Girls Ultimate Guide to Festivals - Essential Item Number 3

As has been said before, after number one and number two, comes number three and this one I’m a little wary about.

I got this from work (Handpicked Collection – brilliant gift ideas, if ever the occasion arises), originally made by Bill Brown, it’s a lovely roll up mattress. I’m sure I’ll be the most comfortable person not in VIP but the fact still remains that even rolled up, it is huge. I had to get it home from work last week on two buses and it wasn’t really great fun.

I’m hoping that whilst strapped to a rucksack I might survive and actually fit through the train doors. Fingers crossed.

H&M Launch Online in September

So H&M have announced that they will be launching online on the 6th of September. I don’t think I’d ever been on the website before today but I had great fun on their outfit maker...

The leopard dress looked amazing in a big Style feature a couple of weeks ago. It might well end up contributing to my festival wardrobe sooner or later.

It’s so surprising though that all these high street brands haven’t made the transition between shop and online. Working at an online retail company, I suppose I am a bit biased and apparently no one ever makes money out of mail order. But look at Asos – when Nick Robertson released the Christmas sales figures their site usage was up by 112% from the year before.

Topshop seem to have got it right too. I feed my shopping addiction via online channels. Topshop online and Asos are my main weaknesses purely due to their ease of use. Topshop had a bit of a revamp recently and I think the general change is for the better. I do think they need to be a more imaginative with their creativeness though. They are so creative in their styling, direction of models and range of design and designers that they could do with a wee injection of that into their website.

Asos is massively overcrowded and there is a lot of sifting through products to be done – the feature where you can see the clothes on the runway is useful but for some reason I don’t really have great expectations for Asos to be hugely creative. They don’t really need to be either; they’re obviously doing very well as they are, why change it?

ASDA G21 Festival Parka, or wait, is it Louis Vuitton SS11?

In my latest plight to be ultimately prepared both with amenities and fashion during festival season, I bought a parka on Friday. I tried doing it during a two and a half hour phone conference the day before but the work karma gods were against me. However, just after I placed my order from, wait for it, ASDA, my Vogue newsletter popped into my inbox and look at this!




So a cheap parka is my essential item number two. £18 from Asda is my first choice. Brilliant when it looks like a Louis Vuitton SS11 too.

This Music Business and some wellies.

“2010, bang smack in the midst of political and financial uncertainty, and yet, Glastonbury sells out in 24 hours.” James Wilkinson – Figaro Digital Magazine (I read it for work ok - and yes, I’m still a geek).

It’s a good point though. I’ve talked before about how the great British public are spending selectively on their fashion choices and I think these two issues are roughly in the same ball park. Or at least in adjacent ball parks. Without repeating myself too much, there hundreds of studies producing thousands of results about how people are investing in their fashion pieces. There is less holiday time on offer because everyone wants to make a good impression on their job that they’ve clung onto through the recession by the skin of their teeth and no one can afford to go away anyway. A long weekend at a festival is the way forward.

Popularity of festivals seems particularly rife this year. Last year it really took off and lots of people who hadn’t been before discovered that when you go to a festival, normal rules of society don’t apply. This is the quintessential point that is making these same people return to them and what is attracting even more people. Society doesn’t apply. Where in the real world do you live in a tent, walk round with facepaint without seeming weird, where loo roll is worth its weight in gold and where you give out free hugs to anyone who takes your fancy? This wouldn’t deserve a first glance let alone a second at Reading or Glastonbury. People take their children and scrawl their phone numbers across their limbs; you wouldn’t do that in many other crowded places, would you?
So why wouldn’t everyone to get in on the action? The answer is that they do and we’ll all be out in force this summer – limited edition Hunter wellies and all.

Bringing my nicely onto my promise from yesterday. The Girl’s Ultimate Guide to Festivaling. Now I bought these babies a few weeks ago and thought they haven’t seen much action outside in the mud yet, I have wandered round my flat in them on numerous occasions. Well, I wasn’t going to let them sit there and stare £125 in my face. Wellies is an obvious one for festivals – never make the mistake of thinking that wellies are ugly and you’re just going to take some Converse or just a pair a flip flops. It will be a mistake and it will most definitely rain if you neglect to take wellies. Another snobbish point to make – fair enough to try and find some more original looking wellies, but the days of those ones with the roses and stretched skulls are well and truly over. They’re pretty gross and everyone knows they come from the garden centre.

Festivaling - Secret Garden, Latitude

So I may have touched on the festival season a couple of times before (here, here, here and here. oh and here. But just to warn any poor soul who may be sick of it, I most definitely am not. I'm planning on doing A Girl's Ultimate Guide to Festivaling. It's going to tbe great, wait and see!
I was listening to the radio this morning as is the norm, and they wouldn't stop talking about how everyone will have an incredible time at Glasto and not to worry if you're not going because you can always watch live coverage on the tellie. OR if you really feel like you're missing out and really have very little to do with your time, please do click here to watch the live web cam. I couldn't think of anything more unsettling.
So in order not to annoy, I shall post all my festival preparations as they happen in the run up to the festivals I shall be attending. This way hopefully I won't come across to smug about my Great British Summer.

Fun starts tomorow.

Noel Fielding's Art Show in Soho

I'm a fan of Boosh, I watch it most nights before going to sleep. It's right up my alley - hugely ridiculous with stupid storylines that you can completely believe if you're in the right state of mind.
SO I'm defintely putting a date in my recently neglected diary to go and see Noel Fielding's Art Show on Greek Street. It starts on 5th July and my diary doesn't have to have much space to fit in the show as it's running all the way until 5th January next year.
Serge Pizzorno off of Kasabian has produced an original soundtrack that will accompany one of the installations downstairs in Maison Bertaux where Noel's Summer Art Show is being held.

Here's what he had to say about the exhibition:

"Summer looning, moon madness and Phoenician champagne. Works on paper, pastal burp-ups, art from Mike Fielding, the human mistake, shapes in the darkness and a live happening (masks provided). A tiger with Chlamydia, bin bag portraits and an animated installation with sound haystacks provided by Sergio of Kasabian. Guest of honour "the surrealistic mange tout".

Spark, I Blame Coco, Marina & the Diamonds, Pearl & the Puppets - Branded Music

I must be going through a music phase at the moment. Next on my list of tunes to obsess about is Spark. She’s an eighteen year old East Londoner who prides herself on red lipstick and Elnett. Reminds me a lot of La Roux except Jess Morgan (aka Spark) is probably from Hackney Wick instead of Brixton (I make no secret of being a South London snob). In any case, that’s massively unimportant, I downloaded her free single ‘Shut Out the Moon’ (click here to do the same) which I do like but I think my favourite is ‘Scream’ which can be heard on her MySpace.



I find this trend of (especially female) artists labelling themselves as a band quite compelling. I don’t really understand what they get out of it. It seems to be a bit of a British thing too. Thinking about it the ones I can think of off the top of my head are all my favourite ‘bands’ of the moment; Marina and the Diamonds, I Blame Coco, Spark, Pearl and the Puppets.
What is it about? Does it give these girls a name to hide behind? They are all young and it could be a form of protection. I doubt it though. It can’t be an accidental trend. I think all these talented people come up with a name to create more of a brand for themselves. The producers have seen an opportunity and seized it. A brand sells more than a name, they can make it a catchier name and the brand can evolve into more aspects than just an eighteen year old girl. The brand is the collective noun for the set, the style, the genre of music and turns into adjective for describing all it involves.



Look at the term Gaga an enormous household name, it’s become a cliché to say, ‘that’s very Gaga’. It’s the same idea as these young British female artists, not just creating a name for yourself but creating a brand that producers hope will catch on.

Having said all that, very stupidly, the name of my blog has only just occurred to me in context with this. Why did I choose to name it Heather Loves Jelly? Because I hoped in the future it could have the option of being something more than just another blog. But I haven’t decided what yet. Watch this space ( ).

I Am Arrows

New favourite band alert! Hello I Am Arrows, I can't remember how I came to hear about these chaps a few weeks ago but I downloaded the free single Nun (yes please and thank you) from their homepage and had it on one of my 'preparing for festivals playlists' and it really is brilliant. So that said, it appears below.



The frontman is former Razorlight drummer Andy Burrows. The bands aren't alike at all, Burrows has written the songs and the two bands are in completely different genres. Arrows is very easy listening and nice, relaxed poppy kind of music (i don't do this for a living, excuse my pathetic attempt to describe music). It's a bit like a British version of Maroon 5 except much more talented. I'm enjoying it and i'm definitely excited about seeing them at Secret Garden.

Robyn Body Talk Part 1 - Dancing on my own

I love this song. I bought the album off iTunes yesterday and its absolutely briliant. Only £5.99 too. Yes please. Here is the video for Dancing on my Own, the first single from the album.

Bindis for Festivals? or am I going a bit mad?

I quite like these. With Secret Garden Party in mind (it has the brilliant theme of 'Fact or Fiction?') and after going to the Topshop Bandstand event this weekend (forgot my camera - and don't feel it justifies a post without photos of the beautiful event) I've gotten over the initial worries of wardrobe and have firmly now moved onto pondering the extras.

The Topshop event in Regent's Park had little tent dedicated to what I'd call 'Grown Up' face painting. They used beautiful jewels and pretty designs, not full frontal, all over your face bonanzas but tasteful and very cool little ideas. I just came across these bindis on avaa.com that launched in the last couple of days. They might do the job with a bit of help.

Laura Thomson Wins Graduate Fashion Week

Laura Thomson of Manchester University School of Art took home the top prize from Graduate Fashion Week. Bet she's chuffed to bits. I love the collection, it's quite grown up in comparison to some of the teddy bears (Danielle Ferguson, University of Salford)and bondage themes (Bobby Charles Abley, Ravensbourne College of Design). Click here to read my last post on GFW.

Here are a couple of photos from the Graduate Fashion Week's Blog of Laura's collection...





Teddy bears from Danielle Ferguson, University of Salford...



Bobby Charles Abley from Ravensbourne College of Design likes bondage...



These are a couple of my faves from the show...

Amber Hards, UWE Bristol - I LOVE this, so elegant and feminine, she's created those shapes very cleverly. I think I'm going through a bit of a phase for this kind of thing. I bought the dress below from Topshop last week - its a beaut.





I love Naomi New from Northumbria University's fringing and structure. Very bold and beautiful. I imagine that the gals over at Bitching and Junkfood like this look a lot.



Sara Wadsworth, University of Central Lancashire with beaUtiful patriotic prints. Reminds of the new season Paul Smith bikini.



And the new Paul Smith bikini:

Robbie Williams and Gary Barlow

Is anyone else embarrassingly excited about Robbie and Gary Barlow doing some music together?! Robbie left Take That in 1995 and the single ‘Shame’ will be the first time the two have appeared on record together since then. It will be released on the 4th of October this year. I haven’t heard it yet but its sure to be a goodie.

I Blame Coco Gig TONIGHT!!!

Oh my gosh i am definitely going to this tonight. I love Coco Sumner.
TONIGHT
Sanderson Predicts: I Blame Coco



Back with their latest round of musical fortunetelling for the summer months, the new Sanderson Predicts season is kicking off with an acoustic session from the fabulous I Blame Coco (and just before the next single comes out in a couple of weeks). So where would you rather catch your fill of up-and-coming musical talent: a sweaty, ‘edgy’ venue with a warm, stale beer? Or a sleek, sun-dappled courtyard over a few sexy cocktails? Tough call I know.

The Sanderson, 50 Berners Street, W1T 3NG. RSVP: sanderson.predicts@morganshotelgroup.com

Gatwick Fashion Week

As if there wasn’t enough stress whilst travelling, now beware of Storm Models running hot your heels. Storm Models and London Gatwick Airport (yes, seriously) have launched Gatwick Runway Models search. They planted ‘bespoke model booths’ (fine print = portaloos) in the North and South Terminals to hunt down poor unsuspecting duty free shoppers and change their lives.



The sole reason I am a fan is because Lily Cole is heading up the flock and I think she’s really quite cool.

I’m sure this is most likely due to a recent increase in effort of self presentation recently. I seem to remember travelling used to be about trackies, jumpers and those inexplicable travel socks; now even if I head out of London for the weekend I tend to think about what I’m going to wear a few days in advance. Maybe I’m just vain. There are entire travel sections in Vogue and on websites dedicated to travel wear and how to look super cool when you travel. I do it, the rest of the world does it but why on earth do we bother wearing heels and tailored jackets in a small confined space when, to be honest, we’d all rather be in a onesie?

Is it to mock the silly airhostess in her navy pencil skirt with contrasting neckerchief and silly silly hat? No, probably not.

As ever, if you think it through enough, you can blame everything on the recession.

1. As discussed in a previous entry, people are investing in life long, expensive fashion pieces (for full details, please click here).
2. People are travelling less so a domestic flight between Gatwick and Manchester is now the equivalent to a week in the Caribbean.
3. No one can really afford to travel Club or First anymore but secretly believe that:
a) people may believe that because they are smartly dressed they must be travelling in Club or First.
b) if they dress smartly enough they might get upgraded. Well, you never know, do you?

So come on Lily, give us a real reason to dress up for the airport.


Gatwick Fashion Week runs from August 5-8. Google it. Here's some more info.

Sound of Excellence - Something for a rainy Tuseday

Thought I'd drop a line about the Sound of Excellence in Camden that's happening today. If you haven't got anything on and find yourself with nowhere to go on the Northern line at about 7.30pm then stay on until Camden town and pop along to Proud Camden on Chalk Farm Road. Here you will find a plethora of unsigned acts singing and performing their little hearts out for the big hitters in the music industry. Hear 'em before anyone else does. Oh, and here's a map.