The EE BAFTAs with CÎROC

There is being invited to celebrate the EE BAFTAs, and then there is being asked to celebrate the EE BAFTAS with CÎROC, the well-known (and I freely admit, well loved by me!) vodka brand!   Knowing that delicious CÎROC cocktails would be a’flowing provided new levels of theatrical appreciation... January, with all it’s associated detoxing and sombre behaviour, was truly about to end, and not a minute too soon! 

Wearing a dream of a Matthew Williamson cocktail dress, with Malone Soulier shoes, a Natalie Trad clutch and Monica Vinader Baja jewellery, I headed to the STUNNING Berners Tavern, alongside Ella Catliff (La Petite Anglaise), designer Charlie May and Doina Ciobanu (The Golden Diamonds). Ella and I had not planned on being feathery, sequined sisters that night (above), but fully embraced the sparkling situation (obviously read that as, 'took lots of sparkly selfies together!') 

After a delicious meal, which was peppered with regular and exciting updates from the ceremony (#TeamEddie!), I decided that éclairs were due a massive come back... Soz macaroons.

We then headed to Grosvenor House for the official EE BAFTA after-party (no one approves more of shaking their tail feathers on a Sunday than me... especially if those tail feathers happen to be Matthew Williamson!) and several hours/CÎROC cocktails/trips to the photo booth later we eventually called it a night.

Thank you CÎROC!  For a full list of winners see HERE. 

SHOP TLC'S LOOK:

The next day I poured over the red carpet fashion from the night before and quickly decided that there was undeniably one stand out look… French actress Lea Seydoux, the latest Bond Girl, shone brightly in her sunshine marigold Prada gown (below). Just... WOW!

Special mentions definitely go to a glowing Keira Knightley in Giamnattista Valli, Laura Bailey in her high neck and full skirted Emilia Wickstead dress and to Julianne Moore, who looked red hot in Tom Ford. 

The Cambridge Satchel Company's Collaboration with Peanuts

Just HOW excited do you think I was to receive an intimate dinner invitation to celebrate The Cambridge Satchel Company’s collaboration with Peanuts?!  I mean, with every nostalgic heart cord pulled, I couldn’t have accepted this most happy and colourful invite quicker.  The fun factor at this dinner, held on the top floor of the company’s stunning six-floor flagship store in Covent Garden, always promised to be HIGH. 

The Cambridge Satchel Company, founded in 2008 around a kitchen table by fashion entrepreneur and mother Julie Deane (left), has long been a street style fave amongst ‘schlebs and bloggers alike (namely, Alexa Chung and Susie Bubble).  Following on from previous collaborations with Vivienne Westwood, Erdem and Comme des Garcons, the latest satchels and zip-pouches will feature characters from the popular US cartoon strip, all adorably seeing Woodstock (my childhood favourite!) riding the company’s famous bicycle logo.

"This collaboration is close to my heart - Snoopy has always been a favourite of mine," the lovely Julie Deane told us.  "The collection makes me smile and that's the very best way to feel about what we can offer our customers. The logo was adapted to find a special place for Woodstock - always the industrious figure in the background, I am proud to have him on our iconic bicycle!"

Above:  With Sasha Wilkins (Liberty London Girl) and Julie Dean.

Having recently been awarded an OBE in the Queen’s New Year honours list for her services to entrepreneurship, Julie Deane hosted us at the most gorgeous and playful of tables for a delicious feast, spoiling us with gifts from the range (above) and Snoopy cookies!  The rhubarb and almond crumble with maple syrup crème fraiche should probably get it’s own special mention because… Oh… My… Sweet… Lord.

This exclusive collaboration will launch online HERE tomorrow, 19th February 2015, and in store from this Saturday 21st February. The pouches will cost £70-£90, with the satchels ranging from £140-£155.

TLC's Valentine's Wish List feat. Missoma

As a renown magpie, regularly adorning myself in sparkly British designs and shiny vintage treasures, I was thrilled to be asked by Missoma to choose my favourite piece of their jewellery for their Valentine's Gift Guide. Although picking just one design was hard, I imagine as hard as choosing a favourite child, there was one particular piece which shot out, like an arrow through the heart...  If you're clever boys, this last minute treat could win you some serrrrious brownie points! 

"Who needs red roses when you can have rose gold?! Yup, that's the line I'm taking this Valentines Day, and the Missoma diamond arrow bracelet, worn stacked or alone, is high up on my wish list. Don't say I didn't give you fair warning fellas..."  

Note to the Menfolk:  If she's told you she hates Valentine's Day, that it's a cheesy, naff occasion that is not worth celebrating... She's lying.  Panicking now?! Run Menfolk Ruuuun (to the shops...) 

Above (Clockwise) L-R:  Jess Collet Ash Trilby (RRP. £240.00), Choux à la Crème Greeting Card (RRP. £3.50), Village England's Mini Cranleigh Crossbody Bag (RRP. £128.00), L’Amour Trinket Tray (RRP. £10.00), Escentric Molecules 01 (RRP. £66.00)

Above (Clockwise) L-R:  Mermaid Perfume (RRP. £36.00), Deliciously Ella (RRP. £20.00), Peas in a Pod Socks (RRP. £3.00), Larsson and Jennings Gold-Plated Watch (RRP. £220.00), China Book Vase (RRP. £26.00), Naughty Little Card Shop Valentine’s Card (RRP. £3.00)

J&M Davidson's 30th Anniversary

I recently attended the most beautiful of dinners at the Connaught in celebration of J&M Davidson's 30th anniversary.  I knew my evening was to be a special one when my invitation arrived in the form of a limited edition, silver clutch bag (which I carried on the night).  The dinner was co-hosted by John and Monique Davidson and Tanya Ling, an illustrator who has a long history with the husband and wife team. 

Tanya Ling's unique, illustrated menus and name cards were stunningly placed amongst the most elegant of Wild at Heart flowers by Nikki Tibbles. Just BEAUTIFUL!! 

John and Monique Davidson launched J&M Davidson in 1984 from their home in Chiswick.  Now a global British brand with a French twist, their constantly evolving collections include covetable handbags, handcrafted belts, clothing and knitwear, all available online or from their colourful Notting Hill store.  

SHOP TLC's LOOK:

Above L-R (Clockwise):  Louisa Preskett and Katy Wickremesinge, Bip Ling, Katie Readman with Amy Williams and Alice Naylor-Leyland, Pandora Sykes.  Below:  "But first...." with Katie Readman and Bip Ling.

Below:  Some of J&M Davidson's current collection.  I am eyeing up their Medieval Blue Carnival bag – but the canary yellow drawstring one will no doubt be a SS’15 must have!

Ramusake

Taking inspiration from the izakayas of Japan. Piers Adam and Scott Hallsworth’s latest venture is Ramusake, a vibrant Pan-Asian style member’s restuarant SLASH late night bar on South Kensington’s Old Brompton Road.  Having been made an honorary member, I headed down to have dinner and check out what is rumoured to be a little bit of Shoreditch in South Kensington. 

Seductively decorated, with low lighting and dark interiors, my friends and I begun our evening with a delicious cocktail (the first of many as it turned out…) created by the brilliantly friendly and talented mixologists. In fact, it must be said, everyone working at Ramusake was extremely friendly, relaxed, and unpretentiously cool (no more so than hostess with the mostess Elbe, a real gem.)  

Our dinner consisted of several small sharing plates (I highly suggest you order the sweet potato and soba-ko fries, beef fillet tataki, tuna sushi pizza and tea-smoked lamb chops!) and copious more cocktails amongst tables filled with some of West London’s finest.  I chose to go mid-week when the club was naturally quieter, but I am looking forward to returning on one of Ramusake’s weekend member's events, where awesome DJ’s are frequently hosted alongside rambunctious, sake-fuelled crowds.

Ramusake:  92B Old Brompton Rd, London, SW7 5LR (020 7842 8518)

Membership is £250 per year and includes complimentary entry after 11pm and first pick of table bookings (contact: info@ramusake.com)

Golden Globes 2015

Yessssssss… Award season has begun, which to me means the red carpet’s Battle of the Dresses is ON good people of Hollywood!  The Golden Globes, a ceremony I have always viewed as the drunken, more entertaining version of the Oscars, gives us not only an early indication of the season’s winners, but also a welcome glimpse at the latest show stopping frocks (or sparkly jumpsuits, as the case was this year).   

It is worth mentioning, before we get to the fashion nitty gritty, that the glorious Tina Fey and Amy Poehler presented the awards for the very last time on Sunday (a total travesty, someone throw even more money at them, QUICK!) Their opening monologue (below) was, once again, my serious highlight of the night… These two ladies and their on-point humour shall be greatly missed. 

Right, back to the fashuuuuun and my Best Dressed of the night… With so many of the stars dressed immaculately, but oh so predictably, at these events, I will always be drawn to the women who choose not to play it so safely (or clevagey).  No one, in my opinion, looked better at this year's Golden Globes than TLC's serial red carpet winner, Emma Stone.  Wearing a bejeweled Lanvin jumpsuit, the actress oooozed confidence and cool, with just the right amount of quirk.  Diane Kruger looked every inch the blonde and icy screen siren wearing one of my favourite designers, Emilia Wickstead.  I also adored beautiful Brit Felicity Jones’ unusual, teal Christian Dior gown, which although divided opinion, had me at hello. 

Special mentions must go to Leslie Mann for her yellow Kaufman Franco sequinned dress/green clutch combo (and for just always being the sweetest, most cute-as-a-button thing I ever did see), Sienna Miller’s stand out Miu Miu dress worn with rocky, choppy hair, and Anna Kendrick in her Cinderella by name/role, Cinderella by nature/dress, in fairytale Monique Lhuillier.

It has to be said, shiny Golden Globes may have been highly sought after by many a Hollywood hand, but the real winners were these three dapperly dressed dudes, all holding super smokin' and strikingly dressed ladies in their arms;  Benedict Cumberbatch with his fiancé Sophie Hunter (in Erdem), Joshua Jackson with long-term love Diane Kruger (in Emilia Wickstead) and Jamie Dornan with wife Amelia Warner (in another of my favourite designers, Husihan Zhang).  High five gentlemen, we salute you.

Below:  When Bad Dresses Happen to Good People.  Ohhhh… There’s always one who lets the side down… ok, perhaps five.  I met Lana Del Rey in LA once, she was LOVELY, unlike her dress on Sunday.  Rosamund Pike was scarily good in 'Gone Girl,' ironically as her cutom-made Vera Wang dress was scarily bad.  Lupita Nyong’o, who topped EVERY best dressed list last season, clearly has decided to let everyone else have a go this year, wearing this Giambattista Valli 'thing.'  Michelle Monaghan wearing a 'Throwback Thursday' to the awesome nineties… except it was a Sunday, and this Jason Wu dress was not awesome.  Kate Mara in Miu Miu. Has the 'House of Cards' actress stepped in a puddle?  Do puddles even exist in LA?!  And don’t get me started on that belt... No Kate. No. 

For the full list and details of the evening's winners see HERE

Tried and Tested: Duck & Dry

I used to consider having a blow dry in London justifiable before a friend’s wedding, a little ritual to make up for my lack of feathery hair apparel (I’m a renown facihater).  However, more and more so, I am enjoying a blow dry, well, just ‘cos!  Like a quick pick-me-up mani/pedi, that now you can enjoy on most street corners, a blow dry in London can now be deemed a mere pre-night out, pre-meeting, pre-nothing-really treat, with several, affordable blow dry bars popping up around London – so very New York of us!

My favourite of aforementioned, more affordable blow dry bars is, without doubt, the newly opened Duck & Dry.  Duck & Dry, a light and bright, distinctly cool yet accessible, salon on the King’s Road in Chelsea, allows you to choose from a menu (above) of 8 signature styles of blow dry and 8 signature updo’s, the subsequent creations twisted and tousled to your desired preference, all whilst flicking through the latest and mags enjoying a glass or two of bubbly or a coffee.  This could become worryingly habitual... 

I was invited by the founders, former management consultant Yulia Rorstrom and celebrated hair stylish Snowden Hill, to Duck & Dry and sweetly treated to a (purposefully) disheveled braided style (below) before a night out with friends, which I LOVED.  I can, from this experience, definitely recommend you all visit the amazing Duck & Dry stylists; in 30 minutes they (in their Emilia Wickstead designed uniforms no less!) will send you glossily on your way for an unusually reasonable fixed price of £25.00 for a blow dry, and £35.00 for an updo, regardless of your length or hair type.  Blown away. 

Duck & Dry:  333-337 King's Road, Chelsea, London SW3 5ES (0203 4899370)
(Open: Mon to Fri 7.30am-7.30pm, Sat 8.30am-7.30pm, Sun 10am-5pm)

Je Suis Charlie

Topshop's Personal Shopping Experience

I was recently asked to visit Topshop's Personal Shopping area at their Oxford Street branch for an utterly spoiling A/W'14 wee spree.  I know... My job does not suck.  I have always seen their amazing flagship store as the ultimate grown up girl's sweetie shop, and I can eeeeasily spend hours wandering aimlessly admits all the season's newest styles, frequently finding things I never EVEN knew I needed, but OBVIOUSLY cannot live without!  On this particular occasion however,  knowing I only had a one hour appointment in my more than luxurious fitting room, I had done some research and online prep, enabling me to whizz around the shop like a Topshop ninja, pinpointing the items I wanted to try on.  One of the brilliant personal shoppers was on hand back to help change any sizes for me and help search for alternative styles if the ones I chose didn't suit me.  As a result, I managed to put together three very different looks (much of which is now in the sale, so be quick!) in record time - especially for me!  

Topshop's Personal Shopping is a complimentary service offered in eight of their stores.  Various different appointments can be made, catering to your specific styling needs, and if short on time, or in dire need of a quick wardrobe update, I really recommend booking yourself one HERE. 

Which is your favourite look?  I'd be lying if I didn't say the light up trainers...!  Thank you Topshop xx

Happy New Year

The sun is setting on 2014 in Watamu, Kenya. Thank you all for your amazing support this year, I'm so excited for what 2015 will bring. Wishing you all a very Happy New Year from the beach! xx