the Deviant
TVG teaser.
Tess Van Ghert black crocodile bag and bracelets worn by Daniella in east London last week. Paired with Ruby Smallbone double silk layer top AW11 (HPR London), ckone slouchy slim jeans and white converse.
Mixing intense luxury with laid back basics is what it's all about...
Malababa
You know it's getting to be summer when your Facebook feed is filled with overly saturated photos of countless people sipping cocktails next to bright blue pools... instead of clicking the small 'x' next to all my friends faces I've started dreaming about what I'd like to take in my bag when I slip away somewhere warm. Bright accessories, simple jewelry, and a pair of hard wearing gladiator-like leather sandals (and by gladiator I mean what they might have actually worn... not all those gold, flimsy, wrap around up to your knee things that have been so popular).
Just discovered this Spanish brand called Malababa. Their site is stuffed full of soft leather bags and cool little accessories... perfect for hot holidays I'm thinking. All items available here. There is also a selection available at Urban Outfitters. If nothing else, I must get my hands on that skull bracelet.
Put a train on it.
Since when did the train get primarily associated with wedding dresses? If the Royal Wedding has taught us anything it's that we ought to embrace this little bit of extra fabric that dangles from the backside.
I found myself unexpectedly overexcited this morning, squeezed next to Daniella and Jackie under a duvet with a burning laptop on my legs while watching the BBC stream live... but it really was sort of hard to resist. How freaking gorgeous did our new Duchess of Cambridge look all covered in lace designed by the achingly cool Sarah Burton? I'm all about pageantry especially if it comes in form of an Alexander McQueen dress. Even though I didn't manage to get my hands on a Kate and Will flag or bother to make the trek down to Hyde Park to stand and watch the carriages go by... I'll support the wedding by rocking a little baby train on the back of my dress. Personally, I think it's the way forward for summer dressing.
Wearing: Acne Black Darling Dress and Moschino Cheap & Chic belt (My Wardrobe), black Converse, and YSL Arty ring.
Photos by Kit Lee.
Laird & Co. Hatters
One of my favourite things about London is its sheer unpredictability. Head over to Bank tube station, walk out the third exit, and you'll find yourself standing in front of the magnanimous Royal Exchange. Utterly grand in stature and filled with luxurious shops from Gucci, to Pretty Ballerina and De Beers, to Jo Malone - this place is a Mecca for London's fast paced city folk.
Tucked just down the right side of the building sits a magical little hat shop. The sort of place you'd imagine if you had to dream up the most idyllic English shop: towering piles of beautifully crafted hats, whisky sitting on the counter, and the most personal touch that will get you indefinitely hooked.
Laird & Co. Hatters are a small company specializing in a selection of hand made hats that suit a wide range of lifestyles and occasions. Homburgs, pork pies, trilbys, and top hats are just a few of the items on offer - all in a wealth of colours and variations. Kiera Knightly is already a fan and, seeing as the prices actually aren't too expensive, I thought it was worth introducing you to the brand. It's definitely my new favourite London discovery and is well-worth a visit.
Big thanks to Felicity from Golden Goose PR for introducing me to the brand.
i like you.
Carin Wester, why are you so stinking cool? From the pom-pom topped hats to the hoof like shoes... you make me want to be the sort of girl that dresses in printed tummy baring separates and neutral ankle grazing dresses. In the meantime though, while my minions are out sourcing pieces, I'll just have to squinch up my eyes, bang my feet on the floor and screech gimme gimme gimme... while looking at these photos. A girls got to dream, right? By the way, I need to find a hat that will resemble the photo on the far left and a head-to-toe maroon outfit - totally unexpected for summer but somehow quite perfectly right.
Dog days...
Currently have wound up back in Oxford for a couple of days... quite the strange feeling but am enjoying lying in the park with my toes pushed into the grass. Seem to be currently glued to a couple of bright Moleskin notebooks I recently got, Nivea lotion and lip balm, my Samsung Wave II and Retro Super Future sunglasses.
p.s. the winner of the Flik Hall giveaway has been randomly chosen. Congratulations to comment number 16 ('N') who is the winner! Big thanks to everyone who entered. So glad you all liked the piece so much!
Flik Hall Giveaway - Now Closed
Flik Hall is one of my favourite new designers. I've gotten totally hooked on her insanely well crafted and original pieces over the last few weeks. Flik was kind enough to lend me a few pieces from her S/S 11 collection a few weeks ago and now, after wearing them, I can't quite get them out of my head.
Last night I had the first event to kick start the engine behind a new idea I've had. It aimed to bring together a small group of people to discuss their relationship with clothes, shopping, and style. I'll leave the details of it until later, but I was so excited because a few brands and designers that I've worked with in the past were kind enough to contribute to the process.
Flik offered to send something over for the goodie bags... I was totally blown away by what she had sent when I unwrapped it yesterday afternoon. Being way too generous, she created small leather pieces that are lined in fabric from her AW11 collection. They are beautiful and so cool. Perfect for carrying around your oyster card during the day or fill it with a few notes and your id when you head out in the evening.
To get your hands on a little piece of Flik Hall: leave a comment below clearly stating that you'd like to be entered in the giveaway. The winner will be chosen on Monday. Please note: this giveaway is open to international readers.
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............................................ PLEASE NOTE: THIS GIVEAWAY HAS ENDED..................................................
Summer Loving
Currently craving days spent in the park, taking photos while drinking cider with friends, braiding each others hair and staring at the vast expanse of clear blue sky... instead I'm currently feeling a wee little bit stressed. Not in a bad way, just in a 'have way too many things to do and am traveling a lot so feel slightly restless sort of way.'
I just thought it seemed only fair to acknowledge it here because, as a result of settling into some changes, posting has become a bit less regular. I've started a somewhat* real person job for a site that hasn't launched yet... but I'm excited to tell you about it once it has. In other news I'm in the process of launching my own company... also exciting, and I'll have a bit more news about that later this week too.
So, while I get a bit adjusted to all these new found things that are going on feel free to follow the madness on other various portals which seem to be getting updated a bit more than this blog, often due to their more schizophrenic random nature.
photos taken by Charlie May in London Fields earlier this month
*only somewhat because it doesn't require getting out of my Minnie Mouse pjs if I'd rather not, and surely that means they can't be entirely grown up?
ckone
At the ckone party at Village Underground. Professor Green didn't make it but it was good anyway. Big thanks to MTV and ckone for the tickets. Thanks to Daniella for the photos and to Matthew for being my hot date. About to head off for a flight back to Zurich... have a good weekend folks.
Wearing: Ivory Angle Lim Dress by Flik Hall
p.s. in case your in London and don't have any plans for Saturday, you could consider dropping into the ckone pop up shop at the Truman Brewery. It's pretty trippy. They've got some incredibly soft boy fit jeans, loads of underwear (I found the most comfortable bra of my life), and a vending machine that shoots out undies...
Hey there doll face...
Spent a bit of time playing in the back alleys behind Oxford Circus yesterday afternoon...
Wearing my usual get up but with a very special addition: a half-and-half leather skirt from Flik Hall's Spring11 collection entitled Mannequin Parade. Yep, that's right, this ultra lux piece has got little chubby baby doll pieces printed right onto the front creating a geometric pattern. It's the sort of thing that is discrete enough that it's perfectly wearable in the day but has a bit of a crazy twist when it's examined up close. I definitely had a few people staring pretty hard at in while I was on the tube over. I nearly wanted to lean over and whisper, 'yes, it's what you think it is.'
Thank you Felicity and Hetty! Photos taken by Charlie.
get in My Wardrobe...
If there's one thing that will get me out of bed in the morning it's shopping. Going to a good press day is just about the second best thing to shopping because, while you don't actually go home with anything, you leave with a head full of ideas and a wish list that stretches all the way down the street (and around the corner in the case of this press day). Luckily though your visa card stays firmly planted in your purse the whole time... so no need to worry about over spending.
Because I've been in Zurich I haven't attended a single press event this season but I magically happened to be in London today and so was lucky enough to attend the My Wardrobe preview of the Autumn/Winter collection. If I had to hand select one press event to attend it would be this one... so I was thanking my lucky stars that our dates happened to align just so.
I learnt all sorts of new and wonderful things today. 'Like what?' You might be wondering... what can anyone actually learn from a press day? Well, let me tell you...
Texture blocking is going to be massive (so items that are one part leather, one part other fabric for example... instead of colour blocking, it's texture blocking... get it?), MQ designs have been brought back in-house and there are lots of funky things on offer like a pair of hottt plaid Scotsman-like trousers, Equipment have done a silk floor skimming shirt DRESS (i know! amaazing), and there's an entire sheer black lace DKNY shirt with white silk collar that is pretty much heaven. In other news Sam Edelman has created the most covetable leopard print bootie (might be worth getting on the waiting list from now), smoking slippers are set to get even huuuger than they already are, and Merle O'Grady has continued to produce some of the most psychedelic space aged jewelry I've seen to date.
Personal favourites included a highlighter-orange fuzzy Day Birger jumper that everyone was going mental over (editiors top pick from the event I'd have to guess - expect to see it everywhere), velvet Cuban heels, and everything 3.1 Phillip Lim. Have I mentioned how absolutely obsessed I am with Phillip Lim?! The boots in the first photo are his and I literally had to hold myself back from stuffing his entire range into my bag and running through the door screaming. Phew... that would have been embarrassing.
Luckily, instead of doing that I sipped down two cups of the most incredible coffee. I assumed it was something fancy pants but apparently it was just from Sainsburys?! I'm not sure if I really believe it though, however, I did get a master class in how to make coffee with a cafetiere (hopefully in the future I wont wind up with chunks of coffee grounds). Finally, before scooting out the door I nearly drooled on Luisa de Paula's shoe because I was so in awe of her incredible Anton Heunis necklace and electric blue combination... way to be smooth Jen.
View more photos on Facebook here
Big thanks to Susie for the invite - a pleasure as always to see you. x
New uniform
We might just be edging our way into summer but seriously this is the first collection I've seen that has made me want to burrow my head into the sand until September when the temperature start to drop*. Is it too heady to say I'd be happy if my entire Autumn wardrobe consisted of just T by Alexander Wang?! These styles are so chic, so elegantly mermaid in nature... a melting pot of recreation in the everyday silhouette. Sheer, textured knits, mirrored satins, marled greys (have I mentioned I'm a serious sucker for grey?), and a take on layering that feels decidedly new. Alright Wang, let's just call it like it is... I love you.
All images sourced from Style.com
View the entire T by Alexander Wang Fall 2011 Collection
*who am I kidding? I can't deny my so-cal roots... I would never pass up summer
