Kitty Brucknell Singer/songwriter and performance artist from London. She has been performing since she was 10 years old, and in 2011 she entered The X Factor ‘on a bit of a whim’, and had ‘many iconic fashion moments’ on the famous stage, including a light-up leotard and spinning on a flaming giant Catherine Wheel. Apart from singing and writing, she loves filmmaking, sci-fi movies and conspiracy books! Twitter: @ kittybrucknell
Lewis-Duncan Weedon A celebrity stylist, make-up artist, model, presenter, society and fashion editor for Meade Magazine, socialite and celebrity ambassador for the Prince’s Trust in the East of England. Twitter: @ldweedon
Olivia Cox TV presenter, blogger and model. She loves skiing and small dogs and hates how long it takes to do her hair. She also used to be in the army and has run the marathon. Twitter: @OliviaCoxLondon
‘A step by step guide for the quintessential gossip girl - including networking, hairstyle, fashion week tips and party essentials. We predict this book will be this season’s must have.’ Kiri Bloore, VIVA Lifestyle Editor & TV presenter
ARE YOU ON THE LIST? A guide on how to become a modern socialite
Kitty Brucknell Lewis-Duncan Weedon Olivia Cox
It’s a So Vain Book www.sovainbooks.co.uk
Published in Great Britain in 2014 by: SO VAIN BOOKS Ltd 75 London Road Oxford OX3 9BB www.sovainbooks.co.uk Email: info@sovainbooks.co.uk Copyright Š 2014 Kitty Brucknell, Olivia Cox and Lewis-Duncan Weedon The moral rights of the authors have been asserted A catalogue record from this book is available from the British Library ISBN: 978-0-9930660-0-9 Edited by Stephanie Reed Illustrations by Megan Morris Printed and Bound in the UK by Lightening Source All rights reserved. This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, resold, hired out, or otherwise circulated without the publishers’ prior consent in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition, including this condition, being imposed on the subsequent purchase. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publishers.
Are you on the list?
Contents
Contents Introduction 13 The guide to fashion fabulousness
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Fashion speak and how to navigate it 21 Looking fabulous without breaking the bank 25 Shopping online 26 Vintage stores and charity shops 29 Home-making and customising 30 To fake or not to fake 31 Market Shopping 37 Lewis-Duncan’s ABC of fashion 42 What to always carry with you in your fashionable bag 45 What to wear for an event 51 How to look fierce in anything 56 Dressing for the red carpet 64 Shoes, more shoes, and very high heels 68 Fashion Week 75 Sneaky things to do that make you feel like a celeb but cost nothing (or very little!) 80 Make-up for the party girl on the go
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Make-up emergency in a really big way
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Still an emergency, you just have a bit more time 95 How to apply the perfect foundation (and do contouring without looking like Kim Kardashian in drag!) 101 How to get the perfect cut crease look for you eyes 107 Hairstyles for every occasion
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Sleek ponytail 119 Big bun 120 Fish plait 120 Straight and silky 121 Big and bouncy 122 Lady Gaga’s Hair Bow 123 Hair up – French twist 126 Hair extensions 127 Choosing the perfect colour 130 How to deal with bad-hair days 132 A last word: size doesn’t matter, confidence does! 134 First impressions are everything
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How to converse with style 142 How to show confidence in all situations 144 How to make a good first impression 146 How to RSVP 149 How to arrive 150 What to do if you spot a frenemy 151
Contents
What to do if you forget someone’s name 151 How to leave 152 Beware of social climbers 153 Food/Nibble Etiquette 154 How to be camera-ready 155 Networking like a pro 160 Hellos - to air-kiss or not to air-kiss? 163 Introductions 164 Protocol for meeting the British Royal Family! 165 First rule: be friendly and polite 167 How to find out what is going on in the city 168 How to really network like a pro 168 Following up and keeping in touch 169 How to access London Fashion Week 171 Kitty’s fashion week tips 177 How to organize a fabulous event
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Finding the right location and time 181 How to advertise your event 183 Gift Bags and Goodies 183 Themes 184 Press/Celebrities 185 How to entertain your guests 185
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How to throw an epic house party
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The seating plan 189 Cocktail recipes 189 Appetizer recipes 192 How to decorate the table/room 197 How to create DIY invitations for your event 199 Index 203
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Are you on the list?
Introduction
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Introduction Socialite: a high-profiled person in society, who often engages in social activities such as parties and other exclusive soirées. Someone who everyone wants to be. Who didn’t watch Gossip Girl and thought: “I really want to be like them?”. Yes, we have all been there. The desire of being part of the fashionable society is something that appeals to most girls. It is an aspiration and a dream, which is hard to achieve but not impossible at all. Being surrounded by glamour, being invited to all the parties, meeting all the celebrities, being the girl everyone talks about and organizing your own successful events is what socialites are all about. With the rise of reality TV stars and people becoming insta-famous, the socialite lifestyle has never been more appealing. Having thousands of followers supporting your every move may seemed unattainable in the past, but that’s no longer the case! You don’t need to have the background of Paris Hilton anymore to become an It girl. If you are
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savvy and know all the tricks, you can do it with very little or even no money at all. And you can do it whilst you remain classy and elegant, without looking like a desperate social climber (not-chic). This is where this book comes into the picture, packed with simple, approachable and honest advice from experts to get YOU on the list. You can apply all the tips provided in this book to make you feel like a celebrity, and, once you have that attitude, anything is possible. Making small changes to your day can dramatically increase your social circle, and make you known for what you want to be. This book provides advice on everything, from how to dress to make an impression, how to get invited to the best events that even socialites can’t be listed for, how to walk your way to the front row of London Fashion Week shows and how to organize fabulous parties and events. This guide is written by three authors who have done it all; Kitty Brucknell, Lewis-Duncan Weedon and Olivia Cox are here to guide you with advice on how they made it. In their careers they have certainly had their share of stunning successes and amazing failures, their paths weren’t easy, but what is certain is that they have learned a couple of things along the way. This book is their attempt to pass all their knowledge and all the industry secrets they know onto you to treasure and make yours. Whether it’s to make the right connections in the indus-
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try of your dreams, become a well-known blogger or just have some fun: after reading this book, these three authors will have helped you develop from a little caterpiller into a fabulous Alexander McQueen butterfly.
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O T E D I U G E H T N O I H S A F S S E N S U O L U B A F BY KITTY BRUCKNELL ‘If someone says, “be fashionable”, I just roll my eyes and say, “be yourself ”.’