We have been taking your nominations of local style icons, people who have a great sense of style whether that be a friend, family, co-worker. We have loved meeting these people, here we want to show you the stylish people of Barnsley! We have interviewed them along with pictures of their favourite outfits.

The Civic in the town centre have a great fashion exhibition currently on show. It is based around the First World War and how fashion has changed in both women's work and lives. All pieces have been commissioned by 1418-NOW and has come from the Manchester Gallery, all the way to Barnsley. They are a range of both designer pieces, such as Vivienne Westwood and Roksanda, and also university graduate pieces from Westminister, Salford and more. Some had a more literal sense of the theme whilst others had a more deeper meaning and focused more into one aspect. I really recommend visiting the exhibition to make your own opinions on it, but there's no doubt it's an extremely interesting visit.

You can find out more about the exhibition here.

[gallery ids="4568,4569" type="rectangular"]

[gallery ids="4533,4534" type="rectangular"]

[gallery ids="4535,4536" type="rectangular"]

[gallery ids="4537,4543" type="rectangular"]

[gallery ids="4545,4544" type="rectangular"]

[gallery ids="4548,4549,4550" type="rectangular"]

[gallery ids="4551,4552,4553" type="rectangular" orderby="rand"]

[gallery ids="4554,4555" type="rectangular"]

[gallery ids="4557,4556" type="rectangular"]

[gallery ids="4558,4559,4560" type="rectangular"]

[gallery ids="4561,4564" type="rectangular"]

[gallery ids="4563,4562" type="rectangular"]

[gallery ids="4565,4566" type="rectangular"]

Klue Doll is the new klue by kellyann, we had a chat with her all about why she's changing her business' name and branding and what she suggests to others about finding your brand and what you can do. See her Facebook page here.

[gallery ids="2216,2215,2206" type="rectangular"]

BFC: Why did you decide to change the name of your clothing business?

Kellyann: There isn't a dramatic story of why I'm changing, I just feel as my business has grown and now my focus if primarily on bridal & occasion wear, Klue doll just seems like a natural progression for me, it's a name I refer too often when describing my clients, my style and my way of drawing illustrations as well. The new launch is the start of many changes with KLUE by Kelly-Ann will still be around but more of a sister brand featured on my website.

[gallery ids="2205,2212" type="rectangular"]

BFC: What other changes are you making to your business, other than a new logo?

Kellyann: Within the next month I will have a lovely new website and I will be opening my first online shop where clients can order anything from bridesmaid dresses, that one off night out outfit and children's wear. I am also working on a collection of Team Bride accessories for hen parties and wedding essentials such as personalized dressing gowns, t-shirts and much more. And finally I'm planning on attending some wedding shows in 2017 so very exciting times ahead.

BFC: What impact does a good business name and strong branding have? And what does 'branding' mean?

Creating a brand identity is giving people a sense of who the brand are and what they represent. Your brand is telling a story of your style and the products your going to create. I feel that having a name that stands out or is memorable is very important not only so people remember it but also so when your name is searched on google or any social media platform it's easily found. Strong branding makes it so the customer can easily recognize your work and the more cohesive your branding, the more professional it comes across. Fashion is ever evolving so change is inevitable but as long as you have a strong brand signature it will still be recognisable to the clients that it's your brand. Here's an infographic I liked about brand identity.



BFC: How did you decide on this typography and style for your new logo?

Kellyann: I wanted something that was a bit industrial/chic looking that was bold lettering but had a hand drawn look so when I found this I was in love! I created a foil effect myself to get the perfect copper, metallic shade. Combining foil colours like copper and gold against a white and gray marble is something I'm really loving at the moment and something that blends well with all the different elements to klue from Bridal wear, women's fashion and children's wear.



BFC: How did you find your new brand identity and style? Did it just happen organically or did you just decide on the new changes?

Kellyann: I moved house a year ago so I've been doing a lot of interior design so my love of copper has been my major love for 2016. So naturally while I've been pulling together ideas and it's been things I love and I'm sure many other people are obsessed with at the moment.

[gallery ids="2209,2211" type="rectangular"]

 

BFC: Your doing a Facebook competition to raise awareness of the new branding, right? So what else are you hoping to achieve from it?

Kellyann: Yes I'm doing it to make a bit of a 'ta darr' moment of the new name and look but I'm also doing it to say thank you to all my clients old and new for the ever-growing support.

Here are the 3 dresses I will be giving away, Dress 1 is a fitted black dress with ruffle hem, razor neckline and a portrait back cut out. Dress 2 has a slash neck, high low swing dress with contrast V panel detailing. And dress 3 is a Ruby red statement dress, full sheer mesh bodice and sleeves with textured lace detail over the bust, V-waist seam, fitted mermaid skirt with extra full train and key hole exposed back. This dress will be tailored to fit the winner. You can enter the facebook competition here!

[gallery ids="2217,2214,2213" type="rectangular" orderby="rand"]

BFC: How would you advise other people on finding their business' brand and style?

Kellyann: I think with fashion especially its personal style, what you want to portray, what best reflects the style of clothing you make and sell. And if in doubt there is Pinterest and hiring a professional. But for many years I kept to a clean black and white look which will stand the test of time and always look chic.

BFC: What other ways can people do to raise awareness of their business' branding on social media?

Kellyann: Doing professional photoshoots not only do you get amazing images to promote your work but you also get to connect with other creatives. Contacting bloggers, vloggers and online influencers can elevate your brand and it goes without saying but promote all your work across all social media platforms.

As we progress through the details of planning the first Barnsley Fashion Creatives project with Spirit Original Designs, I'm getting more and more excited! The main updates since we first released the brief are that we have two confirmed models with a possible third, we have a photographer sorted and make-up and hair are all good to go. We almost had our location confirmed but we've had to find another place due to the last one pulling out but hey, these things happen. This is why we do all this planning and prepping before the day to make sure the photoshoot runs the smoothest possible for us to get the most photographs from it.

[gallery ids="2126,2132" type="rectangular"]

We had a fitting with the two confirmed models, Sarah & Sammi, which was a lot of fun. The reason for doing fittings ensures that your clothes will definitely fit them, but it also helps to figure out what colours and styles suit them so that on the day you have a good idea of what other items would look great without wasting time.

[gallery ids="2128,2129" type="rectangular"]

We also got to play about with some styling options like adding some Spirit Original Designs jewellery and handbags and mixing with cape ponchos and neck wraps, making sure we can make a complete outfit that customers could wear themselves.

[gallery ids="2133,2127" type="rectangular"]

If you have a project in mind that you'd like to do but not sure how to do it, let us give you a helping hand and find the people you need to connect with and get the project off the ground. All we ask in return is to be able to share the project on our blog and social medias, that's it! Drop us an email using the contact form.

The Cooper Art Gallery on  Church Street in the town centre is a glorious little place with its changing exhibitions, cafe and gift shop. We had the chance to visit and see its newest exhibition '45 rpm' by Terry Brookes, the permanent pieces from the Cooper Collection, new pieces in their newly built extension and the 'Expressed' exhibition showcasing the best of Barnsley College end-of-year shows. There's a lot packed into this deceivingly 'small' gallery and really worth the visit.

[gallery ids="1964,1969" type="rectangular"]

The Terry Brookes 45 rpm exhibition is all about mod type artworks and 3D objects. Also includes a wooden sculpture of a Vespa accompanied by a green parka and bike helmets for you to dress up and play on! We had much fun on this. My model boyfriend showed this off perfectly, in which I couldn't resist and had to join in too! Our favourite painting was the one of the tapes, on our forever wish list.

[gallery ids="1966,1967" type="rectangular"]

[gallery ids="1970,1968" type="rectangular"]

Their permanent exhibition from their Cooper collection looks more beautiful than ever since the area has been renovated and now includes more interactive elements for a friendlier visit for all the family. Next to them is the newly built extension with more amazing pieces as well as some ceramic, pottery and sculptures. We also enjoyed the interactive games like the hexagonal jigsaw and re-building the magnetic pot.

[gallery ids="1971,1972" type="rectangular"]

Then finally I headed upstairs into the Sadler room to see the 'Expressed' exhibition from Barnsley College. The Cooper Art Gallery chose their favourites from the end of year showcase that all Art & Design students do in the final projects. There was a nice range of paintings, 3D sculptures, graphic design and Fashion garments.

[gallery ids="1973,1974" type="rectangular"]

[gallery ids="1976,1977" type="rectangular"]

[gallery ids="1978,1979" type="rectangular"]

[gallery ids="1980,1984" type="rectangular"]

[gallery ids="1975,1981" type="rectangular"]

Have you visited the gallery recently? What was your thoughts?

'The Stories of the Somme' exhibition at the Experience Barnsley Museum began 24th of August and runs up until 20th of November. Alongside their other Barnsley memorabilia, stories from the Battle of the Somme were presented with items, literature and memories of by-gone soldiers. Dotted around the museum were also garments created by Barnsley College Fashion students from their World War one project earlier this year which brought the theme more to life. The exhibition is definitely worth a visit as well as seeing all the other items within the museum.

Here's the photo journal of the visit.



[gallery ids="1897,1898" type="rectangular"]



[gallery ids="1877,1879" type="rectangular"]





[gallery ids="1894,1896" type="rectangular"]

[gallery ids="1893,1889" type="rectangular"]



[gallery ids="1899,1888" type="rectangular"]

Barnsley photographer Liam Gilroy talks to us about styles, editing tips and photoshoot planning. He constantly surrounds himself by all the right people to ensure his authenticness in his photography and his parents old photos ignited that spark. Read the full conversation below and see some of his photos. Visit  www.liamgilroy.com



BFC:  What first attracted you to photography?

Liam: What first attracted me to photography was mostly how, when I was growing up, my parents took a lot of photos of me and my siblings just as people do now, except they weren't lost in the cloud for ever, they were actually developed and printed and acted as physical memories. I always loved that idea of archiving memories this way, and I think that's what's lead me into my love of capturing people, moments and atmospheres.

BFC: Its a shame people don't really print out their photos anymore. So how has your style developed over the time?

Liam:  I think over time I've developed a more earthy tone and started to focus in on a certain aesthetic that excites me, usually the more gritty and mysterious. I usually do this this now by creating more of a 'shot on film' feel, which perhaps relates to the last question. With fashion photography I think it's good to have models that have an uniqueness about them, which ultimately makes the clothing more desirable!



BFC: Following from your styles, where do you tend to get your inspiration from?

Liam: A lot of the time I'm lucky enough to work with people who express a theme in their products, so in those cases I can draw on that iconography and try to match that with a real world setting that helps to build a narrative.



BFC: What was one of your favourite projects that you've worked on?

Liam: One that springs to mind is a Fear and Loathing Clothing shoot we did for their Up The Dosage collection. We shot all the lifestyle shots around this huge abandoned house which was a lot of fun to play around with. We decided to run with some more unusual ideas, like building a prop satanic ritual in the barn, the location was a playground for photography. Here's a behind the scenes video of that shoot.
[facebook url="https://www.facebook.com/ArcadiaFilm/videos/1041575905887299/" /]

BFC: Oh wow that's so cool! What were your post-shoot processes after that?

Liam: I'm lucky enough that my brother Jordan Gilroy co-runs F&L and is a very talented designer, so we get to collaborate a lot and that extends into the editing of the photos, which we always agree on! Outside of F&L I still get a lot of freedom in editing (mostly in Photoshop). I think because fashion based photography is usually more dramatic, you get to take more liberties with colouring and balancing the image and it's seen as being part of an overall process.



BFC: What tips would you give about photo editing to those who want to make their own products look better? Maybe they only use their mobile phones, so is there anything they can do just to bring them more to life?

Liam: A big thing for me is not getting too caught up on gear, so I tent to find kit and software and stick with it until I feel like it hasn't done the job. For me I use photoshop, because you can always play around with depth by using layer masks or tilt shifts etc and play with the contrast a lot. I use a cool piece of software called CameraBag2, which has some awesome customisable presets for specific tones etc. Honestly, I think Instagram is great if you're working on mobile. For example, you can get a really great looking tone just by pumping up the contrast and and taking the saturation way down on your image just like you would in Photoshop. I think it's just good to experiment.

BFC: And last question, what tips would you give to someone who's planning their own photoshoot?

Liam: My advice for anyone planning their own photoshoot, if I'm qualified to give advice, would be to first create a good atmosphere, make sure everyone's on the same page about what you want to achieve and make sure that everyone's having a good time! Your shoot will benefit massively from this. Second of all I'd say try something different. With the exemption of practising before you shoot, try and do something new that you finding challenging.

Are you based in Barnsley? Does your hobby, job or business relate to the fashion industry? And are you creative? Answered yes to these? Great! You're in the right place. This group of people called the 'Barnsley Fashion Creatives' is a collection of others that also said yes to those questions.

But did you know that you can leverage this group of people to help you out? Maybe you have a photoshoot coming up, or you're needing some help out with your brand, or you simply just want some opinions and help on a dilemma. Here's a few ways you can use the group.

• Join our Facebook Group

Our Facebook group is slowly building up and has plenty of designers, crafters, make-up artists, photographers and more. You can chat with them, connect with them and even work with them. Join the group here.

• Post on the Facebook Group 

If you have an upcoming project and you need a photographer, or a model, you can post in the group saying what you're looking for or what help you need. The group can help you find what you're looking for. Maybe you have a dilemma on something and just need some advice and opinions on, get posting about it!

• Direct Message Someone from the Group

If you've already seen someone on the group that you'd like to connect with, you can always send them a direct message on facebook. If you're already friends with them then they'll see your message straight away. If you aren't, it might be an idea to tag them on one of the posts to let them know you've sent a message and to check their 'other messages' inbox.

• Get a Blogpost Made About Your Project

Have you got a project coming up and requires a team of people? Get in touch with us to have a blogpost made all about it. The post can be read by hundreds and shared numerous times by plenty of people. We can help you shine a light on what you're planning and what kind of help you'd like. Use the contact page to get in touch.

• Check Our Instagram

Yes we have an Instgram! We post pictures of our creative's work as well as photographs of Barnsley. We always tag the people in the photos, so feel free to check who we're tagging and you may just find who you're looking for to help you in your project. Search our instagram name @barnsleyfashioncreatives or follow this link.

• Want to be more discrete?

Maybe you want to be more hush about it and keep things on the down low, get in touch and we can do the leg work for you. We can message people direct on your behalf and find who you want whilst keeping it more quiet. Let us know what you're trying to do and we can sort it all out for you. Use the contact page, email us directly or message directly on Facebook.