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Southampton shoppers today revealed fashion inspirations, favourite shops and

even how much they spend a month on clothes.

Student, Lucy Sanderson, 16, said: “I see what trends are and work them into my

wardrobe. It’s too expensive to have to buy new clothes every season.” Lucy’s friend,

Maddie Hobbs, 17, from Arthur Road, had a different opinion: “I don’t really follow

trends, I wear what I know suits me.”

“I look to bands like Enter Shikari and You Me at Six for inspiration,” said 26-year-

old barman, George Collings. It’s clear that the men interviewed were inspired more

by music than celebrities. Elliot Whitehead, 22, from London also motivated by

music, echoed this: “My style icon is Pete Doherty, I like the way he dresses and his

attitude.”

Women on the other hand, seemed more influenced by actresses and celebrities.

Part time model, Maddie admitted: “I’m quite a fan of the Olsen Twins. Their style is

sort of understated yet looks perfectly put together.”

Georgina Rickatson, 21, a customer assistant from Devonshire Road said: “I usually

wear what suits me, apart from when I’m at work. I have to wear the stock from the

shop as my uniform.”

Up market High Street stores were a big hit with the public. Topshop and New Look

were mentioned and online shopping is becoming quite a hit with the shoppers in

the street. Lucy, from Atherley Road, said: “Zara is the shop! If I could buy

everything from Zara I would. It looks expensive and lasts so long.”

There was a huge difference in the amount of money people spent on clothes.

Surprisingly, Georgina, customer assistant, at boutique, M Butterfly said: “If we’re

going on the last six months, nothing. I usually use vouchers I am given for

birthday’s and Christmas.” Others, thought nothing of spending £100- £150 a month

on topping up their wardrobe.

With the country suffering an economic crisis, it would be expected that the sale of

clothing would see dramatic cuts. However Southampton’s West Quay Shopping

Centre seemed to be booming with shoppers determined to find that key item,

Christmas present or bargain.

The impact of fashion caused some contrasted views. Maddie Hobbs, said: “The way

you dress is how people view you. You show yourself through the clothes you wear.”

George Collings, from Stafford Road, did not share this view: “Fashion doesn’t have

that big an impact on my life, but I do care about the way I look.”

As winter approaches, the key items being added into wardrobes are combining

warmth and style. Parker jackets and cosy knitted jumpers were mentioned as big

hits for this season.

SOUTHAMPTON’S CULTURAL QUARTER

Today, Southampton City Council revealed their plans to regenerate the city with a

new arts complex.

Working with developers Grosvenor, the £9.2 million project in northern Above Bar,

aims to rejuvenate Southampton’s cultural life. Ben White, Southampton City

Council’s Communications Director, said: “We want to attract the tourists, but we

also want to make this something for the people who live in Southampton and study

in the city.”

With the Arts Council now offering £7.2 million instead of the previous £5.5 million

and the council giving £2 million, plans are now well underway. Project Team

Leader, Jill Low said: “The reason why the council have invested this much is

because they’re absolutely positive that it will be an economic regeneration into the

middle of Southampton, which is very much needed in that area too. It will make

people aware of the city of somewhere not just to go shopping, to go and have fun

and to see special things.”

“What’s really important is to recognise that public finances at the moment are dire,

you know that, and they’re not going to get better anytime soon. So looking at it

from a commercial success it has to be something that is going to making money

because we can’t be in a tradition where the council bails out on a venture like this

because we can’t afford it and we won’t be able,” said Ben. The people involved in

the development are aware of difficult economic times. They are interested in

drawing more money into Southampton as a whole.

The project was initially planned to open in 2008 but like the rest of the country, it

hit a financial block. Now expected to be completed in 2015, Jill Low won’t let

anything else get in the way. She said: “Southampton is on the edge of really

regenerating into something very exciting. I really do love Southampton, but

actually the reason why and how we got out of it is by convincing our funders and

ourselves that we can do it, and we can and we will. So that’s how we get off in the

middle of the recession and we got planning permission about three weeks ago and

will be a huge success.”

In partnership with Southampton University’s John Hansard Gallery, currently

located on the Southampton University campus and The City Eye, there will be huge

potential for students to be involved in volunteering and will generate an enormous

amount of jobs within the city. Jill announced: “They know that there will be a lot

more jobs in the area because of it and students hopefully staying on after they’ve

left university as well, to make the thriving highs of activities in the area. It’s

absolutely essential in that way.”

Including a foyer, two galleries, two auditoriums, studios and a bar, the flexible

centre plans to be a hive of activity. The Project Team Leader added: “We’re trying to

create an informal atmosphere in a very modern building.” The layout of the

building has already been specifically designed: “The foyer will have hopefully ice

cream, refreshments, maybe vodka and cocktails and vodka and information. It

won’t have the box office because we want to pull people up from the ground floor to

the top. At the top there is a café bar area, and there is another café area which can

also be used for art,” Jill added.

The response from Southampton residents has been incredibly supportive. When

Guildhall Square was closed for regeneration, Midsummer’s Dreams event was more

than the team could have ever expected. Jill explained: “We had 7000-8000 people.

I said: ‘Well if we get 2000 that’s fine.’ It was fantastic I walked around the corner

and saw people having fun, that’s real commitment to wanting something to happen

in the middle of the city. We started to make people believe that it can happen and

it’s a good thing. We are still talking to people and listening what they say about it as

well.”

Creating an exciting place to meet, the Cultural Quarter also intends to improve the

safety of the City. Arts Leader, Jill said: “The more people around an area the

better… there’s a feeling of making you feel secure in a city by attracting all types of

people.” They also intend to introduce many cafes and restaurants to make this area

like the more accessible cities in the country.

STUDENT CLOTHING

Southampton Solent University’s Fashion students began an apprentice style

competition today.

The week long level six Fashion Management and Marketing students are selling the

new range of collegiate sports wear, designed by students, for students. Pop-up

shops appeared on campus showing all 21 items of the collection, the four teams are

aiming to sell as much stock as possible.

The competition is to raise money for the university using competitions, discounts

and freebies to persuade students to buy the clothing.

The preppy collection ranging from £10.99 to £40, is in huge competition with

fashion brands like Jack Wills. It’s been predicted that the t-shirts and hoodies will

be the most popular items as they are the best value for money.

The process included courses from Product design to Business Studies. Jodie Coles,

Fashion Management and Marketing said: “We’ve been given the product, there’s

four groups, all working against each other. We need to market for what is right for

our consumer. The aim is to make as much money as possible.”

The joint leader of the team said that all of her team have bought the t-shirts. Based

on the shape of Hollister t-shirts, the item is a perfect fit for all body shapes.

BA(Hons) Business Studies students wrote up the copyright assignment. Fashion

lecturer Emma Pritchard stressed: “We need to protect these goods, they’re ours!”

As a bricks and clicks product, the teams have used websites, retailers and university

retailers to promote this collection.

Joanna Tether, 20, a Fashion Management and Marketing student on the blue team

said: “We’ve tried to make it into more of an event. We just want to beat everyone!

It’s dog eat dog and everyone wants to win the prize.” It’s obvious that the students

are taking this very seriously and there is very strong rivalry between the groups.

The blue team, situated in the university foyer, put on a fantastic display with

balloons, cupcakes and face paint; a very patriotic scene. Yates’s, Chilli Whites and

Buddah Lounge sponsor the team. The team believe that by creating hype in the

best location will see them winning the mystery prize.

On the other side of the field, the orange team are also steaming ahead. Sponsored

by Orange Rooms, they were given balloons and prizes left over from Fresher’s

Week. Alex Smith, 20, a Fashion Management and Marketing student explained: “We

were the only team who got permission from the online team to have online posters

on the Solent portal. We were also given permission to put posters up and flyer

around the university and halls.”

Happy with multimedia advertising, the orange team aren’t phased by the strength

of the blue team’s location. Alex Smith added: “It’s really competitive to get in there,

but they’re only allowed it for one day I think, we’re here all week!”

FEATURES

CIRCULAR COLUMN

My boyfriend will never be marriage material. There are many things I can forgive-

our disagreement on my choice of Coldplay’s Yellow as our wedding song, even the

frustrating moment when the toilet seat is left up, but his incredible inability to

manage money leaves me raging.

I honestly find it hard to understand how a man of 21-years-of -age can need a credit

card, let alone two and maxing them out in FOUR months. My boy needs help!

Growing up with a money savvy brother gave me the impression that men were

simply better with money. I was obviously wrong. I was, without a doubt, one of

those girls whose Christmas money wouldn’t last past the January sales, and whose

wages would be mentally spent before they even hit Santander’s lap, but I assumed

that understanding money came with age.

I understand how easy it is to get into debt. There’s many a time as a naïve teenager

where I thought nothing of running my bank account down to pennies and even now,

a few nights out on the town, I could easily be tucking into my hefty overdraft – I

know too many people who have done it!

Whether it’s an iPhone contract or a new pair of Vans his ridiculous spending

addiction just keeps spreading. It’s not even that he’s addicted to new purchases.

he’ll think nothing of jumping in the car and heading to the local café for a fry up

with the lads, despite having all the ingredients indoors!

Working eight hour nights, five times a week, you would expect the boy to have a

substantial amount of money- he sure manages to act that way, but looks can be

deceiving, under the careless, generous exterior lies thousands of pounds worth of

debt.

Joking about my love of a Mulberry bag on our recent shopping trip ended in an

obvious argument. Yes, the thought of owning my own soft, tan, Bayswater is the

ultimate dream, but the niggling thought that he can’t afford it as much as I can’t, is

always on my mind.

It seems to me that the thought of “I can’t afford this” never even crosses his mind. I

have always assumed that his bromance with his hard working, highly paid best

friend- who managed to buy his brand new Ford Fiesta Sport out right, has put him

in the mindset of also being incredibly well off.

With Christmas looming, his careless habit worries me sick. Of course I’m not saying

he shouldn’t buy his family and friends presents, but is it really necessary to spend

nearly £100 on the best friend? If he had the money in his bank and wasn’t taking

advantage of the high interest plastic, I wouldn’t have a problem with it, but he

doesn’t and every penny he spends urges Mr Banker to clap his hands like an excited

seal.

Maybe I am over sensitive when it comes to the pros and cons of money. As a

student, sticking to my strict budget of £49 a week is difficult, but knowing I either

buy that new top I’ve been longing for, or eat for a week is a huge incentive to be

sensible.

I could, technically, be in the same position as my darling boyfriend. I mean getting a

student overdraft wasn’t so hard, so why would getting my hands on a credit card

be? However buying presents for myself or friends and family wouldn’t feel the

same. I’d feel almost guilty that the gift wasn’t paid for with my hard earned cash,

but with that the bank had lent me with a smug smile of interest on its face.

Yes, sometimes I would love to be able to be as blasé with money as my other half.

I’d love to have no concept of how much money I’ve spent, buy heaps of unnecessary

presents just to boost my moral and show my loved ones I care and not even think

about the consequences when the obligatory statement comes through on the 4th of

every month. In fact, not even look at the five-page statement and merely shred it

without a care in the world. This routine seems so easy to process, I mean who

wouldn’t want to live a life where money is just a fantasy and payments are nothing

more than a number? I know I couldn’t do it. My 18-year-old mind has been reset to

carefully budget every penny.

What can we do without money though? As a couple, our average “date” will always

cost at least £30 (which we often argue about anyway) whether it’s the weekly

tradition of Nando’s and the cinema, or a swanky night in London, the receipts and

over-priced tickets soon pile up.

I’m aware that keeping a beady eye on my money has made me seem harsh, but at

times even I splash out on extreme treats, like the chance to experience Coldplay

singing Yellow with my best friend live on their 2012 arena tour- there was no way I

could say no to that opportunity!

The saying “money can’t buy happiness, but I’d much rather cry in a Ferrari” is a

perfect representation of my man, although it’s not him crying in his Ferrari, it’s

usually me. Okay, I have to admit, I do love receiving presents and with his

surprisingly impressive taste, it’s extremely difficult to keep up the angry “stop

spending money you’re stressing me out” face I’ve become used to wearing.

Don’t get me wrong, he is a lovely, caring boyfriend and I wouldn’t change him for

the world, but I think it’s safe to say, when we’re married I will most definitely be in

control of our finances!

CATHERINE WRIGHT – PROFILE

Waltzing around the boutique she’s so proud of, the excitable lady has no problem

taking time out of her busy day to give me an insight into her crazy and eccentric

world. Behind her oversized glasses and personality to match, one would never

have expected the drama and devastation one woman could encounter. From

becoming a single parent, to car crashes to a house fire to sick children, she’s been

through it all. “Bad times give you something to compare the good times to,” she

says, surprisingly open to someone she’s never met before.

For years, this inspirational woman convinced herself she couldn’t own a shop, but

now, her treasure chest of delectable finds is one of the most sought after addresses

for stylists everywhere.

Today, Catherine Wright is clearly at home in Hepwright’s vintage shop and the

quality delights complement her charity shop bought, placement print maxi skirt and

chunky jewellery perfectly. When describing her outfit, a smile warms her face as

she strokes the gold pendant around her neck: “This comes from my shop!” she

beams. After recently celebrating her 48th and her shop’s first birthday she sees

herself as more of an antiques’ dealer than the owner of a trend boutique.

Surrounded by fashion from an early age, Catherine has always had an interest in

vintage clothing. Brought up by her father and evil stepmother – as she described

her, she was surrounded by Vogue style glamour. “A rubbish mother, but very

glamorous!” were her exact thoughts on her stepmother; something I’m sure was

kept to herself throughout her childhood! As a teen, she would spend hours with her

friends planning their day around boot fairs and jumble sales, something her Father

found rather strange. “I hope you’re going to wash that,” he’d say as she came home

with bin bags full of second hand clothes. However, her attachment to vintage

wasn’t purely because of her love for the second hand treasures she’d find. “Big girls

weren’t catered for,” she said, “I cried buckets because I wanted to be a Miss

Selfridge girl!” Not sure whether these tears were metaphors or reality, I could

understand how, as a teenager, this would have been a huge deal.

Starting her fashion career as wardrobe maintenance and dresser at London

theatres was the perfect job for Catherine; but when the vintage Queen and her

friend began looking through their wardrobes, she realised there was more

possibilities than they thought. Together, they started up an eBay site, Spy Baby

Vintage, selling old the clothes they were simply “too fat to wear”. “You’ve got to sell

it, you’ve got to post it, Post Offices are the worst!” Catherine rants as she explains

the process of eBay, throwing her hands back and forth. A year was spent storing

clothes in spare bedrooms and the basements of coffee shops, but selling the items

online soon became a thing of the past. The public began to find out about the

basement storage space, “people kept coming in and asking how much things will

cost… ‘Oh I don’t know, I’ll tell you when I’ve put it on eBay!’” she reminisced

perching on the mahogany till point- a luxurious cabinet donated from her sister’s

house.

Shortly after their incredible idea took off, Catherine’s friend and business partner

decided to pursue her music career, leaving the confident Ms Wright to continue the

business alone. This was when Spy Baby Vintage became Hepwrights. “I wanted a

name that sounded like it’d been around forever,” she says, which complements the

nature of her store beautifully. “Hep came from Audrey Hepburn, Katherine

Hepburn and hep-cats,” all seen as icons of the 40’s and 50’s.

As a businesswoman and a mum of two, Catherine rented what she described as “a

dodgy office space” to store her online stock in, but no one could have predicted the

devastation that was looming. “My son was ill, so we were in and out of hospital

because of that, I found out my daughter had a heart condition which resulted in

heart surgery, I had a car crash, then my house burnt down and we lost literally

everything, then I had ANOTHER car crash!” Catherine explains, any normal person

would find such a distressing time hard to talk about, but this strong, passionate

woman gives the impression that without these set backs, she wouldn’t be where she

is today. Shortly after these traumatic events, the budding businesswoman set up

monthly sales in the stock room and her confidence grew dramatically. On 27th

September 2010, Catherine Wright signed a five-year lease for a small retail unit in

Bedford Place, Southampton, despite spending years convincing herself that she

couldn’t own a shop. “Thank God I didn’t have a shop earlier, what with all the crap

that happened!” she says raising her eyebrows above her oversized glasses. Her love

of second hand items spills over into the way her shop is merchandised, with playing

cards as price tags, preventing more cardboard being brought into the world.

With inspirations from wacky designers such as Vivienne Westwood, Iris Apfel and

Patricia Field, there’s no wonder this amazing woman has created such an energetic

shop. With a broad knowledge of her field and the market she’s selling to, her

definition of vintage is something slightly different to that one might expect: “It

depends who you are and what it means to you. For me, vintage is old. When

customers ask me, I say 25 years or older. It’s what you parents were wearing when

you were little!” she says begrudgingly, light heartedly groaning as if the question is

unanswerable.

In our final moments together, Catherine Wright’s bubbly aura is swallowed by

nostalgia, when I ask of any regrets or things she wishes she had done differently.

Looking wistfully around her gorgeous vintage boutique that anyone would be

proud of, she says shyly: “I kick myself for not being brave enough… sometimes it

takes me a long time to take a step.”

HOW TO GET THE CHRISTMAS LOOK

They glimmer and sparkle. Their entrance into a room is always a head turner and

they are perfect for this party season. As an obvious choice for Christmas, some may

feel that sequins have become a little predictable, but this year, the High Street has

wowed everyone, with shift dresses and collars twinkling onto the shelves.

Shops such as River Island and Miss Selfridge have taken this trend to new levels

creating wonderful palettes of gold and browns and complimenting them beautifully

with more traditional dresses wrapped in the marvellous plastic discs. Whilst Miss

Selfridge has adopted the one shoulder dress with a hint of sparkle from its sequined

body and a draped skirt, River Island has opted for head to toe sequins in the form of

a gold, long sleeved maxi number; both perfect for the work’s Christmas party or

even the extravagant “do” you’re planning for New Year’s Eve.

If sequins seem rather daunting, why not go for a more subtle shimmer. Metallic

dresses; tops and even leggings are huge on the High Street this winter and also have

the same festive, party look. Team River Island’s black metallic shift dress with black

tights and heeled brogues for a girly Christmas meal, or really dress it up with

Topshop’s black, suede block heels and lashings of gold jewellery.

However, if the shimmer and sparkle still scares you rigid, the understated gleam of

striking silver or gold eye shadows can add a hint of glamour to any outfit. Try a

smoky eye using MAC Parlor Smoke: Eye Shadow X4, or simply sweep Urban Decay’s

Stardust Eye Shadow, in Moon Spoon over the lid of the eyes and complete with 12

Lash false eyelashes by MAC to be the face envy of any party.

A look for those who ooze confidence this Christmas is that of Fetish.

Understandably, the word itself could send any person into a state of frenzy, and

may be viewed inappropriate for a Christmas do, but this winter, the trend has been

made a lot more accessible. The Autumn/Winter catwalks saw designers such as

Marc Jacobs and Louis Vuitton, send models strapped up in black PVC and leather

along the runway, however the High Street has taken a much more delicate branch of

such a strong and intimidating fashion.

Topshop is teaming red, velvet, harness corsets with PU pencil skirts for those keen

to experiment with something a little more risqué over the Christmas period. Whilst

Urban Outfitters are sporting a more feminine look with sheer, black shirts with gold

embellished collars and leatherette leggings.

Adding a hint of fetish to your Christmas party outfit is easier than you may think.

When creating a fetish style outfit, ensure that any PU or leather is only ever in black.

Whether you’re tucking a lace panel body into a pair of black leather shorts, or

introducing a floaty, black shirt to a wet look pencil skirt, the theme of the trend is

black, black, black!

If you feel that the office party is a bit too formal for a fetish makeover, there are

plenty of ways to make a less daunting combination. Keep your makeup dark, but do

not be mistaken for a teenage Goth, a deep red lipstick such as MAC Lipstick in Deep

Berry is perfect for light to medium skin tones, whereas Cyber, also by MAC, would

compliment darker skin tones beautifully. Pairing these electric lips with precise

liquid eyeliner and extravagant lashes is a must.

It’s not the end of the world if the thought of fetish makeup makes you quake in your

bondage boots, you can also focus on extreme jewellery. Heavy, choker necklaces

and studded rings, available from Topshop, compliment any outfit, whereas gold

cross earrings from Urban Outfitters are an elegant addition to an all black, fetish

inspired outfit.

But if the Christmas party isn’t your scene at all, and being snuggled up on the sofa

with a dodgy Christmas film and a large hot chocolate is more your kind of thing,

seasonal knits might just be perfect for you.

The High Street has been booming with Fair Isle and festive prints for the last few

months and as the excitement of Christmas approaches, so do the sales of the cosy

knitted jumpers. So don’t be shy about it, whether you’re going all out in Topshop’s

festive reindeer number, or wrapping up in New Look’s Fair Isle gilet with a faux-fur

trim, the trend is just becoming bigger and better for this winter. Team these

chunky warmers with a well fitting pair of dark blue jeans and Uggs and show

Winter what you’re made of, or simply throw on a pair of black leggings and simple

slipper pumps and venture into town to finish those last bits of Christmas shopping,

after all, seasonal knits are perfect for the arctic conditions the country is currently

experiencing!

If a reindeer on your chest, or extreme amounts of Christmas prints aren’t really

what you were looking for this winter, why not try Marks and Spencer’s Fair Isle

Knitted Gloves with Angora to keep your hands warm, or a simple oatmeal cable knit

scarf from Topshop to ensure that Mr. Frost stays away this Christmas.

The seasonal knits are also extremely popular for men this winter, so if you’re

struggling for Christmas presents for the men in your life, head down to Topman to

pick up their Navy Yoke Jumper or keep an eye out for River Island’s Cable Knit Fair

Isle jumper in rust, and be matching on Christmas day!

So over this festive season, there’s no need to panic, your perfect outfit is never far

away. Whether you’re wowing a work mate at the Office Christmas Party in a

dazzling metallic dress, amazing your friends in fitted leather shorts, or cuddling up

with the family in chunky jumpers, the High Street has every option you could

possibly need in the run up to the New Year.