#SummerSalt Competition at Salt Resort Wear

Launching in 2012, Salt Resort Wear was the UK’s first resort wear boutique and is consistently home to every girl’s dream summer wardrobe… mine included! Brim full, all year round, with the ultimate in luxury ready-to-wear summer clothes and accessories, Salt Resort Wear is the one-stop destination for any glamorous vacation or staycation shopping.  Based on Walton Street, one of West London’s more exclusive streets, this beautiful boutique stocks a strict edit of covetable labels (including TLC faves, Mara Hoffman and Matthew Williamson) all of which will have you eagerly saving up this summer, to pack/squish into your suitcase alongside your SPF. 

As a professional sun-seeker (growing up in Africa, it will come as no surprise that during the grizzly winter months I take any opportunity to travel in search of sunnier climes!) I am excited to announce that I will be doing some work with Salt Resort Wear this year.  I will be sharing with you TLC’s shopping edits from the boutique and several beautiful, summery fashion stories I hope will inspire your own upcoming tropical fun in the sun.

My first Salt Resort Wear ‘challenge,’ so to speak, was to put together my two favourite#SaltSummer outfits from in store to coincide with the boutique’s current competion...

 Follow @SaltOfficial on instagram and tag your favourite summer look with #SaltSummer to be entered into winning £1000 to spend in store or online. This amazing competition, whose winner will be the talk of the beach, is running until the end of July so quick, get ‘grammin! 

Above Left:  Admist all the tribal prints and sparkles I was particularly taken with these Cutler and Gross Intercast Multilayer White Mirror Lens (RRP. £340.00) sunnies.

Above:  I loved the K Jacques sandals available in Turqouise with Zebra Print (RRP. £215.00) and Neon Pink with Snake Print (RRP. £195.00).

Above:  The London Chatter's #SALTSUMMER Look One...
Basta Surf 's White Martinique Dress (RRP. £250.00 £125.00), Matthew Williamson for Linda Farrow's Neon Yellow Acetate Sunglasses (RRP. £238.00 £119.00), K Jaques' Turquoise Sandals with Zebra Print (RRP. £215.00), Venessa Arizaga's 'Lady Aloha Bracelet'(RRP. £55.00), Marie Sole Amore's Neon Pink Stone Sintch Bracelet(RRP. £18.00), Koku's Alexia Beauty Bag With White Palm (RRP. £86.00) and Eugenia Kim's Gabriella Hat with Bird Motif (RRP. £265.00).

Above:  The London Chatter's #SALTSUMMER Look Two...
Mara Hoffman's Embroidered Maxi Dress in Cosmic Fountain (RRP. £476.00), Eugenia Kim Lillian Hat with Black Band (RRP. £250.00), Salt Resort Wear Pink/Yellow/Blue Beach Bag currently available in store (RRP. £40.00), bracelets both as before. 

Which is your favouite look out of the two? 

Salt Resort Wear 
69 Walton Street, SW3 2HT
www.saltresortwear.com

Monica Vinader's Friendship Bracelets

At school some of my friends were renown for their sporting prowess, their academic superiority, or their ethereal choral charms… Me? Aside from an obvious flair for the dramatics, I was pretty revered for my (…drumroll) Friendship Bracelet making skills… Oh yes, take that you long-limbed netballers!   I was always making my school pals Friendship Bracelets in their favourite colours and if they managed to keep them hidden from all the matron’s eagle eyes, all desperate to confiscate anything which might allow your uniform some colour of charisma, they were enjoyed for a long while.  

You have to imagine my joy when I realised Monica Vinader sold Friendship Bracelets. Obviously far more chic, coveted and long lasting than any of my childhood creations, these bracelets still have friendship at their core and make the perfect presents.  

A large group of my girlfriends (which includes the beautiful Charlotte and Jessica, above enjoying smoothies at Moosh with me)  have spent the last year marking our birthdays and friendships by giving each other colourful statement Fiji bracelets, which we had engraved with our initials or names (a complimentary service offered in store).   

Available in silver, gold vermeil and rose-gold vermeil, and offered in a variety of adjustable and colourful cords, with a rainbow assortment of gems symbolizing different meanings (pink for love, turquoise for peace, nude for calm, etc) if so wanted, the three designs (Fuji, Bali and Esencia) can be worn alone or mixed and layered up together.  

Below:  There are some more expensive and elegant diamond chain bracelets now also available which are slightly more evening-dress appropriate, and I am particularly loving the recent festival and Ibiza-friendly fluoro additions which really pop in the sunshine.   

All Monica Vinader Friendship Bracelets are available in store and online HERE.

Make Up:  Charlotte Cowen
Photography:  Ross Ferguson 

My Necklace and Stacking Rings:  Monica Vinader
My tangerine bespoke Lined Notebook (from RRP. £55.00): Noble Macmillan
My Chinti and Parker Star Sweater (RRP. £350.00) and Jerome Dreyfus Igor Bag (RRP. £490.00) both available at Iris Fashion Boutique

Astley Clarke Jewellery Lunch at Marcus

I was recently invited, alongside a bevy of London beauties, to an exclusive VIP jewellery lunch to toast Astley Clarke’s new Fine Jewellery collection.   Hosted by Bec Astely Clarke (above with Poppy Delevingne) and chef Marcus Wareing (above with Bec) we dined in The Salon Private Dining Room at the sparkly new ‘Marcus’ restaurant at The Berkeley.  

Above Clockwise (R-L):  Bec Astley Clarke hosting Chloe Delevingne, Zoe Jordan, PoppyDelevingne and Tori Cook,  Jemma Powell and Beatrice Savoretti, Tori Cook and Poppy Delevingne, Marissa Montgomery.  Below:  Smooches with my school pal Sienna Miller.

Not only were we spoiled with lots of bubbles and a delicious lunch (quail with a raddichio and pine nut salad, followed by salmon with buttermilk and faaaar too many chocolate truffles!) we were sent home with Marcus’ cook book and a beautiful rose gold Astley Clarke locket which had been personally engraved for all us girlies whilst we dined.

Above Right:  I decided (after much anxious deliberation!) to get the title of DG and my favourite song ('Just One Look' by Doris Troy) engraved on the back of my locket (cheesy?!) and I love it so much I haven’t taken it off since!  Thank you Bec and Marcus for such a wonderfully gorgeous afternoon!  Astley Clarke lockets available HERE.

Above:  With my great friend Jemma Powell.  I accessorised my Topshop shirt and bold print Zara trousers with Wilbur and Gussie's Orange Bee Edith Clutch (RRP. £180.00).

Above:  Featuring in Grazia magazine alongside Poppy Delevingne, Chloe Delevingne,Sienna Miller and Jemma Powell. #TheChainGang

Ralph Lauren's Ricky World Tour

Designed in 2005 and named after his wife, the Ralph Lauren ‘Soft Ricky’ handbag is one of the label’s most iconic and popular pieces.  To celebrate its success, Ralph Lauren’s giant ‘Ricky’ bag, that took a month to create and measures 1.8m high and 1.5m wide (so maybe juuuust big enough to fit all my stuff in!) begun its world tour last September, travelling to New York, Tokyo, Paris and now… LONDON.  Yes, that’s right, the ‘Ricky’ has landed at the Ralph Lauren New Bond Street store and I paid homage to the XXL accessory last week while it held court at Ralph Lauren and Vogue’s fun, cocktail-fueled shopping event in support of the Royal Marsden Cancer Charity.

Above:  Accessorising my Zara top, shoes and statement necklace, and my new H&M embellished scuba skirt (available in store, RRP. £39.99) with my grandmother's aquamarine cocktail ring and my Lulu Guinness lips clutch (available HERE, RRP. £325.00) which I momentarily swapped for a gorgeous, coral-orange 'Soft Ricky.' 

Above:  Bag smoochin' with super stylist Martha Ward.  Below:  My great buddy DJ Izzy Lawrence and the delicious, rainbow-coloured Ricky bag biscuits to take home.

Below:  The multi-coloured Ralph Lauren 'Soft Ricky' bags available HERE (RRP. £1750.00)
#OneInEveryColourPleaseRalph!

Debit Buy: Zara's Rubberized Effect Sunglasses

I’ve been enjoying my sky blue Rubberized Effect Sunglasses from Zara (above, on the way to pick up the keys to my new HOUSE – hence, the shocked/excited/confused look!) ever since the sun put his hat on, albeit briefly, earlier this year.  Although now sold out, Zara have just brought out this sea green pair (below right) which are just as awesome and affordable.  A summer must have methinks.  Available HERE (RRP. £15.99).

Hello There: Olivia Von Halle

Above:  I was utterly spoiled at Christmas when DG bought me a pair of gorgeous Olivia von Halle silk Coco Pyjamas (RRP. £330.00).  Unfortunately however, all my other pyjamas now pail into insignificance and I only want to wear these silk ones (...high maintenance much?!  Yup.)

Olivia von Halle launched her own luxury nightwear brand in 2011, inspired by the silk pyjamas Coco Chaneland her contemporaries wore in the 1920’s. The beautifully cut pyjamas in an array of stunning prints are now a firm fashionista favourite and are available in over thirty stockists including Harrods and Net-a-Porter.  You can even get them monogrammed These should be high on every girl's wish list - Trust me!
"Why have cotton... When you can have (OvH) silk...!"

Below:  Olivia von Halle's AW'14 collection inspired by Tsarist Russia in the early 20th Century.  Oliva has said, "on a trip to Moscow I was captivated by the extraordinary opulence of the buildings and the way a new generation of women such as Mira Duma and Lena Perminova were putting a chic modern spin on traditional Russian style." 

Oh, and another thing:  Olivia got married in 2008 wearing a pink skin-tight catsuit (awesome) and has a dog called Bathtub (who I am mildly obsessed with on Instagram!) 

 Olivia Von Halle, Olivia von Halle Silk Pyjamas, Silk Pyjamas, Harrods, Net-a-Porter, The London Chatter, Tsarist Russia, Opulent,Sleep Wear, Silk Sleepwear

Daisy Jewellery's 'If Only He Knew' Campaign

Gentlemen… If for some LUCICROUS reason you missed TLC’s Valentine’s Day Gift List last week (what were you thinking?!) and have idly let all other warnings of the looming love celebration pass you by, you may just have ONE last chance to redeem yourselves and save yourself from the Dog House… Daisy Jewellery is not only offering NEXT DAY DELIVERY but also a 15% DISCOUNT to the guys who purchase items from their ‘If Only He Knew’ Valentine’s Wish List (using code VDAY15 at the checkout).  
Now, you have NO excuses!!

My favourite piece from their ‘hearty’ selection is the Limited Edition Fluro Pink Heart Chakra Bracelet (RRP. £86.00) in rose gold (top left and above, modelled by Lloyd...)

Above (Clockwise L-R):  For a Happy Hearts Day... Heart Alpha Ring (RRP. £38.00),  Heart Chakra Pendent (RRP. £165.00), Little Heart Good Karma Bracelet (RRP. £60.00), Heart Chakra Nuit Bracelet (RRP. £86.00)

SJP Shoes by Sarah Jessica Parker

Last September we struggled to remain composed when Sarah Jessica Parker announced she was creating a shoe collection.  

The first image to be released was of the elegant Mary-Jane style 'Diana' heels (below) which have a diagonal strap and are particularly similar to the black Manolos SJP’s ‘Sex and The City’c haracter Carrie Bradshaw picks out to wear in the ‘Urban Shoe Myth’ episode.  All the SJP shoes are crafted in Italy and this particular patent pair of stilletos will cost $395.00 (approximately which is a round £240.00). 

 SJP actually credits her shoeaholic character Carrie as igniting her interest in shoe design stating, “Carrie's love of shoes meant I got to wear literally hundreds of pairs - and the more I wore, the more I realised that they are often the starting point of the style choices we make. Sometimes in fashion, little else matters but the shoe." 

The SJP collection will also apparently include kitten heels, laced booties, flats and strappy heels and will be unveiled later this month at Nordstrom.   There is currently no UK launch date in the pipeline but the shoes will be available online for us SJP fans across the pond so we can thankfully Keep Calm and Carrie On.

Beulah and French Sole Collaboration

Forget wearing your heart on your sleeve and start wearing them on your toes!  Beulah and French Sole have collaborated to make the loveliest of heart-shaped limited-edition ballet flats to help raise money for the United Nations' Blue Heart Campaign which supports the plight against human trafficking, a cause of great importance to the beauteous Beulah co-founders, Lady Natasha Rufus Isaacs and Lavinia Brennan (above).

The night before I flew home to Kenya for Christmas I went to George on Mount Street in Mayfair, for the launch of these adorable, must-have slippers.  The soft grey flats with navy velvet hearts on their toes have bright blue soles and Beulah print lining. 

Available at French Sole (HERE) - RRP. £185.00 (25% goes to the Blue Heart Campaign).

All She Wants for Christmas 2013

We all know that most men fear, dread and loathe shopping so rather than ‘accidentally’ flambéing him instead of the Christmas Pudding as thanks for that last minute, delightfully flammable red underwear he left for you under the tree (“but it’s festive!”) may I suggest you help the poor fella out this year by kindly leaving this page open on his desktop…!  

Above (Clockwise) L-R:  REN Moroccan Rose Otto Ultra-Moisture Body Oil at Space.NK -RRP. £34.00, Finn Lambswool Throw - RRP. £95.00, Frends Layla Headphones at Matches -RRP. £109.00, Hush Vintage Rose Pyjamas - RRP. £49.50, Charlotte Olympia's Cat Nap Set -RRP. £395.00,  Kalita bespoke embroidered knickers at Austique - RRP. £55.00

Above (Clockwise) L-R: Kate: The Kate Moss Book – RRP. £50.00, Jonathan Adler’s Mr and Mrs Muse Mug at Amara – RRP. £24.30, Topshop Rasberry Bow Heels – RRP. £55.00, Anya Hindmarch Girlie Stuff Wash Bag – RRP. £95.00, Princess Tam Tam’s Folie Bra – RRP. £58.00

Above (Clockwise) L-R:  Noble Macmillan Tangerine 2014 Mezzo Diary – RRP. £49.00, J Crew Jewelled Drop Pearl Necklace – RRP. £135.00 £98.00, Lulu Guiness Glitter Lip Coin Purse –RRP. £75.00, Alexa Chung’s ‘It’ Biography at Waterstones - £16.99,  Anthropologie’s Limited Edition Golden Monogram Mug – RRP. £8.00 

Above (Clockwise) L-R:  Dannijo Joanie Stud Earrings at Matches – RRP. £125.00, Topshop Collar Jacquard Dress – RRP. £75.00, Monica Vinader’s Gold Vermeil Stacking Rings - RRP. £50.00 - £100.00, Anthropologie Lady Bugs Dinner Plate – RRP. £24.00, Anthropologie Multitude Hairbands – RRP. £14.00 

Above (Clockwise) L-R: Charlotte Tilbury Full Fat Lashes 5 Star Mascara in Glossy Black –RRP. £22.00, Chinti and Parker’s Grey Elbow Sweater with Heart Elbow Patch – RRP. £295.00,  Austique’s ‘The World Is Your Oyster’ Card Holder – RRP. £15.00, L’Agent by Agent Provocateur Marisela Lace-Trimmed Knickers – RRP. £28.00, Graham and Green Metal Letter Lights – RRP. £330.00 each

Above (Clockwise) L-R:  Smythson 'Shoe Queen' Leather Notebook at Matches - RRP. £38.00, Topshop Velvet Sequin Pencil Skirt – RRP. £42.00, ‘Isabella Blow: Fashion Galore!’ at Amazon – RRP. £37.50 £23.25, Limited Edition Diptyque Candles at Space.NK– RRP. £25.00 -£45.00. Graham and Green Ceramic Animal Boxes – RRP. £15.00 - £18.00 

Above (Clockwise) L-R: Pitch Perfect DVD at Amazon – RRP. £6.99, Hope & Greenwood Flying Saucers Jar at The Conran Shop – RRP. £12.99,  Moschino’s Gennarino Bear Earphones – RRP. £28.00, Eau D’Italie Tea & Rose Liquid Soap – RRP. £20.00, Chloé Bridget Mini Textured-Leather Shoulder Bag – RRP. £885.00

Above (Clockwise) L-R: DVF Diane Von Furstenberg Lips-Print Iphone Cover - RRP. £30.00£21.00, Wilbur & Gussie’s Penny Clutch - £295.00, Soru’s Double Green Opal Ring in Gold –RRP. £120.00, Beulah’s Shibani Shawl – RRP. £120.00 (10% from each Shabani shawl purchase goes to the UN’s Blue Heart Campaign against human trafficking), Biscuiteers Nativity Biscuit Set – RRP. £35.00, Just Ballerinas’ Leopard Print Slippers – RRP. £139.00

Thank you to actresses Anna Kendrick, Sienna Miller, Tara Summers and Ella Smith,  presenter Louise Roe and fashionistas Savannah Miller, Tanya Semikoz and Natasha Rufus Isaacs, for sharing with The London Chatter their 2013 Christmas wishes. xxxx