you're invited: blogger cupcake party...
Where: Ella's Bakehouse in Covent Garden
When: 12pm Friday 19th March
Who: any bloggers or friends
Okay, so it isn't really a party. It is basically exactly what I do every other Friday afternoon but hopefully with a few new faces. If you are in the area and want to pop by it would be lovely to see you. Ella's does the most incredible cupcakes in London and they are located right at the heart of Covent Garden. You can sit outside, shoot the stylish folk who pass by, sip on a latte, get entranced by their cupcakes... honestly, this sounds like the perfect way to spend a Friday afternoon, right? I will be there until 2pm. Who knows, it may just end up being Jill and I... but it would be lovely to see any of you that are kicking around London. Aren't these bad boys too good to resist?
bathed in black...
blending in does not seem to be the overall goal of most individuals at london fashion week. you don't want to be a fly on the wall, you want to be that stylish person, front and centre who has a flurry of photographers on them. you want to be noticed and remembered. not easily forgotten and not one of a crowd. you want to wear something that stands out, that has people asking, 'who are you wearing?' with such anticipation that when you mutter, 'uhh... h&m' they are left flabbergasted. only a total fashionista could find such a great designer-inspired item at such a great price. alas, the case was not such for this black-clad on-a-mission fashion pack. which makes me love them all the more. their united blackness somehow wound up looking fresh and unique.
cheap & cheerful...
as my birthday is fast approaching (okay, it is over a month away, but i can't help it... i am already in the mood for presents - it's not my fault there are seriously way too many beautiful things out there in the world). what i really want for my birthday is upwards of 500GBP (a new canon camera) and since i am slightly skint at the moment i have been informed that that is not going to be happening. while i will, of course, continue to hold my breath that i might just be lucky enough to have the stars align and somehow still get my #1 birthday wish... i have decided to put forward a few alternatives. now, this is beneficial both to my family (in case you are reading and want some birthday present ideas) and to the wider community of you lovely readers. because, let's face it... we all love having beautiful treasures unearthed to us. especially when they come in at under $2o. so, here you go, my monday cheap & cheerful gift ideas unveiled.
pyrite necklaces ($16 each) and sailors knot bracelet ($18) both available here.
the masked avengers...
when asked what they were doing with those masks on their reply was: 'we can't tell you.'
hmm... intriguing? or just an elaborate way to cover up a pimple?
'oh my gosh... oh my gosh...'
seriously the best sunday i could have ever asked for... first of all didn't have to go to work (which is a treat), there wasn't a cloud in the sky, didn't even have to wear a coat outside, ate chocolate croissants, drank good coffee, read the paper with my love, and then found out i won a blogger giveaway! i was freaking out a little. thanks so much to the lovely pearl of fashion pearls of wisdom. you can check out the details of what i won here. basically it involves a new gym kit and some bum-toning reebok easy tone trainers. woop woop. thanks again pearl, i'm totally chuffed.
the boys are back in town...
while girls tend to get the bulk of the attention at london fashion week (after all there is only 1 day devoted to menswear) there certainly are a lot of fashionable men trotting around. there are those who are trying to make a statement (i am sure you have seen a few on here already) and then there are those who look so blatantly unconcerned with the faff of it all. i got this feeling most strongly from the gentlemen pictured above. they just look so cool and so nonchalant about the whole thing. i love it... and seriously, can i borrow that black and white check shirt please?
these two guys are rocking totally different looks - but one thing key thing that they both have? perfectly worn in brown leather boots.
some more cool kids... totally love the fact that this guy in the white fedora is wearing a white fedora. hats in general were pretty rare which i found a bit surprising. kudos to him for wearing a summer hat with sunglasses on a seriously miserable and rainy day (i definitely feel like doing that sometimes.. dressing how i feel regardless of how ridiculously inappropriate it may be - i.e. my constantly nagging need for bare legs despite the fact that it is still dipping below freezing at night... boo england why must you crush my every desire?). anyway, basically all these boys are just oozing a sort of 'not really bothered' vibe which i totally adore, and i can't help but think it is remarkably refreshing when so many of the men at fashion week looked a wee bit on the extravagant side... welcome back boys, i like your laid back style.
Patouf: one to watch....
simple, chic and covetable... and made from glorious fabrics. totally unique and slightly off-beat. meet patouf. a swedish company that was founded by designer Anna Angseryd and combines sophisticated French cuts with 60/70s vintage inspired shapes - creating a feminine collection that has a scandinavian girly touch.
on day 1 of london fashion week i spotted Anna with one of her models mingling with the press under a tent. they took photos and did some interviews - but stood out to me predominately because of Anna's carefree and effortless style. that cardigan, the skirt, those blue wedge shoes... totally gorgeous. i pretty much would like to dress just like her. so i was totally chuffed when on day 5 i came across her stall in the exhibition hall and got to rummage through the rails of her collection.
the thing that stood out most to me was the fabrics... they really are stunning. Anna mentioned that she wants her collection to be the sort that her customer will want to keep and wear for a long time. she is committed to getting the best fabrics that are not only stunning but ethically sourced - that means no child labour, which is still common in many companies. so she makes sure there is nothing dodgy going on at any of the factories she uses. she tries to use organic materials when possible, and her dedication to handpicking the best fabrics from around the world is clearly evident in the quality of her products.
i'm totally in love with the whole collection and have already e-mailed her to find out how soon i can get my hands on some of my favourite pieces from the fall collection. which, in case you were wondering, are the faux fur jacket (pictured below) and black and white cardigan (that she is wearing above). plus all the dresses and skirts... ok ok, i seriously love it all and need to narrow down my choices.
this collection is not going to hit stores until september but you can check out the spring/summer collection on the patouf website. also, the online shop should be set up by April so for those of you who aren't lucky enough to have a shop in your hometown you can get your patouf filling online. i'm telling you guys - this is one to watch. in 2009 patouf was awarded the 'rookie of the year' award by the Swedish Fashion council... so clearly i'm not the only one who thinks so.
*sob.sob* 'I can't believe someone stole my bike...'
i feel like i am going a bit mad lately*. last week i burst into tears at the train station, after searching for my bike for 20 minutes, because i was convinced someone had stolen it... only to remember later that i had left it at the bus stop not the train station. my house is a mess, i have a stack of books a mile high to read, essays to write, and dishes to wash. but instead of doing those things i would rather hang out at cafes, check out blogs, get excited over hair donuts, take photographs, cook new meals and snuggle on my sofa in front of a good movie. soon i'm going to start going to the gym, soon i'm going to start spending my 9 til 5s in the library... soon. but for now i'll just show you this photo of me... in all my silly glory, riding around oxford on my bike with my fabulous hair donut in tact. i think that maybe it is just that time of year... a good spring clean is in order and some serious sunshine. does anyone else feel the same way?
wearing: barbour jacket, UO pull on jeans, fry harness boots, j.crew gloves, alexander mcqueen bag, and bike - given to me as a wedding gift from a friend.
*on the topic of going mad... even alice was losing it a bit, and her father told her that all the best people are a bit mad. i will rest assured in that little fact. oh, and if you haven't seen the new Alice in Wonderland you should, it is very sweet and a visual feast for the eyes.
'you were on that show with gok, right?'
there weren't many people around and out she came walking from the the centre tent, all on her own... i ran over and asked, 'can i take your photo? you were on that show with gok wan, right?' oh my gosh. why am i such a loser? i can't believe that with such a lame introduction she was as nice to me as she was. you were on that show with gok wan?? oh geeze. somebody slap me. how about... you were a member of the The Fall and lead singer of The Adult Net in the 80s? or you launched the london boutique Start? anything other than the fact that she was on a show with gok wan*. oh, cringe worthy moment aside... she was so surprisingly nice. i don't know why this caught me off guard so much, it's not like other people at fashion week were horrible or something. i guess i just expected something more scarily fierce.
oh, i just realized you might not know who this woman that i am going on about is... she is Brix Smith-Start (former band member of The Fall & The Adult Net, now runs Start boutique in London, and appears on a plethora of British television shows ranging from, yes yes, gok's fashion fix and animal planet's top dog). she is american and has a bubbly and hilarious personality that she flounces around while totting her adorable little puppy with her, all the while wearing sickeningly beautiful designer clothes.
shortly after our encounter there were a number of stylish young men who trotted over to her to show their support... which, don't get me wrong, i was doing too. she is pretty fab. i mean, do you see that gorgeous fur and alexa bag??
* on gok: i used to like the man, i used to think his shows were amusing and i always liked laughing at those poor women's entire wardrobes strewn up on a line in a public place only for him to pull off 90% and point out why she should never wear them again. but, if i have to see one more naked english body on 'how to look good naked' i am going to lose it. also, seriously, for all the fashion advice the boy pours out surely he could wear something other than black harem pants and jumpers?
memorable moments: day 1...
2 for 1 on black ensembles and red scarves? should be wrong - but it looks so right on the pair.
patterned bag and socks to match. purple zippers up the back of your legs.
christian blanken fall 2010... elevated artwork.
to be honest, i don't know much about christian blanken but when i walked into his exhibit at LFW i felt like i had wandered into some sort of alternate universe... like alice who had fallen through the rabbit hole. the models were sort of like works of art. exalted on platforms, avoiding eye contact, and shifting positions ever so often. they had extremely bright lights shining down on them and must have been quite warm - especially the girl wearing the sheepskin, which looks gorgeous by the way.
i was greeted with a stare from this moody looking model, peering out through a hazy piece of glass (or plastic sheeting possibly). she was stuck within a little cube that sat in the middle of the room and glared out at everyone standing in the entrance (my, what a big hair doughnut she must have on, i only just noticed that).
definitely prefer the outfit & shoes on the left. the textures and shine on the fabrics are quite unique. those shoes on the right don't look too comfortable... her foot looks way too arched for them. ouch.
to be honest, i was more struck by the uniqueness of the display then the clothes that were being shown. i do like the shiny texture and the sheepskin on the model above, but the other items that were hanging on a rail all looked quite minimalist and weren't anything that i can remember very well. maybe that's because i was distracted by these solemn models that were standing like statues in the middle of the room though. not sure if that is a testament to how great the collection was... it remains in my mind more like elevated artwork than a fashionable clothing collection.
if i went to the oscars, i'd be on the worst dressed list...
without a doubt my favourite dress from the 2010 oscars was the Givenchy 'natalie' one worn by the stunning Zoe Saldana. it has had mixed reviews - being raved about on some websites and branded onto the worst dressed list by others. worst dress? you've got to be kidding me, did you see Mariah Carey and Charlize Theron? anyway, this Givenchy number is perfect red carpet material. sure, it is a little out there - but if you can't wear it to the oscars when can you wear it? it is exactly what i would want from a dress were i going to the oscars. totally glamorous, memorable, and unlike any other. i adore the sequin bodice - saldana is literally shining in it. when she went on stage at one point it was almost blinding. even if avatar didn't snatch up best picture she radiated like a star. the colours, the shape, the insane details that flow right down to the hem are divine. if this is what being worst dressed looks like, i would gladly be cast onto that list.
my, what a big bun you have...
i don't have that much hair, i could happily do with twice as much... but lately i have been getting lots of comments about how big and incredible my bun is. how is it possible? surely my hair can't make a bun this big...
seriously, it is almost as big as my head. it is amazing. are you lost? are you confused? are you totally clueless as to what a hair doughnut is? don't worry, so was i. go here for some information on what they are. basically, they are these doughnut shaped squidgy things you stick through your pony tail and then wrap the hair around and kapoof (sound of the hair-fairy-god-mother swishing her wand) you've got one big fat bun (no, not bum, bun). still confused? check out this video. they are incredible. bad hair day? bring in the doughnut! fancy updo needed? bring in the doughnut! cool totally of the minute hair to spruce up any old look? again... bring in the doughnut! i am telling you, there is no need to be jealous of massive buns on other people... chances are, they are hiding a doughnut under their massive up do. and good news girls, you can too.
emerald, a fellow style crusader, going in for a kiss... then showing off her doughnut nicely. is this totally old news? did you already know what a hair doughnut was? have you been rocking them for ages? if so, let me know... maybe i have just been kept in the hair doughnut dark for all this time.
p.s. thank you to Jigsaw where i work on sundays for providing the beautiful backdrop to these photos.
to tache or not to tache... that is the question.
female models tend not to teeter on the edge of resembling victorian inspired men: mustaches, frizzy reckless hair, bushy eyebrows - hardly the pedestal of prestige and femininity. dame vivienne westwood, however, also tends to not follow the crowd... i don't think conformity is a word in her vocabulary. the collection was actually pretty stunning - it has been heralded as one of her strongest in recent years. plus, massive photos of female models masculinized by fake facial hair swept the covers of newspapers across the globe this weekend. hardly bad publicity. it's incredible what a little tache can achieve.
i can't help but think that she nicked the iconic crown from Where the Wild Things Are though. it looks a little too similar for my taste. i do love the collection though. the details are incredible. i wont lie, i am not an insane westwood follower (those massive emblems she brands on every accessory are a bit obnoxious) but i think this collection is pretty impressive.
(photos from here)