Welcome to the UK! J.Crew’s flagship store opens on Regent Street, London.
2 Ingredient Banana Pancakes
Yes, mesdames et monsieurs, you heard me correctly. You only need two ingredients to make this light and nutritious breakfast . I discovered this recipe whilst lazing in bed fantasizing and about food and googling pretty breakfasts for inspiration (that’s normal, right?). When this recipe cropped up and with only two ingredients which I knew were in the kitchen, it was a must try.
Ingredients: 2x Eggs & 1x Mashed fresh banana
Method: Briskly stir the eggs together and mix with the banana. Fry in a little oil/butter as you would a normal american sized pancake.
Additions: You could add anything really, cocoa powder, peanut butter, berries, oats, spices. I added cinnamon for some autumnal spice and because I really wanted to sample this in all its naked glory. For a show stopper some caramelised bananas in a salted toffee sauce with a little splodge of creme fraiche would be delish!
I think it needs a bit of crunch so I put some chopped apples, drizzled a small glug of maple syrup and added a light dusting of icing sugar for a really light, filling breakie.
Bon Appétit!
H&M + Isabel Marant
It’s collaboration season for the millionth time at H&M. Following in the footsteps of Madonna, Comme Des Garcons and Lanvin, we have French RTW designer Isabel Marant. Her designs are always really wearable which will work well for the H&M customer unlike the unfortunate, unsellable Margiela collab, which still crops up in their online sales.
Channeling her trademark bohemian vibe, the collection is shown on such fitting faces as Lou Doillon and Milla Jovovich. There is also a menswear and teenswear collection including accessories. Eyes on the gorgeous tassel boots and oversized grey coat! Available in stores from November 14th…. but for how long?
Click the image to see the full collection at Vogue.co.uk
Join my cause!
Unlike many, I love the cold. Summer just doesn’t do it for me so I’m overjoyed that temperatures are dropping and snuggle-season is upon us. Here is my plea for you to become an Autumn aficionado too….
Long live weekends!
These past few weeks have been a jam-packed adventure and I’m really looking forward to chilling out at home with my husband, Matt and our dog Muffin for the first time since February! Have a lovely weekend and happy Friday!
Post fashion week flu
I’m sure a lot of you will agree, nobody has time to get sick! If like me, you prefer not to take pills until you’re burning a million degree fever then hopefully the following will help. This is how I cope with a cold naturally and it seems to work for me (I should mention that when I have flu I’m the first to dose up and I would recommend you do the same!). But, with the common bitch of a cold I do the following and can normally get through the day, somewhat groggily whilst looking forward to an evening of this chill out routine.
To quickly mention that jersey bedding is a revelation! super soft and cosy I’m hoping it will catch on a bit more and become available in more colours. Also, this Twinings tea is deliciously sweet and comforting, I must get through about 3 cups a day!
LFW: Trend report
As London fashion week draws to a close and we prepare to bid goodbye to our fine capital’s Somerset house and bonjour to a chilly Paris, there are some clear trends emerging from the recent shows which will undoubtably prove popular next year.
As well as the unsurprising florals and whites (‘Florals for spring, groundbreaking’), we see a journey through the 90s, from the early grunge days to a later more feminine time. Slip dresses are key, featuring at Preen and Meadham Kirchoff. The key colours are light blue as well as the combination of pale pink and red, as seen at Burberry, Mulberry and Zoe Jordan. Timeless embellishment is shown at Ashish and the silhouette is clean and sophisticated à la Whistles and David Koma.
However if you can’t wait, here are some pieces to invest in now which will carry you over to next season.
Pink Coat, Topshop £98.00
Ear Cuffs, Roberto Cavalli £535
Slip dress, Kristensen Du Nord £259.30
Cut out boots, Topshop £90.00
Thanks for having me Zoë Jordan!
Summing up my time at Zoë Jordan in any brief way would be nigh on impossible. For me the past five months have been an overwhelming combination of excitement, fear, stress, exhaustion and joy which can only be accredited to pursuing a career in fashion.
My journey with this brand started in May and its safe to say I was in over my head. Never having studied business, I was on a steep learning curve as to the inner workings of a luxury design house far away from the creative world I knew. Days included phone calls, packing lists and learning to be ‘sharky’ something which definitely didn’t come naturally to me. As my time progressed I was given slightly more creative tasks, tracing off patterns on occasion, managing the social media and photo editing although one of my favourite projects came in the form of writing the garment descriptions for the Autumn Winter 2013 stock and are now shown on the newly re-vamped website. A big ongoing project of mine was to re-work the existing brand profile and brand book which I am pleased to say arrived safely at completion just before the show although I truly feel for the next intern whose task it is to update!
I’m not going to sugar-coat it, the job was hard; maybe because it was in an area of the industry that I don’t know much about and maybe because it was far removed from the creative tasks I prefer. Personally, the lack of knowing protocol proved the most challenging aspect for me and bothering people with the same ‘where can I find blah blah blah’ questions made me feel like a bit of an incompetent idiot! For the most part I did feel like the staff team wanted me to learn and the highlights far outweighed the negatives. Fit modelling for the toiles and samples was the clear winner of best task; wearing a dress from toile to show sample was incredible and really illustrated the journey these garments travel from the design team’s sketches to the precise pattern cutting and the excited buzz when samples return from the Polish factory. The hugely inspirational team were great to observe and work alongside.
I’m not going to sugar-coat it, the job was hard; maybe because it was in an area of the industry that I don’t know much about and maybe because it was far removed from the creative tasks I prefer. Personally, the lack of knowing protocol proved the most challenging aspect for me and bothering people with the same ‘where can I find blah blah blah’ questions made me feel like a bit of an incompetent idiot! For the most part I did feel like the staff team wanted me to learn and the highlights far outweighed the negatives. Fit modelling for the toiles and samples was the clear winner of best task; wearing a dress from toile to show sample was incredible and really illustrated the journey these garments travel from the design team’s sketches to the precise pattern cutting and the excited buzz when samples return from the Polish factory. The hugely inspirational team were great to observe and work alongside.
Working with the wonder-women in the office upstairs (upstairs business, downstairs creative) was truly inspiring and the transferable skills I learnt were a.) the secret to keeping your shit together is knowing how to prioritise and b.) the importance of self-confidence. I learnt to throw myself in 100% even when feeling nervous and think that this attitude is key for success in the fashion industry.
Show Day
Leaping out of bed at 4.15 on show day (following 4 hours sleep) was un-nervingly easy, I think excitement took over and in my ultra preparedness I managed to arrive (along with my uni friend, who was working as a dresser on the show and one of the other interns) 20 minutes early. Following a quick set up and double check of my list, i snapped away backstage as hair and make up began and prepared to dress my lovely model. Before I knew it the show music was blaring and the bevy of beauties were roaming the runway to a catchy mix which was firmly fixed in our brains as it had been the office soundtrack for the previous week. The show itself went smoothly receiving great reviews and the catwalk images look great.
A few days later, I returned to the studio and was greeted with cake and a show goodie bag as well as a lovely card. Saying goodbye to everyone was sad but I plan on visiting in the future and staying in touch. I’m truly grateful for this fantastic opportunity and feel lucky to have been part of such an inspirational brand.
Leaping out of bed at 4.15 on show day (following 4 hours sleep) was un-nervingly easy, I think excitement took over and in my ultra preparedness I managed to arrive (along with my uni friend, who was working as a dresser on the show and one of the other interns) 20 minutes early. Following a quick set up and double check of my list, i snapped away backstage as hair and make up began and prepared to dress my lovely model. Before I knew it the show music was blaring and the bevy of beauties were roaming the runway to a catchy mix which was firmly fixed in our brains as it had been the office soundtrack for the previous week. The show itself went smoothly receiving great reviews and the catwalk images look great.
A few days later, I returned to the studio and was greeted with cake and a show goodie bag as well as a lovely card. Saying goodbye to everyone was sad but I plan on visiting in the future and staying in touch. I’m truly grateful for this fantastic opportunity and feel lucky to have been part of such an inspirational brand.
Huishan Zhang SS14 Review
This evening I had the pleasure of viewing the Huishan Zhang SS14 presentation. As one of my personal faves I had high hopes and was expecting his signature delicate aesthetic with intricate detailing. The presentation itself was in an odd shaped room and the intimate audience stood in a huddled pack, tip toeing as much as they could to catch a glimpse at the intricately smocked pieces which were, for the most part shielded by a wall of cameras. The clothing itself remained true to Huishan’s aesthetic; silhouettes were softly feminine and crystal embellishment glittered with the flash of camera lights. The colours were a vibrant emerald green,not my favourite, which progressed into smooth creams and bright blue as well as the season’s staple, pale pink. Floral cut-work adorned a sheer skirt/tee combo whilst flowery lace indulged the soft transparency of hems and overlays. Hair had a slick 1930s feel and was tied in a cute vertical bow whilst make up was natural and clean with eyes emphasized using a graficsy liner curving across the top lid. Key design detail for me came in the form of smocked lapels – gorgeous. The presentation ended with a very happy looking Huishan greeting the audience.
Preen, Emilia Wickstead & Mulberry
Today I had the incredible experience of shadowing fashion editor Lisa Armstrong as she worked her way around London’s shows and exhibitions. We started the day at Preen’s SS14 show at the Natural History Museum and following a delicious flat white from ‘Look mum no hands’ coffee entered the show space. I expected to be hidden behind heel wearing fashion giants and was surprised to be on the secon row behind queen of style and princess of mean, Olivia Palermo. Other noteworthy names included personal idol Alexandra Shulman because those who know me know I love me anything to do with Vogue.
Crisp whites and multi coloured chevrons were seen in silks and jacquards whilst garments were fitted with straps fastened with metal buckles. The slip dress silhouette and backless trend continued which I expect to see more of in shows to come.
Post show I joined Lisa and telegraph stylist Sophie in their official f-week Mercedes(!!!!) and off we rushed to the Smythson presentation. I fell in love with the orange A4 notebooks finished with gold page edges, one for the lust list. British film-maker and Illustrator Quentin Jones created organic, un-pretentious collages depicting famous faces and their Panama notebooks.
And then, via a Starbucks pit stop, it was on to the Emilia Wickstead show. Whilst the aesthetic remained true to previous seasons, I really enjoyed the loose fitting high-low hems with fitted sleeves, a great combo and the bluesy music was pretty catchy too.
The highlight of the day for me came at the Mulberry show. Mini scones and sarnies were served as the crowd flooded into the Claridges show space, walking on a field of faux turf edged with little daisies. As a dog lover I was equally enamoured by the number of pups sporting their Mulberry finest as I was with Alexa Chung who graced the front row along with Juno Temple and Douglas Booth, Ultra-editor Anna Wintour and Hilary Alexander. The show opened with Cara Delevingne. and showed a patriotic collection with textural, sequin embellishments and sumptuous jacquard fabrics. We also saw complimenting dog jumpers on some very well-behaved dogs. My lovely friend Chloe was working backstage and sent me the following snaps of this model-pooch.
Ps. Mulberry was definitely the winner of best soundtrack! with heavy beats mixed with old-school nursery rhymes. Rule Britannia.
What an incredible day, Thank you lovely Lisa and the telegraph girls for showing me the LFW ropes.xxxx
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