Love Fashion? You Will love the Vintage Festival

With 2012 being such an iconic year for the UK, it seems only right that iconic design legend Wayne Hemingway, has created a festival to celebrate all that is fabulous about Britain. True to its name, the Vintage Festival promises to celebrate eight decades of British culture and cool, covering music, fashion, art and design-which is no mean feat, but an exciting one at that.

This year, the festival is taking place this year in the grounds of beautiful Boughton Hall in Northamptonshire on 13- 15^th July. A venue which lends itself perfectly to perky post war fashions, vintage cars, swinging sixties, psychedelic seventies, emo eighties and in my humble opinion, not so hot nineties, all of which are accounted for at this three day event.

There will be over 250 market stands selling a whole spectrum of vintage wares, alongside fashion shows, clothes making workshops, make up lessons, vintage cars and caravans, record and art stalls, a cinema, roller discos and dance classes….This mini fest is bound to provide something for boys and girls who like dressing up and know how to have fun. And expect lots and lots of that…. With cameras set to be street styling at every opportunity, the seriously cool are potentially going to be scouted on the spot, to walk the runways of the numerous fashion shows, which are taking place over the weekend.

Style legends Twiggy and Jo Wood, are each curating a fashion shows throughout the weekend, with Twiggy highlighting her era of the sixties and showcasing original fashions of the decade; And Jo’s is inspired by the disco era of Studio 54. As well as Rusty Egan and Brendan Cole who will bring their own style to the stage. With original vintage pieces rubbing shoulders with upcycled and customized goods, expect unique, individual and one of a kind designs, and be sure to bring your camera!

But it’s not all about the clothes or shopping, the evening entertainment is just as varied with bands confirmed including Chic, Alice Russell and the cabaret act Nouvelle Vague. there is even a vintage fun fair, cinema and superbly camp Champ Olympiad, which really has to be seen to be believed!

With access on site for camping, or glamping- it wont even matter if the weathers a bit iffy- although it may affect your kitten heels!

Dress to impress and pick up your tickets from www.vintagefestival.com

By Sara Darling

If you cant eat e numbers... look away now!

Girl Eats Food is a new internet cookery show from the heart of real North London, and it does exactly what it says on the tin…

Presented by the antithesis of Nigella, this feisty, tattoo-ed twenty something, chomps, chat and chortles her way through the shows whilst ACTUALLY making something the audience will want to eat! Filled with e numbers, clashing tastes and nothing at all for vegans, this show is bound to be a sure fire hit!

Preview shows have shown presenter Joanna Fuertes- Knight demolish the leftover bags of popping candy and squirty cream, in the process of creating a piece of art that you can eat- also known as Popping Candy Pavlova; And another episode follows her to the butchers, with small talk so small, it would never make it to the BBC….

Spurned on by her hit blog of the same name, Joanna is a natural presenter/show off and the 12, four-minute shows are easy to follow, easy to watch and make you want to join in- purely because she seems to be having so much fun! With no pinny, overpriced organic produce or pretentious tupperware in sight- in fact it seems the only ingredient, which is absolutely essential, is access to a corner shop. And perhaps some booze. Keeping it local of course (but maybe not home grown!)

If you want to impress your friends with Oylmpic Athlete Nachos, or know how to inject (yup I did say inject!!) your leg of pork, look no further than this show, which is surely going to become an underground hit!

Check it out on http://www.vice.com/en_uk/girl-eats-food new shows every Thursday -you can even download the recipes too!

By Sara Darling

Dreaming of a Festival in the sun....

If you’re as fed up as I am with the British summer time, and you are craving sunsets, pina coladas and dancing under the stars…I have good news for you!! You CAN achieve that dream at the new improved Garden Festival in Croatia.

Having experienced the delights of the Garden fest before, I am very excited to see this years offering of tempting talent in a new venue further along the Adriatic coast. Still a winner for those who like to get their groove on, the promoters have picked the cream of the international crop to dj and perform live, with Chilean Nicolas Jaar, a name I am looking forward to- along with classics including Norman Jay, Kenny Dope and Greg Wilson.

The new venue now boasts apartments on site in the Garden village- where I forsee after parties galore….! And Barbarellas club now has an outside space for those who can’t take the heat!! As well as the infamous afternoon boat parties, where you will be guaranteed to meet everyone on the boat!, and your facebook photos will be the envy of your UK friends.

And when you get all danced out, the festival is a mere ten-minute stroll to the village, which has a secluded bay and sandy beach- perfect for the mornings after.

Scuse me while I just check the London weather forecast- rain for the next three weeks- this year’s festival takes place 4-11 July, so I know where I will be!

For more information and tickets check out the www.thegardenfestival.eu

By Sara Darling