UNIQLO x Buckets & Spades | Video Campaign

I've been itching to share this one with you for what feels like ages! I do love travelling - it's a huge plus of working as a freelancer - but sometimes fun projects come along that allow me to be creative in my own town. That's exactly what UNIQLO let me do when they invited me to feature in their new AW14 merino wool video campaign - you can find the full collection here.

Along with GarconJon, Boy Meets Fashion + We The Food Snobs, I was set the task to film a short video which illustrates what I love to do in my spare time. We were each given a subject to concentrate on, mine was Technology (the others got Fashion, Culture + Food), so we headed down to the sunny beach of Blackpool got filming. I've always loved exploring new places and making a point to wander down streets I haven't before, so over the years documenting my finds though photography has become second-nature. I wouldn't say I spend my spare time taking photos - it's more all of the time! For my video I grabbed my iPad Mini and visited a few places that I haven't been to since I was a kid - exploring around Blackpool's coastline + under its famous piers. Finally I plonked myself down on the North Pier and edited my photos from the day using the Snapseed app.

Wearing - Jumper c/o UNIQLO, UNIQLO Down Vest, T-Shirt + Socks | Universal Works Trousers | Converse Trainers | TRiCKETT Baseball Cap | Shore Projects Watch

 

I must admit I wasn't as nervous as the last time I was filming in front of camera. In fact, this time it was a breeze. My photographer + old friend Yannick Dixon has made a career out of using Blackpool as his subject, and we both enjoyed filming in a town that holds many memories for us both. I'm totally stoked with how this campaign has turned out and hopefully you all enjoy it too! It's an interactive video so click through to the next blogger at the end!

Do you think I showed my hometown in good light? Given an extra few hours, where would you choose to spend some free time? Please do check out the video above and let me know thoughts! If you like it remember to give it the Thumbs Up on Youtube!

Photography + Video by Yannick Dixon.

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Uniqlo UT Collection - Keith Haring

Blackpool's Comedy Carpet / Street Art / Largest Disco Ball in Europe. Images by Hollie.

A couple of weeks ago I was invited to get involved with Uniqlo's new UT T-shirt Collection, featuring designs by Keith Haring and Jean-Michel Basquiat.

I was offered one of the t-shirts from the new UT Collection, so I went for this orange Keith Haring number featuring one of this iconic designs on the front. I tested out their new video app, UT Camera and shot 3 short clips wearing my Keith Haring t-shirt around some of my favourite artwork and installations in my local area. It was a refreshing change to make these super easy videos loops and a nice way of sharing on social media rather than just posting images. Plus the results were pretty entertaining!

Locations - All 3 locations I chose can be found in my hometown of Blackpool. The Comedy Carpet is a huge space filled with famous quotes and sayings by comedians from around the globe, designed by Gordon Young. The second piece can be found just behind the Winter Gardens, I know little about this piece but I do know it's really stunning. And finally, the biggest disco ball in Europe can be found on the South Promenade and looks pretty spectacular in the dark with the nearby lights reflecting off it.

As well as the launch of their new app, Uniqlo are running a competition to win 2 x VIP tickets to Lovebox festival. All you have to do is download the Uniqlo UT Camera app and get involved.  Upload your clips using the app and tag them with the hashtags #UT_LDN and #UT_CAMERA. You can visit the Uniqlo UT Camera hub to view my videos and browse the rest of the gallery. 

The full UT Collection is available here.

Thank you to Uniqlo for asking me to be involved the UT Collection project.

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Autumn Up North

Wearing - Vintage French work jacket, Carhartt sweatshirt, Aubin & Wills t-shirt, Levi's Commuter 511 trousers c/o Urban Outfitters, Clarks Desert Trek, Herschel backpack, M&S scarf, Uniqlo socks, red bandana

 If you're around the North of England this week you'll know that the Autumn snap has arrived, which is fine by me. I can start to layer up good and proper, t-shirts, shirts, jumpers, cardigans, jackets...you name it, I'm on it. I picked up these Levi's Commuter trousers from the recent UO A/W press day and I've hardly had them off ever since. They're part of the Commuter range which has been designed with cyclists in mind; made in water resistant fabric, reflective hem detail and these neat pockets (above) with elastic for extra room and comfort. There a whole bunch of other features but it would take ages to list them all and would bore most people, you're basically getting a lot of bang for your buck. 

So with 2 pairs of water repellent trousers in total I'm nearly all set for the grim northern weather. Believe me, it's as bad as they say, I got soaked on three separate occasions the other day, each time not fully drying out. To not carry a brolly is a death wish. I'm looking at getting a new bike (this one by Create is a contender) very soon, so I just need a waterproof jacket next and I'm good to go.

With years of experience I'm still rubbish keeping warm and dry in the cooler seasons. Have you guys got any tips for commuters, or any other wet weather tips?

(First photo by Hollie)

Demolition Man

What once was a popular alternative club where I spent quite a few nights in my teens is now a demolition site. It's good, we all have to move on, good times were had there but I never really much liked the place. One evening on my way home from work the whole place had been taken out, which made the commute slightly more interesting than usual. The sun was intense but I managed to get a couple of shots, shame I didn't get the digger's in action.

On a side note, has anyone got any tried and tested Soda bread(or other nice bread) recipes? I've got a taste for the stuff.

The blog is still under construction, I've got a lot of gears to grind but hopefully it will be all set for next week. I've also got a very exciting competition coming up!

Weekly Snapshots

 Wearing - Levi's Commuter 511s, beige Converse, Paul Smith socks

Topman t shirt, Gap chinos, Superga trainers, Penfield tote, Timex Weekender

Dockers khaki chinos, Clarks Desert boots, Uniqlo orange socks

Vintage blue work jacket, Topman cycling shirt & shorts, New Balance 420

Gap check shirt, old Levi's 511s, Superga trainers

Dockers chinos, Converse, Uniqlo yellow socks

I've been busy snapping outfit shots on Instagram recently, it's not replacing my normal detail shots but it's so handy when you're pushed for time. Seeing that my Iphone hasn't got the swanky new camera I don't intend to leave my trusty Canon at home any time soon.

You can follow me @mat_buckets if you fancy.

Monday's Detail - Chore Jacket

Wearing - Vintage chore jacket, Gap check shirt, Levi's 511s, Superga trainers, Uniqlo socks, green & white bandana

I was up at the crack of dawn on Monday, ready for a full day of helping Hollie with her exhibition space for her final campaign at uni. The day was filled with sandwiches (for every meal), holding my breath while measuring with the spirit level, putting up shelves and plenty of creative decisions. There was an extreme case of deja vu as it was this time last year I was putting up my final exhibition, it brought back some found memories. 

Above it what I wore for the day, I picked up this vintage french work jacket in a second-hand shop in Manchester last week. I've been after one of these for a while now and after many ill-fated attempts from ebay (I've never found one that fits, always massive arms or wide bodies), I've managed to snag one that fits almost perfect. It could do with being an inch or 2 longer but I can deal with that. It's got plenty of pockets for all my stuff and doesn't need any repairs. I've found a decent Summer jacket at last.

New Balance 420s

Wearing - New Balance 420s, Levi's chambray shirt, H&M pleated trousers, Uniqlo orange socks

This week started of as a none event but now it's turned into a jam packed one, I'm going to be rushing around everywhere doing odds & sods. I'm working quite a bit and I'll also be helping Hollie put up her exhibition space later in the week. The first stop today was the mundane task of sorting out a new dentist and canning off the old private one, I'm bound to save some money that way. Above is what I wore on my travels.

I've been wearing New Balance for the past few years, from day to day wear and also at the gym, they're hands down the comfiest brand of trainers I have come across. Cushioned personified. I picked up these 420s in Royal Blue/Grey/White from Ebay a couple of months ago at a steal. Although they aren't the most versatile trainer I've been mostly wearing them with these semi-smart pleated navy slacks.

In other news, I'll be down in London on 11th June for a day, Hollie's on business so I said I'll travel there and back with her. So I"ll be free, if anyone fancies meeting up for a bit.

Revisiting Saddle Shoes

Wearing - Edwin chambray shirt, Levi's 511s, YMC saddle shoes, Uniqlo socks, COS leather lanyard.

Whilst most of us have been taking advantage of the major sales pre and post Christmas I made a pact with myself. Instead of rushing out to see what bargains I could snap up, I'd take a look through my own wardrobe and see which items I tend to neglect. We all have tones of stuff we don't seem to get round to wearing, either from buying stuff on a whim or saving it for a certain occasion. So my idea was to get out all the stuff that isn't in rotation and get wearing it! Simple as that really, I must have liked something about the item in the first place to buy it. So while money is tight I'll go back to these items, assess if they still work for me and get wearing them, if not then do I really need replace it or can I do without?

Something that falls into this category and certainly doesn't need getting rid of or replacing is these YMC grey and black suede saddle shoes, that I picked up in the 2010 winter sale for 70% off. They're surprisingly easy to wear and go most of the stuff I own.

Don't get me wrong I have bought a few bits and bobs in the sale (namely socks, desert boots and a couple of t shirts) but I will be thinking twice about if I really need something. When I do go shopping I may buy something little but I don't tend to buy a higher price point item just out of the blue. Luckily I enjoy the whole shopping experience so browsing is usually good enough for me. It's all relative really isn't it, while I don't have a full time job then this is that way it has to be. 

How did this season's sales work for you? 

Get Rhythm

Wearing - Ralph Lauren check shirt, Gap Chinos, Uniqlo socks, M&S belt, YMC Saddle shoes

The title refers to a Johnny Cash song which I can't stop playing at the moment, it may as well be stuck, but I don't mind. I was pretty pleased with my outfit this week, it's just a variation on what I normally wear but I went wild and tucked my shirt in, it doesn't happen much. Is that weird? (This is Hollie's bedroom by the way)

Hollie is off to Florida for 3 weeks so the next few weeks will be pretty quiet but I have tones of uni work to be getting on with. I'm hoping she will be doing some blog posts about her American adventure while she is there too. By the way, if anyone reading this is interested or works in home ware please get in touch as I'd love to speak to you, for my research. 

Happy Friday everyone.

Saddle Shoes

Super close up shots of the leather, suede and orange sole combo.

I mentioned that I picked up some saddle shoes on Twitter about a month ago now and since uni has kicked right off I haven't really had time to think about what looks good on my feet. I've been grabbing for my Vans or Converse at any opportunity.

I took a bit of a break from my current project and decided to take a few snaps of these YMC Saddle shoes that I got in the sale(I am yet to wear them!). Saddle shoes were standard in the 50s but none wears them these days, no the heck not?  had to get them for the simple reason that when a shoe like this comes along you can't say no. Mens shoes don't work like buses, they don't all come at once, it's more like a strike day, not at all.

Here's how I'm planning on wearing them;

Navy pea coat, blue Velour shirt, beige Gap chinos, tartan M&S scarf, orange Uniqlo socks, YMC saddle shoes.

I didn't think I'd ever be matching my socks with the soles, that's new to me. The pea coat is also another new purchase, by a brand called Method via TKmaxx clearance. What do you think about the way I'm displaying the outfit? I quite like it actually, simple ideas are the best!

Thanks for all your feedback on the last post, all your comments will be going straight into my sketchbook.

A Week In Words

From what I remember, last week was a busy one. I've finally gone back to my job at Topshop but I have been moved down to Topman, where I am now the new Sunday Supervisor. For all that didn't know, I took 4 months leave to go and work in London(but I came home earlier than expected as the job didn't work out, lets just say we weren't on the same wavelength).

On Thursday evening I attended the launch of the new COS concession in Selfridges, Manchester. I got in invite through my other job at Manchester Fashion Network and as it turned out I ended up being the only press person there. The event was to launch the new shop and to preview their A/W collection. As I was the only press there I was given to right to take as many photos as I liked(I spoke to one of COS' PR team and they said they usually don't let people take images, they took exception with me!). I took Hollie as my +1. The concession is only womenswear currently but I personally spoke to COS' Creative Director and told her to sort a menswear bit out.

On the way to the event we got snapped by the multi-talented illustrator/design Kate Mcleish, who is also a friend;

Wearing - J+ Uniqlo Khaki Blazer, vintage turquoise t-shirt, Topman loose chinos, Clarks desert boots.

I'm pretty much wearing that blazer every day, it's linen and unlined so quite thin and perfect for the lead up to summer. It was such a good buy at £39.99. For anyone that may have been wondering me and Hollie have been together for just over 4 years now, still going strong. The only thing that I notice much if I look back at photos of us 4 years ago is that now I have much less hair, I'm trying to grow a beard(early stages of course) to make up for it!


You can see my short write up and images of the COS event here

Painting Is Finished

Well, I finished the painting I was going last week. Let's just say it didn't turn out the way I wanted it too, I messed it up. You may remember the image I posted last week had masking tape on it, I totally forgot that I had originally drew something on the canvas in pencil. I put the masking tape over the drawing and painted all the gaps in.

In the mean time(when it was all drying), I totally forgot about the original pencil drawing. I excitedly pealed away all the masking tape........to my totally annoyance the nice clean white lines I imagined were actually filled with dirty grey marks. 

So I had to improvise;

I didn't have much choice, filled in the gaps with a load of blue paint.

Looks pretty cool up close to. What do you all thing? Not quite how I expected it to look and not really how I wanted it but it's ok I guess. I do quite like the mish-mash of colours.

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Stop the Presses, I'm actually posting a picture of myself. The reason why I don't much is because I really don't think I'm photogenic and for me to find a picture of myself that I am happy with posting I would have to a million to get a good one. But I did manage it. 


I'm warning you, this is the one and only time I'm going to try and look serious. I can't pull the cool, calm guy look off usually. My tastes are quite relaxed at the moment, I'd also wear this outfit with baggy chinos too, Hollie calls it my painter look.

Wearing - J+ Uniqlo khaki linen blazer, Gap stripey blue/white tshirt, Lee jeans, Uniqlo blue socks, Superga mushroom grey trainers.

New Found Treasures Part 3

The Brogues

Well we're now on part 3 of my new found treasures. This is where I have been showing things I have bought over the past few months and it's about time I blogged about these babies. I picked up these dark brown(with a slight red tint) Loake brogues up when I was staying in Brighton, in January. I couldn't have been more chuffed when I spotted these in a vintage shop, I was even more surprised when the price tag said £38. That's quite a bargain for shoes that could last years right?

I tried them on and strutted up and down for about 10 minutes before handing over the readies, I had to make sure they were perfect. And they were.

I don't really know much about the actual style but the are similar to this seasons R432 style.

Close up of Topman Design turquoise check trousers

I'm wearing them here with Topman Design trousers and bright orange Uniqlo socks. I haven't worn these trousers much since I bought them about 3 years ago but now they have the perfect partner. The fit of the trousers makes me feel very mod, I might wear them to a gig I'm going to on Sunday night.

How's everyone's weekend going?

New Found Treasures Part 2

As promised a few weeks back I said I would post all the nice things I picked up on my travels, over the past couple of months. Some of you may remember me saying I moved to London for a couple of months, I found so many nice things to buy, so I bought a lot of them. Can't blame me on stocking up! I was pretty chuffed with my purchases but I was sensible and considered everything more than once before handing over the wonga. I've had a tendency to waste money on clothes in the past but gone are those days, I want to fill my wardrobe with stuff that will stand the pass of time.

So first up is the geography teachers favourite, the tweed blazer;

Vintage 2-button tweed blazer in perfect condition and I have to say, it fits like a dream. I managed to pick this up for just under £30. This is now the oldest piece of clothing, the label states 1964.

Tweed blazer worn here with Uniqlo grey oxford shirt(with replacement top button)

As I said, it fits like a dream! You know, one of those dreams where tweed blazers fit immaculately, we're all had them right?

No tweed would be complete without complimentary suede elbow patches. 

I have to say, I'm one lucky boy. I'm sure it will become a wardrobe staple over the warmer months.


On another note, just like to say hello to all my new followers and thanks to everyone else for your continuous support and just for being so nice.  Next up....the shoes.


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UNIQLO +J Spring/Summer 2010

The +J S/S 2010 collection at Uniqlo is released on Thursday 7th January. I was really disappointment with the previous collection, it seemed like there wasn't as much thought put into it as there should have been. I much preferred the regular Uniqlo stuff but this seasons offering looks a bit more interesting in terms of fabrics and details. But the jury is still out, we shall see.

Jil Sander x Uniqlo

Jil Sander x Uniqlo - I can't wait for this collection, the queen of minimal meets high street affordable chic. I just hope it sticks around long enough for me to grad a few bits. I'm also drooling over the logo and font, is that sad?Narrr. Release date is still up in the air but it will be this Autumn.

What's everyone else thoughts?