Category Archives: Life & Style

GEOX AND PATRICK COX SS2012 CAPSULE COLLECTION

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GEOX the premier Italian brand famous for the innovative use of breathable technology and the
renown British shoe designer Patrick Cox have teamed up to create a capsule footwear collection
for Spring Summer 2012 that is an exciting fusion of sportswear and urban chic.

This SS2012 capsule collection marks the start of an ongoing collaboration between GEOX and
Patrick Cox and will see the development of footwear collections for men and women that bring
together elements of active sportswear, big city living, innovative materials and cutting edge
design.

In a statement about his collaboration with GEOX, Patrick Cox has said:

“I want to create pieces that are casual in spirit and reflect London’s cool urban vibe building on
GEOX’s exceptional and innovative shoemaking technology.”

Patrick Cox who became a global household name following the launch of his Wannabe loafer,
arguably the most commercially successful loafer launched in modern times, is famous for shoe
design that skillfully mixes traditional and the avant-garde and for shoes that are ‘must have’ items
for a knowing and fashion conscious market.

Mr Mario Moretti Polegato, Chairman of GEOX comments:

“I’m very pleased with this collaboration that will further increase the value of our respective
strengths and excellences. This new and innovative project will enable our clients to find designer
shoes interpreting in a modern and contemporary way our innovative shoes technology”

The GEOX brand was originally inspired by the style of a British Gentleman who liked to meld
functionality and comfort with a stylish urban twist when choosing his footwear and the idea was
later extended to a broader customer base to whom this mix of styles appealed.

The debut collection that will be launched this weekend features 18 styles for men and 20 for
women that perfectly illustrate the meld of active sportswear and city chic. The designs include
classic wing tip moccasin and derby shoes but with lightweight, flexible GEOX BREATHING soles
or the combination of a traditional tubular loafer with a tennis sole.

The shoes are crafted in beautiful soft leathers in a vast assortment of colours. Available now this
new collection will be distributed in key European markets such as the UK, Italy, France and in the
USA and Asia. The range will be available in top department stores, selected Geox shops and
specialty stores.

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Faiza Seth: Businesswomen, Socialite and Charity Founder.

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Frost has interviewed the glamourous businesswomen, Socalite and Charity Founder Faiza Seth. She has worked in the city, set up charities and started her own business. Definitely an inspiration women. The charity she founded is called Soham for Kids.

 

Faiza founded the Soham for Kids School in Hyderabad, India in 2010 because she believes that educating the impoverished is a long-term solution to alleviating poverty. This strategy requires self-enabling individuals to permanently break the cycle of poverty and eventually provide for themselves and their families. Faiza developed the holistic concept of establishing this completely free school that not only delivers a well rounded education, but also provides food, clothing and healthcare to 100 children across four grades ranging from pre-school, lower kindergarten, upper kindergarten to first grade. The charity aims to expand the school one grade each year. Soham for Kids is one of a few charitable schools in India that is non-denominational promoting a culture of acceptance and open-mindedness.

What can people do to help? People can donate or if they do have teaching experience, volunteer. There is always a need for clothes, blankets, books and toys, so people can donate these for the Soham for Kids students as well.

You used to work in the city, but now have your own business, was the transition scary? It is always scary to start your own business, because this has greater risk associated with it, and less job security. However, starting small and adding overheads slowly as business grows is a way to mitigate the risk.

Tell us about Casa Forma

Casa Forma Limited, a London-based architectural and interior design company specialising in creating bespoke luxury, turn-key properties. Casa Forma was founded in 2007 to develop properties in super prime locations of London and also offers its interior and architectural design services to third parties. Since inception, Casa Forma has successfully completed over 60 luxury residential and commercial projects in London as well as internationally. Our international practice provides a comprehensive interior design and architectural design service for residential, commercial and hospitality properties.

Our award-winning team of over 15 interiors designers, several of whom are qualified architects, can help you turn a space into a bespoke luxury living environment of impeccable quality by improving the functionality of a space thereby improving the value of a property both intrinsically and commercially. Casa Forma’s experienced team of interior designers and architects is led by world-class experts from the fields of decorative and structural design place absolute importance on understanding the particular needs and wishes of their clients for a professional service delivered to an uncompromisingly high standard. We are firm believers that the home is an extension of the homeowners’ personality, personal style, lifestyle, and tastes.


What is big in interior design right now? Currently, art deco, handmade products, and Asian influenced decor seem to be the prevalent trends in interior design.

Do you think women can “have it all”? Women can have it all, but not at the same time. There are only 24 hours in a day, and women can only balance so much. Sometimes work, family, or other commitments take different priority at different stages in a woman’s life.

How do you relax? I relax by watching TV, watching movies, getting a massage, spending time in nature, and yoga. Also just spending time with my Yorkies Dopey and Fizz automatically makes me smile and relax.

What is the best piece of business advice you ever had? ‘Think different, think Smarter. Otherwise, if you’re trying to be like someone else, the best you’ll ever be is second best.’ which was given by my husband Pallak Seth.

What’s next for you? I want to expand Casa Forma into the hospitality and commercial sectors. I also want to expand Casa Forma geographically into the emerging markets. I want to increase the class size of Soham for Kids so I can help some more impoverished and underprivileged children.

Girlie question now; what is your favourite beauty product? I love MAC Smoulder eyeliner. The eyes are the most expressive and beautiful feature on ones face and I think eyeliner really is the one product that can impact your look most.

Lauren Laverne, Jo Whiley, Claudia Winkleman, at Lauren's Oxfam Get Together

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Lauren Laverne, Jo Whiley, Claudia Winkleman, Dee Koppang at Lauren’s Oxfam Get Together event for International Women’s Day,

Lauren Laverne gathered together a host of celebrity friends to support Oxfam’s Get Together campaign for International Women’s Day this week, raising funds for women around the world.

Guests at the Mad Hatter’s Tea Party included Jo Whiley, Claudia Winkleman, India Knight, Sali Hughes, Grace Dent, Gizzi Erskine, Mary-Kate Trevaskis, Dee Koppang, Hemmo, Polly Samson, Sophie Heawood, and Donna Grant.

Lauren who is an ambassador for Oxfam’s Get Together Campaign, joins over 3,000 women around the UK who have registered to hold their own events to mark International Women’s Day. At her tea party, she served guests multi coloured sandwiches, and praline ice cream lollipops which exploded with a single bite.

 

Lauren said: ‘Such a pleasure and a privilege to host a Get Together for IWD today. My friends are all busy mums and/or working women, but they were all so keen to make a donation and to take the time to come together on behalf of the campaign. It was inspiring and surprising and a lot of fun. We’re already making plans for something even bigger and better next year!’

Claudia Winkleman tweeted: tea with amazing women for #oxfamIWD Have a look at http://www.oxfam.org.uk/women’sday.

Zoe Ball will be celebrating International Women’s Day for Oxfam this evening with a Get Together frock swap with her friends – last year she hosted a tea party for International Women’s Day. Zoe tweeted: Shout for all dames hosting a #gettogether with girls for International Women’s Day

Other celebrity ladies holding Get Together events for Oxfam include Miquita Oliver, who held a women-themed quiz night. And a dazzling array of celebrities put on a glamorous Get Together jumble sale, with stalls organised by Dawn Porter, Gemma Cairney, Caroline Flack, Chris O’Dowd, Kate Nash, Sara Cox, Cherry Healey, Gizzi Erskine, Grace Woodward, Harry Potter actress Jessie Cave, singer Brigitte Aphrodite and TV presenter and stand-up comic Jeffrey Leach. The ‘Rumble in the Jumble’ raised £7,000 for Oxfam.

Oxfam’s Chief Executive Barbara Stocking said: ‘We are so grateful for the support of everyone who is holding an Oxfam Get Together event for International Women’s Day. There are 1.3 billion people living in poverty worldwide – and the great majority are women and girls. Oxfam is working hard to change this through all of our programme work.’

 

 

London Fashion Week in Pictures

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I had a ball at London Fashion Week, which you can read about in my Huffington Post blog. I still had some pictures so I have decided to share them even though fashion week is over. The first one is from the opening of Christopher Shannon, the second of TV presenter Jameela Jamil, and the rest of Jasper Conran and Holly Fulton from London Fashion Weekend. I was sitting front row with Keshini and the clothes were amazing. I have always been a fan of Jasper Conran. I would like to thank my amazing fashion writers Keshini, Paloma and Kate. They were amazing during fashion week and wrote some great posts. See you in September.

To see a bigger version of the pictures, click on them.

Christopher Shannon

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

 

VEUVE CLICQUOT BUSINESS WOMAN AWARD 2012 FINALISTS ANNOUNCED

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Veuve Clicquot announces the shortlist for its Veuve Clicquot Business Woman Award at the WIE (Women: Inspiration & Enterprise) 50 Power Breakfast at The London Stock Exchange chaired by Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg, bringing together shining examples of female entrepreneurship and business success across sectors ranging from fund management to fashion and hospitality. The finalists are, in alphabetical order:

· Anya Hindmarch: Founder, Anya Hindmarch

· Helena Morrissey: CEO, Newton Investment Management

· Ruth Rogers: Chef & Owner, The River Café

Regarded as the ‘Oscars’ of female entrepreneurs and business leaders, the Veuve Clicquot Business Woman Award, now in its 40th year, celebrates entrepreneurial women who have made a significant contribution to business life in the UK. The Veuve Clicquot Business Woman Award nomination criteria are those ideals epitomised by Madame Clicquot: Entrepreneurship, financial success, Corporate Social Responsibility and acting as a role model.

All Finalists selected by the Veuve Clicquot Business Woman Award judging panel demonstrated the strongest evidence of all nomination criteria. Notable achievements included Helena Morrissey’s groundbreaking 30% Club, which helps champion the issue of women on boards, Anya Hindmarch’s entrepreneurial story and global pioneering of her ‘I am not a plastic bag’ initiative which raised the issue of plastic bag usage amongst the public’s consciousness as well as the government’s agenda, and Ruth Rogers’ steady growing business, changing how we perceive, as well as cook, Italian cuisine.

Carolyn McCall, previous winner of the Veuve Clicquot Business Woman Award and current Panel member, noted: “The nominees for this year’s award are all great role models and have all the attributes that Veuve Clicquot looks for in its Business Woman Award. This award has played a vital role in recognising and celebrating women in business.”

Sian Westerman, MD of Rothschild and member of the Veuve Clicquot Business Woman Award Panel commented: “This strong shortlist, drawn from an excellent long list, exemplifies what women can achieve in business: strong entrepreneurship and leadership, combined with a desire and ability to deliver real change in society. Spanning areas key to the UK economy of fashion, finance and hospitality, they are great role models for all who aspire to succeed in business.”

The winner of the Veuve Clicquot Business Woman Award will be announced at a high-profile Champagne reception at The Ballroom at Claridge’s, London on the 18th of April 2012 at 6.30pm.

The Award’s 20-strong judging panel is comprised of business leaders, including Carolyn McCall, Chief Executive, easyJet, Jasmine Whitbread, CEO Save the Children, Duncan Bannatyne, Entrepreneur and Dragon, Caroline Michel, CEO, Peters, Frasers and Dunlop as well as Sian Westerman, MD, Rothschild and other key industry experts.

Christina Jesaitis, Senior Brand Manager, Veuve Clicquot said: “As we reach our 40th year of the award, social and environmental responsibility are still a key focus for our judges and this year’s finalists all represent business women that have embedded these important attributes into their organisations. The award also looks for those women that are able to act as more than just an example of a successful business woman, but rather an inspiration and mentor for future female entrepreneurs; we believe that all of our three finalists have demonstrated this quality.”

Created in 1972 as a tribute to Madame Clicquot and now operating in 27 countries, the annual Veuve Clicquot Business Woman Award champions the success of business women worldwide who share the same qualities as Madame Clicquot; her enterprising spirit, her courage and the determination necessary to accomplish her aims.

How To Measure Yourself Properly

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Having correct measurements makes it easier to do clothes shopping. Your size could change from shop to shop so you should always have your measurements to hand. Here is how to measure yourself.

It is better to measure yourself in your underwear for a more realistic result. Do not pull the tape measure too tight. It should have some give to it.

Shoulder
Should be done from shoulder to shoulder in a straight line

Head
Measure around your forehead.

Bust.
Your bust measurements should be taken at the fullest part. If you are taken your bra size then you will also have to do under your bust too.

Waist
Your waist is usually the narrowest part of your body, and this is where you should measure. For the majority of women, this is an inch above your belly button. Don’t hold your breath in! It is better to know your actual size. Wearing clothes that are too small for you will just make you look bigger.

Hips
You should measure the fullest part of your hips. The part of which you sit down on usually. Not around the hip bones, which is what most people think.

Inseam
From your groin to your ankle bone. It is better to get a friend to help you with this.

Do not measure yourself around the time you have your period. You will be retaining water and your dress size will be bigger.

Once you have measured yourself put your measurements into this dress size site to see what dress size you are. It does both UK and US sizing.

Time to declutter – four out of five people in the UK have too much stuff

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Time to declutter – four out of five people in the UK have too much stuff

Three quarters of people across the UK have too much clutter at home, according to a poll by Storage.co.uk. People love their “stuff” so much, they don’t want to lose it, even though they’ll never use it. The survey found that emotional attachment and the idea they may be useful one day are people’s top reasons for holding on to things they don’t need. Another common cause of clutter (one third of respondents) is the hope that their stuff may be valuable.

An unexpected find was that younger people are more motivated by nostalgia about the past than the older generation. Three in five 18 to 29 year olds cling to clutter because it brings back good memories, compared to only two out of five 50 to 69 year olds who hold on to clutter for the same reason.

As for decluttering habits, the survey found that women sort an area of the home more frequently than men, who mostly tackled the job once or twice in the last twelve months.

The main barriers stopping people from having a good clear out is lack of time and feeling they have better things to do, suggesting they struggle to put the task high on their list of priorities. In some cases, clutter can really get out of control and become a bigger issue in people’s lives. For around one in ten people clutter is damaging their relationships with others, affecting their health and sometimes having a negative effect on the amount of money they have.

Rachel Papworth from Green and Tidy, a professional declutterer and organiser, says: “We live such busy lives, it can be hard to make time for decluttering. If you’re struggling to fit it in, think about how much time you’ll save when you can easily put your hand on whatever you’re looking for. Plus decluttering saves money, protects your mental and physical health, and reduces your environmental impact”.

According to the survey, quirky items of clutter getting in the way at home include a train piston, “hundreds” of old train tickets for travelling to see a fiancé, a camel saddle, carpet samples for a would-be rug , an empty Rotastak hamster cage, seven inch white platform boots, “thousands” of LPs and a lifesize cardboard cut out of Justin Bieber.

Storage.co.uk surveyed men and women in the UK to find out attitudes and habits towards clutter as part of their National Declutter Week campaign to launch on 7 March.

Storage.co.uk is calling on all home occupiers to consider unused stuff sitting at home and to make a big decluttering effort in National Declutter Week from 7 to 18 March. Storage.co.uk has linked up with hospices across the UK to direct donations of saleable items. To view participating hospices, visit http://www.storage.co.uk/national-declutter-week/adopt-a-hospice.

Going Blonde For Spring?

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Kate Middleton may be a brunette but the allure of being blonde will never go away. Think Marilyn Monroe, Kate Winslet, Gwen Stefani , Debbie Harry and Madonna.

Before going blonde you should make sure you choose a shade that suits your skin tone. I once went platinum blonde. It really wasn’t a good look, I am too pale to carry it off.

If you have dark hair (mid-dark brown or black) you will need to strip you hair of its colour with a prelightner, and take your wardrobe and make up into consideration. Your hair has to suit your lifestyle.

Think of your eyebrows too, Madonna may have had black eyebrows and blonde hair in the 80’s but that wasn’t a good look then, and it isn’t now.

Also think of your roots, it you are low maintenance doing your roots a lot might be a bit much, so don’t go a very pale blonde.

The video below let’s you know everything you need to know about going blonde. It has advice on what kind of blonde to go for, how to protect your hair, and how long you should process your hair for the type of hair you have. All with no expensive hairdresser, but using Garnier Nutrisse Crème hair colour instead.

Lyndell Mansfield gives you her top tips in the video.

This post was sponsored by Garnier Nutrisse Crème hair colour.