Like Missoni clothes? Now you can live in a Missoni luxury apartment if you want to

MISSONIHOME for Acqua Livingstone in the Philipines will be the first ever Missoni-branded luxury residential building.

If you can’t get enough of those zany zig-zags and stripey knits that Italian fashion house Missoni is famed for, then rejoice, because now you can live in an actual Missoni house. Well, apartment actually. The Acqua Livingstone tower in Manila promises to ‘immerse residents in the rich and colorful experience of a MISSONIHOME-designed space.’ That’s the interiors arm of the brand, the people behind the Missoni hotels in Edinburgh and Kuwait.

What can one expect in their luxury Missoni flat? According to the developers you’ll get ‘bold colors and energetic forms’ in the lobbies, hallways and even elevators, plus some ‘arresting furniture’, whatever that means. The building will house a multi-level amenity area called The Canopy, which features a business centre, swimming pool, gym, Jacuzzi, library, amphitheatre, lounge, DJ booth and dance floor. It doesn’t stop there: a ‘fanciful organic wire-mesh tree’ connects to the mezzanine floor, where residents can enjoy panoramic vistas and open-air dining area.

Now, I was going to say here’s another one for your ‘If I were a billionaire’ shopping list, but if my calculations (with a little help from xe.com) are correct, these apartments aren’t all that pricey, starting at just £56,000 a piece, going up to £300,000 or more for one of the special Acqua Prive unit which includes something called a Sky Garden. If you’re prepared to relocate to the Philipines then that’s a designer property bargain, no?

Check out the artist impression images in the gallery below. And if you’re genuinely considering investing, you can find out more about the MISSONIHOME for Acqua Livingstone project at www.acqua-livingstone.com.

Boy London //A Real Wild Child?

It is generally believed that 20 years is a long enough period to wait before something becomes ‘de rigueur’ once more.  It can even be classed, loosely in my opinion, but theoretically nonetheless, as vintage.  Therefore, this explains the popular resurgence of all things late 80s/early 90s seeing an unprecedented comeback in to popular culture.  From boy bands such as East 17 (FYI new album alert), TV shows like Absolutely Fabulous, even products such as the Sodastream, have all served their time out of the spotlight and can once again bask in the ‘coolness’ of their own nostalgia.  Even if it weren’t that cool to begin with.

And this trend seems to continue with fashion brands.  The resent explosion of Boy London back on, well, the London scene has been perceived as a revival of one of the 80s most hip brands.  Well, that’s what I, someone born in 1989 and who wouldn’t know any better, was led to believe by the hype being generated by some cleverly placed PRs.  It was not until last week, whilst attending the Drapers Record Next Generation Event, that one of the guest speakers mused in a perplexed way how Boy London was never actually considered that ‘cool’ back then.  So why is it now?  And what makes a brand by definition ‘cool’?

Now please don’t get me wrong.  It is hard to fault a brand doing so well, but Boy London does baffle me.  It is nothing more than a basic line of t-shirts, baseball caps, leggings and other basics in a monochrome palette and branded within an inch of its life.  So how are they doing so well?  Well, maybe we should ask Rihanna, Jessie J et al.  It seems by getting the most talked about celebrities to endorse your product, no matter how little creativity goes in to the actual design, can pay off.  Now, I’m not saying this is a new occurrence, more like the oldest marketing trick in the book, but surely someone must agree with me how tacky and blatant Rihanna’s outfit choices have been recently.  And how much money must be being ploughed back in to Boy London to ensure that type of exposure.  Rihanna’s people must be approached every single day by brands to market their products…so how have Boy London managed to literally collar the hottest woman in the world right now?

Therefore it will be interesting to see if the bubble will burst with Boy London as quickly as it has blown up in recent months, all courtesy of product placement.  And as always, a celebrity can make or break a brand…just remember Hollister’s annoyance at Mike ‘The Situation’s insistence on wearing their hoodies!

David Gandy + homeless animals = prepare to swoon/say awww

David Gandy has been announced as the first ever ambassador for Battersea Dogs and Cats Home.

In news that will probably make you swoon/sigh/melt, David Gandy, the man for whom the words chisel-jawed and hunk seem invented for, has been named Ambassador for Battersea Dogs and Cats Home, the charity that takes poor little abandoned animals and gives them new homes. It’s a match made in girls-who-love-animals heaven.

Gandy, the British model who is probably best known for those Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue fragrance ads in which he lounges around in a boat looking unfeasibly sexy, also happens to be a total animal lover and has been a regular at Battersea ever since he was given the gift of sponsoring a kennel at the home, so he was more than happy to take on the role:

It’s a real honour to be invited to be Battersea’s first ambassador. The work they do to find homes for thousands of dogs and cats every year is amazing. I hope my involvement will make people think of choosing a rescue dog or cat from Battersea for their next pet.

Well, hey, if a visit to Battersea means the chance of bumping into you Dave, then I think they just might.

Seriously, though, the Home does a lot of really great work, in particular in tackling the problem of responsible pet ownership. Out of the 5,000 dogs that the charity took in last year, more than 1,800 of them were Staffordshire Bull Terriers, some of them trained to be aggressive by irresponsible owners. Battersea launched a campaign last year is calling for a review of the existing dog laws to help reduce the UK’s stray and dangerous dog problem.

And now they’ve got a new ally in the form of mega hottie David:

Battersea is determined to help tackle the problem of the strays on our streets and start chipping away at people’s attitudes towards more responsible pet ownership and breeds such as Staffies and I hope to help support them as much as I can.

Isn’t that adorable? Watch the View the David Gandy and Battersea video below or visit the Battersea website.

Drapers Record Next Generation Academy 2012

Last week I was lucky enough to score a ticket to the annual Drapers Record Next Generation Academy Event.  Now in its third year, the idea behind Next Generation is to host a day of networking for young professionals working in the fashion industry in either their first, second or third job.  The day was also structured with inspirational talks and peppered with Q&A sessions with some of the industry’s heavy weights, from the CEO of ASOS, to the managing director of Topman, via Harold Tillman, chairman of the British Fashion Council all being grilled as to how they got where they are today.

Whilst being highly inspirational and informative, I have to say, the whole day also opened up my eyes to how other sectors of the fashion industry works.  I mean, coming from a design background I have never truly understood the  extent of the role that, lets say, the head buyer for Oasis has to fulfill.  Or even how you would go about getting there.  Overall, however, I found the interview with Nick Robertson, founder of ASOS, the more interesting part of the day.  Being a fan of ASOS from the beginning, it was intriguing to here Nick speak about how the company went from being a site built on reproducing ‘celebrity style’ (As Seen On Screen, get it?) to becoming one of the most ground breaking and profitable companies in the UK, and to hear about ASOS’s future plans at global domination (oh yeah, ASOS Australia is now a reality!).  As well as this, David Shepherd, managing director at Topman, gave the event’s key note speech, and I was shocked to hear that only 10 years ago or so, Topman  was in the throes of shutting up.  Who would have thought that now?   And that at present, Topshop cannot open a store in Norway as someone else holds the rights to the name?  The main underlying theme of the day, however, and which resonated from everyone involved, was that without hard graft and determination, it is impossible to get to the top of the pile.  And who is to argue with Harold Tillman and co?!  I will most definitely be vying for a ticket again next year!

EVENTS | Emilio Cavallini Risque Business party Or How to look sexy taking your tights off

Sexy as they may look with a bodycon mini and heels, tights are a pain to take on and off while still looking like a sophisticated temptress. Step up Emilio Cavallini firstly for giving men the same problem to deal with once they fall in love with their “mantyhose” and for putting on a model masterclass on getting in and out of sexy hosiery.

For AW12, Cavallini’s inspiration was pin-up Betty Page and the result is a gorgeous collection of vampish, monochrome designs with a hint of colourful polka dots thrown in for good measure. Then there’s the line of unisex tights that men can also wear – look out for these attention-seeking designs on an East London street near you sometime soon.

Party DJs Eliza Doolittle and Jameela Jamil both turned up in Emilio Cavallini tights as did Paloma Faith and male supermodel Tyson Beckford plus Dudley O’Shaughnessy was also spotted in Sketch that night (more on the amazing venue in an upcoming post).

EVENTS | Schwarzkopf Shake n Straight launch

Let me tell you straight up, I’m a bit biased when it comes to Schwarkopf products. The very first time I went blonde, way back in 2004, I used Schwarzkopf XXL Colour in ice blonde, because it’s the lightest blonde shade that you can buy. I still use it to this day, when I’m not hair modelling that is. So I was more than happy to go to the latest Schwarzkopf product launch last Tuesday with Olivia of Tellus Fashion.

The event was held at Circus in Covent Garden, a venue that hosts live burlesque acts, so every so often a scantily clad girl would come out and perform. But there was plenty of other activities to keep us occupied.

After we’d grabbed a couple of got2bellini cocktails (see what they did there?), a lovely stylist called Katie did our hair. I got a loosely curled, slightly quaffed do why Olivia went for sleekness and a bit of volume. You can see our before and after shots in the photo gallery below – also check out the weird stool that we had to straddle, it was like a horse’s saddle!

A short presentation revealed the new products on offer: the got2b Play it Straight Straightening Blow Dry Kit, a two-step system for super sleek hair, and a couple of new blonde shades of the popular Live Colour XXL Shake it Up Colour Foam. Olivia and I were pretty pleased about the latter, obviously.

Next, we discovered there was a pick n’ mix (I wish every press event had one of these) so we stocked up on sweets in lieu of dinner and grabbed a few yummy canapes too – the lemon cheesecake ones we divine. There were pairs of twin models wandering round with ‘hair monster’ wigs on, showing off an app that’s going to be on the got2b Facebook page soon, that allows you to upload photos and try

Finally, we headed to the photo booth, put on some ridiculous sunglasses and posed like loons for a bit. I know, so cool, right?

Check out all my photos from the night in the gallery below. Visit the Schwarzkopf got2b website.

Didier Ludot // Designer vintage in Paris

I was lucky enough to go to Paris for a couple of days last week, and took the opportunity to ask a vintage designer expert if my grandmother’s dress (which I wrote about recently) was a Balenciaga.

Didier Ludot‘s shop is a treasure trove of designer vintage goodies in Galerie Montpensier near the Louvre in the heart of Paris. I made my way through the Chanel bags and Hermès jackets to where Didier Ludot himself was negotiating a sale with a chic Parisienne. He told me the dress was a beautiful example of an early 1950s evening dress, but that the boning in the corset needed repairing, and that it was missing its petticoat. (He offers repair services, ideal if you have any precious vintage clothes that need a little TLC.) As for the Balenciaga question, he was rather sceptical – without a photograph of my granny modelling it with it a caption about the designer, we won’t ever know for sure. Apparently, Balenciaga wasn’t super keen on zips, so the fact that it has a zip throws a bit of doubt on its origin. And so the mystery continues…

Didier Ludot, 24 Galerie Montpensier – Jardin du Palais Royal 75001 Paris - Tel.: 01 42 96 06 56

The Empowerment Challenge // Nudie Jeans X Amnesty International

What does the word ‘Empowerment’ mean to you?  Is it listening to your favourite Beyoncé track for musical dutch courage before a date? Is ‘empowerment’ the feeling you got when you drove your first car?  Or does it mean something more?  Perhaps taking control of your life and claiming your basic human rights?  Throughout history there are eras where people were empowered to fight for what were essentially basic human rights.  The Suffragettes, the Civil Rights Movement…even now the News at 10 is littered with images of oppressed people fighting to live fairer and freer lives for themselves and others.  And thank goodness for organisations like Amnesty International who for the last fifty years have been at the forefront fighting alongside the oppressed and highlighting their plight on an international platform.

This year Amnesty International has teamed up with the achingly hip denim label, Nudie Jeans, to challenge everyone to try their hand at becoming a t-shirt Print Designer.  Now, before you dismiss this idea as being a tad too frivolous, just think of how powerful a T-shirt can be.  That is to say, what presidential campaign doesn’t come with a t-shirt?  I must say, I was hankering after a Obama one myself.  And how many of you have owned a Che Guevara Tee in your time?  Without even words, a print on a Tee can translate a meaning across infinite languages.  Therefore, why not have a crack at producing a motif, a print, a pattern, or even something more abstract.  Your only guideline is that your inspiration is the word ‘Empowerment’.  With this competition running from now until 30th April, full details can be found here at the Nudie Jeans website.  You not only could win 1000 euros, but also have your design launched in store come November, with 10 euros for every tee sold going back to Amnesty International.  So why not take up the Empowerment challenge?  You may even one day be in league with the ‘Che’.

Sarah Howe – Private Lives at the Foundry Gallery // Strike a pose, there’s nothing to it

Style & Then Some is having a little outing on Thursday evening to a private view at the Foundry Gallery in Chelsea (if they let us in the borough looking like we do). And it’s not for just any young, talented photographer that we would make the trek – we can’t wait to see Sarah Howe’s shots of burlesque dancers posing in their own homes, after hours.

Sarah went to New York with her co-conspirator in photography Magnus Arrevad after they won a competition but couldn’t afford to go over to see their work. Instead, they made a pact to go and create something new. “It just so happened that on the night before we left we met a New Yorker in London named Joe who was heading home,” she says. “We met up the following evening at one of the burlesque shows he produced in Brooklyn.”

The exhibition which runs from 26th March to 10th May is titled Private Lives in part because Sarah wanted to capture the stage personas of the women brought back into their personal spaces. Sarah is interested in “the way people construct their identities. In burlesque this is obviously exaggerated and extended.”

And the dancers themselves? Hands up if you’re surprised that they made for interesting subjects. “I was really blown away by all the girls. They were driven, creative and strong women. Jenny (pictured) was one of the most thought provoking acts but they all held down nine to five jobs, made their own costumes and performed at night,” she says.

Private Lives is Sarah’s first solo show and after taking the exhibition to the US, she’s on the lookout for artists to collaborate with. The exhibition at the Foundry Gallery is free entry but you can buy one of the gorgeous exhibition guides, designed by graphic designer Tom Peet, with images and quotes for £3.

See more details on the Facebook page for the Private View this Thursday 22nd March.

Hawksmoor Spitalfields Bar

I remember when I lost my steak virginity. It was a rickety little bistro somewhere off Rue Bonaparte in Paris, and I was completely nonplussed when I was asked by my rather handsome waiter, “Bleu, Saignant, A point or Bien Cuit?” What arrived on my plate looked like charcoal and as I crunched my way through it, with copious amounts of water, I kept thinking “Is this what I have been missing out on? Pah!”

Clearly, I had ordered badly. Six years on, my appetite for a good steak dinner will never be satiated. I day dream about porterhouse steaks and fillet steaks, and have an unhealthy curiosity for what particular restaurants put in their ‘secret’ house sauces, like the green gooey one at Le Relais de Venise in Marylebone.

When it comes to the great British steakhouse,  people can get a bit evangelical about their favorites – and none more so than The Hawksmoor chain. I’m not sure if it’s because of their beautifully sourced meat from The Ginger Pig, the copper-gilded interiors or knockout cocktail menus. I am sure that it’s a brilliant way to squander a spare afternoon, greedily consuming a Chateaubriand steak with a side of truffled macaroni cheese and lobster. You do need a whole afternoon mind, as you slowly pull yourself out of one of the most divine meat comas you’ll ever experience.

See. Right there. Evangelical.

A few weeks ago The Hawksmoor team announced via Twitter that they would run a soft launch of their snazzy new bar menu at their Spitalfields branch. Unlike some of the more trendy establishments in London that refuse to have a booking policy (Burger & Lobster, Meat Liquor, Polpo etc. etc.), the bar was taking reservations. Much like the aforementioned restaurants, however, getting a table was a bitch. I managed it – just – but that was largely thanks to a lawyer friend with an unhealthy obsession with his Twitter feed.

The bar itself was situated in the basement of the flagship restaurant, and made up for the lack of natural daylight with sparkling brass bar tops and exposed peacock-green colored tiles, all rounded off with waiters sporting a range of fluoro Hawaiian-themed shirts. I don’t think it was intentional but collectively, it certainly brightened the place up. Between the group, we scoffed the friar sandwich, chilli cheese dog and cheeseburger, all set off with sides of shortrib nuggets (comes with a great dip), smashed cucumbers and an oxtail poutine (Canadian cheesy chips and gravy, topped with braised oxtail). For pudding, I opted for the peanut butter shortbread with salted caramel ice cream – a lovely little deconstructed number, with just the right balance of sweet and salt for my liking.

The real star in show here, however,  is the establishment’s cocktail menu – featuring beauties like the ‘Shakey Pete Ginger Brew’ (gin, ginger, lemon and London pride) and the ‘Nuclear Banana Daquiri’ (rum, chartreuse, banana and lime). They also do a ‘Desert Island Drinks’ list chosen by a Hawkmoor Bartender each month. Coming in at £40 – £50 a head including drinks, the place is great value for the quality of the food you get and a nice alternative to the quasi-religious Hawksmoor steak experience. Only just, mind you.

Have you tried the bar at The Hawsmoor Spitalfields? If so, let us know what you thought in the comments box below or @Style_thenSome!

London’s Hidden Treasures: The Easter (Faberge) Egg Hunt

It must be a clear-cut sign that you are fast maturing when you get more excited about decorating Easter Eggs than you do about eating them.  Having spent yesterday checking out all the gorgeous treats in The Food Company (again, another obvious sign of maturity, spending a Sunday awake before 12, and scamming on the Cheese counter) it did dawn on me how soon Easter actually is.  This realisation came in the form of a dozen or so over-decorated, over-sized and frankly overly fantastic Easter Eggs that were clearly only on display to make small children faint.  And boy, was I mentally noting down decorating techniques in preparation for my own traditional ‘egg-athon’ in which myself and family members take it in turns to out do each other with our amazing egg decorating creative skills (I will be sure to blog nearer the time with my finished article).

Meanwhile I have also been quite intrigued by ‘The Big Egg Hunt’ being held in our dear capital this year, to mark both Easter and the Queen’s jubilee.  If you have noticed very large, very out-of-place decorative Eggs dotted around London recently, well this will be why.  Check out The Big Egg Hunt website for full information, but to be in with a chance of winning a gem-encrusted real life Faberge egg worth £100,000, all you have to do is scout of these hidden eggs in london and text the Key word found on it to get a step closer to the Faberge.  Cool, huh?     You can even download the zone maps to help for hunt from the official website.  But FYI, there are LOADS around Covent Garden.

Creative Geek Alert // Capture the art of Colour Matching

From previous blog posts, you may be aware of my love for all things Pantone.  The iPhone cases, the mugs, the notebooks et al.  But what you may not know, is that aside from all the brilliantly branded Pantone Universe products they create (I’m talking the gimmicky stuff here people) they are in fact the leading force in colour matching for the creative industries.  

If you are a designer, buyer, merchandiser, decorator (the list is endless) and use colour matching in your job, then you may well be extremely familiar with Pantone.  And if not, then you should get familiar stat, as colour standardisation saves a whole heap of time, and money.  Through my day job I am lucky to work with Pantone, and get to test their new products.  And my favourite?  The Pantone Capsure.  This little device (the size of a mobile phone) can photograph ANY surface and provide you with the closest Pantone colour reference.  Nifty, no?   If, like me, you are constantly inspired but there just isn’t enough room in your head to remember everything, then this is where the Capsure comes in.  And it’s not like we can physically recall exact colours as well (that’s a scientific fact for y’all).  Priced at £459 it may seem like an awful lot of money, but like any investment, you make your dollar back, and in this case pronto.

Check out this short video the guys at Pantone have created, to see the device in action, and if you do have any questions, contact the UK sales Mode Information Ltd office, official stockists of Pantone.

Sushi making – is it really that difficult?

Do you love sushi? Me too. But do you think it looks like the sort of complicated thing you’d never be able to make at home without several years of Tokyo-based culinary training? So did I, until I went to a sushi-making class in west London and discovered it’s not so difficult after all.

The class was booked via a Groupon offer as a birthday present for my housemate Alicia, a foodie if ever there was one. The four of us went along to Suzu, a Japanese restaurant in Hammersmith and joined a class of about 15 people, lead by chef Makiko Matthews. Everything was laid out on the tables for us: a sushi mat (which we got to keep), plastic gloves, oil to lube up the gloves, the sushi ingredients and some Japanese snacks and plum wine.

First, we made a classic cucumber maki roll – that’s where the seaweed is on the outside. Using the right amount of rice is key, so Makiko came round and checked our egg-sized balls, before we spread them over the seaweed sheet, placed the cucumber in the middle and rolled them up tightly using the mat. It actually wasn’t so difficult – I was expecting at least a couple of disaster students in the class but no such luck. The rice is so sticky that it dampens the seaweed and holds everything together nicely.

We were then taught how to use the terrifyingly sharp sushi knife to cut our rolls into bite size chunks. After Makiko told the story of one guy who knocked the knife off the table and caught it by the blade we were all VERY careful with it. That was probably the toughest bit actually. Makiko made the cutting look so easy, but getting even sushi pieces was difficult because the knife got caught on the sticky rice a lot.

Next up, we made ngiri sushi, which is the kind with a piece of fish on top of a ball of rice. We used salmon, pre-cut by Makiko. Again, getting the right amount of rice is important. We were told to take a ball of rice the size of a cherry tomato and bend our fingers round it to fashion it into a neat rectangle, before laying the salmon on top and gently squeezing it into place.

Finally, chef Makiko showed us how to make uramaki, the sushi rolls where the rice is on the outside, which were apparently invented in America rather than Japan. I’ve always wondered how they get the rice to stay on the outside, but it turns out it just like maki rolls, except you turn the seaweed sheet over once you’ve spread the rice on it.

We all struggled a little bit more with this one, finding that the big slices of avocado that went inside along with the salmon made it harder to roll evenly. None of us won the coveted ‘best uramaki’ prize that Makiko awarded, not that we were enraged or devastated by this, no way, not us.

So all in all, the class was really fun, and proved that sushi making isn’t as difficult as it looks. With a bit of practice I think anyone could do it. The only thing is that making sushi rice sounds like quite a time consuming process involved several different stages of washing, soaking, boiling, cooling etc. But we were given a sheet with all the instructions, so we’re thinking in my house that sometime soon we’re going to get in all the right ingredients, make a big batch and have a sushi making party.

The Groupon deal that we booked can be found here, although isn’t available right now. Or visit the Suzu website to contact them directly about sushi making classes.

1950s cover girl // TREND

Cinched in waists, A-line skirts, and generally all-round beautiful tailoring. I’ve had these things on the brain not just because Vogue ran a 1950s inspired photo shoot last month, but also because I recently discovered a suitcase full of photos from my granny’s modelling days.

Fashionising recently talked about how the 1950s look is emerging and evolving this year, and the A-line skirt features in Vogue’s A-Z of Autumn/Winter 2012 trends. As is often the case, however, I think it’s really the link between Hollywood and the catwalk that is behind the decade’s current appeal. My Week With Marilyn has undoubtedly had a role to play, and the lady herself was one of the greatest fashion icons of all time.

Looking through the photos of my granny made me wish she had left us more of her fabulous wardrobe. I wore her black chiffon dress embroidered with hundreds of tiny beads clustered into constellations to a ball last year, a dress which she told my mother was a Balenciaga. Hard to know for sure, though, because it was a sample and therefore didn’t have a label. It will just have to remain a mystery. Unless taking it to a vintage designer specialist would shed some light on the origin. I might try it and see; playing the fashion detective? Sounds like fun!

Wearing my Grandmother's dress

Kicking the Caffeine: A healthy start to Spring

Having been a self-confessed tea addict for the best part of 5 years, I have decided to try to kick the caffeine for Spring, and opt to replace many of my dietary ‘necessities’ with healthier options.  I mean, when it gets to the point where you don’t have a cuppa for 1 day and develop a serious headache, it may be time to call Gillian McKeith in (if she isn’t in some kind of psychiatric ward for people broken by I’m a celeb).  Now, I know this isn’t wildly patriotic, and I am sure one’s Queen would exile one  for ditching the age-old British tradition of afternoon tea, but it needs to be done.  While a good old sugary brew is my own person brand of heroin,  I have decided the best way to ween myself off is by slowly but surely replacing my mug with healthier fruit teas.  Currently working my way through the entire Twinings range, I must recommend the raspberry, strawberry and loganberry brew if, like me, you have a sweet tooth.

I also plan on revisiting Yumchaa in Soho, who say ‘no to Tea-bagging’ and serve an extensive selection of loose leaf teas (I have sampled their mango flavoured one already, and I would definitely recommend).  They also lay out all their different teas on the counter so you can see what they look and smell like.

And obviously, nothing beats a good cuppa than sipping form a fabulous mug.  Check out this ridiculously cute range of cups from Kinto entitled Mugtails, as well as these ultra cute mugs which are the result of a collaborative effort between We Are Tea  and the amazing artist Sunil Pawar (of Slingshot London fame), which are produced in limited runs of 350, and with new variations produced every six months.  Hey, if Kanye is a fan, who are we to argue. 

Top Ten Spring 2012 Catwalk Trends

Now that the autumn/winter 2012 shows are almost over, we can get back to the task at hand: our spring wardrobes – or at least daydreaming about them like me, when you have nigh on zero budget for clothes shopping. Here’s a refresher course in spring 2012: the trends, plus some shopping ideas (click on the photos to shop).

1. The decade: 1920′s. Blame Baz Luhrmann and his forthcoming The Great Gatsby remake. Ralph Lauren, Alberta Ferretti and Gucci all went flapper happy on the catwalks, as did Spijker and Spijkers at London Fashion Week. This trend is a dead cert to hit the high street too – you won’t be able to escape dropped waist dresses on the shop floor soon.

2. The life aquatic. Karl created an underwater dreamscape at Chanel and Donatella picked the starfish as a recurring motif at Versace. Who are we to argue with the Kaiser and Queen of Fashion?

3. Seaside summer. We’re all going on a summer holiday declared Daks and Mulberry. It’s a traditional British jaunt, so pack fifties skirts, ice cream colours and a cagoule (because, obviously, it’s going to rain).

4. Out of season. Heavy outerwear at Burberry and leather at Chloe could be forgiven (those are their specialities, after all) but fur? Really, Kanye West? And that was just one of Yeezy’s many errors.

5. Bare bellies. This spring the most unforgiving, flesh-exposing trend is decreed by fashion dowager Miuccia Prada. Both her eponymous and Miu Miu shows featured cropped tops, as did Viktor and Rolf’s. Check out my Pinterest crop tops board for more inspiration.

6. Print setup. Easily the most ubiquitous trend, even pattern-averse New Yorker Alexander Wang had a go at florals. In London, it was business as usual for print pros like Mary Katrantzou and Erdem.

7. Safari so good. NYFW stalwarts Oscar de la Renta and Michael Kors both came straight outta Africa with their khaki safari pieces, soft tribal prints and a healthy dose of zebra, of course.

8. The colour: tangerine tango.  In their trend report, palette experts Pantone point to this scorching shade as taking over from mustard as accent colour of choice next Spring, taking cues from Victoria Beckham, amongst others. Helen told ya so.

9. Ruffles up. Not tiny delicate ones, we’re talking stiff waves of fabric, seen on practically every look at Givenchy. The wavy peplums at Alexander McQueen were cute too. I think the Man Repeller will approve of this vaguely vaginistic trend (no, I don’t think that’s a word either).

10. What a mesh. Almost entirely New York-based, led by Derek Lam and Alexander Wang, this trend took a sports kit fabric from the playing field to the catwalk.

Festival Fashion: Attempting the impossible

I won’t lie, I am not an avid festival-goer.  I have never been able to pull off ‘festival chic’ despite my best efforts and, honestly, despise those who can.  But this year, I have decided, seeing as I live a a short-stop away from V Festival, to partake in a day ticket and thoroughly attempt to give those naturally festival approved shlebs a run for their money (Chung, Moss, Watson, I’m talking to you).  And seeing as my all-time embarrassing crush, David Guetta, will be in attendance, this may be the reason I am spurring myself on!

And with 5 months to go, I am currently going to focus on the most functional, yet still focal point of any perfect festival outfit; footwear.  Seeing as it can only be classed as stupid to do a Sienna and wear Vivienne Westwood pirate boots in the mud (seriously, more money, else freebies, than sense) there really is only one practical choice, that being the classic Welly boot.  Thus, I have been getting a little over-excited at the prospect of a pair of metallic gold Hunter boots.  Well, if you are going to welly it, then Hunter is the go-to label.  However, at £95 a pop, just to roll around in mud in, it may be worth spray painting a pair and using the extra £90 on beer tokens.

Or some shiny quilted ones…

On the flip side, however, I did come across some financially friendly, yet stylish wellies on JuJu Shoes.  This biker-chic pair wouldn’t look out of sorts on Kate Moss’ tootsies and at £29.99 from Mr. Shoes you probably wouldn’t be so precious about getting a little grubby.  And could probs stash a couple of Jack Daniels minis down the sides too.

So, if any one has any style-wise tips on the perfect festival outfits and is an absolute festival pro, do share, and help the feeble!  It could be my last chance to impress Guetta…

Want a new series to watch? Liked The Wire? Try Breaking Bad

Breaking Bad is my latest TV series obsession. And I mean proper, full on, devour-a-series-in-a-week level of obsession. I’ve just got to the end of series two, but don’t worry, you won’t find any spoilers here – I won’t give away anything that you don’t learn in the first episode.

So what’s it all about? The premise is set up neatly in episode one: Walter White (Bryan Cranston) is a high school chemistry teacher who has just been diagnosed with lung cancer. Jesse Pinkman (Aaron Paul) is the lazy stoner student in Mr White’s class who has a sideline in cooking crystal meth. Using Walt’s chemical know-how and Jesse’s street connections, the pair hatch a plan to produce and sell high grade crystal where they live in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Add to that Walt’s pregnant wife Skyler, her brother-in-law who works in the state Drug Enforcement Administration and you’ve got the beginning of the most gripping TV series I’ve watched in years.

It’s hard to tell you much more without talking about the plot, but I can tell you it’s totally enthralling. The story lines develop really quickly, so there’s great pay-off from episode to episode, but not without some epic cliffhangers. It’s got the kind of scope that made The Wire so appealing – you get the point of view of a range of characters connected to Walt and Jesse, and their families get as much focus as their new found lives of crime. It’s so well acted (I can no longer see Bryan Cranston as ‘Malcolm in the Middle’s Dad’) and it’s really funny but also incredibly tense, and sometimes out-right terrifying too.

What I’m basically saying is if you want a new series and you’re into your US TV dramas you can’t go wrong with Breaking Bad. The series started in 2008 and the fifth season is due to start in 2012, so there’s still plenty to look forward to. The fourth season was rated as 96 out of 100 on Rotten Tomatoes, so I can’t wait for that.

Of course I couldn’t possibly recommend that you watch Breaking Bad online here, but you can buy a totally legal DVD boxset over here.

Make your own luck // Fanciful Sparrow Designs

The news is constantly full of how difficult young people are finding it to get jobs at the moment, desperately comparing which Oxford colleges have the highest employment-upon-graduation rates and telling us that it is pointless to spend money on a Masters (oops, too late for me folks). If you’re lucky enough not to have felt the effects that our rocky economic situation is having upon the young professional generation, you’re one of the rare few. Most of us have worked for months upon months as unpaid interns, waitresses, and admin slaves by day, pouring ourselves into job applications by night and, in my case, daydreaming about writing a novel. Many of us even know the frustration of being told that we are probably ‘over qualified’ at the Job Centre. Still, what’s being a little bit patronised in exchange for £50 a week?

Anyway, enough of the moaning. One of my best friends is taking matters into her own hands. Madeleine Mason has always been arty and crafty – when we were at school we used to love going on weekend trips to craft fairs (yes, we were exceptionally cool 14 year-olds). She’s been making me jewellery for as long as we’ve been friends, and now, frustrated with the job hunt despite her shiny First class degree in Art History from Warwick, she’s launching her own jewellery business, Fanciful Sparrow Designs. The shop is hosted by Folksy, the British equivalent of Etsy, and it launched yesterday – just in time to get your Mothering Sunday gifts. Her pieces manage to be pretty, cute, quirky and classic all at the same time, drawing inspiration from a Cath Kidston vintage aesthetic, old maps, books, birds, and flowers. Very Alex Monroe, who is one of my all time favourite jewellery designers. But then I’m her friend, so I’m biased; take a look at it and judge for yourself (my favourite is the duck egg charm necklace – judging by the number of ‘likes’ it is getting on Facebook, I’ll have to move fast if I want to buy one).

It’s an inspiring approach to life. With the number of free resources available to help you start your own business online, we could all do with being a little bit more proactive and inventive in the way that we think about our careers. It’s not about luck, after all, it’s about determination, talent, energy, and drive. All of which my friend has in abundance. She’s going to be selling her trinkets at The Dandy Lion Market ’Ladyfolk’ day (celebrating Mother’s Day and International Women’s Day) in Highgate this Saturday 10th March with lots of other talented young designers, so if you’re out and about in London this weekend do go and take a look.

Labrinth, Come In! Win Free tickets to see some of the UK’s top acts, with Wrigley’s 5 Gum Evolution Experience.

Earlier last month those clever chaps over at Wrigley’s 5 Gum decided, instead of marking the release of their new flavour, Evolution, with a half-hearted advertising campaign and not a lot else, that seems to be the way with a lot of products these days, that instead it would be marked by a series of live music events and experiences by working with some of the UK’s most talented artists.  The campaign, entitled ‘What’s Next?’ sees the first event kick off on Wendnesday (7th March) at the London super club, Pulse.  With tickets being completely free, all you need to do for Wednesday’s event (entitled ‘The Evolution Experience’) is log on to the Facebook page and enter your details for a chance to attend.  And guess who they have playing?  Not only headlining act Labrinth, but new girls on the block Stooshe, DJ Switch and also my recent style obsession that is Yasmin.  Oh, plus a lot more!

 

With Kiss 100 DJs Ricky and Marvin also hosting the night, (check out the video below), it is the perfect opportunity to catch musician and producer Labrinth after his sell-out tour.  And all for free!  So get logging on, and we shall see you there!