Tag Archives: London Fashion week

UGG Australia For London Fashion Week

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Shoes glorious shoes. Who cares what they look like? Well, everyone actually. UGG Australia the makers of the shoes that are the most comfortable IN THE WORLD have branched out into different styles. I went to see their AW13 collection at Handpicked Media’s One Aldwych Hotel suite.

Alex showed my the collection. I was incredibly impressed. UGGs have not always been thought of as fashionable but even the most discerning fashionista would find something to love in the new collection.  I love the knee-high blue boots below. I was also got a pair of gorgeous ankle boots. Check out Callum from Handpicked Media’s photo below. . They are so comfy and stylish. Top marks for UGGS.

The boots are very well made. The materials are gorgeous and the designs are on trend but also timeless. With winter coming in I might even buy myself some new winter boots. I love the lining inside the boots. Guaranteed to keep you warm.

SASS & BIDE SS13 makes strong return to the London Catwalk

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SPRING/ SUMMER 2013

 

LOVESHADY

 

Sass & Bide returned to London Fashion Week after a year’s hiatus with an explosion of intricate seed beading, fluro dipped shells, contrast binds and flickers of diamante & metal form a rich tapestry of geometric detailing

The  LOVESHADY collection explores an ethereal union of gender; a romantic journey where every masculine notion finds counterbalance & softness in femininity. Silhouettes are sharp & honest and contrast the soft flow of ethereal silks, while a monochromatic palette finds fever in hot hues & metallic accents.

 

 

 

This season’s VIP front row included;

Mosshart/  Twiggy /  Poppy Delevigne  / Kelly Rowland  /  Lara Bohinc /  Miquita Oliver /  Dionne Bromfield/  Leah Wood /  Quentin Jones  /   Peaches Geldof  / Jazzy de Lisser  /  Sara Brajovic  /  Tom Hooper  / Willia Keswick  /  Portia Freeman /  Francesca Versace  / Jess Mills   /  Shingai Shoniwa/  Jasmine Guinness/    Lliana Bird

 

New Look Launch New Range at London Fashion Week

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There are three words that always get me excited: “London Fashion Week”. In fact, the only thing that makes me more excited is Handpicked media’s London Fashion Week opening party. I went along to see New Look’s new range at the One Aldwych Hotel. After getting lost and being flustered when I arrived, the amazing Debbie from Handpicked (and blogger of the excellent Life Edit) handed me a glass of wine and I had a great chat with her. I also was happy to bump into the lovely Jessica from Look What I Got and Handpicked Head Honcho Krista.

New Look has always done fun and fabulous fashion, but in recent years New Look has really upped its game. The quality of the clothing is good and so are the designs. They are also collaborating with lots of cool people like Giles Deacon, and have even teamed up with Kelly Brook to design a great range of underwear. The bra Kelly was wearing a few days before was part of the range that we saw. For those dying to know Kelly is a 32E.

The new collection is just really fab. They also have amazing jewelery and shoes. I will definitely be popping into New Look again soon. I really liked the creepers below.

New Looks jewelery range was a big hit. We were all fawning over it. Some of it is quite bling but not tacky. We were told to help ourselves to some New Look knickers which lead to a lot of amusement when we were walking about with underwear in one hand and a glass of wine in the other. On the tube on the way home I got a drink from my bag and the knickers fell out and landed on the floor of a crowded tube. Which was a little embarrassing.

I had my nails done, drank wine, met amazing people and ate canapes. Ah, that’s the life. If only every day was a fashion week day.

eBay & CFDA’s You Can’t Fake Fashion Debuts at Fashion Week

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eBay’s Alan Marks, CFDA’s Steve Kolb; The 2013 Tote; IMG’s Peter Levy, Chris Benz, Jauretsi, Alan Marks, Steven Kolb, and Ruffian’s Brian Wolk and Claude Morais; The Exhibit; Chris Benz; Ruffians Brian Wolk and Claude Morais

 

eBay and CFDA are collaborating for a third year to advance the YOU CAN’T FAKE FASHION campaign, to continue to raise awareness against counterfeit goods and celebrate original design within the fashion industry. To properly celebrate our third iteration of this important partnership, we’re previewing the new 2013 tote at an exclusive exhibit at Lincoln Center during MBFW as of yesterday.  If you are at London Fashion Week find some time between shows to stop by and check it out!

 

Following two consecutive sold-out collections, the 2013 collection will include a new version of the limited-edition standard tote bearing the signature tagline as well as one-of-a-kind designer totes, customized by nearly 100 of America’s foremost designers like CFDA President Diane von Furstenberg, Chris Benz, Ruffian, Tory Burch, Rachel Zoe, and Oliver Theyskens.

 

The entire collection will be available exclusively on eBay in March 2013, with all proceeds benefitting the CFDA Foundation. visit ebay.com/youcantfakefashion and be sure to include the hashtag #ebayfashion if you stop by the exhibit and share any photos on Instagram!

Get Front Row Ready with Dr. Dukan’s ‘Fashion Week Bento Box’ Recipes.

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FOOD FIT FOR A FASHIONISTA

Get Front Row Ready with Dr. Dukan’s ‘Fashion Week Bento Box’ Recipe Collection


As models and journalists from across the globe get ready to hotfoot it from show to show and grab a quick lunch on the go at London Fashion Week, Dr. Dukan helps you stay in shape with a runway-ready Bento Box selection – bang on trend, delicious and diet-friendly!

So if you’re looking to achieve a slimmer silhouette and confidently channel next season’s styles, make sure you get the look you desire with these Asian inspired recipe ideas: Salmon Temaki, Sweet and Sour Rolls, Thai Style Noodle Salad and Little Chocolate and Matcha Cream Cakes. It’s fashion-forward food for fashion-ready bodies!

Thanks to Dr. Dukan – the man behind the plan – we can enjoy healthy food packed with goodness and flavour as well as designer looks and still lose those extra inches in fashionably fast time. Hailing an “eat as much as you want” policy with an extensive list of over 100 approved foods to choose from, the Dukan Diet can help you successfully shift those unwanted pounds without going hungry or missing out.

Please see Dr. Dukan’s “Fashion Week Bento Box” recipes below, which are ideal for the Cruise phase and for the PV days (protein and vegetable).

Salmon Temaki
1 serving
Preparation time: 5 min



1 fresh salmon fillet or 1 slice of smoked salmon
1 nori (seaweed) sheets, cut in half
1 tsp of Dijon mustard
1 tsp of low fat fromage frais


·     Cut the salmon in squares.
·     Mix the mustard with fromage frais (add more according to taste).
·     Mix the salmon with sauce and spread on 1 nori sheet, then roll it.


* Tip: you can add some cucumber sticks or other greens in each Temaki.

* Health Benefits: Salmon is full of Omega 3, and the seaweed is full of nutritional vitamins.


Sweet and Sour Rolls with Goji Berry Jam

1 serving
Preparation time: 5 min
Cooking time: 10 min



For the jam:
Can be refrigerated for up to 4 days

5 tbsp of Goji berries • water (enough to cover the berries)
1 tbsp liquid sweetener (or more to taste)
1 tsp of agar-agar powder
1 tsp lemon juice
2 tsp strawberry flavouring

·     Pour Goji berries into a small nonstick saucepan and cover them with water.
·     Add the liquid sweetener and lemon juice then bring to the boil.
·     Finally, add the agar-agar, mix thoroughly then leave to simmer for 7 minutes, constantly stirring the                            mixture as to prevent it from burning and sticking to the pan (add a little water if necessary).
·     When cooked, the berries must be inflated and caramelised
·     Place jam in a glass jar (it will keep for several days in the fridge).

For the paste:
30 g corn flour
1 tbsp skimmed milk powder
100 g low fat fromage frais or Quark
1 egg
30 g of baking powder or dried yeast


·      Mix all the ingredients together
·      Spread on to on a non-stick foil and bake it until brown at 180° C.
·      When cold, spread some Goji berry jam on it, add some turkey slices and a few salad leaves. Roll it and                      then cut into small pieces.

* Health Benefits: Goji Berries are a great source of antioxidants

Thai Style Noodle Salad

1 serving
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes


½ pack of shirataki noodles
Chopped fresh coriander
1 chicken breast
1 tbsp of low fat cream
1 drop of coconut flavouring (optional)
2 pinches of curry powder
1 tsp of sesame seeds
1 tbsp of soya sauce
1 tsp of rice vinegar (mirin)
1 or 2 pieces of steamed broccoli, chopped


·     Cook the shirataki noodles in boiling water for five minutes and then rinse them with cold water.  Leave              aside for later.
·     Cut the chicken breast in small pieces and cook it with low fat cream, curry powder and coconut
flavouring.  Let it cool.
·     Prepare the sauce by mixing soya sauce, rice vinegar, coriander and sesame seeds.
·     Add the chicken pieces to the shirataki noodles, add the steamed broccoli and pour the sauce over.

* Shirataki Noodles are calorie free and low in carbohydrates!


Little Chocolate and Matcha Cream Cakes

6 serving (two little pieces of cake for your dessert)
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 10 minutes



For the biscuit:

4 eggs
2 tsp of corn flour
2 tsp of baking powder
2 tbsp of sweetener
1tbsp of low fat sugar free cocoa powder


For the Matcha cream:

200ml of skimmed milk
1 tsp of corn flour
1 tsp of Matcha powder
1 egg
3 sheets of gelatine
2 tbsp of sweetener

·      Separate the egg yolks from the whites, and put the egg whites in a large mixing bowl. Beat them at              high speed until stiff peaks form. In another bowl, mix the egg yolks with the sweetener, corn flour                baking powder and cocoa powder. Gently whisk in the egg whites. Mix everything well using a metal               whisk. Pour the mixture into a medium-sized square cake baking tin and bake for 10 mins, at 180° C in a                 pre-heated oven.

·      When the biscuit is done, put it in the fridge to cool.
·      Place the gelatine sheets into a mixing bowl with cold water and leave for 5 mins.
·      In another mixing bowl, combine the egg, corn flour and sweetener.
·      In a small saucepan, warm up the milk and add the Matcha powder.
·      Next, take the gelatin leaves, squeeze out the excess water and add them to the warm milk. Mix well to               make sure the gelatine is dissolved completely.
·      Slowly pour the warm milk over your egg mixture, mixing constantly. Pour the mixture back into the       saucepan and let it cook on a medium heat. You must continue to mix the cream and make sure it cooks        on a medium temperature.
·      After 5-6 mins the cream should start to thicken. Pour it into a mixing bowl and leave it in the fridge to               cool. In 1-2 hours, when the cream has cooled, you can start assembling the cake.
·      Cut the biscuit lengthwise in the middle and spread out the cream in the middle. Leave the cake in the               fridge over night.
·     Cut some little squares of this cake for your fashion week bento box!


* Top tip: Handbag staples for those on the go, during London Fashion Week, are Goji berries, Dukan Diet Oat Bran Bars, bottled water and Dukan Diet Oat Bran Biscuits!

What’s Your Social Highlight This Summer?

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One of the social highlights of my summer so far was the May Fair Hotel’s annual Penthouse Party. It was hosted by Anthony Lee, General Manager of The May Fair who I had a lovely chat with. I popped along with Dominic Graham de Montrose, and then we headed to the Panasonic Olympics party afterwards. Magician Dynamo was working his magic there. He has to be seen to be believed.

Other social highlights: London Fashion Week, Lovebox, Impulse releasing their new fragrance at the W Hotel with Caggie Dunlop (who’s lovely), the Leo Bancroft launch at The Ivy and being Centre Court at Wimbledon.

2012 is an exciting year for those of us living in London with the Olympics on our doorsteps. We would love to here from people in London and outside about their summer.

What is your summer highlight so far? Let us know.

Are The Good Times Really Over For Good?

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For someone in their twenties it is hard to think of a time which has been harder economically than right now. But I do know that this is not true. There have been many booms and busts before, times much harder than this. Rationing, world wars, the great depression.

But what of the future? My generation seems to have gotten the muddy end of the stick. The OECD, a respected British think tank, said that Britain has slipped into a double dip recession and more pupils than ever are getting free school meals, the governments indicator of a child growing up in poverty. Tube drivers might be raking it in, getting paid £500 just to show up for work each day during the Olympics, but the rest of us are struggling.

Are the good times really over?We have become generation rent, unemployment is high, we not only have a harder time getting our dream job, but getting any job at all. I have friends that are moving out of West London where I live because they cannot afford it, struggling to find jobs and even if they have one, struggling to survive the squeeze.

Not getting to the nitty gritty. Tuition fees are up to a staggering amount, 9K a year for an education, transport costs go up above inflation every year; the Oyster caps at £10 per day in London. Then there is the fact that if you get an unpaid internship these days you are one of the lucky ones. It seems everyone is taking everything from the young. I am luckier than most. My education days are behind me and so are my internships: but if the children really are the future, then what of it? Are the good times really over for good? Everything from stamps and food is going up. Petrol is so expensive people cannot even get to work and the government is looking shifty after the cash-for-access scandal. Never mind the fact we don’t have any privacy anymore and they are trying to bring in web-monitoring.

Government debt is at a £988.7 billion. And who is going to have to pay that off? The decent, hard working people of Britain. Oh well. We can always print some more money.

What good will come from this? Lessons maybe. We lived in a society that saw the word ‘credit’ and did not take in the fact that actually means ‘debt’. Above all we will do what the British do: keep calm and carry on. You may want to cross your fingers too.

 

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