That Old Black Magic

Oct 29, 2015

Those of you who have been following
my blog for some time know I love nothing
more than black (ok perhaps chocolate cake
is up there also ;-)

black, Halloween

So here is a round up of darkly beautiful things that 
will always put a smile on my face

black, Halloween, Valentino
Valentino
black, Halloween
Embossed Python Clutch from one of my favourite shops in NYC-Gigi New York

black, Halloween, black jewellery
   
     1. BELINA
2. EVA 
  3.ERIKA
     4.NURIA
5.GIGI

black, Halloween


Stunning John Rocha Waterford Crystal black flute

black, Halloween, black macaroons


black, Halloween


black, Halloween
Wouldn't just love to have a spin in this?
black, Halloween, black jewellery, black rings

4.BELINA (Silver)
5. LILOU 




My favourite description of what black means to me ;-)

Happy Halloween my little pumpkins
xxx

6 Books I Recommend Every Fashion Blogger Or Fashion Business Owner Should Read

Oct 15, 2015

OK, for those that have been following my
blog for some time, you know I devour books
(ok, slightly less than I devour chocolate cake).

Here are 6 books I  recommend any
female entrepreneur/fashion blogger should read 
if you want to be inspired but don't want to
read some really "dry" business book which
will just make you feel like gauging your
eyeballs out before you've even finished
(OK, maybe that is excessive ;-)

However, before someone calls
the "Book List Police" on me, these are just 
my humble recommendations,
but I am sure at least 2-3 you would never have heard of or
thought of reading ;-)


i) OK first up is The Glitter Plan:

This is a fab book about how best friends developed
their biz idea after the impossibility of not finding the perfect
t'shirt.........and so Juicy Couture was born.

Even if you are not a fan of having 'Juicy Couture' plastered
all over your booty (as in their velour tracksuits), their story is
so inspiring. They give you their back story and not
just the gloss and achievements, and I think every business
owner likes to know about other people's back story.

Each chapter ends with a summary of the main
lessons learned which in itself is worth it's weight 
in gold




ii) Next up is the biography of Madame Chanel!
This book was SO gripping especially when the opening chapters
begin with the author walking around Chanel's apartment in
Paris.

The author celebrates the woman who created the way
we look now, but she doesn't gloss over the accretions
of romance and lies that Chanel crafted (this for me was a
real insight into the woman and part of the story I found so
fascinating).
While Chanel was a supreme innovator of all things
luxurious and elegant, what lies beneath her own
glossy myth is far darker (and of course being a former
Criminal Psychologist, this is the part that fascinated
me the most).

But this is a fascinating book into the world of artistic
genius and creativity.




iii) This is the book that should become your new best
friend if you do writing of any kind. It's about language 
and how to use it in your writing.
Why did I pick this? I have come across some fab blogs in
my time, but when I see glaringly obvious grammatical errors
(I'm not talking typos here) time and time again, 
I end up never going back :-(
Our blogs are not supposed to be literary works of art
(well at least mine isn't), but sometimes we do need to 
remember our first grade grammar ;-)

This book is proof that sometimes old-school can be best.





iv) This next book was recommended to me by
my mentor Todd Herman. I would never have known about
this book had he not recommended it, as I have never 
seen it on any recommended biz reading lists (or maybe
I am just reading the wrong lists ;-)

This book was first published in 1916 and quickly
became recognised as a great business book. It's
a really short, compact read but with some real 
golden nuggets on how to keep things simple, and
how to know if your business idea will fly or not.

I think this is a real timeless treasure.




v) OK, next up is my favourite blonde. If you think DP is just
a ditsy blonde with a straining at the seams, doubly reinforced bra, 
then she had you fooled also. She is one, savvy business woman.

This book is based on the hugely popular graduation speech she
gave at the University of Tennessee. It will really inspire you to go 
for your dreams if you are still pondering them at the moment.
And if you are already working on your dream, she will
inspire you to work harder!!!!!




vi) Finally is the autobiography of DVF
After watching the series House of DVF, I 
became mildly obsessed with this woman, and
this book quenched my curiosity.

It's a book of focus and passion.
The first part of the book is her life story (which in
itself is hugely inspiring).  The
second part of her book is dedicated to the 'Business
of Fashion' which encompasses all that is the American
Dream, The Comeback Kid and Stickability.
A really inspiring book



So there you have my recommendations if you
don't want to read some dry business book, but
still need some inspiration.

Would love to know your thoughts;  if you've
read any of these, or if you would add any to this list.



xxxxx

Off To The Opera!

Oct 11, 2015


It seems that lady-like, over the elbow gloves are the way
to go this season; whether you wear them for a Holiday ball
or to jazz up a daytime outfit

opera gloves

opera gloves, leather gloves
Marc Jacobs



Vivienne Westwood going all out with the details


Even Disney princesses are getting in on the act



opera gloves, leather gloves, Vera Wang
Leather opera gloves are what were seen on the catwalk
as with this Vera Wang ensemble




opera gloves, leather gloves, Lanvin

Leather by Lanvin


Pinstripes and opera gloves. Who would have combined those
two together?  But I think it looks super chic.



Of course if you want to do retro than no-one
rocks it  better than La Von Teese.




Dsquared added a sorbet coloured glove to their tweed, country
jacket for a really jazzed up "country-pile" finish



So are you going to don  opera gloves this season.
What about for jazzing up your daywear?
Would you?

As always I love to hear your thoughts.

Tally ho Lovelies!!!!



Fashion Renegades or Eccentrics?

Oct 2, 2015

Sometimes it's so easy when we see someone
"pushing the envelope" in terms of fashion boundaries, to
label them eccentric (I know I have been guilty
of this myself :-(

So were these wonderful women below just
eccentrics or were they really fashion renegades?


You cannot start a discussion about fashion eccentrics
or renegades without talking about the lovely 
Iris Apfel; the US icon renowned for her over-sized
spectacles and maximalist dressing.

If you want to stand out from the crowd for your
original and idiosyncratic style, then look
no further for inspiration.

Iris Apfel, fashion renegades, fashion eccentrics, fashion icons
Iris Apfel



Jacqueline Ribes

 The French aristocrat Countess de Ribes was a muse
to YSL and one of the elite socialites known as the Swans.
She went onto launch her own label and customise her
couture outfits for fancy dress parties.
A new exhibition in her honour opens at the New York
Met this November.



diana vreeland, vogue, fashion icons, fashion renegades
Diana Vreeland


Diana Vreeland the legendary editor of American Vogue.
She later became the muse for Marc Jacobs' decadent
a/w 2015 collection. He created a show set that mimicked
her apartment.
Her points of view heralded some of the most adventurous
editorials of the time

So eccentrics or renegades?


Do you agree with the lovely Ms Apfel?