Australian Bushfires - How Can We Help?

My heart is breaking over the footage I’m seeing from Australia. 14.6 MILLION acres of land has so far been destroyed (that’s the size of the of Belgium and Haiti combined), 480 MILLION animals have perished in this catastrophic fire’s wake (including 30% of New South Wales Koala population), countless homes are gone, thousands of people are stranded and at least eighteen people have died, including several volunteer firefighters... And this is all before we’ve even reached mid-January/February, when the Australian bushfire season typically peaks.

How can we help the emergency relief and recovery efforts, even from afar?

Please consider donating to the following;

Australian Red Cross

Wires Wildlife Rescue

Australian Salvation Army

Food Bank Australia

Port Macquarie Koala Hospital

NSW Rural Fire Service

Country Fire Association of Victoria

South Australian Country Fire Service

My thoughts are with all the exhausted, heroic firefighters and volunteers battling these fires, and hoping they can stay both strong and safe.

Climate change is here and its impacts are only going to get worse, unless we act now, together…

UPDATE (12.01.20)

Scientists from the University of Sydney had estimated that 480 million animals would be killed by the current bushfires, however, with the extended range of the continuing blazes, they have updated that figure at more than ONE BILLION animals. I don’t know what to say…

TLC Vacation: Venice with Diadora

Considering the Italian brand Diadora’s current motto is ‘Living Your Passion,’ there could surely be no better person to visit them in Venice than me, seeing that two of my own rather large passions involve travelling, and pastaaaa!  

Since 1948 Diadora has been creating renowned and technologically advanced footwear, initially starting out making mountain boots, and subsequently athletic wear for some of the world’s most famous footballers, tennis players and F1 racing drivers.  In the last few years, Diadora has also focussed on expanding its range of street wear designs, with a timeless range of low and retro high top trainers in an ever changing array of bright colour ways.  Over the last couple of years, Diadora has collaborated with some of the world's best stores and boutiques, including Colette, creating a series of vibrant, limited edition trainers.  I perused these exclusive styles at the Diadora HQ whilst having lunch, some Prosecco (when in Rome… or, you know, Venice) and chatting with Chairman and CEO, Enrico Moretti Polegato.  

After a tour around the brand’s Museum exhibitions, where I met many of the people behind the brand, and learnt a lot more about Diadora’s history and style evolution, we were able to visit their remarkable in-house-factory.  With no mass production, Diadora’s emphasis is on quality and traditional craftsmanship over quantity, and it was amazing to see the trainers being made, at each of the eleven stages of their people-led production, with many of the original machines still in use and in good working order.

After being presented with two of my very own pairs of Diadora trainers, I was invited to a nearby wine tasting at the beautiful Villa Sandi (below), and then on to Venice to our hotel.  

Excitingly, I was utterly spoilt with a night’s stay at the stunning Hotel Ca’Sagredo.  The lavish, newly renovated 15th Century palace, situated on the spectacular Grand Canal itself, is a real gem.  Did I mention it is also PINK?! 

This half hotel, half museum, is not only home to a multitude of striking 17th and 18th Century art, but at the time I visited,  Ca’Sagredo was also playing host to the most Instagrammed piece of art this year; Lorenzo Quinn’s phenomenal ‘Support.’

As our water taxi pulled up to the hotel, I had the most incredible view of the installation I’d seen peppered over my social media feeds for the previous six months; Two giant hands pushing up the hotel’s walls, brilliantly drawing everyone’s attention to the real threat climate change poses to this much loved, centuries-old city.  According to scientists, the beautiful Floating City could be almost entirely submerged by as early as 2100, and these hands symbolise the power mankind has to stop it.

The next day, in the most glorious sunshine, I explored the city on foot, and was shown the ‘secret’ side of Venice (basically, less tourists and slightly less pigeons!) with a walk through the Rialto, S. Marco Square, and all the way up to the Castello neighbourhood.  After a delicious, and what seemed never-ending, lunch at Nevodi (so many beautiful courses! Wow!) I visited La Biennale art exhibition before heading back to the airport by water taxi (beats an Uber to Heathrow any day!)

"Venice is like eating an entire box of chocolate liqueurs in one go..." Truman Capote. 

Above:  *FYI. If ever you can't find me, always look for the nearest cat...

Above: Hanging laundry: One of the unsung wonders of Venice...

Back in London, back in the grey, and back in the real world, the trainer trend shows no signs of ever abating, so I’m thrilled I can wear my Diadora styles around and about, at work and play - A lasting memory of my fabulous 24-hour Venetian adventure.

TLC LOVES... Diadora

(Click on the items below for their direct links)

TLC ON TOUR... VENICE SUITCASE:

Thank you Diadora

London Photography: Ella Sadika

R.E.V by Rêve En Vert's #SustainableStylist Campaign

The United Nations Climate Change Conference is taking place in Paris next month, and intense discussions about cutting global CO2 emissions will be at the forefront of proceedings.  With many figures from all professions, including fashion, lending their voices to the cause in the lead up to the summit, my friends at Rêve En Vert asked me to help raise awareness with them in their #SustainableStylist campaign for #COP21.  Given that the effects of climate change do and will affect us all, and that preserving our planet is of course all our responsibility, I was thrilled to become involved.

Founded in 2013, Rêve En Vert focusses on sustainable luxury; fashion made from a place of consciousness, stocking designers who not only create stylish, long-lasting clothes and accessories, but who also respect our planet and their customer.  What's not to LOVE?! 

Founders Cora and Natasha, who I met earlier this summer in Utah, recently developed their own collection of entirely organic prima cotton basic tees, R.E.V by Rêve En Vert, made at an environmentally sound Peruvian factory just outside Lima. Every part of this range has been created with great care and respect for both planet and consumer (even the labels are printed on environmentally low impact fabric from natural dyes!) and I absolutely love my super soft Linda Tee (RRP. £48.00), the perfect accompaniment to my oh-so-predictable but oh-so-loved jeans evvvvveryday look!  A donation from the sales of any of these basics will go to support the work of Fashion Revolution in spreading awareness of the true cost of fashion. 

Photography:  Ella Sadika

Helena Christensen visits Kenya with Oxfam

We are all more used to seeing the supermodel and photographer Helena Christensen in the various glamorous fashion capitals around the world, but she has more recently returned from Kenya, from her third international trip as an ambassador for Oxfam.

Spending time with women from Turkana in Northern Kenya, Helena reported back on how their lives, and those of their families and neighbours, have drastically changed due to the recent climate changes and severe drought – the worst in 60 years - which has left over 13 million people at risk in the Horn of Africa.

Ahead of today's International Women’s Day, Helena described how the women are struggling to cope with unpredictable weather and sky-rocketing food prices...

“Whether or not they can provide their children with two solid meals a day is out of their control… I cannot imagine being so unsure about my son’s future and having to worry about where his next meal comes from… There is enough food in the world for everyone but one in seven people go to bed hungry every day and the majority are women and girls."

With the link between climate change and the seriously difficult lives of the women Helena met being glaringly obvious, she is now urging world leaders to take the necessary, fundamental steps towards fixing the world’s broken food system, by asking them to deliver on the money pledged for the world’s poorest countries at the Copenhagen summit two years ago, “it is shameful that some of the biggest emitters and most powerful nations, like the US, are blocking real progress that could prevent millions more people in Africa and elsewhere being driven into hunger.”

Tim Gore, head of Oxfam's climate change, added “rich countries must now deliver the money they have promised to help poor countries adapt to climate change and develop in a low carbon way. New sources of long-term finance to flow through the Green Climate Fund must be agreed as soon as possible for the sake of the world’s poorest people whose lives are already being devastated by the impacts of climate change.”

Learn more about the Global Campaign for Climate Action here

Donate to Oxfam here