Annabel Lewis is the founder of the celebrated trimmings and ribbon shop and every stylist’s favourite haberdashery VV Rouleaux! Annabel was giving mini demonstrations as part of the Viktor & Rolf exhibition on bow making. She gave everyone a long wired ribbon and showed us how to make the perfect rose and Christmas tree bow!

My rose!

We had a great shoot day. We did lots of prep for this shoot; we went to PRs and designers and found lots of fabulous dresses!!! It was an easy, happy shoot day - lots of shoots are - everyone wants to get as much out of the shoot as possible and to do a really good job. It’s great to work with people who really love and care about what they are doing - it makes a difference. The hair and make-up were great, this was really important because it brings everything to life. Alex Foden, (also Amy Winehouse’s hair stylist) did the hair, he not only styled it but did the cut & colour - how fab is he, and Samantha Hosker did the make-up!

Summer Couture Hats

If I’m looking for inspiration and a good cup of tea I head to Sloane Square, where I will find my hatter. I have known Louise Mariette for some time now, and I think he might be one of the most fabulous people I will ever meet. You expect a hatter to be flamboyant, to glide across the dance floor, perhaps with a cup of tea in hand. I must say Louise is all this and more; he’s one of the most sincere and honest people you’ll ever meet - which makes him delightful. All said, he’s very creative and has discussed at length with me the art of hat making - which I find fascinating.

Louise has just launched a new range, called Bejewelled - a diffusion headpiece and accessory collection. The Bejewelled collection includes headbands, tiaras, hatpins, brooches, bracelets, and necklaces. I’ve been trying them all on! I’d like to be the kind of girl who wears a tiara but I can’t seem to make it work (boo hoo!), but there are lots of other pieces that I love and actually look good in!

The team!!

Great Assistants!

Karen Millen hosting the event

Kit - she said she reads my blog -how cool!!!

A Louis Mariette headpiece!

There were lots of fabulous people at this event, Christina is one of them!

I have always loved hats - so living in London is the right place to explore this love. Canada is a place more suitable for a functional “I don’t want any more frostbite” kind of hat. I tend to like hats that are small and understated. I don’t want to be the annoying kind of person that if you’re sitting behind me at a movie or show you can’t see a thing.

This is a hat by Victoria Grant, she’s really lovely! A while back I was doing a shoot in a studio complex and realized that Victoria had her studio there so I couldn’t resist popping in and saying hello! She’s made hats for Top Shop, Julia Clancey, Cacharel, Michiko Koshino and Jean-Pierre Braganza!

I really enjoyed Premiere Classe. I love accessories and the selection was overwhelming - there are over 300 vendors; there were 3 glove exhibitors, 79 shoes designers, 80 jewellery designers, 51 hat designers, 81 bag designers plus scarf, sunglasses and umbrella designers! I think it’s so difficult to be a buyer!!!
Amy from Comfort Station has been showing at Premiere Classe for several seasons!

I really like attending On|Off - there are so many new designers there - I say new but many of them have been designing for years. The venue is set up in a very welcoming way: you feel free to look at a collection and chat with the designer and of course it’s a beautiful venue.

There’s a bus right near the V&A that drops you off right in front of the Royal Academy of Arts, so it’s very easy to get there after seeing a show at the BFC tent.

Lee Lapthorne at the final day of On|Off -this was the first break he’s had in weeks! He’s the creative director and producer of On Off.

Deborah Henning: I really liked Deborah’s first collection, so it great to see her at On Off! All of her garments are manufactured in the UK, they’re well made, feminine and slightly edgy!

Kerry Nixon is the sweetest and most lovable girl that you’ll ever meet. She also has a super cute accent and is wearing one of Rizvis’ headpieces! She’s one half of Vidler and Nixon - Stefan Vidler is the other half. Cinched waistlines and full skirts - dramatic silhouettes - are their trademark with key pieces including their full-skirted ‘Marie’ coat - which I have been wearing in my dreams. I think I actually dress better in my dreams. And yes, I do dream about fashion…

Richard Sorger creates luxury beaded and embroidered garments. They are quite stunning and I just used one of his dresses in Luxure Magazine. Richard’s celebrity clients include Courtney Love, Cindy Crawford, Bjork, Kirsten Dunst and Jennifer Lopez - quite the list!! And now he’s off to exhibit in Paris!

Yasmin Rizvi makes great hats so of course we couldn’t resist and had to try them all on!

Courtney Blackman & I are going to have a private hat party!!

This is Nina from Nina and Lola - Nina looks great in hats but Lola (not here today doesn’t really wear hats…) Nina is one of my favourite people - you might think I have a lot of favourite people and it’s true I do - but really the list isn’t that long - beside why would I want to know people that I don’t love and adore -life is short right? Anyway Nina is very cool and fun to hang out with - she’s sussing out clothes for her on-line shop Nina and Lola.

Karen Brost showed at London Fashion Week at an exclusive members club! I really like Karen’s work. It’s very grown up, very sophisticated and has a slight edge. Depending how you style it, you can make it quite edgy & chic or you can go elegant and sophisticated - but her work is all about quality, great cuts and luxury fabrics. Doing your first show is an enormous amount of pressure and responsibility for any new designer - the show was a success and the party was quite fun too! I got to wear one of Louis Mariette’s hats so I was quite excited!

Karen Brost!

Three girls all with hair accessories!

Michele Obi from My Fashion Life at Modernist

Catherine McColl, the fashion editor of Amelia’s Magazine at Anne-Sofie Back.

Maria Milano, the on line Editor of InStyle at the Jaeger after party! I loved the Jaeger show! It was great to see a British iconic brand showing at LFW - I think they’re going to give Burberry a run for their money!

I went to the Biba Show at Claridge’s. I loved the hats and the fabrics!

Funkduplondon.com is about all things cool: they interview all different kinds of people like Jodie Harsh, Louis Mariette and even me!

It’s raining out and nobody’s shopping so it’s a perfect time to check out the new accessories at Topshop and dream of summer. I love these big summer floppy big hats and these 80’s clutch bags.

This is a Chanel 2.55 inspired bag by Marc B and it’s only £35!

I’d like to be the kind of girl who could dress my dog in this Gucci hat. I know that the hat is kind of silly and it’s the type of thing you’d expect Paris Hilton’s dog to wear but there’s just something so wonderfully pretentious about it.

Louis Mariette is a fabulously delightful milliner and i-D magazine stated that he was one of the 250 most influential creative professionals in the world. He is probably most famous for designing the world’s most expensive hat, valued at £1.5 million.

Most importantly, whenever you visit Louis’ showroom you’re offered a cup of tea and you feel like you’ve been transported into a magical world, and you know what? You have! I feel very naughty when I’m there, I have to try everything on and I can stop giggling. I think it’s all the glitter, it effects you somehow!

I recently went to Iceland, where I met up with Icelandic fashion designer Thelma Bjork. She makes embellished headbands, and I love them! I’m a bit intimidated by the hat, but the headband I have no issues with: somehow it’s easier, less of a commitment than a hat but it makes an equal statement! While she specializes in handmade headpieces with embroidery, Thelma also works with knit and crochet. She first learned needlework from her grandmother when she was just eight years old, and hasn’t stopped sewing since! Thelma studied at the prestigious Ecole Lesage (atelier de broderie) in Paris, where she now lives. She sells in Japan, Sweden, Iceland, Italy, London and Le Bon Marche in Paris.