Credit Buy - Ducie Maxi Dress

And just when you thought it was safe to get back into your UGGS, along came the Indian Summer we had all been promised but daren’t possibly believe...

A fortnight ago in beautiful Tuscany I wore this cream Ducie Maxi dress – and now I want it in every colour under the sun.

Designer Ducie Keam-George founded her label in 2004 with her husband Dan and initially they sold their dresses from a stall in Portobello Market. Rapidly expanding through word of mouth, these gorgeous dresses are now available online in a selection of stunning colours and styles.

Dressed up or down, this cotton and silk dress with gold buttons is so versatile and hooooopefully, sunshine permitting, I’ll get to wear it again this weekend… Or have I just jinxed everything?!

I’d better keep those UGGS to hand just in case…

Available from Ducie in a range of lots of gorgeous colours...

RRP. £190.00

Best Of London - Celina Teague

Below: The Hive

At artist Celina Teague’s last exhibition I overheard one man reveal, "I feel like I’m on acid in the 60’s again…!" Celina’s mesmerising paintings are vibrant, dramatic and seriously hallucinatory – they affront you with their boldness, unsettle you with their absurdity and completely delight you with their passion and colour.

A graduate in Fine Art at Central Saint Martins, Celina also trained at the Universidad de Bellas Artes in Oaxaca, Mexico and has lived in Berlin and Shanghai.
Although still hugely inspired by these countries and their cultures - and always itching to explore the world and its beauty further - it is London where Celina now lives, loves and paints.

Whilst preparing for her second solo show, ‘My Bunny is all Teeth and Other Stories’ which opens next week, Celina shares with us some of her London Favourites….

My transport – Bicycle

My Cocktail – A Bloody Mary at Shoreditch House.

My Date Night – Worryingly at the moment it seems to be Westfield’s! A Snog (frozen yoghurt) and the cinema with my husband Dom.

My Sunday Brunch – In Hyde Park. A stop off at Crussh to pick up a smoothie, then a walk (via Speaker's Corner) to the restaurant on the Serpentine. Alternatively, Saf on the Curtain Road in Shoreditch has the best food in London – and its vegan.

My Boutique – The recenty closed Hoxton Boutique was amazing for original designs and jewellery – luckily, their online boutique will be available in November.

My High Street Store – Waterstones. I always arrange to meet friends outside it - how late they are directly corresponds with the amount of cash left in my bank account.

London’s Best Kept Secret – Speaker's Corner, hardly a secret but this is my favourite place in London - it attracts some of the most weird and wonderful characters. People heckle and boo and throw out insults but it's all done in good humour. Last year my friend Marthe Sophie and I organized a group show there.

My London Icon – Having watched ‘Hugh's Fish Fight’ it is currently Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall. He's very charming, very persistent and won't take no for an answer.

Above: The Rape of the Honey Bee

‘My Bunny is all Teeth and Other Stories’ at the Roa Gallery, 4th - 9th October.

Debit Buy - Hennes Dress

I have been asked a few times where the dress I wore to Martha Freud's 'Mixed Messages' Exhibition last week was from... I recently bought this summery, pleated dress with mesh at the top from H&M.

Although available in black (a more obvious choice as we enter Autumn/Winter) I wore this cream version with navy tights and Steve Madden pixi boots - an easy transitional look between seasons (a.k.a - desperately clinging onto the summer!)

RRP. £19.99

Musical Moment - Lana Del Rey ('Blue Jeans')

I have previously written (here) about the perfectly pouty New York singer/songwriter Lana Del Rey (aka Lizzy Grant) and her sultry song ‘Video Games’ which I loved. This is the music video for her next song ‘Blue Jeans’ - once again, the look is eclectic and nostalgic with her voice sounding as arresting as ever.

"I will love you till the end of time....
Promise you'll remember that you're mine."

Both songs will be available to download on October 16th.

Crazy Stupid Love

Steve Carell, Julianne Moore, Emma Stone, Marisa Tomei & Kevin Bacon - LOVE.
Ryan Gosling - SUPER LOVE.

Crazy Stupid Love released in the UK today.

Martha Freud - 'Mixed Messages' Exhibition

Portrait by Jack Brockway

On Wednesday night I went to the private viewing of Martha Freud’s ‘Mixed Messages’ exhibition at Camley Street Natural Park in conjunction with the London Design Festival and in partnership with the London Wildlife Trust.

After navigating myself through the twists and turns of the park’s path, all sweetly lit by a trail of quirky porcelain tea lights and stopping several times to admire various light and design installations all happily perched amongst their woodland surroundings, I eventually found the gorgeous designer herself – Martha Freud - teeny-tiny and minxy in Vivienne Westwood and Christian Louboutins.

London based Martha, the grand-daughter of Clement, the great-niece of Lucien and the great-great-grand-daughter of Sigmund, studied furniture and product design at Kingston University and has always been inspired by nature - this exhibition is no different; beautiful lights made of porcelain leaves and butterflies and wooden nests made from sustainably sourced branches are amongst the show stopping collection.

There are also really fun handcrafted pigeon hole cabinets with grids of porcelain cups - each cup displaying one word but lighting up for 5-10 seconds creating well known phrases – I could, and did, stare at these for ages.

 

A glamorous collection of London’s bright and light young things assembled around a bonfire for marshmallows, guitar playing, endless Veuve Clicquot and many bottles of Martha’s favourite tipple – Orangina.

The 'Mixed Messages' Exhibition is open today and tomorrow from 10am-8pm.
Please see Martha's website for further details.

 

 

 

 

Items from the collection are available as one-offs, limited editions and as commissions.

Please contact info@marthafreud.com for more information.

(L-R) Martha Freud, Caged Butterfly Light, With Jessica Pownall by the Nest Light

(L-R) With Shirley Leigh-Wood Oakes, Leaf Wall Light, Martha Freud in Vivienne Westwood

Alexa Chung for Madewell

Presenter, DJ and fashion muse Alexa Chung’s first collection for Madewell in 2010 was a sell out hit so her second collaboration as guest designer with the American brand this A/W has everyone very excited – especially me.

I love the way Alexa dresses – part nerdy tomboy, part granny, part 5 year old girl – always modest and understated – always very, very cool.

Alexa’s collection was heavily inspired by girls in bands ‘who live their looks,’ and the seventies and nineties.

Shot in Austin, Texas, with an all American road-trip feel to it, looking dreamily beautiful Alexa models the collection herself.

The collection hits stores in the US (and their website for us guys this side of the pond!) today… Mouses at the ready!!

Matthew Williamson's Macaroons

After seeing his new SS'12 collection this London Fashion Week have you been left lusting after a little Matthew Williamson of your very own? Fear not - This little taster may satisfy your fashionable cravings... For now!

Celebrating London Fashion Week, Parisian macaroon makers Ladurée have undertaken a stylish collaboration with celebrated British designer Matthew Williamson.

The limited edition box – in Matthew’s iconic kaleidoscopic butterfly design – filled with 8 sumptuous, light-as-a-feather, macaroons are available at Ladurée London branches Harrods, Burlington Arcade and Covent Garden until the 26th September.

RRP. £13.40

I got mine from Harrods yesterday...