Category: Photography

February 24, 2015

The Edit x

Charlie wearing Bella’s skinny jeans..

And odd socks..

Laters, Kate x

February 11, 2015

Acing Accessories x

Sometimes it’s the littlest things that have the greatest impact…this safety pin earring…elevated from punk to pure tongue-in-cheek chic..

A kilt pin on your collar? Sassy and smart..

A casual, crafty cat bag then reflected by cat’s eyes..

There’s something about a Louis Vuitton bag that’s been tastefully graffitied..

Bring an outfit to life with bags of colour..

(All photos Tommy Ton from Style.com)

Or just accessorise with flowers and an appropriate shopping bag..

Laters, Kate x

February 9, 2015

China Town x

On Saturday I took the kids plus Bella’s bestie to explore the delights of China Town in London. Charlie, freed from the constraints of school uniform opted for a cunning combination of shorts over jogging trousers..

Accessorised with a pink umbrella..

That was until he spotted this tiger hat..

Not that he didn’t fit in..the place was buzzing..

And tigers were a trend..

It’s not long till Chinese New Year and all the shops were red, vibrant and humming with life and such a variety of whacky and wonderful stuff that blew the kids minds. They spent their pocket money on dresses, silk pajamas, paper dragons, fortune cookies and fans..

Checking out the weird and grotesque in the restaurant windows.

Charlie, being Charlie..as only Charlie can be..with his fan..

We looked at the Chinese supermarkets..so worth a wander..

Before stopping for a conventional drink and a bite to eat. Hot chocolate with cheese and onion crisps anyone??

Charlie was more interested in doing peacock impressions..

Looking at our purchases to offer an unsuspecting Daddy..frogspawn juice was a bit of a fav..

And how have we survived this long without a can of Kickapoo?…

The girls came back to change into their dresses and choreograph a fan dance..

Charlie wasn’t going to be outdone..

A slug of kickapoo later..

And it was sword dancing!

Laters, Kate x

February 6, 2015

Man Mania x

One myth to nail is that women are not the only peacocks of the fashion world..and how my heart beats for this coat..

The male members of our species are more than happy to step up to the mark and find new ways to make outfits spring to life..

Just accessorise with red and a smile..

Choose your favourite raconteur..sharp, witty and erudite.

I want this coat too..how charming to see it on a masculine man, a moment where art and expectations collide.

( All pictures Tommy Ton from Style.com)

Bold, brilliant and beautiful..and always ready to ~~grumble~~ rumble..

Laters, Kate x

February 5, 2015

Twinkle, Twinkle Little Toes..

On Tuesday I went to the rather exclusive Westbury Hotel in Mayfair for the PFLM London Shoe Show where there were all sorts of stands offering tempting delicacies of the sole variety – See by Chloe, Jill Sander, Paco Herrero to name just a few…but there was only one label for me….Claire was there with Air and Grace..and most importantly her new designs, literally hot off the factory floor….Meet Woodstock, the sophisticated over-the-knee boot you’ve only dreamt of (see this post here) complete with block heel, super soft black suede, the perfect elasticated cling and an inspirational, funky fringe running the full, graceful length…pure genius.

(Woodstock will also be available in tantalising tan. I drool…)

The new Coachella’s are also a sight for sore eyes..

The leopard and snakeskin offerings are an exquisitely menacing set of shoes, primed and ready to strut street style..

And the pumps are all ready for the summer sun…the nude and stud combination should be an illegal high…

This was also the first chance to see the new Air & Grace sole..Claire’s trademark feather is now a cunning tread, with the potential for a starring role in any detective drama..

There are so many reasons to be excited about this label: A courageous, talented woman ready to take on the world and prove that art and commerce aren’t mutually exclusive, with a product that’s sassy and stylish and super-intelligently combined with the soft stuff of snug bedding beautifully translated into utter joy for feet…

I can hear mine sighing…

Laters, Kate x

February 3, 2015

French Fancies x

It snowed in London last night – not a lot, but enough to make a new ,white world and Charlie a very happy boy. I’m just grateful we got our boiler to work again..why is it that boilers start staggering on what will be their last legs just when the coldest weather kicks in? And why are modern boilers so crap??

As a distraction from impending doom and financial ruin, I’ve been ogling Tommy Ton’s street style photos from the french Couture Shows, which have to be some of the greatest shots to obsess over: The ideas, the outfits that should look promisingly awful but by small strokes of magic give irony and imagination pride of place..

Maybe the cut out and keep part of the twenty-tens will be eclecticism. That heady mix of anything goes and modern-old-soul..

The power to dazzle by mixing high with low, latest and oldest, hard and soft, summer and winter with mesmerising narrative power…things that shouldn’t work in an outfit…working..

It’s a cocktail of collision..it’s dangerous territory and a high risk way of telling a story..easy to hype or misjudge. Or not.

(All photos Style.com)

It’s an organic development that creates the dramatic pulse, exploding the rules and energetically galloping over the baseline..

It’s the stuff of dreams…

Laters, Kate x

January 28, 2015

Treading Lightly..

Yesterday I went to see the lovely Claire from Air and Grace at her new pop-up store on the Kings Road to catch up on all her latest news and styles. Claire started her label after spotting a gap in the market – she wanted shoes made for women, designed by a woman who understood what we really want – the true concept of beauty: style and comfort. It’s that word comfort that gnaws at something primal..

Her shoes are gloriously re-thought and inventively told, the tone is juicy streetstyle: classics with more than a twist..These are the Coachella’s with their glorious tan souls and beautiful stacked heels..the perfect ankle boot that’s been a hole in my wardrobe for forever…dress up, dress down..they cover all the bases..

And they have to be the most comfortable boot I’ve ever tried on. It’s rare you can walk a shoe out of a shop and spend all day urbanly running in them..but that is the beauty of these babies..

It’s all to do with the quality of the leather, the clever design..and what goes on inside each shoe..the focus of quality engineering that give feet what they really need.

Her range is impressive..but there’s more to come – The long stretch boots of my dreams? She’s doing them! the Coachella in ox-bood? Yes! The Coachella in leopard? Yes, yes, YES! Claire has a waiting list already..and I’m not surprised.

Seductive talking, well-heeled shoes for walking..dancing..and living. Isn’t the identified love the most powerful of all?

If you get the chance, all I can say is pop down to Kth & Kin boutique at 330 Kings Road and see for yourself..

Laters, Kate x

January 23, 2015

Tiger, tiger..

High on my wish-list for Xmas was this little baby (I can resist everything, except a bit of kitsch..and possibly the odd coat..and a bright red cardigan..or 2) And what a joy he’s been – everything that great design should be: Functional, beautiful and desirable..