What I wore to London Fashion Week AW17

So today I FINALLY settled down to write my post on London Fashion Week Autumn/Winter 2017. While the fashion editors are now happily ensconced in Paris, the capital of couture (via a stylish week in Milano), I have been stuck in front of my computer trawling through and editing a ridiculously large number of images. So you’ll have to forgive me for the week long delay. In fact there are so many pics I would love to share, that I have decided to write not one but three blogs over the next few days. Lucky you 😉

Today’s will be a synopsis of my outfits for LFW, so get ready for some serious selfies people. Details of the shows I attended and all the gorgeous clothing I saw will follow later in the week, but for now let’s talk OOTD aka ‘outfit of the day’…

DAY 1 – FRIDAY – Channelling my inner Lagerfeld

On day one I decided to opt for a Chanel inspired look combining herringbone, a pussy-bow blouse and a bold faux-pearl necklace.

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Pink coat, Dorothy Perkins; Faux-fur collar, boohoo.com; White pussy-bow blouse, Uniqlo; Herringbone dress, Zara; Sunnies, Jeepers Peepers; Necklace, car-boot sale; Bag, Oasis.

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My gorgeous friend Davina and I enjoying cake at the Fashion Scout Ones to Watch show. Yes that is actual cake at Fashion Week. Hard to believe I know!

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Dashing photographer Paul Allen and I posing in our matching herringbone monochrome outfits at The Waldorf Hotel prior to Paul Costelloe.

DAY 2 – SATURDAY – Savage Youth

On day two I had a number of shows to attend and also was planning to party in the evening, so I opted for multiple layers of floral embroidery, customised denim and my fave pink coat.

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Pink coat and collar, as before; Denim jacket, New Look – beautifully customised by Pistache Artists; Floral embroidered dress, Primark; Ankle boots, River Island (available here): http://www.riverisland.com/women/shoes–boots/boots/black-leather-wide-fit-buckle-boots-698635.

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A selfie with my lovely little sis Zosia who accompanied me to shows on Saturday. Twinning in our faux-fur collars 🙂

DAY 4 – MONDAY – Checks and tassels

After giving myself Sunday off (naughty I know) my ensemble on day four was a riot of colour – grass green checks, baby pink outerwear and a canary yellow bag.

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Jacket and collar, as before; Checked dress, charity shop; Yellow leather bag, Hobbs; Over-the-knee tasselled boots, River Island.

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Engraved 18ct gold plated pendant, by Hurley Burley from http://www.NotontheHighStreet.com (similar available now); Star studs, Forever 21.

NB. If your ears react badly to non-precious metal then the gorgeous jeweller Laura Gravestock has 18ct gold plated star earrings here: http://lauragravestock.com/shop-by-item/earring/dainty-star-stud-earrings-1177.html

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Necklace, gift; Sunglasses, KG by Kurt Geiger.

DAY 5 – TUESDAY – Leather snake-print skirt and pumps

The final day called for flats and this tonal outfit was just the answer. I balanced a leather snake-print pencil skirt with an oversized Aran sweater and simple trainers. All topped off with a masculine 3/4 length khaki coat, which I found for £5 in a charity shop in Jan #winning

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Vintage wool khaki coat, charity shop; Sweater, Mango; Leather snake-print skirt, charity shop; Trainers, Lacoste.

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Yellow leather bag, Hobbs; Berry heart key ring, Aspinal of London (available here): https://www.aspinaloflondon.com/products/heart-key-ring-in-berry-lizard.

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Necklace, gift from my sister-in-law (from Accessorize); Earrings, Topshop.

I was also lucky enough to get my hair cut by the lovely Toni & Guy team at London Fashion Week headquarters. They did a fantastic job. Thanks again guys!

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BEFORE

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AFTER

All in all I had the most fabulous Fashion Week ever. Please let me know your thoughts on all my outfits. Do you have a favourite? Are there any you don’t think work? And also watch out for my posts later in the week with all my images from the shows and a thorough synopsis of all the gorgeous designer stands.

Oh and one more thing… I also had the pleasure of meeting the astonishingly beautiful supermodel and photographer Helena Christensen at a Lights of Soho event. Life goal achieved!

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Me and my fave 90s super, Helena Christensen

http://londonfashionweek.co.uk/ http://fashionscout.co.uk/ https://lightsofsoho.com/ http://toniandguy.com/

 

New launch: Petit Bateau x Fifi Lapin

Sometimes an invite comes in that is so darn cute it is like a inbox full of tiny puppies. Or in this case illustrated bunnies. Last night I attended the launch of a collaboration between beloved fashion blogger Fifi Lapin and revered French fashion brand Petit Bateau. And boy was it adorable!

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Internationally acclaimed blogger Fifi Lapin is known for illustrating the latest catwalk looks onto her alter ego bunny. For this collection she has chosen key pieces from the Petit Bateau AW14 collection to create three limited edition T-shirts for adults and girls. The sketches include the iconic striped mariniere, a geo print skirt and a natty yellow barrel bag.

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You didn’t have to be a kid to have fun at last night’s launch party, held at their Marylebone High Street store. A balloon artist was on hand to create all manner of spectacular pieces (including this amazing teapot) and downstairs was an art table where children (and aherm… adults) were encouraged to decorate their own Fifi bunny mask. I have to admit me and Davina couldn’t resist a bit of sparkly fun and got a little carried away with the stars and glitter.

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The collection launches today both in store and online, with girls tees costing £18 and adults starting at £30. Forget the tiny puppy gifs and check out this range for your daily dose of saccharine.

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Petit Bateau x Fifi Lapin launches Thursday 13th November 2014. http://www.petit-bateau.co.uk/e-shop/new-c27/1/petit-bateau-x-fifi-lapin-t-shirts.html

Alexander Wang x H&M preview event

So it’s finally here! The hotly anticipated and much awaited Alexander Wang x H&M collection hits stores and online today. I had the privilege of being invited to last night’s pre-shopping event at the London Regent Street store and man was it crazy. Imagine a Louboutin sample sale with 90% discounts, then multiply that by 1000 fashionistas and you may be somewhere in the region of what I experienced. The collection was conveniently located in a central cage, which we were corralled through at an alarming rate by those desperate to grab a piece of the Wang action.

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The London pre-shopping event complete with DJ and copious crowds

Bodycon dresses were like gold-dust and the already ubiquitous Wang emblazoned sweaters barely stayed on the rails. Luckily the blessed H&M staff were on hand to replenish stock as quickly as they could. Sizes come up quite snug (with the fitted pieces) so bear that in mind when bidding today. My stand out items were the blue trimmed bodycon dress, the oversize hooded parka and, if your abs can take it, the fab crop tops. And don’t forget to check out the accessories including the gorgeous leather backpack. Was it worth it you ask? Well I may have come away a little battered and bruised but the brilliant man-sized shopping bag and free ‘Team Wang’ airtex vest more than made up for it.

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Crop tops, £29.98 each

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Hooded parka, £149.99

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Figure-fit dress, £59.99

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Crop top, £29.98

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Leather backpack, £129.99

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Overknee socks, £12.99

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Stylish black on black branding

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Me with my shopping bag

Ellie Goulding in AlexanderWangxH&M

Ellie Goulding also attended the event. Here she is sporting the parka (Image: Ellie Goulding Instagram)

Alexander Wang x H&M launches today (Thursday 6th November) http://www.hm.com/gb/wangxhm 

London Fashion Week SS15

With the fashion crowd moving onto the final week of catwalks and the first shows in Paris about to begin, I thought it high time I not only posted a blog (apologies about the huge gap in posts – it was a summer of filming abroad) but also filled you in on what I saw at London Fashion Week this month.

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My sparkly Kurt Geiger sliders have an outing at London Fashion Week SS15

Whilst the catwalk shows attract the most media attention, I also like to peruse the designer stands in the stunning Somerset House, looking closely at the collections that have just been shown and speaking to new up-and-coming designers. Despite dedicating over 3 hours to this I only managed to cover one floor this season, focusing on contemporary and emerging talent. Sadly for all shoe lovers I didn’t quite manage the accessories hall. Here is a virtual tour of the designers that stood out for me and what to expect for Spring Summer 2015 (all website details at end of page).

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Flying the flag for London

First up the lovely Jean-Pierre Braganza whose SS15 show I also attended this season. A fantastic collection with his signature mix of masculine tailoring, quirky print and fabulous outerwear. Expect monochrome with a little added sparkle. A quick five min chat with the man himself revealed that he had slept a total of six hours in three nights in the lead up to the show. Ouch!

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Designs from Jean-Pierre Braganza SS15 (above) and as seen on the catwalk (below)

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Another favourite Fyodor Golan pulled out all the stops with neon colouring, oversized sequins and dramatic floral applique. Definitely not one for the faint-hearted, expect to see these designs on celeb fans Rita Ora and Katy Perry pronto.

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The delightful Georgia Hardinge showed me around her collection for next Spring, which featured clever architectural-inspired pleating and intricate silk prints, in a particularly strong palette of cornflower blue and chartreuse. Along with five others, Georgia was chosen for this years BFC Contemporary initiative, which included creating a capsule collection for eBay to coincide with Fashion Week. Expect many more exciting collaborations ahead.

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For those who like their clothing of a Scandi persuasion, the simplicity and clean lines of Swedish brand Deitas should appeal.

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Voluminous shapes and luxury fabrics and prints stand out at Fitriani. I love this beautiful collection!

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The prints in the Yuzzo London collection really caught my eye. Subtle and pretty, with an Eastern influence, these gorgeous pieces would work well in any wardrobe.

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Next up is Zoe Jordan, also chosen for this years BFC Contemporary Initiative. Her use of abstract print, geometric lines and cracked leather makes for a feminine look with an urban edge. This collection was inspired by Berlin and her printed leather dress (as seen below) was spotted on Poppy Delevigne that same week.

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Next the urban sport luxe designs of Jamie Wei Huang caught my eye. I was meant to attend this show but sadly couldn’t make it. The unusual use of colour and texture and the quirky menswear detailing make this collection really stand out for me.

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A step further into the world of quirky is New York brand Betina. Starting off as a luxury T-shirt line, the label has since expanded and was recently named as one to watch by vogue.com. Combining a Philappino heritage and US sports influences this collection is a riot of clashing textures, contrasting fabrics and embellishment. Cute!

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On to Emerging Talent and the clean lines, boxy silhouettes and succinct colour scheme of label Heohwan Simulation caught my eye.

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Another emerging designer with an eye for texture is Ming Pin Tien. The hand-knotted tassles that adorn the garments lift the simple shapes out of the ordinary. And I just adore these crazy furry flats. Fab, fun and sure to get a lot of attention.

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And just when I thought London Fashion Week had become all clean lines and commercial shapes, I came across the surreal kitsch designs of Yang Du. The Chinese born, London based designer sure knows how to put the fun into fashion. She may divide a room with her bold designs, but with Susie Bubble as a fan she’ll go far. & why the hell not add some colour to your life. Or an animal backpack…

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http://www.jeanpierrebraganza.com; http://www.fyodorgolan.co.uk; http://www.georgiahardinge.co.uk; http://www.deitas.com; http://www.fitriani.com; http://www.yuzzo-zhou.com; http://www.zoe-jordan.com; http://www.jamieweihuang.com; http://www.betina-ny.com; http://www.heohwansimulation.com; http://www.mingpintien.com; http://www.yangdu-duyang.com;

Guilt-free shopping

If the annual round of Xmas present shopping fills you with dread, then head on over to No. 23 Welbeck Street tomorrow where the fabulous Matches will be hosting an event to celebrate the festive season. A selection of great gift ideas for both men & women will be available to purchase, including this gorgeous Stella sweater, sparkly Lulu Frost earrings and some fabulous coffee table books from Lanvin and DVF.  What’s more 10% of net proceeds will be donated to children’s charity The Rainbow Trust, so you’ll be helping others whilst treating yourself to that Givenchy metallic clutch. That sounds like win-win to me.

Stella jumper

Tartan mohair sweater, £700, Stella McCartney at MatchesFashion.com

Lulu Frost earrings

Eclipse earrings, £140, Lulu Frost at MatchesFashion.com

Lanvin book 1 Lanvin book 2

Lanvin Anniversary book by Alber Elbaz, £250, MatchesFashion.com

Givenchy clutch

Antigona envelope clutch, £755, Givenchy at MatchesFashion.com 

Matches at No 23 Welbeck St, London, W1G 8EG is on tomorrow (Tuesday 26th November) from 11am-5pm. www.matchesfashion.com with www.rainbowtrust.org.uk