashion' event:

"Failing to Plan, is Planning to Fail"

If you're at a loss as to how to set your goals in motion and finding difficulty in getting your ideas to work, then remember that there is no shame in starting Back at One; it's a New Year - we're all doing it! Just remember that you don't need to struggle alone, help is always available and that's why I'm offering...

20% off of all project management services in the ESP Ltd. January sales!

Whether you have a general release coming out, need your promotional base set up and pulled into order, a photo or video shoot arranged, filmed or edited, an event managed, promoted or more; from today until January 13th, benefit from savings across the ESP board to help you reach your goal.  

Happy Planning!

ES ;) 

PS. Fancy a little "Awww!" moment to perk up your 'back to work' woes? Well here you go for the nostalgia - don't say I never give you anything!

Terms and Conditions:

*Provided confirmed orders are placed, actual work dates are at client's discretion (subject to availability).
*Prices in accordance with 2013 price structure. Please contact for free consultation and quote.
*50% deposit payable at time of booking.