#HenryFest: Wireless Festival 2014

I was suuuper thrilled to be asked to accompany Henry Holland and the team from Gather.ly to Wireless Festival.  Not only was I dressed entirely in ‘H! by Henry Holland’ (Henry’s festi-friendly diffusion line available from Debenhams) but I was also to given a VIP pass, allowing me the best possible view of  the main stage… and free drinks and ice-cream all day…  The DREAM!  After a delicious triple-stacked pancake, champagne breakfast at the Ace Hotel’s ‘Hoi Polloi’ (best name ever?!) we were off to Finsbury Park.

I had earlier in the week visited Debenhams on Oxford Street to choose my ‘H! by Henry Holland’ outfit, opting for a navy Toucan Jumpsuit (RRP. £40.00 £32.00), Silver Embellished Strap Sandals (RRP. £35.00 £17.50), and the Grey Grained Satchel Bag (RRP.£40.00 £32.00).  Without any tent or welly cares in the world, we all enjoyed lunch and cabaret entertainment in the VIP area, occasionally venturing out, in between large jugs of Pimms, to watch one of the truly phenomenal acts from the all star line up...  

The day started off with Iggy Azalea, whose song ‘Fancy’ has been a firm 2014 favourite of mine.  I didn’t know many of her other songs, and honestly still don’t, but she and her back up strippers dancers were mesmerizingly entertaining...  I don’t think I blinked once throughout their entire performance.  

Pharrell gave the audience hit after hit after hit...  The smokin’hot, pocket rocket sung a mixture of NERD classics, solo hits, and several renditions of songs he has produced over the years, all sung in his signature falsetto voice.  Pharell also gave a feminist interlude, speaking about equality in the workplace and respecting women... before beginning a gyrating performance of ‘Blurred Lines.’  Literally. Hitting. My. Head. Against. My. Desk.  The audience went predictably, nuts for Pharrell’s neo-soul hit ‘Happy,’ and all we all returned for more ice-cream beaming.

To close the evening was Kanye West… Despite Kim not being there swaying in the crowds with a bejewelled Swarovski clipper lighter (I'm sure she has one?!) as I had hoped, I still felt I was about to see something truly epic.  Epic it was.  Epically weird and epically arrogant.  After resounding loud and aggressive dog barking, Kanye appeared wearing a bejewelled Maison Marin Margiela mask, the first of three he was to adorn throughout his time on the stage.  Excellent songs were interrupted, mid-flow, by the singer himself, either to direct the cameras to his better angles or just merely to complain to the audience about his varying First (Class) World Problems.  During one particular rant (which lasted 20 minutes) and saw the singer booed by the impatient crowd, Kanye attacked Louis Vuitton for not allowing him to design for them.  According to Kanye, this is because he is black and a celebrity... and nothing to do with not being a celebrated fashion designer. Yeeeeeeezus Kanye. Thankfully, post-rant, impassioned perfomances of ‘Diamonds,’ ‘All Falls Down’ and‘All of the Lights’ followed.  

Above:  Snippets of Friday's acts recorded on my iPhone...

I returned to Wireless Festival on the Sunday.  DG is a huge OutKast fan and had booked tickets months ago to see their much anticipated summer reunion.  Wearing some ‘H! by Henry Holland’ Skinny Sydney Jeans (RRP. £30.00 £15.00) and my Ganni Palm Print Shirt, we watched the darling Ellie Goulding perform, drank cider and shared a classic  99 Flake (which actually now cost £2.45… who knew?!) whilst waiting for OutKast. 

The show, and the rain, soon begun and MAN, Andre 3000 (in his platinum wig) and Big Boidid not disappoint!  They were AHHH-MAAAY-ZING.  Playing their first UK show in over a decade, these suuuuper slick and eccentric hip-hop innovators are born performers; totally at ease, totally hilarious, totally professional and totally talented.  Basically, just totally COOL -  in a league of their own.  We left on a major high missing headliner Bruno Mars… to be fair, nothing could top what we’d just seen, and it was bucketing down.  Soz Bruno, I’m sure you were amazing… “just the way you arrrre.” 

Thank tha Lord – and obviously the lovely Seasalt Cornwall  – for my waterproof Seafolly Jacket (RRP. £79.95) which made watching OutKast and my ‘shakin like a Polaroid picture’ during the rain storm all the more enjoyable!  Also BIG thanks to Mophie for sending me one of their GEEEENIUS mobile phone Juice Pack Air chargers, doubling my mobile's battery life, so I could keep instagramming and tweetin’ all the live long day.  

The London Chatter for ZOS Magazine

I was thrilled to be interviewed about my style in the SS’14 online edition of the recently launched ZOS Magazine, a seasonal online fashion, beauty and lifestyle magazine aimed at 15-25 year old girls, run by two creative high school students in Sydney, Australia. 

LFW: House of Holland SS'14

With a catwalk covered in fluffy purple clouds and a FROW filled with the coolest cats in town (including Alexa Chung, Pixie Geldof and HARRY STYLES – a name I can’t even read without hearing 100,000 girls hysterically screaming it!) this could only be the setting forHenry Holland’s forthcoming House of Holland SS’14 collection.

I once worked under Henry’s instruction at a teen fashion magazine and still remember how fun he was even all those years ago, with such real creative vision, once hand decorating, sequin by sequin, a pair of heels he had found in a vintage shop for a photo shoot we worked on with a teenage Poppy Delevigne.  I am always excited to see what tricks Henry will pull out of his hat and this show did not disappoint.  In the an ode to Baz Luhrmann’s 1996 ‘Romeo and Juliet’ the collection merged the idea of the chola girl gangs of the nineties with the Mexican Tybalt-style feuding boys in the film. With brilliant bright colours, fun flowery designs, kitsch sunglasses and religious tattoo designs, the designer explained the designs were "really a love letter to that film."  I really loved the orange floral sleeved white trench coat! Oh… did I mention HARRY STYLES was there?!!

Vodafone London Fashion Weekend

Just when I thought London Fashion Week was over and the ungodly swarm of models that invaded London had all jetted on to Milan, taking their insanely long legs with them, Vodafone UK sent me an invitation to their London Fashion Weekend... 

Twice a year, Somerset House hosts London’s largest and most exclusive shopping event holding catwalk shows, pop up shops, fashion panels whilst offering mahooosive discounts from designers to the public. DJ/Presenter Izzy Lawrence (left) and I attended on the first day where we watched the Daks’ A/W’12 show (presented by a leather-clad Zoe Hardman, below) and made good use of the genius Vodafone mobile rechargers on the Front Row and then watched a talk held by elle.com editor Carrie Tyler and designer Henry Holland (above) both of whom I interned for maaaany years ago! This event really makes Fashion Week a little more accessible to everyone, the vibe is very welcoming and unpretentious and I would definitely recommend getting tickets next season.

Vogue's Fashion Night Out, London 06/09/12

Fashion’s Night Out was initially created by Vogue and the Council of Fashion Designers of America as a way of encouraging fashionistas to hit the shops as the economic downfall kicked in. For real fashion lovers this day has become like Christmas… Well, if the North Pole were Bond Street, stockings were made by Mulberry and Santa was Alexa Chung...

Now on it’s 4th year, this global phenomenon (with events also taking place in Manhattan, Milan, Atlanta, etc) saw London’s biggest luxury stores throw open their doors after hours, inviting us all in to celebrate and shop with a glass of bubbly.  The whole evening felt like a stylish carnival, with live music blaring, show stopping outfits and fashion-friendly food from a Missoni ice-cream van, a Dak’s popcorn stall and a Hotel Chocolat pop up (apparently fashionistas and models will eat junk food – if its designer.)

I began my evening in Covent Garden where I visited the newly launched Ruby Ralph Lauren shop on King Street, the first to open in Europe.  The shop has such a fun and vibrant energy to it that I immediately got into the spirit of the night, having my pictures taken (below) holding their skull and crossbones tote and listening to great music spun by the gorgeous DJ Izzy Lawrence (above) wearing head to toe Rugby Ralph Lauren.

Next stop was the jam packed, unusually pedestrianised, Bond Street to visit Joseph where a dapper, suited and booted Henry Holland (below, in House of Holland) headed up a fashion Bingo competition.  The prizes were incredible and the cocktails were a plenty.

The epicentre of this most stylish of street parties was undeniably at Mulberry, where Vogue’s Alex Shulman and Mulberry’s Emma Hill held the official Fashion’s Night Out soirée. With goody bags, prizes, live music and a healthy dose of celebrites and designers (including Matthew Williamson, Roland Mouret, Laura Bailey and Daisy Lowe) queues to get in the shop were lengthy… to put it mildly!  Below (L-R): Joseph's Alex Eagle and her ah-mah-zing Nicholas Kirkwood shoes, and with my girlfriends Jessica, Emma and Lauren.

The official Vogue's 2012 Fashion's Night Out cotton T’shirt (top, worn by Edie Campbell) designed by London-based designer Jonathan Saunders in collaboration with The Gap, sold out at the Condé Nast Worldwide store in less than an hour.  The limited edition piece is now only available for you to own if you subscribe to Vogue (£19.99 for 10 issues) here.

The Designer Pudsey Collection

The iconic, yellow Pudsey Bear has been given a fashion makeover from 12 of Britain’s designers for Children In Need.

The little furry mascot has been transformed by Giles Deacon, Emma Hill, Jonathan Saunders, Erdem, Henry Holland, PPQ, Liberty, Patrick Grant and Kate Hillier using an array of different fabrics and patterns to create one off bears which will each be auctioned on ebay, helping to raise money for disadvantaged children within the UK.

How cute is this Pudsey on the left?! Designed by Mulberry’s Creative Director, Emma Hill, this bear was hand made in their Somerset factory in the finest Mulberry leather, “He comes in the same Soft Buffalo leather we use for our Alexa bag and his colour is classic Oak with Chocolate paws and mouth - two of the most iconic Mulberry colours!”

The bears are on display at Liberty London and will be there until November 19th.

For more information and links to auction pages click here.