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 4, 2015

MiH Magic x

MiH, the original British jean brand have brought out their easy wear, always stare SS15 Collection.

With their love of denim and lashings of groovy inspiration, their designs are classic, pragmatic, clever and very independent.

You really sense it’s an high energy, slow process with thought and quality poured in.

They catch the nostalgic vibe of pre-mass market, when things were built to last and gently soften in the sun, improving with age and use.

To be worn collecting sea-shells on a sandy beach..or blinged up with statement jewellery at a posh party in London.

They work.

Wholesome, exhilarating food for the eyes, I can eat it all standing up…and always want more.

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

February 2, 2015

Finery London x

There’s a new label on the cyber-street..Finery London, led by Caren Downe who’s high street pedigree and gene pool includes buying director at Top Shop and ASOS.

She left ASOS disillusioned with the emphasis on commerciality rather than creativity…and has returned to fill what she sees as the glaring gap in the market: Women that know their style and want something more considered in the £40 – £250 price bracket, that magical hybrid of excellent design and affordable prices – and she’s certainly talking my language…

It’s a range cleverly jigsawed together – there’s a sense of calm and knowing, rare in the heart of the retail storm, with warm, welcoming air that gently blows you across the threshold..

The shoes are incredible..

With a rich current of ideas running under simple shapes, that cunning mixture of cool statements and strong balls.

Forensically clear with a sense of attentive stillness, but still authentic and heartfelt..I’ll be following this story with interest..

Laters, Kate x

January 31, 2015

For the Archers in my life..

Laters, Kate x

January 30, 2015

Game of Thrones x

I think I have a genetic disorder that reacts to Valentino..every time I see the work of Pierpaolo Piccioli and Maria Grazia Chiuri my heart starts pounding and I start reaching for my credit card..and mortgage statements..

Their Valentino couture show was exquisite, drawing on references from across the board: Byzantine, monastical, peasant, ecclesiastical and more, then tying them all up together with a beautiful cohesive ribbon.

This shirt for the summer with a pair of faded shorts..

The achingly wonderful workmanship: It’s not avante garde, pushing the boundaries of wearability. It’s time and craftsmanship with a quiet, deep down confidence.

(All pictures Style.com)

This Collection adds one more cog to their star-making machinery..

Laters, Kate x

January 29, 2015

Hot Fuzz x

Karen Walker has managed to capture the sex-factor in her new campaign..with a dog. A dog called Toast with a strong sense of self who doesn’t let anyone walk over her, but is more than happy to throw us a bone..

Sassy and sweet, flashing the flesh and dealing with aplomb with this meaty dish..

Like Karen Walker’s previous campaigns, it’s humourous, cheeky and rather wonderful, with just the perfect combination of wit and gristle.

The glasses aren’t bad either…

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 27, 2015

Ooops..He did it again..

Walking down the street on a lazy Sunday afternoon, it surprisingly took me a good ten minutes to clock Charlie’s latest outfit choice…

Returning home, he then broke his mother’s heart by attempting to cut his own hair..(you can imagine..I’m still recovering)..but strangely enough, he found out exactly where the sartorial boundaries lie…

Laters, Kate x