Exercise in Style....

Exercise in style and then get merry...really could you ask for much more? Calling all fashion lovers, tea drinkers, merry men and women and cycle fanatics as registration for London's 3rd annual tweed run opens on 26th February.

Combining all the essentials for a london quirky event with style, don your finest tweeds, pack your bum bag and then join 400 others to cycle round some of london's best sites...including saville row of course) have a delightful afternoon tea sponsored by Aubin & Wells! with it all ending in a good old fashioned knees up (out horeditch way...of course! wouldn't bet you anything to guess that). Lets face it, this is going to attract some of those gents(who really arn't gents..just so far crawled up there fashionable bums they have ended up in a different era!) but i do mean few and far between...its a great laugh, great people, competitions galore for best bikes, dress and moustache and its only a £5 with all proceeds going to BIKES4AFRICA. A spiffingly marvellous day, a good cause, a free afternoon tea, a few too many sherry's and hey i think you can count this as exercise!

check here www.tweedrun.com for more updates and make sure to log on for your tickets on the 26th Feb (last year they sold out in under and hour!) - just don't forget to tuck your tweeds into your socks and avoid any unecessary falls or torn trousers!

Fashion for me and you

Wether you care or not London Fashion Week has begun. My liver has been eased in with a quick pop in to the Diesel/Addidas party last night, my body is no longer my temple and my starbucks card, canapes, berocca and diary....along with my daily apple must, are my new best friends. For me FW is not so much about the big shows but about the free booze and exciting new designers...and then the post show updates the following day obviously. However this year things are a little different...out are the late nights (she says despite being on many a glists this year) instead i am replacing(or maybe just combining with) my normal FW antics with endless watching of shows that are happening across the city. If you know or work in the industry you'll understand the buzz...if not and you want to feel apart of it for the first year ever - LFW is coming to the masses. Finally! Considering the industry brings in a huge amount of revenue for the capital its nice to see its finally reachable.

Daily Video highlights will be shown across screens on the underground, whilst at LFW venue Somerset house shows will be streamed live in its courtyard and one of our most iconic British brands, Burberry will be live streaming their Burberry Porsum show on the famous piccadilly screen on 21st at 4pm. So really wether you care don't care or are just in it for the booze or schmozze you can't help but get the buzz this year.

Click here for more info www.londonfashionweek.com/digital

WATER / Apartment House

A very adapt post considering my overwhelming need for a lot of water (have just been out pounding the streets and worked up a healthy sweat) and something other than the guilty pleasure drown of Radio 1 i have resorted to to get me through the 'working at home'.

These delectable dreamy tunes may not be the perfect work out playlist , but they are brilliant for a post workout stretch, so with a hose down my throat on one of my daily check ins at bandcamp i have well and truly feed both my physical and musical thirst. We may be drowning in a wash of dreamwave/showgaze upcomers but i am more than happy to invest my time swimming in their sweetly scented, non salty tasting pool of tunes.

Being some what broke at the moment bandcamp has become my new musical haven for free tunes and you can download their offering of california dreaming synths in the form of album Apartment House now from bandcamp...check it out here

Howkapow

Firstly the name does it all for me....i can't seem to stop saying it and after checking out what howkapow was all about i fell in love (and my overdraft) a little bit more. An online store it offers both a space for selling and promoting some of the best upcoming and most importantly innovative talent in design and art around. Its a bit like a bigcartel but cuter and a bit more select and kitsch. To be honest every day is a day of love, a day of love for myself mainly but in light of the V day (my first alone in over 4 years, and of which i am spending in a country retreat - the family home, alone with red wine, salmon dinner and a huge log fire!) here are my favourite picks and a must for those who are in need of a personal treat.....

LOVE FOR THE PLANET(AND SHOPPING) A witty take on the disposable shopping bag, made from ethically-sourced leather by London based designer Natalie Thakur

PUPPY LOVE Created by Glasgow art graduate Emma Henderson Jack is a natural hot water bottle filled with wheat and lavender.

LOVE FOR THY SELF Disco Teradactyl created by Gonzalo. A Barcelona-based freelance illustrator and designer.

LOVE FOR THE HOME Bath-based designer Matt Pugh creates timeless, unique pieces from quality sustainable materials

HOWKAPOW

Rocking all over the catwalk...and some of London!

Innocently i tripped along to the launch of the New Core Spirit store the other night to check out the space and see what they had going on, little did i know i would end up at soho house after strutting it on the catwalk, meeting some fine gentlemen and doing my part to save the pub! Eventful is one word!

Honestly, the Core Spirit clothing isn't my cup of tea normally (think modern sleek italiana glam incased in concretes, studs and metal work) however after a good perusal of the collection i discovered some lovely gems! A beautiful peach floaty top with black lace black, a denim all in one and a gorgeous cream felt style bag! still tempted to go and get the bag!

YOU ROCK THE CATWALK!Set over two minamalist floors the new store boast its very own amateur catwalk! The real gem in this is that anyone can use the catwalk wether for some test work, a bit of fun or to help build your portfolio. So from teh 1st of March you can log on to the Core Spirit site and book your space absolutly free - makeup artists, a backstage area, self controlled lighting and a heap of clothes to choose from i suggest you check it out!

So after a few glasses of champagne and much persuading from the Ballard of girls and guy i found myself whipped backstage, being styled by the lovely BE (ballard of stylist), my hair whipped up, backcombed and bobbed and my eyes smoked out by the lovely on hand make up team. Another few glasses of champers, and a lot of perving on the models backstage i was ready for my debut! A somewhat tragic run looking back, i was shaking my booty a little to much(probably making up for the lack of it!) but a great experience none the less. I wore a grossly gorgeous marroon leather jacket with sharp cuts and lace inserts and lovely sleep black dress.....again never something i would wear but i most definitly rocked the Catwalk at the Core Spirit store!

A lovely evening which continued into the night at various london locations.....Huge thankyou to Ballard Of for the company and Core Spirit and Stephanie Churchill Pr for a wonderful evening!

You can check out more pictures and their review of the night from the lovelies at Ballard Of Here

Brat&Suzie

Brat and Suzie is growing up and onwards! The other day i popped along to see the girlies at Freewheelin' and checked out the beautiful new collection from Brat&Suzie. Set up by Polly Vickery only a few years ago the collection seems to be only going from strength to strength and catching up with the lady herself over Christmas it sounds like this is only the beginning of it, with plans for loads more diversity in the collection already in the pipeline.

It's still maintains the kitsch creatures and well fitting tee shapes that we know, love and that has become the signature of the brand so fas (note the recent Henry Holland fox jumper - a design that polly has had for a while!) but added in we have a new selection of tees, shorts and dresses in whimsical patterns and a delightful mix of ice cream shades - a succesful nod to trends, the signature brat&suzie illustrations and a new direction and progession.

http://www.brat&suzie.com/

DD003

If you’re a follower of my ramblings you would have seen me talk about these guys before, if you haven’t go check out their site now! Along with profiling and bringing to the forefront some undiscovered musical talent double denim records produce storming exclusive 7”, available in only a limited number, each release features handpicked choice from the best featured on the blog.

Great sounds combined with great display, presentation and style these are a must if you are a fan of 7” (or just pretty things and nice sounds!)

Its time for release three and the guys have produce yet another must have spilt featuring Star Slinger (blogged here last month) They have yet to disappoint on the choices so far and with releases 5 & 6 already confirmed(i have a little knowledge on who this will be and they are both gooduns!) things look set to only get bigger for DD! Keep up the good work guys!

ORDER NOW - DD003 / HARD MIX // STAR SLINGER - SPLIT 7"

www.doubledenimrecords.com

Harry Malt

Bare Bones are one crack team of pen scribbling artists who i have had the lovely pleasure of working with, and finally the man behind it all is stepping up and giving us his very own solo show! Harry Malt's illustrative humour seen through his work with Bare Bones has always been something of a fancy for me and im really looking forward to seeing 100% of his works

It wouldn't be wise for me to try and describe this in my words, but if you have heard of Bare Bones or haven't and are a fan of lines, illustrative art with humour and grit and emotion then i suggest you check it out. The show, in his own words... "Tales from the bus stop. The bus stop centric universe, the focal point for everything that happens. People leaving, people returning, some people never buy tickets, travelling to the next town, or the capital or away to foreign countries. Escapism on physical and metaphorical levels. Self medicating. Confusing lust for love. The importance of transportation, a scooter, scrambler or even a car. A desire to be somewhere else, a constant feeling and fear of missing out. The grass is definitely greener. Curiosity never killed anyone who stayed here"

quarterlybarebones.blogspot.com

www.harrymaltdrawspictures.blogspot.com

Until That Day I Love U Anyway

By Harry Malt
10th February - 7th March 2010
Opening 10th February 6 - 9pm
Print House Gallery,
Ashwin Street,
London
E8 3DL

Poppy in Illustration

On Friday night i met the lovely Jenny Robins (make sure you check out her site!)who, as part of a team of extremely talented illustrators at the afternoon tea & launch for Amelia's new book 'Amelia's Compendium of Fashion Illustration' (which you must check out!) treated guests to their very own fashion illustration! The whole day and night was amazing. Along with getting my very own FL in the afternoon we were treated to some yummy scones from Lily Vanilli who also created the amazing centre piece cake (pictured), tea's from Pukka and hand massages! Then after popping out for some catch up's and a quick bite to eat (im a lightweight without food!) with some fellow revellers it was back for the after-party. The place was absolutely packed, Amelia was on top form (and in some most fabulous Nina Dolcetti shoes!) and we took full advantage of the dancefloor (and vodka!ooops!) and then later proceeded to get even more drunk and develop a new best friend in the form of drag queen Ginger Johnson!(although he wasn't in drag at the time!)

There was too much to write about but last and definitely not least i can't forget to mention the amazing goody bags we received in the afternoon! Been wearing my Tatty Devine necklace all weekend and am 100% a Dr.Hauschka convert. HUGE thankyou for inviting me down!

www.ameliasmagazine.com