Faded Spring

    How To Claim Compensation If You Have Been Abused

    I was abused by someone who was meant to be in a position of authority, who was meant to be the 'replacement maternal figure' that I so desperately craved. Abandoned by my mother aged 2 and a half, my dad met my stepmum, aged six and well... my readers know what happened next. Jealous of my 'Dad' having another child who was not born to her, she played up to the 'wicked stepmother' archetype and would physically and emotionally beat me with her vicious words. In her eyes I was a nobody, a nothing and someone who was very much in her power. Because of her I have issues with my perception of body image, because of her I struggle to trust loved ones and because of her I have a constant guard up ... read more

    Late Summer Nights Dream Masquerade Ball

    In a world where the only magical occurrence is getting paid on time, comes a new dawn, where mysticism and folklore meet to create an artificial dimension,that for one night only will offer you the solace and escapism that you so crave. Away from the bright lights of the big city, where office drones are chained to their desks, lies a beautiful irreality, where faeries meet with juggling acrobats, while stilt walkers stride through empty plains in search of their card playing magician. But while this sounds like some 'nonsensical dream that I have plucked out of my thoughts, the reality is London houses secret magic too, open to those who dare to life their lives without prohibition. As the ... read more

    Where To Host Alternative Christmas Parties In London

    Tis the season to be jolly... or so they keep telling us. I'm about as excited about Christmas as a cat is about meeting a dog. When I was younger I loved Christmas, I loved getting presents under the tree, I loved the fresh scent of roast dinner in the oven and I loved how everyone would come together for one day only and put their differences aside. Those were magical days and it seems like the older we get, the more our enthusiasm seems to wane. But no more, DR Ana has a remedy to cure all our Christmas woes and what better way to get excited for the festive season than through some good ol' fashioned party planning? Yes that's right, if there is anything that I love more than eating, its ... read more

    Tasting The Vegetarian Menu At Mango Tree Belgravia

    When I became a vegetarian, I was constantly questioned by peers who were 'curious' to know what I would eat. In their 'medieval vision' they envisioned a 'rabbit food' diet and was perplexed that I would 'even give up meat' for a 'lifetime of carrots' as they would put it. But here's the thing, being a vegetarian shouldn't make your dining choices limited. I mean sure being dragged to a Steakhouse is not my idea of fun and don't even get me started on 'chain restaurants' vegetarian options. And by options I mean cheese on crackers, not cool. Which is why I happen to be so obsessed with Thai and Indian cuisine; their menus are full of flavour, have tonnes of vegetarian options and are ... read more

    26 Fashion Staples You Need This Autumn

    As we settle into long autumn nights by the open fire and watch the flames crackle, we sigh with satisfactory content. Our feet are encased in soft faux fur lined slippers and the blankets that we stole from our mothers 'secret stash' envelop us in warm delight. There's a pot of pumpkin soup simmering gently on the stove, while the scent of autumn makes its way through the house. While the days might be getting shorter and the nights be getting colder, there is no excuse to not make an entrance everytime you enter a room. Sure, you might get some odd looks walking to the shop in your Bug's Bunny onesie and people might be crying inside as you rock a sequin dress wishing that you had some ... read more

    How A Caress Gave Me Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

    A Guest Post By Elizabeth Brico When I was 20 years old, I was diagnosed with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). PTSD is an intrusive mental health condition that causes a host of disruptive symptoms. Many of them are debilitating. Imagine wanting to go out and get a slice of pizza down the street, but instead staying in and having a PB&J because the idea of being around people makes you too anxious. That happened to me last night. Imagine staying up until dawn because your sleep is haunted by nightmares that re-enact the worst moments of your life. That was how I spent my summer. Imagine having to quit your job because every time you saw a six-foot white guy, you hallucinated the ... read more

    Nailing The A/W 2017 Boot Trend With Public Desire

    As the skies transform into a cloudless grey and the nights turn into an endless solitude, the crunch of nearby leaves is the only sound that I can hear outside my window. I pick the leaves up and marvel at how the green blooms from summer have now marbled into a greenish orange and I let them fall underneath my high heeled boots, delirious at the feel of autumn underfoot. For autumn is the season where I sip on pumpkin soup and watch the steam rise from my bowl, enveloping me in a heady comforting aura, autumn is the season where I pull on my knee high socks and put on my warm velvet boots to keep me stylish during the cold and autumn is the season where fashion comes alive, where like the ... read more

    Its 2017: So Why Aren’t We Period Positive Yet?

    I never had what I would call a 'positive relationship' with periods growing and after getting my first period aged 14, I found it hard to embrace my unwelcome visitor. But here's the thing, I was never taught that 'having periods' was a 'good thing' and when my periods would last weeks, sometimes months - yes that is a thing, I felt 'gross'. And when I would hear my friends moaning about how they had to endure a '5 day period' I felt like asking them how they would feel if their vagina never stopped bleeding. Heck when I told them that the average length of my 'period' was 14 days and heavy, even on the last day they looked at me like I was some sort of freak and truth is I felt like I was ... read more

    How To Deal With Debt After University

    It was at university that I found I didn't need a boyfriend to make me happy, it was at university that I made friends that I would keep for life and it was at university that I learned how to be more self-sufficient on a budget. But if you had asked me five years ago whether I wanted to go to university, I would have laughed in your face. The sixteen year old me was taught that life after school did not mean further education, but it meant that I would have to buck my ideas up and go into full time work. You see, my role models were quite traditionalist and believed that education was only beneficial until a certain point-that being GSCES- and that full time work was the pathway I should ... read more

    Faded Spring’s London Fashion Week Lookbook

    A few days ago, I was all set to fly out to my holiday in Tuscany, when the unthinkable happened and I was forced to cancel my first holiday in five years. Sure I was upset at first and my mental health was at an all time low, but a talk with good friends and some much needed laughter soothed my wounded spirit. But it struck me that all the events and shows I had turned down because of my holiday, might have been a blessing in disguise and I set about re-contacting the event management teams to explain that circumstances had changed. I am a firm believer that 'things happen for a reason' and 'what is meant to be, will be', so perhaps the holiday not going ahead was a sign that maybe this ... read more