HJC Styling: Exclusive pre-launch interview

With the hottest new personal styling agent, Hayley Jane Charles, looking to take Aberdeen by storm this month launching her business, HJC Styling, I managed to catch up with her for five minutes to chat all things HJC Styling and to find out what's hot in fashion this summer...

You've been styling some of Aberdeen's hottest fashion shoots and shows for years, why did you decide to start your own company now?

When working as a personal stylist I became increasingly frustrated that I was limited to styling using a small handful of brands. As we all know, stores sizes and styles vary, and I felt at times that I wasn’t giving some clients the best choices for them.
With no limits we can help develop your new fashion styles using any stores from high street retailers, to bespoke online boutiques!

What is it that inspires you?

Strong, beautiful and incredible women! Through styling I have met some amazing ladies who have been through everything from chronic illness, to family breakdowns. Using my services I help give them a confidence boost and a new look. I have found their enthusiasm and determination truly infectious, this definitely has to be the best part of my job! 

What's so different about HJC Styling?HJC Styling is taking styling to the masses. Styling used to be for celebrities, or women who could afford to pay for this advice, however, it shouldn’t be! Some people get in a rut or are scared by fashion, its our job to encourage ladies and men to enjoy fashion and have fun with it, alongside helping them to discover styles and looks that will suit their shape and personality. 

What services will you be providing to clients?

We have a variety of services for all different requirements. If you are looking for a quick fix our online styling service is great; all you have to do is fill out a small client information form and we will get back to you with a small video, document, and online examples of items that suits your figure and personality - fashion is literally at the push of a button.

Got a special event coming up? Our shop and style is perfect! Go shopping with one of our stylists; we will go the extra mile pulling pieces for the outfit, accessories and even shape wear underneath to ensure our clients get the best styling experience possible. We will even stop for a coffee and lunch to refuel, encouraging you all the way.

If you're not looking to spend money but are stuck in a fashion rut maybe the wardrobe revival service is for you. This is when one of our stylists will come to your home and help you go through your wardrobe. It’s great to have another opinion on what suits and fits you best. We will also help highlight some staples you are maybe missing and develop new outfits you hadn't even thought of.

What are your price points for consultation and projects?

Our prices start from as little as £25 and go up to £170 for group styling parties. We charge for the experience, not for the hours involved, meaning our clients won’t be confined by time - great when looking for that perfect outfit! We also do corporate events, however prices are based on individual needs.

We've all got that one person we look up to for fashion inspiration, who is your style icon?

I'm a huge fan of Victoria Beckham’s style and her designs. Her style is so sleek and tailored, yet she manages to look effortless and understated at the same time. 

If a celebrity could define your style, who would it be and why?

I can't pin point one - it's too difficult to say. On Monday I might be feeling a bit rock chick and take some inspiration from Taylor Momsen, and later on in the week I might look for some feminine inspiration from Millie Mackintosh. I love playing with styles but wouldn’t say I have a particular one.

What's your favourite season for new trends?

Summer has to be my favourite. I love the beginning of the season as you get so many unique and funky festival styles hitting the high street. Later on in the season this turns into a more bohemian 'grown up look', which I love styling, mixing patterns and textures.

Who would your dream client be and why?

After her appearance at Cannes this year I have developed a huge girl crush on Blake Lively! Her style is incredible and she knows what colours and shapes suit her. I would also love to style Suzy Menkes (international Vogue editor). Considering her access to fashion Suzy always stays safe with regards to clothing choices, and in my opinion doesn’t embrace her feminine shape. I would love to help her in exchange for some behind the scenes fashion gossip too!

What's the most important thing about finding the right clothing/accessories?

I think many people over complicate things, especially when trying to bring an outfit together. Look at the colour palette of the item; you can either clash or compliment, it’s as easy as that!

When working with ladies I always find that they want to initially hide their shape, which makes me so incredibly sad! I promise you if you know the tricks and embrace what you have, not only will you feel more confident you will also look it.

Hayley's top five summer styling tips:

1. Play with prints
   Summer is always the time of year that fashion brands start to introduce all kinds of prints, they are great fun and really add some colour to your wardrobe.
2. Accessories are a must
   
   Add an on trend item to any outfit. This year there are a lot of Aztec influences and I particularly love the pom pom sandals and embellished bags we are seeing everywhere! (Check out Zara for my favourites)
3. Layer it up
   
   Layer bangles and necklaces to really make a statement. There are also many gorgeous cover-ups on the high street ranging from kimonos to waterfall cardigans, so don’t be afraid to layer up outfits with these either.
4. Buy a light jacket
   
   Purchasing a key summer jacket is essential for those sudden summer showers. This year it’s all about the bomber and you can pick up light silk ones, or even some beautifully embroidered options from the high street. Personally however, I am a huge fan of the classic trench so I'd be picking up a light waterfall trench for a more tailored and sophisticated option.
5. Have fun! 
   
   Summer is a great time to try new looks as there is simply so much on offer. Why not pick up something you would normally shy away from and see how you get on! You don’t have anything to loose.

What do the Autumn/Winter trends hold for us? What are your predictions?

This year we will see some of the old faithful’s which we see every year, like the heavier checked and borqued materials. We will also see some new faces - The 80's are back in a big way so be prepared for ruffles, padding, velvet and unusual silhouettes. To compliment this we will also see some gorgeous bright colour palettes ranging from purples to reds. 

One of the other trends which I’m pretty excited about it the futuristic space age trend. This will see lots of metallic, black and embellished products, as well as some stunning jewellery. If you are looking for some inspiration check out the recent Cannes ensembles as some celebs rocked this trend including Zayn Malik, who even sported some silver arm armour!

HJC styling launches on 30th June at an exclusive launch party invite only event in Malmaison in Aberdeen. If you would like the chance to win an online styling session head to the HJC Styling Facebook page - the winner will be announced at the event and notified by Hayley herself.

For Now...

Just Julia

AMARA LIVING: Luxury gifts and designer homeware

Spring has certainly sprung and with new seasons bringing some much-needed inspirational trends with them, interioristas (yes I think I just made up a word) around the globe are already looking to the Autumn/Winter '16 trends for even more interiors inspiration.

Keeping up to date with the latest trends and hunting out the latest styles making their way through the industry is extremely hard work. Inspiration is something I find mostly in my surroundings, be that by people watching, observing how others are styling themselves and their homes, and looking to nature for some serious colour and texture inspiration. Nowadays, home interior trends are almost as influential and important as the latest fashion houses portfolio's, however, it wasn't until I came across Amara Living online, that I could ever have imagined becoming a style influencer in my family home.

Obsessed with all things black, white and grey, with a minimalist outlook regarding my own bedroom in my family home, I jumped at the chance of getting involved in redecorating our living room, pulling together a mood board to help guide my mum and I on our interior decorating journey. A woman who loves neutral colours and red, I was convinced she wouldn't buy into my black and white with a possible hint of silver outlook, however after stumbling across the huge monochrome trend online and showing her some serious #interiorsinspo, she was much easier to convince. With a hint of jungle chic and matte paints on our minds, we were sure we were on to a winner.

After discovering Amara Living a few months ago I have continued to fall in love with the incredible pieces the online luxury gifts and designer homeware website has to offer. When Jessica, an Amara Living community manager contacted me to collaborate I was extremely excited to tell her about our decorating plans and immediately took her up on her offer.

Desperate to incorporate some sort of jungle chic into the living room I went straight to the website in search for a Polis Potten pineapple, which, to my delight, was available in a number of different colours. Opting for the matte black option (another big trend in 2016), you can see from the pictures below exactly how we've decorated the room and styled the Polis Potten pineapple to sit handsomely on our feature fireplace, which we also happened to revamp throughout the decorating process.

Throughout my research into trends online, I found that funky feature walls are also going to be a top trend this year, even papering the ceiling seems to be extremely popular (not something I would be keen to try and execute myself), and with this in mind, we decided to paper our main feature wall bringing some much-needed character into the room whilst making it appear much larger too. My advice when papering a feature wall is to ensure you are 100% certain on it. Good quality wallpaper isn't cheap and can be challenging to place onto a wall so make sure it's definitely what you want before committing. Wallpaper is for life, not just for Christmas. Ok it's really not, but you get the jist...

I think if I had my way I would look into replacing the brown wooden floor we have with a grey hardwood floor. Placing a luxurious faux fur rug in the middle of the floor would also help bring the room together a little more, providing a centre to it and balancing it out.

This Amara acid burnt cow hide in white/silver and the Natures Collection Argentinian cow hide in grey rugs would look fabulous under a nice modern coffee table in the centre of the room.

I also love the Helen Moore throw that is available in a number of different colours which would go  excellently with the monochrome theme (Charcoal, Ermine, Ebony, Opal and Jet), as you could sit perfectly on the back of a black sofa, brining an element of serenity into the room and making it feel a little more homely.

Throughout the refurbishment we also decided to paint our off-cream fireplace grey (Paris grey to be precise) with Annie Sloan chalk paint. This high quality paint is amazing and works wonders if you're ever looking to revamp any old furniture or in our case, paint a fireplace.

Accents of silver can be found throughout the accessories and lighting in the room, sprucing up the living space and adding a little more jazz into the modern room. Our TV is a silver-grey colour so we decided to ensure the other accessories would compliment it seen as it one of, if not the main appliance in the living room.

This week we are anticipating the arrival of a new black suit for the room which, alongside one or two more accessories, will complete the refurbishment project, bringing the whole look together - to say my mum is ecstatic about this is a complete understatement.

I adore this Lord Lou luigi croco sofa available on Amara Living and could picture myself sipping a fine cup of peppermint tea out of this cute Rory Dobner cat in the hat mug on a warm Spring morning far too easily. These stunning Helen Moore faux fur cushions would also look right at home on our new sofa too, and would again add a homely feel to the room.

New blinds and curtains were also invested in, further pulling in the monochrome theme and bringing new patterns and shapes into the  room too.  It's important when decorating a room, not to go too over the top with trends and whilst its fun trying to fit them all in, you are best sticking to one or two themes to ensure the room isn't left looking like a disaster zone.

I think now the only thing I would look to change in the room is our clock. Our present clock is quite modern, however, I would quite like to replace it with something a little more traditional like the Newgate gallery clock in the future. The Vogue hardcover book would be a great addition to any coffee table, and I have always wanted to buy an ice bucket and feel this Kenneth Turner stag ice bucket would be the perfect addition to any home providing it played host to more than one bottle of champagne in its life!

With a monochrome theme featuring a smidgen of jungle chic, I think my mum has done a fantastic job in featuring one of 2016's top trends in our family home. Other top trends for 2016 include; natural kitchens, sophisticated up-cycling, folk infusion - especially in the kitchen and dining areas, matte glazes and chalk finishes - chalk paint is perfect for this, and the best news for me... minimalism is in.

So if you're looking for interiors inspiration this year, then look no further because Amara Living is here for all your interior needs. Not only will the website keep you up-to-date on all the latest trends, it also has some beautiful gifts available online, perfect for special occasions, birthdays, and engagement/weddings gifts. A one-stop-shop for all your interior and gifting needs and wants. Trust me, I've already started my own Amara Living wish list, kitting out and designing the interior themes for my very own future home.

For Now...

Just Julia

Hunted Vintage: Let's go hunting...

Hunted Vintage..."A great wardrobe doesn't have to cost a fortune, but it does need to be Hunted down - Let us do the Hunting for you"

Established at the end of 2015 by entrepreneur and fashion guru, Nicole Perry, 24, Hunted Vintage is a unique concept in which high-quality vintage fashion can be sought out from the deepest, darkest corners of the unknown, and be delivered right to your door. With a passion for vintage clothing and high fashion, Nicole believe's everyones personalities transcend themselves through the clothing they wear - a way to self-express ourselves leaving our own footprint on the fashion world.

"I've always been a fan of vintage fashion. The stories one item of clothing can hold is remarkable, especially when it's been passed down from generation to generation. I love finding out where the clothes have been, and how they've survived years and years of being passed around to different owners. The way people can style one item of clothing in a number of different ways, echoing different personalities, is fascinating to me. Standing out from the crowd is extremely important to me, and with the majority of vintage clothing being one-off pieces, I wanted to give fashionistas a platform they could come to find something unique and on-trend.

The Scottish based business can deliver worldwide, connecting fashion-lovers globally, and as Nicole states..."Fashion has no boundaries" when it comes to being stylish.

With the winter months upon us, and every storm battering Scotland at the moment, I asked Nicole to share her advice on her top winter layering tips...

LAYERING:

A must for Scottish winters. Layering doesn't only mean you'll be kept warm this winter, BUT, it also means you can show off all of the beautiful clothes you own whilst facing the blistering cold.

Pair chunky knits with scuba scarfs pulled in at the waist with a grungy belt. Add leather ankle boots for kicks and voila, hello Vogue cover model.

INVEST IN GOOD OUTERWEAR
If you're going to invest in anything expensive during winter, make sure it's a stylish, yet functional coat/jacket. After building up a pretty varied selection, you will be able to rock a number of different looks through those cold, dark months, ensuring you feel stylish throughout the miserable weather!

Puffa, suede, leather and faux fur jackets are favourites, and they can easily be mixed up to add some sass to a number of day-to-day or evening looks. 

STATEMENT ACCESSORIES

Investing in  a variety of stand out winter accessories can help enhance the look of any outfit. It's always freezing in Scotland so dressing up the 'I live in Scotland and I'm frozen" look is always a top priority when styling outfits.

A faux fur stole can inject character into any outfit, or even a statement bag which oozes sophistication. A hat can add a pop of colour to your outfit of choice, or even an oversized scarf to keep your neck and chest warm. The list is endless!

LONG-SLEEVED DRESSES

Skimpy clothing in winter is a no-go when you live in Scotland. Walking around in the cold shivering -  not a good look. Whether it be a day dress for work, or an evening dress for a night out with the girls, ensure to cover up to keep warm. 

There's something alluringly attractive about a woman who doesn't feel like she has to show off every inch of her body, and men tend to find these mysterious women much more interesting. They tend to be much more warmer and are less likely to sport a cold after a night out too! Long sleeves and turtle necks are so in, so don't be afraid to experiment with different looks to see what suits your shape.

As well as giving me the inside scoop on what to wear this season, Nicole kindly sent me these kick-ass vintage Calvin Klein dungarees to play around in. And play around I did...

At just £55 these beauties can be dressed up or dressed down. From a casual cinema date with friends, to a walk around the park with a four legged friend, to attending a launch event in the city centre, these dungarees are ideal for a more relaxed outfit vibe.

I'm very much looking forward to seeing what this budding young entrepreneur has up her sleeve next, and least to say I don't doubt that it will be phenomenally fashionable. For more information or to check out the Hunted Vintage collection visit their website: http://www.huntedvintage.com. Trust me, if you love fashion you'll be lusting over it all.

READER DISCOUNT CODE: JUSTJULIA10 (10% off everything, including sale items) 

Credit to my little sitter for her debut photography skills (she's just turned 14, cute huh!?) on helping me out with the photography element. And to whoever said you should never work with animals or children,  you clearly never owned a blog.

  For Now...

Just Julia

Vernez: A fashionable affair

Vernez. If you haven't already heard of this fresh new fashion app taking the Internet by storm, then trust me, you're about to.

Sleek, stylish, modern and all black (and white) errythang, I knew straight away it would be love at first download.

Vernez, a hot new fashion app allowing you to create and design your very own unique fashion magazine at the touch of your fingers, offers users the chance to create sleek and stylish magazines right in the comfort of their own home, on the train home from work, or even lounging in the sun on holiday. With hundreds (and I mean hundreds) of items from global high fashion designers, to your everyday local high street brands available to view, use or even buy, this app gives you an exclusive access into the world of fashion, and everything that comes with it. A one-stop shop for all of your fashionable needs whether that be to let your creative hair down in developing a magazine, or to look/purchase your next Christmas night out outfit, Vernez does it all.

When I first came across this trendy app, I was darn excited to try it out. I'm accustomed to loving the odd photography app, however, I haven't come across a fashion app that I've fallen in love with immediately, that was until Vernez came along...

First bonus: the app is free, its easy to use and also helps keep you up-to-date with the latest trends as they happen. Secondly, it can become pretty addictive so if you're one to get needy with apps, this will definitely end up as your Sunday 'Netflix and chills' replacement. Don't get me wrong, it takes a few minutes to get into the swing of things, but once the app has taken you through its initial 'hello and welcome' tips then you'll be singing and dancing the rest of the way. 

Note: pay attention to the 'how to use' stage - it will save you the hassle of working everything out yourself.

Also, the app is not just a creative platform, its a collaboration, acting as a social networking platform too, allowing fashionistas across the globe to engage in each others style, allowing you to gain some top tips from others. Vernez is a platform to present your craft as a stylist, or your talent as a designer to a global society whilst socialising with a bunch of like-minded people who all have one thing in common; a love for fashion. Either way that's pretty incredible.

You'll see below I have already been pretty busy on the app (I've had it for the sum total of 48 hours and already, I'm addicted). It's easy to navigate through, although the only negative for me is that it makes me want to buy ALL of the clothes, #majorstyleenvy.

The app is filled with #fashioninspo left, right and centre, and you can create different editorials with the shop tool, or source your own images from your camera feed by adding them to your 'personal wardrobe', which I thought was a really cool aspect to the app. It also remembers all of the clothes you use in your posts and embeds their information into the post you are working on. So if you, or someone checking out your editorial wants information on the items featured, then they can all at the click of a button (well tap of a finger so to speak!). Below will give you an idea of how this information is presented...

Unfortunately, the app isn't available on Android phones yet, however, there are plans to develop the app so it should be accessible on androids soon. When, I couldn't tell you... sorry!

If you are interested in the app and would like to access and download it, you can click here, which will take you straight to the iTunes store. You'll never know who's #ootd will be trending next until you Vernez...

So go on...get creative and show us what you've got fashionistas! Also, if you would like to follow me on Vernez then you can get me on my handle at @justjulia. Ps, it can become very addictive so beware!

  For Now...

Just Julia