London Birds...move over pigeons!

When out and about on my travels over the last couple of weeks, i seem to have come across a lot of birds, yes i said birds. Bird watching is cooler than you think! Now, London may be known for its pigeons, who by the by, seem to be getting fatter by the day, so fat that they soon won't be able to fly, (which will make volleying them a lot easier!) but it seems that our multi-cultural population has also extended into the wildlife...

Bloody gorgeous! This fella was strutting his stuff round Kew Gardens, knowing full well he was being 'papped'.

Ok, chickens may not be that exotic, but then again i have never seen one with a neon neck colour palette! Very on trend.

These chucks were also shacking up in Kew Gardens - cushdey!

Ducks. Not so ordinary.

Sitting in Bushy Park, chomping away on an impromptu picnic, i spotted a green flash out of the corner of my eye. The man thought i was going crazy. i stood, with zoom in hand, for 20 mins trying to get visual proof! 

Made in Italy

To celebrate the 150th anniversary of the unification of Italy (hard to believe it's only 150 years, right?), Colin McDowell has brought together Italy's most influential designers for a fantastically stylish exhibition at Somerset House. Masters of Style showcases a mouth watering, personally chosen collection of the designers' iconic campaign images, through the years. So can you guess who they are? Well, there is, Armani, Dolce & Gabbana, Ferragamo, Gucci, Missoni and Prada, of course! So it goes without saying that you can expect pioneering campaigns, delicious clothes and beautiful photography, dripping with style.

So, what does Italian style mean to you? On my regular The Sartoralist binges, it's always the Italians that get my fashion rocks off! They look so 'put together', so stylish. Not effortlessly stylish mind. These people know what works, what makes them look fabulous and they unashamedly flaunt it. But that's ok because they can pull it off. The VT in the exhibition made me chuckle, talking about how the Italians invented the 'street catwalk' aka La Passeggiata. This is where everyone in town (and i mean everyone, young and old), put on their finery and simply walk up and down the main streets, just to see and more importantly be seen. Having been born into this crazy ritual, i can tell you for somebody who is half British (therefore has that self deprecating, please don't look at me thing going on) this can be extremely cringe worthy. Me and my little sister would constantly rebel, trying to look as scruffy as possible! Oh how I get it now...give me a Florentine street on a balmy evening, a beautiful dress, amazing shoes... Watch me work it!

Dolce & Gabbana S/S'11. Photographer Stephen Klein

Prada A/W '88-'89. Photgrapher Albert Watson

Missoni S/S'03. Photographer Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott

Georgio Armani S/S'90. Photographer Aldo Fallai. Gucci S/S'91. Photographer Lance Stadler

Catch the exhibition before August 14th

Potter Mania

Call me crazy, but i was curious to see the how big the crowd was at the premiere of  the final Harry Potter film yesterday. Now, i hate crowds as much as the next person, but some of these guys were camping out for a week...in the rain -  i had to see this passion up close! It turns out the crowd was pretty impressive, although apologies for the generic photos...i just couldn't get anywhere near Trafalgar Square. I did try balancing on a bollard in an attempt to get a better view over the barrier, but a nice policeman scuppered my evil plan! He threatened to reveal the films ending to the rowdy mob, if i didn’t ''step away from the barrier'’. Now, I didn’t quite fancy getting clubbed to death with fake wands, so I did as I was told. Only to hear a guy behind me shout ‘’we already know the ending mate. In case you hadn’t noticed we’re fanatics! At which point there was a surge towards the barrier…my cue to leave!

 I can't help but think that if London can handle a Potter premiere then the Olympics will be a doddle!

The best view in town...?

So, i've set myself a challenge. I want to find the best views of our beautiful city (suggestions much appreciated!).  I thought i would start here, at the National Portrait Gallery's restaurant view - not bad, eh? After getting caught in a flash down-pour last week, in ridiculously unsuitable footwear (which seems to be happening a lot at the moment), i decided to jump into the invitingly dry NPG... along with a zillion other tourists! i love that to get to the top floor restaurant/bar, you have to wander through 'The Tudors'...their disapproving eyes following you, knowing that you're only there for a glass of wine! I always silently defend myself, promising to be back soon, to give them the attention they deserve. Although i never seem to get round to it... Anyways, the search is on!

Wimbledon Final...You servin' at me?!

Wimbledon Final, a British institution. A day of strawberries, pimms and erm, lookie likeys. Ever noticed how much Djokovic looks like De Niro in Taxi Driver, pre-mohawk?!

Now, we all know i am a huge Federer fan. But it was nice to see Djokovic play some pretty good tennis  on that (not so much anymore) lush lawn. Not only does the guy have a great game, but he also has an AMAZING sense of humour. Have you seen the Shakira video 'Gypsy' with Nadal? Well, here's Djok's take on it... check out the real video on you tube, but trust me, this one is better!

KATE...

So for me, in fashion terms, this is THE most important wedding of the year. Oh, and how glad i am that the dress was designed by Galliano. I mean, we all thought it would be and Ms Moss has never shied away from controversy, but there was still a niggle of doubt. Apparently, the man himself was at the church to see his beautiful dress, worn beautifully by Moss, walk down the aisle. Such a fashion fairy tale!

Vintage-inspired, bias cut and true Galliano. i just love the sheer panelling and sequined embellishment.

Jamie Hince in a double breasted, powder blue, Yves Saint Laurent suit. i love that he keeps the accessories edgy...Once a rocker always a rocker!

UK AIDS Memorial Quilt

In the run up to the Pride Festival this Saturday (you going??), Pride London has displayed the UK AIDS Memorial Quilt 

in and around Soho.

The AIDS Memorial Quilt was created by US AIDS activist Cleve Jones on 1985, after a remembrance march in honour of San Francisco Supervisor Harvey Milk and Mayor George Moscone, who were assassinated in 1978. Jones asked that people create signs with the names of their loved ones who had lost their lives to Aids and to stick them on the San Francisco Federal Building. All of the signs combined reminded Jones of a patchwork quilt and so an idea was born…

The quilt now weighs around 54 tonnes and is the’largest piece of community art’ in the world. Each panel is 3 foot by 6 foot, the size of an average grave. It is described as a ‘creative means of remembrance, as well as a way to educate people about HIV prevention and fight the stigma of AIDS.’

The UK names Project created its own AIDS Memorial Quilt in the early 90’s, which is made up of 48 panels. Every panel is made and decorated by family and friends of someone who has died with HIV, to commemorate their life.

I really recommend that you take a detour through Soho over the next couple of days, to see some of these panels for yourself (there are 12 in total, click here for location details). They are beautiful in every sense and are a great way of maintaining an important message at the same time as conveying so much love through beautiful art.