Teesside students get in to the party atmosphere.

With the election campaigns in full force Tside provides a guide to throwing a booming election bash that will keep the guests partying until the results roll in.

Let’s face it, watching the election all night can get a bit boring. Even the fantastic graphics of Peter Snow are not enough to make watching the results for Dulwich and West Norwood interesting.

So instead of just watching the telly, why not host a fantabulous election party? Here at Tside we want you to see that election night can be fun. So pull out your party clothes and let’s get this (political) party started.

Food

Take inspiration from the American election campaigns and bake cupcakes iced with your party’s colour. Blue -icing for Conservatives, red for Labour, yellow for Liberal Democrats and green for the Green Party.

Scour the supermarket for any other political coloured food, head to the crisps aisle and take a look at the choice of different tastes. Pick your flavour according to the to the colour of the crisp packets and which parties they could represent.

To drink, mix up your own fruitilicious cocktails for the political party of your choice.

If you’re voting Labour go for a Lady Red, a combination of Absolut Mandarin, Lemonade and Cranberry juice. If the Tories are your choice a Blue Lagoon may be right up your street. Mix Vodka. Blue Curaçao and Lemonade. If you’re a Lib Dem supporter then your cocktail of choice should be a Yellow Bird. Throw Bacardi, Galliano, Creme de bananes,  orange juice and pineapple juice into a blender and mix until smooth. For a Green Party themed drinks go for a Greenitini.  Vodka and Melon liqueur make a delicious combination.

Fashion

To show your support for particular political party, dress head to toe in your party’s colour or if you don’t know who to back dress in a rainbow of different shades.

How about throwing a fancy dress party where guests have to come as icons from the political world? Go all out and dress up as Winston Churchill: stick a pillow up your jumper, smoke on an imaginary cigar and give a V sign. Go for a Maggie Thatcher look in a smart skirt and blazer, a string of pearls, a carefully coiffed perm and if you’re daring enough take some milk cartons with you. Alistair Darling is simple but effective, stick on some two-inch thick black eyebrows and you’re good to go. If you haven’t got a particular political icon just draw a big X on your forehead and claim you’re a ballot paper.

And remember, a political rosette in your party’s colour makes a great accessory. Stick it in your hair as a different kind of clip. Or if you are feeling daring, two rosette’s strategically placed on your chest could really get the party started!

Games

To keep the party lively, games are definitely in order. Twister is perfect.  The colours fit the political hues so you can show off your flexibility while also demonstrating your political allegiance. Cynics could replace Pin the Tail on the Donkey with Pin the Blame on the Politician. Or swap Cluedo characters for politicians. ‘It was the Chancellor of the Exchequer in the House of Commons with the Black Rod.’

Test your guest’s knowledge of political trivia with a pub style quiz. With questions such as: ‘How many MPs are there in the House of Commons?’ and ‘Name the last five Prime Ministers.’

And you could always play a round of match the MP with their expense record!

Music

A party wouldn’t be a party without music. Essentials for your election playlist should be 99 Red Balloons, Ghost Town; Everybody Wants to Rule the World, The Times They are A-Changin’ and I Fought the Law.

Karaoke is always a hit. Modify classics for an unexpected twist. How about a rendition of ‘It’s my party and I’ll vote if I want to’? ‘The Winner takes it all’ or Gordon Brown (Texture Like Sun).

So this year make your election night one to remember.

Sarah Brown and Samantha Cameron

FORGET about National Insurance. Who cares about immigration? The real important issue of this election campaign is clearly who has got the best dressed wife.

With David Cameron’s poll lead slimmer then a Size-Zero model, the wives now matter more than ever to try and entice voters.

So is it a case that the more glamorous the wife, the better we see the politician?

Sarah Brown and Samantha Cameron have pulled out all the fashion stops this election.

The pair have sported dresses ranging from a Marks & Spencer £65 grey polka-dot little number, to a whopping £1200 Edrem haute couture gown and shoes from Zara at a mere £29 to £315 Jimmy Choo’s.

Sarah Brown, 46, as come in for some criticism. Sam Cam seems to be romping home in the glamour stakes. But rather than dinting Mrs Brown’s popularity, it seems that women like her. They feel that she can identify with her (even if her shirt does more than some women’s whole wardrobe!)

And Sarah seems to be making the right inroads with the fashonista crowd. She took a lead the fashion polls taking to the front row at London Fashion Week along with Naomi Campbell and Erin O’Connor.

Sam Cam is undeniably naturally stylish and is perfectly poised and leads the role of a MP’s wife flawlessly. She can make a coat from Topshop look like it’s worth thousands and a Prada dress look like it’s worth millions.

Hair is a vital part of the wives look. With Sam Cam paying up to £200 for a half head of highlights at celebrity colourists Louise Galvan’s salon. Sarah Brown, on the other hand, pays just £33 to have her hair cut. Perhaps the way the wives spend their money on their hair is a hint at their respective husband’s policies?

But although, our ladies are up there in the fashion stakes they are nothing compared to their foreign counterparts.

Carla Bruni

Carla Bruni the first lady of France – married to President Nicolas Sarkozy – is a former supermodel who has posed for Chanel and has been on the cover of Vogue is no stranger to high fashion.

Dressing in a mixture of the French fashion house Christian Dior and English designer John Galliano she makes a stand for her own fashion related political initiative for a French-Anglo relationship.

Jackie O

Jackie O is of course the most influential fashion forward first lady of all time. In the early 1960’s she soon become a symbol of fashion for woman all over the world.

Famous for her signature look of shift dresses, pillbox hats and of course the infamous oversized Jackie-O sunglasses she was a true style icon, and he look is emulated to this day.

But it’s not just the woman this election making key fashion choices this time.

The candidates themselves have also tried to make a go of it with a whole array of ties. Nick Clegg has taken to wearing a Liberal Democrat-esque yellow tie throughout the campaign while Gordon Brown has been spotted in pink, green and of course a red tie so far. David Cameron, on the other hand, seems to think he’s far too cool for a tie and prefers an unbuttoned crisp white shirt.

However, not all the candidate’s wives feel that they have to dress in designer clobber to keep up their husbands popularity.

Nick Clegg’s wife Miriam Gonzalez Durantez has been bucking the trend and refusing to get involved in her husband’s campaign – or her style.

She said: “It’s all a bit frivolous.

“There is an element of frivolity obviously in every one knowing where your clothes come from and how much they cost.”

Totally Gaga

EXTRAVAGANT pop sensation, Lady Gaga has taken her outlandish oath never to be seen in a normal outfit to agonising extremes.

Her ‘Bad Romance’ with fashion left her with the early signs of potentially fatal deep vein thrombosis after enduring the pain of wearing another extrovert choice of attire.

On a transatlantic flight, the 23-year-old suffered a condition normally associated with pensioners after squeezing into a pair of giant blue heels and black and yellow tape to complete the crime scene look. The shoes were designed by her late friend, Alexander McQueen.

The Just Dance singer had to be undressed by cabin staff on the eight hour flight from London to New York.

An airline source said: “GaGa was a high-risk DVT case so she was advised to change out of her clothes. But the outfit was so cumbersome she needed help changing out of it. She was particularly miffed about ditching her heels. She was wearing them in memory of her friend Alexander.”

The sporadic icon certainly knows her priorities – her health always takes a backseat as chic calls shotgun.

So vain

Just last week Gaga told Jonathon Ross: “I would rather die than have my fans not see me in a pair of high heels. I’d never give up my wigs and hats for anything.”

She has defintely stayed true to her word, probably taking advantage by claiming purple veins as yet another quirky fashion statement.

Students on campus have neglected their ‘Poker Face’ for a grimace all for the sake of looking flawless before; where others opt for comfort to have a ‘Monster Ball’ of a time. Let’s have a look at what you thought?

Poker Face or Grimace?

Even The Oscars get ready for the big night

The 82nd Academy Awards took place on Sunday but let’s all forget about the boring bit of who won what but instead focus on the most important part of  the night – who WORE what.

The Good

Demi Moore – Nudes are so hot this season and Mrs.Kutcher pulls the colour off perfectly in this Versace gown. The tone of the dress matches her skin tone beautifully; the ruffles and ribbon compliment the gown to keep the dress feminine and sophisticated much like Demi herself. Also you can’t go wrong on the red carpet when you have £2 million worth of diamonds around your wrists.

Carey Mulligan – Carey took a dare here and went against the wishes of Vogue editor Anna Wintour. The legend wanted to see Carey in a short dress but Miss. Mulligan simply replied with “No, that wasn’t what I was thinking when I was six-years-old.” This Prada dress is a whole new take on the LBD, decorated with Swarovski crystal scissors, forks and knives this dress stood out on the red carpet and fitted the quirky, cool British style that Carey has brought to the masses.

The Bad


Amanda Seyfried – The Mean Girls actress went out on a limb here with an Armarni dress which was eearily similar to Jennifer Lopez’s dress (biggest red carpet faux-pau ever!) The pale colour of the dress matches her skin, but this time it’s in a bad BAD way. The cut of the dress is too overwhelming on her tiny frame whilst the material off the dress gives of vibes of bubble wrap which isn’t a good look.

Sarah Jessica Parker – When you think of a Vintage Chanel gown surely you think of something wonderful but this dress SJP wearing is anything but. Did her twins throw up on her before she left the house? Did a chandelier attack the top of her dress in the limo? The shape is terrible and that scarf thing makes no sense. Tut Tut What would Carrie think?!

The Ugly!

Sandra Bullock – She must have known she was going to win an Oscar and wanted to match her gown to the little gold man; however else could she explain this dire style choice. Glitter and sequins are so last season and they ain’t coming back for a while so either go back in time Sandra or dress fashionable next time please.

Charlize Theron – Charlize gets the ‘booby prize’ for this cinnamon bun inspired gown by John Galliano for Dior. This mauve and lilac satin bundle of a dress looks like it came straight from an 80’s prom and not in the good way either. Top marks for being daring enough to wear such a monstrosity in public though.

The Oscars 2010 didn’t bring us many outstanding and stand out dresses this year. However, the mishaps will be remembered for years to come.

The Department of Health wants to ensure that their patients are no longer the butt of the joke in their hospital gowns but feel relaxed and confident in their high-fashion outfits.

So it’s enlisted the help of High Street designer Ben De Lisi to put an end to the ‘trauma’ of wearing a gown that lets everything hangout.

The gowns will be made from luxury cotton and come in Ben De Lisi’s key-style striped pattern. Pyjama bottoms, nightwear and slippers will also be included in his couture hospital range.

The Design Council will reveal the designs next month, but what other everyday items deserve a makeover.

Cara Porrit, 19, a psychology student thinks public transport, especially the seat coverings on buses, need  to be glammed-up.

“Whenever I get on a bus to university all I can see is tired old fabric which looks like it’s from the 1980’s,” She said.

 “They need to bring it up-to-date with some bright funky patterns to make a boring bus journey that tiny bit more fun.”

Adam Roberts, 26, a fitness advisor would like to see road signs get the designer treatment.

 “Most road signs don’t even make sense, they need to be a bit more specific,” He said.

 “The road works ahead sign looks like a man struggling to lift up an umbrella. Also they should be more colourful to brighten up the motorway.”

Heather Rodriguez, 52, from Stockton, wants a makeover done on telephone poles.

“They are really ugly and ruin the landscape of any view you look at,” She said.

“When you see Roseberry Topping the first thing you notice are the tall, hideous poles instead of the beautiful countryside view you should be looking at.

“Maybe  some money could be spent on covering them up with a bit of foliage to blend them in to the hills instead.”

Aspiring fashion designer Natasha Hall, who is studying at Cleveland College of Art and Design, thought there was mileage in some of these ideas.

“The fabric on buses should be changed immediately; nobody wants to sit on the horrible, blocky patterns that the bus companies offer us,” She said.

“Perhaps they could change them to this season’s hot patterned trends such as dogtooth and combat.”

Natasha thought giving road signs a designer lift may cause some problems.

“Road signs could be difficult to make over as people have already memorized what each sign means and it would be hard to remember a whole new lot.,” She said.

“However, I definitely think a bit of colour should be added to the signs to cheer people up on the way to work.”

“And making telephone poles blend into the countryside is an awesome idea,” She added.

“I really think we should go with this idea to make everything look beautiful.”

WHAT DO YOU THINK? Which everyday items would you like to see get a designer madeover? Leave a comment and perhaps one day we will see your idea come to life.

With the new Spring/Summer style season on its way, Chantal Taylor has all eyes on the fashion icons and catwalks to see what trends and crazes 2010 will be bringing us fashionistas.

They’ve been spotted on all the fashion icons heads recently, from Madonna to Lady GaGa to the Olsen twins. Animal ears are one of this season’s key accessories, for this look think playful not Playmate. Go all out on the fashion stakes with 1ft tall lace bunny ears or go for cute and fun with Minnie Mouse style ears. Team animal ears up with sexy, tousled, just got out of bed hair for that vintage high-fashion Bridget Bardot look. Meow

Sportswear is now street wear, but forget sweats and trainers turn your heads to letterman jackets and converse-inspired stilettos. This trend takes on a whole new level of cool with inspiration from such sports as American Football and Tennis. Go urban-cool with dance inspired fashion; think dark coloured bodysuits with flowing ballet pinks for that Diversity/Swan Lake mixed up high fashion look. Another vital look for this trend comes in the shape of cropped/cut off tee’s matched up with low-slung jersey fabrics with a peek of lace showing through for that tomboy/girly look. Pleated skirts and long-length knitwear in classical colours make up a key look for this trend and will score you some mega high-fashion credentials.

Give your ankles a rest this season and go for the new hot heel height this season – ‘the petit stiletto.’ For this trend opt for a 2-3” heel and go for the court shoe, but instead of boring black opt for this seasons colour nude which will lengthen you leg too if you’re a bit scared that low heels will make your legs appear shorter. Balance your petit stiletto with a short fun micro-mini to avoid looking frumpy. The hottest looks for this trend include lace, patent, studs and everything in between so go for whatever takes your fancy and put your best fashion foot forward.

Call of Duty meets Coco Chanel in the upcoming hot spring/summer trend. Military is back, but this time forget royal colours and brass buttons and instead turn your eyes to rugged boots and utility style wear. Take inspiration from our Heroes overseas and go for desert storm colours in Khaki and Gold. Accessories for this key trend include dog-tag style necklaces and bracelets. Of course, the key pattern is camouflage; go for this in skirts and dresses to remain stylish for the whole year to come.

The boyfriend-style look has been popular for eons, first there were the jeans, then the shirt and this season it’s all about the boyfriend blazer. The key factor for this look is to make sure your blazer is oversized and slouchy and actually could pass for your other half’s jacket. However, don’t go OTT as you don’t want your figure to get lost. The crucial element for this trend is to roll or push up your sleeves to balance out the look. Take some style advice from Miami Vice and choose pale colours for that relaxed spring/summer effortless cool.

Normally an article of clothing women hide, this year it’s all about flaunting your socks off. From sporty to sparkly, knee-high to thigh-high, with some sexy socks you will be putting your best fashion foot forward this spring/summer season. The most important factor for this trend is to pick your length wisely, basically the shorter your hemline the longer you can go with your socks. However, make sure your hem doesn’t go past mid-thigh as you don’t want to be mistaken for a schoolgirl. One of the key looks for this style is to layer-up, wear chunky socks with patterned tights for that straight off the catwalk style.

Trends of seasons past have converged together this spring/summer to create The Ultimate Warrior trend. Mixing tribal with military style will make you the moat fiercest and fashionable girl on campus. The key looks for this up-and-coming trend include tribal patterns, chain mail, metal plating, hard leather and most importantly, confidence. The key way to be bang-on with this trend is to invest in staple accessories such as a large studded belts, gladiator sandals and large tribal patterned jewellery. Mix sequins and flowing material with the warrior trend to keep your style sexy and feminine.

Taking elements from all the trends Spring/Summer 2010 and making them your own will definitely put you at the top of the fashionista league alongside Alexa, GaGa and Rihanna…

My charity shop scarf

I was strolling down Linthorpe Road today on my way to McDonalds, when something shiny caught my eye.

What was it?

Teesside Hospice Charity Chic Boutique.

Now why had this never caught my eye before?

Had I suddenly fallen behind in the fashion stakes?

Or was it simply a brand new shop?

I don’t know but I had to go in!

I ventured down there this afternoon, excited about what I might find. I was expecting lots of designer lovelies at purse-friendly prices but disappointingly, on this occasion, that’s not what I found, although I did pick up a gorgeous scarf.

The window displays were amazing and that’s what tempted me in. Sadly I couldn’t find anything in the shop resembling the quality of the window display. Perhaps I should have just been cheeky and asked for the clothes on the mannequins.

The shop itself is lovely, it used to be a designer childrenswear store called Angels. When that closed down the shop fittings were left over, leaving a stunning blank canvas for Teesside Hospice to move into.

Maybe I didn’t spend long enough in the shop or look hard enough, but I struggled to find designer and instead found plenty of other people’s unwanted bits and pieces.

Now there’s nothing wrong with good old High Street fashions and obviously most of what is donated to charity shops is going to come from there, it’s just the items for sale didn’t meet my expectations of ’boutique’ bargains.

Anyway I shouldn’t criticise the charity and to be fair I did find some cute bits of jewellery and a couple of nice scarves. I bought one of the scarves, for a bargain-busting £2.

And I will keep popping in, in the hope of finding something fabulously fashionable and ’boutique’ – it is for charity after all!

Kate’s designs have been seen on a whole matter of celebrities from WAGs such as Colleen Rooney to chart toppers Pixie Lott, Alexandra Burke and Cheryl Cole and yours truly .

Bonjour, Ciao, Hello…

Here I am with my second blog on how the North-East is the style capital of the world and what a brilliant time it is at the moment for Middlesbrough fashion.

Kate Fearnley an amazing local designer has just scooped the Ultimate Young Fashion Entrepreneur award at Cosmopolitan magazine’s Ultimate Women of the Year Awards 2009.

The fashionista from Saltburn, whose one-of-a-kind shop is situated on Linthorpe road (just around the corner from the LRC,) first started her business in 2002 when she received a grant from the Princes Trust.

Her determination and passion for fashion went uphill from there as she went around the country with her beautiful and varied collection. Her clothes soon got picked up by a boutique in Manchester which started to stock and sell her dresses. Now, her wonderful fashion designs are stocked in over 80 boutiques all over the country and Europe including Selfridges and ASOS.com.

Kate’s designs have been seen on a whole host of celebrities from WAGs such as Colleen Rooney to chart toppers Pixie Lott, Alexandra Burke and Cheryl Cole as well as yours truly .

Last week, Kate travelled down to London for the glittering ceremony to receive the coveted Ultimate Young Fashion Entrepreneur award.

After an evening mingling with the stars such as Fearne Cotton, Kimberly Walsh and Dannii Minogue, Kate then spent the next day in a high fashion photo shoot for Cosmopolitan Magazine celebrating her win. She also visited 10 Downing Street for tea with Sarah Brown who was one of the judges.

“It was incredible, and there were so many inspiring people who achieved a lot – such as working in Congo and overcoming a brain tumour – it made me feel ‘what the hell am I doing here?’ Kate said.

“Zoe Salmon gave me my award which was really nice considering I’ve made her a lot in the last year. I met Dannii Minogue, which was incredible, and Fearne Cotton. It was a really relaxed atmosphere and everyone was really friendly.”

Kate also added that she hopes her success would further increase the profile of her business.

“I hope it gives us a lot of opportunities which we didn’t have before.”

I’m really happy that Kate won this award at the Cosmopolitan awards as it really does put North-East fashion on the map and thus proving to the world that we are the truly the up-and-coming style capital of the UK.

Peace, Love and Rock ‘n’ Roll…
Chantal ☮♥♫

Thing is, I’m sick of seeing unoriginal girls flocking to Topshop  like woolly white sheep! I want to be the black sheep, the one who looks a bit different and stands out from the crowd!

I really hate seeing everyone wearing the same thing and knowing exactly where they got it and how much it cost. I’ll probably like the particular item thats causing me grief the first time I see it, but by the 25th time I’ll be ready to scream, rip it from the offending lady and burn it on the spot.

Primark is another one of my pet peeves, I’ll find an amazing bargain in there only to find everyone else wearing it the next week! They’ll never be wearing it as soon as me though, I always get there first!

“How hypocritical,” you might say, seeing as I’m sitting here writing this wearing a pair of jeans and a t-shirt that were both purchased from Topshop itself.  But this is why I’m writing this blog, because I don’t want to look like everyone else anymore! I’m sick of spending my hard earned cash on clothes, only to end up looking like a clone.

So how do I achieve this? Well my fellow fashion fanatics I am going to ditch the high street in favour of vintage ( read second-hand.) But not the vintage shop kind of vintage. Lets face it, they’re just glorified charity shops that think they can get away with charging a bomb for smelly second-hand clothes.  No I’m going to be looking elsewhere, car boot sales, charity shops and of course the gold mine that is Ebay!

I’m also planning to have a bash at customising things I already own, I studied textiles at college so I know my way around a sewing machine. Boyes , here I come!

There’s another element to this though, I need to become original on a student budget. More often than not, I have pennies rather than pounds (Eleven and a half hours a week spent working at Asda can’t really fund a massive shopping habit) and often more important things to spend those pennies on – food for example, or even drink!

I’m going to treat this blog like a diary-not of the fourteen-year-old girl variety, you’ll find no tales of snogging boys here - and keep a record of my (hopefully) fantastic fashion finds. Feel free to give me some suggestions, I’m open to shopping anywhere, and of course, If I get it wrong, please let me know!

Calvin Harris tells us, “It was acceptable in the 80s”,  but now fashion from the wild decade is back with a POW making 80’s styling ever so acceptable for right now!

All the trend elements are back into action, ranging from bright bold patterns that wouldn’t look out of place in an episode of ‘The Fresh Prince of Bel Air,’ to blue velvet and black lace from the days when Madonna was actually seen as a pioneer of style. Even the stylings of glam-rock bands such as Poison and Ratt are in vogue with their tight leopard skin jeans and even tighter leather jackets making a massive fashion comeback.

Head, SHOULDERS, Knees and Toes. Yes, Dynasty style shoulder pads are back! However, don’t be scared you can go as big or as little as you want with this ultra-hot style. Go for a strong structure to make you look sexy and powerful with sharp shoulder pads in tuxedo style jackets. Or if that’s too scary, go for a billowed soft style on long sleeved dresses to make you look fashionable and feminine. However, keep your silhouette sexy; with all shoulder trends they will tend to make you look a bit boxy so make sure to define your waist.

Giddy Up! Equestrian fashion is galloping into fashion. Tweed is of course the key print and the countryside pattern can be applied to everything. Tweed jackets are of course a staple in this trend, but also try out a tweed skirt in a hitched knee length with a slim knit to keep you looking fresh and fashionable. If you think that tweed is too twee  then go with equestrian accessories such as a plush leather bag or horse-riding style helmet-hats – although riding crops may look a little dubious! Another staple for this trend and an instant style update is a good pair of riding boots. Earthy colours and knee-length, they go with everything and will keep your legs warm all winter long.

The Tailored Trend is here to stay from last season. The key statement is to have tailored menswear styles but keep it ultra sexy. However, this isn’t the masculine trend as we’ve seen before. Think Charles the First decadence mixed with Coco Chanel beautiful shapes. The key elements to this style range from blouses with ruffles, bows and high collars to large detailed brooches and even high waisted jodhpurs. Make your own style using elements from this trend and watch your fashion credentials go through the roof.

Autumn/Winter fashion without the Military trend is like having a winter with no cold weather – it will never happen! The Military trend is back again and this time rather than staying to one strict style, many variations of this trend can be used to keep you looking ultra-fashionable. Take inspiration from Sgt.Peppers with bold colours and brass buttons or keep it cool with Khaki-coloured shirts with a waist-cinching belt adorned with a beautiful military buckle which can be picked up at the local army store for under £5.

Over the knee boots are the perfect thing to wear to make your outfit stand out during the cold seasons coming up. But be sure to keep them flat, or if you can’t do that, make sure the longer the length the shorter the heel, we don’t want to see any ‘Pretty Woman-esque’ types around campus. One of the key elements from last season has carried on over to autumn/winter – the accent of colour and fringe. Making sure you get over-the-knee boots in a matter of colours with any aspect of fringe will turn your feet into works of art.

Chunky Knits = Winter Clothing and this season the chunkier the better. This knit can come in all styles, shapes and sizes. Try a whole matter of chunky knits such as extra long cardigans to knee-length tea dresses. Buy a statement scarf and drape it around several times to achieve mega style points. If you’re daring enough go all out and buy a snood to ensure your ears are warm all winter long. With this look pile all lots of different textures and mix with fur accessories in order to get that truly warm and sublime look.

Take elements from all the trends to make your own style and you will appear at the top of the fashionista league along with Victoria, Alexa and Emma.