Something moorish about this Fashion of Compassion designer bag from Palestyle!

Its not just the price either £90 for this gorgeous purple leather wallet from Palestyle!!( Worn by Cherie Blair) or the commitment from the forever beautiful Ayesha whose site  Fashion for Compassion is a fantastic little treasure trove of exotic finds. I think for me its her whole ethos of sourcing responsibly from brands that contribute to society and empowering women. She also has to be the only woman in the UK with  such an expert knowledge on the middleast fashion scene. Beshtar one of her designers is certainly on my one to watch list and looked stunning on Oliva Firth doing her Green Carpet challenge!  Their little dresses might also  prove a crease less option to stuff into my pannier as I prepare  for my forthcoming `Girl on the back of a bike challenge`!! Uggh......

London Swimwear Show for Summer 2011 Underlines

Wegener the german hat company that is responsible for making the hats for Bruno Banani and Bugatti are now making the hats for Pink the British shirt makers. Barry the Uk agent for the brand told me to keep an eye out for the Harris tweed trilby's lined with pink silk. Available from autumn onwards at the shops! Men's fashion is becoming more yummy by the minute!
huit8 has just been bought out by Eveden which is good news for all my bustier friends as their organic cotton knit bra now comes in a size DD cup they have 3 styles as well as 3 briefs the string, the Brazilian and the boxer short, available in London at Rigby and Peller, Sloane square!
Key trends for summer 2011 are Sailor (classic preppy nautical stripes), Ocean Waves (textured swimwear fabrics), Tropical Paradise (hot house flowers),Ocean Deep (intense colourways) and Natural Nuance( animal prints with metalics!!

NEW ONLINE ACCESSORIES BOUTIQUE CREATES A SEQUEL FOR RECYCLED CLOTHING

An online boutique for a new ethical accessories brand launches this month (www.sequellondon.co.uk), offering a range of leather bags created from recycled leather jackets, discarded silk ties and unwanted curtains.

Set up by cousins Laura Queening and Claire Baigent to reduce waste and encourage sustainability in fashion. The pair select unwanted clothing from Oxfam’s Wastesaver warehouses, and recycle the material to create contemporary accessories which can be used for another generation.

No two bags will be the same. The whole range is available in black leather, with some styles available in either black or brown.

Check out there webiste for gorgeous accessories

Terra Plana are pleased to invite you to view their Sample Sale preview this Thursday 18th March...

Terra Plana are pleased to invite you to our Sample Sale preview this Thursday...

Big bargains on all stock, end of season specials on men's & women's styles - shoes from £20

Beverage of an alcoholic nature while it lasts!
Sale continues Friday, Saturday & Sunday only

17.00 - 20.00 Thursday March 18th 2010
Terra Plana, 32 Brushfield St London EC1

Nearest tube: Liverpool St - shop next to Spitalfields Market.

FIND YOUR PERFECT WINTER COAT

I remember the days when buying a coat happened around September.
The idea was that you bought something terribly sensible that would last you a couple of years, if not forever.

It seems that things have changed. Firstly, the prices have dropped, so on the high street buying a coat is virtually on a par with getting a good party dress. Secondly, the idea of being sensible is no longer valid. In fact, the more outlandish and on trend the coat the better; you want to get noticed right?!

But this new state of affairs doesn’t actually fit in with my ethos at all (well apart from getting noticed that is).
The favourite coat in my wardrobe to date was picked up on a vintage stall at Spitalfield market London for £5. I saw it and realised it looked like an Izzy Lane (izzylane.com) brown and white hounds tooth coat (which at about £395 a coat was going to take just too long to save for). I grabbed it only to find out later it was a hand-woven tweed from Ireland. But these are one off miracle finds: right place, right time with a fiver in your pocket!
Buying a coat - The plan

Option one: Buy a coat which is going to last you, well, forever. My mum is an expert! She swears that your coats should be as expensive as you can afford. Look after it well by brushing it down after each wear, hang on a proper hanger with lavender pouch, get it altered when you change shape (most expensive coats have extra material on seams for that purpose) and then give to your children or grandchildren.
Option two: Buy a coat you can wear throughout the year. Make sure there isn’t too much weight in the material but wide enough to play the layering game.
Consider which colour works best for you - black/brown or maybe teal/raspberry.
The correct shape is vital, and there are lots to choose from: pea, princess, trench, wrap, the list goes on.

So with all the above taken into account and a bit more besides, this is my tried and tested capsule coat collection for .................

1. Wool Holmes Short Coat, (above) Stewart+Brown, £310, ascensiononline.com. Wear throughout the year great for layering.
Colour- bluey-plum. Material- boiled merino wool from ‘annually renewable free-range resources without petro-chemicals in their processing’. Cut -Dolman sleeves (can be rolled up) length hitting mid thigh (approach with caution if this is problem area). It has a nice self tie belt to draw in the waist and is single breasted, which is great for leaving open and wearing with chunky knitwear.
Verdict – a really great classic investment piece to wear throughout the year! A big thank you to the fantastic Abbi at Ascension who tried every coat in the boutique.
2.Elizabeth 1 knee length, Eloise Grey, £899, eloisegrey.com. Going to last you forever.
Colour – Brown. (can be made to order in other colours check fabric swatch.) Material – organic and ethical undyed tweeds from the Isle of Mull weavers lined with organic cotton or silk blend. Cut – Classic flared with pleat down the back. Raised ruched collar adds a little twist.
Verdict – I think one to keep for the grandchildren. Fantastic for the smaller bust and curvier bottom half.

3.Elizabeth 2 knee length, Eloise Grey, £880, eloisegrey.com. Also going to last you forever.
Colour – Silver grey (can be made to order in other colours check fabric swatch. Material – Ethical Silver diamond twill lined with black hemp silk lining. Classic cut.
Flared loden style with pleat down the back and large collar. Because of the pleat in the back it does go into a princess shape, great for curvier bottom halves.Verdict – classic work wear coat that skims the figure.

4. Illusion coat, Julia Smith, £325, juliasmithfashion.co.uk. Wear thoughout the year albeit in the evening in Summer!
Colour – Black. Material – Scottish wool with hand painted cotton lining from Ghana. Has a narrow envelope collar with concealed buttons. Verdict - fabulous classic coat, amazing with vintage dresses and seriously cool with jeans.
5. SJ coat, mid thigh, Julia Smith, £275, juliasmithfashion.co.uk. Wear thoughout the year . If you dare, wear on its own with a vintage 80s shimmery top and sparkly American Apparel tights.
Colour – Black, Material Recycled polyester mpb and hemp/silk. Cut extremely deep. Has a smoking collar and is single breasted with great cape like sleeves. Verdict – Looks fantastic worn with trousers with the belt tied. The only coat to wear if you’ve bought into the 80s shoulder power dressing.
6. Riding hood coat, mid thigh, Cecilia Hammarborg, £250, ceciliahammarborg.com. Wear throughout the year.
Colour – Turquoise teal but also in black and rose pink. Material- Melton narrow pinstripe made and sourced in London. Fitted cut made of medium weight wool. It has a lower neck line so is good for a curvier top. Although the lapels are wide, the notches on the collar draw your eye upwards. Can be worn military style with all buttons done so great for flatter angular top halves too. Fitted at the waist, it has a half belted back with pleats so great for curvaceous derriere. Verdict – a great piece to suit a lot of different figures.
check more on http://www.daisygreenmagazine.co.uk/fashion/features/find-your-perfect-winter-coat/

Julia Smith, hits the WEST END

Earlier on this week Julia Smith opened her fab shop

in Connaught Village together with the shoe designer Joanne Stoker. I didn't manage to get to the vernissage but I did pop in the next day which was even better, as I didn't have to fight through the hoards and got to try on mostly everything. Also managed to talk to Julia who is difficult to pin down as she is back and forth from Ghana quite a bit.

The Shop Julia explained is the result of winning a competition - run by the Church Commissioners in conjunction with London College of Fashion- to kick start their own retail fashion business with a rent and rates -free retail unit for six months in Connaught Village.

Not only is the shop filled with both girls lovely creations but there is also a studio in the offing for made to measure.. and a lovely selection of cosy knitwear knitted in the UK just for them.

Prices are amazing starting at £135 for the gorgeous organic jersey throw on for all occasions dress below... + its so so easy to get to just 5 minutes from Marble arch.

Julia Smith & Joanne Stoker - 4 Porchester Place W22AZ

The London Clothes Show this weekend! 29-31st May

The London clothes show is back at excel this weekend. And guess who made it on the first day. With one more day left of gorgeous bargains of some of my favourite labels get yourself down there!. Labels such as Where are you now, Lumina jewellery, Komodo.and Oxfam who have 70% off of their remade designers. With butterflies being so de riguer this summer I was lucky to pick up a couple of tees from my fave rave 21 things I love, and great news their fantastic bamboo dress is now down to at an affordable £150. Yippeee. Life is not fair but my knickers are, also there with some great offers,briefs £5,vests£8 and pj pants £12. Plus loads of tips ,styling celebrities, fun and fashion. ENJOY!