Stop Press - Vivienne Westwood Anglomania Sale at Cocosa

Don't know if it's because I'm mentally preparing for the Edinburgh Fringe in a couple of weeks but the tartan dress by Vivienne Westwood  reduced at Cocosa really caught my eye. And I quite like the drama of the stripy number too - both perfect for your Autumn/Winter wardrobe.

You can go punk this Autumn and save a few bob so resistance is useless really...

Vivienne Westwood Anglomania at Cocosa.com – Rectangle Dress – was £440, now £219

Vivienne Westwood Anglomania at Cocosa.com – Toga Drape Dress – was £325, now £159

Check out Cocosa for up to 70% off main name designer collections. Vivienne Westwood item sale goes live in the Autumn. 

Miss Fish box clutch from Sylvia Toledano

Being a Piscean I am drawn to all things fish. I love swimming with them too. So how could I resist this simply amazing hand- embellished 'Miss Fish' box clutch by Sylvia Toledano which I came across when browsing the Net-a-Porter website?

You can add a chain shoulder strap and the crystals are all Swarovski - and there are hundreds of them. Hence the price, a cool £1050. Oh well....

Orla Kiely - I want all of these...

I went to my favourite garden centre this weekend and found that replacing the Christmas decorations was a whole room of one of my favourite print designers Orla Kiely. Her designs are instantly recognisable and completely dateless. Colours go with everything and they are always a great shape and size - so not all style over substance. Here is what I found...

I have some of the wonderful tins bought for me by a friend and they are filled with pasta and rice. It's affordable designer style for your home that I believe can't help to put a smile on your face. I am now tempted by her prints when used on fashion too - there are even sunglasses that I have an eye on should I ever need a pair again!

Rigby & Peller go wild with colour this Spring/Summer

I won't bore you with my problems in finding lovely bras and knickers that fit my 'more than average' handful - and that isn't a boast it's the simple truth. I have to shop carefully to get the right fit, especially as more support than ever is needed with every passing year. The great thing about it is that I can justify the occasional trip to shops like Rigby & Peller who have a superb in-store fitting service where the ladies can tell your exact size simply by looking at you! No tape measures in sight, it's an experience you won't forget...

I was invited this week to go along for a fitting and to choose some lingerie and I do realise that I am very lucky to have been treated in this way, but to be fair I have also shopped their too.

The latest story for this Spring/Summer (yes, you get seasonal stories even with underwear!) is one of amazing colour - certainly a welcome change with all the hot pinks and neons around at the moment it's great to be able to reflect this in your underwear too.

These are some of the things in store now that I fell in love with.

Marie Jo Avero bra, £69.95

Empreinte Thalia balcony bra in sapphire, £92.95, short brief £58.95

This set above is the one I chose and I must say the fit, especially for a balcony bra which doesn't often work well in my size, is fantastic.

Simone Perele Marilyn bra, £78.95

Simone Perele Marilyn short, £49.95

Marie Jo L'Aventure Ernest bra in coral, £71.95

Marie Jo L'Aventure Earnest shorts, £31.95

Check out the Rigby & Peller website for your nearest store or to by online.

Timothy Everest launches women's tailored range for Superdry

Last night I went along to the launch of a brand new, tailored range for women from Timothy Everest for uber brand Superdry. Before I wax lyrical about the collection, the store itself in Regent Street is one of the largest single brand stores I have ever been in. A whole floor dedicated to t-shirts - imagine! Although I can only really get away with the occasional piece from here I love the Superdry mix of acid brights and pastels which have become signature, so this tailored and more downbeat collection is a bit of a departure but still has fun elements and gives a bit of a twist to classic shapes.

Following on from the launch of tailoring for men, the Women's Sebiro range feature everything from 'rock chic' to 'country rebel' with lots of fishbone and herringbone with fantastic shapes and cuts.  Four models each wore pieces from the four ranges which are The Town Coat, The Country Rebel, The Rock Rebel and the Muse. All the range can be  dressed up or down so there is definitely something for everyone.

Prices range from £75 to £250 and wwill only be found in the Regent Street store and selected UK Superdry stores.

Claudia Bradby jewellery - one for my collection

Turquoise Margareta bracelet, £48, Claudia Bradby

Gorgeous jewellery whatever your age - that is what I try to feature often on The Life Edit. I follow in my grandmother and mother's footsteps when it comes to a rather unhealthy liking for jewellery - a pile of jewellery boxes in my bedroom at testament to that!

So another week and another jewellery designer - British, loved by royalty and amazingly affordable, Claudia Bradby works with pearls, semi-precious stones and will look good whether you are 18 or 80!

Here is my pick of her site...

Celeste earrings, £63, Claudia Bradby

Jade, Opal and Pearl Raspberry Hoop earrings, £59, Claudia Bradby

Cerulean Hoop Earrings, £59, Claudia Bradby

Playful Promises lingerie

Many years ago I wanted to be a textile designer and although I never made it past my art foundation course I still am drawn to great textile designs. Playful Promises is a small and creative company who produce many of their own textile designs and create some gorgeous, sexy and above all feminine lingerie and swimwear. Well it's too good for me as I need a little more support these days, but I can still look and love from a distance...

They had a stand at our blogger suite during London Fashion Week so we got to see some of the new prints like this gorgeous Russian Doll print....

Here are some more of their designs available now on their website...

Etti Satin Longline bra (£45) and brief (£25)

Sweet Rose Kaleidoscope bandau top (£28) and briefs (£25).

They also do a limited collection of really pretty dresses - I love this one!

Garden Print dress (£55)

Roma Cuff bracelet from Aspinal of London

Roma Cuff bracelet from Aspinal

Cuffs are still around and can suddenly make the simplest outfit just that bit more glamorous! Upping the glamour stakes further is a cuff from Aspinal of London and this one with black, leopard print and brown snakeskin has all the glamour you'll need. Team it with a plain black sweater or dress for pure class. And of course there were lots of pieces of over-sized jewellery on the catwalks for this season and I predict they will still be around next winter too.

The cuff is handcrafted with inlays of fine snakeskin leather in a trio of contrasting colours all set in pale gold colour. Of course it's engraved with the signature Aspinal logo on the outer edge and is available in 2 sizes. 

Here are some other colours from which to choose.

All cuffs shown here £79 from Aspinal.

Alexander McQueen ring - my perfect mix

I love skulls and I love bees (I even have a tattoo of a bee as Deborah means Bee) so coming across an amalgamation of the two on the Alexander McQueen site set my heart racing. Definitely one for the list for the coming season this gold/amber crystal bee and skull cocktail ring is a mighty affordable £150. Gold is the colour of metal too which I prefer over silver any day so that is another tick in this ring's favour.

Gold/Amber crystal bee and skull cocktail ring, £150, Alexander McQueen

Gorgeous Balenciaga Bag from Matches

Balenciaga bag, £495

I must be in a dream state as it's New Year but I have been ever so slightly hypnotised by this Balenciaga bag on the Matches.com website. It's a little messenger bag which will be filthy in no time if I ever get my hands on one - but a girl can dream can't she? Balenciaga messenger bag, £495, Matchesfashion.com

STOP PRESS Kids Company team up for Global Kids Fashion Week

Camilla Batmanghelidjh is someone who's often on TV talking about child poverty and the action needed to combat it here in the UK so I was excited to read of this new initiative to raise funds for her charity Kids Company.

Camilla Batmanghelidjh, and Alex Theophanous, founder of global style destination for kids, AlexandAlexa.com, announced the first ever Global Kids’ Fashion Week this week that will take place in March 2013.

As a finale to the fashion week season, Global Kids Fashion Week (GKFW) will cast a spotlight on premium kids’ fashion, from both established designers as well as emerging names. Runway shows and performances, informative exhibitions, industry talks, and playful activities will all occur over the three-day schedule. All ticket sales proceeds to the public show will be donated to the Kids Company Charity.

The schedule features two main shows – an exclusive media event showcasing the latest AW13 trends from the world’s leading labels and a second ticketed event in aid of Kids Company. The second show is open to the public and will showcase current season (SS13) looks from AlexandAlexa’s brand portfolio.

The event will also include a mix of fun activities for children and parents, with workshops from the V&A Museum of Childhood, a performance from the London Children’s Ballet and an interactive bloggers lounge.

GKFW aims to educate and inspire people about Kids’ fashion – celebrating how this specialist category has thrived and evolved over the past five years.

Who are AlexandAlexa.com?

AlexandAlexa is the global style destination for kids, offering over 200 premium brands spanning fashion, toys, sports and lifestyle.

The site launched in October 2007 by husband and wife duo Alex Theophanous and Alexa Till. With two children under the age of five, the pair loathed the stress of family shopping trips. To access the world’s best kids collections without having to hit a high street, they created an online shopping destination for parents. 

Here are a couple of my favourite pieces from their current site...

Torres Satin Dress with velour trim, £89

Most Wanted Diamonte boys t-shirt, £46

Oh I wish my kids were young again!

Global Kids’ Fashion Week

What will happen at the event?

·         Show 1: An exclusive runway show for press, industry figures and VIP clients/celebrities, children will model the latest designer looks from the Autumn/Winter ‘13 collections. 

·         Show 2: A private runway show for media and industry figures featuring emerging and new talent in children’s fashion design.

·         Show 3:  public runway show and performance showcasing current Spring/Summer ’13 trends. A ticketed event with all proceeds from tickets sales donated to Kids Company.

·         There will also be installations and workshops by the V&A Museum of Childhood in the ante-room throughout the duration of the event.

·         Full schedule to be released closer to the time.

Claire English, nostalgic jewellery with a modern twist

Inspired by a by-gone age but not vintage, Claire English is a modern jewellery designer based in London. The Special Jewellery Company, which realises her vision for combining a love of old curios with fine craftsmanship, has a collection of fantastically witty pieces that are really not badly priced.

Well-made, each piece will last an age as they don't follow the trend but if anything buck it! She says she 'has a magpies propensity for gathering themes' all of which she has incorporated into her designs. To me they feel like you have wandered into Dickensian London and The Old Curiosity Shop, complete with matchsticks and scurrying mice...

Burnt matchstick earrings, Claire English, £250

Mouse skull earrings, Claire English, £150

The Partridge wishbone necklace in Sterling Silver, Claire English, £145

Smouldering spent match ring, Claire English, £225

Buy a Lulu Guinness original for £15

British bag designer Lulu Guinness has put her talent to a really good cause just in time for Christmas with this exclusive tote bag which is on sale to raise charity funds for The Royal Marsden, Chelsea. Just £15 the entire profit will go to the hospital, which was the first in the world that was dedicated to the treatment of cancer.

It is available from The Royal Marsden and you will be helping some 40,000 patients who attend the hospital each year. The bag is 100% polyester.

Must-have Age Of Reason scarves

Again, in Age of Reason,  I have come across a company making the most beautiful silk scarves with gorgeous designs that won't date and certainly make a statement.
Why do I love scarves so much? Over and above the practicalities of keeping you neck warm in winter, scarves are often an overlooked piece of beautiful textile design. I have scarves worn by my mother that are as beautiful today as they were 20 years ago. And they add a focus to a boring dress or sweater - so what's not to like?
Check out these beautiful designs...

Punky owl with spikes, £195

Mushroom Magic, £98

Victory Pirate Queen, £195

Get Your Skates On, £98

 All the scarves are 100% silk and made in England. The designer, Ali Mapletoft, brings her designs to life using coloured inks on watercolour paper. Every image is then printed onto fine silk and then a skilled seamstress finishes each scarf by hand - hemming them for the perfect mitred corner.

They even send your scarf in handmade Age of Reason wrapping paper and stamped with the gold galleon emblem.

Ali Mapletoft is an advocate of British design and manufacturing and we should salute her!

Check out their video below to find out more about Age of Reason and their work...

Spring/Summer picks from Etsy.com

Back to Etsy - readers of this blog will know I love this site. It pulls together small designers from far and wide and the prices are pretty competitive too. They don't load up with extortionate delivery either so everyone seems to get a fair deal. Here are my picks for Spring/Summer 2012.



Okay so I said S/S and these are actually called Autumn Leaves but how beautiful are they? Antiqued gold leaf drop earrings by Silent Roses, £16 approx. 



Neon Pink vintage 1980's canvas leather sneakers from Clevernettle, approx. £20.




Unbreak My Heart hand-stencilled hoodie from Twostringjane, approx. £40.




Very unusual raw diamond necklace from Kahili Creations, approx. £94.

Conran Vintage French Postcards

C'est Magnifique!

           

           


I love these postcards - they remind me so much of holidays in France when my children were little although they were produced long, long before that! France and the French way of living has long been a source of inspiration to Terence Conran.  On one of his frequent visits to the country, Terence uncovered a book of beautifully hand coloured humorous illustrations of Parisian shop fronts, dating from the 1920’s. Eight plates from the book have been selected by Terence to be reproduced in a limited number as postcards. They come packaged as a set of 16, printed on high quality card and priced at £12.95. Please call: 0844 848 4000 to order.