Vintage at Southbank Centre

Hi Everyone,

Been a hectic week with a wedding in the office (not literally, it’s on Saturday) and the blogs have fallen slightly by the wayside, apologies.

It’s a pretty big weekend for fashion with Vintage at Southbank Centre taking place. With food, drink, music and fashion from the 1920’s all the way through the 1980’s there should be a little something for everyone. Last year the festival was held at Goodwood and it was an amazing success and initial reports suggest that the Wayne Hemmingway fronted event is on course for another great year.

If the idea of catching Adam Ant and Sandie Shaw isn’t enough for you then we recommend you go check out We Love Vintage in Marquee 28.

Here’s a sneak peek at what’s on offer!

Have a great weekend and I’ll be back on Monday after some wedding frivolities.

O

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Mercury Prize Nominees: My Musings

Hi Everyone,

I’ve had a listen to all the entries for the Barclaycard Mecury Prize. As I was listening I realised I was listening for two things, what I like and who do I think will win. Regular readers will now that I enjoy a bit of Adele but I think the commercial success of the album may be held her against her. I think the same can be said of Tinie Tempah, great album but I just don’t get the feeling that the judges will go for it.

On a personal level some of the albums are a bit maudlin I understand that a lot of people like to show emotion through lyrics and the music but it is exhausting listening to sometimes. It meant that Katy B and Tinie Tempah stand out due to the up-tempo nature of the music. The level of production is also notable with Elbow’s orchestral and choral arrangements adding to Guy Garvey’s haunting voice and beautiful lyrics. However, Seldom Seen Kid won in 2008 so I can’t see them winning.

The counterpoint to the mainstream albums is Gwilym Simcock and Ghostpoet, both offering something different from each other and the other nominees. Personally I struggled with Ghostpoet but I don’t think it’s really the type of music that you listen to in the middle of the day. I find myself having to listen really hard to marry the lyrics to the music and in the end I was exhausted as opposed to enjoying the music. Gwilym Simcock hits a soft spot for me because I love a bit of piano action but it may be a little too leftfield for the judges.

I really don’t want to do Metronomy a disservice but I can’t help but hear Mystery Jets when I listen to them, this sullied my enjoyment a wee bit. I would be very surprised if they win.

Everything Everything have produced a good, fun album which I don’t think will win but it’s well worth a listen.

I think my favourite track that I listened too was by Anna Calvi and it’s called Desire. The other tracks were strong too so I think she is in with a good shout.

The collaboration between King Creosote and Jon Hopkins is interesting as I didn’t dislike it I just couldn’t see when I would ever listen to it. The fact there were only seven tracks on the album did make me feel a bit for the artists who had the more traditional number. I think that this has an outside chance purely on the basis I don’t think it has a chance.

James Blake and PJ Harvey are the final contenders. PJ Harvey has won once and been runner up a few times too, so there is no doubt that she writes some quality music. I think that as well written and beautiful the music is I can’t see it winning and I’m afraid it’s not for me. James Blake has had a good year performing at Glastonbury (Jimmy enjoyed it) and releasing his first studio album. Limit to Your Love is standout and his voice betrays his 21years. I can see this winning but again it is not an album that you want to stick on if you want to get your housework done or power through a load of work in the office.

So, where does that leave us… I think the winner will be Anna Calvi!!

I shall leave you with a video that we will be attempting to replicate at an upcoming Original team members wedding!

Have a good weekend!

O

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Glastonbury Guide Part 2

Hi Everyone,

Are you ready for part 2, good because here it comes…

1. Drink and food – Dry goods, no glass and drinks that don’t need cooling are best for the tent. This means you can fill your boots in the tent (helping reduce costs) before heading to the main areas and sampling the wares on the many food stalls etc. Obviously we only endorse responsible drinking but we favoured red wine for the tent and a vodka and coke in a plastic bottle for when we walked about using any of the bars as and where required.

2. Planning – There are too many bands to see them all that is a fact. If you’re in a group then there will be some negotiating if your tastes don’t match up. Get the guide (comes free in the intro bag) and spend a bit of time looking at who is on your MUST list. There may also be clashes with two of your bands playing at the same time. I sacrificed Arcade Fire one year and I’m still not over it. The guide and map are essential and will help you work out when you need to leave one area to get to the other in time.

3. Toilet – Guys are generally better set than girls in this area. The toilet traps are generally fine and there is a level of understanding between everyone. You are all pissing and shitting in a big hole in the ground so get over it and get on with it. It will smell, especially in warm weather and it gets worse along the weekend as they fill. They tend to be quieter in the morning and smell less too. For tent activities then Travel Johns will prevent the long trek in the night. Pissing up the side of the tent is a bit risky as you may get confused and piss up your own tent so be careful.

4. Clothing – Layers are essential you can always throw a water jacket over and you’re golden. Wellies are required, you can buy some there but if they sell out, good luck with that. Keep a dry set of clothes for in the tent so if you do get back you won’t have to be wet in the tent. Sunglasses have a dual bonus of protection against the sun and hiding any rough looking eyes, see below.

5.Fun-Tastic – Outside of the bands you really want to see check out all the areas at least once. Some only kick into action when the bands finish. It’s all about meeting random people and seeing some random things too!! Remember you have forked out a shed loud of money and regardless of the potential mudpacks it is not spa facility. Get a few hours’ sleep, take some paracetamol and water to fend of hangovers and enjoy all the incredible bands, cafes, bars and other experiences. You should come back with at least one band that you have ‘discovered‘ and can wax lyrical about to your mates. It is entirely pointless whether the band are actually any good as your opinion was formed after too many drinks.

So there are our musings the atmosphere is incredible soak it all up and I shall post on who we think will rock your Glastonbury tomorrow.

O

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Glastonbury Guide Part 1

This isn’t the ultimate guide to Glasto but seeing as we are heading out we thought it would share our musings on how to maximise the good times!! It ended up being a bit longer than I was expecting so Part 1 today and I’ll polish it off tommz.

As you would expect there are many different types of people that will be attending so this may not apply to you. There will be people who turn up, through their pop up tent in the air and stick a peg in it where it lands. I have no doubt that you will see these (normally closer to the stages) and you will see a fair few people laying half in/out of them with limited to no sleeping bag for cover. We do not fall in this category. We like to form a solid base of operations from which to plan our attack on each of the stages and also mean that the three or so hours of sleep we manage to squeeze in aren’t interrupted by people falling into our tent.

1. Prep – Pack well and pack as light as you can as you will have to do a fair bit of walking from the car park to where you camp. It’s worth having some sort of trolley and if it hasn’t been too wet then you MAY get away with a travel case with small wheels. Nothing keeps to well in a tent so emergency snacks are useful, cereal bars, crisps any dry goods that will tide you over until you get to the food wagons. Take your phone charger if you want but the queue is normally really long so just stick it on for an hour a day, if it’s important you’ll have a message waiting. Have a quick check of your gear before you go, wrap up your sleeping bag in a bin bag for some waterproofing goodness. Wet wipes, antibacterial gel, dry shampoo, toothpaste and deodorant are you best bets to stay fresh. Take a fold up chair too, not for watching the bands just for the tent as there will be times you don’t want to lay or stand. Take sun cream and maybe a wind up lamp. The lamp is not essential but if you’re trying to do contacts or other fiddly things at night, you may need it.

2. Travel – However you get there be prepared to wait. The train station will get rammed but they do prepare for this and run shuttles from the train to the campsite. Driving is a bit hit and miss, you may hit a smooth run but it’s likely that you will queue for a bit. In the past I’ve found that parking near the exit is best. It mean a longer walk to the camping areas but it means it’s easier to leave which is all you want to do after four days of partying.

3. Pitch – Do not pitch near the toilets, bear in mind wind direction too. Like I said earlier, this is a bit more subjective. If you want to be in the throws of it then pitch closer to the paths and closer to the stages. They will be louder at night and are more likely to be subject to some water logging if it rains. Higher ground set a bit back from the main paths or by the security fences means a quieter life but trekking to the stages takes more time. If the weather does turn then make sure you have your guy ropes in to prevent water seepage. Then the tent will be your refuge in times of extreme weather.

Some people will take a flag to help identify where they’ve pitched, we’ve never done this as we found that we can navigate by somebody else’s flag.

Part 2 will land on the morrow.

Paris and Lewisham Fashion Shows

Hi Everyone,

The magic of sunshine! Everyone is happy, well apart from the people on the tube this morning (it nearly got a bit crazy on the Piccadilly Line).

If we swoop past the gossip from Paris Fashion Week (Kate Moss smoking and Kanye West not getting in anywhere) there has been some cool collections. The Louis Vuitton collection (see below) shows some strong vintage influences which confirms what we were seeing at the London Fashion week.

We also had the pleasure of attending the fashion show that was organised, managed and devised by the students at Christ the Kings Sixth Form College. It was probably the most high energy fashion show we have ever been too with music and performances blended into the show. The Originals frames we donated were also shown off with as part of some very cool outfits. Well done to all involved!!

Not long until the weekend so have a good one!!

O

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Unseen Originals Image

Morning Everyone,

Just a quickie for today (wink wink) but I will provide some more pearls of stupidity later in the week.

This was taken by Bobby Creger and I don’t think it’s been published but we couldn’t work out why as it’s a great shot. Hope you guys like it.

O

So far, so good!

2011 – So far so good (granted its only the 19^th January)

It looks like Originals are going to be on the high street pretty soon, serious grown up conversations are being had but the frames should be hitting stores soon! Juicy details to follow.

Good news for We Love Africa their amazing jewellery is on ASOS Marketplace and you can get your mitts on them now, check it out https://marketplace.asos.com/search?q=weloveafrica

WE ARE BACK FOR 2011 !!!!

Hi everyone, firstly Happy New Year!! Things have been a bit quiet on the blog recently as we have undergone some changes at Original Frames HQ.

We’re really excited about 2011, there’s some great new music knocking around and exciting fashion trends that we’ll be enjoying and sharing with you.

If you have any ideas/suggestions/comment then obviously we wanna know so get in touch.

Keep checking the blog out for more info on our plans for 2011, the year of Originals! (or the Year of the Rabbit in China).

Vintage Fair

On October 24th, York Hall has a lot to offer!

We have great news! Judy's vintage fair is coming to town next month! On the day there will be 50 traders from around the country with displays of affordable vintage clothing and homewares. Also, there will be displays from labels Biba and Ossie so vintage lovers grab your tickets and join us at the fair!

Get the Look this autumn because vintage rocks! Guys, be Original and check out http://www.ilovemyframes.com/

Tinie Tempah First UK Tour

In October: He will be performing at 14 different places!

Guys, the grime/rap sensation has brought us great news! Originals are so excited about Tinie's show with Chiddy Bang at London Koko, we have our tickets already!! Originals really liked Tinie's performance with Snoop Dogg at Glastonbury!

Tinie's passion for geek eyewear is amazing, Originals is a fan!! He often performs at music festivals wearing trendy sunglasses so we would like to see him in one of our vintage inspired frames at his gig. We believe Tinie's show is going to be great as he is named one of the greatest rappers in London. We can hardly wait! If you are London based and want to see Tinie's performance: Get your tickets and turn up wearing an elegant geek vintage frame. Check out our eyewear http://www.ilovemyframes.com/

Vintage Fifties and Collectables Fair!

This September: a huge range of retro items will be displayed at Campbelltown RSL Club

Step back in time as you attend a vintage event for a special cause! The Kids of Macarthur Health Foundation raises funds for the children health services and is hosting the event. Originals like the idea of 40's and 50's makeovers at the fair! Why not check out the dress- up competitions. We love London vintage fairs! We will also like to get our hands on some old records to play at our upcoming gig.

We believe it's going to be great so we urge everyone to support the event! Guys, you need to fit in with the crowd of vintage followers so view our vintage inspired eyewear http://www.ilovemyframes.com/

Robbie Williams & Gary Barlow

They are two of the big names performing for fans at Twickenham Stadium!

Originals are excited about the concert on September 12th. We love Robbie and Gary's duet "Shame"! However, we love the idea of a spectacular event in aid of the Help for the Heroes charity much more. We believe it's going to be a success and can't wait to see all the singers perform live!

The Saturdays will also perform: we have noticed that the band likes tortoise shell frames. After seeing the girl band in some cool sunglasses before their flight home this morning, we would like see them wearing some of the Originals frames at the concert! Guys, don't miss out on looking your best at the gig; check out http://www.ilovemyframes.com/

Primrose Hill Fair

This September: Get the vintage look!

Guys, you know we love vintage so we had to tell you about the up and coming vintage fair this September 12th. The fair is at the Cecil Sharp House! Originals can't wait to view the large selection of vintage items. We have our tickets so we are hoping to browse through the many stalls!

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London vintage fashion fairs are great so don't miss out this summer! At present, one of the fashion trends is " mix old and new accessories" so view our newly developed vintage inspired eyewear (http://www.ilovemyframes.com/ )

Get the vintage look this weekend!

The Reading & Leeds Festivals

There's loads happening this weekend but Originals have taken interest in the year's festivals at Reading & Leeds. Originals would like to see most of the festivals goers in vintage outfits. We have noticed that the Kings of Leon and Arctic Monkeys sometimes have on great sunglasses at their gigs so this weekend; we wish to see the bands wearing vintage frames. Originals love all things vintage!

Originals are excited about the long weekend and can't wait for a sizzling bank holiday. We know it's going to be a fun-filled bank holiday so guys look your best! Check out http://www.ilovemyframes.com/

GET READY: NOVEMBER GIG!!

MIA will be performing live at the 02 Academy, Brixton

Guys, SHE'S BACK! After MIA announcing her retirement in 2008, today we are happy to hear about her gig on November 10th. We love her new album! MIA's great attitude towards fashion and her stylish clothing line makes us love her even more. Originals love all things stylish!

Originals can hardly wait to grab our tickets on friday! With a pair of Originals on we will definately look great at the gig. If you wish to look fabulous check out http://www.ilovemyframes.com/

GOODWOOD VINTAGE FASHION SHOW

Pearl and Daisy Lowe: Vintage lovers!

We at Originals loved the showcasing of Pearl's vintage-inspired designs at Goodwood over the weekend. The crowds were very cheerful as Daisy showed off a pretty floral dress and black lace grown!

The Lowe family like Originals love vintage fashion so we can hardly wait to see Daisy's fashion line for Morgan in June 2011. Daisy was quoted on contactmusic.com saying, "I think that originality is important, its really important". If you want to be original check out http://www.ilovemyframes.com/

Vintage Fashion

Hot fair this September!

For all our vintage fashion followers, Originals has great news! We found out that next month's fantastic venue for the vintage fair is the Old Finsbury Town Hall. We love the London fashion fair!

At the Clerkenwell fair, we are hoping to see displays from the well known era's 20's - 80's. Here at Originals we can't wait! Most importantly we are hoping for a sunny day on the 26th September so we can rock out a pair of Originals. If you want to complete the vintage look this September, check out our vintage inspired eyewear (http://www.ilovemyframes.com/)

ALL UNDER ONE BIG ROUND ROOF!

Professor Green: Gig at Roundhouse Festival

Today, we found out that Green would be performing on the 17 - 19 Sep 2010 at the Roundhouse. WE LOVE GREEN! The East London rapper, at just 18 started to rap and he's likely to perform for the 3 days on the 5 stages. At festivals, Green always performs wearing some great fashionable accessories. We would like to see Green wearing one of the Originals collection.

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In addition, Originals loves anything vintage so we like to see vintage followers on the streets of Camden. Festival goers, grab your Originals before the festival. Follow this link (http://www.ilovemyframes.com/ )

BRICK LANE BUSKER LEWIS

From the London streets to the festival stages!!

Originals was established on Brick Lane so we were happy to hear that one of our favourite Brick Lane musicians is set to play at three festivals this summer. It is great to see East London being represented at such massive events Bestival, The Big Chill and Latitude.

Like Buster Lewis, Originals are also art and urban inspired, we love checking out the graffitti on Brick Lane and finding new talented musicians. The young, fashion lovers and the vintage followers represent our brand so check out our collection. (http://www.ilovemyframes.com/)

FESTIVALS ROCK!!!

The crowd loves all things vintage

We love summer: the season’s festivals are an opportunity to see great music and fashion! With V festival almost upon us, we thought it would be good to check out this season’s festival goers.

Originals is vintage inspired so the lady’s white vintage dress caught our attention and then we noticed that she was wearing a pair of vintage wayfarers like the Originals collection. Check out the collection at www.ilovemyframes.com for more information.