Fashion Insight Features

London Fashion Week Autumn Winter 2012

2012-02-27T00:51:00.001-08:00

DAY ONE

Antoni & Alison

Simple loosely fitted shift dresses became blank canvases for the designers to display their trompe l’oeil works of art. Using digital printing of an eclectic range of objects from biscuits, cellophane, and staples to feathers, buttons and tweed.

Corrie Nielsen

Nielsen blends the medieval Scottish styles with her own signature sculptural forms.

Dramatically sweeping the floor was the deep purple Duchess satin voluminous floor length cape.

Small leather clutch bags in matching tartan fabrics by Sophia Beckford and striking tartan design face laces by Phyllis Cohen

Bora Aksu

Necklines were high with button up collars and pussy bows; chiffon layering brought a hazy fairytale look to the pieces. Colours were soft shades of dusty pinks, greys and creams.

The style became more structured with tailored waistcoats, jackets and capes, and the colour darkened to greys, blacks and silver metallics with splashes of fuchsia, burnt orange and ruby red. Aksu used a Baroque style print throughout the collection, both on tailored and chiffon garments plus the soon to be ‘must have’ tights.

DAY TWO

Spijkers en Spijkers

40s style tea dresses were updated with colour block panelling and luxurious fabrics of silk and silk wool blends. Ostrich and bird feathers trimmings brought Hollywood glamour as detachable cape like collars and adorned the front of shoes. Colourful embroidered birds embellished jackets, dresses and shirts.

Bernard Chandran

Instead of his detachable peplums he has been creating for the past two seasons he concentrates on detachable collars. Some heavily embellished, others brightly coloured but most of intricate multi folds akin to Japanese origami.

Fluid fabrics of silk satin, wet look leather and gleaming metallic prints all gave the illusion of flowing water. Tailoring was given a sharper edge with the use of clear plastic over opened shoulder seams. This was gown up glamour with just the fun faux fur jacket adding a touch of quirkiness.

Ashley Isham

Here clean lines and tailoring in the form of black leather cigarette pants and capes with matching shorts. Evening wear saw short dresses glittering with sequins and beads, one of jet beads forming daisy patterns. But his signature draped fluid jersey dresses were never far behind with their Grecian asymmetric style long and short in deep teal, frosted grey and a prints of python and floral.

DAY THREE

Prophetik

‘Courtly Love’. Strapless long evening gowns worn with chunky ornate necklaces from Adorn especially designed for Prophetik.

Short day time dresses with full skirts and spaghetti straps that wrap around the arms to leave the back bare.

Hemp wool plaid was new to his collection and gave an equestrian countryside style to jackets.

The finale dress, a white strapless bodice adorned with a vintage pocket watch floated with its trail of black naturally shed ostrich feathers.

Louise Gray

A glorious array of textures, colours and patterns. This collection breaks down into luxurious fabrics of cashmere knits and leather, simple cuts of shift dresses, a-line skirts and sleek trousers given depth through graphic prints and colours. Teamed with printed boots by Nicholas Kirkwood at Pollini and Aztec sun ray hair pieces by Nasir Mazir.

Pam Hogg

Starting quite innocently with a modern take of the crinoline bow peep style dress and bonnet, the risqué catsuits soon came out to play. Firstly in head to toe geometric patterns, then adding patches of stretch chiffon until ending with just the chiffon embellished with cute bows strategically placed. Actress Jaime Winstone contrasted among the sleek catsuits as she modelled a knitted polo neck jumper and matching crinoline skirt.

DAY FOUR

Prose

Designer Mitiam Lehle took her inspiration from a blue curtain and woven shoe leather.

Black oblong leather patches edged with brown leather stitching adorned black trousers and skirts in neat rows giving a beatnik appearance. Leather transformed in to black and brown speckled pheasant-like feather fringing in both short and long lengths. The shorter fringing brought a raw edge to shift dresses and pencil skirts, whilst the longer fringing brought a Wild West boho feel.

The blue curtain became a delicate overlay of skeletal wispy threads kept together by panels for dresses and tops.

Lako Bukia

Titled ‘Broken Mirrors ‘for strong women who are not afraid to face their fears and challenge the bad luck broken mirror myth.

Silver leather was either in geometric patches separated by chiffon or jersey; or on trousers and pencil skirts as a tactile broken mirror pattern design. The finale dress summed up the whole inspiration with its billowing ethereal long skirt and its delicate chiffon top covered in twinkling mirrored shards – showing an Amazonian feminine strength ready to conquer all fears.

Her signature chunky triangular heels were replaced this season for heel made of a stack of broken clear ‘glass’ which glimmered in the light.

DAY FIVE

Holly Fulton

Inspiration: Lady Chatterley in the Estate’s hothouses. Colour palette was a sizzling affair of hot pinks and bright turquoise. Adding to her graphic signature prints were exotic palm prints and butterflies. Layering and the teaming of the pieces with polo necks brought this steamy collection back in to the autumn/winter vein.

Ashish

A collection of grunge meets glamour meets Hare Krishna. Ashish gives the sequin street cred as he uses on hoodies and sleeveless biker jackets. An eclectic array of motifs from hallucinogenic paisleys and smileys; the spiritual ying and yang and Buddhas; to the sporty football stripes. Multi layering of the colours and patterns created a spectacular glorious grunge effect.

Aminaka Wilmont

A minimalist and structured collection. A combination of hard and soft: sharp tailoring with soft draping; digital prints of hard gems and crystals and the softer water lilies and molten glass. Leather and fur for outerwear providing a tougher but luxurious look, whilst iridescent thread brought shimmer to knitwear. Overall look was dark and sultry with flashes of colour in the prints.

Jasper Garvida

Think World War II era and Marlene Dietrich. Daywear consisted of shirt dresses in a muted colour palette of khaki, beige and blues. Evening wear was more dramatic in black and embellished with gold buttons, embroidery and exaggerated long fringed epaulette beading.

DAY SIX – MENS DAY

Topman Design

This collection concentrates on texture and keeps its colour palette black creating a dark sensual and cultural look of the young Robert Mapplethorpe and in keeping with his black and white Polaroid images. The rich textured fabrics include mohair, soft boucle, hi shine PVC, lurex and thick wool. Leather pants taper at the bottom and are rolled up slightly to reveal the leather ankle boots. Mapplethorpe’s photo of the Lily is used as a repeated and distorted print on the silk shirts.

Knotted leather pendants and rosaries by Husam El Odeh adorn wrists and necks and complete the look and mood of the collection.

Oliver Spencer

Inspired by a young Lucian Freud, the collection has an art-house and Beatnik feel as suits of textured rugged fabrics are teamed and layered with the more casual knits. The young 50s baseball jacket is giving a more grown up tailored makeover in wool, but keeping the fun element with contrasting coloured and textured sleeves.

Colour palette: muted khakis, browns, greys with a dash of navy and a pop of burnt orange.

Spencer used models of various ages to show his collection brings sartorial styles to all ages.

By Karen Grace
Personal Shopper & Image Consultant for Frumpy to Funky http://www.frumpytofunky.com

London College of Fashion MA Catwalk Show 2012

2012-02-05T15:54:00.000-08:00

It was a bitter cold night outside, but in the grand Raphael Gallery at the V&A things were hotting up as we watched the London College of Fashion’s annual MA Catwalk Show 2012.

23 students from MA Fashion Design Technology showcased their work. The collections varied from the minimalist to the opulent, from the heritage look to the futuristic, from the neutral palette to an explosion of colour, and from the need a few changes before hitting the high street to the wearable right now.

After the show, TV and radio personality Lauren Laverne and young British designer Christopher Raeburn announced the winners of the Womenswear and Menswear: Collection of the Year.

Menswear Collection of the Year went to Tina Elisabeth Reiter.

Titled ‘The Sound of Homeless (ness)’, Reiter was inspired by the feeling of homelessness, the meaning of belonging and the seeking of our roots in an unpredictable globalised world.
For this she turned to her own Austrian roots for the wish of an ideal world thinking of the Alps, kitschy homeland movies of the Austrian post-war years and the feel good film ‘The Sound of Music’.

Her collection takes the heritage of the Austrian folk costume and fuses it with modern menswear.

With no Lederhosen in sight, this collection goes for softer look with loose fitting trousers, full pleated culottes and skirts. Artist smock style shirts with full blouson sleeves are grounded with the more tailored waistcoat and jacket.

Patterns: gingham, polka dots and tweed
Colour palette: Muted browns, black and grey with a pop of peach

Womenswear Collection of the Year went to Hana Cha

Titled ‘Diffusion between Proletariats and Bourgeois’ the collection was aimed to observe the difference in attire in different social classes.

To represent proletariat she chooses thick and stiff fabrics, deconstruction and a mannish style.

For the bourgeois there’s the softer silk, fluid metallics and fluffy wool to capture a more feminine feel. Hana juxtaposes the conflicting styles of both to create something new.
One of her pieces, the minimalist but luxurious gold jumpsuit becomes the canvas of what appears to be a harsh sweeping brushstroke still dripping with black paint, but on closer inspection the dripping paint is a collection of fine tassels.

Colour palette: Rich metallic gold, sombre matt black, deep purple and vibrant deep blue.

The show attracted a host of celebrities and VIPs including: Rt Hon Home Secretary Theresa May MP; Turner prize winning artist Grayson Perry; Chairman of the British Fashion Council Harold Tillman CBE; band members from Niki & The Dove, The Saturdays Mollie King, DH Jodie Harsh and Made in Chelsea star Francis Boulle to name a few.

For details on all of the collections go to www.fashion.arts.ac.uk/ma/

By Karen Grace
Personal Shopper & Image Consultant for Frumpy to Funky http://www.frumpytofunky.com

NET-A-PORTER celebrates the launch of KARL

2012-01-25T15:23:00.000-08:00

Jenny Cossons talks about the new KARL brand at NET-A-PORTER

On Wednesday 25 January at 13:30 in Covent Garden Market, London saw the unveiling of Karl Lagerfeld’s new line KARL. Simultaneously KARL was also launched in New York, Paris and Berlin. Sydney alas had to wait a few hours more due to the time difference.

At the London launch, people started queuing from 12:00 to make sure they were one of the first 50 visitors and so receive a pair of iconic KARL leather gloves or a collar from the collection.

Jenny Cossons, Group Head of Brand Relations at NET-A-PORTER was available for interviews. Here is mine:

NET-A-PORTER has four weeks exclusivity on the KARL brand – How did you achieve this?
We pride ourselves on having a fantastic relationship with all of our 400 plus brands that we work with. And I think the feeling was that we should be the exclusive partner because we’re the only global luxury online retailer featured in 170 countries and with 4.5 million visitors. So it made sense for us to be the exclusive partner for this amazing launch.

Who approached who for the collaboration?
It was the meeting of minds to be honest. When you think about of all the fashion brands we collaborate with, why not collaborate with the King of Fashion himself? It was the coming together of both parties.

How long many months did it take to co-ordinate and organise a global launch simultaneously?
It’s been a long time. Officially we started launching the brand about six months ago and then we started revealing the brand and pieces of the collection about a month and a half ago. It’s been a long process but super exciting and obviously leading up to today we are thrilled with it.

What is it like to meet Karl in person?
It has been an extraordinary experience and inspirational. He’s amazing, there’s an incredible aura when he’s in the room. He’s a legend. If you work in fashion meeting Karl Lagerfeld is the ultimate, it’s like a dream.

Who is the KARL Woman?
I think the Karl Woman is modern but with a rock and roll edge, you’ll see that in all the pieces of the collection. You’ve got everything from leather miniskirts to sequin jackets to different collars to T-Shirts, so you really do have something for everyone in the collection. Karl Woman is elegant but modern and edgy.

Are there any key pieces in the collection?
There are 70 pieces to choose from and there is also going to be five limited edition dresses which we will have exclusivity for a day. So there’s everything from £20 to £1,500 which are the limited edition dresses.

Do you have a favourite piece?
I do have a favourite piece. There’s a beautiful jersey wrap dress in a merlot wine colour with a print of Karl silhouettes. Also the beautiful sequin collars which add a bit more of an edge.

Jenny asked if I had seen the NET-A-PORTER KARL app and said:
You’ll be able to shop and win with the app. You can take a sneak peek of the collection.
You can take a photograph of yourself and make yourself into Karl Lagerfeld which is quite good fun. If you scan the logo, different things pop up. There’s a Find Karl maze game, and cash prizes to win and spend on the KARL collection. What’s so exciting about KARL is not only is it an amazing beautiful and luxurious product, but it is also taking technology to the next level, this is the first time a launch that has been done in this way.

Do you see this as the way forward for future brands?
It remains to be seen but whatever we do it will be the first of its kind just like today.

The pieces in the KARL collection mix and match easily with each other. Colour palette is predominantly black and white but with pops of bubble gum pink, silver and merlot. It is now available online at www.NET-A-PORTER.com and don’t forget to watch the tongue in cheek Face to Face interview where Karl interviews himself.

www.NET-A-PORTER.com

Photo Credit: NET-A-PORTER celebrates the launch of KARL

By Karen Grace
Personal Shopper & Image Consultant for Frumpy to Funky
www.frumpytofunky.com

South African fashion designer Alexis Barrell makes UK debut

2012-01-23T12:15:00.001-08:00

South African born fashion designer Alexis Barrell has lived and worked in many cities around the world and her next stop is London. And to be more precise – the ultra chic Bluebird Emporium in Chelsea on the Kings Road.

Alexis love of travel shows in her collections with SS11 sailing around the Cycladic islands and AW11/12 taking in the culture of Parisian theatres.

For her SS12 collection she is talking Italian and takes inspiration from the romantic city of Naples – a love story set in the messy, chaotic town of Naples.

The colour palette is ice cream sorbet colours of mint, peach, vanilla, coffee and a touch of chocolate.

The style has a 1950’s feel with high waist full skirts and heart shaped necklines

For her print inspiration she travels north to the Venetian island of Murano and looks at the intricate designs of Murano glass especially in the 1950s era.

The sculptural forms of her hats are inspired by Italian mid-century lightening design with its simple geometric lines, cone shapes and fun space age atomic styles embellishments.

Alexis’ speciality is the construction of very light floaty and delicate fabrics which she sometimes likes to combine with the harder tougher fabric of leather.

Prices range from £120 to £600 and her collection will be available from mid February.

More images of the collection at www.alexisbarrell.com.

Alexis studied architecture in Cape Town, achieved a distinction in fashion design at the Istituto Marangoni in Paris and then perfected the art of draping with bias-cut silks and seamless forms under the guidance of couturier Marc Bouwer in New York. In 2010 she founded her own label in Greece.

Future designs will include menswear pieces and a capsule African luxury collection.

m.kenics UK debut

2012-01-09T13:47:00.000-08:00

New to the UK, eyewear brand m.kenics would like to show off their glasses against the iconic London landmarks with you dear readers modelling them. All they ask is that you don’t mind having your photos taken and the said photos will be used as future promo material around the world!

Plus you get to keep the actual glasses you model!

m.kenics frames are not welded and have no screws, they are all designed and engineered to slot and fit together. High end materials of titanium and acetate are sourced in Japan where the frames are hand finished. The acetate frames come in a variety of colours with different finishes including glossy, translucent and frosted.

The frames are flexible and super light with the lightest weighing in at just 5g, this makes them really comfortable to wear. But it’s the clever swivel nose pad that is m.kenics USP – self adjusting so the frames fit any nose shape easily with minimal adjustment.

RRP is from £165 and they are now exclusively available from Orb Opticians London
www.m-kenics.co.uk

So if you fancy a free pair of glasses and having your photo taken then just email Siu at siu@eyeternity.co.uk with your mobile or email address and a recent photo.

Keep your photo look quite natural as they are looking for an everyday style to represent the face of m.kenics.

Once they have chosen the people with the right everyday look, they will contact you directly.

The photo shoots will take place within the next two weeks.

By Karen Grace
Personal Shopper & Image Consultant for Frumpy to Funky

http://www.frumpytofunky.com/

Brian Clarke launches new flagship boutique

2011-12-19T01:12:00.000-08:00

This month saw the opening of luxury menswear designer Brain Clarke’s new flagship boutique just off Marylebone High Street. Here you will see high quality tailoring using cloth produced by the mills in Scotland and Italy. Clarke takes the classic heritage look and adds his own contemporary touch.

For his SS12 collection he takes his inspiration from the nineteenth century young academics:

A softer modern bib front on Clarke’s shirts emulates the traditional starched shirt fronts, and the high standing rounded collars the look that was so popular in mid 1800 Eton College. Tan leather brogues are given a twist with off centre lacing and the Regatta blazer is available in double as well as the traditional single breasted.

For the present colder winter months he updates two traditional coat styles:

The classic rugged pea coat shows its softer side with faux fur.

The sheepskin coat‘s cheeky ‘Delboy’ reputation is replaced with an edgy and trendier look by Clarke’s design of a slimmer fit, unfinished edges, double breasted and detachable hood.

As a teenager Brian loved to interpret street fashion and create his own style. The next obvious step was to take this creativity and learn how to make his own designs. So he registered at the London College of Fashion to study how to design light clothing and pattern cutting. After completing his studies, Brian worked at Berman’s & Nathan’s theatrical costumiers. Here he worked on costumes for Colditz, Superman and all the BBC series, but promises his own collections will not include wearing underpants over tights! However, it was when he worked as assistant designer/pattern cutter for Katherine Hamnett that he really became hooked on fashion.

After a few years Brian eventually decided to go it alone and started styling and designing clothes for pop videos of numerous bands: Jackie Graham, David Grant, Imagination and Spandau ballet to name a few. He also set up a pattern cutting, sample making and small production service for emerging designer labels which included Stephen Linard, Duffer of St. George, Joe Casely Hayford and Nigel Hall. An opportunity to work for one of the leading young fashion companies in Japan became available, providing Clarke with more hands on experience in fashion design.

Clarke’s new boutique also provides in-store bespoke tailoring.

26 Paddington Street
Marylebone
W1U 5QY

http://www.brianclarkemenswear.com/

By Karen Grace
Personal Shopper & Image Consultant for Frumpy to Funky

http://www.frumpytofunky.com/

Pringle pre-fall 2012

2011-12-11T10:10:00.000-08:00

Whilst we’re busy hunting down the perfect outfit for this winter, something to keep us warm but also looking cool, those designers have moved on to their pre-fall 2012 collections and some are ready to tease us with their new designs. I say tease because no matter how good we’ve been Santa won’t be bringing them to us this Christmas. But all is not lost as they say good things come to those who wait. Here’s a great collection that hopefully will come our way soon:

Alistair Carr, Design Director for Pringle of Scotland, brings out his first Pre-Fall 2012 collection for the brand.

Carr has turned to Pringle’s own rich brand heritage for inspiration, looking at knitwear as outerwear, their iconic intarsia design and the classic twinset. But then adds his own twist.

He takes the twinset concept a step further by not only matching the sweater and cardigan, but the whole outfit. Trousers and skirts are in matching geometric patterned knits with jackets whilst knitted dresses are double layered in contrasting colours of wine with peony; and bottle green with burnt orange

Pringle’s intarsia designs have a makeover with a bold woven jacquard print on a satin trimmed smoking suit, cocktail dress and skirt.

And the token classic twinsets in the collection feature a textured star embroidered design, rather than the smooth signature argyle pattern.

The colour palette is deep and rich wine, bottle green and navy with accents of acid brights. These brights are more dominant in the graffiti print used on stretch twill utility pieces.

For the outerwear, the casual parka is made in luxurious pony skin with fox and mink fur trimmed hoods.

Shoes are in collaboration with Chrissie Morris.

By Karen Grace
Personal Shopper & Image Consultant for Frumpy to Funky

http://www.frumpytofunky.com

Versace for H&M

2011-11-13T11:30:00.000-08:00

Thursday 17 November is the day when around 300 H&M stores worldwide will open their doors to queues of eager men and women waiting to get their hands on the affordable Versace for H&M collection.

But firstly, those hands will be given coloured wristbands to wear. The colours will represent time slots of 15 minutes of focused serious shopping. To stop bulk buying and give everyone a chance to purchase there will be a few rules such as only one of each piece.

For the collection, Versace have turned to their archives and brought out some classic designs and patterns which are the essence of Versace. Which is a great idea; after all if you’re buying a Versace for H&M you’ll probably expect and want it to be easily recognisable as a Versace. This collection will not disappoint.

For Women:

The collection is bold, glamorous and will definitely turn heads. Famed colourful prints such as the Miami palm print can be seen on cute pleated skirts, leggings, sleeveless tops, jeans and velvet bomber jackets.

Gold studs form their iconic Grecian motif trim brightly coloured silk shift dresses, pleated skirts and leather jackets.

The short Grecian style dress appears in silver and gold shimmering metallics whilst shift dresses are adorned with flirty fringing or covered in multi coloured sequins forming the Versace prints.

It’s not all bright colours though as black also features as simply adorned black crepe dresses, studded leather dresses and jackets, and studded silk pleated skirts and tops. Accessories include high heeled laced boots, belts and bags.

For Men:

There’s a choice of the classic black or eye popping pink in suit jackets and trousers. Metallic wing tips adorn the collars of turquoise shirts, and the pockets of a black tuxedo jacket have metallic trims.

The colourful Versace palm and the black & white optical prints grace t-shirts, fine knit cashmere sweaters, velvet bomber jackets and jeans. If this may be too much you could always keep the pattern and colours under wraps with just the underpants.

Heavy gold studs trim leather jacket s and leather trousers. One quilted leather jacket has the classic Greek motif which also appears on the sides of black cotton shorts and a black rolled sleeve t-shirt. Accessories include beanie hats, scarves and shoes.

And if that isn’t enough, they have a few pieces for the home including pillows and a bedspread in the multicolour floral Japanese fan print.

I predict this collection will be flying off the rails on Thursday and there will be a few fashionistas taking time off work to be first in the queue. And for those of you who don’t live or work near the chosen H&M stores, there is always online.

By Karen Grace
Personal Shopper & Image Consultant for Frumpy to Funky http://www.frumpytofunky.com

Designer Pudsey Collection

2011-11-07T01:15:00.000-08:00

Pudsey bear has always been stylish with his golden fur coat and polka dot bandana worn over one eye. But this year Pudsey decided to move away from his signature capsule wardrobe and agreed to strut his stuff in a few couture creations especially designed for him by twelve talented high end fashion designers. The only stipulation Pudsey made to the designers was the bandana stays!

Here’s what some of the designers had to say about working with Pudsey:

Katie Hillier: “It was brilliant and so much fun, I love teddy bears and to have the opportunity to work on such an iconic teddy was amazing! I'm so honoured to have been able to be involved in such an important project.”

Hillier’s Pudsey has the laidback Bohemian chic look. The fur has been replaced with faded blue denim trimmed with coloured stitching and the bandana is a patchwork of baby pink ditsy floral and polka dot patterns. Adding textures are clusters of multi sized patterned buttons and the scattering of coloured opaque flat beads on the bandana and chest. You have to agree, he’s looking as cute as a button in this outfit.

When asked whether Pudsey was enjoyable to work with, Giles Deacon said: “Yes Pudsey was great to work with and not as much of a diva as I had thought.” Pudsey may not have a diva temperament, but definitely looks the part with this glamorous silver leather futuristic look. Deacon’s Pudsey star quality shines through with the leather bandana twinkling away with hand stitched Swarovski Elements crystals. To add to the diva drama is the long sweeping leather fringing – great for making a shooting star entrance.

Liberty: “Liberty is thrilled to take part in the designer Pudsey initiative and to support BBC Children in Need. It’s great to see talent and creativity joined for such a worthy cause.” Ed Burstell, Managing Director, Liberty London.

Of course the Liberty Pudsey is not afraid to mix patterns and colours. Getting in touch with his feminine side with an array of ditsy florals, he’s going for the soft pastel colours on the body whilst adding a more dramatic black background to his floral cardigan. His bandana is still a key piece with the use of the bright orange.

Erdem: “It’s wonderful to work with Children In Need. It’s a great cause.” On what Children in Need means: “It means helping to make a difference that affects the futures of many children.” A message encouraging the general public to support BBC CiN this year: “No matter how big or small your contribution is, every bit counts.” This delicate lemon botanical print is straight from Erdem’s SS12 collection and works well with the powder blue eye button. A great spring look.

Henry Holland: “I think anything I can do to make a difference to help the lives of children in the UK can only be a good thing. Children in Need is such a great cause and Pudsey is such an iconic character - I loved the idea of putting the House of Holland stamp on him.”

Holland decided to punk up Pudsey combining his tartan print from his SS12 collection with leather paws and ears. The bandana goes dark but keeps its iconic dots and looks striking against the pastel colours in the tartan. A chunky chain and padlock around Pudsey’s neck finishes off the punk look.

Patrick Grant: Grant’s Pudsey has the sartorial heritage look. The tailoring is of course bespoke Savile Row and handmade in Norton & Sons workroom. The plain black wool bandana is made of Melton cloth from Hainsworth in Yorkshire. The dashing black and red tartan is of wool and cashmere woven by Locharron in Selkirk and originally for the E. Tautz AW2009 collection. Pudsey loves the fact it’s been recycled. In fact he’s chuffed to bits to be stuffed with discarded wool, cotton, linen and silk scraps from the tailors’ board in their Seville Row workroom.

Jonathan Saunders: A patchwork of intarsia geometric prints covers Saunder’s Pudsey in colour ways of blues, oranges and browns. The bandana is ‘eye catching ‘in sky blue and orange.

Mulberry: Less is more for the Mulberry Pudsey. No patterns or embellishments here, just smooth tan leather teamed with black leather bandana and paws.

PPQ: PPQ’s Pudsey is dapper in black with a grosgrain ribbon bow trim adorning his neck and a pale gold silk bandana encrusted with pale blue stones.

Pringle of Scotland by Alistair Carr: Pringle have gone for pure cashmere with 1 carat diamonds to finish off Pudsey’s cardigan

Louis Vuitton by Kim Jones for Katie Grand

This design is still under wraps, but all the bears from the Designer Pudsey Collection will be exhibited at Liberty in London from 7-19 November.

The collection will be auctioned to raise money for BBC Children in Need. Details of the auction can be found on www.bbc.co.uk/Pudsey

As a great emporium for innovative and eclectic design, Liberty is the perfect place for the Designer Pudseys to be exhibited while they are under auction. Plus you’ll be able to buy postcards of all the designs as a keepsake.

Sarah Monteith, Director of Marketing and fundraising, BBC Children in Need says: "We are absolutely delighted to have such prestigious designers turn Pudsey couture. And to have Liberty exhibit this one-off collection, allows everyone to view a piece of fashion history. A truly inspirational fundraising initiative."

By Karen Grace
Personal Shopper & Image Consultant for Frumpy to Funky http://www.frumpytofunky.com

Introducing Mrs Sweeney

2011-11-02T00:44:00.000-07:00

After years of receiving requests, Oliver Sweeney has finally been persuaded to create a women’s range and lovingly called her ‘Mrs Sweeney’.

Maintaining the high standards of their men’s range, Mrs Sweeney is produced in the same family run factory in the Marche region of Italy. This first collection is inspired by the signature looks of the men’s line and uses the brand’s decorative nailing on the outsole with flashes of the lime colouring.

Within the range is:

Antonella - a lightweight oxford shoe with a low cut upper and a tamponatta finish. This tamponatta finish is a colouring technique where layers of colour are applied by hand over time. It is the factory owner’s daughter Simona who has hand painted every shoe individually making each pair unique. The light colours of purple and blue with a dull sheen bring a flirty feminine look making these flats ideal for dresses such as the tea dress.

Ornella - the knee high riding boot in grey or brown, also crafted in a tamponatta finish.

Graziella - the only court shoe and high heeled shoe in the range, making a bold statement in a rich rust colour.

Sophia - the ankle boot with brogue detailing and a nod to the Jodhpur boot. In rust or tan.

Valentina - a light derby shoe with a waxed aged upper leather in royal blue, rust or tan.

But it is the brogue which makes the most impact, especially as it is bang on trend this season with the androgynous look.

Emilia has a relaxed lived in look with burnished suede or aged leather uppers. In burgundy, brown or blue suede and burgundy leather.

Caterina is a heavier brogue with the chunky St Moritz rubber sole, great for the winter weather. In blue or grey.

Simona has the seriously polished look in bordeaux or tan with leather sole. Great for those mannish sharp suits or a tailored dress.

Available soon on www.oliversweeney.com

By Karen Grace
Personal Shopper & Image Consultant for Frumpy to Funky http://www.frumpytofunky.com

Y.shop

2011-10-24T14:50:00.000-07:00

SPONSORED FEATURE:

Personal Stylists Camilla and Milda take the hassle out of shopping for clothes & accessories and bring confidence, creativity and warmth to your wardrobe, fulfilling all your fashion and retail needs.

After you've had an extensive wardrobe overhaul with invaluable styling advice, they use their extensive knowledge of the fashion and retail world to locate pieces that will make you feel great in all situations.

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London Fashion Week SS12 - MENSWEAR

2011-09-25T10:49:00.000-07:00

CHRISTOPHER SHANNON

Shannon keeps his signature sportswear orientated staples but this time with a more formal edge and fitted silhouette giving a more grown up appeal. However after saying that there are still the fun touches of youthful playfulness energising the collection: White polka dots on knee length shorts, digital prints and the rows of chunky tassels adorning the bottom of shirts, shorts and middle of tops.

Classic navy and white was the main colour palette with block colours of bright orange, greys and shades of blues.

Shirts and jackets are in the usual Shannon mix of wide strips of colour blocks but this time he introduces a patchwork of small squares in the colourful Madras check. Love the blue madras patchwork check bomber jacket with its plain navy sleeves and the blue madras patchwork check shirt with its white yoke. Both worn with slim jogging pants.

Shannon keeps a boyish charm and adds his own version of eco-friendly by using a mix of different hair combs to create headpieces reminiscent of the Native American headwear.

Footwear by Swear was plimsolls with raised platforms and two tone block coloured soles.

TOPMAN

Titled ‘Rebellious Decadence’ this collection is a mix of sharp edged tailored suits and rich bohemian style casual wear.

Suits are double breasted in pale cool colours of greys, stone and blues in cotton linens, whilst single buttoned jackets are in the deeper tonic jacquards. All worn with digital stripe printed jersey tops and kick flared trousers.

The decadence really hits its peak with the casual wear - printed silks, short suede shorts and luxury knits.

Making a statement is the silk pyjamas in pink and orange patterns worn over a digital striped jersey top and under a chunky knit cardigan with a gorgeous pair of pink patent tassel loafers, Bedtime has never looked so good.

The prints have a Kashmir and Moroccan influence in their design and use burnt oranges, teals, sky blue, purples and raspberry hues.

Bag of the season is a printed Maroc leather shopper rolled and belted to form a harder hand held piece.

Shoes are coloured and/or patterned. The loafers range from the more conservative navy leathers, the cool light grey patents to the more vibrant patents in bright orange and pink. And then there are the attention grabbing multi coloured patterned cotton Derbys.

Words of warning, if one of your silk or knitted pieces goes missing, look in your girlfriend or wife’s wardrobe.

KTZ

Titled ‘Massai Punk’ here Mara warrior meets dangerous street chic in a wild eclectic blend of Massai ornaments fused with Punk culture and digital prints.

This collection of both men and womenswear was bright and colourful. The guys were more subdued with the main colour palette of black trimmed with colourful digital prints: A black blazer trimmed around the lapels and pockets, skirt flaps over trousers trimmed on the hem, and digital printed belts adorning the legs of shorts and around the chest of jackets. Black leather bondage straps were worn as ornate braces or as detail to black jackets The first male model wore an American black and orange nylon baseball jacket which was like a cuckoo in the nest, neither warrior nor punk, although the baseball cap was decorated with African inspired patterns and bondage straps adorned the wrists as bracelets and decorated the shoes. The Massai Punk shone out as a pair of multi colour low crotch shorts worn with a black leather gilet and a wide round beaded collar Masai necklace.

CAT FOOTWEAR at MARTINE ROSE

CAT Footwear provided a heritage work boot style for Martine Rose’s SS12 collection. It was a customised adaptation of the signature Sequoia work boot with mustard yellow laces adorned with brightly coloured enamel painted jewels.

By Karen Grace
Personal Shopper & Image Consultant for Frumpy to Funky http://www.frumpytofunky.com

London Fashion Week SS12 - Day Five

2011-09-23T04:21:00.000-07:00

A LA DISPOSITION

Titled ‘Mechanical fAILURE’, this collection’s aim was to form an expression of defiance in an age of retraction.

It was a high contrast of fabrics, shapes and colours coming together. Neutral shades of khaki, black and beige with the richer yellows and iridescent purples. Crisp cottons and wool with taffeta silks. Sharply tailored serious shirts with the more flirty voluminous short trousers and skirts.

Knee length jodhpurs created movement with their 3D folds imitating a propeller whilst the bunching up of fabric on taffeta skirts and dresses created the illusion of light fluffy clouds. All were paired with no nonsense tailored blouses which gave a grounded and edgier feel to the whole look.

The only failure present here was in the title.

ELISA PALOMINO

Although the collection is titled ‘A Fairy Dance’, inspiration came partly from the traditional Manila shawl of Madrid. In the 18^th Century, beautiful hand embroidered silk shawls made their way from China and featured peonies, pagodas and dragons. However soon the patterns changed from their Chinese essence to accommodate the Spanish taste of birds, butterflies and roses.

Palomino’s collection is a mix of these patterns, from oriental patterns of pagodas on bold red gowns to the laser cut white appliqué butterfly and floral motifs on black gowns.

But a fairy dance feel was there in the lightness and the ethereal movement of the fabrics, the cobweb sleeves and bodies adorned with floral embroidery and the wonderful flora and fauna headpieces by Angel Amor.

INBAR SPECTOR

Israeli born Inbar took her SS12 inspiration from the theme of nightmares and hell of her own hometown which was destroyed by fire this year. Focusing more on the fear which is mixed with happiness at a large gathering such as a wedding, her collection was not as darkly gothic as I expected. In fact the colour palette was gold, white, dusty pink and pale green with only a smattering of black.

Creating a Goth like royal court, the first models wore voluminous gold and silver brocade faux leather jackets and coats over frothy tulle skirts. No straight lines here but wavy zip fasteners and undulating padded sleeves.

The darker side appeared in tulle strips wrapped around metallic faux leather and lace dresses like bandages, whilst diaphanous metallic embossed lace dresses clung to the body in uneven folds giving the impression of scarred tissue.

It was the honeycomb tulle dresses that fascinated me, loved the fullness, the texture, the look and how they bounced as the models walked. A white floor length tulle dress wound its honeycomb self around a model like a giant swirling meringue. Thinking that this was the finale dress as how could you top that? To prove me wrong, a golden faux leather dress appeared with a floor length honeycomb skirt instantly reminding me of a beautiful 3D bell decoration you hang up at Christmas. This dress needed respect as it bounced and moved to its own tune, and the model had no option but to move slowly providing us with a great opportunity to see the intricate laser cut perforation designs.

MEADHAM KIRCHHOFF

Not titled ‘A Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing ‘ but ‘A Wolf in Lambs Clothing’, it was every little girls dream from the runway with arches made of pastel coloured balloons, the gaggle of little ballerinas pirouetting in the middle and the bigger girls in blonde wigs and pastel satin baby doll slips playing with lipstick and powder puffs.

The models emerged in childlike inspired clothes, blue pinafore dress with large multi coloured buttons layered over a multi coloured checked dress with tie, red skirt with heart shaped pockets and a smiley face heart shaped bib , pink leotard with bloomers peeping through.

Slightly more grown up was the next procession of models in 18^th century French court inspired garments – baby blue coat dress embellished in gold brocade but with cheeky powder puffs peeping out of the breast pockets, and a baby pink leotard with short cape attachment and blue lacy blouse underneath. There were cheeky elements in the guise of a white crystal embellished bustier style leotard with fluffy skirt and a baby pink cardigan with peek-a-boo holes revealing a sequined bra underneath.

All gloriously over the top and very sugar and spice even down to the wedge shoes which were trimmed with metallic frills top and bottom and looking very much like slices of cake.

By Karen Grace
Personal Shopper & Image Consultant for Frumpy to Funky http://www.frumpytofunky.com

London Fashion Week SS12 - Day Four

2011-09-23T04:20:00.000-07:00

JASPER GARVIDA

Titled ‘Autour d’un Point’ after Frantisek Kupkas’s painting of a succession of small shapes which form abstract circles. This season’s collection sees circular shapes of metallic adornments over soft fabrics, bold geometric shapes merging with animal prints to form an abstract pattern, metallic circular embellishments and sequins overlapping to create the illusion of 3D studded pattern on oversized pockets, pauldrons and belts. Not overly keen on the sequined belts and pauldrons, but the oversized metallic pockets bring dimension and interest to the little black dress and glamour to the long simple jackets. The black and white abstract print is a breath of fresh air as an alternative to wearing a pure animal print.

Also inspired by Diana Vreeland, his muse for the season, and for her ability to blend hard and soft elements, his collection plays on all things contrasting- light and shade, day and night, hard and soft.

Like the painting the colour palette is contrasting black and white with metallic hues of silver and gold.

This collection seemed to have something for everyone, the more structured dresses, soft blouses with oversized frilled sleeves, tailored trouser suits, a 60’s take on space age wear with metallic embellishments and a tribal nod from the abstract print.

ZIAD GHANEM

Images courtesy Chris Dadey

After a long day running from show to show and queuing for hours, you may go in to a Ziad Ghanem show feeling exhausted and agitated, but you’ll come out feeling invigorated and on a high!

Titled ‘Matka Joanna’ the collection’s inspiration came from the Polish film ‘Matka Joanna od aniolow’ (Mother Joan of the Angels). Here is good and evil in a tale of a nun processed by demons and where love and sacrifice is her only salvation.

OK the inspiration doesn’t sound like something that will lift your spirits but Ziad uses fine art performers as well as models. These performers know how to work that catwalk and work it they did! The gorgeous singer Miss SaHHara sashayed in a silk flower print evening gown dramatised with the red colour bleeding, and even more so with red drips painted down SaHHara’s shoulders. Dominatrix and fire performer Jessica Love Dougher showed tough love in a see through corseted dress and g string.

Here temptation abounds in burlesque curve enhancing corsets and diaphanous silk organza body skimming silhouettes worn with nothing underneath. One little black dress although body skimming, looked quite demure and ordinary compared to the rest of the collection, until she walked past and showed a long row of loosely tied laces exposing her back and derrier.

The colour palette was monochrome representing good and evil with splashes of blood red, pinks and peaches.

Bringing innocence in to the collection was Ziad’s little niece wearing a white bridesmaid style dress, although she gave a little diva toss of her hair as she walked off the stage- bless!

By Karen Grace
Personal Shopper & Image Consultant for Frumpy to Funky http://www.frumpytofunky.com

London Fashion Week SS12 - Day Three

2011-09-20T07:20:00.000-07:00

JACKIE J S LEE

Korean born Newgen designer, Jackie Lee graduated from Central Saint Martin’s in 2010and launched her label the same year. This year she looks to the 1920’s style of dropped waists and boyish straight silhouettes for her SS12 collection.

For her fabric, she has taken inspiration from her niece whilst she was eating candy floss. It was not the fluffiness of the candy floss itself that caught her eye, but she became fascinated by the look and feel it had on her niece’s clothing. She replicated the effect and created a high shine embossed film on to her garments.

Expecting candy floss pink to be in the colour palette, it was not to be as monochrome black and white dominated with accents of cobalt blue and peach. I suppose it would have been too sweet and girlie for her sleek and androgynous shapes.

A few styles where a bit too clinical looking but most looked ideal for a hot summer’s day. I could imagine the peach top with plunging black neckline worn over a white shift dress looking stunning for a lazy warm hot day at Wimbledon or cricket.

DANS LA VIE

Originally a print brand only, Japanese designer Rira Sugawara’s Dans La Vie has now evolved in to a full blown label.

The print theme for her SS12 collection started as Clash Beauty and was inspired by the aftermath of Tokyo’s earthquake in March. The collection has since developed with Madonnas overcoming the situation in the style of ‘My Pop Madonna’ with four musicians and four different prints and Rose’s motif.

The four prints were:

‘Camouflage Madonna’ –the face of a green Madonna hiding amongst foliage and behind orange and black stripes. The musician is Madonna herself and the song chosen was ‘Like a Prayer’ with a dark red cross on the top of a pyjama style top and pants set.

‘Red Angel’ – cherubs amongst oversized red flowers on a caramel background. Here Amy Winehouse’s ‘Back to Black’ played.

‘Rose Madonna’ – the face of a pink Madonna amongst pink roses, hearts and cherubs climbing ladders. Touches of blue are added here and there. Rihanna sings ‘Only Girl’

‘City Tokyo’- street scenes next to religious figures and green apples being a dominant image. This time it was Lady Gaga singing’ Born this Way’

There was a 50’s vibe with the calf length full skirted shirt dresses and their wide belts and the holiday style shorts and matching blouse sets. Although of course for Lady Gaga there was the not so 50’s style diaphanous blouse with black plasters covering the nipples.

Loved the plastic coating over the fabric used for the skirts and mac.

CRISTINA SABAIDUC

Images courtesy Chris Dadey

The models for Cristina Sabaiduc’s collection started in simple vests and high waisted knickers and then dressed along the way by adding layers which could be adorned and customised to suit the wearer’s needs and create different looks. Initially the garments are displayed on a clothes line.

The soft draping is inspired by Tibet and Ancient China culture with silk and jersey fabrics being used.

The models showing how to layer the pieces was a great idea in theory. However in practice not everyone could see this part and it was a long wait in-between each model walking down the catwalk aisle.

By Karen Grace
Personal Shopper & Image Consultant for Frumpy to Funky http://www.frumpytofunky.com

London Fashion Week SS12 - Day Two

2011-09-20T07:19:00.000-07:00

SPIJKERS EN SPIJKERS

Images courtesy Chris Dadey

Inspired by the tale of Scheherazade who captured the heart of King Shahryar by her storytelling every night for one thousand and one nights and so sparing her life, this collection translates in to a starry Arabian night.

The colour palette was full of Eastern promise from high contrasting midnight black and silvery star panels to the softer sandy tones of Sahara beige and ivory harlequin patterns. An oasis of light sorbet pinks and pale lime yellows joined the sandy hues whilst the deeper jewelled tones of coral and oriental blue shined against the midnight black.

Hemlines were mainly below the knee and either cut in to geometric zigzag pattern or slit in to panels. The shorter skirts were lengthened with long fringing.

It was not all dresses as the cropped trousers and slouchy boyfriend jackets brought a casual elegance to the collection.

Maybe like King Shahryar, you are left wanting more as the models depart and show the stunning backlines of the dresses. On some, delicate chain racer backs join the top tip of a star panel whilst on others two stars form the corners of low backs. And don’t forget to check out the shoes with the half star shapes.

LAKO BUKIA

This poor woman was suffering from a high temperature a few days before the show but ever a professional the show must go on and what a show. This season the inspiration was simple – Asian trees and flowers, but the results were beautiful hand drawn flower prints, the first time Bukia had introduced a print to her collection.

The show started with flowing grey chiffons grounded by structured white mandarin collars, with only a glimpse of red showing on chiffon shorts and blouses as the oversized flower print. The monochrome returned with an ethereal tree print silhouette on a white background. The red then made its dramatic entrance in the guise of silk satin cropped trousers followed quickly by a red satin bodice teamed with a wonderful pair of wide legged trousers in black and white wide horizontal stripes with the overlap of the large red flower print. These were my favourite until a red and white vertical striped empire line chiffon dress came along with its red silk satin cut away bust and pauldron.

FASHIONS FINEST – SUBSTANCE WEAR

At the Fashions Finest catwalk show was the fashion brand for party-goers, Substance Wear.

The colour palette all black except for a little silver metallic wrap dress. The metallic silver brings a classic style with elbow length sleeves in to the spot light.

Overlay of lace gives texture to the simple black sheath dresses. The lace is sexy with a little tantalising demureness thrown in as it provides a maxi overlay for a short sheathe dress.

By Karen Grace
Personal Shopper & Image Consultant for Frumpy to Funky http://www.frumpytofunky.com

London Fashion Week SS12 - Day One

2011-09-18T10:48:00.000-07:00

ASHLEY ISHAM

Inspirations are hedonistic Mediterranean summers and traditional European art and design – a heady mix of sensual and contemporary.

The Mediterranean inspiration appeared to be of ancient Greece and Rome with the asymmetrical dress and gentle folds skimming the body. Crepe jersey caressed the body in jewel colours of sapphire blue and citrine yellow, and the metallic platinum. Whilst chiffon floated gracefully in an air of muted bronze and pink tourmaline. Not a lover of shimmering crepe jersey, the chiffon was more appealing and especially the colour popping paisley pattern. When you think of paisley, you usually conjure up colours of muted green or burgundy. Here Isham has injected his paisley with bright pinks and blues giving an essence of India which is of course where the paisley pattern originated from. The embellishments of gilded gold and platinum around the neckline take inspiration from the delicate craftsmanship of the Rococo period.

Moving away from the fluid jersey fabrics and the floaty chiffons, Isham brings a more modern opulence with the laser cut embossed foiled napa leather dress and skirt.

Not sure I understood the meaning of the veiled headwear and the finale where all the models come out wearing short white dresses and veils. But then sometimes you don’t have to understand to appreciate.

LOUISE ARMSTRUP

Armstrup’s inspiration centres on hot summer afternoons in New York City and the character of Iris in the 1976’s film ‘Taxi Driver’ – a cool but light hearted woman whose childlike strength of mind is reflected in her wardrobe.

The colour palette reflects the hot summer with warm bright orange, and sun bleached colours of sandy peach, powder lilac, asphalt blue pairing with cooler whites and navy.

The collection has a mix of masculinity and girliness. Masculinity in the forms of the peach A-line bouclé coat with its lilac suede raglan sleeves and the cropped boucle drainpipe trousers. Girliness with touches of short pleated gym slips over longer skirts and dresses. Loving the silk New York traffic printed shorts.

Finsk has collaborated with Armstrup and used the same colour palette in a collage effect on a fender wedge shoe as a nod to the New York print.

OMAR MANSOOR

Inspired by Kensington Palace’s exhibition of the Enchanted Palace and its tale of the seven princesses who once lived there, Mansoor has used only two colours this season: black and shades of pink. The black represents the elements of pain, sadness and unrequited love some of these princesses felt whilst the pink symbolises the love and hope some experienced, with the key inspirations taken from the rebellious Princess Charlotte and Queen Mary II.

The black gowns are elegantly simple mixing satin silks with chiffon and just a touch of Swarovski embellishment. The pinks have a lighter and carefree look with shades ranging from light petal pink to the deeper fuchsia and the styles and embellishments more ornate.

The whole show was caught in an aura of Royalty, on the catwalk and also on the front row where buyers from the Middle East could be spotted including Her Excellencies of Qatar.

PPQ / Bebaroque

This season saw the collaboration of PPQ and the fashion hosiery brand Bebaroque through their love of prints.

Bebaroque designed a capsule collection of hosiery and body suits for the collection including a body and leggings decorated with an all over repeat digital print combining leopard print, PPQ brand letters, ropes and tassels. Also a fully embroidered and embellished body incorporating Bebaroque’s Priscilla print blended with PPQ’s rose imagery. It's hosiery as a work of art.

PAUL COSTELLOE

This season BFC decided to move things around and it’s surprising how these little changes can confuse the brain. Like moving the entrance to the catwalk show space round to the other side, changing the inside catwalk entrance from the left to the right and moving the press lounge outside of the tent and in to Somerset House itself. It’s a bit too much to take in when you’re only half awake.

What didn’t change was Paul Costelloe opening London Fashion Week with his catwalk show.

Inspired by the 1962 movie ‘What Ever Happened to Baby Jane’ , styles included short baby doll dresses, voluminous skirts, swing jackets, frills and exaggerated puff sleeves. The shape took centre stage as the first outfits were in a neutral palette of white, stone and pale silver grey with plain fabrics ranging from crisp cottons to floaty silks. There were a few little black numbers and a cute humbug stripe sleeveless coat dress.

But it was the men who brought the colour wow back to the show with a stunning raspberry pink long jacket suit and sharp teal blue suit. The girls soon followed suit but with a more toned down palette of coral pinks and pale peppermint green, and the fabrics became more textured with brocade prints.

CAROLINE CHARLES

Inspiration comes from the thirties, jazz age and the French Riviera.

She starts with relaxed wide leg trouser suits in navy, white and mint green. All accessorised with jaunty boater hats. The jackets just finishing above the hip. The boater hat theme continued with navy day dresses in the thirties style of dropped waistlines, pleated and fluted hemlines. Hand drawn designed prints on Como silk followed on blouses, dresses and trousers. Loving the black and white shorts and jacket – very French Riviera.

Black and ivory dominated the eveningwear with sequins and bejewelled embellishments. Worn with an elegant short pendant necklace of jewel clusters on a wide black ribbon.

BERNARD CHANDRAN

Images courtesy Chris Dadey

For SS12, Bernard Chandran looks towards the 1950’s glamour that once inspired his mother. The styles are given a contemporary twist with simple sculptural shapes in shimmering gauzy fabric. . Chandran kept the fabrics light and sometimes opaque without being floaty. The show starts with cool muted shades of black, white and silver along with the warmer shade of champagne. Then gives way to the popping bright greens, turquoise, pink and gold.

Zips became decorative pieces and super sized large bags almost dwarf the models.

Lots of shimmer and sparkle in this show but my favourite was the short gauzy champagne shift dress adorned with a long strip of light wispy feathers and matching bag.

By Karen Grace
Personal Shopper & Image Consultant for Frumpy to Funky http://www.frumpytofunky.com

AM Golhar AW11 Mens Knitwear Collection

2011-09-15T04:14:00.000-07:00

Specialising in knitwear, Am Golhar gained her expertise of high quality yarns such as alpaca and cashmere from Central St. Martins where she achieved an honours degree in Textiles.

Here she decided to blend her love of creating art through textures with her passion for fashion and created her own menswear range.

When asked why she decided to design knitwear for men instead of women, Am replied:

“Everybody always asks why menswear” (ooops) “But then why do men design for women? I really love men’s knitwear, it’s so fun and exciting and I have so many ideas. It’s a challenge to always create a textured menswear fabric that does not look feminine. I’ve always fallen in to menswear throughout everything I did, if I was creating a swatch it always seemed so masculine, whether in the colours or textures.”

Knitwear is not only restricted to the tops but knitted cable joggers as well, not the usual pair of trousers a guy wears you might say, but Am is aiming for the guy who loves fashion and knitwear and does not mind being quirky.

The light silver grey panels of the fitted Blake polo jumper showcase the 3D effect of Am’s signature trellis technique perfectly. Here worn with a pair of black Thomas cable knit joggers – one of Am’s original jogger designs. She came up with the idea of knitted joggers when thinking of warm cable jumpers. She thought they would be playful and fun to wear whilst being warm and soft. The Thomas jogger is slouchy in the crotch area whilst fitted around the leg.

The Cameron is an oversized sloppy polo neck using a medium gauge lace hole technique resulting in what AM calls ‘the diamond lace hole effect’. Giving the illusion of layering, the main body is black with medium grey sleeves and cowl. Teamed here with black and mid grey Blake stripe joggers in the signature 3D trellis technique.

Adding a touch of colour and plenty of boyish charm is the Bug jumper. This light grey jersey v neck has black rib and cuffs with a yellow bug print. Worn here with the black Thomas cable knit joggers.

If you’re not ready for so many bugs, then there is always the black Sam bug cotton joggers with just a few of those yellow bugs around the leg bottom. Team with the Codey draw string crew jumper in black with grey detailing using a cord technique.

For the more rugged look there is Lucas, here in taupe/ grey. This was originally a show piece with a military style influence and kitted out with major shoulder padding. To fit in with the rest of her AW11 collection, Am has redesigned it to become a more wearable slouchy polo. The polo neck has been layered by picking up stitches to create rolls whilst big hand knitted holes decorate the bottom of the jumper. Lucas is of an alpaca blend and hand knitted. The original was knitted by Am herself, but now they are sourced out to specialised hand knitters.

Here teamed with Ricco black leather jogging pants with a subtle diamond embossed pattern.

More images can be seen on her website www.am-golhar.com

By Karen Grace
Personal Shopper & Image Consultant for Frumpy to Funky http://www.frumpytofunky.com

Ted’s Toiletries Collection

2011-08-31T13:13:00.000-07:00

For his new Toiletries Collection, Ted Baker wanted to fuse style with fragrance, so took inspiration from his own fashion prints.

The two new women’s fragrances are:

Butterfly – a fun flirty fragrance inspired by Ted’s Butterfly Wing print

Top Notes: Fruity - tangy bergamot with a rich blast of red fruits and rhubarb.

Heart: Pure floral with tuberose, rose and moonflower

Base Notes: Warm woody patchouli and sandalwood.

The range includes:

Body wash £5.10, body scrub £6.50, a light body lotion £5.10 and a light body spray £5.10, plus the Blossom gift set £7.50 including body spray, lotion and wash.

Origami – a more sensual and exotic fragrance taking inspiration from the origami print and folds used for detailing on Ted’s designs.

Top Notes: Fruity scent of sweet raspberries, peach, bergamot and juniper.

Heart: Spicy floral mix of rose, jasmine and geranium warmed with clove, cardamom, cinnamon and vanilla.

Base Notes: Rich earthy guaiacwood, cedarwood, musk, patchouli and Tonka.

The range includes:

Body wash £5.10; a creamy body soufflé £6.50, body spray £5.10 and an indulgent bath foam £5.10, plus the Occasions Mini Travel pack in a see through travel bag £10 and the Opulence Set £10.50 containing body wash and spray.

For the guys, the two new men’s fragrances are collectively called ‘The Right Tools for the Job’ with a fun print of work tools decorating the tubes of the body wash.

Toolshed - a rugged outdoors fragrance packaged in brown and lime green colour combination

Top Notes: Tangy notes of bergamot, grapefruit, mandarin, lemon with spicy coriander, juniper and cardamom

Heart: Fresh green notes of neroli with jasmine and spicy black and pink pepper

Base Notes: Warm woody earthy notes of cedarwood, moss, sandal wood and patchouli.

Workshop – a cool and invigorating ozonic fragrance packaged in brown and duck egg blue

Top Notes: Cool fresh eucalyptus with spicy clary sage, cardamom, clove and fruity plum

Heart: Floral geranium and rose with woody green jasmine.

Base notes: sweet warm notes of benzoin, vanilla and courmarin with woody labdanum. patchouli and cedarwood

Both collections have hair & body wash; anti-perspirant deodorant and body spray (£4.10 each) plus Ted’s Tool Box set £8.50 including body wash and spray

What is puzzling is the lack of the name on the products (except the gift sets). Obviously this is intentional and probably so that the prints on the packaging can speak for themselves. Admittedly the women ranges are so different that you wouldn’t mistake them with each other. But for the men’s range both designs are the same except for the colouring. Maybe it’s a case of ‘you don’t label good things’.

All will be available exclusively at Boots as from September.

By Karen Grace
Personal Shopper & Image Consultant for Frumpy to Funky http://www.frumpytofunky.com

Investigating Ryder & Rowe Lingerie

2011-08-07T13:38:00.000-07:00

I couldn’t resist an invitation to attend the preview of a new lingerie brand at 123 Bethnal Green Boutique. It sounded so civilised, offering tea and cakes in the Bunker Cafe, but was it an undercover job? I had to investigate further.

Arriving at the boutique, the prime suspects were in full view as life size lingerie model illustrations shamelessly looking out of the windows. But you could tell that they were a bit sketchy and you could read their minds like a book. F. Scott Fitzgerald books to be exact, with ‘Beautiful & the Damned’ as the ring leader.

Walking in to the boutique, I searched the premises and found Naomi Ryder alone upstairs with her lingerie booty. I decided to question her about ‘Beautiful & the Damned’.

She readily spills the beans and explains they took their inspiration from the 1920’s and F. Scott Fitzgerald. The design is of art deco silhouettes in a range of soft cup bra, culottes, camisole and dress jackets. The basic colour palette is navy and ivory but every season they will be aided and abetted by other hues. This summer season it is the seemingly demure ‘Shell ‘pink in plain and a seagull print disguise.

She then gives me names of her partners in crime – Dennis Nothdruft and Alison McCann, which surprises me as I was expecting just one partner, the elusive Rowe. But no, there are two Rowes and the plot thickens as I discover they used that name because by coincidence both their grandmother’s were called Rowe.

How did they devise their dastardly plan to bring irresistible lingerie on to the streets? They have everything covered; Dennis draws up the designs and brings the plans to the table; Alison with her vast experience of the lingerie world knows the ropes and has the contacts; and Naomi? Well she admits as a textile designer she is able to meticulously bring the designs together.

I headed downstairs in to the Bunker Cafe and found more lingerie booty – this is their latest summer 2012 steal and was inspired by the English Riviera. Their plot to win me over just with tea and cake (you know the very yummy and gooey chocolate brownie cake) nearly worked but I fooled them by just eating the cakes and not drinking the tea – ha! With a clear head and a chocolate filled tummy, my powers of detection discover the collection wasn’t just inspired by the English Riviera but Agatha Christie’s English Riviera. There is the Brixham range of a soft cup bra, thong and baby doll in seagull print shell silk chiffon with a silk satin trim; and the Torquay range of a soft cup bra, culottes, camisole, dress jacket and playsuit in the classic Beautiful & Damned style but in shell and the seagull print.

But the mystery doesn’t stop there as Agatha pops up herself as a floaty raspberry silk chiffon tea dress (with silk satin slip) in the seagull print. What’s happening this isn’t lingerie?

Then Jane (Miss Marple) arrives to solve the problem as a silk satin empire dress with the Riviera map print on the skirt and a navy bodice. She deduces that Ryder & Rowe are introducing a new womenswear collection for SS12. And not to be left out, Tuppence (of the Tommy and Tuppence detective duo), well she puts her two penny worth in with a racier silk satin structured satin summer dress with spaghetti straps and in a green and yellow beach hut print.

To reconfirm my facts and findings, I climbed back up to the top floor and spy Dennis and Alison. I hear them plotting, today available exclusively at 123 Bethnal Green Boutique, but soon the world! Alison sees me and explains that they chose the art deco style for a feminine look without being too girlie. Their story matches with Naomi’s, but the evidence is clear for all to see – gorgeous delicate pieces in smooth silk satin and silk tulle that no ‘bright young thing’ could resist.

By Karen Grace
Personal Shopper & Image Consultant for Frumpy to Funky http://www.frumpytofunky.com

Miss America meets Joseph Ribkoff AW11 Collection

2011-07-24T12:32:00.000-07:00

Canadian designer Joseph Ribkoff is the official wardrobe sponsor for Miss America 2010, so when showcasing his AW11 collection at the Marylebone Hotel, London this July, Teresa Scanlan, the reigning Miss America 2011, came too.

One of the many perks of being crowned Miss America is Teresa becomes the official spokesperson for Joseph Ribkoff International clothing Company and they provide her with a full wardrobe for the year! Now this is heaven for any woman, but for a girl from a large family (3 sisters and 3 brothers) who had to be creative with her older sisters hand me downs, it’s all her Christmases and birthdays rolled in to one. You can understand why she wasn’t really interested in fashion until high school, but now that’s changed and she explains enthusiastically how you can mix and match Ribkoff’s pieces and how they look great for both day and night.

And the perks for Ribkoff are that it helps him to become known in the international market and to create a more youthful image for his brand. Designing a cute metallic silver mini shift dress for all the 53 national finalists to wear on stage will certainly get you noticed.

One of Teresa’s favourite pieces from the AW11 collection is a wrap dress. She explains wrap dresses are flattering on most body shapes and sizes. In fact the sizes range from 2 to 20, so Ribkoff really does live up to his catchy little marketing phrase "No one Knows Me like Joseph Ribkoff."

Teresa's wrap dress has an opulent design of leopard print with images of gold chains, strings of pearls and diamonds on a background of pink and black. This dramatic print also features in a shift dress, tunic, jacket and cowl neck blouse.

My own favourites are the black and grey striped top with a diagonal zip and the more casual grey marl hoodie with figure hugging waffle design waist.

Ribkoff's signature colours are black and white "Always a classic" says Teresa who is also wearing black and white from his collection. But he does inject some colour in to his collections. This season it is pink and red.

Teresa shows her crown to us and explains the reason for the design. The four points of the crown represent: Style, Scholarship, Service and Success. Teresa certainly has style covered with her new Joseph Ribkoff wardobe; she won $50,000 scholarship sponsored by Artistry, the skin care brand of Amway Global, so she can continue her education in law; she chose 'Eating Disorders- a Generation at Risk' for her platform issue to help community service; and Success? Well for a 17 year old this is not a bad start up the success ladder

By Karen Grace
Personal Shopper & Image Consultant for Frumpy to Funky http://www.frumpytofunky.com

GLAM HAIR By UMBERTO GIANNINI

2011-07-19T13:28:00.000-07:00

The new range Glam Hair by Umberto Giannini is all about making an entrance in a red carpet, big movie siren tresses way. There’s no chance of you quietly blending in to the background and why would you want to? With these products you have the means to create sexy glamorous statement looks and turn heads.

Wipe the slate clean with the new Ditch the Dirt Volume Shampoo in readiness for your Glam transformation. This volumising and repairing shampoo claims to strengthen even the driest, coloured and damaged hair. Loving it already

Plump up the volume even more with the new Plump and Sexy Volume Conditioner

Silk proteins condition and improve the softness of the hair, whilst bringing more volume without weighing the hair down. Now with our freshly washed plumped up hair feeling silky soft we’re ready for the next level of glamorous gorgeousness with the new Glam Hair styling products.

Create hair volume that explodes in to a voluptuous and luscious Hollywood statement style with the Sex Bomb Massive Mouse.

Or if you decide on a festival hair or rock-chic glamour look then go for the Grunge Glamour Tousled Salt Spray. This is for the perfect lived in texture with “just got out of bed” tousled waves. A look that says I don’t have to try to look gorgeous – I am.

You’ve almost completed your red carpet glamour look but think BIG for extra volume with the following:

Backcomb in a Bottle – this is your own little genie – you wish you could get the on trend backcomb look without wrecking your hair – well your wish is granted with this magical product - All you have to do is spray it on where you want the backcomb effect, jujj it and viola you have instant texture and volume!

Rock ‘n’ Roll Extreme Hairspray – this little guy likes to party harder than any other hairspray they know. Its super powers are gravity defying and volume holding well in to the next day. So when everyone else is losing their heads yours will be firmly in place.

You’d think that was it – you’ve got the Big glamorous movie siren hair with backcombed quiffs, huge bouffants, candyfloss curls or tousled waves. But there’s just another added extra to give a true carpet style star finished look:

The Glamour Puss Crystal Mist. Spray your hair with soft gold stardust and it’ll catch the light and shimmer seductively.

You’ve partied all night and now don’t have time to wash your hair in the morning or are just too lazy. Then Glam Hair’s Morning After Shampoo is just the thing for you. This dry shampoo now not only refreshes lank lifeless hair but helps creates a ruffed up style of its own. This one is also invisible so no nasty white powder residue that looks like dandruff.

Try them out and discover the product you just can’t live without.

By Karen Grace
Personal Shopper & Image Consultant for Frumpy to Funky http://www.frumpytofunky.com

Richard Ward - Couture Hair

2011-07-17T13:31:00.000-07:00

My hair is the bane of my life – thin, dull, frizzy and weak. I fell out of the bad hair tree and hit every branch on the way down, then was dragged through the hedge backwards for good measure. So when QVC invited me to attend an evening at Richard Ward’s Chelsea hair salon to check out his new hair care range and learn how to master the perfect blow dry, I was there like a shot.

Arriving just in time, I found that calling the salon just a hair salon was an understatement. It seems to have it all including a fully licensed bar, retail shop, spa treatments and a host of concierge services.

First stop the bar then down to business as Richard went through his new range ‘Couture Hair’ which was launched in Dec 2010.

This range is aimed to make hair product selection easier. Rather than having to use a cocktail of products on your hair: one for volume, one for anti frizz, one for shine etc; Richard wanted to create a smaller range with all the products multi tasking. So all his products include:

Aquarich – a moisturising compound to counteract frizz and increase shine
Anti-fade colour lock technology as most of us colour our hair
Humidity defence technology (styling products only)
Heat and UV protection (styling products only)

Before you use any of his products he says the first step is to know your hair type. And by this he means your hair texture i.e. the thickness of each individual hair strand and not the actual density i.e. how much hair you have. So take a few strands of hair and slide your fingers through. Does it feel like silk thread or cotton thread?

If it feels like silk thread then your hair is normal to fine and you should go for Richard’s VoluMoist range including the Clay Mineral Masque.

If it feels like cotton thread you hair is normal to coarse and you should go for Richard’s HydraSlim range including the Silk Protein Masque.

Richard then demonstrated how to achieve the perfect blow dry, and his 12 steps are as follows:
1. Work on hair that is 70% wet, so just towel dry your hair but don’t rough dry it.
2. Use a high wattage professional dryer with a nozzle to control air and heat direction
3. Comb through with a medium toothed comb made of carbon or hard rubber with rounded teeth.
4. Always comb from ends towards roots not the other way round.
5. Use a radial brush with real bristles when blow drying and after the initial comb through.
6. Holding your dryer underneath the hair section creates movement whilst positioning it above the section will create sleekness.
7. Point the nozzle downwards to flatten the cuticle and encourage shine.
8. Position the nozzle at least 15cm away from your hair, too close will result in heat damage.
9. When moving the dryer sown the hair shaft for a sleek look, position the nozzle behind the brush (but still at least 15cm away)
10. Section properly. Split hair in to 4 areas. Always start at the bottom of each section working up towards the front.
11. Use a cool shot on your dryer function to fix each section before removing brush or leave brush in to cool off before removing.
12. Never brush wet hair, always use a wide toothed comb after washing.

Armed with this new information, we partnered up to attempt the perfect blow dry on each other’s hair. Thankfully, we were under very close supervision and left with very swishy hair.

The next day I was in a conundrum - should I wash my hair or leave it? My hair was still swishy but needed washing- would I get the same results?

I decided to wash it. As soon as I used the VoluMoist shampoo, my hair felt silky so Big Plus there. The conditioner also felt smooth and silky as a conditioner ought. Now on to the perfect blow dry! As in the 12 steps I sectioned my hair and then spritzed the Volume Root Booster on to my roots and mid hair sections. It felt light and wasn’t at all sticky.

Now the tricky part, using a Richard Ward radial brush I attempted to blow dry my hair.

Result? OK practice makes perfect so I still have a long way to go but it was definitely an improvement.

Richard Ward’s Couture Hair is available on www.qvcuk.com

By Karen Grace
Personal Shopper & Image Consultant for Frumpy to Funky http://www.frumpytofunky.com

White Gallery London

2011-07-03T13:27:00.000-07:00

White Gallery London is Firmly Positioned on the International Bridal Buying Calendar

White Gallery London held at Battersea Evolution 22-24 May played host to the most influential event in bridal design for 2011. Visitors travelled from around the globe to take a look at what 2012 sposa has to offer.

Showcasing 44 highly respected international bridal design houses this years roster included Alan Hannah, Anoushka G, Claire Pettibone, Cymbeline, Johanna Hehir, Nicki Macfarlane, MKarin, Matthew Williamson, Sassi Holford and Sharon Bowen to name a few. Buyers travelled from some of the worlds most elite bridal boutiques from as far a field as Asia, USA, Middle East and Europe.

Irish bridal boutique owner Ann Gilvary of Aibeil says “I came to White Gallery London with my colleague to look at all the designers in one place. It makes it very easy for us to visit a dedicated show for our buying, as it can be difficult to get to each individual designer and this way we really get a sense of what is out there today in premium bridalwear. Ian Stuart's catwalk show and Matthew Williamson’s show were divine. The layout is also fantastic and the fair really has a calm energy about it, making it easy to get around.” Martin Sherford of Sassi Holford, states “White Gallery London truly is a platform for designers in the bridal industry to have the spotlight put on them and is helping the bridal trade industry thrive on both a national and international scale. The layout and space is exclusive, and it is a premium exhibition that we are proud to be associated with. We will to continue to build on our presence at the show in the coming years. There were a significant number of international buyers from Italy, Holland and Norway, and some top end bridal boutiques which make this an incredibly worthwhile experience. Press interest has been brilliant, with Conde Nast publications from Paris and Milan, and of course the UK titles, making this event very well publicised on an international stage.”

Peta Hunt, Fashion Editor, of You and Your Wedding comments “I loved seeing all of the British designers here. The space is really nice and open with a light atmosphere. It is a joy to see the modern and bright collections and I especially loved the collective catwalk shows. Can’t wait for the next show!”

Exhibitors have commented on the high level of retailers at White Gallery London, taking orders from both UK and International bridal boutiques. Alison Meir, UK representative of Stephanie Browne Australia states “In terms of logistics, the show worked brilliantly. We saw new buyers from Sweden, Switzerland and returning client’s from Dubai and Israel. The presence of key bridal press including Brides, Wedding, Confeti, Martha Stewart, Collezioni Sposa and Bridal Buyer really helped in pushing White Gallery London out there as a destination premium bridal trade fair, which has emerged as the bridal fair in the UK.”

Leading UK bridal designers including Alan Hannah, Amanda Wakeley, David Fielden, Ian Stuart, Matthew Williamson, Stephanie Allin and Sassi Holford say that White Gallery London provides them with a platform to meet top end UK and International buyers and press to showcase their forthcoming collections in the perfect environment.

Jelena Govorusa of Amanda Wakeley states, “The show has been extremely busy! We have seen buyers from Belgium, Switzerland, Italy, Singapore and the USA and have opened lovely new accounts. The new venue is fabulous, chic and stylish.”

Ian Stuart comments, “The White Gallery London venue is elegant, easy, cool and chic. We were able to offer our customers and elegant environment in which to buy their collections. White Gallery London is definitely a show to watch!”

Designers crossed the globe to exhibit their new collections at the exclusive show, proving the internationality that the event holds. Flying the flag for France were returning exhibitors Cymbeline and Ugo Zaldi. Laure Gabison, Director, Ugo Zaldi comments “The show has been great! We have opened new accounts and had lots of press interest. White Gallery is very important for building our relationship with UK and Irish customers”.

Travelling from Spain, Yolan Cris presented the ultimate bohemian chic collection, adding a whole new dimension to bridal. Other Spaniards on the list included second time exhibitors Pepe Botella and Jesus Peiro; Christine Marechint from Jesus Peiro commented “The show has been very busy and extremely productive. We have seen lots of serious international buyers and are thrilled with the results.”

From Canada, Michael Perry of Lea-Ann Belter comments “The aim for me is to be able to show my collection in the same room as all my peers, and White Gallery London gives me that opportunity. It is great to be a part of such a dedicated premium show, and buyers seem to come here knowing what they want and what to expect, which has a really positive effect for us as exhibitors.”

Designers from the Far East included Olivia Couture and Lusan Mandongus. Candy Kong, UK representative of hit label Lusan Mandongus said of the show “This year has been great. Buyers are taking the time to stop and look through collections and place orders in their own time. We have seen both international and UK buyers, along with new customers from France, Switzerland and Italy.”

White Gallery London also showcased a selection of bridal accessories including both UK and International companies including Babe, Halo & Co, Ivory & Co, Stephanie Browne Australia, Polly Edwards, Harriet Wilde and Vivien Sheriff to name a few. Vivien Sheriff talks of her success at the show, “This year has been fantastic for us, even better than last year. The quality of buyers has been excellent and we have opened a number of new international accounts including Russia, Norway, Italy, Japan, Singapore and Canada.”

The main attraction of White Gallery London 2011 were the spectacular Fashion Shows sponsored by Condé Nast Brides. The acclaimed Michel Van Clarke team provided stunning catwalk hair styling and beautiful make-up came from the renowned team at Benefit.

Bryony Toogood, Fashion Editor of Conde Nast Brides, “White Gallery is a very professional. Slick, classy, high end with a real sense of energy, a great buzz and atmosphere – it’s what London has been waiting for.”

Across the first two days of the show Alan Hannah, Ian Stuart, Matthew Williamson, Stephanie Allin and Stewart Parvin held own name catwalk shows.

Couturier to the Queen, Stewart Parvin, previewed a wide selection of highly covetable gowns, and was the first of 19 designers to grace the catwalk. Stewart Parvin notes “The catwalk show gave a spectacular impact on a world class stage. The exhibition space is light and airy with a really positive buzz and it is fantastic to be surrounded by international brands and to welcome international buyers.”

Blue Bridalwear, Hollywood Dreams, Johanna Hehir, Lea-Ann Belter, Lusan Mandongus, MKarin, Sharon Bowen, Yolan Cris made up the Designers Preview catwalk. Leading names on the New Talents catwalk included Elizabeth Stuart, Sarah Janks, Sanyukta Shrestha, Terry Fox, The Vintage Wedding Dressing Company and Tobi Hannah.

Taking place at Battersea Evolution, the third edition of White Gallery London will open its doors next year 20-22 May 2012 at Battersea Evolution.

Matthew Williamson
Matthew Williamson’s highly anticipated bridal collection made an elegant arrival on the catwalk at White Gallery London before an eager audience of leading press and buyers. Signature styles from the designer’s ready-to-wear collection are a distinct influence and have been reworked and translated into stunning bridal gowns. Long short corset column gowns give a lean yet structured silhouette, softened with an artfully overlay of soft ivory tulle. Hand sewn ivory feathers across the tulle created an enhancing ethereal effect. Buttermilk silk satin printed with a burn out technique of a hand painted abstract winter wonderland design provides a modern, softly textured fabric draped into a classical strapless gown. Jewel embedded mink and rabbit fur cropped shrugs completes the luxurious look. The collection captures the essence of the brand and all its signature elements demonstrating a feeling of luxury and opulence.

Yolan Cris

Hot Spanish designer Yolan Cris presented an array of stunning bridal gowns and accessories at White Gallery London 22-24 May 2011. This season’s collection is inspired by the hippie-bohemian movement that emerged in New York in the early 1970’s. The post Woodstock years were highly influential to fashion, and the 70’s became a decade that coined timeless style and consequently enthusing Yolan Cris to create the latest collection in homage to this era. Audiences saw luxe materials including macramé crochet, crochet and organza pleats creating a fresh and innovative approach. Tribal and ethnic accents add a unique dimension to this collection. Accessorize dresses with hippy-esque headwear including ivory and white coloured headbands along with a selection of beautiful hats. Tassel and net detailing featured heavily and looks were completed with crochet bags.

Ian Stuart

Ian Stuart’s show-stopping 2012 ‘Killer Queen’ collection hit the runway in full drama at White Gallery London. His signature full skirted dresses with sculpted bodices made a strong appearance through to more figure hugging fishtail designs with larger-than-life embellishments, adding to the theatrical feel. A sense of rock chic rebellion came through Ian Stuart’s aptly named ‘Rockstar’ and ‘Rockafella’ designs, juxtaposing the elegant, romantic dresses with their cascades of pleated taffeta and classic French lace detailing.

Stewart Parvin

Royal couturier Stewart Parvin opened the White Gallery London catwalk with a breathtakingly beautiful show set to the sweet sounds of Sade. The collection encapsulated elegant femininity through a selection of covetable dresses buttoned to the seam, accentuating the silhouettes. Shift suit combinations gave structure producing a look that was both chic and sleek. Pretty diamante embellishments added subtle touches of glamour to each garment. Exquisite corsages adorned wrists as elegant statement pieces, creating a perfectly romantic look in rose, pink and dark chocolate brown with emerald green silk ribbon trimming.

For more information on attending or exhibiting please visit www.whitegallery.com

Ormonde Man

2011-06-26T16:05:00.000-07:00

If you are looking for a fragrance that relies solely on the merit of its scent rather than the hint of a rich and beautiful lifestyle so many perfume adverts now entice us with, then London Perfumery Ormande Jayne may be your man.

Named partly after the terrace where Linda Jayne Pilkington set up her own home as a perfume lab, the ingredients used are quality oils and absolutes sourced worldwide, some still not widely used in the Western perfume industry.

The first of the three perfumes for men Linda created was:

Ormonde Man

Top notes: Juniper berry, bergamot, pink pepper, cardamom and coriander seeds

Heart: Oudh and black hemlock

Base: Vetiver, cedar, sandalwood and musk

It’s as though all the top notes are jumping around to grab your attention saying ‘Smell me! Smell me!’ But then they seem to exhaust themselves and settle down and let the smooth sweet heart blend take over.

It is the infusion of Oudh oil which gives Ormonde Man its distinctive sweet woody aromatic fragrance. Oudh is usually an acquired taste but like all acquired tastes, once you’ve acquired it you’ll be hooked. It’s definitely a smooth operator.

Oudh has always been highly valued in the Oriental and Arabic cultures and when Ormonde man was launched in Nov 2004, it was one of the ingredients not widely used in the West.
But now it’s all the rage!

Gentlemen - A note of warning! Keep your Ormonde Man under lock and key unless you don’t mind sharing. This is a fragrance the ladies like to wear too and being a lady (I do try!) I completely agree. For me the reason I’d wear Ormonde Man is because it doesn’t smell too woody or citric like your average men’s fragrance. This is probably a fragrance for the Metro Man.

Ormonde Man is available in eau de parfum (50ml £70), hydrating bath & shower crème (200ml £28), essential bathing oil (100ml £49), replenishing body lotion (200ml £35) and large multi wick scented candles with silver lid and base. (100hrs burning time £184)

Isfarkand – a name derived from a mixture of the cities of Isfahan in Iran and Samarkand in Uzbekistan. This cologne based fragrance was launched in 2006 and in the same year was voted the best scent by Wallpaper.

Top notes: Lime, mandarin and bergamot

Heart: Pink Pepper

Base: Cedar, vetiver and moss.

This one is a fast worker! The blast of top citrus notes quickly makes way for the highly pink peppery heart notes. The peppery scent lingers alone before blending with the richer damp moss notes, the earthy vetiver and the drier cedar notes. As it settles it becomes soft and powdery with the peppery notes fading in to the background, whilst the dry cedar wood makes a lasting impression.

This is a fragrance that improves with wear. ‘Wear’ meaning the longer it is on your skin the better it smells, I couldn’t stop sniffing my wrist it was so addictive.

Available in the following: eau de parfum (50ml £70), and shampoo & body wash (temporarily out of stock)

Zizan is the latest of the men’s fragrances, again cologne based fragrance and launched in Nov 2009

Top notes: Sicilian lime, lemon, bergamot, clary, sage, pink pepper and juniper berry.

Heart: Bay, violet and jasmine

Base: Vetiver, cedar, musk and amber

This zingy fragrance is grounded by the earthy aroma of three types of vetiver, hence the fragrance’s name Zizan which was taken from the Latin word zizanoide meaning vetiver.

Zizan was launched as a result of many customers asking for a vetiver based fragrance similar to Eau de Sauvage. Vetiver is a perennial grass native to India but is now also cultivated in Haiti, Reunion and Java. The oil distilled from its roots is used in perfumes. The aroma is deep, sweet, woody and earthy.

This one has stamina! The strong citrus top notes are there for the long haul, lingering with the heart notes before they slowly mellow and allow the sweeter base notes to take centre stage.

This is probably the strongest and longer lasting of all the three fragrances, and also the most masculine scent. Zizan is available in eau de parfum only. (50ml £70)

Since leaving her humble yet beautifully scented home, Linda now owns two London boutiques with striking black lacquered interiors and her perfumes are also available from the opulent Harrods Perfume Hall. However some things haven’t changed - each product is still created by Linda and the bottling and packaging is still by hand but now in her British workshop rather than in her home.

Ormonde Jayne’s flagship boutique is at 12 The Royal Arcade and her new and larger store at 192 Pavillion Rd just off Sloane Square. For more information check out the website: www.ormondejayne.com

By Karen Grace
Personal Shopper & Image Consultant for Frumpy to Funky http://www.frumpytofunky.com

The Bespoke Item

2011-06-19T15:01:00.000-07:00

Have you ever seen something that you thought would be perfect if it were in a different colour or had more/less embellishments? Alas, we usually have to compromise unless we have a Fairy Godmother who can wave her magic wand and make our wish come true.

Good news is some companies are now offering a semi bespoke service and even better news is that this service doesn’t cost the earth.

So who needs a fairy godmother when you have the following brands with their bespoke services?

Belen Echandia is the only luxury Italian-made handbag company to offer an online customisation service on its entire handbag collection. You can choose the leather, colour, lining, hardware and other extras to create your dream bag.

Step 1 – choose a style from the collection

Step 2 – choose features such as straps, tags, tassels/zips

Step 3 – choose the leather and colour

Step 4 – choose the hardware such gold, silver, brass or gunmetal

Step 5 – choose lining colour

Step 6 – choose the extras such as extra internal pockets, BE stamp or hole motif, personalised tags etc.

All their handbags are handcrafted in a family-run Italian atelier that uses the traditional techniques. And most feature extra details like multi-way leather straps, key holders, removable compartments and hidden pockets to help you stay organised.

More details on www.belenechandia.com

Upper Street is a made-to-order luxury shoe label with sizes available ranging from 2 to 10. A feat in itself!

Decide on the shape and style and then explore materials, colours and embellishments. The website allows you to look at your design at all angles just by clicking and dragging over the image.

1. Shoe style – have 7 styles to choose from.

2. Upper Shape – the choice of either the full cut or the D’Orsay cut sides.

3. Fronts – choose between leaving the front plain or adding embellishments

4. Back – whether you want to keep the back plain or have a counter back which is a good choice for contrasting colours or materials

5. Straps – ankle, Mary Jane, triple, wide straps or no straps

6. Colours and materials. The shoe model is divided up in to segments and each segment can be a different colour or material by just clicking on it and then choosing. Materials are leather, suede, patent, snakeskin, metallic, animal, satin and bridal satin

7. Embellishments

Warning! You’ll find creating your own pair very addictive. This is shoe heaven without having to walk to those pearly gates.

Start creating on www.upperstreet.com

Designer Belinda Robertson not only creates modern elegant knitwear in 100% pure Scottish cashmere using traditional production methods and skilled artisans, but she also offers a bespoke service on her Black Label collection.

You have a choice of more than one hundred colours ranging from sharp citrus brights to soft natural melanges, and from deep autumnal hues to delicate pastels – so you’re bound to find a shade you love and which will complement your own colouring. They even have a swatch service (charge £10) where they will send 10 cashmere swatches in the colours you have selected so you can feel and see the actual shades before deciding on your final choice.

The bespoke service doesn’t end there, they will alter the sleeve and body length for a charge of £35 per alteration so you’re guaranteed a perfect fit, a great benefit for the taller or petite woman. Plus there are a variety of styles and necklines to choose from.

Delivery takes approximately 6-8 weeks.

For more information check out www.belindarobertson.com

By Karen Grace
Personal Shopper & Image Consultant for Frumpy to Funky http://www.frumpytofunky.com

Pretty Amazing Lipcolor by bareMinerals

2011-06-12T16:02:00.000-07:00

They’re helping you to achieve healthy looking and flawless skin with their bareMinerals SPF15 foundation and their new skincare products. Now they’ve turned their attention on to your lips.

Suffering from dry lips, I feel like Goldilocks when it comes to lipstick, I struggle to find the right one. The long lasting and matt lipsticks are way too dry and lip glosses are far too sticky with not enough colour. The gloss lipsticks are almost just right but the colours don’t seem to last two minutes. So I am always eager to try out new lipsticks.

BareMinerals Pretty Amazing Lipcolor says "it combines the coverage of a lipstick with the high shine of a gloss to deliver full-bodied, velveteen colour with a comfortable longwearing finish."

So what’s the verdict?

First Appearances: From the package, it looks like a lip gloss and you apply like a lip gloss, but I’m happy to say that the consistency is more of a lipstick, creamier and thicker.

Initial Application - I was shocked at the thickness, so I’d recommend that you go easy on the application, blot or smooth over with your fingers afterwards. It felt dry and the more neutral colours such as Free Will seem to accentuate the lines on my lips which was not a look I was hoping for. Luckily I restrained from wiping it off straight away and allowed it to settle for the lasting impression.

Lasting Impression: It only took a few minutes for the initial look to change to a more even and smoother look, and for my lips to feel moisturised.

So only a little hiccup at first before turning in to a Pretty Amazing Lipstick.

And the Colours?

The names of the colours were chosen to help empower women for different situations. For example: if you had a presentation to give and felt a little nervous, then apply some ‘Courage’; or you may want to apply ‘Charisma’ to have them eating out of your hands.

Just thinking of what you wanted to achieve and then choosing the lipstick by name brought a smile to my face and a positive attitude. Although I did consider cheating at the press day when asked to choose the lipstick by name and match it with how I wanted to feel that day. Even if I needed strength to keep me going through the busy schedule of press events ahead, and although the vibrant bright red colour was gorgeous, it just doesn’t suit my complexion. But when they gave me the whole range of colours to play with and encouraged me to mix the colours, I was feeling Free Will with a touch of Strength was what I needed to get me through the day.

Here’s the full colour range:

AMBITION – fuchsia. A hot hot pink, Great for those with high contrast colouring or dark cool skins.

BRAVADO – brick rose. A smooth rich rosy brown. Great for those with warm complexions, especially you redheads.

STRENGTH – vibrant red. The glamorous Hollywood look for those with high contrast colouring or dark cool skins

MOXIE – bright petal pink. This bubblegum pink is light and flirty. Great for those with bright and cool complexions –pale or dark

COURAGE – warm strawberry. A warm strawberry with a hint of brown. More veering towards the warmer complexions, pale or dark, but it is a good neutral for the evening for any complexion.

FREE WILL – pink nude - Neutral with a hint of brown so a good neutral for the warmer complexions

CHARISMA – coral pink -Neutral with a hint of pink, so a good neutral for the cooler complexions.

FEARLESS – rosy mauve. A mauve pink, a good neutral for the darker complexions and a great statement lipstick for the paler complexions.

Pretty Amazing will be available in the UK around June and you will be able to buy them singly or in a presentation pack. Just think of the presentation pack as an artist’s palette and start creating your lipstick picture for the day.

By Karen Grace
Personal Shopper & Image Consultant for Frumpy to Funky
http://www.frumpytofunky.com

Matthew Williamson’s First Bridal Collection

2011-06-05T13:40:00.000-07:00

The air was charged with excitement as we queued to view the catwalk show of Matthew Williamson’s first bridal wear collection at the White Gallery event in Battersea Park.

Taking inspiration from the iconic styles of his past ready to wear collections, there was not a meringue in sight – here it was more about the flowing carefree luxury bohemian look.

Some of the gowns you could imagine being worn for a sun kissed paradise beach wedding with the ivory feathers or waterfall ruffles embellished on the skirts dancing lightly in the cool sea breeze.

The column shaped skirt of a floor length ivory gown is embellished with hand sewn ostrich feathers and its structured strapless corset top is softened with diaphanous silk tulle across one shoulder and ruched around the waist.

Williamson has also created a shorter cocktail dress in the same style for maybe the bridesmaids or a perhaps a bride preferring a romantic stroll close to the water’s edge.

Another great beach style is the long ivory silk georgette gown with its soft waterfall ruffle skirt and plunging v neckline embellished on one side with a line of ruffles. Despite the plunging neckline, this gown has an ethereal air of innocence until you see the back which has a sexy cut out in the shape of a tear drop. The cut out is framed with hand stitched beading at the base and on one shoulder. This gown will give the guests something to focus on during the ceremony.

For the on trend 70s look, there is the silk chiffon floor length kaftan with plunging neckline, fluted sleeves and embellished with Swarovski crystals and pearls at the waist. This style has a timeless and simple elegance to the front, but I’m not sure I’m liking the back with its tie belt.

For the 60’s feel, Williamson has created the knee length silk chiffon shift dress with tiered edged ¾ length fluted sleeves. The whole garment is embroidered by hand with a floral design either in a delicate blush shade or the same ivory hue.

Rather than going for the ‘princess’ look, Williamson has gone for the Grecian Goddess style. Here a seemingly simple silk parachute draped gown is adorned with a thin Swarovski crystal belt at the front whilst the back reveals a racer style strap of Swarovski crystals and a billowing diaphanous parachute style cape attached to the shoulders and the hem of the gown. You can believe the goddess who wears this has just floated down from Mount Olympia.

Another goddess style is the softly draped chiffon gown with crossover ruched pleated bodice and two wide Swarovski asymmetric straps to add sparkle.

Empire lines always create a slim column silhouette and Williamson’s designs are no exception. The styles vary from the ornate gold geometric beading on the high necked empire gown with a softly draped skirt to the bandeau style top empire gown with fine spaghetti straps and more subtle embellishments on the bodice and long peacock feathers decorating the skirt.

My favourite?

Well it has to be the strapless devore gown with its cross over bodice. The hand painted abstract winter wonderland design of the buttermilk silk satin fabric with the crystal and pearl bodice trim bring a rich opulence to the gown. And for the bridesmaids, Williamson creates the Grecian handmaiden look with a softly draped asymmetric cocktail dress in the same fabric and embellished with a jewelled crystal corsage.

By Karen Grace
Personal Shopper & Image Consultant for Frumpy to Funky http://www.frumpytofunky.com

Caudalie

2011-05-31T10:45:00.000-07:00

In 1933 Mae West famously said ‘peel me a grape’. In 1995, Mathilde Thomas and husband Bertrand peeled that grape, deseeded it, destalked it, but instead of throwing all this away, with the help of Dr Vercauteren from the University of Pharmacy of Bordeaux, they saw the great anti-oxidant benefits. And so created their own beauty brand called Caudalie with the grape vine as the main ingredient. They chose the name because Caudalie in the wine industry means ‘a unit of measurement of quality and duration the wines flavour stays on the palette – the finer the wine the more caudalies it will have’.

Named after the finest wines, Caudalie created the ultimate moisturiser – Premier Cru, to treat all signs of ageing such as wrinkles, lack of firmness, dark spots, and dullness. And after the success of their Premier Cru – The Cream, which has become one of the best selling anti-ageing creams in France, they were inspired to turn their dedication to the delicate eye area.

This year sees the launch of Premier Cru – The Eye Cream. Looking luminous in its gold and silver packaging, it does look like the ultimate ‘elixir of youth’ which Caudalie states it is, targeting all visible signs of ageing around the eyes. And if that’s not enough, Caudalie also says this eye cream has an original feature - it can brighten the eye contour sweeping the shadows away and eliminating dark spots.

And how does it do all this? Well it’s in the grapes. Caudalie has 3 patented ingredients all based on the grapes.

1. Grape seed polypehnols - the most powerful anti-oxidants in the vegetable world. They stop free radicals and are 10,000 times more effective than vitamin E.

2. Resveratrol from the grapevine stalks – identified as the most effective active ingredient for prolonging cellular life by Harvard’s department of medicine.

3. Viniferine from grapevine sap - helps diminish and protect against dark spots by regulating melanin formation.

Other grape ingredients are organic grape water and the nourishing grape seed oil.

Mae West might not have known what she was throwing away when she said ‘peel me a grape’, but now our eyes are opened, Premier Cru will let us still have our peeled grape and eat it without losing the benefits of the skin and stalks.

THE CEW (UK) 2011 BEAUTY AWARDS

2011-05-22T14:56:00.000-07:00

The Cosmetic Executive Women (CEW) hosted their 6^th annual Beauty Awards this year at the Intercontinental London Park Lane.

Provided with champagne and nibbles, the beauty industry guests were able to network for half an hour and see the nominated products before going in to the main room for lunch and the awards.

The theme this year was a tribute to the late iconic actress Elizabeth Taylor.

The opening of the Awards Ceremony began with Caroline Neville, CEW (UK) president, followed by a presentation of a cheque for £25,000 from CEW (UK) to the Eve Appeal - a gynaecology cancer research fund whose focus is to raise vital funds for research into prevention, detection, treatment and care of ovarian cancer. More information can be seen on their website www.eveappeal.org.uk

Once wined and dined, the awards began with Marigay McKee, Beauty & Fashion Director of Harrods, acting as Master of Ceremony. Behind stood 26 graceful female statuettes designed and donated by Lalique. Joanna Page from the hilarious comedy series ‘Gavin and Stacey’, and now the new face of Superdrug presented two of the awards.

This year there were no brands that ran away with multiple awards, the most was two. Lanolips took ‘Best New Skincare Treatment Product-mass’ for their 101 Ointment , a 100% natural lip balm containing ultra pure medical grade lanolin; Dr Organic took ‘Best New Everyday Facial Skincare Product-mass’ for their Organic Rose Otto Facial Serum and both came joint winners for ‘Best New Brand-mass’

Other brands that came away with two awards were:

Balance me received the ‘Best New Bath and Body Product-prestige’ for their Rose Otto Body Wash and ‘Best New Certified Organic Skincare Product’ for their Super Oil with Juniper and Bergamot.

Liz Earle received the ‘Best New Haircare/Styling Product-prestige’ for their Naturally Active Haircare Botanical Shine Shampoo and ‘Best British brand’ for their Naturally Active Skincare. All their Naturally Active Skincare products use the best quality natural ingredients.

Chanel took ‘Best New Make-up Product-Eyes or Lips-prestige’ for their Rouge Coco Hydrating Crème Lip Colour and ‘Best New Men’s Fragrance-prestige’ for their Bleu De Chanel EDT

Elizabeth Arden glowed when they were awarded ‘Best New Self Tan or Suncare Product’ for their Eight Hour Cream Sun Defense for Face SPF 50 and ‘Best Iconic Beauty Product’ for their much loved Eight Hour Cream Skin Protectant.

Batiste coloured dry shampoo took the Best New Haircare/Styling/Colouring Product – Mass category award last year and this year it was the turn of Batiste Dry Shampoo Fresh – just proving we love our time saving dry shampoos.

All For Eve, the stand-alone beauty and fashion brand set up to raise funds and awareness for The Eve Appeal charity, won ‘Best New Hand and Nail Care Product’ for their Swarovski Crystal Nail File. Here is the chance to not only purchase the best nail file but also help ovarian cancer research

Other awards were as follows:

Filling the air with fragrance was Chloe Love Chloe for Best Women’s Fragrance

Best Classic Beauty Product-Mass category went to Bio-Oil, a specialist skincare product that helps improve the appearance of scars, stretch marks and uneven skin tone.

Fluttering their long eyelashes with excitement were RapidLash who won Best New Make-up Product-Mass for their Eyelash Enhancing Serum.

Well we won’t tell you what Nars was doing when they won the Best New Make-up Product-Prestige for their Cosmetic Orgasm Illuminator

Best New Bath & Body Product –mass went to The Sanctuary Ultra Rich Body Butter

Smiling whilst keeping the wrinkles at bay were Clarins who won Best New Everyday Facial Skincare Product for their Multi-active Day Early Wrinkle Correction Cream

Eyes wide open were Estee lauder when they won Best New Skincare Treatment Product for their Advanced Night Repair Eye Synchronized Complex

Emma Hardie were gleefully amazed when they won Best New Brand for their Amazing Face.

And for the Best Classics Beauty Product – Eve Lom came clean with their Cleanser

Not forgetting the guys:

Nivea for Men Q10 Revitalising Gel took the Best New Men’s Grooming Product- Mass category.

For the Prestige category of Best Men’s Grooming Product, it was Shiseido for Men Skin Empowering Cream.

Best New Men’s Fragrance: Chanel Bleu De Chanel EDT.

After the awards the lucky winner of a £50,000 Global Radio campaign prize draw was Elemental Herbology. Then the grand prize draw in aid of the Eve Appeal began. Prizes included a tote bag handmade in the Bill Amberg Studio; Top to Toe pamper day with Richard Ward; evening of luxury at Harvey Nichols with champagne and a 4 course dinner for two; three Mamo Mia boot camp treatments at Urban Retreat in Harrods plus three Mamo Mia boot camp kits; and two night weekend stay for two at the Intercontinental with breakfast.

A great event and still enough time to rush home and start buying these wonderful products from Superdrug on: www.superdrug.com

By Karen Grace
Personal Shopper & Image Consultant for Frumpy to Funky http://www.frumpytofunky.com

CHRISTOPHER WALLER

2011-05-15T15:43:00.000-07:00

After studying Fashion Design at the University of East London and graduating in 2007, British born Simon Christopher Waller started designing at John Richmond. Now he has taken that large scary leap and created his own brand Christopher Waller which was launched in July 2010.

His new brand’s philosophy is:

'To provide effortless sophistication to women on a day-to-day basis blurring the transition from day to night with clean and flattering silhouettes enabling subtle detailing to shine through.'

And this certainly showed through with his AW10 debut collection which was a mix of silks, wools and jerseys in minimalistic chic tailoring injected with an effortless laid back wearablility.

For the SS11 collection, Waller has taken his inspiration from the minimalist artists of the late 50’s and 60’s who rejected outside influences such as politics, religion, symbolism etc as the only means to create art. They chose to strip their work to the pure basics where colours, lines, shapes and textures were used sparingly and didn't express the moods and feelings of the artist, but relied on the viewer to appreciate the object in its simplicity as just a beautiful piece of art.

Waller has carried this minimalism in to his cut and colour palette, proving you don’t need to rely on frills, bows and bright colour ways to create beautiful statement garments. The fluid fabrics of silk, jersey and finely woven wool he uses ensures the simple tailored cut is not harsh and gives a soft luxurious feel to the whole collection.

However Waller does add a touch of texture with his silk panelling on the jersey and wool pieces.

The main colour palette is black with accents of bold block colouring in muted earth tones of slate, stone, aubergine and dusty pink.

Highlights of the collection include a deconstructed fine wool box blazer in a muted block colour of slate with silk black cuffs, pockets and lapels; and a jersey T-dress with a taped silk seam.

Summary: A chic and minimalistic classic soft tailored look with a laid-back sporty twist

More details and images can be viewed on www.christopherwaller.com

By Karen Grace
Personal Shopper & Image Consultant for Frumpy to Funky

http://www.frumpytofunky.com

ORMONDE JAYNE – PERFUME PORTRAITS

2011-05-08T13:25:00.000-07:00

Ormonde Terrace was probably one of the most fragrantly scented streets when Linda J Pilkington used her own home there as a perfume lab and created the Ormonde Jayne perfumes. Since then she has come a long way changing her humble settings to that of the opulent Harrods Perfume Hall and her own two London boutiques with their striking black lacquered interiors. However some things haven’t changed - each product is still created by Linda and the bottling and packaging is still by hand but now in her British workshop rather than in her home.

From this passion for perfumery and perfection, Linda was not content to just create her 12 luxurious fragrances, but wanted to ensure her customers discovered and went away with the right Ormonde Jayne fragrance for them. And so Perfume Portraits was created.

Perfume Portraits can take from a quick 5 minutes to a longer more leisurely 45 minutes depending on how many questions and how much time you have.

At the beginning she will ask a few questions such as: what other perfume brands you already love and which ones your hate, do you like soaking in the bath or prefer to shower, do you like scented candles, do you usually carry your perfume around with you, and are you looking for a perfume for a the evening, daytime or for the summer etc.

Now you may ask how are these questions pertinent? Well she keeps a profile for you ,so if your loved one decides to pop in to buy you a gift, she can not only recommend the right scent but also the right product.

The next stage is where Linda introduces you to the scents of individual raw ingredients in the form of oils and which can make an Ormonde Jayne perfume. Advising you not to think of them as an actual perfume but to just concentrate on the smell and say whether you liked or didn’t like it.

After smelling about 15 of the 21 oils I’d only said I’d like two so far (vanilla and freesia). Panicking, and wondering how she was going to find any perfume for me, never mind my perfect perfume, I toyed with the idea of saying I liked the next one. Alas I couldn’t even smell anything. Luckily I came clean and Linda advised it was Ambroxan which you either could or couldn’t smell. Relieved my sense of smell hadn’t totally packed in, I was just a bit sad that I wasn’t one of the perfume elite who could smell it.

After going through all the oils, Linda then chose three of her perfumes, spraying two on my arms and one on herself. We talked whilst they settled. One I instantly loved (Ta’if) but the others were too intense. Although happy with my new favourite perfume and amazed that she found it so easily, I still kept smelling the other fragrance (Tolu) on my arm. Apparently Tolu does take a while to settle. It definitely did take a while, but after a few hours, I was surprised to find I loved the smell – Super Perfumer Linda had done it again!

But as an impatient, want everything now, now, now kinda girl, the love at first smell Ta’if is the one for me. I loved its instant top notes of pink pepper, saffron and dates and still loved it as it settled down with the heart notes of rose oil, freesia, orange flower absolute and jasmine plus the lingering base notes of broom and amber.

I was delighted to see my new signature perfume was the one and only perfume that comes in the very luxurious Gold Dust: here you can give your décolleté and shoulders a little light dusting of real 24 carat gold powder ! Gold Dust is packaged in an elegant black lacquered handmade gold box which contains a very fluffy and feminine champagne coloured hand sewn French satin powder puff with marabou feather trim.

The retail price of £400 for 15ml is not to be sneezed at (definitely don’t sneeze!) and is exclusive to Harrods.

I’m pleased to say the actual perfumes are much much cheaper at £70 for a 50ml Eau de Parfum.

Ormonde Jayne’s flagship boutique is at 12 The Royal Arcade and her new and larger store at 192 Pavillion Rd just off Sloane Square. For more information check out the website : www.ormondejayne.com

By Karen Grace
Personal Shopper & Image Consultant for Frumpy to Funky

http://www.frumpytofunky.com

VANESSA G AW11 COLLECTION

2011-04-18T07:05:00.000-07:00

AW11 COLLECTION

Designer Vanessa Gounden presented her debut collection at the glorious Banqueting House in Whitehall.

What makes this debut collection different is that Vanessa is not straight out from college; she is in the prime of her life and has used her own colourful and rich life experiences as inspiration for the designs. Of Indian descent, Vanessa grew up in South Africa on her family’s small holding where she helped cut and prepare roses for sale to florist. Vanessa G the label has taken the red rose as their logo and the rose heads could be seen everywhere at the show, decorating the bar area, the side tables, the catwalk show and even the carpet at the reception was black with digital rose prints.

Due to apartheid growing in South Africa, Vanessa and her family had to leave their livelihood and were removed to a dormitory township with minimal facilities. Here Vanessa played an active role in the trade union movement and served in the Nelson Mandela administration after South Africa’s first democratic election in 1944. This experience equipped Vanessa with high business acumen but also with a strong desire to help those equally deserving but less fortunate.

Her collection takes unique pieces of art from unsung artists and transforms them in to timeless classic which are handcrafted for individuals who are equally passionate about the arts and fashion.

The catwalk was impressive and ran along the sides of the hall with a large facade of coliseum like arches at the front. Inside these arches, lasers projected films of nature (rivers, flowers, skies etc) at the right time to correspond with the prints on the model’s garments. Opening the show was the moody monochrome film of clouds with the models wearing grey and white photographic prints with just a touch of pale pink. The prints were of the sea, clouds, windswept umbrellas, skylines and pink flamingos.

Tights were embellished with hanging sequins, sheath dresses lightly skimmed the body, trousers were high waisted and slim, and jackets finished at the waist with ¾ length sleeves. Coats ranged from the classic trench to the glamorous 1950’s swagger style. However the classic trench was given a twist with the digital photographic prints -loved the one in pale blue with the photographic art of woman and umbrella splashing in the sea.

We now swapped black and white film to colour and it was the turn of the florals, greenery and the earth. Here the models garments merged with the large photographic prints hanging behind them, clearly showing the full picture of the digital prints on the clothes.

The next stage saw the colour palette change to a striking black and red combination. The print here of red flora was larger with more background space.

Vanessa G cleverly includes the different styles of the classic look in her collection, making sure all classic women will find something they love. From the above the knee fitted sheath dress, the mid calf A line skirt, the pencil skirt to the cute high waisted retro 50’s full dress which was given an update with a shorter length.

Vanessa G brand is for the upwardly mobile and well-heeled woman who is looking for a new contemporary experience and to own a piece of art through her clothes. 'Art’Outure', a mix of Art and Couture - the ultimate statement of luxury.

By Karen Grace
Personal Shopper & Image Consultant for Frumpy to Funky

http://www.frumpytofunky.com

Scrub up for Summer with SPC Skincare

2011-04-10T12:58:00.000-07:00

Scrub up for Summer with SPC Skincare

Before you bare all on the beach this Summer, get your skin looking luscious! SPC Skincare offers the perfect exfoliating and moisturising products to help you look fresh and beautiful this Summer. Also ideal for pre-tanning to ensure you get an even and glowing sun-kissed tan!

SPC Kiwi Complexion Scrub

Get in the mood for Summer with the fresh and stimulating SPC Kiwi Complexion Scrub (£29.00 per 50ml). This gentle exfoliating scrub works to brighten and revitalise the skin, leaving a fresh and decongested complexion.

Blends of Kiwi, Walnut, Pomegranate and Condus Crispus Seaweed, combined with Pineapple create a highly charged and effective antioxidant. Rich in minerals, the key ingredients in this combination scrub are renowned for their anti-ageing properties.

Key ingredients include

Exotic Ginger
Lime
Grapefruit
Lemon
Bergamot
Macadamia Nut
Sweet Almond Oil

SPC Ginger Body Scrub

Revitalise your senses with the SPC Ginger Body Scrub (£35.00 per 500g), luxuriously blended with fine grade sea salt, the micro-fine particles and pure natural ingredients result in an exfoliating experience which is both revitalising and relaxing. Particularly effective when applied on dry skin pre-bathing/showering, once applied and worked in to the skin, shower off.

Key ingredients include

Exotic Ginger
Lime
Grapefruit
Lemon
Bergamot
Macadamia Nut
Sweet Almond Oil

It’s also water soluble which is great for exfoliating in the bath. The skin will be left glowing and rejuvenated and the body will be left re-mineralised, assisting with PH balance and detoxification.

SPC Citrus Body Moisturiser

The zesty SPC Citrus Body Moisturiser (£30.00 per 200ml) will leave the skin feeling ready for Summer with delicate blends of Lemon, Lime and Orange, citrus fruit essential oils. Your skin will be left feeling silky, supple and smooth and the citrus blends will leave the senses completely invigorated.

Key ingredients include

Lemon
Mexican lime
Orange
Black Pepper

SPC Skincare offers an exciting transformation of how you do skincare. We blend essential plant oils, extracts and other simple but potent ingredients into formulas that help to defy age, stimulate cells and rejuvenate your skin. SPC Skincare has a wide assortment of products that allows anyone to create a personal skincare plan unique to the individual.

As you read through the labels you might feel as though you are reading a recipe for a really vibrant salad. Ingredients matter and we ensure that our formulas are invigorating and work to preserve, protect and provide you with your own skincare path.

SPC Skincare products and treatments were created by the award winning spa at Stoke Park, Buckinghamshire, England. With years of industry experience and research gained through the spa and close collaboration with industry specialists to pick the best possible ingredients, the creation of our products deliver results, including visual radiance to the skin and improved emotional wellbeing.

The SPC Skincare products were designed with a view to create a skincare and body range that enables you to recreate your own ‘spa’ experience at home as part of your everyday life.

Philosophy

S – Synergy of nature and science
Expertly harnessing the benefits of both nature and science.

P – Potency of ingredients
Active ingredients are carefully selected to create products that really work.

C – Commitment to excellence
Throughout all of our luxurious products and treatments, we are committed to giving outstanding results.

We are proud to say that we are a British company.

Check out our new website at www.spcskincare.com! To celebrate the launch of the new website, for every person that signs up for an SPC Skincare e-newsletter receive a £10 off promotional code.

For further information, images or samples please contact Sarah Mahoney at SPC Skincare on 01753 717109 smahoney@spcskincare.com

bareMinerals Skincare

2011-04-05T13:59:00.000-07:00

Bare Escentuals have decided to dig up dirt for their new skincare range. Well to be more exact, they have extracted macro and micro minerals from the soil to create a revolutionary ingredient they have named ‘Rare Minerals Active Soil Complex’. And it’s not just any old soil, but mineral abundant virgin soil from around different parts of the US to make sure they find the right concentrates of minerals.

These are extracted through a unique method which allows them to yield a densely rich concentrate capable of transformational skin-renewing benefits.

They believe Rare Minerals Active Soil Complex to be so revolutionary in the beauty world that they have patented it. Its unique electrolyte delivery system optimises the skin’s ability to absorb and retain moisture, resulting in smoother and healthier looking skin. And this key ingredient is found in all of their new skincare products which are formulated without synthetic fragrances, artificial oils or parabens.

The hero of the new range is The Pure Transformation Night Treatment. This is like make up for bedtime!

I know the most important part is the revolutionary active ingredient it has, but being able to even out your skin tone at night by buffing up your skins in a choice of 4 shades (clear, light, medium and tan) is revolutionary in itself. We are told it does not clog up the pores (in fact it has been proven to visibly reduce them) and does not smudge on to your pillow.

This is that gap filled between cosmetics and skin care – it’s a night time treatment to replenish your skin by reducing pores, increasing firmness and improving elasticity over a period of time, plus the added bonus of acting like a light foundation and smoothing out your blemishes.

Now you may think why would you want to put on foundation for bed? Who wouldn’t want to go to bed with a radiant glow and be able to wake up the next morning, peer in to the bathroom mirror and still see that glow?

Other products in the range include a choice of two facial cleansers:

Purifying Facial Cleanser, a light creamy lather to remove make-up and dissolve impurities. This is gentle enough to use for eye make-up removal.

Deep Cleansing Foam, a richer foamy cleanser to deep clean pores and lift away impurities. As the name suggests, this is a deep cleanser so avoid the eye area.

A choice of two moisturisers

Purely Nourishing Moisturizer for combination skin. This includes the South African resurrection plant known for its skin renewing properties.

Purely Nourishing Cream for dry skin. This cream is not your normal clinical white colour, but more of a natural ecru colour which instantly says natural ingredients. The hydrating ingredients include the avocado oil, and for skin conditioning ingredients there is jojoba, pomegranate oil and starfruit to name a few.

A Firming Eye Treatment includes the Masterwort Leaf cultivated in the Swiss Alps where it is known as the Queen of the plants for its transformative benefits. Here it is used for both depuffing (along with caffeine) and skin-conditioning.

Bare Escentuals are really excited about their new ground breaking ingredient and are hoping that you will be too.

The Perfume Shop

2011-03-27T15:42:00.000-07:00

Spring is coming and it’s time to change your heady winter perfume to a lighter fresher scent. Here’s The Perfume Shop’s guide to your spring /summer scent.

JUICY FRUITY

They say you should have at least 5 pieces of fruit/veg a day, I wonder if fruit in fragrances count?

Ed Hardy’s new Love and Luck

This fruity scent may look oriental on the package, with the tattoo image a Geisha girl, but she’s only there for the sake drink. Yes the top notes include a red sake accord along with cherry blossom and blood oranges. Apparently red sake smells like honey-laced apples with a dash of cinnamon. But that’s not the end of the fruitiness, in the heart notes there’s black currant, nectarine and forbidden plum along with pink peppercorn.

This Geisha girl is a light fruit cocktail with a sake kick.

Another perfume you may think would be oriental is Jimmy Choo, again because of the packaging (a pink snake skin print on the box.) The heart note is the exotic Tiger Orchard, but the top notes are sweet Italian orange and pear nectar. Mixed with a base note of toffee, it sounds good enough to eat, but you’ll either love it or find it a bit too sickly sweet.

And a great fragrance for Wimbledon tennis would be Marc Jacobs Daisy bursting with top notes of wild strawberries. Cream not included. And like at Wimbledon, classic white is her preferred colour, but she likes to glam it up with a touch of gold.

BLOOMING LOVELY

Flower power is back again with a vengeance and this time is taking no prisoners. Marc Jacobs Lola . She starts fresh and fruity with tops notes of pear and ruby red grapefruit, but really she’s all floral heart with rose, fuchsia, peony and geranium. Unlike her sister Daisy, this girl likes to wear colour.

DKNY Woman. This is urban floral, New York style. On top she is a strong Bloody Mary cocktail mix of blood orange, vodka and tomato leaf. But open up her heart and she is all notes of daffodil, orchid and lily, with soft undertones of tulip tree wool and white birch. Tall, slim and classic, she prefers silver.

Hot and Spicy

The allure of the exotic keeps the temperature rising. The name and bottle of Vera Wang Anniversary doesn’t conjure up images of the mystic east, but that’s because our Vera is celebrating her 20^th anniversary her fashion house, so hence the name and is paying homage to the classic Vera Wang bottle, hence the style . But it’s what inside that counts and like all women who are comfortable in their own skin, she doesn’t need the frills or loud colours to attract attention. She starts as she means to go on with her top notes of hot blooded Sicilian bergamot, red apple leaves and mandarin oil, all cooled down with a splashed of dew. Her warm heart is all feminine white gardenia, rose absolute and orange flowers, whilst her simmering base notes brings out the animal in her with creamy orris, silky musks , warm cedarwood and golden amber crystals.

Cutey Pies

And for all you beach lovers who still like playing with dolls, go for one of The Perfume Shop’s predicted hottest scents for this summer-Harajuku Lovers G of the Sea. The package is so cute; it has ‘G’ dressed up as a mermaid doll. There are crisp surfing top notes of apple and berry, with a summer breeze floral blend of peony, freesia and jasmine in her heart. But it’s her base notes of sundrenched woods, transparent musk and amberwood which make her such a beach babe.

AND LET’S NOT FORGET THE BOYS

Get fresh with Joop Splash. Lure them in with your melon fresh calypsone top note, snare them with your lethal heart note of wild cassowary fruit and then soothe them with your woody base notes. They won’t know what crashing wave has hit them.

Joop also have a limited edition summer scent called Sexy In Pink. It’s for the guys who prefer the hot passion of pink to the cool dude of blues. He may start fresh with grapefruit top notes, but soon shows his smouldering warm heart of aromatic saffron and his deep base masculine notes of leather. Pink has never looked so good on a man.

The Perfume Shop’s prediction for one of the hottest fragrance for men this summer is Boss Orange. He starts light with crisp apple and coriander top notes, shows he can be exotic in his heart with heady Frankincense and Szechuan pepper, but keeps grounded with his base notes of vanilla bean and the rich exotics Bubinga wood. The choice of Bubinga was because the perfumer’s brother played the flute (made from Bubinga) and every time he took it out of the box, this creamy deep wood scent filled the air. And with Orlando Bloom in its adverts, it’s a definite winner.

And last but not least is Lacoste with a trio of new men’s fragrances, taking the iconic polo shirt as inspiration.

Blanc- like the classic white polo shirt is pure, clean with understated simplicity. The top note of zingy grapefruit reflects the cool and fresh petit pique fabric, whilst the floral heart note of Mexican tuberose reflects the purity of the shirt.

Bleu – is all masculine from its classic masculine Fougere fragrance down to its traditionally masculine colour of blue.

Vert – a fresh scent with bamboo wood accord, birch leaf and sandalwood to give a more relaxed smell of the outdoors.

Available through www.theperfumeshop.com

By Karen Grace
Personal Shopper & Image Consultant for Frumpy to Funky

http://www.frumpytofunky.com