Gilly Hicks Sydney

It’s not every Saturday that you get to ride through London on a Routemaster with some of London’s hunkiest boys – thanks Gilly Hicks!

Billed as Abercrombie and Fitch’s ‘cheeky cousin,’ Gilly Hicks Sydney captures the fun-loving, casual approach that makes the Abercrombie so popular with so many.

As we travelled from Green Park, the lads threw bunches of cotton undies out to unsuspecting tourists, adoring teenage girls and jovial builders! Our end destination was Westfield, to the new Gilly Hicks store. Despite the particularly chilly conditions, the good-spirited models posed outside for al fresco photos before being greeted by seemingly hundreds of adoring females.

In the warm, comforting darkness of the shop, I ended up buying a gorgeous new checked flannel shirt and lots of yummy-smelling body lotions and potions – perfect for Christmas presents.

www.gillyhicks.com

TIME² One to Watch

Went to visit the TIME² watch shop on Long Acre (Covent Garden) last week.

Keira Payne-Gibbs, a fashion watch and jewellery buyer was there to talk everyone through the latest trends in watches. She’s a fashion watch buyer for 5 department stores, 3 on-line sites, one stand-alone store and now 12 third party retailer concessions around the UK. So when it comes to watches, she really knows her bezel from her indices.

She sited ceramic, white, military and rose gold as current trends.

TIME² is a watch specialist offering both fine and fashion watches through the online boutique or directly from their London-based stores. In addition to the stand alone shops like the Long Acre one, TIME² also operates concessions in Selfridges, Fenwicks and Sunglass Hut.

They are also responsible for supplying watches to ASOS and The Wonder Room at Selfridges and stock brands such as Michael Kors (which is my current favourite), D&G, Armani, Tag Heuer, Tissot and LTD Watch (one to watch).

www.time2.co.uk

Boudoir PR, Hermes and Shoreditch House

After going to the Boudoir PR press day (lots of new, exciting things, Nail Rock nail wraps, Australian Zinc, Galibardy jewellery, more on these things later) I went along to the Hermes ‘J’aime Mon Carré’ (www.jaimemoncarre.com) party last night which was a lots of fun. It was a celebration of the iconic Hermes silk scarf and amazing band Warpaint performed live. Many guests attempted the thieving of the scarves that were strung up from the ceiling, wrapped around posts and draped casually over the band’s drum kit. None were successful (thanks to two particularly vigilant security guards) but some settled for a gold horse balloon instead. My friend Jeanie was one of their official bloggers and has taken some cool pictures:

http://fatfashionassistant.blogspot.com/2010/11/h-is-for-hermes.html

Afterwards I went along to the EMA wrap party in Shoreditch House where I got all the goss on what happened behind the scenes (in the words of Sex and the City, ‘who was a bitch, who was a bigger bitch’) and ate pizza.

The Only Way is Amy

Amy Childs is the maroon-haired glamour model in training from ITV2's unexpected smash hit, the Only Way is Essex. Meet my latest style fascination. Mistress of Vejazzling (and familiar in the fine art of Pezazzling, both techniques of gluing crystals to the groin region) and a fellow fan of animal print, it seems Amy is unfamiliar with terms such as 'smart/casual,' 'pale and interesting' or 'understated' but in a world in which Katie Price rules, this celebration of unabashed fakery works fantastically well. I just bought a plumping lip gloss, am going for a spray tan soon and am going to hunt for my Swarovski and eyelash glue tonight; it's a slippery slope that will only end in Faces...

'He's fit but he's just too jel!'

Leopard.

Amy begins her ascent to Jordanesque stardom

Party Dresses

Party season’s here, and its time to shop for my favourite things ever; eveningwear! Fortunately for me, the Sixties remains a popular theme. Here are my top pics from the wonderful world of online:

ASOS.com:

http://www.asos.com/Asos/Asos/Asos-Encrusted-Collar-Shirt-Dress/Prod/pgeproduct.aspx?iid=1304393



http://www.asos.com/Asos/Asos/Asos-Embellished-Crop-Top-Ruffle-Dress/Prod/pgeproduct.aspx?iid=1321841



TOPSHOP.com:

http://www.topshop.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?beginIndex=0&viewAllFlag=&catalogId=33057&storeId=12556&productId=2059233&langId=-1&sort_field=Relevance&categoryId=235533&parent_categoryId=235532&sort_field=Relevance&pageSize=200

http://www.topshop.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?beginIndex=0&viewAllFlag=&catalogId=33057&storeId=12556&productId=2074425&langId=-1&sort_field=Relevance&categoryId=208491&parent_categoryId=&sort_field=Relevance&pageSize=20&refinements=category~[208503208491]&noOfRefinements=1

ZARA.com

http://www.zara.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product/uk/en/zara-sales/11017/197447/SEAMED%2BAND%2BPLEATED%2BDRESS

Vivienne Westwood Stationery

Ooh Vivienne Westwood’s doing eco-friendly Christmas stationery! The range includes a 2011 annual diary and a selection of hardback notebooks bound in silk and classic Westwood prints.

The books are made in Italy and cost £25 each. You can but the full collection from Vivienne Westwood stores and online (www.viviennewestwood.com) from November 2010.

Santa, if you’re reading this, I want to look cool in meetings and, as my old Lanvin one is now full up, I expect to find at least one in my stocking this year!

Swarovski Elements’ Jawaher

A couple of weeks ago (Tuesday 19th October if you want to be exact) I went along to the glamorous launch of Swarovski Elements’ Jawaher, held at Swarovski Crystallized™, 24 Great Marlborough Street.

The venue was lavishly decorated to look like an Arabic palace. Everything was opulent and (obviously) Swarovski crystal-encrusted! We sipped champagne and ate delicious canapés. There was a fashion show which displayed the most beautiful abaya collections (designed by the UAE’s Sweet Lady). Here are the pictures!

The show
I enjoy the party

The models looking very glam indeed

A beautiful asymmetric gown