Monday, 30 April 2012
Look Of The Day: First Day Back At School - Put A Bow On It! X
Dear Elgin Avenue readers,
A very Happy Monday evening to you all,
I hope that all of your weeks have got off to a cracking start! As I sit hear with my great friend Charlotte, chowing down on a yummy takeaway and painting our nails I thought I'd quickly share with you my 'First Day Back To School' outfit!
Jeans: Leigh Style from Topshop, Glitter Boots: H&M, Suede Bag: Zara, Shirt: Vintage Liberty - Thank you Mama! Bow: The Hambledon, Sunglasses (Worn On Head) H&M, Jacket: Vintage
As I currently have a minor issue with my bedroom curtains - read: they appear to have fallen down! - I was gently awoken this morning by a rare rising of actual sunshine! Spurred on by the sunnier weather and surprisingly warm climes I chose to wear one of my favourite new additions to my wardrobe - a vintage Liberty of London shirt handed down to me by my dear Mama. Much to my beau's horror I then opted to add a contrasting bow (boy's do not like contrast apparently?!) from one of my favourite boutiques - Winchester-based The Hambledon (read my interview with The Hambledon's founder Victoria Suffield here).
First day back at School, and as completely deluded as it is I do hope the lovely weather continues...if only to wear some actual S/S clothing items!!
Back to Made In Chelsea (and a tub of Ben&Jerry's with Charlotte) I go...
Have a super evening all!
Love,
MB x
Well I like it ; )!!
Saturday, 28 April 2012
The Vogue Festival - In Conversation With Burberry's Christopher Bailey! x
Dear Elgin Avenue readers,
A very Happy Saturday to you all!
I hope that you have all begun your weekends in true style and are managing to navigate your way to avoiding the downpour we are currently experiencing in the UK! Following on from this for my more international (and hot-country dwelling!) readers I would be more than happy to negotiate an 'exchange partner' scheme ; )!!
As it is the rain has provided an excellent excuse to pop my feet up and indulge in some proper replying-to-emails/catching up on phone calls/blogging time! There is a silver lining!
As you will have seen from my frantic Tweeting and pre-blogging last week I was rather excited for the first ever Vogue Festival which took place last Friday and Saturday. Vogue magazine is a name synonymous with style, class, fashion and intellect and needless to say that when they opt to branch out in to something new they apply all the same criteria as they do to the magazine.
Trousers: Mango, Scarf & Belt: Vintage, Clutch: H&M, Shoes (seen below): Zara, Coat: H&M, Necklaces: Accessorize - Below & Topshop - Above, Bangles: H&M and Menorca Finds, Sunglasses: Marks and Spencer, Silk Top: Miss Selfridge
When I was first contacted about the festival I thought it sounded pretty fab, when I then received the list of attendees and speakers I thought it looked very fab and by the time I arrived at the Royal Geographical society on Day 1 I knew I was in for something pretty darn fantastic!!
So much went on in the 2 days that ensued, so please do find yourself a comfy seat and a beverage of choice as this post is going to be a bit of a Marathon! On your marks...get set...VOGUE!
VOGUE FESTIVAL DAY 1
CHRISTOPHER BAILEY IN CONVERSATION WITH ALEXANDRA SHULMAN
I was fortunate enough earlier this year to be able to meet Alexandra Shulman at the launch of her book Can We Still Be Friends. Being the young, comparatively inexperienced, writer that I am I was unsure how Shulman would react when I approached her with my congratulations on her debut novel; I was delighted therefore to find that the woman behind one of Britain's most famous fashion magazines was in fact incredibly nice and very much willing to chat, especially about the upcoming Vogue Festival! Lovely lady that she is, it seemed fitting that Shulman should open the festival in conversation with the equally charismatic Christopher Bailer who charmed the pants off of all 750 audience members.
Christopher Bailey and Alexandra Shulman in front of Burberry's phenomenal video
Shulman opened the conversation explaining the background to Burberry's phenomenal resurrection in the fashion industry, noting that "To do a Burberry" had become a motto in itself, offering inspiration to brands in need of re-vamping. Cue cinematic film of Burberry's history from conception to current campaign and it was hard not to get emotional at the sheer brilliance of the brand (NB: Cinema surround sound definitely helps in evoking drama!) Christopher himself watched the film intently and I can imagine it must still be quite a 'pinch yourself' existence knowing that you are at the helm of such an incredible brand; further more that you personally are credited with fashioning what is now the 'Billion Pound Burberry' (Burberry reported sales in excess of one billion pounds in the last 6 months! Read more here.)
Christopher and Alexandra then began a very amicable discussion about Christopher's involvement with Burberry in which he said that Burberry has very much been a part of his heritage and that his Grandfather has owned one of their trenches. Christopher used the metaphor of an "incredibly beautiful diamond which had been trodden in to the dirt a bit" to describe Burberry prior to his joining the company in May 2001. Christopher described Burberry as "needing a beating heart, needing belief and respect" elements which had fallen away. He described the process of rebuilding the company as 'organic' and that the most integral thing to a successful company is a great team. Burberry has a strong infrastructure and Christopher constantly pushed the fact that he was so glad to have met, and be working with, people who inspire him constantly. A strong infrastructure that inspires you encourages you to work hard, and Christopher was quick to point out that they do all work very hard indeed. Following on from this Christopher pointed out that if you are working hard it makes it a lot easier if you are able to work with people that you enjoy. This is definitely something with I can relate to on a personal level - albeit on a much smaller scale (I am not quite at the billion pound mark yet ; )!) Whether I am collaborating with fellow students on a project for School, or interning with an existing team or simply waitressing in my part-time job, when I am working with others who work hard, have a great attitude and inspire me the end result is always better and often pretty darn fun!
Burberry is a company which constantly pushes the boundaries of new technologies and media. With offices in so many countries around the World Christopher was quick to praise social networking, video conferencing and satellite links as fantastic mediums for keeping all Burberry employees connected. "Burberry has become one culture, we over communicate and everything is centralised at our London Horseferry House HQ with all regions then executing the same strategies" Christopher went on to explain - organisation to the extreme! Burberry are involved to such an extent with social media that they even have their very own Burberry version of Facebook called 'Burberry Chat' which is accessible to all employees and maintains a constant stream of conversation amongst all staff and offices around the World. "Technology has made the World very small" Christopher noted, going on to say that often he did not know which office various staff members were situated in because the communication stream is so efficient! With a staff of 9,000+ that's one helluva social media network!
Christopher's time was divided between his conversation with Alexandra Shulman and the open floor 'question time' which followed. The opportunity for the audience to ask questions was a really nice touch at the festival as it made every one feel as if they were on the same level. No questions were vetted before hand and so it made the dialogue between the speakers and the guests natural, and in Burberry's own ethos 'organic'! And so on to the questions:
Questions Round 1 With Alexandra Shulman
AS: How do you find inspiration for your collections?
CB: It always starts with a mood or a feeling, a spirit or perhaps even meeting someone. I am not actually very good at themes, it is an organic process. It is sometimes hard to articulate a 'feeling' we - as humans - store things in our memory box and in our hearts. I begin to look at fabrics and yarns. For instance the Summer collection (view it on Style.com here) was all about 'Arts&Crafts' and it was inspired by our Yorkshire factory which still hand crafts and stitches everything. I love Yorkshire, the weather and the dry stone walling! That is a craft I always say I will try my hand at but I don't think I am quite built for it - my father laughs at me when I say I'd like to try it! There is something very romantic about rain; Thomas Burberry invented gabardine - the first breathable waterproof fabric, I love the poetry of weather, and we have a lot of extreme weather in Yorkshire! The weather provides constant inspiration.
AS: What makes a good shop?
CB: We are living in a World which can be very intimidating - we should be doing something with will make you smile. We hope that people are met by warmth when they come in to a Burberry store, a smile and inspiration. We never want to make people feel 'not worthy' and we aim to merge the physical and the digital. For instance we are currently developing our new flagship store on Regent St and we keep uncovering the most incredible ceilings underneath layers and layers of additions over the years, I think that is actually a great metaphor for Burberry. We want to make sure that the new space will be somewhere that people can interact with everything. You need life to a store, a store with beautiful things inside but no life looks like a tomb!
AS: What do you do with your time off?
CB: I watch television! I watch Downton Abbey and I have got to start watching The Voice. Will.i.am is someone I admire greatly! I also spend a lot of time in Yorkshire. It is a very local life up there, I have my pub, my fish and chip shop, they always say to me at the fish and chip shop - I say always they've actually said it twice! - "Why do you only ever come in on a Saturday?" and I say "Oh well I live in London" to which they reply "London?!" completed baffled! I know that we (at Burberry) live a very privileged culture - my best friend is a nurse in Yorkshire and it really brings me back down to Earth, I know I am very lucky and very priviledged.
AS: How do you deal with problems?
CB: It depends, for work problems I have a method of 'closing a box and opening another'. My day, as I am sure many other peoples' is, is scheduled almost from the minute I wake up, hour by hour. I rarely work on something for more than say an hour and it allows me to be objective. If something isn't working I simply 'close it' move on to something else and then go back to it when I have a fresh perspective. In terms of personal problems, my friends and family are the people who understand me and equally I understand them, so I would always turn to them if I needed to.
AS: Who is the next face of Burberry?
CB: We meet so many people at Burberry, actresses, artists, musicians, the way I work with people is that I have to get to know them first. I hate feeling intimidated, so for instance with Emma Watson we got to know each other socially first and then we decided to work together. We have actually just shot the next campaign but I couldn't possibly tell you who it was with!
Questions Round 2 With The Audience
Q1: Do you think it would be beneficial for more brands to have good manufactured in the UK?
CB: We have a huge factory in Yorkshire and all of our trench coats are made there. We have in fact doubled our work force there in the last year to 700+ people. I feel very strongly that you have to go where the skills are, so for example Italy are the best for Leather goods. England will always have our roots, and we are continuing to expand our Yorkshire factory which is actually very close to my home. We have annual 'Icon Awards' in the company for people who have gone above and beyond and I am so proud that so many of the winners came from our factory in Yorkshire!
Q2: Would you have considered the position at Dior?
CB: Raf (Simons formally of Jil Sander) has got the position and I expect that he will do an amazing job. Dior is an amazing company and they have so much potential. Raf is an amazing designer. Burberry is still my baby, it is so much more to me than my job. Raf I like hugely personally and I know that he is going to be a rock star at Dior.
Q3: What part does research play in your collections?
CB: Research is huge. We have departments which are specifically assigned to research and development, and this is true across all platforms of the brand. Music for instance was originally a small sideline project for us, and now is has become huge. We connect people and champion new talent, we are constantly looking at new platforms for R&D.
Q4: What is the most important thing in order to become a designer at Burberry?
CB: We expect people to be talented, that is a given every one has a brilliance in them, it is up to me and my team to draw that brilliance out. We at Burberry look for 'glue people' people who work together and at Burberry there is room for every one to grow. We need people who are results driven, people who want to learn and stay humble to learning. People become boring when they stop learning. Come in with a smile on your face. Energy - you cannot underestimate this when you walk in to a building!
Q5: What is your view on Art vs Design?
CB: An artist connects emotionally and a designer connects emotionally and functionally - that is what I love about design. I love to interact and touch our products.
Q6: Can you expand on your relationship with Angela Ahrendts, CEO of Burberry, over the years?
CB: Angela and I already had a bond when we worked together at Donna Karen in New York. She is the most clever and passionate CEO, she loves design and creativity and we work hand in hand. It is spontaneous, we are very casual, we e-mail and chat a lot. That respect for each others' Worlds is vital. I love that she cares about design and she cares a lot that I love business.
Q7: What project or achievement have you been most proud of?
CB: Our team. We build a lot of different things, and I feel immensely proud of my team. Nothing would go on without them. They are the reason I come in with a smile on my face. I empower people to believe and dream - people who started out as assistants now run the company.
And with that Mr Bailey concluded his conversation with Alexandra Shulman - and us audience members! I cannot even begin to describe the energy which was left in the room. True to his word Christopher inspired me, and I imagine every other person in the audience that fine rainy Friday morning. His passion for the people he works with, the company he has built (and is still building), and every thing he encounters struck a chord that we need to keep our eyes, minds and hearts open. And that all of this can genuinely translate in to a viable and successful business.
Having been so captivated by Christopher's conversation you can imagine my delight when I then got to meet the man himself! On a very glamorous jaunt to the ladies room I almost literally bumped in to Christopher! Wild nerves and a lot of admiration spurring me on I promptly offered my hand and my thanks for such a wonderful and interesting talk. Christopher not only then introduced himself and thanked me for being there, he also proceeded to chat away about how cute my dog was (Barney takes pride of place as my phone's screen saver!) and said that he thought I was going to give him my business card - which I then promptly did! All in all upon having met Christopher on a one-on-one basis and having listened to him talk to the editor in chief of Vogue in front of 750 people and having heard of his love of fish and chips and dry-stone walling, I think he is definitely a Rock Star himself. I cannot wait to see what he, and Burberry, do next!!
Smiling ear to ear!
And so having written up only the first of the Vogue Festival events I must now dash! I think my warning about the write-up being a marathon is more true than I had ever imagined, I believe we are probably only just at the 5 mile mark....!!
Have a super evening all, I shal endeavor to complete the next few miles oh-so-soon!
Love,
MB x
Thursday, 26 April 2012
Look Of The Day: Accents Of Red X
Dear Elgin Avenue readers,
A very Happy Thursday evening to you all,
My my how time is whizzing on by! I have to apologise to you all for my mini disappearing act over the past 10 days or so! I have missed you all! My internship with the television company has been hotting up somewhat and as such we have had back-to-back filming for the past month! Fitting in 'life' has been a little tricky! Fortunately I was still able to go to some in-cred-ible events including the first ever Vogue Festival which you can read about on Vogue.com here and also my good friend Vikki's blog here. The full T.E.A report will follow shortly - after all I couldn't not inform you of my bumping in to Christopher Bailey now could I ; )!! In the mean time have a peep at this...it is pretty darn exciting!!
Bright Red Jeans & Jersey Top: H&M, Trainers: Converse, Coat & Headscarf: Vintage, Handbag: Rabeanco, Umbrella: Borrowed - necessity!!
For all of my lovely readers who live in the UK, there is no escaping the fact that we have been living in something of a down pour recently! The pavements are sodden in a manner which looks like they may never dry out and people are constantly battling with the umbrella/handbag/shopping conundrum! Well, my dear readers having listened to Mr Bailey in conversation I am trying my darn hardest to see the weather in a new light, one which he describes as "Poetic and Romantic." Hmm..."Poetic and Romantic, Poetic and Romantic" am I doomed if I feel that romance is found in a nice warm dry London cab?!
When the weather turns grey, I like to wear anything but and so accents of red seemed befittingly anti-gloom! Converse are a necessity when interning on set and an umbrella (borrowed or not!) is a life saver!
SO my wonderful readers, to bed I must now go! Delightful to see you all again : )!
Have a super evening!
Love,
MB x
Friday, 20 April 2012
Look Of The Day: Little Miss Sun&RainShine! + Anticipating The Vogue Festival x
Dear Elgin Avenue readers,
A very Happy Thursday to you all!
I cannot quite get my head around that tomorrow is Friday - Friday - the week seems to have whipped on by! As it is I am SO excited for tomorrow's shenanigans which will mark the beginning of the Vogue Festival! Woohoo! You can read my post on the full line up here - an unfathomable amount of FashPack A-Listers!
Interning as I am for a new top-secret series I have largely been wearing my Oyster Card thin dashing two and fro across London town - in a brief moment of pause I was able to snap my 'Little Miss Sun&RainShine' (see what I did there?!) outfit for Filofax's blogger style-up challenge! Having been asked to select my favourite organiser from a selection of gorgeous leather Filofaxes my inner Italiana set my style compass on a path for bright bright bright! So enamoured was I by the canary hue it became the inspiration for the rest of my citrus ensemble!
Leather Organiser: Filofax, Jeans: Leigh Style @ Topshop, Boots: Jones The Bootmaker, Coat & Yellow Blouse: H&M, Scarf: Vintage
Have a peep at the full T.E.A entry on the Filofax Facebook page here and vote for your favourite blogger's look! If T.E.A wins then I will be given 5 brand spanking new Filofaxes to distribute amongst you my gorgeous readers!
Have a super evening all!
Love,
MB x
Tuesday, 17 April 2012
Look Of The Day: Violet & Yellow! Day 5 of the Christys' Hat Challenge!
Dear Elgin Avenue readers,
A very Happy Monday to you all,
I hope that you all had an ahhmazing weekend and beginning to your weeks!
Whirlwind post this evening as I am just about ready to hit the pillow however I simply had to share with you the fifth and final look from the Christys' hat challenge! I think it might just be my favourite! What do you guys think? The purple of the wide-brimmed hat, teamed with the yellow blouse makes for a pretty darn cheerful combination. With so many colours going on I opted for my favourite black skinnies and tan accessories to be the 'cooling agent' to the spicy colour concoction!
DAY 5
Purple Trilby: Christys', Blouse, Bag & Scarf: Vintage, Jeans: Topshop Leigh, Boots: Zara, Watch: Swatch, Bangles: From Travels, Earrings: A Birthday Gift
I've said it once, but I'll say it again, wearing hats day in day out has definitely made me think about my wardrobe more. I have always loved my millinery pals but having branched our from my tried-and-tested black/brown trilbys and in to the realms of adventurous colours and varying styles, I have not only had a ton of fun but also really come to appreciate how 'finished' an outfit can look with a great hat!
Hmm I may just have to expand my collection....; )!
I have to say a BIG thank you to Charlotte who so kindly stepped up to the role of 'official hat photographer' - such a star and a much treasured friend! In addition thank you to Christys' hats for allowing me to indulge in my hat passion - this challenge has done nothing but increase my love ten fold!!
For a further browse at all Christys' hats head to their website here.
Have a superduper evening all!
Love,
MB x
P.S. HOW excited are your for the Vogue Festival?! You can still get hold of your tickets here OR keep checking T.E.A on Friday and Saturday this week for all the Fash Pack news!!! Follow me on Twitter for a more immediate play-by-play! Woo yeah!
Thursday, 12 April 2012
Day 3 & 4 of The Christys' Hat Style up!! Wide Brim and Bubblegum Pink! x
Dear Elgin Avenue readers,
A very Happy Thursday to you all,
As I am sure my regular readers will have noted (and indeed some of you have sweetly told me!) that yesterday I did not in fact manage to put up Day 3 of the Christys' Hat Challenge! Eek! My sincerest apologies lovely T.E.A'ers I hope that I can go someway in making it up to you all by doubling the dose of hat greatness in putting up both Day 3 and day 4 in one foul swoop!
And so here it is....!!
DAY 3
I have a bit of a soft spot for 70's styling (see my post with a serious pair of flares here) and so when I laid eyes on this wide-brimmed navy beauty it was love at first sight! The brim is a good width - not so wide so as to look comical, but wide enough to hold a great shape. Inspired as I was by the navy hue of my new wide-brimmed pal, I opted to pull together a nautical/vintage-esque look complete with faux fur coat. Despite my best efforts I cannot pack a light bag! When it came to nipping home for an evening I flexed my non-existant biceps and carried not one, but two, h-u-a-ge bags. Unnecessary? Yes. Preventable? Apprently not! What do you think of the wide-brimmed look? Would you be happy to wear this day-to-day and style up like it's 1977? NB: I read an article recently on Leandra Medine, of the amazing blog The Man Repeller (you have to check it out if you don't know it already), and she said that guys get a bit frightened if you dress like you're from '77. Humph. Sorry boys, '70's girls look darrrrnnnn good. End of.
Navy Hat: Christys', Shorts, Jumper & Shoes: Zara (see the silver shoes here too), Breton T: Mango, Tan Handbag: Mulberry Bayswater (gift from my lovely beau), Large Tan Holdall: TKMaxx (gift from my Paps!), FauxFur Coat: Vintage, Tights: M&S
Watch (just seen): Swatch, Bangles: Bought in Menorca, Yello Nailpolish: Barry M
Interning is absolutely ahhhmazing at the mo (I can't wait til I can actually tell you which show I am working on!) and as such I have the great fortune of going on press appointments for much of the week. Press appointments involve going to see a press representative - or PR - to have a chat about their brand or product and see if it would be possible to borrow an item for a specific magazine shoot, or in this case television series. PR is quite an amazing industry, it builds the basis for how we perceive any given brand, person or item and it is fundamental in projecting the right 'message'. When going on appointments I always like to make a bit of an effort, just as PR's are representing their clients you are representing your employer. Given that fashion and television are creative industries I tend to wear jeans, heels and a fun top when running about London town, and today was no exception! I am so in love with this bubblegum pink trilby! At first I was a little unsure of how to style it, but after a little nudge in the right direction from my great friend Charlotte, I opted to go all-out and team pink-on-pink with my favourite River Island ombre jeans (you can also see them in my LFW Day 1 post here!) and a more muted navy crew neck jumper.
DAY 4
Pink Trilby: Christys', Navy Jumper: Petit Bateu (bought at The Hambledon), Silver and Turquoise Clutch: Banana Republic, Ombre Jeans: River Island, Embellished Necklace: Accessorize (you can see it here too) Shoes: Zara
And so there you have it! Day 3 and 4 of the T.E.A. hat escapades!
I think by the time this week is up I am going to feel bare without something upon my head! I have always been a hat fan, however this week is teaching me to be more adventurous with my choices. The reaction from people on public transport is great too! Nods of approval from gents who know a well-made hat, and sweet comments from the staff at pret a manger! These hats are social ; )!
Have a super evening all!
Love, as always,
MB x
Tuesday, 10 April 2012
Look Of The Day: Shades of Grey & Day Two Of The Christys' Hat Styleup! x
Dear Elgin Avenue readers,
A very Happy Tuesday to you all,
Low and behold Day Two of the Chirstys' Hat Challenge has rolled on round and I have found myself styling up another millinery number with a grey on grey ensemble.
Today's hat of choice is a dove grey boater in a classy felt fabric with a contrasting black grosgrain bow. Loyal as I normally am to my fail-safe trilby style this boater beauty felt like quite a style departure. I was expecting to find it difficult to wear this look but when teamed with a neat chignon and complimentary layers of grey it made for a surprisingly easy getup.
Boater Hat: Christys', Jeans (once were black now a charcoal grey - how fitting!) Topshop, Heels: Primark, Gilet: Zara, Button-Down Waistcoat: Found at Mary Portas's Living and Given Store - I also found this dress there! Necklace: Vintage, Nail Polish: Barry M
Hat Hair!
Having thought at length recently about hats and all things hat-related I thought I'd share with you the image which first whetted my appetite for the Millinery World - step forward please Marina Munoz. This former model (I say former - she is still snapped constantly!) is now a celebrity/Vogue stylist and one of Vogue's 'best dressed' to boot! I love Marina's tomboyish-meets-incredibly beautiful look, tousled unkept hair and luminous skin. Marina is so darn beautiful and yet she has a bit of a 'tude too which I like! A lot! This image below is one of my favourites, it was shot by a street style photographer - I forget who now - and has remained impressed in my hat psyche ever since. This girl gives good hat.
Have a wander over to Marina's blog for more Munoz. It is definitely worth the stroll!
Marina Munoz in my favourite look!
More Munoz. More Hat. Sigh.
And so on that note my lovely readers, I shall bid you ado for the evening, I believe one of my girls is going to finish work in a mere moment and a glass of wine may be on the cards! Forgive me!
Have a super evening all!
Day 3 coming up oh so soon!
Love,
MB x
Monday, 9 April 2012
5 Hats 5 Days! The Launch of MB's Christys' Hat Challenge! x
Dear Elgin Avenue readers,
A very Happy Bank Holiday Monday to you all!
I hope that you have all had a truly super looong weekend and have been guzzling chocolate like there is no tomorrow (it is practically the only time of the year - bar Christmas - that this is a compulsory code of behavior!)
Today I am so excited to mark the beginning of a fab new T.E.A styling venture with one of my favourite brands - Christys’ hats! You will have already seen some posts featuring my own Christys’ collection - here, here, aaand here to select but a few - and so you can well imagine how delighted I was when Christys’ PR inquired if I’d like to nip in to their studio and have a peruse through their collection; well that’ll be a big ol’ Y-E-S from me!!
Having been founded in 1773 Christys' is the hat label of choice for our very own Royal family AND our fashion Royalty to boot - one Miss Kate Moss is a big Christys' fan! As befitting of two such fierce fashion forces this historic brand's mission statement reads simply: "Wearing a Christys' hat means wearing something extremely special and individual, beautifully designed and exceptionally crafted. The best dressed should never be without one..." Well that's us told then ; )!
After a good 30minutes fawning over a huge selection of Christys’ samples, I concluded that the only thing to do would be to pack a verrry large bag full to the brim (no pun intended!) of these millinery masterpieces and wear a different one every day. For a week. The results of this mad-hatter escapade will follow over the next five days and I can barely wait!
Today is Day One, and the special hat in question is a rather delightful maroon number!
Peruse the pics below for my Day Uno experience....
Hat: Christys' (natch!), Belt & Bag: Vintage, Shoes: Issa London, Trousers: Mango, Gold Cuff: Freedom @ Topshop, Faux Fur Collar: Taken From My John Lewis Collection Coat You Can See Here, Watch: Burberry, Jumper: GAP
La Moss in her Christys' fave
This maroon trilby caught my eye as soon as I walked in to the Christys’ studio, I am already a fan of this particular brim-width and over all aesthetic but it is the rich blood red colour which really took my fancy. Lipstick has been a rather large leap for me, cosmetically speaking, having only really stepped away from my fail-safe ‘slick of lip balm’ look in the last year or so (I was evidently a late lipstick bloomer!) having said this there is something quite thrilling in matching your hat to your lips - and I have to admit it felt rather fancy! I opted to don a sharp 40’s-inspired look to compliment my new maroon pal - long camel trousers, a fine knit grey jumper and a fur collar - all topped off with a collection of golden bits and bobs! This look is ideal for heading to press days or a smart lunch, however it could easily work for the office too - I would add a belted coat and a larger day bag, swapping the fine knit jumper for a crisp white shirt. Sorted.
All in all for day one I very much enjoyed this particular hat-tastic look, I would love to hear what you all think too - would you be tempted to try a Maroon trilby?
On that note I am off to watch Made in Chelsea, in fact now that I think about it I bet that Millie Mackintosh would look rather fetching in a Christys' number!! Hmm food for thought!
Have a super evening all!
Already looking forward to day two!
Love,
MB x
Tuesday, 3 April 2012
Alexandra Shulman's Debut Novel : "Can We Still Be Friends" - The Low Down From The Launch! x
Dear Elgin Avenue readers,
A very Happy Tuesday to you all!
I hope that you have all had a super beginning to your weeks!
I hope that you have all had a super beginning to your weeks!
As I may have let on (a little!) I am a BIG fan of the fashion industry, in particular I love the UK's fashion industry and even more so I am in awe of women who have made their stamp on the British fashion industry, so when I had the incredible fortune last Wednesday of attending the book launch of UK's Vogue's Alexandra Shulman's brand new debut novel, 'Can We Still Be Friends', my heart quickened its beat! Here is a lady who is at the top of the UK fashion industry and is now adding another feather to her hat to boot!
L-R Alexandra Shulman, Vogue UK's Editor In Chief, Yours Truly
In amongst the incredible art hanging on Sotheby's walls, a new piece of work stole centre show - a huge version of Shulman's book cover! As Shulman went on to explain later in the evening "designing a cover for a Vogue editor is not an easy task" and yet, I am sure you will agree, it looks pretty darn great!
I particularly enjoyed Justine from Penguin's speech which preceded Alexandra's in which she noted "This room is full of Alex’s friends and along the way some of the most amusing moments I’ve had in publishing have been her friends trying to find out if they are in the book. SO I outline the three friends in the book, the ambitious journalist who is a bit of an addict in every way, the girl who longs for romance instead of a career, and the one who discovers that she is not quite the girl that her parents thought. I watched the friends either look slightly worried or relieved but in fact all I can say is that they shouldn’t worry because it is all fiction and just remember how much Alex values friendship."
L-R Melanie Clore, Chairman of Sotheby's Europe, Alexandra Shulman
In amongst a whole bevvy of in-cred-ible guests including - brace yourselves - Samantha Cameron, Mario Testino, Christopher Bailey, Sophie Dahl, Nigella Lawson, Sir Phillip Green, Nicholas & Georgia Coleridge, Jonathan Newhouse , Antony Gormley, Erdem, Roland Mouret, Jonathan Saunders, Julia Peyton-Jones (co-director of The Serpentine Gallery), Penelope Tree and Helen Fielding - we all sipped away at the amazing champagne and cocktails on offer whilst trying to avert our gaze away from the model waiters and waitresses who were as good-looking as the Canapés were tasty!
Oh and in the morning's Metro...!!
L-R Alexandra Shulman, Vogue UK's Editor In Chief, Yours Truly
In amongst the incredible art hanging on Sotheby's walls, a new piece of work stole centre show - a huge version of Shulman's book cover! As Shulman went on to explain later in the evening "designing a cover for a Vogue editor is not an easy task" and yet, I am sure you will agree, it looks pretty darn great!
The book's fab cover
It was an incredible event, with stars of the fashion World at every turn of the head, not to mention Samantha Cameron who looked radiant and congratulated Alexandra Shulman whole heartedly whilst fash-bulbs went crazy snapping the pair in convo. Shulman also gave a wonderful speech in which she thanked her editors, and every one who contributed to the book's existence, and of course gave mention to the soiree we were all attending "It is a very odd occasion for me this, as I did a lot of thinking for the book and plotting it in the mornings when I went to the gym and I’d be on the treadmill and when I got stuck with the plot, and even more stuck by the idea of having to go up to the 5 km the 6km, I made myself think about the party and I’d think “you are going to have an absolutely great time at the party!” and everything would get moving then! That’s been going on for a couple of years now, and I realised this morning I only have one more session on the treadmill where I can think about the party, and now the party is here and it is kind of a freaky feeling"I particularly enjoyed Justine from Penguin's speech which preceded Alexandra's in which she noted "This room is full of Alex’s friends and along the way some of the most amusing moments I’ve had in publishing have been her friends trying to find out if they are in the book. SO I outline the three friends in the book, the ambitious journalist who is a bit of an addict in every way, the girl who longs for romance instead of a career, and the one who discovers that she is not quite the girl that her parents thought. I watched the friends either look slightly worried or relieved but in fact all I can say is that they shouldn’t worry because it is all fiction and just remember how much Alex values friendship."
In amongst a whole bevvy of in-cred-ible guests including - brace yourselves - Samantha Cameron, Mario Testino, Christopher Bailey, Sophie Dahl, Nigella Lawson, Sir Phillip Green, Nicholas & Georgia Coleridge, Jonathan Newhouse , Antony Gormley, Erdem, Roland Mouret, Jonathan Saunders, Julia Peyton-Jones (co-director of The Serpentine Gallery), Penelope Tree and Helen Fielding - we all sipped away at the amazing champagne and cocktails on offer whilst trying to avert our gaze away from the model waiters and waitresses who were as good-looking as the Canapés were tasty!
L-R Yours Truly, Justine From Penguin wearing an AHH-MAZING vintage Chritian Dior Necklace - it got some serious stares!
In Shulman's own words, on how her book came about after having mentioned wanting to write a book in an interview: "I probably say lots of things in interviews that I probably have no intentions of doing at the time...like potato farming" and yet after much pursuasion and pondering Shulman has written a book and it looks pretty darn great!
You can get your hand on Alexandra Shulman's debut novel 'Can We Still Be Friends' on
April 12th!
A BIG thank you to Vogue for such a wonderful evening, to our host Alexandra who took the time to talk to a young fashion blogger such as myself, and to all the lovely guys and girls at Penguin who made me feel incredibly welcome. A huge congratulations to Alexandra on her debut, I have no doubt that I will soon see many a gorgeous gal leafing through their very own copy!
Have a peep at all the official pics on Vogue.co.uk and at a fantastic article on Shulman herself in the Guardian online today here (thank you gorgeous Fera Baybutt for alerting me to this!)
Have a wonderful day all!
Love,
MB x
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