London Fashion Week Party

Hi there beauties. I've got to say I am loving this sunshine. Fingers crossed everyone that it stays. 

I have a lot to show you in today's post which is the Bloggers Love London Fashion Week Party that I attended on the evening of Tuesday 18th February at Mahiki which was a fabulous venue.

So I will start with the fashion show .........

valourandvalkyrie.com

Louise McLeod

chateauboutique.co.uk

This dress looked like wearable art. I have met with Tara the brain behind this brand before and I am definitely a fan.

To view my previous posts on Chateau Boutique check out this link!

kisskouture.co.uk

These dresses looked fabulous on. I met Kiss Kouture before and loved some of their pieces previously. The metallic bandage dresses were my favourites here. To view my previous post featuring Kiss Kouture see this link!

Now on to some of the brands exhibiting at the venue ......

valourandvalkyrie.com

There were some great textured layered pieces as well as some lace detailing from this brand. The Valour & Valkyrie palette is mainly muted with some blue and purple items that shine through.

innulondon.com

The Melville Purses (bottom right) were my faves!

thecustomunderground.co.uk

I met The Custom Underground at another Bloggers Love event previously. I love their colourful graffiti designs and the beanies are so cool. I also featured The Custom Underground in this post!

ice.co.uk

ICE London gifted me with one of their Swarovski pencils in pink (as shown in the heart display). I adore the Princess Pen's (bottom left). I see they have also other items that I love the look of such as fantastically bold coloured reading glasses, wash bags, 2GB USB Man and business card holders. ICE London also offer a gifting service where you can add names, initials, messages or a logo in your chosen font all beautifully presented.

justfab.co.uk

JustFab offer a VIP, unique and personalised fashion styling shopping experience that you can enjoy every month from £35 plus free delivery and returns. With on-trend styles, designer-inspired shoes, handbags, jewellery and denim all up for grabs. The JustFab stylists will pick out the newest products to suit your style every month. You can skip a month if something doesn't take your fancy and you don't have to purchase the items that are chosen for you as it's your shopping experience so why not choose your own too. If you don't have time to shop the stores or are just fashion addicted then this service with many celebrity fans could be for you. 

Thank you to JustFab for the Divine chocolate too. It was yummy :)

oriflame.com

I had a lovely chat with two of the lovelies at the Oriflame stand. One of which was MUA Louise Connor who gave me some handy tips. This is a brand I am very excited about. They have a vast range of skincare, body care, make-up, fragrance, haircare, accessories and wellness products. I was gifted with one of their best selling products the Wonder Lash Mascara so I will review this for you.

Innaya Couture

It was great to see Innaya Couture at another Bloggers Love event. We previously met at the Bloggers Love LFW event in September 2013, link! They have some fabulously detailed jewellery to take you back to a time of kings, queens and palaces.

notjuststuff.co.uk

I had a great chat with Not Just Stuff. I am totally all over these bold necklaces. They would set off a plain tee or dress perfectly. There are more delicate items too from this brand as well as watches, handbags, beauty and accessories.

pepperandmayne.com

The amazing Python Weave Kit Bag above opens up much more. Great for those always on the go. Pepper & Mayne also showed some great quilted textures that were very soft to touch. Perfect for dressing comfortably in style. I also loved their best selling gorgeous ballet dresses.

Pepper & Mayne are also holding a Sky Dance Event on Friday 28th March on the top floor of The Gherkin, London. If you are interested in finding out more check out this link!

Lots of fun was had at this fashion filled event. Cocktails were sipped and manicures were painted while the tunes flowed.

Lewis-Duncan Weedon

Other event attendees were ........

alannarosedesigns.com

Alanna Rose are a kaftan and swimwear brand with colourful and elegant designs.

bellazzi.co.uk

Bellazzi offers luxury bandage and bodycon dresses as well as skirts and accessories.

herra.com

Perfumed fragrance for your hair with protection.

Luna Amani

Luxury bags, purses and accessories.

nina-naustdal.com

Nina Naustdal are a luxury brand with touches of embellishment including Swarovski crystals and feathers as well as 3D belts.

Philippa-lu.com

Philippa Lu are a fashion, accessory and jewellery brand with gifts and art also on offer.

sovainbooks.co.uk

The indie publishing house of books and magazines for stylish young fashionistas and beauty gurus alike.

sweetzboutique.com

A fashion brand with limited edition as well as ongoing designs in their collection.

UNCUT

Uncut are the cutting edge brand featuring sequin embellishments, bold prints and PU pieces.

virginrebel.co.uk

As the name suggests a rebel fashion brand.

As you can see this was a night full of colour, detail, expression, sexiness and fun. Let me know your favourite pieces and brands with reasons why in the comments below.

Love to you all

Chateau Boutique Launching In October!

Hey there beautiful people and Happy Friday. I hope you are all looking forward to the weekend. I was so gutted that I missed out on the Bloggers Love Girls Night Out event last night as I got a really bad migraine and didn't feel well at all. I'm still feeling under the weather, but I get bored easily when I am sick so blogging is my salvation :)

I featured the fashion brand Chateau Boutique previously on my blog when I attended the Bloggers Love London Fashion Week Event. Today's post is to provide you with more information about Chateau Boutique and their October launch.

Chateau Boutique is a new and exciting independent retailer based in Newcastle upon Tyne with items also soon due to be available online. The boutique owned by Tara Gardiner is situated at the heart of the city centre in Newcastle upon Tyne in a beautiful listed building right next to the Castle! 

The website launches on the 21st October selling ladies fashion, shoes, jewellery, accessories, homeware and gifts. Chateau Boutique also offer a tailor made bespoke design service where you can have a dress created especially for you designed either by yourself or the team at Chateau.

Q&A session with owner Tara Gardiner:

How are you different to other retailers out there?

We don't just cater for one type of girl we cater for everybody. I chose to have 5 different types of muses to start off which are girly girl, good time girl, power girl, it girl and quirky girl. I will add more muses as time goes on as everybody is different and I want to appeal to everybody out there. Fashion is for everyone!

Why is there such a high difference in your price points?

Since social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter came along young girls don't want to be photographed in the same dress twice. This is why I decided to stock fast fashion as well as designers so girls can wear a dress for a night out and it wouldn't matter if they never wear it again.

It is very import for me to stock lower priced garments. Being based in Newcastle upon Tyne the nightlife here is so big that girls tend to go out a lot. This is where the fast fashion is much more convenient for girls these days. People tend to make more of an effort for race days, bank holidays and special occasions which is why we will be stocking higher priced garments also.

Why do you make so many kaftans?

I used to travel quite a lot, lived in hot countries abroad and have struggled for years to find good kaftans. I now have a bit of an obsession with them and have even started wearing them during the day. You can easily dress up a pair of jeans and a vest top by wearing a kaftan. We at Chateau Boutique make them in a variety of different styles, prints and colours and we will keep them in stock all year round. Our kaftans are the best!

Where do you find inspiration for designing your garments?

Most of my inspiration comes from travel and I love architecture. When I'm away from my familiar surroundings I notice things a lot more, taking more time to look at things and pay attention to detail. I love to draw from buildings and as no two buildings are the same they always keep me interested.

What is your background in fashion?

I have a degree in fashion so I am qualified in all aspects of fashion from design to marketing. I also worked for one of the top British designers on Regent Street whilst studying in London. I have always had a big interest in fashion from a very young age and it was always the plan to either become a designer or open up my own shop.  

What has inspired your latest collection?

Whilst studying towards my degree in fashion I decided to focus mainly on the business aspect of things. Having started several business' already in the textile industry it came a lot more natural to me, but I didn't have as much time to design anymore. Then after I graduated I moved to Athens, Greece and found that living in a different culture surrounded by the most amazing ancient architecture including the Acropolis it was easy to feel inspired again. A lot of my latest designs were created whilst living in Athens so there will be a lot of bright colours and structured garments.

You also offer a bespoke design service, tell us about that?

Last year I attended the Oscars (Academy Awards) in Los Angeles and really struggled to find 'the perfect dress'. As it was a big event it had to be something spectacular and fit my body perfectly. After failing to find a dress that was suitable I decided to design my own gown and have it tailor made. When I wore the dress I got so many compliments from A list celebrities such as Heidi Klum, Katy Perry and Miley Cyrus. It was truly amazing and really gave me the confidence to start taking my designs more seriously.

Tara Gardiner with Heidi Klum at The Oscars in this beautiful tailor made sparkly dress designed by Tara. 

Here is the dress as featured previously on my blog, Link!

Where did you come up with the name Chateau Boutique?

I took the word castle from the address of the boutique which I am very proud of as the location is one of the oldest parts in the history of Newcastle upon Tyne. As my ancestors and family name originates from France I decided to translate this into French to come up with the word chateau. This way I feel the name has meaning and is personal to me.

What can we expect to see from you in the future?

We have a website that launches on the 21st October 2013. I have been working on this alongside the boutique and my own collection, Chateau for the past year now. I want to give people a unique online shopping experience that is fun and easy to use. There is no other online retailer like us out there. It is going to be very exciting. 

Register online now at www.chateauboutique.co.uk to be in with a chance of winning £500 worth of vouchers to spend online or in store!!

I am very excited about this launch and I hope you are too. Tara is such a lovely person that obviously has fashion in her heart so make sure to keep an eye out for this new retailer with lots to offer.

Love to you all

London Fashion Week Event With Designer Sofia Dourvari & Other Brands

Hi there gorgeous people. I have a feeling that this weekend is going to end all too quickly like last weekend did. Weekends should soooo be longer. Anyway enough of my rant and on to the good stuff.

I attended the Bloggers Love London Fashion Week event party on Tuesday evening. It was a very exciting event with a catwalk show from LFW designer Sofia Dourvari and many fashion items from various brands. The event was hosted by Prince’s Trust Ambassador, celebrity stylist and make up artist Lewis-Duncan Weedon who is also the face of several brands including Pavoni Bags. Lewis-Duncan Weedon has also been a two time recipient of 'Best Dressed' award. There were drinks and candy floss for guests to enjoy too. I will take you around the fashion brands that I spoke to first.

olliemay.com

The first brand I visited before the show is Ollie May. This is one of their very gorgeous dresses. Unfortunately most of the pieces had actually gone by the time I arrived which was actually early.

I was asked if I would like to take a piece from the Ollie May rail. I chose this Claire Sequin Blouse which is £26.00 on the Ollie May website. This is a size 10 (M). It's a little big on me, but I am think of styling it with a high waisted skirt. I love the collar as it makes this feminine peach blouse pop.

Great space age inspired items from 15thlane.com

Shiny Texture Fabric Tee ~ £24.99

Robot Print Shirt ~ £22.99

Just how adorable are these Cruciani friendship style bracelets from brunioltremare.com. So cute and pretty. £10 each.

Gorgeous girls wearing these fab colourful tube skirts from sexkittencouture.com

I love the look styled with the t-shirt tucked in. Relaxed yet still sexy. These striped designs are 59 Euros each.

beckysboutiques.com featured a range of bandage style dresses. This embellished design stood out for me.

There was so much of a buzz around this fashion line that I could not snap the whole rail. The brand is chateauboutique.co.uk. Chateau Boutique offer custom designs as well as a ready to wear range. Make sure to check out the link for the chance to win a £500 voucher to spend online!

I was asked if I would like to take a piece and so I chose this chiffon yellow and orange cheetah print dress. This photo really does not show just how neon it is, but I can tell you it's bold and beautiful. I wasn't sure about the size so I was offered to take another one too. This one is shown from the front in a size S/M.

This is the same dress from the back in blue and pink, but in a size M/L. The S/M is a better fit on me, but I will make them both work. I am looking forward to styling these up too.

 

These beautiful girls introduced me to the handcrafted designer jewellery brand Innaya Couture. My preferred pieces were the blue stoned bangle which came in a variety of shades and the head piece worn in the photo above. I love the asian inspiration behind this collection of jewels.

I received some products from laurensway.com including the Big Bun (Big) ~ £9.95, the Darker Than Dark Self Tanning Bronzing Lotion ~ £17.95 and the Darker Than Dark Self Tanning Bronzing Mousse ~ £19.95.

I also received the Rana Argan Oil ~ £9.00 or £23.00 depending on size. This spray can be used on hair, skin and nails.

I liked the kimono prints at dressedbylauren.bigcartel.com.

Crystal Amaze were also there on the evening. I have featured them previously on my blog which you can view here.

I sadly missed speaking with loveumbrellas.co.uk. They have some beautiful designs that make the rain a bit more bearable.

And now on to some of the pieces in the catwalk show from designer Sofia Dourvari ........

Left: Designer Sofia Dourvari with one of her models

Right: Host Lewis-Duncan Weedon

Sofia Dourvari is the creator of this luxury ladies wear brand. Many of the designs hark back to the designer’s Greek roots with inspiration taken from Greek architecture, flowing lines inspired by the all natural elements. Sofia officially launched the high-end, luxury range of women’s clothing in 2011. During her studies Sofia won the Best Designer Award in the International Student Festival (2007).

“Fashion and design have always been my passions and my philosophy is to create elegant feminine designs that are creative, unusual and suitable for a wide range of occasions, from parties, galas and events, to weddings and formal dinners and even for the office. I like to create timeless designs suitable for ladies of any age, in both classic, practical shapes, in either pencil or skater-style, as well as dramatic floor-length gowns.”

I am so glad that I got to see some fabulous pieces from a great variety of brands as well as the wonderful creations from designer Sofia Dourvari.

Let me know your favourite pieces in the comments below.

Love to you all