"Pret-a-Portea" Afternoon Tea at Berkley Hotel

So you are probably wondering what the hell it is that I am so busy with that I do not have time to blog.. Well I've been busy catching up with my friends who all decided to visit London one after the other in consecutive weekends!

I've been wanting to try Afternoon Tea at The Caramel Room at Berkley Hotel for a while. I heard about it from a fashionista friend but it seems to always be booked out weeks in advance. So when my lovely friend M mentioned that she would love to do an afternoon tea whilst in London, I started doing the rounds at the usual suspects - Claridges, Dorchester, Orangery at Kensington Palace.. and low and behold Berkley had an opening at such short notice.

I mean... someone had to come up with this! Such a brilliant idea had to see the light of day... A fashionista's afternoon tea where all the pastries are inspired by the current season's collection by the likes of Dolce & Gabbana, Gucci, Mulberry, Michael Kors (see menu above!).

When the tray came out we did wonder if it would be enough for both of us but apparently tiny shoes and bags fill you up more than you think! By the end of it we were so full that when we got to the top tier of the tray .. namely the Jason Wu coconut mousse with a biscuit leg... we had to eat it only out of our respect for Jason Wu.. it would be rude not to!

The room was full of ladies of various ages all equally in awe and overcome with excitement of the event. I meant being able to to EAT a Mulberry bag is just a different type of satisfaction :)

Unfortunately, the service was not as outstanding as you would expect at hotel of such calibre. The waiters were slow and uninterested. We had to wait at least 10 minutes before anyone came to take our order and take us through the menu. At the end of our 2 hour tea drinking ritual we had to literally wave our hands in the air in order to ask for the bill. It was rather strange and disappointing but I guess "you can't have your cake and eat it too".... or caaan you?! :P

Overall, a cosy and pleasant way to spend a Sunday afternoon and have a good long gossip session with your girlfriends whilst feeling very much en vogue.

I should mention that the menu does change every 6 months so make sure you get in fast before A/W2012 is here.

How much: from £39 for a basic tea and extra for champagne (depending on the type of champagne)
Where: Berkley Hotel - Wilton Place, Knightsbridge (London)

http://www.the-berkeley.co.uk/fashion-afternoon-tea.aspx

xx 

  

Easter weekend at Bath

Things have been so hectic lately that all I wanted for the Easter long weekend is to hide out, hibernate and recharge somewhere relatively far away! Bath seemed to fit the bill so I recruited a like minded girlfriend of mine and off we went on a mini-getaway (hence the lack of posts - sorry!). I am feeling very proud of myself for being super healthy and kind to myself over the last couple of days (although I did slack off a bit and didn't get much editing done...uh-oh!)

Good things about Bath:

1. the really cute B&B places... it is all about the B&Bs here, don't even think about staying in a normal hotel! (we stayed at the Oldfields)
2. the Thermae spa - a rooftop pool full of mineral water that is really good for you and a great view of Bath (you can also add on massages and all sorts of extra treatments)
3. cheap and really great food. We enjoyed an amazing seafood dinner at Loch Fyne- oysters, wine, the works for about 30 quid each!
4. things to do apart from chilling in the spa, eating and sleeping - visiting the Fashion Museum. I especially enjoyed the Behind the Scenes exhibit.

xx

Soho's Secret Tea Room

What's better on a Sunday afternoon than a high tea? A high tea in a secret tea room! After moody London weather messed up our plans of opening the picnicking season, S and I were desperately trying to come up with an equally as good of a plan B for a girlie Sunday afternoon. S came up with the idea of high tea at the Soho's Secret Tea Room. Neither of us had been there before so we weren't really sure what to expect but as usual Soho didn't disappoint.
 
A bright, albeit a very intimate (and by intimate i mean tiny which is why you need to book in advance) sun filled room, accessed via a "secret" staircase behind the bar at what would appear to be your average corner pub, oozes shabby chic. The cutest mismatched vintage tea pots, fresh flowers on the tables and vintage looking embroided table cloths create a feeling of nostalgia with a little bit of 1940's romance. The hostess sporting some serious retro eyeliner and a vintage flowery dress, treated us to an afternoon of guiltful yumminess - homemade cupcakes, amazing strawberry lined sponge cake (both S and I kept having "just another tiny bit" until it was well and truly demolished)...Oh and of course I shall not forget the traditional scones (seriously how can you have an afternoon tea without scones?!) and cucumber sandwiches. The Secret selection of teas didn't disappoint either - after agonising over a tough choice between rose buds and jasmine pearl, I settled for jasmine pearl.. and absolutely loved it! Not going to lie, when I came out of there that afternoon my accent had become that tiny little bit more English ;) 

xx

Issey Miyake - AW 2012 show review

The Issey Miyake AW 2012 show was held at the beautiful Grand Palais on Champs Elysees but that was pretty much the only romantic thing about it. Yoshiuki Miyamae presented a collection that is high tech and is best viewed in 3D glasses. The show commenced with the demonstration of the steam stretch concept fabric that the designer used to define this collection.

However for me the fascination lay in the shapes. The highlight was definitely the outerwear, where complex shapes were complemented by the clashing fabric and colour combinations. Padding, mesh, silk, knitting - you name it, it was all there on the catwalk in colours that varied from icy cold blues to burnt orange, red and charcoal.

Speaking of charcoal... an odd one out - classically tailored pant suit left me a little confused as it did not seem to fit the otherwise very progressive and almost high-tech looking collection. Overall wearable yet exciting and hopefully practical pieces to look forward to next winter. If there are two things to remember from this collection, it would be 'coats' and 'steam stretch fabric'.

Shapovalova AW2011, Volvo Fashion Week

I feel like I need to clarify at this stage that the reason that most of my reviews from Volvo Fashion Week are positive is because my approach not only to reviews but to blogging in general is "if you don't have anything nice to say, then don't say anything". Having said that, there are some designers whose work I like and follow but whose particular collection may have, in my view, had some 'room for improvement'. In those cases, I voice my opinion loud and clear. To put it in perspective - I attended over 30 catwalk shows at Volvo Fashion Week and only the very few shows that I liked actually ended up on my blog. I just do not see the point in blasting a collection that I do not have the slightest interest in.

So now that I got that out of the way, I want to share another one of the shows from Volvo FW that I actually liked.

Shapovalova is a young brand that is only 2 years old and is a brainchild of Antonina Shapovalova who, at her tender age of 23, has presented her fourth collection at the VFW. In Russia her brand is a cause for varied sentiments as the brand's PR powerhouse manages to attract the attention of not only Russian pop stars and socialites but also the politicians which, lets face it, is strange even on a good day. Shapovalova's web-site boasts a story about how the then future president of Russia, Dmitri Medvedev, bought one of the t-shirts and how various other Russian political figures own Shapovalova's propaganda t-shirts.

Whatever the sentiment, I had no idea about it until after the show when I, impressed by what had just seen, went on to do some digging on the designer.

I liked Shapovalova's AW2011 collection for a couple of reasons. Firstly, I think it was very well thought through, with a consistent theme throughout the collection. The collection was called "Airports. Pilots. Planes". What can I say? The catwalk was decorated as an airport runway with deep blue skies in the background. The music was perfectly matched - something that is rare for Russian designers who generally don't seem to think it's necessary to employ a production team who ensure that the whole show 'flows'. Shapovalova obviously had the luxury of having a stylist and a production team who did a brilliant job - didn't take the attention away from the clothes but rather made sure the clothes are complemented by the surroundings. The Dandy Warhols' The Last High was a good choice of soundtrack.

Then there were the clothes... Colour. Lots of nice colour. Not the citrusy summer colour but the deeper shades of  green, blue and burgundy dominated. The clothes were well-tailored, especially the menswear pieces, and well accessorised with bags, belts and leather halters. The halters, as I discovered a bit later on, were very similar to those of Marios Schwab. I very much liked that Shapovalova was bold with the colour in her menswear pieces. I am not entirely sure about the practicality of this collection for a Russian winter but the clothes sure do look great!

Here some photos (all photos and editing by me):

Konstantin Gayday AW2011

This show was probably the highlight of the Volvo Fashion Week for me. Again, not knowing anything about the designer meant that I had zero expectations and at the beginning I was a little confused by the variety of colourful tights, especially on boys. However, it would have to be the headpieces that brought it back for me. I never ever in a hundred years could have imagined that Russian theme can be so tastefully worked into what otherwise was a very modern and at times minimalistic collection. I have most certainly never seen it done successfully before and this was an absolute show stealer! My favourite look is the white headpiece worn with the white faux fur jacket and black sequence leggings.

In terms of the actual clothes I felt that the collection was strong with just enough sequence detailing to keep it exciting but without crossing over to the 'euro-trash' side. I must admit, I still do not get the leggings on boys at the beginning though...

Natasha Drigant AW2011 - Volvo Fashion Week Moscow

Natasha Drigant is what I would call a safe and solid brand. Natasha has been showing two collections per year since 1999 which is rare in Russia as the fashion industry is very much in its infancy and it is not uncommon for designers to struggle with funding two collections per year on top of managing to sell the clothes. Natasha Drigant most certainly sells, probably due to the practicality and understandability of the clothes. The AW2011 collection was presented at Volvo Fashion Week. For me the highlight of the collection would have to be the dresses with the folds (I guess what one would call them?!) on the hips, as well as the clean line coats (especially the black leather one). The clothes were most certainly practical but only a couple of items truly stood out from the crowd.

www.drigant.com 

(photos and editing by me)

Olga Deffi AW2011 - Volvo Fashion Week Moscow

Olga Deffi was a hit'n'miss for me personally. Some looks were wearable and practical and some were plain boring. I liked the hoods and the separate sleeves. The knee-high boots had a question mark in my books as I did not expect to see them in AW2011 since we've already been wearing them for the last six months. I thought some fabrics were a bit of a let down as they looked cheap and did not look good in the catwalk spotlight. I think I'm neither here nor there with this collection - some pieces were fine but nothing that popped out and made a crazy impression. My favourite look would have to be the black wool dress with a pleather stripe running along the front and back. I have picked out nineteen of the best looks from the collection (all photos by me):

"Olga Deffi"

Create a free slideshow with Picnik!

Natalya Kolykhalova AW2011 - Review

This one was a cat in the bag for me! Not knowing anything about the designer, I did not have any expectations whatsoever but she surprised me. An elegant collection with a 70's and Frenchy flair - nice to know that Russian designers are in tune with the global fashion trends. The retro sunglasses and suede gloves added a nice finishing touch. Lots of flowing fabrics and gorgeous cuts along with sheer elements and embroidery. I think sheer can be very difficult to pull off but Natalya has managed it perfectly. I tried to take some detail shots so you can fully apprehend the intricate detail of the pieces.

The evening gowns where simply stunning and the photos really do not do them justice - sexy without being vulgar.

Overall, I would not say that Kolykhalova exhibited any extreme originality in her collection but it definitely had a signature touch and presented versatile and wearable pieces. I guess in future I would love to see her push the limits a bit and come up with a few more daring pieces.

Here is a little slideshow to give you a better idea (all photos and editing by me):

Alena Akhmadullina AW2011 - Review

Alena Akhmadullina is best described as the … well pretty much the shining star of the Russian fashion world. She has been doing this for a while and she knows how it's done. I personally really like her style, although the Russian fashion community is separated into what seems to be two camps - ones who love it and ones who… don't understand. She stays true to her style showing consistency and individualism of the brand. Unfortunately the majority of the Russian fashion 'absorbers' (for the lack of a better word) are still amused by the over-the-top and bright and shiny designs which is not what Akhmadullina is all about.

Alena Akhmadullina's Autumn/Winter 2011 was extremely well-executed. She stuck to a theme, a consistent colour palette and present pieces that wearable and sellable. 

Music, ambience, models, the whole show was well planned and delivered. A little bit of retro with designs reminiscent of 1940's were well accompanied by a little bit of leather (note the leather patches on the knees). It was a well-balanced collection which had a bit of everything, including fur which is the new season favourite across the board. All in all a solid collection delivered by Akhmadullina.

Check out some of the photos here (all photos and editing by me - apologies for the shaky hands):

Alexis Mabille AW 2011 at PFW - Review

Alexis Mabille chose the lovely Maison de la Chimie for his AW 2011 ready-to-wear collection presented at Paris Fashion Week. Like so many other designers, Alexis Mabille had a strong 70's presence in his collection. In fact, 'presence' would be an understatement in this case. 

Amongst other things, one of the strong points of the collection was the use of texture. There was a good mix of fabrics which was complemented by clever layering. Some of the pieces were quite complex with a lot of detailing and interesting cuts whilst the shapes were feminine and true to the 70's.

Whilst the collection had some very strong pieces, it didn't quite hit the spot for me. It would seem that Alexis took the retro feel a bit too far as the pieces were very much 70's as opposed to 70's inspired. Although the colour palette was every bit autumn/winter appropriate, some of the colours, especially the ones in deep shades of brown, took away the youthfulness and lightness of the clothes. 

The main theme of the collection was a bit hard to follow as it veered from retro… to what at times made me think of 'eastern europe does boho'… to almost folky… and then back to beautiful flowy dresses. 

Another let down was the models, who not only tripped on a number of occasions but actually tumbled down Naomi-style. It is unfortunate and it happens but it sure does take away from the intensity of the show, as every show is a spectacle, a performance.

I do not think Alexis found 'the edge' so to say with this collection but I very much believe that all the ingredients are already there and he just needs to find a way to make them work.. which he will no doubt do in his future collections.


Here is a little slideshow (all photos and editing by me): 

Ashish AW 2011 - London Fashion Week

Not going to lie, Ashish show was a standout for me. A little daring, a little tomboyish, and a lot British.  As a lot of the new season's trends are heading in the feminine direction, Ashish is an alternative for when you are feeling a little bit rebellious. There was a A LOT of sequence and A LOT of holes. Absolutely loved the ripped jeans combined with Union Jack tee's and leather! I also liked that Ashish added a bit of humour to his collection with the "Hard Times" and "Holly Crap" knits. The two pieces suits reminded me of Chanel, albeit tripping on acid (I mean it in a good way!). It is just so great to see colour in so many of the new season collections, Ashish being no exception.

Here is a slideshow/movie with some of the looks - all photos, video and editing done by me. Soundtrack - Hot As Hell by Drop The Lime (unfortunately I could not find any of the songs used in the actual show soundtrack)

p.s. the movie is HD so you if you run it once and let it download, the second time you watch the quality should be decent (depending on the speed of your internet connection)

Issa AW 2011

Issa show, which took place at the BFC show space, was anything but grey and grumpy winter. Lots of amazing colours, flowing fabrics and bold accessories. A lot of the pieces were floor length in gorgeous patterns and deep rich shades of green, red and burnt orange. It was winter, but it was fun! I absolutely loved the flowing fabrics which made all the garments so feminine and soft. The collection, like many others this season, was making a bold 70's statement. It was not a suggestion, it was an order - next winter we WILL be wearing 70's fashion. Unlike many other collections this season, Issa only flirted with the idea of fur, making fur more of a subtle accessory in the form of hat brims and manteaux as opposed to a statement in itself.

Another favourite feature of the show for me were the suede gloves. I am a huge fan of gloves in any fabric and Issa absolutely excelled in making the gloves not only work with but also complete the look. And of course I cannot omit the fact that Yasmin Le Bon and Andrea Dellal walked the catwalk for Issa this season which added to the overall excitement of the show. Andrea Dellal has such an amazing energy that she seemed to ignite the catwalk in that elegant and (for the lack of better word) RED HOT number!

Overall, a great collection by Issa and we will no doubt be seeing Miss Middleton sporting a lot of those looks next winter.

Here is a little slideshow/movie to show you some of the looks. The soundtrack is the one that Issa chose for her finale. All photos, video (blackberry) and editing - by me (please be nice, this is the first movie I have ever made). Enjoy!

p.s. the file is quite large so for best quality let it load first or click here to watch it through YouTube

Joy Cioci Fall 2011 - NYFW presentation

First and foremost let me apologise for the photos - all taken with my Blackberry so the quality is pretty bad  but at least you get to see the clothes.. somewhat..

On Day 2 of NYFW I attended the Joy Cioci Fall 2011 presentation which marked the debut of Joy Cioci as a designer in her own right. This is the first collection that Joy has designed under her own label, although she is no novice to the fashion industry, having worked at the heavyweights like Gucci, Carolina Herrera and Nina Ricci.

The collection, as the label itself, is young, fresh and extremely likeable. For her first collection, Cioci showcased a good mix of flowing chiffon dresses, cosy knits and funky jackets. Every piece in this collection is both wearable and loveable. If I had to describe it in a few words I guess it would be: "New York Romance". The clothes are distinctly New York yet carry a feminine, almost a dreamy flair.

All there is left to do now is wait until Joy Cioci pieces hit the stores...

(designer Joy Cioci with models after the presentation)

   

British Fashion Awards 2010

*Sorry about the poor quality of these photos - took them with my little point-and-shoot which I took with me to the awards ceremony and it was struggling the poor old thing! *

British Fashion Awards is probably one of, if not the, biggest event on the fashion calendar. Of course when it comes to me, something is bound to go wrong!  The problem is that 'passion for fashion' is impossible to align with a corporate job and of course the BFA ceremony had to start nice and early! Needless to say sneaking out of work on a Tuesday is difficult (if not impossible) and of course I couldn't sneak out on time. This basically meant that I had exactly 20 minutes to get ready for the whole thing and my long evening dress (I decided to go all out!) was crinkled from spending the previous 8 hours in a garment bag, my hair was not ready and my make-up was still to be done (what a disaster)!! Anyway, huffing and puffing I managed to get to the ceremony about 5 minutes before it commenced, downed a glass of champagne on arrival to drown the sorrows of missing 'the big celebrity arrivals' and proceeded to ramage through the goody bag.

It was so good to see Phoebe Philo win the Designer of the Year award -well deserved!! Naomi Campbell's speech was long and emotional  (I guess understandably so.. given her 'years in service') and Daphne Guiness' shoes looked extremely uncomfortable (or may be it was caused by the length of her dress - either way she looked like she was about to trip any minute). The ceremony didnt last very long and afterwards the procession moved to the Savoy Hotel for drinks but sadly as I am a mere mortal I didnt get to mingle with the celebrities and instead we opted for a glass of champagne at the Savoy bar which was quite glamorous considering the place was filled with other 'mere mortals' who attended the ceremony and a few up-and-coming models (read: havent quite made it there yet models). The official after party was at Movida and it was surprisingly packed for a Tuesday night but again my efforts to spot a celebrity (or at least a fashionista) did not result in anything and I decided that there must have been a Special Official party for the Daisy Lowes and the Alexa Chungs of this world. Nevertheless, I had a wonderful evening and it is always so nice to have an excuse to dress up (albeit on a Tuesday evening!)

Hope you all have a great weekend! xx

Rant: great (hair) expectations...

I have expectations. My expectations are even higher when it comes to hairdressers. For one, they are responsible for what is possibly the first thing that people notice/see when they meet me - my hair. Great haircuts should not be underestimated. When it comes to hair - I pretty much have done it all (apart from shaving it off or making shaved ornaments on one side of my head).. When I was in 6th grade I used to colour my hair with blue L'Oreal 'hair mascara'.. I forget what the official name of that product was but to absolute dismay of my teachers I had it in three colours and used to wear it to school (matching nail polish included). That was when I had long hair. Then my lovely cousin decided to stick a chewing gum in my hair which resulted in quite an edgy (as far as teenage fashion goes) crop which later grew into a bob which later grew into a pob, then into longer hair with foils, then into a perm then into a boy cut again, then into hair extensions (for exactly 2 weeks) then into its next reincarnation. So the point is.. when I say "I know a little bit about hairdressers", I actually mean it.

For me a hairdresser is somewhat akin to a boyfriend. It's a relationship. No small amount of trust is involved as you get in that chair and hope that the man in front of you actually means what he says when he says he knows what he is doing. You take their suggestions and if he comes through with the goods, you repay with loyalty and occasional friend referrals. And if you ever decide to cheat, as you wonder what it might be like with other hairdressers.. it's similar to a break-up - one day you just stop calling them and hope you never run into them on the street or worse at a party (unless of course one day you turn up at your 'new' hairdresser only to find out that your 'old' one is now a manager at this new salon - awkward). And as with any relationship - they take the break-up personally...

In the last 2 years in Sydney I managed to find an excellent hairdresser at a small but mighty salon called Suki in Paddington. I felt that I finally found a man that I could spend the rest of my hairstyling life with. So needless to say when moving to London I was very sad to leave Suki and very apprehensive about finding my new 'hair love'.

After much deliberation I took a chance and went to Atherton Cox in Marylebone to get my hair cut. I was utterly disappointed. Not with the result so much but with the experience as a whole. They made me wait for about 20 minutes before seeing me - which is not a deal breaker.. I am perpetually 10 minutes late..no biggie. As I was waiting, a lady sat next to me with a towel on her head as she was told she had to wait for a spare 'station' so they can actually start drying her hair. As I was ushered downstairs I saw a room full of empty 'stations' that could have been used (but I'm sure there is a perfectly normal explanation for that too). The hairdresser who cut my hair was some big shot who has won a few awards in the past so he somehow felt that he could get away with the 'prima donna' attitude (that or he had a severe case of ADD). He took a phone call whilst cutting my hair, kept talking about unrelated stuff to other staff .. constantly..

He was a nice enough guy but when you are charging 100 quid for a haircut, I would expect a little more than 'nice'. The haircut itself was fine except for the fact that he wasnt going to cut my fringe until I asked him (I know I said I wanted to grow it out but if he honestly was willing to let me walk out his salon looking the way I looked, he must not care too much about the 'message' he is sending to world about his skills). Overall, a somewhat disappointing experience which was only made better by a huge discount I got under a promotional voucher (something he didnt even know when cutting my hair - so he wasnt just being slack because I was a 'cheap job'). I would think twice about going back there albeit the promotional rate is still valid till February (and that means a lot as I love a bargain!)

NB: this is not a photo of me, its just one of the portraits I took during fashion week. I don't know who the girl is but her hair very much resembles mine (on a good day :)