I love these bags, very traditional with a twist - a modern day classic. I hate computer bags - they’re so ugly, so why would I want to put my lovely little lap top in just anything? Oh to have a Violet May python clutch for my laptop! I thought I’d grow tired of silver but it’s just so shiny I can’t help but want it.
I’m loving this white bag too, I know I’d use it even if I wasn’t carrying my laptop in it. There’s just something nice, very grown up about a white handbag. In a way it’s a bit old lady - retro perhaps is a catchier phrase. I hate when I want something and fashion gets the better of me!
Rakish Heels is a unique quirky new shoe brand. Lona Jones is the owner of Rakish Heels and she knows lots about shoes but most importantly she’s super sweet!
Rakish Heels only launch in February 2008. I’m a lover of spats and Rakish has something just as cool - heel covers! Each shoe comes with a detachable heel cover - it can transform the shoe from day to evening!
Lona in Vegas!
This video really says everything about Rakish - its quirkiness with it’s Victorian inspirations & charm. I really like when designers are just doing their own thing - they’re not following trends or copying others they’re just making & designing items that are an extension of themselves - things that they like.
Who can resist a pig in boots? Apparently this little piggy has never liked mud. She’d stand alone shaking in her pen while her mother & other siblings went out to explore the farm. Soon the owners, Debbie and Andrew Keeble noticed that she just didn’t like mud - they thought she might have mysophobia - a fear of dirt. Anyway, they kitted her out in some miniature wellies and now she’s quite happy! Cinders has become the mascot for the campaign to raise money for the Farm Crisis Network, which supports struggling farmers.
I’ve always loved platform shoes. Being only 5′2″ high shoes make me feel powerful (and taller) but it’s the platform or wedge that really works for me. I think if I had a high arch I would have loved the stiletto heel.
Marni patent leather wedges
Platforms have been around forever and I mean centuries. The Greeks first wore them in theatre plays - the more important the character the higher the platform. In the 15th & 16th century high-born prostitutes or courtesans in Venice wore platform shoes.
You could even be divorced for wearing high shoes. Charles ll passed the 1670 Act of Parliament - The Marriage Act, which said that women who “betray into matrimony” an Englishman by use of “scents, paints, artificial teeth, false hair … high-heeled shoes” risked having their marriages declared null, and they were subject to the same punishment as witches.
Platform shoes became immensely popular in the 1970s and in the early 1990s Vivienne Westwood re-introduced the high heeled 5″ & 9″ platform shoe.
I think platforms look great in the summer - they look great with jeans and the open toe platform can look great with a dress. Since I’m usually spending most of my day running around London - the platform will be the perfect alternative to my flats!
Check out this book Shoes by Colin McDowell (1989)
While on my way to dinner I spotted this Nissan Figaro that’s for sale. I know it’s not practical: I couldn’t fit my luggage in it, I only have a license for an automatic, I don’t like parallel parking - which is all one does in London. But it’s Barbie pink and so cute! I rarely want stuff - I know this might be an odd trait for a stylist but if I can use the things that I love in a shoot I don’t feel the need to possess them. Maybe I don’t need a car but I’d like to be the girl who wears a floral dress with big white vintage ray bans, singing my heart out while driving around town.
Salvatore Ferragamo Christrian Lacroix
Ray-Ban Wayfarer in white, black or blue. Bottega Veneta
Oliver Sweeney has been designing shoes for his own label for almost 20 years. Everything is designed in England and hand made in Italy. There are more than 120 stores stocking Oliver Sweeney shoes and accessories countrywide. I often go to the shop on Bond Street and the staff are very helpful.
It’s important to me that if you go to a shop you’re treated well and that the staff are helpful and sincere (hey, I’m Canadian so even if I live in the UK I expect good customer service). A while back there was one designer that I liked but I went into their shop and the staff was so snobby I didn’t want to use their clothes anymore.
Oliver Sweeney shoes are beautifully designed, and fashion forward without being too over the top - classic with a twist. They also come with a matching belt!
You’ll notice that this season many of Oliver’s shoes are very chic. I’m loving the white patent, which also comes in black and a petrol blue.
Cyprus Crocs are the focus of their new ad campaign “What a Croc!” I laughed when I saw the ad. It’s great to see humour in advertising. I didn’t really like the original Crocs. I like comfortable shoes but there is a line I just can’t seem to cross. Anyway it’s likely that this ad campaign can turn Crocs into a fashion brand rather than just a trend.
The company was founded in 1999 and changed its name to Crocs, Inc. in 2005. It’s based in Niwot, Colorado and has 29 shops and 174 retail kiosks world wide. They sold 50 million pairs of Crocs around the world in 2007 - pretty good for a trend!
Vivienne Westwood’s press day took place up stairs in her shop, on Conduit street in London. I love her accessories. There was a diamanté bone necklace and bracelet - very cool and the menswear is beautiful. Aren’t the shoes just amazing!!
It’s quite flattering when you see your work on designer’s site! Beatrix Ong is a lovely shoe designer. She studied at Central St. Martins, The Fashion Institute of Technology in New York and Cordwainers College in London. If you think that’s impressive, she then went on to design for Jimmy Choo and has now been designing her own collection for almost 8 years. Sometimes you might think that a shoes is just a shoe - but a beautiful shoe is never just a shoe! We never really think about all the development and research that goes into shoe making. Recently it’s become a revived art form. There’s even a shoe museum in Toronto. So next time you try on a shoe think about art, fashion and function, and just how pretty they look on your feet!
The Dame Agnes
Hepburn Patent
Body Part Pump John Fluevog and Peter Fox founded Fox & Fluevog in 1970, in Vancouver. They were selling brand new turn of the century shoes. In the 80’s Peter Fox moved to New York and specialized in wedding shoes. Fluevog took over the business and designs all the shoes. They even have a couple of vegan styles called Veggie Vogs. The uppers are made of hemp-cotton blend and a memory foam insole for maximum comfort. Lined with nylon, 100% natural gum rubber soles and water-based adhesive.
Fluevog has always been designing cool shoes, great colours with sculptured heels - and now they are all in fashion!
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 Reebok trainers and have worn them for years as they fit my feet really well. I only wear trainers at the gym and at video or film shoots. I’m really careful to make sure that I don’t have smelly feet - I change my gym sock after each use and have more than one pair of trainers. I don’t like smelling trainers. Nobody does, right? Anyway, Kool-Aid and Reebok have collaborated on the upcoming Kool-Aid Pack, which includes shoes and bright coloured T’s. The shoes feature scented infused liners in Grape, Strawberry, lemon-Lime - all the classics! I remember a few years back a Japanese designer was scenting suits with lavender to keep the businessman more relaxed! So in the world of aroma therapy how will Kool-Aid flavours influence it’s wearer?
Anna Buruma is the archivist at Liberty of London and she spoke at the V&A’s Friday evening talk. (You can see her in the 3rd image, she’s wearing a black dress with a red necklace). I wanted to go to this lecture because Liberty has been such an important part of London’s fashion history for more then a century and I also love some of their handbags!
Sir Arthur Lasenby Liberty opened his first shop with three employees on Regent Street in 1875, where he sold ornaments, fabrics, antiques and artifacts from Japan and the Far East. Liberty quickly expanded to include fashionable clothing and furniture as well as decorative items such as vases, clocks, jewellery, textiles, and wallpapers. In 1877-78 the South Kensington Museum (now the V&A) purchased antique embroideries and rugs from Liberty.
Liberty catered for an eclectic mixture of popular styles while developing his own distinct style. Although many designers and artisans worked for Liberty, the store’s policy of maintaining the anonymity of its designers allowed the shop to create the Liberty Style. In 1890 Liberty opened a shop in Paris, and the shop became synonymous with Art Nouveau, so much so that in Italy the new style became known as Stile Liberty!
In 1884, Liberty asked architect-designer Edward William Godwin to set up the “Artistic Costume Studio” to showcase Liberty designs and fabrics. They made dresses for its elite clientele, including Isadora Duncan and Mrs. Andrew Carnegie. Proust bought his ties there, and Gilbert and Sullivan dressed their casts in his fabrics. The demand Liberty created for his fabrics was greater than the resources of his suppliers and he decided to import ready woven fabric and dye and print them in the UK. Liberty relied on the experts of two printing companies: Thomas Wardle of Leek, in Staffordshire and Edmund Littler of Merton Abbey in Surrey. By the 1890s Merton Abbey was sending its entire production to Liberty and in 1904 Liberty purchased the company.
Liberty had become famous for its prints and textiles and by the 20th century Liberty fabrics were used by great designers like Paul Poiret, Yves Saint Laurent, Cacharel and Jean Muir.
It’s important to understand how relevant and popular these prints still are today. Just take a look at Luella using Liberty prints for her Spring 2008 collection!
Sir Arthur Lasenby Liberty - timeline:
born August 13, 1843
1864-1874 Worked at Farmer and Rogers’ Great Shawl and Cloak Emporium in London, and later at the firm’s Oriental Warehouse.
in 1875 Rented 1/2 of a shop 218A Regent Street and named it the “East India House”
expanded the shop 1876, 1878, 1883, 1924;
produced Liberty Art Fabrics, from 1878;
introduced Umritza Cashmere, 1879;
opened furnishing and decoration department, 1883;
debuted costumes, 1884;
introduced jewelry and metalwork, 1899;
opened Birmingham branch, 1887;
open Paris branch, 1890;
became public company, 1894;
died in May 11, 1917
Liberty of London, of course, continued on well after the death of Sir Arthur Lasenby Liberty, expanding it’s operations even further:
opened branch in Manchester, 1924;
established Liberty and Company Ltd., wholesale company, 1939;
acquired Dutch firm, Metz and Company, 1973;
expanded men’s offerings in flagship store, late 1990s;
opened U.S. distribution center in Fort Worth, Texas, 2000;
acquired by real estate company Marylebone Warwick Balfour, 2000.
If you’re looking for a pre-loved authentic Chanel 2.55 bag French Touch is the place to find one. Samantha Thayi is the owner and she’s collected so many delightful little bags, scarves and accessories!
French Touch
11 Shelton Street
Covent Garden
London WC2H 9JN
I think the most recent fashion design that’s so over before it’s even begun is Manolo Blahnik’s slingback shoes – for men! In all truth I think they’re great and would love to use them in a shoot. I just can’t see them catching on for the masses - but do we really care about the masses? These shoes are for the true fashionisto. I’m sure I’m going to see them on some handsome men in London this summer.
There are several other shoes in the collection that I think are fabulous and great for most men. A word of advice though, please get a pedicure. (BLOWW does a pedicure especially for men). It’s so disgusting to be in the tube and see so many awful looking feet and overgrown toe nails. No matter how stylish you look if you’ve neglected a basic grooming routine you can never look good!
The collection is available in London in February 2008.
Manolo Blahnik
49-51 Old Church Street
Chelsea, London, SW3 5BS
Tel: 020 7352 8622
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 saw these two fabulous girls across from the Ritz and I just had to take their picture! They are both wearing such great shoes and even though it was chilly the girl on the left wears open toe heels with sequin leggings. Both girls happen to be shoe buyers for Office!
When I did the online chat yesterday for koodos.com the most frequent request was for suggestions for party dresses. Here’s my latest “Dress for Your Shape” article for Health & Fitness magazine.
I think the most important thing is to not be afraid of dressing up! It’s much better to be the one at the party who went all out and got really dressed up, than to be the person who’s not dressed as festive as everyone else, so it’s the season where you should really just go for it!
I write a monthly page called “Dress for Your Shape” for Health and Fitness magazine. Each month I focus on a different sport, and while it’s important to dress appropriately for each sport what’s really most important is that you dress for yourself!
There is so much great sportswear out there that you should never have to wear an old t-shirt to the gym. I love sportswear. I don’t tend to wear much sportswear outside the gym, but I do feel great walking to and from the gym in my kit; actually I feel a bit powerful! The gym is one of those rare places where you actually do something just for yourself. So if you’re going to feel good why not look good too?
PO-ZU (”pause” in Japanese) is the name of a UK-based ecological shoe company, whose stockist include Russell & Bromley. They’ve come up with a coconut-based shoe cream that you can eat - it’s the best shine you’ve ever tasted!
