Showing posts with label review. Show all posts

La La Land - (Much More Than) An Adult's High School Musical

I love La La Land. I truly love it. It is worthy of a blog post, and all the other hype. This is my part review, part tribute, and partly me worshipping Damien Chazelle's creation.

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The way I describe it is an adult's High School Musical, and I mean that as the finest of compliments. It had all the magic and warmth of a Disney movie, but with depth and grit, beautiful art direction, sophisticated melodies and cinematic precision. Okay, so maybe it's much more than an adult's High School Musical.


The use of bold block colours created a harmonious simplicity amidst elaborate dance sequences and set changes. Many scenes were shot in one take, giving the film a realness and fluidity. In addition to this, the dancing and singing wasn't flawless. It was fantastic, of course, but it also felt real, and accessible. A lot of musicals, understandably, provoke the reaction of 'that would just never happen'. But with La La Land, the audible raspy tones of Ryan Gosling's voice or Emma Stone's laugh in City of Stars made it seem genuine, feasible. The idea of Mia and Sebastian tap dancing on an empty Los Angeles road didn't feel like fiction, nor did their dance among the stars in the planetarium.


There were nods to the old Hollywood films it claims to pay homage to, attention to detail key for noticing the references when watching. Equally, it felt relevant today, due to it's combination of sincerity yet self-awareness.



It ignited a child-like spark of hope inside me. I came out feeling like the world was tough, but it could be magical, and that it was okay to view it like it was magical. I felt inspired and emotionally overwhelmed, and now I want to watch it and go through the journey all over again.

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Splendid Isolation

After travelling in three different crowded contraptions up the mountain, I found myself at the top of a narrow steep slope. Eighty or so pro skiers straight off the gondola are charging past me without a second of hesitation, whilst I stand there frozen with fear. Boisterous helicopters are landing left and right, shipping in experienced snow goers. It was a natural routine for most, but for a beginner like me, it felt like chaos. I was bombarded with noise, sounds and chilling winds - this wasn't my comfort zone. I was expecting shallow, wide fields of snow that I could easily cope with. I was very wrong. One thought became my mantra: There's only one way down.

 I just about composed myself and managed to make it down the majority of the steep slope in one piece. I didn't enjoy it (I was petrified and I don't scare easily), but I felt accomplished nonetheless. In the distance I saw a sharp fork right with a precipitous ramp leading up to a quaint wooden house. In order to make it up the ramp, you'd have to build up a huge amount of speed beforehand by going straight down the previous slope. My Dad and I share a look of excitement and we go for it, gliding down the mountain filled with adrenaline. 

It was a true Die Hard/ 'Yippee Ki Yay Mother F*****' moment.


The glorious ramp took us to a restaurant known as the Igloo. It had sheepskin chairs and a charming wooden deck, and was completely isolated from everything else. It was the most beautiful restaurant, tucked away in the snow and hidden from crowds of people. 



It's located on a red run from Plateau Rosa (one of the highest points on the Cervinia slopes) which goes all the way down to the village. It seems to be a kind of iconic secret haven that everyone knows about but takes some effort to find. We stumbled upon it by complete accident. The owners are so lovely, and told us about how there used to be a chair lift right next to the restaurant and that's why it was first built. The chair lift was taken away, but the owner liked it's peaceful location, so he bought it. The area is blissfully quiet and you can enjoy the sun in splendid isolation.


It was such a nice contrast to the usual mountain restaurants which have people heaving in and out constantly. I'm now so glad I got down the terrifying run because it lead me to such a gorgeous place (and looking back it wasn't actually that hard). The secluded area was magical, with a stunning view, warm people and a glorious entrance. If you're ever skiing in Italy or Switzerland, make a point to track it down.

 -Lexi xo
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Henri Matisse The Cut-Outs at Tate Modern

A few days ago, I visited the Henri Matisse exhibition at the Tate. Matisse was a successful painter in the twentieth century, but for the last 17 years of his life he started making compositions out of painted paper. He would cut shapes and play with different elements and perspectives which created this unique style of art. The exhibition was incredible and had a nice selection of his work from different stages of his career. Here are some of my favourite pieces.


The horse, the rider and the clown


The sword swallower

The two above were part of the Jazz book/room, which had all these compositions based on circuses. I think the idea of a circus is quite magical on it's own so these two are very effective with the block colours and silhouettes.


The Creole Dancer

I love this one so much. The expression on the dancer's face is fantastic and Matisse captures the movement so well. 


Blue Nude II

One of the most famous series of pieces by Matisse, Blue Nudes, is a great example of how he creates contours and outlines by cutting.


The Parakeet and the Mermaid

This composition was originally pasted across Matisse's studio walls, which I think is a really cool way to create art by using your walls as a giant canvas. You can see the two creatures tucked away between the leaf and fruit shapes. 


Christmas Eve

The exhibitions was constructed in such a way that after 13 rooms filled with Matisse's compositions you walked through a corridor and see the final product of his stained glass window. The layout allows you to appreciate it and gives a progressive vision to the art.

one / two / three / four / five / six / seven / eight / nine

It was such a fantastic exhibition and make sure you go and see it soon because it ends in September! You can book tickets HERE.


-Lexi xo

Tickets c/o Elli Cartwright (Thank you again!)
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Space Oddity

I've been meaning to write about the Lazy Oaf Space Oddity collection for weeks but am only just getting round to it. The retro feel is inspired by 60s sci-fi movies and I can't get enough of the bold shapes and colours. I think one of the most unique things you can do when designing a collection is play with texture, which this does beautifully. I'm talking vinyl, neoprene, chiffon and pom-poms - it's great.


The skirt in this look is fabulous. I do love a good full skirt and paired with a slogan tee, it works perfectly.


I love the layering here with shorts and a fitted top underneath a sheer dress. ALSO pom-pom collars? Genius Lazy Oaf. Genius. DIY worthy (possibly coming soon).


Again, sheer dress layering is great and works so well with the colour blocking. Knee socks are an ultimate bonus.


I'm a bit of a magpie when it comes to shiny things and holographic fabrics (see me rant about shiny skirts in my Hyper Japan vlog HERE) so I this dress is incredibly appealing. AND it has a pom pom collar.


Lazy Oaf: Space Oddity from Lazy Oaf on Vimeo.

 Above is a video from Lazy Oaf, which captures the aesthetic of the collection very nicely. You can check out the rest of the collection HERE.

 -Lexi xo
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Somersault vlog & performance footage

I am currently writing from sunny and beautiful Mallorca right next to a pool and some mountains with snoring family members all around. It ain't half bad. Today I want to share the second part of my Somersault festival content. I made a cute montage/vlog of our day and also have some footage of all the performances we saw. Watch below or click HERE.


I have been a fan of Misty Miller's music for a few years now, so seeing her perform live was amazing. I also loved seeing Shannon Saunders as I recently started listening to her and then she started popping up everywhere, including Jacksgap. I ended up talking to her after her set and she was so lovely. My final favourite was We Were Evergreen. I hadn't listened to them that much before but they were so enjoyable to watch perform. You would think, listening to them on recording, that most of it is produced but they actually use all of the instruments you hear and do the coolest tricks with sound machines.

It was such an amazing day and I definitely want to go next year. Have any of you been to festivals recently?

-Lexi xo

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Mr Burns at the Almeida theatre

Another highlight of my school Theatreland week was seeing the play Mr Burns at the Almeida theatre. Here is an excerpt taken from the Almeida theatre website about the play:

It’s the end of everything in contemporary America. A future without power. But what will survive?
Mr Burns asks how the stories we tell make us the people we are, explodes the boundaries between pop and high culture and, when society has crumbled, imagines the future for America’s most famous family.

There are three separate acts, all in different time periods after some sort of apocalypse in America that causes the loss of power. It uses the Simpsons as a common theme to refer back to throughout the play (hence the title). At times they become the characters and at others they tell tales of the cult figures. The way they used the theme was very clever, and since they are such iconic characters everyone has at least come to terms with them in some form. I can't write much without spoiling it and it's better to know less going in. Although if you aren't a regular Simpsons fan, familiarize yourself with the classic 'Cape Feare' episode in order to understand a lot of the references.  It is incredibly unique. It's so hard to be original but I can honestly say I have never seen anything similar. It's also clever. Even if you aren't a fan of the plot or structure, you can still appreciate the concept and details of the performance. The costumes and set were fantastic too. At the end, it will make you think. Not only about a future post-electric socitey, but also about how stories evolve overtime and how this effects them.


What's the best play you've recently watched?

-Lexi xo



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John Deakin and the Lure of Soho at The Photographers' Gallery

One of the highlights of my 'Theatreland' school trip was seeing the John Deakin exhibition at The Photographers' Gallery in Soho. I was the one of the few who had a higher interest in photography than acting so I really enjoyed it. Deakin was known for his fashion photography in Vogue, portraits and captures of interesting characters in London's Soho in the 1950s and '60s. Soho is a place bursting with character, so seeing it through his eyes in such a different time period was really intriguing.  Below is my favourite photo, I love the shadows around the woman's face and the softness of it. 


Here are a few of my other favourites.







And here's a video taken from The Photographers' Gallery's website, explaining more about Deakin and the exhibition.



Overall, the exhibition was fantastic and I really loved seeing all the colourful characters John Deakin encountered throughout his life.

-Lexi xo

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The Fault In Our Stars movie review - video

If you weren't already aware, I am a massive fan of John Green's book The Fault In Our Stars. When I found out it was being turned into a movie I was incredibly excited and when I finally saw the movie I had a lot to say. Here are my opinions.


Have you read or seen The Fault In Our Stars? What did you think?

-Lexi xo

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Good results PR press day

Happy Easter holidays for all of you still at school and more importantly, happy Press day season! I had a half day at school yesterday and after going out to lunch with some friends, I went to the Soho hotel for the Good Results PR press event. It was held in an apartment on the first floor, and they definitely used the space to their advantage. The clothes were displayed in wardrobes and across beds, the beauty was on show in the bathroom and there were rails of gorgeous clothes throughout. Here are some of my favourite brands and pieces from each of their collections.

Little Mistress:




Little Mistress had beautiful prom dresses and evening wear, as well as watches and shoes. A particular favourite of mine was the above embellished bomber jacket. It's such a glam take on a modern sillouette and I love it. They also do a range for children which is so adorable.

Sugarhill Boutique:




Sugarhill boutique was very young and fresh with a really wide range of colours and styles. The diversity of it was fantastic. My favourites were the above cat collar shirt and interesting take on the infamous galaxy print (first photo) as a twin set.

Poppy Lux:



Poppy Lux was probably my favourite brand there and they had so many bright, fun prints for SS 14. They also had some twin sets but other pieces in matching prints too.

Beck Sonder Gaard:



Beck Sonder Gaard is usually known for her scarves but now does other things too such as these metallic bags, which were just too gorgeous and would add such an interesting texture to any outfit.

Ruby + Ed




I feel like I've written about this brand before but I can't quite remember. Ruby + Ed have the most beautiful fur coats, slippers and scarves, AND they are all faux so no need to worry! They also had these really cool cut outs for selfies or photos and as you can see, I had to give one a try. 

Bellapierre cosmetics:


I very rarely talk about beauty on here but Bellapierre needs to be discussed. They kindly did my makeup with some of the products and I was very impressed. All the makeup contains 100% minerals and I usually only wear powder, so the mineral foundation worked well for me and stayed on for a long time. The eyeshadows are so shimmery and beautiful and they kindly let me take 'champagne' home. 'Sunset' was also in the goody bag and I'm really excited to try them both out.

Thank you to Good Results PR for inviting me!

-Lexi xo

P.S. The Company style blogger awards are currently going on and I'd really appreciate it if you could nominate this blog for 'Best teen style blog' HERE. Thank you!
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Pure London Fashion trade show - Spirit catwalk (Part 3)

For the final part of my Pure show posts, I'm going to talk about my favourite looks from the Spirit catwalk. This one was divided into segments with different brands exhibiting at the show and therefore the clothes were aimed to be more wearable. I really love all of the outfits below and they all include some of my favourite trends right now. 


I saw lots of two piece sets over the day and have made it my mission to track down this gorgeous yellow one.





Love the flamingo print of the kimono here!


This look was absolutely stunning, and gives off the perfect hard-meets-feminine vibe.


Two tone boots are fab.



I am desperate for a pair of holographic shoes so I had to show you this outfit. I also love the clear jacket.


More holographic + clear jackets.


This dress has a very '60s print and it is SO cool.


Rad vinyl skirt and MORE holographic shoes. 


Lastly, here is a wonderful bracelet I was given in the Pure goodie bag from Cleric. I've never seen anything like it, it's so bright and eyecatching! I'm not usually a fan of neon but I really love this!

Which outfit was your favourite and which trends are you loving right now?

-Lexi xo


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