In my book of quotes...

To get the full value of a joy you must have somebody to divide it with.

- Mark Twain

Kurt Geiger step their game up

Kurt Geiger press day yesterday and very impressed by the new season's collection. Held at one of the grand rooms at Claridges Hotel Mayfair it mirrored the vintage glamour of the spring summer 10 range.

Re-establishing themselves as a high end brand they have sourced better quality fabrics and surface finishes and are producing the shoes in Italian factories alongside the likes of Nicholas Kirkwood and Miu Miu.

The brand re-positioning and conscious effort to step up on quality really shows in the latest collection.

Beautiful vintage inspired pieces such as 1950’s courts, 1970’s wedge and stacked heels as well as classic ballet pumps.

A favourite of mine were the soft leather platforms with denim inserts. I was pleased to accept a complimentary pair of shoes as seen above on the mannequin, however the press pair were black- naturally!

I’m sure many a press pack will be rocking these over Christmas and I can't wait for the full collection to hit stores!

Fashion Business Club meets Jonathan Saunders

Jonathan Saunders and Dolly Jones

The last Fashion Business Club of 2009 was definitely not to miss. Dolly Jones editor of Vogue.com interviewing designer Jonathan Saunders with the emphasis on the press and buyers influence in the design process.

A relaxed and chirpy Saunders expressed how his first Vogue cover in 2004 catapulted the brand to new heights. The support of fashion heavyweight Anna Wintour and press Style.com, Vogue.com and retailer Net-a-Porter were and remain contributing factors in pushing the brand forward.

He commended London's inspirational way of supporting designers out of college in a way not mirrored in other major cities.

Saunders attributed the camaraderie of British designers to the love of fashion, stemming from St Martins College of Art and Design where fellow students Christopher Kane, Richard Nicoll and Louise Gray honed their craft.

Alison Whelan, Jonathan Saunders, Dolly Jones, Courtney Blackman

Saunders admitted learning much business sense from buyers such as how to range plan and the importance of taking on board comments on sell-through.

And what of public perception through the press? Saunders remarked, "It is important to be aware of but equally important not be controlled by".

Courtney Blackman Co-founder of FBC was looking spectacular in a Jasper Garvida dress. Many other stylish FBC members were in attendance at the Swarovski Crystallized Lounge and no doubt eagerly anticipating the next meeting.

On 28 January 2010 FBC member and fashion and business expert Frances Card will be interviewing Liberty’s creative director, Tamara Salman

For information on becoming a Fashion Business Club member click here.

Images courtesy of Dave Wise

To buy or not to buy..

..that is the question.


I am very tempted by these, I tried them on at the weekend and spent 20 minutes deliberating the 'do I need them in my life' question in my own little warped fashion mind.

The mink satin platform is mirrored on the entire sole and gives it a luxurious look.

Besides, one more little purchase won't affect the deepening black hole of credit, it's so vast I can barely see it anymore, maybe it's not really there...

Office Grey Spacewalker Shoe

In my book of quotes...

Pleasure is the only thing to live for. Nothing ages like happiness.

- Oscar Wilde

Reebok Classics

Just got back from the Reebok party held at the Reebok Lounge, Great Eastern Street. The night was in celebration of the 20th anniversary of the Reebok pump and the invitation only event had free flowing drinks and party tunes aplenty to get the people on their feet to the dancefloor.

The lounge is relatively small and I was informed it was well over capacity but who cares when the mood is right and people are having a good time! 90's basketball images adorned the walls with infamous players wearing the coveted footwear.

Well known faces such as Jade Jagger, Alice Dellal and Miquita Oliver were seen 'getting down' to the tunes, a very hip crowd comprised of Dalston ghetto fab and Hoxton cool kids all adorned with uniform gold jewellery, hats and high top trainers.

Unfortunately for my boyfriend no free trainers were on offer but I left with a new found respect for Reebok's party-throwing ability and look forward to the next event on their calender!

Arctic Monkeys heat up Wembley

The Arctic Monkeys played Wembley Arena last night and having not seen the band before I was anticipating what their live show would offer.

I wasn't sure what to expect from the set list but I was pleased to see they mixed it up well with enough new material to keep it fresh with frequent crowd pleasers such as 'The View from the Afternoon' and the effervescent 'I Bet You look Good on the Dancefloor' guaranteed to get the audience on side.


The sound was awesome and the performance by the band was as tight as it gets but where I feel they let it down was how static they were on stage. I would of liked to have seen them 'rock out' mirroring their lively crowd, at times it was more interesting looking at the growing mosh pits than the guys themselves.

Overall it was a great show but nothing that will stay with me forever such as Muse at the same venue in 2007. What cemented the show's success was a well compiled set list teamed with excellent sound ensuring for the mostpart the band had the crowd eating out of their hands.

Gladrags & Handbags

Yesterday my regular date at fashion events invited me along to a preview evening of a designer sample sale in Old Bromton Lane.

Now usually I am either too 'financially challenged' to purchase or left unimpressed by sample sales, however this event exceeded my expectaions.

In association with Harpers Bazaar the Gladrags & Handbags event is a three day designer sale of donated clothes and accessories from Burberry, Christian Dior, Christian Louboutin, Yves Saint Laurent and many more.


All proceeds are going towards a magical Christmas Day party for 2000 vulnerable inner-city children with Kids Company charity.

"Kids Company aims to promote and support emotional well-being. Our approach is rooted in attachment theory and a belief in the importance of ’loving care’. "

The evening was bursting with a fashionable crowd vying for 'cheap thrills' with current season designer clothes at high street prices.

The Champagne was flowing which no doubt helped the invited guests to part with a little bit more money than they had initially intended, after all, it was for a great cause.


I had my eye on a Burberry Prorsum jacket which I was astonished to find was originally £2250 sold at £100...well it almost would of been a crime not to!

My pal Rob managed to talk me out of the fringed Louboutin purchase below, which in hindset was probably a good idea!


Sale fever seems to have taken over and I couldn't resist going back to have a peek today, you know incase anything had slipped through the net! I am pleased to say I picked up a bargain pair of stunning suede boots originally £195 bought for £50, an Issey Miyake dress for £50 and a pair of YSL Rive Gauche hight waist trousers for £50- bargains galore!

With new items being added every day it is well worth going over the weekend if you can its at The Music Room, South Molten Lane, London W1K 5AB. Get purchasing for a greater cause, no doubt I'll see you amongst the rails of Dior!

More info on the charity at kidsco.org.uk

Pixie & Alesha launch T's for the Trust

Last night was the launch of River Islands T's for the Trust, a collaboration between the retailer and the Prince's Trust with proceeds of sales going to the charity.

A range of t-shirts inspired by well known faces such as Pixie Lott, Kelly Rowland, Alesha Dixon and UK band Kid British were unveiled at the event.

The launch party held at the flagship store on Regent Street was complete with red carpet, paparazzi, champagne and canapes. Kid British provided the musical entertainment as guests browsed the collection of tees and the rest of the autumn/winter collection (with a 30% discount offered for the evening it would of been rude not to!).

Pixie Lott and Alesha Dixon made an appearance wearing their designs to kick the paps into a flashing frenzy. Pixie took to the stage to state her love of charity work and explained why she wanted to get involved with the Prince's Trust "it helps young people who may not of been exposed to certain opportunities in life- and being young myself it's a great opportunity to do my bit".

My preference was the Pixie Lott design and at £34.99 was the cheapest of the girls designs which go up to £99.99 for the all-singing, all-dancing Kelly Rowland tee seen below.


All t-shirts are true to the River Island signature and there is definitely enough studding, sparkles and fringing to keep the most hardcore River Island devotee shimmering in their celebrity 'designed' purchase.

Carhartt on the money

When it comes to knowing your customer and catering to them on a higher level than just the clothes, Carhartt is a streetwear brand which hits the creative nail on the head.

Last night I attended one of the free music events put on inside their Covent Garden flagship store. The rails are pushed aside the clothes stacked up and complimentary wine and beer is served to a clued up audience who love their music as much as their fashion.

As I walked up to the store with my fashion savvy pal we could have been forgiven for thinking we were at an exclusive golden ticket event by the brooding queue outside. However at this party everyone was welcome and the only ones turned away were those making the rookie mistake of not getting there on time.

The place was packed and long after the bar had run dry the place was filled to the brim. The pack outside not dwindling, despite capacity being reached, with hopes of soaking up the atmosphere through the glass panes.


The main attraction was 'Souls of Mischief' a hip-hop group made famous in the early nineties and hoping for a resurgence with a new album. The vibe was upbeat, positive and atmospheric.

The brand not only puts on established artists but supports exciting, hardworking up and coming creative talents that mirror the Carhartt brand profile and the customer it represents. Helping it identify with its core demographic and helping keep its ear close to the street, after all, what is a streetwear brand if it doesn't do just that?

Photos by Charlie Whatley www.charlie-whatley.blogspot.com

Fashion concious...with a conscience

Amongst the endless brands at press days, luxury label Rani Jones caught my eye for the right reasons.

Vivid splashes of orange and pink ran through a muted palette of soft greys. Bold shoulders and oversized jackets will look fresh in spring 10 which is an achievement in the ever-changing fashion landscape. It's a brand that I would wear for it's structured lines and seemingly effortless style, and the collection is looking significantly stronger for next season.



I am therefore pleased to say it caught my attention for these reasons and not because of it's much flaunted 'eco' label. This is an innovative fashion brand foremost and they work hard to achieve good business practice throughout the design process.

Yes the brand has ethical standards that they ensure they adhere to but at the same time they identify they are constantly working at bettering these and by their own admission the lines of 'ethical fashion' are blurred somewhat so they have their own guidelines which suit them and their customer just fine.

The problem with ethical fashion labels are they are grouped into their own sector, often thought of as not being as fashion led and for people with time to put ethical issues high on their day to day agenda- and let's face it that's not the majority of us.

This doesn't do much to encourage the mainstream retailers, the one's who have the persuasion and power to implement much better policies that are currently in place.

Brands such as Rani Jones are making head way for fashion brands to recognise at it's core that it is the retailers responsibility to note the impact it's business has on people's livelihoods. The more brands that initially start up with this ethos are going to make the fashion world a much improved and prouder place to belong.



www.ranijones.com

Yong has the X Factor

Featured at the Surgery PR spring 2010 press day and immediately caught my eye, was the collection from UK based designer Yong.

Yong's dresses scream glamour and urge to be worn with the highest of heels and an air of utter body confidence. Consequently it doesn't surprise me that Victoria Adcock, stylist to everyone's favourite clothes horse Cheryl Cole, had the dress below earmarked as the alternate option to the much talked about David Koma dress that eventually graced the Geordie one's shoulders on X Factor at the weekend.

Yong studied at the Edinburgh College of Art and was picked up by Liberty in his third season under his own label. Previous to his own escapade he had been at Alexander McQueen and had the prestige of winning Topshop Graduate of the Year.

With the seal of approval from Cheryl Cole surely not far away, this designer is set to be gracing many a red carpet in the near future. Start investing now for a sure fire fashion hit and get one up on the Cheryl-ettes by bagging it first.

Levi's & House of Holland

Levi's are going into their second season collaboration with House of Holland. Last spring Holland made over the iconic 501 jeans next season he will be taking the collaboration a step further by not only designing prints but designing whole new styles for the denim giant.

Press Days & Christmas Cometh

Yesterday I went on a little adventure into town to have a look at a couple of press days. Spring summer 10 may seem a world away as I woke up this morning to what felt like frost bitten toes and cranked the heating up out of necessity rather than comfort for the first time. Nevertheless duty and intrigue called to go and find out what is around the corner.

I went to see Exposure PR first (Aldo, WESC, Noir, Levi's, Ben Sherman, Terry De Havilland) guided by the lovely Gemma. I must say very impressed with Exposure's hospitality with a rustic feast of Parma ham, continental cheese and ciabatta bread with delicious custard pies for after- a definite thumbs up on hostesses with the mostest!

Next off to Surgery PR (G Star, Wrangler, Firetrap, Antoni & Alison) another impressive and easily navigated offering of brands, particularly taken by Rani Jones collection which I will delve into later and a glamourous collection from Yong one of whose designs was destined for none other than Cheryl Cole on X Factor.

There is nothing like browsing next seasons collections to make a girl want to dive headfirst into the nearest fashion store. I was in close proximity of Oxford Street and after literally being stranded in Oxford Circus (no tube due to the Christmas lights ceremony) what else is a girl to do but check out the current seasons offerings.

I decided not to hang around with the thousands of gaggling tweenie girls who were waiting to get a glimpse of the latest pop offering on stage and made a beeline for a safe space. Topshop came to my rescue and upon entry felt like a sanctuary from the screaming mob outside, making even the unlikeliest place- Oxford Street Topshop -seem like a haven of serenity.

Celebrating British Fashion

So last week culminated with the fashion party I have been working on for a few weeks. I am happy to report all went even better than anticipated and this one-off party may now turn into a regular date in the diary due to it's overwhelming success with networking playing a key part.

The great and the good of the fashion industry were there as well as a few people from the world of entertainment to add a bit of sparkle to the occasion.

Heads of House of Fraser, Selfridges, Liberty, Ben Sherman, Jaeger and many more mingled with designers Henry Holland and Betty Jackson. The evening was accompanied by the sounds of DJ Jeffery Disaster and classical quartet Stellini. Cocktails and Champagne were in full flow all night keeping the fashion pack well oiled.

There were some fabulous dresses doing the rounds it was like Christmas (parties) had come early! Glitz and glamour with a few seasonal sequins thrown into the mix for good measure. Unfortunately I made the rookie error of not taking my camera, however I anticipate getting hold of a few pics asap.

The aim of the evening was to celebrate the British Fashion industry and it was great to see the most influential people in the business come out to support the event- roll on next years!

Image credit:Dennis Oulds Getty Images

In my book of quotes...

Reading after a certain (time) diverts the mind too much from its creative pursuits. Any man who reads too much and uses his own brain too little falls into lazy habits of thinking.

- Albert Einstein