30^th November 2009

I started at 8.30am and the weather was absolutely terrible today!  It was really raining down and the wind broke my umbrella within 5 minutes of leaving my house.  I got to work fine however and it quite noisy and disruptive as some builders were in doing some work in the studio.  Firstly I cut some webbing strips with the hot knife and then I spent the rest of the day pressing with the steam iron.  The pile was rather large and it is important to work through these pieces so they can move on to the next step in the construction process.  I pressed lining, trouser pockets, waistcoat pockets, interfacing etc.  Jed worked nearby cutting and preparing pieces  and Libby returned from being out at 2pm so we all had lunch then.  After lunch, more pressing and pile not quite finished by 4.30pm when I left for home in better weather!

1^st December 2009

December has come about already! It certainly made its mark too as it was very cold this morning and I had numb ears by the time I got to work.  I went to the pressing table to continue the pile but more had been added so it was a steady pace through the construction process.  I had the chance to do some sewing today and it’s been a while so it was like a novelty all over again.  I sewed binding to fabric rectangles used to make sporrans worn at the front of a kilt and completed various other tasks throughout the day.  Lunch was just after 1pm and the workmen were in for a final time but quieter today!  After cutting some interfacing and pinning zips I ended the day at 5pm.

2^nd December 2009

It was not as cold this morning which was a relief! (I do not get on well with the cold at all).  Elaine was in today at the sewing machine.  Firstly I pinned in some zips to fabric panels before having to pin/prepare some sporrans.  The layers of the sporrans can become quite thick so it is painfully impossible to pin through these without some form of protection, so I had wrapped tape around the thumb to help push through the pins, Ouch!  Next the four sides of these needed overlocked so using the industrial overlocker, which I have not used as much as sewing machines, I overlocked these.  The machine is very fast at first but I got used to it and feel pretty confident on it now.  Binding was then sewn along the bottom edge of each sporran to seal  it.  Amongst completing these sporran tasks I did the occasional bit of pressing for Jed and so on.  The day ended at 4pm and I shall continue with the sporrans tomorrow.

3^rd December 2009

Straight to work on the sporrans this morning!  This time I sewed binding around the very top edge of each sporran, this neatens the edge and improves overall look of the product.  Then a topstitch is done down the middle of each side which keep the folds shape of allows the sporran to fold outward and expand when contents are added.  One inch pieces of Velcro are added to each side of the sporran after this so the sides can be fastened when compact to keep the shape etc.  Four inch strips of Velcro are needed for the main centre fastening of the sporran but Jed’s Velcro ran out and we are awaiting delivery so I cannot continue these until Monday!  I went home today at 4pm after cutting some buttonhole elastic.  Sule was in today doing some hand sewing and pressing and it was great to see her, but I will not be seeing her again unfortunately as I have just one more week of work experience after this one! I wished her luck and we said farewell.

4^th December 2009

Today Jed and I worked together for most of the day completing various tasks.  We first cut a coat pattern in black cotton drill and purple satin and after cutting this out various pieces were pinned together and darts were marked ready for it’s construction.  The same process was done for two riding crop pocket skirts as I wore at Erotica.  I sewed a couple of Jed Phoenix labels onto the back of men’s waistcoats after that along with attaching elastic pieces I sewed D-rings onto and appropriate straps to complete the waistcoats.  A few pressing tasks were done in between this and lunch came about afterward at 1:30pm.  The rest of the day I spent preparing kilt pieces that had been already pressed/pleated by Sule.  This involved accurately pinning appropriate zips and pinning the pleats in place so they stay until the kilts are sewn up completely.  The day ended with re-pining some zips into a seam which had appeared too far away from the zip teeth.  Gosh it’s the weekend already!

Tags: work experience

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Erotica 2009 Jed Phoenix Report.

Erotica is known to be the most largest lifestyle show for freethinking adults.  At this Event that lasts for 3 days located in the Olympia in London you can buy any kind of erotic adult products, kinky and alternative fashion. Jed Phoenix of London has been trading since 2002 at this Event.

So this year Erotica 2009.  I am having a look at the event in a different way. Looking at what the other exhibitors got to offer and are they competition for Jed Phoenix of London?

You can look at it from different perspectives.  Jed Phoenix of London has a very unique style. And on this event there will be allot of traders that have something to do with erotica. So at the event there were loads of toys and equipment for adults to use. So on that scene there wasn’t really competition for Jed. The same goes for the corsets traders. There were countless traders on this event. But they specialize in corsets so also this wasn’t really a competition for Jed Phoenix Of London. Maybe in a way to approach women. Because allot of women like feminine and sexy clothing they would maybe be more appealed to these stands. But, Jed Phoenix of London also has Females visiting the Stand at Erotica. Its just the kind of style you would like to wear.

I did notice some stands that would maybe have some competition for Jed. They are not all exactly the same but have a similar style.

Lovebomb had a very interesting stand. They were selling t-shirts with rips in them. The style was goth I think. It had shirts with angel wings on the back which was very cool and they were also selling ties.

Lovebomb have a wide range of prints to go on to shirts.

The other stand that was quite interesting was the alternative footwear stand. This wasn’t only because of the style but also shoes make an outfit complete. So maybe that’s a thing to look at. Jed Phoenix of London doesn’t have a range of shoes yet.

Limb LTD. Had a very appealing stand. Not quite the same style as Jed Phoenix of London but very interesting. Allot of patterns and prints. This is a very attractive way to get people in to the stand. Some of the clothing have pinstripe fabric which is a big thing at Jed phoenix of London.

Even though there is competition out there , not any brand has the same as Jed Phoenix of London. And after a busy weekend the sales were great! Erotica was an other successful

 year!

Tags: Erotice 2009

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20th, 21st and 22nd November 2009 - EROTICA

Friday

First day of Erotica! I arrived just before 12 noon when the event opens to the public.  I met Dave and Karen, friends of Jed who have been helping at Erotica for several years now.  Jed kindly allowed me to wear an outfit from her collection.  I wore a long black riding crop skirt, white collared shirt with pinstripe cravat and Libby gave me a cute little black top hat with pink feather decoration to wear.  The event opened and there was already a decent amount of people in the event taking a look around.  Jed had a customer almost instantly, a gentleman interested in men’s waistcoats and shirts, a great start!  Being my very first time at Erotica it took some time to settle in and I stood and watched everything going on to pick up some good ideas and mental notes about the event.  Sade turned up a little way into the day with her friend and we all took a walk around to see what sort of products were on sale and types of companies showing at Erotica.  I noticed there were lots of corsets available, some rubber clothing and accessories/bondage products etc.  However not so much menswear was available so Jed definitely had an advantage with her menswear garments, always proving to be popular!  As Sade left I took a walk to Tesco to pick up some lunch for everyone.  Throughout the day I took a few walks around to get used to the environment and started to try and build up my confidence in approaching and dealing with customers that visited the Jed Phoenix stand.  Elaine also popped in during the day so it was lovely to see her and she could see how all her sewing had come together, which was fantastic.  I went to watch the stage show during the day (it was hard to keep track of time with so much going on!).  I thought the show was really interesting, with ballet dancers, suspended hoop artists, fire eaters, pole dancing and a performance by a woman in a tub of glass - it was varied and people always had something different to look at and the costume was great. Jed allowed me to leave for home at 9pm and I was tired by this point!

Saturday

I started the day a little later at 3pm today which allowed me to get a well needed sleep and process everything from yesterday.  I felt ready to go and much more confident about the event and dealing with customers.  I stood at the side of the stand a lot handing out flyers and making conversation with customers and answering any questions they may have had.  Dave was again working but unfortunately Karen was unwell so could not come in.  Saturday was the busiest day at Erotica, there were many more people than Friday so the pace of the day was much faster.  There were times where there would be several visitors to the stand at one time and we were all there attempting to help everyone and hold mirrors for customers to view garments that were being tried on.  Many sales were made and there was much interest in a selection of the garments, a very positive day.  I left Olympia just before 10pm and my feet were definitely very sore from wearing my heels all day (which I am not used to yet!)

Sunday

Today began at 2pm for me I got to meet Phil for the first time - web master for Jed Phoenix.  This new day, again bought more confidence and understanding so I felt I had learned a lot leading up to this final day.  More flyers were handed out although the day was much quieter than other days considering it was a Sunday and the final day.  I happened to bump into an old school friend which was a coincidence! Mark, Neil and Sandy visited mid way through the day and spend time talking with Jed, Libby and myself as well as taking a look around at the other stands.  It was lovely to see them again and I will hopefully see them again at the next LFF.  I took a walk around Erotica with Mark today to have a better look at different products and it was interesting to have someone to talk to about their opinions on various aspects of the event etc.  The only struggle today was wearing heels when my feet were still very sore from yesterday, so I unfortunately had to change into my flat shoes for some of the day.  Today I also spoke more with people at the event working on stands nearby to Jed Phoenix of London and everyone seems very friendly with one another.  It seemed the event had flown by so fast by the end of the day when I left just before 8pm.  I also thought I best leave with a souvenir to remind me of Erotica so I purchased a rather lovely underbust black and white corset towards the end of the day.  The three days had been a new experience - tiring, learning curve, rewarding, positive and fun all at once.  It has been a great success for Jed and I thank her for allowing me to participate!

Tags: work experience | Erotica

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19th November 2009 - Erotica Set Up

Set up today saw the day beginning at 10am and helping to load the van at Jed's with everything needed at Erotica for the weekend. Jed, Libby and I took turns taking stock down to the garage and loading the van up at the end.  We then took the drive to Olympia which took just under an hour and got a good parking spot just outside the door so we could transfer everything inside with ease. I started to set up the clothing rails and attatchments so garments could start to be hung up and organised. There were several bags and boxes to be sorted and signs with pricing to be placed appropriately.  Jed has two typewriters up on the stand ready for people to enter their names and e-mail addresses to sign up for the newsletter.  As the day passed the stand began to come together nicely with grid wall being hung, posters put up and menswear and womenswear grouped in such a way that customers could easily view the collections. Jed has a horse (gymnastics)  which acts as a great means of storage and also somewhere for staff to sit during the time spent at Erotica.  I left Olympia at 7.15pm and worked out the train journey from Olympia to home meaning I now know how long it would take me tomorrow, Saturday and Sunday.

Tags: work experience

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16th, 17th and 18th November 2009

Erotica starts at the end of this week so it's busy work in the studio getting everything finished and prepared.  I have spent the last three days (Mon, Tue and Wed) with Libby making a batch of high waisted knee length fishtail skirts with reversible back centre panels. They have been made up in various fabrics including black PVC, red leopard print, black satin and pink polka dot print etc.  Libby had cut out the fabric pieces and overlocked them together and then I placed a reinforcement stitch down each seam of the skirt, pressed seams flat and topstitched each.  It was a timely process but ensures the skirts are extra strong and secure for a great tight fit.  Libby and I also both sewed in zips to the back panels of the skirts and I pinned and sewed bottom seams (which are of a zig zag effect so as to flare out at the knee). Libby finished off each skirt with topstitching all the way around and the skirts look beautiful and are ready for Erotica on Friday. I'm sure there will be lots of interest!

It's set up day for Erotica tomorrow so I will get a chance to see what it is like setting up a pitch with all the products for a three day event!

Tags: work experience

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A celebratory 2009 WGW

October 2009 marked Jed Phoenix of London’s 1st Year Anniversary trading at Whitby Goth Weekend. As with most of the big weekend events, there was several weeks of preparation to be done - designing the advertisement for the WGW Almanack, planning the schedule of production, and topping up the stocks of shirts, ties, waistcoats, strap trousers, kilts and the new braces design. Elaine's work on the Wednesday was timed almost to perfection, with her finishing the last garment we needed just as her day ended. I carried on in the JPOL studio, lacing bustles into bustle skirts, threading the webbing belts through the belt loops on the trousers etc and doing a full stock take. Sade, who's doing a 3 month internship with us, had helped Libby do a Halloween costume making workshop at Greenwich Market and had been in charge of the Flip camera. It was only when Libby arrived back at around 9.30pm that she realised that the camera we were aiming to take up to Whitby with us had gone back to Cheshunt in Sade's bag! A slight panic ensued as I tried and failed to find any outlets easily accessible on the route to Whitby that had any Flip cameras in stock. There was still a fair amount of packing to do, and it was getting late, so we decided to make some phone calls following morning to track down the elusive camera.
Thursday morning started early with last minute packing and taking stock down to the garage on the trolley ready for loading into the van. The very nice man from Currys found a solitary Flip camera at PC World on the Old Kent Road that he reserved for us to collect after 10.15am. Cas from Engineers of Desire arrived with her stock and gridwall at around 10.30am and helped Jed "tetris brain" Phoenix and Libby pack the van. The three of us set off at just after 11.30am, detouring slightly to pick up the Flip, and we began our Whitby Goth Weekend adventure for Halloween 2009.

A quick dash from London to Whitby

The journey up the M1 was the smoothest it ever has been and, despite the disappointment that the Yorkshire Moors were cloaked in the dark autumnal sky by the time we reached them, we arrived in Whitby at 6.15pm. We parked up and headed down the hill into the town centre - Cas went to Gutsy Ginger's where she was staying for the weekend, and Libby and I found a curry house.
We all reconvened at The Leisure Centre, after we'd been fed and watered, for set up. I was in the same generously sized pitch as April's WGW and we collaborated with Zoe from FreakyZ Designs and Cas to create a layout, including an all-important changing room, that worked for all of us. Ricky, Fi and their guest, Kat, also helped to get as much of the stock hung up in our two hour time limit.

Day one of Whitby Goth Weekend - trading in the Leisure Centre

Friday 30th of October saw not only my birthday, but also bought in the best trade over the whole Whitby Goth Weekend, with both repeat customers and some rather excited, mainly male, new ones.  The braces proved a popular addition to the range, and the strap trousers, kilts, shirts, ties and waistcoats made up the majority of the sales. Libby attracted attention from the female customers with her fabulous high waisted skirts that go so perfectly with the womens fit shirts.  Another big hit was the vintage Smith and Corona typewriter, used to encourage passers-by to type in their e-mail addresses for their subcription to the JPOL newsletters.
At 5pm, after 7 hours of selling, the last customers were ushered out of the Leisure Centre, and Libby, Fi, Ricky, Kat and myself headed back to the self catering apartment at the bottom of the hill to get ready for our evening. Following our delicious meal at The Magpie Cafe during the April 09 WGW, Ricky had booked a table there for my birthday celebration. We arrived at 8pm and were greeted by the friendly staff. The Magpie Cafe serves some of the best fish, chips and veggies in Whitby and I'm working my way through the menu! It was grilled lemon sole with boiled potatoes and veg this time, though the big bowl of chips were too tempting and I wouldn't let the waitress take the bowl away until the last of them had been scoffed! After desert, our waitress came out, asked who's birthday it was, happy birthday was sung and I got a cup cake with a candle to blow out.

Day two - Halloween at WGW

Day two of October 2009 Whitby Goth Weekend fell on Halloween and bought about the most visitors to The Leisure Centre. Jon Dea, the manager of the Leisure Centre WGW traders, had arranged some extra special outdoor attractions - The Giddy Kipper caterers and the Custom Car Rally - and these definately added even more to the appeal of the Leisure Centre venue. The cars were beautiful, ranging in all ages and types, from chevvies to custom Morris Minors! Trade for Jed Phoenix of London was slightly quieter on the Saturday than the Friday, but there was plenty of interest and we gathered more email addresses and caught up with customers that I'd not seen for a couple of years.
By Saturday evening, the cumulative effects of the work-load of the previous few weeks started to take it's toll. Libby and I had tickets to the Halloween Ball at The Met, but as we were sitting in Shafiq's curry house, the thought of an early night far outweighed the potential delights of the Ball. And we were planning on driving back to London the following evening after Sunday's trade and pack-down. So I sent Jon Dea a text, apologising in advance for our absence and we got back to the apartment in time to say goodnight to Ricky, Fi, Kat and Rachael and Paul from The Giddy Kipper as they all went off to the WGW Halloween Ball.

Day three - umbrellas, last minute shopping and pack down

The weather of Sunday morning was great for ducks but less so for goths. Ricky gave Libby and myself a lift up the hill to The Leisure Centre for the last day of trading at October 2009's Halloween Whitby Goth Weekend. Unsurprisingly, the torrential rain and strong winds kept many of the visitors away. Only the brave and determined shoppers ventured out, until early afternoon when the weather cleared up. 5pm signalled time to start with pack down, and by 6.30pm, Libby and I were ready to set off back to London. Cas decided to stay on in Whitby for an extra day, so we had one less passenger, and, of course, a couple of bags of empty hangers.
The drive across the Yorkshire Moors, again, sadly in the dark, seemed to take forever - so much open space! The M1 soon stretched out in front of us, however, and Libby and I chatted, and kept topped up with water and chocolate to stop droopy eye syndrome. We stopped at a couple of service stations for food and a decaf soya latte. By Luton, I was flagging severely and at London Gateway, there was no other option than to have a nap in the van! We finally arrived back at the JPOL HQ at around 2am, where we unloaded the contents of the van into the garage. 8 hours later, Charlotte and Sade helped bring the stock back up into the studio and I went off to do the banking whilst they did a full stock take.

See you at WGW April 2010

Whitby Goth Weekend is now a definate part of the Jed Phoenix of London calendar. We've already booked our pitch and accommodation for WGW in April 2010. The dates are 23rd, 24th and 25th April and it's going to be bigger and better than ever! Hotels and self catering cottages are selling out fast so get booking and we'll see you there!

Tags: WGW Oct 09 | Whitby Goth Weekend

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12th November 2009

So production is well underway to stock up ready to satisfy upcoming Erotica and any customer orders before Christmas etc, so the days have been very practical work, lots of cutting, pinning, pressing and sewing.

The last two days have been spent making several items or preparing them to be made up.  Libbys short braces are being pressed and prepared, to match her high waisted skirts and these come in several colours and fabrics so I have had a few very colourful moments! Sade and I worked together cutting these, measuring and pressing and Libby is now sewing them.

Today I have pressed trouser lining seams and spent the rest of the day cutting approx 20 cravats (womens ties for shirts) in various fabrics, some for Jed's collection and some for Libby's. I then pinned these together, sewed them and pressed them.  Sade started to continue their construction by attaching the neck straps etc.  I also cut several mens ties and several hats, which I have pinned ready for Elaine to sew.

Its great getting to do practical making tasks as I find this one of the most enjoyable things in fashion.  I am still getting used to the hours and working each day, but its a highly positive experience for my fashion skills and personal development alike.

Tags: work experience

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9th November - Monday

The day after LFF and I am SO sore today. My muscles are aching from the lifting yesterday, especially my arms and back, but I can still sew so that's the good news

Today was a full day of contuining to produce the seven pairs of braces I started last week.  They are coming along rather well and I am proud to be making them from scratch and see them come to life.  Tasks today included sewing straps and elastic, metal clips and fastenings and hot cutting the straps and elastic etc all to make the braces.  They are still in progress but very rewarding indeed.   I had a few other mini tasks today including hand sewing the top of a shortened zip to act as a zip pull stopper and large stitch machine tacking some fabric pieces.

I shall continue the braces once again tomorrow after a good sleep and rest of the muscles 

Tags: work experience

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8th November - Sunday - LFF

Well what an experience today was! I got up early this Sunday morning to travel to LFF to help Jed with the stall all day.  It was the perfect way to witness how selling and business and attitudes work in an event/selling atmosphere.  It was a first time fetish event for me and it certainly gave me a lot to learn and loads to see.

We arrived about 9am and started setting up pretty much straight away, lifting heavy stuff was quite a difficult task but we managed it. I am quite tiny and Jed had a sore back so we were so happy when Mark and Neil turned up to help with lifting (God Bless Strong Men)

I spent the day sitting by the stall and watching how Jed interacted with people looking at products on the stall and she was extremely helpful in explaining to me how to go about conversations and product advice for potential buyers. After all, the more I learn, the better understanding I have so it's always beneficial.  There were a couple of sales and considerable interest so this was positive for Jed.

It was later in the day that Mark mentioned he would show me around and introduce me to some of the stall owners.  This was quite funny as I am a newbie to everything at LFF almost and Mark gladly explained things to me which was certainly a unique learning curve.  I was very curious to see what a violet wand felt like so I had a demonstration to my arm and it felt tingly and sharp at the same time, however I did not request it at a high setting, not just yet anyway! The sparks look really amazing and the photographer at the event tried to capture some pictures of it working.

The fair was open to the public from 12 and stalls ended at 6pm so then we had to pack up again.  The process was quite swift with Jed, myself and Neils' wife helping to pack, then getting it all back up into the van was all done by 7pm and I headed for the train station.  I was so tired but very glad to experience today and gain more knowledge of a direct selling evironment in business. Next time I will be able to put my new skills to the test will be at Erotica in a few weeks, so fingers crossed for a positive result!

Tags: Work Experience LFF

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6th November 2009 - Friday

After having yeterday off (due to working this coming Sunday at LFF) I came into work and had a full day of steam pressing and and continuing the braces construction.

However firstly I must say.....I was disappointed by the lack of fireworks last night! What happened to remember remember the 5th of November! Jed and Libby told me of the amazing firework views they had from the studio though, very lucky.

I had worn myself out on Thursday walking around central London and doing some shopping so I was slightly tired today, however just as keen to work as ever, so lots of pressing for kilts and hakama (wide trousers)...."and you shall be a steam pressing expert"

During the afternoon I continued with the construction of the braces started previously on the Wednesday, sewing the straps together and turning them inside out (which takes ages!), these are taking form and still need work, which I believe will continue on Monday.

Left work at about 5:30pm ready for Sundays event, LFF (London Fetish Fair) and look forward to being involved in an exciting event!

Tags: work experience

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4th November 2009 - Wednesday

This morning bought me an interesting challenge! Jed gave me some scrap fabrics left over from garment making and an old black bag she owned for transporting rails. I was to use the fabrics and recreate the rail bag with a reinforced bottom and slightly larger size. So I had black and white pinstripe fabric and khaki green fabric, great combo.  I worked the measurements in my head and drew the pattern pieces straight onto the fabric with tailors chalk. The bag looks cylindrical yet has a square base. The main body was made from pinstripe fabric and the reinforcements near the bottom were khaki, so a funky contrasted design bag was born, with a black webbing strap and drawstring top      Jed seemed very happy with the new bag and I hope it lives a long time!

The afternoon today was spent starting to make up about 15 pairs of braces from Jed's collection.  Tasks included cutting the fabric strips pinning and sewing some webbing. After having success with using the industrial sewing machine (which I was quite nervous about as it was a tad new to me) I started to gain much more confidence through sewing lines to the braces.  These braces are yet to be completed.

Today gave me a big boost of confidence in myself & sewing abilities alike, I hope to continue my learning journey as successfully as it has started.

Tags: work experience

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3rd November 2009

Day two started at 9:30am.  Jed spent some time showing me how to sign up to the website and has given me the great priviledge of writing my own daily blog to the website for all to indulge in.  What a way to talk about how much fun I'm having, and it's only the second day

The second half of the morning was spent going through all the garment blocks hanging in the studio and sort out sets by size and record what was there and what was missing, Great to see the end result of everything in order....Just wish I could keep my own space at home like this

After lunch the work was much more practical fabric work, as I helped Jed with starting to make up some of her lovely kilts in a few sizes.  It was great to have a visual demonstration of how one would be made and I managed to cut some fabric pieces, mark them up and iron in all the pleats, they are not complete as yet.  It was a nice experience as I love to sew and make up clothing most of all, especially if I am learning to make something new, or a new sewing technique.

Thanks again to Jed and Libby for a pleasant day of work experience.

Tags: work experience

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2nd November 2009

Today was my first day with Jed Phoenix of London, I started  my day at 10am.  There were no problems at all with my journey to the work place which was great, although it is quite a long journey 1.5 hours each way. Jed and Libby had travelled back from Whitby Goth Weekend (WGW) and only arrived at 2am this morning, so both were very tired, yet extremely welcoming and I felt comfortable in the workplace right away.

My first task was to work with Sade (fashion intern from Holland) to complete a stock check and records for all the garments coming back from WGW, and make a list of all products that were sold over the weekend.  Everyone here was very friendly and easy to work with, which is definately a plus and it has made me more determined to make the most of this work experience.

Lunch came around at about 2am and we had completed all the stock checks and sat around the table together discussing general matters. After eating Sade and I were shown the videos from WGW by Jed and Libby and took notes about the experience so work on a blog could commence.  WGW looked quite interesting and I would definately consider visiting the event at some point if I got the chance to travel to Whitby.  The day was ended slightly earlier than usual at 4:20pm, ready for a bright start at 9:30am tomorrow.

I am looking forward to tomorrow very much and thank Jed for this opportunity!

Tags: work experience

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My Internship at Jed Phoenix

Introduction

Looking for an Internship

My name is Sade van Gestel and I am 18 years old.
I got to school in Holland and take the course fashion & commerce
so we get to do a little bit of everything that happends in the fashion industry.
In my third and final year I had a choice to take an internship abroad or do another one in Holland.
Because i had already done about 3 internships in Holland, I wanted something new.
My decision was to take up an internship in London. My reason for this is because London is a great place to be in and
you can learn so much from it in all kind of aspects. But this was easier said then done.  Most companies want interns which are already are experienced. So that means you need to be a proffesional. So you can't really get anywhere if you are student trying to gain the experience
So I had done some research and looking at companies that interested me.
Then I came across Jed Phoenix of London and eventhough I dont quite dress like the way many people do who buy clothing at Jed Phoenix, it did caught my eye. Because it was different to what i have already seen and I like different. Love to learn new things!
So it was a challenge for me but I know i would learn allot on the way!

I found Jed Phoenix internship advertisment via a searchengine for internships and jobs.
Can't really remember what the website was called after all I had been doing research for days!
I decided to view the website and emailed immediatly seeing that I didn't have anything to lose.
To my surpise I got a reply back the next day which made me very happy! I phoned straight away and Jed was well chuffed! Because I was really keen on getting the job. So we made an appointment to meet up and talk about this internship. Ofcourse we had contact by email in between because Jed was really busy so we met up a month after I emailed.
When I got to London I got lost at first knowing only my way to oxfordstreet haha! I never knew London was actually so big and it had all different neigbourhoods.
I was lucky I brought one of my mates with me because otherwise I would of ended up on the other side of England!
When we finally got to the studio I was really fascinated on how Jed does everything.  She does all of her work herself and it are all her ideas. So she was quite busy on that day, but found some time to it me down and talk about the whole internship.
Because I am not that magic with my fingers and didn't get allot of hands on work at school I was kind of worried. But we spoke out all the oppurtunitties that could happend within this company. So at then end of the day I went home with an internship in London and was ecstatic!

The preparation of my Internship;

Because I am going abroad, there are allot of thing you need to think about. It's not like going to work and coming back to your own house and friends and things you are used to doing. No, you are going to a complete different country and basicly you have to leave everything you are used to behind.
So I had to have a great time before I left Holland. I went on holiday had loads of party and a goodbye party for everyone to come who wanted to say goodbye to me! So it was kind of hard leaving when you actually see al showed up at the party. I had allot to take with me seeing as everybody got me pictureframes photo albums and teddybears to take with me! But I was ready for it For a new change and experience.
So I left on the 10th of septemeber thursday morning still very chocked up about everything I was really going to miss my friends and family. But i knew as soon as i would start my internship i would be fine. So me and my dad got on a boat because the plane wouldnt be able to carry all of my stuff haha!  We arrived at my familys house round noon. Yeah, another thing! I am half English so I did have accomodation and was actually living with people who i could trust and know! When I got settled in I emailed Jed saying I arrived safeley. So we emailed back and forth on what time I could start. Here we goooo.!

My first days..

My first day started on the 15th of September which was on a tuesday. It all started out that I couldn't sleep that night. I was so nervous not only because it was going to be my first day but also How the hell am i going to find my way on my own?! And what am i wearing!
So there I was on Cheshunt station waiting for the London Liverpool Street train. It was quite easy actually But I had to change so many times! And the underground is murder in the mornings so I was kind of stuck in a corner and squashed by loads of people.But then worst thing was about to come. The bus! I never get busses and I have figured them out in Holland but here they are so different so I was really scared to get on the wrong bus and will it go the right way? So I just tried it and I had some instructions Jed made me to recongize if i was going the right way. And eventually I did get of at the rigth stop. Only i couldnt remember the walk to get down to the studio because they are buildings surrounding it. So I tried and just done what i thought was right! So I got up to the right floor and knocked on the door. And luckily I was at the right place haha! After having a very short chat we got to work straight away.
The first thing I had to do was help out was to cut fabric. Because this was the beginning of making loads trousers that were orderd and to be put on the website. I was hesitating a little bit because I am a bit insecure when it comes to the handwork. I am better at computerskills and finding ideas for the company. But Jed helped me through it and teached me how to cut it and she was telling me along the way where the fabric comes from and why she uses this particual type of fabric. And after that we went to cut the fabric out with the paterns. So you basicly have to pin it with the fabric so it stays put and that makes it easier to cut around it. Jed taught me that if you pin more fabric together it takes less time and you get more paterns out of it. So we focussed on that in the morning. After lunch Jed put me up with some research about the gothsubculture which is really interesting. You find all these things about the culture that you may not even know or that you maybe had different thougths about the subculture and see that it isn't like that at all. And after the research my day was about finished. I was amazed on how much I had acutually learned on my first day.

Trouble

So when I thought everything was finally sorted. I Looked at my bank balance and found out that the school didn't put my fundings on my acount. which meant there was no traveling money or rent money to give. So my own money was running out and I this ment i couldn't travel to Jed Phoenix. Because the travelling cost aren't cheap!. So, this ment maybe to quit the internship and go back to holland and do an internship there or try my best to sort everything out!. So that is what i did. I booked a flight to Holland and went to my school, got hold of the contracts and phoned the company that gives out the loans to students, I had to do this with help of my teacher who arranges all the internships. It was very hard and kind of annyoning because I had to spend all my left over money to arrange things that i thought already had been arranged.
So the conclusion of the problem was that they mixed me up with different dates on when the internship was starting. So i arranged that i would get my fund. And then after a quik meeting with my friends, I was off to England for the second time! But this time it was permanent because I had my fund and the contracts!

The real thing

So this time, I could learn on the long run I had up untill December to learn all these new skills.
At first I was kind of scared doing the hands on stuff because at school we didnt get allot of practical things done. But Jed taught me how to draw on to fabric and how to press. That is what I learned in my second week. It always look so easy when you see somebody else do it but then you have to do it yourself and then its kind of different. I got the hang of it after a couple of days. With these skills we made some braced together. And she taught me the whole process on how to make them. So I had been practising allot

In my third week my days were split in half. So in the morning I would help out Jed with prepping garments so they could be sewn. So basiclly you have to keep working so everyone has something to do. In the daytime I would do some research. In that week it was about goth. Just to see what it is all about because there are allot of missconceptions in this world about the subculture about goth. So there is allot to reasearch . Because its a huge subculture.

I also helped libby out with her sewing workshop that was coming up. She was working for open house and she wanted the children to be inspired by london acrhitecture. So i researched all the buildingd and architecture so she could use this for her workshop.

The fourth week was more individual.Jed gave me the task to make the braces we had been making together the week before on my own. Because it was kind of a busy week so everyone was doing their own thing. Ofcourse she would give me some pointers along the way but I had to use my own instinct this time. So I was very nervous but I would just try and go for it. It went well with the drawing and cutting them out. And ofcourse the pressing, don't know why but I really like doing it haha. Sometimes Jed had to correct me but everything was thankfully fixable! No hard damage done!  After a hectic morning after lunch I done research on the goth subculture on the subject of what kind of types there are in the subculture. And I was amazed on how many types there are in the culture. They all looks so different aswell and all have their own style. Also in this week i done research on what kind of websites there are on the internet about goths and alternative clothing just to get a peek at some styles.

In the fifth week we carried on making the braces. So it was constant thesame in one day which was good for me because this means I got to memorise the whole process and don't have to question it anymore and just go for it! After that monday I went to a concert in London which was a very good experience.Got back a bit late though! And had an early start in the morning to travel to Jed Phoenix. But it was all worth it! In the next two days I got to learn how to make the well known strapped trousers of Jed Phoenix. It was easy to strap the trousers but to make them was a different thing! But I got the hang of it on the way. Now I knew even more about desigining and that feels really cool!

My sixth week was kind of unfortunate. I had a really bad infected  eye because I didnt take my contacts out at Night! I know, really stupid thing to do but I kind of had forgotten because I was tired. So I wasn't able to come in because I could hardly see and if I could it hurt really bad! So  I had 2 days of and on the wednesday I came back . Not fully recoverd but I wore my glasses this time instead of contacts. But I did do some work so I was happy to have still learned some things in these weeks. We were making sporrans so I was getting everything prepared to make them . So we needed binding cut and drawings had to be made. That kept me busy for the day.

The seventh week was a really busy week. Because Whithby Goth Weekend was coming up.So the stock needed to be ready to get packed to be taken to WGW. And ofcourse we designed loads more to take away aswell. Mainly I was the sporran queen that week I made allot! But it was good I memorized some of it so I could try and do it on my own! On the Wednesday I didn't go in to the studio but helped out Libby in Greenwich. She was doing a sewingclass for childeren because it was halloween.All of the childeren could make their own customes. It was soooo busy it was hectic. And at the end of the day it was a mess. But it was good to see childeren walking away happily with there outfits.

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Following on from the success of the first trip to Whiby Goth Weekend in October 2008, I had an inkling that WGW would continue to be a regular event in the Jed Phoenix of London calendar. Simon and Imogen, who helped out in Oct 08, were busy at another festival, so I took the plunge to work the stall on my own for three days. I'd arranged to give Cas from Engineers of Desire and Martin, a friend of a friend, a lift to Whitby, and they both arrived in Cas's car just before 11am on St George's Day. We transferred Cas's stock and gridwall into my van and set off on our adventure. Ironically, the only major traffic jam was encountered in the first two miles of our trip!

En route, we used the benefits of Cas's sat nav and stopped off at The Leather Family's house in Chesterfield for a leg stretch, cuppa and catch up. The sat nav was less beneficial, however, when we left the A1 and headed west towards Pickering. We had a classic moment of being sent down a B road which turned into a dead end. We were greeted by an elderly gentleman who warned us that the SAS were training nearby and that we'd best make a hasty retreat - using a good old fashioned map, of course!

We arrived at The Leisure Centre in Whitby at around 8.15pm, having stopped off at the town's Co-op supermarket for supplies. Unloading the van was a pretty smooth, well practised operation. Martin helped both Cas and I with setting up our gridwalls, arranging our layouts to incorporate a changing room that nested between Jed Phoenix of London, Engineers of Desire and FreakyZ Designs. Ricky Razor from Adixxtion Corsets, with whom I was sharing a rented cottage for WGW, helped hang all the clothes. And I had a couple of spare short rail extensions to lend Ange from Spank who had the pitch opposite.

At around 10.20pm, John and Silver, the Leisure Centre trader co-ordinators and proprietors of Enter The Asylum, ushered us all out for the night so Jeremy and the Leisure Centre team could lock up. Ricky and Fi gave me a lift down the hill to our self catering cottage and it wasn't long before tired heads hit soft cotton-clad pillows.

Day one of Whitby Goth Weekend April 09 start with a brisk 8.15am walk across the swing bridge, along the harbour and up the cliff path. It took an hour or so to finish arranging the stock and making the final preparations, and by 2pm, a fair few sales had been made. Being in the main room of the Leisure Centre, in a great location (ahead and slightly to the left as you walked through the main door) was a definate advantage over the pitch we had at WGW October 08. The fact that I was working the stall on my own was completely fine. There were enough people I knew around me to help out if I got stuck, and I enjoyed being almost constantly busy.

Trade on Saturday was just as brisk. There was much interest in the new Global Warrior outfit and I found out that quite a few Whitby Goth Weekend attendees had a passion for martial arts! Customers who had bought Jed Phoenix of London clothes in the past visited the stall and brought their friends. And a couple I met in Camden Town in 2002, for whom I made the groom's wedding suit, came and purchased a shirt, tie and waistcoat. Shortly after 5.30pm, once the last few sales of day two of WGW April 09 had been completed, a meeting between the founder of the event and the Leisure Centre traders took place. Plans for the next Whitby Goth Weekend were discussed and it has to be said that things got pretty heated at times. Many people's livelihoods depend on events like WGW taking place, but there are also other commitments in a busy business calendar that are booked months in advance. The suggestion that Autumn's WGW might be moved away from the Halloween weekend therefore stirred passions for a number of reasons. Whiby has strong associations with goths because of it's links with Bram Stoker's Dracula. And goths, Dracula and Halloween are what draw several thousand visitors to Whitby every October. The meeting between the traders and Jo Hampshire lasted an hour or so, with many people continuing discussions into the evening. Fi, Ricky, Lizzie, Becky and I had a table booked at The Magpie Cafe at 8.45pm, so, after resting our aching feet at Dove Cottage and talking about the meeting for a while, we headed off for the best fish and chips in town! The food at The Magpie Cafe is delicious - a fact that is reinforced by the length of the queues for both the eat in and take away service. The fish is caught locally and is available either battered, poached or grilled. I had grilled monkfish with chips and vegetables, deciding that I could work my way through the other types of fish on subsequent trips to WGW. Ricky became "CorrupterMan" as he shared his chocolate dessert with me, and our lighthearted, innane and silly sense of humour carried our full bellies back to the cottage.

The third and final day of April 09's Whitby Goth Weekend was much quieter than the Friday and the Saturday, with far fewer customers coming through the door. The last few WGW flyers, detailing where the main events of the goth weekend were taking place, were handed out around Whitby. And booking forms for adverts for October's flyer were given to traders. 5pm signalled the close of trade. Martin, despite deciding to stay on in Whitby for another couple of days, came up to the Leisure Centre anyway to help Cas and I pack up and load the van. Ricky, Fi and the girls also lent a hand. By 6.30pm, we were ready to head back to London.

The journey home was relatively easy as the motorways were pretty clear and free flowing. Stopping off at a motorway service station, however, I noticed that the steering was much heavier than usual. By the time we got back to South London at 1am, I found parking the unloaded van in the garage quite a struggle. I phoned the breakdown services the following day and the very nice man from the AA told me that the power steering pipe was leaking. With the van being on contract hire and under warranty, I drove slowly through the London traffic on Tuesday morning to the mechanics. They not only fixed the power steering, but also cleaned the van, saving my arms from the heaviness of the steering, and my feet from crushing even more spilt bombay mix into the floor of the front cab!

All in all, WGW April 09 was very successful for Jed Phoenix of London.

See you at WGW October 09!

Tags: WGW April 09 | Whitby Goth Weekend

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There is always much excitement, anticipation and busy-ness in the run up to Erotica and 2008 was no exception. Like last year, I was blessed with some great help and support. Dave and Karen drove up from their home in Devon on the Wednesday night and helped with set up on the Thursday. Everything went pretty smoothly, including a fabulously well-timed meeting with Fiona, at the traffic lights at Vauxhall on the way home, who had some neck rings for the nipple clamps weights she makes for JPOL.

We left the homestead at around 10.20am on Friday 21st November and Dave drove us in his boy-racer style to Olympia. At midday, the familiar annual November sound was heard over the loudspeaker and Erotica 2008 was open.

Trade on the Friday seemed a little slow to start, but it soon picked up to a fairly steady pace. There was a lot of interest in the menswear and, as the weekend progressed, I was glad to have followed my hunch and made extra stocks of strap trousers, waistcoats, shirts and ties, as they were particularly popular items. Dave and Karen attracted much attention and custom. The three of us worked superbly together, with Dave and Karen generating leads with their good looks and charm, and myself closing the sales with my knowledge, enthusiasm and passion for the clothes. During the afternoon, Dave and Karen were approached by The Guardian newspaper and interviewed and photographed for a new feature called "Take Ten" which is due to start in January 2009.

Saturday 22nd November saw a full quota of sales crew as we were joined by Phil and Simon. Phil's webmaster expertise was called on a couple of times as we were approached by web-based businesses wanting Jed Phoenix of London as a wholesale supplier. And a kilt-wearing Simon, despite not being on top form due to a bike accident injury induced bout of insomnia, increased the sales figures to make Saturday the busiest day of Erotica 2008. There were plenty of visitors, both new and familiar faces, to keep us upbeat. Erotica is open for 28 hours during it's 3 day run, and, after a day or so of being in The Grand Hall, it can feel like you've been there for weeks! Don and Kirsty were among the familiar faces who came and saw us on stand J20. Kirsty was dressed in her Victoriana jacket and long pinstripe bustle skirt, whilst Don looked most dapper in his cashmere strap trousers, Urban Squire waistcoat and purple lined strait jacket. To top off his outfit, I reunited Don with the fleece lined CP1 coat he'd asked me to modify to his specifications. We then chatted about the exciting possibility of a photoshoot using some of their military-style vehicles, before Don ordered a pair of new Empire trousers and they strode off to enjoy the rest of Erotica 2008.

By the time the third and final day of Erotica comes along, there's often a palpable sense of relief amongst exhibitors that the busy events season is almost over for another year. There are usually comparisons to sales figures from previous years, and discussions about whether it's worth doing Erotica next year. Myself and the jewellry designer Richard Larson regularly agree that we take each Erotica as an event in and of itself. As long as there are punters coming through the doors, taking flyers, showing interest, buying our products, and having a good experience that they will hopefully tell their friends about, then Erotica is an important part of our business calendars. There are also numerous social and networking aspects of Erotica we benefit from.

The stage show at Erotica 2008 was produced by Torture Garden. Both myself and Dave and Karen have worked with or at TG over the years, so it was good to see both Allen and David outside the club environment again. The stage itself was designed and constructed by Jim Hudson, who I know from the early days of Lost Vagueness and Glam-R-Us. He bought a pair of strap trousers a few years ago, so he was happy to be able to complete the outfit by ordering a waistcoat and a tie.

With Phil, Dave and Karen manning the Jed Phoenix of London stand, I managed to escape with Caroline for long enough to see the Erotica 2008 stage show in full. The highlights for me were Crazeehorse and their gravity defying aerial activities and shows of statuesque strength, and Buck Angel's Local Authority defying final strip show. It was good to see the responses of other audience members to what for most was their first experience of seeing a naked trans-man.

At 8pm on Sunday 23rd November, the voice over the loudspeaker announced that Erotica 2008 was closed. We packed down and loaded the van with the speed and efficiency of seasoned pros. Or was that just because we wanted some dinner?

See you at Erotica 2009!

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This is a start of a series of prize draw giveaways!!

For this one, all you need to do is become a registered user of the Jed Phoenix of London website (totally free of charge), write a review of the Jed Phoenix of London website using the following link:

http://freeindex.co.uk/wr.htm?id=105401&br=1

and your name will go into the hat for a special prize draw to win one of two lots of £20 LAM cash!

£20 of LAM cash will get you a ticket to get into the LAM Skin Two Special and you'll have a bit left over to put towards one of the tempting and teasing treats on offer at the event. Visit LAM Skin Two Special for more info about this fetish fashion spectacular!

The closing date for this draw is midday on Thursday 21st August so be sure to follow the above freeindex link and write your review of Jed Phoenix of London before then.

I'll be able to see from my FreeIndex Control Panel the reviews I have received, but if you could also email me at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it to let me know what name you included on your review, I'll know who to contact if your name comes out of the prize draw hat!

The draw will take place on Thursday 21st August and the two lucky winners will be notified by email. We will then arrange how to get the prize to you.

Any questions, comments or feedback, please feel free to get in touch.

Get reviewing and good luck in the prize draw!

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I started selling my unique brand of alternative designs in The Electric Ballroom Sunday market in 1999. The Electric Ballroom, part of Camden Town's infamous alternative fashion scene, provided me with just over five years of meeting customers from around the world and building a solid foundation of inspiration and confidence as an alternative fashion designer. In 2005, I left London's Camden Town to concentrate on exploring other markets, including the goth and cyber fashion scene at events like Infest in Bradford, and the fetish fashion scene at Birmingham Bizarre Bazaar and London Alternative Market. As time as gone by, I have noted what customers are looking for, what shapes and sizes they come in and has added more and more items to the range, including the very popular pinstripe skirts that come in eleven different sizes as standard for the alternative plus size woman.

The new website is almost finished and features a whole host of information, photos and features that weren't on the old site. Become a registered user to keep up-to-date with all the news from Jed Phoenix of London, one of the UK's independent alternative fashion designers.

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Passion, with it's glamorous pink and black carpets and sensuous styling, debuted at Earls Court on May 24th and 25th 2008. As one would expect for such a show, it was an adults only event, and one with oodles of temptations and a stunning fashion show featuring some of the top alternative and fetish designers not only from the UK but from overseas too.

Being the first ever Passion, numbers through the door were a little disappointing, especially for those exhibitors who are used to events like Erotica. But Passion have a great team of organisers and promoters who will, no doubt, work their socks off again for next year's event. From little acorns, oak trees grow, and if that's done with Passion, well, who knows what it'll grow into?!

Go to the gallery to see photos from the Passion Fashion show that feature designs by Jed Phoenix of London

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