The summer copy of Nude is out now and the theme is clear - ‘Look on the bright side’. Though the editors fully recognise we’re in a recession and that many people are experiencing genuine hardship, they’re keen to point out some positives. This issue is brimming with the work of independent designers, artists and musicians. The vibe is very much make-do-and-mend and big-up to the growing craft movement.

Look out for the work of street artist, Copyright, who secretly left a trail of stenciled roses from his girlfriend’s home to her place of work the night before Valentine’s Day.

And check out Angelique Houtkamp’s romantic, old school tattoo imagery.

In addition you can find interviews, reviews, features, graphics and pages and pages of ‘counterculture goodness’.

Ooh and what’s that I see on page 74?

Thank you Nude.

Order Nude direct from www.nudemagazine.co.uk, where you can also buy jewellery, prints, music and other items featured in the zine.

I was really excited to hear from Nadine Harding of Curl Harmony. Over the years I’ve come to terms with my naturally curly hair. As a child I hated it and tried to brush it straight. As a teenager I wrangled with it on a daily basis, trying infra red hair dryers, diffusers and wet look hair gel. It was the eighties! Nowadays I’ve stopped trying to tame it, accepted that I will never have ‘Cinderella’ hair and actually quite like it.

That said, I still find it very difficult to find suitable shampoos and styling products. And this constant humidity makes it frizzy and unmanageable. Remember Monica at Ross’ Dinosaur Convention? (See below)

Enter Curl Harmony. Nadine Harding is a qualified Chemist and has created an exclusive range of natural hair care products, specifically formulated for curly hair. Whether you have loose waves, thick corkscrew spirals, mixed race curls or tight Afro coils, Curl Harmony will coax your frizz into smoother, softer, healthier hair.

Products include hair cleansers, conditioners, styling butters and milks, all of which can be purchased in small samples, allowing you to try them before you invest in larger bottles and pots. Further, everything has been created using completely natural or naturally derived ingredients, without the use of harsh chemicals which strip your hair of natural moisture.

Go to www.curlharmony.co.uk to buy online.

Oh, and here’s that clip of Monica.

I’ve blogged about Selvedge before. It’s one of my favourite magazines. With its stunning photography, unparalleled design and peerless writing, it’s more of a keepsake than a magazine. A real joy to read or simply to leaf through.

In each issue the editors feature makers whose objects fulfil their criteria of well-fashioned design, beautiful raw materials and integrity in the process of making. You can buy these items direct from the Selvedge website.

Here are a few of my favourites (left to right):

1. Pénélope Naulleau’s charming ‘poupées’
2. Butterfly hair slides in Liberty prints by Tout Silo
3. Tamar Mogendorff Bird Houses
4. Sophie Digard Scarf & Necklace

I came across Fashion Central a little while ago via MySpace. They have a whopping 4,500 friends on their list and work hard to promote the work of new and emerging designers. Last November saw the launch of the Fashion Central Online Magazine which has proved to be hugely popular with designers and fashionistas alike.

Each themed, high-colour, high-impact edition is brimming with photo shoots on accessories, clothes and beauty from today’s bright young things and tomorrow’s designers du jour. Check it out at www.fashioncentralmagazine.com.

NOTE: Fashion Central is now Cause a Scene: www.causeascenemagazine.com.

Well, no not really. But we are in Nude magazine! They were kind enough to give us a mention in their new winter mag.

Nude came kicking and screaming into the world four years ago and is the brainchild of Suzy Prince and Ian Lowey. It aims to serve up ‘an eclectic mix of contemporary graphics, deviant design, outsider and alternative musics, eccentric architecture, cult writing, indie film, cutting-edge fashion and profiles of maverick genius the world over.’

As well as being a damn good read, it’s also beautifully presented with lots of coloured graphics and photos. It would make a great gift subscription.

Checkout the Nude website at www.nudemagazine.co.uk.

Ooh and the cute cute Apple Tunic Dress pic is from On Cherry Lane. They were featured in the blog on 30th Oct.

One of the most difficult challenges for small creative companies is getting their work into the press. We’re therefore delighted that Navaz Batliwalla (Fashion Editor of CosmoGIRL!) has kindly agreed to share her top tips for gaining press coverage.

Top Tip for Getting PR by Navaz Batliwalla

White hot collection? Check. Fabulous website? Check. Press coverage in all the essential glossies and fashion weeklies? Uh oh, Houston we have a problem. It’s all very well having a great collection but if no-one knows about it where are the customers going to come from? In this age of must-haves and fast-fashion it’s essential to get your brand name and products out there on those fashion pages and websites. And it’s not as hard as it looks:

Make the internet your friend. Familiarise yourself with websites like www.cosmogirl.co.uk, www.handbag.com and www.jellyfishmag.com and get emailing.

Write a paragraph or two about the collection including stockist details, price points and contact number. That becomes your press release. You don’t need supermodel-posed pictures as long as you have good cutout still-life jpegs that show your key pieces to their best advantage.

In today’s celebrity-obsessed world, fashion editors like anything that links your product to a celeb so don’t be precious, scour the weeklies for A-listers wearing clothes that resemble yours and email the magazines the comparisons. Being handed stuff on a plate makes our job easier!

Have samples available in case they want to photograph them themselves. Remember that monthly magazines have 3-month lead times so autumn-winter samples need to be ready in May.

Research the market. If you’re selling couture aim at the monthly glossies not the gossip rags. And be specific about the page or section you want to be on ’ it makes editors feel that you’ve bothered to look at their magazine and flatters our egos!

Build a rapport. Follow up your press release with a call and get feedback from the magazine on whether your product is right for their market. Keep in regular contact but don’t be a stalker. Editors get bombarded with information so will forget you if you don’t keep them updated.

Don’t forget the smaller niche magazines and websites. They need you as much as you need them as they have less choice in the brands available to them.

Can you offer a discount or freebies? Magazines adore competitions and giveaways and this is a brilliant marketing tool to get coverage that might otherwise not be available.

Navaz Batliwalla is the Fashion Editor for CosmoGIRL!

A huge thank you to Navaz for taking the time out of her incredibly busy schedule to write this. It’s very much appreciated.

A few weeks ago I was in town with some time to kill and decided to call into The Corner House. They have a fabulous book shop which stocks lots of ‘hard to get hold of’ publications and independent magazines. While I was in there I came across Amelia’s Magazine. Although it’s more of a collector’s item than a magazine.

Once you step inside Amelia’s world you’ll find an array of indie band interviews, fashion profiles, photoshoots, all with beautiful accompanying designs by an army of contributing illustrators. And all of this is packaged in a magical, glow-in-the-dark, enchanted forest cover.

The latest edition includes a pull-out ‘Amazing Trees of the World’ poster, a beautifully illustrated comic strip and a whopping 50 page feature on the changing culture of New China, covering music, art and fashion.

You can buy Amelia’s Magazine direct from www.ameliasmagazine.com. But I warn you, it’s extremely addictive and once you’ve entered Amelia’s strange and bewitching world, you won’t want to leave.

It’s all about the zines this week. The latest edition of the hugely popular N.E.E.T. Magazine is ready to be downloaded to your PC/Mac. Once again the talented Stephanie J has dazzled us with her own inimitable mixture of DIY chic and high fashion photography.

Within its eye catching layouts you will find ‘Back to the Future Accessories’, how to make ‘Crazy, Crafty Shoes’, ‘Street Style’, ‘Stylish Picks for Men’ and much, much more.

The thing I love most about this magazine is that if you see something you like (and you will) you can click straight through to the corresponding site for instant gratification.

Not to be missed - www.neetmagazine.com.