Category: women
Jane Birkin and her bag x
Iconic, ironic and rather wonderful…..
Laters, Kate x
Tickled Pink x
Rebecca Wilson is a young sculptor domiciled in Scotland with a cheeky sense of humour.
With her jewellery range she’s become the burlesque dancer of adornment.
Not that jewellery is the only thing she does..take this light, titled ‘Many hands make light work’
Beautifully cast in glow loving porcelain.
Or this one…inspired by jammy dodgers..
And temptingly called ‘Light snack’
Rebecca takes pleasure in looking at the humble objects of life – like these matches – and wants to see our reaction when she alters them either by material, situation or size..she wants to understand, why does our reaction then change?
It’s honesty and frivolity glued together with the luxury of porcelain and talent.
Just delicious.
Laters, Kate x
Elina Linardaki x
I didn’t go to Glastonbury this year..but if I had, I would’ve worn a pair of these beauties by Elina Linardaki. (Until it rained of course, and then they’d transform into a pair of hunter wellies, because that’s just how magical they are).
I could do with a pair today..last week it was tights and scarves..this week temperatures are set to hit 36 degrees. London in this kind of heat is not good, we seem to specialise in the really heavy, oppressive variety that saps the very life from your bones where 36 on the thermometer feels more like 46. It’s partly because we’re just not equipped to cope..lots of glass, no shutters, no air con, no swimming pools, just a sprinkler in the garden. We have Prize Day at the kids school today and thank God it’s no blazers, but no doubt we will all gently boil.
I’ll be sitting their, quietly sweating away…dreaming of leather gladiators and a beach….
Laters, Kate x
Ode to Creative Coffee..
We had our final Creative Coffee EVER yesterday…a day of sadness, joy..and achievement all rolled into one.
Sometime it’s the simple things in life that make the magic and one of those things for me were Creative Coffee Mornings. They were started by the lovely Sophy many years ago now, when she made the genius decision that chatting over coffee with young children was so much more fun when creating was involved. Originally we’d all take over our unfinished projects and use the time to give ourselves much needed permission to complete them. Then Sophy and best friend, Minta developed it further and prepared, for a small fee, everything in advance with a termly timetable of once-weekly delights. From sugar craft to liqueurs to making sausages…it was the perfect antidote to urban brain boil.
Now Minta is off to pastures new – a whole new chapter is opening up for her in the wilds of Scotland, which I know she’ll relish and grab with both hands…but she’ll be missed.
Wednesday mornings will never be quite the same again..
(These are not handmade rolls but an edible sculpture, entitled ‘eight nude elderly ladies tying their shoelaces’..)
So I raise a cupcake to the wonders of Creative Coffee and all who sailed in her…. Ladies, it was a commanding performance with a spectacular range, lead with aplomb and an indescribable magical touch of alchemy. Thank you for the opportunity to spend time with some of the best women I know laughing, baking, making and creating. The memories will live long..(well..those that aren’t addled by sloe gin…)
I absolutely loved it.
Laters, Kate x
Wool and the Gang x
Wool and the Gang was born to find the best way to produce fashion..namely by hand…your hands..(or if you’re really nervous..someone else’s)
It’s a quirky, sustainable reaction to the fast fashions of our generation that says stop, think..and make something special that lasts whilst reducing stress and improving dexterity.
You can either purchase complete kits to make yourself..or a separate price is given for a ready made item where you can support fellow ‘Gangsta’s’ by buying their handmade pieces.
There’s different levels for various abilities..and options for men, children and the home too…even crochet.
Wool is a favourite yarn, but they also work with fashion factories to repurpose their fashion waste into new yarns to reduce landfill.
Clever eh?
It was founded by three women: Designers Aurelie Popper and Jade Harwood met while studying textile design at Central Saint Martins in London, after which they went onto work at Alexander McQueen and Balmain. Third member is Elisabeith Sabrier, former model, world traveller and yarn lover.
It’s the kind of stuff you you really want to make.
And now there’s no excuse..
Laters, Kate x
So Wright..
The news around the world isn’t great at the moment. Condensed down, the underlying message I’m hearing is that big things don’t work (Didn’t we learn anything from the Romans?). And yet the drive to continually make everything bigger and supposedly better runs deep, because if you don’t…you’re a failure; The economy has to grow, companies have to grow..countries, even religions all want to expand till they become these slow moving bloated beasts that eat up everything in their way, with no joined up thinking except feeding this thirst for size and dominance. It’s a big day for Greece today. I don’t know what the right answer is..I’m not sure there is one, except maybe they should never have joined the EU in the first place. But it seems to me that things are becoming more and more about power plays than people.
Thank God for the whimsy of fashion….and the joy that is Linda V. Wright, former model and fashion editor, born in Texas but oh-so far removed from a rodeo riding stetson toting stereotype.
Now living in Paris and running her own shop, Crimson Cashmere,
She’s a lesson in graceful, chic yet expressive dressing.
Like the world’s best perfumes, she’s layered in classics all with subtle, different flavours.
(All pics from pinterest)
You want to sit down with her at a striped bistro table in a busy Parisian street and ask, is this really all possible? Can life really be this easy? This sassy?
Laters, Kate x
Rogue Brogues..
I’ve never been a smoker – I have an issue with burning money to ruin my health..give me a strong glass of red instead and I’ll down it in one revelling in the knowledge it’s allegedly good for my heart. It’s pretty much the same with high heels..why spend a small fortune on objects of torture that look better on the page than on my feet?
Which begs the question, why heels? – and if they’re so fabulous, why don’t men wear them too? Are we women trying to prove we’re a more advanced gender because we can?…or is the joke really on us…
And then there was Heelgate at Cannes this year (which happened after the festival organisers had announced it had made efforts to address the gender imbalance between male and female directors) where women were turned away from the red carpet for wearing flats. Of course, that there was ever a heel code was swiftly denied. But they can’t deny it happened...(At the next A-lister-red-carpet-celebrity-fest I’d love to see parades of women in Docs and men in stilettos all proudly strutting their stuff) (What’s the chance of that?)
The truth, as it generally does, comes down to choice – if heels rock your world, pray indulge and gorge on the many wonderous designs available. If flats are your thing, then all these from Rogues may well float your boat.
They’re designed by Katie Harland, who wanted a shoe that was both functional and full of character. She describes them as ‘A love child from the colour and comfort of trainers and the craft and credentials of brogues.’
They’re simply built from 3 pieces of leather with a choice of neon laces.
There’s a slight platform sole in white, a low cut on the ankle and a narrower fit at the toe.
They hit that magical sweet spot of being cross-seasonal, wear with anything for any event…including running for a bus.
The only shoes I now possess are those I can dance in. On that basis…who’s hidden my credit card?
Laters, Kate x
Style Steal x
Cashmere: That hint of luxury associated with both sophistication and artisanal cool.
Now there’s a new label on the fashion block – run by a woman, Marielle, and based in London, Wyse London offers refined classics with a modern edge that really sing.
So simple..but check out the cuffs.
…And the elbow patches..
Or this take on a slouchy well-loved sweatshirt..
The beauty is in the cut, the details…and the price..you can fall, and considering the quality..not be caught by it…they range from £130-150.
I want to do this and eat them up.
Laters, Kate x
Life’s a Beach.. x
My personal crush with Lisa Marie Fernandez started last year with her delicious towelling cover-ups. This season she doesn’t disappoint…easy, breezy summer dresses with perfect proportions and edible edging.
There’s more cheeky towelling..
(All Lisa Marie Fernandez pictures from Matches and Net-a-porter)
And the cutest bikini ever..Fernandez manages to walk that sophisticated but essential line between utilitarian and chic…in a fabulous pair of gladiators with no sign of foot-slap or lace louche…
I still love the whole idea of towelling as summer clothes. Why isn’t it more popular? It’s the summer beach dress that’s missing from my wardrobe..that sense of something warm and cuddly to throw on when you’re trying to eek out the last few hours of a perfect summers day, that magical time the dusk starts to draw in and shadows lengthen and a g’n’t tastes especially good..I’ve looked for cheaper brands but there’s very little..unless you’re a child…never thought I’d be jealous of childrens’ clothes…but take away the polka dots and I am.
This is the second year I’ve lusted after the impossible, so this time I have a cunning and devious plan because where there’s a will, there’s a way. Watch this space..
Laters, Kate x
Vita Kin x
I’m a sucker for a boho dress with a folksy feel..the bigger the sleeves, the more intricate the embroidery, the greater my little heart beats.
And Vita Kin with her vyshyvanka dresses hits all the spots.
She’s become an fashion sensation purely through her instagram account, marrying the craft crush of her native Ukraine with artisanal cool and easy, wearable bohemian chic.
It’s a bit like wearing your great-grandmother’s favourite linen (particularly if she was Ukranian) down the street. But the pin tucks are edible, the lengths are to die for with en pointe colours and glorious needlework…and the pockets are perfectly placed.
When asked if she wanted to build a fashion empire Vita Kin is reputed to have replied ‘Of course, not. What I want to do is to lie on the beach on a sunny warm day and sell my creations through Instagram. My terms are 100% payment pre order, a 21-day wait for production, paid shipment, and 2 sizes to choose from. I don’t really care about anything else, I really don’t… I can’t even imagine having a factory or anything like that … I’d rather spend my time thinking of new designs...’ How refreshing.
It’s a high risk way of telling a story – there are many opportunists out there more than ready to jump on the band wagon and copy her designs. But no-one can deny it’s her works that fly out of show rooms and have long waiting lists..it’s rumoured that Matches will have some in in August – but chances are they’re sold already. Sometimes less is more and quality can stand for itself. And why does everything have to result in world domination? Sometimes the greatest power to dazzle is with what is simply there, beautifully done.
I don’t just likey. For me it’s the fire pit of timeless love. Forever…
Laters, Kate x
Maison Bentley Style 