Marc by Marc Jacobs Press Event

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If you know me and my blog, you’ll also know that I am a longtime fan of Marc by Marc Jacobs. So when a small group of us Nuffies (Nuffnang bloggers) were invited along to the A/W ’14 and Resort Collection ’15 press event, I was beyond excited. There’s no way I’d rather spend my evening than with some of my fave blogger ladies, whilst getting a glimpse of the new MBMJ items.

The collection is the brainchild of Luella Bartley and Katie Hillier (who were in attendance at the event). Two fabulous British designers who have taken over the helm of the brand. The collection is a myriad of reds and greens, with references to Japanese street fashion and Samurai legends, emblazoned with the words ‘revolution’ and ‘Bunny Hop’ (which google tells me are motocross terms). Not all of the collection is as in your face though, with a nod to a more minimalistic style showing up in several pieces.

My favourite pieces from the collection had to be the pleated metallic skirts and the Bunny Hop tote bag, both are staple items I could easily add to my wardrobe. From the previews I’d seen I wasn’t too keen on some of the layering, but after seeing Katie wearing one of the skirts at the event I’m coming round to the idea. The tailoring and cuts on the other hand are spectacular, and I desperately wanted to try on several pieces I spotted during the evening. I’d definitely have done so at any given chance.

A Peek Inside… My Little Diane Von Furstenberg Box

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Everyone knows the horror of coming home to find a ‘sorry we missed you’ note from the Royal Mail. Well I am not immune either it would seem, as I found out last week. I knew it had to be my October My Little Box. I rushed to the depot as soon as it opened the following day, and the relief I felt when my box was handed over to me was like nothing else. I think I’m hooked.

This month’s theme is ‘My Little Diane Von Furstenberg Box’. I wasn’t sure what to think when I first heard of the theme. DVF is a household designer name, yet for me all it brought to mind were images of wrap dresses. I wasn’t quite sure where they would go with this box. I didn’t hang around to find out…

What was inside My Little Diane Von Furstenberg Box?
– Illustration by Kanako
– Drawstring pouch
– DVF scarf
– DVF lips brooch
– My Little Beauty Eau Micellar
– Keratase Hairspray
– L’Occitane Hand Cream
– My Little World Magazine

What did I think?
Honestly I wasn’t looking forward to this box as much as last month’s, for the aforementioned reasons. Still I wanted to give the MLB team the benefit of the doubt. They’d done well by me last month, and I had faith that they would continue their winning streak. As I opened the box I was greeted by an array of gorgeous colours and patterns. The lip pin is adorable, and I can see it fitting in perfectly with my current love for monochrome. I wasn’t too keen on another travel size hair spray, but Keratase are a good brand at least. The eau micellar water (smells amazing by the way) and the L’Occitane vanilla hand cream are both perfect travel-size goodies. The pouch wasn’t as cute this time round, and Kananko’s illustration was ok, but not as cute as her previous ones. The magazine is a great read (love the scarf tutorial), and although I probably won’t use it, the DVF discount is a nice touch. The winning item for me? The scarf. At first I was a little disheartened that I hadn’t received the monochrome version, but truthfully this will look so much better paired with my outfits. It’s bold without being brash, and the colours which at first seemed daunting, are actually rather gorgeous. Ultimately the October My Little DVF Box falls into the goodie pile, mainly thanks to that gorgeous scarf.

If you fancy subscribing yourself, head to My Little Box.

Designer Spotlight: Elena Saraceni

I really feel like up-and-coming designers aren’t given enough love, so when I happened upon Elena Saraceni at the Red Vatican press launch I knew I had to dedicate a post to her work. Elena’s designs called out to me personally as I loved the intricacy that had gone into her pieces. Not only are her designs painstakingly hand-embroided but they call out to the woman who prefers something with a bit more attitude. The woman who grew up being called a ‘tomboy’ when really she just felt sexier in an oversized leather vest. Biker jackets, skirts with skulls on, studs and one effortlessly chic clutch bag. Need I say more?

I contacted her and asked if she wouldn’t mind telling me a bit about herself and her designs.

DESIGNER NAME: Elena Saraceni

ORIGIN: Born in Argentina, raised in Venezuela with Italian, French, Argentinian and Venezuelan heritage.

DESIGN BACKGROUND: Graduated from Central Saint Martins, London College of Fashion and Instituto Brivil. Holds a BA, Graduate Diploma and an Masters in Fashion design. She has worked between Paris, London and Caracas with Oscar Carvallo, Consuelo Zoelly, Maria Grachvogel, Alexander McQueen and her own brand and projects.

DESIGN SIGNATURES: It would be more a language than a stamp. Balance between contradictory elements, making sense out of a paradox.

BRAND PHILOSOPHY: Find potential in the ordinary, find beauty in the unexpected.

CULTURAL INFLUENCES:  Music, art, travel, everything. And there’s also cinema, a movie has art, photography, style, philosophy, attitude, music and video all in one.

LATEST COLLECTION: The Amish Outlaw Collection ’14

“An Amish girl gets shunned by her family after she falls in love with a biker that was passing by and runs away with him. Now, she’s trying to figure out how to belong to her new family without letting go of her religious beliefs.”

Inspired by Amish country and outlaw motorcycle clubs, the collection features hand-embroidered themes taken from the artisanal Amish quilts and Biker visual identification and adornment, to create quilting for textured leather and workwear cotton. Mixing textured and flat fabrics, handwork and machine work, leather and quilting and melting them with a concept that joins antagonistic elements together. The magic happened in the in-between as always. Making sense out of the senseless. Looking for similarities in apparently different ideas. Making sense out of a paradox through the alchemy of concepts diluting them in a bricolage of styles and materials.

Browse and shop The Amish Outlaw Collection at Elena Saraceni, and in-store at Red Vatican.

Review: Viktor & Rolf Bonbon Perfume

Viktor & Rolf Bonbon Perfume*

This is a different kind of review for me. I’ve not reviewed a perfume before, purely for how difficult it is. All perfumes smell different to each individual, but I thought I’d do my best. I really love this perfume so I wanted to share it with you all too. So here’s a short and sweet review of the fragrance. Viktor & Rolf are back again with another effortlessly enchanting fragrance.  At first glance the playfully pink box looks like it’s hiding something sweet, however what it actually hides is an elegantly gorgeous bottle. Bonbon is a subtly sweet scent with hints of caramel, mandarin and peach. For me it is reminiscent of sunny Spring afternoons spent cavorting around London cafes, browsing the endless selection of delicious cakes on offer. This is perfectly suited to those who enjoy a young, fun perfume. I also had a little fun and made a video about what the perfume feels like to me. It features me messing around in the park, with lots of blossoms and baby ducks. Yep, it is as random as it sounds. You can check it out on my Youtube channel.

Viktor & Rolf’s Bonbon retails at around £50-£94, depending on size.
You can purchase it at Debenhams and The Perfume Shop.

Style: How to Style A Slip Dress

The slip dress is one of those trends that crept up on me. I didn’t really see too much of it on the high street until about a month or so ago. Now they’re popping up everywhere and I can’t wait to start seeing people style them. So I decided to style four different looks, all with the one same slip dress from Topshop.

Style 1
– Topshop Slip Dress
Denim Jacket
Black Rim Raybans
ASOS Jewelled Earcuff
Lacoste Pastel Trainers
Cheap Monday Roll Over Clutch

Style 2
– Topshop Slip Dress
Chambray Shirt
Aviator Sunglasses
Chain Collar Necklace
Love Moschino Shopper Bag
Kandy Strap Buckle Shoes

Style 3
– Topshop Slip Dress
– Rhinestone Necklace
Smart Backpack
Leather Jacket
Tortoiseshell Sunglasses
Thick Strap Heels

Style 4
– Topshop Slip Dress
Knitted Crop Jumper
Angular Sunglasses
Striped Bow Hair Clip
Snake Coin Bag
Astley Clarke Stacking Ring
Pastel Sneakers

I think you can have a lot of fun just dressing one item in a variety of ways. I prefer casual & fun coordinates like 1 & 4, but I also like simply stylish codes such as 2 & 3 at times. I think I need to get myself a slip dress now…

Wish List: It’s (gonna be) My Birthday!

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Here it is, the inevitable birthday wishlist.
Yep, it’s my birthday on the 29th Jan – hooray!
I think I managed to keep it pretty minimal, right?
I didn’t do it on purpose but it ended up feeling quite clean.

Lately I’ve really been thinking more and more about quality items.
I’ve always loved high-end designer items, but I’m still quite practical.
I know I (and those around me) can’t always afford that kind of price.
With that said, I still think they are a good investment for most people.
I tend to use a handbag or watch etc for a few years if it’s good quality.
I also use my eyeshadow palettes until they either run out or go out of date.
I think it’s important, especially now as I think about getting older.
Wow, that got a bit too serious a bit too quick. Sorry!

I choose items that I will get a lot of use and wear out of.
I always take such care in the things I own, and I show them a lotta love.
I also appreciate the things I own and I don’t take them for granted.
I’m mega in love with all of these pieces and I hope you like them too.
Wanna know what they are, and where to buy them?

1. Moschino Letter Wrap Bracelet
2. Iseey Miyake Bao Bao Tote Bag
3. Marc by Marc Jacobs Truman Watch
4. Original Minerals ‘Maintain The Main’ Giftset
5. Jo Malone Sweet Almond & Macaroon Candle
6. Bobbi Brown Nude Eyeshadow Palette  (bought)
7. Deborah Lippmann Exfoliating Cuticle Remover Treatment
8. Trish Mcevoy Power of Brushes Collection

Source: 1

New Shoes: Liberty & Vans Collaboration

Liberty of London x Vans Collaboration – Exclusive to Office

As soon as I saw the Liberty collaboration with Vans I was in love.
The prints were perfect and true to Liberty, and didn’t make the sneakers too serious.
In fact I think Vans choose the prints amazingly well as I’ve had my eye on 3 pairs for a while now.
For me they’re the exact mix of style, femininity and casual – three things I always consider.
I like to mix typically girly items with casual ‘boyish’ ones, so these are perfect.
A couple of days ago I finally decided on Liberty Leaves Pink.
I won’t take all the credit though as the fiancé bought me these as a gift.
I think they’re probably the first pair of shoes that he has wanted to steal for himself.
And incase you were wondering, yes these are unisex – they’re sized for both men and women.
I think that’s pretty cool. Vans are really good at doing this with the majority of their shoes.
Who says that men can’t wear pink floral print or that women can’t wear camo print etc? 
If you can work it, wear it…and if you can’t, it’s all good as long as you’re happy!
You can purchase these at Office online for £54.99, or on the high street.
View the rest of the collaboration here.