Granny-Square Style

So, September has arrived...and for those of us no longer beholden to the school bell it means one thing...Autumn is on it’s way. And, while (at the moment) the weather remains clement, the fact remains that pretty soon all of us will be ditching our whimsical summer dresses for staple winter-woolies.

Layering is always a key trend for winter, and thanks to the likes of our beloved Cara and her most stylish bezzie, Rita Ora, the beanie is likely to continue to be a key ear-warming trend into this winter. So - like any self-respecting fashion devotee...how do you prepare! 

Well...rather than following to Oxford Street stampede to Primark to buy an acrylic monstrosity in every shade imaginable, why not head to John Lewis Haberdashery and get creative! Yarn craft is growing in popularity all the time meaning that you can now easily pick up the yarn of your dreams! 

While knitting is great, it can be a little time consuming, but crotchet comes together much more quickly. The great news is it’s also easy-peasy to pick up the basics and there is loads of free help available on-line from the likes of Ravelry to help get you started. 

Granny-squares are how most people start, and they can be made into almost anything.

I worked with classic monochrome shades from Louisa Harding’s stunning collection of yarn to make this scarf. Using Chanel’s timeless style as my inspiration I built up the texture with a finishing touch of fluffy wool to give a mixed texture fur-finish.  

If your looking for a more colourful effect, work with gently graduating shades for a Missoni-esque look. Check out these pictures from 2013 and 2014 spring collections for some inspiration.

Kelly Brook leads Vita Liberata Liberation Day Campaign

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Thanks to the hard work of our suffragette sisters in arms, women today are able to chose their own path and be whoever we they want to be.

However, empowerment has its challenges. For many women, emancipation opened a number of doors without closing existing ones. In most households, women continue to be the main homemaker while also working full time, giving many ladies a daily to-do list the length of the M1.

Thankfully, help is on hand from luxury tanning brand Vita Liberata…

 

100 years after Emily Davison’s suicide as part of the suffragette movement, and five decades after ‘Women’s Lib’, Vita Liberata want to know just how liberated todays woman has really become…

Their unique Liberation Day campaign invites women to explain what their day-to-day responsibilities are, and what they would do if they had none! What’s more, one lucky entrant will be given the opportunity to experience their perfect 24 hours with all their daily tasks taken care of while they are left free to indulge in whatever their heart desires!

While this campaign is both fun and aspirational, it has a serious side too as Vita Liberata founder and CEO, Alyson Hogg explains, “The aim is to give someone their Day of Liberation but more importantly to find out if women really are as free as they think they are, to think big for themselves’”

Leading the campaign is Kelly Brook, “I am so excited to be part of the Liberation Day Campaign; it is a great initiative that allows women to really think about what liberates them outside of their day-to-day lives”

Enter the competition now to be in with a chance of winning your perfect day…

Selfridges London: All Paths point to the third floor and it’s Destination Denim

If your Selfridges bound this Summer, there’s only one thing to be wearing: Denim. And you can forget about under playing the look with you favorite stonewash number or some classic black skinnies…this time, denim wants you to go BIG or go home!

Channeling this look can be a tall order, as in the past double denim has been a bit of a fashion black hole. At risk of ending up looking like a Britney and Justin red carpet disaster or worse, an homage to 90’s pop band B*witched, denim overload has traditionally been a look to avoid…

That’s why the Selfridges Denim Studio is leaving nothing to chance! With the world’s largest collection of Denim, you’ll be certain to find something you’ll love. And just in case (like me) you’re a fashion faux pas waiting to happen, the double denim clad sales assistants are there to help you all the way. They even have a free personal shopping service for those in need of a little more help.

Jean-spiration has now filled the store; with the famous window displays giving some super creative takes on how to wear this mega hot look. The variety on display serves to highlight the superb versatility of this wonderful material, and validates the importance it now plays in this landmark building…

But what if your one of the many who just can’t wear denem every day? Well Selfridges have the answer to that too. For a limited time only, you’ll get a free Denim Manicure if you buy the Nails Inc. Denim manicure kit. Now everyone can wear denim all the time…even to work!

Great coffee, gorgeous gifts and countless little curiosities: Les Trois Garcons

Inconspicuously tucked away down a little Shoreditch back street, Les Trois Garcons is a place make your way to, rather than happen upon. Success, despite lack of passing trade is usually an excellent litmus test for what to expect, and true enough this hidden gem did not disappoint. 

Their coffee is one of the best in London (a bold claim I know) and the service is fabulous. Attentive and friendly without a hint of the pretentious snobbery you may expect from such a location.

A veritable treasure trove of all kinds of trinkets, you’ll be certain to find something that will tickle your fancy! From novelty items to vintage gems, there’s every kind of knick-knack and what’s better, you can combine the experience with a tasty little morsel.

You’ll also find more substantial tasty treats on the menu, from Beef Bourguinion and Malaysian Yellow Chicken Curry, but while the surroundings are playfully opulent, the prices are remarkably reasonable. For the price of your usual M&S salad and obligatory Percy Pigs (we cant resist them on our way to the till either) you could indulge in a beautifully cooked meal here…

So , for your next lunch break unchain yourself from your desk, ditch the layered prawn salad and make for Les Trios Garcons…you’ll be glad you did!

What would you do for a free pair of shoes?

Fans of fashion focused chick lit will be fully aware that today marks the launch of Revenge wears Prada: the DevilReturns, sequel to The Devil Wears Prada. Vogue veteran and author, Lauren Weisberger famously drew on her experiences working as an assistant for Anna Wintour in her creation of the incredibly high maintenance Miranda Priestly. While we all wonder just how much artistic license has been used, both the novel and the film pose the question…what would you endure to achieve your dream job?

For me, my job has usually been the means to an end, with the end usually neatly boxed and comprising tissue paper, dust bags, spare heel tips ad of course…a pair of new shoes.  So, what if you could cut out the middle man – the job?

Today, I found out!  

To celebrate the UK launch of the novel publishers, Harper Collins hosted an event on South Molten street where 40 girls undertook a strut-off to win, among other prizes, a custom pair of shoes. True to London form, it was raining and chilly, but the London ladies threw themselves down the runway in pursuit of the footwear holy grail! Having being strictly warned by event host Lisa Snowdon, that ‘one foot must be on the carpet at all times’, there were some very interesting takes on the Catwalk ‘strut’!

Cheering along to the music, I realized I had a real affinity with these girls, and under different circumstances I’d be strutting with them. The quest for shoes has had me waiting in endless queues, saving for months and enduring some serious pain for my fabulous footwear…

So if the Devil wears Prada, we’d probably swap our soul for a pair of his shoes…