Shepherds Bush Market

Shepherds Bush Market entrance

sells everything from food to zips!

multi patterned and textured fabrics from toile to tweed

wonderful detail

funky polka dots - in fabric shop in the market

silk flowers 

more variety

Aladdin's cave of accessories

The best sewing accessories/ equipment stall - 

Hats galore!

more from above stall

 A Mad Men copy - not bad!

Ethnic prints....

jewels fit for Kate Middleton!

Walk from one end to the next of Shepherds Bush Market from the tube station end and you will come to the mecca of fabric shops 12 in total all on Goldawk road.

one of many excellent fabric shops....

see the Goldhawk Road shop fronts reflected in the window, old London history under threat....

these shops under threat from developers....

Cotton prints above

wonderful Wools and Tweeds

plain cottons, jerseys and Xmas print cottons

pretty cottons

Corduroys

sheer fabrics in a variety of patterns

all that glitters for ball gowns and party frocks

window display showing selection of seasonal sparklies for party frocks

Shepherds Bush Market has all the magic of Londons' multicultural consumable diversity and character  you could possibly wish for. We were following the 'sew your own' fabric trail from North to West London in search of beautiful and reasonably priced varieties. Our travels lead us along Shepherds bush Market to Goldhawk Rd which is we discovered the mecca for gorgeous fabrics of all types from Harris Tweed, fake fur, pattered corduroy, toile, jersey, Viyella, Swiss Cotton, cotton prints, Tartan, bejewelled silks to simple felt. The shops may not be Liberty of London but we found them far more exciting and satisfying because the choice was so vast and diverse the prices so economically viable and the service totally wonderful.

A- ONE -FABRICS was our first port of call on Goldhawk road, tardis like the shop was jam packed with fabric and customers. One could literally make anything from a ball gown to a Harris tweed coat with the fabric quality available. 

100% wool Hounds Tooth check and tweeds from £8.00 to £25 a metre were our quest. There were lining fabrics of a variety of colours to go with your outer fabric choices. Classic Textiles next door sells gentlemen's suiting and shirt fabrics, silks, tweeds, jerseys and much more. The manager manning the till did a fabric content test on my woven fabric choice and yes it was 100% wool.

This area is right next to the new vast West Field Shopping centre. The Goldhawk Rd fabric shops like much of Victorian London has been there for hundreds of years, infact the first fabric shop opened there 300 years ago apparently. We found to our horror that they are all under threat of extinction due to the fact that the council is backing a huge new development of flats to be built behind them, in order to do so the shops are being threatened with compulsory purchase. I think the developers Orion will have a fight on their hands though as the local support against this project is fierce and determined with enough financial backing they hope to hire a top lawyer to fight their corner, see their facebook campaign called 'save 30 - 52 Goldhawk road'.

Student job - Laura Ashley

Product Assistant
Laura Ashley

Laura Ashley, the international Home Furnishings and Fashion lifestyle retailer, is seeking a motivated Product Assistant to join their busy Mail Order catalogue department.

Duties: This is a varied role working on a range of projects within the department including the following; assisting the Production Manager in all aspects of the catalogue production process, co-ordinating internet photography requirements and providing accounts and administration support to the department.

Requirements: The ideal candidate will have a minimum of 1 years experience in a similar role, be highly organised with the ability to meet tight deadlines. Excellent communication skills are also a must as you will be required to liase with internal teams and external supplies. A good working knowledge of Excel and Word are also required.

Applicants must have an understanding of photography or design and be interested in fashion and home products. Knowledge of Photoshop will also be an advantage.

Hours: 37.5 hours

Salary: £16,000 - £17,000

Website: www.lauraashley.com

To apply: If you would like to apply for this vacancy please send your CV and a covering letter, stating your current salary & benefits package to careers@lauraashley.com. Please note that due to the volume of applications only successful candidates will be contacted.

NB: Please note applications from Recruitment agencies will NOT be accepted.

Closing date: 19th November 2010

Fashion on Film App

Click below to see this clever Vogue film app

http://www.springstudios.com/blog/spring-fashion-film/spring-presents-the-british-vogue-ipad-app.html

IKEA - Fashion line - why not?

Get someone like Mathew Williamson to design a collection 

Bespoke summer frocks from Ikea, dress patterns please too

It is a mystery to me that Ikea has never developed a fashion brand too

Lovely photography

Ikea is a flat pack success story..... we all love to hate the maze like shopping experience and we are happy to queue for ages in line and carry our goods off in brown paper bags or stagger across the car park with huge flat packed boxes in a shopping trolley! ...because Ikea produces good design at a reasonable price ne's pas? 

Well how about a nice little frock in a 70s floral pattern or a 'cloth kits' like 'sew your own' Ikea outfit made on a sewing machine also bought there .... come on Ikea we can buy curtain fabric from you why not fabulous frock fabric too.

Watch this space, only a matter of time I hope.....

Burberry Classic Check is back!

Quite like this red check bag..not sure about the rest though....

NEW Burberry check with water mark

Try as I might I cannot bring myself to re embrace the Burberry check  - I still remember the bad investment I made buying a Burberry hand bag in 2004. I happily sported my authentic Burberry bag with pride not suspecting that the fakes bought for £3.99 at the local market were taking off in a big way on the shoulders of every one else, mostly those who wore it from head to foot with gay abandon! I won't say any more as I will sound snobby and I am not really! Yes I know this was a long time ago now and Burberry has moved on but for me the check is just too distinctive.
International demand and sales success I assume is the impetus for the relaunch, The Far Eastern fashionista's can't get enough of the check apparently, enough said .....


I am sure Burberry must know what they are doing though, I wish Burberry luck with the reintroduction of the check, hoping I am proved wrong.

Burberry work fashion on film & music brilliantly......

http://uk.burberry.com/fcp/content/AW10/content

Burberry may get their coats and other fashion items made in China now, - ( at the same factory as H & M allegedly) not quite the same as Wales !
However Christopher Bailey does design a dam good coat and has the vision to place his collections in trend themes that work brilliantly and will sell sell sell !

The marketing of this brand is superb and Burberry's sales profit hike is testament to this.

http://uk.burberry.com/fcp/content/winter_storms/content

Click on the links and take it all in.

Student job - Burberry -

Contact Centre Consultant - Christmas Hire
Burberry

Founded in 1856, Burberry is a luxury brand with a distinctive British sensibility and strong international recognition. Headquartered in London and listed on the London Stock Exchange Burberry continues to create new opportunities for growth and development

Duties: You will play a fundamental part in the journey to transform Burberry’s customer experience into being best in class.

Through your passion for the Burberry brand and product and your specialist, expert, product knowledge you will provide a personalised sensational experience for our customers. You will use your empathy and intuition to anticipate and understand customers’ needs, persevering with and facilitating every sale and resolving any service or product related issues as well as having an understanding of post-sales customer care.

You will be an expert on Burberry’s digital presence and strive to reflect Burberry’s digital innovation, creativity and execution in your phone/web/ email dialogue with customers. You will contribute towards the efficient running of the Customer Contact Centre, through knowledgeable and confident interaction with customers, stores and other colleagues. In particular you will be able to support the Customer Care activity during peak periods.

Requirements: •Excellent verbal and written communication skills
•Excellent telephone manner
•Knowledge of selling techniques
•Customer focused, with an innate desire to exceed expectations and ‘wow’ customers
•Excellent verbal and written communication skills
•Strong problem solving capability
•A keen interest in the Burberry range and fashion / design
•Previous customer services experience, ideally in the luxury brand market
•Experience or exposure to a (‘bricks and mortar’) retail environment
•Keen to play a part in creating a best in class customer experience for Burberry customers
•Team player
•Organised and able to multi task
•Interested in Digital marketing and sales techniques, design and technology and the commercial opportunities they present
•Eager to develop particular area(s) of expertise and specialism in Sales, becoming a subject matter expert and further enhancing the Burberry customer experience

Hours: The candidates will work on a shift pattern which starts at 7am until 11pm - they will be working to shifts that can start early middle or late to a maximum of 7.5 hours a day, 5 days a week which can include weekends.

Salary: £21,500 pro rata

Website: www.burberry.com

To apply: Please send your application with availability to: charmaine.riley@burberry.com

Closing date: 12/11/2010