An evening with Mary Katrantzou

I was so pleased to hear that Mary Katrantzou was triumphant at the British Fashion Awards last night, taking home the New Establishment Award. I was particularly pleased because not only is Mary one of my favourite designers but I got to meet her last week.

I was very excited (quite overexcited, truth be told) that I was invited, via Alice from RunninginHeels.co.uk, to see Mary in conversation with Libby Banks, Editor of style website MyDaily.co.uk. The event marked the announcement of Katrantzou as the site’s latest contributing editor, following the likes of Christopher Kane and Dannii Minogue. You can read my write up of the interview over on RunninginHeels, but here I thought I’d share with you a few snaps I took on the night.

The first ever ‘MyDaily presents’ evening, the event took place in a room at the top of the very cool Kettners champagne bar in Soho, which was kitted out with images from Mary’s latest collections and a couple of beautiful frocks.

This is the ‘Harp Hazard’ dress, which you can win (minus the train – it’s more versatile that way Mary said, after an audible sigh from the assembled bloggers) if you enter a competition over on MyDaily.

Mary and Libby talked for almost an hour, covering everything from how Mary started out in fashion (she originally wanted to be an architect); what she thinks of celebrities wearing her clothes; to her collaborations with Topshop. Check out my list of choice quotes.

I always imagine that amazingly talented designers will be icy cool and won’t deign to speak to lowly bloggers like me, but speaking to Mary after she was really friendly and chatty. I thought I’d try my luck and pitch for a writing gig by offering to write the blog on her soon-to-be-launched new website when it goes live. Well, you’ve got to take advantage of these ‘networking’ opportunities haven’t you?

TellusFashion Launch party and Fashion Show

Following on from Katie’s earlier post, here are some images from the TellusFashion launch show and party, who have set up their site to support and promote, as well as sell emerging and talented designers work.  Designers that featured in the show included Dominique Kral, Fjaba, Kelly Bull, James Kearns, VERGI, Stephanie Grace Foy, Zerrin Akinci, FABRYAN, Thom Neal and NARCISS, yet many more can be found on the site itself, along with inspiring blogs, style tips, articles and an online magazine!  Those folks at TellusFashion sure don’t do things by halves!

And lucky for us, and for our dear readers, the amazing and extremely talented Dani Riot was on hand to photograph the night away last monday, so you can see some of the talent that was on display:

With Designs standing out from Fabryan and Dominique Kral especially, we can’t wait to see more talent from TellusFashion and fully support this incredible platform for designers.

The British Fashion Awards: Wardrobe Malfunction

Yesterday evening was the British Fashion Awards and it certainly was a swanky affair. Setting up shop in the Savoy Hotel and Theatre, the red carpet was a heady mix of fashion icons, retail heavyweights and the odd glamour model.

About a week ago, I received a phone-call asking if I would help out at the event and my inner celeb-spotter couldn’t help but say yes. Bearing in mind that I would be skirting around the blue carpet (red is so passé apparently) rather than posing on it, I didn’t really put much attention into what I was wearing.

Big mistake. Fast-forward seven days and I arrived at the venue channeling what I thought casual chic – a nice skater dress from Topshop paired with some Chelsea boots and a blazer. Easy, simple and comfortable. I knew I was in trouble when I spotted several Nicole Farhi numbers dotted around the office.

And so I did what I do best – I panic-bought. It seems that some of my most treasured items of clothing have some from these manic dashes to fix some kind of wardrobe malfunction. Luckily, round the corner from my office is Hoss Intropia - a lovely Spanish label that has a real knack for creating beautifully feminine pieces.

Eventually settling on the festive green number above – ’tis the season and all that -  I added a little sparkle with a statement necklace from Accessorize and that much-longed-for Topshop leather I was banging on about last week. Okay, so maybe I did splurge a little, but I think that the dress will see me through party season and highlight of the evening was Christopher Kane complimenting my outfit. Score.

What do you think – has panic-buying ever paid off for your wardrobe in the long term? Or is it just a moment of madness? Tweet us some of your pics of your favourite impulse buys @style_thensome

Window shopping: The best Christmas displays

Over the last couple of weeks, the Christmas window displays have been unveiled for what is undoubtedly my favourite thing about the commercial side of this season. I think Liberty and Fortnum & Mason have the best windows this year, although the Selfridges white themed ones are pretty spectacular, too. Here’s a sneak peak of Liberty’s ‘Twelve Days of Christmas’ themed windows:

It must be so much fun to be a window dresser, or to be part of the (as Liberty call it) Visual Merchandising Team. Fortnum & Mason’s ‘Showtime‘ theme is satisfyingly glitzy and extravagant, just the thing to lift every Christmas shopper’s spirits:

Image by Djinn76

Image by Djinn76

Image by Djinn76

Image by Djinn76

These windows are a work of art in themselves. I’m not ashamed to say I’ll be doing plenty of window shopping over the next month.

The Creative Christmas Gift Guide

Christmas shopping can be somewhat stressful when trying to pinpoint that certain perfect present.  And being an absolute gift-goblin I have started my shopping progressively earlier each year since I have been deemed old enough to do it myself.  However, this tends to still leave me running around with a bee in my bonnet until late December, because what if, horror of horrors, there is something better for that certain person than what is already hidden under my bed?  And with many creative types to buy for, I believe the personal touch feels better than the whole 3 for 2 in Boots.  That’s why I want to share a few pain-free shopping ideas that I believe would be good inspiration for you, our lovely creative readers, if you are also this way inclined…

1.   Firstly, I was told today about www.firebox.com and after a good root around, I found some perfect gifts for the photographer in your life, including this camera lens-style mug (with pull our biscuit tray!) for £14.99, as well as 35mm film USB sticks and iphone photo printers…

2.  Also, getting a gift for the perfect couple who have everything can also be a nightmare, so why not throw a double slanket (£52.99) their way!

3.  And finally, I came across this absolute beauty of a gift for any fashion blogger or style-lover from Moleskine on their site:

This Style Journal from Moleskine helps you record and manage everything from events and useful addresses, to inspiring outfits and designer  for all of us at Style & Then Some!  And at £15.99, I’m hoping to find one of these bad boys in my stocking this year.

One for the Christmas wish list: Hear-muffs

Have you started compiling your Christmas wish list yet? I know I have, and I’ll be adding these to it: John Lewis Hear-muffs combine headphones and ear muffs to allow maximum tuneage and minimum frost bite.

OK, so frost bite isn’t really that much of a risk in London, but still, no likes cold ears right? Also, the Hear-muffs are designed with the fashion-conscious music lover in mind, as they’re designed in ‘backband’ style so they sit at the back of your head, not on top – there’s less hairdo disruption that way you see?

John Lewis Hear-muffs are available in 4 colours (grey, black, cream and pink), £15 from JohnLewis.com.

VIDEO | TellusFashion Launch

On Monday, Helen and I went to the launch party of TellusFashion, a new online store which brings you clothing and accessories from emerging high end designers.

We first heard about TellusFashion when we met Olivia, the site’s Editor, at our first tweetup (by the way, you really should come to our next one, in January). Olivia had promised a grand venue, a load of amazing designers and a fashion show that featured dancers alongside the models, so we were expecting big things of the launch – and we weren’t disappointed. Later this week Helen will be giving you a rundown of her favourite designers from the show, but for now I wanted to share three short videos I took that capture the clothing-meet-choreography catwalk.

Menswear designer THOM NEAL showed dense outerwear in rich colours paired with navy tartan slim trousers and loose white shirts that allowed the dancers to leap and twirl amongst the models.

DOMINIQUE KRAL, who the Zandra Rhodes Catwalk Textiles Award at London Graduate Fashion Week 2011, sent out heavy knits and digital prints. Her looks were equal parts cosy and psychedelic.

VERGI specialise in LBDs with a difference. A slew of these were brought to life by dancers on the catwalk, but the nude ‘Showpiece’ dress with black corsetry detailing still managed to steal the limelight.

Hate silver? Over pearls? Try Ruby Browning leather jewellery

One of the designers we bumped into at London Fashion Week in September was Jennifer whose line Ruby Browning includes some beautiful, unusual bibs and bracelets in the current collection, Panopte. 

The pieces, which also often include black beads and felt, look great as statement necklaces layered over high necked tops/dresses and bracelets piled on top of each other, as Jennifer styled it herself at Fashion Week.

If you like what you see check out her past collections (Paradise Lost and Natural Symmetry) at the website or you can get her range at youngbritishdesigners.com and stylemews.com.

Pop-Up Design @ Le Garage

Roll up, roll up, get your trendy bums down to Le Garage for Pop-Up Design- A showcase of purchasable raw talent from some of London’s finest graduates.  Pick up original works across the disciplines of photography, textiles, jewellery, fashion, illustration and more at Le Garage until the 27th November. 

 

All details can be found on the poster above, and being open until 8:30 at night thurs-sat, it’s a perfect excuse for a bit of original late night shopping.  Showcasing hand printed scarves by the likes of recent Chelsea MA graduate Jessica Chan, it is your chance to snap up some original pieces before these talented artists hit the main arena!

Happy shopping!  Be sure to share with us what great pieces you pick up!

RECIPE | Easy Winter food series: Stew

Is there anything more wholesome than a good meaty stew? Simon Schama wrote the best piece of food writing I’ve ever read in an article for Vogue called Simmer of Love, available in a book of his collected writings, Scribble, Scribble, Scribble.

Continuing on the winter warmers theme and inspired by Simon Schama, here’s another recipe you can make on a weekend, keep all week and reheat when you get home tired from work as a quick, hearty and easy pick-me-up.

Buy a few packets of stewing beef in chunks – most supermarkets have this (you can also use lamb). You’ll also need onions, rosemary, vegetarian gravy granules, garlic, red wine, carrots, mushrooms, potatoes and a bit of Lea & Perrins sauce or balsamic vinegar.

So first of all, open up the packets of beef meat and wrap the meat with clingfilm or put it in a clean plastic bag. Get a rolling pin or wooden spoon and bash the meat really well to tenderise it. (This is a stress relieving activity in its own right.) Take it out, put it in a bowl and season really well with salt and pepper. Splash some red wine over it generously. Leave this to ‘marinate’ for ten minutes or so. Next, chop up a few onions and generous amounts of garlic, fry gently in a big pan with plenty of olive oil and before it gets brown or anything (we’re really only talking frying for a few minutes) chuck all of the meat in with the wine and everything and fry gently until it starts to go brown. Add lots of rosemary.

In the meantime, boil some carrots and potatoes, but not until soft – only ‘parboil’ them, for about 5-7 mins. This next bit is very important, so listen carefully. It can make or break your stew. Sprinkle a bit of flour over the meat and stir until it’s coated and the juices around the meat are a bit thicker. Get a big oven proof dish. Put the meat in, and quickly, while everything is piping hot (including the carrots, potatoes and the water they were boiled in), pour it all into the dish together. If you pour anything cold onto the meat it will go really tough, and your stew will be spoilt. For this reason, when you’re frying the meat, add the wine it marinated in straight away so it can all heat up together. No one likes stew with tough meat.

Now give it all a stir, add plenty of gravy granules and stir some more until it starts to thicken up. Add a few dashes of Lea & Perrins – or balsamic vinegar does the same thing. Put the whole casserole dish with the lid on in the oven on a low heat (around 140 C), and cook for a few hours (generally one hour at the very least if you turn the heat up to 160-180 C, but preferably two or three on a very low heat). It keeps really well if you don’t want to eat all of it straight away. In fact to a certain extent with stew, the more you cook it, the better it gets; heating it up just enhances the flavours, really. I would just let it cool down and then put the lid back on and put it in the fridge, and heat it up in the oven for about 15 minutes whenever you want to eat it.