Firstly, I apologise whole heartedly about the photos. I forgot my camera (rookie error) and therefore tried desperately to snap on my phone. You’d think after attending 10 seasons I’d get the hang of packing a bag, wouldn’t you? Topshop Unique is always a great show to attend because not only are the collections exciting, but they put on a lot of refreshments ahead of the catwalk presentation which gave me plenty of time to catch up with Jamie and all the FabSugarUK gossip.
Photo by Shini from Park and Cube
Unique this season was military themed with full length wool, khaki coats that had zip pockets on the sleeves. There was a mix of khaki shades paneled together and layered up shearling. There was a slight Russian feel to the coats which were styled with the sleeves pushed up and sky-high heeled boots. Most of the looks were teamed with quilted handbags scrunched up and held under arm which looks cool, which I couldn’t help feeling could start an impractical trend.
The colour palette went very autumnal as dark reds were introduced. There were chunky knits and the occasional peaked cap. Trousers took on an androgynous shape and the shorts were tiny (not for the feint hearted). There were some cool heeled boots which just grazed the knee and high Chelsea boots. The show came to an end with a series of party dresses in metallic shades with low slung open backs and criss-cross straps.
There was also the usual paparazzi scrum to snap the front row which included Alexa Chung, Anna Wintour, Chloe “Schloane” Green, Olivia Palermo, Nicola Roberts and Bat for Lashes. Olivia was wearing some gorgeous floral trousers and Schloane was rocking a Unique knit.
Big thanks to Park and Cube for the photo. Check out more awesome photos here.
It’s been a busy week, and whilst I have been out and about I have been snapping away on both my phone and my lomo camera. I can’t share most of the lomo snaps just yet (expect a lot of half frame shots), here are some photos I took around London town. Firstly, the photo at the top was when the Bleulab reversible jeans landed on my desk at ShopStyle HQ wrapped in tissue paper in a lovely box!
Burberry have landed! I spotted the tent in Kensington Gardens on Thursday as the British brand gets prepared for the biggest show of London Fashion Week.
My love affair with Prada continues for SS12 with the flame accessories and heels. Check out this short film to see the collection in action. I spotted this clutch in Selfridges.
Olympia Le Tan’s book clutch bags have become the kooky accessory du jour. I snapped these two in Browns on South Moulton Street and instantly fell in love. Shame about the £900+ price tag…
I only recently visited the Anthropologie store on the King’s Road for the first time and fell in love. It’s a huge space and full of everything I want including clothes, homewares and books. They always spend a lot of time and effort on the visual merchandising in Anthropologie shops and this includes a lot of chairs hanging from the ceiling! Oh and a stream…
Last week, Kat and I got invited along to One Aldwych for a champagne cream tea and a good ol’ chin wag. One Aldwych is quite unassuming and you could have easily walked past it 100 times without noticing, but to me that’s where the beauty lies! The large arched windows allow for a good amount of people watching from the lobby bar where we were spoilt with delicious cakes and sandwiches. The staff were incredibly attentive and offered to bring more cakes, tea and champagne many times, foolishly we filled up too early.
The hotel boasts a pool and spa and it’s location makes it ideally placed for London Fashion Week. It is a great escape from the hectic bustle of the Somerset House venue. I took a couple of photos on a leopard print Diana mini (£99), which I’ll tell you more about shortly.
Kat and I are both vegetarians so we had sandwiches with mozzarella and tomato, duck egg mayonnaise and cucumber. We also had mini Welsh rarebit. You can see more photos of the delicious food over at Kat’s blog.
Kat and I were guests of One Aldwych, however a champagne cream tea normally costs £35. This includes a glass of champagne each, a selection of sandwiches, cakes and a pot of tea!
The internet’s most stylish bunny, Fifi Lapin, has just added another string to her bow as a collaboration with Juicy Couture has been announced! The cute collection includes illustrated silk scarves, notebooks and a cool charm necklace. It’s got a romantic theme in time for Valentine’s Day which means plenty of hearts and the occasional appearance of Sonny Hare (her love interest). The pieces retail from £20 for a notebook to £80 for the necklace.
I was really excited to hear about this collaboration as I love the Fifi Lapin illustrations. I am definitely going to try and track down one of the silk scarves (£60). The pieces are available online and in store. What do you think of the collection?
I have been living in skinny jeans since the cold weather set in as I can’t bare to risk being cold in anything else. The main downfall of this is that I quickly get bored of the pairs that I own. Denim boutique Donna Ida have recently added a new brand which would help solve my low attention span problems. Bleulab create jeans which are reversible meaning you effectively get 2 for 1! They are available in a range of colours and also in cheetah print which offers a good way to try out printed denim in a non-committal way.
I got to try out a pair in Iris (£215) which had a waxy finish on one side. They offer a great fit and have a little stretch so they’re super comfortable. The denim is surprisingly lightweight and it is easy to switch between the two different sides.
I dressed one side up with faux fur, heeled boots and a silk scarf and kept the other look more casual. Whilst Kat Hannaford was busy snapping me, I was playing with a lomo Diana mini camera which co-ordinated nicely with the ensemble. I’ll share my latest lomo snaps very soon. See below for more outfit images.
I spotted this floral dress in the window of Zara and had to have it. It’s been a great investment too as I’ve worn it to many festive parties. I love the asymmetric cut and how it billows in the wind. I have caught my heels in the skirt several times (whoops) and there are even a couple of holes, and that just adds to the story of the dress! See below for more photos, including one where I have lasers in my handbag…
There have been many designer collaborations in recent years with High Street retailers, technology companies and sportswear brands, but today I heard about a very cool project – Corrie Nielsen is getting her own ice-cream flavour! The Fashion Fringe winner is working with Scoop on a new flavour named after her. It is an extra dark chocolate flavour with a hint of orange blossom from Paris!
Corrie commented, “I can’t believe I’m getting an ice cream named after me and that I got to help design the flavour. I’m beyond honoured and I hope people love it! This is definitely going to be one of the most memorable collaborations of my design career.” This got me wondering, what would my ice cream flavour be? I can’t decide, but I’d like it to taste different to how it looked. Like a blue and white polka dot ice cream that tastes like strawberry. Scoop, I look forward to hearing from you! Does this collaboration mean ice cream is the new cupcake?
H&M seem to have upped the number of collaborations lately having just released two collections with Versace and one with David Beckham, and now another is on the horizon. On 8th March, Marni will launch their collection with the Swedish retailer which is, for me, one of the most exciting in a long time. I love Consuelo Castiglioni’s designs. Her bold prints and use of colour have timeless appeal and if I had more cash I’d wear them from head-to-toe. Fortunately, the H&M collaboration will allow me to do just that. It includes mens and womenswear with full pleated skirts, dresses, cropped trousers and jacquard knits.
This short video preview directed by Sofia Coppola gives us an idea of what to expect. It was shot in Marrakesh with British actress Imogen Poots. I already want the jacket and matching skirt combo which they’re styling at the start of this video. Are you excited for this designer collaboration?
I’m working on a hat collection. I already have a few that I’ve collected over the years, and I’ve added two new ones in the last month or so. This floppy grey fedora was a bargain find in the Anthropologie sale in San Francisco (I think it was about $35). It is available on the UK site, but slightly pricier. As soon as I tried it on, I knew I had to have it. It is so ’60s and reminds me of Anita Pallenberg. Hats are definitely my new favourite accessory.
* Coat: ASOS, Hat: Anthropologie, Scarf: Alice by Temperley, Jeans Topshop, Boots: Acne *
