Category: London
Eye Love This! x
(All pictures from Style Bubble)
Flavia la Rocca is a young, sustainable designer who’s decided to feature the Blogger Susie Bubble as her muse and fashion detail..
She says it a nod to how Susie relates to the fashion world of today.
I say the way it links the articles of clothing together is genius.
Eyes on the world, it’s witty, fun and really rather desirable…
Laters, Kate x
Progression..
From this..
To this..I finally finished it last night. I wanted the colours to be stronger, the contrasts greater, more representative of Sam alive than as a memory – I felt I was being a bit careful, almost precious before. Little things have been added – there’s roses in her hairband, and the red of her lips was from a picture of Kate Moss in a red see-through dress, her nose smoothed out. But it’s all a balance – I’m now looking at her eyebrows thinking there’s a big contrast between the black of the first picture and this one. But that could be the different light and the camera as I haven’t changed them, possibly the photo sucking in the matt density of the paint rather than the charcoal – her face also looks whiter, except it isn’t..however I can’t control the urge to go and check all these points out…sometimes the hardest thing is knowing when to stop..
Laters, Kate x
P.S. More information about the history of this picture here.
Mwha-ha-halloween!
If you ask my kids what celebration most floats their boats they won’t say birthdays or Christmas..It’s Halloween every time…and I’m not sure it’s just about the unlimited supply of sugar. For them it’s the drama of being out in the dark with their friends, dressed as something totally alien, doing something that would be utterly forbidden in normal life. This year Bella went as a wolf..who might have a few cat tendencies..we got a bit confused..
Charlie was Batman!
This year we went to a friends for a party..first time I haven’t decorated our house in years..
Ready for the off, treacle treating bags at the ready..
It’s not America..but people and their houses do embrace Halloween in SW London..there were some impressive sights..
We all thought this was a statue standing next to Robin Williams grave….until he went Boo!
Loved these pumpkins with their noses!
Returning home..a scariest costume of all..a vision of the teenager-to-be…
Mwha-ha-haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!
Laters, kate x
An Event x
December 26 2014 marks the ten year anniversary since the horror of the Boxing Day tsunami in which my cousin Sam Archer-Fayet and her baby daughter Ruby Rose tragically lost their lives.
As a way of marking this anniversary and celebrating Sam’s life, her sister Nathalie is holding a very special exhibition in their memory: She’s conjured up a whole cornucopia of artist’s and musicians to produce work to capture and treasure Sam’s spirit: On the night and just for one night, they’ll be an intimate short film shown, shot by Sam herself in the late nineties when she was working in the thick of the fashion world, showing a glimpse of life behind the scenes at some of the most glamorous catwalk shows including her friends and icons such as Kate Moss, Linda Evangelista, Naomi Campbell, Esther de Jong, Carla Bruni, Claudia Schiffer and John Galliano. Freeze-frame images will also be exhibited as part of the on-going exhibition. My youngest sister, Harriet will be performing with her group Kosmos, as well as performances by Lisa Billson and Nina Walsh, Somethin’ else and Martin Beck. And if that wasn’t enough, they’ll be an auction including a signed print from Charming Baker, dinner for 4 donated by Anthony Usher at the renowed Clutch restaurant, a signed photo by famous photographer Richard Young and a lot more besides…all proceeds from the exhibition will go to raise funds for the SMart Network giving them much needed funds to support homeless and socially excluded people through creative arts.
So if you’re in London or can get to London on Wednesday 12 November the event is being held at the Seven Dials Club in Covent Garden at 42 Earlham Street, WC2H 9LA – just email your name to info@samsaysenjoylife.com to confirm your attendance…
Nathalie also asked if I would paint a picture of Sam for the exhibition…mainly because of the kids, it’s been a long time since I’ve painted anything and I will confess, it has been one of the hardest paintings I’ve ever done, not only because it’s Sam, but I wanted it to truly represent her as well.
The background to the picture is a collage made up of both photos of Sam and quotes or words that I felt resonated her vibrant character. The idea was that from a distance it’s Sam..up close it’s what made her who she was..and each time you look, you should see something different.
I’m at the stage where it’s almost finished..but I can’t stop tinkering..it’s even changed from this photo..but time is starting to run out…
Laters, Kate x
Our Day x
We wore the leather off our soles and the skin off our feet with our trip yesterday..I thought it was such a cunning and devious plan to link the Mexican shop and the Tower of London together – they’re both on the same side of the river after all – but sadly there’s no transport link between them..we ended up pounding the streets of London. Although, having said that – it’s a good place to pound. First stop was Milagros in Columbia Road – at the weekend this is a bustling, heaving flower market with much more besides (well worth a visit – there’s a Spanish restaurant at one end that does the best breakfast ever..) but during the week all the old shop fronts literally close their shutters – we were very lucky our destination was one of the few that was open..
We indulged..Frida Kahlo is my favourite..
It’s a fascinating area bridging hip Shoreditch and lively Brick Lane.
The kids took pictures of each other..
With varying degrees of success…
The Tower was magnificent. It’s such an iconic part of London with it’s foreboding stance against the march of time, combine that with the pure brilliance of this installation ‘Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red’ to commemorate the allied fallen in the First World War and it’s a combination made in heaven. Tom Piper is the designer, Paul Cummins the ceramicist, both have captured something utterly unique: Is it Art..or is it theatre?
Each handmade ceramic flower represents a fallen soldier.
It’s as if the very stones of the Tower are bleeding.
It was a brilliant decision to allow the planting to happen gradually in waves. It started in August and by the 11 November, Remembrance Day, 888,246 poppies will proudly stand, filling the moat – it has made this edifice to death into a living, breathing structure both celebrating and mourning loss.
At 4.55 every day – dusk – a solitary trumpet plays the Last Post and a roll call of 180 of the dead are read out.
I so wanted to hear the trumpet …but there’s always a limit with children and mine – after a long day and with 25 minutes to wait – had reached theirs..
We headed home..
But if you think my two are always angels..
Think again…
Laters, Kate x
Book of Life..
We’ve just been to see the ‘Book of Life’ at the cinema..perfect for the run up to Halloween – a family friendly fiesta of Mexican culture bursting with vibrant colours and life where you can literally touch the heat of the Mexican sun..you don’t need to be a kid to enjoy this one – I absolutely loved it! If I could jump on a plane now and head to Mexico to see the Day of the Dead celebrations for myself, I would.. I’ve been utterly seduced by the folk art and magical artistry…
It’s inspired me to look at Mexican decorations for Christmas: We buy one special decoration for the tree each year – last year it was this one, but this year I think I’m rather spoilt for choice. Just one??!
So today we’re heading to Columbia Road (has a wonderful flower market at the weekend) to check out this Mexican shop..then we’re heading home via the poppies at the Tower of London..what’s more the sun is shining and the sky is blue my chilaquiles!
Adios! Kate x
The Force..
I’m not good with continually painting the town red – the tiredness comes down like a gruelling fog. The only antidote is pretense, swiftly followed by a relatively early night. And whilst no-one would normally guess (unless they wanted to count the luggage round my eyes) there is one presence I can never fool: Technology. Somehow it knows.
Take Sunday: A few late nights in a row and the matchsticks were under considerable strain. But my parents were in need of some muscle in their attempts to manhandle their still building site of a house back into some semblance of order. At the underground I checked out my oyster card – £8.75 left on – just enough to get there and back. Except the barriers didn’t like it, leaving me on one side with Bella and Charlie on the other. Went to the ticket office – no, we can’t do anything, it’s a problem with oyster – talk to them and buy a new ticket. Except the ticket machine didn’t like my debit card. Went to another one – spoke to it very nicely ( it took a while to get the heavy irony out of my voice) – and finally got my travel card. Except that was the last time the card successfully went through a barrier again..every change, entrance or exit I had to find an available person in an underground uniform to help me..
Came back to write a post. Computer froze and I lost internet connection..then the TV wouldn’t turn off…
I’d take it personally, except there’s absolutely nothing I can do. Except possibly throw the TV/Computer (cross out as applicable) out of the window…now THAT would show ’em….
Laters, Kate x
It’s Not You, It’s Me..
I love a brand that scoffs gently..it also helps if they’re independent, based in London, slightly mad and run by 3 ferocious, tongue-in-cheek, epigrammatic gals.
Its not me its you was started by Billi, Jems and Kitty in 2012.
Everything they produce is made and printed by hand in East London.
In a world where it’s too easy to be suffocated by a toxic brew of Vacuous style and pumped up plastic their italian leather crafted with care is a pot of gold at the end of a shimmering rainbow…complete with whimsy and fantastical animals..
Visceral, witty and flawlessly presented, they’re a class act.
(I secretly reckon this one reads ‘Kate loves the fearless’..just for me…)
I snort at them..and raise my glass..that’s a few more presents ticked off the December list..
Laters, Kate x
A Pearl x
Preppy-sports-lux flavours Mother of Pearl SS15, stylishly crossing all sorts of nostalgic and modern borders with ease.
A step away from the bold, bright prints of previous seasons there’s something effortless about this simple combination of cut and colour that quietly sings of contentment and inner confidence.
Even when a bit of ooomph is brought to the party..
Clothes to wear around the house, at work, on a date..or just for the heck of it. Mother of Pearl has found her person and knows her well – I for one, can’t look away.
Laters, Kate x
Colourscape x
On Saturday we headed up with friends to Clapham Common to experience ‘Colourscape’ – walk-in structures originally created by artist Peter Jones in the 70’s to celebrate colour and light.
We had no idea what to expect..to go in you’re given an overall to wear. The practical purpose is to keep track of the number of people inside, but there’s also a transformative effect, blurring everyone away from normality as if you’ve stepped into another dimension…
The first thing that happens is you lose everyone as they’re swallowed up by the multiple spaces and lured away by the colours..adults slow down..children scatter like birds..
There was also live contemporary music, adding to the air of other worldly..
In the centre was a sort of meeting point of white curves and elliptical wonder.
Where there were games on the floor for the kids to play with..
You could wander, you could sit and just be..or you could just lie and go to sleep like the husband! But slowly everyone comes back together again..
The closest thing I’ve ever come to it was the permanent light installation exhibition at Villa Panza in Italy..one of my most favourite exhibitions ever..
Totally mesmerising. It was a rarified thrill to do something utterly engrossing for the whole family involving all the senses..I loved it!
Laters, Kate x
Maison Bentley Style 