Losing Weight

Fig 1


Hi All,
I have been pondering whether to write this article or not, I decided too because I am fed up with the mixed messages people are getting regarding being over weight on the internet.

You’ve seen the ads I was this size when I started and now after 2 months I am this size after applying, whatever the gimmick is as advertised.

I am overweight myself and I have tried all sorts of lifestyle changing diets and exercises. When you go on the internet, there is a lot of sensationalising of products that will do all the work for you and take off those pounds that are hindering your life.

I am not condoning or blaming all companies, as there are some good products out there to help aid you in losing weight.

The problem is that many people are in a situation like myself overweight, suffering from many ailments, such as heartburn, feeling queasy, but the worst of these feeling 24/7 bloated (fig 1).

I went to the doctor when I had been ill with the flu, only for the doctor to pinpoint the fact I look overweight, then all was concentrated on my overweight condition, “when did you last have a mini health check”?

Oh no here we go, “your blood pressure is abnormally high, let’s book you in to have a blood test and check your blood count”.

I only came in for a check for my flu symptoms! Now this doctor is publicising the fact that I am overweight and most of my illness is due to the weight.

The results are in and I am told that my blood pressure is a worry, but most of my blood count results were good. But the doctor told me to change my lifestyle and the food I eat.

But as a precursor anyone that is thinking of or going to have a lifestyle change should see your doctor first before you start. It is good to have a check like this to give you a history of your current condition.

The annoying thing here is that I changed my food habit and started exercising in a gym again. I started to lose weight and then, to my disappointment I started to put weight back on?

What was going on, I have cut out a lot of sugar based foods and cut down on my calorie intake, supplemented by my attendance at the gym. At that moment I became despondent and gave up!

Well what else could I do, I cut down on my food intake and train and my body is still no worse off and to cap it all I still feel bloated!

The moment of no return came when I needed to use my suit, I couldn’t believe it I have blown up like a balloon and I now can’t fit my suit, I don’t know what size I am I am fed up and I feel sick all the time.

I am virtually at am impasse! What the hell do I do, I am feeling my heart palpitations more and I know my blood pressure is high, what’s happening to me?

If I seek information on the website all I am surrounded by is the amazing use of diet pills, pills and more pills!

That was not good enough for me, I wanted to know why I was ill and why I was continually bloated to all proportions.

I found information about the production of food and what food additives side effects on humans are.

I also through research found out all the symptoms I was suffering from and why. In all I answered the question that NO ONE would admit too which is all foods we are eating have varying amount of chemicals and toxins in the form of additives and food colourings.

So I know now what can be causing my problems, my stomach feeling like an acid bath continuingly bubbling away and causing me nothing but discomfort. My question is how do I tackle this?

Again I have done research about this and found that in order for the many diets and gymnasium regimes to work I need to start my lifestyle change from within.

When you see on the Internet websites citing that you should workout and get a six pack to be fit, please shun this it’s pure bu****t? Sorry for the profanity!

When I here people telling me they measure a person’s fitness by the size of their six pack, I just shake my head in disbelieve!

To the many people out there who have given up and are disillusioned, fitness starts from inside out.

You will need to start by detoxifying your body. Now when I say detox I don’t mean buying rubbish products that have laxative ingredients in its content.

In essence you will need to start undoing what you have allowed yourself to put your body through. You will need to do a colon cleanse

This will entail flushing the digestive system of all the accumulated toxins that have built up over the years in your stomach.

Also to enable effective flushing you will also need to PH balance your digestive system as by now acid build up would be the main cause of your heartburn and queasiness.

To follow the routine of this takes 3 days to do a colon flush. When I did this I wanted to clean my system completely out, so I did the three days water fast.

Not all of you will have the will power to drink water; instead you can drink fresh fruit. Just to be on the safe side check with your doctor.

Remember this is just the beginning of your recovery, once you have finished your detox, you will really need to make drastic changes with the food you eat, because you will start to feel yourself again, your senses will kick in again and you will be more aware of what you eat.

Knowledge of the foods that affect us is what you need to know in order for you to make informed changes to your new lifestyle change to the food you will be consuming.

Now that you have made these changes, you will need to balance these changes with exercises at the gymnasium to help your body promote your body to maximise your metabolism to what it should be doing effectively.


N.B

Metabolism is the rate at which your body burns calories to sustain life. Your body burns calories 24 hours a day, everyday regardless of whether or not you workout.

After Colon Cleansing, Exercise can aid weight loss?

There is a world epidemic of obesity and there is no sign of it abating. My personal view in this cites the food industry introducing various synthetic organic and non-organic chemicals.

Many of these chemicals are better known for causing weight loss at high levels of exposure but much lower concentrations of these same chemicals have powerful weight-promoting actions.

This property has already been widely exploited commercially to produce growth hormones that fatten livestock and pharmaceuticals that induce weight gain in grossly underweight patients.

My point with this information is that we are spending too much energy into the cause of obesity, when we should be looking into the resolution. There are many advertised solutions that are mesmerising people with the phrase “Amazing”.

This is an amazing product that can…

• Why are our bodies not reacting to the many diets that have been tried?
• Why are you feeling bloated all the time?
• Why do you feel full of gas?
• Heartburn burning acid is fermenting in your stomach
• Why are you constantly buying indigestion tablets?
• Feeling nausea and even a little sick after some meals?
All these questions can be compounded into one answer TOXINS? The only way to get the feel of your body back, is to go through a regime that will help to eradiate those poisonous toxins from your body, that have built up through all those years.

You need to go through a course of colon cleansing. It amazes me that we have a makeover, we cut and style our hair, and we have our nails done, but do nothing for our insides.

Fitness is judged from the healthiness with, but too much vanity is placed on physical attributes. Once you have cleaned your system, you will need to help reach your goal of losing weight constantly.

Through your new lifestyle change, you need to change the food that you eat, when you chose the right food it will energise and give you a new sense of well being.

You need a barometer to show that your efforts are making real progress. As below you need to combine food intake with an exercising routine that will work for you.

To lose weight, you have to burn calories at a higher rate than you consume for some time. But in reality for the majority of people using a Gym, time is at a premium so to carry out such advised exercise plans is not possible.





I think knowledge is vitally important to enable you to devise an exercise plan that can still be affective over a short period of time in the gym or if you have the space at home.

The combination of Aerobic and Anaerobic exercise will an overall workout that will keep the body confused and the fat burning process metabolism firing on all cylinders in your body.

Aerobic
Aerobic calories burns fat as your body breathes in oxygen. Low-intensity activities such as walking are mainly fat burning. However, as your body's need for energy becomes greater than your rate of oxygen intake, your body begins burning anaerobic calories.

The word aerobic literally means 'with oxygen' or 'in the presence of oxygen'. Aerobic exercise is any activity that uses large muscle groups, can be maintained continuously for a long period of time and is rhythmic in nature.

Aerobic activity trains the heart, lungs and cardiovascular system to process and deliver oxygen more quickly and efficiently to every part of the body.
Think of aerobic activity as being long in duration yet low in intensity.

Aerobic activities include: brisk walking, cycling, jogging, swimming, aerobic classes and cross-trainer.

AnaerobicAnaerobic calories:Burn glucose by converting a starch stored in your muscles known as glycogen. Since this doesn't require oxygen, anaerobic calories are used in very strenuous activities for short periods.

The accumulation of lactic acid as a by product of anaerobic activity produces a burning sensation in the muscle. This symptom means you are burning glycogen, not fat. You can't feel fat burning!

So it's pretty obvious that in order to lose fat to the maximum, you must concentrate on aerobic activities rather than anaerobic activities.
Anaerobic activities include, intense short period exercise: Weightlifting, sit-ups and knee-bends.

“A key benefit of anaerobic exercise is that it raises your metabolic rate higher than an aerobic workout and for a longer period once you are finished”.

Anaerobic and aerobic exercise each has their own pluses and minuses, but combining them nicely balances the two.

Aerobic exercise reduces stress, improves your circulation, burns more fat than anaerobic, but it decreases muscle mass.

Anaerobic exercise increases muscle mass, increases cardio capacity but doesn't burn a lot of fat.






By combining both, you will maintain muscle growth, improve bone density, optimize your cardiovascular system (stamina) and gain the fat burning benefit of both.

As a final thought, the more muscle fibre you have, the more calories you burn throughout the day as your body works to repair and maintain those muscle fibres, but as an after thought you need to implement rest periods to compliment both routines.

Plus Size Women Dress Stylish Too

I have recently been to the Clothes Show London ExCel, where the feedback was overwhelmingly in favour of plus size women.

We had on display a lot of Boutique clothing which in description are one off designs, contemporary classics with a “twist”.

Many of the clothing were sparkling with Swarovski stones that added glamour to our outfits. Many women visited and all they could see was size 12 – 14.

The answers we got after a fairly long browse was “do you have this in larger sizes”, you know the answer to that, a disappointing NO. We had colour, style, but not the right size.

After the Clothes Show we decided to do some plus size pieces. There are many women out there who for me drive a vanity and style that’s missing amongst others.

I don’t understand why other stores and manufactures advertise plus size and the fact that they have large supplies of clothing.

But to the disappointment to a lot of ladies, what is offered is a load of drab looking lifeless coloured clothes.

For some reason when it comes to plus size, that maybe the case but where there are large sizes, there are less variety. When your choices are between beige and dark beige, you know you're in a plus sized store.

“I learnt a lot about the challenges faced by plus size women when it comes to lack of variety”.
I know there are many women who see clothes in the mainstream that they like, but for some reason, they left out the creativity for plus sizes and ingeniously created the dullest creation of clothes, making it either a one size fits all or confusion to max with the size coding.

It’s about time Boutiques like us should break from the pack and create something a bit special, a bit daring, full of life with pastel colours, but most of all the Avant-Garde of all plus size clothes, to compliment one body.

Can you comment on the above as your input is important to know that we will be producing the right style and feel to the garments that we want to create.

This can only be achieved by learning from your comments whether they are negative or positive as they matter very much.

Thanks
Kevin
SOVA

Clothes Show London 29 -31st May 09

The Style Stage

Well what a weeked ( 29 - 31st May 09 ) this was at the Clothes Show London ExCel for everyone. From Celebrities giving the benefit of their experience, to the Fashion Theatre, to be entertained by very talented dancers, singers and of course the Models , who gave an outstanding account of themselves. The Clothes show arena housed many companies that were promoting their new products and i must say many women were quick off the mark to get the bargains available over the three days. The Fashion Capital Boutique stand gave a very good account of themselves with the representation of their up and coming talented designers. One out of many of the designers SOVA showcased their launching of their clothing line.





The Clothes Show Arena

Check out my video compolation of the Clothes Show London ExCel May 2009

Unhealthy Lifestyle or is it!

Obesity is rising

As a nation we need to change the way we eat and incorporate exercise to keep up a good staple diet and a balanced way of living. We are over-indulging with recent reports of increasing obesity, but it’s not necessarily our fault.

We keep treating the symptoms:-
• Heartburn
• Allergies
• Coughing
• dry, itchy throat and tongue
• Itchy skin or rash
• Nausea and feeling bloated
• Diarrhoea and/or vomiting
• Wheezing and shortness of breath
• Swelling of the lips and throat
• Runny or blocked nose
• Sore, red and itchy eyes
This list goes on and on, the result of knowing what causes these symptoms never get answered, instead we are bamboozled into being given a medicine that masks the problem.

Some doctors are passive when trying to help you, in fact they convince you into thinking that you are solely to blame, and it’s because of an un-healthy lifestyle!

Well it’s not all your fault, and the reason you will never have anyone form the food industry, from any of the scientific organisations and the government to admit anything, is because it’s all about the £ and $’s, PROFIT.

What is there to admit? The fact that our food, packaging, and the way farms cultivate produce is filled with a cocktail of additives that are harmful to humans, in fact in some cases it can trigger off cancer.

But hey who am I to preach, I’m not the expert here, but I do have knowledge of the chemicals that have been induced into the food products that have been distributed throughout US and UK and it’s not good.

There are many people out there working hard to lobby against the use of harmful additives, but no one hears about it! Instead many of us have bought into the propaganda seen on TV and reports that come out now and again, “carrots are bad for you because” or "drinking coffee can help reduce cancer” as an example.

This is almost like a strategic method to keep people in the mainstream of thinking.
Too many people have been brainwashed into thinking that the symptoms are our fault, "you eat too much", "you eat too much junk food".

“We don't know exactly why some people have a food allergy and others don't. But someone is more likely to develop a food allergy if they have a parent, brother or sister with an allergy of any type”.

Does that look familiar! The government are campaigning about obesity in Britain and using the autonomy of the Food manufacturing to blame, which to a point is correct, for producing so much low standard junk food and other processed food as the cause of over indulgence.

Hey everyone we all need to take responsibility for our lives, we need to do more research into the food processing and what is used, but most of all make it aware to others that they may also pass it on.

Nothing so far I’ve seen, convinces me that the government, food manufacturers, food processing scientist are going to blow the lid wide open with the use of deadly additives that are a cause to many of the increasing diseases, allergies and cancer forms that have increased for many years.

The additives that are used in many of the food produce is induced with the food we consume and sits in your body and it’s the reaction to your body that you feel the effects that have increased over the years, and at worse has developed into all the side effects many of us are suffering today.

Why have i stopped losing weight?

Food Label

As with many of you out there, you will have been on the many diet fads, listened to your friends and work colleagues as to the method of losing weight. The tireless trek to the gym, tried yoga, step classes, aerobics, spinning, swimming, running, personal trainer in a gym and it goes on.

Everyone knows that it is important to keep our bodies clean. We wash, shower and bathe daily to remove the build up of filth and dirt from the outside of our bodies. We also brush and clean the plaque from our teeth; we even pamper our bodies, nails, and face scrubs, feet soaking in oils and herbs. But we never make that effort with our insides; we tend to follow the trait that this is done by drinking lots of water.

What works I don’t know, I just know that I have been suffering for some time with countless of varying illness, nausea, tiredness, feeling sick, heartburn, and pains in the stomach and many more you could add to the listing.
At some point I have lost weight by the method of calorie reduction, small meals, exercising, eating certain times, but for some reason I have slowly started to put weight back, why? So what can you do?

Go to the doctor and be told the change your lifestyle is wrong, they always conduct an ad- hock survey on you, how much do you drink, how many units a week? Do you smoke; and if so how many a week? Then comes the grim reaper revelation, you are overweight and your blood pressure is too high!

Ok if you are masochist then go to your dietician and they will convince you to try various food groups and you are at fault for consuming too much. All this self punishment is fine to a point, but has anyone stopped to think why am I not succeeding?

If I do nothing I gain weight, I change my lifestyle, diet, exercise and sweat like profusely and for what to get a slap in my face, by the digital numbers that rotate like a fruit slot machine. Why? Associated with all this is a problem that some people are suffering from but your doctor cannot answer.

The illness associated with your lifestyle, heartburn, stomach pains, Irritable bowel syndrome, a form of diabetes, palpitations, body twitching, it goes on.
Strange as it maybe, i have found little if any information in the UK or lobbyist raising these concerns.

I have found the usual propaganda of articles news clips from the government raising the profile of the need for people to address obesity by getting fit and addressing the amount of food that we eat. I have had to research the United States to learn what exactly we as a nation are consuming in terms of the contents and food properties.

Nothing mentioned about the need of concern that the rising use of additives is having a profound effect on people in differing ways. I am so mad that you the public are being brainwashed into thinking that you are entirely to blame. The use of the blame game is rife in the UK.

The fact that food manufacturers and some farmers that produce a great mass of food produce are using certain additives above the recommended amount and in some cases have been advised by professional bodies not to use them at all are ignoring the advice and pocketing profits on the back of our ill health. Below i have compiled some good sound information that you should be more familiar about.

12 Dangerous Food Additives

In the United States, more than 3,000 substances can be added to foods for the purpose of preservation, colouring, texture, increasing flavour and more.

While each of these substances is legal to use (at least here in the States), whether or not they are all something you want to be consuming is another story all together.

With any processed food you run the risk of coming across additives, and reading through ingredient labels you need a science degree.

Of course, eating largely fresh, whole foods is the best way to stay away from unsavoury additives, but, assuming you do include some processed foods in your diet, the following additives are ones you surely want to stay away from. Look for them on ingredient labels and if one turns up, take a pass.

Propyl Gallate
This preservative, used to prevent fats and oils from spoiling, might cause cancer. It's used in vegetable oil, meat products, potato sticks, chicken soup base and chewing gum, and is often used with BHA and BHT (see below).

BHA and BHT
Butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) and butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) are used similarly to propyl gallate -- to keep fats and oils from going rancid. Used commonly in cereals, chewing gum, vegetable oil and potato chips (and also in some food packaging to preserve freshness), these additives have been found by some studies to cause cancer in rats. If a brand you commonly buy uses these additives, look for a different variety, as not all manufacturers use these preservatives.


Potassium Bromate
This additive is used in breads and rolls to increase the volume and produce a fine crumb structure. Although most bromate breaks down into bromide, which is harmless, the bromate that does remain causes cancer in animals. Bromate has been banned throughout the world, except for in the United States and Japan. In California, a cancer warning would likely be required if it were used, which is why it is rarely used in that state.

Monosodium glutamate (MSG)
MSG is used as a flavour enhancer in many packaged foods, including soups, salad dressings, sausages, hot dogs, canned tuna, potato chips and many more.

According to Dr.Russell Blaylock, an author and neurosurgeon, there is a link between sudden cardiac death, particularly in athletes, and excitotoxic damage caused by food additives like MSG and artificial sweeteners.

Excitotoxins are, according to Dr. Blaylock, "A group of excitatory amino acids that can cause sensitive neurons to die."

Many consumers have also personally experienced the ill effects of MSG, which leave them with a headache, nausea or vomiting after eating MSG-containing foods. To find out more about the side effects associated with MSG, as well as a complete list of which foods contain it, see our past article MSG: If it's Safe: Why do They Disguise it on the Labels?

Aspartame (Equal, NutraSweet)
This artificial sweetener is found in Equal and NutraSweet, along with products that contain them (diet sodas and other low-cal and diet foods). This sweetener has been found to cause brain tumours in rats as far back as the 1970s; however a more recent study in 2005 found that even small doses increase the incidence of lymphomas and leukaemia in rats, along with brain tumours.

People who are sensitive to aspartame may also suffer from headaches, dizziness and hallucinations after consuming it.

Acesulfame-K
Acesulfame-K is an artificial sweetener that's about 200 times sweeter than sugar. It's used in baked goods, chewing gum, gelatine desserts and soft drinks. Two rat studies have found that this substance may cause cancer, and other studies to reliably prove this additive's safety have not been conducted. Acesulfame-K also breaks down into acetoacetamide, which has been found to affect the thyroid in rats, rabbits and dogs.

Olestra
Olestra is a fat substitute used in crackers and potato chips, marketed under the brand name Olean. This synthetic fat is not absorbed by the body (instead it goes right through it), so it can cause diarrhoea, loose stools, abdominal cramps and flatulence, along with other effects. Further, olestra reduces the body's ability to absorb beneficial fat-soluble nutrients, including lycopene, lutein and beta-carotene.

Sodium Nitrite (Sodium Nitrate)
Sodium nitrite (or sodium nitrate) is used as a preservative, colouring and flavouring in bacon, ham, hot dogs, luncheon meats, corned beef, smoked fish and other processed meats. These additives can lead to the formation of cancer-causing chemicals called nitrosamines. Some studies have found a link between consuming cured meats and nitrite and cancer in humans.

Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil
The process used to make hydrogenated vegetable oil (or partially hydrogenated vegetable oil) creates Trans fats (a type of un-saturated fat), which promote heart disease and diabetes. The Institute of Medicine has advised that consumers should eat as little Tran’s fat as possible.

You should avoid anything with these ingredients on the label, which includes some margarine, vegetable shortening, crackers, cookies, baked goods, salad dressings, bread and more. It's used because it reduces cost and increases the shelf life and flavour stability of foods.

Blue 1 and Blue 2

Blue 1, used to colour candy, beverages and baked goods, may cause cancer.

Blue 2, found in pet food, candy and beverages, have caused brain tumours in mice.

Red 3
This food colouring is used in cherries (in fruit cocktails), baked goods and candy. It causes thyroid tumours in rats, and may cause them in humans as well.

Yellow 6
As the third most often used food colouring, yellow 6 is found in many products, including backed goods, candy, gelatine and sausages. It has been found to cause adrenal gland and kidney tumours, and contains small amounts of many carcinogens.
Information to gain knowledge please read and find out for yourself!

Dangerous foods
http://www.videojug.com/interview/death-and-dangerous-foods

Additives
http://www.migrainephd.com/index_files/Page374.htm

Food Additive Codes
http://www.drsref.com.au/foodaddcodes.html

Consuming Food Advice
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3vV-a_NBkeA&feature=fvsr

The Dangers of Aspartame
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvFRLIjOLOU

Haberdashery in the UK have virtually become extinct

I am amazed at the state of the Haberdashery industry in this country. We encourage young discerning talented students to hone their new skills in the art of fashion design.

By the time they graduate and move on to do their own thing, they struggle to obtain the very materials that they require to show case the talent they have through their designs. It’s hard to buy exactly what you are looking for, and therefore forced to re-adjust and buy what is available?

Zip yellow, not in stock? Diamante buckles large size? Not in stock? Why is this? These are but a few examples i have faced looking for haberdashery, this is an answer I normally get which indicates that the trade is in decline, well worse than that, there is no industry as it was some years ago, not many people are demand haberdashery items so many business carry small stock or none at all.

Why has our industry decided that it knows best not to make it fashionable to hold stock in haberdashery and craft? Too many of our industries have died out because of negative bosses organisations who have setup a trend of not just holding stock but not to hold it at all, to let the demand wither away.

United States is inundated with shops which cater for the profession, hobbyist or beginner. Whenever i watch Fashion Runway and see the places that these contestants go too for an assignment, i just quell with jealousy that we in this country are lagging behind whilst it’s an everyday affair trading with such lush and excessive haberdashery, fabric and equipment.

We are in a depressing recession, but at times like this, trade and industry show their colours for all to see. Shoddy workmanship and traders still expect to get paid for cutting corners? Poor quality customer care from companies that is too big to care about their service to customers.

But at times like this they could enhance their position to increase their customer base. I have found it so very difficult to find a haberdashery store, it’s almost as though they have been pushed into obscurity, directions like “behind the building next to McDonalds at the rear”, as far out of sight as possible, why?

Only the large stores such as John Lewis or MacCulloch & Wallis have the advantage to market within their branding. But the likes of smaller companies have been crowded out as being not fashionable, questions such as, who sews these days?

That is the archaic thinking of people that have set the Fashion Industry many years into the past, the very reason why other countries such as France don’t take the British Fashion seriously.

Many occasions I searched onto the Internet for sewing items, sewing machine parts, art and décor, thread, and each time without fail I found what I needed exactly to my requirements, only to find that the website was in $ not £’s.

I had to search hard and deep until I found a UK equivalent, but not in the same context theme I was looking for.

We should be flooded with stores selling haberdashery in the UK, we sell Arts & Crafts books, we market the London fashion week, and we educate students in the fashion universities.

But yet in the open free market in the UK, we are sold the excuse that there is no Market for Haberdashery.

Why is it that the United States doesn’t use that excuse of a concept?

MacCulloch & Wallis 25-26
Dering Street London W1S 1AT

New Face of Croydon Vision 2020

Croydon are in the middle of a Facelift project Croydon Vision 2020 that started in 2003 and expected to go until conclusion in 2020. Part of this project is to change the tired look of an out of date style that Croydon has adapted since the end of the Second World War.

With the evolutionary changes happening, closures of shops and estate buildings, in place are drafted ideas of architects that want to adopt the scenery as from Barcelona.

There are companies, organisations that want to improve the area of Croydon and so are looking for grants, support, concessionary rates to help organically grow the new face of Croydon. Once such organisation is Fashion Capital UK fashion portal. So what is Fashion Capital all about?

Fashion Capital aims to provide a one-stop online support resource for all areas of the Clothing and Fashion industry. Established in 2001 Fashion Capital has a wealth of expertise to provide all users a unique insight into the fashion industry. A dedicated team of experts are here to support you and your business at every stage of its development.

Fashion Capital combined with Fashion Enter in September 2006 to ensure a full offer of complete business support is now available.

Fashion Enter has a network of boutiques, the fashion event Profile, an agency Representing, PR Dispensary Service and allows members to have on going mentoring and business advice sessions. The amalgamation of the two businesses has provided one of the most powerful forces in fashion today.




Jenny Holloway, Director

Jenny Holloway has been working in the fashion industry for over twenty five years mostly in the private sector. Initially she was a buyer for Littlewoods, M&S and Principles for Women before opening her own label Retro.

For almost ten years Jenny was Director of her successful business Retro UK Ltd which included retail boutiques, party plan, wholesaling to major retailers such as John Lewis, Principles and independents. Retro UK also had an excellent export business with key accounts in the Middle East and Europe.

In 2000 Jenny commenced a consultancy business and was approached to be an Industry Advisor on Government funded initiatives. In March 06 Jenny incorporated Fashion Enter Ltd.





Fashion Enter Boutique Centrale Croydon

Fashion Enter (www.fashion-enter.com) has over 1000 members with two retail boutiques; Croydon and Barking - a third is planned for Spring 08. Fashion Enter Ltd provides highly specialised support for designers today including www.fashioncapital.co.uk, a PR Dispensary service, an agency representing, trade missions, seminars and workshops.

One to one surgeries are also available. Fashion Enter also owns the Profile fashion trade event which showcases new and emerging designers and acts as a platform between Graduate Fashion Week and London Fashion Week. Profile is currently sponsored by Hobbs, Whistles, Debenhams and TopShop and is in association with Rah Productions.

What this organisation can is boundless, for graduates the opportunity to have an organisation to help direct and learn more about the industry and more importantly to be advised by highly trained and knowledge staff who can give sound advice and support.

To do this Fashion Capital are looking for support in helping the Retail Industry in Croydon in establishing a sound base with helping the young designers, entrepreneurs, college graduates and up and coming designers in show casing their talents.

Croydon Council for some reason beyond recognition are refusing to aid the organisation who are a charity run business to supplement the accommodation they are using to help designers learn more about the industry.

I am of the knowledge that the whole town are in a re-development program and need all the support of the community to make the vision of 2020 a successful one. We need the likes of Fashion Capital to succeed as an organisation, because their success is everyone’s benefit.

There is no organisation that provides the resources and insight into the Fashion Industry as in depth as Fashion Capital, the fact that Croydon Capital have such resources at hand that could be helping them to PR the likes of Croydon Enterprise and Croydon Business is well just “beggars belief”.

Croydon needs a face lift and who better to advocate the new beginnings of a new future looking Croydon than none other than Kate Moss talent spotted in Croydon, and has gone on to be one of the most famous models to grace the fashion catwalks around the world.

We have been asking her to participate in raising the profile of Fashion in Croydon and to show fashion graduates what can be done in the working environment of the fashion industry.

But as yet she has ignored our pleas to help launch this town to new beginnings. This town is trying to raise awareness of change and needs the community to help input new ideas and to embrace the new face of Croydon.

This can only be successful if the people of Croydon can help input their ideas and for Croydon Council to recognise that people, organisations, societies, are the lynch pins to the success of this venture.

To stop this change from failing and becoming a “white elephant” as the London Dome proved to be, then Croydon Council are you listening, be there for the people by the people and stop dragging your pre-historic bureaucracy feet along the ground and HELP us to help you.

The Capital's Clothes Show back home

Clothes Show London will be a Mecca for every aspiring fashionista - offering a unique experience of shopping, indulgence, celebrity expert advice, catwalk shows and trend reports for the UK's largest fashion city.
Visitors will be able to shop across an outstanding selection of high street, designer and boutique outlets; as well as sample a unique selection of hair and beauty products – before taking in a fashion show extravaganza at the Fashion Theatre; on one of the largest catwalks in the world.
Fashion designer Jana Thomas is to launch her new line SOVA under the umbrella of Fashion Capital, at the Clothes Show London, London ExCeL May 29th 2009.

Jana has been in the fashion clothing Industry for well over 15 years, creating, designer casualwear and formal classic look clothes.

Being from an Eastern Europe Russian state, her fashion ideals are far and wide as reflected in her designs for women and children; style, practical and a fashion statement, with an element of individuality being some of her traits in this ever evolving Fashion Industry.

Her garments are fitted, brimming with style for Spring Summer season, exciting, with attention to detail, ready to wear one-off exclusive fashion clothes, will be on display along with other talented fashion designers also launching their brands from the Fashion Capital portal of London at this year’s big 3 day event Clothes Show London, London Excel.

Clothes Show London 2009

London Event Organisers brief Fashion Capital Designers

The delightful team of The Clothes Show London event organisers visited the Showroom in Kingston on the 21st January to provide designers interested in taking up the incredible opportunity of selling their products at the first Clothes Show in London in twenty years with an overview of this much anticipated event under the FashionCapital.co.uk umbrella.

The event will host a selection of up and coming designer talent, more established designers, beauty and even an indoor beach! The Clothes Show London is expected to resemble the Black Label and Pink zones previously seen in Birmingham.

Extensive press coverage will be featured in the likes of national popular magazines, Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire and Easy Living as well as national papers including the Guardian. Advertisements will also feature in Glamour, Grazia, Elle, the London Lite and Metro as well as billboards and posters in London Underground stations.


Clothes Show comes to town

In 1989 Clothes Show Live opened in London and attracted so many visitors that mounted police were called in to manage the crowds.

Since then the show has been thriving in Birmingham and has become the largest fashion and beauty event in the World. 20 years on and Clothes Show Live is set to return to London in 2009!

From 29 - 31 May 2009 ExCeL, London will be transformed into a fashion and beauty haven hosting an outstanding selection of high street, designer and boutique brands as well as a unique selection of hair and beauty products to preen visitors in their thousands.

This is just what London has been waiting 20 years for… the largest fashion and beauty event is coming to the capital!

Fashion Boutique SovaCollection

A boutique is a small shopping outlet, especially one that specializes in elite and fashionable items, usually expensive clothes and jewellery.

With Boutiques you have designers that create avant-garde pieces to challenge mainstream fashion. We need the platform of the Boutique as created by Mary Quant to keep alive innovation and creativity otherwise assimilated mainstream fashion which solidifies young talented fashion designers ideas.

The sixties symbolised liberalism and freedom of expression. We need to carry this ideal on and to help keep alive individual innovation that Mary Quant boutique style in fashion created.

Jana Thomas of SovaCollection is a designer that enjoys creating and making Womenswear clothing that are of a Classical design, but always well fitted and complimentary to the body.

Once she makes her creation, it’s onto another idea, inspired by some event seen on TV, or something that triggers her imagination whilst shopping, then it’s straight to the sketch board and then to the fabric shop.

One off designs that’s what she specialises in liberated well cut fitted jackets, blouses, trousers, all that compliment a woman that works in a boardroom environment.

Or if the environment is not so formal, her casual wear denotes an air of individual artistry, colours that blend, soft textured garments, or colour schemes that elaborate shapes to disguise or proportion the body whether small or tall in height.

SovaCollection label SOVA is new but the concept of creativity is as old as time, as the fashion quote says fashion come and goes but style lasts forever.

Being of Eastern European roots, she has been in the fashion clothing Industry creating; designing women’s clothes for well over 15 years, her style and discipline is a quality that is foremost in her sewing technique as a craftswoman.

Fashion Capital Boutique - SOVA