Wraps by The Glamourai

There are some websites that I just have to avoid for fear of a humongous spend up. Shrimpton Couture is one of those websites but yesterday, I somehow managed to find my way there and unable to click away. I was entranced by the mix of luxury vintage pieces, reconstructed pieces and couture but some pieces that particularly caught my eye were the Glamour wraps by The Glamourai.

I am constantly amazed by the innovative ways designers rework old pieces into something equally if not more desireable than the original. The Glamour wraps are made of silk 1940s kimono with intricate hand painted designs achieving the perfect balance between traditional Japanese culture and modern style. Each wrap can be worn in a number of different ways including a vest, dress, belted jacket, cape or kimono. The site provides a really comprehensive guide on how to wear the wrap.

The Glamourai was founded by Kelly Framel, who combines a DIY spirit with a refined couture intelligence. The collection includes jewellery anc clothing, perfect for glamourising your life. I have managed to get away without spending money that I don't have, but with a brand new incentive to get saving for the new year.

Embellished Designs by Anita Quansah

I love embellishment as a way of adding interesting colour, pattern and texture to an outfit. It is however quite rare (if it ever happens at all) to see really inspiring embellishment on clothing from the sorts of high street shops that I can usually afford to shop in. The most amazing embellishment is usually reserved for the couture collections.

I love the work of Anita Quansah who studied BA textile design at Chelsea College of Art and Design London, 2000-2003. She has designed for amongst others Christian Lacroix, DKNY, Diane Von Furstenberg, Ischiko, Victoria Secret, Ecko and textiles Weisbrod Zurrer and Sandy Starkman. In 2004, she collaborated with Christian Lacroix designing and embroidering a jacket featured at the Haute Couture shows.

It is a real shame that such beautiful clothes are unlikely to ever be available to the likes of myself, but the high price tags are most definitely undestandable and justifiable based on the huge amount of work and time that goes into each piece. Anita individually hand embellishes each piece free hand using reclaimed and vintage fabrics to add texture in a similar way that painters add colour by painting onto a canvas. She uses a variety of techniques to achieve the end result including fabric manipulation, appliqué, hand and machine embroidery to create undulating raised floral textures that seem to float on the fabric. Inspirations for Anita's work is taken from great artists such as Monet, Gustav Klimt, and Robert John Thornton and from nature, garden, floral and its ever changing beauty that surrounds it, the colour, texture, the shapes, patterns, tone, placements and proportion.

Anita Quansah creates one off handmade embroidered wearable art, flat and 3 dimensional fabrics for interior, fashion, accessories and wall art for commercial and private installations. Her clothes are available from www.me-myselfandi.co.uk
www.shrimptoncouture.com. Jewellery from www.mysugarland.co.uk and www.AnitaQuansahLondon1.etsy.com

Post Christmas Sales

After much waiting, some how with the bloating and lethargy that follows the post Christmas sales, I managed to miss out on those Emma Cook shoes that I so badly wanted from Topshop. By the time I visited the Topshop website on Sunday there was just ine pair of size 5 left, unfortunately too small. To make matters worse, not only had they been reduced to a mere £60 but I also spotted them on Ebay for £250. I like them very much, but not that much!

I am stil dithering about what to buy in the sales with the money I recieved for Christmas. No doubt by the time I make up my mind, everything that I want will be gone in my size as usual.

Vote for the BSB Christmas Party Outfits

The voting for the BSB Christmas Party outfits has begun. I am sadly lacking in votes at the moment. Please pop on over to BSB and cast your vote. Completely up to you who you vote for. Any votes for me are greatly appreciated- thanks.

Daytime Sparkles

I usually treat myself to something sparkly to wear over Christmas. Unfortunately sparkly clothing often doesn't get much wear for the rest of the year. This year I have spotted the perfect sparkly jacket, this navy sequin jacket from Blue Inc . I love the colour - Navy which makes it a little less formal than silver or black and with the matt texture it is perfect for daytime as well as evening and festive wear. I think it will look perfect with a blue or white top and jeans for a great take on the lastest daytime sparkles trend. I am thinking this blazer will be getting a lot more wear than just one Christmas outing.

Weekly Shopping and Goodies 16/12/09

picture from Shopping and Info

This week my shopping and goodies friends have really entered into the spirit of Christmas with lots of amazing giveaways and sparkle. My personal favourite is the silver sequin sweatshirt, but I am certain that there is something there to suit all tastes.

The Fashionable Housewife is giving away a pair of Stylish Holiday Shoes from SuperShoes.com for Day 4 of our Hanukkah Giveaways!
A Few Goody Gumdrops and Suzanna Dai are giving away the to-die-for St. Petersburg Necklace, recently seen on Gossip Girl. Enter to Win!
Be Seen In Hollywood spotted Australian Supermodel at millions of milkshake.
Being High Maintenance, not Bitchy is giving a massive prize pack from The Body Shop in part 3 of the Holiday Giveaway Bonanza!!
Couture In The City shares with us an inexpensive alternative holiday accessory as seen on Jessica Simpson
Fashion Cents gives you 3 tips to make sure you are fashionable and appropriate when hosting your home holiday party.
Fashion Hippo found 3 Dazzling New Year Dresses That Will Turn Heads
Handbag du Jour will be shopping the Be & D holiday sample sale for haute holiday gifts!
Princess Dominique invites you to log on and celebrate her upcoming anniversary, enter The PrincessDominique.com Anniversary Giveaway!
Quinta Trends asks what kind of consumer are you?
Raging Rouge posts holiday giveaway #2, The LipFusion Collection of plumping glosses.
Shopping and Info loves Dakota Fanning of New Moon’s silver sequin sweatshirt.
SomeoneSpoilMe.com has a great giveaway for guys!
Style Eyes asks How heavy is your handbag? and checks out the latest B.A.G. by Tiffany Anisette which is revolutionising the way that women carry bags. A great way to protect your posture without compromising on style!
StyleMaven is getting sparkly with studded must-haves from the coveted Balmain collection during the Balmain Pop-Up Sale.
The Fashionable Bambino dishes on some fabulous Last Minute Stocking Stuffers Under $50, $25 & $10
The Fashionable Gal is giving away a McCormick & Schmicks $50 Gift Card!
TheFind Blog is getting festive and sparkly with Louis Mariette's understated and elegant Swarovski embellished hairbands.
What's Haute Magazine is giving away 5 signed copies of the new book You Know You Want It by Gossip Girl costume designer Eric Daman!

Blooming winter florals

I have a tendency to resort to a monotone uniform of greys in the winter. I am not quite sure why, but my outfits just seem to mirror the grey and dismal weather . In contrast, in the summer, I wear the brightest clothes that I can with plenty of florals and patterns.

When I saw this dress on missguided (sorry to keep on about this website but, I seem to be able to get so many gorgeous clothes for so little money), I just couldn't resist. The perfect winter floral dress, dark and wintry but plenty of colour and pattern. As I starved myself of colour and pattern so far this winter, I decided to go for full on pattern overload. Perhaps not to most peoples taste but I love it. The floral footless tights from Uttam (bought in error as I would never have chosen to buy footless tights) were the perfect pattern mix for a busy and less boring look than usual. Cardigan is from Topshop, necklace New Look and shoes M & S.

Its Oh So Cold!

In response to the challenge by BSB that coincided with UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, On Friday, I turned off the heating and put together an outfit to keep me warm. To show that we not only care, but that we're willing to find a positive side to cutting carbon emissions and to enjoy keeping our world safe.

Unfortunately my outfit was not particularly striking but I was so so cold, style became irrelevant (for just a few hours). It probably didn't help that I was sitting at my desk working all day at my computer, which makes me feel cold on the warmest days. In hind sight a day when I was cleaning the house from top to bottom would have been an easier challenge.

I was actually quite surprised how difficult this challenge was. I don't often dress for warmth. Being quite short, chunky knits and the like really don't suit me so I opted for layers. As all the layers are black or grey, I tried to vary the textures a bit. I wore a T shirt and my new studded leggings (from missguided.com) (I am completely in love with them) with my black mini dress (Oasis), Tom Wolfe cardigan (Envy), arm warmers (Topshop), snood (Next) and Whooga boots.

If I were to turn the heating off more, I should definitely invest in some thermals or one of those big all in one suits.

How heavy is your handbag?

Oversized handbags are right on trend at the moment. Those who carry large handbags usually manage to fill them with all sorts of daily essentials including gadgets, make up, phone, baby stuff, even a laptop. But the ever growing weight of our handbags can likened in some cases to the weight carried by a hod carrier, have you ever though about how mush stress this puts on our backs, necks, joints and shoulders.

You will probably carry your favourite oversized handbag every where with you causing a constant and ongoing stress from the weight of the bag. Bad posture is a problem amongst those carrying heavy bags as they lean the opposite way to compensate for the weight of the bag. As the body is a whole and interconnected system, strain in one area can also lead to problems in another area. Heavy handbags can cause back, neck, shoulder and joint pain, muscle spasms, sprains and even headaches.

A report in April this year by The Foundation for Chiropractic Progress published on Medical News Today warned that the carrying of heavy handbags can have significant health risks. Gerard W. Clum, D.C., president of Life Chiropractic College in West Hayward, Calif. recommends using a bag with two shoulder straps or pulling a carrying case with wheels.

I love the idea of this new collection of leather bags with wheels by Tiffany Anisette. Perfect for travelling, carting my laptop around, an every day hand bag and filling with baby essentials. Tiffany is a professional massage therapist and the handbag was concieved after she noticed so many clients suffering from back, neck and shoulder problems due to their heavy handbags.

I love having a luxurious handbag and this is the perfect practical and stylish solution. They are available in department store in the US or from http://www.tiffanyanisette.com/.

Top picture - Katie Holmes with Hermes - from http://frankiequitefrankly.blogspot.com/2008/10/i-like-big-bags-and-i-cannot-lie.html

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Party Time with BSB

I was so excited to be invited to the BSB Christmas Party (along with other fashion and style bloggers in the UK). As usual I left things until last minute and then had a rush to get ready, hence the slighly odd expression on my face.

My party outfit was a result of some very early morning browsing. I thought that I wouldn't be buying myself some new party wear this season but after discovering this dress on Missguided (recommended by Kingdon of Style) I just couldn't resist (they are all now sold out, but there are plenty more very gorgeous party dresses on this site at amazing prices!). It has sparkly bits on it so very suitable for Christmas but, a bit different from this seasons all over sequins and definitely a change from the little black dress that I often wear. I also have a sequin and feather hair clip/ fascinator from New Look, which unfortunately you can't see very well in the picture amongst all my hair (another impulse buy).

To drink, I will be bringing champagne (predictable I know) as I think there is no better time for celebrating than Christmas. I will also be bringing mini fish and chips to eat (in little news paper cones). Just because I love mini stuff. Really easy to make, I just put pieces of salmon/ cod/ haddock in beaten egg, then breadcrumbs and bake in the oven for about 20 minutes or until they look ready, the serve in cones with a wedge of lemon and french fries.

Music, I'm afraid again not very original but the it is Christmas, Dean Martin - Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow. Or if I am allowed I would happily bring my whole Christmas compilation CD to get everyone in the Christmas mood.

Embellished Knitwear at Topshop

The latest email shot from Topshop, one of hundreds that arrive in my in box each day, high lighted some very gorgeous embellished knitwear. Noteably this knitted draped beaded top. I was quite shocked to read that it is machine washable and can't see how that can be. But if they say so, I am happy to go with it. This is one of those purley whimsical buys that has no practical benefit whatsever but looks great so who cares!

They also have a range of other knitwear pieces embellished with beads, sequins, bows and the like.

Climate Change Fashion Challenge

I love a challenge, especially a fashion challenge. When it is combined with something that I feel quite strongly about such as climate change then I am most happy to participate. I spotted the challenge on Hi Fashion. The challenge set by BSB is to turn off the heating on either Friday 11th or Saturday 12th December and create an outfit to wear that will keep you warm. There are full details on BSB if you would like to participate.

Lets hope it isn't too cold next weekend!

Lako Bukia AW10

When it comes to black and white, there are so many different ways that I love to wear this classic combination. I am always on the lookout for new interesting ideas. That is why I sat up and took notice when I saw the AW10 collection from Lako Bukia, London based Georgian designer and graduate of A. Kutateladze Tbilisi State Academy of Art. Lako gained recognition for her first collection 'mushroom' which was a soft and sensual collection in velvets, silks and handmade fabrics. The collections was shown at the Ukranian Fashion week and exhibited at Central St Martins She was also selected to take part in Kiev Fashion Week of Young Designers in May this year.

Lako is now studying for her second BA this time at London College of Fashion and has produced a collection for AW10. This collection is a stark contrast to her first collection with much stronger lines and angular shapes and of course the bold and striking combination of black and white. The use of zips to open pieces of clothing into something new and create different effects was both innovative but wearable. The collection is called Emotions and explores the divide between good and bad. It uses a range fabrics and textures to create the different features of each piece, including wools for the sharper forms and accents of silks to soften the shapes.

Maison Martin Margiela Artisanal

I have just received information about yet another exciting online designer shop, this time a sort of museum, it is Maison Martin Margiela Artisinal at Yoox.com. The Maison Martin Margiela Artisinal collection consists of over 100 beautiful and iconic creations from between 2005 and 2009. It includes this 'wigs jacket' ($11,795) from the AW08 collection which took 50 hours to make and the Lady GaGa-esq 'Disco Ball Top' (£5,303).

What makes this collection even more desirable and covetable is the completely mystery that surrounds the designer.an interview, photograph or post show bow in his entire career. There has much been speculation about his identity and even whether he exists at all. His work is highly original and his talent unrivalled, I am sure that this collection will be a big hit (with those that can afford it).

Giles Deacon in The Corner

Giles Deacon is selling a new capsule collection exclusively through the corner.com in a kind of online version of a 'pop up shop'. From January 2010 he will be opening his own online mini store at thecorner.com. The capsule collection consists of a limited (in variety) yet very nice little collection of just 3 pieces, a bustier dress made in lurex, a skirt and a top. Each of the items, developed from the collection, is inspired by a distinctive flower decoration: the detail of the flower petal is repeated over the textiles and used as a decorative element to embellish shoulders and gowns. The fabrics and colours are all exclusive to thecorner.com. Not to worry though, there will be more available in January.

All of the pieces are unfortunately far too expensive for the likes of myself (I will be sticking to the fab Gold by Giles for New Look collection), but I love the dress modelled by Pixie Geldolf and those sketches, which I would love to put in frame to decorate my rather overcrowded workspace.