Lifestyle | What I've been reading and watching recently #1

I've had a crazy amount of days off of work at the moment as I work part time so I've been trying to use my time off wisely by reading as much as I can, ticking off lots on my 'need to watch' list and getting some interesting blog posts scheduled (as well as having some nice days out). So I thought I'd share what I've been reading and watching recently!

The Fashion Fund (Netflix) The process of finding a fashion designer to win the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund. The Fashion Fund was established in 2003 to cultivate the next generation of Fashion Designers by nurturing and mentoring them personally and financially. I am addicted to this show, I love having an insight into each stage of the competition, particularly the application and having a look at the designers portfolios. 

The Handmaid's Tale (4oD) Based on Margaret Atwood's novel of the same name. The show is set in Gilead, USA, in a desperate attempt to repopulate the world they round up all of the fertile women and force them to have children with the high up men (commanders) in society. It's a scary look into what could happen in the future if women were treated as property of the government.

I Own Australia's Best Home (Netflix) A look into some fantastic homes in Australia as they compete to become the best home in Australia and win money for charity. It's just a really fab show to put on in the background and it's also a lot of fun to have a nosy into peoples homes.

Pose (FX) A drama set in the 80's showing the ball culture and the downtown social scene. Blanca creates a house where she provides support and accommodation to young people in the LGBT society who have been rejected by their biological families and forced to become homeless. Together they compete in balls against their rival houses.

Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman Eleanor has learnt how to survive and go through the daily chores life brings but she is yet to learn how to live. This is a moving tale of loneliness and trauma and the affects it can have on your life.

The F Word by Lily Pebbles A lovely easy read looking at Lily's experiences with friendships. It's really well written and shares the perfect amount of personal stories and advice. It was interesting to see the different types of friends there are and thinking about which categories my friends and I fit into!

Everything I know about Love by Dolly Alderton This book keeps popping up on my Instagram feed and it was chosen by my Book Club as Junes book, so I had high hopes. Unfortunately I really didn't enjoy it, I found the writing style stilted and I don't know if it's because I don't know who the author is so I didn't invest in her stories or because a lot of the stories were set were I grew up so I kept getting distracted! My friend who also just finished reading this also said she wouldn't recommend it.

Social Media For Fashion Marketing by Wendy K. Bendoni This is a textbook using case studies and detailed interviews to show how the Fashion Industry is evolving in a digital world. I have a huge interest in Digital Marketing and I find the entire process of brands having to adapt to an online world fascinating. Companies are having to entice a generation that is used to having everything as soon as they want it and when they've found what they want they also want it to be instagrammable. One of my favourite case studies shares Marc Jacobs 'Tweet Shop' where the social currency of getting that tweet/share/like can actually be more beneficial than £/$ etc. When customers went to their pop up shop for their Daisy perfume they could 'pay' for their perfume by posting on social using their chosen hashtag, ultimately creating a bond between the brand and their new generation of customers. It's just brilliant!

I hope this has given you a few book and TV ideas for your upcoming month!

KEEP SMILING