Whitfield Jack - Jewellery Genius

Occasionally I stumble across weird and wonderful things on the internet (this time whilst looking for some suitable adornment to my Pina Colado NYE fancy dress outfit) Jewellery by Whitfield Jack from Key West is one of these such finds. Kitsch, a bit wrong, but definitely a bit right.
Caribbean Sunset

Pina Colada

Coral Holding Up the Sea

Drink, Shop & Do

Drink, Shop & Do is a very exciting little tea, vintage and new designer shop that is a hidden gem in Kings Cross, an area not known for its eccentric boutiques.
Housed in an old Victorian bathhouse, No. 9, Caledonian Road, N1 9DX, founders Kristie and Coralie couldn't have found a better building for their shop. Drink, Shop & Do is exactly as the name implies a space where you are free to drink, shop and indulge in activities such as 'Knit Night' held weekly on Tuesdays.

ATE
Salmon, cheese & pickle sandwiches - with crusts cut off white bread of course
Goats cheese & red onion, blue cheese & broccoli, and spinach home made tarts served with salad
Carrot cake
Chocolate truffles, which you roll in cocoa, crushed up ginger nuts or ground almonds

DRANK
Pot of tea for four
Pot of tea for two
6 glasses of water
(no alcohol, which is available if you so desire!)

COST
£10 each (there were four of us and we were very full)

Merchant Archive W9 3EF

A great shop for vintage clothing and contemporary brands such as Karen Walker and Comme Des Garcons is Merchant Archive, the owner has great taste with a finely tuned eye that maybe dangerous for my bank balance, especially as the shop is only two minutes from my house!

My favourite pieces which are available to buy online include;
'Black diamond Supernova' necklace by Comfort Station


Gold 'Comet' ring by Spanner and Wingnuts designer Anneka Moore



And last but by no means least this lovely snakeskin print swimsuit and cover up

BLACK NEON at Surgery PR Press Days SS11

BLACK NEON will be at Surgery PR's Spring Summer 2011 Press Days
November 3rd & 4th 2010
At their new offices, 1st Floor, 16 -17 Little Portland Street, London W1W 8BP
from 9:30am - 6pm
RSVP to fashion@surgerypr.com

Norma Kamali / Stud Suit

Norma Kamali graduated in from the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York in 1964 with a BFA degree in fashion Illustration. Known for creating the first 'sleeping bag coat' Kamali has again grabbed my attention with her stunning $950 studed swimsuit!

Albam / Factories Preview Tonight

To launch 'FACTORIES', the photography book Albam have been working on with John Spinks there is an invite only preview tonight at the Beak Street store, London.
However not long to wait until the book will be available to buy instore from tomorrow.

....John Spinks started out as an assistant to photographer Juergen Teller has also founded 'Draft' magazine with art director Paul Cohen......

Revival Retro

Revival Retro founded by Rowena Howie is a great place to get those hard to find shoes, plus a few other clothing items for dancing.
I'm not sure how I feel about jiving in wedges as I feel I need a heel to turn on but I'm sure after a test drive these would be great, they certainly look the part!

IBIZA 0910 - A Must, Las Salinas

Driving amongst the salt flats on the way to Las Salina we would have never imagined that it was quite a walk to the deserted beach. After parking the car we found ourselves walking through a pine forest in the early morning (8.30am in Ibiza is early, unless you are seeing it from the other side, then it is indeed a late night) with sunshine rays, enthusiastic runners and mountain bikers, we finally came across several small beaches within coves of white rock.


In search of the famous Jockey Club with the hope of a comfy sun lounger and a long awaited decent breakfast, we were not disappointed. The Jockey Club effortlessly chic, with served one of the best breakfasts I have ever tasted. After grabbing the odd piece of fruit in replacement for my normally fairly substantial breakfast, the muesli, fruit, yogurt, sweet honey and crusty toast topped off with a cuppa was perfect, not to mention the idyllic view!
Little did we know that the Jockey Club has a car park, so we needn't have walked through the forest. However we wouldn't have sunbathed in the secluded coves on our way back. Unknowingly these coves are nudist, a point which we later found out when we were descended upon by a middle aged man and wife with a keen interest in playing bat and ball in the sea!

IBIZA 0910 - Out & About

IBIZA 0910 - Hippies and History

Nestled amongst the hills and greenery Ibiza's famous hippy market bares its soul and magic whilst being surrounded with lovely bohemian clothing and jewellery. With its magnetic draw Ibiza is renound for its spiritual inhabitants, as well as the party goers. Often its hard to think of Ibiza before the 60's hippy visitors but there's alot more to this beautiful islands history.

A very brief history.......

Due to its strategic position between mainland Spain and Africa, Ibiza was highly prized as a colony and trading post and was visited by the Ancient Greeks and later ruled by both the Carthaginians and the Romans.
In 654 BC Phoenician settlers founded a port in the Balearic Islands, as Ibossim. The island was dedicated to the god of the music and dance Bes, who could protect men against evil spirits and strangle snakes.
During the 5th - 9th Century's AD, Ibiza was invaded and conquered by such folk as the Vandals, the Barbarians and the Byzantines.
The Arabs came in the 9th century A.D. and stayed for almost 500 years.
The island was reclaimed for Christendom by Aragonese King James I of Aragon in 1235.
Since then, the island has had its own self-government in several forms but in 1715 King Philip V of Spain abolished the local government's autonomy. The arrival of democracy in the late 1970s led to the Statute of Autonomy of the Balearic Islands. Today the island is part of the Balearic Autonomous Community, along with Majorca, Minorca and Formentera.

In its more recent history Ibiza the “island of light” has attracted painters and photographers because of its unusual clarity of air. In 1934 the Bauhaus architects among them Walter Gropius, Erich Bronner and Corbusier arrived to the small island of just over 500 sq miles. They were fascinated by the architecture with its modular, cubic arrangements and the thick walls of its buildings.

From the 1950's the island has attracted those wishing to lead a different kind of life, one in tune with self and surrounding, with the freedom to live the life you wish. The island draws people for many reasons, perhaps because of the world famous clubs (which are famous due simply down to ibiza's unique magnetism) or perhaps because of the islands long spiritual history and mysticism, which ever reason Ibiza welcomes its visitors with open arms, leaving them with a feeling that will never be forgotten.

Beautiful hand made bags by World Family Ibiza consisting of Alok and Merel and their six children. You can feel that these bags, purses and belts are made with love. Prices are around £150 - £600


Apache Indian style leather bags, purses, and head adornments with feathers made by this lovely lady truly represent her taste or perhaps even her soul!

IBIZA 0910 - Campos de Ibiza

Amongst the rows of yachts and stylish restaurants stands Campos de Ibiza. Selling their own range of fragrances, lotions and candles along side swimwear from Eres and Princess Tam Tam with cover ups from Antik Batik the store embodies sophistication for those who have the cash to splash, certainly worth a visit!

Nicholas Kirkwood / Lust List

Nicholas Kirkwood makes the most desirable, modern, luxurious shoes I have ever seen. His sculptural designs created out of unusual exotic fabrics such python, shaved stingray, laser-cut mirror leather, and cobra, blurs the boundaries between shoes and art. Visiting Selfridges new shoe galleries this was the one shoe that made my heart skip a beat. God I wish I would buy them!


I came across this pic... which compliments the shoes perfectly!

GO HANNAH!!!

Good luck tomorrow Hannah, watch out London Fashion Week!

Friday 16:45 Hannah Marshall BFC Show Space


Hannah and Erin in this week Stylist Magazine.

Olga Olsson / Brand Feature

Luxury, Ethics & Craftmanship are at the core of Olga Olsson's beliefs. Named after the founder, Ruth Ferguson's grandmother Olga, the brand is true to the Ruth's heart, and everything that true creation should be. Something I remember Katharine Hamnett mentioned to me in passing was that she 'never wants to make something that hurts someone else'. This ethic is something I think Ruth would certainly identify with. Olga Olsson is made in a small atelier in Rio de Janeiro by 8 very skilled women, who are all paid a fair wage with transport costs covered. In addition to this the fabric is hand painted, by young artisans who are part of an NGO founded by artist Ana Castro. Ana teaches hand painting for textiles, dying, tye dye, batik, silk screen, and dip-dye to apprentices with an aim to create new paths for their lives to take, away from the violent district of Complexo Maré in Rio.




Ruth having previously worked for Alexander McQueen, Matthew Williamson, Hackett and Harrods certainly knows the luxury market, here's hoping that we can put British (Brazilian) swimwear on the map in a similar way to women's ready to wear draws the crowds to London fashion week!
SS11 maybe the first season for Olga Olsson, I don't doubt we will see the brand and its creators blossom. Olga Olsson is by far the hottest swimwear brand I've seen in a long time (apart from Black Neon of course!!)
Meeting Ruth at last months Lingerie Collective has been a blessing in its self, not only is she a lovely girl, it's finally great to have someone in exactly the same boat, to bounce ideas around with!
SS11 will be available next spring online at Olga Olsson.

Seventh Wonderland / Brand Feature

As part of August's Lingerie Collective the Australian brand Seventh Wonderland showed their SS11 collection. Having long been a fan of the brand I'm always excited to see what new delights are on offer. Once again Seventh Wonderland delivers fashion forward stylish cuts and great unusual prints, my fav being the marble effect print. I was equally happy to see the introduction of more beachwear, namely shorts and kaftans again in their unique prints. I can't wait to get my hands on a marble print suit!