Red Hot

Shocking brights are going to be big news this spring/summer. I did my first studio photo shoot last Friday and this week I'm going to be posting the pictures from the shoot. I had a lot of fun styling and being creative with the camera. Fashion photography is definitely where my passion lies. My first look was based on these new season bright red Victoria Beckham jeans £170 from Seasons. Charlotte was the perfect model and looks absolutely gorgeous and I have to say a huge big thank you to Erika Swinn who did the hair and make up. Erika is very talented and has worked at London Fashion week and has also worked with celebrities such as Will Young. 

The perfect gift

Sorry that I have not had chance to post for a few days but it's been a bit of a crazy time as one of my best friends got married yesterday. After getting stuck in the snow on the way over to the wedding and having to abandon the car, it has certainly been an eventful weekend.


My inspiration for tonight's post is this stunning bridesmaid gift I received. I have to say I couldn't hold back the tears when I opened this Theo Fennell solid silver bracelet engraved with a personal message.

Theo Fennell who studied at Byam Shaw School of Art, worked as a silversmith before opening his first shop on Fulham Road in Chelsea in 1982. Theo was once asked to engrave a broken champagne flute for a customer with the words 'good morning Diana', a romantic gesture that influenced Theo's work. The idea that such a personal touch would give joy and pleasure to the owner each time they looked at it.
This jewellery line is simple and beautifully crafted and for me a beautiful keepsake from such a perfect day. View his collection www.theofennell.com

Love your bag

I was out and about at the weekend having a coffee and a catch up with my friend when I spotted this lovely lady looking uber cool with this striped shoulder bag. Spring is a great time to invest in a new handbag so I have picked out a few of my favourites from the 2012 collections.

The Satchel bag 

Leather Pushlock Satchel £85 Topshop.com

The Chain Handle 

Cream Chain Bag £28 Topshop.com

The Large Clutch

Christopher Kane Laser Cut Leather Clutch £295 www.net-a-porter.com

The Weekend bag

Black Handbag £19.99 www.zara.com

Urban casual

We are currently seeing a return of 90's grunge (and yes I can remember it the first time round). In the 70's and 80's fashion was in your face with tie dyed clothing and neon brights. Throughout the 90's, the influence of music such as Nirvana and Pearl Jam lead to a more anti conformist approach, with a more causal feel and a less try hard attitude.

Make sure you check out the black boots at the bottom of this page from Kurt Geiger. They are half price at the moment. I have even bought a pair myself, they are really comfy and pretty much go with any outfit.

Denim Jacket £29.99 H&M www.hm.com

Red Blouse £14.99 www.hm.com

Black Studio Boots Now £75 www.kurtgeiger.com

English rose

This beautifully hand crafted headband looks stunning with crimson red lipstick. Pale skin and bold lip colour is a perfect look on a cold January afternoon.

Mac Pro Long Wear Lip Creme £16 www.maccosmetics.co.uk 

If you are looking for a dramatic head piece, take a look at the knitted headband below and keep your ears toasty until spring.

Headband with Bow £21 Collard Manson

Check mate

I have got to admit I have been a bit stumped with this post. Men's fashion takes a little bit more research when it comes to making suggestions, as it's not my forte. This guy caught my eye in New York and I have been trying to find a good alternative to the jacket that he is wearing in the pictures above. Here is what I have come up with.

Take inspiration from the 1900's and rock the old school chap look with a Harris tweed check sports jacket

Harris Tweed Fergus jacket Was £300 Now £164 CW menswear

If you are looking for a Savile Row tailored classic have a look at the collection on the Savvy row website. They have a superb collection of original designs.  

Vintage Donegal Tweed Jacket £75 www.savvyrow.co.uk

"We are the mods" I can't get enough of 60's fashion at the moment and I am fascinated by youth culture inspired fashion and the connection between musical eras and their impact on trends. Hence one of my favourite reads being Jon Savage's England's Dreaming.

Retro 4 Button Mod 2 Piece Lords John Suit Jacket £95 www.modshopping.com 

Sisters with attitude

After continuing to experiment with my camera, I switched into manual mode last week and decided to just play around and have a little bit of fun. Here is the result. Check out this seriously stylish sister duo making an impact in spots and flower print.  

Recreate Charlotte's look with this spotted shirt £22 from Urban Outfitters

Fliss is wearing a black sheer blouse £20 also from Urban Outfitters

Big spots speak volumes. I really like this navy alternative £95 from Whistles

Something a little bit different

Collard Manson is an awesome boutique in Sheffield. I have been a big fan of this shop since it was opened back in 2003 by husband and wife team Tim Collard and Zara Manson. After starting out with a small location on Devonshire Street they now have 2 more stores in Nottingham and Meadowhall. 

Why do I love this place so much? I hear you asking. There are a number of reasons. The first reason is because of the staff. It's nice to go into a shop that has a personal touch. The second reason is because of the fabulous selection of bags and jewellery. I have bought some very cool items from Collard Manson over the years including the bag pictured below, which I also have in black. All bags are designed and branded by Collard Manson, making them exclusive and unique. If you want something a little bit different visit www.collardmanson.com  

Vintage Vixen

I have been shopping at Syd and Mallory for a couple of years now. This cute and quirky shop offers a range of custom designed clothing and cool one off collectables. Syd and Mallory pride themselves on making individual clothing that you will not find on the high street. Check out their online store SydandMallory to see what they have to offer. 

 Charlotte is wearing a beautiful vintage top teamed with Chanel pearls, a classic look

Amongst the clothing you can also find a few hidden treasures. Bob Dylan on vinyl

Syd and Mallory handmade dress and fringed bags hanging from deer antlers

In a world of bows

I have to admit I have a mini obsession with accessories (who doesn't). I found this amazing little shop about a month ago in the centre of Sheffield. On entering I was hit with an array of colour. I got chatting to Lucy who was sat behind the counter on her sewing machine, she told me how she hand sews all of the fabulous bows. Every design is unique and there are so many to choose from. If you are anything like me, I guarantee you will end up leaving the shop with a bag full. If you are not local to Sheffield, do not fear you can shop online at dontfeedthebears.co.uk. They also have an awesome collection of t-shirts and bags (oh and they are currently having a half price sale). 

Go on, get feeding those bears.......

The collarless jacket

We are going vintage next week, so it seemed appropriate to post this picture that I captured yesterday. Coco Chanel introduced the collarless jacket into her collection in 1925 and the Beatles made this type of jacket famous in the swinging sixties, inspired by french designer Pierre Cardin. 


Here are a few of my favourites. 

Mango Collarless Blazer £69 ASOS

Short Studio Blazer £89 Zara

Crop Back Collarless Blazer £65 Topshop

It's Friday let's kick back in black and white

I thought I would post the black and white outfit I spoke about last week as I loved it so much. The weekend has arrived and I'm kicking back with a whiskey before hitting the streets tomorrow armed with my camera, so watch out Sheffield.

 It's all about vintage next week...

Shoes, Shoes, Shoes

Whilst strolling down trendy Park Slope in Brooklyn with my friend, I stumbled across this little boutique.  We had a lovely time browsing whilst being offered red wine, cheese and a selection of cured meats (the ideal shopping experience). I have to say, we were a little bit tipsy when we wondered out with our purchases. They had a great range of footwear, I noticed a punk feel to the collection with a number of studded shoes on sale.

I have picked out a few online alternatives inspired from this New York store.

 Carvela Larry Flats £85 Now £35 (Black/Pink/Purple) Kurt Geiger

Legit Stud Ankle shoe Was £50 Now £10 Office