MEET THE TEAM: HELEN McGUCKIN

This week we speak to Helen McGuckin who works as Web Co-Ordinator/ Promotion/ Blogger and Stylist for COW. We ask her about her role, her style and what she couldn't live without.

HOW LONG HAVE YOU WORKED AT COW?

Almost a year now. I started last December, part time, running all social medias but now it has grown into a full time role with the new website launching soon.

WHAT DOES YOUR ROLE ENTAIL?

My role is to promote COW Vintage and all the online presence as We Are Cow. To do this I make sure our Facebook page, Twitter, Tumblr, Blog and Instagram is consistent and updated regularly with things that everyone at Cow enjoys and are interested in. That could be music videos, trends, news on deliveries, uploads fave items, and so on.. I plan and organise events in stores, the last Student Lock In was great and I want to have more regular events in all stores. 

With the BRAND NEW WEBSITE LAUNCH creeping up on us I travel to Manchester to work with Richard (Web Manager) to style product shots, feature pages, new trends, behind the scenes videos and pretty much any other imagery you see online or in the newsletters (which I also write). To make this successful I am always looking for new models from all areas to work with us, keeping up with the latest trends, following Fashion Shows and reading magazines to make sure I don't miss a thing that we can incorporate into our work.

                   

We have recently started working with Fashion Bloggers we love and choose bloggers with a great range of style to showcase the range of stock we have sent to us from all over the world. This is proving successful and I love to see how everyone wears the items we send out!

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR OWN STYLE?

Lazy, practical, simple or silly depending on my mood.. Most of the time I just throw on jeans, a t-shirt and a jumper but I like to clash prints head to toe and layer too when I can be bothered. I work in the basement at Sheffield and Manchester so I can get away with being pretty casual nowadays if I want!   

WHY IS VINTAGE CLOTHING IMPORTANT IN STYLE NOWADAYS?

Vintage clothing is a way to be on trend without wearing the same items as everyone else. It's all one off and you can create your own style and be playful without having to spend a lot of money. I think that's why it has become so popular. 

WHAT A/W13 TRENDS ARE YOU MOST EXCITED ABOUT?

I am really excited about the Dark Florals and the Punk trends. I will be mixing them together.. I do like all the wintery pastels that are around too though. I like everything all the time, it's a huge problem of mine. 

WHAT'S YOUR FAVOURITE THING ABOUT WORKING FOR COW?

I love the clothes obviously, which is a problem for my bank. I also love that everyone who works for Cow is so creative and busy outside of work doing their own thing which overall makes the shops a more lively place.

WHAT 3 ITEMS COULDN'T YOU LIVE WITHOUT?

Levis, lipstick and tea. 

WWW.WEARECOW.COM

MEET THE TEAM! Terri- Jayne Baker

Say Hi to one of our cutest and most hard working members from Cow Sheffield! Terri-Jayne is a trend setter and the heart and soul of the Sheffield store.
We asked Terri-Jayne to go through her job role, why she (obvs) loves it and find out what are her A/W13 must haves..

HI TERRI-JAYNE!

HOW LONG HAVE YOU WORKED FOR COW AND WHAT IS YOUR ROLE?

My role is Store Manager in Sheffield and I have been there for 2 and 1/2 years! Which has gone crazy fast!

WHAT'S YOUR FAVOURITE THING ABOUT BEING A STORE MANAGER?

I love working with such a creative team, every day is different, big deliveries are always exciting, the visual side of my job is what I enjoy the most. Creating trend areas and outfit builds to inspire customers when they come shopping in store!

HOW WOULD DESCRIBE YOUR OWN STYLE?

My style changes everyday and transcends through seasons but right now I like mixing boyish styles with wild vintage prints, usually basic tees with anything high waisted and crazy one-off knitwear pieces! I'll never stop wearing cute floral dress and I'm a lover of a great detailed collar on anything. Sequins and velvet are also a must!

WHY IS VINTAGE CLOTHING IMPORTANT IN STYLE NOWADAYS AND WHY DO YOU THINK IT'S BECOME SO POPULAR?

Vintage and secondhand clothing have always been a great way to create personal style and express an individual personality. Thrift shopping is a great way for everyone shopping on a budget, you can always find real cheap gems. I love it when someone asks me where I  got a certain piece from and I say "I found it in a charity shop for 99p!"

WHAT A/W '13 TRENDS ARE YOU MOST EXCITED ABOUT?

Autumn is my all time favourite season for fashion! I'm not a huge trend follower , so I wear what I like and I usually look at street styles for inspiration. I like to see how individuals take on new trends! I'm a massive hoarder of clothes and accessories and I think you can never go wrong wearing any kind of vintage. It never goes out of style! I do seem to have stocked up on a lot of tartan over the years so those have been worn more these past few weeks. 

WHAT 3 ITEMS DO YOU THINK WE ALL NEED FOR THE COLDER MONTHS APPROACHING?

Novelty fun knitwear, gingerbread lattes and mittens on a string!

Follow Cow Sheffield and see more of Terri's style and what's going on over there:

WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/WEARECOWSHEFFIELD

INSTAGRAM - @COWSHEFFIELD

X

WWW.WEARECOW.COM

Meet The ReWork Team: Katie@Notts

We caught up Katie, with one of our Seamstresses for the Rework team in Nottingham to find out what she gets up to, how she got into it and what keeps her going!

NAME:                           JOB TITLE: 

Katie                               Seamstress

WHAT IS REWORK? 

Rework is when we make something that is less popular in store more wearable i.e. we dye and customise garments to increase their selling point. Turning something that could be considered old fashioned into something current and on trend.

HOW DID YOU GET INTO REWORKING FOR COW?  

I am a womenswear designer and I was passing by COW one day and saw the advertisement for a seamstress. I was intrigued as I wasn't that familiar with the shop, so I  asked about the job role and it seemed something different to what I had done before so I applied.

HOW DO YOU CONSTANTLY COME UP WITH NEW EXCITING IDEAS?

I am constantly researching and doing comp shops to come up with new ideas and keep myself motivated.

WHAT'S THE MOST POPULAR ITEM YOU HAVE MADE/ REWORKED?  

I’d say our Ralph Lauren dyed and bleached shirt dresses are the most popular item I have made, people really like them and they are all one off so no one will ever be caught short wearing the same thing. 

WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT COW? 

I love the freedom I get at COW and how creative I can be everyday. I also love the selection of bags we get in.

WHAT ARE YOU EXCITED ABOUT FOR AW13? 

I am going to Dubai  for a while but in terms of COW and the trends I am looking forward to a new challenge as this will be my first winter with the company.

IS THERE ANYONE YOU LOOK UP TO FOR IDEAS AND INSPIRATION?

Not any person in particular but I keep my eye out for ideas from customers styles in stores and people I see walking round town. 

Meet The Team! Ramario Chevoy

Say Hi to another one of our super stylish team from COW Nottingham Ramario Chevoy!! We asked him a few questions about his influences, what he gets up to and how he manages to rock up looking cool as f*!@ every day!

WHO ARE YOU AND WHAT DO YOU DO?

Hello! I am Ramario and I work in Cow Vintage Nottingham as Part Time Sales Advisor.

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR STYLE?

I would describe my style as eclectic because I don't have one set style it literally changes everyday.

WHERE DO YOU FIND MOST OF YOUR CLOTHES?

Lol, I find the majority of my clothes at Cow but also online places such as Ebay and other independent designers like Jade Clark, Hyena and Kokon To Zai..

IS THERE ANYONE THAT INFLUENCES YOUR STYLE?

Hmmmmm, this is a hard question but there are a few people who influence me, such as Azelia Banks, Nicki Minaj and Lady Gaga. The reason I say these people is because when it comes to fashion they are risk takers and are not scared to wear anything they want and they don't care what people think which is exactly what I'm like.
I think people forget that fashion should be fun and you should never be scared to experiment and try new things. I don't really have any male style influences but I do like the way R&B singer Miguel dresses, but I just feel that men don't take as many risks as women in fashion..  it is 2013 and old fashioned rules are made to be broken in my eyes.

WHAT'S YOUR FAVOURITE THING IN COW AT THE MINUTE?

My favourite things are the American football vests and jerseys we have in. I love them and I own a few!

YOU HAVE GAINED ALOT OF FOLLOWERS ON SOCIAL MEDIA NETWORKS.. WHY DO YOU THINK PEOPLE LOVE TO SEE YOUR OUTFITS?

Again this is a hard question to answer but I would probably say they could be interested because they might want to try certain looks I've done but just haven't known how to wear it or put it together so hopefully my daily outfit posts will give them some inspiration.

WHAT DO YOU ENJOY DOING ON YOUR DAYS OFF?

Well I also teach dance so on my days off I will probably doing that or getting my hair done, got to keep it looking fresh! LOL!

WHAT DO YOU SUGGEST GUYS SHOULD BE LOOKING TO WEAR OVER THE SUMMER?

Defo defo defo an American football jersey, snapbacks and shorts!

WHAT 3 THINGS CAN'T YOU LIVE WITHOUT FROM YOUR WARDROBE?

Just 3..? I can't live without everything in my wardrobe but if I had to pick 3 things they would be my Buffalo platform shoes, my hat collection for those days when my hair is looking a little rough and all of my costume jewellery!

 Thanks Ramario!! Love it all and if you want to follow Ramario to see how and what he wears next check out his Instagram: 

@RAMARIOCHEVOY

And to shop to find your own one off pieces check our New In at WWW.WEARECOW.COM

Meet The Team! Roxanne Hudson

At COW we don't ask our staff to wear certain things, there is no uniform and people can pretty much do as they please where style is concerned. Thankfully we have a good bunch of people who love COW Vintage because they can take pieces from different eras to create their own style.

Today we talk to Roxy, our almost brand new Supervisor at our Nottingham store.. She shows us though her wardrobe and let's us know what she couldn't live without!

WHO ARE YOU AND WHAT DO YOU DO?

Roxanne Hudson - Supervisor at Cow Nottingham

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR STYLE?

That's a hard one because my style and taste changes from day to day depending on my mood but I guess one word that will always fit would be grunge. I love grunging up girly things.

WHERE DO YOU FIND MOST OF YOUR CLOTHES?

I always find the best stuff in those shops you see around town that sell (and you will laugh) what I call 'stripper clothes'. I always get great stuff like mesh and netted tops at the cheapest pirices. Other than that H&M, COW and other vintage shops mostly.

WHERE DO YOU LOOK FOR INSPIRATION?

My inspiration comes from street style. I love it when I spot people in the street wearing something I love. My biggest idol inspiration is a blogger named Luanna Perez. 

YOU HAVE GAINED A LOT OF FOLLOWERS ON SOCIAL MEDIA NETWORKS.. WHY DO YOU THINK PEOPLE ARE SO INTERESTED IN YOUR OUTFITS?

I'm not actually sure, I used to feel silly posting my outfits but people on instagram are so complimentary. I think it's just I wear what I like and don't really follow trends, it makes it more fun seeing something different maybe? I'm really not sure though.

WHAT'S YOUR FAVOURITE THING TO DO ON YOUR DAYS OFF?

Usually al my days off involve me travelling to different cities either getting tattooed or going to my favourite gigs, like on the 5th June I am going to London to see my ultimate favourite band City and Colour. I am super excited about that!

WHAT DO YOU THINK WE SHOULD BE LOOKING FOR THIS SUMMER TO UPDATE OUR WARDROBES?

Dungarees!! Who doesn't love dungarees? 

CHOOSE 3 THINGS YOU CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT FROM YOUR WARDROBE?

Dungarees, my Aggy Strap Dr Martens boots and it isn't really my wardrobe but a lipstick. I always carry at least 3 colours with me, it can completely change your outfit.

AND FINALLY... WHAT IS IT YOU LIKE ABOUT COW?

Can EVERYTHING be my answer? Great place to work, beautiful one off pieces to get your hands on and all at such good prices too!

Wow, Thanks for that Rox!!

Go straight to  WWW.WEARECOW.COM to start creating your own looks!!

If you want to keep up to date with Roxanne's style updates feel free to follow her instagram:

@trollcityrox

Meet The Nottingham Team!

To keep you all in the loop we are talking to our team from all stores and letting you know what goes on in COW and how we manage to keep it up and make sure it continues to be your favourite Vintage Store! Today we spoke to Keighan Kelly who is our lovely Nottingham Store Manager, she tells us how it has been moving store, what's kept her at COW for so long and the details of her helpful and creative team.

KEIGHAN KELLY/ NOTTINGHAM STORE MANAGER

HOW LONG HAVE YOU WORKED FOR COW?

I have worked at COW for 2 years now.

HOW DOES IT FEEL MANAGING THE NEWEST & FANCIEST COW STORE?

I love my new shop, I always like the character of the old shop but this one is just amazing. There is so much more space and it looks like no other shop in Nottingham.

WHAT IS THE BEST THING ABOUT YOUR NEW STORE?

I like the general look of the shop in comparison to the old one but I'd have to say my favourite thing is all the window space we have. We have so much more room to be creative and we plan to keep making the most of this space with our fantastic window displays. We are more noticeable now to people who pass by and people do stop and take a minute to check out our window displays.

WHAT IS YOUR TYPICAL DAY?

My usual day consists of making sure the shop look diverse and full. My staff are all very creative and we do our fair share of Visual Merchandising. I spend a lot of time with our Rework staff going over what is selling best for us and any new ideas we may have. If we have had suggestions or requests on items to stock I will take the time to contact the owners and keep them informed of customers demands. I am always working from the shop floor and even when doing admin and paperwork I like to be available for customer service.

HOW DO YOU COME UP WITH IDEAS KEEP THE WINDOWS AND LAYOUT SO EXCITING?

Well I have to be honest.. my main window display has been left to a member of my team Allan Buxton (who is a creator of his own company Howl and brought you the WE ARE COW video). He did an amazing Christmas window display with a moving Christmas jumper, which had a lot of interest and he always has great new ideas coming up (Keep an eye out)
I also get a lot of help from a very creative little lady in my team called Riah Woodward. Me and Riah work closely together with displays and floor moves. We are always taking note of our bestsellers and researching what the next trend will be, then we apply this to our own stock and space. Our customers also show how they choose to wear the latest looks, this is important to us because we can keep up to date on fashion in our local area. And believe me we have some great fashion followers in Nottingham!

WHAT IS IT ABOUT COW THAT KEEPS YOU INTERESTED AND EXCITED ABOUT THE BRAND?

I love that all of our products are one off pieces, we get our products from all over the world making it easy to look individual rather than blending into the crowd. It's amazing to be part of a successful brand and being part of a group that is always moving forward. My team and I are always looking at ways to improve the COW experience.

WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO IN 2013?

In 2013 I am looking forward to COW being involved in more local and national events. We have already involved our store in the Nottingham Light Night on Friday 8th February where we are planning to have bands in store and also show a short film.. Let's just see what the rest of the year brings!

Here are some snaps of the brand new Nottingham Store, if you haven't been yet you should definitely go and see and say Hi to Keighan!

 COW lights window display

Cow from the street 3 Carlton Street, NG1 1NL

Menswear display on ground floor

 Epic neon lighting display on the grand staircase

 Upstairs to Sportswear, sale and accessories

 Upstairs accessories and lounge area

Last Christmas window display including the dancing mannequin.

Made by Allan Buxton!

Meet The Team!

As a follow on from the last Meet The Team blog with our Web Manager Richard Manning, we are introducing our our Seamstress and Re Work member of staff Alison Simpson. Alison has worked with COW for over 3 years and we are going to find out what keeps her going.

ALISON SIMPSON - SEAMSTRESS/ REWORK MASTER 

HOW DID YOU GET INTO REWORKING FOR COW?

I studied Fashion at Ravensbourne University and learnt all of my sewing skills there, then I interned with a small clothing company who showed me how to work for specific markets. I saw the job for COW advertised and felt it would be a great opportunity to work within a fun company and have the freedom to come up with my own ideas and styles to have in their stores.

HOW DO YOU CONSTANTLY COME UP WITH NEW EXCITING IDEAS?

I follow a lot of fashion shows, street style blogs, take inspiration from everyday things like shapes, art, music, design and vintage fashion, everything really. I then brainstorm with the store's team and crack on with putting all of this into action.

WHAT'S THE MOST POPULAR ITEM YOU HAVE MADE/ REWORKED?

Styles change from season to season and the most popular piece of the summer was the bandeau tops which I thought would work well for our customers. Since it's been so cold I would say the patch pocket shirts have worked the best because they are great for layering. But also our cord dresses sell really well. 

WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT COW?

I think COW is constantly full of exciting product which invite an exciting crowd to the shop and this makes it feel like a fun place to be rather than just a regular vintage shop. I like the selection of dresses that we have in all year round, I probably spend most of my wages on those.

WHAT ARE YOU EXCITED ABOUT FOR 2013?

Summer time is my favourite time of year and I am hoping for a hot one this year. Plus it is best for rework and we will be producing new styles and product with all of our new ideas.