The Human Form ....

These amazing images are all created using the human form.  Look closely  .... Amazing!

It's Gone to our Heads!

We've just come across the fabulous Hat Gallery M/V in Mayfair's Conduit Street, opened a week or so ago.  This is such great news as there are so very few great hat shops in London and trying on hats in a department store (or worse still, a chain store!) is so very "non U".  The shop is a beautiful gallery and is called such as it houses some amazing pieces of furniture and lighting from Europe - perfect items on which to display the hats.  In addition to Philip Treacy and UK milliner Karen Henriksen (well worth keeping an eye on!) there are some amazing concoctions from all over America and Europe and there's a men's section too.  I succombed to the most beautiful woven leather pull on from Patricia Underwood.  It cost an arm and a leg but will be in my wardrobe until I can pass it on (or pass away) to the next generation.  Anyone with an eye for headwear should make a visit .... (We hear the girls at Vogue have their eyes on the beautiful white straw hat pictured aboved)

Fashion In the Swim Again ....

Just a reminder that Emobi, the edgy fashion swimwear label from Australia, is offering our blog followers (with a ranking of 4 or above) a bikini or swimsuit worth at least £60 simply by posting a comment on The Fashion Bloggers and creating a link on their own blog.  This amazing fashion giveaway is to celebrate the launch this coming week of a brand new collection from Emobi in stunning textile prints reminiscent of the '70's and in keeping with the brand ethos of bright, fun and sexy.  We'll be posting an image  when the new photography is available but meanwhile above is a taste of what we are giving away.  And by the way, for those seeking some winter sun, if you want to buy swimwear in October you'll find in nigh on impossible!

Oh No Charles!

Can't resist including this quote - which made me LOL - from Prince Charles who is getting worse than his father, well known for putting his foot in it!  If you're not an anti Royalist already, having read this you may well wish to reconsider:

"They tell me that in some shops they have started selling loaves of bread that are what they call "ready-and-sliced".  I fervently hope this is one trend that doesn't "catch on".  And is there really any need for this new fangled idea of soup in tins?  Broth tastes so much better bubbling away in a great big open pot, stirred by a chef who really knows his stuff and served at one's table in the open air by a marvellous old character somewhere on a wonderful Highland moor.  By denying our children such pleasures, I fear we are in pfound danger of cutting them off from reality"  HRH The Prince of Wales.  Reality?????
Image comissioned by Don't Panic from James Joyce

Ooh La La! Spring 2011

What with Frieze, the London Arts Festival and Design Week we've got rather waylaid and behind with our fashion reviews!  As a result we're simply going to jot down the notes we took at the Paris shows and upload images of our favourites:

(Above from top to bottom:  Chloe, Hermes, Lanvin)

Galliano, a riot of colour South Pacific style; Sarah Burton, new McPrincess at McQueen; meow to Mui Mui where the colours popped; a glam animal fest at Vuitton whose equestrian theme ran through Hermes (JPG's final show for this house) with understated luxury trouser suits and jodhpurs.  Flemenco at YSL; shades of cream screaming wealth, from Hannah McGibbon for Chloe (continuing her 'less is more' look  accessorised with ballet slippers); and ravishing, fluidly wrapped, bodycon dresses in shades of olive from the unerringly wonderful Elbaz for Lanvin.

Weekend Shopping: Dare to Compare…

Calling all shoppers! Now more than ever, it pays to compare. But when it comes to clothes, shoes, AND accessories, it is nearly impossible to find time to sort through all of the fabulous labels out there.  So what’s a shopper to do? Read The Fashion Bloggers of course! We have researched and reviewed the best shopping comparison sites and handpicked the top five just for you – however, we think it’s only worth visiting the best...

#5 – BECOME.CO.UK: Catering to a large number of shopping categories, Become is resourceful site but lacks the fashion focused pages we so desperately need.  While they provide helpful shopping advice and have a respectable page for shoes, we think shoppers would rather head to a site dedicated exclusively to fashion (like our #1 pick).

THE FASHION BLOGGERS RATING: Average

#3 – OSOYOU.COM: O So You seems to have quite a lot going – a little too much for our taste. While you are sure to find something you like, the constant advertisement pop-ups can be rather distracting, leaving you a bit frustrated in the site all together.  

THE FASHION BLOGGERS RATING: Good

#4 – SHOPITTOME.CO.UK: Shop It To Me prides their sites as being the modern day personal shopper, which sounds great at first but can become overwhelming. After signing up and picking your favourite brands, they will start sending email alerts with latest markdowns, etc, which you will then have to look through to find what you like (time consuming, we know). Also with the constant stream of email alerts (we’re talking like every 10 minutes), you might find yourself shouting STOP IT TO ME. 

THE FASHION BLOGGERS RATING: Great

#2 – SHOPSTYLE.CO.UK: Our second place goes to ShopStyle. With great brands and an ample selection, this site clearly makes the cut. However, we have learned it is linked to Conde Nast, so their content can be rather bias.  The homepage is not as easy to navigate through as our favourite site but we did spot some decent bargains.

THE FASHION BLOGGERS RATING: Excellent

#1 - STYLE COMPARE.CO.UK: Hailing at #1, STYLE COMPARE is an absolute must visit and deserves the number one spot on your internet browser’s bookmarks list as well. It is truly a shopper’s dream with loads of features and the hottest merchandise for both men and woman -- over 120,000 products from more than 1,500 labels. Also STYLE COMPARE is actually atheistically pleasing, user-friendly, and has a genuine interest in its customers.  Each week sees fantastic item giveaways and updates via Twitter and Facebook, plus they have a dedicated blog, Style Platform, with all the latest fashion news and insights. STYLE COMPARE makes shopping simple, quick and painless. What more could a shopper want?

THE FASHION BLOGGERS RATING: Brilliant/The Best

GO GO GAU GIN!

Was privileged enough to attend a private view of the sensory blasting Gaugin exhibition at Tate Modern last night.  For anyone interested in art, this is a definite 'must visit'.  Curated in themes, the images are hung in rooms which cover the earliest and latest works including  paintings and works from both Brittany and Polynesia.  The myth that he was a paedophile has recently been dispelled but he certainly had an interest in the voluptuous and sensuous young Polynesian women he painted, who were equally free with their sexual favours as he.  Most interesting are some of his works from Brittany where reds and gold and purples boggle the eye and were in advance of his colourful  island paintings. One can also see the likeness to Van Gogh's work - the two were friends but fell out.  Gaugin is a very modern painter and I can't remember enjoying an exhibition so much for a very long time. Go go Gaugin!

Milan Before We Forget!!!!

Several days into Paris and Milan a blur .... now is the time to draw on the images that remain in the memory for these are the trends that will almost certainly prevail in the Spring of next year.  Most memorable were the bold stripes mixed with patterns at Prada (always different, always so exciting and emulated) and the outstanding styling and use of 'eye-smacking' colour (and stripes again!) by Belgian Raf Simons at Jil Sander who has drawn on his menswear background to produce a, literally, 'brilliant' collection with pared down styling.  
Pictured above from left to right:  Prada, Jil Sander, Jil Sander

Beauty Guidance A La Carte ....

Whilst we take time out for an overview of the Paris shows (too many too soon to be able to judge objectively - gawd knows how the fashion eds manage it! - no wonder they so often send out mixed messaages  ...) we've discovered a website  we could sit and gaze at for hours at a time.  It's Lisa Eldridge  and her guide to applying make up.  There is something here for all ages and gives viewers the opportunity to learn many tricks of the trade as well as buy the products she showcases.  On the QT, we understand Lisa is the wife of one of the UKs great visualisers which goes a long way to explaining why the site is so brilliant and works so well.  Check it out and let us know what you think ....

Bloggers in the Swim!

 As the days get darker earlier and the East wind whips up a chill, clever girls make plans to hit the sun in more tropical climes for a week or so during Northern Europe's wintry weather.  To celebrate its new collection to be launched on October 1st, EMOBI, our favourite Australian swimwear - which offers edgy prints with cute, sexy cuts whilst using environmental printing methods - has given The Fashion Bloggers 50 - YES FIFTY - swimsuits and bikini's to give to our own favourite bloggers!  Simply upload a link to The Fashion Bloggers blog to your site, post a comment on our blog, and we'll send you a swimsuit or bikini to say 'thank you'!  All the swimwear we are giving away is on a first come first served basis and will be chosen at random from a size 10/12 selection.

Fashion Week Snippets

The usual chaos reigned at Somerset House registration where I was told, for the second Fashion Week this year, that I was registered six times!  And yet I still never receive my pass in the post .... hey ho.  The Betty Jackson show  was delightfully commercial and wearable with greiges and lime greens and one tropical print; contrary to general opinion I found the Burberry Prorsum collection far too "Flash Trash" with short short skirts and studded jackets although one tailored trench definitely made the grade and quilted leather trenches will no doubt abound next Spring.  Erdem hit the spot with ladylike lace in prim shapes and shades from white through to brights alongside beautiful floral prints.Fashion's darling, Christopher Kane, missed the mark (for me) with Princess Margaret Argyle check sweaters over sherbert lace print dresses although a dragon kimono print dress stood out.  Newcomer Holly Fulton produced a collection of toned down very wearable graphic prints whilst House of Holland failed to shine with rather dull shirt dresses and purple/green palm prints.
The zeitgeist seems to be with menswear with Men's Day at LFW a sell out success.  James Long's painterly Pollock like prints and layering were not only visually stunning but totally wearable whilst Carolyn Massey's pared down styling (very Japanese) and attention to detail ensure her popularity will grow alongside her reputation for producing winning collections.  In the 'sheds' outside Christopher Raeburn showed his parachute silk poncho's in new combinations and colours and produced a women's trench almost identical to that shown on the catwalk (later!) by Christopher Bailey!  Matthew Miller is an exciting new name to watch for whose collection combined clever tailoring with inset stripes whilst Katie Earie menswear continues to excite.  Watch out women - the boys are definitely making inroads when it comes to design, innovation and style. 

A quick peak at the catwalk shows in Milan show Prada taking Breton to the Brink with massive horizontal stripes in shades from grey to pink worn stripe on stripe or contrsted with bold cut out prints.  Her deceptively simple looking clothing featured clever cuts with grown on sleeves not quite, but almost, raglan giving a contemporary edge to a '50's favourite. 

PURE Exhibition... The Brazilians Have Arrived!

The PURE Exhibition kicked off last Sunday, at Olympia in Kensington and I was lucky enough to find myself inside the vast exhibition halls where it was very busy. All 950 brands at the Trade Show are supposedly hand picked for their quality and representative of the middle to high end fashion market. Amongst the exhibitors were some exciting and colourful Brazilian labels represented by ABIT/Texbrasil.  Brazil is so much in the news today what with the Olympics 2016, the next World Cup and the Sao Paulo Fashion Weeks making the headlines.  And fashion wise there are some amazing designers emerging from this beautiful country including designer labels such as Alessa.

Particularly outstanding amongst the Brazilians was Totem, with bright and brilliant prints, and sexy, glamourous swimwear from Despi. Also of interest was Natural Cotton Color, a label that is both eco and fair trade: the cotton is grown especially so that it does not require dying or bleaching chemicals and much of the detailing is provided by prisoners who earn days off their sentence for their work.

Andre Ungaratto is an unknown label in the UK but it's homage to hippy chic was very popular with buyers from Europe.

Totem stand at Pure

http://www.totemparaia.com.br/

What caught my eye was this vibrant and structured dress by Ursula Felix.

Overall the three days proved an interesting insight into the fashion industry with catwalk shows and experts on stage giving talks such as the 'buy your way through the recession'.  A great opportunity for anyone wanting to work in the fashion industry!
Kudzai

Sick and Tired of the Sales?

Just when you're going off on holiday, everything's on sale or the shops have only got winter stock! Our favourite website, with items hand-picked by Tara, can guarantee some fabulous pieces for your holiday are still available (as well as some great sale offers)! See the examples below, but meanwhile check out TaraLacey.com...

The Swish List...

The Big Swish™ was in full swing this week! 

For those of you not in the know: “Swishing is a growing trend, where a gaggle of fashion-loving women get together, feast on nibbles, guzzle wine and swap their clothes. Eco-fabulous recycling at its best.” BBC News

I was lucky enough to get one of only 25 V.I.P tickets to Tuesday’s Big Swish™ at the Long Acre in Covent Garden. I was given a goody bag, as well as a five minute head start on “swishing” , 2 for 1 cocktails all evening and a year’s membership to the world’s no.1 clothes swapping site, Big Wardrobe (usually worth £12.00). An absolute bargain, I’m sure you’ll agree!

The only condition for attending the Big Swish™ is that you bring along up to 15 items (in good condition) from your own wardrobe to swap for someone else’s former favourites. Just like the clothes on the Big Wardrobe site, there was a good range of high street and designer items up for grabs. It wasn’t all about clothes swapping though, there was also a prize draw and gorgeous makeovers taking place courtesy of the Big Swish™s team of stylists.

After huge success with similar events during 2009, Big Wardrobe, in association with stylist Lupe Castro and eco-mag Daisy Green Magazine, began a roadshow of clothes swapping events – don’t worry if you didn’t make the London events. The Big Swish™ will be making it’s way to Newcastle on 7th October, with more events to follow!

Clothes Show London

The second annual Clothes Show London kicked off on Friday 25th June in Earl's Court. I was able to attend the show, and it was so much fun! The consumer show is aimed at showcasing fashion trends and beauty brands that are on the market today. Many of the companies promoted themselves by giving away freebies, so I walked away with a bag of goodies!


The highlight of the weekend was the show itself, taking on an around the world theme this year. Featured cities included New York, Paris, Rome and, of course, London. Lucky for me, I got a front row seat! Each scene was choreographed very well, with the models and dancers interacting all while wearing fantastic clothes from many different brands. I was able to take photos of a few of my favourite outfits during the show. 

Children Desperately in Need ...

April Fools Day!  From sunny Spring day to snow in the blink of an eye.  And on the eve of Easter.  But what a minor mote in the eye compared to the suffering of so many on the other side of the world....
Spent some time this afternoon forgeting fashion and talking to Katy, a young Trustee of a new UK charity (already established abroad), the Cambodian Children's Fund which has undertaken some amazing and rewarding work in Phnom Penh where many heart rending children - and their families - are living in abject poverty.  Children as young as 4 years are working on the stenching rubbish dump outside the city to earn a living for their families and many actually live on this seething mountain of refuse.  Take a minute to check out the charity which has just gained UK Charity Status and join up as a UK supporter.  I don't think I'll be eating any Easter eggs this weekend as a result ....

TaraLacey.com lanching soon!

Hello All,

Just heard about a fantastic new online fashion boutique called Tara Lacey that's about to launch. It's going to have some amazing designer labels including Olivia Rubin and Fiona Paxton. The site is going to specialise in fabulous designer clothing, bags and accessories... can't wait!

These are some of my favourite looks from the latest Olivia Rubin collection:


I saw Fiona Paxton jewellery at London Fashion Week back in February. I've been a fan of the label for a few seasons now, and am really excited that the best pieces are going to be on Tara Lacey to buy soon!




It's launching next week, so sign up to the newsletter at www.TaraLacey.com and be the first to know when it goes live!

x

In Need of an Inspiring Break in the Sun

Following a plethora of exhibitions (London Fashion Week, Pure, Top Drawer, Bubble) our feet, eyes and minds (and not necessarily in that order) are exhausted and in dire need of a rest as well as some cultural input. Sometimes we simply feel like catching a flight and buzzing off to the sun on our own but the idea of spending more than one full day stretched out doing nothing is anethma to us. So we're delighted to have discovered Les Soeurs Anglaises http://www.lessoeursanglaises.com/ a delightful 'boutique hotel' in South West France offering some really interesting and inspiring creative workshops that last from 3 to 5 days. As well as knitting, textile and bookbinding workshops you can spend three days with the famous Roger McGough and learn to write poetry, or five days under the leadership of a screen writing expert. Food is home cooked (much of it organically home grown) and the wine is picked by an expert to complement both the region and the food. Am booking my flight now! to either Bordeaux, Angouleme or Riberac to make sure I get a place .....
Some sites that have written favourably about Les Soeurs Anglaises include Cornflower Books and The Reader. And to learn more about the region, Daunts has customised a great reading list specifically designed for anyone signing up for the workshops http://http//www.dauntbooks.co.uk/readinglists.asp?TAG=&CID==
Meanwhile, for those more interested in fashion and a birds eye view of London Fashion Week check out http://www.fabfrocks.blogspot.com/ where it was covered on a day to day basis from a bloggers perspective.

It's Finally Friday

Hello All,

This week has been filled with non-stop birthday celebrations and I'm exhausted! With four seperate friends/family/boyfriends to provide with presents,cards, cake, my glorious presence etc all in one week, I've been somewhat looking forward to today and the start of the weekend.

But lo, I managed to squeeze a quick Facebook session in inbetween singing 'Happy Birthday' (surely the most tedius and uninspiring tune inflicted upon humanity) and realised that it was one of my close friends birthday celebrations in Oxford this weekend... I'm beginning to forget what I looked like without my party hat on.

One good thing about so many birthdays is that I get to go card shopping (which I love for some strange, slightly concerning reason) and pass on the genius musings of my favourite illustrator, Edward Monkton.

I think I'm going to give this to the boyfriend for Valentine's:

On that note, my new favourite site - Style Compare - have just launched yet another competition. They're giving away over £1000 - yes, over £1000 - worth of Valentine's themed prizes, and again all you have to do to enter is sign up to the newsletter.

Hope you all have a good weekend!

x

Give me the giveaway from STYLE COMPARE!

Ohhh, we love a good giveaway!

And Style Compare are giving away this fantastic pair of Mocking Bird brown leather boots from Clarks (worth almost £100!) to one lucky person who signs up to their newsletter...

...where do I sign...?

I ♥ Goddiva.co.uk

Hello All,

Sorry for the lack of posts! Hectic start to the New Year as well as a double dose of flu, so have been a little tied up!

Anyway, as fashion waits for no man, here's a gem that came to my attention while feeling sorry for myself in bed. Goddiva.co.uk have come up with a GORGEOUS dress with the cutest cut-out heart shape inspired by the fantastic Luella SS10 collection. Move over Alexa Chung...

I LOVE IT! It also comes in red - perfect for Valentine's Day - and a really gorgeous cream colour. I'm going to have to get all three. Sigh...

It's a New Decade!

So it's 2010, a new decade and a new begining.  Christmas officially ended yesterday, January 5th, so hopefully all have taken down Christmas decorations although with the snow falling heavily now it is more Christmassy than Crimbo was! 
Shops seem to have done tremendously well and anyone interested in fashion or shoes should have picked up some amazing bargains.  Personally I bought a classic LBD from the wonderful Zara (one of my favourites) reduced from £90 to £50 and hopefully it will be a staple in my wardrobe for a couple of years - despite the Star Trek shoulders!  Six days after purchasing a pair of Paul Smith cigarette shaped black trousers (you can see that I tend to purchase staples in the sales) from the website my-wardrobe.com, I was let down badly with a phone call to say they had sold out!  Meanwhile I had lost the opportunity to purchase black cigarette trousers elsewhere.  My-wardrobe will remain on my black list for some time to come whilst my favourite new shopping site, http://www.stylecompare.co.uk/ saves trawling the shops for hundreds of brilliant bargains. 
Of course I am saving my pennies for the Designer Warehouse Sales which take place at the start of February, my other favourite source for bargains http://www.designerwarehousesales.com/ where I am told there will be several exciting new American designers such as Zahra Saeed (see image),

Haven't had much time for the movies but managed at last to see Twilight on DVD (oh so behind the times) - which I loved!  Horror is not usually my genre of film but I am a convert.  Am waiting to see Nowhere Boy and White Orphan.  Meanwhile, at the weekend am visiting my favourite Lexi movie house for the opera being transmitted live from the New York Metropolitan Opera - not quite sure what to wear to this as it starts at 6pm ......  And have just been given tickets for Three Sisters at the Hammersmith Lyric with Romola Garai, one of my favourite your stars.  Roll on February as I traditionally give up all alcohol during January.

Culture?

OK ... so saw the Coen Brothers' new movie, A Serious Man at my bijoux cinema club, The Lexi Cinema, and not really sure what I felt about it as - it just ended!  Literally ended as a tornado was about to hit a school.  Seemed to be about all the ghastly things that are Jewish and none of the good.  Found the lead character pathetic in the real sense of the word but otherwise full of very unlikeable people.  Feel the film fails to qualify as 'entertainment'.  The cinema is showing Biba next Saturday, a film about the wonderful Barbara Hulaniki (?) and I'm sorry I shall miss it (second time around) again as I shall be watching a production of The Snowman at the Peacock Theatre at the time.  Meanwhile, last night witnessed some great entertainment at the Chocolate Factory Theatre in South London - Sweet Charity.  Amazing, energetic performances on a tiny stage.  Great singing, dancing and acting.  Would not have been my choice as I hate musicals but I was treated alongside a group of other guests as a Christmas jolly.  Joyous and highly recommended.

Christmas Crackers!

December 1st and only another 24 days to go until the big one! Unbelievable. So Christmas shopping is high on my agenda and two of my favourite 'places' are enticing me with some very special offers. Style Compare has joined forces with my-wardrobe.com to offer one lucky customer the chance to win £150 to spend on the my-wardrobe site - simply by signing up to the Style Compare newsletter and then signing on to the my-wardrobe newsletter. The draw will be made just in time for Christmas. And my favourite of all time Sales, the Designer Warehouse Sales start this Friday offering an amazing selection of items to choose as Christmas gifts - from all sorts of cashmere bits and pieces, leather notebooks. some spectacular jewellery and, last but not least, fab Christmas designer dressing and all at really affordable prices. Check out both and enjoy spending this Festive Season!

On a totally different (and higher!) note I bumped into a very pregnant Zadie Smith, author of White Teeth, preparing herself for a swim on the day she was due to give birth to a baby boy! She is just as stunning in reality as in her pictures but was not amused when I warned her not to give birth in the pool ..... also watched Glorious 39 at my favourite local cinema club, The Lexi in Kensal Rise, North London, followed by a Q&A with the Director Poliakoff (spelling?). Romola Garai is outstandingly beautiful but the last 20 minutes of the film are dire and I felt very sorry for the actors. I was too embarrassed to pose any questions .....And last night, my first attempt at Tango dancing. Ended the evening doubled over with laughter. Such fun, great teachers, more men (sort of) than women, and partners changed for each futile attempt. Am a sucker so will go again. Loved the teachers Leandro and Romina of Tango Soul

AMAZING NEW FASHION COMPARISON SITE!

Have today discovered an exciting new fashion comparison website Style Compare which allows fashion lovers (men and women!) to choose by label, price or description and to compare over 600+ labels in the process! I hear on the grapevine that the leading fashion website (guess who?) is coming on board within the next couple of days which means the days of trawling through numerous websites or tramping up and down the high street/Bond Street in the rain are a thing of the past. And they are going to offer a host of Special Offers each week too! They have also joined forces with my-wardrobe.com to offer one lucky shopper who signs on to both the Style Compare (http://www.stylecompare.co.uk/) AND the my-wardrobe.com NEWSLETTERS the opportunity to win £150 to spend before Christmas! The red Vivienne Westwood Anglomania dress (pictured) from Style Compare is definitely on my Wish List ....

Time Flies ...

Three weeks since our last blog but we have been busy so forgive us! Went to the premiere of Harry Brown with the wonderful Michael Caine (playing a dangerously dangerous Michael Caine in Elephant and Castle). Not quite all it is cracked up to be but with the Murdoch family in the marketing background it is bound to be hyped to the hilt. Fear it might encourage violence rather than deter ...

Meanwhile I predict Alan Bennet's new play at the National will not be as popular as the History Boys but is equally good in its own right and, regardless of what the critics might say, deserves to be a big hit.

And the Anish Kapoor exhibition at the Royal Academy is a must for anyone even vaguely interested in sculpture. The polished steel pieces should bemuse and intrigue even the most hardened cynics even if the gigantic red wax river 'floating' through three huge rooms, or the cannon shooting huge blood red wax cannon balls, do not. Enough about culture and now for something completely different:

I have set my sights on a unique new watch (see the picture above) for my better half and have already started putting my pennies away in the hope these investment pieces will not all be snapped up before I am up to speed. It is a limited edition Rolex designed by a new website company, Project X Designs, which takes new Rolex's (Submariners and Daytonas) and customises them so that there are only 24 of them in the world! However, if I wanted an even more unique watch I could ask the company to make up to 19 changes to a new luxury wristwatch - their 'bespoke' watch service. Although I intend to purchase one for hubby I secretly plan for it to be adorning my wrist within days of being gratfully received by him! Can't wait until the end of the month when the two new limited edition PXD Rolex's are being introduced ....