Virtual Shopping Center: A REALISTIC, 3D Shopping Experience!

As London Fashion Week keeps fashionistas around the city buzzing, the world is preparing to see the experience of shopping change forever. What I'm about to let you in on is truly a revolutionary idea in the fashion tech industry and I am genuinely excited to see it all unfold...

Virtual Shopping Center was brought about by Jelena, a busy mum and business owner. Unforunately, what was once an enjoyable, escapist venture out became a hectic nightmare- shopping was never the same again. We all love a shopping break to chill out and unwind but when you need a break from THAT, you know there's a problem...

Shopping is not an activity that is meant to make you feel lonesome or stressed out. We need to put the initial fun back into the exciting, enjoyable, stress-free shopping experience that we once loved.

Jelena had enough. She wanted to change the game completely and under the name Gatebizzcommunications, she founded Virtual Shopping Centre in order to transform our usual flat, 2D online shopping experience into something 3D, realistic and most importantly- FUN!

A huge bonus with this concept is that you do not have to download any additional software to operate it. You can also pay for all your purchases in one single transaction, meaning you can go to as many stores as you like and save time paying. This really and truly is a 'no hassle' experience after all!

If that wasn't enough, you can also interact with your friends if you all log on together on your lunch break one day. You can browse through some stores, share thoughts about the pros and cons of that new leather handbag and it will all feel like you're there together as a group. Perfect.

Now for me personally, I still love going out shopping when I get the time but as everyone is so busy these days, the rise of online shopping is as omnipresent as ever. The only logical next step would be to try and take the realistic experience of browsing in a mall and translating that on a computer screen. It's quite a drastic concept but what I've seen from Virtual Shopping Center reassures me that this is most definitely going to be a success as it's so cutting-edge and innovative.

Anyone and everyone can use this, from bloggers, shopaholics, busy mums, working business people... the possibilities are endless as everything is tailored personally to you and you can tick your favourite stores when you sign up to receive offers and news about your chosen brands.

The Inside Scoop...

Jelena Bjelovuk, Business Owner and Creator says, 'After carefully thinking about the whole shopping experience - you know, chatting with your girlfriends, window shopping, price comparison etc., I have come up with the idea of Virtual Shopping Center. One of the main reasons was to provide future fans with a completely new and different kind of shopping experience which will be fun, convenient and time saving. The thing I am most proud of is the high-level of technological innovation that we have developed. It enables this kind of web platform to work flawlessly on all computers with average preferences and Internet speed. This platform has a great potential to expand even further and can be used for development of other e-businesses.'

Branislava Rakić, Online PR tells me, 'Working on such a huge project is very exciting. We all get to contribute with our ideas of what we’d like to see inside Virtual Shopping Center and then the tech guys tells us if we can do it or not. For the last year, I’ve learned a lot about technology but also about marketing, so I can tell I’m so much richer for the knowledge and experience now.'

How You Can Get Involved

Currently, Virtual Shopping Center will be launching an Indiegogo campaign to help complete their development stages. I will link all the details to this as it's released so you can get involved in the latest, breakthrough concept in the fashion tech industry!

You can also follow their social media pages to receive the latest updates:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/virtualshoppingcenters
Twitter: https://twitter.com/VSC_Experience

London Student Style: The REAL Side of Fashion #LFW Special!

As London Fashion Week approaches, our attention is often focused on top designers and catwalk trends, as opposed to the 'real' side of fashion. I'm talking about students! London is a hub of academics and full of buzzing students from 45 different universities. 

Whether we realise it or not, their style is what makes the fashion industry boom. Top designers and high-street stores often get their inspiration from street style, especially in London as we are known for pushing the boundaries a bit. 

I'm so excited to do a street style post but what I love even more is that the 4 gorgeous ladies featured today are some of my close friends. I'd like to let my readers have a look at what students are really wearing and what they think about fashion as a whole. 

Let's see what they had to say... 

The Models Students

Name: Kiana Nicole
University & Degree: King's College London, Pharmacology
Outfit: Kimono- H&M | Crop Top- Miss Selfridge | Joni Jeans- Topshop | Shoes- Nike Air Hurrache Black Safari

Her Fashion 411: 'I would describe my style as practical, preppy and modern. I'd like to think my style stands out from the others but with so many students, there's bound to be different outlooks on fashion. I like recreating trends that I see bloggers and celebs pulling off, but being comfortable is important to me- I need an outfit that I like but won't be getting annoyed with throughout the day.'

Kiana is open to modelling opportunities and she may even be one to look out for in the blogger sphere!

Name: Isabel Conde
University & Degree: King's College London, Hispanic Studies with English
Outfit: Cardigan & Mom Jeans- Urban Outfitters | Top- Zara | Bag & Glasses- Camden | Shoes- Vans

Her Fashion 411: 'Dressing stylishly everyday is important but I'm not obsessed with every little detail. I would describe my style as quirky, practical and warm! My style doesn't always fit in with the others but in London, you do see lots of students going out of their way to be different. I guess you could say that London is one of the most fashionable places in the world with all the diversity in people's looks.'

Name: Laura
University & Degree: University of Leicester, History (Deferred)
Outfit: Dress, Earrings & Shoes- New Look | Cardigan- Market Stall

Her Fashion 411: 'My style is simple but I love to experiment with colour blocking and patterns from time to time. I guess I'm still figuring out my style! The nice thing about London is that style varies so much that it's hard not to fit in! Whether I decide to wear a hoodie or a tea dress, highstreet or hand-me-downs, I'm bound to fit in somewhere. One of my favourite things about fashion is when clothes have a story. The blouse my Grandma got married in has been passed down to my mum and then to me. I absolutely love wearing it!'

Name: Fatima
Degree: Pharmacy
Outfit: All abayas from Dubai & Sharjah, UAE

Her Fashion 411: 'My style is elegant and modest. I wear an abaya everyday. An abaya is a full-length, outer garment traditionally worn by some Muslim women. I love to wear abayas for occasions also. My everyday abayas tend to be simple and practical. The ones I have for special occasions are nicely embellished, elegant and embroidered. I notice a lot of new styles people go for at uni, but one good thing about wearing an abaya is not having to worry about what to wear everyday!'

If you would like to contact me regarding opportunities for these students please email manitarughwani@gmail.com.

Bloggers Love Fashion Week Day 2: Fever London!

This week, I had the pleasure of interning for Fever London at Day 2 of Bloggers Love Fashion Week (#BLFW) at The Penthouse, London!

As we overlooked the gorgeous London skyline, the room filled with drop-dead gorgeous models, bloggers and industry professionals. It was time for them to see what Fever London really brings to the table this AW14. Bloggers browsed through the rails of vintage-inspired patterns and vibrant, colourful dresses perfect for the colour-blocking trend!

They were more than impressed!

See the action for yourself....

Here I am wearing a gorgeous Folklore Fit and Flare Dress in Black from the Heritage collection. It was SO flattering and comfortable! Perfect for accentuating the right bits and hiding those you hate, cough that would be my midriff! The dress has a pretty vintage print that makes a statement but is still subtle enough to transition from day to night!

Our set-up! How chic!

Couldn't resist a quick Snapchat pic!

Our rail filled with lots of elegant pieces. My favourites include the sapphire dresses, like the Getty Square Neck Pencil Dress. You have to check it out, it's so versatile and will easily become a staple piece in no time.

Fever London is known for recreating past looks and adapting them for today's fashion-forward women. The Avebury Top in Navy/Red really pops, as you can see here. The polka-dots are inspired by the 40s/50s but a piece like this can be worn in so many ways today, from a lunch with the girls to a spontaneous shopping trip!

What I really love about Fever London is the sheer amount of choice they have! You can find exquisite designs for special occasions such as weddings or be spoilt for choice whilst looking for a couple of staple AW14 knits!

Warning: you may need someone to carry your bags if you pop in!

Donatella Versace: The Most Luxurious Ice Bucket Challenge

As everyone has been noticing, the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge has gone viral all over the world, with everyone including high-profile celebrities jumping on the bandwagon.

I think it's great that something so simple can raise awareness and money for the cause, although I am in agreement with some of the arguments against it, especially those who claim people are now doing the challenges for their own personal recognition.

Another important thing to remember is to always put the correct donation information in your video. There's no point doing something like this and donating to a non-reputable foundation.

Okay, rant over!

Donatella Versace, one of my all-time fashion idols, has taken up the Ice Bucket Challenge in the only way she knows how: glamourously.

In the video with over 2 million views on YouTube, we see Donatella in a beautiful garden with two ripped hunks standing on either side whilst she forms a goddess-like stature.

With her signature tousled blonde hair and all-white clothing, she screams minimalist-chic, as if she just came from a beach in Santorini.

'I'm not just here to ruin my makeup, please donate to ALS', she says before getting drenched by two classic Versace vases with the iconic, golden print.

She's such a graceful woman and despite all the negative comments out there, I appreciate what she's done for the fashion industry and how she overpassed tragedy in her life to leave an unforgettable legacy behind.

I give Donatella props for giving back and doing this challenge with elegance and class!

To donate to The ALS Association, please click here.

Looks Good On Me: The Most Revolutionary Shopping App EVER?

I'm really excited to let you guys know about a new app, 'Looks Good On Me' which will undoubtedly make your shopping experiences 10x more stress-free.

As we browse through the rails on the high street, we often grab several items and spend minutes, even hours (yes, hours) deliberating on the following:

1) Will I look fat in this? Surely there's a reason why that Zara model is staring at me disapprovingly, right?
2) Is this trend too outlandish for my office job?
3) Do I really want to pay for another cocktail dress that will end up in the back of my wardrobe?

Co-founder, Tatjana battling a serious fashion problem: Shopaholic Syndrome. 

Well, an innovative new app is set to take those pressures away!

The best part is that it's SO easy to use! Co-founder, Tatjana Apukhtina is confident 'anyone will be able to use ‘Looks Good On Me’ effectively'. I would take her word for it.

'Looks Good On Me' really does aim to put the fun back into shopping. Say goodbye to fashion faux paus...

So How Does It All Work?

How cute is the logo?

All you have to do is pick a group of trusted fashionistas to be your own personal fashion advisers. They could be your friends, family or colleagues. It's completely up to you and for me personally, this is my favourite part. There's no need to feel self-concious or nervous if you're only asking people you can trust, right?

Next, you can take some selfies of your potential new outfit whilst you shop and send them to your chosen advisers. You can even set a time limit so you won't have to wait around too long for them to make up their minds.

It really is as simple as 'yes' or 'no'.

After a straightforward 'yes' or 'no' vote, you will be shown an overall verdict at the end and all of a sudden, shopping just got easy!

The app is so entirely versatile. It can be used to choose your next job interview outfit, dinner party jumpsuit or even your bridal gown. The possibilities are endless.

You heard it here first, I think this app will take the fashion industry by storm and if you ask me, it's a retailer's biggest dream come true.

Great, Where Do I Sign Up?!

In order to achieve their goals, there is a Kickstarter campaign that you can get involved in to fund their final development stages.

First, let me take a selfie!

The co-founder, Matthew Blakemore says that they have been 'overwhelmed with the support' they have received so far and that 'it’s imperative they hit their target to make this project a massive success'.

You can donate as much as you want, although they do have some pretty impressive rewards for certain donation amounts. The campaign is live until September 10th 2014. Go check it out for yourself! 

The app is set for release in October 2014 and will be free to download firstly on Apple IOS and then later on Android.