MAWI for ASOS

Yesterday morning I found myself reading a post over at The Taxonomy of My Wardrobe about the jewellery brand MAWI at London Fashion Week. I have always loved the brand's designs whenever I have spotted them but they are a little out of my price range. But Veshoevius pointed out that MAWI have in fact collaborated with ASOS for a more affordable collection - a collection made even more affordable by the fact that it is currently on sale.

So I took advantage of 50% and FREE next day delivery:

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LFW #4: things I was pleased to see stick around for another season...

wedges:

and shearling:

*all photos from the Aminaka Wilmont catwalk show at Someset House on Friday 18 February

Style Icon: On The Front Row

This week's Style Icon post is a little different: those style icons - past and yet to be featured - who sat on the Front Row at Burberry Prorsum's Autumn Winter 2011 show on Sunday 20 February:

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Fashion Week Aftermath Foot Care

Clockwise from top left: Café Noir NERIA wedges; Nine West MIRREN heels; Castaner ALICIA heels; Morgan MARINA heels; Ravel FONDA heels; and Pura Lopez LAGUARDIA heels.

For some, Fashion Week means five days of heels, for others, a whole month in heels. After having spent one day in my heels dashing over the cobbles at Somerset House I have a massive respect for anyone who manages the full five days, let alone a whole month!

As the last day of London Fashion Week comes to an end and the editors make their way to Milan for more fashion delights in the Italian fashion capital, I got to thinking about how I might approach saving my feet from constant pain next time:

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LFW #3: Aminaka Wilmont Autumn Winter 2011

"the Aminaka Wilmont woman is ... determined and confident with her own individuality and uniqueness"

As I was ushered into my very first catwalk show at London Fashion Week, I had no idea what to expect: the lights dimmed and the music started and everyone in the tent hushed as they awaited the appearance of the first model:

Aminaka Wilmont's Autumn Winter 2011 collection is entitled "Totem". With the collection the designer attempts to create a new tribe of women:

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LFW #2: Backstage at Jasper Garvida Autumn Winter 2011

Backstage at Jasper Garvida everything was so calm. It was incredible. I'd expected everyone to be in a complete flap. But instead, it was only my stomach that was left to flip with excitement.

As I wandered about the space with my camera, I spotted Jasper himself steaming one of the amazing dresses that would soon be walking down the catwalk:

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A Day In The Life #2: LFW

London Fashion Week for me seemed to be over before it had really begun but my heart still skips a beat when I think that I was there! After the success of the last "A Day In The Life" post I did, I thought this might prove to be a more interesting day to document:

I took the train from Cardiff to London at lunchtime:

  

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WIN A PAIR OF TICKETS TO LONDON FASHION WEEKEND!

♥ Yes, you did read that right, this is your chance to WIN A PAIR OF TICKETS TO LONDON FASHION WEEKEND. ♥

♥ I have one pair of tickets for London Fashion Weekend for Sunday 27 February courtesy of the very lovely people at Single Market Events. ♥

♥ The tickets are for entrance to the event only but you are usually able to buy a goody bag and/or tickets to the catwalk show on the day. ♥

♥ London Fashion Weekend takes place at the home of London Fashion Week - Somerset House in London. ♥

♥ As the website says: ♥

♥ Shop from over 100 designer brands, from the high profile to the emerging, selling a selection of current and past season's collections along with samples and one-off designs.  All at discounts of up to 70% off the retail price - allowing you to update your look to luxe for less! ♥

♥ You might remember that I attended the event last September - with my mum - and we had a wonderful day out together. ♥

♥ To enter, all you have to do is leave a comment on this post. (After reading the T&Cs below!) That is all. I don't want to turn this into anything massive, I just want to reward the people who come back everyday to read my blog and to say thank you to you. ♥

♥ Good luck! ♥

Competition Terms and Conditions:

Ticket are valid for Sunday 27th February 2011 only.

Tickets will be equivalent of ‘Black’ (general admission) tickets

Tickets are non-transferable and no cash alternatives can be given.

You must be 18 or over to claim this prize.
The competition will close in 2 weeks time on Wednesday 9 February 2011.
Winner will be announced on Saturday 12 February 2011 and will be drawn at random.

New girl on the block!

Charlotte Taylor is a womenswear designer who is launching her fashion label - CHARLOTTE TAYLOR - at London Fashion Week in less than a month's time. Since October she has been documenting her progress as she puts her Autumn/Winter 2010 collection together on her blog. Here, she tells me about what and who inspires her, her love of carrot cake and many other things!

MY VERY FIRST FASHION MEMORY IS... my pink dress. It was so over the top. Some horrible 80's meringue creation but I loved it. I was dressed for much of my childhood in my brothers' hand-me-down rugby shirts so it was a sweet blessing every time an occasion popped up to don the pink meringue and strut my stuff in front of the other kids' less puffy creations. Magic.



MY GREATEST INSPIRATION IS... old stuff. Anything with a history or a story to. My obsession started with my grandmother, whose face in itself was art - a maze of lines, I was completely fascinated. I ended up studying it within my art a-levels and with that my grannie "crush" began. It has since progressed onto the general elderly population, old cars, historic buildings, traditions, ancient cults etc. I like a good story, one that is not all fairytales and sugar coated cakes.

MY FAVOURITE PLACE IN THE WORLD IS... 5am: mid-summer, Isle of Wight, sunrise, clear skies, flat water, wakeboarding at priory bay, flask of tea, fresh fruit and silence = heaven on earth.


 THE THING I LIKE MOST ABOUT MY APPEARANCE IS... that it resembles my parents. I am seriously proud to be their daughter. They rock.

MY CLOSET IS... mostly fancy dress. I am on Facebook and I was looking through my photos the other day- it took me until after the 100th photo to find one of me in normal clothes. I have a problem.


I OWN SO MANY... random figurines. The creepier the better. My favourites are: dancing donkey aka Burt and door stop frog aka Jim.


 YOU MAY NOT KNOW THIS... but I am accident prone. I never slow down in time and have broken my wrist thrice running into walls. I also rugby tackled a guy in a club in France once who kindly moved out the way as I was in the midst of a full charge, revealing my new opposition, a wall... I lost. badly. I still have the bump on my head 8 years later.


 MY MOST FABULOUS MOMENT... will be when I launch my new womenswear label in February 2010 at London Fashion Week at the Freemasons' Hall with Vauxhall Fashion Scout!

 THE PERSON THAT CHANGED ME IS... my dad. He went to heaven earlier this year for 3 minutes before he was brought back to life. He had a heart attack whilst driving and his survival story is a miracle. He had a police car behind him and one in front. They got to him within 3 minutes and did CPR on him for 20 minutes with no reaction until the ambulance arrived. On the 3rd attempt the zappers worked and his heart started again. We were not aware that you can keep someone alive in this way for so long and I don't think many people are. We owe those police officers everything. Dad was in hospital for over a month and has now made a full recovery. We are all much stronger people as a result.


 MY STYLE ICON IS... anyone over 70 and Audrey Hepburn.


 MY HOME IS... the Isle of Wight. this was reluctantly at first. A proud Lancashire lass I was devastated when my folks told me about their move. The day I finished school the van pulled out the drive and we headed south. I was so against the idea I tried to convince them that they were stupid because the island would sink soon because of global warming! Although I moved straight to London and have lived there ever since my recent relocation, the island is now very much my home. I am hooked and can totally understand why people are reluctant to leave. It is super special.


HOW DID I EVER LIVE WITHOUT... tea, carrot cake and the internet.


Good luck Charlotte! Hopefully we'll catch up with Charlotte again after her LFW experience!


Love, SG xx

LUST LIST: London Fashion Weekend tickets!

Two years ago my sister, my best friend and I took ourselves off to the Natural History Museum in London - the then venue of London Fashion Week - for it's little sister event, London Fashion Weekend. For anyone who has ever dreamed of being front row at LFW, this is for you. It might not be same but it gives you a good flavour of the real thing. This year it has relocated to Somerset House - the new home of LFW!


It is described as the "ultimate designer fashion and shopping event".


I am so so tempted to get tickets for this year!! It's taking place 25th – 28th February 2010, so I still have time to decide - just!


It is basically two floors FILLED with discounted designer clothes and accessories. I got myself a gorgeous necklace from London jewellery designer Jamie - that I had wanted forever - with more than 50% off the normal price. Last year the designers who sold at London Fashion Weekend included DKNY, Lulu Guinness, Sass & Bide, American Retro, Beatrix Ong, Belle & Bunty, Eley Kishimoto, Kors by Michael Kors, Linda Farrow and Philip Treacy!!


Plus make-up demonstrations from Elizabeth Arden and hair cutting and styling by Toni&Guy - official hair sponsors of LFW itself!


And if the shopping wasn't enough, there is also a 40-minute professional catwalk show featuring designer trends for Spring/Summer 2010 at the British Fashion Council catwalk venue. The photos below are from two years ago when I was at London Fashion Weekend and we snagged front row seats at the show!


There is also the opportunity to get a goody bag which, of course, we did and it wasn't too bad either - ours had Toni&Guy products, St Tropez products, Elizabeth Arden products and Chambord liquer!


If you want to go, check out the website for more information and to buy tickets, which start from just £12.50!

If you're planning on going, let me know! And, of course, let me know how you get on!!

LUST LIST: the classic Burberry trench

Burberry returned to London Fashion Week, from Milan, for the first time in eight years on Tuesday.

Christopher Bailey, Burberry's creative director, re-worked the classic trench for Spring/Summer 2010 for a funky twist, in pink and cut above the knee (see the images above).

The Burberry trench is surely one of the most iconic of British designs. The brand was founded in 1856, came to prominence during the First World War, when it produced its trench coats for the British army. Unsurprisingly, they quickly became popular amongst civilians too. This popularity continued throughout the twentieth century and into the twenty-first.

Christopher Bailey told Grazia, "The Burberry trench is iconic, unique, functional, ageless and timeless."

The trench is quite possibly one of the most versatile designs too. Anyone can put the trench on and make it their own; from HM The Queen to a member of Queen!

And it seems that Burberry have recognised its importance; next month the brand is launching a website dedicated to celebrating the trench. Check it out at www.artofthetrench.com.

Of course, I can't write about the Burberry trench without mentioning the current 'face' of their latest advertising campaign, young Brit actress, Emma Watson. This has to be my most favourite ad campaign of 2009. It is gorgeous. The photography and the model and the clothing all come together to produce some truly beautiful images. Vogue France's August edition featured three of the best ads for the campaign.

No Ban On High Heels

As London Fashion Week celebrates 25 years, London Mayor, Boris Johnson - infamous for his not-so-perfect and scruffy dress sense - launched the proceedings at a cocktail reception at Somerset House.


Despite the controversy it caused last year, Boris wore the same crumpled Paul Smith suit and Marks & Spencer shirt that caused a diplomatic incident at the Beijing Olympics. He may not be the sharpest dresser but it is obvious that he is comfortable in his appearance and that is no bad thing.


He went on to tell the gathered fashion crowd that, "As long as I am Major of this city, there will be no ban on high heels". Well, hallelujah!


More on LFW soon, very excited to see what Burberry has in store on Tuesday!


My picks of the Week are;


Sunday (20/9); 1300 Matthew Williamson; 1700 Julien Macdonald; 1800 Vivienne Westwood Red Label;


Monday (21/9); 1000 Luella; 1430 Christopher Kane; 1745 House of Holland; 1945 Twenty8Twelve; 2045 Pringle of Scotland;


Tuesday (22/9); 1830 Burberry.


Love, SG