London Fashion Week

The countdown is over...London Fashion Week starts today! Six days of fashion indulgence with an amazing line up including some of my favourites, Christopher Kane, Paul Smith, Topshop Unique, Burberry and Holly Fulton. If you aren't lucky enough to have bagged a ticket for any of the shows,  thanks to live streaming (Burberry, TS Unique), front row bloggers and the likes of Vogue.com you can get instant access/ reports without leaving the comforts of your living room!

Another great way to soak up the atmosphere (and indulge in a little retail therapy at the same time) is to get a ticket for London Fashion Weekend - designer shopping with amazing discounts, perfect! Check out the full LFW show schedule here and start planning your weekend!

As always Topshop's flagship windows are amazing!

Embellished Wallpaper @ Matthew Williamson

I am in love! This silk De Gournay wallpaper has been customised by Williamson (for his Bruton St store) with painted fluorescent highlights and thoughtfully placed antique jewels. Simply stunning! 

Sartorial Cyclists on Savile Row...

What with my current bike obsession, I decided to dig up some photos from a surreal experience whilst shopping in April. Well, I was standing on the corner of Savile Row, minding my own business, when a huge crowd of eccentric cyclists whizzed past in the finest vintage clothes, tipping their hats at the gawping crowd as they went. It was over in a flash and to this day I am still not sure what it was all about (let me know if you do), but it made for some excellent snaps! 

Bike envy pt2...

So, I am still in a bike frenzy and have spotted even more beauties on my travels, worthy of a second post. Don’t you just love the purple bike with the burger bell…? 

The Mayor's Thames Festival '10... saying goodbye to the summer!

What an awesome celebration of this great city! This two day, free festival on the Southbank was such a great day out, with yummy food, drink and plenty of entertainment! 

Highlights included Les Grooms, a French comedic brass band (sounds strange I know, but they were brilliant), who took audience participation to a whole new level and capitalised on every last inch of space in front of the national theatre. Check out the images below for an idea!

The jive stage outside the Tate Modern was a great place to refuel whilst admiring the dancing talent. 

There was every kind of delicious food imaginable and at reasonable prices it was a good excuse to sample as much as possible! 

As the sun set the place to be was Southwark Bridge with its trestle tables and food stalls bringing people together for a huge feast, as well as mass toasting and edible hat making! The atmosphere was great, really friendly and it was so cool to see such a diverse crowd… London at its best.

BIBA is back!

If I could travel back in time, one of the places that I would definitely visit would be the Biba store in South Kensington during the 70's. Several floors of fashion, fun, frivolity, oh and don't forget the flamingos on the roof gardens! So when I heard Biba was going to be launching a range, exclusive to House of Fraser, I just couldn't wait! Now the legend that is Barbara Hulanicki (who I have actually met in person - just wonderful!) has dabbled in projects since Biba closed in 1975, including wallpaper design for Habitat and a capsule collection for Topshop, but this sees her go back to her roots. 

The range takes inspiration and key elements from the Biba archive whilst keeping it fresh and commercial for today's market. The stand out piece for me was the maxi tiger print coat, complete with red satin lining and Biba logo buttons - to die for! Although at £395 it was a purchase I had to walk away from. When in store waiting for the changing rooms I got talking to a lovely lady, who as it turns out was a Biba shop girl in the 70s! I was awe struck! Of course I asked if she still had any originals, but as it turns out a lot of what she had has died through wear over the years and generations, but she assures me they had a happy life! 

Loved this Art Deco beaded cocktail dress.

The shop fit was decedent and true to old in gold and black. Lacquered stands, deco lamps and ostrich feather chandeliers added glamour to the second floor of the department store.

The gorgeous logo was flashed across wallpaper, labelling and coat hangers.

Vogue's Fashion's Night Out

Last night saw the fashionable and the famous descend on London's West End for Vogue's Fashion's Night Out. There were so many amazing parties and events across high street and designer stores that it made for some very ruthless decisions! The highlight for me though had to be the party at Burberry. To be sipping champagne, standing next to the must-have aviator jacket of the season, in the company of Alexandra Shulman and Christopher Bailey himself...it was like fashion heaven! The music was great, the canapes delicious, the champagne endless and everybody was just stunning! Can't wait to see what next year's event will bring. Check out some of the highlights below...

One Night Only played a great set, which saw lead singer George Craig walking in from the street, playing the guitar, decked out in Burberry finery. Fashion royalty Alexandra Shulman looks on from the crowd.

Matthew Williamson re-created a Moroccan Souk in his Bruton Street store, accompanied by live music and delicious cocktails.

Motown & Soul flowed through the Liberty's store...

...with a pop up Manolo Blahnik shoe shop taking centre stage on the ground floor. The man himself was on hand to sign purchases and even though I wasn't allowed a photo, it was enough just to catch a glimpse of the genius designer.    

Princi...bread heaven

If, like me, you are a bread monster or you have a weakness for cakes, then pop your head around the door of Princi on Wardour Street. This great Milanese style café/bar is the brainchild of the wonderous Alan Yau, who brought us the likes of Wagamama and Hakkasan. There is an on site bakery that produces a mouth watering selection of wheat goodies, as well as delicious pasta and salad dishes - all at reasonable prices. It's a great place to read the papers on a Sunday with a cappuccino and cake, as a treat for lunch or even for a late night snack and glass of wine on a Friday, when it's buzzing with Soho revellers. I kept the photos to a minimum as not to spoil the element of surprise when you walk in and clock the counter. Here is something to get your mouth watering though...

My perfect city car...

Walking through Soho last week my heart skipped a beat as I saw my first love swing around the corner... a beautiful, ochre Fiat Cinquecento! Oh the joy... I nearly dropped my camera in all the excitement! I have been in love with this small but perfectly formed car for as long as I can remember and think it makes for a perfect city ride. You don't see many in this country but they are everywhere in Italy and in the most delicious colours...